Archives for September 2009

‘Winslow paid some dividends in the second quarter, catching a 42-yard TD pass to get the Bucs back in the game.’

‘The Bills had a reliable man at corner in Reggie Corner. Subbing for Butler was fourth-year man Jonathan Scott, who played in 20 games for Detroit in 2006 and 2007 and was on the Bills’ roster for only two games last season. Derek Fine took over for Schouman because rookie Shawn Nelson already had gone out with a sore shoulder.’

‘Cadillac Williams, who rushed for 97 yards in the Bucs’ opener, carried only seven times in the game for 9 yards. Credit the Bills with good defense, but the Bucs needed to get him the ball more.’

‘Still, the line kept opening holes and protecting the passer. The rookie guards, Eric Wood and Andy Levitre, were quietly effective for the second game in a row. And Jackson, the undrafted gem who inherited the starting job when Marshawn Lynch got a three-game suspension, more than made amends for his fumble.’

‘”We feel like we should be able to stop them with the seven guys in the front, the big boys in the front,” Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris said. “We weren’t able to do it. Then we tried to take a chance and use one of our eight-man fronts and they exploited that as well.”‘

‘”That’s just good team defense. The guys are getting pressure up front and we’re making plays in the back end. As long as we can continue to get that pressure we’ll be able to go to the [quarterback’s] second and third read and make plays on the football.”‘

‘There’s a refreshing naivete about these guys. They haven’t been in Buffalo long enough to see calamity around every bend. Hey, the offense has scored 57 points in two games. It’s a far cry from the preseason.’

‘T.O., throughout his career, never has been a particularly big fan of pawn to queen 4, only checkmate. He wants balls thrown his way now with the same frequency they arrived as a rookie, never mind that pass coverages have grown more sophisticated and cloaked in an assortment of disguises.’

‘Starting right tackle Brad Butler went down with a right knee injury late in the second quarter and didn’t return. Starting tight end Derek Schouman suffered a right knee injury as well late in the third quarter.’

‘They have come back to win after all three of the Monday Night Football disasters the past three years. That says something about the coaching. Grade: A.’

‘Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams was the unsung player of the first quarter.’

‘”You do get used to it, not that we like it,” defensive end Chris Kelsay said. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, you hear that said all the time, and it’s true. We’ve had our backs against the ropes before and we’ve bounced back. It speaks a lot about the character of this team.”‘

‘With Buffalo holding an uncomfortable 23-14 lead with 9:23 to play and unable – for a second week in a row – to shake a determined opponent, Owens did what Owens does, slipping behind Bucs’ defender Aqib Talib to haul in a perfectly thrown Trent Edwards pass deep down the right sideline. Owens never broke stride and galloped into the end zone to complete the 43-yard touchdown play.’

‘”We’ve kind of got some experience with injuries, unfortunately,” defensive end Chris Kelsay said.’