Archives for September 2010

‘Trent Edwards has to be done as a quarterback in Buffalo, and there were even rumors he was on the trading block this week even before Fitzpatrick went out and locked up the No. 1 job with a decent performance. However, Fitzpatrick is still nothing more than a backup, and his two picks in the fourth quarter really hurt. As for the future, it looks brighter with him under center.’

‘Ryan Fitzpatrick is not the long-term answer for the Bills, but he’s a whole lot better than Trent Edwards and Edwards should never be allowed to take another snap in Buffalo. That said, while Fitzpatrick did some good things and provided a spark, he proved his own mediocrity with two damaging fourth-quarter picks that killed the Bills’ chances for an upset.’

‘”Oh man, moral victories and pulling confidence from losses, that’s crap,” defensive end Marcus Stroud said. “That’s over with, man. We lost. We just gotta get better.”‘

‘"He made some good catches, made some good plays," Bills coach Chan Gailey said. "He had a big run where he cut back all the way to the back side and got it down to the 4-yard line and we scored there. He’ll continue to be a big part of our football team and being a big part of the offense as well."’

‘One thing you can say about the Bills. Regardless of all the losing and dysfunction, mediocrity will not go unrewarded — whether it’s in the coaching ranks, the front office, the personnel department, or on the playing field itself.’

‘"I definitely was happy about it," Gronkowski said. "We needed that touchdown. It was a great overall play. We executed it well when we needed it."’

‘Kelsay is in the final year of a $5.75 million-a-year contract he signed before the 2007 season. The extension is believed to be in the range of $24 million, although the extension’s length is unclear. It’s believed the deal could be finalized within a week.’

‘With 13:04 left, the Bills appeared to stop the Pats on a third-and-9 play at the New England 47. Tom Brady’s throw to the sideline for Wes Welker was way over the receiver’s head. But Bills cornerback Drayton Florence was flagged for an illegal contact penalty to give the Pats a first down.’

‘Gailey backed up QB switch with good game plan. Had Pats’ defense off balance early. Defense might have mixed in a few more blitzes.’

‘Fitzpatrick is the latest incarnation of another former No. 14, Frank Reich, who was poised upon entering any contest, but hardly the type of player to build a future on. It’s obvious by the way the team carries itself when Fitzpatrick is under center that he’s well-liked and respected. Guys want to play for Fitzpatrick, or at least seem to have an extra bounce in their step, knowing he’s not likely to curl into the fetal position when a blitzer comes unblocked.’

‘It is hard to fault the Bills much for allowing Tom Brady and Randy Moss to light them up — they’ve made a habit of that throughout their illustrious careers – but Buffalo’s defence must be better.’

‘"I thought Chan did a great job today in terms of mixing it up a little bit,” said Fitzpatrick. "I felt like we had them off balance at times, ran the ball effectively, and we made some good adjustments at halftime.”’

‘”Ryan did a good job getting guys the ball and spreading it around and getting the guys involved,” said Bills wide receiver Lee Evans, who caught 5 passes for 54 yards. “He did a good job reading the defense and taking shots when he had the opportunities.”‘

‘”Through the whole course of the game, we had a chance to win,” said Harvard University-trained Bills’ quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. “The offense played better, we had them off balance at times – we ran the ball effectively, we made some adjustments at halftime, the execution, for the most part, was there. But, that’s not what it’s about, it’s about winning.”‘