Archives for November 2010

‘On offense, it was a good idea to throw some balls downfield early because it helped back the Lions off in the line. It was an aggressive approach, one the Bills would benefit from more often. Chan Gailey stuck with the run, and it paid off. On defense, the Bills did a nice job controlling the Lions’ ground game, but defensive coordinator George Edwards has to find ways to generate more pass rush.’

‘McKelvin, who set a Buffalo rookie record in ’08 with 1,468 kickoff return yards, was happy to be able to contribute again. “I love to have the ball in my hands,” he said. “It felt great. That was my first opportunity since college to do punt returns, and as you saw, I was kind of rusty. But it came back to normal when we got to the open field, and I felt like I was back in college doing things like that.”‘

‘Gailey’s team might have been winless but I don’t think the fans had turned on him. They had not turned on this team. They are smart. They know the Bills sorely lack talent. But they do not lack heart and they did not lack effort. The same could be said for the fans at the Ralph. They have been beaten down by a decade of ineptitude by this franchise. But the fans who showed up Sunday got rewarded with a win. Now that history is out of the way, maybe the Bills franchise can pay the fans back by taking the steps to make sure they don’t have to sit through another season like this to prove their loyalty.’

‘With a win over the Detroit Lions the Buffalo Bills have slipped back to #2 in the NFL Draft Order (if things were determined today). If you are still thinking about #1, then obviously the Bills need to get back to their losing ways, but they’ll need help too. Strap in…here’s the latest breakdown.’

‘Walking with a slight limp, Spiller says he was hurt when planting his foot to brace himself as he was pushed out of bounds after a 29-yard punt return. Johnson was hurt in the second half.’

‘State police reported that they issued 48 tickets, including 26 for speeding and one for driving while intoxicated, during a four-hour DWI saturation detail after the Buffalo Bills game Sunday evening.’

‘”He’s such a warrior,” said Ryan Fitzpatrick, who threw his only touchdown pass to Jackson. “His production hasn’t been probably where he wants it to be this year, but huge day on the ground and (he) made a nice little touchdown run after the catch. Fred guts it out and gets back in the game and plays and everybody loves the guy. You can’t say enough about him."’

‘"Nobody wants to go through any length of time not winning anything," Gailey said. "So when you win, it’s big. And nobody wants to talk about the 800-pound monkey in the room, but it was obvious. You want to get that over with and go on with your season."’

‘"We were able to get into the best offensive formation, and that’s victory formation," Jackson said.’

‘Yes, thank God for Detroit. The Lions (2-7) should’ve been motivated to keep Buffalo on track to share the burden of their 2008 winless season, but instead played like they were trying to preserve it.’

‘Will the Bills be able to run the ball? Yes, they ran it right down the Lions’ throats despite the fact that Detroit often had eight men in the box. The Bills loosened the Lions early with some downfield throws, and that gave them some leeway, especially in the middle two quarters. Fred Jackson took advantage and ran for 133 yards, his best game of the season.’

‘His hand may have been forced with the rain and Spiller’s injury but Chan Gailey called a very effective game plan consisting of 33 runs and 24 passes. Defensive coordinator George Edwards was more aggressive and the Lions converted just 5 of 19 third downs. After eight losses, Bills were focused and determined to notch their first win in their first game back at The Ralph in five weeks. For that, they all deserve credit.’

‘"We work so hard," said linebacker Reggie Torbor. "If you’re not around, you have no idea. It’s easy to look at 0-8 and say, ‘Those guys are terrible; they don’t work hard.’ We do. I’ve been around some good teams. I know these guys work. To come up short constantly over and over, and to finally get a break. Finally, for the defense to play well. Finally, to stop the run. It’s kind of overwhelming. … I have a Super Bowl ring, and this is up there."’