Archives for November 2010

‘Balogun has yet to play an NFL game after being signed by San Francisco in April as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Oklahoma. He’s since spent time on Washington and Tampa Bay’s practice squads.’

‘The NFL’s Outstanding Midseason Defensive player probably is Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews and the NFL’s most talented running back probably is Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans. How good would they look in Buffalo Bills uniforms today?’

‘"Unfortunately, with young talented guys like this we all want them to be unbelievably great right off the bat and that’s not fair to them. Give the guy a chance to learn," Gailey said. "As I’ve said 100 times, I think he’s going to be a dynamic player for us before it’s over with. We’ve just got to keep getting him in the right spots."’

‘Caulcrick was the Class D player of the year while at Clymer and was a three-time all-state selection. At Michigan State, Caulcrick amassed 2,395 rushing yards, the 10th most in the program’s history, and was an honorable mention all-Big Ten.’

‘Something’s got to give, because the Lions have lost 24 games in a row on the road.’

‘Cortez’s name has been speculated as a possible coaching replacement in Canada, given his long years in the CFL and past associations with Buono and Edmonton GM Eric Tillman. Cortez can’t comment, of course. For now, the “detail-oriented, meticulous” coach, as Buono describes him, is just worried about looking after details in Buffalo, doing his job and improving his team through its quarterbacking.’

Johnson currently has been targeted 65 times this season, as compared to Evans’ 55 times. He hasn’t recorded less than 3 catches or less than 31 yards in a game. Now, three catches for 31 yards as a statistical floor aren’t spectacular numbers by any means, but it’s certainly not bad for a No. 2 wide receiver on the 26th ranked offense in the league. Heck, his 11 catches this past Sunday against Chicago is one shy of his career total (12) entering this season.

‘"The sense I get is that the team has become a joke," Moran added. "You go into a bar or a tavern, it’s gotten to the point that it’s almost become comedic: ‘How are they going to lose this game?’"’

‘Buffalo’s offense has converted an impressive 57 percent of their third down opportunities (32-56) from Weeks 7-9, including their 10-16 performance (63%) Sunday against Chicago’s top ranked third down defense.’

‘He seems ready to play and is anxious to salvage his career, which has been sidetracked by injuries and a suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs. I just hope he doesn’t help the Bills too much and they blow the No. 1 overall pick.’

‘The Bills used the Pistol eight times against Chicago, with mixed results. C.J. Spiller had runs of minus-4, minus-1 and 5 yards, while Fred Jackson had a 2-yard gain. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick completed only one of three passes, but the Bills blew a couple of big plays.’

‘The Browns picked off Drew Brees four times in the Superdome. They limited Tom Brady to a 19-for-36 passing day. They held both opponents under 70 yards rushing. They got solid quarterback play from rookie Colt McCoy. And they found a star in running back Peyton Hillis, who gouged the Pats for 184 yards on 29 carries.’

‘Losing Parrish is a big blow to the team’s offense and special teams. The sixth-year veteran had been reborn under Gailey. His 400 receiving yards was already a career high and his 33 catches is just two off the high of 35 he had in the 2007 season. Those numbers put him second in both categories on the Bills behind Stevie Johnson.’

‘”We tried to establish the run early in the ballgame but couldn’t,” Gailey said after the Bills’ disappointing loss in Toronto to the Bears. “So, we ended up having to throw the ball a lot more than I ever wanted to in the ballgame. The last touchdown drive, we were able to hit a couple of runs because I think we loosened them up enough, but then after that we didn’t have the opportunity to run the ball. I thought not being able to run it and turning it over was the key to the ballgame.”‘

‘Chan Gailey recognized the running game was going nowhere, so he aired it out, and there were some good calls on which plays just weren’t made. He needs to find a way to get Spiller going, though. On defense, George Edwards had a better day, but there were enough missed assignments to allow the Bears to convert seven of 12 third downs.’