Archives for August 2011

‘Gailey makes no secret of the fact he wants his team to become mentally and physically tougher, but you can’t do that by regurgitating the words over and over to the troops; they have to know full well what their coach expects, and maybe Evans was a sacrificial lamb in that regard. I’d hope to think that’s the case, because otherwise, if it was simply to save a few bucks when the Bills are already among the lower half of the NFL in payroll, then there is no point to the point!’

‘The game’s 10:53 finish was perfect for TV’s 11 o’clock news … print guys, not so much, especially in a game nobody will remember 12 days from now.’

‘”Everyone could see that we had a lot of guys go down in the last game so guys had to step up,” said Easley. “We were lacking at wide receiver, we only had five or six going into the game. So I tried to take full advantage of the opportunity and Fitz he gave me shots today. When the ball is in the air I just tried to make a play.”‘

‘"It’s only been the third preseason game and I still have a long way to go," Easley said. "I made some mistakes out there and made a couple of good plays. But there is definitely a lot of room for improvement."’

‘”This guy was a fifth rounder that is all about production, and that’s why it’s a huge event for us,” Bills GM Buddy Nix said. “To have him and know that he can finish out his career as a Bill. He does and he exemplifies what we’re looking for in a player. Everything he does is wide open. He’s a good leader, not a ‘rah-rah’ guy, but when he talks people listen.”‘

‘If the players didn’t need a morale boost, the team’s fans certainly did. Mission accomplished. Unfortunately, most loyal fans of the Bills didn’t get to watch the game live on TV because the game wasn’t a sellout.’

‘Easley, playing in place of the injured Donald Jones, seized his opportunity by catching five passes for 51 yards. The second-year player from Connecticut who spent all of last season on injured reserve has emerged as the likely candidate to be the No. 2 receiver in the Bills offense.’

‘Hubbard was released a day after he and backup quarterback Tyler Thigpen helped send Buffalo’s wild 35-32 preseason overtime win over Jacksonville into the extra period. The pair hooked up on a 4-yard touchdown pass with 38 seconds left in regulation and then again for a 2-point conversion.’

‘DB Rajric Coleman, RB Anthony Elzy, P Reid Forrest, WR Paul Hubbard, CB Loyce Means and OL Isaiah Thompson were all waived by the Bills a day after the team’s third preseason game against Jacksonville.’

‘”I’m a season ticket holder for the worst team in the league,” said Tamara King, 32, of Brantford, Ont. “I should be able to park where I want.”‘

‘"We did some good things on both sides of the ball and it was good for us and we won in overtime," Buffalo coach Chan Gailey said. "That’s good and we needed to do that."’

‘Posluszny considered coming back to Buffalo after meeting with inside linebackers coach and associate head coach Dave Wannstedt. The Bills made a strong pitch for him, but he signed a six-year contract worth $45 million with the Jaguars shortly after the NFL lockout ended. He believed Jacksonville was a better team and gave him a better fit.’

‘ That’s the kind of show that can draw back dubious fans. In the first home game of the year, Fitz continued to make a case that, while he has his limitations, he is a big part of what the Bills are selling right now. He does not deserve to be paid like a backup (the same, of course, goes for Johnson).’

‘The faithful, those folks who back up their support of this team by buying tickets, expect a shot at .500 this season. So far it looks like they’ll be lucky to finish 4-12 as they did a year ago. Mental state, some sort of confidence is an important part of NFL football.’

‘Rookie Marcell Dareus, who suffered an ankle injury after getting kicked in the back of the leg, started at defensive end while Demetrius Bell started at left tackle. Midway through the second quarter left guard Andy Levitre moved to left tackle and Chad Rinehart played left guard.’