Archives for September 2, 2011

‘”It was a mess, to be honest with you,” said Buffalo head coach Chan Gailey.’

‘”Hard decision,” said Chan Gailey in reference to the young outside linebackers he has on his roster. “They’re making it very difficult by all playing fairly well, not because any of them aren’t showing up. They’re all playing pretty well and it’s going to be a very, very difficult decision for us with the direction to go.”‘

‘Here’s hoping you weren’t seeking a reason for optimism in the Bills’ pre-season finale.’

‘A crowd of perhaps 20,000 at Ralph Wilson Stadium had to look quickly to catch a glimpse of Detroit’s young stars Ndamukong Suh and Matthew Stafford. They and the rest of the Lions’ starters played just four plays. Buffalo’s starters played just seven plays on each side of the ball. The announced attendance was 40,047.’

‘”It’s a hard decision,” Bills coach Chan Gailey said. “They’re making it very difficult by all playing fairly well. We all know things like injuries play a part in this, special teams plays a part in this, there’s a lot of things that go into this. It’s a very difficult time of the year for me.”‘

‘He looked good again Thursday. But the question isn’t whether Merriman can hold up for eight plays. It’s whether he can play at a high level for 50 plays a game, for a full NFL season.’

‘”For a guy that is not a starter, you have to be able to play both positions in this league,” Hairston said. “They are not going to keep a whole lot of linemen so most teams have to have a swing tackle and hopefully I can fulfill that role.”‘

‘The way most of the Buffalo Bills played Thursday night in their 16-6 loss to the Detroit Lions, it’s likely that more players lost potential jobs, allowing others to win positions by default.’

‘”There was a sense of, not normalcy, but I felt comfortable back over there with getting a good week’s work in,” said Hairston, who played left tackle at Clemson. “Being able to have a background at left tackle helped that transition be a little smoother. I wish I could have had a little more time, but that’s not how it works. You have to be able to play both sides, especially if you’re not a starting guy. I have to keep working hard.”‘

Lions reserves make their case in victory against Bills (Detroit News)

Lions rookie receiver Titus Young makes most of start against Bills (Detroit News)

Photo gallery (Detroit News)

Lions go 4-0; no starters hurt in final exhibition (Detroit Free Press)

Lions OT Jason Fox is healing, hoping to gain playing time (Detroit Free Press)

Alphonso Smith’s status may open up another Lions roster spot (Detroit Free Press)

Lions notes from exhibition win over Bills (Detroit Free Press)

Photo gallery (Detroit Free Press)

Detroit Lions beat Bills, cap 4-0 preseason (Booth Newspapers)

Maurice Stovall stakes claim for wide receiver spot on Detroit Lions roster (Booth Newspapers)

Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills pay tribute to Tom Kowalski (Booth Newspapers)

Detroit Lions top Bills 16-6, finish preseason with 4-0 record (Oakland Press)

Lions cap perfect preseason against Bills (Fox Sports Detroit)

Photo gallery (Fox Sports Detroit)

Let the regular season begin (DetroitLions.com)

Harrison’s production has escalated over the course of the preseason (DetroitLions.com)

Lions Postgame Quotes, 9-1-11 (DetroitLions.com)

Photo gallery (DetroitLions.com)

Photo gallery (BuffaloBills.com)

Photo gallery (AP)

Photo gallery (Rochester D&C)

Photo gallery (WIVB-TV)

‘The Bills (1-3) got a solid outing from linebacker Shawne Merriman, who had three tackles in his first game since missing the past two with a groin injury. Bruce Hall scored on a 1-yard plunge late in the fourth quarter, but the Bills failed on a 2-point conversion.’

‘Tyler Thigpen completed 12-of-21 passes for 92 yards for the Bills and starter Ryan Fitzpatrick connected on two of his five throws.’

‘Ryan Fitzpatrick completed 2 of his 6 passes for under a yard, but those stats are slightly deceiving, as Fitzpatrick was victim of two drops by Steve Johnson on a long pass and Marcus Easley on a short screen. CJ Spiller started the game and received only 2 carries for 29 yards. The Bills’ defense did not allow the Lions’ starters to score any points.’

‘Now to the cuts. At OLB, Shawne Merriman and Chris Kelsay make the team. So does Alex Carrington who can play OLB or DE. That leaves Danny Batten, Antonio Coleman and Robert Eddins to battle it out. All three have played pretty well this summer and pushed each other.’

‘The closing of Abbott Road is also affecting local businesses along the normally busy stretch. One convenience store owner told 2 On Your Side the change has “destroyed” his business. He said in 15 years, he has never seen so few people come in and out, because they’re all directed away from Abbott.’