Archives for August 2013

‘”We know that when we see them play in games, both of those players have played well recently,” Bills coach Doug Marrone said of Butler and Rogers. “I think both of those players right now we’re looking at, along with Heath still in the mix with that corner position to see how they do. So both players played well in the last two weeks, Rogers and Butler.”‘

‘Months after coming under criticism for including the suite as part of the $130 million lease agreement Gov. Andrew Cuomo struck to keep the team in Buffalo, the administration has tapped Buffalo Niagara Enterprise to run the suite and vet who gets to use the 16 free seats. The governor’s economic development agency, though, will have final say for the ticket giveaways to ensure compliance with guidelines for the I Love New York Hospitality Suite.’

‘”We have confidence in those guys,” said center Eric Wood. “They can play quarterback at this level, and yeah, it requires us to do our jobs really well to help put them in a position to succeed, but that’s with any quarterback.”‘

‘There may a deep history of despair in Buffalo, but there are plenty of reasons for hope after a difficult 2012 season.’

”’I really don’t know until I see them and evaluate them,” Marrone said, noting he’ll judge Leinart on how he performs in Buffalo without preconceptions. ”You go in there and say: ‘Whatever has happened in the past is in the past. Here’s an opportunity – take advantage of it.””

‘There still isn’t a definitive answer as to when EJ Manuel will be back, so until then the team and their fans must operate under the premise that Tuel will indeed start. Now it’s up to Matt Leinart and Thad Lewis to battle it out for what will likely be the final spot on the roster for a quarterback. The two players have had equal amounts of practice time and will get a ton of playing time on Thursday. Whoever performs at a higher level against the Lions could earn himself a year’s worth of an NFL salary.’

‘Should Bills fans’ optimism take a hit? Absolutely. But the season isn’t lost by any means. There’s still the new quarterback and CJ Spiller. There’s still Kiko Alonso and an above average defensive line. If anything, we’ll find out in these first eight weeks what Mike Pettine is made of and how head coach Doug Marrone handles a crisis. Because, at least in today’s football world, losing a potential elite cornerback is a crisis.’

‘”The philosophy going into this last game is we’re going to get everyone ready to play so they’re ready to go and then honestly we’re just going to be smart about what we do in that game with who plays and who doesn’t,” said Marrone.’

‘”The system is not hard,” said Lewis. “I’m pretty familiar with a little bit of the West Coast since I was in it in Cleveland. Just different terminologies. Once I learn their language I will be OK. You kind of want to get up to speed as quickly as possible.”‘

‘”I had a feeling I’m probably not gonna get picked up until something happens. I’m not naive about that,” said Leinart, who was working out on his own in his native California before the Bills called over the weekend. “For me, it was just staying focused and just constantly grinding away and grinding away and always being ready.”‘

‘”I think there’s two things that you look at: A. The number of times he needs to go play, and then B. The number of days for that preparation,” Marrone said. “If the doctor said ‘you’re not going to get him on that field until Thursday and then he’ll be ready to play on Sunday,’ I would be concerned about doing that. If they said, ‘we can get him on that field Monday or Wednesday.’ I would see how he played and then make the decision.”‘

‘Easier said than done when the potential replacements for Gilmore are Justin Rogers, Crezdon Butler and T.J. Heath.’

‘Yes, the new regime of president Russ Brandon, general manager Doug Whaley and Marrone has to be, in this latest makeover, for the long haul. If the Bills become consistent playoff contenders again, the current run of bad luck will be a forgotten hiccup. But a fast start this season might be the boost they need to get a turnaround going, and it will be tough for that to happen without a legitimate quarterback.’

‘The Bills were consistent and he signed with the Bills within minutes of the draft ending. Our family and friends went out for a celebratory evening with dinner, drinks and dancing.”‘

”’In addressing the adversity situations, I think we’re fine,” Marrone said. ”As far as what we need to do to become a better team, we still have work to do, and it’s a work in progress.”’