Archives for August 2014

‘”I pray they stay in Buffalo,” says DeKoker. “Yeah, I am a little worried. … Maybe God will help us.”‘

‘”To see Big Ben in action, see how he prepares for every practice, how he goes in and out each day is just a huge opportunity for me,” Manuel said. “I’m trying to take advantage of it.”‘

‘”We have not been contacted by any team about C.J. Spiller,” Bills GM Doug Whaley said quite plainly at Saint Vincent College ahead of the first of two joint practices with the Pittsburgh Steelers. “These rumors are news to me.”‘

‘One of the biggest questions heading into the pair of practices in Latrobe is how second-year quarterback EJ Manuel would perform against a team that was so successful in stopping him last year. Even with a solid performance in Carolina under his belt, Manuel showed inaccuracy in the first session with the Steelers more than most his other training camp practices in 2014. His throws were all over the place during team drills, whether they were short, intermediate or deep attempts, the ball just wasn’t being put in the proper place to facilitate a reception all the time.’

‘The Bills linebacker looked very quick off the ball in 1-on-1 pass rush drills against the Steelers’ backs and tight ends during the competition period of practice. He beat backs mainly by using quick, hard fakes without gearing down to do so. Before they knew it he was by them and tapping out the quarterback. He also showed good hand usage against tight ends to get them on the move before ripping past them on the edge.’

‘On the whole the linebackers for both teams won the majority of the battles. The backs for Buffalo who held their ground the best were Boobie Dixon and Frank Summers.’

‘”Man that was great work. Buffalo was a great dance partner,” said Tomlin. “We appreciate Coach (Doug) Marrone and that group and got a lot of things done. Similar work to what we’ve been doing in terms of structure of the practice and drills setup, but obviously a different sense of urgency, some different schematics and some different guys. It was really a productive day for us. In just a brief communication with Coach, I think it was a very productive day for them.’

‘”They have to prove to me that the Bills can’t be viable in Ralph Wilson Stadium,” said Poloncarz, a participant in the negotiations for the 10-year lease that resulted in $130 million in renovations being completed this year at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park. “If we’re going to have to build a new stadium, I want so see something that really proves we need a new stadium.”‘

‘”There is no reason for the FCC to be in the sports blackout business,” Pai said. “We should be on the side of sports fans instead.”‘

‘”Yeah, it couldn’t come at a better time knowing that we’re about to go out there and it’s going to be pretty physical down there,” said running back Fred Jackson. “They’re a team that prides themselves on being physical and we’re going to go out there and match that. When you’re at training camp and you get these unexpected days off, you like it. But it’s on us now to take advantage of it when we come back on the field. We’ve had a couple of days off and then we get right back to work.”‘

‘Odds are Watkins will find himself matched up against William Gay at some point in the joint practices, and that should be a nice way to gauge how far the rookie has come. Can he handle the physical play at the line of scrimmage?’

‘Meanwhile, the Bills have sold more than 46,000 season tickets, according to Honan, which is the most since 2009. Games against the Chiefs, Jets and Browns currently have the most tickets still available, while games against the Dolphins, Chargers, Patriots, Vikings and Packers have been selling well to this point.’

‘The Syracuse television market does not receive Buffalo Bills broadcasts that are blacked out by the NFL because a tiny portion of Yates County receives the signal of Syracuse television station WTVH-5. Yates County is within 75 miles of Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, NY.’

‘”They’re a good dance partner for us because they do things a little bit differently than we do,” Tomlin said. “It will be great to get in a practice situation and hone our skills. I’m sure they feel the same way.”‘