Archives for September 4, 2014

‘No one wants to say it, but the defense will have to play even better if the Bills hope to snap their 14-year playoff run. Unless EJ Manuel and the offense experience a sudden, miraculous epiphany in the coming weeks, the defense needs to be consistently dominant for the team to be in the playoff hunt.”

‘Carucci steps in for Mark Gaughan, who requested a change from full-time Bills coverage after 23 years on the beat.’

‘No one in the organization will ever say it publicly, but Manuel hasn’t looked a whole lot better in the run-up to the season opener against the Bears at Soldier Field, and only the most jingoistic of Bills fans would offer the opinion that in Manuel they trust.’

‘”Well, I think you have to earn your stripes in the NFL,” Manuel said on Wednesday. “I didn’t start the whole season, we didn’t win and we didn’t win as many games as we would’ve wanted to, so I just attribute it to earning your stripes. I think all the guys that got voted captain, at least the guys that I voted for, they’re veteran guys and they’ve so called ‘earned their stripes in the NFL.’ They’ve played for a bunch of seasons, so I just think that’s something I have to work toward and just use that as motivation.”‘

‘”What’s the risk?” Marrone said. “I look it as how many guys have been injured returning the football versus how many guys have been injured with it handed off to them. I don’t look at it as a risk as maybe some people would. I can understand why people would see that because of the distance and the way people are running down the field. I understand.”‘

‘Bills coach Doug Marrone said the Bills will “wait and see” what Watkins’ availability will be on Sunday in the season opener against the Chicago Bears.’

‘”There isn’t anything I have to do to go out and surprise people,” Gilmore said. “I just have to play my game and make plays. That’s what my job is.”‘

‘The Bills won’t be breaking their playoff drought and will likely face a familiar finish as a six- or seven-win team.’

‘”Sammy has been great. He doesn’t get involved with the hype. Sammy has enough confidence in himself to know what kind of player he is and what kind of player he can be,” Manuel said. “I’m a huge Sammy fan even before we got him here, going against him in the ACC. We’re extremely excited to have such an explosive receiver in the arsenal now.”‘

‘The Bears are 7-4 all-time against Buffalo, with a perfect 5-0 mark in Chicago.’

Bears might rotate safeties vs. Bills (Chicago Tribune)

Sherrick McManis a bulwark on Bears special teams (Chicago Tribune)

Christian Jones knows it’s all about production (Chicago Tribune)

Lance Briggs brushes off criticism of absence from practice (Chicago Tribune)

Urlacher: Briggs’ day off ‘not a big deal’ (Chicago Tribune)

No apology comes from fledgling restaurateur Lance Briggs (Chicago Sun Times)

Jared Allen hopes to be old jeller for Bears (Chicago Sun Times)

Mayday or Jay day: Can Cutler shoulder the load? (Chicago Sun Times)

Expect to see safety committee Mundy, Conte, McCray, Vereen vs. Bills (Chicago Sun Times)

Marquess Wilson eager for Nov. 9 return (Chicago Sun Times)

Game of musical chairs for Bears at safety (Arlington Heights Daily Herald)

Serving up some Bears controversy (Arlington Heights Daily Herald)

Briggs tackles controversy (Arlington Heights Daily Herald)

Bears brace for Bills’ talented tandem (Northwest Herald)

Bills prepare for ‘improved’ Bears defense (Northwest Herald)

Lance Briggs defiant about absence (ESPN Chicago)

Bears becoming a ‘cradle of QBs,’ at least for Buffalo Bills (CSN Chicago)

Bears will continue safety by committee approach with rotation (CSN Chicago)

Bears place WR Wilson on short-term IR, bring back CB Hayden (CSN Chicago)

Bears LB Lance Briggs defends skipping practice (CSN Chicago)

Urlacher believes Cutler could put it all together in ’14 (CSN Chicago)

Urlacher: Lance Briggs’ day off is overblown (CSN Chicago)

Know Your Opponent – Buffalo Bills (WSCR-AM)

Briggs didn’t tell Bears reason for day off (AP)

Manuel, Marrone ready for Bears (ChicagoBears.com)

Opponent Breakdown: Buffalo Bills (ChicagoBears.com)

Bears plan to rotate safeties Sunday (ChicagoBears.com)

‘”I think being able to show that on Sunday is huge,” Manuel said. “And that’s why I say I want to keep my focus on Chicago, because that’s the most important thing to me. I can’t control what’s happened in the past. You have to move and look forward.”‘