Archives for September 8, 2014

‘”The thing I’m proud of is we hit adversity at the end and, a couple of things didn’t go our way. All of a sudden it’s easy to get down … but I didn’t see any of that from this team. It was like, ‘We’re gonna get this thing done. We’re gonna go out and stop them, we’re gonna get the ball back and we’re gonna score.”‘

‘All four have similarities, but enough differences that they create matchup problems for defenses. Brown showed off his speed in the preseason. Dixon is a power guy. Spiller is someone who can kill you in the running and passing attacks. And Jackson is a model of consistency. When you need a big run, he almost always delivers.’

‘One criticism: The Bills got a little conservative with their play calling late in the fourth. Instead of attacking and going for a touchdown, they seemed to settle for a field goal. It worked out in the end, but it’s something to watch out for. Don’t be afraid to take some shots. Show some faith in your quarterback. You have plenty of weapons to choose from. Use them.’

‘It’s only one win, and Bills fans know all too well how quickly fate can swing in the NFL. Maybe Manuel falters or the Bills’ pass defense continues to struggle. Buffalo could get pulled down to earth in a hurry.’

‘But if we learned anything from Week 1 it may be that the Buffalo Bills long offseason of drama class got them ready for a game with Chicago packed with it.’

‘The Bills were anything but fragile Sunday. When the real season arrived, they went into storied Soldier Field and made a statement and a stand. They turned in a tough, defiant performance, knocking off the favored Bears in overtime, 23-20, in their most important road win in years.’

‘”Jay was trying me,” Graham said. “When quarterbacks are going to test you like that, you’ve got to find ways to make plays.”‘

‘Yes, you really did see Kyle Williams step in front of Bears tight end Martellus Bennett and intercept Jay Cutler.’

‘A tumultuous couple of weeks for Marrone ended with an unexpected victory for the underdog Bills in a city in which they’ve never won. Kyle Williams addressed his mates afterward in the locker room and lauded them for not folding down the stretch as they likely would have in the past. Although penalties were a problem, the game plan for Manuel was terrific, and the defense was solid against one of the NFL’s most potent clubs.’

‘”I’m old but I can still play,” said Jackson, who at 33 years of age is the senior player on the roster, and the oldest running back in the NFL.’

‘The numbers don’t look great in this game – 427 total yards, 341 through the air, 29 Bears first downs. But when the defense needed to stand tall, it did, especially on Chicago’s last drive of regulation when it looked like it was heading in for a winning TD, and then in overtime.’

‘EJ Manuel wasn’t great by any stretch, but he wasn’t terrible, and that’s progress. He threw for only 173 yards (16-of-22), but took a couple shots down field and the biggest was the throw to Mike Williams in OT. Big-time play when he really needed one.’

‘On second-and-5 from the Bears’ 39, Jackson rumbled down the left sideline and finished at the 1-yard line.’

‘”This team was like, ‘Hey, we’re going to get this done,'” Marrone said.’