Archives for September 29, 2014

‘Whether it was receivers dropping passes, a quarterback missing throws, a line being overwhelmed by the game’s best defensive player, a coaching staff not being patient enough with a running game that was showing plenty of promise (how about only one rushing attempt on third down when the distance was often manageable?), miscommunication between the sidelines and the field leading to burned timeouts, questionable play calls in the passing game designed to gain yards in chips rather than chunks, false start and hands-to-the-face penalties … the Bills’ offense did it.’

‘So Watt approached his quarterback before the game and asked him, “Why don’t you give the speech to the team today?” Fitz was happy to oblige. He gave a roaring pep talk to the Texans in the huddle before kickoff, an emotional scene that was shown to the crowd in NRG Stadium.’

‘Bradham was having the biggest game of his life. He also recorded his first career sack, made three tackles and had a pair of quarterback hits with two quarters to play.’

‘The Bills came out throwing and seemed determined to find the bulk of their offensive success through short passes they hoped would turn into long gains. With the game as tight as it was for large portions, they needed to be more persistent with the run.’

‘Great players make great plays, but Bills QB EJ Manuel should have been more careful with a pass to the flat for Fred Jackson. Watt read it, held up his rush, picked off the pass and raced 80 yards for a TD early in the third quarter. EJ went to the right place with the ball, because Houston blitzed off the other side. But Watt batted down 15 passes in 2012 alone and seven more last year.’

‘Crennel sent five or more pass rushers at Manuel on 16 pass plays. Manuel went just 4 of 16 for 23 yards on those plays with one touchdown and two interceptions.’

‘What does Corey Graham have to do to get on the field? The Buffalo native has been the Bills’ best cornerback the first three weeks, but was on the sideline to start Sunday’s game in favor of Leodis McKelvin and Stephon Gilmore.’

‘Last week, the secondary looked confused. This week, it was the offense’s turn. The Bills were forced to use all of their first-half timeouts to avoid delay-of-game penalties. The Bills could’ve used a couple when they got the ball back 57 seconds before halftime. Doug Marrone won a challenge in the first half.’

‘They’ve been doing just fine without Jim Schwartz.’

‘Manuel fell to 6-8 as a starter, and he completed just 21 of 44 passes for 235 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Even with an 80-yard scoring pass to Mike Williams, his numbers were pedestrian.’

‘It was foolhardy to think it when they were 2-0, and now it shouldn’t even be a topic of discussion. There are too many flaws on offense, and the biggest one is the inconsistency of the quarterback. Manuel had another game where you just rub your eyes and wonder why he didn’t complete this pass or that pass.’

‘Houston is a very ordinary 3-1 team and the Bills, if they believe they can be a playoff team, just can’t lose this game. But as is so often the case, they found a way. Team is now 0-11 under Doug Marrone when it trails by 10 or more points at some time.’

‘If you’re wondering how Buffalo beat the Bears in Chicago to open the season … me too.’

‘The Bills had the ball at the Texans’ 12-yard line early in the second half, looking to increase their 10-7 lead. But on third-and-3, Watt intercepted a pass and took it 80 yards for a pick-six.’

‘”For my confidence, it’s a matter of learning, continuing to learn,” Manuel said. “Understand that you can’t walk around with your tail between your legs. Be a man. It is what it is. We lost a game. We didn’t play as well as we wanted to.”‘