Archives for September 2014

‘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.”‘

‘”With EJ, obviously we’re looking for him to progress and to keep coming along,” Marrone said. “We’re going to stick with him. I’m going to support him 110 percent. And we’re going to get him better.”‘

‘Manuel says it doesn’t pay to listen or worry about the past. He feels that if Chicago goes well, the play of the team will do the talking, “Being able to show that on Sunday is huge. Coming out there in a regular season game, it’s a huge game, Chicago has a great defense so that’s why I say I want to keep my focus on Chicago cause 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.”‘

‘”Yeah, I’m ready to play,” he said. “With the ribs you don’t know, whether you feel one hundred percent one day, or eighty, ninety. Until I get that first hit, that will explain it all. Now I know how it feels to get hit, and what the outcome will be. A lot of pain, losing your breath but it’s not going to take me out of the game. Just get a breather and come back in.”‘

‘”I always had his attention,” said Manuel Sr. “He was never a disrespectful kid. I don’t know if it was the military background that had a bearing on it or if he just emulated the way I did things. I was strict as far as who he hung out with and what he would do with his spare time. I guess he just figured those are the rules and I need to abide by them.”‘

‘”I look at it as how many guys have been injured returning the football compared to people injured with the ball being handed off to them,” said Marrone. “I don’t view it as much of a risk as some people would. I could understand why people could see that because of the distance and the way people are running down the field. But again I don’t look at it that way. As much as we can get our playmakers out there whether it be punt returns or kickoff returns we have to make sure we explore that.”‘

‘”I was just working out and changed direction,” Alonso said. “I didn’t know. I felt something goofy. Got it checked out, sat on it a couple days, finally got it looked at again and they told me it was torn. That’s football. Stuff like that happens.”‘

‘For every tackle the Bills make, Campbell’s Chunky Soup, the official soup sponsor of the NFL, will donate 20 cans of soup to food banks in Western and Central New York under a program entitled Tackling Hunger with the Buffalo Bills.’

‘Instead, Marrone has elected to create a carnival sideshow.’

‘With blocking tight end Lee Smith currently sidelined by a toe injury, Tialavea could provide some insurance in that role given his size.’