Archives for October 2014

‘”Yeah, it would be big for them being their first game as new owners, but it would be better for us,” running back Fred Jackson said. “If we don’t handle business, we’ll all feel rather sour.”‘

‘”We actually found he’s going to be following me around the field, so I’m going to have to be prepared for his jams,” Watkins said. “He’s very smart. I have to be very competitive and smart off the ball.”‘

‘Starting defensive tackle Kyle Williams is listed as questionable. He has practiced all week and has a chance to return after missing one game with a right knee injury.’

‘Williams and Bradham both were limited in practice this week after missing last Sunday’s win over the Detroit Lions with knee injuries.’

‘”I want to ask our fans if I overpaid,” Pegula joked at the press conference inside the Bills’ practice facility. “They’ll tell ya.”‘

‘Littmann had long been rumored to have clashed with decision makers throughout the years at One Bills Drive, most notably with former general manager Bill Polian, who has long been referred to as the architect of the teams that went to four straight Super Bowls.’

‘”My name is Terry Pegula, and the Pegulas just bought a football team. Actually, that’s not totally correct,” he said before getting choked up. “We all just bought a team. Our team. The Buffalo Bills.”‘

‘Pegula also said he will work to plan and design a new stadium. CEO Russ Brandon, sitting next to him, said it will be a long process and the team will “make a decision that makes sense heading into the future.”‘

‘Running the ball should yield some opportunities for the Bills. Especially from the middle to the offense’s left side.’

‘Of those seven players, six have a starting role on the active roster that could dramatically affect the game one way or another. Among them, running back Fred Jackson (ankle), defensive tackle Kyle Williams (knee), linebacker Nigel Bradham (knee), linebacker Brandon Spikes (ribs), safety Aaron Williams (wrist/neck) and safety Da’Norris Searcy (knee) are all considered ’50-50′ to play by NFL standards. Backup cornerback Ron Brooks (neck) is also questionable to play.’

‘The Bills rank 10th in the league with an average gain of 5.66 yards per first down, but they will need to be just as successful passing on first down as they are running on first down. Fortunately New England is especially weak against the pass on first down as opposing quarterbacks have compiled a 106.8 passer rating against the Pats. They also allow opponents to rush for four yards or more on first down more than 53 percent of the time (53.2%), which ranks 30th in the NFL.’

‘”The big thing is Ralph (Wilson) was a large personality. He started this franchise and look where it is now,” Pegula said. “That’s a pretty overwhelming legacy, fifty-four years, and a year from now I’m going to be on one (year). That’s a credit to Ralph (Wilson) and his legacy.”‘

‘Well, Kim and I had discussions for several years, especially since being successful with the Sabres. I guess the fear the fans had was an innate fear we had. What’s up with the Bills? Do we want this team to leave town? And the answer was obviously no. It’s a great franchise. I didn’t know it at the time, but it’s the only original AFL team to be named by its original city for all those years. So it went back to probably after we bought the Sabres, and it accelerated with time. I know you asked me why I said I wasn’t interested in the Bills. Well, why not? You don’t want to tip your hand in things you’re interested in sometimes.’

‘”I think it will be an outstanding task,” Bills coach Doug Marrone said of Watkins matching up with Revis, for whom he had high praise. “Darrelle Revis is, if not the best that’s played the game, he’s one of the best that’s ever played the game.”‘

‘”He plays with great excitement,” Brady said. “He’s got a lot of energy, and he loves the game. Yeah, he hasn’t calmed down one bit, which I love.”‘