Archives for November 2014

‘”We’ve got some ceiling tile damage, we’ve got our ring wall on the field is damaged in places from the snow removal, we’ve got some pipes that have burst in some of the concessions and some of the restroom areas,” Major revealed. “Our fieldhouse wall caved in a little bit in our practice facility which is not going to affect the team at all or our practices, it’s already been repaired.”‘

‘Look, I didn’t experience this storm like so many of you did. But I’d be willing to bet that scenes like the one playing out in my living room were happening all over Western New York. The game even happened at an early enough hour that I could see my way clear to let my guys push past their normal bedtime to enjoy it with me. Here’s hoping many of you did likewise.’

‘”Once the travel bans were lifted, about 500 total shovelers were here triple shifting from Saturday to Monday night,” said Bills VP of Event Operations, Andy Major. “They did a tremendous job, and we’re very thankful to Jani-King who lined that project up for us. We really appreciated what the shovelers were doing and I think they really came through for us.”‘

‘”We’re happy, no doubt about it. There are so many people to thank. Afterwards I gave the game ball to obviously the emergency response team in Erie County. I think that’s important, pretty much too many people to thank for us being able to get it together. More importantly the players did a heck of a job coming out tonight and really playing well. Defensively and offensively we did a better job in the red zone. We talked about it all week and we were able to run the football down there, which was important. Special teams, I think early on we didn’t do a very good job with the field position, a couple penalties early. I thought pretty much our guys were ready to go. Whether we rallied around all the adversity or not I think those are questions for them, obviously we talked about it. We wanted to give the people back in our region a chance to smile a little bit by the way we play. I told you that, that’s how I feel, and that it’s important for them than it is anything else. I’m just proud of this football team and it’s just too many people to thank to stay up here.’

‘Part of the reason Woods was able to be so successful was his matchup came against Jets rookie DB Marcus Williams, whom he didn’t see the first time around. Marcus Williams, an undrafted free-agent, was activated to the Jets’ 53-man roster just earlier this month. The Bills knew about the matchup but to them, it didn’t matter who was lining up against them.’

‘”But as soon as I came out and saw all those blue jerseys, I thought, ‘Holy cow, baby, here we go … we’ve got the crowd.’ It was a relief and we needed to get them into the game.”

‘While Lynch added a dozen more one-word answers to round out his interview, Jackson could barely keep a straight face giving that short of an answer. The two played together in Buffalo for their first four seasons in the league, but apparently Jackson’s cordial nature with the media didn’t rub off on the Seahawks’ star.’

‘”We wanted to give the people back in our region a chance to smile a little bit by the way we played,” Marrone said. “It’s more important for them than it is anything else.”‘

‘But for one night, with Buffalo fans looking for something to lift their spirits after a week of relentless bad weather, the Bills played like a team that mattered, like a proud, determined squad that feels it is better than its circumstances, better than its record suggests.’

‘”I don’t think we would have been as prepared without the way they opened their arms to us,” Bills coach Doug Marrone said.’

‘The Jets used a bunch of two- and even three-tight end sets in the first half with the aim in part of slowing down the Bills’ pass rush. Mario Williams destroyed the plan late in the second quarter when the Jets lined up three tight ends to the right side of the formation. He burst to the inside of rookie Jace Amaro and pushed both him and tight end Jeff Cumberland backward until he took down Michael Vick for a 10-yard sack.’

‘Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong for the Jets at cornerback.’

‘Mario Williams didn’t need his red contacts to terrorize the Jets. His did that on his own with his play inside Ford Field.’

‘Despite all the potential distractions, Doug Marrone kept his team focused and motivated. The Bills were not flat, scoring a touchdown on their first possession. It was their first red-zone touchdown in nine quarters. The defense was ferocious, and the special teams scored a touchdown. The Bills didn’t ease off the accelerator in the second half.’

‘Pettine might have been their 10th choice for head coach, but the Browns look like they’ve found a good one in the former Bills defensive coordinator.’