Archives for December 2014

‘”He’s a guy who’s made plays in the past,” Marrone said of the team’s 2010 first-round draft pick. “Any time you can bring back someone who’s a potential playmaker obviously helps.”‘

‘Marrone noted that even though Spiller has been cleared to play, he will not necessarily do so on Sunday. That decision will be based on practice this week.’

‘Spiller missed six weeks with a broken collarbone. He has been practicing since Dec. 3, and the team had until Dec. 24 to decide whether to activate him.’

‘”We’ll just keep on getting better,” Orton said after completing 14 of 27 passes for 158 yards with one interception. “I think that’s the only focus that you can have. Feel good that we got the win, but realize there are a lot more things we can do to get better. It’s a battle every week of execution. The good offenses just execute play in and play out. We’ll work our butts off to get to that point.”‘

‘To make room for Spiller on the roster, the Bills will need to either release someone or place an ailing player on injured reserve. Some candidates for release would likely include kickoff specialist Jordan Gay, fullback Frank Summers, wide receiver Deonte Thompson or to place tight end Chris Gragg on IR.’

‘Two years into the careers of cornerback Stephon Gilmore and left tackle Cordy Glenn, the top two picks of the Buffalo Bills in the 2012 NFL Draft, one seemed to be a bit more ahead of the other. An injury set Gilmore back which led to an average season, while Glenn had become a quality force for the Bills at left tackle.’

‘”He’s cleared so I’m looking forward to seeing how he practices during the week,” said Marrone, who confirmed he’ll be placed back on the roster this week.’

‘Buffalo closed Sunday’s game with Mario Williams sack and forced fumble to secure its 21-13 lead. The team continues to lead the NFL with 49 sacks and the total is also tied for the third-highest in team history (49 in 1995).’

‘And, so … yes. The Bills, who are 96-142 since that Nashville nightmare, could finish with double-digit victories for the first time in these past 15 years. And if they do, and if the gods are kind, that would mean they’d qualify for the playoffs all this time later.’

‘Their defense is generating national discussion for its championship-level dominance and extraordinary depth. Doug Marrone’s presumably murky future could very well have been settled. With an 8-6 record, two games better than his first season in 2013, a legitimate case can be made that he assured himself of a third year as the team’s head coach.’

‘”It was frustrating,” Rodgers said. “They did a good job on defense, kind of slowed us down a little bit. We had some opportunities and didn’t execute very well on them.”‘

‘”The secondary made a lot of plays,” said Graham, who blamed himself on the play when Jordy Nelson dropped a certain TD pass. “We’ve got a good group. Guys go out there, ball out and lay their head on the line. No matter who we go against, we compete.”‘

‘Nobody would have blamed Marrone for cracking a smile afterward, but he looked the same way Sunday as he did after a Week Three loss to San Diego. Still, he knew this was a big one. His players certainly did. They understood what he had been through this season with his uncertain future hanging over the franchise.’

‘”When Duke went down, he was ready to go,” Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore said of Rambo. “I could see it in his eyes on the sideline. I could just see the confidence.”‘

‘And although Rodgers wasn’t helped by his own surprising incompetence and multiple drops by his receivers, Buffalo’s defense can take a large chunk of credit for making the top candidate for league MVP look like he had no business on an NFL field.’