Archives for December 2014

‘”I was surprised he told us this morning,” GM Doug Whaley said in a post-season press conference. “We had no inclination that he was thinking of making that decision at this time or down the road. That was surprising as for the future that’s what the evaluation process is for. We’ll start looking at that right after this meeting.”‘

‘ I look at it this way. Coach is in charge of the 46 guys on the field. I’m in charge of the 53. We discuss things every day. I have full support of every decision he’s made this year.’

‘Quarterbacks can’t take all of the blame for the offensive woes. The offensive line struggled and the running game was nonexistent. The Bills need to improve both of those areas in 2015.’

‘Right after the game, defensive tackle Kyle Williams, who hadn’t been part of a winning team in any of his previous eight seasons with the Bills, announced to his teammates that when he leaves the club’s facility today to go home for the offseason, “it will be the first time I’ll leave with a winning record.”‘

‘Still, I have a strong feeling that a job is there for Polian if he wants it. The prospect of running an NFL team again would have to be enticing for him. But he would want to know what he’s in for, what the job would entail and whether he’ll have the kind of power he was accustomed to in his previous NFL stops.’

‘Previous Bills coaches didn’t use these 360 reviews, which are common in the corporate world. Marrone instituted them at the end of last year, his first season as an NFL head coach.’

‘On Sunday, the Bills went to Watkins on the fourth play from scrimmage and got a 43-yard catch and run. Quarterback Kyle Orton beat a blitz and found Watkins in man coverage against Revis. Watkins ran a dig route to the left. Revis, the six-time Pro Bowler, had outside leverage on the pattern. A good route by Watkins gave him position inside, and Orton’s pass was on time 18 yards downfield. Watkins slipped Revis’ grasp and outran safety Devin McCourty to get to the New England 10.’

‘Red-zone offense has been a trouble area for the Bills all season, but they turned it around in their season finale by scoring on both of their trips inside New England’s 20-yard line.’

‘Facing a fourth-and-3 from the Patriots’ 49-yard line in the first quarter, Marrone elected to punt … despite the fact the game was meaningless to the Bills’ playoff chances. Despite the fact the ball was in New England territory. Despite the fact the Bills had moved the ball well to that point, with a touchdown on their opening drive. Say this for Marrone: He stays true to form.’

‘Even in a meaningless game mostly against the Patriots’ junior varsity, Doug Marrone twice punted on fourth and short on the opponent’s side of the field. But the Bills beat the opponents on the field with them and won in Gillette Stadium for the first time.’

‘This was the first game New England had not scored a touchdown in a home game since 2003 against the Browns, the only time that has happened at Gillette. This was also New England’s first loss to an AFC opponent since 2008 when they lost to Pittsburgh, a streak of 35 games.’

‘Will Marrone be fired? Will Whaley be fired? Heck, will Brandon be fired? Is there going to be a football czar hired to oversee the operation and if so, who might that be? Or, will everything simply remain status quo because, after all, the Bills put together their first winning season in 10 years with a three-game improvement over 2013?’

‘Brady played only the first half, and he wasn’t exactly the swashbuckling Brady that Bills fans have come to loathe. He completed 8 of 16 passes for 80 yards and didn’t seem too interested in playing.’

‘Hey, the Bills sure didn’t get the Patriots best shot, but a win is a win, and a win in New England, regardless of the circumstances, is rare indeed. Let’s not take away from it. Doug Marrone had his team ready, and it played well despite the heartbreak lingering from Oakland.’