Archives for August 12, 2015

'The most compelling story surrounding the team the past month, other than the unending question of who will start at quarterback, has been the bizarre issue with offensive line coach Aaron Kromer.'

'True, this amicable 6-foot-1, 251-pounder may be the most important player in Ryan’s defense. Because if one wire gets crossed — if those red and green lights at the intersection of a Ryan blitz get mixed up — a 10-car pile-up will ensue.'

'“Honestly, if we don’t have the No. 1 defense this year, it was a failure in my mind and that’s everybody’s mindset,” Williams said. “And I know a lot of teams out there say, ‘We have the No. 1 defense.’ They’re probably just saying that to be positive or have that encouragement, whatever. But this team and this building and this locker room and this staff, we know that if this defense is not number one, it was definitely a failure.'

'“I know our fans are excited. I expect we’ll have a huge crowd,’’ Ryan said Tuesday after practice at St. John Fisher College. “I think that will be good. I don’t want our crowd peaking too early. We don’t need to just unload on Carolina, let’s save it for our first game. But let’s get in there, get excited, and I’m looking forward to it.’’'

'"Not really, because I think we are going to look at it over at least a two-game stretch," Ryan said. "So I think that will be where they are more balanced probably. But each guy will get a shot."'

'"I just tell him to get his mind right," Tomlinson said. "Be prepared to carry the ball as much as he can take it. Also catching the ball out of the backfield. This team really needs him to be dynamic and really needs him to get back to the point where he led the league in rushing. If they can get that type of production from LeSean, this will be a playoff team. I believe they'll get a quarterback to manage the game. It might be Matt Cassel, but he can manage the game. He'll make plays. Sometimes you can even throw it up to Sammy Watkins and he can make plays. But rely on the run game and this team will have a decent shot."'

'"I think we're gonna look at it over at least a two-game stretch, so I think that'll be where they're more balanced, probably," Ryan said. "But each guy will get a shot. I know Seattle had a similar thing. Remember when they had (Tarvaris) Jackson, (Matt) Flynn and the other quarterback (Russell Wilson). Let's just hope it works out the same way."'

'The moves were announced Tuesday night, a day after Holley was carted off the field after partially tearing his right hamstring in practice.'

'“Today was good, we had a little four minute scrimmage there and the offense won that part of it, so it was good. It just shows you the way we can run the football, but we have to be able to stop it on defense in those four minute situations. We did put a ball on the ground because of a poor snap and the defense recovered it and we can’t have that, we’ve got to protect that football.”'

'Matt Cassel was the primary #1 QB and it wasn’t close as far as reps. He got almost all of the 11-on-11 snaps with the first team, although Tyrod Taylor took a few. EJ Manuel had one snap in that scenario. Manuel was with the third team most of practice, with Taylor the #2 QB, but both QBs took some second-team reps.'

'You can read into this however you would choose to, however, EJ Manuel’s reps in practice were considerably behind Matt Cassel, and under what Tyrod Taylor was getting as well.'

'Westbrooks, 23, is a former seventh-round draft choice of the Cincinnati Bengals (2014). He was injured in Bengals training camp last summer, waived-injured and ultimately reached an injury settlement with the club.'

'He wasn’t all-world, but Matt Cassel had a steady day at quarterback Tuesday. Cassel continues to get the lion’s share of the reps with the first unit. Unofficially the veteran QB received about half the snaps with the starters. Manuel and Taylor split the rest.'