Archives for August 2015

'Taylor stole the show amassing 96 total yards, 47 of which came on the ground. Taylor's performance was so impressive that Buffalo head coach Rex Ryan wasted no time in announcing him as the starter for Buffalo's next matchup, Thursday at Cleveland.'

'The Bills had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL last season under Doug Marrone. The line was his baby and he coached them in every practice and you saw the results. This season through training camp and one preseason game we’re seeing improvement.'

'"I said it wasn't about winning or losing, but I lied," Head Coach Rex Ryan said after the game. "I hate losing. It killed a pretty darn good day."'

'If Manuel is once again with the third-team this whole week and against the Browns, that is quite telling as to where the coaches view him in the quarterback competition. It’s still a wait-and-see situation for this week, because we haven’t gotten to the practices just yet. However, it’s fair to wonder if Ryan may have tipped his hand here, and if it’s now just a race between Matt Cassel and Tyrod Taylor. Either way, Sunday’s rotation will be enthralling.'

'The first team defense was very effective against the run early, but did give up an 80-yard touchdown drive. The defense was effective on third down throughout the game holding Carolina to 3-of-11 on third down conversions (27%).'

'“Tyrod will get the first reps he’s going to start,” said Ryan in his postgame press conference Friday night. “He’s going to get a lot of the first reps so we’ll do it business as usual, but he’ll be getting the first shot at it, so he’ll probably be getting a few more reps.”'

'“I definitely feel like I can fill the role of being a great corner – one of the best corners in this league. … Whatever the coaches tell me to do, that’s what I’m going to do. If I work on my game and my technique and study film, I think I’ll be good.”'

'Enemkpali has three years remaining on his contract. Because the Bills claimed him on waivers, they inherit his rookie contract. If he makes the team, he will earn $510,000 this season, according to spotrac.com. The Bills wouldn’t be on the hook for anything if he’s cut. His contract calls for salaries of $600,000 and $690,000 the next two seasons.'

'Cassel would be a backup on most NFL teams, a No. 3 on some teams and laughed off a few others. In Buffalo, he’s a source of hope. It’s quite possible he will win the top job by default. In other words, he’ll make fewer horrendous passes and catastrophic mistakes than Manuel and Taylor.'

'"It's part of the equation, definitely part of the equation, but every day out here on the practice field is part of the equation, meeting rooms, everything," offensive coordinator Greg Roman said. "It's a complete composite sketch that they are drawing throughout training camp."'

'With that, he was escorted away by members of the Bills' public relations staff without answering questions, which is the same unsatisfactory way the Bills' handled the return of offensive line coach Aaron Kromer.'

'In a brief statement to the media, Enemkpali apologized to the Jets, thanked the Bills and didn't take questions.'

'How long does Ryan get to skate by on the 2009 and 2010 AFC Championship Game appearances? He hasn't been to the playoffs since 2010 and never figured out the quarterback issue. Plenty of blame has been placed on former Jets general manager John Idzik. Ryan has been emotional about the end of his Jets tenure and the lack of support he felt from members of the organization.'

'"When he gets here, he's got a clean slate with us," running back Fred Jackson said. "We'll see how everything works out, but I'm excited to have him. What happened in New York happened there. It's not something we have to worry about here in Buffalo."'

'Being in this position, the Bills have placed an awkward question in the minds of their fans. What's more important, winning at all costs or winning without character issues? Ending a 15-year playoff drought or doing it the “right” way?'