Archives for September 2015

'“It’s a lot,” Rambo said when talking about all the different aspects of the position in this defense. “But I like the challenge. I think us as a unit, as a defense, can understand the terms and the coaching and the adjustments from Coach Rex and his staff. We can handle that. I feel like all of us are smart enough to get the adjustments and go out there and still play. It’s pretty difficult, but I think we handle it pretty well.”'

'Wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who grew up on the other side of Alligator Alley in South Fort Myers, said the key is to hydrate and push yourself this week. “You’ve got to start your hydration plan now, because that heat and humidity can get to you,” Watkins said. “You’ve got to practice hard. It’s going to be a little bit different weather down there. It’s not going to be as cool and chill. So you’re going to have to practice hard and get out there and do a little bit more extra work and be prepared. It’s going to be a battle.” Watkins said plenty of friends, family, and former coaches will be on hand to see him play in his native state.'

'The Buffalo Bills had their fair share of problems in stopping Tom Brady, but really, it didn’t fall at the feet of their starting cornerbacks. Another example of that was with Ronald Darby, who actually played quite well despite the Bills allowing as many yards as they did. Darby really shined, oddly enough, when he was up against tight end Rob Gronkowski. He turned and ran well with whichever player he went up against. While he still allowed some catches, Darby showed poise against a very potent quarterback. It was a surefire step in the right direction for the young player.'

'With the move, it leaves the Bills with just two quarterbacks on their active roster, and former first-round pick EJ Manuel will slide back into the backup role — barring any other moves made by the team.'

'"I'm excited to go down there and compete against these guys," Incognito told reporters on Tuesday. "I still have a lot of close friends on the team and within the organization. So anytime you get a chance to go down and compete against your biddies is really special so I'm really looking forward to it."'

I really thought this might be a different year – I really did. I normally don’t get too excited about the start of a season – I’ve been let down too many times. But this year, I let my guard down, and now I’m paying the price.

'The two clubs consummated the deal late Tuesday, in which the Bills acquired an undisclosed draft choice in exchange for the experienced signal caller. Cassel's time with Buffalo certainly did not play out as many expected.'

'“I’m excited to go down there and compete against those guys,” Incognito said in the Bills locker room Tuesday. “I’ve still got a lot of close friends on the team and within the organization, so anytime you get a chance to go down and compete against your buddies it’s really special. So I’m looking forward to it.”'

'“The execution just wasn’t as good as we wanted it to be in the game,” he said. “We have to clean that up and learn from it. But at the same time we did some things that we can take from this game. It wasn’t a winning performance in all phases, but it starts of course with me. And we have to get better.”'

'“I’ve got some insider tips on dealing with a couple of those guys, but they’re a talented group,” said Incognito. “Cam Wake is one of the best pass rushers in the league. They’ve got Olivier Vernon over there, who I think is a very good, solid ball player. They’ve got (Ndamukong) Suh who is obviously All-World. He’s a great ball player. Earl Mitchell has been playing really well for them. They’ve definitely got some talent so it’s going to be a tall order to go down there and get a win.”'

'“I felt like I worked extremely hard as I always do, but definitely excited with the way I was progressing and still am,” said Manuel. “I’m not going to allow not being selected as the starter to stop me from continuing to work and get better.”'

'“He’s someone who’s played for us. He’s played in the league. So he’s an experienced guy. He’s a smart guy,” said Cowboys coach Jason Garrett. “Brandon will not play exactly how Tony plays. We don’t want him to play exactly how Tony plays. We want Brandon to play how Brandon plays. We have a system of football that we believe in and we’re confident he can run it for us.”'

'For all the success against Andrew Luck's Colts, Brady and the Patriots made the defense look helpless in accumulating more passing yards (466) than any opponent in Buffalo history. The camera caught Stephon Gilmore and Nigel Bradham berating Duke Williams after a blown coverage left Rob Gronkowski wide open for one of Brady's three touchdown passes. Bills fans were left screaming at their TV in similar fashion all day, lamenting yet another big Patriots' play.'

'What did the Patriots do? In short, they respected him as runner and disrespected him as a passer. Belichick knew Taylor is arguably the most athletic quarterback in the league, but had thrown only 54 career passes. So he blitzed half the time. He neutralized Taylor’s mobility by playing his defensive ends wide and any rushing lanes closed quickly.'

'The division with the most Super Bowl titles is in disarray. The Giants and Eagles are winless and getting crushed by critical fans and media. The Cowboys are 2-0, but reeling from injuries to quarterback Tony Romo and star wideout Dez Bryant. Only the 1-1 Redskins are healthy and exceeding expectations.'