Archives for October 2015

'But it was one more mind-boggling episode in a distressing afternoon in Bills Land, another example of how dysfunctional things have become six games into the Rex Ryan era. Wow, that’s the first time I’ve played the dysfunction card since Ryan came riding into town.'

'Watkins hurt his ankle adjusting to a low EJ Manuel throw in the end zone, while Lawson rolled up on Williams’ back leg in a pile. If Williams is forced to miss substantial time, defensive linemen Stefan Charles and Corbin Bryant could see expanded roles.'

'Although starting Manuel was the prudent thing to do because he was healthy, he hardly came close to delivering the sort of performance the Bills badly needed from their quarterback to overcome a rash of injuries (mostly on offense) and a defense that was overmatched. He pretty much confirmed why the coaching staff didn’t want him as the No. 2 quarterback but had to live with him in the role after previous No. 2 Matt Cassel was shipped to Dallas.'

'Dalton on target. Andy Dalton is by far the most criticized winning QB in the NFL. Yes, he has lost four one-and-done playoff games the past four years. But his 46-23-1 career record is no joke.'

'Go for it! The Bills had just given up a 90-yard drive on defense to start the second half. Down 10 points, the offense had an opportunity to stay on the field. A holding penalty against Robert Woods put them in a first-and-20 hole, but the Bills picked up 15 yards on second- and third-down plays to make fourth down reasonable. The defense had been facing bad field position all game, and sometimes has to be asked to bail out the offense in situations like this. More aggressiveness here would have been welcome.'

'The final stat line looks decent enough. EJ Manuel completed 28 of 42 passes for 263 yards, one touchdown, one interception and the rushing score to start the game … but don’t be fooled. Much of that was in garbage time as the former first-rounder turned routine plays into an odyssey, didn’t see open receivers darting free downfield and, yes, resembled the Manuel of old most of the game.'

'They’re London veterans. The Jaguars will be the “home” team Sunday in Wembley Stadium. The trip overseas will be their third in as many seasons. They haven’t had much luck in the first two, losing to San Francisco and Dallas. Jacksonville, which dropped to 1-5 Sunday with a 31-20 loss to Houston, isn’t leaving for the game until Thursday, as opposed to the Bills, who departed after Sunday’s game against Cincinnati.'

'One of those charged also faces an additional charge of resisting arrest, said Scott E. Zylka, executive assistant to the Sheriff. All three were released on appearance tickets, he said.'

'When Cincinnati took the second-half kickoff and drove 90 yards in eight plays to Dalton's 10-yard TD pass to Marvin Jones, the game was all but over. However, the Bengals kept tacking on as Dalton put together a 12-play, 78-yard drive that ended with his four-yard TD pass to Tyler Eifert, and then Nugent tacked on a 39-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.'

'The thinking was that if the line could win up front, meaning open holes for LeSean McCoy, and protect EJ Manuel, the Bills might be able to extend drives, keep the Bengals offense off the field, and perhaps score enough points to win the game. However, poor field position limited what offensive coordinator Greg Roman could do as Buffalo's average drive start was it's own 15, and not once did it start a drive beyond its own 20.'

'I'd have a better chance explaining Playboy's decision for removing nudity from its magazine than why Ryan, who has built his reputation on taking the fight to the quarterback, dialed down pressure on Dalton and not up. The result was the "Red Rifle'' turning Ryan red-faced.'

'With the offense missing starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor (knee) and its two top receivers (Sammy Watkins and Percy Harvin) once Watkins left the game with a bad ankle, the Bills needed a lights-out performance by its supposed “elite’’ defense, which was nearly at full strength. It didn’t get it, with Dalton leading scoring drives on six of his first eight possessions to build a 20-point lead.'

'Yet another disappointing performance at home by the Bills, who clearly have lost their home-field advantage at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The only reason this isn't an 'F' is because the Bills are severely depleted on offense, and the Bengals are a very good team, not to mention still undefeated. Win, lose, win, lose, win lose. Same old, same old.'

'A lot went wrong for the Bills, who were playing without starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor and wide receiver Percy Harvin. They were losing the field position battle often and didn't seem to have much of an answer for Cincinnati's offense in the passing game or the running game.'

'Watkins, who had four catches for 48 yards before leaving the game, had just caught a touchdown pass from EJ Manuel when his left ankle rolled up underneath him. He made his way to the locker room early and was spotted in the tunnel with crutches. The Bills officially announced him as questionable to return. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that Watkins had sprained his ankle.'