Archives for December 13, 2015

'“I think any player going back to his own home wants to have a big game,” McCoy admitted. “(But) the main thing is getting a win, so it’s going to be a tense environment for sure. I know how the Philly fans can get. This is a game that they must win if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive … same with us. I think that blows the game up even more.'

'Buffalo first must beat the Eagles, of course. And if that happens and the Jets lose to Tennessee at the Meadowlands and the Steelers fall at Cincinnati, the Bills move into sixth place and that second wild-card berth.'

'There are those who feel the trade was made merely because McCoy was Andy Reid’s back and that he wanted the offensive skill positions to bear his stamp, not his predecessor’s.'

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'Moody? Competitive? LeSean McCoy blurs the line. When harnessed, such an attitude is a powerful, unstoppable force.'

'They need to play aggressively today, but also intelligently and under control. That’s been a rare combination for this defense, which has struggled to find its identity and an emotional balance on the field.'

'“It’s a whole other animal,” Bills special teams coach Danny Crossman said. “You can push or pull” a 20-yard kick “and you’re not going to get harmed. But now you push or pull it a little bit, it’s coming back and biting you in the butt.”'

'When judging the trade, one must consider how Kiko Alonso progresses and the salary cap space that the Eagles opened with the move. But when focusing specifically on McCoy, the bottom line is he was perhaps the best running back in franchise history, produced in the scheme and remained in his prime. And when comparing Murray's production in Philadelphia to McCoy's production, it's not even close.'

'Bills 34, Eagles 26.'

'Roman has done a fine job working with a young quarterback who is still very much a work in progress. The game plans have mostly been sound, and the inclusion of the deep ball in recent weeks has not only gotten Watkins on track, but has also helped the running game. On defense, the mundane performances continued.'

'"I know he was pissed, and he should be pissed, rightly so," Kelly said. "He was an all-time leading running back here, felt like he was disrespected, and it was wrong. Because I was part of it, it's on me. . . . I would apologize for that, because it didn't happen the right way. . . . I understand where he's coming from, and if he doesn't want to shake my hand, I understand that. But I will always shake his hand."'

'McCoy initially didn't want to go to the Bills. He found out about the trade from his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, by phone. McCoy was training in Miami at the time and after breaking down in tears, he resumed running a series of sprints, each one faster than the next.'

'"I tried to lay back and maybe be more of a 'head coach' than being true to myself," he said in January 2012, just when his tenure with the Jets was beginning its downturn. "I need to be in the locker room. I need to be around more, be involved more right there in the meeting rooms and everything else, and that's what I plan on doing. I got away from doing that, thinking maybe a head coach was supposed to act a little differently, and it hurt me. I need to be myself and stay true to that."'

'"He's a high level of concern for us," Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins said. "He's somebody that jumps off the tape immediately. His speed is probably the biggest threat. And their willingness to (often) throw it to him in coverage down the field . . . is something that we got to be ready to defend."'

'Buffalo’s running game is fourth-best in the NFL, averaging 165 yards per game. The Eagles’ run defense, after a strong start with rookie Jordan Hicks in the lineup, has plummeted to 27th in the league with Hicks gone for the season.'