Archives for December 2015

'“You got to protect yourself,” Bills coach Rex Ryan said. “That’s running out of bounds, sliding and all that. There were times where … you could tell, the competitor in him, he’s going to try and get the first, but he’s more valuable to us than that. So I think he needs to understand that, I need to tell him.”'

'Make no mistake: Week 17 absolutely puts Ryan and his defense right back in the spotlight. Knock off a potent Jets offense with his hodgepodge band of second-, third- and fourth-stringers that wouldn’t make some NFL rosters and there’s a sudden, unexpected feather placed in Ryan’s cap. This tormented franchise heads into the offseason with a shred of hope.'

'"It'll be the first time I've been back there in a different jersey, playing in front of those fans," Fitzpatrick said on a conference call to New York reporters Monday. "So it has some extra meaning to me because I was there for four years and the fans were so great to me and my family. There's a little bit of extra meaning there, but I don't think there needs to be, with the significance and the importance of the game and what's at stake for us."'

'"He should be back for next season, but guys, this is a major, major injury," coach Rex Ryan said on Monday. "They say he'll be able to come back from it. It's going to take time, but he should be fine."'

'AJ Tarpley: The rookie undrafted free agent out of Stanford was cut earlier this season, then brought back to the practice squad only to rejoin the active roster a short time later because of an injury to fellow rookie Tony Steward. Tarpley made his first career interception in the third quarter and later forced a fumble on special teams, earning the praise of coach Rex Ryan after the game.'

'Rex Ryan has been hammered for using injuries as part of the reason why the Bills won't be in the playoffs this season. OK, I get why fans don't want to hear it because every team has injuries. But the fact remains the Bills have lost some very good players, and they were without 10 starters Sunday, then lost two more during the game. There were a lot of reserves playing, and for the most part, they did a pretty good job.'

'While the Bills' quarterback situation has undoubtedly improved with Taylor under center, just how good does Buffalo have it? Here's a list of the quarterbacks I would take over Taylor to provide a bit of context. This list is about quarterbacks I would want going forward.'

'"It is (a relief) for me, I can promise you that, absolutely," Ryan said Monday. "Now would have it been good for ours fans to get a night game and things like that? Yeah, but let's wait till next year. Let's see if we don't get one for next year. That would be great. But for me, yeah, I am happy it is at 1."'

'Buffalo (7-8) will face the AFC North and NFC West based on the league’s rotational schedule, in addition to their typical AFC East opponents.'

'“You admire where they are at,” Ryan said of his players’ perspective of the Jets. “You wish that was you.”'

'"I'm not a Super Bowl-winning coach, but I'm getting ready to be," Ryan said. "And it's going to happen.'

'“With Buffalo, that was the first time I had been a day-one starter. (Chan Gailey)’s first year (in 2010), I didn’t start the first two games, but from then on, from that year and the next two, I was the starter of that franchise. So, that was a big step for me, to be able to be in that role and to have some success.”'

'“I think the most fun was the start of the 2011 season and just how we got off to a fast start,” Fitzpatrick said. “We were kind of rolling, we had some comeback wins early and unfortunately we didn’t win enough games while we were there, especially in December. [We] didn’t really play well enough to have meaningful games. It was probably the beginning of the year in 2011.”'

'The irony is Ryan might still be the Jets coach had John Idzik gotten him Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brandon Marshall and Darrelle Revis. Fitzpatrick has given Bowles the mature, experienced, efficient, mistake-free quarterback play Ryan never enjoyed, and Marshall has given Bowles the dominant receiver Ryan needed alongside Eric Decker, and Revis could have played blindfolded in last year’s Arena League Jets secondary.'

'“It’ll be the first time that I’ve been back there in a different jersey, playing in front of those fans,” Fitzpatrick said on Monday, a day after leading the Jets to a dramatic 26-20 overtime win against the Patriots at MetLife Stadium. “I mean, it’s got some extra meaning to me, just because I was there for four years and the fans were so great to me and my family. There’s a little bit of extra meaning there.”'