Archives for September 2016

'Facing one of the more talented and explosive offenses in the NFL, the Bills gave an inspired showing highlighted by the first four interceptions of the season by Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer. Buffalo's defenders were physically dominant, stuffing the run, sacking Palmer five times and hitting him nine times.'

'“I like us,” safety Aaron Williams said. “Anything that’s put up against us, I like our odds. No matter what the paper says or what NFL Network or anybody says, we’re going in there knowing we’re probably going to win.”'

'"Sometimes you look at being an underdog as a slap in the face, especially at home," Thomas said, referring to how he and his teammates viewed spreads back in his day. "We're fired up. We're upset at the world. Our reporters are getting on us. Our fans are getting on us.'

'“If it takes me getting my head beat in by three guys in the middle and we walk off the field like that, I’ll do it every week,” Williams said. “I played well enough for us to win, and that’s what I like.”'

'OK, they won. It was a dream game for Ryan. People were writing his team off. He had his second terrific defensive game out of three, which reminds you that he knows a thing or two about defense. It was a victory right out of the old school handbook — run and stop the run, get after the opposing quarterback and play good special teams.'

'The Bills are the only team in the NFL with a quarterback who plays with the elusiveness of Taylor. They rolled the dice with him when they signed him to a six-year contract extension worth $90 million. The contract includes escape clauses, but they also took a gamble on his health.'

'The Bills’ defensive tackle was all over the field and abused just about every lineman Arizona threw on the field.'

'Cardinals edge rusher Markus Golden rushed up-field to Taylor’s right and easily was shoved 5 yards behind the quarterback by Jordan Mills. Cardinals linebacker Kevin Minter, doing an Aaron Maybin impersonation (aka going 100 mph in the wrong direction), flew beyond the pocket on a blitz. The right side of the field was wide open and Taylor cruised into the end zone.'

'The Bills hadn't shown that look in either if their previous two games, and Palmer and the Cardinals weren't ready for it.'

'The Cardinals were precisely the team the Bills needed to play if they wanted to pull themselves from misery. Super Bowl contenders? The Bills made them look like … they made them look the Bills did in the first two games. Buffalo trampled over Arizona in a 33-18 victory that gave their sun-soaked crowed reasons for optimism.'

'With Lynn using a more streamlined playbook and running plays at a quicker tempo, the Bills got their running game going, piling up 200 rushing yards and three touchdowns against an Arizona team that had shut down the Buccaneer the week before.'

'The defense, playing without starting cornerback Ronald Darby, largely contained a potent Cardinals’ passing attack, with Stephon Gilmore recording two interceptions, and Corey White and Corey Graham adding one more each. The defense won’t come up with four interceptions every week, but it’s exactly what they needed for this one.'

'LeSean McCoy looked like his Pro Bowl self. With Lynn mixing the run and the pass to keep Arizona off balance, McCoy gashed a Cardinals defense that ranked sixth in the NFL against the run last season.'

'Buffalo's defense was wicked at times. Arizona didn't earn a first down on its first five possessions. By the time Buffalo scored 17 points (4:35 into the second quarter), Arizona's offense traveled 7 yards.'

'The offense made Rex Ryan look like a genius for replacing offensive coordinator Greg Roman with Anthony Lynn after only two games. The players who helped persuade ownership to get aboard with the idea, and the owners themselves, also come out of this looking good. The defense made Ryan's declaration earlier in this week about the coaching prowess of his twin brother, Rob, spot on.'