Archives for October 19, 2016

'Another factor to consider is that the Bills are in no position to be trading away good players. Once he’s healthy, the addition of Dareus could take the defense from good to great.'

'On one wall, facing the bed, a signed plaque offers an inspirational quote: "Make a difference today for someone who is fighting for their tomorrow."'

'The main reason for the Dolphins' success in their stunning, 30-15 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers was Jay Ajayi's 204-yard rushing performance. It was reminiscent of what LeSean McCoy has been doing against Bills opponents the past couple of games.'

'Of course, that's impossible, right? Holding onto the past is what the Bills' faithful does. Sixteen years of seeing hope melt into disappointment has created such a thick shell of cynicism, it can't be penetrated by anything positive. Anything like Sunday's 45-16 beat-down of the San Francisco 49ers when the Bills, thanks to LeSean McCoy and a dominant offensive line, put up the kind of rushing numbers that haven't been seen since the team was making annual trips to the Super Bowl.'

'Playoffs? A Jim Mora moment would’ve been epic. But Ryan, whose uncharacteristic heart-surgeon calm during this giddy month of winning football is a big reason his players have polished up so nicely, fielded the question like an All-Star shortstop.'

'"We're definitely better," Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore said Monday. "That Jets game, it happened. It wasn't our best game. We learned from that and we don't want that taste in our mouths anymore. We're just coming out every day having great practices during the week and coach is putting great game plans together. Maybe we needed that game to help us win these last four games. That's one thing I took from it. Just learn from it and put it behind us."'

'The blocking that allowed the Bills to average 211.8 rushing yards per game the past four weeks has also helped the passing game. Tyrod Taylor is averaging an NFL-high 2.92 seconds before passing this season, giving him plenty of time to find a depleted group of receivers.'

'The Kelly Tough room is on the 10th floor of ECMC. It was the room that Kelly stayed in back in 2013 and 2014.'

'Much like the Bills, Kyle Williams has had a little revival this season. Williams looked firmly in the twilight of his career last year, but has showed recently that, at least against weaker opposition, he can still be very effective. He beat the 49ers for two QB hits and four hurries, though he couldn't finish any with a sack.'

'It’s a tradition in these parts to hang quarterbacks like Brady in effigy, but the arrival of Kaepernick and his national anthem protest left some fans uneasy with traditions. Vendors hawked T-shirts with Kaepernick’s face in the crosshairs of a rifle scope, but two fans who proudly shelled out $10 for the shirts declined to be interviewed or pictured. Said one fan walking by the dummy tacklers: “You’re just making Buffalo look bad!”'

'Welcome back, Cordy. After looking a little slow in his first week back versus New England, and playing just so-so against Los Angeles last week, Glenn’s performance against San Francisco was unmistakeable.'

'"I remember when I walked the halls when I was here and when you see some other people you look in the mirror and say you know you don't have it that bad.", said Kelly. "There are so many other people that don't have the support. Don't have encouraging words to be able to get them through to the next day."'

So many times I’ve been burned getting too excited about the Bills too early – string together some wins and people start think about the playoffs. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with reveling in a hot streak and daydreaming about the postseason, but when you’re a Bills fan it helps to be realistic.

'“Shady is a huge part of what we’re doing here,” said Richie Incognito of McCoy.'

'With four games under his belt as offensive coordinator and play caller, it’s evident that Anthony Lynn has made a difference for the Bills. Against San Francisco last week, the Bills hit big plays in the running game using unbalanced lines, and shifting tackles Cordy Glenn and Jordan Mills to the opposite side.'