Archives for November 2016

'CBS’ second announcing team has a nice chemistry together and doesn’t take everything too seriously.'

'They are an average team, with an average record, average coach and average players.'

'Maybe that's why those two seem so unwilling to accept any blame for their shortcomings on the football field. In the aftermath of Sunday's 41-25 loss to the Patriots, both Gilmore and Taylor offered weak, self-serving explanations for their subpar play in the biggest game of the year.'

'They’re here (I’m looking at the sky) and the Bills are down there (I’m looking at the ground) and it just never seems like it will ever change, at least not while Tom Brady is flinging footballs all over the place.'

'Think what you want about Gronkowski, but he was gracious in victory, saying he counts his blessings getting to play with Brady. He even had nice things to say about the Bills and their fans who like to give him the business.'

'"I think it's just getting back to the fundamentals and getting back to what he did in training camp. He was physical, he was aggressive and when the ball thrown his way you were wondering if he was going to come down with it. It was almost like a 50-50. So we have to get back to doing those things."'

'Goodwin is first in touchdown receptions (3) and yards per reception (21.5) among active players on Buffalo's roster. He has 12 receptions on the season for 258 yards.'

'There's a distinct difference between putting pressure on the quarterback and blitzing the quarterback. Sending extra rushers on the blitz does not always lead to pressure. When the Bills blitzed on Sunday, Brady completed seven of his 10 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns. He was also sacked once. On the other hand, when Brady was pressured, he was 1-for-8 passing for 18 yards and was sacked four times. Three of those sacks came without the blitz.'

'Specifically, Ryan was extensively asked about the play of cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who was beat for a touchdown by former Bill Chris Hogan on Sunday. However, Gilmore’s frustration indicated the play was a blown coverage from a safety, Jonathan Meeks. Ryan said Gilmore might simply have to get back to basics.'

'Outsiders are also taking notice on Gilmore’s poor play. Pro Football Focus ranked Gilmore as the 90th-best corner in the NFL this season.'

'But if the team has to put the load on Taylor, it’s not going to work.'

'“No, I think Tyrod will be fine,” Ryan said. “I thought today might look a little different if you take away the drops. I mean we had a couple of big drops, back-to-back drops that were disappointing to see for sure, but Tyrod’s going to be fine. It seems like each week I’m defending him. I don’t understand it.”'

'This isn't what Ryan expected from a unit he vowed would be much improved over last season's high-priced defense, which finished 19th in the NFL in yards allowed. It was the worst end-of-season ranking in Ryan's 11 seasons as a coach or coordinator.'

'The Bills have now lost 26 times to Tom Brady since 2001, tying an NFL record for most losses to one quarterback. The Lions were beaten 26 times by Brett Favre.'

'What we learned Sunday is that the Bills are still lagging way behind the Patriots and that gap is as wide as ever.'