Archives for September 9, 2017

'“Obviously growing up there I grew up in a Bills family, no question, and as I've been here with the New York Jets, my family has supported us as New York Jets fans in the Buffalo area in the Southern Tier. It's really cool to go back. As a kid being in the stadium with my dad and then being on the field is a really unique opportunity that I relish when we get to go back to Buffalo and play and I have a huge family and I'm very fortunate because they're very supportive. Family and friends back there, they cheer for the Jets and it is a really unique experience and I really do relish that.”'

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'“You saw the game last night and that’s really the start of our season in the NFL,” he said. “I’m very thankful, very thankful for the opportunity, thankful for the support from my family to everyone. Thankful for this building, thankful for the opportunity to lead these players onto the field, and these coaches. Just a long journey. That said, excited about the opportunity. Excited to get in front of our fans. First game of the year, first home game of the season.'

'According to ESPN, the Bills enter Week One tied with four other teams for the third-lowest number of injured players. Not counting McCoy, who returned to practice Thursday after briefly dealing with a stomach bug, but was required to be listed by NFL rules as limited, Buffalo has seven injured players. Quarterback T.J. Yates (concussion), tight end Keith Towbridge (ankle) and wide receiver Jeremy Butler (concussion) are on injured reserve, joining Dareus, Anderson, Worthy and Vallejo.'

'The Bills secondary takes a hit in the athleticism department going from Darby to Gaines, there's no doubting that. But Buffalo's coaching staff pinpointed Gaines as a worthwhile part of the compensation package it received from the Rams in the Sammy Watkins deal, possibly due to what the cornerback put on display as a rookie and his fit in Sean McDermott's zone-based scheme.'

'6-10.'

'So reports of a Chiefs demise appear to have been exaggerated. They might not be a Super Bowl team, but they're still very good. They have won 23 of their last 27 regular-season games. The chances of that draft pick being in the top half seem remote.'

'They're still the Patriots and they're still the most talented team in the AFC East and better than most, if not all of the rest of the NFL.'

'McCoy's 4.72 yards per attempt rank fifth among the crew of 31, behind Hall of Famers Jim Brown (5.20), Barry Sanders (4.92) and former Bill O.J. Simpson (4.82). McCoy, who has 8,954 career rushing yards, also trails 32-year-old Saints running back Adrian Peterson (4.86 yards per attempt). Peterson last played a game Dec. 18, 2016, and last rushed for 100 yards in a game Dec. 27, 2015.'

'Cosell talked to Murphy and Jones about the dearth of quarterbacks throughout the league, as well as his view of the differences between the NFL and college game. Cosell also discussed Pats-Chiefs, noting that on the coaching tape the touchdown attributed to former Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore seemed to be a blown cover-2 call, where Gilmore was to stay in the flat and his safety didn't get over the top in time.'

'Sometimes I'm amazed that we still have to have a discussion about what tanking is after two years of going through it with the Sabres. Tanking involves management – not players or coaches – making moves to willfully and shamelessly drive a team to the bottom of the standings for a desired purpose, whether it be acquiring high draft picks, slashing expenses or relocating to a warm-weather city.'

'The sports book rated the Bills as having the fifth-worst chance of winning the championship, tied with the Bears at 150-1.'

'The VR masks will be available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at four stations: two at the Fan Zone inside the ADPRO Training Center, and two at the new Billevard area off Abbott Road, near gates 3 and 5.'

'Flash back to 1946.'

'“It’s a little disappointing that I’m not going to be there, but perspective is what we need to keep in this hurricane game, so to speak,” Tasker said in a phone conversation this week. “ … With what happened in Houston, I think that takes precedence over what happened 25 years ago, despite my love and respect for the guys that I played with and the fans that are going to be there.”'

'The rules, as spelled out by the Pegula company, include…'.

'Game temperature: 68 degrees. Warmer in the sunshine.'

'The contest winner and guest will arrive at New Era Field on Oct. 28 for VIP experiences like a behind-the-scenes look at the stadium, a catered dinner by 716 Food and Sport and overnight stay in the suite, said Pegula Sports and Entertainment.'

' “Philadelphia is unapologetically truthful,’’ he said. “It’s all good. You know when you have to play better and you can’t let that stuff hurt you. At the end of day, Philly has great fans and I’m playing now for one of the best fan bases in football, if not the best. My goal is to help this team win so the fans can have a great time.’’'

'“Mike was always a tough guy,” said Fran, who owned a popular restaurant in Hornell named Marino’s until he sold it last year. Asked for his description of his famous cousin, Mike Marino said simply, “High intensity.”'

'This is a roster that has some nice pieces in place. LeSean McCoy is one of the best running backs in the NFL; the offensive line run-blocks as well as any in the league; Charles Clay, when utilized properly (and hopefully that will begin this year) can be a playmaker at tight end; rookie cornerback Tre’Davious White and wide receiver Zay Jones, the top two draft picks, show a lot of promise; the defensive line has a chance to be outstanding in McDermott’s 4-3 defense; and the new kicker, Steven Hauschka, is very good.'

'Tyrod Taylor didn't have the best preseason. The quarterback suffered a concussion early in the third preseason game, threw two interceptions and only completed 48.3 percent of his passes for 100 yards. Unlike the preseason, the Bills will have an offensive game plan for the Jets. In his first regular season game under Rick Dennison, all eyes will be on Taylor. Quarterbacks coach David Culley says the team cannot wait to unleash the quarterback and if there's one game Bills fans expect to win this season, it's on Sunday. Taylor's performance will go a long way in determining the outcome of the game.'

'"Here's the thing about the rookie quarterback: what we've found is that we knew coming in what Nate Peterman was," Culley said. "We knew what he was. We knew he had a knack for playing the position. You have to remember we drafted him in the fifth round. There's a reason why you're a fifth-rounder, but the one thing we saw in Nate that we've seen throughout training camp is he has a feel for playing quarterback. He has a feel for that. That's not anything we've taught him. He just has a feel. That has carried on with him throughout our training camp. What has happened with him that has been impressive to us is, he has gotten better."'

'"He can't wait to unleash it," Culley said. "And let me tell you this, we can't wait to unleash him. We're excited about Sunday with him. He can't wait. Again, talking about the preseason and maybe his struggles, we never saw it like that. We saw him as he's trying to get better at things. He's still learning a different offense. He's still learning how to be more comfortable in the pocket, and he did all that stuff. So we're comfortable with the fact that he's going through the process. Now, I would have liked for him to have not had a concussion against Baltimore and played into the third quarter, but that didn't happen. It is what it is."'

' “No, man,” White said in terms of being nervous. “I’m a guy that, you know, my preparation has prepared me. I’ve been practicing hard, running to the ball, attacking the ball in the air, in individual drills, getting after it. The way that I prepare, I think I’ll be fine on Sunday."'

'It’s been an up and down offseason for the Bills in regard to their roster. Now that the dust is starting to settle, we have a better grip on who’s in and who’s out.'

'New coach on the block: McDermott’s done it a few times in the preseason, and spent many-a-years on the sidelines for the Philadelphia Eagles and Carolina Panthers in various assistant roles, paying his dues. Now, it’s his turn. Throughout the preseason various circumstances have come about where McDermott challenged plays or kept starters out on the field after halftime to make sure the team is on the same page. McDermott’s also suggested the team hasn’t unveiled their whole playbook and mentioned being an aggressive team. It’s full-go this Sunday. Let’s see what McDermott’s got.'

'If the Jets are an embarrassing team next year, yes. This season isn’t about wins and losses. If Bowles wants to keep his job, he needs to field a competitive football team. If the Jets go 3-13, but are in 5-6 other games, he’ll be back. If they’re 3-13 and lose by 20 points each week, he’ll get fired.'

'So assemble your crew and buckle up for another year of Bills football. Buffalo’s actually favored Sunday in Week 1. Chances are you won’t be able to say that too much this season. Unfortunately, the tanking Jets are only on the schedule twice. The Bills might not be tanking, but they’re certainly tearing down the old and rebuilding new from the ground up.'

'But if only the Bills had no company in perennial futility. Of course, they do. For Cleveland, it’s been 14 seasons. The Browns rose up in their fourth season back in the league with a 9-7 record and a wild-card game appearance. Since then, the Browns are 90 games under .500 in a 14-season span.'

'"It really wasn't this big, agonizing decision. I always wanted to play," Williams said with Howard Simon and Jeremy White on WGR Thursday morning. "It was just the question mark of what our new direction was going to be and if [the team] wanted me to be a part of it. When I talked to Sean [McDermott], he was like, 'Yeah, we definitely want you to be part of it.' That's really as far as the conversation really went. I said, 'If you want me to play and you want me back, I'm definitely in to play.' So here we are: year number-12, getting ready to go."'

'Head coach Sean McDermott officially ruled out linebacker Tanner Vallejo (knee) and defensive tackle Jerel Worthy (concussion) for the game in Orchard Park. Vallejo has been dealing with his injury for a couple weeks. He has primarily been backing up Ramon Humber at WLB, but also Lorenzo Alexander at SLB during the preseason. Worthy knocked heads with his own teammate in the team’s preseason finale against the Detroit Lions eight days ago. Along wih Adolphus Washington, he's a main backup to DTs Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams.'

'A coordinated effort between Buffalo Bills security, New York State Police, the Erie County Sheriff's Office, the FBI and Orchard Park Police hopes to prevent any problems that could affect fan safety or enjoyment of the game.'

'“We’ve also had video surveillance put in place so that things like that don’t happen, so somebody doesn’t set themselves on fire. We’ve also met, Andy Major and myself, and other town officials, have met with the parking lot owners to have a dialogue with them on a yearly basis to tell them what are expectations are,” said Mark Pacholec, Orchard Park Police Chief.'

'If Buffalo can neutralize the gains of Matt Forte and Bilal Powell on first and second down, it will put undue pressure on QB Josh McCown to carry the offense and allow the Bills pass rush to tee off on the Jets signal caller. The Bills allowed just 3.11 yards per carry in the preseason, good for third in the league.'

'For Gaines it’s an impressive feat knowing he came to the Bills via trade in mid-August, and had to acclimate himself quickly not only to Buffalo’s defensive scheme, but to the new players around him on the defensive side of the ball.'

'“This is one of the reasons why we came here, was to win football games. To be able to perform in front of these fans and the passionate fan base that we have. To get this stadium back to where it belongs, in terms of our home field advantage, and we look forward to getting out there this weekend in front of our fans,” said McDermott.'