Archives for September 10, 2017

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'Under the tutelage of old-school run-game enthusiast Greg Roman and Mike Shanahan disciple Anthony Lynn, the Bills were well below the league average for pass attempts, while Dennison's Broncos offense threw it right at the NFL average. The league's average completion percentage was 63 percent. Collectively, the Bills completed 60.3 percent of their throws, and Tyrod Taylor's completion percentage was 61.7. The combo of Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch completed 59.5 percent of their passes.'

'With new offensive coordinator Rick Dennison at the helm, can the Bills field a more competent passing attack? Let's look at the aerial effectiveness of Dennison's offenses in the past.'

'McCoy has proven to be a running back capable of production in a variety of offenses, and he had plenty of success in a zone-blocking scheme in Philadelphia, which bodes well for his 2017 season in Buffalo.'

'Bills fans seem ambivalent about this year's squad. Sources tell me season-ticket sales are down significantly, perhaps by as many as 5,000. Two days before the season opener, the Bills still wouldn't release any official numbers. As I recall, they couldn't wait to tell the world in 2015.'

'“That was the goal all along,” said White, the Bills’ rookie cornerback, said of being integral pieces for their franchises. “We wanted to be first-rounders. We wanted to be the guy that’s the first pick for a coach. That was our goal at LSU. And we did that.'

'Typically, a player is who he is, regardless of scheme. But Ryan's defense is, in essence, the polar opposite of the defenses Schwartz and McDermott deploy on a weekly basis. Brown will be an interesting case study in determining if a scheme can totally transform the effectiveness of a defender.'

'We will track Hauschka's performance all season, frequently comparing it to what the Bills got from Dan Carpenter in 2016.'

'Bills' biggest disadvantage: RT Jordan Mills vs. Jets DE Muhammad Wilkerson.'

'“It started with me, Del and a few others trolling Adam Schefter and sticking up for Stevie. We all got blocked by Schefter on Twitter. So, Del called us BillsMafia and we ran with it. It really could have been a flash-in-the-pan thing. But I had a feeling it would stick because football players and fans love that stuff. Once I got the players to catch wind of it, I knew the rest would be history.”'

'She is from a classic Bills family. Her father, Dr. Matthew O'Brien, said she had little choice in her loyalty. As a 12-year-old in Buffalo, he was in the old War Memorial Stadium when the Bills won the 1964 American Football League championship against the San Diego Chargers. He can remember watching a game from inside the scoreboard, which was operated by a friend's father.'

'Buffalo Bills Thunder, a charitable group made up of Buffalo Bills fans, will be taking 15 youngsters from the TJ Dulski Community Center on Buffalo's East Side to Sunday's home opener against the New York Jets.'

'Vintage apparel from the Bills’ glory days has become the trendy tailgating attire at New Era Field. Throwback jerseys, Zubaz pants and Marv Levy’s satin Starter jacket are seen as often as the current team gear, if not more.'

'Game temperature: 66-68 degrees.'

'Taking stock of the Bills’ roster, one that lacks top-end talent at several positions and lacks depth at just about every position, while also factoring in how difficult the schedule looks, it’s pretty tough to expect much from this season. In fact, Sunday may be one of only two or three games where the Bills will actually be favored to win based on the wise guys in Las Vegas.'