Archives for September 16, 2017

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'McDermott doesn't have to walk very far for that interaction. In the normal layout of an NFL team's headquarters, the coach's office and the locker room are usually on separate floors, and the setup at One Bills Drive is no exception. However, soon after he arrived, McDermott had a secondary office built right next to the dressing room so he can be "more readily accessible, bringing in a player, having a coach in, and those are good dynamic-type meetings that I like to have in there."'

'"That’s the wrong approach, that is 100-percent the wrong approach," McDermott said. "They don’t need to win anything for me. … that’s fair and reasonable to think (that players would want to win the game for him), but I would never want them to win one for the coach. Let’s just go out and do what we do and embrace who we are, and continue to get better.'

'McDermott said he was "very confident" McCoy not only would start Sunday, but also would be able to handle a full workload. McCoy had 27 touches in last Sunday's season-opening victory against the New York Jets, but did temporarily leave the game with what he described as numbness in his wrist.'

'Taylor wasn't awful on the road last season. He had a higher completion percentage (62.2 to 61.2 at home). But his yards per attempt was more than a yard lower and he threw only five TDs away from home – as opposed to 12 at home. He needs to be more dynamic on Sunday and at least hold his own with Cam Newton for the Bills to pull off the upset.'

'They don’t need to win anything for me, I get where you’re coming from, that’s fair and reasonable to think. I would never want them to win one for the coach, let’s just go out and do what we do, and embrace who we are, and continue to get better. That’s really the process that I want us focused on.'

'Remember, the Bills' opening-day roster was the second-oldest in the NFL. That means they're loaded with veterans who don't necessarily see themselves as having long-term futures with a team that has stocked up on all those extra draft picks for next year. That means they have a bunch of guys whose pride and self interests are absolutely attached to Sunday's game and the 14 that follow it — and nothing more.'

'Olsen ranked No. 2 in the NFL in receiving yards last season with 1,073 and fourth in catches with 80. He was a home-run acquisition when the Panthers traded to get him from Chicago in 2011. Now in his 11th season, Olsen has 7,383 receiving yards, eighth all time among NFL tight ends. He should move up to No. 5 by the end of this season. The Panthers attack defenses with Olsen up the seams, and they use him on corner patterns as a Cover 2 beater. Bills safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer will have their hands full keeping him from making a big play.'

'Seattle was in a Cover 3 zone. Cam Newton (1) froze All-Pro free safety Earl Thomas (29) after taking the shotgun snap by looking right. Then he threw a bullet to Olsen in the end zone. Cornerback Jeremy Lane (20) was covering the deep third of the field and stayed directly on Olsen's hip. But despite Lane's good position, the 6-foot-5 Olsen leaped over him for the catch. Look for Carolina to test the Bills' new defensive secondary with Olsen down the seam.'

'"When you say that I've deteriorated, I'll prove to you that I'm not. At that time, I was 263, 264 pounds. I'm 247 now. I'm ready to run. I'm ready to play. I'm obviously doing a good job here. They like it. I'm going to show you and the rest of the league I haven't deteriorated."'

'Sully: I guess there's a question in there somewhere. Yes, the Bills' offensive line is better than average. They're one of the best run-blocking teams in the league. They've led the NFL in rushing yards and average per carry two years straight, so it's hard to argue with the evidence.'

'Kuechly is the clear anchor of Carolina's defensive efforts, and it's been that way since he first stepped on the field in 2012. That year, he was PFF's No. 7 inside linebacker. His grade in 2013 led to a No. 8 ranking. The following season, he jumped to first place where he stayed until he was unseated in 2016, but only fell to the No. 2 spot. He's everywhere. His linebacker mate Thomas Davis is a smart, fluid, impact player, too. He was PFF's No. 12 4-3 outside linebacker last season and No. 8 the year before.'

'Game temperature: 83-86.'

'The new look made its first on-field appearance July 27, 1974, at Canton, Ohio, against the St. Louis Cardinals at the annual Hall of Fame Game. Its debut was overshadowed by the lack of, well, any established member of the Buffalo Bills actually suiting up for the game.'

'The poll asked respondents who identified as NFL fans to rank their three favorite and least favorite teams. While the Patriots scored highly in each metric – ranking as the third most-liked team, with 16.4 percent of respondents putting them in their top three, and also the second least-liked team, with 26.2 percent listing them in their bottom three – the breakdown by fanbase was certainly interesting.'

'"But I'm going to give you a break, a warning," Rivera remembers the officer saying. "I saw the Bills frame on your license plate."'

'But that’s exactly what we expect from McDermott because that’s who he is in public. He’s going to stick to his script, answer questions as coach-speaky as possible, keep his personal feelings in the background, and do the job he came to Buffalo to do: Guide the Bills to victory over whoever they’re playing, whether it’s the Jets or his former team the Panthers.'

'“I was bummed when he left, I miss having him around,’’ said Kuechly, who will be certain to shake McDermott’s hand and give him a hug following Sunday’s Bills-Panthers clash at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. “He’s a great coach and a great person – that’s the thing you miss the most. But we’re all excited for him that he has this opportunity, working from the ground floor to get to where he is now. He really deserves it.’’'

'In addition to the large contingent of traveling fans, the Bills will also be well represented by Buffalonians that currently live in North Carolina. The team currently has 17 Bills Backer Bars in the state.'

'Meanwhile, the Bills are the type of team that like to use tight ends and running backs. Charles Clay and LeSean McCoy were the focal points of the offense in a win against the Jets. It would be tempting to overthink things and get away from your strengths, but the Bills need to feed McCoy. Yes, he's dealing with wrist and groin soreness, but if they have any chance of winning this game, the Bills need to let McCoy get rolling and try to wear down the front seven. It won't be as easy as it was against the Jets, but McCoy is matchup-proof.'

'Jackson tore through Purdue and North Carolina in consecutive weeks to start the season. He now faces his toughest test as he and Louisville get set to host Clemson in a game all college football fans will be glued to.'

'McCoy is dealing with both wrist and groin soreness this week, but the rest day should have him ready to be his usual self against the Panthers.'

'“We know what he does offensively and on special teams,” McDermott said. “I would compare him to Luke. I have a world of success for Luke. It seems like he handles himself with the same type of approach to life and the game."'

'Rumfola was diagnosed at a young age with an Immunoglobulin G (I.g.G) Deficiency. I.g.G., is a health condition in which your body doesn't make enough Immunoglobulin G., which can lead to infections. He visits Women and Children's Hospital in Buffalo once a month for infusions to help with this deficiency.'

'Bills fans do travel well, for sure, and are willing to buy up expensive tickets when needed. I wonder how many Carolina fans are skipping the home opener and selling their tickets for a handsome profit? Stephanie Rivera, the wife of Panthers coach Ron Rivera, publicized Polian’s words on Twitter and challenged Panthers fans to make them untrue. We will see if it works.'

'“We’re always going to be friends,” he said. “On Sunday at 1 o’clock, for three or four hours, we’re going to be enemies.”'

'“(McCoy’s) kind of like Christian (McCaffrey),” Kuechly said. “He can be moving one way full speed and the next second he's moving the other way at full speed. It's fun to watch, it's fun to play against, but you've got to make sure you know what you're doing because if you take one bad angle or you overrun it, he's going to be going the other way.”'

'“You’re excited for him because you got the opportunity to see how hard he worked every day with the defense and making sure we were prepared. He put us in position to be successful. Now he’s got the opportunity that he’s always wanted. He started from the bottom in Philadelphia and he’s worked his way all the way up to a head coach. It’s kind of cool to see him at the top where he’s always wanted to be."'

'"Right now I'm mainly on special teams and a backup linebacker," said Vallejo, who will wear No. 40. "I'm accepting my role as one of the few linebackers that made it. Obviously, they think pretty highly of me to keep me around. I'm just going to keep grinding, because that's what I've always done."'

'Coach Sean McDermott said he was planning to give McCoy a rest day Friday before the groin issue but remained "very confident" the veteran will be able to handle a full workload Sunday, according to ESPN.'

'Coach Sean McDermott said he is "very confident" that McCoy will be able to handle a full workload in Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers. McDermott added that he was anticipating giving McCoy a veteran rest day Friday before the groin issue.'

'The Bills have officially ruled out DT Jerel Worthy for their game at Carolina Sunday. Worthy has been out with a concussion since the team’s preseason finale. The team also listed CB Leonard Johnson as “questionable” after being limited Thursday and Friday with a quad injury.'

'The Carolina front seven is one of the most talented in the league, but Buffalo has proven they can run against just about anyone. It will be tough sledding, but the Bills don’t quit on their run game even when they don’t have early success.'

'“It’s a rest day,” said head coach Sean McDermott of McCoy. “He’s got some groin soreness, but nothing to be concerned about. It was a scheduled rest day and we’re going to do that once in a while with our veteran guys.”'

'“I mean, we’ve been working all offseason to try and build that chemistry and things like timing with Tyrod,” said Clay. “I come and try to pick his brain to figure out, that way he’s comfortable with me and knowing where I’ll be and I’m comfortable knowing what he’s thinking.”'