Archives for September 17, 2017

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'"He was inherited the defense with the Eagles," Rivera said Thursday at Bank of America Stadium, "but here he was able to put his stamp on it."'

'Again, does Taylor have what it takes to lift his team on the road, to rise up in difficult times like the elite quarterbacks? There are times when a franchise QB has to be the best player on the field, the difference between winning and losing in a hostile environment, the defiant gunslinger.'

'Talk about a heavyweight fight. Incognito has been a star since he rejoined the Bills in 2015. He was PFF's second-highest graded offensive guard in 2015. Last year, he finished in seventh place at his position. The veteran flourished against the Jets in Week One and received PFF's top guard grade. Short, who predominately lines up as Carolina's right defensive tackle — meaning he'll see plenty of Incognito at left guard — has risen to stardom over the past two seasons, as well. He graded as PFF's No. 4 defensive tackle in 2015 and climbed to No. 2 last season.'

'Flutie’s rating of 130.1 is also the best among the group and oddly enough, Kelly had the worst game — going 4 for 21 for 176 yards, one touchdown, three interceptions, and a 38.3 rating. To give you an idea of just how bad that is, had he instead gone 0 for 21 with no interceptions, his rating would have been 39.6.'

'We'll be tracking this all season.

'It was a moderately elusive day for Taylor. He ran the football eight times for 38 yards and threw it away on four occasions. Pro Football Focus tracked him being under pressure on 24.2 percent of his dropbacks.'

'Precipitation: Ten percent probability of an isolated shower in the vicinity in the afternoon (meaning highly unlikely).'

'Charlotte, N.C., has one of the largest populations of transplanted Western New Yorkers. According to the Charlotte Observer, Mecklenburg County is the No. 1 out-of-state destination for people leaving Erie County (and No. 2 for those leaving Monroe County).'

'“Our Sunday crew is anything from age 21 to 70, it’s very diverse,” Thomas said. “It’s a high-energy, upbeat crowd. It’s a big open space and we don’t take reservations, so people can meet with a group of friends and you don’t have to worry about who else is there.”'

'Billed as “Bills and Booze. A love story,” the first Step Out Buffalo Game Day Bar Crawl is expected to draw 600-1,000 people to 10 participating bars on Hertel, according to Emily Kluckhohn, director of storytelling for Step Out Buffalo.'

' But what we have with Beane and McDermott is a veritable love fest between two highly respected members of the Carolina organization who will forever be grateful for the opportunities they were given and the Panthers’ family who hated to see them leave but enthusiastically supported their chance to land top jobs with another NFL club.'

'Panthers 21, Bills 10.'

'The Panthers are looking to regain their cliched swagger.'

'“Of course it’s gonna be on your mind, we’re human, so going back to play against the team that you’ve spent so much time with, built relationships with people there, it’s definitely gonna be on your mind. You’ve gotta try your hardest just to put that aside and go out there and rely on your preparation.”'

'McDermott should be familiar with what the Panthers do defensively, having served as the defensive coordinator in Carolina for six seasons. Carolina has Luke Kuechly healthy, and their defensive backs have had another year to mature. In a way, this defense is better than the one McDermott coached last season. The Bills will have their hands full with the interior of the Panthers' defensive line, which features Star Lotulelei and Kawaan Short.'

'Cam Newton struggled in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers. Newton only completed 56 percent of his passes for 171 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. On the ground, Newton had three yards on six carries. Although Newton was off in Week 1, the Bills still need to focus on ways to keep Newton in check. The quarterback can beat you with his arm and legs so Sean McDermott will have to plan a near-perfect game plan to slow down Newton.'

'It's very possible that the Jets finish the 2017 season with two wins or less. Between Josh McCown, Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg, the Jets have the worst quarterback situation in the league. New York should be considered a lock to take a quarterback at the top of the 2018 NFL draft.'

'McDermott’s return to Carolina is not Lebron James returning to Cleveland nor Drew Bledsoe facing off for the Bills against the Patriots in Foxborough. Downplaying the entire notion that it means more than what it is revolves around the locker room, although some players have that mantra for their previous workplaces.'

'Carolina, which boasts a running trio of backs Jonathan Stewart, Christian McCaffrey and the mobility of Newton, has a much different and more versatile approach compared to the Jets.'

'“So it’s funny, like you watch the stats of the running backs and I’m up there with all the young rookies and young guys, so it’s just different. I like it. I really do. It’s interesting. See how the era has kind of changed. You know, each week it’s like, ‘what did A.P. (Peterson) get?’ Now it’s like, ‘is Zeke playing? ’Is he getting six games (suspension)? Is he not? You know, look at the numbers. So it’s pretty cool.”'

'Ramon Humber had a career-high 35 tackles last week.'

'I believe this game will be a lot closer than Vegas, and some other people believe it will be. The way these two teams are built — and from the way they performed in Week One — this has all the makings of a low-scoring, defensive, close contest.'

'“I try not to compare two players. LeSean is such a talented football player, very elusive, his success and his resume speak for itself. I think that’s a known commodity,” Head Coach Sean McDermott said.'

'“He can be moving one way full speed and suddenly change direction and be full speed,” the linebacker said. “It’s fun to watch and play against. You have to make sure you know what you’re doing. You take one bad angle or over run and he’s going the other way.”'

'“I bought my mom a house. It’s something as a kid I always wanted to do. Make sure my family is right and when I got the check I went to go find my mom a house.”'

'Bills fans are the best fans and that’s evident even when the team is on the road. With Bills Backers Chapters all over North Carolina, Buffalo’s presence will be strong and ready to represent on Sunday. Time to circle the wagons.'

'With weapons like Cam, Kelvin Benjamin and Christian McCaffrey, the Panthers offense should be able to do enough against Buffalo to win.'

'Play-by-Play: Kevin Harlan.'

'“Definitely, yeah I’ve seen a lot of tape on him. In college I probably saw every single run there is on him. He’s a heck of a player man, a guy that I look up to, and I’ve seen a lot of film on. He kind of blazed the trail for guys like us, he’s one of them. It will be cool to see him,” McCaffrey said.'