Archives for October 2004

‘The Bills fell to 2-12 in their last 14 road games. In that stretch, QB Drew Bledsoe has been sack 49 times, the offense has averaged 12.7 points per game, and Buffalo’s turnover ratio is negative 30.’

‘Bledsoe has his drawbacks, but you still can’t convince me he’s the main or even a big part of the reason the Bills are 0-4. Bledsoe has been sacked a league-leading 19 times. Oh, if only the Bills had a guy like Michael Vick, right? Vick has been sacked 17 times, has 3 fewer touchdown passes than Bledsoe and a 77.7 qb rating to Bledsoe’s 85.2. It takes several things to win; just check out the Patriots. In their record 19th straight win, Tom Brady was 7-19 for a TOTAL of 76 yards passing. Can you imagine the fallout in Buffalo if Bledsoe put up numbers like that?’

‘After the 7th punt the head coach reads his offense the riot act on the sideline, and then they finally wake up. Excuse me… it takes that situation to light a fire under the Bills offensive line? By then it proved to be too little too late. Where was that fire on the first seven possessions, and how come this team was not playing with that spark from the opening kickoff? It’s truly unexplainable, and inexcusable.’

Wannstedt deserves criticism, but not a deluge of our wrath (Miami Herald)

Team may have to audible at QB (Miami Herald)

Team plans to work out kickers today (Miami Herald)

Dolphins need a little spice (Miami Herald)

Next on stage … Sage? (Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel)

Wannstedt needs fill-in kicker (Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel)

Rosenfels last QB standing (Palm Beach Post)

Wanted: Free-agent kickers (Palm Beach Post)

Wannstedt will wait to name Sunday’s starting QB (Florida Today)

Inside slant (CBS Sportsline)

Strategy and personnel (CBS Sportsline)

Notes, quotes (CBS Sportsline)

Hapless Dolphins may have to turn to third-string quarterback (AP)

Dolphins may be without QBs Fiedler and Feeley (Sportsticker)

Injuries, frustration continue to mount in Miami (The Sports Network)

Coach Dave Wannstedt’s Day After Press Conference (MiamiDolphins.com)

‘Mike Mularkey said last Wednesday that he wanted to see if Teague could practice last Thursday. Teague was still limping noticeable on Thursday.’

‘Originally, thought to have suffered a knee sprain, Teague has a series of cracks in the bone just below the knee.’

‘It almost seemed, on this day, that the fates were finally ready to repay the Buffalo Bills.’

‘”There are 12 games left,” he pointed out. “We’ve lost these four. But we can win four (in a row) … that’s how close we are, and these guys realize that. There are no heads down (in the lockerroom). There’s a lot of football to go. We still have work to do, but we’ll get it done.”‘

‘Buffalo’s first sack of Jets’ quarterback Chad Pennington was by Chris Kelsay, his first and the first by a Bills’ defensive end this season.’

‘I think you’ve missed it when I have showed emotion. You have to pick and choose your spots. That’s just not my style to do it all the time. It’s not a constant.’

‘We believe strongly as a staff that it’s not about escape goats but it is about trying to find answers. Several times this year after the games Coach Mularkey and the players stepped up and talked candidly about what they felt individually as gone on in the game. As an organization we meet all the time to talk about the issues, both good and bad, and try to find ways to get better. To do that publicly or to air our dirty laundry in public, we just don’t see what that would accomplish.’

‘“When you say open up the offense, I’m not sure what open up is. Are we going to be an Indianapolis? No,” Mularkey said Monday, referring to the Peyton Manning-led Colts, who lead the NFL in scoring. “I don’t think we’re going to change our whole offensive philosophy, because when we’ve done it right, it’s worked.”’

”’I’ve played with a lot of things and unfortunately, this is something I can’t just go out right now,” Teague said. ”All I can say is whenever I get cleared, whenever I feel I can go, I’m going to go.”’

‘Regardless of circumstances, whatever the challenge and whomever the opposition, New England finds a way to win. And no matter how generous the enemy or fortuitous the situation, these Bills will find a way to blow it.’