Archives for November 2004

‘"I’ve probably done a poor job of emphasizing how well the special teams have played all year and what a huge factor they are," Mularkey said. He probably won’t be guilty of too many future oversights if the Bills’ kicking game units keep playing the way they did against the Cardinals.’

‘I’m not ready to anoint Buffalo a playoff contender on the basis of its 38-14 romp over hapless Arizona, but beating a good Jets team would catapult the Bills out of the NFL’s dungeon and it could be the kind of victory that turns their season around.’

‘Moorman averaged 44.1 yards on seven punts, six of them into a 20-30 mph wind that was gusting to 40 mph. Despite Buffalo’s offense starting seven drives against the wind and four of them inside its 15-yard line, Buffalo’s defense was never put in overwhelmingly bad field position because of Moorman’s leg. Of those six punts into the wind, four traveled more than 40 yards with no return. "He absolutely controlled the field position," said coach Mike Mularkey, who said Moorman may have been the MVP of the game. "How he does it, I have no idea and I’m not going to ask. He’s done it in the two games that the weather has been bad here. When you have a weapon like Brian, sometimes punting is not bad on days like this."’

‘The Bills had a well-crafted game plan on both sides of the ball for the conditions and sent the Cardinals to their 17th consecutive road loss. It was a significant step for Mike Mularkey, who was able to deny veteran peer Dennis Green his 100th coaching win. Coordinator Tom Clements wisely stuck with the run, even with McGahee averaging around 2.0 yards per rush over the final three quarters, protecting a lead while protecting the ball. After scoring four red-zone touchdowns all year, the Bills scored four against Arizona, which had the NFL’s No. 1 red zone defense.’

‘The Bills defense is on a serious roll. After holding the Cardinals to 213 yards, Buffalo has gone three consecutive games without allowing its opponent 300 yards offense. The team record is eight games set between Dec. 19, 1999 and Oct. 8, 2000.’

‘Four of Buffalo’s 13 possessions began in Arizona territory. “We had such great field position,” Bledsoe said, “we didn’t have to drive the length of the field in adverse conditions. We took the ball over several times in plus (Cardinals) territory and in great scoring position.”‘

‘”You just don’t throw the ball well in conditions like this,” Green said. “It’s not going to happen. I don’t think any body can.”‘

‘Of his kickoff return for the TD, McGee knew where credit was due. “It’s like a proven point for them to get me in the end zone,” he said of his blockers. “That’s all they talk about is getting me to the Pro Bowl.” And that’s a reasonable goal as he leads the American Football Conference with a 28-yard average.’

‘Defensive tackle Justin Bannan took several snaps at left offensive guard, including on one of Willis McGahee’s touchdown runs. “There were certain plays where we had him designated as part of the personnel package,” said Mularkey. “He’s quick, gets good leverage and is a powerful guy. On some plays we’re looking for that style. From what I saw out there live, I think he did a good job, especially on the touchdown. He’s a very versatile and smart guy. And if he can do a couple of things better than Lawrence (Smith, the starter), then we’ll use him.”‘

”’I’ll kick the ball if they let me,” Adams said.’

‘And of course the biggest key, continues to be the Bills defense, which improved to number one in the AFC, by shutting down the Cards, particularly in the second half.’

‘"I know one thing," said Arizona quarterback Josh McCown. "I have a newfound respect for Jim Kelly and what he did here. It was the toughest conditions I’ve ever played in."’

‘When Smith went to the podium, he was all class. He praised Bills rookie running back Willis McGahee. He talked about how hard work for McGahee is paying big dividends. He also refused to blame the loss on the elements. "Given the outlook, Troy (Hambrick) and I were prepared to carry the ball 40 times, but it just did not work out that way," said Smith. "Weather is not an excuse. If they travel to Arizona, they play in the heat. They had to play in the same weather today. We just kept shooting ourselves in the foot."’

‘Does you team read the paper and react to the negative media? I mean, you guys WON and there is an article in the paper of how it was "too ugly." What do you do to combat this attention or are you so used to playing you own game?

MM: I’m sure they probably read the paper more than we do as coaches because they have more time than we do. I warn them about being influenced by things that they hear or read by people that don’t understand the game as well as the people inside our building.’

‘With Bannan in on the o-line, does that mean that you will be paying closer attention to it in future drafts and free agency?

TD: We have paid close attention to the offensive line every year and we will continue to do the same every year forward. The offensive line may be the hardest position to play in football and you’re always trying to find talented players who can succeed there. With regard to Justin Bannan, his play yesterday is a great credit to his versatility and his athletic ability. That he could play on the offensive line and that he would want to do this says a lot about him as a player. It’s something that we are taking a look at and we are very much in the infant stages of working with Justin on this. It will certainly add to his versatility and the team’s versatility.’