Archives for December 24, 2004

‘Both teams entered the season among the youngest squads in the league. One of the differences is the Bills have been able to squeeze productivity out of their inexperienced players. The 49ers have not.’

‘Breaking the team record won’t be easy. The Bills need to average six sacks in the last two games.’

‘The Bills’ gift to the public, left in the media room before their public-relations staff arrived, was a blurb from Pro Football Weekly ripping Minnesota Vikings tackle Bryant McKinnie. Each copy had yellow highlighter outlining how "McKinnie, 25, had surrendered 191/2 sacks in the 28 games since his rookie season" and "even when he has played well, McKinnie has performed below expectations." Hey, we get it.’

‘The players and coaches would rather spend Christmas with their families, but they accept this as a part of life in the NFL. "It’s just another day, same as anniversaries or birthdays," free safety Troy Vincent said. "Coach is not going to give you any time off, practice isn’t going to end early. Holidays are just another day to us."’

‘The best part is when you have a chance to go head-to-head with a guy and blast him out of the hole and allow your running back to score. The worst part is the morning after a game. Sometimes my body is so sore it’s hard to get out of bed.’

‘He’s not the only one bowled over by the response his book has received. The first three printings of “Where Else Would You Rather Be?” have already sold out, shocking his publisher. A larger fourth printing of 15,000 copies also is expected to sell out shortly. “My publisher couldn’t believe it,” Levy recalled. “I said, “You don’t know people in Buffalo.’ “‘

‘”They’ll mix it up. They are very similar to a lot of the things we do. They will get in two tights. But they want to run the football. They want to get the ball to McGahee and then set up play action with Drew (Bledsoe) and they have some talented receivers outside,” Erickson said. “But they would like to run the football, that’s what they want to do. They are very good on defense. They don’t make a lot of mistakes. They create turnovers, like I said. If you watch them play the last month, if you turn on the offensive tape, they are getting the ball inside the 50 a lot because of turnovers. They are playing with a short field a lot.”‘

Donahue’s path started same but veered from predecessor’s (San Francisco Chronicle)

Rattay’s surgery Tuesday (San Francisco Chronicle)

Five Keys to the game (San Francisco Examiner)

49ers’ draft choice a snap (Contra Costa Times)

Rattay set for surgery to fix forearm problem (Contra Costa Times)

A coach who cares (San Jose Mercury News)

Rattay to have forearm surgery (San Jose Mercury News)

Linemen show promise for SF (Santa Rosa Press Democrat)

Bills shook off 1-5 start (Sacramento Bee)

Rattay decides on surgery (Oakland Tribune)

Quarterback Tim Rattay to have surgery on throwing arm (AP)

49ers QB Rattay to undergo surgery Tuesday (Sportsticker)

49ers’ Rattay to have surgery (The Sports Network)

49ers Ready For Sizzling Bills (SF49ers.com)

49ers Host S.F. Boys And Girls Clubs (SF49ers.com)

Back In The Day With Maurice Hicks (SF49ers.com)

‘Buffalo’s defensive and special teams point barrage is historic. In 674 regular-season games, the Bills have scored a defensive and special teams touchdown in the same game just 12 times – and two have occurred this year, twice in the last three weeks. The Bills also pulled off the feat at Miami.’

‘OK, so maybe Takeo Spikes was the Bills’ most deserving selection once again and Terrence McGee is having arguably the best season for a kick returner in team history. But why do the voters continue to snub punter Brian Moorman?’

‘”The way you look at it is, hey, all we have to do is continue to win,” Leftwich said in a conference call with Houston reporters. “If you continue to win, everything will work in our favor.” Of course, none of it would matter if the Jaguars had lost the season opener.’

‘The 5-10, 201-pounder becomes the sixth NSU product to make the Pro Bowl, and the first since quarterback Bobby Hebert took part in the 1993 game after a stellar season with the New Orleans Saints.’

‘The Bills have added Jason Peters to the injury report as questionable with a hamstring injury.’

‘Still, everything seems stacked in Buffalo’s favor. The Bills have won three straight road games with a pounding rushing attack, while the 49ers have lost four straight at home. Buffalo’s highly ranked defense has been increasingly dominant, while San Francisco lost defensive starters Andre Carter and Jamie Winborn to season-ending injuries last week.’