Archives for December 2004

‘With his team 8-2 since a 0-4 start, Mike Mularkey will garner some coach of the year votes. His team was focused for yet another must-win game, and all three of his coordinators had their moments of brilliance. Tom Clements’ flea-flicker call caught the Bengals’ off guard, surprising considering Marvin Lewis’ staff faced Mularkey and Clements twice last year when they were coaching the Steelers. Jerry Gray’s defense came up with four more takeaways, giving Buffalo 22 during their five-game win streak. April continues to squeeze everything out of his players, this time using Peters on punt rush, a huge coaching move.’

‘WR Lee Evans continued his march to make several all-rookie teams with five catches for 101 yards and his team-leading seventh touchdown. He’s the first Bills rookie to make a touchdown catch in four consecutive games and his seven touchdowns ties the rookie record set by Elbert Dubenion in 1960.’

‘The Bills and 49ers have split eight all-time meetings, with San Francisco earning a 35-0 home shutout when the teams last met, in 2001. Buffalo’s most recent win versus the Niners took place in 1998, and their last win in San Francisco took place in 1992. The Bills are 2-3 against the Niners on the road all-time.’

‘Coach Mike Mularkey, his staff, and the players deserve tremendous credit for the turnaround for the team this year. Mike is a very determined individual who believes strongly in certain things and he and the team never deviated from that approach. It is very easy when things don’t go well to try something different. If you believe in what you’re doing and stick with it, you will generally get the results that you want. It takes great resolve and a firmness of purpose, but our coaches and players are an excellent example of just that.’

‘What are you doing differently from the first four weeks? Why is this team suddenly firing on all cylinders? Is there one area that you can point to that led to the turnaround?

MM: We’re making a lot of plays. I think we’re finding ways to win and we’re not relying on one phase or another or one player here or there to win it for us. We are all depending on each other like good teams do.’

‘Tests conducted Monday showed the injury is not more severe than initially feared, and indicated the running back will not require surgery, McGahee’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told The Associated Press.’

”’It’s been exciting, that’s for sure,” special teams coach Bobby April said Monday. ”There’s been a lot of big plays.”’

‘McGahee hyperextended and bruised his right knee during the first half of the Bills win at Cincinnati. It is not the same knee he injured in his final game at the University of Miami that forced McGahee to miss his rookie season.’

‘Mularkey said Travis Henry will work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday which is a lot more than he;s worked since suffering a lower leg injury in Seattle. He left the door open to Henry returning Sunday in San Francisco.’

‘Buffalo’s No. 2 back, Travis Henry, has been sideline for the past two weeks with a leg injury and it’s unknown whether or not he’ll be available to play this weekend in San Francisco if McGahee is sidelined. "He’s running more and more as we go and will probably get more work (Tuesday) than he has the last couple of weeks," said Mularkey. "We’ll evaluate him after he gets some more work done."’

‘It’s really not as easy as the Buffalo Bills are making it look.’

‘With a 33-point performance at Cincinnati, the Bills have scored 30+ points in five straight games for the first time in team history, and the 187 points over the last five games are also a new club record.’

‘”It was just all about determination and getting through there and trying to make a big play and I did,” said Peters. “The first punt we rushed them they were kind of soft so I told Bobby the next time we should blitz them and he called the play and I got the block.”‘

‘As a safety, Vincent has an interception, a sack and a fumble recovery, and his pass rush also forced another interception that was returned for a touchdown by Bills linebacker Takeo Spikes in a 33-17 win over Cincinnati last Sunday. "It has almost rejuvenated me," Vincent says. "It’s a brand new challenge, trying to find my way at a position I think I can excel at."’

‘Coordinator Jerry Gray’s blitzes help give the team one of the NFL’s most disruptive pass rushes, and they involve everyone. LBs London Fletcher and Takeo Spikes use their instincts and timing to find open lanes up the middle. Ss Lawyer Milloy and Troy Vincent are effective off the edges or up the middle. Gray also sends cornerbacks, depending on the down and distance.’