Archives for December 2004

‘The Bills can reach the playoffs by beating Pittsburgh on Sunday, and while I can’t explain what happened, I can point to Mularkey holding fast. He never wavered, especially when critics were dissecting a disappointing offense — Mularkey’s area of expertise.’

‘A no-huddle renaissance? It could happen.’

‘And the Bills thought the Cleveland Browns were bad.’

‘The Bills once lost 12 out of 14 road games under QB Drew Bledsoe. They’ve now won four in a row on the road, longest such streak since 1966.’

‘The Bills have sold out seven of eight games this season and 15 of 16 games over the last two years.’

‘Patience is a virtue, particularly when it comes to young football players. The players need a chance to develop and they do so on all different time frames. The coaches have the advantage of seeing players and working with them every day and as a result, they are in the best position to determine the potential of the player. Some of the best learning that I have had in the National Football League has come through experience and one of the lessons that I learned is that you must be patient and give players a chance to find their niche.’

‘I don’t really know how many exact plays there are in the playbook because there are variations off of plays and formations. The booklet is thick and I’d say about 300 plays. The playbook is condensed for each game, so typically we have 90 plays per game.’

‘The Bills recorded their sixth straight victory, good for the team’s longest winning streak since an 8-game streak in 1990.’

‘Buffalo can clinch playoff berth with:

1) BUF win + NYJ loss, OR

2) BUF win + DEN loss or tie, OR

3) BUF tie + DEN loss.’

‘That means the Arizona game is the only one in the last two seasons that hasn’t been a sellout.’

‘“Ah, not quite yet,” Mularkey said with a smile. “I just think there’s still some work to do. And there’s nothing cut and dried.”’

‘In other words, what are the obligations of the Colts and Steelers? To ensure they are ready for the playoffs? Or to preserve the integrity of the playoff system by using their best players? In most cases, it’s the former — the “Me First” attitude.’

‘But the fact that Jan. 2 will indeed matter, one way or the other, might be this Buffalo team’s most remarkable accomplishment of all.’

‘”This whole season has come down to one game for a long time,” said Drew Bledsoe, who completed 21-of-32 passes for 172 yards with a touchdown. “We’ve been playing playoff games for months and we put ourselves in that situation by losing the first four. We took a big hit against the Patriots and had to bounce back from that and we’ve been playing for our lives for a long time and that’s what we’re doing this week also when we play the Steelers. If we win, then we’ve got a shot, if we don’t, we’re home.”‘

‘"I love it to death that I have the Pro Bowls and everything. But if I wouldn’t have got it I wouldn’t trade it for the position I’m in right here," Spikes said. "This is what you come and play the game for. This is what it all boils down to."’