Archives for July 2005

‘The game is still played on the field.’

‘Buffalo’s defense and special teams are playoff caliber, and the Bills are strong at running back (McGahee) and receiver. The biggest question marks — and the reasons why they might not make the playoffs — are their inexperienced quarterback and their reshuffled offensive line.’

‘This was much more about the Buffalo Bills trading Henry to a team they felt would be less competitive for an AFC wild-card berth than the Jaguars spinning their wheels. Besides, hadn’t the Jaguars already won a landslide decision over Buffalo in 1998 by swindling a first-round pick (which turned out to be Taylor) for Rob Johnson?’

‘Henry forced his way out of Buffalo, after losing his starting job to Willis McGahee in 2004, because he wasn’t inclined to play second fiddle. But history has demonstrated that it’s difficult in the NFL to keep one back happy while the other gets most of the carries. So how long will Henry, who despite signing a four-year contract extension isn’t going to earn a dime more in Nashville in ’05 than he was scheduled to make in Buffalo, bite his tongue if he is logging, say, only six carries a game? Or will Brown, who has missed five games in each of his first two seasons, chafe if Henry knocks him from his No. 1 perch on the depth chart?’

‘Prediction: Second.’

‘Being away from his native Mississippi didn’t bother Hull. Instead, he got to love western New York. Except for the heaps of snow that dump on Buffalo every winter, Hull said western New York is a lot like Mississippi. “When people in the South think New York, they think New York City,” Hull said. “But western and upstate New York has very friendly people much like the Delta with strong emphasis on farming. People don’t know that farmers in New York grow soybeans and corn. It’s a huge agricultural community. As for the snow, you adapt to it. We’ve all had good times in the snow up there.”‘

‘"I would say overall we’ll be a better group from top to bottom than we were a year ago," Szabo said. "A year ago we had an unsettled situation at safety, which was compounded by the fact that Lawyer broke his arm. With Milloy healthy and now having moved Troy Vincent to free safety, we should be a little more consistent. … and our corners are both the same and both went to the Pro Bowl. They’re very good players."’

‘Is second-year QB J.P. Losman ready to lead Buffalo’s offense?’

‘"It helps speed up the process of getting into camp," Mularkey says. "It’s an extra preseason game without calling it one, which is important, especially for us with a first-year starting quarterback. As many opportunities as you can get against an opponent where everything isn’t scripted, the better."’

‘"There’s no question he’s been working out," Mularkey said. "You can tell physically he’s a specimen. I know that group down there, they work hard. There’s a number of them that have a strict workout and you can tell he’s been working out. He’s in [good] physical condition."’

‘”We have high goals set for ourselves,” said defensive captain London Fletcher. “It goes beyond just wanting to be number one in the league. Our goal is to be the greatest defense of all time.”‘

‘With all the questions surrounding Fred Taylor’s knee and whether he’ll be ready, an insurance policy like Henry may have been a little pricey, but worth it. If Taylor cannot be the player we’ve come to expect the past couple of seasons (and there’s no way to tell what’s happening in J’Ville right now, with Jack Del Rio trying to control the flow of info surrounding the team like he was head of a Communist state), that will do nothing but put more pressure on quarterback Byron Leftwich to carry the offense in his third season.’

‘”It’s difficult to get rookies to settle down,” Buffalo Assistant General Manager Tom Modrak said. “They are in awe of things. He came in with a great deal of confidence because he can make plays. He was intense about everything. He was very good at minicamp.”‘

‘”I enjoy the race course,” said Kelly, who will be Grand Marshal at the event. “I think from a spectator standpoint, they enjoy it as long as they can see what’s coming on from the turns. It’s interesting from the standpoint that it goes by the pits and then you wait about a minute and a half and boom, they’re there. But Watkins Glen is a place I’ve been to many times. I enjoyed the people. I love it.”‘

‘E-mail your questions for the GM to asktomdonahoe@wkbw.com.’