Archives for December 13, 2005

‘Bills Head Coach Mike Mularkey was a tight end at the University of Florida in the early 1980s when Broncos Head Coach Mike Shanahan was the Gators’ offensive coordinator.’

‘Losman is scheduled to undergo a MRI later on Tuesday and his status will be re-evaluated on Wednesday.’

‘Girding for the playoff stretch run, and addressing an area weakened by injuries for much of the year, the New England Patriots on Tuesday signed veteran and versatile offensive lineman Ross Tucker, ESPN.com confirmed. Tucker, 26, was released by Buffalo this summer after starting 12 games, mostly at left guard, for the Bills in 2004. The four-year veteran has worked out for a number of teams during the season and, while some clubs told him they would sign him for camp in 2006, none had offered him a contract for this year.’

‘Bills quarterback J.P. Losman didn’t practice Tuesday because of an injured right shoulder that could force him to miss Buffalo’s game Saturday night against Denver.’

‘The Bills were on the cusp of being a playoff team last season and made the switch to the second-year Losman in the offseason. He was expected to endure some growing pains, but the Bills seem to have taken two steps back.’

‘In the past five years of watching Buffalo Bills football and writing for Bills Daily I’ve seen some pretty ugly things. I’ve been treated to many games I thought were the low point of the season only to be proved wrong in a subsequent week.’

‘The players can hold each other accountable, but my (index) finger is pointing directly at Tom Donohoe.’

‘The Bills need a completely revamped offensive line. The current unit had no luck blocking New England’s defense on Sunday, despite rarely facing more than six charging Patriots at once. They might not have blocked a group of elves on a blitz, Santa thought to himself. So he will try his best to squeeze five athletic 300-pounders into the team’s stocking.’

‘Bills coach Mike Mularkey needed his team to look halfway decent in this game to prove that he still has a handle on the situation. Unfortunately for the much-maligned coach, his team was totally flat and demonstrated that they’ve quit on him. Can someone explain to me why this team is only attempting eight run plays with their franchise workhorse? It’s beyond comprehension. Mularkey tells everyone that this is going to be a power football team and it’s been the farthest thing from it. Jerry Gray’s defense had one of their worst days of the year but it isn’t necessarily him who should be seeing all the blame. Only four of his starters are playing up to snuff right now. The rest are either backups at best (Kelsay, Anderson, Posey), over the hill (Adams, Milloy, Vincent), or underachieving (Clements).’

‘Belief in the program appears to be his biggest challenge. It’s Mularkey’s job to get players, especially the veterans, to buy into his system. But recent conflicts with Sam Adams and Eric Moulds suggest that hasn’t happened this year. Since the start of the season, players have publicly and privately questioned play calling and personnel decisions. The genius of Levy was getting his players to buy into the program. Obviously that’s easy when you’re going to Super Bowls every year. But even before the Bills began their run, Levy was able to rally the troops and convince a room of different players and personalities to commit to the singular goal of winning a championship.’

‘For the players in attendance, this trip to Cheektowaga was a salve for the soul. Most children under 12 don’t know the Bills are 4-9, that they’ve lost four straight, that there will be no playoffs again this season. And even if they know, there are greater concerns in their lives, like what they’re wearing to school tomorrow. “How many games have the Bills won?” 8-year-old Armani was asked. “Ten,” he said with conviction.’

‘The question now circulating at One Bills Drive is this: How much time do president and general manager Tom Donahoe and coach Mike Mularkey have left? Donahoe is under contract at least through 2006 and Mularkey through 2008.’

‘Let’s take this back a step further. When Tom Donahoe arrived as GM in 2001 he promised Buffalo would be a smashmouth football team. Like fans around here were in for a new treat. He had no clue that in the 14 previous seasons under coaches Marv Levy and Wade Phillips, Buffalo finished ranked in the top 10 in rushing a staggering 12 times. The Steelers don’t own a copyright on running the ball. Alas, under Donahoe, the Bills have ranked 22nd, 24th, 21st, 13th, 18th and currently 19th and falling fast.’

‘The Bills are in bad company with San Francisco and Houston at the bottom of the list, but the 49ers and Texans at least have a shot at drafting Reggie Bush.’

‘”It’ll be, I don’t want to say one of the best days of my life, but it’s close to it,” Moulds told The Associated Press, looking ahead to rejoining his teammates as the Bills (4-9) prepare to host Denver (10-3) on Saturday. “It’s behind me. I just want to go out and play. I want to play these last three games and get three wins,” said Moulds. “That’s all I wanted the whole time I’ve been here. And things like this make you appreciate the game a lot more.”‘