Archives for September 2006

‘Scan the Bills coaching staff and see a head coach from one place, an offensive coordinator from another and a defensive coordinator from a third locale. Look at the roster and check out the 22 players who didn’t take a snap for the Western New Yorkers last year. Then, add it all up. What you get is a whole lot of uncertainty. “There’s some carryover with some of the offensive coaches, special teams,” said Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who will be ushering in two new coordinators himself. “But there’s a lot of newness. A lot of new players. I’m sure that they’ve held some things back, I’m sure we’ll get different looks than what they’ve shown.” What they’ve shown so far, despite a 1-3 preseason record, has actually looked pretty good.’

‘The upcoming season probably won’t be one of great success for the Buffalo Bills , but it could be remembered as a year that saw Dick Jauron lay the foundation of relevance for the future. If Levy believes the ’01 Coach of the Year can get the job done, it’s probably not wise to bet against that happening.’

‘The Bills signed Leak as a tight end, joining fellow tight end Brad Cieslak on the practice squad, which now has seven of its eight spots filled.’

‘”We decided that he was worth the risk because we liked him as an athlete in the workouts,” Bills coach Dick Jauron said.’

‘The Patriots’ 51 wins over Buffalo are their most over any opponent, seven more than they own over the New York Jets (44). New England has won 10 of its last 11 games against Buffalo dating back to the 2000 season. The teams have had many memorable matchups over the years, including a five-game span from 1999 to 2001 where four of the five contests were decided in overtime.’

‘After Saturday’s cut of 21 players and running back Joe Burns being placed on season-long injured reserve, the Bills will start this season with 22 players who weren’t on last season’s 53-man roster. That’s a change of 42 percent.’

‘No one is predicting us to do anything, so we’re just going to go up there and see what we’ve got. Hopefully we’ll get Willis (McGahee) going and the pass game going and good things are going to happen.’

‘One of the good things we’ve done is come together as a team and that goes a long way, besides the x’s and o’s. That can help you win ball games like we have coming up on the road. (It’s important) especially on the road. When you go on the road, it’s just you and your team, everybody’s against you, so you have to be a close unit to win big games like this on the road. It happens in camp. Everybody is on the same page working for the same thing. A lot of times you don’t get that, but with this team, it’s certainly something we’ve got. We didn’t have it as much last year, so that’s why it feels so good to have it now.’

‘C.J. Leak is a tight end. We worked him out in the early summer and really liked him athletically, so we decided we’d give him a look on the practice squad. That leaves us one more spot to fill and we hope to have that filled by Wednesday’s practice. We decided that he was worth the risk because we liked him as an athlete in the workout. Steve (Fairchild) agreed, Charlie (Coiner) liked him and John Guy liked him. He’s a good sized tight end who’s athletic.’

‘"The opportunity came up here and I worked out for them twice and I obviously showed them some things in terms of what I can do athletically," said Leak. "I still have a long way to go in terms of learning and picking things up. But my job right now is to help them get better as a member of the practice squad. I’m just glad for the opportunity."’

‘Buffalo’s record for 2006 might not be a drastic improvement over last year’s 5-11 — 7-9 sounds about right — but the Bills start and will finish the season headed in a direction markedly different from last year’s free-fall.’

‘…here’s what we hope is a handy guide to avoiding condescending stares at the bar, the office or in the grocery line.’

‘Losman, who completed less than 50 percent of his throws in starting eight games last year, hit on 65 percent during the preseason and also threw TD passes of 46 and 54 yards. He needs to keep working on protecting the ball and making good decisions. But he seems poised to establish himself in the NFL after a roller coaster ride his first two seasons.’

‘Whether or not McGahee intends to stay beyond his contract in Buffalo is over remains to be seen. Regardless, he and Lee Evans stand as the only two proven offensive weapons the Bills have. Buffalo has failed to keep stars on mediocre teams in the past. The finger has been pointed at Bledsoe when his offensive line let him down. Eric Moulds was blamed when the offense started ignoring him. Now the franchise must try to be forward thinking once again with McGahee as their focal point. Fortunately, McGahee is eager to make it or break it. “I’m ready,” concluded McGahee after the Bills preseason game with the Browns. “I can’t wait for the regular season to start.”‘

‘Buffalo easily could have released Wire to make way for a promising defensive back (CB Eric King, etcetera), but the special teams aspect, although overlooked, does make up one-third of the game of football. By deciding to keep Wire, it’s obvious Jauron will continue thinking highly of assistant head coach/special teams Bobby April’s opinion. Rightfully so, considering April may far and away be the league’s top ST coach.’