Archives for October 2, 2006

‘Warts and all, it was one of the most entertaining games at Ralph Wilson Stadium in some time. It was the Bills’ first home win since November. And on a day when Andre Reed went onto the Wall of Fame – two slots to the right of the 12th Man – the fans were as big a factor as they’ve been in some time.’

‘If Price is serious about his proclamation, if the team has in fact become the thing, old No. 81 can play a valuable role in Buffalo’s rebirth under J.P. Losman. It was tantalizing stuff, Price’s 8-yard touchdown reception that materialized out of a sure-fire loss of yards. He took a knee to make the catch, rose, shook a tackle and burned wide right around befuddled Vikings.’

‘The Bills lost right guard Chris Villarrial to a high right ankle sprain early in the second quarter and he did not return. Ankle sprains of that nature, depending on severity, could take up to four to six weeks to heal.’

‘When he crossed the goal line, the senator, who is running for re-election, threw up her arms to signal touchdown. Then the former president clapped his hands to the Bills’ beloved “Shout” song, just like the rest of the 70,000-plus fans at the stadium in Orchard Park.’

‘On the last day of the clinic, July 3, it was announced that the final speaker, Bryant, had a problem with his airline connection and would not arrive until the next day, the 4th of July. There were more than 2000 coaches attending the clinic, and most of them left immediately. Levy and four others, whom he didn’t know at the time, were the only ones to stay over to hear Bryant. The four were three high school coaches, Bill Walsh from Fremont, California, Dick Vermeil from, Napa Valley, and Bobby Ross from Richmond, Virginia, and an assistant from the University of California, Mike White. When the Bear walked into the room and saw that five men had actually stayed over on the fourth, he laughed and said, "you guys must really love football."’

‘Somewhere in the back of Dick Jauron’s mind is the blueprint for a stress-free game.’

‘"They’re growing up fast," said Jauron, who could be doing a lot of gloating these days but seems to content to watch what could be the core of a very good young defense find its stride. "In certain situations we’ve been forced to play them earlier than we would have liked. We really liked all these guys. We drafted them."’

‘Coach Dick Jauron and offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild refused to let Losman make a throw into the end zone when the Bills had a first-and-goal at the Vikings’ 7-yard line in the third quarter. Instead, they called for three straight runs and settled for a field goal and a 17-6 lead when a touchdown might have put the game out of reach.’

‘The Bills’ front office says that 10 to 15 percent of the team’s fans at home games come from Canada. One of them, Mike deBenedictis of Mississauga, Ontario, said he attended several Argonauts games each year but was making the trip to see a game in Buffalo for the first time. “The tailgating, the excitement, it’s electric here,” he said. “You can sense it before you’re two miles from the stadium.”‘

‘Jauron is knee-deep in a reclamation project that has moved faster than expected.’

‘With a white towel wrapped around his waist and a silver cellphone pressed into his right ear, Buffalo Bills quarterback J.P. Losman had settled into his dressing-room stall for a live radio interview when an intruder tapped him on his shoulder.’

‘Coaching: B-plus. This is a well-prepared team that is exceeding expectations.’

‘Bills right guard Chris Villarrial hurt his right leg in the second quarter and did not return. Tests revealed he had a high ankle sprain.’

‘The two joined together Sunday to fight for legislation that would increase screening for potentially fatal diseases in newborns.’

‘”I remember walking back to the line of scrimmage and I looked at the clock and it was 4 ticking to 3 and I knew they wouldn’t have time,” Kelsay said, recalling the final frantic seconds when the Vikings pushed deep into Buffalo territory but simply ran out of time in their quest to rally for a win.’