Archives for January 2007

‘Two tried and true pass-rushing threats isn’t something the Bills have possessed since the days of Bruce Smith and Bryce Paup in the mid-1990s. It just so happens that their current general manager, Marv Levy, was the head coach back then. With that in mind, perhaps Buffalo will look to upgrade its D-line not just in stopping the run (an area of obvious weakness) but in rushing opposing passers, too.’

‘Running back Willis McGahee; “I’m planning on making it to Hollywood. I have to get this face on the big screen man. You know I got to let people see me all the time. I don’t need a helmet blocking everything. i need to be right there where people come see my premiere.”‘

‘I’m not one who believes that a win would have been a building block for the future. There’s too much turnover in the league; a huge percentage of this particular team won’t even be back next year. Once the Bills were eliminated from the playoff picture, this game was irrelevant in terms of the future, other than solidifying their draft pick.’

‘Fletcher is right. He played hard this season for the Bills, who finished with seven wins under the toughest strength-of-schedule in the NFL, and posted no less than 119 tackles over the past seven seasons. Fletcher also scored two TDs this season with four interceptions and a pair of sacks.’

‘Offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild called precisely five running plays in the first half, all to Willis McGahee.’

‘Bills kicker Rian Lindell set the record for highest field goal percentage in a season with a minimum of 16 attempts as he went 23-25 in 2006 for a 92 percent success rate.’

‘”He put all those questions to rest,” added receiver Peerless Price. “There should be no questions about him and his ability or who the quarterback is of the Bills. Because he is the quarterback.”‘

‘Question: Are the Bills better off now than they were one year ago? Answer: Absolutely.’

‘”I wasn’t happy about having to play this year without having a contract extension,” Fletcher said. “I was not happy at all. . . . I was not at all happy about having to be forced to play out my contract when my performance four years prior to that, three years prior to that, two years prior to that, should have merited an extension well before this.”‘

‘The star of the Bills defense on Sunday was rookie DT Kyle Williams, who lived in the backfield. He headlined an outstanding day for the defensive line, which was stouter at the point of attack, did a better job of getting off blocks and made a lot of plays on the other side of the line of scrimmage. With the D-line being active, the linebackers were allowed to flow to the ball and make plays.’

‘”J.P. has answered a lot of questions,” coach Dick Jauron said. “First, he went out and won the job (in the offseason and training camp when it was officially up for grabs). And he’s performed well; I do believe he’s gotten better every day. We’ve said it a lot: Even when he didn’t perform well I think it probably helped him advance. There’s still things he’s going to run into that he hasn’t seen a lot of. But the more he plays I believe the better he’ll get because he has a good attitude, and he’s talented.”‘

‘Buffalo needs to drastically address the middle of its defense with a tackle capable of holding his ground over the center, and a middle linebacker capable of filling holes and making sticks near the line of scrimmage, not six to 10 yards down field. Buffalo gave up 141 yards per game rushing this season and there were too many games where it couldn’t get the ball back in the fourth quarter. As much as this hurts many fans that like middle linebacker London Fletcher, it’s time to move on.’

‘It wasn’t exactly the kind of game a player hopes to respond with just days after he and his agent made it clear they would be seeking a contract extension in the offseason. Needing just 33 yards to hit 1,000 for a third consecutive season in a Bills uniform, Willis McGahee was held to a season-low 23 yards on 11 carries with one fumble in Sunday’s disappointing 19-7 loss to the Ravens.’

‘Dick Jauron and Co. manufactured another game plan that kept the game close against a superior opponent, but it was wrought with flaws. The Bills gave up on the run too fast in the second half, and coordinator Steve Fairchild should’ve taken his time to dial up a good play call on the first-and-goal that resulted in Losman’s second interception.’

‘With just three penalties for 19 yards against the Ravens, the Bills established team records for fewest penalties and penalty yards in a 16-game season (87 for 629).’