Archives for September 2008

‘"You have to go in and give your best. The time you take a team nonchalantly or think you can just go in there and they’re going to be pushovers, that’s when you lose. They’re probably as hungry as they’ve been all season. I don’t think the character of this team will allow less focus. This team isn’t going to let that affect us."’

‘One thing the Rams would love to do is get off to a better start on offense. In the first halves of their three games they have a combined 208 yards and 12 points.’

‘Buffalo 24, St. Louis 13.’

‘So, what happens today? Do the Rams completely disintegrate and make it easy for the Bills? Or do they step up and play big? — or as big as they’re capable of playing. The Bills had best beware, because this is one of those chaotic situations that could go in any direction.’

‘Offensive tackle Langston Walker: “A million-and-one things are going on in a huddle when you are behind in the fourth quarter, and you look for your quarterback to be your lighthouse. And Trent’s been that guiding light for us when the seas get rough. He’s been one cool dude.”‘

‘”They’re pretty similar, but Trent didn’t take many snaps in the preseason. He was knocked out last year with a concussion (while playing for Miami). So I’d rather see Trent,” Kelsay told reporters in Buffalo after word arrived this past week that coach Scott Linehan had benched Bulger. “Now saying that, it wouldn’t be out of the question that (Green) comes out and puts up big numbers; each quarterback has that capability. But if you can put pressure on the quarterback, it’s not going to matter who’s back there.”‘

‘”He’s very powerful. Very athletic,” Incognito said. “It’s surprising on film how athletic he is, once you see how big he is. … Marcus is a big, physical guy. I’m a big, physical guy. So we match up very well. Big physical guys tend to butt heads. You tend to have a lot more collisions.”‘

Linehan faces fourth and long (St. Louis Post Dispatch)

Yes, the Rams will make a coaching change (St. Louis Post Dispatch)

Bills won’t mind seeing Green at QB (St. Louis Post Dispatch)

Key matchup: Incognito vs. Stroud (St. Louis Post Dispatch)

In St. Louis, Green’s show at last (Dallas Morning News)

‘Depth is a key for the Bills. Beset by injuries last year, they’re in much better position now. With return man Roscoe Parrish on the shelf, look for rookie Leodis McKelvin to step in. He was the best kick returner in this year’s draft. Offensively, the Bills are in steady hands with second-year pro Trent Edwards, who is 8-4 as a starter.’

‘I went to the Bills-Raiders game in Buffalo last weekend, and I can only shudder to think what goes on at Raiders home games.’

‘"Attitude can carry over to some degree," Jauron told reporters. "Almost everything changes. Circumstances change. Your luck changes sometimes. I don’t know how little or how much what happened a year ago affected us."’

‘But in the snap of Tom Brady’s knee, they have suddenly become the team to beat in the American Football Conference East and among the best in the entire conference. Their game Sunday against the winless St. Louis Rams – and the fifth-easiest schedule in the N.F.L. – has Bills fans thinking bigger than they have since Marv Levy roamed the sideline as the coach.’

‘The last eight drafts of the once-mighty Rams have produced just one Pro Bowler. From 2000 through 2004, they picked 42 players but just three still are on the team. They got just three quality starters out of the five drafts from 2002 through 2006.’

‘Buffalo Bills fans lucky enough to get The NFL Network on satellite television – Time Warner Cable doesn’t carry it – get a treat at 10 p. m. Thursday.’

‘Buffalo is now 8-4 in games he’s started. Three of those victories – including wins the past two weeks – occurred after Edwards engineered late-game comebacks.’