Archives for October 21, 2008

‘"He played well," coach Dick Jauron said of the 27-year-old six-year NFL player. "He did what we wanted him to do. He’s a very physical football player. He was out there to play a physical part in the run game because he is a bigger safety and to give Gates a little different look because he’s a tough tight end to cover for anybody. (Gates) has a knack for getting open, and Bryan did a really good job."’

‘We can get into specific examples, but in general, Schonert and Fewell have shared an aggressive approach to their game management. By doing so, they’ve fostered an attitude of playing to win rather than passively trying not to lose. That’s what it takes in the NFL, where so many teams have pretty similar talent. It’s all about attitude.’

‘”Guys look up to him and guys look to him to make plays like that,” defensive end Chris Kelsay said of Mitchell after the game.’

‘Their final 10 games are at Miami, the New York Jets, at New England, Cleveland, at Kansas City, San Francisco, Miami, at the Jets, at Denver, New England. Combined record: 17-25.’

‘”We just got to keep playing. Just keep working and keep playing. Every week is different. Every team presents a new problem…so just keep playing. Every team presents a new challenge.”‘

‘”A lot of guys learned how to play last year,” wide receiver Lee Evans said.’

‘Dick Jauron told his team that everyone expected the Bills to lose, and he had them ready to play in the biggest game to date and produced a statement victory. On offense, Turk Schonert utilized a quick passing game to help the offensive line, and it worked perfectly as Edwards was never harassed and had a record-setting day. On defense, Perry Fewell came up with an interesting wrinkle to help defuse the effectiveness of Gates. Meanwhile, the run defense was outstanding.’

‘”It was a challenging week,” Scott said. “We had a few guys banged up, so other guys have to step up and the coaches did a great job preparing us. We really were a cohesive unit. We were able to go out there and get the job done. I just tried to do the best job I could do to stay on (Gates) so that (QB Philip) Rivers had to look the other way.”‘

‘”It’s weird not having seen any one of these teams to this point this year,” offensive lineman Duke Preston said Monday. “It is a test that I think we’re ready for.”‘

‘Coach Dick Jauron on Monday said DiGiorgio was having further tests to determine the severity of the injury. Jauron had previously said he wasn’t optimistic about the player’s status.’

‘It was another significant win over a major conference player, the type of team they are likely to run into during a playoff run. It wasn’t pummeling a cupcake like the Rams, or whooping on a MASH unit like the Seahawks. Rather, it was staying in the game until the end, making the big plays when they needed to be made.’

‘”The most important part was I wasn’t taking hits and as a quarterback you feel more and more comfortable throughout the game and the game starts to slow down a little bit when you’re not getting knocked down by Luis Castillo, Igor Olshansky and Shaun Phillips.”‘

‘”To me the difference in the game was we had the ball at midfield and the ball slips out of Philips’ hands, which gives them a short field, and obviously the interception down at the 10,” Turner said. “I thought our guys came in prepared to play, but the turnovers were critical. Those plays were significant plays in the game.”‘

‘But the point is, the Bills went toe-to-toe with an AFC heavyweight … and didn’t blink.’

‘Three black helium balloons, such as the ones you’d find at a Halloween party, were set adrift early Sunday afternoon, floated into nearby electrical wires by a transformer and shorted out power to “The Ralph” … three times.’