Archives for December 4, 2008

‘"Four," Wilson said without hesitation, when asked how many of its four remaining games Buffalo needs to win to keep alive its already slim playoff hopes. "We need all four of these, and it starts with this one right here. The three that come after this game don’t even matter if we don’t get this one this week."’

‘Lynch’s back locked up during individual drills early in practice. After spending about 10 minutes trying to stretch himself out while being attended to by a trainer, Lynch returned to practice, but still had severe difficulty bending over. He had particular trouble picking up a ball after he dropped a pass.’

‘”It’s exciting,” said Losman. “From my standpoint, I know when I got to play last week, it was fun. I was having fun out there, having a good time.”‘

‘A limited number of visiting team returns and premium seats remain available for the game. Fans interested in purchasing tickets can stop at Rogers Centre Box Office (Gate 7) or purchase on Ticketmaster.’

‘”It’s just me getting an opportunity to make a play,” said McKelvin. “I was just behind two guys that were playing great from the beginning of the season. Jabari had interceptions and Terrence McGee made plays before he got hurt. I knew my time would come. Coach always tells us you’re one play away. Just keep working hard at practice and things are going to come to you.”‘

‘When Losman flung a fourth-down pass, and Buffalo’s last, best chance at a tying touchdown, to the turf with 10 minutes left, a heavy-set, white-bearded man who looked and sounded as if he has spent many Sunday afternoons in that exact spot issued his verdict. “Oh, yeah,” he said with elongated sarcasm. “He’s a lot better than the other guy.”‘

‘Lynch, who was run into the ground during his rookie season, has faced the other extreme this year: He has been kept curiously holstered at various points, and at strange times, too. He’s not getting chances during obvious situations where he could provide help, especially considering he can provide more than one kind of help. The outrage over his reduced role in Sunday’s final quarter is entirely justified, but fans should also be irritated that he had multiple roles reduced.’

‘Dolphins 23, Bills 6.’

‘”I think he’s probably where a lot of guys are in their second year, honestly,” Van Pelt said. “I think the bar was set really high early on by his play. I think that’s what we expect from him after he puts a few of those games together. Then when he starts to play more like a second-year player at times, you start to realize, maybe you were expecting a little much early on."’

‘”Right now I haven’t been ruled officially into the game, but I think I’m going to play,” Whitner said. “I feel good enough to play. I feel strong enough to play. . . . Barring any setbacks, I think I’ll be out there.”‘

‘Many people, including me, are worried about the future of the Bills in Buffalo. But as I see it, the only way the abominable fan behavior is going to change is if we do what they did in Philadelphia: blow up the Ralph and build a new stadium and insist on higher standards of fan behavior right from the start.’

‘And rather than spend all of it standing on the sidelines as he has done for 10 ½ of Buffalo’s first 12 games this season, it looks as if Losman is going to get the start for Sunday’s AFC East showdown against the Miami Dolphins at Toronto’s Rogers Centre.’

‘They were reportedly spotted Saturday during a late-night visit to the Seneca Niagara Casino in downtown Niagara Falls. That’s hard to believe that they would be out on the town past midnight – on game day.’

‘Without warbling a single word, Cohon’s quaint eight-team outfit got an unexpected shot in the arm courtesy of Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams and Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly.’

‘According to Ticketmaster’s website, non-VIP seats to Sunday’s game ranged in price from $105 to $350 (Canadian). With such steep prices, many Bills fans have decided to remain in Buffalo Sunday afternoon and, as of yesterday, organizers in Toronto were still hustling to avoid the TV blackout the NFL imposes on games that don’t sell out.’