Archives for December 4, 2008

‘”When the schedule comes out the fans always ask, `When are the Bills playing the Dolphins?’ because they are our No. 1 rivalry,” Kelly said. When we found out they were playing this game up here it was a little bittersweet because we wanted the Dolphins to come up to Buffalo with a little snow on the ground to have that advantage.”‘

‘”In general, I just like Canadians. They all seem nice and honest. One thing I tell people about Canadians versus Americans is in America I think you’re frowned at if you try to be yourself. From my experience that’s something that’s appreciated in Canada. Obviously, I don’t always fit in wherever I go.”‘

‘”It’s bittersweet,” Kelly says. “It would be great for a city like Toronto to have an NFL franchise – as long as it isn’t a Buffalo franchise.” In fact, Kelly has made himself the poster boy for efforts to keep the Bills in Buffalo, trying to cobble together an ownership group, and to persuade his old boss to sell the team to local interests before he goes to his great reward.’

‘It’s not so much Schonert forgets entirely about the run when his team gets in the red zone – the Bills called a run on the first play of each red-zone possession last Sunday – but they wouldn’t stick with it.’

‘”It’s their billions of TV revenues and their lock on all the largest sponsors that could give [the NFL] the power to be predatory if they wanted to be.”‘

‘”He did the rookie show,” former Argos defensive back Orlondo Steinauer said. “He wasn’t saying, ‘Well, I’ve played all this time.’ Once people saw that, they didn’t see him as a failed drug test guy, they saw him as Ricky Williams and he earned the respect of 99 per cent of his teammates.”‘

‘”I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count the number of people who have contacted me, that they want to be a part of the team that stays here in Buffalo,” Kelly said. “To be honest with you, there are some people who said they wanted to own the team and take it somewhere else. I will not engage in any conversation with anybody who wants to take the team and move it — whether it’s north of the border or some other city in the United States.”‘

‘”I was probably six months old the first time I saw my dad breaking down game film,” April says from Oregon. “The first time I started helping break down film, I was probably eight or nine years old.”‘

‘The running back spoke glowingly of his time in Toronto, saying how much he enjoyed the organic grocery store near where he lived, the Thai restaurant where he liked to eat and the Canadian people all around, who always seemed to embrace him –and his differences.’

‘(On what the difference in offense is from earlier in the season) – “I think in most of our losses, it’s been pretty clear and it’s kind of the universal in football anywhere, and certainly in our league, is that you can’t turn the ball over as much as we have been turning it over and not taking it away. We’re losing that differential by a great deal in most of our losses. Then in the win in Kansas City, it was just the opposite. We took it away, didn’t lose it. Field position becomes a huge factor when those things happen and when you have field position you tend to score more points. I think it’s relatively clear what we’ve done wrong. We certainly give credit to all of our opponents. Everybody in this league is good. They can beat you and when you help them out it just makes it that much easier to beat you.”‘

Miami Dolphins’ Ricky Williams found solace in Toronto (Miami Herald)

Jason Allen’s status for Sunday’s Miami Dolphins game still unknown (Miami Herald)

Ricky Williams’ love for Toronto is mutual (South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Four Dolphins lead AFC in Pro Bowl fan votes (South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Coach, players focus on sweeping final four games (South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Dolphins’ Ricky Williams fondly remembers CFL, Toronto’s “true fans” (Palm Beach Post)

Bills’ return teams concern Dolphins coach Tony Sparano (Palm Beach Post)

Bills’ Trent Edwards might miss Dolphins’ game (Palm Beach Post)

Players differ over issue of owning gun (Palm Beach Post)

Dolphins Coach Sparano hopes to spread positivity (Orlando Sentinel)

Williams fondly remembers season in Toronto (AP)

Inside slant (The Sports Xchange)

Strategy and personnel (The Sports Xchange)

Notes, quotes (The Sports Xchange)

Buffalo Bills Transcripts (MiamiDolphins.com)

Miami Dolphins Transcripts (MiamiDolphins.com)

Four Dolphins Lead Pro Bowl Balloting (MiamiDolphins.com)

‘”I want the Buffalo Bills to stay where they’re at . . . stay on that side of the border. I don’t think the team’s going anywhere, to be honest with you. As long as I have anything to do with it, they’re going to stay in Western New York.”‘

‘The Bills play three of their final four against division rivals, but it may be a moot point if quarterback Trent Edwards isn’t healthy.’

‘Miami has lost seven of nine games played in Buffalo after Dec. 1, including two playoff games. When the NFL assigned the Dolphins game for Toronto, Bills fans sighed while the Dolphins celebrated. A “lucky draw” is how coach Tony Sparano put it.’

‘Buffalo’s 25-16 loss to the Dolphins on Oct. 26 ignited their 1-5 slide while igniting Miami’s 5-1 hot streak. Turnovers were the story — the Bills committed three in the fourth quarter and squandered a 16-7 lead. It goes without saying, they can’t afford a sloppy performance again and expect to win and keep their slim playoff hopes alive. Even though the game will be played indoors in Toronto’s Rogers Centre and not outside at Ralph Wilson Stadium, both clubs will want to run the ball. The Bills held a 119-52 edge in rushing in the first meeting and Marshawn Lynch is running even better now. A running game will benefit whoever starts at QB for Buffalo, Trent Edwards or J.P. Losman. Defensively, the Bills need to get pressure on Miami’s savvy veteran Chad Pennington, who threw for 314 yards the first meeting while being sacked once. CB Terrence McGee, who played on a bad knee that game, was eaten up by Ted Ginn Jr. (seven catches, 175 yards) and he’s eager for the rematch. Bills special teams need a rebound game after last week’s game against the 49ers. The club’s No. 3 and 4 punt and kickoff return units need to make something happen against Miami’s 31- and 32-ranked coverage units.’