Archives for September 2009

‘A tight game? They were down by 10. The Bills’ best hope was to convert the first down, drive the field, get a quick score and trust their defense to get a stop so they could have one last chance to tie the game. Even then, it was a long shot. Sure, the Saints might have fumbled the punt. Or the defense might have forced a turnover. But keep in mind, the Saints had just driven 66 yards in 1:16 to take the 10-point lead. The defense was wearing down.’

‘"I thought that both [Jabari] Greer and [Tracy] Porter, the two corners, should be commended on what they did today," said Saints backup safety Pierson Prioleau, a former Bill. "And it’s not just taking Terrell out of the game because they have other receivers, too. The goal is not to stop one guy from getting a catch, but it is a great job by the two corners if he didn’t get a catch."’

‘"Going into the season, even in the offseason when we knew about Marshawn’s suspension, I said, "We’ve got to be careful with Fred because he’s a really good player and we don’t want to overload him.’ He had a lot of touches and did a great job," Bills coach Dick Jauron said. "Now Marshawn’s back and we’ll take some of that load off [Fred] and evenly distribute it because both those guys are good. It’ll make us a better team."’

‘Fifteen of those dump-offs and medium-range throws were caught for an average of 8.0 yards. I’m sure our old pal, Gregg Williams, the Saints defensive coordinator, was laughing at the Bills popgun offense.’

‘”I’ve been hearing a lot of different mixed things,” Lynch said Monday upon his return to the Buffalo locker room. “Some saying I can stay where I’m at, Fred’s doing a wonderful job. Some telling me they can’t wait until I come back. You hear mixed emotion things from fans. I’m just glad I’ve got (my teammates) on my side to let me know that I was missed.”‘

‘The seams that used to pop open on Bills kickoff returns simply aren’t there this season. It’s got nothing to do with who’s bringing the ball out of the end zone, there simply is nowhere to run. Have opposing coaches figured Bobby April’s schemes out? Or is it a lack of quality special teams personnel?’

‘”Yeah, we obviously struggled,” Edwards said. “We didn’t do a good job of, I feel like both in the run game and the pass game, we didn’t stay on the field in third down situations and we didn’t put points on the board. I felt like we didn’t really hold up our end of the bargain, but you know you’re going to have games like that.”‘

‘It was not a good day for new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and he admitted as much afterward. He did not adapt to the different schemes the Saints were using, especially lacking in terms of a counter to zone blitzes. On defense, Perry Fewell came up with a nickel package that helped derail the Saints’ lethal passing game, but they were gouged the defense on the ground for 222 yards. As for Dick Jauron, he deferred after winning the coin toss and allowed the Saints to possess the ball first and they went right down and took a 7-0 lead. He pooch kicked after the Bills’ only score which gave the Saints the ball at their 41. He ordered a punt on 4th-and-1 from the 28 with 7:41 left and the Bills trailing 17-7. On the Saints last TD, the Bills had only 10 men on the field. It was not a good day for the head coach.’

‘”You really don’t want that,” Dungy said of Owens’ behavior where he repeatedly answered questions by saying ‘We’re just going with the plays that are called.’ Dungy went on to say “I think you know that’s what you get with Terrell Owens. When things aren’t going well, you’re going to get stuff like that. That’s hard to coach.”‘

‘Here’s what the "book" doesn’t take into account. The Saints have arguably THE best offense in the NFL, and the Bills defense was simply worn out because the offense continued running the no-huddle and punting all afternoon long. It’s a TWO possession game, and even if you stop the Saints with a 3 and out, you now have five minutes or less to drive for a touchdown, and then somehow HOPE you get the ball back for at least a shot at a game-tying field goal. At this point, common sense and a feel for how this game is unfolding tells you you’ve all but conceded the game by punting it away right there.’

‘On a day in which running back Marshawn Lynch rejoined the Bills after serving an NFL-imposed three-game suspension, much of the focus was on Buffalo’s popgun attack and Edwards’ inability to shed the label of “Captain Checkdown.”‘

‘S Bryan Scott went to the doctors Monday after suffering an ankle injury in the loss. The team will have an update on Scott Wednesday.’

‘McKelvin, the club’s eighth-overall pick in 2008, suffered a cracked fibula in the second half of Buffalo’s 27-7 loss to New Orleans on Sunday. Head coach Dick Jauron did not give a timetable for his return, but strongly hinted it will be longer than just for next Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins.’

‘Coach Dick Jauron said Monday that McKelvin’s injury is the most serious and he isn’t sure when the player will return after he was hurt in the first half of a 27-7 loss to New Orleans on Sunday. Jauron said Whitner’s status will be monitored on a weekly basis, though the coach did not reveal the exact nature of the injury.’

‘Jauron said Whitner would be evaluated week to week, but would not rule him out for Sunday at Miami. That won’t be the case for McKelvin.’