Archives for October 2009

‘Which disappointed, mercurial receiver will have the bigger day, Terrell Owens or Steve Smith? Owens has kept his mouth shut all year, but you can bet he’s not happy with 15 catches for 215 yards in six games. Smith spouted off in Carolina this week that he believes he’s no longer an asset to the team. Both of them are due for a breakout game.’

‘I like the pride that the natives, those who stay and those who leave, so desperately want to share. No matter where they go – and a few allegedly have moved to cities other than Charlotte – the talented Buffalo Sabres of the NHL and the Bills are like a postcard from home.’

The Original Panther still gets his kicks at nearly 40 (Charlotte Observer)

This game is like deja vu all over again (Charlotte Observer)

Huge day in store for the offense? (Charlotte Observer)

Muhammad: Panthers tipping off plays (Charlotte Observer)

Three questions: James Anderson (Charlotte Observer)

Kyle, McCoy land with unbeaten teams (Charlotte Observer)

Bills-Panthers matchups (Charlotte Observer)

Buffalo, yes; the Bills … (Charlotte Observer)

The transient life of an NFL coach (Gaston Gazette)

Panthers likely to bring blitz again against young Buffalo offensive line (Gaston Gazette)

Five things to watch (Gaston Gazette)

Panthers’ Smith not worried about what others think about him (Rock Hill Herald)

Prima donna wideouts still commonplace in NFL (Rock Hill Herald)

Lighter practices enjoyed by Panthers (Rock Hill Herald)

What to Watch: Panthers-Bills (Panthers.com)

‘When the Buffalo Bills and the Houston Texans meet at 1 p.m. Nov. 1 in Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo, the honor guard for Ogdensburg Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2936 will have the best seats in the house.’

‘The Bills downgraded the rookie tight end to out on Saturday.’

‘If the Bills win this one, the team will creep back to respectability. However, if they aren’t successful, Buffalo will be 2-5, and have to face the Houston Texans, one of the best offenses in the NFL at home the very next week. Not to mention the hot seat for Dick Jauron will only get hotter.’

‘”It’s frustrating when you’re a No. 1 guy, a starting receiver, to not have a catch in a game or only have one catch and really not feel part of a game,” Bills receiver Lee Evans(notes) said. “Especially for a guy like Steve Smith who’s a very seasoned veteran, who’s been around a lot, made a lot of plays. I can understand the frustration.”‘

‘All of this would simply be the story of another sad season in a long run of them for Bills fans, were it not for the unique five-year deal in which the team is playing a handful of games in Toronto. On Dec. 3, Buffalo will play a resurgent New York Jets team at the Rogers Centre. Tickets range from $99 to $275 a pop, which is a steep price to see an anemic team that could well enter the game sporting a record of 2-8. Will the stands be anywhere near full?’

‘”Old Piggy,” Panthers defensive tackle Damione Lewis said of Hangartner. “He did a good job of catching, didn’t he? He’s a good athlete, man, to be a big guy. The smart thing for him to do was take the knee, but he didn’t do that, he tried to run with it, get his knees blew out. Everybody thinks they can do something with the ball when they get it in their hands.”‘

‘Buffalo’s running back tandem has not been ultra productive of late, but productive enough. Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson are now entering their fourth game as a one-two punch and should have success against a run front that’s been struggling all season long surrendering almost 150 yards per game on the ground.’

‘"I think it’s his personality," said Eric Studesville, Bills running game coordinator and backs coach. "He’s an aggressive guy. When you sit and talk to him he’s not a boisterous guy, but his personality on the football field is aggressive. He’s always going forward. And he’s strong. He’s probably, pound for pound, one of the strongest guys on the team."’

‘"He’s progressing like you’re supposed to progress after what he’s had," Carpenter said. "No setbacks – put it that way."’

‘”It’s discouraging for real,” said defensive tackle Kyle Williams, who has a shoulder injury and probably won’t get a chance to make amends Sunday when the Bills play in Carolina. “You see the mistakes that we make and it seems like teams are finding them all the time. Some teams make mistakes and they get covered up by someone else, but teams are finding our mistake and hitting us with some big plays.”‘

‘”(That) is interesting for me because I went from being a younger guy to being the oldest guy on our line pretty quick,” Hangartner said. “So that’s definitely been a transition.”‘