Archives for December 2009

‘Heaven knows, the 81-year-old Miller deserves a book. “Fasten Your Seatbelts: The Van Miller Story” isn’t it.’

‘"I think they polled like 90 guys [actually 99] and nine guys answered that I’m the dirtiest player in the league, so now everybody [he raises his arms and points around in a circle] runs with it, that I’m the dirtiest player in the league," Incognito said Thursday after his first practice with the Bills. "So you can call me what you want. I’m a hard-nosed football player. I bring my "A’ game every Sunday."’

‘”It was very sad. Tragic news,” a somber Fitzpatrick said at the Bills’ practice facility. “It definitely makes you stop and think. Everybody in this locker room is affected by it, even the guys that didn’t know Chris on a personal level. When the news broke, everybody was gathered around the TV, watching. It’s always something you never want to see happen, especially somebody in the NFL brotherhood. It affects everybody more than people realize.”‘

‘ The Bills have plenty of capable complementary players. They have enough solid players. They don’t have enough studs.’

‘”From the first day of practice,” he said, “you could see he was special. He had great feet, and he could make all the throws.”’

‘”Yeah, we’ve pretty much seen him every year,” said Springs, before what may be the final meeting. “We’ve kind of grown together. I’m quite sure some other guys have gone like that, maybe Jerry Rice and Deion (Sanders).”‘

‘”I’ve liked his leadership and his command. I’ve liked his communication with not only the offensive line, but with the running backs and receivers as well as the coaching staff,” Fewell said. “That’s been good and that’s been something we can draw on.”‘

‘”It was a lot of keeping your head down, not letting the air get into your nose and mouth and stuff like that. That was pretty tough. It was pretty rough conditions.”‘

‘”Coach (Bill Belichick) does a good job of getting us in the elements,” punter Chris Hanson said. “The more you can practice in it, the more confident you get in your ability and it becomes a non-factor in the game because you’ve been there, done that. You never know what you’re going to get in Buffalo. It can be really windy or it can be really cold or it can be both like last year. Coach does a good job with it, so it’s not it the back of our minds on Sundays.”‘

‘”We’re practicing in it today, yesterday, all last week, so the more you can be in it and the more you can practice in it, the more confident you can get in your ability,” said Hanson, who has proven himself a capable bad-weather punter. “It becomes a non-factor in the game because you’ve been there, done that. Coach (Bill Belichick) does a good job of getting us in the elements, so it’s not in the back of our mind on Sundays. We just go out and perform the way he wants us to perform and do our jobs.”‘

‘”Yeah, it is. It’s something they harp on. As you see, year in and year out, they’re always at the top of the special teams rankings,” Aiken observed.’

In line for big things (Boston Globe)

Harvard man fits in NFL (Boston Globe)

Remembering lost friends (Boston Globe)

Back to work with Randy Moss (Boston Herald)

Shawn Springs keeps eye on Terrell Owens (Boston Herald)

Players struggle to deal with Chris Henry’s death (Boston Herald)

Henry’s death hits Patriots pair (Metro West Daily News)

Harvard man Fitzpatrick helps make Bills’ attack look smart (Providence Journal)

Henry’s death hits home (Providence Journal)

Pats recall an eerie trip to the eastern end of (Lake) Erie (Brockton Enterprise)

Henry’s death hits home with Jeff Rowe (Brockton Enterprise)

Patriots just chillin’ (Attleboro Sun Chronicle)

Henry death hits home (Attleboro Sun Chronicle)

Pats set for rushing Buffalo (Worcester Telegram and Gazette)

Weather a factor for Buffalo tilts (Worcester Telegram and Gazette)

Patriots feel `vulnerable’ in preparing for Bills (AP)

Brady back at practice after skipping 1 session (AP)

Patriots Locker Room Quotes (Patriots.com)

Return to Buffalo is special for Aiken; Thu notes (Patriots.com)

‘”I had my first concussion in 1988,” Kelso said the other day. “I had subsequent concussions, and I was diagnosed with migraine syndrome – the symptoms of a migraine as opposed to the severity of a concussion. I started wearing that extra pad in 1989, and I definitely credit it with extending my career the additional five years that I wore it. After a few games, there was no way I would have played without it.”‘

‘”When I grew up and went to high school, we always played on Saturday afternoon, and we missed watching all the college football games,” Levitre said Thursday after practice in Buffalo. “I got to thinking, most high schools play on Friday night, and we can’t. I just wanted to give back to my high school and the football program,” Levitre added.’

‘”I have a reputation around the league for being a less than model citizen,” he said. “Some guys on teams really dislike playing against me. So I can see where Kawika’s coming from. I’ve probably done some cheap stuff to him in the past, but now we’re members of the same team and working towards the same goal, and that’s getting this club as many wins as possible. I knew something like that would pop up, but it’s not a big deal.”‘