Archives for September 2011

‘After two straight incompletions, Fitzpatrick scrambled and completed a pass to Nelson along the right sideline for nine yards to the Oakland six. Then on 4th-and-1 Fitzpatrick found David Nelson again all by himself on a post pattern for a six-yard touchdown with 14 seconds remaining to put Buffalo up 38-35.’

‘”They really get after you and create,” said Bills’ head coach Chan Gailey. “They try to disrupt the running game by penetrating and they try to create pass rush by penetration.”‘

‘"I’m willing to sign a lease that will keep the team there and keep the team competitive," Wilson said in a phone interview late last week. "We’re not looking to have a palace, just a football stadium."’

‘"It’s pretty much mano a mano, man versus man," Bills linebacker Andra Davis said. "They’re going to test our manhood, and we have to stand up and be ready to accept the challenge."’

‘Bills 30, Raiders 21.’

‘”If things don’t change drastically, I would see us deferring most times,” Gailey said. “If a lot of kicks are going to go into the end zone or the back of the end zone, you have a chance to keep them at the 20 or inside. It’s hard on an offense when they average the 20-yard line taking over.”‘

‘That line of reasoning, I counter, is a crock. The most stable members of the eight-team league had been outbidding the rival NFL powers for serious talent from the beginning, 1960. The Houston Oilers, now the Tennessee Titans, signed the Heisman Trophy winner, LSU running back Billy Cannon, away from the powerful Los Angeles Rams. They took him right from under the nose of Rams GM Pete Rozelle, who would become the new NFL commissioner that year.’

‘”We didn’t have to rein anyone in; this locker room is full of good character guys, we don’t have any of those prima donna-type players who would let it get to their head. We understand we have a lot of work to do and a lot of battles ahead of us.”‘

Raiders not letting Buffalo fly under their radar after Bills’ big Week 1 win in Kansas City (Oakland Tribune)

Raiders’ run game alone won’t cut it in Buffalo (San Francisco Chronicle)

Raiders’ McFadden seeks spot among NFL’s elite running backs (Sacramento Bee)

Raiders Scouting Report vs. Buffalo (Sacramento Bee)

Lechler lets it all fly for the Raiders (CSN Bay Area)

Jackson throws flag at Raiders’ penalties (CSN Bay Area)

‘”Heading into my senior season, I started getting calls from agents,” Fitzpatrick said. “And that’s the first time it hit me that maybe I did have a possibility of doing it.”’

‘Pleased as he was to see his once-porous defense contain the run-happy Kansas City Chiefs in last weekend’s opening 41-7 victory, Gailey acknowledged the Bills’ home opener against the Raiders on Sunday will be a far more daunting challenge. “They’re so massive up front and their backs are big and strong and (run) downhill,” Gailey said. “Last week, it was edge, hitting the crease, dip, dart. This is right at you: ‘Here we come. See if you can stop us.'”‘

‘”Marv (Levy) and I always said that no one played left end in the 3-4 during his time better than Phil Hansen,” said Colts President and Bills former GM Bill Polian. “That’s a relatively narrow category and Phil would probably be the first to tell you that compared to the (Jets) ‘Sack Exchange’ and people that played different defenses he wasn’t as flashy as most, nor as statistically productive, but when you watched the tape week in and week out for all those years that he played, nobody played better 3-4 left defensive end than Phil Hansen.”‘

‘”We don’t want them drinking and driving,” Nigrelli said, “but if they are, we’ll be there to make the arrest.”‘

‘"Speed," he once said, "is an integral part of fear."’

‘"When we go back, they come up to us and ask questions, or we’ll see them around," Parrish said. "We tell them, ‘Good game,’ if we see them on TV or go to the practices. If we see them doing wrong we try and correct them. By seeing us work out, seeing our dedication and commitment and just going in there during the offseason every day motivates them. They see that we’re in the NFL and they say, ‘Wow, those guys work and they don’t really have to be here.’ That’s a good look for them to see that."’