Archives for October 1, 2011

‘Bills 30, Bengals 13.’

‘Around here, it is about more than the game. When the Bills are winning, it feels like a declaration of civic self-worth, a Yes We Can testimonial, an affirmation that this place is better than the rest of America thinks it is.’

‘The Buffalo Bills, so symbolic of the city they represent, have suffered through some hard times. But if the trials and tribulations of the past few decades have succeeded in anything, it has been to build a city of intractable character, with arguably some of the most diehard fans in the NFL. Despite all that we’ve been through together, there is no question: In Buffalo, we love our football team.’

‘"I was fortunate to be able to start as a freshman and get four years in," Dalton told Buffalo reporters on a conference call this week. "With all the experience I had in college, it prepared me for this next step. Obviously there’s a lot more that’s going to be thrown at me. But I feel I have a good understanding of what’s going on."’

‘The Cincinnati Bengals frequently use regular offensive personnel — two receivers, two running backs and a tight end. Their second most common personnel group is two receivers, two tight ends and one back.’

‘A few Bills message boards circulated the column nationally, and Gish started hearing from a lot of agitated fans who not only weren’t happy with her not respecting their team — particularly after they beat the Patriots — but seemed to be just as unhappy that a woman was daring to opine about football.’

‘”The night we brought it back, we took it to every bar on Niagara Street,” Kudela recalled. “Every bar we hit, we’d march in with this goal post and the place would go crazy. Needless to say, we had a long night.”‘

‘”We won’t play anyone as open as this team I believe the rest of the year,” said Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. “They spread you out. There’s going to be a lot of one-on-one matchups and the ball, you may have him covered and you might not think the ball is not coming and it is. Your guy is going to get the ball.”‘

‘”Blue collar. People really love their football,” said Clements, son of a retired firefighter and electrician. “I would have liked to have stayed in Buffalo. Now there are only a couple of guys still left from when I was there. Pretty much everyone is gone and there are no hard feelings anyway. I’m just looking forward to playing because it’s another game, it’s another week.”‘

Pass-happy Bills biggest test yet (Cincinnati Enquirer)

More running needed from Dalton? (Cincinnati Enquirer)

Bengals-Bills scouting report and pick (Cincinnati Enquirer)

Past due vs. Bills (Bengals.com)

Matchup of the Game (Bengals.com)

Bills-Bengals Preview (Bengals.com)

Friday update: All probable; Battle of ‘Bama; Sack search (Bengals.com)

Clements’ seasoning spices Sunday match (Bengals.com)

‘As much as Fitzpatrick has done to seal Buffalo’s two stunning comebacks, they’ve all been sparked by coach Chan Gailey’s willingness to stick with the run, and Jackson has delivered.’

‘Defensive backs Terrence McGee (hamstring) and rookie Aaron Williams (chest), and rookie linebacker Chris White (hamstring) all won’t play when the undefeated Bills (3-0) play the Bengals (1-2). Both Williams and White were injured in Buffalo’s Week 3 win over the New England Patriots.’

‘”I do that every game,” said Merriman. “Not because I need anything extra, but it’s something that I’ve always done ever since I’ve been in the National Football League. Even being a rookie, coming in to the league I always broke down the team and got everybody ready. But these guys are already ready, it’s just a little bit more energy and a little bit more push to get us to that next level right before the game.”‘

‘”[They] told me I’m gonna get some rushes this game,” Moats said after practice. “That’s what they said. So we’ll just see how it goes on Sunday.”‘

‘Brandon told Adam about negotiations on a new lease with the County. “We’ve talked to the County Executive and look forward to commencing negotiations in the near future.” Brandon said the lockout forced the Bills sole focus to be on getting ready for the regular season. He said the stadium is “an older facility and we have to make sure the bones of that stadium are in great condition for many years to come. Its all about the fans and the condition of the facility. We’ll look for other opportunities to generate some revenue but from that standpoint fans are first and foremost the focal point. Our focus is making this the Fenway Park of the National Football League.”‘