Archives for November 28, 2011

‘”They had been playing us tough all game long, playing us with the bump man,” said Fitzpatrick. “Cromartie is a very physical corner and he was in good position, but I threw it up. Sometimes you have to try to get your guys to make plays and allow them to have that opportunity and Brad made a lot of plays in practice so it really showed me that he was a guy that we could rely on there.”‘

‘”I don’t think anyone needs to get motivated off a celebration … we’re all in the NFL,” he said. “We’re all professionals … no acts need to be made to motivate another team.”‘

‘The shame for the Bills was they did so many things right against a Jets team that had owned them the last three meetings. Gailey’s game plan was inspired. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was sensational. They won the turnover battle. They held the ball for 36:11. But a half dozen critical mistakes — the biggest two by receiver Stevie Johnson — sent the Bills (5-6) to their fourth straight defeat.’

‘”I thought I played pretty well, I had one missed error because of a lack of communication because I really couldn’t hear,” Spiller said. “I thought I played well. They were blitzing and I was picking up blitzes. Coming into the game I knew that they weren’t going to let me get outside but I told my guys to give me a crease and I’m going to have to cut it up and they did that. But I didn’t do enough to help us win.”‘

‘So why this need to behave like a child? Spare me the talk about the “No Fun League,” and how it drains all the fun out the game. Using a national stage to ridicule a player who accidentally shot himself and served 20 months in prison to atone for it doesn’t strike me as harmless fun.’

‘”I just really feel like the team needs a leader and I know I’m young and a rookie and what-not, but I feel like we’re at a point now where that really doesn’t matter where it’s coming from but it needs to come from somewhere,” Dareus said. “My whole point was, we have to get after it.”‘

‘The Jets’ offense had been stuffed on three straight drives when it got the ball at its own 18 with 5:44 remaining in the game. Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez drove his team 82 yards in 12 plays to the winning touchdown, a 16-yard strike to Santonio Holmes.’

‘Gailey got his guys up and called a good offensive game. But they took some dumb penalties, with Johnson’s celebration the most glaring.’

‘”I felt like I cost our team a win on that,” Johnson said of the undisciplined 15-yard excessive celebration penalty he was called for after he’d scored a touchdown that had given the Bills a seven-point lead late in the first half. “It was just a bad decision.”‘

‘If you want to get mad at the NFL for being the No Fun League, that’s fine. Me personally, I find most TD celebrations farcical, selfish, me-first acts by athletes who are more concerned about their Q rating and their endorsement possibilities. The game is usually entertaining enough without that nonsense. Anyone miss that crap in college football? But that’s just me, the old-fashioned curmudgeon that I am.’

‘Will the Bills bother going after Jets CB Darrelle Revis? They sure did bother, and Revis played probably his worst game in recent memory.’

‘Without Fred Jackson, you can forget about the Bills establishing a running game. C.J. Spiller just doesn’t seem capable of carrying the load as he gained only 55 yards on 19 carries against a middle-of-the-road Jets run defense.’

‘Sanchez completed only 17-of-35 for 180 yards and an interception, but got helped by Plaxico Burress’ one-handed catch on the sideline on 3rd-and-11 to keep the game-winning drive alive. Two plays later, Sanchez rolled out to his right one play later and found Holmes in the back corner of the end zone to give New York (6-5) the lead for good and snap a two-game losing streak.’

‘Coaching: I don’t have many complaints this week after being pretty upset with the play calling the last three weeks. Buffalo’s offense didn’t look dramatically different, but it was effective. The defense did a nice job up until the final drive where they tried some blitzes and got burned. You can’t get too mad at George Edwards for that. He doesn’t have anyone who can get the quarterback without sending extra guys. Grade: B.’

‘”Ignorant, stupid and embarrassing for him,” said Jets’ tight end Dustin Keller of Johnson’s post-TD antics. “I’m embarrassed for him.”‘