Archives for December 2011

‘The Bills could be doing some juggling at tight end against San Diego if Scott Chandler can’t play or is less than 100 percent. Chandler, who is having one of the best seasons by a Buffalo tight end in years with 35 catches for 360 yards and six TDs, injured his ankle in last week’s loss to Tennessee. He did not practice Wednesday and the team is holding out some hope that he’ll get on the field Thursday. The plan if Chandler can’t play is to use rookie Lee Smith and Mike Caussin in a rotation. Coach Chan Gailey said it would basically take Smith and Caussin to replace what Chandler does.’

‘Safety Jairus Byrd, tight end Scott Chandler and cornerback Aaron Williams all did not participate in practice Wednesday at One Bills Drive. Chandler and Williams were both expected to miss the opening session at least, but there was no indication that Byrd would miss any time.’

‘Injuries surely played a role in the demise of the Bills’ pass rush, although it’s not like smart money was ever spent betting on the brittle Merriman to become the next Jim Marshall.’

‘That is exactly how I feel every December when it comes to the Bills. I wake up on game day, and prepare for my pre-game show only to realize the Bills are out of the playoff race and have a month of meaningless games left. We get call after call from fans saying the team will never win until they get a new owner. We wonder if the front office can fix this mess? Do they have the right coach in place? Can this quarterback really be the answer? Will the Bills ever make the playoffs again?’

‘”I don’t think anybody in this locker room is going to lay down,” said Bills linebacker Chris Kelsay.’

‘I would hope that we could finish strong, that’s the plan, that’s what we want to do, and that’s what we expect to do. I don’t know that if you can look at one thing and say this is the direction you’re going or not going. I think there are so many things that are involved in that. I think we have a chance to be a good football team. We’re not there yet and we’re not there now. I think that we can get a lot better than we are right now. That’s my responsibility as I said Monday.’

‘”I came in and had to show the trainers and the coaches what I could do as far as going to ground and showing my strength and I was cleared to practice,” said Wilson. “I’m going to take it one day at a time and see how the week progresses, but I plan to be out on the field on Sunday when we take on the Chargers.”‘

‘Gailey has his team departing Buffalo just a couple of hours after their typical Friday practice wraps up in the early afternoon. They’re due to arrive in San Diego at 5:15 pm Pacific time on Friday.’

‘Two teachers from the Wilson Central School District have been charged with having sex in a bathroom inside Ralph Wilson Stadium during Sunday’s Buffalo Bills game against the Tennessee Titans.’

‘Below we provide an update on just where each of the nine rookies drafted this past spring currently sit with an eye toward what their role might be come 2012.’

"[Since] we inserted him into the starting lineup, he has made a lot of strides," coach Chan Gailey said of Sheppard. "Where he has got to continue to get better at is just understanding the whole concept of [the] defense and becoming a better communicator in there. Taking more charge, which is hard for a rookie, because he doesn’t know. So I think this experience will really help him develop as a player, to become what we hoped he would be when we drafted him."’

‘The district is looking into reports that the two elementary teachers were having sex in one of the bathrooms at Ralph Wilson Stadium.’

‘The Chargers’ red-zone issues this season are nothing compared to those of the Bills, who’ve surrendered touchdowns the last 14 times opponents crossed inside the 20-yard line.’

‘Chan Gailey has helped revitalize Buffalo’s offense in only his second season on the job. He has turned Fitzpatrick into a steady QB and, before his injury, Jackson’s potential seemed to finally be realized. But the Bills’ defense has been porous, which could be a good sign for Rivers and a Chargers offense coming off a great performance.’

‘”You absolutely have the perfect storm for a team that may get relocated,” Robert Boland, professor of sports management at New York University’s Tisch Center told Reuters. “The NFL has its roots in small cities like Buffalo and Green Bay, around the Great Lakes and if you are the NFL, you would hate to lose that legacy.”‘