Archives for July 2012

‘Final Prediction: Second place, AFC East.’

‘And while Brandon makes some reasonable points, his mixed review sales pitch is ill-timed as the team is in the process of seeking nearly a quarter-billion dollar tax payer subsidy for stadium improvements.’

‘”We’re not one of those teams that runs a lot of deep in cuts that allows guys to sometimes to get away from defenders,” Gailey told Buffalobills.com. “They have to separate fairly early to get any running space and it’s harder to separate in short areas than it is down the field. So there’s a lot that plays into it and our system I don’t think in the long run allows for him to run for a lot of yards after catch.’

‘”I believe we can,” offensive coordinator Curtis Modkins told Buffalobills.com. “In this league continuity is big and we’ve been able to establish some of that offensively. It doesn’t mean that we might not decide to add pieces here or there, but the core group is here and if we can stay healthy and maintain our continuity I think finishing in the top 10 is a realistic goal for us. The goal is to improve so we want to keep the arrow going in the right direction offensively.”‘

‘Thomas did not hesitate at all when asked to forecast the Bills’ 2012 season. ”I’m definitely going to say playoffs,” he said. ”I saw the schedule and I saw 10 or 11 wins. As a former player, it all depends on health. The last couple years, the Bills have had more players on injured reserve than anyone in the National Football League. Everybody looks good on paper.”’

‘”Buffalo has made a couple moves. They got Mario Williams to get after Tom Brady. They’ll be interesting, but they won’t win the AFC East. You bring in a great player like Mario Williams. Does he create matchup problems? Yes, he does. But if you look at what the Texans did last year, they did a lot of that without Mario Williams. Even with Mario Williams, Tom Brady will make the adjustment. The biggest thing with Buffalo is the feel of it to me … it just doesn’t feel like the Buffalo Bills are going to be the king of the AFC East. It’s more of a little brother, big brother mentality. If Ryan Fitzpatrick is your franchise quarterback, eh, I don’t see it.”‘

‘Defensively, expectations are very high for Buffalo heading into the 2012-13 season. The Bills have a good mix of youth and experience on the defensive side of the ball, and a plethora of talent. There are several established veterans on this defense, but also some young talented players that are prepared to make a name for themselves. The question is who will take that next step and become a playmaker on defense?’

‘”We’ve accomplished a lot. Every party knows where the other one stands,” Poloncarz said. “Now, it’s just that final time where you sort of butt heads with each other until you reach an agreement. So I feel confident we’re going to get an agreement done by the end of the year.”‘

‘Hairston brought his Bills helmet and a home uniform jersey, items that drew a lot of interest. Both players engaged the eager campers in conversation in between drills. “I just tell them to keep their heads up, keep working,” Hairston said. “Understand that this is still a game. Don’t do it because you want to make a lot of money.”‘

‘When Buffalo played Cleveland, their father would wear West Virginia garb to stay neutral. “I was a Browns’ fan,” John Talley Sr. said, “but a Bills supporter.”‘

‘And each time he’s in the news for all the wrong reasons and Fred Jackson is in the news for all the right ones, it just makes the Bills look smarter and smarter for dealing Lynch when they could.’

‘"I think there’s a lot of confidence. I do,” said Gailey. “I think our guys believe they can move the football and they can score points. Believing it and doing it are two separate things and you’ve got to go do it. But I think we all are enough on the same page that we believe we can go get that done.”‘

‘”We’re going to try to get even more celebrities here next year,” Reed said. “I’m proud of this tournament and proud to have these guys come here. I am just me and I’ll always be just me, but if you can use your name to bring in good guys, have a good time and raise money for some worthwhile causes, you have to make it happen.”‘

‘"I obviously get asked this question quite a bit because I’m a female," she said with a sarcastic bent. "The way I look at it, honestly, gender is one aspect of a person. Everyone is different, whether it’s your ethnicity, your gender, your socioeconomic status, your socioeconomic background. The list is endless on what makes people different and what makes them who they are. Gender is one of those."’

‘”You’ve got to be a pressure player,” said Lee of the quarterback position. “What he did out there against Oakland last year we need him do it four or five times this year because that’s what’s required at our position right now. Eli Manning brought the Giants back seven times last year. That’s what our game is coming down to because everybody is so good. Everybody has great quarterbacks and receivers and running backs. It’s coming down to that last series or two of a game is going to determine whether you go to the playoffs or not.”‘