Archives for December 2012

‘Buffalo’s results reveal ineptness at the top, starting with Wilson and top aide Jeff Littman. It includes money man Jim Overdorf and General Manager Buddy Nix and trickles down to Gailey and his players. None of this is breaking news, as you know. It has been the same way for years, give or take a few names.’

‘”He’s not going to make it,” Gailey said. “He’s going to be out for the rest of the year.”‘

‘”If you run a 60-yard touchdown, I’m pretty sure your wind’s not going to be normal,” Spiller continued. “You’re not going to have super energy after big runs like that, but I can run 13 yards just waking up out of my sleep.”‘

‘If Sunday’s loss to the Rams was a one-game meltdown, I’d be willing to cut Gailey some slack. But this has become a trend for close to two months now. His game-day decisions, his clock management, his use of personnel … it’s an out-of-control tire fire and there’s not enough water in the ocean to douse the flames.’

‘”I cleared the air. I had a great conversation with coach Gailey,” Spiller said. “(It is) very confidential between me and him. It went well. I wanted to understand what he meant by his comments, and he understood what I meant. I think we’re straight on those now.”‘

‘Gailey was forthright in assessing the state of his team and his own job security on Monday. His comments came in the face of mounting criticism leveled at him now that the Bills (5-8) are all but mathematically eliminated from playoff contention for a 13th straight season.’

‘The person said Jackson was diagnosed with a Grade 2 MCL sprain, and spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team has not revealed the exact nature of the injury.’

‘The sixth-year back has 437 yards and three touchdowns on the ground and has added 34 catches for 217 yards with a score this season. He missed the final six games last year with a fractured leg.’

‘With that established, I’ve broken it down in to who gets in to the playoffs (based on the ESPN.com 2012 NFL Playoff Machine) in two-team, three-team, four-team, and five-team ties.’

‘When pressed on it Spiller said, “I’m in shape and I’m just going to leave it at that and I’ll sit down with the coach to get a better understanding. I’ll go there and see what he meant because I don’t know, I think I’m in shape. To me 13 yards, I can run that waking up out of my sleep.”‘

‘Gailey didn’t seem upset that many are against him. He understands the frustration, “Sure, I do. We are (spinning our wheels), we haven’t gotten over the hump. That’s where we are. We haven’t gotten over the hump. We’re close, I told the players today we’re 3-4, 5 plays from being this record flipped to 8-5. To me, we’re a better football team than we were three years ago when we got here. Now we don’t have as many wins to show for it at this point but I believe we can get there and I believe we will get there and I have a great deal of confidence in the direction we’re headed.”‘

‘”We’re going to get the opportunity here in the next few weeks for him to get it a lot and we won’t have what I term two great backs,” said head coach Chan Gailey knowing Jackson is lost for the rest of the season. “I think Tashard (Choice) is a very good back, but to me he’s not in Fred’s category. So there won’t be a lot of sharing of duties. C.J. will have to take a big part of the load now.”‘

‘It has been a very unlucky season for Jackson as this is the third time this season that the veteran back was injured and will miss time on the field.’

‘When you do not win, all of that stuff comes up. We know that. I still have a great deal of confidence in what I do and what we are trying to get done and where I think we can go. I have a great deal of confidence in that. I believe in our players and I believe in the direction that we are headed.’

‘Because unfortunately our record is not where we want it to be but I think we have made progress since he has been here. I really do. We have to find a way to win these close games. We have had a bunch of them this year, at least three that I can think of in the fourth quarter that we just have not been able to seal the deal. I think we have made progress. I think there is a belief in this locker room. He is a guy that, I know I am and a lot of guys in this locker room are going to be tremendously loyal to him for giving us a chance.’