Archives for August 2013

‘”We have quite a lot of fans who bring seat cushions and sit on the metal bleachers,” Major explained. “So we will allow seat cushions as long as they don’t contain arm rests, zippers, pockets, flaps or metal backs. But if they have zippers, they’re out.”‘

‘Nerves? What nerves?’

‘”Well it’s obviously different,” Williams said about the defensive line. “You always kind of adapt when you have new people coming in. You tend to gravitate to a guy and develop other relationships. I think we have special relationships.”‘

‘”He’s just coming back so we’re working him into it,” said head coach Doug Marrone. “I just wanted to see that and then I think it will just get better and better as we go through because really, he hasn’t practiced in quite a long time. Today we were just working him back in there.”‘

‘”I have (gotten better),” said Tuel after practice on Monday. “And I give all the credit to coach (offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Nathaniel) Hackett for having patience with me and bringing me here to Buffalo. He’s tough on me but he’s tough on all the quarterbacks.”‘

‘But it was the two-minute drill at the end of the first half that really showed when he could do. Starting from his own eight-yard line, Manuel completed nine of 10 passes for 68 yards and added four yards rushing on a drive that ended with a pinpoint touchdown throw to receiver Dorin Dickerson from 19 yards out. The Bills went no-huddle the entire drive, and Manuel set the pace all the way. He was composed in the pocket and went through his reads even when there was pressure in his face, and though many of the routes were of the “first read open” variety, the touchdown pass to Dickerson was a stick throw in front of two converging defenders.’

‘”Oh, it’s still going to be a big part of what I do,” Whaley said. “I’m going to try to get to at least two-to-three colleges a week, depending on what’s going on on the home front with injuries and anything that happens. Most likely I’ll be in the office in the beginning and ending part of the week, and I’ll try to get out in between. And a crucial time will be our bye week. I can get a good eight to ten schools out of that. Everywhere I’ve been, everyone I’ve worked for who has been in this position, that’s how they did it. That’s all I know.”‘

‘”It’s not like we’ve played one game, and ‘Here we are, we’re ready to go.’ We still have a lot of progress we have to make, and days off will come and players will be rested and ready to go, and that’s where the trust factor comes in and I respect the players trusting in me.”‘

‘Kolb, however, acknowledged Monday that he has plenty of catching up to do and is still experiencing soreness. Despite being cleared for practice, he says it’s too early to determine whether he’ll be cleared to play in Buffalo’s preseason game against Minnesota on Friday.’

‘”When you play the first game, preseason game, you don’t want to get too far ahead of yourself from a positive standpoint or a negative standpoint,” Marrone said. “But there’s no doubt that’s a good thing for Mario, coming back from the injury. He wanted to stay in there and keep playing. I took him out of the game.”‘

‘The completion of Monday’s practice also is another milestone: the Bills are now through two-thirds of their training camp practice schedule for 2013. With some players returning to the field on Monday, there were some notable performances.’

‘The veteran has eyes and he can see what E.J. Manuel and Jeff Tuel are doing ahead of him. Tuel hit another absolute bomb Monday to Marquise Goodwin that the kid caught right in stride for a 70 yard touchdown. Kolb wants to get in on all this, “We’re taking it slowly and carefully, but yes, I’m trying to push the envelope a little bit. I’m trying to get out there and be a little part of this fun.”‘

‘Pettine talked about having the proper mentality, attitude and approach to the game rather than who would be lining up where. Pettine recapped his message to the players during a recent interview on WGR. “That we were going to be aggressive. That we were going to be the toughest defense in the league” Pettine said. “It was more about the attitude, that you need to play with great passion. To me, that’s where it starts from. The playbook is meaningless if you don’t have your guys with that type of mentality, that type of attack mode.’

‘Well, say this for the 23-year-old out of Florida State: He knows how to make an entrance.’

‘”I feel pretty good,” Kolb said. “It’s getting better every day. No setbacks once we’re pushing it so that feels good and hopefully tomorrow is the same way.”‘