Archives for October 28, 2013

‘Payton, the master of pre-snap motion, out-schemed the Bills on a couple of key scoring plays. That’s what Payton does. And with Brees as his triggerman, the Saints have ranked among the top four in the NFL in passing seven straight years.’

‘”We wouldn’t expect anything less from Thad,” Bills receiver Stevie Johnson said. “This is his opportunity. If it ain’t a broken leg, I believe he’ll be out there. That’s the type of player he is. He’s ready to fight for his boys.”‘

‘Sooner or later, you figured there would be a day like this, a game in which circumstances would catch up to the Bills, when their youth, injuries and overall lack of depth would be their undoing against a decidedly superior opponent.’

‘The Bills were penalized for 12 men for the third time this year.’

‘After a rough start, the Bills got back in the game, then fell behind again in the second quarter.’

‘Doug Marrone took the blame for losing two challenges at the start of the fourth quarter. The decisions cost the Bills two timeouts and the opportunity to challenge for the rest of the game. In both instances, he challenged spots on inside runs, where video evidence rarely is conclusive. The Bills were penalized for 12 men for the third time this year.’

‘Quarterback Drew Brees threw five touchdown passes, including two each to tight end Jimmy Graham and wide receiver Kenny Still, as the Bills had no answers for the future Hall of Fame passer.’

‘The Bills actually put some pressure on Brees and sacked him four times for 23 yards in losses, but whenever he was able to extend plays, he killed the Bills.’

‘There is tangible proof that the Bills are no longer the pushovers they long have been. They aren’t outclassed. The disparity in talent and coaching acumen between them and the opponent is shrinking. They have given every team a battle and nothing has come easy for the likes of Brees, and Tom Brady, and Andy Dalton. And ask the conquered Cam Newton, Joe Flacco and Ryan Tannehill what they think of the improving Buffalo defense.’

‘The Bills lost by 18 points, so there’s not a whole lot positive to take from the trip to the Big Easy. Obviously, they were heavy underdogs and no one outside their locker room is surprised by what took place. It’s a loss on the road to a much better team, simple as that.’

‘The 34-year-old veteran of 13 seasons came in the No. 5-ranked passer in the NFL with a 102.6 rating, 14 touchdown passes and five picks. Against the Bills, he merely inflated those numbers.’

‘Facing his old boss, Bills head coach Doug Marrone was no match for Saints head coach Sean Payton. Buffalo led in the second quarter, but the team failed to keep the momentum and couldn’t make the proper adjustments to stay in the game in the second half.’

‘Bills quarterback Thad Lewis threw for 234 yards and one touchdown. But he also threw an interception and lost two fumbles. Your quarterback can’t make that many mistakes if you hope to win the game. Lewis has fumbled the ball a handful of times in his three games. He needs to protect the ball and make smarter plays.’

‘After the Bills took a 10-7 lead in the second quarter, Brees was sensationally sharp: going 19-of-25 for 284 yards and four more TDs.’

‘We fought our way back in there. It was 14-10 (Saints) and then we really didn’t execute in scoring positions. We had some penalties on our defense that were costly, timely at that time. (We had) an interception in the end zone, but yet there was a penalty for a facemask. On a third down we had a defensive holding penalty that could have gotten us off of the field. They (Saints) would up scoring on that drive. You can’t make mistakes like that against a good football team and a quarterback like Drew (Brees).”‘