Archives for November 2013

‘”If we had a bye earlier, I think we’d do things differently. Normally, we do some work during that time, earlier (in the season) you’re going to do more work-in the middle (of the season) you’re going to do a little work. At the end and where we are right now, I think it’s more important to get everybody rested and ready to make a strong finish.”‘

‘The Bills are on pace to set a team record for most plays in a season, offense and defense combined. Their offense has run the fourth most plays per game in the NFL this year, at 70.3 a game. Their defense has faced the seventh most plays per game, at 68.3 a game.’

‘None of the top 10 picks in the draft is a factor in the Rookie of the Year races. The top offensive rookies so far are Cincinnati back Giovani Bernard and Green Bay back Eddie Lacy. Bernard has 809 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns. Lacy has 806 and five TDs.’

‘Genuine hope in the Bills and Sabres appears to be making a resurgence after being absent from one or both for far too long. There’s a sense recently that Buffalo can claw its way from the depths of sports irrelevancy. In a refreshing departure from the past, the Bills and Sabres appear committed to winning rather than taking your money.’

‘It was Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson who did grasp the magnitude of the moment. According to the book Relentless, by my colleague Sal Maiorana, Wilson was the first AFL owner to call off a game in the wake of JFK’s death and his fellow owners each followed suit.’

‘”I think he’s a good safety,” Marrone said. “Obviously we have Aaron and Jairus back there. I think if something happened to one of them and we put Da’Norris back there, I’d be very fine with that. I wouldn’t be like, ‘What are we going to do? We have to get them healthy.’ But he is an outstanding dime complement for us.”‘

‘It’s all incredibly optimistic, I know. But take a look at the rest of the AFC, and it’s easy to see how 9-7 gets in. The No. 6 seed is currently at 5-5, co-shared by the inconsistent Jets and the Incognito-marred Dolphins. Other than that, it’s between San Diego, Cleveland, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Oakland and Tennessee, all at 4-6. And the Bills.’

‘”To me, the decision was a no-brainer,” Wilson told me several years ago. “It was a slam-dunk that we shouldn’t play. Fortunately (AFL commissioner) Joe Foss and his assistant (Milt Woodard) agreed with me. Some of my fellow owners were on the fence at first, hemming and hawing, but I was resolute in my decision. Had the commissioner forced us to play, I probably would have taken a forfeit-and we were in the playoff hunt at the time. That’s how strongly I felt about it.”‘

‘”That’s just people from the outside looking in because it hasn’t been easy at all,” Alonso said. “I prepare in practice just so I can perform well. Whatever comes along with it, rewards or whatever, is great. That’s what I prepare for, to perform really well.”‘

‘”Everyone’s been great here, very welcoming. My wife and I love it here. We’ve had fun so far enjoying Buffalo,” Carpenter said. “Just going to take this one kick, one game at a time and try to keep this going.”‘

‘”I’ve never been one to consider high sack totals a positive stat,” said Pettine back in June. “Wins first and foremost, to me it’s wins and points. I’m not even a big fan of the way the NFL ranks defenses. I always thought it should be some type of index that takes into account takeaways and points and those type of things.”‘

‘While the average worker may believe they have rights related to their employment, Wicka said unless they are part of a union, or have a specific employment contract, they are employed at the discretion of their employer.’

‘Although Alonso could prove his football knowledge, he still had to answer for his two arrests. “I just said that I made mistakes,” Alonso said last week. “I just moved on. I’m not going to make that mistake again. I’m just smarter, and I know I have to be smarter.”‘

‘Following the worst game of his young career, rookie EJ Manuel (67, 5, 3.3) enjoyed the best game of his season to this point. Casting the hesitation and premature decision making aside for the most part, Manuel helped shut the door on the New York Jets even when they thought they were getting back into the game.’