Archives for July 2014

‘It’s a toughness that was instilled in him and his five brothers at an early age by their father, Joe Kelly, who grew up in an orphanage and overcame daunting obstacles of his own. But the Kelly boys also learned toughness from their beloved mother, whom they referred to as “Saint Alice” for her ability to “survive” a testosterone-fueled household filled with rough-and-tumble young males. In the later years of her life, Alice taught the Kelly boys courageous lessons while tethered 24/7 to an oxygen tank, battling emphysema. “I never heard her complain, even though she was often gasping for air,” Jim said.’

‘Short of making a guarantee, Whaley says it’s his duty to get the Bills into the playoffs.’

‘That said, when you talk about Buffalo on the field, continuity is desperately needed. With Mike Pettine moving on to be the head coach in Cleveland, the Bills brought in their fourth defensive coordinator in as many seasons, Jim Schwartz. The former Lions head man will be shifting the team from an attacking 3-4 to a wide-nine 4-3 front, a questionable tactic because Buffalo actually led the AFC in both sacks (57) and interceptions (23) under Pettine.’

‘The Bills will use Watkins immediately as their number one receiver and for good reason. With a weapon like him at EJ Manuel’s disposal, it would be fair to expect that the team uses the Clemson approach with Watkins. In 2013, the Tigers got the ball into his hands as quickly as possible and allowed his top notch yards after catch ability go to work. Might Watkins be limited in his impact based on the run-heavy likelihood of the offense this year? That would likely be the expectation. However, Watkins will be able to put his talents on display on a weekly basis. Unless Manuel is able to get to the next level as a quarterback, it would be unfair to expect Julio Jones or A.J. Green-like production out of Watkins in his first season.’

‘In this writer’s opinion, Spiller is in line for a very successful campaign. The coaching staff understands his strengths more than they did a year ago, and Spiller will be the recipient of more than just carries this season. It was almost criminal how little, and how ineffectively they used Spiller in the passing game, averaging over five yards per catch less than he did in 2012. Expect that to change, expect new formations and expect the ball to get into a healthy Spiller’s hands in more ways than just handing it off in the backfield. It’s hard to predict how many touches he will get in this new offense, but one of the major highlights of the offseason had to be how to get more out of Spiller. For all these reasons, expect Spiller to bounce back in 2014.’

‘Switching back to the 4-3 defense under new coordinator Jim Schwartz, not much changes for Williams. He’ll still be depended upon to be an aggressive, disruptive, tone-setting defensive tackle to help make the opposing quarterbacks and running backs sweat. Don’t expect his sack production (10.5 in 2013) to continue at that rate, but he’ll still have a solid season playing alongside one of the more talented defensive lines in the NFL. Since 2009 (when yours truly started covering the Bills full-time), there hasn’t been a single game where Williams failed to make his presence felt by the opposing team. Even though he’s 31, expect that trend to continue into 2014.’

‘Sylvester entered the NFL as a fifth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010. The 6-foot-2, 231 pound Utah product appeared in 50 games during his four seasons with Pittsburgh. He was almost exclusively a special teams player his first three years. He played a little less than 10 percent of the snaps on defense last season.’

‘What the Bills have gained in run defense this offseason they have lost in coverage. Spikes and Rivers haven’t shown the same ability to stick with tight ends in coverage that Alonso showed in just his first season in the league. Make no mistake, Alonso will be missed in this area.’

‘”Nowadays a lot of people beat [cancer],” Kelly told ESPN on Wednesday. I hope I’m going to be one of those. I will find out more come next month.”‘

‘Toronto is much easier. That group, which includes rocker Jon Bon Jovi, and MLS&E owners Larry Tanenbaum and the Rogers family, could rebuild BMO Field. There is much more corporate advertising and premium seating money in Toronto than Buffalo. A Toronto group would likely pay $1.2 billion for the Bills. How could Wilson’s trust turn that down?’

‘McKelvin and linebacker Randell Johnson were placed on the active/physically unable to perform list. McKelvin had hip surgery this offseason and practiced on a limited basis during the team’s spring minicamps. Starting left tackle Cordy Glenn and defensive tackle Alan Branch were placed on the active/non-football illness list. The Bills did not specify Glenn and Branch’s illnesses.’

‘Sylvester (6-foot-2, 231 pounds) played the last four seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers mainly on special teams. The former fifth-round pick in 2010 has appeared in 50 games in his NFL career and has lined up at both inside and outside linebacker. He was a three-time Mountain West Conference honoree in college playing at Utah.’

‘The important thing to note at this time of year is that any of these players can be taken off their respective lists if given clearance by the team’s medical staff. Alonso will likely miss the remainder of the year due to tearing his ACL earlier this month. Glenn missed some time at the mandatory minicamp due to an illness, but it isn’t clear if the same illness is what is keeping him out to start camp.’

‘The past tense was used in the last sentence because, of course, Alonso’s season is over before it even got started. The linebacker suffered a torn ACL working out in Oregon and will likely miss the entirety of the 2014 campaign. It’s a big blow to the Bills because they lose one of their most explosive players on defense, and there is a clear gap between him and whoever his replacement will be this season. He was also set to play at weakside linebacker, which would have suited his skill set and body best, but he will likely no longer have that chance. Nowadays professional athletes bounce back from the torn ACL injury quite well, and the Bills will have to hold on to hope that Alonso can be one of the increasing trend.’

‘Switching back to the 4-3 defensive scheme, there isn’t much of a change for Williams despite the move. In 2013, Williams basically played the role of a defensive end rushing from the left side of the defensive line. This season, he’ll be doing the same in a scheme that will ask the defensive ends to win their matchups to get pressure on the quarterback. In Mike Pettine’s scheme last year, blitzes were brought from all over the place which led to enhanced opportunities for the men on the defensive line. While blitzing won’t be completely eradicated, there will be more straight-up four-man rushes from the defensive line this year than last. Williams is always one of the most fascinating to watch on film, because he has perhaps more raw ability than anyone on the team, and it’s always a matter of if he capitalizes on it from week to week.’