Archives for September 15, 2014

‘Coupled with a surprising week one road win in Chicago, the great news about the long term future of the team being secured put fans at an almost unprecedented level of joy. I say almost, because some would balk at putting this past week ahead of any of the four Super Bowl seasons. I don’t really think the two compare. The best teams we ever saw produced a different feeling than the relief that brought on the emotional outpouring fans experienced this week.’

‘The Bills defense should get the lion’s share of the credit, shutting down a Miami team that put up 33 points in a week one victory over the New England Patriots. The Dolphins were suffocated in the first half gaining a total of just 62 yards on 26 plays. Miami never got beyond its own 39 yard line over the game’s first 30 minutes. They didn’t cross into Bills territory until just over two minutes into the third quarter.’

‘Did Sunday look familiar to you on offense? That’s probably because it was the same game plan the Bills had for quarterback EJ Manuel and how to attack the Chicago Bears. Buffalo simplified the game enough for Manuel over the last two weeks to the point that the second-year quarterback always looked comfortable when he dropped back to pass. He didn’t have to win them the game, nor did they want him to.’

‘Following the Miami score, Buffalo’s offense did not miss a beat after the Miami touchdown as CJ Spiller finally broke loose on offense scampering for a 47 yard run. His dash set up a 12 yard EJ Manuel touchdown pass to Sammy Watkins who continued his coming out party with his first career score. After the Bills scoring drive, Buffalo’s defense got their first stop of the second half. The offense would then move the ball fluently down the field but again, were stopped short in the red zone and had to settle for 4th Dan Carpenter field goal of the day.’

‘The Bills defense, armed by the return of the once suspended linebacker Nigel Bradham, frustrated Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill and the offensive attack throughout the afternoon. After just one half, the Dolphins were limited to zero points and just 62 yards on 26 plays.’

‘-Another week, another solid performance by the Buffalo defense. The unit was dominant in the first half holding the Dolphins to only 62 yards and six first downs. Miami found some room on the outside in the second half and benefitted by speeding up the tempo but the Bills were able to close the door and make the stops down the stretch. The Bills finished with four sacks and were able to pressure Tannehill throughout. So far, so good for Jim Schwartz and company. The Bills have surrendered 30 points total in their two wins.’

‘”$350 on Stub Hub. Totally worth it,” said Chris Johnson from Burlington, Ontario. “We paid $1,250 for four tickets. They won, it was worth it. We would have paid $2,000.”‘

‘he Bills clearly were sky-high, particularly Kyle Williams, the ninth-year defensive tackle, who’s the longest tenured player on the roster and one of the few current players who had a chance to get to know Wilson, before he became ill. “There’s no question, we were riding that emotion,” Williams said. “There’s no question that Mr. Wilson’s presence was in this stadium today, just as it was every game since he brought this team to Buffalo.”‘

‘Under the now golden letters spelling out R-A-L-P-H C. W-I-L-S-O-N J-R on the Wall of Fame, the Buffalo Bills played a complete, three-phase effort that would’ve made the Golden Era owner proud.’

‘Everything was setup for a perfect day at Ralph Wilson Stadium. While the NFL has had a horrid week there was one little area of the huge league map that was having a fantastic week. The future was secured by the Pegulas and they were honoring the patriach of the franchise in what was a playoff atmosphere. The players knew it was a special day and were not going to let the euphoria of the past 10 days come to a sudden halt. This Bills team seems very focused as it would have been easy to let outside excitement allow them to letdown. They were ready to play and because that they are one of the early season surprise teams in the league after two short weeks.’

‘Doug Marrone I agreed with his decision to punt late in the first half from the Dolphins 40 on a 4th and 4 play. The defense was dominating at the time and pin them back. Marrone had his team focused and prepared and the dominated from the start.’

‘It wasn’t until the first drive of the second half that Miami put points on the board thanks to a 34-yard field goal by Caleb Sturgis (9-3). But Buffalo’s kick return unit then busted a big play as C.J. Spiller with some help from his blockers went 102 yards for a touchdown to put the Bills up by 13 (16-3).’

‘”Great game from Sammy,” said EJ Manuel. “It happened that a lot of calls and progressions had him getting the ball and coming open. He did a great job running the route and getting open. I’m very proud of him. That last touchdown, he got in there for us on the third down. We call that a double whammy when you get a first down and get a touchdown in the red zone. That was huge for us, and that’s what I expect from him. Great job right after the catch.”‘

‘”Pretty much the coaches came up to me and asked me if I was to do it, would I feel comfortable and I told them I’d be fine,” said Spiller. “It was something that I’ve done my whole life and hadn’t done in a while. I felt very comfortable, just having to get back into the groove of catching it, making great decisions. There’s really no magic about being a kick returner. You have to be patient but as soon as you see it, you’ve got to go full speed.”‘

‘”Mr. Wilson was a true gentleman in every sense of the word,” said Murphy. “He was a man of high ideals who set a high standard for himself and those he worked with. Today, on behalf of the Buffalo Bills, we would like to forever honor his legacy by turning the letters of his name gold on the prestigious wall of fame, a symbol of the standard he set for all of us.”‘