Archives for September 2014

‘The first thing that jumps out at me when I watch the Bears play defense is the inability of their linebackers to get to the point of attack against the run. Lance Briggs is in his 12th season, about to turn 34 years old, and coming off an injury that caused him to miss eleven games last year. Shea McClellin is undersized and often gets swallowed up and unable to get off blocks. DJ Williams is a former 1st round pick – ten years ago. He’s clearly on the backside of his career, indicated by the fact he’s only started five games over the past two years.’

‘Many feel Spiller needs to carry to ball 20 times per game. Marrone says it would be better if he had 20 touches in all aspects of the game, “I think with the right touches, yes and where they come from absolutely. I think receiving and every which way you can that makes him an explosive playmaker.”‘

‘Spikes, on the other hand, suffered a knee injury and needed to leave practice during the individual portion. The linebacker did, however, get back on the field for team drills without much delay after working with the trainers to the side.’

‘”Right from the beginning when we were in there, for me when I first watched the film, my impression was that this reminds me of Kiko last year,” Marrone said. “He’s a very good tackler, obviously. He has all those tackles and played very well.”‘

‘”This is some of the greatest news I’ve ever gotten,” said Kelly. “It’s been a long road, and I’m still not back to one hundred percent, but I have a lot to be thankful for.”‘

‘Bears 27, Bills 13.’

‘No one wants to say it, but the defense will have to play even better if the Bills hope to snap their 14-year playoff run. Unless EJ Manuel and the offense experience a sudden, miraculous epiphany in the coming weeks, the defense needs to be consistently dominant for the team to be in the playoff hunt.”

‘Carucci steps in for Mark Gaughan, who requested a change from full-time Bills coverage after 23 years on the beat.’

‘No one in the organization will ever say it publicly, but Manuel hasn’t looked a whole lot better in the run-up to the season opener against the Bears at Soldier Field, and only the most jingoistic of Bills fans would offer the opinion that in Manuel they trust.’

‘”Well, I think you have to earn your stripes in the NFL,” Manuel said on Wednesday. “I didn’t start the whole season, we didn’t win and we didn’t win as many games as we would’ve wanted to, so I just attribute it to earning your stripes. I think all the guys that got voted captain, at least the guys that I voted for, they’re veteran guys and they’ve so called ‘earned their stripes in the NFL.’ They’ve played for a bunch of seasons, so I just think that’s something I have to work toward and just use that as motivation.”‘

‘”What’s the risk?” Marrone said. “I look it as how many guys have been injured returning the football versus how many guys have been injured with it handed off to them. I don’t look at it as a risk as maybe some people would. I can understand why people would see that because of the distance and the way people are running down the field. I understand.”‘

‘Bills coach Doug Marrone said the Bills will “wait and see” what Watkins’ availability will be on Sunday in the season opener against the Chicago Bears.’

‘”There isn’t anything I have to do to go out and surprise people,” Gilmore said. “I just have to play my game and make plays. That’s what my job is.”‘