Archives for November 18, 2014

‘”I tell myself this and I joke about it, but sometimes I really mean it, I feel like if we can’t make a fourth and 1, we shouldn’t be able to win that game,” he said. “Fourth and 1 is literally just taking one step. It’s all about ‘want to,’ and the attitude of wanting to get that first down or wanting to make that stop if they don’t get a first down.”‘

‘Do you know what makes Whaley’s Folly even worse? The NFL’s current crop of first-year wideouts is one of the best in history. This rookie class continues to validate the judgment of scouts who said last year’s draft would produce a bounty of gifted receivers.’

‘”It doesn’t start by looking at the whole body of it. It starts by just looking at the next game,” Marrone said. “Even after that the questions will still come until you can just keep putting those wins together. Our focus is on this upcoming game against New York and doing everything we possibly can to get a win.”‘

‘”Each week I’ve been learning and preparing like I’m going to get a chance to play, that’s how it’s been,” said Manuel, who was benched in favor of Kyle Orton after the Bills’ fourth game, a 23-17 loss in Houston, and hasn’t taken a live snap since. “It’s tough because you don’t know when your number will be called again, and you don’t want to be in a position where you aren’t prepared or didn’t take the reps.”‘

‘The Bills opted to bring in a safety because it is expected that Corey Graham will replace McKelvin the starting lineup, so there was a need for depth in the line. It is uncertain who will assume McKelvin’s punt return duties, but Robert Woods was deep against the Dolphins and had one return for 11 yards.’

‘”No, I think I do what’s best for us to win,” Marrone said. “I don’t put a thing on it. I don’t look at it as being conservative. It’s a matter of what we have to do to win.”‘

‘”We just focus on the next games that we’ve got and know that we have to play good football. We have to play more consistently. There’s always one or two teams at the end of the year that find a way in, so no matter where we’re at right now, we’re just focusing on ourselves and playing good football.”‘

‘Rambo, a sixth-round pick out of Georgia, had a rough rookie season with the Redskins. He played in 11 games in 2013 and only eight safeties received a worse grade from Pro Football Focus. Washington cut him two games into the 2014 season.’

‘”Yeah, we’ll work myself into the process of getting back out there,” Jackson said. “I know with our training staff and doctors they’ll take every precaution we need to, but like coach Marrone said, if the game was yesterday there’s probably a pretty good chance that I would’ve played. So I’m planning on playing this Sunday and it’s just on me to go out there and take this week slowly and get back out there.”‘

‘”I’m from North Carolina,” the Raleigh native said, “so that’s home for me. So it’s not going to be weird at all [going back]. It’s cold and it’s been snowing [in Buffalo]. Good thing I was there for a few years so it’s not anything different or new.”‘

‘”I need 100 percent for me to be out there and help my teammates,” Jackson said. “I think they want me out there. I want to be out there. I want to try to make some plays and get this thing turned around.”‘

‘McKelvin was hurt in a 22-9 loss at Miami on Thursday. The seventh-year player had a team-leading four interceptions in nine starts this season. McKelvin also doubled as a return specialist.’

‘McKelvin suffered the injury in the first half of Buffalo’s 22-9 loss to the Miami Dolphins. He fell awkwardly on his ankle as he missed a tackle on a 33-yard run by Lamar Miller in the second quarter.’

‘”Anytime you get a good player back in Fred, whether you’re handling the ball, throwing the ball — you know, he’s one of our leading receivers — plus in a protection standpoint, he’s been an outstanding player for us,” Marrone said. “Obviously, when you can get those type of players back there, it helps.”‘

‘He was later benched, but managed to appear in 11 total games. Rambo was released after two weeks of the 2014 season, which coincided with the return of safety Brandon Meriweather from a suspension.’