Archives for December 25, 2014

‘”My disappointment’s deep,” he acknowledged Wednesday, as the Bills continued preparations for Sunday’s season finale at New England. “It’s tough to swallow every year.”‘

‘”Tell me about it,” Rex said. “You know what I wanted for Christmas? For the New England game to matter. Still alive for the playoffs going into the last game, I would have taken that. I really was starting to believe in them again.”‘

‘Not surprisingly, there are more than a few other guys like him, guys who have spent their entire lives living near the stadium, guys who can’t imagine life without the Bills.’

‘”It’s bittersweet,” he said of the Pro Bowl, “because you come and compete and work to win as a team, to go to the playoffs and win a championship. At the same time, anytime you’re recognized by your peers and the coaches you play against, the Bills fans that vote for you, and you have an opportunity to represent this organization and our city, it’s always an honor to do that.”‘

‘”It’s hard to weigh which factor has played most into it, but team performance has always been a driving force,” said Marc Honan, the Bills’ chief marketing officer, who said merchandise sales in house at One Bills Drive are up 50 percent over this team last year.’

‘Buffalo still hasn’t had a running back rush for more than 71 yards in a game, and Jackson can’t figure out why.’

‘”I havent really thought about that,” Hughes said. “This is our last game, AFC East opponent, going to Foxboro to play Tom Brady so that’s going to be fun. That’s what our focus has been, go up there, collect a win and have fun.”‘

‘”Nobody understands outside this locker room, so it doesn’t bother me at all,” Williams says. “A lot of people say they’re upset with us that we didn’t make the playoffs, but I really don’t understand what makes them think that we aren’t upset. We’re in here busting our butts every day to get in those playoffs and it just doesn’t happen our way this year. I know it’s frustrating. It’s been 15 years since they’ve seen a playoff game. But we’re working. It’s not like we’re out here cashing a check and saying forget about it. A lot of people do care about trying to make the playoffs.”‘

‘”Yeah, Stephon is in the concussion protocol and Marcell, right now, we’re resting him and we’ll see where he is later in the week,” Marrone said.’

‘Safety Aaron Williams was limited in practice with a hip injury, while defensive tackle Marcell Dareus (knee) and cornerback Stephon Gilmore (head) were both not at practice for Buffalo.’

‘”He’s really done a great job for us,” Marrone said during a conference call Wednesday afternoon. “In the locker room, on the field. Helped some of our younger linebackers with Preston Brown and Nigel Bradham playing with Kiko (Alonso) being out. Just helping them, learning how to be a pro, watching film doing those things. He had an outstanding offseason, he was here throughout the whole offseason I think that was important. He was everything we expected him to be.”‘

‘”I see him playing with a lot of enthusiasm,” Marrone began. “Obviously we’re happy for him. Obviously, you don’t like playing against good football players and Alan’s a very good football player. You see him making plays and you see him out there having fun and he brings a lot of energy and he’s a solid football player and he’s playing well.”‘

‘ It’s hard to tell how close you are because you continue to have to fight. The first time is usually the most difficult time because you’re trying to change the culture and maybe some poor habits you’ve gotten accustomed to because you’ve lost so much. Those things are always a process and always according to change. You always have to keep going forward and keep fighting and then you look back and say, ‘Okay, this is what we were able to do to do that.’ You never know exactly what was the piece or players or what you may have or scheme or what you may do, so you just have to keep working and going forward and know what you believe in and keep fighting.’

Patriots’ Danny Amendola finally caught fire a little bit (Boston Globe)

Matthew Slater, Darrelle Revis focused on Super Bowl, not Pro Bowl (Boston Globe)

Julian Edelman an important piece (Boston Herald)

Patriots turn over old leaf (Boston Herald)

Matthew Slater’s been truly special (Boston Herald)

The case for Dont’a Hightower as a 2014 Pro Bowler… (Springfield Republican)

Darrelle Revis: New England Patriots have team goals, Pro Bowl isn’t one of them (Springfield Republican)

Jamie Collins, Jonas Gray, Brandon Browner added to New England Patriots injury report (Springfield Republican)

Perfect attendance at New England Patriots practice on Christmas Eve (Springfield Republican)

Recent Super Bowl champions haven’t had December momentum (Providence Journal)

Patriots’ special teams dynamo Slater has proven to be a quick study (Providence Journal)

No Pro Bowl nod for Wilfork, but staying on the field Sunday could be lucrative (Providence Journal)

Brandon Bolden emerging late in season (Providence Journal)

Patriots have full practice attendance again on Wednesday (Providence Journal)

To play, or not to play the starters is the question (Metro West Daily News)

Top-seeded Pats focus on regular-season finale (AP)

With everything clinched, business as usual for Patriots (The Sports Xchange)

Darrelle Revis: Patriots Have Team Goals; Pro Bowl Isn’t One Of Them (NESN)

Patriots Practice Report: Perfect Attendance For Christmas Eve Session (NESN)

Patriots Injury Report: Jonas Gray Among 15 Limited In Practice (NESN)

Wilfork on playing-time incentive: ‘Not worried about that’ (CSN New England)

Former Bills DT Branch playing with ‘enthusiasm’ (CSN New England)

Marrone happy with what Spikes has brought to Bills (CSN New England)

Slater: ‘I have no desire’ to play in Pro Bowl (CSN New England)

Revis on Pro Bowl nod: ‘We focus more on team goals’ (CSN New England)

Ninkovich: It’s time to ‘stay on the gas’ (CSN New England)

Belichick has players practice in pads on Christmas Eve (CSN New England)

Browner, Collins, Gray added to Patriots injury report (CSN New England)

Revis, Slater Agree That Pro Bowl Nods Take Backseat To Patriots’ Goals (WBZ-AM)

Jamie Collins, Brandon Browner Among 15 Patriots Listed On Injury Report (WBZ-AM)

Tale Of The Tape: Buffalo Bills At New England Patriots (WBZ-AM)

Darrelle Revis on his 6th Pro Bowl: ‘We have team goals that we want to accomplish and the pro bowl is definitely not one’ (WEEI-FM)

Jonas Gray, Jamie Collins, Brandon Browner among 15 limited in Patriots’ practice (WEEI-FM)

Patriots Pro Bowlers ‘honored’; Dec. 24 notes (Patriots.com)

Patriots – Bills Injury Report (Patriots.com)

Patriots Quotes 12/24: Danny Amendola, Darrelle Revis & Matthew Slater (Patriots.com)

Buffalo Bills Quotes 12/24: Doug Marrone and Kyle Orton (Patriots.com)

‘The running game faces an uphill test. With 1,378 yards rushing, Buffalo is 174 yards short of matching the team’s 16-game low of 1,552 yards in 2006.’