Archives for September 16, 2015

'“Just the way they carry themselves on the field and stuff,” he said. “All the stuff that has happened to me in the past with some of the players has definitely gone through the roof for me. That’s a reason it’s personal for me and they’re our rival. It’s the history. So it’s not just personal. It’s the Buffalo Bills’ history.”'

'"Sometimes they line their linebackers up on the line of scrimmage and back defensive linemen off the ball," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said on a Tuesday conference call. "So they're kind of at a linebacker depth, 4-5 yards off the ball. And then they move from there. Sometimes they move back up. Sometimes they wait until the ball is snapped and they run whatever stunt they have called."'

'This year, Ryan's Buffalo Bills are riding high after a Week 1 victory over Indianapolis, the AFC favorite. And naturally, the Bills don't seem to care about providing anything for the proverbial Patriots' bulletin board.'

'“Rex’s defenses are always great in terms of the way they play, how sound they are, how disciplined they are, the challenges they present to you,” New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said in a conference call. “They’re aggressive. They keep you on your toes and don’t give a lot of big plays. They make it difficult for you to run the ball with consistent success. They try to come after the quarterback and create turnovers and negative plays.”'

'This was not supposed to happen. A lot of us — well, maybe me and few other knuckleheads — thought Rex was set up to fail in Buffalo, having another two-bit player at quarterback. But Tyrod Taylor, who has lived in obscurity as a sixth round pick (and running QB) out of Virginia Tech and four years as the third and second quarterback with the Ravens, appears to be better than we could’ve imagined.'

'The two teams’ characteristics being what they are, one would expect Ryan – like Belichick a former defensive coordinator – to unleash his team’s talented defensive front (which features Mario Williams and Jerry Hughes on the outside and Kyle Williams and Dareus on the inside) on an inexperienced offensive line (where three rookies – center David Andrews and guards Tre’ Jackson and Shaq Mason – saw significant time in the opener).'

'Four weeks after the arrest in Alabama, Dareus crashed his Jaguar into a tree near a busy suburban Buffalo intersection shortly after a Bills practice. He has since reached a plea agreement to have misdemeanor charges dropped. "We're in the future now," Dareus said. "I'm not even going to pull that back up."'

'Brown has had difficulty getting much playing time in Buffalo since the Bills acquired him in a trade with Philadelphia in May 2014. The fourth-year player had 36 carries for 126 yards and 176 yards receiving with no scores in seven games last season.'

'Brown gained 302 total yards during his brief stay in Buffalo. He was deemed expendable after the Bills acquired running back LeSean McCoy during the offseason and Karlos Williams emerged as the backup.'

'"But this our year, I think. We just got to go out there and play and have fun. We got great coaches, great players and a great staff. We're just gonna leave everything on the field and can't wait for Sunday."'

'Brown was traded to the Bills in May of 2014. He played in 7 games last year and racked up 126 yards on 36 carries. Brown's most notable play in a Bills uniform may have been his fumble at the one yard line in the Bills loss to Kansas City last season.'

'One week in we've got a peek into what this defense can do. Shutting down Andrew Luck and the Colts weapons is no small task, and Ryan's defense did the job from start to finish. The defensive performance wasn't perfect, but it was darn good.'

'“It always feels good to be wanted,” Dareus said after singing a new six-year contract extension worth over $100 million last week. “To know the Buffalo Bills have committed to me like I’ve been committed to them, and we’re doing what we promised us what we want to do with each other.” Dareus’ new deal will keep him in a Bills uniform through the 2021 season. “I want to be a Buffalo Bill, and they’re making sure that I’m going to be here and I’m just so excited…..just really excited to be back.”'

'Ryan is energetic and positive, and for as polished as he is at a microphone he's also a little bit "aw shucks". You hear words like "shoot" and "golly" out of him. Buffalo is a little bit country, so that'll work too.'

'"I mean he is like 6-8 or 6-7. He moves good,” Ryan said. “The guy makes so…he can adjust on the the…I don't care if it short, long, he has great body control. He is just a huge target and he can run a lot better than I think people know.”'