Archives for September 19, 2015

'Bills offensive line coach Kurt Anderson, who is filling in for the suspended Aaron Kromer, played with Brady at Michigan. A smile spreads across his face when he's asked to recall what it was like being Brady's teammate. He remembers Brady leading the Wolverines back against Alabama in the 2000 Orange Bowl most of all and could see then what so many in the NFL have seen over the last decade-and-a-half.'

'Now, with that said, this group of AFC East teams is the strongest top-to-bottom in recent memory. There won't be any gimmes for the Pats. All three teams have the talent to make the postseason.'

'"Stephon can be as good as he wants to be," McDonald said. "I mean, the length and the speed and he's quite smart. I just think as his technique improves and he becomes confident in what he's doing, you watch that kid. He's got some serious potential, and I don't think he's scratched it yet. I think he's just getting going. If he stays healthy and continues to improve, he has the potential to be one of the better cornerbacks in this game."'

'Offensively I think Dion Lewis is a guy that is going to be a huge contributor as long as he can hold on to the ball. He did fumble on the goal line against Pittsburgh, and Bill Belichick doesn’t take too kindly to guys who put the rock on the ground. Bills fans are familiar with the other guy I would mention. Scott Chandler, I absolutely loved this pickup. Pairing him with Gronk he creates such a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. Couple of guys on D, Jamie Collins is an up-and-coming superstar. Love his quickness, ability to cover. He’s really turning into a nice LB. And then one just sort of off-the-grid I’m interested in, is defensive end Tre Flowers, not sure how many snaps he’ll get, but with Dominique Easley hurt (again), he could create some pressure off the edge.'

'Bills 27, Patriots 24.'

'“There’s always gonna be a few new wrinkles every game that you come out,” Taylor said this week, “but it’s gonna boil down to us going out there and executing our plays against the looks that they give us. Each week is going to be a challenge and I’m confident in my guys to go out there and take the challenge head on, and we’re confident as a team and we’re just gonna go out there and play ball.”'

'Will Patriots win on Sunday? Probably, if for no other reason than that they usually do. But the outcome is at least somewhat in doubt. And if you know that, you know this: We wouldn’t have been talking about this game nearly as much if the Bills were still under the rule of Doug Marrone.'

'“From a confidence standpoint you just take the things that you did well last week and you build off that,” Taylor said Wednesday. “The things you didn’t do so well you try to correct throughout practice and go out there and run the show again.”'

'"We will see at the end of this game where we stack up against the very best," Ryan said.'

'Bills coach Rex Ryan remains "cautiously optimistic" about McCoy's chances of playing. The running back got off to a slow start in Buffalo's 27-14 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1, rushing for 41 yards on 17 carries.'

'At the front of their team store is a large display prominently featuring air pumps, a comic touch for a New England team embroiled in a football deflation scandal the past year.'

'McCoy, acquired in an offseason trade from the Philadelphia Eagles, had 41 yards on 17 carries in his Bills' debut last week.'

'“He’s gonna go. He’s going to be able to go,” Williams said after practice Friday. “It’s Shady. He’s a big-time player, he makes big-time plays. He’s not going to miss a game like this. So there’s no doubt in my mind he’s going to go.”'

'Bills running back LeSean McCoy was on the field with his teammates to start practice Friday during the opening portion of the session the media was allowed to watch. McCoy was seen stretching then running over and around bags and cones during individual session, along with the other running backs. The Bills held practice inside Ralph Wilson Stadium in preparation for the New England Patriots Sunday here in Orchard Park.'

'After practice, head coach Rex Ryan said he was “cautiously optimistic” for McCoy to play against the Patriots, but, his teammate threw caution to the wind. Backup running back Karlos Williams told reporters after practice, “He’s not going to miss a big game like this.”'