Archives for September 20, 2015

'Yet if you root for the Bills, you might have been thinking about this deja vu: Something about last Sunday, amid the ear-splitting chaos at Ralph Wilson Stadium, was reminiscient of another stadium-shaking Bills opener almost 30 years ago.'

'Of course, the Patriots have one edge … 10 games to prepare, a scenario where coach Bill Belichick shines, hence their being a 1-point favorite. But the Bills counter with a raucous, playoff-starved crowd that’s looking to set a Guinness World Records mark for loudest crowd noise ever recorded.'

'For the record, the Patriots’ boss has a 9-4 edge over his counterpart, one game into his first year with Buffalo, though the latter actually beat New England in a playoff game after the ‘10 season. And, in those six years, Ryan has a better record against the Pats since ‘09 than Buffalo’s Dick Jauron, Perry Fewell, Chan Gailey and Doug Marrone who combined to go 2-10, the second of those victories in last season’s finale when New England rested its starters.'

'“I’m on a tear,” Harvin said. “That’s what I’ve been saying the last couple years. And I finally found a coach and an organization who believes in me where I’m happy to wake up every morning with a smile on my face driving into work. I have great teammates. So I come in each day having fun with these guys, just working on my craft.”'

'Patriots 28, Bills 24.'

'Opening week has a way of prompting overreaction, especially in these parts and particularly when the Bills take down an opponent whose previous meaningful game decided the AFC championship and is a popular pick to win it all. The other half of that title matchup is in town today, and the optimism of the fan base is at levels that haven’t been seen since well before the Patriots hoisted that fourth Lombardi Trophy in February.'

'Ryan has given the team and the town a new swagger. The coach is talking tough and so are the players, who admit they don’t like the Pats. Many of them said they’re glad Brady beat the rap and will be playing today. They want to beat the Pats at their best. A lot of fans feel the same.'

'“Jim told a couple of guys, you know, listen, she’s a really good reporter, very creditable and all of that,” Storm recalled. “And it was Andre, it was Bruce, and Thurman, they were just great with me, they would talk to me, they were respectful. And it was that Jim Kelly connection from back in the day. Of all the teams, I remember the Bills as a group being the coolest with me.”'

'The News offered Nieman a “Tailgate Redemption” Sunday, along the lines of the popular Tosh.0 segment. He accepted, but not before being asked if the idea of retiring from Dizzy Bat altogether had crossed his mind this week. “No way,” he said. “Not a chance.”'

'The fans here are older, and the social gatherings – while there’s no shortage of alcohol – are more contained and not as loud as game-day events, when hordes of intoxicated young men roam the parking lot.'

'“When you talk about where the NFL players have come from 1993 until now,” said kicker and 14-year NFL Players Association representative Jay Feely, “I don’t think there’s anybody who’s had more of a positive impact on NFL players and what we’ve achieved than Jeffrey Kessler.'

'0 — Bills coaches in franchise history who have won their first two games. Rex Ryan could become the first.'

'“I remember when Gronk came into the interview room at the Super Bowl, and he had his cleats on,” Lofton said. “Your cleats give you another inch, inch-and-a-half. And I just remember thinking, ‘He’s a GIANT.’ I knew he was big, but you don’t know he’s that big unless you get up next to him.”'

'Now, Brady will go up against the team he’s had more success against than any other. In 26 career starts against the Buffalo Bills, Brady owns a 23-3 record. He doesn’t have a losing record against any team, but there is no team he’s beaten more times than the Bills, whose fans were chanting, “We Want Brady!” in the closing minutes of last week’s win over Indianapolis.'

'“It’ll be the usual belligerent, vulgar Buffalo Bills-type fans, doing what they do best,’’ says Bucky Gleason, a Buffalo native and longtime columnist for the Buffalo News. “The difference this year is that they actually think they can win. Hating Brady is a sport around here. It’s like a third franchise. This is the most anticipated game here since 2004.’’'