Archives for September 25, 2015

'Ryan provided no insight, saying he didn’t know whether Dallas had also inquired about Manuel. But his less-than-enthusiastic and sometimes cryptic answers to questions about the trade left members of the press to conclude he wasn’t totally onboard with it.'

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'When Thigpen was 14 years old, he was at the wheel of a van that careened into the woods and smashed into a tree. The girl in the passenger’s seat, his first girlfriend in elementary school, Lacrecia Daniels, was killed. That traumatizing night still replays through Thigpen’s mind daily. Through eight teams and two leagues over six years, Thigpen has played for Lacrecia because he knows when one life was lost, another was saved: his own.'

'“You’ve got to build trust,” Watkins said. “You’ve got to build chemistry. We’re in Week Two, so you can’t really say that we’re not good. It might take until Week Five or Six for everything to get clicking. It just takes time.”'

'“Still not quite where I want it to be,” he said of his performance. “Fundamentally, I just have to get back into the sync of things and that’s what practice is for, getting with the coaches and understanding my mistakes that I’ve made.”'

'Bringing in Rex Ryan as coach restored some respectability and gave them a fresh set of eyes. Rex was a czar in coach’s clothing. But I still think it would have been wise to hire a team vice president to run the football operation and manage the often contentious relationship between the general manager and head coach.'

'“Although there has been discussion of locating a new Buffalo Bills stadium inside and outside the City of Buffalo, no location has been approved or determined, including the Old First Ward or anywhere else,” Franczyk wrote to other city lawmakers. “The above-mentioned law firm is trying to use scare tactics to drum up business for its practice."'

'The Bills want to get big-time production out of him, too. Roman said Clay is a good blend of a big tight end whose body type can create problems for opponents, but he also has good hands like a smaller or H-back player with speed. Clay being predominantly a runner and not a pass catcher most of his life helps, especially in the YAC category.'

'"My train of thought is there's only one way to play the game, and that's with an edge and with an attitude," Incognito said. "I love the way Suh plays. I have a lot of respect for him. We went to the same school and he's had a lot of success. I think we're both cut from the same cloth. We're both kind of old school mentality, hard nose guys who are going to go out there and impose our will on people. Not a lot of people are ready for it. They label us as dirty, and I just think people can't handle our intensity."'

'Downbeat Percussion has about 35 to 40 performers on their active roster list and they bring between 18 and 22 to perform with them as part of "The Stampede" at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The majority of the group is based out of Central New York and most were dedicated to The Bills as children.

'This week marks a full year since the club’s first-round pick in 2013 last prepped for a start in the NFL — at Houston, last Sept. 28.'

'"I have no idea what reception to expect," Incognito said, noting he remains close with several former teammates and members of the Dolphins organization. "I'm amped up for every single game. This one just has a little more meaning. There are obviously bigger things at play here."'

'Miami’s had a really hard time running the ball so far this season, especially out of conventional sets. Part of the reason has been injuries. RB Lamar Miller, LT Branden Albert, and TEs Jordan Cameron and Dion Sims have all been hurt and missed time. But even with those issues, their inability to run the ball effectively has been a major concern. Miami ranks 30th in rushing yards per game (58.0) and 26th in yards per play (3.41).'