Archives for September 2015

'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.’’'

'“Parts of it are tough, just the little nuances of his game . . . we don’t have a lot of film on him, so I just try to imitate him as best as I can,’’ said Garoppolo. “He’s a fast guy, so I’m trying to become faster. I’m doing my best.’’'

'That’s because the game plan should theoretically contain a heavier dedication toward stopping the Bills’ ground attack than it did in Week 1 against the pass-oriented Steelers. That doesn’t excuse the fact the Patriots surrendered 134 yards and one touchdown on 25 carries in the opener, but the personnel packages figure to be different against Rex Ryan’s run-happy Bills, who had 36 carries for 147 yards and two scores Sunday against the Colts.'

'“I think players see through coaches trying to be something they’re not. They don’t generally respond to that,” said linebacker Matt Chatham, who played for both the Patriots and Jets, albeit the latter before Ryan’s tenure. “The other things is, if you have an environment like Coach Belichick has and then you don’t stick to it, you all of a sudden break rank and talk smack, I mean, the reason it works is because it’s consistent. The same thing with Rex. If he clams up, it sends a weird message to your team. So it’s consistency. That’s what’s important.”'

'In those last seven games, Brady threw 20 touchdown passes with only four interceptions. Couple that with his 23-3 stretch vs. the Bills (which, by the way, includes a loss in what was for all intents and purposes a New England forfeit in the final game last season) and it makes today’s confrontation at least a psychological crossing of the Rubicon for the suddenly energized Bills.'

'Ryan’s group knows how to attack, and the Bills have the same four defensive linemen (Marcell Dareus, Mario Williams, Kyle Williams and Jerry Hughes) who racked up 39.5 sacks in 2014. Keeping them at bay is the most obvious challenge of the day. The Patriots offensive linemen played well against the Steelers, but at some point, it would make sense to find continuity after rotating seven linemen last week. If Ryan Wendell still isn’t ready, will Tre’ Jackson, Shaq Mason, David Andrews and Josh Kline be enough on the interior line? It’s a safe bet Ryan will attack the inexperienced trio.'