Archives for October 2015

'"I remember how close a football game it was … It came right down to what most people didn't recognize the fact that that was not an easy field goal. Forty-seven yards is not an easy field goal. It was just barely wide right, and obviously I was in the press box at the time, ecstatic. In the Desert Storm Super Bowl, a short week, we were able to come in from San Francisco after another incredible win and have an opportunity to play in the Super Bowl and win it."'

'"(Cruz is) his go-to-guy," Ryan said. "That's what's interesting about it. He's got this Beckham, who is obviously a phenomenal talent, but Cruz is really his go-to-guy for years."'

'"What I loved is how we battled back when a team was clearly trying to embarrass us," Ryan said. "We stood up to them and said, 'Here we are. We're going to give you our best shot, regardless of what the scoreboard is.' So we'll see. Again, we'll play that one down the road. I think the thing you realize, when we talked about building a team that represented our community and the pride that we would take in playing 60 minutes, that showed it right there if anybody ever doubted it."'

'"We have a lot of guys out," Ryan said. "Will Sammy play? I'm not sure. Shady doesn't look good."'

'Both setbacks seem only minor inconveniences to a club that has been explosive offensively. The Bills have an NFL-leading 17 offensive plays of at least 20 yards. After ranking 30th in red zone touchdown percentage last season, Buffalo ranks second this season at 83%. Only Arizona at 92% is better.'

'This is just the warm-up act for Ryan. He comes back to face the Jets for a Thursday night prime time game on Nov. 12. He should be in rare form by then.'

'Not that the Giants 'D' can disregard the Bills run game, though, because rookie backup Karlos Williams is equally dangerous. Williams actually leads the Bills with three rushing TDs and 186 rushing yards.'

'“They kept going for it on fourth down, actually gave us a chance in the game, but sure, they’re throwing every snap. … It wasn’t a pity parade, that’s for sure. But it’s OK, it’s no big deal. Our job’s to go out and stop ’em and things like that, we certainly didn’t want them kneeling on the football. But at the end of the day, sure, we know what the score is. We get it.”'

'"Every single guy on that defensive starting front would be the best player on another line, you know what I mean?" Pugh said. "You have Pro Bowlers all the way across the board, so we've got to go out there and it's going to be a great competition for us. You've got to go and look back on what teams did that were successful against them and try to do some of those things."'

'"There's no question it sticks with you,'' Ryan said Wednesday. "It was Christmas Eve, we were in complete control, third-and-10, and they hit the 99-yard touchdown pass.'''

'"But Williams is a powerful guy, a bigger guy, a slam it up in there north and south guy. He has some speed to get outside. He's 4.48 [in the 40-yard dash"]."'

'"There’s no question it sticks with you," said Ryan, whose new team will welcome the Giants into Ralph Wilson Stadium for a 1 p.m. game Sunday in Orchard Park, N.Y. "If we would have won that game, we would have made the playoffs and the Giants would have probably been out. Actually, no probably about it, they would have been out.'

'The Bills then went into Miami last Sunday and destroyed the Dolphins 41-14, due in large part to young quarterback Tyrod Taylor, a player not that highly thought of coming into the season. “He’s looked good throughout, through all of training camp, the preseason games and all of these games. This young man can do it. There’s no question about it. He just needed an opportunity and he got it here,” Ryan said.'

'“He’s real dynamic,” the defensive end said. “And he doesn’t play like this is his first time being a full-time starter, for sure. He has a lot of weapons at his disposal, and he has a good defense to depend on and he can lead on, so he can just play, not carefree, but he can play comfortable and trust his team and trust his running back, his receivers, and the o-line and trust in his defense. And the team believes in him. The head coach believes in him. So he’s playing with a lot of confidence.”'

'The rookie fifth-round draft pick leads Buffalo with 186 yards rushing. And he has become the NFL's ninth rookie to score in his first three games since 1960 — and first since Robert Edwards scored in his first six games for New England in 1998.'