Archives for November 19, 2015

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'“It’s definitely a lot of obstacles to overcome, and it’s not easy to do,” Gronkowski said Wednesday during a conference call. “It’s not like you just turn a switch on and someone replaces them just like that … it takes time. Everyone has to come together, go out to practice, feel the chemistry out with each other and make sure everyone is paying attention, that they know what they’re doing going out to practice, making sure you’re blocking the right guy, getting the right guy and working hard together so” when game day comes, “everyone is on the same page, we’re executing as an offense and we can keep on doing what we’ve been doing.”'

'“Of course,” said safety Duke Williams. “When someone puts up numbers like that on a defense like ours, it’s a concern. We’re better than we were then. We went back, watched film, watched our mistakes and figured out what we need to do better. And we’re going to get it done on Monday.”'

'"I think he's doing a great job," Dunbar said. "The things we're seeing, he's getting acclimated to as far as the quarterback getting the ball out of his hands. But he's a big, big athletic kid who's playing well. And I think the guys gravitate to him. Kyle is not in there so he's basically become our ringleader and he's done a great job."'

'So far, it seems as if Rex Ryan is taking a less emotional approach to facing the Patriots this time.'

'It begins with the rules. Not only are there too many, there are too many that no one understands, and at the very top of the list is the definition of what a pass reception is. I'm not sure the geniuses at Harvard, Yale, or MIT can figure it out, let alone the rest of us.'

'“The only mission we’re on right now is the Buffalo Bills, doing our best and being mentally and physically ready when it comes to Monday night to face a very good and competitive Buffalo Bills football team,’’ said the New England Patriots larger-than-life, fun-loving and most excellent 26-year-old tight end during a conference call with sportswriters Wednesday.'

'The third-year pro out of Georgia is the second Bill to win AFC defensive player of the week this season, joining linebacker Preston Brown who had an interception return for a touchdown in Week 3 against Miami. Rambo is the first Bills defensive back to bring home defensive player of the week honors since safety Jairus Byrd in Week 6 of the 2012 season.'

'Rookie CB J.D. Williams, who was making his first NFL start because Kirby Jackson was out with hamstring injury, made an end zone interception with 1:51 left that preserved a 7-0 lead. Thurman Thomas then ran for career-long 80-yard TD on the next play to put the game away.'

'On Nov. 6, he arrived at the Bills’ practice facility in a limo with his family and he signed an official employment agreement with the NFL team.'

'"That's a memory in my head because it's something that happened, and something happened after the game that made it more memorable other than me just fumbling the ball," McKelvin said Tuesday as the Bills prepared to play the Patriots on Monday Night Football for the first time since that game. "I've fumbled the ball a couple times in my 25 years of playing football. It happens. That was just one of the critical moments of the game."

'“I think we’ve learned from the mistakes that were made in the Giants game. Now we have to put them to use in the Buffalo game,” guard Josh Kline said yesterday. “They have a lot of guys that can cause problems up front. Rex (Ryan) is a good coach. They’ll be a lot of problems we’ll have to solve on Monday.”'

'The Rex Ryan-coached Bills didn’t blitz Brady as much as most everyone expected when they met in September, although they did sack him twice and officially hit him another three times.'

'"I think they're both playing very well," Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said on Wednesday. "They've been in on a lot of plays. They've made a lot of plays breaking up passes. They tackle well. They do a good job of hitting the receivers, re-routing them at the line of scrimmage. They're good. They're a really solid defensive football team, but that position has been very strong for them this year."'

'Cornerback Stephon Gilmore agrees with Ryan’s assessment about the communication improving on defense. “I just think we’re getting used to each other, used to the coaches,” he said. “With new coaches coming in, we’re just getting used to how everybody likes playing, just go out there and just know each other.”'