Archives for December 20, 2015

'“They have the best left tackle in the league, or one of them, (Trent) Williams. (Former Raiders coach) Bill Callahan is coaching the offensive line and if he’s not the best offensive line coach in the league it’s a short roll call to get to his name. So they’re well-coached and they’re physical.”'

'The point is, this isn’t necessarily a young team on the rise, not with a dozen players who will have reached their 30th birthday by next season and some holes in the unit that was supposed to carry the franchise. That’s what makes 2015 so depressing for many Bills fans.'

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'“Earlier in my career, it was really hard for me to differentiate between being a tough, nasty football player on the field and a tough, nasty guy off the field. It was all mixed and jumbled. As I grew, as I matured, as I became more professional, I found my way to be that guy on the field and then just turn it off.”'

'Greg Roman, the offensive coordinator, described Taylor as “raw” and said he’s been down this road before. He was with the Niners when they gave Colin Kaepernick a six-year, $114 million deal that’s hanging off the franchise like an ugly Christmas tree ornament.'

'“The league doesn’t want the conversation to be about officiating,” said Mike Pereira, the outspoken rules analyst for Fox Sports who previously served in Blandino’s role from 2004-09. “Back in the old days, they swept officiating under the carpet and wouldn’t ever comment about it. … They’d rather it be about the players and the game, but that’s not the reality anymore. Officiating has always had an impact on games, but it’s having more of an impact now than I can ever remember.”'

'“You think about it every day; I don’t know how you couldn’t think about it every day,” DeHaven said of learning in early May that he has prostate cancer. “But I don’t dwell on it like I was when the diagnosis first came through. Now, I’m so busy that it’s actually been a godsend for me that’s helped me kind of come to terms with it.'

'"He gave the opponent credit, he talked about the mistakes he did, he owned up, he manned up," Ryan said. "The amazing thing is here he is going into the Pro Bowl voting, which is important especially for a guy that sat out a year and all that to get the respect of his peers. Yet he mans up and takes it. There are so many guys that would have pointed a different direction: 'Well it wasn't my fault, we missed a call or something.' He owned up to it. That is the beauty of him."'

'After a Week 14 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Bills have to win out. They are two games out of a wild card spot in the AFC, so they also need teams to start losing. In short, they will be rooting hard against the Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Jets the rest of the way.'

'The Bills are just about eliminated from playoff contention, so their game will be broadcast in only the Buffalo and Rochester areas along with most of Virginia.'

'My prediction: Buffalo 23, Washington 20. I don’t have any confidence in the home team winning two in a row.'

'There’s no guarantee both will take the field for the Redskins-Bills clash. Cyrus has appeared in nine of the Bills’ games this season, starting one. Arie, chosen by the Redskins in the fourth round of last spring’s draft, made his NFL debut in the Week 4 victory over Philadelphia but has been listed among the inactives of late.'

'“He’s a much better passer than I think people would have given him credit for, but he’s very good with his legs,” Gruden said. “He can run the ball extremely well out of the pocket and throw on the run.”'

'“You keep saying I hope it didn’t have to come down to that,” Buffalo coach Marv Levy said afterward. “Scott’s been a great kicker over the years. That one missed by a whisker, and we don’t fault him.”'

'The Bills are third in the NFL in rushing offense, averaging more than 140 yards. The Redskins have trouble stopping the run, giving up more than 120 yards per game; only eight teams are worse. LeSean McCoy is Buffalo's top running back, but QB Tyrod Taylor is a serious running threat, too. "The challenge it to make sure when we pass rush, not to have any open lanes just for him to run through. Keep him contained," Washington cornerback Will Blackmon said. "And for us in coverage just to truly plaster our guys and wait until the ball hits the ground."'