Archives for December 2015

'“We have to understand that even though Rex is a defensive guru, that’s a lot at one time,” Lawson said. “With these guys here, there is a lot of talent. So a lot of guys here were thrown into situations they weren’t accustomed to and had a big playbook thrown at them. So it took some time to adjust to that. But I think that – it’s sad to say – but as the season’s dwindling away from us, now we’re starting to see that ‘Aha!’ factor. I wish we could’ve had it early on.”'

'“I think all the other numbers are telling you that this young man has a real chance,” Bills coach Rex Ryan said. But you can “never be considered a great quarterback until you can bring your team back and win in those situations. So yeah I would say that, that is the next stage in being able to bring his team back in those situations.”'

'An outside linebacker in Jim Schwartz's 4-3 defense, Bradham has played inside under Ryan with 59 tackles, one sack, three pass break-ups and no interceptions/forced fumbles through 11 games. He'll be an unrestricted free agent after the season, along with a host of others.'

'Like many parents watching “Four Falls” with their kids, I explained Buffalo’s passion for the Bills and how people didn’t view them as a doomed franchise like they do today. When the Bills build a 14-point lead these days, fans brace for a 14-point loss. Back then, a 14-point lead felt like the halfway mark to a 28-point win. Only later was a sense of confidence replaced by a sense of dread.'

'Finishing games has been a problem for the first-year starter. The Bills would love to see Taylor deliver more often in the fourth quarter. In each of Buffalo's last three losses, Taylor fell short down by one score.'

'"Frank didn't take a snap all week because it was a short week and we felt we had to give Jim as much as we could to get him ready. Frank is always prepared, he studies extremely well and I give him high marks. He went against a great defensive team and he engineered what we had to do."'

'Games with double-digit penalties. The Bills have 10 or more accepted penalties in six games this season. This may not surprise you, but their record in those contests is 2-4. (The Bills beat the Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins despite being flagged 11 and 13 times, respectively.)'

'After a poor two-week stretch against New England and Kansas City, Eric Wood has put together back-to-back good performances against Houston and Philadelphia.'

'“We clearly have to win our three games. That’s a given. We know that the Jets have to lose one of the next two and then Pittsburgh has to lose two of the next three. I know there are other scenarios, but that’s pretty much it.”'

'“Sammy has had a huge impact in just about every game,” said head coach Rex Ryan. “He dictates coverage, they double him almost the whole game, and when they don’t they pay the price. So yeah obviously you need to know where that kid is at every time.”'

'Do you know why the Bills are going to miss the NFL playoffs for the 16th straight season? Because they don’t deserve to go.'

'The Bills were never able to effectively channel their violence, their eye-twitching adrenaline. All of the renewed energy created by Ryan — via leaps from a plane, impassioned pregame speeches, postgame expletives and public battle cries — never translated to a flurry of touchdowns and sacks. No, it translated to penalties. And more penalties.'

'“Everybody’s doing their own thing,” Talley said. “They’re supposed to be working together like five fingers on a glove. All of them. That’s what made us different because we could beat you on offense, we could beat you on defense, we could beat you with special teams. Right now, they aren’t really beating you any kind of way.'

'It’s the coaches who were the real disgrace. McCoy’s emotional, infantile display was predictable. But Ryan is the leader and the face of the organization. He’s supposed to be the voice of reason, an adult example for his players and a pillar of equanimity in difficult times.'

'“You know, I’m not going to get into all that kind of stuff about, you know, is this right? Is that right? It is what it is,” Ryan said Monday, tap-dancing around a question about whether McCoy returned to Buffalo with the Bills. “I’m not going to say if he did or he didn’t.”'