Archives for January 4, 2016

'They absolutely didn’t want the Jets celebrating a playoff berth on their home field, but they were much more motivated to win the game than they were to keep New York out of the postseason.'

'“You’d love to have some do-overs (of lost games) because I really thought it was going to come down to this game (for Buffalo tro get in the playoffs). We defended our home … won four in a row. But I wish we had a couple of things go our way. But, you know what, you’ve gotta earn everything you get in this league and that’s be something hopefully we learn from.”'

'“All you can ask for in this game is an opportunity,” the 11th year veteran managed afterward, “ … and as slow as we were to get going, we picked it up and we had an opportunity at the end to win the game, and we weren’t able to pull it out.'

'Next season, besides AFC East foes New England, Miami and the Jets home and away, the Bills will face Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Arizona, San Francisco and Jacksonville at “The Ralph.” Buffalo’s non-division road games will be at Baltimore, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Seattle and Oakland.'

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'“The past two weeks, what Rex has been doing is asking us what we feel comfortable playing,” defensive tackle Corbin Bryant said. “And that has helped us execute at a higher level. Saturday nights before the game, he’s like, ‘Do you guys feel uncomfortable with anything? If you feel uncomfortable with anything, we’ll take it out.’ ”'

'Sunday arrived, McKelvin swung for the fences and … he connected. His interception of Fitzpatrick was the difference in Buffalo’s 22-17 upset win over the Jets. No, the longest-tenured Bill did not want Fitz and the Jets in the playoffs. He said he’d get an opportunity at a pick and then, game on the line, NostraMcKelvin proved prophetic.'

'But winning two straight games and dashing his former team’s playoff hopes was cause for puffing his chest out. Exulting over a .500 season is old hat for Ryan. He saved his job in New York in 2013 by winning the final two games to scale the Everest of 8-8.'

'“It’s tough,” Fitzpatrick said. “All you can ask for in this game is just an opportunity. As poorly as we played in the first quarter, as slow as we were going there, we picked it up and had an opportunity at the end to win the game. We weren’t able to pull it off. My heart hurts so bad right now for all those guys in the locker room.”'

'“I think the biggest thing is, as far as the scheme goes, across the board, we’ve all just got to digest it better and be better at it,” Williams said. “I think we all can be happy. Not just myself, but as a defense. Things went backwards as far as, overall, for everybody. You guys look at stats. I mean, you can answer that yourself. I think the biggest thing is us just needing an understanding. I don’t know if being a little simpler would make things better? I don’t know. But obviously I think it’s a defensive effort on our side. Like I said, the stats show that for everybody.”'

'Bills blockers cleared paths for three 500-yard rushers this season, a feat unmatched here since 1962.'

'Credit offensive coordinator Greg Roman for putting together a game plan that anticipated the Jets’ coverage, Tyrod Taylor for finding Watkins repeatedly (even if it took some moving around at times), and Watkins for making what mostly were easy catches (which sometimes can be the most difficult), except for one that he bobbled before catching. Credit the defense for applying enough pressure to, at times, hurt Ryan Fitzpatrick’s accuracy and for making the three interceptions that went a long way toward deciding the outcome.'

'Prior to that throw, Ryan Fitzpatrick had thrown 23 touchdowns and zero interceptions in the red zone this season.'

'Credit the Bills with doing a great job of using pre-snap motion and bunch formations to help Sammy Watkins get early separation in his pass routes against the Jets. Watkins caught 11 passes for 136 yards. Two of them came when he was moved across the formation. Five came out of cluster or stack formations, forcing the Jets to back off at the snap. Revis seemed obsessed with not getting beaten deep by Watkins.'

'The Jets managed just 19 total yards on their first four possessions, gaining one first down. At the end of New York's third drive, Jets punter Ryan Quigley managed just a 21-yard punt from his own end zone. That gave the Bills possession at the New York 25-yard line.'