Archives for October 2016

'The blocking that allowed the Bills to average 211.8 rushing yards per game the past four weeks has also helped the passing game. Tyrod Taylor is averaging an NFL-high 2.92 seconds before passing this season, giving him plenty of time to find a depleted group of receivers.'

'The Kelly Tough room is on the 10th floor of ECMC. It was the room that Kelly stayed in back in 2013 and 2014.'

'Much like the Bills, Kyle Williams has had a little revival this season. Williams looked firmly in the twilight of his career last year, but has showed recently that, at least against weaker opposition, he can still be very effective. He beat the 49ers for two QB hits and four hurries, though he couldn't finish any with a sack.'

'It’s a tradition in these parts to hang quarterbacks like Brady in effigy, but the arrival of Kaepernick and his national anthem protest left some fans uneasy with traditions. Vendors hawked T-shirts with Kaepernick’s face in the crosshairs of a rifle scope, but two fans who proudly shelled out $10 for the shirts declined to be interviewed or pictured. Said one fan walking by the dummy tacklers: “You’re just making Buffalo look bad!”'

'Welcome back, Cordy. After looking a little slow in his first week back versus New England, and playing just so-so against Los Angeles last week, Glenn’s performance against San Francisco was unmistakeable.'

'"I remember when I walked the halls when I was here and when you see some other people you look in the mirror and say you know you don't have it that bad.", said Kelly. "There are so many other people that don't have the support. Don't have encouraging words to be able to get them through to the next day."'

So many times I’ve been burned getting too excited about the Bills too early – string together some wins and people start think about the playoffs. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with reveling in a hot streak and daydreaming about the postseason, but when you’re a Bills fan it helps to be realistic.

'“Shady is a huge part of what we’re doing here,” said Richie Incognito of McCoy.'

'With four games under his belt as offensive coordinator and play caller, it’s evident that Anthony Lynn has made a difference for the Bills. Against San Francisco last week, the Bills hit big plays in the running game using unbalanced lines, and shifting tackles Cordy Glenn and Jordan Mills to the opposite side.'

'The Bills signed both players as free agents … and for clearance sale prices. Brown, the NFL leader in tackles, signed a 1-year deal for $1.25 million and Alexander got $885, 000 for the season, basically the league veteran minimum. For that expenditure of just over $2 million, Buffalo got two players who are performing at a Pro Bowl level. And there’s no way the Bills would have gotten similar production from Lawson and Ragland, had they been healthy, if only because of their lack of experience.'

'According to rankings kept by the website Football Outsiders, the Bills ranked No. 12 in the NFL on special teams through the first five weeks of the season, but that is likely to rise into the top 10 after Sunday’s win. The Bills were nearly flawless against the 49ers, with the highlight for the special teams coming in the fourth quarter, when cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman forced a fumble on a kickoff return by the 49ers’ Keshawn Martin, with safety Jonathan Meeks scooping it up for the Bills.'

'"He’ll have an opportunity to get in there and play and hopefully [he] can spell Jerry [Hughes] and Lorenzo some in base situations and then probably contribute heavily on the sub team as well, our pass rush team," Ryan said, adding that it remains to be seen if he'll play Sunday against Miami.'

'Four times in this millennium, the Bills have traveled to Miami with a winning record. They've lost every time. A quick recap of those forgettable visits…'.

'The Bills improved to 4-2 Sunday with 45-16 win over the San Francisco 49ers, which would currently give them the second wild card position.'

'Buffalo has now won four straight games for the first time since 2008, and if the season ended today, would qualify for the postseason. After the 0-2 start, that’s an amazing turnaround.'