Archives for November 2016

'The move to IR means Williams is out for at least the next eight weeks, but most likely means his season is over (there are nine weeks remaining). The question now is whether or not his career has ended after multiple neck injuries.'

'Last season with Buffalo, Harvin was leading all wide receivers through the first four games with 19 receptions for 218 yards. He also had one touchdown. After Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans, injuries to his knee and hip forced Harvin to shut his season down.'

'I'll underscore this by saying we really don't have any idea where Harvin is with his conditioning, or how quickly he'll be able contribute in a significant role. However, there are many, many reasons to like the move.'

'In the short-term, Williams has been placed on Injured Reserve, which will more than likely end his 2016 season, and possibly more. The Associated Press reported last week that Williams' father and his family plan to sit down at the end of the season and consult with the safety about whether or not to continue his playing career.'

'“We always keep every option open and it was one of those things with his familiarity with our offense that we decided to see where he is," said Whaley. "After that step credit to (Bills Senor VP of Football Administration) Jim Overdorf who talked to his agent. His agent reached out to Percy and here we are now.”'

'One of Harvin’s biggest problems the last few seasons was his own work ethic. Since he was a youth player the multi-faceted playmaker played at top speed whether it was a pickup game, practice or game day. In high school and college that approach helped him excel and become a first-round draft choice in 2009. In the grind of a four-month NFL season, however, it can work against you, especially when you’re 5-11 and 184 pounds.'

'“From the medical staff we knew he was going to be out for an extended period of time,” Whaley said. “He’ll take this time to get healthy.”'

'On 3rd-and-1 this season, the Bills have a conversion rate of just over 36 percent (36.4%), which ranks last in the NFL. It’s only marginally better when looking at 3rd-and-short (one to three yards) where Buffalo’s success rate is 42 percent, but still at the bottom of the league.'

'If Alexander can’t go on Monday, rookie Shaq Lawson is set to make his first career start. Lawson recorded his first sack on Sunday and made his presence known. He was in New England’s backfield on several throws and also recorded an additional tackle. Lawson also took a 15-yard penalty for a late hit against Tom Brady, but Ryan is confident that he can continue to improve with even more practice time.'

'So which Bills ‘D’ is it … the one that surrendered 19-or-fewer points in five of the first six games, or the one that has shown fatal flaws the last two?'

'“They kept getting first downs,” inside linebacker Preston Brown said. “It was as simple as that. They outplayed us on third down. I don’t know what the percent was, but I kept looking up and it seemed like it was 7 for 8, 8 for 9. … You’re not going to win any games if you keep doing that.”'

'“Well, I think the season as a whole was kind of up and down, and maybe in the game it was as well,” Ryan said of Gilmore, motioning his hand up and down like a wave. “Two or three holding calls and obviously had a big mistake on that Hogan touchdown, whether it was communication or whatever the breakdown was. So it wasn’t a great performance on his part. I’m sure he’d like to have some plays back.”'

'If the Bills aren’t able to complete a trade for a wide receiver, one possibility is to activate sixth-round pick Kolby Listenbee (hernia) from the reserve/non-football injury list. Listenbee, who was also a Division I sprinter in college, tweeted after Sunday’s loss that he’s “Ready to make plays downfield … It's needed.” He followed that up Monday by tweeting, “Just waiting for God to give me that 'Go,'” along with a picture of himself in a Bills jersey.'

'Whaley should absolutely inquire about the price. The Bills desperately need receivers with Sammy Watkins and Greg Salas on injured reserve and Marquise Goodwin and Brandon Tate currently in the league's concussion protocol. When Tate, who was acquired to be the team's returner, being out hurts the offense, it's a good indication that depth is needed at the position. De facto No. 1 receiver Robert Woods is also playing at less than 100 percent with a foot injury, which is all the more reason Whaley should try and address the position.'

'"Right now, we're exactly where we are: a mediocre team," Graham said. "We've got to be a lot better. Especially defensive-wise, we've got to make a lot more plays. We have to play better. Right now, we just have to fix it. … A lot of those big plays and big passes that you saw, pretty much all but probably one of them were communication errors."'