Archives for September 15, 2017

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'The Bills have only 16 of their own draft choices on the team. No other team had fewer than 20 to start the season, and the league average is 27.4, based on a News review of NFL rosters. Buffalo has only 18 homegrown players. The league average is 34.6.'

'Whenever you sign a contract like that, expectations come with it, acknowledged Clay, whose first two seasons in Buffalo were slowed by a knee injury. He knows there are fans who view him as a disappointment, but he insisted he’s more focused on putting in the work on the practice field to help the Bills win on gameday and reach the playoffs for the first time in almost two decades.'

'“He's going to continue to do that,” said fellow linebacker Lorenzo Alexander, who showed last season that a player’s breakout season can come when it’s least expected. “There's certain guys that you know when you play with, you're like, 'he's probably just a teamer.' But then there's other guys like, 'this dude can ball no matter what.' He's one of those guys that we trust. We're not out there like, ‘oh, that's a weak link.’ That's Ramon. We know he's got it. He's going to lock it down.”'

'"Well, hopefully with that comes wisdom, really," coach Sean McDermott said. "In my experience, I've been around some older teams, and they were pretty good teams. Really, you know, it's just trying to win now and sustain in the future with building a good foundation."'

'It's doubtful the addition of Jelani Jenkins will impact Alexander's role at all in the short term. Jenkins still has to learn the defense. I don't disagree that rushing the passer is Alexander's strength – he showed that last year with 12.5 sacks. Perhaps in time, Jenkins could take some of the linebacker snaps away from Alexander, who could then be used elsewhere. But that's not happening soon.'

'"So when you say that I've deteriorated, I'll prove to you that I'm not. At that time, I was 263, 264 pounds. I'm 247 now. I'm ready to run. I'm ready to play. I'm obviously doing a good job here. They like it. I'm going to show you and the rest of the league I haven't deteriorated."'

'Both Holmes and Britt have small hands relative to their height, but it hasn't been a huge hindrance to their ability to reel in the football. Per SportingCharts.com, Holmes had three drops in his last 58 targets entering this season (5.1% drop rate, which isn't great, but not terrible), and Britt had dropped six passes out of his last 183 targets since the start of 2015 (3.2% drop rate). These receivers essentially have the same athletic ability with a slight edge going to Britt in the speed and vertical-leap departments.'

'1. Tyrod Taylor. The starting quarterback is always going to be No. 1. Rookie Nathan Peterman's rise to No. 2 on the depth chart over the summer captured the imagination of Bills fans starved for a franchise quarterback, but the reality is we have yet to see him take a snap in a game that matters. If Taylor were to get hurt, there's no guarantee Peterman would be an upgrade, or even play at the same level. Taylor might be polarizing, but he's been a competent starter for three years now.'

'Jim Kelly had more wins for the Bills (101) than any Bills quarterback since has touchdown passes. The only quarterback in Bills franchise history with more touchdown passes than Kelly had wins is Joe Ferguson, who threw for 181 touchdowns. Kelly is the franchise leader with 237 TD passes. Ryan Fitzpatrick is third with 80.'

'The Panthers are talented and tough, a team that was in the Super Bowl just two years ago and is considered a true playoff contender this season in the NFC. It’s a huge test for the Bills, but if they really want to give their fans something to shout about, go down to Carolina and win.'

'Tyrod Taylor: "I listen to the gospel. The games already a bunch of highs and lows, so I try to stay level."'

'"Yes, I felt like I would be the next in line if I'd stayed," Beane said. "But I really felt like this opportunity was the next, right step for me."'

'"Hopefully he’s not going to run as much with his shoulder, but you know at the goal-line or 4th-and-1, he’s going to try to be a competitor and make a play," Brown said. "Cam has like 4 percent body fat and runs 4.5. It’s a challenge because he doesn’t go down easy. He’s going to try to extend it with his legs, find somebody down field and now he’s looking down the field to throw the ball not just run for five yards. It’s definitely going to be a challenge and you have to stay plastered to those guys down the field."'

'The closet of a Buffalo Bills fan is almost certainly full of Bills gear. Despite their playoff drought, Bills fans are diehards. Fans are always looking for unique T-shirts that show off their fandom. Here's a look at some offbeat Bills shirts that may help you stand out from the crowd.'