Archives for September 2017

'“I’m hoping we are and I’m hoping that we’ll keep developing and keep improving and get better,” Dennison said. “You have to be able to run it and throw it in this league. You can’t do one or the other. There are good defenses with good personnel in this league. Sunday was a grind, but to our guys’ credit they kept working at it.”'

'E.J. Gaines and Tre’Davious White reeled in their first interceptions as Bills against the Denver Broncos. There was a lot of hoopla coming into the game about Trevor Siemian and the prolific Broncos offense. In Sunday’s game, the Bills gave them a reality check.'

'The Bills walked out on the field as a group and about a quarter of the roster — McCoy, Marcell Dareus, Shaq Lawson, Ryan Davis, Lorenzo Alexander, Jordan Matthews, Shareece Wright, and Mike Tolbert among others — and some coaches knelt. Those who stood, locked arms. The Broncos, meanwhile, lined up on the sideline and about half the players and some coaches took a knee.'

'Stephen Hauschka became the first placekicker in Bills history to kick two field goals of 53 yards-or-longer in the same game. He finished with four: 49, 55, 53 and 27 yards. The 55-yarder was the Bills’ longest since Dan Carpenter hit a 58-yarder to beat the Lions in 2014.'

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'"Absolutely," Tyrod Taylor said, "(offensive coordinator) Rick Dennison always has an open ear even from my time working with him in Baltimore (when Taylor was a backup and Dennison was quarterbacks coach). This week, I talked with him about the things I have seen and that I liked, the things I felt we were good at."'

'Tyrod Taylor said after the game that he didn't take offense to Miller's gesture. But was he laughing because of the joke or because Miller was flagged for it? "Both," Taylor said.'

'Don't look now, but the Bills are 2-1, tied with the Patriots atop the AFC East. They've allowed the fewest points per game (12.3) in the conference, and are looking like a team that should play meaningful games in December.'

'No Bill made any overtly political gestures that week, or later in the season. The issue faded as the year went on. But with Kaepernick unemployed, it regained steam this season. And when President Trump inflamed the NFL by suggesting players be fired for taking a knee, the Bills players finally took a stand.'

'But they're better than I thought when I picked them to go 4-12 this season. That prediction suggested they were a bad team, one of the worst half dozen in the NFL. They're not a bad team, because they have a good defense. And when they play good D in front of their home crowd, they're hard to beat.'

'The penalty also gave Taylor what he craves more than anything while trying to prove he's a franchise quarterback: time and space. The Bills were awarded a critical first down, allowing them to continue their march, burn another 4½ minutes off the clock and set up Stephen Hauschka for a chip shot and the final score.'

'The Bills showed up to play Sunday, as they have in all three games under first-year coach Sean McDermott. If their win over the Jets came was dismissed based on the opponent, and their loss to the Panthers signified trouble for the offense, their 26-16 win over the Broncos confirmed they can play with anybody.'

'The Bills kicker connected on four field goals — from 49, 55, 53 and 27 yards — to pace the team to a 26-16 win and a surprising 2-1 record. Hauschka also nailed both of his PATs to cap his perfect afternoon.'

'With the national anthem serving as their backdrop, Bills players formed a wall far different than the one President Trump still boasts about building. It was their personal statement — derived from a lengthy and emotional team meeting Saturday night — and their collective response to hate, bigotry and needless division.'

'Taylor was at his best in the third quarter, when he led a four-play, 69-yard touchdown drive that took just 1:37 to complete. He made a perfect throw to tight end Nick O'Leary for a 31-yard gain down the left sideline, then two plays later hooked up with Jordan Matthews for a 25-yard gain. On the next play, Taylor rolled out and looked like he might try to run the ball into the end zone, in the process freezing the Broncos. He then found tight end Charles Clay wide open in the middle of the end zone for the go-ahead score.'