Archives for September 2017

'Typically, a player is who he is, regardless of scheme. But Ryan's defense is, in essence, the polar opposite of the defenses Schwartz and McDermott deploy on a weekly basis. Brown will be an interesting case study in determining if a scheme can totally transform the effectiveness of a defender.'

'We will track Hauschka's performance all season, frequently comparing it to what the Bills got from Dan Carpenter in 2016.'

'Bills' biggest disadvantage: RT Jordan Mills vs. Jets DE Muhammad Wilkerson.'

'“It started with me, Del and a few others trolling Adam Schefter and sticking up for Stevie. We all got blocked by Schefter on Twitter. So, Del called us BillsMafia and we ran with it. It really could have been a flash-in-the-pan thing. But I had a feeling it would stick because football players and fans love that stuff. Once I got the players to catch wind of it, I knew the rest would be history.”'

'She is from a classic Bills family. Her father, Dr. Matthew O'Brien, said she had little choice in her loyalty. As a 12-year-old in Buffalo, he was in the old War Memorial Stadium when the Bills won the 1964 American Football League championship against the San Diego Chargers. He can remember watching a game from inside the scoreboard, which was operated by a friend's father.'

'Buffalo Bills Thunder, a charitable group made up of Buffalo Bills fans, will be taking 15 youngsters from the TJ Dulski Community Center on Buffalo's East Side to Sunday's home opener against the New York Jets.'

'Vintage apparel from the Bills’ glory days has become the trendy tailgating attire at New Era Field. Throwback jerseys, Zubaz pants and Marv Levy’s satin Starter jacket are seen as often as the current team gear, if not more.'

'Game temperature: 66-68 degrees.'

'Taking stock of the Bills’ roster, one that lacks top-end talent at several positions and lacks depth at just about every position, while also factoring in how difficult the schedule looks, it’s pretty tough to expect much from this season. In fact, Sunday may be one of only two or three games where the Bills will actually be favored to win based on the wise guys in Las Vegas.'

'And even though Beane and McDermott took the snow globe and shook it until 70 percent of the players on the active roster or some reserve list had their handprints on them, the Bills will line up against the New York Jets on Sunday at New Era Field with 60 percent of Whaley’s and Ryan’s 7-9 starting lineup.'

'“We have 16 games to prove what type of team the 2017 Bills are … this is the first step,” veteran guard Richie Incognito said of today’s game. “We’re going to come out of the gates red hot. We have a lot to prove to ourselves, and that’s all that matters. We’ve been working hard, we’ve been doing all the right things, and now it’s time to test it against a quality division opponent.”'

'Most Bills fans don’t see Taylor as a franchise quarterback and merely view him as the guy keeping the seat warm until the 2018 draft when Buffalo grabs one of the five touted QBs – Sam Darnold (USC), Josh Rosen (UCLA), Josh Allen (Wyoming), Mason Rudolph (Oklahoma State) or Luke Falk (Washington State) – in a lottery unusually rich at the position.'

'The Jets are a shell of the team that swept the Bills last season. The starting quarterback and all three of the team's top receivers from 2016 are all gone. That leaves Josh McCown at quarterback and a cast of inexperienced and uninspiring wide receivers for him to worth with. When the Jets have the ball, Matt Forte and Bilal Powell are the players to worry about. The pair of versatile backs will be New York's only chance of moving the ball.'

'"The biggest challenge is not understanding who you are," Byrd said. "We always tend to look at who the opponent is, but we have to look at, 'Who am I? What do I bring to the table? What are my strengths? What are my weaknesses?' Give a self scout. When you can start doing that and give an honest assessment of who you are and knowing how teams will try to attack you, then you're going to develop a lot faster."'

'Tre'Davious White is locked in as the Bills' No. 1 cornerback. White is expected to be tested often this season, but he'll gain plenty of experience as a rookie. Some rookie mistakes will occur, but Buffalo needs White to step up in his first season.'