Archives for October 2017

'Sitting in the Bills' locker room, Thomas rattles off a list of people who helped him get to this point, people who picked him up when he needed it most. His high school football coach and guidance counselor. A neighbor he calls Miss Christina, who acted as a second mom at times. Now it's his wife helping him through the trials of his NFL career.'

'"He's ready," McDermott said. "He's ready and he'll only get more and more ready as he puts the time in this week, just like our team. I thought he came in on a big stage last week and handled himself well for his first real, live game action. What's important is where we go from here. I think Matt clearly understands that and then it's important that we do things around Matt to help him as he continues to grow with his career at this point."'

'Marcell Dareus has a big contract, but little to show in terms of production on the field this season. Dareus has been limited on the field due to an ankle injury, but the defensive tackle needs to show urgency soon to have any chance of remaining on the roster long-term. Cedric Thornton has been starting in Dareus' place and playing decently. When asked if Dareus was a starter, Sean McDermott simply said there was a competition at the position. Dareus sounds like he is running out of time to impress McDermott.'

'The one player who's status remains up in the air is cornerback EJ Gaines who suffered a groin injury last week. On the play the injury occured, Gaines still forced a fumble, but might be unable to play against the Bengals as he's officially listed as questionable.'

'This certainly feels like a 10-9 game. Given the fact that the Bengals are at home and in a near must-win situation, I think they find a way to keep their season alive. They go into their bye the following week, and they know doing so at 1-4 would be a disaster. The last time a Bengals team started 0-3 at home was 2008.'

'Starting safety Micah Hyde (knee) and backup cornerback Shareece Wright (back) are also listed as questionable.'

'Bengals, 20-14.'

' “Give credit to the coaches. They do a phenomenal job with outlining the key parts of the system, and so we were able to get those installed early. That said, there’s still room for growth in those areas, and then once you get those areas it’s kind of the boulders, the rocks, and the pebbles. We’ve got to start moving and evolving. As was asked earlier about the offense, we have to evolve on defense and special teams, as well.”'

'“I really think that they’re a bunch of grinders; a bunch of people who have practiced hard,” Dennison said with Howard Simon on Friday. “They’re focused on the task at hand; handling the guys up front, and trying to find creases in the run and voids in the pass.”'

'The Bengals’ perennial Pro Bowl defensive tackle is a game wrecker on the defensive interior. He leads Cincinnati in sacks early in the season and must be doubled on just about every play. Incognito will likely team with Eric Wood to account for him.'

'“EJ Gaines will not practice (Friday) and is questionable for the game,” said McDermott Friday morning.'

'“Even this last Sunday, when I was looking at the other side, I’m like, ‘I got a great get off, get this, get that,’ and I’m looking, I’m running back there and Jerry’s already back there and made the play and I’m like, ‘Okay, Jerry,’” Yarbrough said. “He shows up every single practice, every single game, and it’s really fun to watch.”'

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'“You can't always control what happens on the field. You can have a great week of practice and go out on Sunday and just not play well. You can get beat. Those guys get paid on the other side of the ball, too. But you can always control your effort and your attitude and what you do out in the community. That just takes time and what you're willing to do. So I take a lot of pride in that. Looking around our team, I don't know if every team is the same way, but looking at how many other guys that I felt were worthy of it, made it mean even more. Just that guys put me on that type of level.”'

'"I mean we traded away some good players, some good players signed other places, but I think it made us more of a team,” Brown said Thursday morning during an appearance on NFL Network's "Good Morning Football." "We know we can’t depend on Sammy Watkins to catch a 70-yard bomb. We gotta drive the ball down the field, play keep away, work field position, get great punts from Colton Schmidt and we’ve been working well.'