Archives for December 2017

‘This was a 43-yard pass to Brandin Cooks at Pittsburgh last week on a first-and-10 play from the 50. Brady faked a handoff to both the running back and to Rex Burkhead (34) running a fake reverse. Cooks out-leveraged the deep safety. Sometimes the Pats run this with the receiver wide right and running a deep post all the way across the field. If the safety is protecting deep, Brady can throw the pass more shallow, across the field, and still get a completion.’

‘Can Tyrod rebound? After suffering a knee injury on the first play from scrimmage, quarterback Tyrod Taylor gutted it out in Week 13 for three quarters before leaving the game. At that time, it looked as if Taylor may have played his final down with the Bills, but he missed just a week and returned to the starting lineup in Week 15 against Miami. Taylor played an excellent first half against the Dolphins. He’ll need a similar effort over four quarters Sunday to hang with New England.’

‘There is an obsession in this town, whether you’re for it or against it, with tanking. Yes, it’s better for the Bills to be picking earlier in the draft if they miss out on the playoffs. Everyone knows that. But their chances at the No. 1 pick went out the window when they beat the Jets in the season opener. The Browns are staring at an 0-16 season. The Bills weren’t ever going to challenge them, or the Giants, or the Bears, for one of the top picks.’

‘“Every team’s importance is different,” he said. “You’ve got teams that are 6-6, 7-5, 8-4. Really and truly the only games to me that you would look at as a true playoff game, are those playoff games, where you win and go to the next game. The pressure of those two games, I would say, you could view from a pro style. ‘How did the guy play, when we’re doing free agency, how did he play in the playoffs, when it meant the most?’ ”’

‘Besides creativity, the other thing the celebrations have in common is they go well beyond an individual looking to intensify the spotlight already trained on him for scoring. Most, if not all, of the other members of the offense join in, turning the end zone into a stage and reinforcing the concept that more than one player has a role in scoring.’