‘”He was in pain, you could see it in his facial expressions,” said LeSean McCoy. “He was hurt, it shows he’s a true warrior. I think he came out once the game got out of reach. He played the whole game banged up, hurt. He didn’t complain about it. He still ran when he needed to. He’s tough. He’s a guy from Hampton, those guys are built over there. I wouldn’t expect anything less from him.”’
Archives for December 2017
What they’re saying: Bills search for answers in New England loss
‘I felt like, we knew they were getting the ball after half coming out and that we had done some good things. When you look back at it, there were some opportunities in the first half. We were down there early on the first drive [and had] opportunities to get off the field defensively [and] some opportunities special teams-wise. I thought if we came out after half and got off the field early, that that would be a key drive for us.’
Terry Pegula joins Lorenzo Alexander to show his support during My Cause, My Cleats
‘“For Mr. Pegula to be able to do that is huge,” said Alexander. “It’s a huge honor for me. It’s going to bring more awareness to the things I’ve been able to do in the community. It just shows you the type of owner that he is. He’s so in tune with his players and what we’re doing in the community and supports us whole heartedly and that’s really him and Kim and their entire family as far as backing the players and whatever we’re doing…it’s awesome.”’
Nick O’Leary to miss first game this season
‘O’Leary sustained a back injury coming out of the Kansas City game last week. He did not practice on Wednesday and Thursday, but managed to participate on a limited basis on Friday. But his back clearly did not improve enough to play today against the Patriots.’
Bills Today: Home stretch starts vs. Pats
‘“Well listen, I have a tremendous amount of respect for what they do and what they’ve done. We respect every opponent. Them being the world champs, defending world champs, what they’ve been able to accomplish is just incredible,” McDermott said. “We have to focus on ourselves and we have to focus on our process and our vision for what we’re trying to become as an organization and as a team.”’
That’s right: The Patriots even cut players better than anybody else
‘Belichick has cut potential future Hall of Famers, including Reggie Wayne, John Lynch and Ty Law. Belichick released Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch and Heisman Trophy quarterbacks Vinny Testaverde and Tim Tebow.’
Jerry Sullivan: Brady a great athlete, by any definition
‘”On paper, no,” Alexander said. “He’d probably tell you the same thing. But he has mastered the athleticism you need to be a pocket quarterback. He has great feet, great awareness, he moves around the pocket very well. That’s really all you need.”‘
Jay Skurski’s Bills-Patriots scouting report: Pats generous against run – can McCoy make them pay?
‘Patriots 40, Bills 21.’
Mark Gaughan’s Matchup Watch: McCoy is Job One for Pats
‘It’s the No. 87 double-header for the Bills. Fresh off a coverage victory over a great tight end wearing 87 (Travis Kelce), Buffalo faces New England’s No. 87. This will be tougher, because New England has more weapons than Kansas City. The expectation is the Bills will rely mostly on zone coverage. When they go man, Hyde is the better option because he’s bigger and a bit more athletic than Jordan Poyer. The Pats have a great play-action game. They sometimes sell it by pulling a guard, getting the linebackers to bite, and creating more room for a pass to Gronk in front of the deep safety.’
Mark Gaughan’s Big-Play Breakdown: Gronkowski goal-line fade
‘The Pats line him up alone on one side with three receivers to the opposite side. It forces single coverage. Gronkowski’s size and great hands make him a mismatch for anyone. If the defender overplays the outside, Gronkowski can run an isolation slant and box out to catch the pass. Gronkowski ran this play on Houston safety Corey Moore (43) for a 5-yard TD in Week 3. He ran it for a TD against Tampa last season. He ran it out of the slot for a TD vs. the Jets in Week 6. He ran it for a 22-yard TD on Seattle’s K.J. Wright in Super Bowl XLIX.’
Mark Gaughan’s Play to Watch: Patriots’ bear defense
‘New England’s base defense is the 4-3, but the Patriots will line up in more diverse fronts on all downs more than most teams. Against the Bills last season, they used some “bear fronts” as a way of clogging the running lanes for LeSean McCoy. The Jets successfully used similar condensed fronts, with a head-up nose tackle flanked by two linemen squeezing in the middle in 3-technique positions.’
Pregame primer: Everything you need to know for Bills-Patriots, plus five things to watch for
‘According to the New York Times’ playoff simulator, the Bills currently have a 35 percent chance of making the playoffs. Beating New England and then handling their business in the games they will be favored puts the Bills’ chances at 95 percent to end a 17-year playoff drought. So, yes, there is plenty at stake Sunday for the Bills.’
Jay Skurski’s Bills Mailbag: Has Buffalo taken itself out of the running for one of the draft’s top quarterbacks?
‘I’d expect Rosen and Darnold to be top-five picks, which likely takes them out of the running unless the Bills are willing to pay a significant price to move up. But that still leaves players like Baker Mayfield, Mason Rudolph, Allen and Jackson potentially available to the Bills. Another factor to consider is who the offensive coordinator will be. Rick Dennison hasn’t made a convincing case for sticking around so far.’
Inside the Bills: ‘My Cause, My Cleats’ campaign helps players help their causes
‘“This is a great way to allow guys to express themselves, show some of the good they’re doing in the community,” Buffalo Bills center Eric Wood said. “Everybody focuses so much on the negative attention, you know, one guy gets arrested in the offseason … but that doesn’t define all of us. This sheds some light on guys in this league doing incredible things.”’
Inside the NFL: League’s $89 million social justice commitment with Players Coalition draws questions
‘There have been conflicting media reports about whether the agreement in principle between the NFL and the Players Coalition included a clause requiring all players to stop the protests. ESPN said there was no such stipulation and that the eight-year-old league policy that requires players to be on the sidelines during the anthem but does not say they must stand remains in place.’