Archives for January 5, 2018

‘“From a week in and week out consistency basis, I definitely think it’s an improved unit,” Crossman said. “The biggest thing is, we had a good nucleus of guys to start with. That set a nice tone through training camp and the initial part of the season.”’

‘”I’m just happy they got over the hump,” Dareus said. “I’m happy for the guys that have been there and fighting with me to get things going to where it is now and get the opportunity to get in the playoffs.”‘

‘The Bills missed him along the defensive line this season, but they’re better off overall without him. He was the most overpaid defensive player in the league after signing the monster deal. But there’s no escaping this truth: At his best, when healthy, when motivated, when engaged, Dareus is among the best defensive tackles in the NFL.’

‘The Jaguars have developed a reputation as some of the biggest trash talkers in the NFL, something the Buffalo Bills’ receivers have caught wind of this week.’

‘The Jaguars are not a gambling defense. They don’t need to blitz because their front four gets such good pressure.’

‘The News’ seven staff reporters/columnists picked the Bills for between four and seven wins, and none had them making the playoffs. A roundup of a dozen national preseason power rankings saw the Bills ranked between 26th and 31st.’

‘”I had hundreds of texts after the game,” Williams said. “Drew Hull texted me and said, ‘I want you to know that your boys are always going to remember that. Take that from someone who was there with my dad, Kent, during those years. And I have never forgotten that.’

‘Bortles has a tendency to take risks down the field. He has thrown 47 picks over the last three seasons. Buffalo’s Tyrod Taylor has thrown only 16 during that time.’

‘The Drought Kids are a hearty bunch. Not only has middling football been a way of life, but so too has been listening to stories of the esteemed “good old days,” days when the Bills were terrorizing the NFL. The stories of going to four straight championships have been teased as actual happenings, the notion that the offense and defense were both good in the same season marveled.’

‘As they sat in a dispirited halftime locker room, many of his teammates figured the team’s two-year Super Bowl run was likely coming to an end. “I remember walking in, thinking, ‘I bet my wife has left the stadium and she’s packing for the offseason,’ ” said Mark Pike, the former special teams ace.’

‘He named his dog, a pug called Ralph, after the Bills’ founding owner Ralph C. Wilson Jr.’

‘”In some cases, I thought media around here began to celebrate: ‘Who is your favorite player in the drought?’ Who is the best quarterback in the drought?’ I was like, this is not one block of time … I was frustrated but I never looked at it like this is never going to end. Because several times over the 17 seasons, I thought this could be headed in the right direction and it got close a couple of times.”‘

‘The sports reporters and anchors being sent to Florida all have something in common that illustrates how long it has been since the Bills made the postseason and how much turnover there has been in sports departments here since the drought started in 2000: None of them has covered a Bills playoff game because none of them was on the air locally on Jan. 8, 2000, when the Bills had their last playoff game. And almost all of them weren’t even old enough to be in broadcasting back then.’