‘The Bills face the NFL’s toughest schedule in Weeks 1-6, including road games at the Vikings, Packers, Texans, and Ravens. Buffalo also faces the NFL’s second-toughest schedule of run defenses, which will put more onto A.J. McCarron or Josh Allen’s plate. The only reason the Bills’ schedule isn’t rated tougher in these rankings is because they play the Jets and Dolphins twice apiece. But make no mistake, this is a difficult slate that starts off especially tough.’
Archives for May 17, 2018
Thurman Thomas: Having No. 34 retired by Bills is ‘something special’
‘”If you’re at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, you’re just at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. You can be on the road in Miami, or New England, or New York and still see Buffalo Bills fans everywhere, so I think that makes it a little bit more special. I live here. I’m still involved with the community and still involved with the Buffalo Bills.”‘
Retiring No. 34: Thurman Thomas’ 5 greatest moments with the Bills
‘Maybe the most replayed highlight of Thomas’ career is his 31-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter to give the Bills a 19-17 lead over the New York Giants.’
Chuck Knox was a coaching giant, even if he’s not a Hall of Famer
‘”Chuck was a player’s coach to me,” Bills great Joe Ferguson told The News. “He wanted everybody to do the right thing, and he was probably the most organized coach I had. . . . He’d use the words, ‘I don’t want to break your plate,’ which means he was gonna take your food off your plate. It was his way of telling you, you better get better. He would tell you where you stood.”‘
Buffalo Bills to retire Thurman Thomas’ No. 34 jersey on Monday Night Football
‘The announcement was a nice birthday present for Thomas, who turned 52.’
Buffalo Bills retiring Thurman Thomas’ No. 34 jersey
‘A second-round pick in 1988, Thomas was a two-time All-American for Oklahoma State. He and his family still live in the Buffalo area, where Thomas spent 12 of his 13 NFL seasons.’
Twitter reacts to Buffalo Bills retiring Thurman Thomas’ No. 34 jersey
‘Shortly after the Bills announced the news, well wishes began pouring in from former teammates, media members, celebrities and many others. Here’s a look at some of the reactions on Twitter.’
Why Thurman Thomas thinks Buffalo Bills RB LeSean McCoy has a strong chance at Hall of Fame
‘”I’ve always said about the Buffalo Bills, they might not find a quarterback, but they’re going to find a running back,” Thomas said. “No matter what, they’re going to find a running back here that’s going to be able to perform on the field. Boy that trade they made years ago to get LeSean here, it’s been amazing to watch. Really, through his first couple of years, I didn’t really get to see a lot of what he did in Philadelphia. So for him to be here now and to see how special he really is, it’s awesome to watch. We’ve become really good friends over the past three years and I’m glad that he’s on our football team. He got 10,000 yards last year. He’s looking trying to get that 12K. I’m always going to be pulling for him. Just a great guy to hang around and it’s been a great opportunity for him and I to really get closer.”‘
Why Chris Simms thinks Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen could be rookie of the year
‘”I might get some pushback here,” Simms said. “There’s people who think he’s going to be a bust. I have tremendous confidence in this kid’s talent, and I think he is going to be the starter from day one. This is a Buffalo Bills football team that was a good football team that I think has a good support system around him. They should be able to run the football. They’re going to be able to protect him. Weapons on the outside are not great. But I do think within that offense and some of the things we talked about, their defense being good, I think he can have a good enough year statistically and wins wise to where he’s in this conversation for rookie of the year.”‘
Editorial: Wilson’s impact felt beyond football
‘To Wilson, his wife, his family and his foundation, the Falls community and the developers of the community center in particular should be, as Hall said, “truly grateful.”’
Bills will retire Thurman Thomas’ No. 34 on Oct. 29
‘Thomas will become the third player to have his number retired. The Bills retired quarterback Jim Kelly’s No. 12 in 2001 and defensive end Bruce Smith’s No. 78 in 2016.’
Report: WR Shepard to visit Bills
‘Shepard recorded just 17 receptions for 202 yards and a touchdown last season after signing a three-year, $10 million deal with Carolina. The 28-year-old had 47 catches for 634 yards and four scores in 72 career contests with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Panthers.’
Bills to retire RB Thomas’ No. 34 jersey
‘”He was an all-purpose back,” Kelly said of Thomas, who turned 52 on Wednesday. “He wasn’t a guy where he’d go off tackle right and off tackle left and trap right and trap left and that was it. He brought something to the table that defenses weren’t prepared for and that was him coming out of the backfield or splitting him out wide. We did some special things with him.”‘
Thurman Thomas’ No. 34 jersey to be retired Oct. 29
‘”What makes it a little more special is that I played with both of those guys [Kelly and Smith],” Thomas said Wednesday. “To be here with two guys that I played with for a number of years, and see how much hard work and everything that they put into playing when they put that uniform on, I guess it kind of solidifies the top three guys in this era or for this organization.”‘
Bills announce that they’ll retire longtime RB Thurman Thomas’ No. 34 jersey
‘Thomas began to slow down toward the end of his Bills tenure and eventually struggled with injuries during his final season with the team. He spent a lone year with the division rival Miami Dolphins before officially retiring after the 2000 season. He became eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2006 and was officially elected on the second ballot, joining Rayfield Wright, Gene Hickerson, Michael Irvin, Charlie Sanders, and Roger Wehrli in the Class of 2007.’