‘Could the Bills, 5-9 and out of postseason contention, actually be in a good position to do a little spoiling as the 9-5 Patriots try to wrap up their 10th AFC East championship in a row? Is it possible for the Bills to at least put a tiny tremble in the balance of power in a division that has forever had one top dog and three scraggly mutts always scrounging for whatever crumbs they can find?’
Archives for December 2018
Bills Notebook: Despite serious concussion, QB Derek Anderson wants to keep playing
‘“Don’t get me wrong: I had fun playing, though,” he said. “Obviously didn’t get the results that we wanted, but being out there again and being able to play was a lot of fun. Now I’m more of a teacher and another set of eyes for Josh and Matt (Barkley). We’ve got a good room. The conversations we have in there are good. Josh is picking things up quicker and quicker every week.”’
Kyle Williams on Lorenzo Alexander: ‘He is what is good about the NFL’
‘“It comes down to my health and still having my legs underneath me,” Alexander said. “There’s been a change in the dynamic of what I consider to be old in this league because with the CBA, there’s no two-a-days, there’s limited padded practices, and there’s a shift in psychology in sports science where they maximize guys and not grind us all the time. All of that has allowed me to keep my speed and my legs and now my mind, I’m mature and experienced so I’ve seen a lot of things and I can go out there and play fast.”’
Zay Jones: Pro Bowl snubs ‘BS,’ and other Bills reactions
‘”In my personal opinion Tre’Davious White should be in the conversation, Jerry should be in the conversation, Kyle and Lorenzo (Alexander) should definitely both be Pro Bowlers. Jordan Poyer – I know Micah Hyde was previously. It’s frustrating because I see the work these guys put in day in and day out and to get snubbed like that, I don’t agree with that at all. I wish there was a better way that it could be done and handled. I want to see Bills players in it. I feel like we’re overlooked in that sense as if we don’t have great football players on our team, which is disappointing. We have phenomenal guys on our roster that deserve that Pro Bowl.”‘
Former Bills QB Nathan Peterman signed to Oakland Raiders practice squad
‘Joining the Raiders’ practice squad should not come as a surprise. A source told NYUP that Gruden was “very high” on the quarterback. Leading up to the 2017 NFL Draft, Gruden hosted Peterman on his ESPN Quarterback Camp show and came away impressed with the quarterback.’
Another problem for Patriots’ run defense: QB Josh Allen is Bills leading rusher
‘“Allen adds a little problem to their offense,’’ said safety Patrick Chung. “He can run the ball. He’s fast. He’s strong, so it’s like a running back back there. So, we’ve got to do our best to kind of contain him a little bit.’’’
Bill Belichick: Big difference between the Buffalo Bills now and in October
‘“I’d say all of the big plays; the big plays they have from the receivers and the quarterback,” Belichick said during his weekly press conference. “The receivers … they’re much different.”’
Ex-Patriots assistant Brian Daboll is a key part of Josh Allen development, Buffalo Bills rebuild
‘He’s done a good job of developing an identity with our offense. We’ve had some turnover – a number of turnover situations there just in terms of personnel-wise, trying to continue to build our football team,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “I think he’s done a nice job of staying positive and finding roles for as many guys as possible.”’
Bills WR Robert Foster creates new challenge for Patriots
‘“He’s averaging 25 yards-per-catch. That’s a lot to average,” Bill Belichick said of Foster. “A very explosive player and gets behind the defense, a catch-and-run player. He’s fast; really fast. Allen’s got a great arm and can’t overthrow him. He can’t outrun the quarterback. The quarterback can get the ball down the field to him. He’s been very exciting to watch.”’
Run-challenged defense must now face mobile quarterback
‘“He’s big. He’s fast. He’s got a strong arm. He’s accurate. He can stand in the pocket and throw. He can get out,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said Wednesday. “There’s some designed runs. There’s some quarterback scrambles. There’s some scrambles that are runs. There are scrambles where he extends plays and throws it. He’s a hard guy to defend. He had almost three-quarters of their total offense against the Jets (throwing for 206 and rushing for 101 to account for 307 of the Bills’ 27-23 loss to New York two Sundays ago). That’s a lot.”’
Bill Belichick Explains How Bills Have Changed Since Patriots’ Week 8 Win
‘“He’s a strong guy,” Belichick said of Allen. “We’ve seen him stiff-arm some people. He’s definitely fast. He can outrun guys. You have to take good angles and obviously wrap him up and try not to let him get started.”’
Scouting The Bills: Josh Allen Leads No-Name Offense Into Patriots Rematch
‘Allen still isn’t particularly close to being even an average NFL quarterback, but he’s been undeniably entertaining to watch since returning to the lineup earlier this month, thanks in large part to his previously underrated scrambling ability.’
Bills are completely different team from last meeting, and Bill Belichick knows it
‘”The quarterback is a big difference,” Bill Belichick said Wednesday. “That’s a big difference right there. But the receivers, no [Kelvin] Benjamin. Foster has emerged. They’re much different. The other guys have continued to play well – Zay Jones, [Isaiah] McKenzie, Clay, Ivory, McCoy. [Jason] Croom’s come along. The tight ends have made some plays for them so he seems to get more involved. But again, they’re a game-plan team. They do things differently from week to week, but they’ve gotten production from a lot of different players.”‘
Josh Allen Has Bill Belichick’s Attention
‘“He’s big, he’s fast, he’s got a strong arm, he’s accurate. He can stand in the pocket and throw. He can get out. There’s some designed runs. There’s some quarterback scrambles or some scrambles that are runs or he scrambles and extends plays and throws it. He’s a hard guy to defend,” Belichick said Wednesday. “I mean, he had almost three quarters of their total offense against the Jets. It’s a lot.”’
Presser Points – Belichick: Bills a ‘lot different team’ this time around
‘“I’d say all of the big plays, the big plays they have from the receivers and the quarterback,” Belichick said. “The quarterback is a big difference. That’s a big difference right there. But the receivers, no [Kelvin] Benjamin. Foster has emerged. They’re much different. The other guys have continued to play well – Zay Jones, [Isaiah] McKenzie, Clay, Ivory, McCoy. [Jason] Croom’s come along. The tight ends have made some plays for them so he seems to get more involved. But again, they’re a game-plan team. They do things differently from week to week, but they’ve gotten production from a lot of different players.’