Archives for January 2019

‘The Bills used an empty backfield – with all the receivers and running backs lined up in wideout positions – only 13 plays in the first 10 games. After Allen returned from his elbow injury, they used it 66 plays the last six weeks.’

‘“I would say it’s probably about par,” Bills General Manager Brandon Beane said of the changes to the coaching staff in two years. “You know, what’s hard is, when you come in as GM or head coach, people are under contract, and sometimes you can’t get – you might have five guys that you want to be your coordinator on this side of the ball, or your O-line coach, or whoever – but you couldn’t get them because they’re under contract. So you’re constantly trying to keep up with that.”’

‘I will say, however, that I think the current front office and coaching staff fully expected this rebuild would take at least three, and probably four, years. If that coincides with the end of Brady’s career, then all the better. The tough part of that is fans lived through the 17-year playoff drought, and therefore don’t love having patience preached to them. A big reason for the drought was facing Brady twice a year, so there’s no doubt the outlook for every team in the AFC East gets brighter when he’s gone.’

‘I actually lived right around the corner from a restaurant called the Poppyseed (in Blasdell), and they had the best chicken chili. When I go back to Buffalo, I stop by the Poppyseed for the chicken chili. That, and, obviously, the Big Tree. After games, you go to Big Tree. I was lucky to play with Brian Moorman, who was the punter and who was very involved in the community. So my introduction to the Bills community was kind of riding his coattail and him introducing me and seeing really how the community responded to him and his PUNT Foundation.’

‘Seattle coach Pete Carroll recognized Farwell as coaching material while he was playing. Farwell spent his final Seahawks season on the sidelines after suffering a serious groin injury in preseason. Rather than reaching an injury settlement with him, Carroll opted to keep Farwell on the injured reserve list and use him in a mentoring/coaching role for the special teams. Seattle reached the Super Bowl that year, losing to New England in the final game.’

‘Since the Bills are out of the quarterback market, the more QBs taken ahead of them in the 2019 draft, the better.’

‘Jill Kelly said the results “took a bit longer than usual because of all the reconstruction Jim has had inside his mouth. They wanted to be certain that all was good.”’

‘O’Donnell moved back to Milan after his playing career and served as an assistant coach on the high school football team for several decades. He’s a past winner of the assistant coach of the year award from the Michigan high school coaches association. The football field at Milan High was named in his honor in 2009.’