Archives for January 2020

‘“I don’t think it’s going to be a one-on-one matchup,” he said. “There are 11 guys on the field. Whenever he comes lined up to the left side, I’ve got to be on my best game and when he lines up to the right side, Kevin (Johnson) has got to be on his best game. It’s going to take all 11 of us to try to limit him because we know he’s one of the best in the league. If we play team total defense and everybody runs to the ball and whenever he lines up to either side, if we’re on our A-game, we’ll be fine.”’

‘The injury list includes cornerback Levi Wallace (ankle), defensive end Shaq Lawson (hamstring), offensive tackle Ty Nsekhe (ankle) and wide receiver Andre Roberts (foot). The team said all four were limited participants in a light practice, without helmets, Thursday.’

‘Josh Allen making his playoff debut is a slight concern, especially given his admission of “pregame jitters” before facing the New England Patriots last month. However, he and the rest of the Bills’ passing game should have their way with a weak Houston Texans defense. The Bills’ defense should live up to its top-five status and be able to keep Deshaun Watson and his explosive supporting cast in check. Bills, 23-17.’

‘You know what to do. Prediction: Bills over HOUSTON by 3.’

‘Dole left Western New York for Houston at 19 or 20 “because there was nothing much going on in Buffalo,” during a hard economic era when thousands of young people looked toward booming Sun Belt towns. He built a life in a new city, retiring as director of operations for The Houston Chronicle.’

‘”And more than anything, over three years, what they’ve done is they have not deviated from their vision or from their direction. It’s like, ‘This is what we believe, this is the way we’re going to go. We’re not going to deviate for any reason. Ups and downs in the road, rocky seas, this is direction we’re going.’ And I think that’s something to be commended and to be excited about.”‘

‘Watkins already was three years into his rookie contract when McDermott arrived in Buffalo. Would the new coach commit to investing the big money it would take to keep Watkins on a second contract?’

‘“When the new regime came in, they had a clear direction and idea in mind of the type of guys they wanted to bring in and the type of guys that weren’t going to fit in here,” Ferguson said. “They obviously took a look at who was here from that ’16 team. They saw something in us that they wanted to keep around.”’

‘The Bills have a ton of money to spend in 2020. They currently rank fifth in the NFL in 2020 cap space, at $89 million, according to the sports business website Spotrac.com. The Bills will enter 2020 with two glaring roster needs: A starting wide receiver and an edge rusher.’

‘“My goal was always to come back and coach in Buffalo,” he says, “but I was always under contract when situations came up. I just think that the fan base there is the best in the NFL. The people are genuine. They love their football team, and it’s a great city to live in.”’