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BillsBeat - August 12, 2002
BillsBeat - August 11, 2002
Thou shall not Punt
David Romer, an economist at the University of California-Berkeley, says in a paper NFL that teams ought to punt more for marhematically they will have better results. Marv Levy, Hall of Fame Coach and Special Teams advocate disagrees. Who would you listen to?
Chris Brown: Travis Brown struggles but may get snaps with first team
While the reserve defensive units struggled to get off the field, the Bills offense couldn’t stay on the field. Travis Brown who played so well in the scrimmage struggled against Cincinnati. The Bills HC was pulling for his 3rd string QB, “I would’ve loved to see him get into more of rhythm. He had a couple of passes knocked down, he had some throws darted in there perfectly and we had drops, but you’d have liked to see him have a bit more rhythm.” Still GW hinted that Brown could see time with the first team next week against Minnesota, “We may move him up a little bit and see him take snaps with some of the older guys too.”
Rookie Wire learning fast at new position
‘"He does things you can’t coach," said Bills coach Gregg Williams. "He’s eager to make plays. I’m anxious to watch the film on him. I think he played pretty soundly, pretty strong overall. There’s a couple things on a few of those third downs that were his mistakes, where he was a little bit hesitant. Each time he goes out we’d hope he’ll make strides."’
Offensive line looks better except in blocking for running game
‘The alarming part was the Bills’ running game. It was a mirror image, or worse, of 2001, when it ranked 22nd in a 31-team league. Travis Henry, the No. 1 ball carrier, averaged less than 2 yards a carry. On his two carries, Shawn Bryson showed that it might not be such a hot idea to trade him. Henry’s blockers, to be accurate, were not knocking defenders off the line of scrimmage.’
Bledsoe offers a hitch to Bills’ preseason game plan
‘That’s why, of Buffalo’s 22 plays during the three series while Bledsoe was on the field Friday night against Cincinnati at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Bledsoe threw 11 times.’
Early signals are good from Bills' newest QB
”’We understand if Drew can get some time he’ll have some weapons on the field,” said Donahoe. ”He’s already clicking with some of the receivers and [fullback] Larry Centers and our tight ends. When it all comes together, it’s going to be fun to watch. But we need to be patient and let [coach] Gregg[ Williams] bring the team along. We can’t get too ahead of ourselves. We want to see progress. We have some new players and we have to be patient as they blend in with the rest of our team.”’
Kelly provided uplifting moment
‘What Cappeletti did then and what Kelly did almost 30 years later served to remind the sports-loving public something they should already know – battles on the field of sports are meaningless when compared to the battle too many of us are forced to wage simply to continue living.’
BillsBeat - August 10, 2002
No pain, but great gains
‘"We know we have to score points, and we know we have a great quarterback who’s smart and proven," said Moulds. "When that happens the confidence level goes up at ever position."’
Bledsoe gets high marks in first test
‘The Bills’ marketing department couldn’t have asked for a better opening-night performance from their new franchise quarterback, or from their revitalized offense.’
Bills' 'D' takes good with bad
‘"Obviously, it’s the first preseason game so you can’t tell all that much," Fletcher said. "I won’t draw any conclusions, but we have a long ways to go. We did do some good things, but there’s a lot to work on."’
Offensive line starts slowly
‘The starters played fairly well for the most part. Bledsoe had mostly good protection on his 11 throws and left the game in one piece. The run blocking still needs work, as expected. Although the running backs had a few good gains, the Bills finished with just 50 yards on 15 attempts.’
For campers, tailgate parties at Bills' games last a weekend
‘During the regular season, most campers arrive on Thursday – Wednesday for more important games – and stay until Monday. The extra time allows fans to ponder the finer points of Bills football.’
Football and business
‘If memory serves me, this multimillionaire hid behind bankruptcy laws to shaft people he owed money when his restaurant closed.’
Buffalo Bills vs Bengals game pictures
Action photos of Eric Moulds, Drew Bledsoe, Price, Reed and others