shawnemerriman: Surgery went extremely well so you guys prayers were answered #thankyou
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Merriman tweets after surgery
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Bills place Merriman on IR
In a press release issued by the team, General Manager Buddy Nix released the following statement:
“Shawne has worked extremely hard, but unfortunately, his Achilles flared back up and it doesn’t appear that he will be able to return to the field anytime soon,” said Nix. “So we felt it was in the best interest of our team and for Shawne to put him on IR.”
Merriman issued the following statement on his website:
"Due to the fact that I have recently been experiencing excessive aggravation in my Achilles tendon, which is a limitation that I have been dealing with for well over two years now, I sought the opinions of multiple medical specialists. After much consideration and unanimous professional recommendations stating that my Achilles is in danger of rupturing, I have been advised that it would be in my best interest to undergo surgery as soon as possible in order to prevent a major injury. I would like to thank all of my fans for their continued support on my road to a full recovery and am looking forward to getting back on the field."
MY TAKE: My first thought when the Bills ruled him out of the Giants game was, they're just going to err on the side of caution and rest him going into the bye week and he'll come back looking like he did during preseason. Shawne even said the injury was minor. Wishful thinking.
Before I get into what this means let me just say that there is no denying how good Merriman looked during his limited reps in the preseason. He was explosive. He looked like he had his burst back. He was killing quarterbacks and making his D line look good. There was a good reason to be genuinely excited about what he could do if he was healthy. You can't deny that. I'll also add that the guy we saw in preseason was not the same guy we saw in the regular season. At first, I thought it was his shoulder injury that he sustained during week one against the Chiefs that was holding him back. After watching him a bit closer, the shoulder didn't seem to be so much the problem but rather the Achilles. He didn't have any explosiveness. No burst. That said, I believe his Achilles flared up somewhere between the Bears preseason game and week 1 of the regular season. There's no other way of explaining how good he looked at one point and then like he did the past few games.
Despite the lack of productivity, I do believe Merriman provided some leadership. He was often seen leading the pregame huddle with the team. I also feel that Merriman was pretty good against the run and teams had to account for him. But many will be quick to point out the obvious - he wasn't making the difference fans had expected - only one sack and it was on a QB scramble.
Not sure what this means moving forward with Merriman and the Bills. He's under contract with the team for one more year. He's also already guaranteed money for next year which leads me to believe the Bills will bring him back for another year if he's healthy enough.
What I do know is that this means that Arthur Moats will finally be at OLB full time, where he should have been since day one. Moats has to step up because the Bills are very thin at the OLB position with the only healthy guys being Moats, Danny Batten and Chris Kelsay. The Bills claimed Antonio Coleman off the Giants practice squad. Coleman was cut by the Bills after the preseason. I thought Coleman had a really good preseason and deserved a spot on the roster but the Bills decided to go with Robert Eddins instead. Coleman should be familiar enough with the defense to step right in if needed.
“Shawne has worked extremely hard, but unfortunately, his Achilles flared back up and it doesn’t appear that he will be able to return to the field anytime soon,” said Nix. “So we felt it was in the best interest of our team and for Shawne to put him on IR.”
Merriman issued the following statement on his website:
"Due to the fact that I have recently been experiencing excessive aggravation in my Achilles tendon, which is a limitation that I have been dealing with for well over two years now, I sought the opinions of multiple medical specialists. After much consideration and unanimous professional recommendations stating that my Achilles is in danger of rupturing, I have been advised that it would be in my best interest to undergo surgery as soon as possible in order to prevent a major injury. I would like to thank all of my fans for their continued support on my road to a full recovery and am looking forward to getting back on the field."
MY TAKE: My first thought when the Bills ruled him out of the Giants game was, they're just going to err on the side of caution and rest him going into the bye week and he'll come back looking like he did during preseason. Shawne even said the injury was minor. Wishful thinking.
Before I get into what this means let me just say that there is no denying how good Merriman looked during his limited reps in the preseason. He was explosive. He looked like he had his burst back. He was killing quarterbacks and making his D line look good. There was a good reason to be genuinely excited about what he could do if he was healthy. You can't deny that. I'll also add that the guy we saw in preseason was not the same guy we saw in the regular season. At first, I thought it was his shoulder injury that he sustained during week one against the Chiefs that was holding him back. After watching him a bit closer, the shoulder didn't seem to be so much the problem but rather the Achilles. He didn't have any explosiveness. No burst. That said, I believe his Achilles flared up somewhere between the Bears preseason game and week 1 of the regular season. There's no other way of explaining how good he looked at one point and then like he did the past few games.
Despite the lack of productivity, I do believe Merriman provided some leadership. He was often seen leading the pregame huddle with the team. I also feel that Merriman was pretty good against the run and teams had to account for him. But many will be quick to point out the obvious - he wasn't making the difference fans had expected - only one sack and it was on a QB scramble.
Not sure what this means moving forward with Merriman and the Bills. He's under contract with the team for one more year. He's also already guaranteed money for next year which leads me to believe the Bills will bring him back for another year if he's healthy enough.
What I do know is that this means that Arthur Moats will finally be at OLB full time, where he should have been since day one. Moats has to step up because the Bills are very thin at the OLB position with the only healthy guys being Moats, Danny Batten and Chris Kelsay. The Bills claimed Antonio Coleman off the Giants practice squad. Coleman was cut by the Bills after the preseason. I thought Coleman had a really good preseason and deserved a spot on the roster but the Bills decided to go with Robert Eddins instead. Coleman should be familiar enough with the defense to step right in if needed.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Fitz close to contract extension
Chris Mortenson of ESPN said the following on ESPN32 today:
"You always like to hear something happen for the good guys, the guys who have never had a big paycheck. Right now Ryan Fitzpatrick is on his bye week, I think when he comes back next week he will see tremendous progress between the Bills on a contract, and that contract won't pay him what those elite quarterbacks make, but there's a 2nd tier of QBs averaging between 9 and 12 million dollars per year, and if they can nail down a last few things I think Ryan Fitzpatrick signs a new contract next week and gets that deal somewhere between 9 and 12 million per year." (Thanks to Carey Bender, who posted this on TwoBillsDrive)
MY TAKE: If Kyle Orton can make 9 million a year, I'm totally fine with Fitzpatrick making 10 to 11 million a year even if it sounds like a scary number. Starting Quarterbacks make a lot of money - there's no way around it (unless you keep drafting guys that keep failing). Some will point to the Dick Jauron contract extension and cite it as an example of why you should wait to sign the guy later in the year. This is a much different scenario. Fitzpatrick really hasn't had an awful game yet. Even though I thought he was the reason we lost that Giants game, he only threw 2 really bad balls. I've also noticed that he's cooled off a bit since his first 3 starts but to expect that production every single game is a bit ridiculous.
The other important thing to note is how much of a bonus he gets up front because that'll be the only guaranteed money he gets. If he suddenly falls flat on his face next year, the Bills could cut him and only lose out on the bonus (which will probably be substantial). That's worst case scenario thinking.
I noted that the offense hasn't been the same since week 3 but we've also sustained some injuries to key positions (LT, WR). When the offense was close to completely healthy, Fitz was unstoppable. I really look forward to seeing how the offense performs against the Redskins. The bye week should give this team some much needed rest and the coaching staff some extra time to prep. I trust that Gailey will find some holes to expose against the 'Skins.
I'd like the Bills to get going on the Stevie Johnson contract talks. It would be really nice to see Fitz, Stevie and Fred Jackson back next year (Jackson still has 1 year left on his current deal so regardless of what happens, he'll be here next year). Fitz and Stevie have a really good thing going and I'm seeing the emergence of Stevie as a true #1 receiver. His routes just keep getting better and better. Lock him up - establish the core of the offense for many years to come. Then you can focus on what you're going to do with Fred Jackson (just pay the man!) and guys like Demetrius Bell.
"You always like to hear something happen for the good guys, the guys who have never had a big paycheck. Right now Ryan Fitzpatrick is on his bye week, I think when he comes back next week he will see tremendous progress between the Bills on a contract, and that contract won't pay him what those elite quarterbacks make, but there's a 2nd tier of QBs averaging between 9 and 12 million dollars per year, and if they can nail down a last few things I think Ryan Fitzpatrick signs a new contract next week and gets that deal somewhere between 9 and 12 million per year." (Thanks to Carey Bender, who posted this on TwoBillsDrive)
MY TAKE: If Kyle Orton can make 9 million a year, I'm totally fine with Fitzpatrick making 10 to 11 million a year even if it sounds like a scary number. Starting Quarterbacks make a lot of money - there's no way around it (unless you keep drafting guys that keep failing). Some will point to the Dick Jauron contract extension and cite it as an example of why you should wait to sign the guy later in the year. This is a much different scenario. Fitzpatrick really hasn't had an awful game yet. Even though I thought he was the reason we lost that Giants game, he only threw 2 really bad balls. I've also noticed that he's cooled off a bit since his first 3 starts but to expect that production every single game is a bit ridiculous.
The other important thing to note is how much of a bonus he gets up front because that'll be the only guaranteed money he gets. If he suddenly falls flat on his face next year, the Bills could cut him and only lose out on the bonus (which will probably be substantial). That's worst case scenario thinking.
I noted that the offense hasn't been the same since week 3 but we've also sustained some injuries to key positions (LT, WR). When the offense was close to completely healthy, Fitz was unstoppable. I really look forward to seeing how the offense performs against the Redskins. The bye week should give this team some much needed rest and the coaching staff some extra time to prep. I trust that Gailey will find some holes to expose against the 'Skins.
I'd like the Bills to get going on the Stevie Johnson contract talks. It would be really nice to see Fitz, Stevie and Fred Jackson back next year (Jackson still has 1 year left on his current deal so regardless of what happens, he'll be here next year). Fitz and Stevie have a really good thing going and I'm seeing the emergence of Stevie as a true #1 receiver. His routes just keep getting better and better. Lock him up - establish the core of the offense for many years to come. Then you can focus on what you're going to do with Fred Jackson (just pay the man!) and guys like Demetrius Bell.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Bills/Jets sold out, Sheppard, Hairston injured, Merriman update, Williams and more
The Bills announced that the Bills/Jets game (11/6) is officially sold out which means we get to see the next 5 Bills games on TV. The next game at the Ralph after that Jets game is against Tennessee which should sell out (if Titans can remain in the picture, same can be said for Bills as well).
Kelvin Sheppard will start at ILB for the first time against the Redskins (following the bye week). Sheppard has looked good in a limited role. Andra Davis, who has clearly lost a step, has been mentoring Sheppard since the start of camp. Nick Barnett has also given Sheppard some tips. The Bills have been slowly but surely easing him into the position.
Chris Hairston suffered an ankle injury in the second half of the Giants game. It's believed he will be out 2-4 weeks which is actually good news for the team because a serious injury could have really put the Bills in a tough spot as far as offensive lineman go. Demetrius Bell's injury is getting better and he should be ready by the time they play the Redskins. I'll repeat myself once again - this bye is coming at a great time for the Bills. Guys who are dinged up are finally getting a chance to rest and guys who have been hurt should be close to coming back by the time they have to play again. Hairston got some great experience while Bell was hurt. He looked pretty good in relief.
Shawne Merriman is telling the team and fans that he will be ready to return after the bye week. Gailey seems a bit skeptical and is waiting for an update from the medical staff. Say what you want about him but Merriman does provide stability at the position and plays the run really well. Same can be said for Kelsay. If only he didn't injure his shoulder in the first game, we might have seen some of that explosion that we saw in the preseason. Who knows, maybe the Bills get lucky and he miraculously feels better after the bye and we DO see that playmaker. Given his recent injury history, I wouldn't bet on it.
Speaking of Chris Kelsay, it's looking like his calf injury will be close to healed up for the 'Skins game. Still can't believe we were missing Merriman, Williams and Kelsay on the defensive line against the Giants and it was still a close game.
Gailey said there was no new update on Kyle Williams and they will put his foot through more tests to determine the severity of the injury. His foot has been bothering him since camp. This could explain why he hasn't been as dominant as he was last year. That said, he STILL has been effective when he was in there. Of all the guys injured, this is the guy the Bills need to get better.
Big props to Kraig Urbik who played a good game this past Sunday. He looked like he was going to be the weak link of the line during training camp but before his injury and since he has returned from that injury, he has been solid. I saw him push guys down the field several times against the Giants. Our interior line looks to be in good shape.
Kelvin Sheppard will start at ILB for the first time against the Redskins (following the bye week). Sheppard has looked good in a limited role. Andra Davis, who has clearly lost a step, has been mentoring Sheppard since the start of camp. Nick Barnett has also given Sheppard some tips. The Bills have been slowly but surely easing him into the position.
Chris Hairston suffered an ankle injury in the second half of the Giants game. It's believed he will be out 2-4 weeks which is actually good news for the team because a serious injury could have really put the Bills in a tough spot as far as offensive lineman go. Demetrius Bell's injury is getting better and he should be ready by the time they play the Redskins. I'll repeat myself once again - this bye is coming at a great time for the Bills. Guys who are dinged up are finally getting a chance to rest and guys who have been hurt should be close to coming back by the time they have to play again. Hairston got some great experience while Bell was hurt. He looked pretty good in relief.
Shawne Merriman is telling the team and fans that he will be ready to return after the bye week. Gailey seems a bit skeptical and is waiting for an update from the medical staff. Say what you want about him but Merriman does provide stability at the position and plays the run really well. Same can be said for Kelsay. If only he didn't injure his shoulder in the first game, we might have seen some of that explosion that we saw in the preseason. Who knows, maybe the Bills get lucky and he miraculously feels better after the bye and we DO see that playmaker. Given his recent injury history, I wouldn't bet on it.
Speaking of Chris Kelsay, it's looking like his calf injury will be close to healed up for the 'Skins game. Still can't believe we were missing Merriman, Williams and Kelsay on the defensive line against the Giants and it was still a close game.
Gailey said there was no new update on Kyle Williams and they will put his foot through more tests to determine the severity of the injury. His foot has been bothering him since camp. This could explain why he hasn't been as dominant as he was last year. That said, he STILL has been effective when he was in there. Of all the guys injured, this is the guy the Bills need to get better.
Big props to Kraig Urbik who played a good game this past Sunday. He looked like he was going to be the weak link of the line during training camp but before his injury and since he has returned from that injury, he has been solid. I saw him push guys down the field several times against the Giants. Our interior line looks to be in good shape.
McGee solid in return
Terrence McGee got plenty of time at CB for the first time all year since he hurt his hamstring early in the opener against the Chiefs. McGee didn't disappoint. He had some outstanding, hard hitting tackles early in the game resembling a former, undersized cornerback we're all familiar with, Antoine Winfield.
Getting McGee back is huge for the secondary that has struggled mightily the past several weeks. Aaron Williams should be back in 3 weeks or so which will give this secondary another small boost.
I'm personally looking forward to seeing a 100% McGee in the final 10 games of the season - that's if he can avoid injury. We haven't seen much of him in the past few years because of injury but when he's healthy, he's a damn good cornerback. He is in the last year of his deal with the Bills.
Getting McGee back is huge for the secondary that has struggled mightily the past several weeks. Aaron Williams should be back in 3 weeks or so which will give this secondary another small boost.
I'm personally looking forward to seeing a 100% McGee in the final 10 games of the season - that's if he can avoid injury. We haven't seen much of him in the past few years because of injury but when he's healthy, he's a damn good cornerback. He is in the last year of his deal with the Bills.
The Blame Game
I put the loss of the Bengals game on the Defense. This loss falls on Ryan Fitzpatrick who threw 2 critical interceptions at the wrong time.
Stevie Johnson beat his man, Webster, twice on very similar routes and Fitzpatrick under-threw Johnson both times. That doesn't change my opinion on Fitzpatrick. Every QB is going to have a tough game. Fitzpatrick hasn't looked like himself the past 3 weeks but I suspect the bye week is coming at the perfect time for him (along with the rest of the team and their injuries) and will give him plenty of time to look over film and self evaluate.
Stevie Johnson beat his man, Webster, twice on very similar routes and Fitzpatrick under-threw Johnson both times. That doesn't change my opinion on Fitzpatrick. Every QB is going to have a tough game. Fitzpatrick hasn't looked like himself the past 3 weeks but I suspect the bye week is coming at the perfect time for him (along with the rest of the team and their injuries) and will give him plenty of time to look over film and self evaluate.
Bills lose close one against the G Men
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Ahmad Bradshaw ran for 104 yards and a career-best three touchdowns and Lawrence Tynes kicked a go-ahead, 23-yard field goal with 1:32 remaining to give the New York Giants a 27-24 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
Bradshaw scored on three one-yard runs and had a 30-yard run to help set up Tynes' winner as the Giants (4-2) rebounded from a bad loss to Seattle last weekend by limiting the high-scoring Bills (4-2) to seven second-half points.
Ryan Fitzpatrick (21 of 30 for 244 yards) threw touchdown passes of 60 yards to Naaman Roosevelt and nine yards to Stevie Johnson, but his final attempt was batted down by Jason Pierre-Paul on a fourth-and-5 from the Bills' 25 to preserve the win.
Fitzpatrick also was intercepted twice by Corey Webster, with the last starting the possession that led to the winning kick.
Bills Inactives vs. Giants
Donald Jones
Aaron Williams
Terrence Wheatley
Shawne Merriman
Demetrius Bell
Chris Kelsay
Kyle Williams
Just look at some of those names. Bills missing several critical starters..
Aaron Williams
Terrence Wheatley
Shawne Merriman
Demetrius Bell
Chris Kelsay
Kyle Williams
Just look at some of those names. Bills missing several critical starters..
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Bills need to avoid injury and why I'd rest some guys this week
Donald Jones injured his ankle in the game against the Eagles and is out 4-6 weeks. Kyle Williams also has an ongoing ankle injury that has bothered him since camp. Demetrius Bell is out with a shoulder injury. Nick Barnett re-aggravated an ankle injury this week. And now Shawne Merriman has been ruled out of the game against the Giants.
The bye week couldn't be coming at a better time.
But first, the Bills have to go to New Jersey and take care of business against an inconsistent Giants team.
In the most obvious statement of the year, the Bills need to avoid injury! Moreso than other teams because as I've said all year long, their depth isn't good enough. They aren't deep enough. I have faith Buddy Nix will address that in the coming years but this year #2 for him where he basically reset the roster.
This is the week where you have to rely on the depth you do have. It's time for Torell Troup to step in for Kyle Williams. Yes, I'd rest Kyle Williams because you'd give his ankle 2 weeks time to get ready for the stretch run (or the playoff push, whatever you want to call it). As scary as it sounds, it's time to count on guys like Kellen Heard and Torell Troup. Troup has been dinged up all year with back issues. It looks like he's close to ready. It's time for him to prove his second round draft status.
Terrence McGee looks like he'll be playing some nickel this week. They don't want to rush him into full CB coverage after his hamstring injury.
The Giants are also dinged up and have several big name guys out (Tuck, Jacobs, Snee). This is the time you rest some of your big name guys and test your depth. It might come down to Eli vs. Fitz.
The best case scenario is after the bye, you'd have a much healthier group of guys for the game against the 'Skins in Toronto. The worst case scenario is chancing it and risking season long injuries to your big players. I fully support the idea of the Bills to err on the side of caution in this game. You can't rest everybody, of course, but you can rest the guys you'll need for the long haul.
The bye week couldn't be coming at a better time.
But first, the Bills have to go to New Jersey and take care of business against an inconsistent Giants team.
In the most obvious statement of the year, the Bills need to avoid injury! Moreso than other teams because as I've said all year long, their depth isn't good enough. They aren't deep enough. I have faith Buddy Nix will address that in the coming years but this year #2 for him where he basically reset the roster.
This is the week where you have to rely on the depth you do have. It's time for Torell Troup to step in for Kyle Williams. Yes, I'd rest Kyle Williams because you'd give his ankle 2 weeks time to get ready for the stretch run (or the playoff push, whatever you want to call it). As scary as it sounds, it's time to count on guys like Kellen Heard and Torell Troup. Troup has been dinged up all year with back issues. It looks like he's close to ready. It's time for him to prove his second round draft status.
Terrence McGee looks like he'll be playing some nickel this week. They don't want to rush him into full CB coverage after his hamstring injury.
The Giants are also dinged up and have several big name guys out (Tuck, Jacobs, Snee). This is the time you rest some of your big name guys and test your depth. It might come down to Eli vs. Fitz.
The best case scenario is after the bye, you'd have a much healthier group of guys for the game against the 'Skins in Toronto. The worst case scenario is chancing it and risking season long injuries to your big players. I fully support the idea of the Bills to err on the side of caution in this game. You can't rest everybody, of course, but you can rest the guys you'll need for the long haul.
Merriman doubtful for game against Giants
While most of us assumed it, it was finally revealed that Shawne Merriman had been dealing with a nagging shoulder injury (from the Chiefs game) that forced him to practice here and there but his injury situation worsened with the news of his old Achilles injury creeping up on him. He's unlikely to play against the Giants this Sunday.
"(It) just flared up," said Merriman. "It’s one of those things we kinda knew before the season that it was going to happen at some point in time. Just have to to kind of take control of it and find out where to go from here. I’m not 100 percent (sure) what’s going to happen just yet. We haven’t talked about it. Nothing serious fortunately, just something I have to maintain and take care of."
“All along it had been his shoulder and all of a sudden that thing started acting up yesterday," said Gailey. "He’s doubtful. I don’t know if he’s going to make it or not.”
MY TAKE: The way I see it, the Bills should rest Merriman Sunday and give him 2 weeks+ to get better. Merriman himself confirmed it isn't an injury that's serious enough to put him on IR or even keep him out long. Rest him against the Giants and then you have a bye week to give him another week of rest. Moats played a good game last week and filling in for Merriman won't be much of a drop off at all.
You could tell Merriman wasn't the guy we saw in preseason and it's obvious that shoulder problem has held him back in terms of explosiveness. Best case scenario for Bills fans is if Merriman's shoulder & Achilles miraculously heal by the time we have to play the Redskins.
"(It) just flared up," said Merriman. "It’s one of those things we kinda knew before the season that it was going to happen at some point in time. Just have to to kind of take control of it and find out where to go from here. I’m not 100 percent (sure) what’s going to happen just yet. We haven’t talked about it. Nothing serious fortunately, just something I have to maintain and take care of."
“All along it had been his shoulder and all of a sudden that thing started acting up yesterday," said Gailey. "He’s doubtful. I don’t know if he’s going to make it or not.”
MY TAKE: The way I see it, the Bills should rest Merriman Sunday and give him 2 weeks+ to get better. Merriman himself confirmed it isn't an injury that's serious enough to put him on IR or even keep him out long. Rest him against the Giants and then you have a bye week to give him another week of rest. Moats played a good game last week and filling in for Merriman won't be much of a drop off at all.
You could tell Merriman wasn't the guy we saw in preseason and it's obvious that shoulder problem has held him back in terms of explosiveness. Best case scenario for Bills fans is if Merriman's shoulder & Achilles miraculously heal by the time we have to play the Redskins.
Jackson carries Bills past struggling Eagles
Jackson carries Bills past struggling Eagles
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Fred Jackson had 196 yards from scrimmage and linebacker Nick Barnett had two of Buffalo's four interceptions in leading the Bills to a 31-24 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
After scoring on a 31-yard interception return in the second quarter, Barnett sealed the victory by grabbing Michael Vick's tipped pass intended for Jason Avant with 1:49 remaining at the Bills 26.
Jackson scored on a 5-yard run and finished with 111 yards rushing in helping the Bills (4-1) match their best start since 2008.
Vick went 26 of 40 for 315 yards passing and two touchdowns, but was undone by a career-worst four interceptions. He added 90 yards rushing to pass Randall Cunningham for most career rushing yards by an NFL quarterback.
The Eagles (1-4) have lost four straight and are off to their worst start since 1999, coach Andy
Reid's first season.
by The Associated Press
Bills Inactives list v. Eagles
T Demetrius Bell
G Colin Brown
LB Chris Kelsay
NT Torell Troup
CB Terrence Wheatley
LB Chris White
CB Aaron Williams
G Colin Brown
LB Chris Kelsay
NT Torell Troup
CB Terrence Wheatley
LB Chris White
CB Aaron Williams
Bengals shock Bills on Nugent's field goal
Bengals shock Bills on Nugent's field goal
CINCINNATI -- Rookie quarterback Andy Dalton shook off a horrid first half and led his first comeback victory Sunday, culminating in Mike Nugent's 43-yard field goal as time ran out for a 23-20 win over the previously unbeaten Buffalo Bills.
The Bills (3-1) came in as the AFC's last perfect team after pulling off historic comebacks. This time, they couldn't hold a lead.
Dalton threw a touchdown pass and ran 3 yards on a draw play, tying it with 4:09 to go. He scrambled for a first down on the winning drive - a replay overturn gave him the needed ground -- and Nugent ended it with his third field goal in front of the smallest crowd of Paul Brown Stadium's history.
The Bengals (2-2) overcame a 17-3 halftime deficit to end a 10-game losing streak against Buffalo.
by The Associated Press
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Bills Inactives list vs. Bengals
CB Aaron Williams
CB Terrence McGee
CB Terrence Wheatley
LB Chris White
G Kraig Urbik
RT Sam Young
DT Kellen Heard
TE Lee Smith, CB Justin Rogers and NT Torell Troup are active for the first time this year.
CB Terrence McGee
CB Terrence Wheatley
LB Chris White
G Kraig Urbik
RT Sam Young
DT Kellen Heard
TE Lee Smith, CB Justin Rogers and NT Torell Troup are active for the first time this year.
Bills shock the world and finally beat the Pats
Bills stay unbeaten, stun Pats with furious rally
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Hold on to your seats, the Buffalo Bills are showing they're for real.
Rian Lindell hit a 28-yard field goal as time expired to cap a stunning comeback for a 34-31 victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday. The win snapped Buffalo's 15-game losing streak against the Patriots that dated to 2003, and sparked a wild celebration in which stadium officials guarded the goal posts to ensure fans didn't bring them down.
The Bills (3-0) won courtesy of yet another Ryan Fitzpatrick-led rally, overcoming a 21-0 second-quarter deficit. It was reminiscent to what the Bills did in a 38-35 win over Oakland a week earlier, when they scored touchdowns on their final five possession to overcome a 21-3 deficit.
This time, they did it against their longtime AFC East nemesis.
Tom Brady went 30 of 45 for 386 yards and four scores for New England (2-1). Despite setting a league record for most yards passing over a three-game stretch, Brady matched a career worst with four interceptions.
That included Drayton Florence's 27-yard interception return for a touchdown with 10:22 left that came 14 seconds after Buffalo's Fred Jackson tied the game at 24 with a one-yard plunge.
by The Associated Press
Incredible game. Bills fans won't forget this one for a LONG time.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Bills Inactives list vs. Patriots
Bills Inactives:
CB Terrence McGee
DB Justin Rogers
LB Kirk Morrison
G Kraig Urbik
RT Sam Young
TE Lee Smith
NT Torell Troup
Arthur Moats and OL Colin Brown are active for the first time this year.
CB Terrence McGee
DB Justin Rogers
LB Kirk Morrison
G Kraig Urbik
RT Sam Young
TE Lee Smith
NT Torell Troup
Arthur Moats and OL Colin Brown are active for the first time this year.
Roscoe IR'd, Roosevelt called up
Roscoe Parrish was put on the Injured Reserved list early this week. He left last week's game against the Raiders with an ankle injury. Gailey said after the game that Parrish would be gone for a while and after getting another opinion on it, the Bills decided to IR him.
Another season ending injury for Parrish. Disappointing but also not unexpected. Gailey loves Parrish but if he can't stay healthy, there's no point moving forward with him. This is the last year on Parrish's deal with the Bills. Unless he takes a lesser deal, I can't see the Bills resigning him.
As a result of this, Naaman Roosevelt got the call up to the main squad.
EDIT: This is up later than I hoped but I wanted to get it up before the Bills v. Pats game. Sorry about the delay.
Another season ending injury for Parrish. Disappointing but also not unexpected. Gailey loves Parrish but if he can't stay healthy, there's no point moving forward with him. This is the last year on Parrish's deal with the Bills. Unless he takes a lesser deal, I can't see the Bills resigning him.
As a result of this, Naaman Roosevelt got the call up to the main squad.
EDIT: This is up later than I hoped but I wanted to get it up before the Bills v. Pats game. Sorry about the delay.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Bills outduel the Raiders in a Thriller
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Ryan Fitzpatrick threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to David Nelson with 14 seconds left to cap a wild back-and-forth fourth quarter and lead the Buffalo Bills to a 38-35 victory over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.
The Bills scored touchdowns on all five of their second-half possessions to overcome a 21-3 first-half deficit. The teams traded leads five times over the final 14:10.
On NFL Network "NFL Replay" will re-air the Buffalo Bills' 38-35 win over the Oakland Raiders on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. ET.
Fred Jackson scored twice and had 117 rushing yards for the Bills (2-0) in their home opener. Fitzpatrick finished 28-of-46 passing for 264 yards and three touchdowns. The Raiders (1-1) haven't fared well when traveling East. Last season, they were 0-3 when taking cross country trips.
Jason Campbell went 23 of 33 for 323 yards and two scores before having his last desperation pass intercepted by Da'Norris Searcy in the end zone.
But it wasn't until some 10 minutes after the game ended that the result was official.
With both teams in their locker rooms and much of the stadium empty, referee Mike Carey returned to the field to review the final play and if Oakland wide receiver Denarius Moore caught the ball.
Carey then announced the call stood as an interception.
by The Associated Press
Incredible game. Sorry this took so long to post. I'll be back with far more.. this was, by far, the best Bills game in many years.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Quick Hits: Bills re-sign Corner, Moats & Troup practicing, Stevie sits out
The Bills re-signed Reggie Corner to the 53 man roster. Undrafted LB Robert Eddins was placed on Injured Reserve. Eddins has a foot injury that occurred during the Chiefs game. Corner's biggest problem is his Special Teams play. He isn't very good in that area. This should be a wake up call for the 4th round pick of the Bills. After putting in a few decent performances at Training Camp, he was still cut. Gailey admitted it was a tough decision but his Special Teams play contributed to that decision. With Terrence McGee out for a bit, Corner has a chance to see some action in the next few weeks.
Arthur Moats and Torrel Troup returned to practice in a limited role.
Stevie Johnson didn't practice Thursday, but head coach Chan Gailey explained why: “He’s been having a nagging groin for a month, so we just gave him a rest today,” said Gailey.
Johnson will be ready to go on Sunday.
DT Tommy Kelly of the Raiders was impressed with the Bills victory over the Chiefs but he also had some parting words: "We ain't the Chiefs." No you aren't, Tommy. Can't wait to see this Sunday's game. The way I see it, the Raiders have an excellent defensive line and exceptional running back. Shut McFadden down and devise a gameplan around that strong DL, and the Bills should be fine. Easier said than done!
Arthur Moats and Torrel Troup returned to practice in a limited role.
Stevie Johnson didn't practice Thursday, but head coach Chan Gailey explained why: “He’s been having a nagging groin for a month, so we just gave him a rest today,” said Gailey.
Johnson will be ready to go on Sunday.
DT Tommy Kelly of the Raiders was impressed with the Bills victory over the Chiefs but he also had some parting words: "We ain't the Chiefs." No you aren't, Tommy. Can't wait to see this Sunday's game. The way I see it, the Raiders have an excellent defensive line and exceptional running back. Shut McFadden down and devise a gameplan around that strong DL, and the Bills should be fine. Easier said than done!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Easley goes on IR, McGee out (again), New CB signed for PS, Levi gone, Peter King, Fitz & Brady
EASLEY ON IR
Buffalo Bills second-year wide receiver Marcus Easley was placed on season-ending injured reserve today. He has been diagnosed with a heart ailment according to Rodney McKissic of The Buffalo News. It's unclear about the specifics of Easley’s condition or whether it’s career threatening.
Easley left last Friday’s practice early with what was called an "illness" and missed the season opener against Kansas City. He even tweeted saying the condition was minor and he'd be back in a bit. We should find out more about it in the next few days.
MY TAKE: Unfortunate break for Easley, who was most certainly going to play a bigger role as the season went on but there's more to life than football and Easley has to get this taken care of. There's always next year, if he's able to take care of the ailment. I thought the 3rd preseason game was a good indication of the role Easley would eventually play with the Bills.
McGEE OUT (AGAIN)
Terrence McGee hurt his hamstring early in the first quarter against the Chiefs and it looks like he's going to miss some time.
“Not good,” said head coach Chan Gailey when asked for details on McGee’s injury. ”It’s going to be a few weeks.”
MY TAKE: I can't tell you how disappointed I was seeing a visual Bills fans have become all too familiar with - Terrence McGee being helped off the field. I'm at the point where I think it may be time to part ways with McGee and give Aaron Williams more time. But it looks like the Bills are going to give him a few weeks to heal up and get back on the field. I have no faith in McGee staying healthy.
NEWLY SIGNED CB ON THE PS
Bills signed CB Terrence Wheatley to the Practice Squad. He stands in at 5-9 and weighs 185 lbs. Whealey is the Patriots 2nd round pick of the 2008 NFL draft. To make room for Wheatly, Levi Brown was released from Practice Squad.
KING PRAISES THE BILLS
Sports Illustrated's Peter Kings raves about Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Bills here: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/peter_king/09/13/mail/index.html#Bills
FITZ & BRADY?!
Ryan Fitzpatrick’s Week 1 performance was the 3rd four-touchdown game for him since he became the full-time starter in Week 3 of the 2010 season. Only one other quarterback has had as many four-touchdown passing games as Fitz over that span and that is Tom Brady according to the NY Times Fifth Down Blog.
Since the start of last season, Fitzpatrick and Tom Brady are the only quarterbacks with three games with four passing touchdowns or more.
Buffalo Bills second-year wide receiver Marcus Easley was placed on season-ending injured reserve today. He has been diagnosed with a heart ailment according to Rodney McKissic of The Buffalo News. It's unclear about the specifics of Easley’s condition or whether it’s career threatening.
Easley left last Friday’s practice early with what was called an "illness" and missed the season opener against Kansas City. He even tweeted saying the condition was minor and he'd be back in a bit. We should find out more about it in the next few days.
MY TAKE: Unfortunate break for Easley, who was most certainly going to play a bigger role as the season went on but there's more to life than football and Easley has to get this taken care of. There's always next year, if he's able to take care of the ailment. I thought the 3rd preseason game was a good indication of the role Easley would eventually play with the Bills.
McGEE OUT (AGAIN)
Terrence McGee hurt his hamstring early in the first quarter against the Chiefs and it looks like he's going to miss some time.
“Not good,” said head coach Chan Gailey when asked for details on McGee’s injury. ”It’s going to be a few weeks.”
MY TAKE: I can't tell you how disappointed I was seeing a visual Bills fans have become all too familiar with - Terrence McGee being helped off the field. I'm at the point where I think it may be time to part ways with McGee and give Aaron Williams more time. But it looks like the Bills are going to give him a few weeks to heal up and get back on the field. I have no faith in McGee staying healthy.
NEWLY SIGNED CB ON THE PS
Bills signed CB Terrence Wheatley to the Practice Squad. He stands in at 5-9 and weighs 185 lbs. Whealey is the Patriots 2nd round pick of the 2008 NFL draft. To make room for Wheatly, Levi Brown was released from Practice Squad.
KING PRAISES THE BILLS
Sports Illustrated's Peter Kings raves about Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Bills here: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/peter_king/09/13/mail/index.html#Bills
FITZ & BRADY?!
Ryan Fitzpatrick’s Week 1 performance was the 3rd four-touchdown game for him since he became the full-time starter in Week 3 of the 2010 season. Only one other quarterback has had as many four-touchdown passing games as Fitz over that span and that is Tom Brady according to the NY Times Fifth Down Blog.
Since the start of last season, Fitzpatrick and Tom Brady are the only quarterbacks with three games with four passing touchdowns or more.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Bills v. Chiefs - Play by play review
On the opening kickoff, Bills kick off to the Chiefs and Kelvin Sheppard is responsible for a forced fumble. Bills get the ball at the 26.
1st & 10 (Bills) - Incompletion but there's a flag down. Pass Interference called on the Chiefs.
1st & 10 - Inside run by Fred Jackson who picked up about 8 yards.
2nd & 1 - Jackson changed directions and picks up about 4 or 5, enough for the first down. Good patience by Fred.
1st & Goal - Fitzpatrick mishandles the snap. He ends up scooping up the loose ball.
2nd & Goal - Jackson took the delayed handoff and picks up a few.
3rd & Goal - TOUCHDOWN. Fitzpatrick connected with Chandler. Chandler ran a little hitch route and Fitz zipped it in there. They threw out of an empty set.
Extra point is good.
Bills 7 Chiefs 0
Kickoff return to the 21 by the Chiefs. Johnny White brought the returner down. Flag down. 2 fouls on the play. 1 on each team. Ball is spotted at the KC foul.
1st & 10 (Chiefs) - Play-action completion to Pope who picked up about 14. George Wilson whiffed on a lazy tackle attempt. Byrd brought Pope down. McGee was escorted off the field at this point.
1st & 10 - Pitch play to Charles who ran left for about 4 yards.
2nd & 6 - Incompletion. Cassel overthrew Copper. Cassel was locked in on the left side, didn't even look right.
3rd & 6 - SACK. Kelsay pushed his man back forcing Cassel to step up, Dareus ALMOST got to him and Cassel was forced to scramble but Bryan Scott got to him, closely followed by Kelsay.
4th & 6 - 46 yard Punt
1st & 10 (Bills) - Inside run play to Spiller who picked up about 7. Eric Berry was down on the field once again.
2nd & 3 - 5 wide set again. We saw a few of those on the first drive. Screen play to CJ Spiller who picked up enough for the first down.
1st & 10 - Hand off to Fred Jackson for a gain of 1 yard. Hali was in on the stop.
2nd & 9 - 5 wide set. Incompletion. Pass was intended for David Nelson. Deep throw down the middle but it went off Nelson's hands. A bit high.
3rd & 9 - Incompletion. Fitzpatrick took a hit here. Pass was intended for Stevie Johnson who ran a comeback route. Even if Stevie caught it, it would've been short of the first down. After watching it again, Bell picked up the wrong guy.
4th & 9 - Punt by Moorman who kicks it into the endzone for a touchback.
1st & 10 (Chiefs) - Incompletion. Play-action roll out but Cassel threw it too low for Pope.
2nd & 10 - Charles ran it up the middle for a gain of a few. Barnett brought him down.
3rd & 7 - Quick pass to the left, Byrd sniffed this play out and brought the WR down behind the line of scrimmage. And if Byrd hadn't got him, Merriman was close behind. Great tackle.
4th & 13 - Bad punt off the side of the punter's foot. Crowd is boo'ing. 27 yard punt.
1st & 10 (Bills) - Handoff to Jackson who went wide for a gain of 7. Chandler did a great job blocking his man on the edge.
2nd & 3 - Incompletion. Intended for Roscoe Parrish but the pass was too low. Would've been good enough for a first down. That's on Fitz.
3rd & 3 - Incompletion. Fitz threw a sideline pass to Nelson who couldn't get either foot in bounds. #92 of the Chiefs D beat Levitre which forced the quick throw by Fitz, who has misfired his last 4 throws. Gailey was getting pretty vocal with Fitz on the sidelines.
4th & 3 - Punt by Moorman.
1st & 10 (Chiefs) - Charles ran inside left for a short pick up. Merriman brought him down. This is when a Chiefs player landed on Merriman's shoulder and he ran to the sidelines.
2nd & 7 - Quick flip out to Bowe, who picked up a few. McKelvin brought him down.
3rd & 5 - Incompletion. Bowe almost made a terrific one handed grab but couldn't bring it down. Florence was on coverage.
4th & 5 - Punt. Parrish picked up about 4, could've gotten more here but one of his own guys ran into him as he was cutting up field.
1st & 10 (Bills) - Fitzpatrick scrambled for a few. He had extra protection here and had a decent amount of time but elected to run for a gain of a few.
2nd & 7 - Run play to Spiller who tried to kick it outside but was met instantly.
3rd & 6 - Sideline completion to David Nelson who picked up about 9 yards.
1st & 10 - Brad Smith is in. Smith looked for an opening and made a few moves but couldn't get anything. A little indecisive.
2nd & 10 - Big completion to David Nelson who picked up 35 yards! Fitz threw a beautiful ball. Nelson had a safety on him.
1st & 10 - TOUCHDOWN. Fitz connected with Stevie Johnson deep down the right side. Jackson and McIntyre picked up the blitz beautifully. Fitz tossed it up and Stevie went WAY up there to get it. Impressive catch by Stevie who faked the spike as his touchdown celebration.
Extra point is good.
Bills 14 Chiefs 0
Kickoff that went deep into the endzone and the returner elected to kneel down for the touchback.
1st & 10 (Chiefs) - Big run to the left by Charles who picked up 22 yards. Barnett had a chance to get him but missed.
1st & 10 - Delay hand off to Charles who gained nothing. Kyle Williams and Kelsay in on the stop.
End of first quarter.
2nd & 10 - Completion to McCluster who picked up about 6. Barnett brought him down.
3rd & 4 - Completion to O'Connell who picked up about 15. Barnett was in on coverage. Carrington failed to get much of a rush here.
1st & 10 - Thomas Jones got the next carry for a gain of 1 yard.
2nd & 9 - Completion to Bowe. Pick up of about 15.
1st & 10 - Inside run to the right by Charles who picked up 3.
2nd & 8 - Touchdown. Cassel went deep to Pope who caught it in the endzone but this will be a close one because it's questionable whether he maintained possession or got both feet in.
This play will be reviewed.
The ruling on the field has been reversed, he failed to maintain possession.
3rd & 8 - SACK. Spencer Johnson will likely get credit for the sack but Kyle Williams pushed a few guys back forcing Cassel to take a few steps back and Johnson tripped him up.
4th & 8 - Field Goal attempt is no good.
1st & 10 (Bills) - Beautiful catch by Scott Chandler who picked up nearly 19 yards. Fitz went with a playaction roll out. Spiller had a tough time blocking his guy but it didn't matter as Fitz was rolling out the opposite way.
1st & 10 - Inside run by Fred Jackson who picked up about 6 yards.
2nd & 4 - Jackson ran to the left and tried cutting up field but couldn't find any room. Picked up about 3 yards.
3rd & 1 - Brad Smith in. Smith picked up enough for the first down.
1st & 10 - Timeout called by Fitz.
1st & 10 - Completion to Chandler who picked up 13 yards. The line gave Fitz all the time he needed here. Wood was flat out dominant here.
1st & 10 - Delayed hand off to Jackson who went left and picked up about 8 yards.
2nd & 2 - Hand off to Spiller who tried cutting left but was met at the line once again. No gain.
3rd & 3 - Incompletion. Quick throw to Stevie Johnson but Fitz was off the mark here. Chiefs blitzed and Fitz felt the pressure too quickly. Had he waited just a tiny bit he could have planted his feet and threw a better ball.
4th & 3 - Field good attempt is good by Lindell.
Bills 17 Chiefs 0
Kick off return to the 17. Johnny White brought the returner down.
1st & 10 (Chiefs) - Run play to the right by Charles who fumbled and the ball was recovered by the Bills. McKelvin recovered the ball. George Wilson forced the fumble.
Challenge by the Chiefs. The play stands.
1st & 10 (Bills) - Incompletion. Fitz threw deep right to Donald Jones who caught the ball but couldn't get both feet in. Ball was thrown a little too high. Jones came close. Gannon was ripping Fitz a bit here.
2nd & 10 - Jackson ran left and was met instantly but still gained a few yards somehow.
3rd & 9 - Incompletion. Fitz went RIGHT back to Jones on the far right side. Fitz tried fitting this in between the corner and the safety. Very questionable throw as Jones was covered pretty tightly in 2 deep man-to-man coverage. Jones broke up the near interception.
4th & 9 - Field goal attempt is good by Lindell.
Bills 20 Chiefs 0
Kickoff return to the 15 yard line. McKelvin brought the returner down.
1st & 10 (Chiefs)
Incompletion. McKelvin had a chance to pick this one off. Could've been returned for a TD if he got it.
2nd & 10 - Hand off to McCluster who was brought down by Dareus, Barnett and Merriman.
3rd & 8 - Completion to Charles who got enough for the first down. Aaron Williams brought him down.
1st & 10 - Chiefs are going no huddle. Short completion to Charles.
2nd & 9 - Big 23 yard run by McCluster who ran inside left. Dwan Edwards just missed him at the line.
1st & 10 - Jones got the carry for a minimal gain. Brought down by Spencer Johnson and Wilson.
2nd & 8 - Another run play, this time to Charles who picked up 14 yards. Lots of missed tackles. Byrd finally brought him down.
1st & 10 - Completion in the flat to Breaston who ran for 20.
1st & 10 - Short completion to McCluster who picked up about 4. Scott brought him down.
2nd & 6 - Incompletion. Cassel threw it away. Williams was bearing down on Cassel who decided to get rid of it.
3rd & Goal - Touchdown to Charles. Aaron Williams went for the pick and missed. Would've been a pick 6 if he got it but he was a tiny bit late. Good throw by Cassel.
Bills 20 Chiefs 7
Kickoff returned by Brad Smith who got to the 14
1st & 10 (Bills) - Play was blown dead. False start by Pears.
1st & 15 - Inside hand off to Jackson, who didn't pick up much.
2nd & 15 - Completion to Stevie Johnson who came close to picking up the first down on a slant route.
3rd & 1 - Hand off to Fred Jackson, who was met BEHIND the line of scrimmage and somehow forced his way pass the first down marker. Incredible determination on Jackson's part.
1st & 10 - Kneel down.
HALFTIME.
Touchback on the Kickoff.
1st & 10 (Bills) - Completion to David Nelson on a play action pass. 16 yard pick up.
1st & 10 - Jackson found a hole and ran for 14 yards. All sorts of missed tackles by the Chiefs here.
1st & 10 - This time Fred was met behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of 3.
2nd & 13 - Completion to David Nelson once again for a gain of 5. Quick throw and catch.
3rd & 8 - Sack by Hali. 3 man rush. Hali flat out beat Pears here. Pears was visibly upset with himself after the play.
4th & 12 - Punt that went into the endzone.
1st & 10 (Chiefs) - Completion to Pope, who picked up enough for the first down. Davis was coming in on a rare blitz.
1st & 10 - Wilson batted Cassel's pass down and it looked like Cassel caught it. Not sure what to call that. Another nice play by Wilson.
2nd & 14 - Short completion to Pope, who was met by Kelsay right away for no gain.
3rd & 16 - Incompletion. Short throw to Bowe, who couldn't hang onto it and was met right away by Barnett and Aaron Williams.
4th & 16 - Punt. Fair catch by Roscoe.
1st & 10 (Bills) - BIG run to the left by Fred Jackson, who picked up 24 yards. Chandler and Urbik kicked out and did a great job blocking.
1st & 10 - Another run to Jackson who went right for a 9 yard pick up. He was met 7 yards in but Fred somehow pushed the pile another 2 yards.
2nd & 1 - Spiller got the carry for no gain. He was once again met at the line. It's like the blocking is so much better when Fred is in.
3rd & 1 - Brad Smith in. Smith ran up the middle and picked up 2 yards for the first down. This guy is gold on 3rd downs.
1st & 10 - 5 wide set. Completion to Chandler, who picked up about 14.
1st & Goal - Inside run by Jackson, who picked up a few.
2nd & Goal - Hand off to Jackson, who got close to the endzone but not close enough.
3rd & Goal - Brad Smith in. Play whistled dead. Flag down. False start on Rinehart.
3rd & Goal - Fitz back in. Play whistled dead again. Delay of game on offense.
3rd & Goal - TOUCHDOWN. Fitz stood in there and connected with a wide open Scott Chandler. Pressure was coming and Fitz knew he was going to get hit. Great throw considering the pressure.
Extra point is good.
Bills 27 Chiefs 7
1st & 10 (Chiefs) - Short 3 yard completion to Colbert.
2nd & 7 - Hurry up offense. Short completion to Charles, who was brought down by Scott. Looked like he could have hurt his ankle here because it bent awkwardly.
3rd & 8 - Incompletion. Cassel went deep here but missed Bowe. Overthrown. McKelvin was in on coverage.
4th & 8 - Punt. Parrish returned this for a gain of 30 yards.
1st & 10 (Bills) - Play-action pass to Stevie Johnson. Gain of 11 yards. First down.
1st & 10 - Quick wide receiver screen to Donald Jones, who was met at the line for a loss of a yard.
2nd & 11 - Incompletion. Fitz audibled out of a run play and went deep right to Donald Jones who couldn't get to it.
3rd & 11 - Completion to Stevie Johnson. Nice stop and go route by Johnson. Picked up about 13 yards.
1st & Goal - Jackson runs inside for a short gain.
2nd & Goal - TOUCHDOWN. Fitzpatrick fired one to Donald Jones. Fitz had time here. Defense paid too much attention to Chandler and Fitz squeezed one between 2 defenders. Jones did some sort of goofy dance.
Extra point is good.
Bills 34 Chiefs 7
1st & 10 (Chiefs) - "It has been a disastrous home opener for the Kansas City Chiefs" - Marv Albert. Incompletion. Carrington brought great pressure. He completely beat his guy. Chiefs were looking for a flag.
2nd & 10 - Incompletion. Cassel pump faked it, went deep and it was almost intercepted by Florence. Wilson was also there. Florence should have had it. Carrington was double teamed on this play.
3rd & 10 - Short completion to Breaston. Barnett brought him down.
4th & 4 - Flag. Dareus jumped off sides.
1st & 10 - INTERCEPTION. This time Florence doesn't drop it. 2 deep coverage. Florence dropped off his man and made the play.
1st & 10 (Bills) - Jackson ran to the right for a short gain.
2nd & 7 - Jackson eludes another tackler and runs for 11 yards. 2 missed tackles on this play.
1st & 10 - Completion to Jackson for a gain of 5.
2nd & 5 - TOUCHDOWN. Run by Spiller, who bounced outside and took it to the house. Nice run. Spiller's speed was on display here.
Extra point is good.
Bills 41 Chiefs 7
1st & 10 (Chiefs) - Charles runs right for a gain of 5. Batten brought him down.
2nd & 5 - Completion to McCluster for a gain of 8. Wilson came close to getting this one.
1st & 10 - Charles was stopped at the line. Batten tripped him up.
2nd & 11 - Completion to McCluster for a gain of 6. Williams was in on coverage.
3rd & 6 - Incompletion. Great coverage by Barnett. Carrington with a good bull rush here.
4th & 6 - Punt. Parrish with the short return.
1st & 10 (Bills) - Thigpen in. Hand off to Johnny White, who gains 13 yards. Back up time.
1st & 10 - Hand off to White, who ran left but was met behind the line of scrimmage.
2nd & 13 - Run by White. Gain of a few.
3rd & 10 - Delayed hand off to White. Gain of another few yards.
4th & 7 - Punt.
1st & 10 (Chiefs) - Completion to McCluster. Minimal gain. Stopped by Edwards and Sheppard. Carrington owned his guy here.
2nd & 11 - McCluster ran it up the middle for a gain of a few. Stopped by George Wilson.
3rd & 6 - Incompletion. Intended for Bowe. Flag down. Holding on offense. Penalty declined.
4th & 6 - Punt.
1st & 10 (Bills) - Run by White. Gain of 3.
2nd & 7 - Brad Smith in. Interception. Smith faked the run, opted to throw deep. Smith was looking for Parrish but Roscoe was double covered. Flowers got the INT.
1st & 10 (Chiefs) - 10 yard run by McCluster who was pushed out of bounds.
1st & 10 - Short completion to Colbert. Williams brought him down.
2nd & 5 - Short screen play. Gain of 1.
3rd & 4 - Incompletion. Cassel threw it away.
4th & 4 - Punt.
1st & 10 (Bills) - Short run by White. Flag down. Holding on Hairston. At this point Gannon was fixated with Fitzy wearing his wedding band. He also boldly said if he keeps playing like this, he could be wearing a ring on his other hand. Wow.
1st & 20 - Hand off to White. Loss of a yard.
2nd & 22 - White was met at the line again. Tough position for him.
3rd & 23 - Short run to the right by White. Gain of 5 or so.
4th & 16 - Punt. 16 yard return. Chris White made the stop.
1st & 10 (Chiefs) - Short gainer by a running back I don't recognize. I did see Morrison in on the tackle.
2nd & 7 - Another run by #26, Battle, for a short gain. Looks like that'll do it.
FINAL: Bills 41 Chiefs 7
1st & 10 (Bills) - Incompletion but there's a flag down. Pass Interference called on the Chiefs.
1st & 10 - Inside run by Fred Jackson who picked up about 8 yards.
2nd & 1 - Jackson changed directions and picks up about 4 or 5, enough for the first down. Good patience by Fred.
1st & Goal - Fitzpatrick mishandles the snap. He ends up scooping up the loose ball.
2nd & Goal - Jackson took the delayed handoff and picks up a few.
3rd & Goal - TOUCHDOWN. Fitzpatrick connected with Chandler. Chandler ran a little hitch route and Fitz zipped it in there. They threw out of an empty set.
Extra point is good.
Bills 7 Chiefs 0
Kickoff return to the 21 by the Chiefs. Johnny White brought the returner down. Flag down. 2 fouls on the play. 1 on each team. Ball is spotted at the KC foul.
1st & 10 (Chiefs) - Play-action completion to Pope who picked up about 14. George Wilson whiffed on a lazy tackle attempt. Byrd brought Pope down. McGee was escorted off the field at this point.
1st & 10 - Pitch play to Charles who ran left for about 4 yards.
2nd & 6 - Incompletion. Cassel overthrew Copper. Cassel was locked in on the left side, didn't even look right.
3rd & 6 - SACK. Kelsay pushed his man back forcing Cassel to step up, Dareus ALMOST got to him and Cassel was forced to scramble but Bryan Scott got to him, closely followed by Kelsay.
4th & 6 - 46 yard Punt
1st & 10 (Bills) - Inside run play to Spiller who picked up about 7. Eric Berry was down on the field once again.
2nd & 3 - 5 wide set again. We saw a few of those on the first drive. Screen play to CJ Spiller who picked up enough for the first down.
1st & 10 - Hand off to Fred Jackson for a gain of 1 yard. Hali was in on the stop.
2nd & 9 - 5 wide set. Incompletion. Pass was intended for David Nelson. Deep throw down the middle but it went off Nelson's hands. A bit high.
3rd & 9 - Incompletion. Fitzpatrick took a hit here. Pass was intended for Stevie Johnson who ran a comeback route. Even if Stevie caught it, it would've been short of the first down. After watching it again, Bell picked up the wrong guy.
4th & 9 - Punt by Moorman who kicks it into the endzone for a touchback.
1st & 10 (Chiefs) - Incompletion. Play-action roll out but Cassel threw it too low for Pope.
2nd & 10 - Charles ran it up the middle for a gain of a few. Barnett brought him down.
3rd & 7 - Quick pass to the left, Byrd sniffed this play out and brought the WR down behind the line of scrimmage. And if Byrd hadn't got him, Merriman was close behind. Great tackle.
4th & 13 - Bad punt off the side of the punter's foot. Crowd is boo'ing. 27 yard punt.
1st & 10 (Bills) - Handoff to Jackson who went wide for a gain of 7. Chandler did a great job blocking his man on the edge.
2nd & 3 - Incompletion. Intended for Roscoe Parrish but the pass was too low. Would've been good enough for a first down. That's on Fitz.
3rd & 3 - Incompletion. Fitz threw a sideline pass to Nelson who couldn't get either foot in bounds. #92 of the Chiefs D beat Levitre which forced the quick throw by Fitz, who has misfired his last 4 throws. Gailey was getting pretty vocal with Fitz on the sidelines.
4th & 3 - Punt by Moorman.
1st & 10 (Chiefs) - Charles ran inside left for a short pick up. Merriman brought him down. This is when a Chiefs player landed on Merriman's shoulder and he ran to the sidelines.
2nd & 7 - Quick flip out to Bowe, who picked up a few. McKelvin brought him down.
3rd & 5 - Incompletion. Bowe almost made a terrific one handed grab but couldn't bring it down. Florence was on coverage.
4th & 5 - Punt. Parrish picked up about 4, could've gotten more here but one of his own guys ran into him as he was cutting up field.
1st & 10 (Bills) - Fitzpatrick scrambled for a few. He had extra protection here and had a decent amount of time but elected to run for a gain of a few.
2nd & 7 - Run play to Spiller who tried to kick it outside but was met instantly.
3rd & 6 - Sideline completion to David Nelson who picked up about 9 yards.
1st & 10 - Brad Smith is in. Smith looked for an opening and made a few moves but couldn't get anything. A little indecisive.
2nd & 10 - Big completion to David Nelson who picked up 35 yards! Fitz threw a beautiful ball. Nelson had a safety on him.
1st & 10 - TOUCHDOWN. Fitz connected with Stevie Johnson deep down the right side. Jackson and McIntyre picked up the blitz beautifully. Fitz tossed it up and Stevie went WAY up there to get it. Impressive catch by Stevie who faked the spike as his touchdown celebration.
Extra point is good.
Bills 14 Chiefs 0
Kickoff that went deep into the endzone and the returner elected to kneel down for the touchback.
1st & 10 (Chiefs) - Big run to the left by Charles who picked up 22 yards. Barnett had a chance to get him but missed.
1st & 10 - Delay hand off to Charles who gained nothing. Kyle Williams and Kelsay in on the stop.
End of first quarter.
2nd & 10 - Completion to McCluster who picked up about 6. Barnett brought him down.
3rd & 4 - Completion to O'Connell who picked up about 15. Barnett was in on coverage. Carrington failed to get much of a rush here.
1st & 10 - Thomas Jones got the next carry for a gain of 1 yard.
2nd & 9 - Completion to Bowe. Pick up of about 15.
1st & 10 - Inside run to the right by Charles who picked up 3.
2nd & 8 - Touchdown. Cassel went deep to Pope who caught it in the endzone but this will be a close one because it's questionable whether he maintained possession or got both feet in.
This play will be reviewed.
The ruling on the field has been reversed, he failed to maintain possession.
3rd & 8 - SACK. Spencer Johnson will likely get credit for the sack but Kyle Williams pushed a few guys back forcing Cassel to take a few steps back and Johnson tripped him up.
4th & 8 - Field Goal attempt is no good.
1st & 10 (Bills) - Beautiful catch by Scott Chandler who picked up nearly 19 yards. Fitz went with a playaction roll out. Spiller had a tough time blocking his guy but it didn't matter as Fitz was rolling out the opposite way.
1st & 10 - Inside run by Fred Jackson who picked up about 6 yards.
2nd & 4 - Jackson ran to the left and tried cutting up field but couldn't find any room. Picked up about 3 yards.
3rd & 1 - Brad Smith in. Smith picked up enough for the first down.
1st & 10 - Timeout called by Fitz.
1st & 10 - Completion to Chandler who picked up 13 yards. The line gave Fitz all the time he needed here. Wood was flat out dominant here.
1st & 10 - Delayed hand off to Jackson who went left and picked up about 8 yards.
2nd & 2 - Hand off to Spiller who tried cutting left but was met at the line once again. No gain.
3rd & 3 - Incompletion. Quick throw to Stevie Johnson but Fitz was off the mark here. Chiefs blitzed and Fitz felt the pressure too quickly. Had he waited just a tiny bit he could have planted his feet and threw a better ball.
4th & 3 - Field good attempt is good by Lindell.
Bills 17 Chiefs 0
Kick off return to the 17. Johnny White brought the returner down.
1st & 10 (Chiefs) - Run play to the right by Charles who fumbled and the ball was recovered by the Bills. McKelvin recovered the ball. George Wilson forced the fumble.
Challenge by the Chiefs. The play stands.
1st & 10 (Bills) - Incompletion. Fitz threw deep right to Donald Jones who caught the ball but couldn't get both feet in. Ball was thrown a little too high. Jones came close. Gannon was ripping Fitz a bit here.
2nd & 10 - Jackson ran left and was met instantly but still gained a few yards somehow.
3rd & 9 - Incompletion. Fitz went RIGHT back to Jones on the far right side. Fitz tried fitting this in between the corner and the safety. Very questionable throw as Jones was covered pretty tightly in 2 deep man-to-man coverage. Jones broke up the near interception.
4th & 9 - Field goal attempt is good by Lindell.
Bills 20 Chiefs 0
Kickoff return to the 15 yard line. McKelvin brought the returner down.
1st & 10 (Chiefs)
Incompletion. McKelvin had a chance to pick this one off. Could've been returned for a TD if he got it.
2nd & 10 - Hand off to McCluster who was brought down by Dareus, Barnett and Merriman.
3rd & 8 - Completion to Charles who got enough for the first down. Aaron Williams brought him down.
1st & 10 - Chiefs are going no huddle. Short completion to Charles.
2nd & 9 - Big 23 yard run by McCluster who ran inside left. Dwan Edwards just missed him at the line.
1st & 10 - Jones got the carry for a minimal gain. Brought down by Spencer Johnson and Wilson.
2nd & 8 - Another run play, this time to Charles who picked up 14 yards. Lots of missed tackles. Byrd finally brought him down.
1st & 10 - Completion in the flat to Breaston who ran for 20.
1st & 10 - Short completion to McCluster who picked up about 4. Scott brought him down.
2nd & 6 - Incompletion. Cassel threw it away. Williams was bearing down on Cassel who decided to get rid of it.
3rd & Goal - Touchdown to Charles. Aaron Williams went for the pick and missed. Would've been a pick 6 if he got it but he was a tiny bit late. Good throw by Cassel.
Bills 20 Chiefs 7
Kickoff returned by Brad Smith who got to the 14
1st & 10 (Bills) - Play was blown dead. False start by Pears.
1st & 15 - Inside hand off to Jackson, who didn't pick up much.
2nd & 15 - Completion to Stevie Johnson who came close to picking up the first down on a slant route.
3rd & 1 - Hand off to Fred Jackson, who was met BEHIND the line of scrimmage and somehow forced his way pass the first down marker. Incredible determination on Jackson's part.
1st & 10 - Kneel down.
HALFTIME.
Touchback on the Kickoff.
1st & 10 (Bills) - Completion to David Nelson on a play action pass. 16 yard pick up.
1st & 10 - Jackson found a hole and ran for 14 yards. All sorts of missed tackles by the Chiefs here.
1st & 10 - This time Fred was met behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of 3.
2nd & 13 - Completion to David Nelson once again for a gain of 5. Quick throw and catch.
3rd & 8 - Sack by Hali. 3 man rush. Hali flat out beat Pears here. Pears was visibly upset with himself after the play.
4th & 12 - Punt that went into the endzone.
1st & 10 (Chiefs) - Completion to Pope, who picked up enough for the first down. Davis was coming in on a rare blitz.
1st & 10 - Wilson batted Cassel's pass down and it looked like Cassel caught it. Not sure what to call that. Another nice play by Wilson.
2nd & 14 - Short completion to Pope, who was met by Kelsay right away for no gain.
3rd & 16 - Incompletion. Short throw to Bowe, who couldn't hang onto it and was met right away by Barnett and Aaron Williams.
4th & 16 - Punt. Fair catch by Roscoe.
1st & 10 (Bills) - BIG run to the left by Fred Jackson, who picked up 24 yards. Chandler and Urbik kicked out and did a great job blocking.
1st & 10 - Another run to Jackson who went right for a 9 yard pick up. He was met 7 yards in but Fred somehow pushed the pile another 2 yards.
2nd & 1 - Spiller got the carry for no gain. He was once again met at the line. It's like the blocking is so much better when Fred is in.
3rd & 1 - Brad Smith in. Smith ran up the middle and picked up 2 yards for the first down. This guy is gold on 3rd downs.
1st & 10 - 5 wide set. Completion to Chandler, who picked up about 14.
1st & Goal - Inside run by Jackson, who picked up a few.
2nd & Goal - Hand off to Jackson, who got close to the endzone but not close enough.
3rd & Goal - Brad Smith in. Play whistled dead. Flag down. False start on Rinehart.
3rd & Goal - Fitz back in. Play whistled dead again. Delay of game on offense.
3rd & Goal - TOUCHDOWN. Fitz stood in there and connected with a wide open Scott Chandler. Pressure was coming and Fitz knew he was going to get hit. Great throw considering the pressure.
Extra point is good.
Bills 27 Chiefs 7
1st & 10 (Chiefs) - Short 3 yard completion to Colbert.
2nd & 7 - Hurry up offense. Short completion to Charles, who was brought down by Scott. Looked like he could have hurt his ankle here because it bent awkwardly.
3rd & 8 - Incompletion. Cassel went deep here but missed Bowe. Overthrown. McKelvin was in on coverage.
4th & 8 - Punt. Parrish returned this for a gain of 30 yards.
1st & 10 (Bills) - Play-action pass to Stevie Johnson. Gain of 11 yards. First down.
1st & 10 - Quick wide receiver screen to Donald Jones, who was met at the line for a loss of a yard.
2nd & 11 - Incompletion. Fitz audibled out of a run play and went deep right to Donald Jones who couldn't get to it.
3rd & 11 - Completion to Stevie Johnson. Nice stop and go route by Johnson. Picked up about 13 yards.
1st & Goal - Jackson runs inside for a short gain.
2nd & Goal - TOUCHDOWN. Fitzpatrick fired one to Donald Jones. Fitz had time here. Defense paid too much attention to Chandler and Fitz squeezed one between 2 defenders. Jones did some sort of goofy dance.
Extra point is good.
Bills 34 Chiefs 7
1st & 10 (Chiefs) - "It has been a disastrous home opener for the Kansas City Chiefs" - Marv Albert. Incompletion. Carrington brought great pressure. He completely beat his guy. Chiefs were looking for a flag.
2nd & 10 - Incompletion. Cassel pump faked it, went deep and it was almost intercepted by Florence. Wilson was also there. Florence should have had it. Carrington was double teamed on this play.
3rd & 10 - Short completion to Breaston. Barnett brought him down.
4th & 4 - Flag. Dareus jumped off sides.
1st & 10 - INTERCEPTION. This time Florence doesn't drop it. 2 deep coverage. Florence dropped off his man and made the play.
1st & 10 (Bills) - Jackson ran to the right for a short gain.
2nd & 7 - Jackson eludes another tackler and runs for 11 yards. 2 missed tackles on this play.
1st & 10 - Completion to Jackson for a gain of 5.
2nd & 5 - TOUCHDOWN. Run by Spiller, who bounced outside and took it to the house. Nice run. Spiller's speed was on display here.
Extra point is good.
Bills 41 Chiefs 7
1st & 10 (Chiefs) - Charles runs right for a gain of 5. Batten brought him down.
2nd & 5 - Completion to McCluster for a gain of 8. Wilson came close to getting this one.
1st & 10 - Charles was stopped at the line. Batten tripped him up.
2nd & 11 - Completion to McCluster for a gain of 6. Williams was in on coverage.
3rd & 6 - Incompletion. Great coverage by Barnett. Carrington with a good bull rush here.
4th & 6 - Punt. Parrish with the short return.
1st & 10 (Bills) - Thigpen in. Hand off to Johnny White, who gains 13 yards. Back up time.
1st & 10 - Hand off to White, who ran left but was met behind the line of scrimmage.
2nd & 13 - Run by White. Gain of a few.
3rd & 10 - Delayed hand off to White. Gain of another few yards.
4th & 7 - Punt.
1st & 10 (Chiefs) - Completion to McCluster. Minimal gain. Stopped by Edwards and Sheppard. Carrington owned his guy here.
2nd & 11 - McCluster ran it up the middle for a gain of a few. Stopped by George Wilson.
3rd & 6 - Incompletion. Intended for Bowe. Flag down. Holding on offense. Penalty declined.
4th & 6 - Punt.
1st & 10 (Bills) - Run by White. Gain of 3.
2nd & 7 - Brad Smith in. Interception. Smith faked the run, opted to throw deep. Smith was looking for Parrish but Roscoe was double covered. Flowers got the INT.
1st & 10 (Chiefs) - 10 yard run by McCluster who was pushed out of bounds.
1st & 10 - Short completion to Colbert. Williams brought him down.
2nd & 5 - Short screen play. Gain of 1.
3rd & 4 - Incompletion. Cassel threw it away.
4th & 4 - Punt.
1st & 10 (Bills) - Short run by White. Flag down. Holding on Hairston. At this point Gannon was fixated with Fitzy wearing his wedding band. He also boldly said if he keeps playing like this, he could be wearing a ring on his other hand. Wow.
1st & 20 - Hand off to White. Loss of a yard.
2nd & 22 - White was met at the line again. Tough position for him.
3rd & 23 - Short run to the right by White. Gain of 5 or so.
4th & 16 - Punt. 16 yard return. Chris White made the stop.
1st & 10 (Chiefs) - Short gainer by a running back I don't recognize. I did see Morrison in on the tackle.
2nd & 7 - Another run by #26, Battle, for a short gain. Looks like that'll do it.
FINAL: Bills 41 Chiefs 7
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Bills inactives list
Justin Rogers, Arthur Moats, Sam Young, Colin Brown, Marcus Easley, Lee Smith, and Torrel Troup are on the inactive list for today's game against the Chiefs.
Troup & Easley out, Captains announced
Torrel Troup and Marcus Easley did not travel with the team. Troup is dealing with lower back issues. He tweaked it during a practice session early in the week. Easley is out because he's sick, not injured.
The Bills announced the 2011-2012 captains: QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, RB Fred Jackson, NT Kyle Williams, LB Andra Davis, P Brian Moorman, S George Wilson.
I thought Stevie Johnson would make a good captain but maybe that's something that'll happen in the future.
The Bills announced the 2011-2012 captains: QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, RB Fred Jackson, NT Kyle Williams, LB Andra Davis, P Brian Moorman, S George Wilson.
I thought Stevie Johnson would make a good captain but maybe that's something that'll happen in the future.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Quick Hits: Stevie Contract, Naaman back, LT declared, crowd noise, Cassel, Carrington back, Troup hurt
Jason La Canfora reports the following update on the Stevie Johnson contract negotiations: "Buffalo traded proposals with WR Steve Johnson, but those sides are nowhere near a deal at this point, sources said."
Naaman Roosevelt is a Bill again. Naaman was signed to the practice squad today. Michael Switzer was released from the practice squad to make room for Naaman. Naaman tweeted early in the day, "#back" and Mike Caussin followed up with: "Glad to see my man @nyce18 (Naaman Roosevelt) back in the building." No word on how Naaman's injured ankle is doing.
Chan Gailey declared Demetrius Bell his starting Left Tackle. Anyone could have figured that out but Gailey held out on announcing Bell as the LT for the past 2 weeks. Clearly this was a motivational tactic on Gailey's part. He toyed with the idea of putting Levitre at Left Tackle but ultimately it was Bell's job to lose and he wasn't going to lose it unless he really fell off. Bell's inconsistency at the beginning of camp and preseason caused this to happen. To his credit, his play has improved since the talk got out that it wasn't his job.
Chan Gailey confirmed that the team will be pumping artificial noise onto the practice field both Wednesday and Thursday to prepare for the crowd noise at Arrowhead Stadium. Arrowhead is one of the loudest stadiums in the league. I watched one of the Chiefs preseason games and the stadium was barely half full yet it was as loud as ever.
Chiefs head coach Todd Haley fully expects Matt Cassel to play Sunday. “He was out there Monday and I full expect him to practice today (Wednesday) and I would expect him to be ready for the game and I think that’s his expectation,” said Haley.
Alex Carrington, who did not practice on Monday was back practicing with his teammates on Wednesday. Carrington missed Monday's practice with an undisclosed injury. Good to see Carrington back on the field. Expectations are high for the 2nd year player. He has shown tremendous progress throughout camp/preseason.
Torell Troup practiced without the giant club on his right hand for the first time today. But he ended up leaving practice and not coming back. Troup came off during individual position drills and spoke with athletic trainers. After a brief conversation he was taken to the training room. It's believed to be a lower back ailment. Tough break for Troup who can't stay healthy. Hopefully it's nothing serious.
In the I bet you don't care department, the team announced it has reached an injury settlement with LB Jammie Kirlew and released him from Injured Reserve. Kirlew was placed on Injured Reserve on September 4th.
Kyle Williams has been working extensively with Marcell Dareus on his pre-snap reads. He wants Dareus to recognize formations properly so he can explode off the line without being out of position.
Naaman Roosevelt is a Bill again. Naaman was signed to the practice squad today. Michael Switzer was released from the practice squad to make room for Naaman. Naaman tweeted early in the day, "#back" and Mike Caussin followed up with: "Glad to see my man @nyce18 (Naaman Roosevelt) back in the building." No word on how Naaman's injured ankle is doing.
Chan Gailey declared Demetrius Bell his starting Left Tackle. Anyone could have figured that out but Gailey held out on announcing Bell as the LT for the past 2 weeks. Clearly this was a motivational tactic on Gailey's part. He toyed with the idea of putting Levitre at Left Tackle but ultimately it was Bell's job to lose and he wasn't going to lose it unless he really fell off. Bell's inconsistency at the beginning of camp and preseason caused this to happen. To his credit, his play has improved since the talk got out that it wasn't his job.
Chan Gailey confirmed that the team will be pumping artificial noise onto the practice field both Wednesday and Thursday to prepare for the crowd noise at Arrowhead Stadium. Arrowhead is one of the loudest stadiums in the league. I watched one of the Chiefs preseason games and the stadium was barely half full yet it was as loud as ever.
Chiefs head coach Todd Haley fully expects Matt Cassel to play Sunday. “He was out there Monday and I full expect him to practice today (Wednesday) and I would expect him to be ready for the game and I think that’s his expectation,” said Haley.
Alex Carrington, who did not practice on Monday was back practicing with his teammates on Wednesday. Carrington missed Monday's practice with an undisclosed injury. Good to see Carrington back on the field. Expectations are high for the 2nd year player. He has shown tremendous progress throughout camp/preseason.
Torell Troup practiced without the giant club on his right hand for the first time today. But he ended up leaving practice and not coming back. Troup came off during individual position drills and spoke with athletic trainers. After a brief conversation he was taken to the training room. It's believed to be a lower back ailment. Tough break for Troup who can't stay healthy. Hopefully it's nothing serious.
In the I bet you don't care department, the team announced it has reached an injury settlement with LB Jammie Kirlew and released him from Injured Reserve. Kirlew was placed on Injured Reserve on September 4th.
Kyle Williams has been working extensively with Marcell Dareus on his pre-snap reads. He wants Dareus to recognize formations properly so he can explode off the line without being out of position.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Interesting Buddy Nix Interview
Buddy Nix was interviewed on 103.3 the Edge and had some very interesting things to say.
On where the team is at:
"We feel good about where we are. We're bigger, faster, stronger. We'll see how many wins that translates to, I don't know. We are better across the board."
On Lee Evans:
"We think in the long run it makes us better. Lee was a deep threat. Not a guy to run a lot of crossing routes. I would never knock Lee Evans, he was one of the nicest guys. A very productive Buffalo Bill." He also talked about Lee's blocking being an issue and going across the middle and taking shots.
On all of the talk about the Bills saving money by cutting players or trading them away:
“Any move that we make we take the information that we have at the time and we try to do things that will make our team better, It is never about money. It’s never about when a guy was drafted. The business I am in, the only way I will stay in this job with the Bills and our coaching staff will survive is if we win games. It has nothing to do with what the budget is.
“This business of playing our guys or playing high draft choices, it is really kind of amusing when you think about it. The only way we are going to survive and be successful is to win games. So, every move we make is for that reason. Money has never been mentioned since I have been here. I know what the cap is and we can spend it all.”
“I am not going to get into this, but I will try to clear that up,” he said. ”It’s the other way around; I talk him out of going after high-dollar guys that you see on TV and ESPN. That has happened more than once. It’s me talking him out of it.”
On Naaman Roosevelt being cut:
"People are sometimes more interested in where he's from than how he plays. We like Naaman, but it came down to numbers."
On the O Line:
"Nobody will believe this, but we're much better in the OL, and better than people think we are." He admitted that their depth is weak and they need to improve that. He said they were good in the middle but not so much on the Tackle side of things, saying Chris Hairston is the guy right now and that's a lot of pressure to put on a rookie.
On Geoff Hangartner's release:
“Geoff’s a great guy, a great community guy,” he said. ”Geoff lacks strength to anchor at the point. If a guy is a back-up center for us, he’s also got to back-up at guard. We have 53 players. When we go into a game 46 of them can play. Seven offensive linemen is what you want. You have one guy that backs up the center and both guards. You have to have a guy who backs up both tackles. In my opinion, Geoff could not do that. So that’s what we did.”
On newly acquired lineman, Sam Young:
“I scouted Sam coming out of college and so did Doug Whaley and Doug Majeski and Tom Gibbons. Most of the guys in our office saw him,” said Nix. ”Joe D’Allesandris, our offensive line coach, was familiar with him from the preseason. He’s a huge man. He’s a very smart guy and he brings an attitude with him and we need more of that. He’s got a little nasty in him. He’s a much better run blocker than a pass blocker. He’s a lot better than he was coming out of college. He played with Hudson Houck down in Dallas and Hudson does a good job teaching technique. He’s not a great foot athlete being at that size. He finishes blocks and he’ll help our running game. We’ll play him at right tackle.”
“That’s the reason you’ve got this guy (Sam Young) and some more,” Nix said. ”We’re good in the middle. We’ve got depth in the middle. We’ve got Andy Levitre that can play center. We’ve got Kraig Urbik that can play center. And actually Colin Brown can work some at center. Joe D works everybody in there ‘cause if you lose a center you know it could shut you down.
“But we’ve only got one backup tackle and he’s a rookie (Chris Hairston). He’s trying to back-up both sides and that’s tough because it’s more learning for him. We think he’s going to be a really good one. But if you put him in one place and leave him he’ll help you quicker.
“So that’s our thinking with this guy. He’ll be at right tackle and he’ll be our backup at right tackle if he does what he did in Dallas.”
On Michael Jasper:
"He's a genetic freak. We first said we're gonna get him down to 350. We can't get him down to 350 because he's lean muscle mass."
"Gonna take him a little time, but he'll be a good player"
"Probably a better offensive player. You don't want him to show up too good in preseason" at which point the hosts said "Gotchya" and laughed and he said he was just trying to be honest.
He also talked about making the team a bigger team saying they needed to be big enough to knock people around.
Said Dareus was fine and he's ready.
MY TAKE: Interesting that he revealed that they basically hid Michael Jasper on D so they could stash him away on the Practice Squad to work on the O line. He was pretty awful at points on D. There's no way a team could use a roster spot on him based off his preseason play but his athletic ability may intrigue some. I sense that many people will question this move by the team. The question they'll ask is, why waste an entire camp and preseason on him working with the defensive tackles when you believe he will be a better offensive lineman? The logic the team will use is he needs time and a year where he gets minicamps and OTAs before they can really put him on the line. And they don't want to waste a roster spot on a project guy that's going to need plenty of time to develop so you try to hide him on the practice squad. The thing is, every other team knows this now but they won't have footage of him playing offensive line. They can only go off what they saw in preseason, which wasn't much. If anything, that would work against Jasper. But this allows him to learn the playbook more, work with the training staff, lose some weight and get acclimated with the NFL life. If nobody attempts to claim him and he remains a Bill by the end of the season, he can get a complete offseason of minicamps and OTAs as an offensive lineman which could really help his development going into camp next year. Nix always raves about Jasper, he seems to really like the kid. Also important to note that Nix gets along well with Shredd and Reagan of the Edge and revealed a hell of a lot more than normal. He's usually bitter sounding when he's on the air with the WGR guys. It's probably best for him and the team if he stays away from WGR. It usually does the team more harm than good. His comments on Lee Evans and Roosevelt were very telling - the teams wants their WRs to block and be versatile route runners. He said Lee runs the deep route but didn't commit to crossing routes. As for Hangartner, Buddy was pretty blunt. I feel like I've said this a million times but I'll say it again - they are getting bigger. They want bigger lineman. They want bigger everything. Hangartner was on the smaller size and is on the decline as a player. It's that simple. And the single most interesting part was the talk revolving around the team and it's philosophy regarding money. Nix tried to debunk a lot of the reports that have been circulating about the team running things on the cheap side. I was definitely surprised when he said money wasn't an issue. I sense that many will be skeptical of that claim. Time will tell. The good news is, we'll find out if this team is getting better in less than 5 days. That was by far one of the more interesting Buddy Nix interviews I've heard.
On where the team is at:
"We feel good about where we are. We're bigger, faster, stronger. We'll see how many wins that translates to, I don't know. We are better across the board."
On Lee Evans:
"We think in the long run it makes us better. Lee was a deep threat. Not a guy to run a lot of crossing routes. I would never knock Lee Evans, he was one of the nicest guys. A very productive Buffalo Bill." He also talked about Lee's blocking being an issue and going across the middle and taking shots.
On all of the talk about the Bills saving money by cutting players or trading them away:
“Any move that we make we take the information that we have at the time and we try to do things that will make our team better, It is never about money. It’s never about when a guy was drafted. The business I am in, the only way I will stay in this job with the Bills and our coaching staff will survive is if we win games. It has nothing to do with what the budget is.
“This business of playing our guys or playing high draft choices, it is really kind of amusing when you think about it. The only way we are going to survive and be successful is to win games. So, every move we make is for that reason. Money has never been mentioned since I have been here. I know what the cap is and we can spend it all.”
“I am not going to get into this, but I will try to clear that up,” he said. ”It’s the other way around; I talk him out of going after high-dollar guys that you see on TV and ESPN. That has happened more than once. It’s me talking him out of it.”
On Naaman Roosevelt being cut:
"People are sometimes more interested in where he's from than how he plays. We like Naaman, but it came down to numbers."
On the O Line:
"Nobody will believe this, but we're much better in the OL, and better than people think we are." He admitted that their depth is weak and they need to improve that. He said they were good in the middle but not so much on the Tackle side of things, saying Chris Hairston is the guy right now and that's a lot of pressure to put on a rookie.
On Geoff Hangartner's release:
“Geoff’s a great guy, a great community guy,” he said. ”Geoff lacks strength to anchor at the point. If a guy is a back-up center for us, he’s also got to back-up at guard. We have 53 players. When we go into a game 46 of them can play. Seven offensive linemen is what you want. You have one guy that backs up the center and both guards. You have to have a guy who backs up both tackles. In my opinion, Geoff could not do that. So that’s what we did.”
On newly acquired lineman, Sam Young:
“I scouted Sam coming out of college and so did Doug Whaley and Doug Majeski and Tom Gibbons. Most of the guys in our office saw him,” said Nix. ”Joe D’Allesandris, our offensive line coach, was familiar with him from the preseason. He’s a huge man. He’s a very smart guy and he brings an attitude with him and we need more of that. He’s got a little nasty in him. He’s a much better run blocker than a pass blocker. He’s a lot better than he was coming out of college. He played with Hudson Houck down in Dallas and Hudson does a good job teaching technique. He’s not a great foot athlete being at that size. He finishes blocks and he’ll help our running game. We’ll play him at right tackle.”
“That’s the reason you’ve got this guy (Sam Young) and some more,” Nix said. ”We’re good in the middle. We’ve got depth in the middle. We’ve got Andy Levitre that can play center. We’ve got Kraig Urbik that can play center. And actually Colin Brown can work some at center. Joe D works everybody in there ‘cause if you lose a center you know it could shut you down.
“But we’ve only got one backup tackle and he’s a rookie (Chris Hairston). He’s trying to back-up both sides and that’s tough because it’s more learning for him. We think he’s going to be a really good one. But if you put him in one place and leave him he’ll help you quicker.
“So that’s our thinking with this guy. He’ll be at right tackle and he’ll be our backup at right tackle if he does what he did in Dallas.”
On Michael Jasper:
"He's a genetic freak. We first said we're gonna get him down to 350. We can't get him down to 350 because he's lean muscle mass."
"Gonna take him a little time, but he'll be a good player"
"Probably a better offensive player. You don't want him to show up too good in preseason" at which point the hosts said "Gotchya" and laughed and he said he was just trying to be honest.
He also talked about making the team a bigger team saying they needed to be big enough to knock people around.
Said Dareus was fine and he's ready.
MY TAKE: Interesting that he revealed that they basically hid Michael Jasper on D so they could stash him away on the Practice Squad to work on the O line. He was pretty awful at points on D. There's no way a team could use a roster spot on him based off his preseason play but his athletic ability may intrigue some. I sense that many people will question this move by the team. The question they'll ask is, why waste an entire camp and preseason on him working with the defensive tackles when you believe he will be a better offensive lineman? The logic the team will use is he needs time and a year where he gets minicamps and OTAs before they can really put him on the line. And they don't want to waste a roster spot on a project guy that's going to need plenty of time to develop so you try to hide him on the practice squad. The thing is, every other team knows this now but they won't have footage of him playing offensive line. They can only go off what they saw in preseason, which wasn't much. If anything, that would work against Jasper. But this allows him to learn the playbook more, work with the training staff, lose some weight and get acclimated with the NFL life. If nobody attempts to claim him and he remains a Bill by the end of the season, he can get a complete offseason of minicamps and OTAs as an offensive lineman which could really help his development going into camp next year. Nix always raves about Jasper, he seems to really like the kid. Also important to note that Nix gets along well with Shredd and Reagan of the Edge and revealed a hell of a lot more than normal. He's usually bitter sounding when he's on the air with the WGR guys. It's probably best for him and the team if he stays away from WGR. It usually does the team more harm than good. His comments on Lee Evans and Roosevelt were very telling - the teams wants their WRs to block and be versatile route runners. He said Lee runs the deep route but didn't commit to crossing routes. As for Hangartner, Buddy was pretty blunt. I feel like I've said this a million times but I'll say it again - they are getting bigger. They want bigger lineman. They want bigger everything. Hangartner was on the smaller size and is on the decline as a player. It's that simple. And the single most interesting part was the talk revolving around the team and it's philosophy regarding money. Nix tried to debunk a lot of the reports that have been circulating about the team running things on the cheap side. I was definitely surprised when he said money wasn't an issue. I sense that many will be skeptical of that claim. Time will tell. The good news is, we'll find out if this team is getting better in less than 5 days. That was by far one of the more interesting Buddy Nix interviews I've heard.
Bills claim OL, Release WR, Add to PS
The Bills claimed OL Lee Young from the Dallas Cowboys. Young provides some depth for the Bills at the tackle position. Young will be the back up Right Tackle.
He stands in at 6'8 and 338 lbs. This continues the Bills trend of getting bigger on both sides of the ball. Young was drafted by the Cowboys in the 6th round of the 2010 draft (179th overall). He played college football at Notre Dame. Young was released by the Dallas Cowboys to make room for a name Bills fan will remember - Derrick Dockery.
To make room for Young on the roster, the Bills released WR Ruvell Martin. Martin was one of the "surprise additions" I wrote about the other day when they announced the 53 man roster. Gailey was a fan of his special teams work and his ability to block as a WR.
CB Doyle Miller is the 8th guy announced to the Bills practice squad.
He stands in at 6'8 and 338 lbs. This continues the Bills trend of getting bigger on both sides of the ball. Young was drafted by the Cowboys in the 6th round of the 2010 draft (179th overall). He played college football at Notre Dame. Young was released by the Dallas Cowboys to make room for a name Bills fan will remember - Derrick Dockery.
To make room for Young on the roster, the Bills released WR Ruvell Martin. Martin was one of the "surprise additions" I wrote about the other day when they announced the 53 man roster. Gailey was a fan of his special teams work and his ability to block as a WR.
CB Doyle Miller is the 8th guy announced to the Bills practice squad.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Bills announce Practice Squad, Claim tight end from Pats
The Bills signed 7 to their Practice Squad: WR Kamar Aiken, QB Levi Brown, TE Mike Caussin, DE Lionell Dotson, NT Mike Jasper, DB Josh Nesbitt and C Mike Switzer. They still have one spot open.
Absent from that list is Naaman Roosevelt and Antonio Coleman. Both men could have been claimed by other teams but there is no official word on that yet.
They also claimed TE Lee Smith who was a 5th round pick of the New England Patriots. Zack Pianalto was released from the team. He could be the 8th guy signed to the practice squad but he has 24 hours to clear the waiver wire.
Here's some background information on Smith.
Boston Herald: "Smith was a big, mature player who was selected for his ability to contribute right away. Instead, he struggled to get open and was knocked back blocking. Meanwhile, Yeatman, the former lacrosse player, impressed. He’s raw, but there is room to learn."
Absent from that list is Naaman Roosevelt and Antonio Coleman. Both men could have been claimed by other teams but there is no official word on that yet.
They also claimed TE Lee Smith who was a 5th round pick of the New England Patriots. Zack Pianalto was released from the team. He could be the 8th guy signed to the practice squad but he has 24 hours to clear the waiver wire.
Here's some background information on Smith.
Boston Herald: "Smith was a big, mature player who was selected for his ability to contribute right away. Instead, he struggled to get open and was knocked back blocking. Meanwhile, Yeatman, the former lacrosse player, impressed. He’s raw, but there is room to learn."
Thoughts on the 53 man roster
Surprise Additions:
Pianalto, Zack TE
I mentioned it was a race for the 3rd spot at the tight end position and it was between Zack Pianalto and Mike Caussin. As time went on, it became more apparent that Shawn Nelson's injury was keeping him off this roster. Pianalto beat out Caussin to take that 3rd spot. Pianalto had a really good 4th preseason game and Caussin actually dropped some balls during that game. Not sure if that was the difference but it was a close race all camp to begin with. Caussin stood out more early but as the preseason went on, Zack did enough to convince the coaching staff he belongs on the team.
Martin, Ruvell WR
This one shocked me. I bet most fans were a bit peeved that Naaman Roosevelt was once again bypassed. Ruvell has the size they look for in WR. Gailey said ”He caught the ball when we threw it to him and he played well on special teams. It was a good combination to have coming in on short notice.” I still can't believe he signed with the team so incredibly late and still made the squad. In fact, if it weren't for the injuries with our Wide Receiver group, he would have never signed here. And if he is good, why in the world didn't they bring him in sooner? He's been available for a long time. Either way, this could be more of a special teams move than anything. Still surprising to me..
Brown, Colin OL
I threw him out there in my last crack at the 53 man roster as a possibility but ultimately dismissed him because truth is - he didn't really stand out at all in a negative or positive way throughout camp or preseason. You know why they kept Brown? He's 6'7, 328 lbs.
Rogers, Justin DB
This also surprised me. Reggie Corner seemed like the safer bet but maybe the office sees him as the type of guy that's been around for a while now and still struggles to make the team, so what are they really losing by cutting a guy who's already hit his ceiling? They LOVE their own guys and that is probably why Rogers is still on the team. Rogers had an untimely injury that kept him out of the middle of camp and preseason. He finally got back into action the last 2 preseason games but mostly in kick return duties. The Bills only kept 5 cornerbacks so it's likely Rogers will be thrown in there quickly.
Heard, Kellen DT
Heard impressed Gailey when the preseason games started. He's also an incredibly big guy at 6'6, 346 lbs. This just reaffirms their envision of getting bigger all across the board and in particular on defense. Heard had to beat out Jasper and Dotson to get this spot.
Eddins, Robert LB
The undrafted rookie from Ball State was probably the biggest surprise addition to the Bills roster. Eddins had tremendous momentum going into the last 2 weeks of preseason. Comments from the coaching staff were coming out about how much Eddins has impressed. He is one of the 2 undrafted rookies (Pianalto being the other) to make the Bills roster this year. Eddins is right behind Kelsay on the depth chart.
White, Chris LB
Another 7th round surprise but if I've learned anything about this regime, it's there loyalty to their draft picks. White was unanimously thought of as a guy who is a project but the staff liked him enough to keep him on the main roster. Because of an injury that kept him out for a few weeks, I thought he was heading to the practice squad for sure. To his defense, he was playing pretty well prior to the injury. White will be utilized as a special teams guy for now. He contributed to a forced fumble on special teams against the Lions.
Surprise Cuts:
WR Kamar Aiken
Aiken was a long shot to begin with and despite a good camp and preseason, he's still a bit raw. I'm still not convinced Ruvell Martin is a better addition to this team but it's possible Martin is worlds ahead of Aiken when it comes to special teams play which is the only reason to keep him over Aiken. I fully expect him to be on the practice squad.
LB Antonio Coleman
Can't believe this one. Coleman was a beast this preseason. Again, I fully expect him to be on the practice squad.
C Geoff Hangartner
Hangman is just not their type of offensive lineman. He lacks size and makes too much money to be a back up. Just remember, most of us were screaming for a replacement center last year because of how much Hangman was getting pushed around. The bottom line is this - Hangartner's play has diminished and anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is going to say "RALPH IS CHEAP" because they cut a guy mostly because of his salary. Hangartner hit his ceiling a long time ago and his play has steadily decreased since.
NT Michael Jasper
Everyone's favorite - Mount Jasper! I wrote a big piece about him a few days ago. Jasper needs an offseason to get his weight down and work on his technique. He's still an interesting project. I also expect him to make the practice squad. He's too raw to be on the 53 man roster right now but if he spends some time working on technique and dropping some weight, he could make this team next year.
TE Shawn Nelson
Too many injuries. This guy can't get on the field on a consistent basis. You can throw the potential word out there all you want but if the guy can't get on the field, he can't play. Simple as that.
WR Naaman Roosevelt
Once again Roosevelt gets the shaft. He catches just about everything but the Bills aren't crazy about his size, speed or blocking. He'll probably make the practice squad but I wouldn't be surprised if someone else takes a chance on him. Roosevelt hurt himself halfway through the preseason and his lack of presence on the field from that point may have cost him. For whatever reason, he just doesn't get the benefit of doubt with this coaching staff and it feels like he would've had to stay healthy and continue to make plays to keep their attention. I still think it's possible we'll see him at some point during the season because of injuries.
Pianalto, Zack TE
I mentioned it was a race for the 3rd spot at the tight end position and it was between Zack Pianalto and Mike Caussin. As time went on, it became more apparent that Shawn Nelson's injury was keeping him off this roster. Pianalto beat out Caussin to take that 3rd spot. Pianalto had a really good 4th preseason game and Caussin actually dropped some balls during that game. Not sure if that was the difference but it was a close race all camp to begin with. Caussin stood out more early but as the preseason went on, Zack did enough to convince the coaching staff he belongs on the team.
Martin, Ruvell WR
This one shocked me. I bet most fans were a bit peeved that Naaman Roosevelt was once again bypassed. Ruvell has the size they look for in WR. Gailey said ”He caught the ball when we threw it to him and he played well on special teams. It was a good combination to have coming in on short notice.” I still can't believe he signed with the team so incredibly late and still made the squad. In fact, if it weren't for the injuries with our Wide Receiver group, he would have never signed here. And if he is good, why in the world didn't they bring him in sooner? He's been available for a long time. Either way, this could be more of a special teams move than anything. Still surprising to me..
Brown, Colin OL
I threw him out there in my last crack at the 53 man roster as a possibility but ultimately dismissed him because truth is - he didn't really stand out at all in a negative or positive way throughout camp or preseason. You know why they kept Brown? He's 6'7, 328 lbs.
Rogers, Justin DB
This also surprised me. Reggie Corner seemed like the safer bet but maybe the office sees him as the type of guy that's been around for a while now and still struggles to make the team, so what are they really losing by cutting a guy who's already hit his ceiling? They LOVE their own guys and that is probably why Rogers is still on the team. Rogers had an untimely injury that kept him out of the middle of camp and preseason. He finally got back into action the last 2 preseason games but mostly in kick return duties. The Bills only kept 5 cornerbacks so it's likely Rogers will be thrown in there quickly.
Heard, Kellen DT
Heard impressed Gailey when the preseason games started. He's also an incredibly big guy at 6'6, 346 lbs. This just reaffirms their envision of getting bigger all across the board and in particular on defense. Heard had to beat out Jasper and Dotson to get this spot.
Eddins, Robert LB
The undrafted rookie from Ball State was probably the biggest surprise addition to the Bills roster. Eddins had tremendous momentum going into the last 2 weeks of preseason. Comments from the coaching staff were coming out about how much Eddins has impressed. He is one of the 2 undrafted rookies (Pianalto being the other) to make the Bills roster this year. Eddins is right behind Kelsay on the depth chart.
White, Chris LB
Another 7th round surprise but if I've learned anything about this regime, it's there loyalty to their draft picks. White was unanimously thought of as a guy who is a project but the staff liked him enough to keep him on the main roster. Because of an injury that kept him out for a few weeks, I thought he was heading to the practice squad for sure. To his defense, he was playing pretty well prior to the injury. White will be utilized as a special teams guy for now. He contributed to a forced fumble on special teams against the Lions.
Surprise Cuts:
WR Kamar Aiken
Aiken was a long shot to begin with and despite a good camp and preseason, he's still a bit raw. I'm still not convinced Ruvell Martin is a better addition to this team but it's possible Martin is worlds ahead of Aiken when it comes to special teams play which is the only reason to keep him over Aiken. I fully expect him to be on the practice squad.
LB Antonio Coleman
Can't believe this one. Coleman was a beast this preseason. Again, I fully expect him to be on the practice squad.
C Geoff Hangartner
Hangman is just not their type of offensive lineman. He lacks size and makes too much money to be a back up. Just remember, most of us were screaming for a replacement center last year because of how much Hangman was getting pushed around. The bottom line is this - Hangartner's play has diminished and anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is going to say "RALPH IS CHEAP" because they cut a guy mostly because of his salary. Hangartner hit his ceiling a long time ago and his play has steadily decreased since.
NT Michael Jasper
Everyone's favorite - Mount Jasper! I wrote a big piece about him a few days ago. Jasper needs an offseason to get his weight down and work on his technique. He's still an interesting project. I also expect him to make the practice squad. He's too raw to be on the 53 man roster right now but if he spends some time working on technique and dropping some weight, he could make this team next year.
TE Shawn Nelson
Too many injuries. This guy can't get on the field on a consistent basis. You can throw the potential word out there all you want but if the guy can't get on the field, he can't play. Simple as that.
WR Naaman Roosevelt
Once again Roosevelt gets the shaft. He catches just about everything but the Bills aren't crazy about his size, speed or blocking. He'll probably make the practice squad but I wouldn't be surprised if someone else takes a chance on him. Roosevelt hurt himself halfway through the preseason and his lack of presence on the field from that point may have cost him. For whatever reason, he just doesn't get the benefit of doubt with this coaching staff and it feels like he would've had to stay healthy and continue to make plays to keep their attention. I still think it's possible we'll see him at some point during the season because of injuries.
Bills announce 53 man roster & Complete list of roster cuts
14 Fitzpatrick, Ryan QB
16 Smith, Brad QB
4 Thigpen, Tyler QB
22 Jackson, Fred RB
28 Spiller, C.J. RB
20 White, Johnny RB
38 McIntyre, Corey FB
84 Chandler, Scott TE
80 Martin, David TE
87 Pianalto, Zack TE
81 Easley, Marcus WR
13 Johnson, Steve WR
19 Jones, Donald WR
83 Martin, Ruvell WR
86 Nelson, David WR
11 Parrish, Roscoe WR
77 Bell, Demetrius OL
74 Brown, Colin OL
67 Levitre, Andy OL
79 Pears, Erik OL
76 Rinehart, Chad OL
60 Urbik, Kraig OL
70 Wood, Eric OL
75 Hairston, Chris OL
29 Florence, Drayton CB
24 McGee, Terrence CB
21 McKelvin , Leodis CB
26 Rogers, Justin DB
25 Searcy, Da'Norris DB
23 Williams, Aaron DB
31 Byrd, Jairus S
43 Scott, Bryan S
37 Wilson, George S
92 Carrington, Alex DE
98 Edwards, Dwan DE
91 Johnson, Spencer DE
99 Dareus, Marcell DT
72 Heard, Kellen DT
96 Troup, Torell NT
95 Williams, Kyle NT
50 Barnett, Nick LB
57 Batten, Danny LB
54 Davis, Andra LB
59 Eddins, Robert LB
90 Kelsay, Chris LB
56 Merriman, Shawne LB
52 Moats, Arthur LB
58 Morrison, Kirk LB
55 Sheppard, Kelvin LB
51 White, Chris LB
8 Moorman, Brian P
9 Lindell, Rian K
65 Sanborn, Garrison LS
Bills number changes – Chris White #51, Johnny White #20, Justin Rogers #26, Robert Eddins #59
Bills by position kept 3 QBs, 3 RBs, 1 FB, 6 WRs, 3 TEs, 8 OL, 6 DL, 6 ILBs, 5 OLBs, 4 SS, 5 CBs, 3 STs = 53-man roster
Here is the full list of cuts:
LS Danny Aiken
WR Kamar Aiken
QB Levi Brown
FB Jehuu Caulcrick
TE Mike Caussin
LB Antonio Coleman
CB Reggie Corner
WR Craig Davis
DE Lionel Dotson
DB Sidney Glover
C Geoff Hangartner
LB Brandon Hicks
G Cordaro Howard
NT Michael Jasper
DE T.J. Langley
CB Doyle Miller
TE Shawn Nelson
DB Joshua Nesbitt
WR Naaman Roosevelt
C Michael Switzer
T Jason Watkins
OL Mansfield Wrotto
Buffalo also announced that SS Jon Corto, WR Felton Huggins, LB Jammie Kirlew
and T Ed Wang have been Waived/Injured.
16 Smith, Brad QB
4 Thigpen, Tyler QB
22 Jackson, Fred RB
28 Spiller, C.J. RB
20 White, Johnny RB
38 McIntyre, Corey FB
84 Chandler, Scott TE
80 Martin, David TE
87 Pianalto, Zack TE
81 Easley, Marcus WR
13 Johnson, Steve WR
19 Jones, Donald WR
83 Martin, Ruvell WR
86 Nelson, David WR
11 Parrish, Roscoe WR
77 Bell, Demetrius OL
74 Brown, Colin OL
67 Levitre, Andy OL
79 Pears, Erik OL
76 Rinehart, Chad OL
60 Urbik, Kraig OL
70 Wood, Eric OL
75 Hairston, Chris OL
29 Florence, Drayton CB
24 McGee, Terrence CB
21 McKelvin , Leodis CB
26 Rogers, Justin DB
25 Searcy, Da'Norris DB
23 Williams, Aaron DB
31 Byrd, Jairus S
43 Scott, Bryan S
37 Wilson, George S
92 Carrington, Alex DE
98 Edwards, Dwan DE
91 Johnson, Spencer DE
99 Dareus, Marcell DT
72 Heard, Kellen DT
96 Troup, Torell NT
95 Williams, Kyle NT
50 Barnett, Nick LB
57 Batten, Danny LB
54 Davis, Andra LB
59 Eddins, Robert LB
90 Kelsay, Chris LB
56 Merriman, Shawne LB
52 Moats, Arthur LB
58 Morrison, Kirk LB
55 Sheppard, Kelvin LB
51 White, Chris LB
8 Moorman, Brian P
9 Lindell, Rian K
65 Sanborn, Garrison LS
Bills number changes – Chris White #51, Johnny White #20, Justin Rogers #26, Robert Eddins #59
Bills by position kept 3 QBs, 3 RBs, 1 FB, 6 WRs, 3 TEs, 8 OL, 6 DL, 6 ILBs, 5 OLBs, 4 SS, 5 CBs, 3 STs = 53-man roster
Here is the full list of cuts:
LS Danny Aiken
WR Kamar Aiken
QB Levi Brown
FB Jehuu Caulcrick
TE Mike Caussin
LB Antonio Coleman
CB Reggie Corner
WR Craig Davis
DE Lionel Dotson
DB Sidney Glover
C Geoff Hangartner
LB Brandon Hicks
G Cordaro Howard
NT Michael Jasper
DE T.J. Langley
CB Doyle Miller
TE Shawn Nelson
DB Joshua Nesbitt
WR Naaman Roosevelt
C Michael Switzer
T Jason Watkins
OL Mansfield Wrotto
Buffalo also announced that SS Jon Corto, WR Felton Huggins, LB Jammie Kirlew
and T Ed Wang have been Waived/Injured.
Friday, September 2, 2011
One last crack at the 53 man roster
Here's my first 53 man roster. After some thought, I thought I'd give an updated version of it.
Missing on this version of the 53 man roster: Terrence McGee, Arthur Moats, and Mansfield Wrotto.
Back on the roster: Geoff Hangartner.
New to the roster: Justin Rogers, Robert Eddins.
Don't freak out -- I doubt they are going to get rid of Moats. I'm just going off what others have speculated, because of his injury and lack of outstanding play at ILB, Moats may have fell out favor with this staff. But I still think that's a stretch. He's the only guy from last year's draft class who showed anything during the year. I'd be surprised and disappointed if they got rid of him. As for McGee, I'm also running with some speculation about a possible trade for a low round pick or flat out cutting him so the young guys can play (that would be stupid). You know the deal on Wrotto -- he's looked awful. Gailey has been giving Eddins glowing reviews which is why I threw him on the team. Hangartner's back in because every other back-up sucks. I thought about Colin Brown but ... nah. I wanted to throw Kamar Aiken in there as well but I can't see them getting rid of Roosevelt. Aiken has the size Nix looks for in WR but he's a bit raw. No Jasper or Heard again because I think they'll keep 9 LBs and 10 guys in the secondary.
3 Quarterbacks: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tyler Thigpen, Brad Smith
3 Running Backs: Fred Jackson, CJ Spiller, Johnny White
1 Fullback: Corey McIntyre
6 Wide Receivers: Stevie Johnson, Donald Jones, Roscoe Parrish, Naaman Roosevelt, David Nelson, Marcus Easley
2 Tight Ends: Scott Chandler, David Martin
10 Offensive Linemen: Demetrius Bell T, Chris Hairston T, Geoff Hangartner, Erik Pears T, Eric Wood C/G, Andy Levitre G, Chad Rinehart G, Kraig Urbik G, Cordaro Howard T, I'm reserving this final spot for someone we pick up that gets cut on the final cut down day (September 3rd).
6 Defensive Linemen: Alex Carrington DE, Marcell Dareus DE, Dwan Edwards DE, Spencer Johnson DE, Kyle Williams NT, Torell Troup NT
9 Linebackers: Nick Barnett ILB, Andra Davis ILB, Kelvin Sheppard ILB, Kirk Morrison ILB, Shawne Merriman OLB, Danny Batten OLB, Robert Eddins, Antonio Coleman OLB, Chris Kelsay OLB
10 Defensive Backs: Jairus Byrd FS, Jon Corto FS, Bryan Scott SS, Da'Norris Searcy SS, George Wilson SS, Drayton Florence CB, Justin Rogers CB, Aaron Williams CB, Leodis McKelvin CB, Reggie Corner CB
3 Special Teams: Garrison Sanborn LS, Rian Lindell K, Brian Moorman P
8 Practice Squad
Zack Pianalto TE
Mike Caussin TE
Kamar Aiken WR
Felton Huggins WR
Michael Jasper NT
Kellen Heard DT
Chris White ILB
Jehuu Caulcrick FB
Missing on this version of the 53 man roster: Terrence McGee, Arthur Moats, and Mansfield Wrotto.
Back on the roster: Geoff Hangartner.
New to the roster: Justin Rogers, Robert Eddins.
Don't freak out -- I doubt they are going to get rid of Moats. I'm just going off what others have speculated, because of his injury and lack of outstanding play at ILB, Moats may have fell out favor with this staff. But I still think that's a stretch. He's the only guy from last year's draft class who showed anything during the year. I'd be surprised and disappointed if they got rid of him. As for McGee, I'm also running with some speculation about a possible trade for a low round pick or flat out cutting him so the young guys can play (that would be stupid). You know the deal on Wrotto -- he's looked awful. Gailey has been giving Eddins glowing reviews which is why I threw him on the team. Hangartner's back in because every other back-up sucks. I thought about Colin Brown but ... nah. I wanted to throw Kamar Aiken in there as well but I can't see them getting rid of Roosevelt. Aiken has the size Nix looks for in WR but he's a bit raw. No Jasper or Heard again because I think they'll keep 9 LBs and 10 guys in the secondary.
3 Quarterbacks: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tyler Thigpen, Brad Smith
3 Running Backs: Fred Jackson, CJ Spiller, Johnny White
1 Fullback: Corey McIntyre
6 Wide Receivers: Stevie Johnson, Donald Jones, Roscoe Parrish, Naaman Roosevelt, David Nelson, Marcus Easley
2 Tight Ends: Scott Chandler, David Martin
10 Offensive Linemen: Demetrius Bell T, Chris Hairston T, Geoff Hangartner, Erik Pears T, Eric Wood C/G, Andy Levitre G, Chad Rinehart G, Kraig Urbik G, Cordaro Howard T, I'm reserving this final spot for someone we pick up that gets cut on the final cut down day (September 3rd).
6 Defensive Linemen: Alex Carrington DE, Marcell Dareus DE, Dwan Edwards DE, Spencer Johnson DE, Kyle Williams NT, Torell Troup NT
9 Linebackers: Nick Barnett ILB, Andra Davis ILB, Kelvin Sheppard ILB, Kirk Morrison ILB, Shawne Merriman OLB, Danny Batten OLB, Robert Eddins, Antonio Coleman OLB, Chris Kelsay OLB
10 Defensive Backs: Jairus Byrd FS, Jon Corto FS, Bryan Scott SS, Da'Norris Searcy SS, George Wilson SS, Drayton Florence CB, Justin Rogers CB, Aaron Williams CB, Leodis McKelvin CB, Reggie Corner CB
3 Special Teams: Garrison Sanborn LS, Rian Lindell K, Brian Moorman P
8 Practice Squad
Zack Pianalto TE
Mike Caussin TE
Kamar Aiken WR
Felton Huggins WR
Michael Jasper NT
Kellen Heard DT
Chris White ILB
Jehuu Caulcrick FB
Buddy Nix Interview Transcript
Steve Tasker interviewed Buddy Nix at halftime of the Bills v. Lions game. Here's a transcript:
On the strange offseason (no OTA's or minicamps), how it has affected the team:
BN: "You know, I kind of hate to let them know we can do 4 months of work in a week but that's about what we did. We were able to sign some undrafted free agents and we had one night to get it done and I think we got some pretty good players out of that group. It really, probably set back the young guys and the guys that you just brought in - it probably got them further behind. Our older guys - Fitz, they worked together, he knows the offense, he taught them the playbook - I think they are alright but you can tell with by looking at some of these guys when we throw them out there they aren't quite ready."
On this year's draft class:
BN: "Yeah you know, Steve, I'll tell ya, I think Marcell is going to be everything we thought he was. I think Aaron Williams is better than everybody thought he was. Our 2nd pick, he's in our top 3 or 4 corners and he's going to play. You saw Kelvin Sheppard. Sheppard got behind. He was a little late signing and then he's been hurt so he's missed out on some things. Our 2 fourth round guys - Searcy #25 has played really good, probably ahead of what we thought for the 225 pound safety. And then number 75, Chris Hairston, he'll push at Left Tackle. He may at worst be our swing tackle. And he's a big zone, tall guy, with good length and ya know, I think those guys are gonna work out good. Justin Rogers, our 7th round pick. We haven't see him yet - Mike Jasper - He'll play. I think, Chris White, I think we got him in the 6th and Johnny White in the 5th and both of those guys are playing good. We said it when we started - we are going to build through the draft and stay the course and stick to our guns."
On the last cut from 80 to 53:
BN: "Ya know, we gotta have them cut by 6 o clock. We probably won't get everybody's official cuts until 9 or 10 Saturday night. But if there's a guy that can compete for a position and give us competition or improve our team - no matter who it is, no matter who we have to let go, if they're not producing we're going to try to find somebody who will."
On the difficulty of bringing in guys because of injuries and the chances of them making the team:
BN: "Yeah, you know, I'm not so sure that sometimes that's not good. It makes coaches pull back a little bit on what they do. If they're not careful, everybody knows more than they teach so it might help a little. Kirk Morrison, I think, is getting caught up in a hurry. We are not where we were last year - last year we were, it was likely that we might bring somebody in every week. But hopefully we are better than that and we can stay away from injuries and play with what we got."
On the strange offseason (no OTA's or minicamps), how it has affected the team:
BN: "You know, I kind of hate to let them know we can do 4 months of work in a week but that's about what we did. We were able to sign some undrafted free agents and we had one night to get it done and I think we got some pretty good players out of that group. It really, probably set back the young guys and the guys that you just brought in - it probably got them further behind. Our older guys - Fitz, they worked together, he knows the offense, he taught them the playbook - I think they are alright but you can tell with by looking at some of these guys when we throw them out there they aren't quite ready."
On this year's draft class:
BN: "Yeah you know, Steve, I'll tell ya, I think Marcell is going to be everything we thought he was. I think Aaron Williams is better than everybody thought he was. Our 2nd pick, he's in our top 3 or 4 corners and he's going to play. You saw Kelvin Sheppard. Sheppard got behind. He was a little late signing and then he's been hurt so he's missed out on some things. Our 2 fourth round guys - Searcy #25 has played really good, probably ahead of what we thought for the 225 pound safety. And then number 75, Chris Hairston, he'll push at Left Tackle. He may at worst be our swing tackle. And he's a big zone, tall guy, with good length and ya know, I think those guys are gonna work out good. Justin Rogers, our 7th round pick. We haven't see him yet - Mike Jasper - He'll play. I think, Chris White, I think we got him in the 6th and Johnny White in the 5th and both of those guys are playing good. We said it when we started - we are going to build through the draft and stay the course and stick to our guns."
On the last cut from 80 to 53:
BN: "Ya know, we gotta have them cut by 6 o clock. We probably won't get everybody's official cuts until 9 or 10 Saturday night. But if there's a guy that can compete for a position and give us competition or improve our team - no matter who it is, no matter who we have to let go, if they're not producing we're going to try to find somebody who will."
On the difficulty of bringing in guys because of injuries and the chances of them making the team:
BN: "Yeah, you know, I'm not so sure that sometimes that's not good. It makes coaches pull back a little bit on what they do. If they're not careful, everybody knows more than they teach so it might help a little. Kirk Morrison, I think, is getting caught up in a hurry. We are not where we were last year - last year we were, it was likely that we might bring somebody in every week. But hopefully we are better than that and we can stay away from injuries and play with what we got."
2nd Half Impressions of Bills v. Lions
Chris Hairston is going to be a good tackle for the Bills. He had a good outing against the Lions. He had one big mental mistake where he took the wrong guy and allowed a big sack on Tyler Thigpen but as Tasker pointed out in commentary, it was a mental mistake not a physical one. That's to be expected for a rookie who had no OTA's or minicamps and missed some time with an injury. Don't be surprised if Hairston gets in there with the starters at some point this season. I'm thinking if either tackle struggles, Hairston will get a shot. But his comfort zone is at Left Tackle.
Michael Jasper actually made a play or two. I didn't want to be too critical of the big man but his first 3 preseason games weren't good and I'm being kind there. It wasn't because he was being manhandled but rather a lack of technique that was making him look foolish out there. To me, it's a no brainer that he should be a practice squad guy but there could be some paranoia about another team signing him if they do that. Jasper is well liked and seen as a good character guy with a lot of potential. The question is, do you use a roster spot on a project like Jasper? If they kept him on the main roster, it would be a hell of a crash course for him but it's going to come down to them placing him or possibly Kellen Heard on the active roster. Heard has had a decent preseason and is also a big dude. I noticed Jasper held up better against the double teams too. There was only one play where he looked a bit lost in space, when the Lions RB reversed course and Jasper had to switch directions which turned out to be a sloppy transition. Despite that, he eventually got to the ball carrier. One other thing I noticed is his conditioning later in the game. He seemed to be out of gas. Carrying 390lbs might be too much but that's something that can be corrected with an offseason with the Bills training staff.
Thigpen looked a bit more comfortable in the second half but the results weren't much better for him or the offense. Levi Brown came in and actually started to move the ball a bit. Too bad Levi didn't get more time. Of the 2, Levi looks more comfortable running the offense but the reality is, they targeted Thigpen in free agency and gave him a nice pay day and there is a very little chance he loses his spot as the backup QB.
I loved that connection to Kamar Aiken who was oh so close to getting the touchdown. Aiken dropped a ball or two earlier (Bentley pointed this out earlier in the game and I thought it was a bit unfair because Thigpen threw about 4 freakin' balls low in a row) which hurts him a bit but this catch and run made up for his earlier mistakes. Right after the play Fred Jackson and David Nelson gave the young man some encouragement.
After the Bruce Hall TD they showed a fan in the stands with cut off sleeves on his Bills jersey. Odd looking.
Danny Batten and Antonio Coleman made another good impression tonight. Coleman had a really good night, making plays left and right. I can't see either guy not making the roster.
You know who was awful? Mansfield Wrotto. He gave up 2 big sacks where he was absolutely blown up. I know he's a Georgia Tech guy and Gailey is comfortable with (or was) him but I'd be shocked if he makes the roster.
Kelvin Sheppard made a few nice tackles. I like Sheppard's football instinct. He was in the right spot most of the time. I also think he's got good size.
I thought Zach Pianalto had another good outing but I just don't think there's room for him on the team. You have Chandler as your #1, possibly David Martin as your #2 (starting to question him because of his recent injuries and whether they really value him) and a battle between Caussin, Nelson and Pianalto for the third spot, if they even keep a 3rd tight end (they did last year). I don't think Nelson makes the team. Caussin has stood out more from day 1 of camp so we'll see how it shakes out for Pianalto who could be a Practice Squad guy.
Thank goodness the preseason is over. It's time for the real stuff. I can't tell you how exciting September 11th will be. Tomorrow is also a BIG day for the team as they trim the roster down from 80 to 53. There should be some interesting roster moves tomorrow...
Michael Jasper actually made a play or two. I didn't want to be too critical of the big man but his first 3 preseason games weren't good and I'm being kind there. It wasn't because he was being manhandled but rather a lack of technique that was making him look foolish out there. To me, it's a no brainer that he should be a practice squad guy but there could be some paranoia about another team signing him if they do that. Jasper is well liked and seen as a good character guy with a lot of potential. The question is, do you use a roster spot on a project like Jasper? If they kept him on the main roster, it would be a hell of a crash course for him but it's going to come down to them placing him or possibly Kellen Heard on the active roster. Heard has had a decent preseason and is also a big dude. I noticed Jasper held up better against the double teams too. There was only one play where he looked a bit lost in space, when the Lions RB reversed course and Jasper had to switch directions which turned out to be a sloppy transition. Despite that, he eventually got to the ball carrier. One other thing I noticed is his conditioning later in the game. He seemed to be out of gas. Carrying 390lbs might be too much but that's something that can be corrected with an offseason with the Bills training staff.
Thigpen looked a bit more comfortable in the second half but the results weren't much better for him or the offense. Levi Brown came in and actually started to move the ball a bit. Too bad Levi didn't get more time. Of the 2, Levi looks more comfortable running the offense but the reality is, they targeted Thigpen in free agency and gave him a nice pay day and there is a very little chance he loses his spot as the backup QB.
I loved that connection to Kamar Aiken who was oh so close to getting the touchdown. Aiken dropped a ball or two earlier (Bentley pointed this out earlier in the game and I thought it was a bit unfair because Thigpen threw about 4 freakin' balls low in a row) which hurts him a bit but this catch and run made up for his earlier mistakes. Right after the play Fred Jackson and David Nelson gave the young man some encouragement.
After the Bruce Hall TD they showed a fan in the stands with cut off sleeves on his Bills jersey. Odd looking.
Danny Batten and Antonio Coleman made another good impression tonight. Coleman had a really good night, making plays left and right. I can't see either guy not making the roster.
You know who was awful? Mansfield Wrotto. He gave up 2 big sacks where he was absolutely blown up. I know he's a Georgia Tech guy and Gailey is comfortable with (or was) him but I'd be shocked if he makes the roster.
Kelvin Sheppard made a few nice tackles. I like Sheppard's football instinct. He was in the right spot most of the time. I also think he's got good size.
I thought Zach Pianalto had another good outing but I just don't think there's room for him on the team. You have Chandler as your #1, possibly David Martin as your #2 (starting to question him because of his recent injuries and whether they really value him) and a battle between Caussin, Nelson and Pianalto for the third spot, if they even keep a 3rd tight end (they did last year). I don't think Nelson makes the team. Caussin has stood out more from day 1 of camp so we'll see how it shakes out for Pianalto who could be a Practice Squad guy.
Thank goodness the preseason is over. It's time for the real stuff. I can't tell you how exciting September 11th will be. Tomorrow is also a BIG day for the team as they trim the roster down from 80 to 53. There should be some interesting roster moves tomorrow...
Final preseason game: Lions 16 Bills 6
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Jerome Harrison ran for 72 yards and set up two scores in helping the Detroit Lions complete a perfect preseason with a 16-6 victory over the Buffalo Bills.
Harrison's 47-yard run led to Maurice Stovall's 16-yard touchdown catch from Shaun Hill. And Harrison's 17-yard run set up Jason Hanson's 44-yard field goal that put the Lions up 10-0 late in the first half.
The Lions went 4-0 in the preseason for the first time since 2008, though that's not a reason to get excited. Detroit then proceeded to become the first NFL team to lose all 16 regular-season games.
The Bills (1-3) received a solid outing from linebacker Shawne Merriman, who had three tackles in his first game since missing the past two with a groin injury. Bruce Hall scored on a 1-yard plunge late in the fourth quarter, but the Bills failed on a two-point conversion.
by The Associated Press
It was your basic 4th preseason game. In other words, it was brutal.
More on this game in a bit..
81st man cut
Forgot to post this the other day but LB Brad Jefferson was the final guy cut before Tuesday's deadline.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Bills v. Jaguars - Preseason Game #3. Almost complete review.
1st and 10 (Jags)
Jags lined up in I formation. Run play to Jennings who was met at the line by Andra Davis. Kyle Williams got a tremendous jump on the play was blew up a few guys, allowing Davis to get the tackle.
2nd and 10
Completion to WR Thomas. A pick up of 12, more than enough for a first down. Wilson came in on a blitz. Byrd and Davis were in on the tackle.
1st and 10
Jennings shook a few tackles before being brought down by Davis and Kyle Williams. Flag down. Holding on offense. Barnett missed on a tackle in this play.
1st and 20
Short completion to WR Thomas. Spencer Johnson brought good pressure and was in Garrard's face.
2nd and 12
Spencer Johnson batted down a pass attempt by Garrard. Good back to back plays by Spencer.
3rd and 12
Incompletion. Jennings was hit right away by Florence. Garrard had a decent amount of time. Tasker thought it was a fumble and fumble recovery by the Jags but he was wrong. Ref called it an incompletion.
4th and 12
Punt. Almost blocked by Corto. Searcy muffed the punt and the Jags recovered the ball but there's a flag on the play. Illegal man down the field. Big penalty.
4th and 17
Punt. Searcy with the fair catch. I'm not thrilled with Searcy as a punt returner or kick returner so far. I doubt he'll be in this role when the season starts.
1st and 10 (Bills)
7 yard completion to Scott Chandler. Flag down. Illegal contact by POZ. Automatic first down.
1st and 10
Short run to the right by Fred Jackson who may lost a yard on the play.
2nd and 11
Fitz completes one to Stevie on a quick slant. CJ Spiller checked in as a receiver. Bell had a little trouble here but held up long enough.
3rd and 5
Blitz coming but Fitz completes it to David Nelson for the first down. Fred Jackson threw a nice chip block eliminating a blitzer.
1st and 10
Run to Fred Jackson who was met at the line but bounced off to the left and made something out of nothing. Fitz even threw a block for Fred. Typical Fred Jackson.
2nd and 5
Incompletion to Easley who ran a hitch route. Easley should have caught this one. Flag came in late. 15 yard penalty against the Bills.
2nd and 20
Completion to Mike Caussin on the outside who picked up about 8.
3rd and 13
Whistles blow before the play began. Offsides, Jaguars.
3rd and 8
Empty backfield. BIG completion to Fred Jackson who smoked Poz on this play. Picked up about 33 yards. Line gave Fitz plenty of time here. Bell and Levitre were really good here.
1st and 10
Brad Smith in. He made something out of nothing. Gained about 7. He shrugged off a linebacker right at the line of scrimmage.
2nd and 4
Run right up the middle by CJ Spiller. Looks like it's close. Levitre with another solid block. Wood was good too.
3rd and 1
Quarterback sneak. Easy first down.
1st and Goal
Brad Smith in. Smith found a hole and fought his way down to the 2 yard line.
2nd and Goal
Run by Fred Jackson right up the middle but didn't get in. Looks like he got to the 1 yard line.
3rd and Goal
McIntyre in motion. Run to the left. Fred was stuffed by Poz here.
4th and Goal
Field goal kick is good by Rian Lindell.
1st and 10 (Jags)
Garrard had nowhere to go and took off scrambling but Carrington got him just at the line of scrimmage. Close to a sack. Good play by Carrington.
2nd and 9
Run to RB Owens who went left for a pick up of a few. Dwan Edwards brought him down.
3rd and 6
Incompletion. Overthrown by Garrard. He had all the time in the world here.
4th and 6
Punt. Searcy returned it for just a few yards.
1st and 10 (Bills)
Run play to the right by Fred Jackson. Pears was pushed back here. Wood held up well.
2nd and 7
Completion to Easley. Fitz somehow fit this one in with a lot of traffic. The line held up well here and gave Fitz time. Fred did a good job picking up a would-be blitzer.
1st and 10
Run play to the left by Jackson who went outside and then cut back in to pick up about 13. Urbik pulled from his right guard spot and did a good job with a kick out block . Fred fumbled at the end of the play but McIntyre fell on it.
1st and 10
Run play to the right by Jackson. Short pick up of about 3.
2nd and 7
Completion to Easley. Playaction pass to Easley who was riding the sideline. Nice first down pick up. Easley did a good job getting his toes in before going out of bounds.
1st and 10
Completion to Easley. Fitz right went back to Easley who picked up 4. Nice read by Fitz who saw a corner blitz coming in quickly.
2nd and 7
Reverse run play to Brad Smith who picked up a few. Fans always get excited when he touches the ball.
3rd and 1
Completion to Stevie Johnson. Hitch route by #13. Enough for the first down. Bell didn't do well here. Good thing Fitz released it quickly.
1st and 10
Run to the right by Jackson. Urbik did a good job leading his guy to the outside.
2nd and 6
Run by Jackson who picked up the first down. 9th carry for Fred.
1st and 10
TOUCHDOWN. Completion to Easley. Fitz threw it high enough where Easley could only get it. The defender tried breaking on the throw but couldn't get to it. Nice throw and catch.
Bills 10-0
1st and 10 (Jags)
Incompletion. Lots of pressure from the D. Antonio Coleman broke through and almost got to Garrard who had to get rid of it on a designed screen play.
2nd and 10
Incompletion. Deep ball to WR Hill. Hill should have caught it. Might have heard footsteps. McGee and Byrd were in on coverage.
3rd and 10
SACK by Kyle Williams and Danny Batten. Big blitz by the Bills. Batten was impressive here, doing all sorts of spin moves to shed his man. Williams was extra impressive breaking through a wall of guys.
4th and a mile
Punt.
1st and 10 (Bills)
TOUCHDOWN. 52 yard homerun ball to Stevie Johnson. Stevie worked Mathis hard to the inside and gave him a stick move to the post. Perfectly thrown ball. An even better route by Stevie. That's the first time I've seen Fitz celebrate like that in a while. He did a quasi-Aaron Rogers belt thrust. Fitz is 10 for 10.
Bills 17-0
1st and 10 (Jags)
Toss play to RB Owens. Nowhere to go for him. George Wilson brought him down. Bryan Scott forced him inside.
2nd and 11
Owens found a big hole here and ran for about 9. Florence in on the stop.
3rd and 3
Run to the outside by Owens who picked up enough for the first down. Flag down. Personal foul on Bryan Scott with an alleged horse collar take down. Close call, in my opinion.
1st and 10
Incompletion. Intended for Mercedes Lewis. Not even close.
2nd and 10
Incompletion. Play-action screen play to Shorts who dropped it. Could have been a big, big play.
3rd and 10
Completion to Lewis. Bryan Scott was in on coverage. Took a long time to develop. Garrard had JUST enough time.
1st and 10
Run up the middle by the fullback. Really good play by Carrington who was outside and realized the play was going inside and made the quick adjustment.
2nd and 7
Short run play by Bolen. Dareus tripped him up.
3rd and 4
Incompletion. Flag down. Pass interference on Florence. Deep pass to the left sideline. Definitely a questionable call. Fans did not like this one.
1st and Goal
Run up the middle by Bolen who picked up a few.
2nd and Goal
TOUCHDOWN. Garrard escaped many would-be tacklers and scrambled for a touchdown. Spencer Johnson was so obviously held on this play. Garrard went head to head with Dwan Edwards who looked foolish on the play because Garrard bounced off him and ran for the touchdown. Not to dwell on it but the pass interference call was a big play for the Jags.
Bills 17 Jags 7
1st and 10 (Bills)
Flag down. False start on Rinehart.
1st and 15
Levitre is at Left Tackle. Nice run by Spiller. Couldve had more but slipped. Rinehart was really good here.
2nd and 8
Run by Spiller who made a nice cut and picked up 7.
3rd and 1
Completion to Stevie Johnson. First down pick up. Flag down. Personal foul on defense. Horse collar. Questionable call.
1st and 10
Incompletion. Fitz's first incompletion of the night. Intended target was Easley. Spiller picked up the linebacker and did a good job.
2nd and 10
Run up the middle by Spiller who picked up a few.
3rd and 7
Flag down. Offsides, Jags.
3rd and 2
Brad Smith in. Incompletion. Stevie was open but Brad threw it a bit high, a bit late.
4th and 2
Punt.
1st and 10 (Jags)
Completion. Out route to #87. Gain of 9.
2nd and 1
Completion. Quick slant to Jason Hill who picked up a bunch.
1st and 10
Completion to Thomas. Florence delivered a good hit here.
2nd and 5
Short completion to Hill. Florence missed on a tackle which led to a decent gain.
1st and 10
Incompletion. Corner blitz from Florence. Scott came in as well. Intended target was M. Lewis.
2nd and 10
Short completion over the middle to M. Lewis. Byrd made the tackle. 3 man rush gave Garrard all the time he wanted.
3rd and 3
Incompletion. Garrard threw it away as Dwan Edwards was quickly making ground on him.
4th and 3
Field goal by Scobee.
Bills 17 Jags 10
1st and 10 (Bills)
Kneel down. Half time.
1st and 10 (Bills)
Thigpen in. Completion to Pianalto. Pick up of about 7. A bit behind Pianalto.
2nd and 2
Run by Bruce Hall who picked up a yard. Flag down. Holding on Hangartner. Hangartner was absolutely blown up on this play.
2nd and 12
Completion to Elzy who was in the flat. Pick up of a few.
3rd and 7
Thigpen rolled out right and scrambled for a gain of about 5. Late hit by the Jags but no flag.
4th and short
Punt. Beautiful punt by Moorman.
1st and 10 (Jags)
Short run play to the right. Johnson and Dotson in on the stop.
2nd and 11
Completion of about 9. Hicks in on the stop. They are interviewing Fitz so I couldn't see much of the play.
3rd and 2
Draw play that picked up about 8 for an easy first down.
1st and 10
Quick wide receiver screen completion to #84 who was brought down by Reggie Corner and Bryan Scott. At this point Mike Catalana asked Fitz about shaving his beard. Fitz replied, in the most serious tone, "I'm going to start growing it now, so anyone that wants to join me can join me." He also said that he "didn't want it to get too out of control" and wanted to start fresh. I love this man.
2nd and 7
Run play sniffed out by Searcy and Hicks. Jefferson got in there late as well.
3rd and 3
Incomplete. Deep pass to Thomas on the right sideleine. Thomas was WIDE OPEN but Garrard overthrew him. Glover was in on coverage.
4th and 3
They are going for it. Safety blitz. Incompletion. LATE flag. Pass Interference on Reggie Corner. Fans were pissed about this call. Gailey wasn't happy either. Uncatchable ball. 2 big PI calls against the Bills so far.
1st and 10
Short run by the fullback.
2nd and 8
Garrard scrambled to the left but Searcy was there to bring him down. Batten broke up the potential screen pass.
3rd and 4
Completion to Thomas who was brought down by Scott. Flag down. Off sides, Bills. Penalty declined, first down Jags. Coleman was lined up in the neutral zone.
1st and 10
TOUCHDOWN. FB Bolen ran it to the left. Hicks had a chance but was just a bit late. No response from the crowd or announcers whatsoever. They seemed deflated by the PI call on Corner. Also, a lot of people left at half time.
Bills 17 Jags 17
1st and 10 (Bills)
Completion to Easley on a play-action pass. Just short of the first down.
2nd and 1
Run up the gut by Elzy. First down.
1st and 10
Incomplete. Play-action roll out to the right. Thigpen overthrew Easley. They are interviewing Merriman on the sideline which is taking away from the game.
2nd and 10
Incomplete. Thigpen had time. Intended for Aiken but it was thrown behind him. May have been tipped. Hairston did well here.
3rd and 10
Incompletion. Elzy dropped it. Should have had it. Elzy had a lot of room in front of him.
4th and 10
Punt. Forrest didn't do well here.
1st and 10 (Jags)
Gabbert is in. SACK. Coleman will get the credit for the sack. Gabbert had time but couldnt find anyone.
2nd and 15
No huddle by the Jags. Incompletion. Dangerous throw. Aaron Williams in on coverage.
3rd and 15
Incompletion. Gabbert tried gunning this one in but the receiver dropped it. Flag down. Illegal hands to the face by a lineman. Bills decline it.
4th and 15
Punt.
1st and 10 (Bills)
No gain on a run play by Hall.
2nd and 10
Completion to Easley. Flag down. Illegal hands to the face on Hairston.
2nd and long
INTERCEPTION/TOUCHDOWN. Thigpen threw this one right at #56 who ran it in for the touchdown. No idea what Thigpen was thinking here. Simply awful. I watched Hairston who did a good job here.
1st and 10 (Bills)
Hand off to the right side. Elzy carried it. Gain of a few.
2nd and 7
Completion to Caussin. Short gain.
3rd and 5
Empty backfield. Incompletion. Errant throw by Thigpen yet again here. Huggins was the intended target. Gailey was seen talking to Thigpen on the sidelines. Gailey seemed pretty pissed.
4th and 5
Punt.
1st and 10 (Jags)
Nice run by Harris who was eventually brought down by Scott.
2nd and 2
Another run by Harris who fought his way for a first down. Troup and Jasper in on the tackle. Jasper got zero penetration here.
1st and 10
Completion to Inman. Play-action pass over the middle. Nice gain of about 18. Good throw by Gabbert.
1st and 10
Short gain by Harris.
2nd and 8
Completion to #15. Another play-action pass. Gain of about 9.
1st and 10
Short gain by Harris. Jasper was pushed back here again.
End of 3rd Quarter
2nd and 8
TOUCHDOWN. Gabbert connected with Harris for the easy touchdown. Hicks was in on the coverage.
2 point conversion.
Gabbert dumped off to Harris who got in the endzone again for the 2 points.
Jaguars 32 Bills 17
1st and 10 (Bills)
Hand off to Bruce Hall who hit the edge for a few yards.
2nd and 7
Another run play up the middle by Hall who picked up another few yards.
3rd and 3
Brad Smith in. Smith ran wide and just picked up the first down. Flag down. Personal foul. Face mask by Brad Smith. Never seen that called on the offense.
3rd and 13
Completion to Huggins. About 6 yards shy of the first down.
4th and 5
Punt. Ruvell Martin made a nice special teams tackle here. Good punt by Moorman.
1st and 10 (Jags)
No gainer by Harris. Once again Jasper was driven back and the lineman #62 finished off the play by driving him to the ground. I thought for sure Jasper was going to snap here because there was no need for #62 to finish him off the way he did but Jasper calmly walked away.
2nd and 10
Sideline interview with Kyle Williams who looks uncomfortable. Incompletion. Intended target was #14. Should have caught it.
3rd and 10
Gabbert scrambled for a few before being shoved out of bounds by Jefferson.
4th and 3
Punt. Nearly blocked by Corto again.
1st and 10 (Bills)
Incompletion. Should have been a big completion to Huggins who was open but he heard footsteps. That was the first nice throw by Thigpen. Gailey challenged the play. Good lord. Ref said the receiver didn't finish the play. Play stands as an incompletion.
2nd and 10
Incompletion. Play-action screen pass that went incomplete to Elzy. Another crappy pass.
3rd and 10
Empty backfield. Completion to Hubbard who picked up 15 yards.
1st and 10
Incompletion. Nearly picked off by the safety. Intended for Hubbard.
2nd and 10
Quarterback draw. Thigpen picked up a few.
3rd and 6
Incompletion. Ball was behind Aiken who bent awkwardly to try to get it. Almost picked off.
4th and 6
Bills are going for it. Completion. Big gain by Aiken. Nice adjustment on the throw by Aiken. Big pressure from the Jags. Beautiful catch by Aiken.
1st and 10
QB keeper. Thigpen picked up about 8.
2nd and 1
TOUCHDOWN. Bruce Hall ran it up the middle through a big hole for the easy touchdown. Hairston dominated his man here.
Jags 32 Bills 24
1st and 10 (Jags)
Short gain by the fullback.
2nd and 9
Incomplete. Play-action bomb that was overthrown by Gabbert.
3rd and 9
INTERCEPTION. Searcy made a nice play to keep both feet in. Flag down. Holding on offense.
1st and 10 (Bills)
9 yard pick up on the ground by Elzy.
2nd and 1
Completion to Elzy who made a nice catch on a low throw from Thigpen. Upon further review, that was a really nice catch.
1st and 10
Elzy with a spin move and picks up about 3 or 4.
2nd and 7
Completion to Elzy. Short gain. Screen play that went nowhere because Elzy made the wrong cut.
3rd and ...
At this point my DVR cut off so I'll stop here. There was a very low chance of me going beyond regulation anyways.. Bills win in overtime with a Lindell field goal.
Jags lined up in I formation. Run play to Jennings who was met at the line by Andra Davis. Kyle Williams got a tremendous jump on the play was blew up a few guys, allowing Davis to get the tackle.
2nd and 10
Completion to WR Thomas. A pick up of 12, more than enough for a first down. Wilson came in on a blitz. Byrd and Davis were in on the tackle.
1st and 10
Jennings shook a few tackles before being brought down by Davis and Kyle Williams. Flag down. Holding on offense. Barnett missed on a tackle in this play.
1st and 20
Short completion to WR Thomas. Spencer Johnson brought good pressure and was in Garrard's face.
2nd and 12
Spencer Johnson batted down a pass attempt by Garrard. Good back to back plays by Spencer.
3rd and 12
Incompletion. Jennings was hit right away by Florence. Garrard had a decent amount of time. Tasker thought it was a fumble and fumble recovery by the Jags but he was wrong. Ref called it an incompletion.
4th and 12
Punt. Almost blocked by Corto. Searcy muffed the punt and the Jags recovered the ball but there's a flag on the play. Illegal man down the field. Big penalty.
4th and 17
Punt. Searcy with the fair catch. I'm not thrilled with Searcy as a punt returner or kick returner so far. I doubt he'll be in this role when the season starts.
1st and 10 (Bills)
7 yard completion to Scott Chandler. Flag down. Illegal contact by POZ. Automatic first down.
1st and 10
Short run to the right by Fred Jackson who may lost a yard on the play.
2nd and 11
Fitz completes one to Stevie on a quick slant. CJ Spiller checked in as a receiver. Bell had a little trouble here but held up long enough.
3rd and 5
Blitz coming but Fitz completes it to David Nelson for the first down. Fred Jackson threw a nice chip block eliminating a blitzer.
1st and 10
Run to Fred Jackson who was met at the line but bounced off to the left and made something out of nothing. Fitz even threw a block for Fred. Typical Fred Jackson.
2nd and 5
Incompletion to Easley who ran a hitch route. Easley should have caught this one. Flag came in late. 15 yard penalty against the Bills.
2nd and 20
Completion to Mike Caussin on the outside who picked up about 8.
3rd and 13
Whistles blow before the play began. Offsides, Jaguars.
3rd and 8
Empty backfield. BIG completion to Fred Jackson who smoked Poz on this play. Picked up about 33 yards. Line gave Fitz plenty of time here. Bell and Levitre were really good here.
1st and 10
Brad Smith in. He made something out of nothing. Gained about 7. He shrugged off a linebacker right at the line of scrimmage.
2nd and 4
Run right up the middle by CJ Spiller. Looks like it's close. Levitre with another solid block. Wood was good too.
3rd and 1
Quarterback sneak. Easy first down.
1st and Goal
Brad Smith in. Smith found a hole and fought his way down to the 2 yard line.
2nd and Goal
Run by Fred Jackson right up the middle but didn't get in. Looks like he got to the 1 yard line.
3rd and Goal
McIntyre in motion. Run to the left. Fred was stuffed by Poz here.
4th and Goal
Field goal kick is good by Rian Lindell.
1st and 10 (Jags)
Garrard had nowhere to go and took off scrambling but Carrington got him just at the line of scrimmage. Close to a sack. Good play by Carrington.
2nd and 9
Run to RB Owens who went left for a pick up of a few. Dwan Edwards brought him down.
3rd and 6
Incompletion. Overthrown by Garrard. He had all the time in the world here.
4th and 6
Punt. Searcy returned it for just a few yards.
1st and 10 (Bills)
Run play to the right by Fred Jackson. Pears was pushed back here. Wood held up well.
2nd and 7
Completion to Easley. Fitz somehow fit this one in with a lot of traffic. The line held up well here and gave Fitz time. Fred did a good job picking up a would-be blitzer.
1st and 10
Run play to the left by Jackson who went outside and then cut back in to pick up about 13. Urbik pulled from his right guard spot and did a good job with a kick out block . Fred fumbled at the end of the play but McIntyre fell on it.
1st and 10
Run play to the right by Jackson. Short pick up of about 3.
2nd and 7
Completion to Easley. Playaction pass to Easley who was riding the sideline. Nice first down pick up. Easley did a good job getting his toes in before going out of bounds.
1st and 10
Completion to Easley. Fitz right went back to Easley who picked up 4. Nice read by Fitz who saw a corner blitz coming in quickly.
2nd and 7
Reverse run play to Brad Smith who picked up a few. Fans always get excited when he touches the ball.
3rd and 1
Completion to Stevie Johnson. Hitch route by #13. Enough for the first down. Bell didn't do well here. Good thing Fitz released it quickly.
1st and 10
Run to the right by Jackson. Urbik did a good job leading his guy to the outside.
2nd and 6
Run by Jackson who picked up the first down. 9th carry for Fred.
1st and 10
TOUCHDOWN. Completion to Easley. Fitz threw it high enough where Easley could only get it. The defender tried breaking on the throw but couldn't get to it. Nice throw and catch.
Bills 10-0
1st and 10 (Jags)
Incompletion. Lots of pressure from the D. Antonio Coleman broke through and almost got to Garrard who had to get rid of it on a designed screen play.
2nd and 10
Incompletion. Deep ball to WR Hill. Hill should have caught it. Might have heard footsteps. McGee and Byrd were in on coverage.
3rd and 10
SACK by Kyle Williams and Danny Batten. Big blitz by the Bills. Batten was impressive here, doing all sorts of spin moves to shed his man. Williams was extra impressive breaking through a wall of guys.
4th and a mile
Punt.
1st and 10 (Bills)
TOUCHDOWN. 52 yard homerun ball to Stevie Johnson. Stevie worked Mathis hard to the inside and gave him a stick move to the post. Perfectly thrown ball. An even better route by Stevie. That's the first time I've seen Fitz celebrate like that in a while. He did a quasi-Aaron Rogers belt thrust. Fitz is 10 for 10.
Bills 17-0
1st and 10 (Jags)
Toss play to RB Owens. Nowhere to go for him. George Wilson brought him down. Bryan Scott forced him inside.
2nd and 11
Owens found a big hole here and ran for about 9. Florence in on the stop.
3rd and 3
Run to the outside by Owens who picked up enough for the first down. Flag down. Personal foul on Bryan Scott with an alleged horse collar take down. Close call, in my opinion.
1st and 10
Incompletion. Intended for Mercedes Lewis. Not even close.
2nd and 10
Incompletion. Play-action screen play to Shorts who dropped it. Could have been a big, big play.
3rd and 10
Completion to Lewis. Bryan Scott was in on coverage. Took a long time to develop. Garrard had JUST enough time.
1st and 10
Run up the middle by the fullback. Really good play by Carrington who was outside and realized the play was going inside and made the quick adjustment.
2nd and 7
Short run play by Bolen. Dareus tripped him up.
3rd and 4
Incompletion. Flag down. Pass interference on Florence. Deep pass to the left sideline. Definitely a questionable call. Fans did not like this one.
1st and Goal
Run up the middle by Bolen who picked up a few.
2nd and Goal
TOUCHDOWN. Garrard escaped many would-be tacklers and scrambled for a touchdown. Spencer Johnson was so obviously held on this play. Garrard went head to head with Dwan Edwards who looked foolish on the play because Garrard bounced off him and ran for the touchdown. Not to dwell on it but the pass interference call was a big play for the Jags.
Bills 17 Jags 7
1st and 10 (Bills)
Flag down. False start on Rinehart.
1st and 15
Levitre is at Left Tackle. Nice run by Spiller. Couldve had more but slipped. Rinehart was really good here.
2nd and 8
Run by Spiller who made a nice cut and picked up 7.
3rd and 1
Completion to Stevie Johnson. First down pick up. Flag down. Personal foul on defense. Horse collar. Questionable call.
1st and 10
Incompletion. Fitz's first incompletion of the night. Intended target was Easley. Spiller picked up the linebacker and did a good job.
2nd and 10
Run up the middle by Spiller who picked up a few.
3rd and 7
Flag down. Offsides, Jags.
3rd and 2
Brad Smith in. Incompletion. Stevie was open but Brad threw it a bit high, a bit late.
4th and 2
Punt.
1st and 10 (Jags)
Completion. Out route to #87. Gain of 9.
2nd and 1
Completion. Quick slant to Jason Hill who picked up a bunch.
1st and 10
Completion to Thomas. Florence delivered a good hit here.
2nd and 5
Short completion to Hill. Florence missed on a tackle which led to a decent gain.
1st and 10
Incompletion. Corner blitz from Florence. Scott came in as well. Intended target was M. Lewis.
2nd and 10
Short completion over the middle to M. Lewis. Byrd made the tackle. 3 man rush gave Garrard all the time he wanted.
3rd and 3
Incompletion. Garrard threw it away as Dwan Edwards was quickly making ground on him.
4th and 3
Field goal by Scobee.
Bills 17 Jags 10
1st and 10 (Bills)
Kneel down. Half time.
1st and 10 (Bills)
Thigpen in. Completion to Pianalto. Pick up of about 7. A bit behind Pianalto.
2nd and 2
Run by Bruce Hall who picked up a yard. Flag down. Holding on Hangartner. Hangartner was absolutely blown up on this play.
2nd and 12
Completion to Elzy who was in the flat. Pick up of a few.
3rd and 7
Thigpen rolled out right and scrambled for a gain of about 5. Late hit by the Jags but no flag.
4th and short
Punt. Beautiful punt by Moorman.
1st and 10 (Jags)
Short run play to the right. Johnson and Dotson in on the stop.
2nd and 11
Completion of about 9. Hicks in on the stop. They are interviewing Fitz so I couldn't see much of the play.
3rd and 2
Draw play that picked up about 8 for an easy first down.
1st and 10
Quick wide receiver screen completion to #84 who was brought down by Reggie Corner and Bryan Scott. At this point Mike Catalana asked Fitz about shaving his beard. Fitz replied, in the most serious tone, "I'm going to start growing it now, so anyone that wants to join me can join me." He also said that he "didn't want it to get too out of control" and wanted to start fresh. I love this man.
2nd and 7
Run play sniffed out by Searcy and Hicks. Jefferson got in there late as well.
3rd and 3
Incomplete. Deep pass to Thomas on the right sideleine. Thomas was WIDE OPEN but Garrard overthrew him. Glover was in on coverage.
4th and 3
They are going for it. Safety blitz. Incompletion. LATE flag. Pass Interference on Reggie Corner. Fans were pissed about this call. Gailey wasn't happy either. Uncatchable ball. 2 big PI calls against the Bills so far.
1st and 10
Short run by the fullback.
2nd and 8
Garrard scrambled to the left but Searcy was there to bring him down. Batten broke up the potential screen pass.
3rd and 4
Completion to Thomas who was brought down by Scott. Flag down. Off sides, Bills. Penalty declined, first down Jags. Coleman was lined up in the neutral zone.
1st and 10
TOUCHDOWN. FB Bolen ran it to the left. Hicks had a chance but was just a bit late. No response from the crowd or announcers whatsoever. They seemed deflated by the PI call on Corner. Also, a lot of people left at half time.
Bills 17 Jags 17
1st and 10 (Bills)
Completion to Easley on a play-action pass. Just short of the first down.
2nd and 1
Run up the gut by Elzy. First down.
1st and 10
Incomplete. Play-action roll out to the right. Thigpen overthrew Easley. They are interviewing Merriman on the sideline which is taking away from the game.
2nd and 10
Incomplete. Thigpen had time. Intended for Aiken but it was thrown behind him. May have been tipped. Hairston did well here.
3rd and 10
Incompletion. Elzy dropped it. Should have had it. Elzy had a lot of room in front of him.
4th and 10
Punt. Forrest didn't do well here.
1st and 10 (Jags)
Gabbert is in. SACK. Coleman will get the credit for the sack. Gabbert had time but couldnt find anyone.
2nd and 15
No huddle by the Jags. Incompletion. Dangerous throw. Aaron Williams in on coverage.
3rd and 15
Incompletion. Gabbert tried gunning this one in but the receiver dropped it. Flag down. Illegal hands to the face by a lineman. Bills decline it.
4th and 15
Punt.
1st and 10 (Bills)
No gain on a run play by Hall.
2nd and 10
Completion to Easley. Flag down. Illegal hands to the face on Hairston.
2nd and long
INTERCEPTION/TOUCHDOWN. Thigpen threw this one right at #56 who ran it in for the touchdown. No idea what Thigpen was thinking here. Simply awful. I watched Hairston who did a good job here.
1st and 10 (Bills)
Hand off to the right side. Elzy carried it. Gain of a few.
2nd and 7
Completion to Caussin. Short gain.
3rd and 5
Empty backfield. Incompletion. Errant throw by Thigpen yet again here. Huggins was the intended target. Gailey was seen talking to Thigpen on the sidelines. Gailey seemed pretty pissed.
4th and 5
Punt.
1st and 10 (Jags)
Nice run by Harris who was eventually brought down by Scott.
2nd and 2
Another run by Harris who fought his way for a first down. Troup and Jasper in on the tackle. Jasper got zero penetration here.
1st and 10
Completion to Inman. Play-action pass over the middle. Nice gain of about 18. Good throw by Gabbert.
1st and 10
Short gain by Harris.
2nd and 8
Completion to #15. Another play-action pass. Gain of about 9.
1st and 10
Short gain by Harris. Jasper was pushed back here again.
End of 3rd Quarter
2nd and 8
TOUCHDOWN. Gabbert connected with Harris for the easy touchdown. Hicks was in on the coverage.
2 point conversion.
Gabbert dumped off to Harris who got in the endzone again for the 2 points.
Jaguars 32 Bills 17
1st and 10 (Bills)
Hand off to Bruce Hall who hit the edge for a few yards.
2nd and 7
Another run play up the middle by Hall who picked up another few yards.
3rd and 3
Brad Smith in. Smith ran wide and just picked up the first down. Flag down. Personal foul. Face mask by Brad Smith. Never seen that called on the offense.
3rd and 13
Completion to Huggins. About 6 yards shy of the first down.
4th and 5
Punt. Ruvell Martin made a nice special teams tackle here. Good punt by Moorman.
1st and 10 (Jags)
No gainer by Harris. Once again Jasper was driven back and the lineman #62 finished off the play by driving him to the ground. I thought for sure Jasper was going to snap here because there was no need for #62 to finish him off the way he did but Jasper calmly walked away.
2nd and 10
Sideline interview with Kyle Williams who looks uncomfortable. Incompletion. Intended target was #14. Should have caught it.
3rd and 10
Gabbert scrambled for a few before being shoved out of bounds by Jefferson.
4th and 3
Punt. Nearly blocked by Corto again.
1st and 10 (Bills)
Incompletion. Should have been a big completion to Huggins who was open but he heard footsteps. That was the first nice throw by Thigpen. Gailey challenged the play. Good lord. Ref said the receiver didn't finish the play. Play stands as an incompletion.
2nd and 10
Incompletion. Play-action screen pass that went incomplete to Elzy. Another crappy pass.
3rd and 10
Empty backfield. Completion to Hubbard who picked up 15 yards.
1st and 10
Incompletion. Nearly picked off by the safety. Intended for Hubbard.
2nd and 10
Quarterback draw. Thigpen picked up a few.
3rd and 6
Incompletion. Ball was behind Aiken who bent awkwardly to try to get it. Almost picked off.
4th and 6
Bills are going for it. Completion. Big gain by Aiken. Nice adjustment on the throw by Aiken. Big pressure from the Jags. Beautiful catch by Aiken.
1st and 10
QB keeper. Thigpen picked up about 8.
2nd and 1
TOUCHDOWN. Bruce Hall ran it up the middle through a big hole for the easy touchdown. Hairston dominated his man here.
Jags 32 Bills 24
1st and 10 (Jags)
Short gain by the fullback.
2nd and 9
Incomplete. Play-action bomb that was overthrown by Gabbert.
3rd and 9
INTERCEPTION. Searcy made a nice play to keep both feet in. Flag down. Holding on offense.
1st and 10 (Bills)
9 yard pick up on the ground by Elzy.
2nd and 1
Completion to Elzy who made a nice catch on a low throw from Thigpen. Upon further review, that was a really nice catch.
1st and 10
Elzy with a spin move and picks up about 3 or 4.
2nd and 7
Completion to Elzy. Short gain. Screen play that went nowhere because Elzy made the wrong cut.
3rd and ...
At this point my DVR cut off so I'll stop here. There was a very low chance of me going beyond regulation anyways.. Bills win in overtime with a Lindell field goal.
My 53 man roster
Here's my 53 man roster. Pretty predictable but I believe the Bills won't make many surprising cuts. My biggest cuts are Geoff Hangartner and Shawn Nelson. Of those 2, Hangman has a better chance of making the roster as a backup center but his price tag holds him back. I have a hard time believing they will only keep 2 tight ends but I had to narrow the roster down and Caussin was one of the final cuts. I'll put him on the Practice Squad. Chris White and Justin Rogers are close calls. Rogers' injury really hurt his chances but he is closer to their type of CB compared to Reggie Corner. Chris White has played well but also had an untimely injury. Corto is borderline. I can see them getting rid of him but he has value on the special teams. Also, Kellen Heard was a tough decision. I still don't see him making it...
3 Quarterbacks: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tyler Thigpen, Brad Smith
3 Running Backs: Fred Jackson, C. J. Spiller, Johnny White
1 Fullback: Corey McIntyre
6 Wide Receivers: Stevie Johnson, Donald Jones, Roscoe Parrish, Naaman Roosevelt, David Nelson. Marcus Easley
2 Tight Ends: Scott Chandler, David Martin
10 Offensive Linemen: Demetrius Bell T, Chris Hairston T, Mansfield Wrotto T, Erik Pears T, Eric Wood C/G, Andy Levitre G, Chad Rinehart G, Kraig Urbik G, Cordaro Howard T, I'm reserving this final spot for someone we pick up that gets cut on the final cut down day (September 3rd). If we don't go that route, it's going to be Ed Wang.
6 Defensive Linemen: Alex Carrington DE, Marcell Dareus DE, Dwan Edwards DE, Spencer Johnson DE, Kyle Williams NT, Torell Troup NT
9 Linebackers: Nick Barnett ILB, Andra Davis ILB, Kelvin Sheppard ILB, Kirk Morrison ILB, Shawne Merriman OLB, Danny Batten OLB, Arthur Moats OLB/DE, Antonio Coleman OLB, Chris Kelsay OLB
10 Defensive Backs: Jairus Byrd FS, Jon Corto FS, Bryan Scott SS, Da'Norris Searcy SS, George Wilson SS, Drayton Florence CB, Terrence McGee CB, Aaron Williams CB, Leodis McKelvin CB, Reggie Corner CB
3 Special Teams: Garrison Sanborn LS, Rian Lindell K, Brian Moorman P
8 Practice Squad
Robert Eddins LB
Mike Caussin TE
Kamar Aiken WR
Felton Huggins WR
Michael Jasper NT
Kellen Heard DT
Chris White ILB
Justin Rogers CB
If they decide to cut Jon Corto or keep the OL to 9 (or both), Heard and Caussin would make the roster.
3 Quarterbacks: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tyler Thigpen, Brad Smith
3 Running Backs: Fred Jackson, C. J. Spiller, Johnny White
1 Fullback: Corey McIntyre
6 Wide Receivers: Stevie Johnson, Donald Jones, Roscoe Parrish, Naaman Roosevelt, David Nelson. Marcus Easley
2 Tight Ends: Scott Chandler, David Martin
10 Offensive Linemen: Demetrius Bell T, Chris Hairston T, Mansfield Wrotto T, Erik Pears T, Eric Wood C/G, Andy Levitre G, Chad Rinehart G, Kraig Urbik G, Cordaro Howard T, I'm reserving this final spot for someone we pick up that gets cut on the final cut down day (September 3rd). If we don't go that route, it's going to be Ed Wang.
6 Defensive Linemen: Alex Carrington DE, Marcell Dareus DE, Dwan Edwards DE, Spencer Johnson DE, Kyle Williams NT, Torell Troup NT
9 Linebackers: Nick Barnett ILB, Andra Davis ILB, Kelvin Sheppard ILB, Kirk Morrison ILB, Shawne Merriman OLB, Danny Batten OLB, Arthur Moats OLB/DE, Antonio Coleman OLB, Chris Kelsay OLB
10 Defensive Backs: Jairus Byrd FS, Jon Corto FS, Bryan Scott SS, Da'Norris Searcy SS, George Wilson SS, Drayton Florence CB, Terrence McGee CB, Aaron Williams CB, Leodis McKelvin CB, Reggie Corner CB
3 Special Teams: Garrison Sanborn LS, Rian Lindell K, Brian Moorman P
8 Practice Squad
Robert Eddins LB
Mike Caussin TE
Kamar Aiken WR
Felton Huggins WR
Michael Jasper NT
Kellen Heard DT
Chris White ILB
Justin Rogers CB
If they decide to cut Jon Corto or keep the OL to 9 (or both), Heard and Caussin would make the roster.
Bills trim roster to 81
The Bills have to reduce their roster to 80 players by 4 pm Tuesday. They got a head start by releasing six players today.
DB Rajric Coleman, RB Anthony Elzy, P Reid Forrest, WR Paul Hubbard, CB Loyce Means and OL Isaiah Thompson were all waived today.
They still have to get rid of 1 more guy by 4pm Tuesday.
MY TAKE: That ends the Brian Moorman v. Reid Forrest debate. Paul Hubbard is the only slight surprise but figuring his legal problems he has to settle, it isn't too surprising. He had his best preseason to date. Elzy had a nice game against the Jags but didn't show enough prior to yesterday. Thompson will be remembered for his fight in camp and that's about it and Means had a pretty bad ass name.
According to Twitter friend, suew777, Thompson and Coleman were complaining about the Buffalo nightlife yesterday. I'm not saying that's why they were released because both guys are camp fodder material but going on twitter and doing that never helps your case.
DB Rajric Coleman, RB Anthony Elzy, P Reid Forrest, WR Paul Hubbard, CB Loyce Means and OL Isaiah Thompson were all waived today.
They still have to get rid of 1 more guy by 4pm Tuesday.
MY TAKE: That ends the Brian Moorman v. Reid Forrest debate. Paul Hubbard is the only slight surprise but figuring his legal problems he has to settle, it isn't too surprising. He had his best preseason to date. Elzy had a nice game against the Jags but didn't show enough prior to yesterday. Thompson will be remembered for his fight in camp and that's about it and Means had a pretty bad ass name.
According to Twitter friend, suew777, Thompson and Coleman were complaining about the Buffalo nightlife yesterday. I'm not saying that's why they were released because both guys are camp fodder material but going on twitter and doing that never helps your case.
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