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
Monday, September 12, 2011
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."
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