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You are currently browsing all posts tagged with 'Buffalo Bills'
 We’ve been running a pair of series at Buffalo Sports Daily, highlighting the five biggest bright spots… and dark clouds on the 2011 Buffalo Bills season. We kicked off the dark cloud portion with the Bills reality check in the Whiteout game, moved on with the poor decision of banking on Shawne Merriman and our last stop was with a faltering Ryan Fitzpatrick. Today we reach the second-darkest cloud on the season—the unbelievable afternoon in New York of Stevie Johnson.
It’s regarded nearly as unanimous that Darrelle Revis is the best cornerback in the National Football League. It’s almost newsworthy when he gets beat for more than one pass in a game, so you can only presume how rare it is for a receiver to have eight catches for 75 yards and a touchdown against Mr. Lockdown. For the love of God, that’s a half season or more worth of numbers against him in about four quarters.
So how in the world can a wide out have so much triumph while frequenting Revis Island yet at the end of the day, have it hark back to the team’s second-darkest cloud of the entire season?
That’s Stevie Johnson effect for you.
2011 Bills Darkest Clouds- No. 2: Stevie Shoots Himself – continue reading…
 We’ve been running a pair of series at Buffalo Sports Daily, highlighting the five biggest bright spots… and dark clouds on the 2011 Buffalo Bills season. Our biggest bright spots section has already featured the emergence of Scott Chandler at tight end, the surprisingly strong play of the offensive line and the revelation that running back C.J. Spiller is not bust. We’re now up to the number two on the countdown— the early return on Buffalo’s 2011 rookies.
I almost don’t know what to do with myself right now— associating a Buffalo Bills draft and the term “bright spot” in the same sentence. Without needing to divulge copious amounts of details that trust me, Bills fans already know, the organization doesn’t exactly have the most glitzy of reputations when it comes to choosing college talent for the National Football League.
General manager Buddy Nix did little, if nothing to silence critics in his first rodeo running the team in 2010. In April he drafted his inaugural class, one that frankly looks like a catastrophe at this time. Torell Troup, Alex Carrington, Marcus Easley, Arthur Moats and Danny Batten haven’t done much—OK they’ve done nothing to help improve the franchise. Even the late season emergence of C.J. Spiller isn’t yet able to protect this class from verging as an overall failure.
Bills Biggest Bright Spots- No. 2: Early Rookie Returns – continue reading…
 While frequenting my Twitter account this afternoon, I slapped an update that essentially said I’m thinking the Buffalo Bills are not going to re-sign wide receiver Stevie Jonson to a long-term contract anytime soon, and certainly not before free agency starts.
In fairness of full disclosure, this is my opinion right now based primarily on things I’m hearing, but do not have a solid source telling me anything concrete.
I tweeted on December 13 that I’m hearing the Bills will place the franchise tag on Johnson if they don’t re-sign him. Right now, I’m not even completely convinced the Bills themselves know what they want to do with Johnson.
The Curious Case Of Stevie Johnson – continue reading…
 ♦ The Buffalo Bills are pretty much going to a 4-3 base in 2012, which doesn’t differ as much as you think from last year. The biggest change moving forward is that Nick Barnett is no longer the middle linebacker. Instead, he’ll move over to the weak side with second-year pro Kelvin Sheppard taking over inside. Who plays on the strong side in the 4-3 remains to be seen. On paper Shawne Merriman appears to be the favorite, yet I’m not even convinced he’ll be on the roster next season.
♦ Former UB Defensive Coordinator William Inge was recently hired by the Bills as an assistant defensive line coach and while thrilled for him personally, I was a bit bothered by head coach Chan Gailey’s comments about the move on Monday. I’m paraphrasing here, but regarding Inge getting the job Gailey alluded to Inge quite possibly growing into a great coach someday. Call me crazy, but shouldn’t the Bills be focused on hires that are great coaches now after 12 straight seasons of no playoffs? It’s that kind of mega -patient mentality within the organization that drives me nuts. Again, this is no knock on Inge at all.
Moran’s Musings: 4-3 Defense, Sabres & Tavares – continue reading…
 We’ve been running a pair of series at Buffalo Sports Daily, highlighting the five biggest bright spots… and dark clouds on the 2011 Buffalo Bills season. We kicked off the dark cloud portions with number five the Bills reality check in the Whiteout game and moved on with the poor decision of banking on Shawne Merriman. Today we reach the third-darkest cloud on the season—the rise and fall of starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.
The Bills concluded one of the more irritating campaigns in franchise history and no one was more front and center than quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Among those genuinely in early consideration for NFL Most Valuable Player through seven weeks, Fitzpatrick received a colossal contract extension in late October and almost without delay suffered through an atrocious second half that had fans and critics alike once again questioning the aptitude of the organization’s decision makers.
Things undoubtedly began promising for the heavily bearded gunslinger. He threw seven touchdown passes and just one interception as Buffalo started the season with a pair of wins against AFC West foes Kansas City and Oakland.
2011 Bills Darkest Clouds- No. 3: Fitz Falters – continue reading…
 We’ve started a series at Buffalo Sports Daily, highlighting the five biggest bright spots… and dark clouds on the 2011 Buffalo Bills season. Our biggest bright spots section has already featured the emergence of Scott Chandler at tight end and the surprisingly strong play of the offensive line. Today we move on to our third-biggest bright spot of 2011– the revelation that running back C.J. Spiller is not bust.
In what nearly became the defining play of his two-year Buffalo Bills career, C.J. Spiller lined up split out wide right on the first play of the third quarter in a game at Dallas November 13. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick took an Eric Wood snap and dropped back to pass. As he was doing so, Spiller blew past the linebacker assigned to him in coverage.
Heaving arguably his best long ball of the season, Fitzpatrick launched a flawless spiral in the direction of Spiller for what looked to be a highlight reel 83-yard pass and catch for a touchdown; a much needed one considering the Bills were already down 28-7.
Bills Biggest Bright Spots- No. 3: Spiller’s Not A Bust – continue reading…
 We’ve started a series at Buffalo Sports Daily, highlighting the five biggest bright spots… and dark clouds on the 2011 Buffalo Bills season. We kicked off the dark cloud portions recently with number five on our countdown— the Bills reality check in the Whiteout game. Today we trudge on by profiling the fourth-darkest cloud on the season; Buddy Nix banking too heavily on Shawne Merriman.
There’s always something admirable about taking a chance, particularly in the ultra conservative world of Buffalo Bills football. Whether Shawne Merriman ever becomes the feared Pro Bowl linebacker he used to be or never plays another down for the franchise again, I’ll never condemn general manager Buddy Nix for rolling the dice and calling his shot.
Regrettably when it comes to Merriman’s prospects, it far looks like the latter will be the scenario played out.
2011 Bills Darkest Clouds- No. 4: Too Much On Merriman – continue reading…
 Peter King published his regular Monday Morning Quarterback column on Sports Illustrated (.com) and as you’d suspect, the meat and potatoes dealt with the respective AFC and NFC championship games on Sunday. However, always hungry for a tidbit of information that could affect the Buffalo Bills, I came across something of note while examining King’s “Fine Fifteen” rankings.
In it King makes a pretty compelling case that pending Houston Texans free agent Mario Williams may actually indeed, become a true free agent.
“Now the question for this franchise is whether they fight to keep free agent outside linebacker/defensive end Mario Williams away from the market. The way this team played defensively at Baltimore, and as many talented young defensive players as the Texans have, and as many guys as they have to think about paying with a flat cap in the next two offseason, I bet they’re seriously considering letting Williams walk.” King penned.
Could Mario Willams Actually Hit The Open Market? – continue reading…
 We’re starting a series at Buffalo Sports Daily, highlighting the five biggest bright spots… and dark clouds on the 2011 Buffalo Bills season. We got off to happy start earlier highlighting the emergence of tight end Scott Chandler as a bright spot. Somberly, today we trudge on by profiling the fifth-darkest cloud on the season—- the horrifically painful to watch reality check the New York Jets laid on the Bills in week nine.
Whiteout.
That’s how the Buffalo Bills marketed their home affair with the New York Jets on Sunday November 6. Coming off an impressive 23-0 shutout over Washington in Toronto the week before, the Bills proudly strutted to Ralph Wilson Stadium with a 5-2 record and a showdown with the AFC East rival Jets looming. The game generated strong buzz on sports shows both locally and nationally thoughout the airwaves, and drew the CBS top announcing team of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms to Orchard Park.
Fans were encouraged to wear white to the Stadium by Russ Brandon to embody whiteout conditions to the enemy, and that’s precisely what the Bills faithful did.
Regrettably, this whiteout was a Bills’ snowball that quickly grew to an avalanche of bad things to come for the rest of the season.
2011 Bills Darkest Clouds- No. 5: The Whiteout – continue reading…
 We’re starting a series at Buffalo Sports Daily, highlighting the five biggest bright spots… and dark clouds on the 2011 Buffalo Bills season. Since there’s been so much doom and gloom with the team over the last nine weeks of the regular season, let’s start things off in a positive tone with our fifth biggest bright spot— the sudden emergence of tight end Scott Chandler.
Much like folk music, handwriting and critical thinking, the tight end position in Buffalo is a lost art form. To call production from the position sparse would be a flat-out lie around these parts. Frankly, it’s been non-existent.
That changed in 2011 thanks to the most unlikeliest of candidates. Most didn’t even know if Scott Chandler would make the team coming out of an abbreviated training camp and preseason schedule. All he did is quickly become one of Ryan Fitzpatrick’s most reliable weapons.
Bills Biggest Bright Spots- No. 5: Scott Chandler – continue reading…
No matter hard he tries, Buffalo Bills San Francisco 49ers safety Donte Whitner never knows when to shut his mouth. On the heels of San Francisco’s biggest football game in over a decade, Whitner took time from his busy preparation Monday to take a shot at his former team and specifically, his former head coach Chan Gailey.
While discussing how first-year San Francisco head coach Jim Harbaugh prefers to keep his player criticism in-house, Whitner told San Francisco Chronicle writer Eric Branch it was quite the opposite in Buffalo, essentially claiming Gailey routinely throw his own players under the bus with the media.
Jets head coach Rex Ryan, Whitner told Branch, “will never throw his players under the bus, and he puts all the pressure on himself. Coach Harbaugh does the same thing.
Donte Whitner Still Ripping On Former Bills Coach – continue reading…
 Last Monday, Buffalo Bills general manager Buddy Nix stood in front of the podium for his season ending press conference and offered precious little to say, instead telling a contingent of reporters he wanted a full week to appraise matters and talk to everyone on the staff, including owner Ralph Wilson before diving head first into subjects with those who cover the team.
Today Nix delivered. Engaging if not flat-out candid with reporters, Nix talked at length about a wide variety of topics ranging from personnel to offseason needs and even the salary cap.
If you want to skip all the way to the end, you can read word-for-word every question for Nix and subsequent reply (courtesy of the Bills media relation department.) If that’s too long-winded for your enjoyment, here’s my point-by-point summary of Nix’s conversation followed by my effort to read between the lines of what he was saying.
Buddy Nix Presser: Reading Between The Lines – continue reading…
 As first reported by the Buffalo News, Buffalo Bills wide receivers coach Stan Hixon is leaving the organization to become receivers coach at Penn State University, effective immediately.
Hixon has spent the past two season with the Bills, coming to Buffalo in 2010 after spending six seasons with the Washington Redskins. A former talented college wide receiver at Iowa State himself, Hixon is given a lot of credit in the rise of Stevie Johnson. Hixon also helped developed three undrafted wide receivers into a regular role with the Bills; David Nelson, Donald Jones and Naaman Roosevelt.
Hixon is the second Bills offensive coach to leave the organization over the past few days. Quarterback coach George Cortez left to become head coach for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL over the weekend.
Former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien was hired to be the Penn State head coach last week. O’Brien was on the same staff with Hixon for five seasons at Georgia Tech (1995-99.)
 When free agency begins, the Buffalo Bills have 14 pending unrestricted free agents and three restricted to deal with. Since I don’t feel much like writing a long lead-in to an already obvious topic, I’ll jump right into things with a forecast on how things may shake down, who’ll be back and who’s most likely to be playing elsewhere in 2012.
LOCK TO RETURN
Scott Chandler: It makes far too little sense for either side to want to part ways after the season Chandler just had. The Bills finally got solid production out of the tight end spot with Chandler, who caught 38 passes for 389 yards and six touchdowns as he became a go-to guy for Ryan Fitzpatrick. The offense is clearly better with him in the lineup, and I’d be shocked if Buddy Nix didn’t provide fair compensation for his services. Most people, including myself weren’t even sure he’d make the 2011 roster last summer.
Coming & Going: The Bills Free Agent Class – continue reading…
 Monday was locker room clean out day for the Buffalo Bills, and most players (no, not Stevie Johnson) made themselves available to the media.
One of them was linebacker Andra Davis, who had quite the interesting second campaign in Buffalo this year. Davis began the season as the starting inside linebacker but was eventually supplanted by rookie Kelvin Sheppard. Ever the class act, Davis never griped or complained publicly. Instead, he worked as hard as possible and perhaps more importantly, served as an outstanding mentor both on and off the field for Sheppard.
The potential unrestricted free agent spoke with reporters about how grateful he is to still be playing in the NFL and made it clear he has no plans to retire at this time.
Andra Davis Has No Plans To Retire – continue reading…
 Monday was locker room clean out day for the Buffalo Bills, and most players (no, not Stevie Johnson) made themselves available to the media.
One of them was tight end Scott Chandler, who was one of the team’s biggest bright spots in 2011. Chandler entered the season with one career catch but caught 38 for 389 yards and six touchdowns in 14 games. The numbers were spectacular for a tight end by Buffalo’s standards and had he not been bothered by a leg injury near the end of the season, could’ve done even better.
The potential unrestricted free agent spoke with reporters about his season and the prospects of hitting the open market.
The following transcript comes to you courtesy of the Bills media relations department:
Chandler Would Love To Return To Buffalo – continue reading…
 It didn’t take scrolling far down my Twitter feed over the weekend to realize the majority of Buffalo Bills fans were unpleasantly surprised they knocked off the Denver Broncos Saturday in rather dominant fashion, 40-14. To a portion of fans, the win was really a loss in the sense that it will cost the organization at least a few draft slots come next April.
I mean, the Bills are already eliminated from the postseason and a win is something the draft war room may come to regret in 2012, no?
You shouldn’t feel that way.
Listen, I’m not saying a draft pick inside the top 10 wouldn’t have been nice, but to me it was far more important for this team to finally get back on the right track. After a promising seven weeks followed by a disastrous two months, the Bills were a team in dire need of feeling good about themselves. The victory over Denver accomplished just that. Buffalo faced a team that had plenty to play for, seemingly had all the momentum and intangibles to send the Bills to an eighth straight loss but to be perfectly honest, the underdog Bills smacked Tim Tebow and his teammates in the mouth repeatedly.
Bills Finally Back On Right Track: Random Smatterings – continue reading…
 It’s rare that Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson speaks publicly these days and when he does, you can bet money its usually with Associated Press reporter John Wawrow. Thursday was no exception as Wilson commented on several topics. While the meat-and-potatoes of Wawrow’s piece centered around Wilson’s interest in continuing the Toronto series beyond 2012, his comments about quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick seemed telling to say the least.
Like him or not, it appears set in stone Fitzpatrick will continue to be the starting quarterback beyond just this season.
Wilson blamed injuries and a lack of supporting cast around him for the quarterback’s miserable second half struggles that have seen him toss 12 interceptions during the Bills’ seven-game losing streak.
Wilson Makes Clear Fitz Is His Guy – continue reading…
 The Buffalo Bills are abysmal and don’t expect to win anymore. Hey, I didn’t say it; Chris Kelsay did (well the second part anyway.) In front of their less than capacity home crowd against a team they badly wanted revenge on, the Bills were out-hit, out-classed and most importantly, out-scored Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, 30-23 in a game not as close as the final scored indicated.
Miami safety Jeremiah Bell said following their first meeting last month that the Bills essentially laid down to the Dolphins. Allegedly, Buffalo used it as extra motivation this past week in preparation for the rematch. Maybe next time Bell should say that the Bills are a terrible, embarrassing product to all of Western New York and their fans around the world.
Would it really have mattered? This team needs a lot more than just bulletin board material. Right now, they’re simply powerless to do anything about verbal barbs.
Bills Lose Again: The Good, Bad & Ugly – continue reading…
 For Buffalo Bills fans too young to remember, there once was a time when Buffalo vs. Miami week was the only that mattered to people in Western New York. Obviously, that’s pretty much gone now, especially this year with the Bills officially out of the AFC playoff race and Miami out even longer, which makes this week’s game in Orchard Park have a lethargic feeling.
However, there was one intriguing storyline that got the fans’ juices flowing over the past few days— the thought that Matt Moore’s injury would equate to former Bills quarterback J.P. Losman under center for Miami against his old team.
Reportedly, that’s now gone too.
Report: Moore, Not Losman Expected To Start vs Bills – continue reading…
 I like Stevie Johnson. He’s charismatic, personable, colorful and highly opinionated. More importantly he’s a heck of a football player. He’s far and away been the most productive Buffalo Bills wide receiver over the past two years and his numbers place him in the upper echelon of receivers in the league.
Unfortunately he’s also his worst enemy, beginning last year with his “why so serious” t-shirt homage to Chad Ocho Cinco and Terrell Owens, which was a precursor for the overtime disaster against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Well, maybe it’s time he did get serious.
Time For Johnson To “Be So Serious” – continue reading…
 Good news for the Buffalo Bills as they prepare to face the New York Jets in a key AFC showdown this Sunday. Wide receiver Donald Jones is participating at practice today and told WGR550 reporter Sal Capaccio that he’s ready to go against of the Jets—as of right now.
The addition of Jones back to the passing game would provide another weapon for quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Jones has 16 receptions for 174 yards and a touchdown in a little over four games this season, including his five catch, 101 yard effort against the New England Patriots.
Jones hasn’t played since injuring his ankle early in the first quarter during Buffalo’s victory over Philadelphia. The Bills have used a wide receiver by committee approach to replacing him in the lineup since the injury, including running back C.J. Spiller getting several reps with Jones out. With Darrelle Revis likely to be matched up against Stevie Johnson for much of the day, Jones could have an opportunity for a big game in his return.
 If you paid any mind to nearly every preseason prognosticator (this one included, sadly) you’d surely have been more inclined to think the Buffalo Bills would be closer to the Andrew Luck sweepstakes come next April than an AFC playoff spot in roughly two more months. But every season the NFL has Cinderella teams and low and behold, the Bills’ glass slipper has been as shiny as anyone.
In defense of all the armchair critics, it was excruciatingly easy to write off the Bills before the season even started. They weren’t very good last year—unless you consider four wins in 2010 an achievement, and general manager Buddy Nix didn’t exactly set the league on notice with marque free agent additions. To make matters worse, the Bills looked awful through most of training camp and even worse for a majority of the preseason. The offensive line depth was so bad the team cut three active reserves from last year following their preseason finale.
Fortunately for the organization, games are played on the field and not newspapers, websites and blogs. The Bills are 5-2 and quite frankly, a couple of plays away from being undefeated. In the process they got the colossal monkey off their back by finally beating New England, forced Tom Brady and Michael Vick into four interceptions apiece, and have one of the most explosive offenses in the league on the other side of the ball.
Buffalo Bills: Five Biggest Surprises – continue reading…
 Sadly, no one is above falling victim to crime in this day and age— not even professional football players. Just ask former Buffalo Bills running back and local product Jehuu Caulcrick.
The 28-year old former high school star at Clymer had his truck burglarized Tuesday in broad daylight. According to Caulcrick via Twitter, his GPS and a diamond necklace were stolen.
Caulcrick led Clymer to four consecutive Section VI Class D division championships in high school and is Western New York’s all-time leading high school rusher with 6,559 yards. After high school he went on to star at Michigan State and was a team captain by his senior season.
Caulcrick went undrafted in 2008 and spent time on the practice squads of the New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers before eventually signing with the hometown Bills last year. He had one rush for two yards in two games last season and was one of the team’s final cuts this past September.
Here is a photo of Caulcrick’s burglarized car, which appeared late Tuesday afternoon on his Twitter. We’re trying to reach Caulcrick for comment and reaction following this senseless crime and will bring more details as they become available.
**UPDATE** I got the chance to speak with Caulcrick. His truck was burglarized in the parking lot next to his place on Pearl Street, near the Pearl Street Grill. There is a parking lot attendant there and it’s a busy area, so this just reeks of dirty suspicions. Obviously, we’re hopeful the dirtbag(s) that did this are caught and brought to justice.
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