SB Nation - Kendall Simmons

Web Rumblings: Buffalo Bills Links, 12/19

MattRichWarren — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 12:52:34 -0000

More photos » by Winslow Townson - AP

3 months ago: Former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly, right, talks with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady before an NFL football game between the Bill and the Patriots on Monday, Sept. 14, 2009, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

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Bills O-line a comedy of calamities - AFC East Blog - ESPN
"Buffalo's football operations department left the line woefully inexperienced at the start of the year, and it deteriorated from there. It's the NFL's most-penalized unit. One of the five has started all 13 games at his position. Four who've started are on injured reserve. Kugler has patched together seven different starting combinations and could assemble an eighth Sunday against the New England Patriots in Ralph Wilson Stadium. "

Kelly's Call: Injuries Bills' biggest detriment - BuffaloBills.com
"The continuity of the offensive line has been a compromising factor in all of this and I feel bad for the offensive linemen trying to hold that thing together despite all the changes. As a quarterback I know it has been no picnic for them and for Ryan Fitzpatrick. When the quarterback is getting hit and sacked the first set of guys that are blamed are those linemen."

Buffalo Bills game sells out, TV blackout avoided | Democrat and Chronicle
"Sunday's AFC East game between the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park is officially sold out and will be televised locally, the team announced this morning."

WGR 550 SportsRadio - Schopp + Bulldog's Bills 'Bad' Team of the Decade
The list includes captain Willis McGahee, Marshawn Lynch, Terrell Owens, Jason Peters, Antoine Winfield, Nate Clements, and an empty spot at punter. "They don't have to be the worst player in Bills' history, just a name that personifies what was wrong with the last 10 years of Bills' football."

Bills' secondary to face major exam : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
Randy Moss and Wes Welker, not to mention the rest of the Patriots passing attack, may present challenges to the Bills pass defense that they haven't seen yet in their otherwise stellar season.

Final Word: AFC East - AFC East Blog - ESPN
- Terrell Owens and Lee Evans have to be amped to face the Patriots secondary.
- If the Bills defeat the Patriots on Sunday, then interim coach Perry Fewell gets the job

Fan Friday 12-18 – Inside The Bills
Chris Brown tackles questions on how the Bills are doing right now, switching to a 3-4, Eric Wood's recovery (he's still in a wheelchair), next year's opponents, and Tim Tebow.

NFL fines Incognito for on-field actions : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
The NFL fined the new Buffalo Bills guard $50,000 on Friday for committing two unnecessary roughness penalties during St. Louis' 47-7 loss at Tennessee last Sunday, according to several reports.

BillBoard: T.O. in TO
It looks like Terrell Owens' "illness'' didn't keep him from making a trip to Toronto Friday night. On his Twitter page, he talked about his autograph signing at Sears and attending a Toronto Raptors game (he was dogging the Nets, calling them a D-League team, which they are). But doesn't it strike you as odd that Owens was well enough to go to Toronto, but too sick to practice the last two days? Or is it just me?

Owens questionable for Sunday | BuffaloBills.com
"It wasn’t the cold that kept Terrell Owens off the practice field late this week, it was an illness. Owens missed practice on Thursday and Friday, and it’s left him questionable for Sunday’s game against New England."

Simmons to I-R; Klopfenstein re-signed | BuffaloBills.com
"The revolving door leading to Buffalo’s injured reserve list is spinning again and another Bills offensive lineman is walking through. Just a month after being signed by the club to fill a hole on the interior of Buffalo’s offensive line, veteran Kendall Simmons was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury."

Buffalo Bills' Bryan Scott finds success at linebacker | Democrat and Chronicle
"The second coming of Ray Lewis he is not. But as learning-on-the-fly linebackers go, Bryan Scott has filled in surprisingly well for the Buffalo Bills. So well that even one of the NFL's most respected coaches, Bill Belichick, was praising the move earlier this week."

Injury-prone Bills place T Simmons on IR - The Sports Network
"The Buffalo Bills placed offensive lineman Kendall Simmons on injured reserve Friday, marking the 16th player the team has placed in IR this season. The Bills' team record for players on IR is 17, set in 2007. Simmons became the sixth offensive lineman this year to be placed on the list."

Video: How do T.O. and Moss compare? - AFC East Blog - ESPN
ESPN analysts Mark Schlereth and Tedy Bruschi discuss how Buffalo Bills receiver Terrell Owens compares to New England Patriots receiver Randy Moss in advance of Sunday's game in Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Byrd expects Moss to be on a mission - AFC East Blog - ESPN
"He's going to come in here with a chip on his shoulder," Jairus Byrd said. "Everything that's in the media and what happened last week with Carolina. We know he's going to have a chip, try to prove something. That's the game of football."

Patriots may look more to the ground game against Buffalo | New England Patriots | projo.com | The Providence Journal
"Because of the problems against the run, Buffalo’s opponents have had the ball for 902 plays. No other team has had to play defense for that many plays. "

The New England Patriots need to come together as a team to beat the Buffalo Bills - ESPN Boston
Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston and former Pats linebacker Tedy Bruschi break down this weekend's matchup. It's rather in-depth but obviously from a New England perspective.

Buffalo Bills NFL News Updates - CBSSports.com Rapid Reports
"If the Bills find a way to upset the Patriots, it would be a huge feather in interim coach Perry Fewell's cap. "Without a doubt, it'd be huge ... we want to be part of that reason for him to be considered for the position of the head coach," RB Fred Jackson said."

Matching up against the Bills - the Patriots take on another divisional opponent - Pats Pulpit
"It's no secret the Patriots are an aerial team. But with a suspect Buffalo run defense and a very strong pair of Bills running backs, I think both teams will keep to the ground more often than not."

Poor writing mars good stories about Van Miller : The Buffalo News
"Heaven knows, the 81-year-old Miller deserves a book. "Fasten Your Seatbelts: The Van Miller Story" isn’t it."

Perfect gift for Bills’ fans | Olean Times Herald
Chuck Pollack reviews Jeff Miller and Marv Levy's book Game Changers about the best play s in Bills history.

BillBoard: Shanahan reportedly talks to Redskins
"The Post also said that, according to an NFL source, when Shanahan met with Bills COO/GM Russ Brandon about the team's coaching and front office opportunities last month Allen was supposed to be part of the package deal."

Bills need to keep pounding the rock

Brian Galliford — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:46:13 -0000

More photos » by Ed Zurga - AP

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The Buffalo Bills have struggled to run the ball this season. Amidst massive offensive line changes and a three-game suspension to former starting running back Marshawn Lynch at the outset of the season, the Bills have surpassed 100 rushing yards as a team in just 6 of 13 games this season, to the team's overall offensive detriment.

Things are turning around for this unit, however. Interim head coach Perry Fewell has re-established the importance of the running game into his offensive game plans, and as a result, the Bills have rushed for over 100 yards as a team in three of Fewell's first four games as the head man, all in the last three contests. Buffalo's 200-yard rushing effort in yesterday's win over the Kansas City Chiefs may have been their most dominant ground performance of the season.

Why are the Bills suddenly running the ball well? It has a lot to do with the fact that the team has finally strung together a few games in which the same offensive line has started. Buffalo has begun games with seven different line combinations this season - most in the NFL - but in their last three games, the Bills have been fortunate to start the same five along the offensive line (Jonathan Scott, Andy Levitre, Geoff Hangartner, Kendall Simmons and Kirk Chambers). Say what you want about the quality of our opponents or the issues that remain up front, but continuity has played an important role in the run game increases over the past three weeks.

This is a trend that needs to continue, particularly if Fewell is serious about removing the interim tag from his current job title. The only thing that matters to Fewell's job prospects right now is wins. Forget style points. Fewell doesn't need them. He just needs to keep winning, and if he wants to do it, he'll continue to emphasize the running game.

Lynch and Fred Jackson are simply too good to not get touches. Yes, the same can be said of Terrell Owens and Lee Evans, but let's face facts - Ryan Fitzpatrick is much more adept at getting touches for Lynch and Jackson than he is for Owens and Evans. If you want those receivers to get the ball, run a reverse.

Speaking of Fitzpatrick, a good running game is his best friend. It opens up the play-action game and, as much of that particular brand of offensive football features rollouts, it allows Fitzpatrick to utilize the one consistent strength to his game - his ability to make plays with his legs.

The offensive line is OK with a run-dominated offensive game plan, too. This is a group that has fatal pass protection flaws. They only gave up two sacks to the Chiefs, and the fact that that two-sack performance feels like a milestone achievement should speak volumes. But no matter how deficient this unit is pass-blocking, they know how to run block, because every blue-collar offensive lineman knows how to run block. It's what they've done their entire lives. There are no finesse players on this line. Every one of those guys is physical and plays the game with the correct demeanor. Their strength is in run-blocking. They may not be very good at it, but it's what they're best at. Let them continue to do what they're best at.

In 2008, Jackson and Lynch combined to rush for 1,607 yards and 11 touchdowns on 380 carries. Buffalo's quarterback play has gotten worse from '08 to '09, as hard as that is to believe, and as a result, the rushing numbers have suffered; the two backs have 1,153 yards and 4 touchdowns on 284 carries this season. But in their last three games, their numbers have picked up, with the two backs rushing for 353 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Buffalo's next three opponents are ranked Nos. 17 (New England), 23 (Atlanta) and 18 (Indianapolis) against the run. The matchups are there for the Bills to keep running the ball effectively. It's what Buffalo's offense does best, and the team's two most consistent threats just happen to be runners. Knowing Fewell's preferred brand of football and his quest for a starting job, the Bills should - and likely will - keep pounding the rock.

Web Rumblings: Buffalo Bills Links, 12/9

MattRichWarren — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 12:27:05 -0000

Simmons still playing catch-up with Bills : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
Rodney McKissic profiles the season of guard Kendall Simmons, the newest member of Buffalo's injury-depleted offensive line.

Bills still want to finish strong - BuffaloBills.com
"Coming off the field after practice early this week, the players made it clear that finishing strong is top priority with four games to play."

2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame Ballot | Pro-Football-Reference.com
PFR has put together a 2010 Hall of Fame Ballot with stats. Go check out and compare.

Chiefs enter the blackout derby | ProFootballTalk.com
"The Chiefs have announced that 3,500 tickets need to be sold before Thursday at 1:00 p.m. ET. The Chiefs have not suffered a local blackout since December 16, 1990, giving the franchise a 155-game streak of sellouts."

Chiefs Blackout Alert: 3,500 Tickets Remaining for Bills - Arrowhead Pride
Arrowhead Pride is doing their best to get the game sold out.

Terrell Owens wants to play 2-3 more years | ProFootballTalk.com
Terrell Owens told Jay Glazer he wants to play for two or three more years.

Buffalo Bills' problem is "our own stupidity" | ProFootballTalk.com
"Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams says he and his teammates are good enough that they could be right in the thick of the AFC East race. Williams says he's figured out what the problem is: He and his teammates are stoopid."

Bills players support KED | BuffaloBills.com
Buffalo Bills players Aaron Maybin, Fred Jackson, Chris Kelsay, and Bryan Scott sent a strong anti-drug message to kids in their support of the Kids Escaping Drugs (KED) Campaign Monday night at an autograph session at McKinley Mall.

Spielman enters Hall weeks after wife's death : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
Former Buffalo Bills Chris Spielman was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame a few weeks after his wife, Chris, Succumbed to a long battle with cancer.

Buffalo Bills the Early Favorites Over the Kansas City Chiefs - Arrowhead Pride
The Bills are favored by a mere point in Arrowhead.

AFC East Roundup - The Sports Network
"The Bills won a wild 54-31 win affair at Kansas City last Nov. 23rd. The team has averaged 15.4 points in their 17 subsequent contests."

How I See It: AFC East Stock Watch - AFC East Blog - ESPN
Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick's stock is falling in Tim Graham's (and everyone else's) eyes after his 34.3 passer rating Thursday night.

Week 14 power rankings: AFC East - AFC East Blog - ESPN
The Bills fall to 26 and as a result, the Raiders moved past Buffalo. Goes to show you how much a QB means.

Video: Bills hung 54 on Chiefs last year - AFC East Blog - ESPN
"ESPN's KC Joyner previews Sunday's matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium. Joyner believes the key for Kansas City will be forgetting last year's 54-31 loss."

Patriots scored in decade with trades for Randy Moss, Wes Welker - 2000s: The Decade in Sports - SI.com
Nate Clements signing with the San Francisco 49ers is the second-worst free agent signing of the decade mainly because of the contract. Mike Williams is the third-biggest draft bust.

Tom Brady, Patriots are tops in NFL decade; Lions at bottom - 2000s: The Decade in Sports - SI.com
Terrell Owens was named the Villain of the Decade.

Titans 22, Bills 16 - AFC wild card; Jan. 8, 2000 - 2000s: Top 10 NFL Games - Photos - SI.com
Music City Mirage is number 7 on the list of top ten games of the decade.

2010 NFL Draft
Evaluating Notre Dame’s early entries | National Football Post
NFP looks at Jimmy Clausen.

Jake Locker seeking NFL info; Ryan Mallett dodges draft question - Mocking The Draft
Top quarterbacks have yet to make a decision on their NFL futures.

Jets 19, Bills 13: Week 13 Film Session

Brian Galliford — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:00:16 -0000

by Chris Young - AP

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It's Monday, and even though the Buffalo Bills are a full three days removed from their most recent loss - in this case, a 19-13 loss to the New York Jets in Toronto - Monday means it's film session day.

You know the drill. We've added a few thoughts about teams and games outside of this (dreary) matchup, so that's slightly different, but you know what to expect. As always, feel free to add your own thoughts and observations to those presented here in the comments section.

Rex Ryan has Buffalo's number. Buffalo put up 29 points in two games against the Jets this season. They ran the ball well in (extremely occasional) spots, and were able to hit the (extremely occasional) big play. But New York's offense was also very kind to Buffalo, giving them plenty of opportunities to put both games away, and the Bills were only able to do so once. Just how thoroughly is Rex Ryan's defense owning Buffalo's offense? Take a quick look at Ryan Fitzpatrick's stat line in the two games: 39.6% completions (19 of 48), 214 yards (4.46 yards per attempt), 1 TD, 2 INT, 3 sacks and a quarterback rating of 43.2. Fitzpatrick's quarterback rating of 43.2 is only slightly higher than the number of yards per quarter Thomas Jones picked up against the Bills this season (39.9).

Ryan's defense didn't do a ton, but given Buffalo's massive upheaval along the offensive line, it did the only thing it needed to do: run a bunch of exotic blitzes and confuse the hell out of Buffalo's blockers. Just like in Week 6, the Bills had opportunities to make plays down the field in this one - Lee Evans was open on intermediate routes several times, for example - but overload blitzes and stunts got pass protection out of whack, and Fitzpatrick was forced to either throw an inaccurate pass or eat the ball nearly every time.

I feel bad for Ron From NM. Not because of anything he's done or anything that's in his control. I just feel bad that most of the excellent, hard work he puts into analyzing Buffalo's offensive line on an annual basis will be largely meaningless this season. Demetrius Bell hasn't played enough to be evaluated fairly. Grades on Jonathan Scott, Kendall Simmons, Kirk Chambers and Jamon Meredith will be largely meaningless, because none of those players figure to be in Buffalo's long-term plans.

If I were Ron - and if I were him, he'd be me, and he'd probably use my body to do his usual analysis anyway - I'd just focus on three guys in my ultimate end-of-season analysis. Those three guys would be Andy Levitre, Geoff Hangartner and Eric Wood. They're the only guys who've played enough to fairly evaluate, and considering that fact alone, it's not hard to understand why Buffalo's offense is so ridiculously awful.

Given everything that's happened up front this season, as well as the fact that the Jets threw exotic looks at the Bills again, I came away impressed with Levitre. I think it's pretty safe to say that he has been the Bills' best lineman this season, his first in the league. He's played in every game, he's acquitted himself nicely when asked to play positions beyond his skill level (left tackle), and while he's had his ups and downs, his technique and consistency have come a long way since September 14 in New England. He's going to be a good player in this league for a while.

We've already talked about the abysmal run defense. Read that article if you missed it, but if you're looking for the Cliff's Notes version: backside contain and gap discipline are lacking, the linebackers stink, and the secondary is hit-and-miss in run support across the board.

That's it. I don't think I can talk about the rest of the team, because the game was so dreadfully boring and repetitive that we won't learn anything new by re-hashing what we've been talking about for three months. Blech. This team is awful to root for sometimes.

Mark Sanchez has the stuff to be the real deal. When I'm looking at a young quarterback, I don't care as much about the throws and the production as I do about what he looks like in the pocket. Sanchez has a little bit of a Tony Romo flair to him - he's quite mobile, can throw from different arm angles, and can create throwing lanes with his movement. He's terrific with ball fakes, and he has the arm to eventually make "all the throws," as they say in the biz. Yes, he's struggled in two games against the Bills this year, but I beg you to understand that that is not likely to continue. Sanchez is gonna be pretty good.

The AFC East stinks. Is there a more overrated division in the NFL? Our division leader is 7-5. Buffalo has beaten each of the two teams currently a game behind New England - who also barely beat us in the season opener. New England split with New York and Miami, two highly, highly average teams. I mean, they lost to the Bills, for crying out loud.

Going into the season, fans fretted about the "difficulty" of the two divisions the AFC East would be playing in 2009 - the AFC South and the NFC South. Granted, those two divisions sport the only two undefeated teams in football, but beyond those two teams, there aren't any others that strike fear into its opponents, with the possible exception of the Tennessee Titans of the last six games. This division is 7-5 against the NFC South - although, to be fair, they're 7-1 against teams not playing in New Orleans - and, more pertinently to the overrated argument, they're 3-6 against the AFC South.

There aren't any elite divisions in the NFL this season - mostly because there aren't many elite teams - but the AFC East race, at least in my personal opinion, is one of the least exciting out there. Which is, of course, a bummer.

Bills make plays late, give Fewell first win

MattRichWarren — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:11:36 -0000

More photos » by David Duprey - AP

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For the first time in recent memory, the Buffalo Bills were the ones putting a team away late in the fourth quarter in their 31-14 win over the Miami Dolphins.

A career-long 56-yard field goal from Rian Lindell put the Bills up 17-14 with 3:40 left in the fourth quarter. On the ensuing drive, Chris Kelsay applied heat to Chad Henne, who floated a pass that was picked off by Drayton Florence with 2:43 remaining. Everyone thought the Bills would try and bleed some clock on their possession, but Ryan Fitzpatrick had other ideas. The starting quarterback audibled at the line of scrimmage and threw a perfectly-timed deep ball to Terrell Owens for a 51-yard touchdown to ice the game with 2:31 left. Interceptions by Donte Whitner and Corey Mace sealed the deal.

The Bills' offense was not without their faults on the day, as Fitzpatrick was picked off once and sacked six times. New addition Kendall Simmons had what I'll politely call a rough outing at right guard, giving up two sacks and getting in on the penalty party by jumping offside once.

Fred Jackson got the start in the backfield for the Bills today and picked up 73 yards on 15 carries. Fitzpatrick cemented his status as Buffalo's starter with a big day, throwing for 246 yards and the long touchdown to Owens. Fitzpatrick also started the Bills' scoring by rushing for a 31-yard touchdown on a broken pass play.

Buffalo's defense allowed Ricky Williams and the Dolphins to march down the field early. A Chris Draft interception on an ill-advised Williams goal line pass thwarted the first Miami drive, but Williams amassed 115 yards rushing and a touchdown on 27 carries. Henne was 17 of 30 for 175 yards, including a touchdown pass to Brian Hartline and the three late picks.

The win moves Buffalo to 4-7 on the season and to a short week to prepare for the 5-6 New York Jets. That game will be played at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, and will be broadcast on the NFL Network. The Dolphins fall to 5-6 on the season, and this loss severely hurts their playoff chances (which couldn't make me happier).

Game Day Web Rumblings: Buffalo Bills Links, 11/29

MattRichWarren — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:21:37 -0000

Gameday Tipsheet - Week 12 | BuffaloBills.com
Chris Brown's things to watch for.

Buffalo Bills set to host Miami Dolphins | Democrat and Chronicle
John Wawrow's AP preview

Simmons expected to start – Inside The Bills
The seven-year veteran Kendall Simmons is expected to start at right guard in place of rookie Eric Wood.

Game Previews
Bills-Dolphins Preview | BuffaloBills.com
Preview from the Associated Press.

Bills Daily Gameday Preview
The Bills blog gives its preview.

Dolphins' Porter out to prove he's not all talk : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
Expect Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter to have blood in his eye Sunday when he faces the Buffalo Bills.

NFL Preview - Miami (5-5) at Buffalo (3-7) | Sports Network
The 2009 season has descended into the abyss for the Buffalo Bills. On Sunday, when Perry Fewell makes his Ralph Wilson Stadium debut as the team's interim head coach, the 3-7 Bills will be looking to drag the AFC East rival Miami Dolphins down with them.

Week 12 NFL game previews - USATODAY.com
Dolphins @ Bills is a third of the way down the page: The Dolphins have won the past three meetings by an average of 16.7 points.

Bills-Dolphins scouting report : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
Here is Allen Wilson's breakdown of today's matchup.

Game Day: Buffalo Bills | Democrat and Chronicle
Sal Maiorana's six points and gameday preview.

Dolphins vs. Bills Preview | wgrz.com
Adam Benigni spoke with Dolphins color Commentator Joe Rose as the team arrived at the Adam's Mark hotel in downtown Buffalo.

Buffalo Bills Game Day (Two Bills Drive)
Gameday preview by the Bills blog, Two Bills Drive.

Who has the edge: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills - Miami Dolphins - MiamiHerald.com
Armando Salguero breaks down who has the edge during several specific times in the game like when the Bills run or the Dolphins pass.

Team in Transition
Russ Grimm emerges as candidate for Bills job | ProFootballTalk.com
Charley Casserly of CBS's The NFL Today suggested the Cardinals line coach.

Mike Shanahan, Leslie Frazier among NFL coaching candidates - Don Banks - SI.com
Don Banks profiles the list of potential head coaches fir 2010.

The Tuna recipe to NFL success : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
Dolphins football chief Bill Parcells built winners in New York, New England and Dallas, and now he has helped remake Miami in his own image. The veteran coach's doctrines are no secret; adopting them could pay major dividends for the Bills.

A strong GM is a thing of the past in these parts : Jerry Sullivan : The Buffalo News
Jerry Sullivan profiles Colts GM Bill Polian.

UFL's Jim Haslett Contacted for NFL Job --FanHouse
Haslett didn't elaborate or even say if it was for a head coaching job or a coordinator position.

Tasker, Reed named Hall of Fame Semifinalists
Hall of Fame announces 25 semifinalists | ProFootballTalk.com
No-brainers for enshrinement are Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice. Tim Brown might have to wait until Carter gets in. Reed arguably should get in before either of them.

NFL Videos: Road to Canton with Rod Woodson
The Hall of Fame DB discusses Tim Brown, Cris Carter, and Andre Reed. When asked to pick one of the 3 he picks Andre calling him "the most complete" and "the greatest at yards after the catch".

Reed, Tasker Make Final 25 List for NFL HOF : Buffalo Sports Daily
"In what is sure to raise the ire of Buffalo Bills fans everywhere, Darryl Talley was inexcusably not included among the final 25."

More Bills News
ONLY GATORS Get Out Alive - Florida Gators college football
New Bills practice squader Jason Watkins played on the UFL's New York Sentinels.

Calls and Effect: AFC East penalty tracker - AFC East Blog - ESPN
Officials already have marched off 75 infractions against the Buffalo Bills. Their 71 accepted penalties last year were the NFL's second-fewest.

Buffalo Bills NFL News Updates - CBSSports.com Rapid Reports
"[Eric Wood] is back in town ... and everything looks good," interim coach Perry Fewell said.

Mace jersey number – Inside The Bills
Chris Brown is worried that Mace's promotion means Marcus Stroud may be limited even if he plays.

Prep work already on Jets – Inside The Bills
Buffalo's position coaches already have the shell of the game plan set up for the Thursday night game against the Jets.

Felser: Bills need to find out Brohm's capabilities : The Buffalo News
The Bills need to find out everything there is to know about Brohm and his possibilities as a quarterback who could produce a contender in Buffalo says Larry Felser.

Buffalo Bills have lost their home-field advantage | Democrat and Chronicle
Sal Maiorana laments the loss of Buffalo's homefield advantage.

Video: Kelly wants Bills to draft Tebow - AFC East Blog - ESPN
ESPN takes a look at Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly's recent comments about Tim Tebow being a perfect fit for the Buffalo Bills.

Wilson owes a debt to fans like Chuck : Donn Esmonde : The Buffalo News
Donn Esmonde uses a fan named Chuck Jones to highlight some of the struggles Bills fans go through rooting for the team when they are so bad.

Answer Man: Buffalo Bills should consider McCoy | Democrat and Chronicle
"I believe McCoy has the arm strength, accuracy, mobility and savvy to be a very good NFL quarterback for a long time."

Bills finished with Edwards | Olean Times Herald
Chuck Pollack thinks the BIlls addition of Brian Brohm means they are permanently done with Trent Edwards on any level - backup this year, backup next year, starter if Fitzpatrick is hurt.

Bills Tweets
Terrell Owens
Is it time 2 put the Xmas tree??? I'm puttin up my tree rite now: http://tweetphoto.com/5516897

Thurman Thomas
@DarrylTalley ur a hall of famer in my book, I love you and ur family

Lydell Sargent
Mannn Tim Tebow has hearttt bro!!! Heart, Passion, Swag!! I can respect it....

ESPN's Adam Schefter
Q: What do you think the chances of terrell owens staying in buffalo?
A: Far less than chances he'd ever play there.

Former Bill Ross Tucker
Love the fake QB sneak by ND. We did that in Buffalo vs. Seattle in 2004. Mike Mularkey special.

Ross Tucker
JeremyNPike: "One more game and the Bills would have been in the playoffs. So close that year."
Tucker's response: "Tell me about it."

Thurman Thomas
Gameday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It wld be nice if 72,000 fans gave the Dolphins the Bud Adams at the same time... I'm just saying

Thurman Thomas
They sld show nothing but Bills/Dolphins highlights on jumbo tron today.... 90's highlights...Y I'm not workin over there blows my mind

The AP's John Wawrow
#Bills #Dolphins an absolutely perfect late November morning for Buffalo. Mild, partly cloudy. 2 bad not many fans showing up early.

Thurman Thomas
I asked Thurman: "Do you hate the Dolphins more or less now than you did before your one year there?"
He responded: "less it ws a different experience, but I gained alot of friends there. Taylor, Zac,McDuffie,even got 2 spend time wit Marino"

Web Rumblings: Buffalo Bills Links, 11/27

MattRichWarren — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:38:45 -0000

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

about 1 month ago: Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson (22) tries to keep his balance on a third-quarter run against the Jacksonville Jaguars during an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009, in Jacksonville, Fla. Jacksonville won 18-15. (AP Photo/Phil Coale)

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Simmons could step right in | BuffaloBills.com
Kendall SImmons is playing so well in practice he may get the start at guard this week.

Moorman punting at Pro Bowl level | BuffaloBills.com
Through ten games, Moorman already passed his punting yardage total of last season with 2,747 yards, good for second in the AFC behind Oakland’s Shane Lechler. His net average, a category that most look at to judge a punter’s season, is ranked third in the conference at 40.2.

WGR 550 SportsRadio - Report: Kelly wants piece of team; Tebow
The long-whispered rumors are true, Jim Kelly wants to be a part of the Bills ownership group.

4th quarter is Bills' Achilles heel | BuffaloBills.com
The Bills have been outscored in the fourth quarter this season 109-40, close to a 3:1 ratio through the first 10 games. Only one team in the NFL has given up more fourth quarter points (Miami, 110). In six of Buffalo’s 10 games they have been shut out in the final stanza of the contest, and in their last three outings the Bills have been outscored in the fourth quarter 54-0, all losses.

HOF semifinalists to be named Saturday – Inside The Bills
The Pro Football Hall of Fame will be naming their 25 semifinalists for enshrinement as part of the 2010 Hall of Fame class. Former Bills likely to be on the list include Steve Tasker, Andre Reed, Kent Hull and Darryl Talley.

Sanborn making it look like a snap | BuffaloBills.com
Dan Bates profiles Buffalo's low profile long snapper, Garrison Sanborn.

Practice squad adds are interesting – Inside The Bills
A little more information on the two newest Bills, Lonnie Harvin amd Jason Watkins.

Bills practicing in rain – Inside The Bills
The Bills practiced outside in the rain Wednesday.

Sparano knows Fewell – Inside The Bills
Sparano was the tight ends coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2002. Fewell was the secondary coach for the Jaguars on that same coaching staff.

Safety rotation will continue – Inside The Bills
Donte Whitner and Jairus Byrd subbed in and out for one another through the course of the Jacksonville game. Interim head coach Perry Fewell liked how it worked last Sunday and intends to continue with it moving forward.

Fewell asks for fan support – Inside The Bills
The Bills coach wants fans in the seats this Sunday to welcome the Dolphins to town.

Eric Wood still not back from Jacksonville – Inside The Bills
"I don’t think [the injury is career-threatening]," said Fewell. "I can’t answer that question, but I just know that everything went well and we hope to have him home soon."

Bills players serve turkey dinner | BuffaloBills.com
Among the players serving a full menu of turkey, stuffing, beans, corn, yams, grilled cheese, rolls, deserts and drinks were safety Jairus Byrd, defensive backs Cary Harris and Lydell Sargeant, offensive lineman Nick Hennessey, Andy Levitre, Jamon Meredith and Andre Ramsey, defensive end Aaron Maybin, linebacker Ashley Palmer and long snapper Garrison Sanborn.

Whitner's return means safety in numbers for Bills | Buffalo News
"I didn't start, but I played most of the game," said Donte Whitner. "It was a different feel not starting. I didn't know why it happened and I haven't really talked to anyone about it." The rotations is likely to continue.

Bills notebook: Williams is back in limelight as Dolphins' feature back : The Buffalo News
Ricky Williams was named AFC offensive player of the week after his three-TD performance last week.

Question Mark: Coaching contracts can be structured with an out clause : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
Mark Gaughan answers questions about out clauses in a coach's contract (for instance if the team is sold or moved), blaming the Bills ineptitude on financial constraints, and Aaron Maybin's lack of productivity.

Offensive line does the shuffle, again : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
"There was no truth to the rumor the Buffalo Bills handed out stick-on tags that read "Hello, My Name is:" at their offensive line meeting on Wednesday. But it would have been warranted."

Former Bills DB Janik dies : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
Tom Janik, who as a member of the Buffalo Bills in 1968 intercepted a pass by Joe Namath and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown, has died. He was 69.

Buffalo Bills may have McGee for game against Miami Dolphins | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle
The Buffalo Bills bumped up their schedule of meetings and practice so the players and coaches could enjoy part of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Buffalo Bills reshuffle offensive line again | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle
Injuries force a seventh new starting lineup

Dolphins vs Bills: Keys to Victory - The Phinsider
The Dolphins travel up to Buffalo on Sunday and these three factors are critical for a dolphins win. Resident SBN Dolphins blog the Phinsider (my third-favorite blog name) tackles the keys.

Dolphins backup Joe Berger could start at center Sunday | The Palm Beach Post
Starter Jake Grove sat out his second straight practice with a high-ankle sprain and is behind schedule with his recovery.

Bills’ poor record may leave many stadium seats empty : Buffalo/Erie County : The Buffalo News
Tickets still are available for the team’s last three "home" games, and two of them could be played before a bunch of empty seats.

Niagara Gazette - BILLS: Wood retunrs to town for Thanksgiving
Buffalo Bills rookie Eric Wood flew back to Buffalo for Thanksgiving, reports Mark Ryan.

Buffalo Bills Transcripts | Miami Dolphins
Transcripts of Perry Fewell and Ryan Fitzpatrick talking to the Miami media.

Niagara Gazette - BILLS: Buffalo wide receiver Terrell Owens insists he's still got it
"I knew if I just kept plugging away, remaining positive and keeping my faith and believing in my abilities, yeah, I knew the opportunities would eventually come," Owens said, referring to the third-most prolific performance of his 14-year career.

Want your QB in 2010? Then root for this : Buffalo Sports Daily
Pat Moran tells you what to root for if you want to select the QB of the future in this year's frat.

Reason for thanks: Five NFL players grateful for their bounty - USATODAY.com
Fred Jackson and his long road to the NFL is part of this Turkey Day feature.

Team in Transition
Buffalo Bills elevate search for new coach | Democrat and Chronicle
Sal Maiorana gives his take on the current Bills coaching search.

Cowher would be a better fit for Bills : Bucky Gleason : The Buffalo News
Bucky Gleason opines the Bills should prefer Cowher to Shanahan.

Murphy and Peck discuss coach prospects | WIVB.com
WIVB's sports guys discuss possibilities to man the top coaching jjob in Buffalo.

What's next for Bills after Shanahan? - AFC East Blog - ESPN
The next wave of candidates might include the likes of Brian Billick, Jim Fassel, Mike Martz and Jim Haslett, but the Bills seem hot for an offensive-minded coach, which could work against Haslett, a former Bills linebacker.

Bills Tweets
Rochester D&C's Sal Maiorana
I think they will be fiscally cautious as always. RT @tblonsky: Do you think Bills would be big spenders if next off season is uncapped?

More from Rochester D&C's Sal
It's raining in Buffalo, and Bills are outside practicing. Novel concept given they may have to play in rain Sunday. Jauron rarely did that.

Rochester D&C's Sal again
I doubt it. Ralph trusts Brandon. RT @MattKabel: Any chance Bills bring in a consultant? Don't think Brandon is qualified to lead search.

Fake Perry Fewell
They gave Shanny the fieldhouse RT @tblonsky u have the bills outside today? Why risk giving the players the sniffles? This is a disgrace.

Rochester D&C's Sal Maiorana
Bills coach Perry Fewell liked the way new OG Kendall Simmons looked in first practice. No commitment from Fewell, but Simmons should start

SalSports' Sal Cappacio
Looks like former Bills DC Jerry Gray will be new Head Coach at Memphis.

John Niyo
Lions put S Ko Simpson on iR, sign CB Jahi Word-Daniels from practice squad [Ed.: Even former Bills aren't safe!]

Donte Whitner
Keep your Head down and grind don't look up til ur past where u wanna be!

Fake Perry Fewell
Getting ready for Sunday. On the menu for Thansgiving, tuna WITH dolphin meat!

Adam Schefter
$10 mil per year is not close to offer. RT @ryanferreira2: how bad is Buffalo if 10 mil per year and control of the team may not be enough?

Rochester D&C's Sal Maiorana
Mike Martz wants the Bills job. What I don't like is he drafted Ryan Fitzpatrick with Rams in '05, and he might think Fitz is the right QB

WHAM TV's Chuck Wade
Bills fans: be thankful the NFL still has the Raiders. They are just bad.

WGR's Nick Mendola
The Lions and Raiders made me realize the Bills weren't the worst game-day coached team in the league. Wow.

Bills sign OG Kendall Simmons, send Wood to IR

Brian Galliford — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:41:44 -0000

Facing a disastrous shortage of offensive linemen, the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday announced that they have added veteran guard Kendall Simmons to their 53-man roster. Buffalo previously visited with Simmons this past March before ultimately signing Seth McKinney, who suffered a season-ending injury this past Sunday.

A former first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Simmons missed most of the 2008 season with a ruptured Achilles tendon. Released in February, he spent the early portions of this season with New England, but was released on November 6.

Discounting starting center Geoff Hangartner, the Bills only have one true guard on the roster - rookie left guard Andy Levitre - and he's been moonlighting at left tackle. Buffalo lost two guards, Eric Wood and McKinney, to season-ending injuries on Sunday (Wood was placed on IR to complete this transaction).

Simmons is a veteran presence for a team that needs a veteran presence up front. It's unclear if he'll play immediately - tackle-by-trade Kirk Chambers filled in for Wood in Jacksonville, and knows Buffalo's offense - but for a desperate team, Simmons was as solid a signing as we could have hoped for.

McKinney still has not officially been placed on IR, so the Bills may not be done wheeling and dealing up front.

Overcoming the "bump": How great teams keep winning despite setbacks

BigBlueShoe — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:09:06 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

FILE - In this Nov. 1, 2009, file photo, Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell, left, will have to focus his team and not allow injuries to be an excuse. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)

Browse more photos »

Every NFL teams experiences a point in their season where something happens to disrupt their flow. Things are going well. The team is winning. Players are happy, flying around, looking to make plays, etc. Coaches are jovial in press conferences. Media are anointing the club, calling them "the best ever." Yippee-yippee-yay-yay!

Then, something happens.

Usually, it comes in the form of an injury. Or, sometimes, it's a team tragedy or some kind of disaster. Last season, we all saw the Houston Texans' "bump" come in the form of a hurricane that damaged their stadium, their facilities, and (for many players) their homes. The Texans never recovered from that "bump," and missed the playoffs because of a bad start.

In 2007, the our own, beloved Colts looked like they would repeat as world champions. They were 7-1 and flying high. Then, they lost Dwight Freeney for the season. They limped along for the rest of 2007, managed to finish the season 6-1 after the Freeney injury, but lost in the playoffs to the Chargers due in large part because of a lack of pass rush. In 2008, Peyton Manning's knee problems, coupled with the disasters at the defensive tackle spot, provided Indy with their "bump" very early in the NFL campaign. The team fumbled and bumbled their way through a 3-4 start. Though Indy managed to close the season on a 7-0 run, they lost in the playoffs again to the Chargers due in large part because of problems they had as a result of their "bump" early in the season (poor DT play).

Bumps for teams can sometimes be too much to handle. They can throw an entire season off track. However, it is the truly great teams that incur these bumps and, somehow, manage to win games in spite of them.

For my money, no championship team in recent memory was as injured as the 2006 Colts. They lost Brandon Stokley, Mike Doss, Corey Simon, James Mungro, and Montae Reagor for the season. Their secondary was a list of walking wounded. Bob Sanders missed virtually all the 2006 regular season (shocking, I know). Yet, despite the injuries, they persevered and won the Super Bowl.

Last season, we saw the Pittsburgh Steelers lose both their first and second round picks in the 2008 draft (Rashard Mendenhall and Limas Sweed, respectively). They also played games in 2008 without Willie Parker, using castoff Mewelde Moore as their feature back. They lost Casey Hampton and Heath Miller for long stretches of time. Starting offensive guard Kendall Simmons was lost for the season with an Achilles injury. Steelers starters missed over 31 games in 2008 due to injuries. In Week Sixteen, they were dominated by the Tennessee Titans, and many wondered if the Steelers were as good as others said they were.

Yet, I distinctly remember seeing the Steelers hoist the Lombardi trophy this past February.

Obviously, too many injuries, or one devastating injury, can kill your football team. But just because you loose a few starters, or because some other players are down for a while, does not mean that is an excuse to lose. The great teams win despite injuries, and even though the 2009 Colts have lost some players this week, this roster is still good enough to win it all.

More importantly, with this current roster, I expect them to win it all.

I love players like Marlin Jackson and Tyjuan Hagler. But this is the NFL. Injuries happen. For eight weeks, this team has been able to get by without having a serious injury smack them upside the head. Now, they have two. We'll see how tough they are overcoming this "bump" in the coming weeks. Personally, I think they will be fine.

Are the Arizona Cardinals Finished with Free Agency?

Hawkwind — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:47:38 -0000

The free agent crop is thinning and the Arizona Cardinals took their one big bite when they signed Bryant McFadden and one small nibble by signing Jason Wright. The ranks thin each day as more guys are signed, but for a team with as many needs as the Cardinals there are still some usable pieces out there. The franchise has plenty of money under the cap (they could open up even more cap space by extending Karlos Dansby or Adrian Wilson!) but will there be room on the roster? Darren Urban had a breakdown of the roster a week ago with the idea that roster spots could already be at a premium. With the signing of Clark Haggans today, the Cardinals have 61 players under contract. Urban remains pretty sure that Bertrand Berry will be re-signed and that Edge will be released so that shouldn't affect the number of players on the roster. When you add in the eight draft picks and ten or twelve undrafted free agents, the number nears the maximum of 80 (this is the time of year that the NFL Europa roster exemptions are missed most).

The Cardinals do have some guys who could easily be released if a coveted free agent is signed including traditional "practice bodies" running back Chris Vincent, wide receiver Ornea Jones, tight end Alex Shor or punter Waylon Prather. So what free agents out there should or could interest the Cardinals at this point in free agency? Here's some guys that I'm still interested in:

Quinn Sypniewski (TE): The soon to be 27 year old tight end is an above average blocker, as his size (6'6 270) would suggest. He also caught 34 passes in 2007 (his second season in the league) before tearing his ACL in mini-camps last July. He missed all of the 2008 season and the catch with him is that he's a restricted free agent. The Ravens would have the right to match any offer and it would cost the Cardinals a fifth round pick to sign him, but for those hoping that use a mid to late round pick on tight end, he might be a better option.

Marvel Smith (OT) and Kendall Simmons (OG): I'm not sure either of these guys would be instant starters or even upgrades on the offensive line, but I still can't help but think that Whisenhunt and Grimm are interested. Smith and Simmons were both starters on the Steelers' 2005 Super Bowl team and would certainly add tons of depth and competition to the team. Smith's last two seasons have been cut short by a gimping back and Simmons tore an Achilles last year so both are significant injury risks, but a short one year "prove your healthy" contract wouldn't be all that surprising to me. The longer these two go unsigned the further they're price will drop and the more likely that Whiz makes a call.

Marques Harris (OLB): Harris has been buried under some superb linebackers in San Diego but he didn't excel as a starter last year and he's a bit undersized (6'1 231). Still though he's experienced in a 3-4, young (27 years old) and should be relatively cheap.

Pat Thomas (ILB): Thomas isn't starting material but he could fill the same role as Monty Beisel and he's quite a bit younger (26 years old). Thomas started nine games last season for the Chiefs but after missing four games to injury he didn't get his starting job back. The Chiefs haven't shown any interest in bringing him back but he might be a better fit as an ILB in a 3-4.

Matt Giordano (S): The 26 year old has started a handful of games during his four seasons in Indy, playing both free and strong safety, and he's a solid special teams player. He's got outstanding speed for a safety (sub 4.5) and might be a decent center fielder.

As you can see the free agent pickings are pretty slim. At this point any team still fishing in the free agent waters isn't looking for starters, but instead a decent role player who fits a pressing need (think Bryan Robinson from last off season). The Cardinals still have their own free agents to consider as well:

Bertrand Berry: Everything points to Berry returning to the Cardinals at this point. His age and skill set leaves him best suited as a situational pass rusher at this point in his career but in that role he could still be the teams best rusher.

Ralph Brown: The veteran corner revived his career once he leap-frogged Eric Green and got regular playing time. His size (5'10 185) and age (30) are working against him but he's still probably the best option as the Cardinals fourth corner. I wouldn't be terribly upset to hear if he was re-signed with the thought of trying him out at safety.

Elton Brown: If the Cardinals are looking for a versatile lineman who could be decent spot starter, they probably should look at their very own Elton Brown. The fact that he's still on the market is a sign that no one was willing to throw starting money at him. Many think he's a better or at least very comparible player to Duece Lutui.

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The Cardinals roster is filing up fast and the remaining additions may be strictly draft related, but they still have some flexibility if they get the free agent itch. Are any of these free agents worth taking a shot at though? Of the remaining three Cardinals free agents, which would you sign?