SB Nation User Blog: Kurupt

O-line, not Owens, determine value

Kurupt — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:59:08 -0000

O-line, not Owens, determine value

Actually a pretty good article from ESPN about the fantasy potential of the Bills, and how it really comes down to how the OL, specifically Langston Walker performs.

Preseason Fantasy Rankings: Quarterbacks 1-10

Kurupt — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:11:01 -0000

Preseason Fantasy Rankings: Quarterbacks 1-10

8 Edwards, Trent BUF He now has two Top 20 WRs and a Top 15 RB. What's not to love?

Wow, that's the highest I've ever seen Trent. I could not put him ahead of Rodgers or Romo. Not until he proves himself capable of utilizing these weapons.

No huddle used half the time? (Chris Brown again)

Kurupt — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:04:53 -0000

No huddle used half the time? (Chris Brown again)

I’ll say right now I’d be surprised if it’s used more than half of the offensive snaps this season. I think we’re looking at a 50-50 split at best. Jauron values time of possession and the run game and who wouldn’t with the stable of backs the Bills now have.

I'd be surprised if we ran it a quarter of the time. Going no-huddle half the time seems like a little much, especially with a mediocre defense.

22: How often will no huddle be used? (Chris Brown)

Kurupt — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:03:03 -0000

22: How often will no huddle be used? (Chris Brown)

The Bills will have the benefit of an extra preseason game this summer, which will hopefully help the offense improve the split-second reactions necessary for everyone to operate efficiently in the no huddle attack.

I hope they take advantage of that extra game....

Change name of the game for Buffalo offense (PFW)

Kurupt — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:00:45 -0000

Change name of the game for Buffalo offense (PFW)

"We were disappointed in how little we’ve used it," coach Dick Jauron admitted. "The huddle is not complicated, and so we said we’ll focus our attention on not huddling. … We think it’s a valuable weapon and obviously everybody in the league uses it."

Positional Power Rankings: RB packages (Fox Sports)

Kurupt — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:57:00 -0000

Positional Power Rankings: RB packages (Fox Sports)

After oddly ranking the Bills' QB's a generous 12th in the league, Fox Sports decides to give no respect to the RB unit, which I think is one of the top 6-7 in the league.

The depth we have is really unparalleled around the league. There are only a few teams with a 3rd RB as good as Rhodes. I would say teams like Dallas, Pittsburgh, New England and maybe in time, Oakland, are comparable at that position. I'm not really sure how teams like Miami, New Orleans, Oakland and the Giants have any business ahead of the Bills in this set of rankings.

Talk about getting no respect at one position (RB), while getting way too much at another (QB).

Jackson ready for bigger NFL role

Kurupt — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:46:27 -0000

Jackson ready for bigger NFL role

On TO: "Nobody wants that kind of stuff in the locker room. I'll be one of the first guys to say something to him if I feel like he's getting out of hand. No question about it. I'll be one of the first guys to say something to him. We have a good group of guys that won't hesitate to say anything to him."

Nice

Top 50 All-Time Bills, No. 36: P Brian Moorman

Kurupt — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:38:42 -0000

Brian Moorman is the man, and he levitates. (photo source)

View full size photo uploaded July 1, 2009

P Brian Moorman (2001-present) | 6'0", 172 lbs

Notable Achievements: 2x Pro Bowl Selection (2005, 2006), 2x First Team All-Pro (2005, 2006), 3x Pro Bowl Alternate (2002, 2004, 2007), Member of Bills 50th Anniversary Team

Brian Donald Moorman was born in Wichita, Kansas on February 5, 1976. He graduated from Sedgwick High School in Sedgwick, Kansas where he lettered in football, track and basketball. Proving himself to be a great athlete, Moorman was a three-time state hurdle champion and an all-state selection in football and basketball. Following his tremendous high school athletic career, Moorman went on to become a Gorilla, playing collegiately at Pittsburg State in Kansas, the same school that crackpot actor Gary Busey played football at. During his four years in college, Moorman earned All-American honors in each season becoming the first player in school history to achieve such a feat. He was named first team All-Conference in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association each season, as well.

Proving his athleticism off the football field, Moorman also put together an incredible track career. He was named to the All-Conference team in each of his four years, for both indoor and outdoor track. He earned first team All-American honors in the 400 meter hurdles from 1997-1999. Most impressively, Moorman was the 400m National Champion from 1997-1999. Off the field/track, he was a six-time Academic All-American, for both sports. He still holds the school record for yards per punt (43.97 yards) and in the 110m hurdles (13.81 seconds), and was named to the football program's 100th Anniversary Team in 2003. Moorman graduated as the most decorated male athlete in school history, and as a result, will be inducted into the Pittsburg State Athletics Hall of Fame on September 4 for his football and track accomplishments. Despite all his athletic achievements, Moorman went undrafted in 1999.

Career Highlights
After failing to be selected in the 1999 NFL Draft, Moorman wound up signing with the Seahawks on April 24 of that year. He spent 1999 and 2000 in the Seahawks training camp, but failed to earn a roster spot. He was allocated to NFL Europe in 2000 where he was assigned to the Berlin Thunder. He would spend two seasons in Europe leading the league in punting in both 2000 and 2001. The Bills signed him as a free agent on July 20, 2001, which would be the birth of a brilliant NFL career for Moorman. He handled punting and kickoff duties during his "rookie" season and put up what would be career low numbers. His 40.8 yards per punt and 33.8 net yards per punt are the lowest averages in his career. He's been booming punts as one of the NFL's elite punters since then.

Following his decent, but unspectacular first year as a Bill, Moorman quickly established himself as one of the league's best the following year. He would finish fourth in the NFL in punting in 2002 with a 43.1 yards per punt average and drilled a league best (and career long) 84-yarder in a late December loss in frigid Green Bay. He continued to improve over the next three season, culminating with his first Pro Bowl berth in 2005, a year he led the NFL in punting at 45.7 yards per punt. Moorman has also routinely flirted with a 40 yard net average, long a number rarely met by NFL punters. Moorman again made the Pro Bowl in 2006, despite finishing No. 16 in yards per punt. He was selected due to finishing second in the NFL in net yards per punt and punts inside the 20. Moorman has only finished in the top five in average per punt a few times, but he routinely finishes there for net yards per punt, which is a tribute to his ability to place the ball all over the field, as well as give his consistently good coverage teams the chance to get downfield to limit big returns. He has also held on field goals and extra points for the majority of his career.

Moorman has been named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week four times in his career (Week 6 in 2004, Week 10 in 2005, and Weeks 9 and 15 in 2006. He was also named AFC Special Team Player of the Month for November of 2006. I'd have to imagine a punter earning these honors is pretty rare, and a testament to how good Moorman has been during his career.

Along with all the success Moorman has had on the field, his impact off the field is probably greater. He was given the 2005 Pro Football Weekly Arthur S. Arkush Humanitarian of the Year Award, and has been honored as the Bills Walter Payton Man of the Year twice, in 2003 and 2008, for his work off the field and his play on it. Moorman and his wife, Amber, created the PUNT Foundation in 2004 to help make a difference in the lives of Western New York children facing life threatening illnesses. The Foundation provides assistance to these children and their families, family-centered programs and events designed to enrich their lives, and provides them with unique and unforgettable opportunities. The Foundation raises money for a number of programs to enrich the lives of these sick kids, which you can read more about here. It's hard not to root for a guy like this:

"It is really an honor to be recognized but my wife and I don’t do these things to be recognized," said a humble Moorman. "We do this for the families and the kids. Just to meet kids and help them take their mind off things."

Best Moment(s)
As a punter, it's kind of difficult to really consider any plays that much better than others. But Moorman has provided Bills fans with some memories even though he's just a simple punter. He's been involved in a handful of fake punts that have resulted in first downs for the team. In back-to-back weeks early in the 2004 season, Moorman completed a 24-yard pass to CB Kevin Thomas in Oakland and then followed it up with a 34-yard rush the next week against the Patriots. His most memorable fake came in the 2008 season opener against Seattle when he executed a perfect fake field goal. He hit DE Ryan Denney for a 19-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to put the Seahawks away. And I'd be remiss not to mention the time Moorman got absolutely run over by the late Sean Taylor in the Pro Bowl. The fact that he got up and showed no fear or pain was proof of Moorman's toughness and grit. Wow, what a hit.

Parting Shot
I know, I know. Brian Moorman is just a punter and probably shouldn't be ranked this high on a list of the team's best players ever, but you know what? Moorman has been as good at his job as maybe any player in team history. He's been such a precise special teams weapon for us, and the main reason the Bills punt coverage team is so good every year. For years, Bills fans could argue Moorman was the team's best player, and it wasn't farfetched in any way. Moorman has been, and will continue to be, a fan favorite and we should all hope he's able to continue putning at a high level for another 6-8 years in Buffalo, maybe longer!

Career Stats
128 games (never missed a game)
610 punts (No. 2 in franchise history)
26,332 punting yards (No. 2)
43.2 yards per punt (No. 1)
37.3 net yards per punt (No. 1)
Long punt of 84 yards (No. 1)

Brian Moorman is the best punter in franchise history.
(photo source)

T.O. and Donte Whitner Find Inspiration in Hospital Visit

Kurupt — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:04:39 -0000

T.O. and Donte Whitner Find Inspiration in Hospital Visit

TO does some good things off the field, glad to see this get highlighted.

Top 50 All-Time Bills, No. 37: TE Pete Metzelaars

Kurupt — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 03:42:28 -0000

Former Bills TE Pete Metzelaars, one dude who enjoyed the 80's. (photo source)

View full size photo uploaded June 25, 2009

TE Pete Metzelaars (1985-1994) | 6'7", 254 lbs.

Notable Achievements: Retired as the all-time leader in games played by a TE (235), Member of Bills' 50th Anniversary Team

Peter Henry Metzelaars was born on May 24, 1960 in Three Rivers, Michigan. After graduating from Portage Central High where he was the starting quarterback on the football team and the starting center on the basketball team, Pete went on to star as a two-sport athlete at Wabash College. He played for former Kansas State and current Ball State head coach Stan Parrish at Wabash. As was the case for much of his career, Metzelaars proved he was a hard-working overachiever that never took anything for granted when he was getting ready to go to college:

"I wasn't a standout, all-star kind of guy. I had some success, but not great success in high school so I wasn't getting recruited by any big-name schools and getting full-ride scholarship offers. It just came down to what I thought was going to be best for me and the best education I was going to get."

He was a standout at Wabash, both on the field and on the court, earning the nickname "The Wabash Cannonball". After being recruited as a 190-pound quarterback, Metzelaars grew into a prototypical tight end. He finished his career with 77 catches for 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns, and was named first team All-American in 1981. He was much more prolific on the hardwood where he still holds a number of Wabash records. He is currently second in school history with 1,976 points scored and first with 1,176 rebounds, having finished his career averaging 19.2 points and 11.4 rebounds per game.

Quite the athlete, that Metzelaars.

Pete is also a member of Wabash’s Athletic Hall of Fame and was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches 2007 Silver Anniversary Team. After his "legendary" college career, the Seattle Seahawks made Pete a third-round pick in 1982 with the No. 75 overall pick. After suffereing through an injury riddled 1984 season, the Seahawks dealt him to the Bills in the offseason, where he went on to become one of the better all-around offensive players in team history.

Career Highlights
After three seasons in Seattle where he caught just 27 passes for 304 yards and 1 touchdown, the Bills acquired Metzelaars just prior to the 1985 season in exchange for their leading receiver from that past year, Byron Franklin. He started 8 games his first season in Buffalo catching just 12 passes for 80 yards and a touchdown, while the team suffered through a miserable 2-14 campaign. Jim Kelly arrived the next season and so did Metzelaars as a receiving threat. While fans wanted a tight end with speed and big play ability, Metzelaars proved his worth as a receiver by utilizing his big frame and excellent hands. With Kelly throwing passes, big Pete became an unexpected weapon for an ever improving Bills offense. He had a knack for coming up with big catches on 3rd downs to keep drives alive or as a check down option for Kelly. It was this way for ten seasons, Metzelaars proving an excellent blocker in the running game and a reliable option for Kelly in the passing game.

After his rather unproductive first season in Buffalo, Metzelaars took when he finally had a talented QB to throw him the ball. In 1986, Metzelaars bested his entire career totals by putting up 49 receptions for 485 yards and 3 touchdowns. The 1987 strike shortened season saw a dip in Metzelaars' numbers as he finished with 28 receptions for 290 yards in 12 games. His numbers rebounded a bit in 1988 as he finished with 33 catches for 438 yards, 1 touchdown and a healthy 13.3 yards per reception.

Beginning in 1989, Metzelaars saw his receiving numbers drop as he became the blocking yin to Keith McKeller's receiving yang. With the rise of the K-Gun offense, McKeller was more crucial to the success of the passing game, putting up 98 receptions for 1,239 yards and 10 touchdowns from 1989 to 1991. In contrast, Metzelaars' role as a blocker limited him to just 33 receptions for 293 yards and 5 touchdowns during the three year stretch. However, his blocking was a crucial part of Thurman Thomas' ascension to elite running back status. With an injury to McKeller in week 1 against the Rams, Metzelaars would become a receiving weapon against as McKeller would miss two months. For the season, Metzelaars would finish with 30 receptions for 298 yards and established a single season team record for tight ends with 6 touchdowns. McKeller would have offseason knee surgery and miss the first nine games of the season, but was no longer much of a threat or option for Kelly and the passing game. Metzelaars took full advantage of the opportunity with McKeller down, finishing the season with 68 receptions, which led the Bills that season. The 68 receptions was the best ever for a Bills tight end while his 609 yards was the second most ever put up by a Bills tight end. He also added 4 touchdowns. In his final season in Buffalo, Metzelaars was again a productive weapon for the team as he added 49 receptions for 428 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Following the 1994 season, Metzelaars would leave the team in free agency signing with the expansion Carolina Panthers, jloining other former Bills Don Beebe, Carlton Bailey, Frank Reich, Nate Turner and future Bill Shawn Price. In Carolina Metzelaars and Reich would team up to become the answer to a very cool trivia question. On September 3, 1995, Metzelaars scored the first regular season points in Panther history on an 8-yard reception from Reich during the team's opening loss to the Atlanta Falcons. He would play the one season in Carolina before finishing his career with a couple of seasons in Detroit with the Lions. Big Pete would finish his Bills career as one of the all-time leading receivers in team history.

Best Moment(s)
Metzelaars had a handful of big moments during his career. His best game was probably his peformance in the famous "No Punt" game against the San Francisco 49ers early in the 1992 season. He finished the game with 4 receptions for 113 yards and 2 touchdowns. The touchdowns came on consecutive possessions in the 3rd quarter with the Bills trailing 24-13. He first added a 53-yard catch and run touchdown, followed quickly by a 24-yarder from Jim Kelly. It was one of two 100-yard receiving performances he had during his career.

Other highlights of Metzelaars' career included his 7 catch, 113-yard, 2 touchdown performance against the Bucs in 1986. He also scored a 2-yard touchdown in Super Bowl XXVI against the Redskins. Finally, the first touchdown in Panthers history is a big one for him and that franchise.

Parting Shot
Pete Metzelaars is one of the two best tight ends in franchise history, and most consider him the best. He was selected the tight end for the Bills' 50th Anniversary team (sound). His ability to use his massive frame to shield off defenders in the run game helped make him one of the best blocking tight ends in the league during his career. As a receiver, he was hardly a big play threat, but was as reliable a target as Jim Kelly had. He effectively used his body to his advantage and was a threat in the red zone due to his size. His blend of powerful blocking and underrated receiving skills helped him stick with the Bills for 10 seasons and overall in the NFL for 16 seasons. Despite playing for four teams, "Petey Wheat Straw" as he was known in the locker room as, will always be a Bill first and foremost.

"It's hard to believe that a guy who's 6-foot-8 could be overshadowed, but Pete Metzelaars definitely was. In fact, our sequoia-sized tight end might have been the most overlooked and least appreciated player from our Super Bowl years.

Pete played a valuable role for us. He was our Kellen Winslow without the breakaway speed. People probably don't realize this, but Pete played more games at tight end than anyone in NFL history - 226 to be exact. And, believe you me, you don't hang around for that many games unless you're something special. Pete's longevity is attributable to three things he could do very well: pass block, run block, and catch anything thrown his way."
~Steve Tasker in his book, Tales From the Buffalo Bills, p.44-46

That's some high praise from a former Bills great.

Career Stats with the Bills
156 games, 112 starts
302 receptions (No. 4 in franchise history, No. 1 among TE)
2,921 yards (No. 11, No. 1 among TE)
25 touchdowns (No. 7, No. 1 among TE)

Former Bills TE Pete Metzelaars had his best career game against the 49ers in the "No Punt" game
(Photo Source)