Behind Enemy Lines: Buffalo Bills
Oct 12, 2012, 3:30 PM | Updated: 3:31 pm
After tasting defeat for the first time in 2012, the Arizona Cardinals return to the friendly confines of University of Phoenix Stadium to host the Buffalo Bills Sunday.
The game will be the first meeting between the two teams since 2008 when the Cardinals roughed up the Bills 41-17 in Glendale. Arizona, of course, would go on to Super Bowl XLIII while the Bills finished 7-9.
Chan Gailey’s team will stay in Phoenix after getting destroyed by the 49ers in San Francisco in Week 5 by the tune of 45-3. In their last two games, Buffalo has been outscored 97-31.
All week, we’ll keep you abreast about what’s going on with the next opponent for the Arizona Cardinals.
Friday, October 12
• Bills’ Jackson tries to make the most of splitting carries with Spiller (Buffalo News)
“I don’t know how to solve that problem when you have two great players at the same position,” Gailey said. “If one all of a sudden gets a hot hand, it’s easy to figure that out but when you go into a game and have two great players, you want to play them as equal as possible.”
• Buffalo Bills GM Buddy Nix Approval Poll: October 2012 (Buffalo Rumblings)
Buffalo Bills fans state their pleasure, or lack thereof, with the latest efforts from GM Buddy Nix.
• Bills searching for answers on offense, too (Yahoo! Sports)
“Last week, just three points wasn’t us,” said Fitzpatrick. “We have put up some points, in the first four weeks. We also have had a lot of turnovers. There has been a lot of inconsistency. Trying to find that consistency, that balance, whether it is running the ball, throwing the ball. We need to continue to do that.”
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Buffalo Bills’ Kyle Williams Misses Practice Thursday (Buffalo Rumblings)
For a second straight day, Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams did not participate in practice as the team prepares for their Week 6 matchup with the Arizona Cardinals. Though head coach Chan Gailey remains optimistic that Williams will be okay to play on Sunday, it’s never a good sign when a player misses two days of practice.
• Bills notebook: Tashard offers Choice words to teammates (Buffalo News)
“Just our mind-set, it felt like we were lacking our energy. The seriousness, the importance of every game, every snap. I wanted them to realize that. We’ve got to continue to feel that, continue to be the aggressor. How we played, I was really disappointed because I know how hard we work during the week. I know what kind of good players we’ve got.”
Thursday, October 11
• Bills defenders ready to draw a line in the desert (Buffalo News)
“A lot of people in their business or their lives don’t have another opportunity to go out there and turn it around or go redeem themselves,” Bills linebacker Nick Barnett said after Wednesday’s practice on the Arizona State campus.
“I’m excited about this week. I think we’ll do very well with the game plan. We’ll see what happens.”
• Bills DE Mark Anderson needs knee surgery, out ‘indefinitely’ (Buffalo News)
When asked what ligament Anderson hurt Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, Gailey said, “I don’t know. But he’ll be back. It’s not like he’s going to miss the rest of the season.”
• Bills vs. Cardinals matchup: Stoppable force, meet movable object (Buffalo Rumblings)
Over the last two weeks, the Arizona Cardinals’ run game (32 carries, 73 yards, 0 TD) and the Buffalo Bills’ run defense (78 carries, 558 yards, 7 TD) have been pitiful. What happens when a stoppable force meets a movable object?
• Bills vs. Cardinals practice report: Kyle Williams, Eric Wood banged up (Buffalo Rumblings)
We’ve been talking all week about how banged up the Buffalo Bills are, and you can add two more names to the growing list of players with ailments: defensive tackle Kyle Williams and center Eric Wood.
• The next Bills GM is…Kevin Costner? (Democrat and Chronicle)
New York Magazine is reporting that the NFL is considering endorsing and possibly investing league money in Draft Day, an upcoming feature film starring Kevin Costner as a fictional general manager of the Buffalo Bills.
Wednesday, October 10
• Bills sign offensive lineman Wells (Buffalo News)
The Bills placed Colin Brown on injured reserve and signed free agent Reggie Wells to make sure they have enough O-linemen for Sunday’s game with the Arizona Cardinals.
• Nix says ‘D’ must step it up (Buffalo News)
Asked to assess the problem with his defense’s collapse against both New England and San Francisco, Nix said: “To be completely honest with you, what I see is not enough intensity and urgency. … And that could be on any segment or as far as any part of our group.
• McKelvin’s returns are bright spots for Bills (Buffalo News)
The Bills’ cornerback had an 80-yard touchdown on a punt return called back in the first quarter because of a holding penalty on Jairus Byrd, then followed that up with a 59-yard kick return to set up the offense in San Francisco territory.
• O-line plugging holes (BuffaloBills.com)
Buffalo tried to improve their current situation signing veteran G/OT Reggie Wells, while placing G/C Colin Brown on injured reserve. That makes Buffalo one lineman healthier, but with Cordy Glenn and Kraig Urbik out for this Sunday’s game and Rinehart questionable at best Chan Gailey isn’t happy about not having all his horses.
• Arizona isolation just what Bills need (BuffaloBills.com)
“I think that being out here in Arizona is really going to make us come together as a team,” said C.J. Spiller. “Not saying that we were not close, I just think this will draw us closer here. Guys get to know guys more now, closer on-and-off the field. Once you do that, once you have guys come out here and they’re treated like a family that will translate over to the game field.”
• Buffalo Bills’ defense vows to play better (Democrat and Chronicle)
The 621 yards Sunday and the 1,201 yards in back-to-back games, are franchise records, and the Bills now lay claim to one of the most ignominious records in NFL history — the first team to allow an opponent to rush for 300yards and pass for 300 yards in the same game.
Tuesday, October 9
• Gailey and Co. work to build up Bills’ psyche (Buffalo News)
The Bills are reeling after two straight historic blowout losses, and the players acknowledged it as they convened in Phoenix for a week of practices in preparation for Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals.
• Bills notebook: Injuries force offensive line to play short-handed (Buffalo News)
Two O-line starters and two backups are injured, and a third-stringer who was pressed into duty Sunday in San Francisco might start at a position for the first time in his career.
• Fitz: We have to repay Chan (BuffaloBills.com)
“The one thing I love about Chan and it’s not just me, but he’s given a lot of guys opportunities and most of us have taken advantage of those opportunities,” said Fitzpatrick. “Now for us we’ve got to repay him for the confidence he’s shown in us and get the job done.”
• What it’ll take to turn it around (BuffaloBills.com)
Everybody in Buffalo’s locker room is trying to come up with a way to improve individual performance in the hopes in helps to make a difference in the final score on the board on Sundays. Here’s what Eric Wood thinks it will take to turn it around.
• Buffalo Bills Could Promote Nigel Bradham To Rookie Starter (Buffalo Rumblings)
After two consecutive historically bad weeks on the defensive side of the football, the Buffalo Bills appear set to make at least one change, and it’s a minor one: you can safely expect Nigel Bradham to be the team’s starting strong-side linebacker from this point forward.
Monday, October 8
• Gailey perplexed after Bills get run over by Niners (Buffalo News)
“There’s obviously something I’m not doing correctly with this football team in the second half,” Gailey said. “Because we’ve been in two games in a row at halftime and have played extremely poorly and that’s as nice as you can put it.”
“I have no answer,” Gailey said. “I have no answer. I have no excuse. But I have to find the answer. That’s my job.”
• Bills Notebook: Mario says players failed, not coaches (Buffalo News)
“No, no, no, no,” Williams said at his locker stall. “You don’t get beat like that from your head coach. I don’t care what you say. He’s not out there, going to get sacks. He’s not out there, covering receivers. He’s not out there, getting turnovers. From No. 1 to No. 11 on defense, this is all on us. … This is no head coach, no position coach.”
• Report Card: Difference between marks of Niners, Bills is pass-fail (Buffalo News)
COACHING: F
Chan Gailey said a week ago his team wasn’t “mentally tough.” Time to bring in Deepak Chopra to be defensive coordinator. Dave Wannstedt’s game plan was ravaged again. The Bills looked pathetic, allowing 621 yards a week after the New England Patriots amassed 580 yards. For the first time in NFL history, a team had a 300-yard passer and 300 yards rushing. The offensive strategy was almost as flaccid.
• Buffalo Bills’ historically bad defense by the numbers (Buffalo Rumblings)
The last team to allow more than 97 points in consecutive weeks was the 1980 49ers team that allowed 107 points in Weeks 5 and 6.
• Bryan Scott: We’re sick of this (BuffaloBills.com)
“I thought we came out and I thought we played well in the first half,” said Scott. “In the second half, we just didn’t go, and it’s embarrassing to see. We’re sick of this. This is terrible.”
• 17 facts about Bills D stats that resemble the debt clock (Buffalo News)
1) The Bills allowed a team-record 621 yards of total offense and have posted two of their three worst defensive performances in franchise history the past two weeks.
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