FOOTBALL IS BACK and the BUFFALO BILLS are rocking with 2 wins to start this season and very good news about the sale of the team. Click the article headers to go to the page to view the video highlights. From the +Buffalo Bills .....
Chris Brown
Bills Insider
Email
@ChrisBrownBills
Blog: Inside the Bills
Final Score: Bills 29 – Dolphins 10 Location: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, NY
W-L records: Buffalo (2-0); Miami (1-1)
In a Nutshell:
On a day when Bills’ founder and Hall of Fame owner Ralph Wilson’s name was rededicated in gold on the Wall of Fame, Buffalo turned in a performance that was near letter perfect in a 19-point win over Miami.
The Bills couldn’t find the end zone early, but it didn’t matter as Buffalo’s stifled the Miami offense in the first half and the offense posted field goals on three of their first four possessions for a 9-0 lead at the half. Miami’s offense had trouble finding traction in the first half as their first five possessions went nowhere with the Dolphins going 0-for-5 on third down.
It wasn’t until the first drive of the second half that Miami put points on the board thanks to a 34-yard field goal by Caleb Sturgis (9-3).
But Buffalo’s kick return unit then busted a big play asC.J. Spiller
with some help from his blockers went 102 yards for a touchdown to put
the Bills up by 13 (16-3). Though the Dolphins responded with a
touchdown drive of their own to make 16-10 midway through the third
quarter, it was as close as they would come.
The Bills scored the last 13 points of the game withSammy Watkins scoring his first touchdown as a Bill on a 12-yard catch and run (23-10), and Dan Carpenter
capped the scoring with his fourth and fifth field goals of the day to
cap the scoring in the fourth quarter (29-10) giving the Bills a 2-0
start to the season for the first time since 2011.
How it went down:
--After punting away their opening possession the Bills went on a 10-play drive that stalled in the red zone. It led to a short 27-yard field goal by Dan Carpenter with four minutes left in the opening quarter
--Buffalo staged another field goal drive before the first quarter was over. Following a blocked punt byBoobie Dixon , the Bills had a drive start at the Miami 31. Scott Chandler ’s 22-yard catch setting up 1st-and-goal, but again the drive could not find the end zone. Carpenter again hit from 27 yards away (6-0).
--A third straight field goal drive gave Buffalo a nine-point lead as Carpenter hit from 31 yards out to cap a six-play 40-yard drive with 10 minutes left in the half.
--Miami’s
offense had trouble moving the ball for most of the first half. The
Dolphins managed just 33 total net yards on their first five
possessions. --The Dolphins didn’t get on the scoreboard until 9:35 left in the third quarter on a 34-yard field goal by Caleb Sturgis.
--C.J. Spiller boosted Buffalo’s lead to 13 with a 102-yard kick return for a touchdown in the third quarter.
--Miami responded with their first touchdown of the day when Ryan Tannehill got help on a one-handed grab by Mike Wallace for a seven-yard scoring play with 3:15 left in the third (16-10).
--Sammy Watkins on his sixth catch of the day converted a 3rd-and-6 from the Miami 12 into a touchdown on a crossing route. Watkins stretched for the pylon as he was shoved out of bounds to score at the end of the third quarter (23-10).
--Dan Carpenter hit his fourth field goal of the game with 10 minutes left and followed with his fifth of the game with under two minutes to cap the scoring.
Stat lines
--In the first half of Sunday’s game the Bills took Miami QB Ryan Tannehill down three times for sacks. Tannehill was sacked a total of four times in the game.
--EJ Manuel finished the day 16 for 26 passing for 202 yards and a touchdown good for a passer rating of 98.6.
--Sammy Watkins had eight catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. He became the first rookie receiver for the Bills to post a 100-yard receiving day since Lee Evans did it against Cincinnati on Dec. 19, 2004.
--Corey Graham turned in another strong day at cornerback with eight tackles and three pass breakups.
--Preston Brown led the team with 12 tackles.
Subplots:
--The Bills made it a point to get Sammy Watkins involved early. By halftime he had five catches for 89 yards, but it was clear his ailing ribs were still very tender as he stepped out for plays here and there.
--Boobie Dixon blocked a first quarter punt marking the first blocked punt for the Bills since Sept. 17, 2003 when Coy Wire blocked a punt against the Dolphins.
--Corey Graham andStephon Gilmore were the starting cornerbacks Sunday, but Leodis McKelvin
rotated in during the game, replacing both Gilmore and Graham for
series. McKelvin recorded his first interception of the season with 10
seconds left in the game.
--Buffalo’s defensive linemen had three batted passes in the game for incompletions.
--Miami RB Knowshon Moreno left the game after his first carry with an elbow injury and did not return.
--Dan Carpenter, coming off an 11-point day in Week 1, had 17 points in the victory with five field goals and a pair of extra points.
Inactives:
CBRoss Cockrell , RB Bryce Brown , S Jonathan Meeks , LB Keith Rivers , G Cyril Richardson , OT Cyrus Kouandjio , TE Lee Smith .
Up Next:
The Bills will host the San Diego Chargers on Sunday Sept. 21 at 1 p.m.
The process for the sale of the Buffalo Bills has taken a significant step forward today as a definitive agreement has been reached between the trust of the late Pro Football Hall of Famer Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. and the Pegula family, owners of the Buffalo Sabres and lead developers of Buffalo’s HarborCenter. Subject to the approval of the NFL owners and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, the definitive agreement calls for the Pegula family to acquire all of the interest in the Buffalo Bills franchise from the Wilson trust. The parties intend to submit the agreement for approval by the NFL owners at their meeting in New York City on October 8.
Buffalo Bills Controlling Owner Mary Wilson said, “This is a very important day in the history of the Buffalo Bills franchise. Ralph brought professional football to Buffalo in 1959 and it was his life’s passion. He loved his team and he cherished the fans and his legacy will remain for all-time. Ralph would have been pleased with the sale of the team to the Terry Pegula family, who has been so committed to Buffalo and the Western New York region.”
“I sincerely wish Terry and Kim Pegula all the best with the Buffalo Bills and I’m happy for all Bills fans. Our hope is that this great franchise brings them as much excitement and joy as it did for Ralph and that they bring home a Super Bowl championship for Bills fans everywhere. Go Bills!”
Our interest in owning the Bills has everything to do with the people of Western New York and our passion for football. We have knowledgeable, dedicated fans here and along with our ownership of the Buffalo Sabres, it is gratifying to reassure these great fans that two franchises so important to our region are both here to stay.
We are grateful to Senator Chuck Schumer and Governor Andrew Cuomo for their support and desire to keep our Bills in Western New York where they belong and to our team of professional advisors at Allen & Company and Sherrard, German & Kelly. We would also like to thank the staffs of the NFL and the Bills for helping to guide us through the sale process. We now look ahead to the NFL review process in accordance with League policy. If awarded final approval, we will be driven to achieve a singular goal: To win a Super Bowl for our fans.
Out of respect for the continuing sale process, until League approval is attained, we will have no further comment.”
Chris Brown
Bills Insider
Email
@ChrisBrownBills
Blog: Inside the Bills
The Bills-Dolphins AFC East rivalry has had its ebbs and flows over the years. It was perhaps at its most intense during the Kelly-Marino years, but that shouldn’t take away from the other intra-division battles that have come to define the series. Here now however, are some of the lesser-known facts about this storied rivalry.
In Week 3 of the 1978 season the Bills traveled to Miami to take on the Dolphins. Miami’s winning streak against Buffalo was alive and well at the time, but the team had a bigger problem on their hands come Sunday morning.
The equipment staff had hung helmets and shoulder pads in all the locker stalls Saturday night before and had the Orange Bowl security staff lock up the visiting locker room for the night. When the equipment staff returned early the next morning 13 helmets were gone. The staff had to borrow plain white helmets from Miami’s equipment staff. Buffalo’s staff then put Bills decals and striping on the Dolphins’ helmets for their players to wear in the game. Buffalo lost the game 31-24.
During the Miami Dolphins perfect season in 1972 the Bills came closest to ending the streak when they came within a point of the Dolphins in a 24-23 loss in Week 6 (pictured). The game was tight throughout as the Bills forced four turnovers. Jim Braxton caught a six-yard touchdown pass Mike Taliaferro in the fourth quarter to pull Buffalo to within two points (24-22), but the two-point conversion did not exist in the NFL at the time. So the Bills kicked the extra point and still trailed by one and the game ended 24-23.
Everyone remembers Dolphins LB Bryan Cox’s famous double barrel salute to Bills fans in Orchard Park before a Bills-Dolphins game in 1995 as well as his spitting in the direction of fans who were heckling him. What many don’t remember is after Cox and Bills’ FB Carwell Gardner were both ejected for fighting during the game, there was almost a round two in the tunnel between the two locker rooms.
Gardner tried repeatedly to get in the Dolphins locker room to fight Cox again and even hung around long enough after the game trying to bait Cox to come off the Miami team bus to fight him a second time. Cox did not oblige.
Cox was fined a total of $17,500 by the league, the largest NFL fine of the 1995 season. Gardner incurred a total of $15,000 in fines. The Bills won the game 23-20.
In the first matchup since the 1998 AFC Wild Card playoff loss to Miami the Bills had revenge on their minds after the bitter playoff 24-17 postseason defeat, which included then Dolphins head coach Jimmy Johnson destroying a box of Flutie Flakes in Miami’s jubilant postgame locker room.
Buffalo won the Monday night game in Miami 23-18 thanks in large part to interceptions by John Holecek and Kurt Schulz and a 59-yard fumble return by Gabe Northern. After the game head coach Wade Phillips admitted it was an exuberant Bills locker room following the win. Remembering Johnson’s Flutie Flakes charade the previous January, Phillips had one of his trademark quips in reference to the Miami coach’s immovable hair.
"I didn't go in and stomp on a can of hair spray,'' Phillips said, "But I was excited about winning.”
When awarded an AFL franchise Bills in 1959, founder and owner Ralph Wilson considered Miami as the destination for his new football club. He wanted to set up a lease agreement with the Orange Bowl, but could strike a deal. Wilson finally decided on Buffalo for his fledgling AFL team. Miami would not get a pro football team until 1966.
The most dominant game in Eric Moulds’ career came in the 1998 AFC Wild Card playoff game between the Bills and Dolphins in Miami. The receiver’s day got off to a magnificent start when Doug Flutie hit him on the first play of the game, which he took 65 yards downfield. He was headed for the end zone, but was stripped of the ball from behind at the 18-yard line. It was one of five turnovers by Buffalo in a painful 24-17 loss. But Moulds would finish with 240 receiving yards on just nine catches and a touchdown, which still stands as the most receiving yards in a playoff game in NFL history.
Jim Kelly’s memorable last second touchdown run to win their Week 1 opener at Miami in 1989 was a pass play in the huddle. After getting up to the line of scrimmage both he and Thurman Thomas saw it was an overload blitz on the right side of Buffalo’s formation. Before the snap Kelly decided he would run to the open side. He and Thomas gave each other a look pre-snap so Kelly knew Thomas was prepared to block for him on the play. His two-yard run on first and goal won the game as time expired (27-24).
Now both Hall of Famers and long retired, Jim Kelly and Dan Marino have an annual wager based on the outcome of the Bills-Dolphins games. If the Dolphins sweep the season series from the Bills, Kelly would owe Marino strip steaks. If the Bills swept the Dolphins, Marino would owe Kelly stone crab.
That wager was most recently honored by Marino after Buffalo’s season sweep of Miami last season. When Marino visited Kelly in New York City at the hospital the former Dolphins QB brought Kelly his stone crab.
Heading into their third straight AFC title game the Bills had to face the Miami Dolphins for the right to go to their third consecutive Super Bowl. The Friday before the game offensive coordinator Tom Breshnahan saw a flaw in Miami’s defense that would allow for a very productive screen game for Buffalo’s attack. He noticed that on every single pass play DE Marco Coleman would blindly run up field. Breshnahan added a package of screen plays to the game plan on Saturday and Thurman Thomas and Kenny Davis rolled up the yards on Sunday.
The duo finished with nine catches for 122 yards and a touchdown in a 29-10 rout of the Dolphins earning a trip to Super Bowl XXVII.
Bills never trail in workmanlike 29-10 win over Dolphins
Posted 1 hour ago
Chris Brown
Bills Insider
Email
@ChrisBrownBills
Blog: Inside the Bills
Buffalo turned in a near-perfect performance in a 19-point win over Miami.
Final Score: Bills 29 – Dolphins 10 Location: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, NY
W-L records: Buffalo (2-0); Miami (1-1)
In a Nutshell:
On a day when Bills’ founder and Hall of Fame owner Ralph Wilson’s name was rededicated in gold on the Wall of Fame, Buffalo turned in a performance that was near letter perfect in a 19-point win over Miami.
The Bills couldn’t find the end zone early, but it didn’t matter as Buffalo’s stifled the Miami offense in the first half and the offense posted field goals on three of their first four possessions for a 9-0 lead at the half. Miami’s offense had trouble finding traction in the first half as their first five possessions went nowhere with the Dolphins going 0-for-5 on third down.
It wasn’t until the first drive of the second half that Miami put points on the board thanks to a 34-yard field goal by Caleb Sturgis (9-3).
But Buffalo’s kick return unit then busted a big play as
The Bills scored the last 13 points of the game with
How it went down:
--After punting away their opening possession the Bills went on a 10-play drive that stalled in the red zone. It led to a short 27-yard field goal by Dan Carpenter with four minutes left in the opening quarter
--Buffalo staged another field goal drive before the first quarter was over. Following a blocked punt by
--A third straight field goal drive gave Buffalo a nine-point lead as Carpenter hit from 31 yards out to cap a six-play 40-yard drive with 10 minutes left in the half.
View Gallery | 40 Photos
Game photos: Dolphins vs. Bills
--C.J. Spiller boosted Buffalo’s lead to 13 with a 102-yard kick return for a touchdown in the third quarter.
--Miami responded with their first touchdown of the day when Ryan Tannehill got help on a one-handed grab by Mike Wallace for a seven-yard scoring play with 3:15 left in the third (16-10).
--Sammy Watkins on his sixth catch of the day converted a 3rd-and-6 from the Miami 12 into a touchdown on a crossing route. Watkins stretched for the pylon as he was shoved out of bounds to score at the end of the third quarter (23-10).
--Dan Carpenter hit his fourth field goal of the game with 10 minutes left and followed with his fifth of the game with under two minutes to cap the scoring.
Stat lines
--In the first half of Sunday’s game the Bills took Miami QB Ryan Tannehill down three times for sacks. Tannehill was sacked a total of four times in the game.
--
--Sammy Watkins had eight catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. He became the first rookie receiver for the Bills to post a 100-yard receiving day since Lee Evans did it against Cincinnati on Dec. 19, 2004.
--
--
Subplots:
--The Bills made it a point to get Sammy Watkins involved early. By halftime he had five catches for 89 yards, but it was clear his ailing ribs were still very tender as he stepped out for plays here and there.
--Boobie Dixon blocked a first quarter punt marking the first blocked punt for the Bills since Sept. 17, 2003 when Coy Wire blocked a punt against the Dolphins.
--Corey Graham and
--Buffalo’s defensive linemen had three batted passes in the game for incompletions.
--Miami RB Knowshon Moreno left the game after his first carry with an elbow injury and did not return.
--Dan Carpenter, coming off an 11-point day in Week 1, had 17 points in the victory with five field goals and a pair of extra points.
Inactives:
CB
Up Next:
The Bills will host the San Diego Chargers on Sunday Sept. 21 at 1 p.m.
Wilson trust reaches definitive agreement with Pegula family
Posted Sep 9, 2014
Subject to the approval of NFL owners, the agreement calls for the Pegula family to acquire all interest in the Buffalo Bills franchise from the Wilson trust.
The process for the sale of the Buffalo Bills has taken a significant step forward today as a definitive agreement has been reached between the trust of the late Pro Football Hall of Famer Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. and the Pegula family, owners of the Buffalo Sabres and lead developers of Buffalo’s HarborCenter. Subject to the approval of the NFL owners and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, the definitive agreement calls for the Pegula family to acquire all of the interest in the Buffalo Bills franchise from the Wilson trust. The parties intend to submit the agreement for approval by the NFL owners at their meeting in New York City on October 8.
Buffalo Bills Controlling Owner Mary Wilson said, “This is a very important day in the history of the Buffalo Bills franchise. Ralph brought professional football to Buffalo in 1959 and it was his life’s passion. He loved his team and he cherished the fans and his legacy will remain for all-time. Ralph would have been pleased with the sale of the team to the Terry Pegula family, who has been so committed to Buffalo and the Western New York region.”
“I sincerely wish Terry and Kim Pegula all the best with the Buffalo Bills and I’m happy for all Bills fans. Our hope is that this great franchise brings them as much excitement and joy as it did for Ralph and that they bring home a Super Bowl championship for Bills fans everywhere. Go Bills!”
STATEMENT BY TERRY PEGULA
“Kim and I are humbled and honored that the Wilson family has chosen us to be the second owner of the Buffalo Bills. Pending the NFL approval process, being the next owner of the Buffalo Bills would be a great privilege for our family. Ralph Wilson left an indelible mark on our community and we will strive every day to honor his legacy.Our interest in owning the Bills has everything to do with the people of Western New York and our passion for football. We have knowledgeable, dedicated fans here and along with our ownership of the Buffalo Sabres, it is gratifying to reassure these great fans that two franchises so important to our region are both here to stay.
We are grateful to Senator Chuck Schumer and Governor Andrew Cuomo for their support and desire to keep our Bills in Western New York where they belong and to our team of professional advisors at Allen & Company and Sherrard, German & Kelly. We would also like to thank the staffs of the NFL and the Bills for helping to guide us through the sale process. We now look ahead to the NFL review process in accordance with League policy. If awarded final approval, we will be driven to achieve a singular goal: To win a Super Bowl for our fans.
Out of respect for the continuing sale process, until League approval is attained, we will have no further comment.”
10 things you may not know about the Bills-Dolphins rivalry
Posted Sep 11, 2014
Chris Brown
Bills Insider
Email
@ChrisBrownBills
Blog: Inside the Bills
The Bills-Dolphins rivalry is well-chronicled, but buffalobills.com unearthed 10 things you may not know about this historic matchup.
The Bills-Dolphins AFC East rivalry has had its ebbs and flows over the years. It was perhaps at its most intense during the Kelly-Marino years, but that shouldn’t take away from the other intra-division battles that have come to define the series. Here now however, are some of the lesser-known facts about this storied rivalry.
10. The Bills once wore Dolphins helmets
In Week 3 of the 1978 season the Bills traveled to Miami to take on the Dolphins. Miami’s winning streak against Buffalo was alive and well at the time, but the team had a bigger problem on their hands come Sunday morning.
The equipment staff had hung helmets and shoulder pads in all the locker stalls Saturday night before and had the Orange Bowl security staff lock up the visiting locker room for the night. When the equipment staff returned early the next morning 13 helmets were gone. The staff had to borrow plain white helmets from Miami’s equipment staff. Buffalo’s staff then put Bills decals and striping on the Dolphins’ helmets for their players to wear in the game. Buffalo lost the game 31-24.
9. Closest game of Miami’s perfect season? Buffalo.
During the Miami Dolphins perfect season in 1972 the Bills came closest to ending the streak when they came within a point of the Dolphins in a 24-23 loss in Week 6 (pictured). The game was tight throughout as the Bills forced four turnovers. Jim Braxton caught a six-yard touchdown pass Mike Taliaferro in the fourth quarter to pull Buffalo to within two points (24-22), but the two-point conversion did not exist in the NFL at the time. So the Bills kicked the extra point and still trailed by one and the game ended 24-23.
8. Round 2: Cox vs. Gardner
Everyone remembers Dolphins LB Bryan Cox’s famous double barrel salute to Bills fans in Orchard Park before a Bills-Dolphins game in 1995 as well as his spitting in the direction of fans who were heckling him. What many don’t remember is after Cox and Bills’ FB Carwell Gardner were both ejected for fighting during the game, there was almost a round two in the tunnel between the two locker rooms.
Gardner tried repeatedly to get in the Dolphins locker room to fight Cox again and even hung around long enough after the game trying to bait Cox to come off the Miami team bus to fight him a second time. Cox did not oblige.
Cox was fined a total of $17,500 by the league, the largest NFL fine of the 1995 season. Gardner incurred a total of $15,000 in fines. The Bills won the game 23-20.
7. No hair spray
In the first matchup since the 1998 AFC Wild Card playoff loss to Miami the Bills had revenge on their minds after the bitter playoff 24-17 postseason defeat, which included then Dolphins head coach Jimmy Johnson destroying a box of Flutie Flakes in Miami’s jubilant postgame locker room.
Buffalo won the Monday night game in Miami 23-18 thanks in large part to interceptions by John Holecek and Kurt Schulz and a 59-yard fumble return by Gabe Northern. After the game head coach Wade Phillips admitted it was an exuberant Bills locker room following the win. Remembering Johnson’s Flutie Flakes charade the previous January, Phillips had one of his trademark quips in reference to the Miami coach’s immovable hair.
"I didn't go in and stomp on a can of hair spray,'' Phillips said, "But I was excited about winning.”
6. Miami would not lease Mr. Wilson the Orange Bowl.
When awarded an AFL franchise Bills in 1959, founder and owner Ralph Wilson considered Miami as the destination for his new football club. He wanted to set up a lease agreement with the Orange Bowl, but could strike a deal. Wilson finally decided on Buffalo for his fledgling AFL team. Miami would not get a pro football team until 1966.
5. Moulds’ 240
The most dominant game in Eric Moulds’ career came in the 1998 AFC Wild Card playoff game between the Bills and Dolphins in Miami. The receiver’s day got off to a magnificent start when Doug Flutie hit him on the first play of the game, which he took 65 yards downfield. He was headed for the end zone, but was stripped of the ball from behind at the 18-yard line. It was one of five turnovers by Buffalo in a painful 24-17 loss. But Moulds would finish with 240 receiving yards on just nine catches and a touchdown, which still stands as the most receiving yards in a playoff game in NFL history.
4. Kelly’s TD run was supposed to be a pass.
Jim Kelly’s memorable last second touchdown run to win their Week 1 opener at Miami in 1989 was a pass play in the huddle. After getting up to the line of scrimmage both he and Thurman Thomas saw it was an overload blitz on the right side of Buffalo’s formation. Before the snap Kelly decided he would run to the open side. He and Thomas gave each other a look pre-snap so Kelly knew Thomas was prepared to block for him on the play. His two-yard run on first and goal won the game as time expired (27-24).
3. Strip steaks and stone crab.
Now both Hall of Famers and long retired, Jim Kelly and Dan Marino have an annual wager based on the outcome of the Bills-Dolphins games. If the Dolphins sweep the season series from the Bills, Kelly would owe Marino strip steaks. If the Bills swept the Dolphins, Marino would owe Kelly stone crab.
That wager was most recently honored by Marino after Buffalo’s season sweep of Miami last season. When Marino visited Kelly in New York City at the hospital the former Dolphins QB brought Kelly his stone crab.
2. Keeping the rivalry alive
With the addition of the expansion Houston Texans in 2002 the NFL was enacting a realignment plan with eight divisions consisting of four teams each. There was a proposal on the table to move the Bills to a new AFC North division, but owner Ralph Wilson wanted to keep the Buffalo-Miami rivalry intact. In the end Wilson successfully kept the Bills in the AFC East to maintain two meetings with the Dolphins each season.
1. Last second screen
Heading into their third straight AFC title game the Bills had to face the Miami Dolphins for the right to go to their third consecutive Super Bowl. The Friday before the game offensive coordinator Tom Breshnahan saw a flaw in Miami’s defense that would allow for a very productive screen game for Buffalo’s attack. He noticed that on every single pass play DE Marco Coleman would blindly run up field. Breshnahan added a package of screen plays to the game plan on Saturday and Thurman Thomas and Kenny Davis rolled up the yards on Sunday.
The duo finished with nine catches for 122 yards and a touchdown in a 29-10 rout of the Dolphins earning a trip to Super Bowl XXVII.
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