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Tag: Buffalo Bills

  • Buffalo Bills’ QB EJ Manuel Injured with LCL Sprain

    The Bills-Browns game last night was quite a rough one for the quarterbacks. Bills rookie quarterback, EJ Manuel, definitely can attest to that after the injury he suffered toward the end of the game. After suffering a knee injury that caused him to forfeit the preseason, Manual is now facing yet another setback. Luckily, the setback appears to be minor.

    In the middle of the third quarter, on a third down attempt, Manuel was cornered, with no one open to get the ball off to. Feeling pressured by charging defenders, Manuel scrambled in an effort to pick up the first down. After he picked up the necessary yardage for the down, Manuel gained quite a few more yards. As he deftly ran down the side of the field, he was abruptly stopped by Browns defensive back, Tashun Gipson. Manuel suffered a direct blow to the knee during the tackle. Once he was down, he didn’t get back up.

    http://youtu.be/btyYMSZAUFo

    The game was tied at 17 when Manuel was injured. His scrambling efforts landed him at the Browns’ 13-yard line, placing the Bills in excellent field position to score. The Bills drive ended in a touchdown giving them a 24-17 lead. However, the lead was short lived because that was the Bills’ last scoring drive of the game. The Cleveland Browns went on to win the game 37-24, clenching their third straight victory.

    After having the knee checked out, Bills’ head coach, Doug Marrone announced on Friday that Manuel suffered a LCL sprain. He also stated that fortunately the injury would not require any type of surgery. When asked how soon Manuel would return, Marrone replied, “We think it will be a few weeks.” Marron would not give a definitive timetable for Manuel’s return, stating that the quarterback’s progress would be further evaluated over the course of the next week. The minimum time Manuel could be out is approximately two weeks. However, NFL Media Insider, Ian Rapoport, stated that the timetable would probably be approximately six weeks.
    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • C.J. Spiller returns to the Bills after tragedy

    Buffalo Bills running back C.J. Spiller has returned to the team after taking a leave of absence. Spiller spent approximately a week in Florida after his step-grandfather allegedly killed two people before committing suicide.

    Hubert Allen Jr., Spiller’s step-grandfather, is accused of shooting four people near Tallahassee, Florida on August 24. The four victims were said to be former coworkers of Allen’s and were all listed in a note Allen left behind that said, “These people deserve to die.” The two men murdered were Rolando Gonzalez-Delgado, 28, and Allen’s former boss, Marvin Pritchett, who was 80. After the shooting, Allen returned home and turned the gun on himself. Allen was 72 at the time of his death.

    Allen was married to Spiller’s late maternal grandmother, Nettie Allen. After learning of the tragedy, Spiller left New York to be with his family for the week while arrangements for his step-grandfather were made. While the situation is difficult for Spiller, he said during a press conference that he is now “ready to go” and will suit up against the New England Patriots next Sunday. “I understand that it is a tragic event that took place and it’s going to take a while to cope with, but at the same time I can’t forget the task and the goal and the dreams that we have here as a team and an organization,” Spiller said.

    In addition to returning to the Bills in the wake of a family tragedy, Spiller’s upcoming game will mark the first game he has played in after being injured during a preseason game against the Washington Redskins on August 24. The running back left early in the game with a knee injury sustained during a touchdown run, but is said to be fine now. This has to bring a sigh of relief for the Bills fan base since starting quarterback E.J. Manuel is questionable following a surgery.

    Should Spiller get off to a strong start for the 2013 season, he may have a chance at breaking the single-season rushing yards record for the Bills. After rushing for more than 1,000 yards in 2012, the former Clemson star made the Pro Bowl roster, which was his first time receiving the designation.

    Image via NFL.com

  • Jim Kelly to Have Surgery For Jaw Cancer

    Jim Kelly to Have Surgery For Jaw Cancer

    Hall of Fame NFL quarterback Jim Kelly is set to have surgery for jaw cancer.

    According to a statement from Kelly posted to the Buffalo Bills website, he was recently diagnosed with squamous-cell carcinoma. The cancer is isolated to his upper jaw bone, which he will have partially removed on June 7. Kelly stated that doctors believe his prognosis is “very good.” Kelly’s statement, in full:

    “This past couple of weeks has been difficult for me and because of the nature of social media I thought it would be best to share with everyone what has been going on with my health. I was recently diagnosed with Squamous-cell carcinoma (cancer) of the upper jaw bone. I have undergone tests which have shown that the cancer is isolated to my upper jaw and has not spread to other parts of my body. Surgery is scheduled for June 7th and doctors have told me that the prognosis for my recovery is very good.

    “With the excellent medical care that I will be receiving and the loving care of my wife Jill and my daughters Erin and Camryn and the support of my entire family and friends, I am extremely confident in my road to recovery. I plan to tackle this challenge head on, as we Kelly’s always do, with toughness, perseverance and faith.

    “I want to thank everyone who has offered their prayers and would appreciate any prayers said for me and my family moving forward. May God continue to bless you and our family.”

    Kelly is best-known as the Buffalo Bills’ quarterback during the late 80s and early 90s. He led the team to four consecutive AFC championships from 90 to 93, and was selected for the Pro Bowl four times. Kelly holds numerous NFL and Bills team records, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

  • Steve Johnson Tweet Suggests North Korea Bomb Foxboro (“If y’all do bomb 1st”)

    On Wednesday, Buffalo Bills (and former Kentucky Wildcats) receiver Stevie Johnson tweeted this:

    Then this:

    As you might imagine, some people (particularly Patriots fans) did not take too kindly to this, and Johnson did not follow this guy’s advice:

    The tweet is still there.

    Later, he followed up with:

    Then:

    I’m sure that will be the end of it. Right?

    Update: That one about people taking it too serious and Johnson having “much respect for The Pats” has mysteriously disappeared (hence the formatting issues above). Not the one I would have expected to disappear.

    [via Shutdown Corner]

  • Chip Kelly May Find An NFL Home This Weekend

    Oregon coach Chip Kelly has been interviewed for the currently vacant head coach position with the Cleveland Browns, and is also expected to meet with the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles sometime this weekend.

    ESPN is reporting that both teams are in Arizona, and have scheduled meetings with Kelly over the next two days.

    Kelly’s Oregon Ducks won the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, beating Kansas State 35-17, so if this marks the end of his collegiate coaching career, it’s a good note to go out on.

    Kelly was named the Pac 10 Coach of the Year both in 2009 and in 2010. He was the offensive coordinator for the Ducks before being named the head coach. He’s from New Hampshire, so any of the three teams he is said to be interviewing with would put him much closer to home than in Oregon.

    Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid who was relieved of his duties this past week, has already landed with the Kansas City Chiefs, according to multiple reports. Though the Eagles were eager to get rid of Reid after a lackluster season, it’s no surprise that he has already found a head coaching job in the NFL, considering the success he has had in Philadelphia. He hasn’t won any Super Bowls for the city of brotherly love, but he’s gotten the team there, and to five NFC championships during his time with the team. He’s been with the Eagles since 1999.

  • Shawne Merriman: Training Camp Cut Short As Bills Let Him Go

    Shawne Merriman must not have seen his pink-slip from the Buffalo Bills coming, because he tweeted just yesterday that he had practice today.

    Although Merriman was forced to cut last season short due to an achilles tendon injury–and has subsequently missed a few practices because of a twisted ankle–the Bills haven’t given any indication previously that they were ready to give up on him. In fact, Merriman said recently that he felt he was in the best shape of his career.

    “I feel young,” Merriman said. “Anybody that will get a chance to watch me this year will see I’m moving around as I did when I came into the league.”

    He tweeted earlier today about his appreciation for the team and his coaches.

    However surprised Merriman may be, many people saw this coming from a mile away after he failed to make a smooth transition from outside linebacker to defensive end. Before training camp began, he spoke about what he needed to do in order to prove himself on the field.

    “It is not about talking anymore about what I can do or what happened in the past, or how good things were in the past. You just have to go out and do it,” he said. “And that is all I have been concentrating on. It is not one of those things I really think about. It is just going out every day and working.”