Unfinished Business: Buffalo Bills Story (Madden 11 Franchise)

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Seizing an Opportunity
Bills beat Chiefs, end losing streak

Donte Whitner intercepts a pass late in the 4th quarter to secure a Buffalo lead.

BUFFALO, NY -- Buffalo entered Sunday's game at risk of dropping a third consecutive game since their bye week. After Kansas City got on the board first when rookie defensive tackle Kain Forge returned a fumble for a touchdown in the second quarter, it looked like it was going to be another one of those days for the Bills; their previous two losses largely caused by allowing defensive touchdowns.

Kain Forge celebrate a fumble recovered for a TD

Fortunately for Buffalo, the offense was able to re-cooperate and rally around Matt Leinart in his first start of the season. Leinart completed 50 percent of his pass on the way to 243 yards and a touchdown. He did, however, throw an interception to Tamba Hali in the first quarter, but rebounded quickly and avoided making any additional mistakes.

After earning less than 20 rushing attempts in the previous two games, Fred Jackson carried the ball 23 times en route to his 4th game of the season surpassing the century mark, with 103 yards and 2 touchdowns. Buffalo's defense also shined, as they held the Kansas City offense to only one touchdown and a mere 182 total yards. They were able to pressure Matt Cassel all day, sacking him 6 times and forcing 2 interceptions, one of which came in the red zone in the 4th quarter. "It was good to get back on track this week. Our defense really stepped up, and Leinart played great out there," stated Dick Lebeau in the post-game press conference. "This was a really important victory, now we just have to keep the momentum rolling."

Matt Leinart kneels to secure his first victory as QB for Buffalo.

The Buffalo quarterback situation, which has garnered a lot of attention from the media in the last few weeks, might take a turn for the quiet if Leinart has a repeat performance in Cleveland next weekend. "Like I said earlier in the week, we're operating on a game-by-game basis," said Lebeau when asked if Leinart has earned the starting spot for good. "Sure, if he plays well again he will continue to start. If not, he won't." Buffalo did receive some bad news, however, when they learned fullback Trip Allen will miss at least the next 3 weeks with a broken thumb. Third-string tight end Shawn Nelson filled in for the rest of the game and scored a touchdown, but the team might look to sign a more experienced free agent to fill in during Allen's absence.

Kansas City has a tough road ahead if they're going to hold onto their lead in the division, as they face the New York Jets (8-2), Indianapolis Colts (8-2), and the 2nd place Denver Broncos (5-5) in the next three weeks. Buffalo, on the other hand, appears to have relatively smooth sailing for the remainder of the regular season, with the Cleveland Browns (3-7), Oakland Raiders (4-6), San Diego Chargers (3-7) before having to face the division leading Jets and Broncos. With a sweep of the next three games, the Bills might be in good position to earn at least a wild card birth before season's end.


Photo Gallery


Left to Right/Top to Bottom

1. Khamari Dansby can't get both feet in bounds in the end zone
2. Players from both teams dive for a loose ball
3. Fred Jackson had another productive day on the ground
4. Tamba Hali jumps in front of a pass intended for Lee Evans
5. A healthy Terrence McGee grabs an interception in front of Dexter McCluster
6. In for the injured Trip Allen, Shawn Nelson scores a touchdown
7. Torri Bonner is overthrown by a wide margin on an errant pass from Matt Leinart
8. Leinart avoids a sack by getting a pass off to Bonner just in time
9. Backup running back CJ Spiller breaks off a nice run on one of his four carries

Box Score

NFL Scoreboard - Kansas City Chiefs (6-3) at Buffalo Bills (5-4)

November 20, 2011 1 2 3 4 F Kansas City Chiefs 0 7 0 7 14 Buffalo Bills 0 3 14 10 27 Top Performers Kansas City Chiefs - Stats E. Berry - 9 tkl K. Forge - 72 yd fumble return for a TD Buffalo Bills - Stats F. Jackson - 23 car, 103 yds, 2 TD G. Guyton - 4 tkl, 2 sacks	Team Stats Comparison KC BUF First Downs 8 17 3rd Down Efficiency 2-9 5-14 4th Down Efficiency 0-1 0-0 Total Yards 182 353 Passing Yards 134 239 Rushing Yards 48 114 Penalties-Penalty Yards 0-0 2-30 Turnovers 3 3 Time of Possession 21:45 34:15
Scoring Summary Second Quarter KC BUF KC 5:06 K. Forge, returned fumble 72 Yds (Succop) 7 0 BUF 1:01 M. Crosby, 36 Yd FG 7 3 Third Quarter KC BUF BUF 9:08 F. Jackson, 7 Yd run (Crosby) 7 10 BUF 4:28 F. Jackson, 1 Yd run (Crosby) 7 17 Fourth Quarter KC BUF KC 11:27 J. Charles, 1 Yd run (Succop) 14 17 BUF 7:06 S. Nelson 72 Yd pass from M. Leinart (Crosby) 14 24 BUF 1:47 M. Crosby, 50 Yd FG 14 27
Kansas City Chiefs Passing C/ATT YDS TD INT M. Cassel 12/22 165 0 2 Rushing ATT YDS AVG TD T. Jones 14 47 3.3 0 J. Charles 1 1 1.0 1 M. Cassel 1 0 0.0 0 Receiving REC YDS AVG TD D. McCluster 6 38 6.3 0 T. Moeaki 4 65 16.2 0 C. Chambers 2 62 31.0 0 Defense TKL SACK INT TD E. Berry 9 0 0 0 J. Arenas 6 0 0 0 O. Scandrick 5 0 0 0 T. Hali 4 0 1 0 N. Ness 3 0 0 0 M. Vrabel 3 0 0 0 J. Green 2 0 0 0 J. Alford 2 1 0 0 Kick Returning NO. YDS TD LONG O. Scandrick 3 65 0 24 B. Flowers 2 39 0 20 Punt Returning NO. YDS TD LONG B. Flowers 1 2 0 2 O. Scandrick 1 0 0 0 Kicking FGM/A XPM/A PTS LONG R. Succop 0/1 2/2 2 0 Punting NO. YDS AVG IN 20 D. Colquitt 5 201 40.2 0 Buffalo Bills Passing C/ATT YDS TD INT M. Leinart 18/32 243 1 1 Rushing ATT YDS AVG TD F. Jackson 23 103 4.4 2 C. Spiller 4 19 4.7 0 S. Nelson 1 0 0.0 0 Receiving REC YDS AVG TD T. Bonner 5 96 19.2 0 L. Evans 3 30 10.0 0 T. Allen 3 28 9.3 0 S. Nelson 2 75 37.5 1 A. Bryant 2 7 3.5 0 Defense TKL SACK INT TD Z. Bowman 6 0 0 0 G. Guyton 4 2 0 0 K. Mitchell 4 0 0 0 K. Williams 3 1 0 0 P. Posluszny 3 0 0 0 P. Tinoisamoa 2 1 0 0 D. Knight 1 1 0 0 T. McGee 1 0 1 0 M. Stroud 1 1 0 0 D. Whitner 0 0 1 0 Kick Returning NO. YDS TD LONG R. Parrish 2 48 0 25 Punt Returning NO. YDS TD LONG J. Williams 3 39 0 19 Kicking FGM/A XPM/A PTS LONG M. Crosby 2/4 3/3 9 51 Punting NO. YDS AVG IN 20 B. Moorman 2 97 48.5 1

OperationSports.com

Telford's Take
We needed this win, plain & simple. I like what I saw out of Leinart today. Even after throwing that pick, he kept his composure and got the job done. I can't say enough about our defense though, those guys are getting better as the season progresses, I'm really impressed with what Lebeau and Rivera have been able to do with them. I just hope the guys don't take these next few games lightly and become susceptible to an upset. These games are just as important as any other.

[bichettehappens]

Current AFC West & Wild-Card Standings

NFL Standings - AFC West - 2011 Season

Teams	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	PF	PA
New York Jets	8	2		80.0	3-1	226	155
New England Patriots	7	3		70.0	2-1	274	206
Buffalo Bills	6	4		60.0	2-2	256	213
Miami Dolphins	3	7		30.0	0-3	172	221

OperationSports.com

NFL Standings - AFC Wild Card - 2011 Season

Teams	W	L	T	PCT	CONF	PF	PA
Buffalo Bills	6	4		60.0	4-2	256	213
Kansas City Chiefs	6	4		60.0	3-3	206	178
Baltimore Ravens	6	4		60.0	3-4	227	196
Pittsburgh Steelers	5	5		50.0	5-5	150	138
Denver Broncos	5	5		50.0	4-4	253	196

OperationSports.com

[bichettehappens]

n an era where power-crazed GMs and owners like Jerry Jones, Al Davis, Mark Cuban, and the late George Steinbrenner rule the sports world, it is refreshing to see a newcomer with a different perspective. First-year general manager for the Buffalo Bills, Tony Telford is more focused on constructing a winning team comprised of the right players, rather than generating a quick buck by acquiring a well-known superstar just for the sake of doing so. He believes, if you take the time to create a team based around players who are passionate about the game and share sense of camaraderie about the team, the wins will come and the money will follow. Telford was hired this past offseason by Bills owner Ralph Wilson to relieve Executive Vice President Buddy Nix of the GM responsibilities. The move came as a surprise to some around the league, given that there were other GMs on the market who were far more experienced and qualified on paper. Wilson said he ultimately decided to hire Telford because "the way he spoke about his ideas for the team, it made me excited for Bills football again." I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Mr. Telford and find out more about his philosophies, what makes him tick, and how his first half-season as NFL general manager has progressed.

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Let me start off by asking, how you even came to be considered for the GM job in the first place, out of curiosity. Where did you come from?
TONY TELFORD: Interesting way to word that question (laughs). For a while now I had been wanting to get involved with the sport. Ever since my younger days, trying to rebuild teams on Madden franchise mode, I've had a passion for this sort of thing. Over the years I've networked with some people in various positions around the league and when I heard about the opening [in Buffalo] I knew it was the perfect opportunity for me; a team that needs rebuilding but has a nice bit of history--unfinished business, if you will.

SI: From Madden to the NFL, interesting story. Let's talk about your team-building philosophy. Your predecessor, for example, made the move to sign Terrell Owens hoping it would generate more ticket sales having a big-name player... Something tells me that's not the type of move we'll see under the Tony Telford regime. Am I right?
TT: Well, that's a tricky question. If the franchise is in serious money troubles, you've got to do what you've got to do. But typically, no I wouldn't make a move like that. T.O. is a talented player, but as you know a sense of "team" is really important to me, and his reputation indicates he doesn't quite fit that mold.

SI: First day on the job, looking at the Buffalo roster, what were your thoughts?
TT: Honestly, that this team was not as bad as bad as they are made out to be. They have a lot of young talent, which was definitely a plus to have a base to build from. Of course, the first concern was "what are we going to do about this quarterback situation?" and we're still dealing with that one.

SI: When the team got out to that 3-0 start, were you thinking to yourself "well that was easy"?
TT: (Laughs) No, not at all... Well, maybe a little, but I knew there's a lot of season left to play. The team started out 4-0 in 2008 and then fell off completely. While it was comforting to see us out to a good start, I knew that it would be meaningless if we didn't keep it up.

SI: Let's go back to what you were saying about the quarterback situation. I just recently read an article on a competitor site comparing the Buffalo quarterbacks from this year so far with the guy that you actually passed up in the draft by trading down. Do you regret not taking Ryan Parker with the number 4 pick after seeing how well he's played for Cleveland this year?
TT: Honestly, I'm happy with the move, especially since it's looking like we won't lose our first rounder for next year's draft. You have to look at who we got at the picks we acquired in that trade. Lawrence Wilson has been absolutely stellar on special teams, and he's been working hard with defensive backs coach George Cantavolos to improve his cover skills. It could be just a matter of time before he is a frequent contributor on defense. Deontae Knight has also been very impressive, he's the future of our d-line. We still haven't really seen what Colt McCoy can do yet either, so no I can't say that I regret that move.

SI: A few times since you've had the job, we've heard about this 'unfinished business' and how important this week's game against the Dallas Cowboys is. Tell me, why so much importance placed on getting "redemption" for something that happened 18 years ago, with completely different players, coaches, etc?
TT: Well, I saw it more of an opportunity to rally the team around something specific. Of course the Dallas game is no more important than any other, but I figure if I can find something to bring the team together and motivate them, then why not do it? Plus, as the first game to the second-half of our season, I figure it's good to start it with an emphatic win in an important game to build momentum.

SI: So what do you feel is left to do as far as returning this team to title contention?
TT: Honestly, there are not many holes left in my opinion. We need to figure out who our quarterback of the future is going to be, and shore up depth at a few positions but overall we're confident that the players we do have are just going to get better with time and gel together as one cohesive, talented unit.

SI: Well, given the fact you've got the Bills off to only their 3rd 5-3 start since 1999, the last year they made the playoffs, I've got to say you're on the right track. Any other insight you have to offer?
TT: Really I just think people these days are too focused on the money aspect of things, they think short-term instead of trying to build a long-term dynasty. If you build a winner, you'll have loyal fans for years until you fall off again. If you sign a player who's a locker room cancer, sure you might increase sales for a couple of games but overall the fact that the team isn't winning will cancel it out.

SI: Thank you for your time, happy to have you here and best of luck to you and the Bills for the rest of the 2011-12 season.
TT: It was a pleasure.





Simmed ahead a couple of seasons in a franchise I had on MLB The Show to make the cover, Red Sox beat the Padres in the World Series

[Jusafan]

Solid start so far. I'm hoping you can take the Bills a long way, because we all know it's not gonna happen in real life, lol.

[bichettehappens]

Week 12 Preview

Buffalo Bills (6-4) @ Cleveland Browns (3-7)

Forecast: 47°

Sunday, November 27, 8:30PM
Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, OH

Injury Report
Buffalo Bills:
[OUT] TE Jonathan Stupar - Torn Shoulder Labrum - 2 weeks
[OUT] FB Trip Allen - Broken Thumb - 3 weeks
[OUT] LB Thomas Howard - Torn Tricep - Out for season

Cleveland Browns:
[Doubtful] RT Levi Jones - Shoulder




Team Comparison

	Team Rank
14th	Passing	8th
17th	Rushing	28th
5th	Pass Defense	7th
11th	Run Defense	29th

Coverage:




Analyst Picks:

Chris Berman

Khamari "So you think you can" Dansby and the Bills should have a field day against this weak Cleveland defense.



Cris Carter

Yeah this is just a mismatch, the Bills will have to try hard to blow this one.



Tom Jackson

Leinart has been excellent so far this year, and this is the perfect matchup for him to keep that momentum going against.



Keyshawn Johnson

Leinart has so many weapons on offense it'd but tough for him not to excel, Bills should win this one.



Steve Young

Yeah I've got to side with you guys, although I do like Browns rookie QB Ryan Parker, that kid is a gamer.

[bichettehappens]

Updated: November 23, 2011, 8:19 PM ET

Bills sign Korey Hall with Allen out
__________________________________________________

Associated Press

Hall

BUFFALO, NY -- In response to losing rookie FB Trip Allen for at least the next 3 weeks due to a broken thumb he endured last Sunday against the Chiefs, the Buffalo Bills signed free agent Korey Hall to fill in during his absence. Hall had previously been a member of the Green Bay Packers and is in the 4th year of his career. The terms of the deal are believed to be that it is a 1-year contract worth approximately $840,000.

The team toggled with the idea of having tight end Shawn Nelson, who scored a touchdown in Allen's place on Sunday, fill in instead of signing a free agent. However, with Jonathan Stupar also being out the next few weeks leaving the team short at TE, the Bills ultimately opted to add the veteran Hall and leave Nelson at his natural position.

The team released LB Antonio Coleman to make room on the roster

Bills notes
After a solid performance against Kansas City, the Bills are starting Matt Leinart at quarterback for the second consecutive game

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Buffalo defense powers them to a 2nd consecutive win
Holds rookie phenom Parker to 118 yards in decisive victory

Gary Guyton brings down Ryan Parker for one of his 2 sacks on the day.

CLEVELAND, OH -- The move to start Matt Leinart at quarterback for the Buffalo Bills is looking better and better with each passing week. The decision was heavily criticized by league officials and analysts alike, but his play in his two starts thus far has been a pleasant surprise. Granted, it's hard not to have a good offensive day against the Cleveland Browns but we won't try to take that away from him.

Matt Leinart throws deep to Torri Bonner for a 66 yard touchdown

In a game rich with quarterback storylines, Leinart shined in a face-off against fellow USC-alumn Ryan Parker, who the Bills passed up last spring in the first round of the draft. While Leinart did not fare well in terms of completion percentage, he protected the ball well, making this the first time since week 7 that a Buffalo QB has not thrown an interception.

The Bills got out to an early lead that they would never relinquish, as they were able to establish the running game early and maintain good field position throughout. Their defense played outstanding, allowing only one Cleveland touchdown, which came on the first play of the second half as Jerome Harrison broke several tackles en route to a 74 yard scamper to the end zone. "This defense has really established its identity out there, and we're getting better every week," claimed head coach Dick Lebeau.

Prior to the game, Parker was asked if he had any added motivation to play well today given the fact that the Bills passed him up in the draft. "I don't feel I have anything to prove to them. I've proven myself all season with my play here in Cleveland," he declared. On the other side, Buffalo GM Tony Telford had the following to say, "I don't know why the media is still going on about that whole situation. It's over and done with as far as I'm concerned."

Instead of focusing on the past, Buffalo is currently in first place for the AFC wild card race. With this week's matchup against the Oakland Raiders and facing the Chargers the following week, the Bills could put themselves in very good position before squaring off against the Jets again in week 15. The Bills did receive some bad news Sunday, when they learned that LG Andy Levitre, who left the game in the 4th quarter, will likely miss the remainder of the regular season due to a broken collarbone. There is a chance though that he could return in time for the playoffs, should the Bills make it that far.

Photo Gallery



Left to right/Top to bottom
1. Ryan Parker unleashes a pass for Brian Robiskie
2. Fred Jackson gets pushed out of bounds after his first run of the game goes for 30 yards
3. Jerome Harrison breaks off a 74 yard touchdown run on the first play of the third quarter
4. Torri Bonner reaches back to reel in a catch for a 66 yard score
5. CJ Spiller had a successful day in limited action, as he splits through the defenders


Box Score

NFL Scoreboard - Buffalo Bills (6-4) at Cleveland Browns (3-7)

November 27, 2011 1 2 3 4 F Buffalo Bills 14 6 3 10 33 Cleveland Browns 3 3 7 0 13 Top Performers Buffalo Bills - Stats M. Leinart - 15/32, 220 yds, 1 TD F. Jackson - 24 car, 109 yds, 1 TD Cleveland Browns - Stats R. Parker - 15/30, 118 yds, 1 int J. Harrison - 17 car, 117 yds, 1 TD	Team Stats Comparison BUF CLE First Downs 15 7 3rd Down Efficiency 5-13 5-16 4th Down Efficiency 0-0 0-1 Total Yards 355 229 Passing Yards 212 105 Rushing Yards 143 124 Penalties-Penalty Yards 2-30 1-5 Turnovers 0 1 Time of Possession 36:07 19:53
Scoring Summary First Quarter BUF CLE BUF 11:13 C. Spiller, 6 Yd run (Crosby) 7 0 CLE 5:50 P. Dawson, 49 Yd FG 7 3 BUF 4:01 T. Bonner 66 Yd pass from M. Leinart (Crosby) 14 3 Second Quarter BUF CLE CLE 13:07 P. Dawson, 42 Yd FG 14 6 BUF 7:05 M. Crosby, 43 Yd FG 17 6 BUF 0:01 M. Crosby, 25 Yd FG 20 6 Third Quarter BUF CLE CLE 13:43 J. Harrison, 74 Yd run (Dawson) 20 13 BUF 5:46 M. Crosby, 32 Yd FG 23 13 Fourth Quarter BUF CLE BUF 7:46 M. Crosby, 51 Yd FG 26 13 BUF 1:42 F. Jackson, 3 Yd run (Crosby) 33 13
Buffalo Bills Passing C/ATT YDS TD INT M. Leinart 15/32 220 1 0 Rushing ATT YDS AVG TD F. Jackson 24 109 4.5 1 C. Spiller 5 34 6.8 1 M. Leinart 1 0 0.0 0 Receiving REC YDS AVG TD L. Evans 3 46 15.3 0 K. Dansby 3 37 12.3 0 A. Bryant 2 16 8.0 0 K. Hall 2 14 7.0 0 T. Bonner 1 66 66.0 1 Defense TKL SACK INT TD K. Mitchell 5 0 0 0 Z. Bowman 5 0 0 0 G. Guyton 4 2 0 0 P. Posluszny 4 0 0 0 J. Byrd 0 0 1 0 Kick Returning NO. YDS TD LONG R. Parrish 4 79 0 23 Punt Returning NO. YDS TD LONG J. Williams 5 29 0 16 Kicking FGM/A XPM/A PTS LONG M. Crosby 4/4 3/3 15 51 Punting NO. YDS AVG IN 20 B. Moorman 4 178 44.5 4 Cleveland Browns Passing C/ATT YDS TD INT R. Parker 15/30 118 0 1 Rushing ATT YDS AVG TD J. Harrison 17 117 6.8 1 M. Hardesty 2 9 4.5 0 J. Cribbs 1 -3 -3.0 0 Receiving REC YDS AVG TD B. Robiskie 5 27 5.4 0 J. Cribbs 3 37 12.3 0 J. Harrison 3 18 6.0 0 M. Massaquoi 2 8 4.0 0 B. Watson 1 27 27.0 0 Defense TKL SACK INT TD E. Wright 6 0 0 0 M. Adams 6 0 0 0 J. Haden 5 0 0 0 S. Rogers 4 0 0 0 J. Fanene 1 1 0 0 Kick Returning NO. YDS TD LONG J. Cribbs 6 132 0 24 R. Griffin 1 22 0 22 Kicking FGM/A XPM/A PTS LONG P. Dawson 2/2 1/1 7 49 Punting NO. YDS AVG IN 20 S. Weatherford 6 228 38.0 1

OperationSports.com

Telford's Take
Easy win. We've got a similar matchup this coming week and I assume we won't take this one lightly either. Pleased with Leinart's play up to this point and couldn't be happier with how the defense is really coming together out there. If we can sweep the next two games we'll be in real good shape.

[bichettehappens]

Week 13 Preview

Buffalo Bills (7-4) @ Oakland Raiders (4-7)

Forecast: 70°

Sunday, December 4, 4:15PM
Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, CA

Injury Report
Buffalo Bills:
[Doubtful] TE Jonathan Stupar - Torn Shoulder Labrum
[OUT] FB Trip Allen - Broken Thumb - 2 weeks
[OUT] LG Andy Levitre - Broken Collarbone - 5 weeks
[OUT] LB Thomas Howard - Torn Tricep - Out for season

Oakland Raiders:
[OUT] LB Kamerion Wimbley - Torn Quadricep - 1 week



Key Players

HB F. Jackson - BUF	214 att, 942 yds, 4.4 avg, 6 TD
WR L. Murphy - OAK	47 rec, 473 yds, 10.0 avg, 4 TD

Coverage:




Analyst Picks:

Dan Marino

That Buffalo defense is going to have a field day with the struggling Campbell and the dismal Oakland rushing attack. Easy victory.



Boomer Esiason

The Bills finally seem to be hitting their stride, I'm impressed with how Leinart has played recently as well. Looks like the grass was greener on the other side in his case.



Bill Cowher

Buffalo now has the 3rd ranked defense in the entire NFL, the Oakland offense is ranked 30th... I'll let you guess who I'm picking.



Shannon Sharpe

You know, I'm not buying the Leinart hype. That Oakland secondary is ranked 2nd in the NFL in interceptions, he won't have as good of a day with Nnamdi on the other side.



James Brown

I do think Leinart might throw a pick or two today, but unless those get taken for touchdowns like in previous weeks I don't think the Oakland offense is potent enough to overpower this Buffalo defense.


Week 13 Matchups
(3-8) @ (5-6)
(4-7) @ (5-6)
(7-4) @ (9-2)
(6-5) @ (9-2)
(7-4) @ (4-7)
(5-6) @ (7-4)
(4-7) @ (7-4)
(6-5) @ (3-8)
(7-4) @ (6-5)
(2-9) @ (7-4)
(3-8) @ (6-5)
(3-8) @ (4-7)
(7-4) @ (4-7)
(4-7) @ (4-7)
(9-2) @ (7-4)
(8-3) @ (7-4)