Inside The Bills

BDC 12/7: Bills to Wear Throwbacks

DAILY REPORT
–The Buffalo Bills will host the St. Louis Rams in their second straight game at Ralph Wilson Stadium Sunday at 1:00 PM. Sunday’s game will be the 11^th regular season meeting between Buffalo and St. Louis. With a win over the Rams on Sunday, the Bills will improve to 4-2 in home games in 2012 and win three straight games at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

–The Buffalo Bills will wear new white Nike throwback uniforms, modeled after those that the club wore during their 1964 and 1965 AFL Championship seasons. In conjunction with the NFL’s celebration of the 50th Year of Pro

Football Hall of Fame, players will wear a special patch on their jerseys. The team’s throwback helmets feature the Red Standing Buffalo logo that the club used as its primary mark from 1962 through 1973. All elements of the throwback uniforms differ from the current on-field uniforms: helmet, jersey, pants, and socks. This uniform combination was last worn by the club during the 2009 season as part of the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the AFL. The first 40,000 fans entering the stadium will receive a commemorative Buffalo Bills Hall of Fame Poster saluting the 50th Anniversary of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

TODAY’S INTERVIEWS
The Howard Simon Show – WGR 550
Buddy Nix

Janet and Nick – Kiss 98.5
Marcell Dareus

Shredd and Ragan – 103.3 The Edge
Shawne Merriman

Norton in the Morning – 97 Rock
T.J. Graham 

Bernie Miklasz Show – 101 ESPN – St. Louis
Brad Smith – 12:00 PM

THIS DAY IN BILLS HISTORY
December 7, 1973 — O-LINE GIVEN NICKNAME
Bills vice president of public relations Bud Thalman gave the Bills offensive line the nickname, “The Electric Company.” When asked why he said, “Because they turn on the Juice.”

QUOTES OF THE DAY
GM Buddy Nix (via WGR550)
Q: You guys were 5-7 a year ago at this time. You are 5-7 right now. Do you think the team is better or not? And if you are better, where do you think you are better than a year ago at this time?
A: I really do think we are better. In fact, I know we are better. The sad thing is the record does not show it. That is the disappointing thing, but we are obviously better on defense. We are starting, and the first part of the year we were not, but we are starting to play better. We have good players and they bought into the system now. I think they feel good about what they are doing, so we are better there.

Our young linebackers, we had one experienced linebacker when we started the year and those guys have gotten better. We have a lot of talent there and I think Nigel Bradham is going to be a really good player. Our secondary, both corners are first or second year guys. Since Aaron Williams got hurt, we have two first year guys playing corner. Those guys are young. Da’Norris Searcy is playing more at safety. He is a young guy.

Our offensive line, when they are healthy, is obviously better. We have better depth in those places. Probably a position we do not think about much is running back. We are better there. C.J. (Spiller) has gotten better. Fred (Jackson) has come back finally and gotten healthy. Not many people in the league have running backs the caliber of ours. I think that is better.

PHOTOS OF THE DAY

RB C.J. Spiller displays the Bills throwback uniform that will be worn in Sunday’s game versus the St. Louis Rams.

RB Fred Jackson, DT Marcell Dareus, RB C.J. Spiller, DE Chris Kelsay, and S George Wilson signed autographs last night to benefit the Kids Escaping Drugs Campaign at the downtown New Era Flagship Store. With a $25 donation fans received a Limited Edition Bills poster and an autograph from each player.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN SUNDAY’S GAME
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
• Will make his 50th start with the Bills on Sunday
• With a touchdown throw to WR Stevie Johnson, will become the fourth tandem in team history to connect on 23 or more touchdowns
• Two touchdown passes to move into third-place in team history with 78
• Five touchdown passes to post a personal single-season best of 25 and to mark the fifth such season by a Bills QB and first since 1991 (Jim Kelly)
• 37 completions to reach 1,000 in his Buffalo tenure

RB Fred Jackson
• Will total 20 rushing touchdowns with his next scoring scamper
• 77 rushing yards to tally 500 in 2012 and to become the second Bill in 2012 with 500 or more rushing yards (C.J. Spiller)… the duo will have posted 500 rushing yards or more each in back-to-back seasons to mark the fourth such occasion in team history and first since 1995-97
• 127 scrimmage yards to move into sixth in team history (Lee Evans – 6,079)

RB C.J. Spiller
• One touchdown to post 10 in 2012
• Will reach the 100 reception mark with four catches
• Needs 93 rushing yards to record the first 1,000 yard season of his career

WR Stevie Johnson
• One touchdown catch to tally 25 in his NFL career and move into a tie for seventh on the team’s all-time receiving touchdown list (Pete Metzelaars and Peerless Price – 25)
• Five catches to record 60 in 2012
• 28 receiving yards to move into 11th in Bills history (Pete Metzelaars – 2,921)
• 106 receiving yards to post 3,000 in his NFL career

WR Donald Jones
• 146 receiving yards to tally 1,000 in his NFL career

TE Scott Chandler
• One touchdown catch to set a franchise record for most touchdown catches by a tight end in a single-season (7)
• One multi-touchdown catch game to become the fi rst Bills tight end with four such games (Pete Metzelaars and Scott Chandler – 3)
• Seven receptions to set a personal single-season best (38 in 2011)

G Andy Levitre
• Will have started each of his 61 possible games played on Sunday since entering the NFL in 2009

DE Mario Williams
• 0.5 sack to record his third season with 10.0 sacks or more (2007 and 2008) and mark the first 10.0 sack season by a Bill since 2009 (Aaron Schobel – 10.0)

DT Kyle Williams
• 0.5 a sack to match a personal single-season high (5.5 in 2010)
• 1.5 sacks to become the 11th Bill with 20 or more in their career

DT Marcell Dareus
• 1.0 sack to post 10.0 in his NFL career

FS Jairus Byrd
• One multi-interception game to became the third Bill with five multi-pick games (Tom Janik – 6 and Billy Atkins – 5)
• One forced fumble to record 10 in his career

CB Stephon Gilmore
• One passes deflection to notch 15 in his rookie season

LB Nick Barnett
• One tackle to record 1,000 in his NFL career

K Rian Lindell
• Will post the fourth-longest scoring streak in Bills history with a point on Sunday (53 games)
• Two successful extra point attempts to total 300 with Buffalo
• Four field goals made to register 295 in his Buffalo tenure

CB/KR/PR Leodis McKelvin
• One punt return touchdown to become the first Bill with four in his career and extend his franchise-record for a single-season to three
• Two punt return yards to move into seventh (Donnie Walker – 594), nine to move into sixth (George “Butch” Byrd – 600) and 25 to jump to fifth (Nate Clements – 617) in franchise history
• 54 punt return yards to overtake the franchise record for a single-season (Roscoe Parrish – 440 in 2007)

DAILY LINKS
Buffalo News-Bills’ Levitre iron man of the O-line

Buffalo News-Zuerlein’s leg could prove to be factor

Buffalo News-What if: A Q&A with Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin

Buffalo News-Salvatore’s generosity is his way of life

Rochester D&C-Buffalo Bills rookie Ron Brooks keeps focus on improvement

Associated Press-Bills lose another lineman, RT Hairston, to IR

Associated Press-Don’t be fooled by coach Fisher’s humour: Rams ready to embrace outdoors in Buffalo

St. Louis Dispatch-Fitzpatrick uses his smarts in Buffalo

BuffaloBills.com-DE Mark Anderson closer to return

BuffaloBills.com-Hairston to I-R; Bills sign OT Scott

BuffaloBills.com-Mario Williams: ”Everybody is going to be hungry”

Audio/Video/Photo Clip 

BuffaloBills.com
“What’s the Word” with George Wilson
In the Trenches with Andy Levitre
Mario Williams on Rams Matchup

WGR 550
Bills Are Better Despite Record
The Rams have improved
Bills’ Stevie Johnson improving
Maybe the Bills Mario wasn’t making excuses
Bills’ Hairston to I-R; OT Chris Scott signed
12/06 Joe Buscaglia talks Bills’ injuries, wide recievers, and pass rushers
John Clayton Not Disappointed in Bills

WIVB
Hairston on I.R., done for season
Bryan Scott gives back through music

NFL.com
Preview: St. Louis Rams vs. Buffalo Bills

YNN
Weather a Factor Again; Stevie Preps for Finnegan
Bills Lose OL Hairston for Season

Additional Clips
Inside The Bills
Rams WR Amendola limited, Bills on the radio, Bills updated Thurs. injury report, Hairston likely headed to surgery, Health of CB position improving, Stevie encouraged after Thursday practice, Anderson, Wood not practicing, NFL.com Pro Bowl ballots, Bills on the radio

Press Coverage (Buffalo News)
Video: Bills’ improved run defense versus the Rams’ Steven Jackson
Bills O-lineman David Snow’s roots run to Mayflower
Mark Anderson gives rare interview, shares injury details
Bills place Chris Hairston on IR; Sam Young to start at RT

Pro Football Talk
Bills place Chris Hairston on injured reserve

ESPN AFC East Blog
Can Williams set personal sack record?

The Sports Network
Bills place Hairston on IR
St. Louis (5-6-1) at Buffalo (5-7)

CBS Sports
Bills shuffling along the O-line
Surgery likely for RT Chris Hairston

Buffalo Rumblings
NFL Week 14 Predictions: Can Buffalo Bills Topple St. Louis Rams?

Pro Football Weekly
Bills place OT Hairston on I.R.

AFC East Daily
Bills to don throwbacks; TV fans will see them, too

NFL Rapid Reports
Bills Notebook: Surgery likely for RT Chris Hairston
Bills shuffling along the O-line