Inside The Bills

Cordy, Mario to both be limited

Bills DE Mario Williams and OT Cordy Glenn will both participate in practice here on Wednesday, but neither will be full go.

“Both of them as was stated to me by our training staff early this morning is they’ll both be available on a limited basis,” said head coach Chan Gailey. ”They may not take every rep, but they’ll be available on a limited basis.”

Glenn is trying to come back from a high ankle sprain that’s forced him to miss the last three games. Williams is a week removed from wrist scope surgery.

John Murphy Show-Monday

The bye week is over, and it’s  back to football at One Bills Drive.  We’ll be broadcasting The John Murphy Show live from our studios in Orchard Park tonight.

Bills DE Mario Williams was back in the building and working out in the weight room.  He says he’ll definitely play against the Texans this weekend, as he recovers from an arthroscopic procedure on his wrist last Tuesday.  We’ll hear the entire Mario Williams session with the media today in our first segment at 7pm.

At 7:20pm, rookie CB Stephon Gilmore joins us in studio to review his first seven games, and look ahead to the rest of his rookie campaign.  Gilmore is just back from a weekend visit to his old school, South Carolina, where he watched former Gamecock teammate Marcus Lattimore go down with a serious knee injury.  We’ll ask Gilmore about that.

Our man Chris Brown from Buffalo Bills.com will check in a couple of times from Buffalo Wild Wings, his usual Monday night appearance there.

And Joe Buscaglia from WGR 550 will join us at 8pm for his take on Mario Williams return, and the Bills final nine games of the season.

We’ll make time for phone calls from Bills fans as well.

The John Murphy Show airs weeknights from 7pm-9pm on the flagship station of the Buffalo Bills, WGR Sports Radio 550.

Kubiak on facing Mario

Texans head coach Gary Kubiak was asked about the prospect of facing his former pass rusher Mario Williams this Sunday when Buffalo faces Houston at Reliant Stadium.

“It’s going to be tough,” said Kubiak. “He’s getting all the attention every week. You watch, he gets the doubles, the triples, the chips. When you got the reputation and the player that he is, that’s how people attack you and stuff. It’ll be a big problem for us too because he’s playing both sides. (RT Derek) Newton will get him. (LT) Duane (Brown) will get him, but they’re very talented up front. They’ve got the other number one inside (Dareus). They’ve been on the field I think more than anybody in football defensively, which I know has been difficult for them because their offense throws the ball all over the place so they’re going to spread us out. Very talented team, but we got to stay focused on us.”

Mario in weight room

Bills DE Mario Williams is not practicing, but he is working out in the weight room.

Williams was doing cardio and was seen on the incline bench. When he spoke prior to practice Monday he talked about how he looked forward to getting back in the weight room again, as his ailing wrist had prevented him from doing so.

“I haven’t worked out longer during the season then I did in the offseason,” said Williams. ”It’s just been a while and that’s the biggest thing. I’m a hands-on person. Everything I do is with my hands and working out. Not being able to do that just mentally has been frustrating.”

Williams is expected to practice on Wednesday just eight days after having his wrist scoped.

Discomfort minimal now for Mario

Mario Williams addressed the decision he made to get wrist surgery last week as well as his outlook for the last nine games of the regular season before practice today. He also outlined how much the pain has subsided in his ailing left wrist now that he’s had it cleaned out.

“Pretty much just a sense of it doesn’t hurt like it did before,” he said. ”It doesn’t hinder me. I couldn’t even use my hand to do anything pretty much outside of being in a cast. At this point the only pain I feel is the incision. I have better range of motion already and I think the biggest thing is being able to try to get back into working out and getting stronger and being able to use my hand on the field.”

Mario not at 1 Bills Dr.

Mario WilliAms is not at 1 Bills Drive today.

That according to fellow DE Kyle Moore, who said he was not at the facility today.

We’ll have more on Williams whereabouts when Chan Gailey speaks at 2 pm

Fan Friday 10-12

After almost a week in Arizona I want to believe the Bills are a lot more focused after spending it in isolation in a training camp type atmosphere. We’ll see on Sunday. Now to your questions from AskChris@bills.nfl.net and @ChrisBrownBills on Twitter.

1 - Chris,

I think Chan does a good job on offense of giving a lot of different looks, motion and changing things up.  This keeps the defense on their toes and constantly adjusting.  I know a lot of fans are frustrated with the Defense and the lack of imagination in play calling.  I can’t recall one blitz in the game… it just seemed like we got a little bland in our pass rush schemes against Brady.. the Cardinals beat them with confusing defenses and Brady even admitted to Jay Feely that.  Then we go out and rush four linemen every play.  Is there any chance we swallow our pride and liven up the pass rush or do we just stay the course?

-Eric (Buffalo, NY)
CB: I think in the wake of the last two losses Dave Wannstedt has no choice, but to “liven it up” as you say. There were a few more blitzes against San Francisco, but they were ill-timed as the 49ers had a run play that went for big yardage on one overload blitz the Bills had in that game. With Mark Anderson out I think it’s on Wannstedt to develop ways to create more consistent pressure especially against a team in the Cardinals that has had major pass protection issues.

2 - Chris
First and foremost thanks for keeping the diehard fans up to speed on the team.

My main question is why isn’t the team blitzing to create some added pressure. Does coach Wannstedt not think we need too? It would seem to benefit us especially in certain situations, and with the coverage were getting out of our defensive backs , should translate to more sacks. I understand our d- line is talented but the blitzes could/ will make us better.

Please advise, thank you
Chris Schouman

CB: Unfortunately the coverage of the young cornerbacks has not been consistent, so it hasn’t really translated to coverage sacks. There are two approaches a defensive coordinator can take when the corners are inconsistent in coverage. They can either bring everybody and play cover zero (no help for corners) or rush four and drop seven. Obviously the success in dropping seven has been limited at best, in part because the four down linemen haven’t developed consistent pressure.

I think it will really be interesting to see Wannstedt’s approach against Arizona without one of the primary pass rushers in the lineup in Mark Anderson. There could be a noticeable shift in his approach with respect to blitz calls.

3 - Chris,

Since you’re around the team a lot more than the average fan what is your take on team leadership? A number of fan who were at the Patriots game indicated, in their message board posts, that after the Pats tied it up at 21  it looked like the whole team was hanging their head. Do you see any leadership issues? The team does not seem to have a player or coach who will fire the team up or get their heads back in the game. Is there anyone who is a Ray Lewis type who can fire the team up and back up his words with his play?  

CB: I don’t believe it is a leadership issue. I believe it is a mental toughness issue. A dozen years of non-playoff football has cultivated a losing culture. Chan Gailey and Buddy Nix have worked very hard to change that culture and have made strides in improving it.

Unfortunately I believe it resurfaced in that loss to New England and was perpetuated even further in the defeat at San Francisco. Both Gailey and Nix said it had to be addressed. Gailey has challenged his team, but as Nix has said it has got to come from the players. There are some emotional leaders on this team like Fred Jackson and George Wilson, but the advantage Ray Lewis has is not only is he the quintessential emotional leader, he has also won… a lot. That carries even more weight.

Re-establishing mental toughness in the throes of a season is a difficult thing to recapture. Personally I think a hard fought victory in a nip and tuck type game is the only remedy for bringing something like that all the way back. Let’s hope it happens.
4 - Chris, 

Thanks for all the information and insights. While there is plenty of blame to go around for last weekend’s humiliating loss, perhaps the biggest question on most fans’ minds is what is up with Mario Williams? If ever there was a game when our investment in him needed to pay dividends it was this one. Everyone knows the way to beat the Pats is to get to Brady (nevermind Mario’s lack of run defense along with the rest of our pathetic 8 man front). If Mario was double teamed all day, I might forgive him, but that was rarely the case. Frankly, he looked lethargic on many plays. Can you please offer any insight into why he is not producing as expected. And why is nobody in the media challenging Chan Gailey or Buddy Nix on Williams’ poor performance? Also, why during the post-game press conferences were no defensive players interviewed? I would love Mario to be held accountable and answer to the fans. After all, we’re helping to pay his huge salary.  

Thanks,
Rich 

CB: It’s very hard for me to provide an explanation for Williams’ lack of production. Offensive tackles are capable of handling him one-on-one in a lot of situations thus far this season. Knowing he is a power player more than a speed pass rusher the use of his hands are extremely important to his game. He has even said as much. My suspicion is the wrist ailment he is dealing with is keeping him from effectively using power with his left arm. I’m no expert, but I wonder if he’s essentially playing with one arm out there. Buddy Nix has been asked about Mario’s play and he’s said that four or five games is not enough to pass judgment on a player that has been productive for six years.

I think it’s safe to say that everybody expected more from him. At the same time I don’t know that anybody can live up to that contract. Even if he had all the sack numbers people expected I still wonder if he’d measure up to the deal in people’s eyes. That being said he knows just as well as anyone he’s got to pick up his level of play. He has to be a difference maker.

 
5 - Chris,

After the New England and San Francisco games do you get a sense that this team psychs themselves out whenever they have a big game? It seems maybe they should try treating every opponent the same instead of putting extra pressure on themselves for the good teams. They seem nervous and at the first sign of trouble it all seems to fall apart. They start the game with a McKelvin punt return TD called back and they never recovered. It’s really disappointing to see this defense play just like it has for the past five years after all the additions and change made at defensive coordinator. I wasn’t able to watch the San Fran game but from what I saw in the highlights everyone looked really worn down maybe even dehydrated. Do you think they didn’t know how to handle the long trip?

Dan

CB: I don’t believe it’s a matter of psyching themselves out. I think when adversity strikes the team tightens up and plays tense. It leads to players trying to do too much in an effort to make a play instead of sticking to their assignments and their scheme is compromised. It leads to inefficient or inconsistent execution and there’s a snowball effect. Once things start rolling downhill players only get further discouraged and the rout is on. Trusting in the system and playing loose and confident despite the circumstances is the only way to stem the tide in a game that starts to go the wrong way. The players have to have confidence in the system and in one another and deliver on making plays down in and down out for that to happen.

As for handling the trip, the isolation in Arizona might’ve been just what this football team needed. No distractions and all football. We’ll see if it helps on Sunday.

Mario: Anderson a sizable void

Having lost Mark Anderson indefinitely to a knee injury that required surgery Wednesday, fellow DE Mario Williams believes it won’t be easy to replace his presence in the lineup.

“It is going to be a huge challenge,” said Williams. ”Mark is a great player. Having him, his intensity, and his demeanor out on the field is definitely going to be a (challenge) for us. We have to be able to pick it up. Not just us needing to do it for ourselves, but to fill in his place and the injuries we have been faced with. Go out and play better.”

Kyle Moore is expected to be the main means of filling the pass rushing void.

Mario not wearing wrist brace

Bills DE Mario Williams is not wearing the brace on his left wrist in warmups right now.

Williams shed the brace for Fridays practice this week and it appears he’ll go without it today.

In fact late in warmups he had one of the athletic trainers remove some tape from his wrist so there would be less restriction.

Perhaps it means he’ll have full use and power with his left hand and arm, which hopefully translates into more effective play.

Mike Lombardi-”Don’t give up on Mario”

Mike Lombardi of the NFL Network spends a lot of time watching video.  And he spent a lot of time (more than 20-years) working for NFL teams in personnel.

He’s got some thoughts on Bills DE Mario Williams at the quarter pole of the season.   Basically, Lombardi says it’s too soon to give up on the prized free agent.

“I think it is too soon to give up on him,” Lombardi tells us on The John Murphy Show.

” He obviously has to improve his play, and he has to get more comfortable in the system.  But I think we know who Mario Williams is.  I think he’s gotta find a way to win those one on one matchups. ”

“He’s gotta win the one on one matchups against the right tackles in the league, and typically the right tackles are never the best players, they’re always the second best tackles in the league.  So he’s got the advantage.  He’s got to win it.”

We’ll have the entire interview with Mike Lombardi on The John Murphy Show tonight at 8pm.

The John Murphy Show airs weeknights from 7pm-9pm on the flagship station of the Buffalo Bills, WGR Sports Radio 550.

San Fran to run at Mario?

At 6’6″ 290 pounds, most offenses choose not to run at Mario Williams. Such was the case last week as New England ran more over the left side of their offensive line with good success. Looking at the success of the 49ers ground game however, they might not care who is lined up at left defensive end.

San Francisco has had success running the ball in just about any direction thus far this season, but Mario Williams may want to expect to see the likes of Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter and Brandon Jacobs coming right at him.

That’s because when the 49ers run off right end this season (left side of defensive formation) they gain almost 11 yards per carry (10.88). Granted the 17 plays they’ve run to that side is a small sample size over four games, but it carries weight nonetheless.

Here’s a rundown of their run play direction success thus far this season.
Left end – 6.21 (12th in NFL)
Left tackle - 5.29 (8th in NFL)
Left guard – 2.79 (24th in NFL)
Up middle – 6.31 (5th in NFL)
Right guard – 2.75 (23rd in NFL)
Right tackle – 4.0 (12th in NFL)
Right end – 10.88 (2nd in NFL)

Mario: missed tackles cost us

After reviewing the game tape on Monday DE Mario Williams cited one area of the defensive effort that was sorely lacking in the loss to the Patriots.

Appearing on the Bruce Smith show by phone down in Virginia Beach, Williams pointed to the team’s inconsistent tackling as a big culprit in being unable to stop the Patriots’ offense in the second half.

“After watching film we had good success in the first half. We got off the field without giving them a touchdown and they missed a couple of field goals,” Williams said. “In the second half we didn’t handle the four turnovers very well. When there’s a turnover we have to respond to those sudden changes and aid the offense it’s a team game. When there’s a sudden change we have to go out and execute.

“Those 28 points off turnovers are on us. We have to answer the bell and stop their momentum. That’s something that we didn’t do. For whatever reason we had the most missed tackles in a game this season. In fact there were more than in the first three games combined. We also weren’t in the proper gaps and not playing the scheme right across the board.”

Williams said when the Bills defense started having trouble stopping the Patriots, some guys tried to do too much on defense in an effort to make a play and compromised the scheme as a result.

Mario listening to Buffalo’s own

We don’t claim to know whether he’s been a fan all along, but there was no mistaking the music coming from Mario Williams’ headphones in the hours leading up to today’s game against the Browns.

It was Buffalo’s own Rick James turned up loud on Williams’ I-Pod. Williams listened to a few of James’ tracks in a row with the lead off being ‘Cold Blooded.’ We’ll see how fired up it has the Bills pass rusher against the Browns in an hour and a half.

Fan Friday 9-14

Week 2 and the home opener for the Bills. Let’s hope the results are better than last week. On to your questions from AskChris@bills.nfl.net and @ChrisBrownBills

1 – Hey Chris,

Do you know if we will ever get a graphic on our scoreboard every time Mario Williams gets a sack like Houston used to do for him (check it out on youtube)? I’m not saying it’d have to be as elaborate, but it’d really get the fans pumped when he, or any of our staunch D-linemen get a sack. 

Thanks,
Nate in Rochester

CB: From what I understand there are some plans in the works for something like that, but I don’t know when it will be unveiled.

2 – Chris:

In seeing the success of (K) John Potter in the preseason, and the talent he has in being able to kick touch-backs consistently, I can’t say that I would disagree with Chan Gailey opting to make him a permanent fixture on the special teams for kick-offs.  We’ve all discussed the pro’s: less injuries, saving Rian Lindell from tackles/block action, no huge returns, field position…etc.  The pro’s greatly outweigh the discussed ‘con’ of giving up one of the 53-man roster spots.  However, in watching the preseason games, I feel like this will effect Rian Lindell more then people are discussing. Wouldn’t you think that kick-offs are a large part in allowing kickers to stay loose and confident for when the time comes in a game for a longer field goal?  I’m worried that Lindell might have a rougher go this season due to a change in his routine.  Do you think that is a valid concern?

Thanks & Go Bills!
Doug Glassman
Waltham, MA

CB: You might be over thinking it a bit. By not having to do kickoffs, which require a different technique (i.e. kick for hang time) he’s now only really kicking one way (for FGs). With Potter handling kickoffs it will save his leg, thereby making long range kicks more realistic and allow him to focus on kicking one way all the time.

3 – Chris,

Will the Bills use Dorin Dickerson as an extra receiver in the four wide receiver sets? What I saw of him on the training camp clips, he is a very valuable weapon in the passing game.
Tony
Ormond Beach, FL

CB: I think the Bills coaching staff sees him as a mismatch in the passing game. He’ll most likely be used as an H-back in Buffalo’s offense. However, I think his role in the game plan will be largely dependent upon the opponent each week. But yes, I would anticipate seeing him as a guy split wide at times, or motioning before the snap.

4 – Chris,
Who is the funniest player in the Bills locker room?? Or maybe give me the top two… Thanks for all you do!

-Displaced fan from Cali
Dan

CB: I don’t really witness a whole lot of joking around among the players, but I will say that Fred Jackson and Nick Barnett are notorious pranksters always pulling stuff on their teammates.

5 - Why do they call George Wilson ‘The Senator’?

Thanks,
Denise

CB: George Wilson got this nickname from the media, mainly because he is such a good quote. Journalists often look to reliable, quotable players to provide an accurate pulse of the team, a poignant comment on a teammate or a worthwhile perspective on any football topic. George does that. Sometimes his answers are long, but they’re worth it and at times his answers have a style that would fit in the political arena. I believe it was the Buffalo News’ Jerry Sullivan that first dubbed him ‘The Senator’ and it stuck.

Mario to Rodney Harrison “Didn’t see it.”

Much was made earlier this week about the comments from former NFL DB and current NBC analyst Rodney Harrison, about Mario Williams decision to sign with the Bills as a free agent last March.

Watch Harrison’s comments and judge for yourself.

Williams was asked about the comments today, and he said he did not see the comments.

“No. I don’t watch TV,man,” Williams said. ”Never have, never will.  I think I’ve said that about a million times in my last seven years.”

“I mean, everybody’s going to have something to say regardless, good or bad.  I can’t control somebody else’s opinion, but I will do what I’m supposed to do here—perform.  I’m not worried about that after this first game.”

Williams was asked if Harrison’s comments make him angry.

“I probably would be angry every day, if I pay attention to what everybody else says.”

Do you think Williams is handing the criticism correctly?  Or do Harrison’s comments deserve a direct response?

Fan Friday 9-7

Alright Bills fans, the first Sunday of the regular season is finally here! Apologize for the delay today. Let’s get to your questions from Ask.Chris@bills.nfl.net and @ChrisBrownBills.

1 - Chris,

I have a few questions regarding the running back and defensive line rotations:

I remember a few years ago in Kansas City when they had Larry Johnson and Priest Holmes, they used a 2 on 1 off rotation.  Meaning Holmes would go in for two series and then Johnson would spell him for one.  As we all saw, this was pretty effective for them as they were both kept fresh and they both put up solid numbers.  Can you see this strategy working with Freddie and CJ?

The second question I have is do you see us shifting Mario Williams inside on obvious passing downs like the Giants did early in Justin Tuck’s career?  They have the same general body type to hold their own inside and they’re both freakish athletes.  If we put Anderson and Merriman at the ends I think that it would be a pretty formidable pass rushing line even without including Dareus or Williams.

Go Bills!

CB: I think your idea in having the Bills mimic what the Chiefs did isn’t a bad one, but right now I think the way in which they intend to get each of them what the staff believes are sufficient touches is by putting them on the field at the same time. I don’t believe they’ll be lined up in the backfield together all that often, but I think they will both be on the field an awful lot. Both of them are capable of splitting out wide or carrying the ball out of the backfield. So there are so many options that I think this approach can work more effectively and keep defenses more off balance.

As for Mario Williams I don’t see him moving inside all that much. It’d be one thing if you had some run stuffing pluggers at defensive tackle, but Marcell Dareus led the team in sacks last season and Kyle Williams led the team the year before. With Dareus and Williams so good at pushing the pocket from the middle on passing downs, I don’t see a need to move Mario inside.

2 – Hey Chris.
I was wondering if you could tell me who tailors the guys uniforms. I noticed that authentic jerseys one can purchase are different than what the players actually wear. I want to tailor my jersey sleeves like how Freddy has his. Thanks Chris.

CB: To my knowledge Nike cuts the player jerseys differently than the jerseys that appear on the store shelves. Nike has specific jersey cuts based on the position a player plays (e.g. wide receiver, longer, tighter torso cut). For the general public those jersey cuts don’t exist presumably because they have to appeal to a broad spectrum of sizes, so they don’t streamline cut them or enlarge them. They have one general cut for the store jerseys.

3 - Hey Chris,

I was wondering with Ron Brooks being the fastest DB, how come the Bills won’t give him a shot at kick return or even punt return?  I think Donald Jones is good but I would rather see him in the slot and Easley at the 2nd spot, what do you think?  Lastly if Terrence Mcgee comes back fully recovered do you think he will start the first game of the regular season? 

-David, Atlanta
CB: First, there are different kinds of speed and quickness. In fact an NFL scout will tell you that speed and quickness are two different things. Brooks has great short area quickness and change of direction skills. He’s also a pretty darn fast straight line runner. As for special teams though, his experience from college is as a gunner, which is where he would’ve lined up for the Bills on their punt team had he not broke his foot in practice a couple of weeks ago.

Buffalo has so many capable returners (McKelvin, Rogers, Spiller, Graham) that there’s no need to force Brooks, with very limited experience, into that role.

4 - Hi Chris,

Bryan Scott has always been a solid backup in the safety position.  With his move to linebacker, he seems undersized and unlikely to get on the field as much, not to mention this takes away quite a bit of our safety depth.  Why the move to linebacker and do you see the coaches putting him back at safety where he seems to be a more natural fit?

Thanks!
-Paul

CB: Quite the contrary. Scott is a solid 220 pounds, which is just eight pounds lighter than Nick Barnett (228). And he is going to play more than Kelvin Sheppard in terms of total snaps this year. Scott is a first team nickel linebacker with Barnett and knowing what a passing league the NFL has become you can bet that Scott will be on the field for up to 65 percent of the plays on defense.

In this league of passing all over the yard, you need lighter and quicker linebackers that can help in coverage. Scott is the perfect hybrid for such a role. In fact he was used rather extensively in this role last year.

5 - Chris 

Please explain the rules for PUP and PS eligibility and return to active squad. Could McGee or Troup have started the season on PUP and return later when healthy? Also, how many players can dress on game day and are there special provisions for the 3^rd “emergency” QB. With Fitz and wildcat QB Smith dressed, will the primary backup also need to be part of the active game roster?

Thanks
Gerald 

CB: The rules for PUP are pretty simple. If a player is physically unable to perform at the start of training camp a team can place him on Active/PUP, which means he still counts toward a roster spot. That was the case this summer with TE Mike Caussin.

Only players that start the preseason (camp) on Active/PUP are eligible to be transitioned to Reserve/PUP before the start of the regular season. Once Terrence McGee and Torell Troup took to the practice field at training camp PUP was no longer an option in any capacity.

Caussin however, was placed on Reserve/PUP. Under the rules, Caussin, if medically cleared, could begin practicing with the team after Week 6 and still not count toward a roster spot. From the day he begins practicing, which can happen anywhere between the end of Week 6 and Week 9, a 21-day window is open for the team to decide whether they want to add him to their active roster or put him on season-ending injured reserve.

A player can serve up to three years on a practice squad. What wipes out all practice squad eligibility however, is if a player appears in nine games or more in any one regular season of their career. Naaman Roosevelt was an example of this. He served parts of two seasons on the Bills practice squad. So he would’ve still had a year left this year had he not appeared in 10 regular season games in 2011.

Those 10 appearances wiped out his practice squad eligibility this year.

As for game day teams can now dress 46 players. It used to be 45 players and an emergency QB, but that rule was changed last year. So now it’s just 46 players. That’s what made Brad Smith so attractive to the Bills in free agency. His versatility would not be able to be used as an asset under the old rules on a game day because of the third quarterback restrictions, but now with those rules removed, Smith can enter a game anywhere at any time.

How Jets are prepping for Mario

The Jets know they’re going to need to provide help to their starting right tackle Austin Howard, as he makes his first NFL start Sunday against Mario Williams. Here’s how New York is preparing for Buffalo’s prized free agent signing.

“You’re not kidding it’s a big challenge, hehe,” said Rex Ryan. ”I think the only way you can get a bigger challenge is if it was DeMarcus Ware. Clearly it’s a huge challenge. We’ll line up a guy offside and everything else in practice,” said Jets head coach Rex Ryan.

Ironically, the Jets are using Aaron Maybin on the scout team as their Mario Williams.

“We’re going to have Aaron Maybin play him over there, and we’ll line him up offsides and say get ready to chase this guy. He’s a combination speed, power, he’s got it all. Certainly its going to be a huge challenge for anybody. With Austin, he hasn’t had a whole lot of game experience, but we feel good about him. He’s a huge man that can bend. He’s a guy that’s kind of a road grader in the running game, so I think that’ll help as well.”

When asked about Maybin not exactly being the same physical stature of Williams, who is 50 pounds heavier, Ryan explained why they chose to use Maybin.

“I think that’s the best we could do,” said Ryan. ”We’re going to put (Quinton) Coples over there some as well, but I’m trying to get that quickness of a guy that can get off the football like Mario does, and with that kind of speed. In the run, we’re going to put Coples over there even though he’s starting on defense. We’re going to have him as a scout teamer as well to be like Mario. He’s not as big as Mario but he’s pretty talented in his own right, and you guys will find that out too. He ended being part of a sack in each of the preseason games, and this young man has the potential to be a good football player.”

Coples led the NFL in preseason sacks with 4.5, though he played in five preseason games this summer. Do you think Coples steal the pass rushing show in Week 1?

Respect for Mario

Jets head coach Rex Ryan isn’t thrilled to see Mario Williams in his division, but he did manage to find a silver lining after the Bills signed him in free agency.

“I was like, ‘Oh no, please don’t, please don’t,’” Ryan recalled. ”But you know what, in a way it was funny because I was like, ‘Oh great, if we can survive the two weeks against him, it would be a positive that he gets to go hit Tom Brady.’ So I thought that was a real positive. It is kind of exciting to get great football players within the division, there’s no doubt. Obviously you wish those players were on your team, but the fact that he went to Buffalo, it’s like, ‘Oh boy.’

“He’s a tremendous football player…I can tell you this, our tackle’s probably not sleeping very well this week, there’s no doubt. I know I wouldn’t be if I had to go against him.”

The Jets starting right tackle this week is Austin Howard, a former practice squad player of the Ravens, signed by the Jets last season. He does not have an NFL start on his resume.

Memo to Jets fans: Talk junk to Mario

Bills DE Mario Williams, doesn’t need a lot of added motivation when he takes the field in the regular season, but there are some things that get him jacked up to play even more than his own work ethic.

In an interview with GQ magazine, Williams explained what really gets him going before a game.

Mario: ‘An eye for an eye’

As a premier defensive end in the NFL, Mario Williams is often the target of extra attention by opposing offenses. Often seeing double teams, chip blocks from running backs, Williams is used to the added challenges of getting to the quarterback. What he won’t stand for however, are the illegal blocks that sometimes go unnoticed. And in those cases Williams will employ the old ‘an for an eye’ approach.