Web Rumblings: Buffalo Bills News, 10/27

Merriman wasn't worth the gamble - Jerry Sullivan
"On the day he became the Bills' general manager, Buddy Nix told us he wasn't the smartest guy in the room. That was surely the case when he re-signed Shawne Merriman."

Wilson says Toronto crowd just isn't the same - The Buffalo News
Said Wilson: "It's not a home game. We're playing an international game that counts as a home game because it's relatively closer to Buffalo. We're ambassadors of the game, trying to globalize the sport. So we understand that. But at the same time, it's certainly not the same environment that we have here in Ralph Wilson Stadium. ... The expectation is there's going to be just as many cheers for the Redskins as there will for us. We just have to make sure we're the ones making the big plays so there's no cheers for the other team."

Bills CB Williams Hopes To Be Back In 1-2 Weeks - WGR 550
"It lets you know how important the game is, and how fast it can be taken away from you," said the cornerback on Wednesday. "That let me know you must cherish every moment, every play, every game, every practice, because you never know when it might be your last."

Bills form a rush committee - The Buffalo News
"Spencer Johnson, Danny Batten and Arthur Moats will share time at outside linebacker opposite veteran Chris Kelsay now that Merriman is out for the season with an Achilles tendon injury. The Bills also signed linebacker Antonio Coleman to the roster, and he'll join the committee once he's up to speed with the Bills' defense."

Shanahan & Fitz's Wonderlic - The Buffalo News
In his meeting with the media today, a Toronto reporter asked Fitzpatrick if he ever gets tired of questions about how freakishly smart he is. "No, I love them," Fitzpatrick said. "Do you have any more questions about that?"

George Wilson: It's not a home game - The Buffalo News
Wilson continued: "You see just as many jerseys for the opposing team as you do for the Bills. They cheer for any big play regardless of which ever team makes it. So we have to do a great job of making sure we're the ones making those big plays so they're cheering for us as opposed to the Redskins."

Buffalo Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick eager to get new contract finalized | Democrat and Chronicle
"It's something you try not to think about, but it's certainly something that exists, that's in the air. I'm human, too; I can't just block all that away. Yeah, it's something I'd like to get done and we'll just see how it progresses here in the next couple weeks."

Ryan Fitzpatrick sees progress in contract talks with Buffalo Bills | Democrat and Chronicle
"I'd like to remain here and I've said multiple times I really enjoy the guys I'm playing with, so we'll see how it shakes out," said Fitzpatrick, who currently ranks seventh in the NFL in passer rating at 95.3. "I think we've got a group of guys, a young, talented group of guys who like playing with each other."

Toronto Isn't Home For Bills' Wilson - WGR 550
"It's tough," Jackson replied. "The last three times we've been up there, we've had the smaller crowd. Hopefully with the start we've gotten off to this season, that changes. We'll find out once we get up there."

Five Bills Not Practicing Wednesday - WGR 550
"The team was without five players, all of whom were expected to miss this weekend's game in Toronto. Kyle Williams, Demetrius Bell, Donald Jones, Chris Hairston and Aaron Williams all did not participate in the session."

Shawne Merriman: Surgery a success - AFC East Blog - ESPN
"Buffalo Bills outside linebacker and former Pro Bowler Shawne Merriman wasted no time going under the knife. Just one day after going on injured reserve, Merriman had surgery on his ailing Achilles and will begin rehab to get back on the field in 2012."

Checking in: the 2011 First-Rounders | ProFootballFocus.com
"It’s not easy playing in the hybrid scheme of the Bills, and Dareus has had games where that has shown. But the quality has also shone through, with three performances graded in the green, to push him up into 11th place in our DT rankings. We feel like the best is yet to come this year."

32 Teams, 32 Observations | ProFootballFocus.com
"Ryan Fitzpatrick has had 824 of his 1477 passing yards come from the receivers after the catch. That is 55.8%, highest for all quarterbacks."

Ryan Fitzpatrick’s Wonderlic score: What does it mean? - The Washington Post
"We found in no cases was cognitive ability related to [football] performance," said John W. Michel, an assistant professor at Towson University who co-authored the study. "We did find a negative relationship for tight ends and defensive backs. For defensive backs, it was the most pronounced; basically, the lower you scored on the Wonderlic, the better you performed."

CANOE -- SLAM! Sports - NFL - Jackson epitomizes 'us-against-world' Bills
"His story isn’t just movie-of-the-week material. It’s a mini-series with the final episodes still unwritten. You meet Fred Jackson standing in the locker room at 1 Bills Drive and you want to shake his hand, and you want to hear what he has to say, because it isn’t often that the disregarded and the afterthoughts become players of consequence in the NFL or any professional sport. "

Bills safety not thrilled with Toronto ‘show’ - thestar.com
"It’s not possible," Wilson said of a Toronto crowd approximating the mood of one in Orchard Park. "First and foremost, I don’t think the Bills fans will respond well to them not allowing open containers around the stadium and in tailgating parking lots. And then with the stadium being right there in the heart of downtown, there’s really not much space for the fans to spread out their tailgating set ups and to be able to do it like they normally do."

In Buffalo, clearly not a clean Bill of health | Washington Examiner
Thom Loverro goes through Buffalo's fall from sports town to.... I guess we're not a sports town anymore.

Rivalry Between Fitzpatrick, Beck Goes All The Way ‘Back’ To Childhood - Redskins Journal
"John Beck was one of the best backstroke swimmers in Arizona when he was 9 and 10 years old. At least, that’s what Buffalo quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick remembers about his Washington Redskins counterpart. The two competed against each other in several sports while growing up in the Phoenix suburbs – Beck in Mesa, Fitzpatrick in Gilbert."

Fletcher Slowed By Hamstring Injury - Redskins.com
"You know, I’m hopeful to be able to play," Fletcher said. "I’m just getting treatment every day. It’s a long way between now and Sunday."

NFL.com news: Bills bond through 0-8, build foundation for current playoff run
"The Bills went from bottom feeders in the AFC East last year to a legit playoff contender in 2011, with largely the same roster. How'd they do it? Jeff Darlington writes it began in a house in Gilbert, Ariz."

Bills leaning on NT Heard - BuffaloBills.com
"Knowing Kyle Williams is going to miss another game or two and may not ever be 100 percent again this season with his foot injury, and that Torell Troup is far from 100 percent as he battles persistent back problems, filling the nose tackle void falls to first-year player Kellen Heard."

Dedicated by TeamBScott on SoundCloud
Listen to "Dedicated," the new single by Brian Scott.

Bills Roundup: Fitz Talks Contract, Coleman's Back - BuffaloBills.com
Wrapping up the day that was yesterday at OBD.

Bills bring back LB Coleman - BuffaloBills.com
"I’m blessed with another opportunity," said Coleman. "All I can do is go out and play football, and I’m just going to make the most of it."

CB Williams hoping to practice next week - BuffaloBills.com
"Right now I’m just to the point where I’m starting to get my movement back and get a little conditioning in," Williams told Buffalobills.com. "Right now we’re probably looking at another two weeks, but hopefully I’ll be (practicing) next week."

Bills have legit Pro Bowl candidates - BuffaloBills.com
Chris Brown goes through the list of possible Bills Pro Bowlers.