BUFFALO BILLS TIGHT END CHARLES CLAY
Q: On the winning touchdown you have to explain how were you so open on that play? It seems impossible but you were.
A: I mean when you've got a guy playing as fast as (Matt Mulligan) was, you have to cover him and he was hauling. He did a good job of clearing it out and he took two maybe three people with him. He came open and Tyrod [Taylor] did a good job of throwing that ball on the money, those ones are usually the hardest to complete.
Q: How satisfying was it to put that ball in the end zone and not just from a team perspective?
A: It was big, I mean for those guys to put that kind of trust in me after the drop and to come back and give me a chance to make another play speaks volumes for them. Like I said, Tyrod trusted me in that situation and putting that ball there, like I said those are the hardest ones to complete when you are wide open, it's hard to catch too.
BUFFALO BILLS HEAD COACH REX RYAN
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Q: What was happening behind the scenes to get this team together?**
A: It's easy when you just tell the truth and that was it. We hadn't played our best game in all three phases and maybe it wasn't today or whatever. But I know the effort was gonna be there. It's always been there. We had to play smarter and the penalties, I saw they had 10 and we had five, I believe is what it was. Probably a misprint. We probably had ten. No, but it was…you know we did, we played a lot smarter. We had that critical one on that punt return but that's the challenge to the team. The season had proved that we can play with anybody. But it also proves that if, for whatever reason, we don't keep up focus, we don't stay the course then we struggle. So the next team's up, Philadelphia, and they are gonna get our very best.
Q: For two games in a row Tyrod Taylor played well against two tough defense. What does that say on his development?
A: I think he's…This is what his 8th, 9th start or whatever it is? He just keeps getting a little better and that wasn't easy. That group right there, they do so much, they mix coverages, they do a great job and they keep painting false pictures on you – and I think Tyrod did a great job. And guys I think he's legit. I think he's real and I think people are starting to realize that.
Q: What specifically made Greg Roman's plan so great?
A: I think first off you gotta be able to block J.J. Watt. I mean that's number one thing and we had a good plan for that. I liked our plan, how we were gonna run the ball. I thought we were creative in some of things we did. Even using some wild cat stuff and some load option. I think if Boobie (Dixon) was a tad faster we might have got that pitch off to him. But we had a lot of miss direction things and try to keep them off balance, and then also throw it over the top of them, and that's what we did.
BUFFALO BILLS QUARTERBACK TYROD TAYLOR
Q: Rex said you had the best practice on Thursday. What was going on in your head as quarterback?
A: Just focus. It was a big week for us and every week moving forward is definitely going to get bigger. Just more focus. Of course you want to have those types of practices every day. I think I missed maybe one pass that entire day. That's what you aim for in a practice. You're supposed to practice that way so you can carry it over to the game.
Q: Walk us through the touchdown to [Charles] Clay. Sometimes those are the toughest ones.
A: It was a great call. Mully [Matthew Mulligan] did a great job of playing out the safety. We had actually called the play early on in the game but didn't have a chance to connect on it. But Clay did a good job of running his route and staying on course and the linemen did a great job protecting as they did all game. Big play for us.
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Q: Do you feel that throwing a deep ball is one of the strengths of your game?**
A: It's definitely one of the strengths of my game. I think that I've shown that I can throw a deep ball but it's something to speak for our offense. Big plays are definitely part of our offense and whenever we get a chance to make those plays we have to be on it.
Q: Can you outline what you saw in front of you on the run to the touchdown?
A: That was something that we talked about on the sideline and we ran the play a couple times and it was just a suggestion. It was me one on one with a linebacker and I'll take that any day. I could lead the guy around the corner and we did a good job of blocking it up and I was able to make the play.
Q: Earlier this week Rex [Ryan] said that you guys haven't been playing with consistency. What are you doing to build on this win?
A: We need to learn from this game. It wasn't a perfect game from us by any means. There's a lot of things we can clean up on offense and definitely some things we can clean up as a team. I know were down a couple guys being injured but, like I said, whoever steps in, we have confidence in those guys. Main thing is that we learn from the win and that we don't just get complacent with it- that we learn when we win and when we lose. I think this team is definitely focused on learning and moving forward.
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BUFFALO BILLS RUNNING BACK LESEAN MCCOY**
Q: 21-21 offensive started struggling, did you guys ever lose faith?
A: No we just had to put a drive together man and get a touchdown or a score,that was just the mind set. They stopped us a couple times and it was a must-win, must get a big play type of mentality. That is what we did.
Q: What can you point to for how this team can pick up big chunks of yardage?
A: It starts with the guys up front. Running the ball hard. You making plays 30-yard gash, 20-yard gash, 10-yard gash as the defense steps up you know you take a shot with one of the best wide receivers I think in this game with Sammy [Watkins]. You get match up problems with [Charles] Clay. So it is so many different things. G-Ro [Greg Roman] does a good job of that, so those big plays that you see is not by mistake he actually draws up like that. We want to pound the ball, give them different looks and then we want to take shots. Tyrod [Taylor] he throws, that is his thing he throws a good deep ball. And also the ability to scramble. People forget man you can get a 15-yarder scrambling anybody will take that.
BUFFALO BILLS WR SAMMY WATKINS
Q: What is working that leads you guys to be getting such big plays?
A: Just getting the right looks. Ty [Tyrod Taylor] starting to trust in us, we building chemistry with the wide outs, and he just starting to throw us the ball. That is what we need to do the rest of the season, just be aggressive. That is what we are doing.
Q: That one it looked like he might have over thrown you, but I guess that isn't possible?
A: I just tell him throw it as far as you can, I am going to go get it. That is what he has been doing. He just been looking the safety off, doing great with following through his reads and really just launching the ball and giving us a chance.
Q: Rex said the offensive guys really have confidence in Tyrod?
A: Most definitely. I think he is our leader, he is our quarterback. He is the guy we are rolling with and he is just getting better every week with leading this team, being a leader. Doing meetings by himself, just being a great quarterback and a leader for this team.
BUFFALO BILLS DEFENSIVE TACKLE MARCELL DAREUS
Q: How satisfying is this win knowing what was at stake?
A: It just feels good to get …. Knowing that we had to pull it out, everybody played well and we played the best we could. In certain areas we could have been better but we did the best we could. It feels good. We know we needed it and it feels good to know that we can really go out there and dig it out when we need to.
Q: How did you feel that you guys were able to disrupt Brian (Hoyer) and the running game?
A: I feel like we got after it. We had a little bit of fun out there. We started moving a little bit more. Just started getting them off balanced a little bit, getting them uncomfortable in the pocket. I think we did ok. Always room for improvement but I felt like we did ok.
Q: Did this feel like a playoff game?
A: Somewhat. We knew we had to have it but we want to finish the season strong and we knew we wanted it for the organization. The game was as big as it could have been and we just knew we had to pull it out. Playoff game? I can't speak for everyone else. But pulling it out; I wanted to do it more than anybody.
