Here's the Bills news of note for Feb. 3rd.
**1 - Reed says Belichick may pull page from Super Bowl XXV playbook
**It's been a quarter century since Super Bowl XXV when the New York Giants pulled off the upset of the Buffalo Bills with a one-point victory (20-19). One of the biggest successes for the Giants in that game was controlling the clock with a run game led by Super Bowl MVP O.J. Anderson, which allowed the Bills high-power K-Gun attack just over 19 minutes with the football.
Bills Hall of Famer Andre Reed believes that New England head coach Bill Belichick, who was the Giants defensive coordinator 25 years ago, may employ a similar strategy with the Falcons offense.
"It seems like Belichick always finds a way to stop a juggernaut offense like Atlanta has," said Reed. "I think (slowing the game down) and trying to run the ball more is in his offensive playbook. Then on defense he'll try to limit the big plays with Julio (Jones)."
Belichick has a plow horse running back much like O.J. Anderson in LeGarrette Blount. He also has a scat back like Dave Meggett in Dion Lewis, who could control the clock and help keep the ball out of Matt Ryan's hands.
The Falcons led the league in points per game, averaging almost 34 points per game (33.8). The Patriots defense led the league in fewest points allowed giving up an average of just over 15 points per game (15.6).
Entering Super Bowl XXV, the Bills led the league in points per game at almost 27 points (26.75) while the Giants led the NFL in scoring defense allowing less than two touchdowns per game (13.2).
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2 - McGeoghan has solid book on 2017 WR prospectBills new receivers coach Phil McGeoghan (muh-GAY-gehn) has been an assistant in the NFL before having helped develop Dolphins WR Jarvis Landry as a rookie into a Pro Bowl caliber wideout. Most recently however, he's been helping to develop a 2017 NFL draft prospect in East Carolina WR Zay Jones.
Buffalobills.com talked with Jones at the Senior Bowl, who had a very impressive week of practice and followed it up with a strong showing in the game on Saturday. He led all North team receivers with six catches for 68 yards and a touchdown, with another touchdown catch incorrectly ruled incomplete in the back of the end zone.
Jones (6-2, 202) is a silky, smooth route runner who gets consistent separation and demonstrated in his college career the ability to line up inside or outside after McGeoghan moved him around a lot in his senior season following three years of primarily lining up in the slot.
"I'm always trying to improve," Jones told Buffalobills.com. "Short space quickness, getting in and out of routes because I am a longer guy. But I think I have been able to show my skill set. I'm very versatile. I've played multiple receiver spots. People want to talk about how my numbers were inflated, but I stayed consistent. I didn't miss a college football game for injury or suspension or anything like that. I showed up each and every day prepared and put on a show consistently."
Jones is referring to his extraordinary production this past season when he had 158 catches for 1,746 yards and eight touchdowns. It far surpassed his 98-catch season the year before when he had almost 1,100 yards receiving.
The ECU product comes across well in an interview setting and will impress in face-to-face meetings with NFL clubs, which will pair nicely with his skills on the field. And Jones has a good outlook with respect to his expectations for the draft.
"All I need is one team. All I needed was one team in college football and ECU offered me, so I'm out here to show a team that I can play wherever they need me whether it's in the slot or outside or on special teams," Jones said. "So wherever I can be utilized I'm going to do it to the best of my ability."
Jones does also offer kick return ability. He's forecast as a late day two pick, but the Bills will have a distinct advantage having a receivers coach who worked with him every day for the past two years.
3 - Family history of NFL coaching with two Bills assistantsBuffalo announced the hiring of five new members of Sean McDermott's coaching staff Thursday including a pair of assistants, who grew up in coaching families. Assistant defensive line coach Bill Teerlinck was most recently the Co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach at the University of Nevada, but he spent five years coaching with the Indianapolis Colts (2007-2011).
The side of the ball he focused on as a coach isn't a surprise since his dad John Teerlinck was an NFL assistant coach for 24 years. Teerlinck's father was a renowned defensive line coach and was part of three Super Bowl winning coaching staffs (Denver - 1998, 99; Indianapolis 2006).
Bill Teerlinck served as a defensive assistant with the Colts while his dad was there.
Meanwhile Bills new offensive quality control/assistant quarterbacks coach Marc Lubick is the son of former Colorado State head coach Sonny Lubick. Lubick began his coaching career under his dad at Colorado State before moving on to the NFL with his first job as an offensive assistant with the Houston Texans under Gary Kubiak.
He was most recently an assistant receivers coach in Denver.
Sonny Lubick is the winningest coach in Colorado State school history and won or shared six WAC/Mountain West conference titles and was named National Coach of the Year in 1994 by Sports Illustrated.
