Sully on Sports

Steven Means, who played high school football at Grover Cleveland before moving on to UB, was drafted in the fifth round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers today. Means joins another former Harvard Cup star, Mike Williams, who played at Riverside. Williams was the first city high school graduate in many years to make it to the NFL. 

Here's a column I wrote on Means before his sophomore season at UB in the summer of 2010.-

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Means aims to prove point for city kids
Jerry Sullivan
18 August 2010

Oh, yes. Steven Means has been paying attention. He watches the daily reports from the NFL training camps, and he is keenly aware that a kid from a Buffalo city high school is making a splash as a rookie receiver in Tampa Bay.

"Mike Williams!" Means said Tuesday on Media Day at UB Stadium. "Right in the league. Right now! I played against him."

Means laughed at the memory, marveling at the raw athletic ability Williams displayed in his days at Riverside. Means, who played for Grover Cleveland, was exultant that a fellow city star had overcome the doubts and obstacles and actually made the big- time.

City football players are expected to fail, right? Williams had well-publicized issues at Syracuse and was drafted late as a result. Buffalo kids rarely even make it at the Division I level, which is why it's so important for Means to succeed as a player and student at UB.

"It's more important to me now than it ever was," said Means, a sophomore defensive end for the Bulls. "It's more important than anything. I'm not out here just representing myself. I'm out here representing my family, the whole city, Grover Cleveland, everybody. Even the young players in the Harvard Cup who get all the negative feedback saying they don't have a chance.

"I'm here to let everybody know that it can be done," said Means, who said he has a 2.7 GPA. "You've got to put in the work, including academics. But it can be done."

He got his chance and is making the most of it. Two years ago, when Means sat out as a true freshman, you heard tales of his exploits in practice. A year ago, Means had five sacks as a redshirt freshman. This year, he is one of the anchors on a UB defense that is looking to make waves in the Mid-American Conference.

Means is seen as an emerging force, one of the MAC's breakout players. He was a raw pass rusher when he arrived at UB. He's still learning the nuances of defensive line play. Means has a chance to become an all-MAC player. Who knows? Maybe he'll follow in the footsteps of Trevor Scott, a late-blooming defensive end who went from UB to the Raiders.

"It's all up to Steve," said Jappy Oliver, the Bulls' defensive line coach. "He doesn't really know how good he can be."

Oliver said Means relied on his sheer pass rushing ability in the past. It's no wonder. Head coach Jeff Quinn said Means can't be blocked by a single offensive lineman. It's other aspects of his game, like shedding blocks and defending the run, that needed polishing.

Means is listed at 6-4, 235 pounds (he was an interior force as a basketball player at Grover). But Oliver said Means has trouble maintaining his weight.

"He has the height to get much bigger and stronger," Oliver said, "and once he's able to do that, I think he'll be a big-time Division I football player."

Oliver coached at Notre Dame before coming to Buffalo, so he knows what a major college end looks like. Quinn said Means plays hard from the start of practice to the end. A few days ago, Means got into a scuffle at practice. Afterwards, he apologized to the team and was applauded by his teammates.

So the makings are there for a breakout. There's no telling how good the UB defense could be if he has double-digit sacks and creates matchup nightmares for MAC offenses.

"Oh, I hope so," Means said. "I see it as a year for our team to break out. I don't see it as an individual thing.

"I thought I was at my peak in high school. Then I got here and they taught me a lot more technique. I'm learning a lot more this year. So I have no clue where my peak is, and I'm going to keep striving to reach it."

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EJ Manuel, the Bills' newly minted first-round draft choice, has an intimate family connection to the Super Bowl teams. Manuel is the godson of Bruce Smith, the Bills' Hall of Fame defensive end.

Smith is a childhood friend of Erik Manuel, EJ's father. They grew up together in Norfolk, Va., and have remained close through the years. In fact, Bruce Smith is EJ's godfather. So it was a happy coincidence when the Bills selected Manuel with the 16th pick of the first round on Thursday night.

"We grew up together," Erik Manuel said of Bruce. "We're lifetime friends, good friends. I can't describe it. It's a blessing, that's all I can say. I'm just glad he's at this level. I'm just happy. The Buffalo Bills, man! I've always been a Bills fan since Bruce was here and Jim (Kelly) was playing. So it's a good thing."

Erik, who was in town Friday for EJ's live introduction to the Buffalo media, said it would be helpful to have his son play in the same city where his godfather terrorized opposing quarterbacks for 15 seasons. "Right. Of course," he said. "But I think EJ's foundation is enough. You always have that to lean on. So I think he'll do well. EJ is solid, a solid guy."

Erik Manuel is a military man. He said it wasn't as if his children grew up in a overbearing, strict environment. "No, no," he said. "You can have boundaries with liberty. So you have fun, but there's always boundaries."

The Manuels have an extremely close relationship, more like best friends. Erik Manuel was a fixture at his son's games at Florida State. He would often be seen in the back of the interview room after games, the ubiquitous proud father. He said it was an emotional scene at Radio City Music Hall on Thursday, when EJ went 16th to the Bills. It was especially so because his wife, Jackie, was there. Jackie is recovering from breast cancer surgery.

"I cried," Erik said without hesitation when asked to describe his emotions at the draft. "Yeah. I'm probably going to cry some more later."

There more I think about the Bills' signing of free agent Kevin Kolb, the more it seems they've essentially re-signed Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Really, there are some striking similarities between the two guys, starting with the fact that they were both released after collecting less than half of a big contract they signed in 2011. The numbers were remarkably similar. Kolb signed a six-year, $62.1 million deal with the Cardinals after Arizona acquired him from the Eagles in the summer of '11. Kolb collected $21 million and had a $2 million roster bonus due when the Cardinals released him.

Fitzpatrick signed a six-year, $62 million extension with the Bills midway through the 2011 campaign. He, too, collected $21 million of that deal. He had a $3 million bonus due when the Bills released him two weeks ago.

Their statistics are very comparable, too: Fitzpatrick completed 59.8 percent of his passes as a Bill. Kolb has completed 59.5 percent in his career. Fitzpatrick averaged 6.7 per pass in Buffalo; Kolb's career average per pass is 6.9 yards. Fitz is 6-2, 221 pounds; Kolb stands 6-3, 218. Fitzpatrick was 19-31 as a starter in Buffalo. Kolb is 9-12 as a starter. Fitz had 80 TD passes and 64 interceptions with the Bills; Kolb has 28 TD passes and 25 picks. His arm strength is roughly equal to Fitzpatrick's.

So the way I see it, the Bills are bringing in a younger (by two years) version of Fitz who hasn't failed in the eyes of Bills fans. It wasn't so much about money, but the fact that Fitz had worn out his welcome with Buffalo fans. Management couldn't sell him to a dubious public. The problem was, if Fitz came back and competed for the starting job with Tarvaris Jackson and a rookie QB, he might win the job.

I still think the Bills want their rookie to be the starter. But if Kolb (or Jackson) wins the job in camp, at least he's a fresh face, someone who hasn't failed here yet. The Bills could sell him as a bridge to the future. Fitz could have served the same role. I think he's better than Kolb. But at least this comes off as some semblance of change and progress.

Kolb has a lot to prove. He's had trouble staying healthy. Oakland's Tommy Kelly called him "scared and skittish" last year. He lost the job in Arizona to John Skelton at one point. Cardinals management was criticized for failing to develop a successor to Kurt Warner (sound familiar, Bills fans?).

After Kolb's final game in Philadelphia, a columnist characterized Kolb as "much more ordinary than was hoped."

Again, very reminiscent of the guy who quarterbacked Buffalo the last three years. The way I see it, Kolb is Fitz without the Ivy League degree and the bad beard.  

Ryan Fitzpatrick said Tuesday night that comments made in a conversation that had been illegally recorded between Buddy Nix and Tampa Bay GM Mark Dominik had no impact on his decision to reject an offer by the Bills to rework his contract.

Nix, in an interview posted today on the website Deadspin.com, characterized Fitzpatrick as "a guy that's fighting for probably a backup job."

That comment made it pretty clear that the Bills didn't want Fitz to be their starting quarterback on opening day next season. The Nix comment suggests that the team's rookie quarterback will be the starter next season. While Fitzpatrick wouldn't say as much, he can't have been thrilled with the notion of competing to be backup to a rookie. 

"I'm a very competitive guy," Fitzpatrick said. "I want to be out there playing. I wanted to finish what I started there. "I had so many guys helped me in my career. I learned from some great ones. They weren't maybe Brady or Manning, but they helped me a tremendous amount.

"I see myself being a very valuable guy in that regard," he said. "For me, pride is never going to get in the way. But respect and pride can maybe go hand-in-hand. It's probably more respect than pride."

Fitzpatrick said he would miss Buffalo, which he called home for the last four years. It was here that he realized his dream of being an unquestioned NFL starting quarterback.

"It's a really hard day for me, as a husband and father," Fitzpatrick said Tuesday night from his home in Arizona. "because we loved Buffalo so much. We were very fond of the area and the people. It was a special place to me because of the fans and lifelong friends we made in four years there. That organization gave me my first shot. It's hard leaving the people in the locker room and in that building. They deserve a winner."

Here are some highlights from interviews with three former Bills about The Comeback:

Kenneth Davis remembers a coach's comment at halftime, fans' response and the role backups played.

(Download the mp3 of Davis)

Steve Tasker says the team was playing for pride, recalls the fans' encouragement and Frank Reich dropping an F-bomb.

(Download the mp3 of Tasker)

Mark Pike describes Darryl Talley in the locker room at halftime.

(Download the mp3 of Pike)

Just in case you missed it, here's some comments from former Bills star linebacker Darryl Talley on Mario Williams. Talley spoke to Tim Graham last week for a story on what NFL players say in the press. He ran some of the quotes on our Press Coverage blog. I assume you read that blog. They're doing a tremendous job on the Bills' beat this season. Here's Talley on Mario:

"I don't think he's lived up to the hype. Don't tell me about being hurt and playing. I hope his wrist doesn't hurt like mine when he's done. But I just don't get it, man. At the end of the day, you're graded on what you do. If you're good enough to put a uniform on and step on the field, then you're fit to play. So you need to play at your level, whatever that may be.

"I had three surgeries in one offseason and one six days before the season started and still made the Pro Bowl. I played every year through injuries and had surgeries after the offseason.

"There ain't no such thing as being injured. You can be hurt; we all hurt. But you're not injured. We all got to play through it, and your performance can't slack off. I really don't think they hold each other accountable because, at the end of the day, they all go home to their nice, cushy house. What about what you're supposed to be doing on Sunday and Thursday and Monday? What do you think about, and it is just a passing thought."

It's amazing how little things change with the Bills over the years. I was doing some research on Mike Mularkey and came across my column from locker cleanout day after the 2005 season -- Mularkey's last in Buffalo.

Here's a quote from London Fletcher, who advised against major changes and said the Bills' record (5-11) could easily have been 10-6 or 11-5 if a few plays had been different: "You don't blow up a team because of a couple of plays here or there," Fletcher said.

I'm sure we'll hear similarly lame rationalizations after this season. We're accustomed to hearing defensive players say that if you took away the two or three long runs, they actually had a pretty good day.

Here are some chilling stats from the '05 season: The Bills were last in the NFL in third-down defense and 31st against the run. Currently, they are (drum roll) last in third-down defense and 31st against the run.

They were 30th in red-zone offense that year. They've dropped to 25th this year, as Mark Gaughan chronicles in Friday's News. They were outscored by 96 points on the season -- 93 in second halves. They've been outscored by 76 points this season -- 72 in second halves and overtime.

Mularkey walked away from the third year of his contract when Ralph Wilson fired half his staff and hired Marv Levy to look over his shoulder. You have to wonder: Is Wilson lucid enough to make the sort of bold moves he did seven years after a season that was so strikingly similar to this one?

Mike Mularkey doesn't want to dwell on past resentments. On a conference call with Buffalo media on Wednesday, he said his departure from the Bills after two years as head coach was "old news". But Mularkey, who returns to town as the Jacksonville coach this Sunday, said the infamous 2004 finale -- and other parts of that season -- does stick in his craw.

"A lot," Mularkey said. "I've used it a number of times, because of where we were and what we had to do to get to that point, I just told (Jags PR man) Dan Edwards, 'If the Jacksonville game, if we stopped them any one of the three fourth downs they converted, we don't have to beat Pittsburgh to go to the playoffs.'"

Mularkey was referring, of course, to the opener of that '04 season, when the Bills allowed the Jags to drive to a winning TD at home. That led to an 0-4 start. The Bills later fell to 3-6 before winning six straight games and setting up a finale at home against the Steelers, who had clinched home-field advantage. Using mainly backups, Pittsburgh beat the Bills, 29-24, and knocked them out of the playoffs.

The Bills went 5-11 in 2005, Mularkey's second season as coach. Ralph Wilson fired Tom Donahoe as president and GM after the season. Mularkey resigned with one year left on his contract rather than accede to some organizational changes that were in the works. The 9-7 record in '04 is the last Bills' winning season.

"I've used the example of how one play can affect a season," Mularkey said. "There's a number of plays that changed the whole scenario in that Pittsburgh game. We would not have needed to win it. We would have been in the playoffs. I still talk about a lot of things in that season, how that team had to overcome the adversity of starting 0-4, sticking together. That was a very memorable season for me."

Given the way his time here ended, and seeing how Sunday will be his first time back in Buffalo since then, would winning this game be especially sweet, he was asked?

"Well, I'll be honest," Mularkey said. "I was very excited for our players this last game (a win over the Titans). They have done everything we asked. We haven't had a lot of good feeling here, and I wanted our players to feel good about what they did. We want to improve and see progress in all the players, all of our schemes and us as a team and coaches.

"We want to win all these games," he said. "We want to finish the season strong. Will it have extra feeling? I'll be happy for our players, because they have worked their tails off. I don't know if it'll be anything extra special for me."

Mularkey was asked if he has imagined how differently things might have gone for him, for the Bills, and for Buffalo if he had won that finale against Pittsburgh in 2004. He gave a long pause before answering.

"I can honestly say I have not thought that," he said. "I did not. Maybe I did back then. But I have not thought that for a long time. No."

The Bills, who appeared to be on the rise after '04, fell apart in 2005.

"I think there's a number of things ... that changed the, the makeup of the team, to start the offseason off," Mularkey said. "I'm not going to get into specifics. The guys were proud of what they did that year. I still think they felt very good about what they accomplished after the start that we had."

Presumably, he was speaking about changes that were made after the '04 season. Donahoe cut ties with Drew Bledsoe and handed the starting job to J.P. Losman, who proved unready. He also allowed Pat Williams and Jonas Jennings to leave in free agency. The run defense went from seventh in '04 to 31st in '05  and has never recovered. Ah, memories.

As of Tuesday, the Bills still had 15,000 unsold tickets for the Jacksonville game this Sunday. There's no way they're moving close to that many tickets. There's a greater likelihood that thousands of fans will be trying to move their own tickets so they can start their Christmas shopping.

But maybe the Bills should promote this game as a possible offensive shootout. The Jaguars are 29th in the NFL in points allowed. The Bills are 30th.  I know the Bills' defense has come on in recent weeks, but Jacksonville has been on a tear since Chad Henne replaced Blaine Gabbert as the starter. Over the last two games, the Jags have averaged 30.5 points and 389.5 yards a game. Remember what happened when Jake Locker went down and the Titans turned to a veteran QB, Matt Hasselbeck.

Which two teams have given up more points than the Jags and Bills, you ask? Oakland and Tennessee. Somehow, four AFC teams have managed to allow more points than New Orleans. The Saints are 28th. Kansas City is 27th and the Jets 26th. Six of the worst teams in the league in points allowed are in the sorry AFC.

Further proof that the AFC was down this year and it was a great opportunity for the Bills to sneak into the playoffs. Sad.

When the Bills lost, 37-31, in New England a couple of weeks ago, I came away thinking the defense had actually played OK. The performance seemed at least average, based on their horrid play early in the year and the stunning efficiency of the Patriot offense.

In fact, it was a perfectly average defensive effort against New England. After last night's 49-19 evisceration of the Jets, the Pats are averaging exactly 37.0 points a game. They've scored 108 points in their last two games, 190 in their last four. It's scary. They keep getting better. They're now on pace to break their own NFL record for points in a season. The Pats scored 589 points (36.8 a game) during their unbeaten 2007 regular season.

Is there anything more certain in today's NFL than the Patriots improving over the course of the regular season? They went 8-0 in the second half the last two regular seasons. They've won their first three games of the second half this year, and five in a row overall, opening up a big lead in division that had all four teams tied at 3-3 a month ago.

Tom Brady has 14 TD passes and zero interceptions during the five-game winning streak. Brady, who always talks about the Pats getting better later in the season, has been especially good from the ninth game onward. During the Pats' 19-game win streak in the second halves, Brady has 41 touchdown passes and 2 interception. And you wonder why I consider him the best of all time.