POSTGAME NOTES
- WR Roy Williams caught 10 passes for 161 yards, both single-game career highs, and scored on a 28-yard touchdown pass from QB Jon Kitna in the Lions 20-17 win over the Buffalo Bills today. This marked the first time in his career he has registered 10 receptions in a game and the first by a Lion since FB Cory Schlesinger caught 11 passes vs. Chicago 12/30/01. They were the most by a Lions wide receiver since Johnnie Morton had 10 at Minnesota 1/2/00.
- Williams' 161 yards were the most by a Lions receiver since Germane Crowell collected 163 yards vs. St. Louis 11/7/99. It was Williams seventh career 100-yard receiving game and the third of the 2006 season.
- Williams has collected 100 yards in three of the team's six games this season.
- Joining Williams today in the century club was RB Kevin Jones who carried the ball 23 times for a season-high 127 yards (5.5 avg.). It was Jones fifth career 100-yard rushing game and it was the first since he registered 123 yards vs. Chicago 12/26/04.
- Today's game marked the first time that Williams went over 100 yards in receiving and Jones went over 100 yards in rushing in the same game. The last time a Lions receiver-rusher tandem both went over 100 yards was at Green Bay 11/10/02 when Az-Zahir Hakim had 143 receiving yards and James Stewart had 122 yards on the ground.
- Jones had 83 rushing yards in the first quarter on 9 carries as well as a 7-yard rushing touchdown. It was the most rushing yards by a Lions running back in the first quarter since Barry Sanders had 88 yards on 4 attempts (2 TDs) vs. Cleveland 10/8/95. Jones' 83 first quarter yards was sparked by a 52-yard run on his first carry of the game. His 52-yarder was the longest of the season and the second longest of his career. His career long is a 74-yarder vs. Arizona 12/5/04.
- Jones had 6 receptions on the day, which tied a single-game career high. His six receptions moves his season total to 31 which sets a new single-season career high for Jones.
- Among his six receptions in the game, the most important catch was a 9-yard catch on 3rd and 5 with 2:35 left to play in the game. He took a swing pass form Kitna out left and had a swifty move to avoid a defender as he collected a first down for the Lions which allowed the team to chew up all but 0:09 seconds on the clock.
- QB Jon Kitna was 24-of-36 (.667) for 278 yards and 1 TD on the day. Kitna came into today's game with a 63.0 completion percentage that ranked him second in the league. Kitna has completed over 60.0% of his passes in 4 of the Lions 6 games this season.
- Kitna's 278 yards moved his tally of 250-yard passing games this season to 3.
- The Lions offense netted 394 yards on offense with 132 coming on the ground and 262 in the air. The 394 yards of total offense are the second most of the season by the Lions.
- S Terrence Holt collected his sixth career interception when he picked off a pass from Bills QB JP Losman and returned it 7 yards.
- DT Shaun Rogers recorded a sack in the second quarter against the Bills. The sack was Rogers third of the season, and the 15 yards lost on the play were the most on a sack in Rogers' career.
- DE James Hall was credited with 3.5 sacks in the game. This was Hall's fifth career multiple-sack games and the most he has recorded since he registered 2.5 vs. Houston 9/19/04. Hall's credited sack tally equals a career high for Hall that he set at Tampa Bay 12/9/01 when he recorded 3.5 sacks.
- LB LaVar Woods was credited with a team-high three special teams tackles in the Lions 20-17 win over Buffalo.
LIONS HEAD COACH ROD MARINELLI
Opening statement: "Let me cover the injuries real quick, give you a recap a little bit: Shawn Bryson's (knee), again, we'll have to look at these a little bit more tomorrow; but, he wasn't able to finish the game. Cory Schlesinger had a (hamstring) and we took him out; Ernie Sims (elbow) - we're going to re-evaluate Ernie tomorrow.
"I thought in terms of our effort (it) was real good. The couple of things that I wanted to get accomplished was our run defense, No. 1. I thought in staying in our gaps, being disciplined - that's a really good back. I'm really proud of that part of the game in terms of knocking that run out. Once that happens we're starting to learn to take advantage of the situation with your four-man rush. The guys really put some heat on today - the four down guys - which makes breaking on the ball easier, the balls comes out quicker (and) guys were breaking on the ball in the back in row a little bit better. That worked together, I thought, a little bit better. So, that was good.
"Offensively - we're playing with some young guys in there - again, they're opportunities, I see that nothing as positive when you put guys in there and then you have the opportunity to see what they're about. If you believe in them and just keep coaching them, you might find something good. Kevin ran the ball very well and (we) threw the ball well today and all of those things. We still got to work on our field position game. Our kickoff return hurt us, and we still got to get the ball inside-the-20. Some of those things (have) got to clean up for us. So, to me and the way I am, this is a nice victory for us. We've got to learn from it tomorrow, very quickly, all the mistakes that we made we have to correct them in practice immediately and put this behind us as fast as we can. Now we got to start moving on to our next opponent and there are some guys banged up and that's no big deal. We just have to go back (and) hopefully we have enough to get back in pads and get some work in."
On the emotional aspect of the win: "Well, you know, obviously that's what you want to do. I look at it as that marathon - it's just that I'm driving a marathon, that's what it's all about - to win. I love winning, obviously. But, I'll watch the tape and you got to be 'we got to do this better,' so that's (what) my process is. I just like this team. I just like them. They just keep, you know, five of these six games have gone down to the wire and now this one is such a big one for us - come down at the end and find a way to win a game. That's how you want these games to come down to and you force that (the details), the little things at the end of the game and have an opportunity to win them."
On if some of the players proved themselves today in finishing out big plays in the fourth quarter: "Yeah. That's what you want to see - that you can do that. I believe in these guys and I believe in these men, because they work, they've got good character, they're trying hard and they're trying to be coachable and it's a different system and we just keep teaching it. These things are big, because they can see it. Just keep doing the things - maybe I'm playing this gap right at that moment, or I'm turning the ball incorrectly, or the field position here, or our pass block there - the whole game of football is just that. Every week it comes down to this, right at the end of the game and it's the team that can do it."
On how important the third down pass to RB Kevin Jones was: "Oh - big, big. I mean, Kevin, he does a nice job with the ball in his hands. I mean, running or catching - I think, that was big. Those two guys, him and Roy (Williams), they're just special players. But, I have to give credit to the quarterback and the offensive line and the staff. They're using those guys, they're maxing out with those guys and it's been good. We just have to find a way to keep it going."
On what he thought when watching the play: "Stay in bounds. Get the first down, (and) stay in bounds and keep the clock moving."
On the feeling of getting his first win as a head coach: "It's just, it's the win, but it's the process to me as much as anything. I'm just, I'm so happy for them, because they're working and I keep telling them it's that far, do the little things, stay on course, no matter -I don't care what's out there - forget it and just keep playing. That probably of any one thing for myself is the most satisfying, that they can feel that. In this game of football you just keep fighting and believing and trusting your skills and your fundamentals; understand your systems and just keep doing it. Then we correct it and then we move on."
On how much pride he has for his team right now: "Oh yeah, tremendous pride in them. All year, I've told them for the last couple of weeks, I sat there in front of the team meeting, I kept showing them if we just keep cleaning this up and we just clean this thing and we clean this up - cause we're a good team, we're good. Just do those things."
On if that's what he was feeling when he crossed to field to shake Bills Head Coach Dick Jauron's hand: "Yeah - exactly. Pride that they keep fighting, they keep battling. Then it's a whole new slate next week. Just take this and move it here, then we got to go mount this thing up, we've got to let this win go fast, correct and move forward."
On why he flipped DT Shaun Rogers with DE Cory Redding: "Cory could play a three, he couldn't play a one. He's not as much mass in there. So, that's why I put Cory down inside and then slid Shaun over to the one technique."
On if he'll continue to do that: "I think so. Shaun's a load in there, man - wow! He's just really started disrupting some stuff in there."
On what the defensive lines biggest change was overall: "I just think they really did a better job, I thought, for the most part at staying alive and in front of this quarterback. This guy holds the ball a little bit, but once he goes, he takes off. A couple of times it hurt us, we lost contain on blitzes - we had blitzes, we had guys come underneath. If you just contain and do what you're supposed to do we would have had a few more on him, but we just have to make sure we're continually on the details. That's why what happens is if you get a win and then you watch this tape and guys are happy, you can't let the little details slip away, you know what I'm saying? You got to just keep pounding the details if you're in the tank or if you're happy. It's the details that count."
On RB Kevin Jones' performance with him having trouble breathing and if it was an injury to his rib: "You caught me off (guard). It might have been because of all the balls - how far he ran (laugh). He might have gotten a little bit tired, but no he is really a good back - you guys know him. When he gets in that, when we give him some air to run with, he can cut. He's so tough, he keeps working up the field and he's got good hands and Mike's (Martz) really doing a good job utilizing those guys."
LIONS QB JON KITNA
On how it feels to walk into the room as a winner: "I think, you know, the biggest thing to me is that it's a reward for how hard we've been working. We've been so close in four to five games to really take in control of football games and win in football games and it's never easy in this league. We were so close in those other four weeks that it was getting discouraging - there's no question. It's nice to come here today, and like I said, what happened now is that we've broken the seal off of this thing a little bit. Guys see what happens when you do what you're asked to do on every single snap. You can't measure character in guys and that's what's been built in the first five weeks and hopefully it will continue to build."
On if having WR Roy Williams and RB Kevin Jones made the game easier: "Well anytime you have a back go over 100 yards, No. 1, it means you were in the football game for four quarters. We were on our way to 100 yards a couple of times in the first five games, but (when) you get out of the game it's hard to keep running the football. It meant, No. 1, we were in the football game, and then we were able to give Kevin those carries. Those extra eight, nine, ten carries that he needs to finish off a game and he's been playing his butt off all year. I think he was a little banged up today - having trouble breathing - (he) stuck it out and made a huge play there on the third down play on the last drive. Then Roy (laughing), you know, coaches talk about practice and we all talk about practice and all that stuff - he misses two days of practices, comes in on Friday, shows up today and can barely turn his neck and plays a superstar game. That's what superstars do."
On the offensive line playing well for not being together for very long: "Two of the better tandem ends in the league - that goes kind of unnoticed really with those guys over there. They really know how to rush a passer, they come with a lot of different things and we were a little shaky earlier in the game. They just stuck with it, they believed in what they had been told to do and they played a great game. We were able to get some big chunks in the passing game and that's a testament to them."
On if he saw the third-down catch, run and slide from Jones: "Yeah, we talked about that in the huddle at the start of the series. Those are things that the quarterback has to do when he gets in the huddle - remind everybody what the objective is, (what) the goal is and you know, the thing I mentioned to them was even if you get the first down - stay in bounds. A lot of times you get a guy that gets the first down and (they) run out of bounds, you know, because they're happy or whatever. It's most important to stay in bounds and let the clock run. He did a great job, he made a guy miss in open field and that's an NFL football play."
On if he said anything to head coach Rod Marinelli at the end of the game: "Congratulations. He's known this was coming. They presented him the game ball and the first one is always the special one. I'm sure he felt like we should have gotten this about five weeks ago, but you just had to wait a little longer and he was pretty happy about it."
LIONS RB KEVIN JONES
On getting the team's first win and rushing for over 100-yards: "We got the monkey off our back with the yards (over 100 yards rushing) and the win - we mainly needed the win, so that's what I'm happy about - the win."
On how big this win was: "It's real big. We've been fighting our butts off every week and it's been close, but we haven't been able to finish. Today we pounded them. We started off early with the run game, and I'm glad Roy (Williams) got back on the field and he helped out tremendously."
On the offensive line enjoying it as much as him with 100 yards rushing: "They should (enjoy it) because without them I couldn't do it. That's even more credit to them because they had second-team guys stepping up, young guys, that actually weren't going to be expected to play at this time. We've got guys hurt and they came in. Big Woody (Damien) is out for the season, and they just came in and did their job and it helped me out a lot."
On how big it was for them to fill in: "I'm happy for them. They are out there competing for a job and that's what you do in the NFL - one guy goes down that's a starter and the next guy has to come in and play like that."
On it being good to get this win going to New York next week against the Jets followed by the bye week: "It was exactly good to get this win out the way. We've got to go out there and treat this week as we've been treating every week and go in and get into a fight with the Jets and then the bye-week is coming right on time."
On harping on the win: "We can't harp on the win like we can't harp on the losses. We've got to move on with the wins too."
LIONS WR ROY WILLIAMS
On a career-high day in receptions and yards: "It's a team effort. We had a good day in the air and a good day in the running game and the hat goes off to the defense. They played well and caused a lot of turnovers. We still have to go back to the drawing board and we have take advantage of those turnovers and that's one thing that we've got to work on."
On if he knew he was going to see the ball as much today: "I didn't because I didn't' practice the whole week because I had some family issues to attend to back at home, so I didn't watch any film so I knew nothing about this team and I just came out here and did well."
On how he feels physically: "I was really concerned about my neck this week. I was really afraid of the contact this week. It held up really good; I was just real scared, I don't want to end my career like Michael Irvin."
On as good as his day is, if it's still good to see RB Kevin Jones run well: "That's one thing we have to do is run the football. I think in this offense we're going to be able to pass the ball every week, but the X-factor is the running game. If Kevin rushes for over 100 yards I believe we're going to win the ball game. I believe that with all my heart."
On how big was it to get this win: "It's good to get on the right side of the tracks; hopefully we can get more wins than just one and hopefully guys get this feeling, know this feeling, and don't want to go back to the other side. Hopefully we can put together nine, 10 more wins and get to the playoffs."
On not settling for only one win: "With one win, we're still picking first in next year's draft right now. We've just got to get out here and put them together. We put five losing games together, we can very easily put five winning games together and go from there."
LIONS FS TERRENCE HOLT
On pressure on QB J.P. Losman making things easier for the secondary: "Oh definitely - that's key. When they keep putting on pressure like they were able to do, then it's big time for us in the secondary because we know they only have a certain amount of time and we can break on balls and make plays."
On shutting down RB Willis McGahee: "That's something we've been able to do all year long with our front seven, along with the secondary at times, being able to negate rushers from coming in and running the ball. Today was one of those days when we knew we had to stop the run for us to be able to make them one-dimensional. We were able to do that today and make them pass. They were able to pass a little bit, but not for enough to get a win."
On if it feels good to get the win: "Oh definitely. We've got to start somewhere so this is big but we have to get back to the drawing board tomorrow."
On his interception: "I was reading the quarterback and I was in the middle of the field and I just broke on the ball. I took a peak at the receiver a little bit and I was able to break on the ball. I got a good jump on it and was able to pick. Guys were teasing me about being on the ground. I was saying that I had turned my ankle a little bit, so I was thinking somebody was going to tag me down, but I got up and was able to make a few yards."
On getting an uneasy feeling late in the game when they started to come back: "A little bit, but I was trying to keep the guys going. We knew that this was the game that we couldn't let up. It was going to come down to defense and a lot of times that's been happening, so we wanted to make a point and a statement that we come out here and we stop these guys. It's got to start somewhere. If we can start getting guys in the fourth quarter and being up and being able to get stops then we can pretty much win ball games."
On if he can describe the feeling of relief now with win number one: "It's not really relief, it's just a good feeling. We've been close in some games, but it just feels good to get one and win like we feel like we should've been able to do in the past games, but we've got to start somewhere and that one was good."
BILLS HEAD COACH DICK JAURON
Opening statement: "Injury wise - Melvin Fowler left the game with a quad -we'll just have to wait on that; Roscoe (Parrish) had a hamstring. He tried to go but he couldn't in the second half; and Josh Stamer has a knee sprain, and we'll get it checked out tomorrow, but he couldn't continue. The game, I think, viewing the game I pretty much saw what it was about. We had trouble stopping the run. We certainly had trouble with Roy (Williams) in the passing game. They're very good players, we're just not playing consistent football. Really with the stats, the way they were in the first half with the way it was, it was hard to believe we were in the game right until the end. So I guess if there's one good thing it's to give our guys credit for finding a way to stay in it and have a chance to win the thing at the end. But no doubt it was a disappointing loss and we're just not consistent enough anywhere - offense or defense. I thought our kicking game was okay, and of course Brian (Moorman) punted and we covered really well in the punt game and our kickoffs weren't bad. But other than that, there's not a whole lot for us to hang our hat on here."
On CB Nate Clements playing in the game: "Nate's been catching some in practice. Nate has that injury he's coming off of. He didn't practice until Friday of this week and he was a little bit subpar."
On the defensive coverages: "You have to fit the counters in all of your coverages and we didn't. We missed our fits and we missed tackles too. You've got to give them credit, clearly. I think Kevin (Jones) is a real good back. I think he's in the top tier of the league. I really liked him when I was here. But we made our share of mistakes and they made their share of plays, but our mistakes are something we've got to clear up."
On if the Lions defensive line showed anything that they hadn't seen: "No, not that we hadn't seen. They're good. We knew they were very good coming in. They're a solid front and they're pressures were pressures that we had seen for the most part. I know we just didn't pick them up very well, consistently. And when we did at times, JP (Losman) of course, has got to get rid of the ball. And the rhythm is not there. He's so athletic that he feels like he can make a play, but there are times where he's just got to get it out of his hand and get it down the field out of bounds."
On the play of QB JP Losman: "He will learn the more he plays. But he's so athletic, and he ran out of the pocket earlier and made a play to Roscoe (Parrish) for a touchdown. So it's one of those deals where you tell him never take a sack to never hold it a little longer to never scramble with the ball. You don't do that. Not with an athlete, and an athlete you think is going to be really good. You just tell him that he's got to learn and we're going to go through some of these things."
On how concerned he was facing an 0-5 team: "I didn't think that was a factor at all. I told our team all week that they can't have any more incentive than we have. It's a game in the National Football League. Both sides are going to want it awfully bad. So I didn't think it was a factor."
BILLS QB JP LOSMAN
On the play of the Detroit defense: "They did a good job of covering some things. They probably get to see our offense in practice every day, which should have probably gave us the same advantage, but they did a good job of mixing it up. They gave us multiple looks - taking away the run, taking away the pass; Cover- 2, 3, 4; they did a good job."
On playing against the zone: "We were able to complete some balls there; looking back on it I always should have done that at the beginning. Those little quick things, get it out, get a little rhythm, back them up a little bit, things like that. We really didn't start that until the second half, but it's all looking back."
On if he got mad at himself for not being able to get rid of the ball sometimes and getting sacked: "I think I'm going to get better as to when I'm going to make those decisions of getting rid of the ball. Obviously, I'd like to be perfect right now in this stage of my career, but naturally I'm trying to hold it till the last second. On the way down I could have completed it to Josh Reed, just trying to make some eye contact with him. But obviously looking back, it's the same thing there - I probably should have gotten it out and made it a little bit shorter third down."
On what they're thinking now after the loss: "Well it's hard to say right now. We've got to clear our heads tonight, come back tomorrow and watch the film and see what we're thinking. But we already know what we're going to think - you have to bounce back. We're going to come to work tomorrow, watch this film, learn from it and put it behind us. It's the same old routine for us. This is what our job calls for. We have to move on to next week. We've got a big one coming up."
On the Lions having been in almost every game: "We knew that coming into the game. They've had some close ones. Defensively, they've done some good things. They've done some good things there with the corners, taking away some of the pass game. We knew it was going to be a tough one, it wasn't going to be a push over; but do we have all the confidence in the world coming in? Yeah, of course. That's what we thought, but this is the NFL and we also know that nobody is going to give us anything regardless of anybody's record or what have you. That's pretty much how we see it."
On the play of the Lions: "They were doing some good things. You have to give them credit for what they did - it is an NFL team. This is professional football; nothing is easy week-to-week, any given Sunday somebody's going to be hot, somebody's not going to be. But we still had a chance there to pull it out there at the end, and it didn't come through."
BILLS LB TAKEO SPIKES
On how it felt to finally get back out there: "It felt ok. I still didn't have the burst and explosion that I wanted to have at times, but you know I'm very thankful to be able to get back out there and get around running. I came out of the game pretty healthy, so I've got some more healing days on my side, another week to get better."
On WR Roy Williams and RB Kevin Jones each having over 100-yard games: "They made big plays - a lot of it you have to give them credit for being able to go out and do what they did; but, at times, without looking at the film right off - a couple of missed tackles - other than that you just have to go back and look at the film and really see where the breakdowns occurred at."
On Head Coach Jauron talking about cutback lanes and guys not fitting up and why that's been a problem for a couple of weeks: "It ain't fair for me to say nothing about that, because I'm not out there. I wasn't out there, and even today you can't even speak on that, because it's in the now. You don't know who got out of their gap - it's something we've been working on, it's not a day-to-day process. It ain't nothing where you can just snap your fingers and say, ok. We got to fix it, but it's a work in progress."
BILLS OL JASON PETERS
On how the sacks proved to be pretty big plays and if they're plays he looks back at: "Yeah, we look back on those, but we can't really dwell on them. We've got to look ahead. They were good and they beat us tonight."
On if the Lions did some things to stop the run that they didn't expect: "They were in there twisting and it ain't nothing that we didn't prepare for. We just have to go out there and execute the plays the best way possible."
On if loosing to a team that hadn't won all season was a blow to their confidence: "No, not really. We're going to go back home and re-group to get ready for New England. It's nothing that's going to get us down and out. We just have to bounce back and look at the tape and correct the mental errors we did have."
BILLS DL LONDON FLETCHER-BAKER
On what the problems were today, especially with the Lions having a receiver and a running back with over 100 yards: "I think the first half we let them have a couple of big gains in the run game - I don't know what the first big gain went for in the run game. Roy Williams had some big plays in the passing game in the first half. I thought in the second half we did a better job at containing those guys - but we didn't make the plays when we needed to. There were a couple of situations we could have helped the offense out a little bit better, but I give them credit, they made plays today and we didn't stop them."
On what this does for a young team, being dominated by an 0-5 team, and if it blows their confidence: "I don't know. They always talk about the game - the game is four quarters - we had situations where we didn't play well in the first half, but still we were still only down where we could say it was one play. We allowed them to come out and go up ten points, then we battled back to get the ball and make the game a three point game. (We) got the ball back to our offense; they're driving, then a turnover or sack - a couple plays here and there that really cost us the game in the second half of the game."
On if it feels like a step back: "Yeah, it is definitely a step back. We were heading in the right direction and then last weekend against Chicago we physically got beat by a really good football team. Then this weekend - what I saw on tape against the Lions was a team that was better than what their record indicated and then if you get caught up in their record, this is what could happen. I don't know if guys were really looking at their record and saying, you know, well they're 0-5 and we're 2-3 - we should automatically beat them. This is a team that went up to St. Louis and scored 34 points; they played a Minnesota team in Minnesota really tough and very easily could have won that football game. They played a Seattle team - which is a Super Bowl team - to a nine point game. They're a better team than their record indicates. I don't know if everybody really took that to heart into this football game."
BILLS TE RYAN NEUFELD
On today's loss: "It was a game that we felt we could have won. "The Lions came out and played well - I'm not taking anything away from them. They had a good game and they beat us today. We just tried to make sure we were in a position to win and now we have to find a way to win."
On how well the Lions defense played and if he was surprised: "They've played well every week - it's going to be tough. You can't really focus on how they played the previous week, because every game their going to come out and give it their best. We knew they were going to play tough - here especially not having a win yet."
On catching his first touchdown today and how it felt: "Yeah, I wish we would have won so I could have enjoyed it a little bit more. But it felt good being my first NFL touchdown."
BILLS CB TERRENCE MCGEE
On how discouraging it is to have Lions WR Roy Williams find himself open all day long: "It hurt us but at the same time we had opportunities to make plays - get interceptions. When we had those opportunities we didn't make them and it gave them more opportunities."
On if the biggest thing about today's loss is the Bills not taking advantage of the opportunities: "Yeah that's what I feel."
On if the Bills were looking to bounce back after last week and if today's game was a sufficient bounce back: "No, because it wasn't a win. If we got a win it would have been a sufficient bounce back - we have to win."
On losing two consecutive games - one being to a winless team - what does that do to their confidence: "It can't do anything. We have to go get ready for the next week and we can't think about this game anymore - it's over. They got the win and we go the loss, so now we have to move on."
On if it is fair to say the Bills defense is in a slump: "I guess you could say that. We haven't made the stops like we've need to. Like I said, I feel we had the opportunities to make the plays but we didn't make them when it came down to it."
