ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP)—Even with a week to heal some wounds to key
players, the Buffalo Bills are still hurting.

After enjoying the bye following a disappointing loss to the New York Giants
in Week 6, the Bills returned to practice on Monday to begin preparations for
their annual “home” game in Toronto against the Washington Redskins Sunday.
But hopes that the time off would help linebacker Shawne Merriman’s(notes) right
Achilles and left tackle Demetrius Bell’s(notes) shoulder ailment faded when the two
were unable to participate in the workout.

Merriman tweaked his Achilles in practice the Thursday before the Giants
game, and couldn’t play. At the time, Merriman said he didn’t think the injury
was bad enough to keep him from missing a significant amount of time, but coach
Chan Gailey said the Achilles isn’t making as much progress as everyone had
thought.

“We’re going to try and continue to work with him and see where this
goes,” Gailey said. “If we get to Wednesday or Thursday and things haven’t
gotten a lot better, then we may have to rule him out for the weekend.”

The Bills were also hopeful that starting left tackle Demetrius Bell would
be able to play against the Redskins after he missed the past two games because
of a shoulder injury sustained against Cincinnati in Week 4. But Bell’s still
not 100 percent, and likely won’t be ready.

“If we get him, that’s great,” Gailey said. “But we’re planning on him.”

Making matters worse is Bell’s replacement, rookie Chris Hairston(notes), who has a
right ankle injury that will keep him out for at least a couple more weeks. If
Bell can’t play, starting left guard Andy Levitre(notes) will slide over to tackle, and
backup Chad Rinehart(notes) will take over at left guard.

Levitre took some reps in training camp at left tackle, which should assist
with the transition.

“They pay great dividends now,” Gailey said about the preseason snaps
Levitre had at left tackle. “He got to work on a little technique, but the
communication aspect of it helped greatly.”

Buffalo did get some good news regarding linebacker Chris Kelsay(notes). The
veteran has missed the past two games because of a calf injury, but was able to
practice on Monday and could be ready to play against the Redskins.

Kelsay’s return should help bolster a Bills defense that has dropped to 31st
in the league. They’ve allowed an average of 379 total yards, including 141 on
the ground.

It doesn’t help that Buffalo’s best defensive lineman, Kyle Williams,
continues to be sidelined because of a left foot injury. He missed the 27-24
loss to the Giants after aggravating the foot during a 31-24 win over
Philadelphia in Week 5.

Williams acknowledged on Monday that he currently doesn’t have a timetable
for his return, and added there’s a possibility that the injury may require
offseason surgery.

“Obviously this isn’t what I want to be doing right now,” he said. “It’s
one of those things. I’m disappointed that I can’t do anything about it.”

After coming up short against the Giants, the Bills (4-2) will look to
rebound against a banged-up Washington (3-3) team that will be without starting
running back Tim Hightower(notes) (torn ACL) and receiver Santana Moss(notes) (broken hand).
The Redskins lost their second straight—and third in the last four—on Sunday
with a 33-20 defeat at Carolina.

It will be the fourth regular season Bills game played in Toronto, with
Buffalo yet to win north of the border.

The Bills, who remain a game behind first-place New England (5-1) in the AFC
East, also made a roster move Monday, signing defensive tackle Jay Ross(notes) to the
practice squad and releasing receiver Tim Toone(notes).

Thanks for reading! .

There is the quick update of the day.

Prince Amukamara, drafted in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the New York Giants (19th overall) finally signed his contract Thursday night. Amukamara was the final rookie to agree to contract terms. He has missed five on-field practices.

Earlier this week secondary coach Peter Giunta spoke about how anxious the Giants were to get Amukamara into camp.

“He will have to come in and compete and he will have to spend the extra time studying to get caught up with these guys as far as the mental aspect of the game goes,” Giunta said. “We will start working on his technique and try to grab him as much as we can when he is free. We have some volunteer days when players get the days off and we will try to catch him up as best as we can.”

With the CBA ratified Thursday, NFL teams were finally able to get all of their healthy veteran free agents on the practice field. Here is the list of Giants who practiced for the first time: Ahmad Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs, Mathias Kiwanuka, David Baas, Stacy Andrews, Gabe Watson, Ben Patrick, Bear Pascoe, Kevin Boothe, David Carr, Michael Clayton, Andre Brown, Steve Weatherford, Chris White and Jamon Meredith.

– Thursday practice report

That’s all the news for today.

That’s all for today.

NEW YORK, N.Y. – New York Giants owner John Mara has gone from alternate to the first seat on a jury at a trial in federal court in Manhattan.

Mara became Juror No. 1 on Thursday in the second week of a major international drug case. He was elevated after another juror got sick from possible food poisoning. It was unclear if Mara might become jury foreman.

Mara had tried to escape being seated on the trial last week, saying he had to prepare for next week’s NFL draft. He also cited responsibilities as a negotiator for team owners in the NFL’s work stoppage.

He was an alternate until he was promoted after lunch Thursday, his sixth day on the jury. The trial is likely to last another two weeks.

Comment Below!.

Published: Tuesday, March 01, 2011, 5:34 PM     Updated: Tuesday, March 01, 2011, 5:35 PM

The New York Giants’ John Mara joined the NFL group negotiating with the players’ union Tuesday, the first team owner to participate since a federal mediator began overseeing the talks.

Atlanta Falcons President Rich McKay, chairman of the league’s competition committee, and Washington Redskins General Manager Bruce Allen also were among those joining NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell when mediation resumed Tuesday at 1 p.m., 59 hours before the current collective bargaining agreement was due to expire.

“I don’t think you could have a greater sense of urgency,” said Jeff Pash, the league’s lead labor negotiator. “We all know what the calendar is, and we all know what’s at stake for everybody. And that’s why we’re here. We’re going to be here as long as it takes and work as hard as we can work to get something done.”

There was no telling, of course, whether the sides would fare any better Tuesday than they did during more than 40 hours of meetings spread across seven consecutive days of mediation that wrapped up last week. When that round ended Thursday, mediator George Cohen said the league and the NFL Players Association still had “very strong differences” on the “all-important core issues.”

The CBA runs out at midnight as Thursday becomes Friday on the East Coast, and the owners could lock out the players afterward. The union could also decertify — essentially, declare itself out of the business of representing players — and let the players take their chances in court.

Whatever happens between now and Friday could eventually wind up causing the country’s most popular sport to lose regular-season games to a work stoppage for the first time since 1987. Or everything could be resolved by management and labor in an industry with revenues topping $9 billion annually.

When Seattle Seahawks guard Chester Pitts left Tuesday’s negotiating session at about 4:30 p.m., he was asked whether he is optimistic about a new CBA agreement being reached.

“What’s the word we’re using right now? ‘Cautiously optimistic,’” Pitts said. “We’re making a point to go into it doing all we can to do things the right way, and hopefully we get a deal done.”

Asked about Mara’s presence, Pitts said: “He’s a businessman, and businessmen like to make money. So sometimes you’ve got to come, make sure you’re hovering around, make sure everything’s being done to get a deal done. And I’m pretty sure he’ll say he had that sense.”

The biggest sticking point all along has been how to divide the league’s revenues, including what cut team owners should get up front to help cover certain costs, such as stadium construction. Under the old deal, owners got $1 billion off the top. They entered these negotiations seeking to double that.

Among the other significant topics in negotiations: a rookie wage scale; the owners’ push to expand the regular season from 16 games to 18 while reducing the preseason by two games; and benefits for retired players.

Former player Cornelius Bennett mentioned that last topic as he entered the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service building Tuesday. He was among the group of about 15 people accompanying NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith.

It wasn’t clear how long mediation would continue. Union president Kevin Mawae, a former player who hasn’t been attending the mediation sessions, is expected to arrive in Washington on Wednesday.

“We want the fans to know that we’re trying. We’re trying. We understand our responsibility, and if we don’t get it done, we know that we’ll have let them down,” the NFL’s Pash said. “And we take that very seriously. So do our owners.”

The 32 teams’ owners were slated to meet Wednesday and Thursday at a hotel in Chantilly, Va., for updates on the status of negotiations.

And then they will need to determine their next step.

In many respects, this boils down to money, of course. And there is plenty of money at risk the longer it takes for the league and NFLPA to work together again.

The league estimates there would be a cut in gross revenues of $350 million if there’s no new CBA by August, before the preseason starts, and a loss of revenues totaling $1 billion if no new contract is in place until September. And if regular-season games are lost in 2011, the NFL figures that revenue losses would amount to about $400 million per week.

If the league locks out the players, everything would stop except the NFL draft on April 28-30, and any interviews or workouts teams hold for college players leading up to the draft. After that, though, teams wouldn’t be able to contact their picks or sign undrafted rookies.

“Both parties are at it, full steam ahead, doing all we can to come to an agreement,” Pitts said Tuesday. “It’s two groups doing business. The tone? None of that matters. It’s business, and that’s the approach, and that’s the expectation. Doing all we can to get a deal done.”

Gotta run!.

Howard Fendrich, AP Pro Football Writer, On Tuesday March 1, 2011, 2:54 pm EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The New York Giants’ John Mara joined the NFL group negotiating with the players’ union Tuesday, the first team owner to participate since a federal mediator began overseeing the talks.

Atlanta Falcons president Rich McKay and Washington Redskins general manager Bruce Allen also were among those joining NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell when mediation resumed Tuesday at 1 p.m., 59 hours before the current collective bargaining agreement was due to expire.

“I don’t think you could have a greater sense of urgency,” said Jeff Pash, the league’s lead labor negotiator. “We all know what the calendar is, and we all know what’s at stake for everybody. And that’s why we’re here. We’re going to be here as long as it takes and work as hard as we can work to get something done.”

There was no telling, of course, whether the sides would fare any better Tuesday than they did during more than 40 hours of meetings spread across seven consecutive days of mediation that wrapped up last week. When that round ended Thursday, mediator George Cohen said the league and the NFL Players Association still had “very strong differences” on the “all-important core issues.”

The CBA runs out at midnight as Thursday becomes Friday on the East Coast, and the owners could lock out the players afterward. The union could also decertify — essentially, declare itself out of the business of representing players — and let the players take their chances in court.

Whatever happens between now and Friday could eventually wind up causing the country’s most popular sport to lose regular-season games to a work stoppage for the first time since 1987. Or everything could be resolved by management and labor in an industry with revenues topping $9 billion annually.

The biggest sticking point all along has been how to divide those revenues, including what cut team owners should get up front to help cover certain costs, such as stadium construction. Under the old deal, owners got $1 billion off the top. They entered these negotiations seeking to double that.

Among the other significant topics in negotiations: a rookie wage scale; the owners’ push to expand the regular season from 16 games to 18 while reducing the preseason by two games; and benefits for retired players.

Former player Cornelius Bennett mentioned that last topic as he entered the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service building Tuesday. He was among the group of about 15 people accompanying NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith.

It wasn’t clear how long mediation would continue.

“We want the fans to know that we’re trying. We’re trying. We understand our responsibility, and if we don’t get it done, we know that we’ll have let them down,” the NFL’s Pash said. “And we take that very seriously. So do our owners.”

The 32 teams’ owners were slated to meet Wednesday and Thursday at a hotel in Chantilly, Va., for updates on the status of negotiations.

And then they will need to determine their next step.

In many respects, this boils down to money, of course. And there is plenty of money at risk the longer it takes for the league and NFLPA to work together again.

The league estimates there would be a cut in gross revenues of $350 million if there’s no new CBA by August, before the preseason starts, and a loss of revenues totaling $1 billion if no new contract is in place until September. And if regular-season games are lost in 2011, the NFL figures that revenue losses would amount to about $400 million per week.

If the league locks out the players, everything would stop except the NFL draft on April 28-30, and any interviews or workouts teams hold for college players leading up to the draft. After that, though, teams wouldn’t be able to contact their picks or sign undrafted rookies.

Thanks for visiting our blog =).

Published: Thursday, January 27, 2011, 2:29 PM     Updated: Thursday, January 27, 2011, 3:34 PM

FLINT, Michigan — Flint natives Carl Banks and Mark Ingram, Sr. played together for the New York Giants in perhaps one of the most memorable Super Bowls of all-time.

It was Jan. 27, 1991 — 20 years ago today — that the New York Giants edged the Buffalo Bills, 20-19, in Super Bowl XXV.

Kicker Scott Norwood had a chance to give the Bills the win as time was about to expire, but his kick sailed wide right — giving the Giants the title — and it continues to be one of the most talked about kicks in NFL history.

Banks, who starred at Flint Beecher during his prep days, punished the Bills with 14 tackles — 10 of which were solo.

Ingram, a former Flint Northwestern standout, caught a 22-yard bullet from quarterback Jeff Hostetler in the second quarter. Ingram finished with five catches for 74 yards.

Banks suited up for the Giants during their 39-20 romping of the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI.

Norwood’s kick

Super Bowl XXV highlights

Leave your comments on the news below.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New York Giants center Shaun O’Hara said on Thursday that he will likely need offseason surgery to “clean out” an ankle injury that has plagued him throughout the year.

O’Hara missed practice for the second straight day on Thursday with “swelling and pain” in his left foot and Achilles and may be forced to sit out Sunday’s game in Washington.

If O’Hara can’t play, left guard Rich Seubert will likely play center. Left tackle David Diehl said on Thursday that that he’s been practicing at left guard this week. If Diehl shifts to guard against Washington, Shawn Andrews will likely line up at left tackle, giving the Giants their seventh different starting combination on the offensive line.

O’Hara, however, is holding out hope that he can practice Friday and suit up on Sunday.

“I’m hoping that it feels better by tomorrow. Today was a frustrating day to be [a spectator],” he said.

O’Hara has been hampered throughout the season by a left ankle injury he suffered in training camp, one of several ailments he’s dealt with in 2010. O’Hara also injured his left Achilles in the preseason and suffered a mild right Lisfranc sprain in Week 7 at Dallas.

He said there’s a “good chance” that he will need surgery during the offseason.

“I think that’s something that we’re probably going to look at whenever the season ends in February,” O’Hara said. “We’ll have that option and we’ll see what we’re going to do but I think there’s probably a pretty good chance that I’ll need a clean-out of some sort.”

O’Hara said the injury flared up midway through the first quarter on Sunday in Green Bay. The ankle was “really sore” after the game and the center took the last two days off to try to limit the swelling.

“It’s been tough. I don’t feel like I’ve been able to move like I normally have,” said O’Hara, who was voted to the Pro Bowl on Tuesday despite playing in just six games this season. “But that’s football and you have to find a way to get the job done.”

The ankle and Achilles injuries forced O’Hara to miss three games earlier in the season. He returned for two games against Detroit and Dallas but sat out the next six with the right Lisfranc injury. O’Hara returned to his customary center position against Philadelphia in Week 14.

“I was hoping for the best, hoping that it wouldn’t come back and flare up but it did and so I’m just trying to battle,” O’Hara said.

Ian Begley is a regular contributor to ESPNNewYork.com.

Subscribe to our feed!.

Leave your comments on the news below.

What are your opinions.

Not much else going on in the NFL world today.

What do you guys think about this.

If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.