OPENING STATEMENT:"As far as the injuries go, Cyrus Gray tore his ACL. He did that, I believe the third quarter, in that area there. Demetrius Harris, before the game started, during pregame warm-ups, fractured his foot. So he's obviously out this week as Cyrus will be. We haven't made any moves or anything yet. Dorsey is going to do those, but we will get together on that later and will get you that information. Anthony Fasano, I mentioned had a knee contusion and is tender today, but should be ok there. (Jamell) Fleming still has the hamstring strain. Really everybody else, if we had to practice today, would be able to practice. (Phillip) Gaines had an ankle sprain the week before, so that's why Chris Owens took over during the game. That was a gritty win, I thought for a football team in a hostile place against a good football team. I think the Buffalo Bills are a very quality football team. Like I mentioned, Doug Marrone has done a very nice job with them. We've come out with plenty of things to work on so we will get busy on that today as we go through the film with the players. Defensively I thought we played good, solid football through the first half. We had a couple issues during the third quarter but got it sorted out. Again, I thought Bob (Sutton) had a nice game plan and the players executed it well. I thought our defensive line played very well through the game. There was pressure on the quarterback other than possibly the three step drop game that they were doing. But normally when he had to take it into something greater than a three step game then he had to move around a little bit. Offensively, I think we started slow and kind of worked that way through the first half. We made some big plays, a couple big plays, in that second half that paid off for us and kind of settled down a little bit as we went. Special teams, I thought we were steady throughout the game. We had the one big play to cause the fumble and then recover that. I thought overall, big plays were a factor. I thought field position ended up being a factor in the second half. I thought turnovers and penalties, again those are things that we did well with even though we had the turn over. We were able to do something there so those became factors in the game. (Ron) Parker I mentioned yesterday after the game, played well. After looking at the tape I still felt that way. He had a big responsibility on covering the rookie wide receiver who is a good football player. I thought he did a nice job there. Then he had the stripped fumble on Bryce (Brown) going in for what looked like was going to be a score. I thought Poe did a nice job. Again, anytime you can have one of the bigs inside like him, with his athletic ability come up with sacks – that's a big thing. He was able to do that again. It was good to get Eric (Berry) back out there for his second week in a row and it looked like he was feeling better and more adjusted. Chris Owens for stepping up. You look at him and Sean Smith, both of them are banged up just a little bit and they are able to push through that and give us quality dimes out there and play well. Then offensively, Jamaal (Charles) had a couple real big plays for us. He hurt his shoulder, had a stinger there. He fought through that until the end and played well. Dwayne (Bowe) had another good day for us. (Albert) Wilson and (Anthony) Sherman on that fumble on the punt, they did a real nice job. Again, a good win. Time's yours."
Q: Ron Parker, claimed off waivers last year to what he's done the past two seasons. How would you assess his growth?
REID:"He's come quite a way. That's a tribute to John (Dorsey) and the staff for picking him up. Then for his work ethic that he brings every day to practice and it carries over into the game. And we ask him to do quite a little bit, he's playing two or three positions. And playing well."
Q: Parker had been waived 15 or 20 times before he got here. A lot of guys give up. Why do you think he stuck with it?
REID:"Guys do give up, that's not his personality, not his make-up. He's a pretty persistent guy. I joke with him, he's a twin so it's like battling for the refrigerator. Who's going to get there first? So he started young."
Q: Did something click when you guys moved him to safety? He was struggling at corner early this year.
REID:"It was a weird thing. Really during OTAs and the early part of camp, he was playing great at corner. Then he went through a phase there where it wasn't working, for whatever reason, at the corner spot. This is where that persistency comes in, he battled through that and got himself back on track in the corner spot. And then we moved him. Then he got forced into action at the safety position. I think, if you asked him back then, he would say that safety is his more natural position. I think now he feels comfortable with both of them which is a good thing."
Q: How would you assess Joe Mays' return yesterday and how do you work him back into the mix given the play of James-Michael Johnson and Josh Mauga?
REID:"Well, those guys are playing well, so you don't disrupt that. Everybody is going to play. You need everybody, especially this time of year. I thought it was important that he got in and got used to the speed of the game again and he did that on special teams. We will just see how it goes this week. Bob (Sutton) has all these different packages, so if he works in on one of those he works in, if not we will keep bringing him along."
Q: De'Anthony Thomas caught some punts at inopportune positions. Is that a rookie thing where he made a mistake or was that by design?
REID:"Yeah, that was probably a rookie deal right there, one of the three you are talking about. Probably wasn't the best time to catch that one but he'll learn. Pretty talented guy so you know you're going to have a few hiccups there with young guys. You just kind of work through it."
Q: So do you think he just needs to get more reps at this level and become more comfortable?
REID:"Well as much as you're asking me about him, the players probably got on him a little bit. They learned, they learn fast along with the coaches saying something. He's a talented kid. He'll be fine."
Q: As a play-caller how difficult is it to have a play that you know will work but just have to wait for the right time to use it in regards to that pitch to Jamaal Charles?
REID:"Listen, you have a few of those situational plays. That was a short yardage play. You have to wait until you're in a short-yardage situation. Andy Heck, Eric Bieniemy and Tom Melvin all put that play together for that time so they deserve the credit for that. And then we got the right defense against that look and then the fellas took care of it. And then Jamaal did what Jamaal does best, right? And that's run that son of a gun and he did a nice job."
Q: What does it say about the defense to go into a hostile environment and hold them to just 13 points?
REID:"Yeah, that's a good offense, efficient offense that has been doing well over the last few weeks. They've been in games similar to this and then come out on the long end of the stick there. So I was proud of the effort that the guys gave and we had a chance where things weren't going well where you could fold and the guys rallied around it and picked it up and made a few adjustments there and it paid off for us."
Q: Throughout the season, Alex has really spread the ball around to different receivers but yesterday Dwayne Bowe received the majority of the targets. Was that based on how Buffalo was doing or was that part of the plan?
REID:"Well, the matchup – Dwayne is a tough matchup for people because of his size and strength so we thought we could utilize that. They were playing man coverage, so we tried to take advantage of that. Alex had another good game, had a lot of tight throws and he was under some pressure. That's a good front. So he hung in there. A lot of guys, again, they get their game thrown out of whack and can't refocus to make those throws and I thought he did a nice job there. He's got a lot of trust in Dwayne especially in tight situations there."
Q: When you came in as the head coach last year and got to see Jamaal Charles every day, what surprised you the most about what you didn't know and couldn't really see on film?
REID:"Well, the thing you don't know is he's a guy who is going to show up every day to work and bust his tail at his job, whereas he isn't going to take for granted those few years that he has to play that position and not take full advantage of it. So he comes to work every day, he trains like a wild man during the offseason, he diets the right way and gets enough rest – does all those things. He handles the whole profession the right way and that part you don't know until you have him."
Q: Now he's running up and down the sidelines keeping everyone's head on straight.
REID:"Yeah, he's all in with everybody. He loves to play the game. He's like a little kid out there and that's a good thing."
Q: Why do you think sacks are down this year in the NFL?
REID:"We didn't help (that statistic) much yesterday from an offensive standpoint but you're right. The guys are getting the ball out quick is what they're doing. And it's tough, it's tough. If you can force a quarterback into hitches because of the coverage on the outside, it gives the defensive linemen a better chance of getting home. On three step drops, guys are getting it out. You saw Kyle (Orton). If he didn't have it, he was throwing it out of bounds. So he wasn't going to hang onto the ball."
Q: Does it make what Justin Houston has done that much more incredible? He has more sacks than two teams right now.
REID:"Yeah, he does a pretty good job. Glad he's on our team."
Q: With Demetrius Harris going down in warmups and the three tight end sets you like to use, how important is Anthony Sherman's versatility?
REID:"Yeah, we didn't have to change anything. It was that simple. And we have a pretty big package in that three tights. So he stepped in and did all of it. He didn't blink a bit; we still had production from that grouping."
Q: What does Veteran's Day mean to you?
REID:"I think it's awesome. You see the support that's going on throughout the league. I'm proud of the National Football League for caring so much. You look around and we're wearing camouflage out there – guys have towels and coaches have hats and the green gear that we're wearing. But these are people that protect our country that allow us to do what we get to do – all of us in this room, which is pretty special. So I think it's a great tribute to the people risking their lives for us to have America the way it is. It's a beautiful thing."
Q: How do you see the loss of Demetrius Harris and Cyrus Gray affecting you on special teams?
REID:"Both of them were contributors, probably Cyrus a little bit more. He had developed into a really good special teams player over the last year. So we're going to have to ask people to step in. You saw Wilson step in for Cyrus yesterday and he did a nice job. Big shoes to fill, next guy has got to step in and go and likewise with Harris."
Q: Do you have fun with people dressing up like you? REID:"Yeah, I'm good with that. I was over at my son's house on Halloween, and my little grandbaby, it was his first Halloween. My daughter-in-law came running over and goes, 'hey, there's a guy dressed up like you asking for candy.' So I went out and we took some pictures. I told him he had a little too much stuffing. He had about four pillows in and I said, 'we're down to like one, just give me one.'"
