Week 13 Expert Picks

Joe

cinci
new england
buffalo
washington
indianapolis
st louis
new orleans
ny jets
kansas city
chicago
oakland
jacksonville
pittsburgh
dallas
seattle
carolina

Mike

Cincinnati
Chicago
Kansas City
Buffalo
Indianapolis
Green Bay
Atlanta
New England
St Louis
New Orleans
Houston
Jacksonville
Dallas
Pittsburgh
Carolina
seattle

Janis

Baltimore
St Louis
Washington
New England
Tennessee
Kansas City
Chicago
NY JETS
San Diego
New Orleans
Houstan
Miami
N.Y. Giants
Pittsburgh
Seattle
Philadelphia

J Rod

Ravens
Bears
Rams
Colts
Saints
Falcons
Chiefs
Patriots
Bills
Jets
Dolphins
Texans
Steelers
Cowboys
Broncos
Panthers

AJ

Cincinatti
Chicago
Kansas City
San Diego
Indianapolis
NY Jets
Atlanta
New England
St. Louis
New Orleans
Oakland
Jacksonville
NY Giants
Pittsburgh
Denver
Carolina

T Wreck

baltimore
buffalo
chicago
pittsburgh
st louis
indy
jacksonville
new orleans
atlanta
cleveland
detroit- upset city
green bay
dallas
houston
seattle
philly

Updated "Expert Picks" Rules

• All picks must be emailed to me before game time on thursday or else you recieve an 0-16 on the week. I'm not chasing people for picks or listening to 20 minutes voice mails on gameday with someone giving me picks.
• mjc18@geneseo.edu

The Nation has NO Respect For The Buffalo Bills

The NFL Power Rankings came out today on espn.com and cbs.sportsline.com. What a fucking joke. You have got to be kidding me with this shit. Here is CBS's power rankings from #16-#22.

16. Atlanta Falcons
17. Miami Dolphins
18. Minnesota Vikings
19. St. Louis Rams
20. Philadelphia Eagles
21. San Francisco 49ers
22. Buffalo Bills

I am sorry but this is absolutely pathetic. A lot of what power rankings are based on is how is a team playing right now. Let's start with the Falcons. They haven't won a god damn football game since October 29th. You have got to be kidding me. The Bills have won 3 games since then and are somehow 6 spots behind them with the same record. Atlanta got rolled by the Lions 30-14 and then lost at home to the Browns. They also laid an egg in the biggest game of their season thus far against the Saints and their overrated QB is flipping off the crowd.

At 17 is the Dolphins, yeah they are playing good and have won 4 in a row. But they are 5-6 and the Bills beat them in their own yard. Maybe with the Dolphins hot streak they could be rated ahead of Buffalo, but by 5 teams is proposterous.

At 18 is the Minnesota Vikings. This team has lost 4 of 5 and barely snuck by the Cardinals to break a 4 game losing streak. They allowed over 400 yards passing to a rookie QB for god sake. They are also 5-6, same as Buffalo and yes the Bills beat the Vikings.

At 20 is the St. Louis Rams. Like these other teams, the Rams are playing terrible of late. They have lost 5 of their last 6 mother fucking football games and they are ranked ahead of the Bills. This is absolutely asenine. I almost threw my computer out the window when I saw these rankings.

The Bills have won 3 out of 4 and are ranked as the worst 5-6 team...behind teams that have lost 4 in a row, 4 of 5, and 5 of 6. This just doesn't seem to make sense. The only team that could be ranked ahead of Buffalo out of these teams in the 49ers and even that is debatable.

Fuck the national media. Fuck Pete Prisco and his fucking power rankings. They officially have no credibility in my mind.

Week 12 "Expert Picks" Results

Joe

• 15-1

Janis

• 13-3

J Rod

• 12-4

AJ

• 11-5

Mike

• 10-6

Tim

• 8-8

STANDINGS THROUGH WEEK 12

Joe

• 37-11

Mike

• 34-14

Janis

• 30-18

J Rod

• 29-19

AJ

• 26-22

T Wreck

• 24-24

*Note: All picks for the rest of the reason need to be emailed to me before kickoff Thursday or else you get an automatic loss for Thursdays game. mjc18@geneseo.edu

Bills 27 Jaguars 24

Wow. This game leaves one pondering the simple question, are the Buffalo Bills good? Well they are improving to say the least. The Bills have won 2 straight for the first time this season and have won 3 of 4 since the bye. The only loss came in Indianapolis in a game that the Bills could have and maybe should have won. The huge test will come next Sunday, but for now, let's enjoy this win.

Reactions

1. The quarterback looks like he has a clue. A few weeks ago, Bills fans were complaining about how JP didn't have what it takes and could not perform in the clutch. Well, 3 of the past 4 weeks, Losman has led the Bills to game winning fourth quarter scores and yesterday it happened in dramatic fashion for the 2nd week in a row. He should poise and confidence in the final 30 seconds. He put the ball right where it needed to be on the big play to Parrish to set up the game winning field goal. He stepped up in the pocket and threw the ball only where Parrish could get it. Losman was 21-28 for 169 yards and 1 int. That is a 75 percent completion percentage. Losman ranks 12th in the NFL in QB rating at 84.1 and his completion percentage of 63.8 ranks 8th in the NFL. Taking into account the class of 2004, he trails only Philip Rivers in these categories. Furthermore, Losman has greatly decreased the number of sacks he has taken in the past 2 weeks. He was only sacked once in Houston and was sacked 0 times yesterday. It looks as if JP is maturing and progressing like all of Western New York had hoped.
2. It makes me sick to think about how we didn't get the ball in Roscoe Parrish's hands at all in Indianapolis on offense. This guy makes plays and it was evident Sunday as he was the MVP of the Bills win. His 82 yards punt return was a thing of beauty and the catch on the sideline at the end of the game was incredible. It was a perfect throw and a perfect catch and it was just a clutch play. I didn't think i would say Bills and clutch in the same sentence ever again but how else can you describe their play in 3 of the past 4 games.
3. Willis McGahee brought it yesterday. Maybe he felt some competition from Anthony Thomas like he did from Travis Henry in 04. He had a nose for the endzone yesterday. He had 12 carries for 63 yards and 2 touchdowns. He averaged over 5 per against the 3rd ranked defense in the NFL. Anyone who thought McGahee and Thomas were even comparable I hope now realizes how completely lost they are. McGahee can be an elite running back in this league and next weekend he will be out to prove himself against the best back in Ladainian Tomlinson.

The Bills played far from a perfect game however. The coaching was suspect again in my opinion and the defense could not stop the run as usual.

• The Bills coaches made some questionable decisions in this game. After the Evans pass interference set up first and goal from the 9, the Bills ran 3 plays with the A Train in the game. Are you serious???? In that situation how is your best football player not on the field. I know the coaches were trying to limit his carries but on third and goal from the 3 if you are going to run you give it to your best guy. McGahee not on the field there was awful.
• At the end of the first half, the Bills got the ball with 1:11 left and 3 timeouts. They held onto a 17-14 lead. The Bills ran out the clock. How do you not even try to score points in that situation. 3 timeouts??!?!?!?!? Show some confidence in your quarterback. Not trying to get points there almost cost them the football game.
• As usual, the Bills seemed to go into a shell after gaining the early lead. They seem to try and not lose rather than try to win. In one specific situation, the Bills had 3rd and 8 from the Jags 35 up 24-17 in the fourth quarter. The Bills ran a draw play, got stuffed for a loss of 3 and had to punt. The punt went into the endzone so the net gain on the play was 18 yards. If Buffalo gets a field goal there they are up 10 and the game is pretty much over. Not to mention, if they pick up the first down, another 2 minutes are off the clock at least. The coaches showed no confidence in their quarterback again in this situation. Finally, if you are going to run a draw there, GIVE IT TO YOUR BEST RUNNING BACK, not a backup.
• Finally, the defense cannot stop the run. Jones Drew and Taylor ran through the Bills D. The 4th and 13 scramble by Garrard was pathetic especially since he ran through 4 tacklers before getting the first down. They have 6 days to figure it out.

Well the Bills got a huge win and are 2 games back with 5 to play. They have a chance this Sunday to make some major noise against one of the best teams in the league. The Ralph will be ready.

PS: Del Rio...The squib kick does not has not and will not ever work.

PPS: The 12th man brought it Sunday. 2 false start penalties in a row against the Jags on their last drive were all the 12th man.

Week 12 Jaguars @ Bills

I know this post is coming a little late. When you are living in the mid-late 90s and still have dial up at your house it makes getting online annoying and it takes forever. I haven't been more pumped for a Bills game since January 2nd, 2005. If the Bills can win this football game they are "in the hunt" in the AFC playoff picture.

Here is the preview/keys to victory

First of all, here is a "take a seat" to Bills nation. There were 7000 tickets left on Friday at 1:00 causing the first TV blackout of the entire NFL season. Buffalo is looking for respect around the league, and being the only blackout thus far in the season isn't going to get it done. Even worse, there is 10,000 seats remaining for next weekends game against the Chargers. If the Bills were to lose Sunday to Jacksonville, you can bet that Bills nation won't be 72,000 strong for that game either.
Jacksonville is coming off a huge win Monday night at home verse the Giants. This is a huge let down game. The Bills have some confidence after an exciting win last weekend verse the Texans (a team Jacksonville failed to defeat this season) and the Jags will struggle to be as fired up as the Bills.
Losman to Evans could flourish again. The Jaguars secondary is depleted. Donavan Darious is out for the year. Terry Cousins isn't playing. Starting cornerback Brian Williams is questionable but he did not practice all week so it is up in the air as to whether or not he will play. Therefore, the Jags could be without 3 of their 4 starting DB's which means Evans could have a field day. That is only if Fairchild loosens the reigns on his quarterback like he did last week.
Willis McGahee is back. He was upgraded to probably and should be playing since he did not miss any practice time this week. McGahee is crucial to the Bills offense. With the 2 monsters that Jacksonville has inside, it will be nearly impossible to run effectively between the tackles. Anthony Thomas is a between the hashmark runner and I think he would be completely neutralized by the Jags defensive line. With Willis, the Bills will be able to do more outside of the tackle box in an attempt to try and stretch the football field. An effective passing game will also help the Bills spread Jacksonville's defense out to enable Willis to have more running room. Look for McGahee to get about 15 carries in this game while Anthony Thomas should have about 10 if all goes well.
Jacksonville is a completely different team away from All Tell stadium. On the road this year they are 1-3 with the only win coming verse the Eagles. They lost at Houston and at Washington. Against the Redskins, they allowed 36 points to Mark Brunell and company who usually operate as an anemic offense. Their other loss on the road came at Indianapolis.
This is a let down game for Jacksonville and I think the 65,000 strong at Orchard Park will be ready for this game knowing that a win can get Buffalo back in contention. Losman throws effectively against the depleted secondary with his newly found confidence. McGahee will bring a spark back to the running game as well. The Bills will win this one to get to 5-6 setting up a huge showdown with the Chargers next week. Buffalo knocks off the Jags 23-13 behind Losman's 2 touchdown passes.

I just experienced something that I have never experienced in my life. I decided to check out espn.com and cbs.sportsline.com to see what the buzz was around the NFL. I never could have imagined what was coming. On each site, there were headline articles about the Buffalo Bills. That's right, the Bills are getting some national publicity because of two players who deserve some national attention.

On espn.com, Michael Smith wrote a very interesting article about Angelo Crowell. Not only was there an article about Crowell, but his picture was featured on the front page of espn.com's NFL section. I haven't seen a Bill there...ever. It is relieving that people outside of the 716 and the 585 notice that this guy can play and since he is very young, he can turn out to be a pro bowl player. Smith noted that after the Colts 17-16 win, Manning said "Hey Crowell, good game, man." Even the NFL's best quarterback is noticing Crowell's play. Maybe he noticed because Crowell had 15 tackles, three pass breakups, and a forced fumble in the game. The entire NFL should take notice. Last season he was 17th in the league with 117 tackles. That was in only 13 starts, his first 13 in the league. Vilma, who led the NFL in tackles averaged 10.81 per game, Crowell averaged 9. This is pretty impressive considering Vilma is a middle linebacker. This season, Crowell is second on the Bills in tackles and tied for first in interceptions. Lately this guy has just been all over the field and always around the ball.

On CBS Sportsline, Clark Judge wrote an article about Bills wide reciever Lee Evans. This guy is a player. Average Joe's don't go out there and catch 11 balls for 265 yards and 2 tds including a pair of 83 yarders. It takes a special player to do something like this. The article pretty much centered on the fact that on both of those long TD plays, Evans did no celebration at all. He simply dropped the ball and ran to the bench. Judge touched on this guys attitude and Lee Evans might have the best attitude of any reciever in the league. When asked why he doesn't celebrate, Evans said "It's just something I've always done. I like to celebrate with my teammates more than anything. Getting to the end zone is a hard thing, so I want to be with the guys who helped get me there. That's just how I am." Evans doesn't need to showboat, which is a trait that seems to come with the position lately. Evans just lets his performance do the talking. In the middle of his 3rd season, Evans already has 20 touchdowns. Judge also stated how the only 2 players with more touchdowns in their first 2 seasons in the league are Randy Moss and Larry Fitzgerald. These two guys also played for teams with quarterbacks that weren't trying to find themselves and on teams that did not depend on the run. I am sure that people around the country wouldn't even compare Lee to Moss and Larry Fitzgerald. Well, they should. In fact, right now, Lee Evans is the best of the three and his attitude makes him the perfect number 1 reciever for a young quarterback. Can you imagine Moss or Owens playing with Losman? Evans knows JP needs some time to develop and when that fully happens, Losman to Evans could be something special.

Week 12 "Expert" Picks

Mike (24-8)

Detroit
Dallas
Denver
Minnesota
Carolina
Cincinnati
NY Jets
Buffalo
Alanta
Pittsburgh
St. Louis
San Diego
New England
Giants
Indianapolis
Seattle

Joe (22-10)

Miami
Dallas
Kansas City
Baltimore
Carolina
New Orleans
St. Louis
NY Jets
Minnesota
Cincinnati
Buffalo
San Diego
Tennessee
New England
Indianapolis
Seattle

Janis (17-15)

Miami
Dallas
Kansas City
Minnesota
Cleveland
NY Jets
Buffalo
New Orleans
Baltimore
San Fran
San Diego
New England
Tennessee
Indianapolis
Seattle

J Rod (17-15)

Miami
Dallas
Denver
Atlanta
Buffalo
Cincinatti
San Francisco
Minnesota
NY Jets
Carolina
Baltimore
San Diego
Tennessee
New England
Indianapolis
Seattle

T Wreck (16-16)

I don't have this wrecks picks yet

AJ (15-17)

I have his picks but I am lost and forgot to bring them home so he is re sending or these bad boys will be posted at a later date...but his picks are made.

Here are the "expert picks" standings from week 11

Mike

• 13-3

Joe

• 11-5

Janis

• 11-5

J Rod

• 10-6

AJ

• 8-8

T Wreck

• 6-10

OVERALL "EXPERT PICKS" STANDINGS THROUGH WEEK 11

Mike

• 24-8

Joe

• 22-10

Janis

• 17-15

J Rod

• 17-15

T Wreck

• 16-16

AJ

• 15-17

Bills 24 Texans 21

This game is what Bills fans have been waiting to see for the past 1 year and 10 games. On a day when the running game was mediocre at best, JP Losman had to carry the load, and he did. JP won the Bills a football game for the first time in his career.

Reactions

1. JP Losman looked like he has a brain for the first time since this guy has been quarterback. He took the underneath passes to Anthony Thomas because the Texans were giving that play to him. It works for 10 yards every time and is a great play to run in the 2 minute drill. You see the likes of Brady (underneath to Kevin Faulk) and Manning (underneath to Rhodes) use this play all the time in the 2 minute drill. Losman used Thomas to move the ball 20 yards to the 35, then he throw a very accurate and confident pass over the middle to Evans and spiked the ball to give Buffalo a chance. The pass to the endzone to Price was picture perfect with 9 seconds left to win the game. A textbook 2 minute drill, absolutely text book. His number on the day were a testament to how he played in this game, 26-38 340 yds 3 tds 1 int....yds and tds a career high. Although he played his best game as a Bill, he still needs to learn to not stare down his wide recievers. That pick to Robinson was as bad as you are going to see. He locks on Evans too much and that cost him on that play and almost on a couple other plays. The rest of the Bills wide outs need to step up like Peerless on that last play. Where is Parrish/Price the entire game?
2. Lee Evans was a straight up baller today. He had 11 catches for 265 yards and 2 tds. This is a new Bills single game record. He is only the third player in NFL history to catch 2 tds of 80 yards or more in the same game. This guy caught everything that was near him and his speed is good enough to blow by any corner in this league (except maybe Champ Bailey). What is truly amazing is that Evans wasn't even nominated for NBC's toyota player of the week. How does a guy with 11 for 265 and 2 tds not get nominated for this. That is ridiculous and a complete insult to the city of Buffalo and the Bills franchise. This guy had like the 7th best game for a wide out in NFL history and he doesn't get nominated for a player of the week award? Chad Johnson had less yards and less receptions and got nominated. You have got to be kidding me.
3. The coaching in this game was suspect as usual. The Bills came out in the first quarter and were aggressive and played well. Mainly because they just let Losman play and do what he does best. After the first quarter though the play calling was absolutely terrible. The coaches call plays like they are scared. After the Texans fumble, the Bills got the ball at about the 17 with 3 timeouts and 1 minute and 12 seconds. They decided to run the ball and try and kill the clock. This is somewhat understandable if the Bills didn't have a full arsenal of timeouts, but with 3 timeouts and over a minute, an NFL team needs to try and get points. Secondly, the playcalling on third and 1 is a complete joke. On third and 1 you do not come out in the shotgun and throw. The Bills called a pass from the shotgun on third and 1 and it resulted in an incomplete pass. In short yardage, if a pass is called it should be some kind of play fake from a jumbo set. On the very next possession, the Bills came out with 3 wideouts in a single back set and Thomas got stuffed for no gain. Why not keep your fullback in the game on third and 1 if a run is called? It just doesn't make sense. Third, the decision to punt, although it worked out, with 2:20 left was completely ridiculous. The Bills got lucky that the decision worked out and they got the ball back because if not that decision would have been scrutinized big time. All in all, Dicky J needs to grow a sac asap.
4. To the Texans coaches, on third and 2 with under 2 minutes left and a first down wins the game and you playing the Bills, run the football. The decision to throw there made absolutely no sense. Kubiak, your quarterback isn't John Elway anymore buddy.
5. Dunta Robinson, YOU ARE A FUCKING JOKE. YOU ARE A NOBODY. YOU CAN'T CRITICIZE ANYONE IN THE NFL. Congratulations, you scored your first NFL touchdown...ANY NFL CORNERBACK WOULD HAVE SCORED THERE. You don't have enough respect around the league to criticize Eric Crouch and the way he plays/played quarterback. What kind of name is Dunta anyways? Hey Dunta, you have no right to say it was embarassing that JP led that drive and that JP shouldn't feel good cause you guys shot yourself in the foot. Well guess what pal, The Bills won the football game and your joke fucking franchise is 1-3 vs Buffalo in your history. So until you prove you are even a mediocre player, keep your fucking mouth shut.
6. As a lifetime Bills fan, I couldn't remember what it felt like to win a football game like this. The Bills didn't come back and win a game in the last 2 minutes since 1999. They didn't win a single football game by 3 points or less since 2001. A last second victory feels good and can do wonders for the confidence of a young team. Quite frankly, I didn't think Losman had that last drive in him. In fact, I would have bet hundreds of dollars and give someone minimum 100-1 odds on JP leading a touchdown drive there... WOW.
7. Lastly, Anthony Thomas isn't Willis McGahee and everyone should notice that by now. Thomas is a good backup and that is it.

Next weekend versus Jacksonville is a huge football game. A win and the Bills can start to talk about possibly coming back for a playoff run. If Buffalo can somehow win, they will have a third opportunity to save their season against a premier football team in the San Diego Chargers. This was step 1 in the Bills 2nd half plan. As indicated, the Bills will win 6 of their last 7 and step 2 is next Sunday.

Week 11 Buffalo Bills @ Houston Texans

This week marks the beginning of the Bills resurgence back into contention. This blog has ripped this football team again and again but I still have hope because of the way the schedule is setting up. This Sunday, the Bills will travel to Reliant Stadium for the 2nd time ever as they try and go 3-0 verse the Texans in their short history. Since this blog has been pretty much right on when it comes to predicting Bills games, here are the keys to victory.

• I don't think it can be argued that the Bills have perhaps the worst offense in franchise history. What the coaches are doing with JP Losman (ie. keeping him in the pocket) just flat out isn't working. Why does JP Losman have potential? Well it's simple...he is a great athlete. So how about this week the Bills let JP go out their and do what he is good at. Let him run around and make plays with his feel and arm out of the pocket. It really can't hurt and it can help build JP's confidence a little bit. Rolling him out is also necessary because if he sits in the pocket he will get eaten up. The Bills have Terrance Pennington and Duke Preston starting on the right side of the line. Also, as far as the offense goes, get Roscoe Parrish involved. I am sick of seeing WR screens to the unillusive Peerless Price. Get Roscoe the football in open space, he is the quickest guy we got.
• On defense, the Bills should be able to control the 27th ranked rushing offense in the NFL which will allow them to put a lot of pressure on David Carr. Last year in the opener, David Carr said that he had never felt more lost on a football field than he did verse the Bills defense. I don't think it will be that bad but the Bills should be able to fluster him especially if the Texans can't develop a running game.
• For the second straight week, the Bills should be able to run the ball well. The Texans rank 27th in the league stopping the run allowing 131.3 ypg on the ground. Use Anthony Thomas to set up play action passes and roll outs to try and get Losman involved. The Bills cannot be so boring and predictable on offense or else they will not put up points ever.
• The Bills need to watch out for Eric Moulds in this game. He will be pumped up to play his old team. I'm not so much worried about Eric but if the Bills pay too much attention to him because relationship a lot of the Bills veterans have with him, Andre Johnson could put up gaudy numbers. He leads the league with 68 catches and has 808 yards. He can torch Buffalo if they aren't careful.

These two offenses struggle big time scoring points. Buffalo is averaging 15.6 and Houston isn't much better at 16.0. Look for each defense to control the game. The Houston Texans are coming off a huge win verse the Jacksonville Jaguars last week of course. The only team the Texans can beat normally is Jacksonville. The good news for Buffalo is that Houston has only won back to back games 3 times in their history, all in 2004. Buffalo's defense forces 2 David Carr turnovers and Terrance McGee makes another big special teams play as Buffalo wins it 20-9. Don't worry, the Bills offense will not account for all 20 of these points.

Jerry Sullivan earlier this week wrote an article about the 10 worst Bills road losses of the past 6 years. I am writing this today to talk about the best Bills wins of the past 6 years. I am only doing this because I want to shine some light on this team and perhaps show that this team can bring something to the city of buffalo other than depression. I am a die hard Bills fan and I am not giving up hope on this team yet.

So here is a list of the best Bills wins since the 2000 season.

1. 2000-2001 season. Bills 16 Titans 13. The season opener following the music city miracle brought the Tennessee Titans to Orchard Park on Sunday night. The Bills defense man handled the Titans. They were held to 9 first downs and 172 net yards on the evening. Steve Christie notched the game winning 33 yard field goal with 31 seconds remaining as the Bills got some revenge on the Titans with a rare 4th quarter win. Eddie George 37 yards on the ground as the Titans as a team only managed 53.
2. 2001-2002 season. Bills 14 Jets 9. The Bills went into the meadowlands at 2-12 to face the 9-5 and playoff pound New York Jets. Again it was the Bills defense who stole the show in a shocking upset. The Bills allowed some yards but forced 3 Jets turnovers and controlled the time of possession. Jay Riemersma had 8 catches for 78 yards. That's right, a Bills TE had 8 catches in a single football game. It's an amazing thing when your tight end catches the football. Big Jay is the last productive TE we have seen at 1 Bills Drive,
3. 2002-2003 season. Bills 45 Vikings 39. Drew Bledsoe went into Minnesota for his first road game as Bills quarterback and he didn't disappoint. Mike Hollis hit a 54 yarder off the cross bar and through at the end of regulation to send the game to overtime. Bledsoe ended the game with a 48 yard touchdown pass to Peerless Price. Bledsoe threw for 463 yards on the day and 3 touchdowns. Peerless caught 13 balls for 185 yards and 2 touchdowns as he flourished with the Moulds double team.
4. 2002-2003 season. Bills 38 Dolphins 21. In a blizzard at Ralph Wilson stadium, the Bills offense exploded on Miami. Eric Moulds caught a 57 yard bomb from Bledsoe off the deflection in probably the most memorable play of that game. Bledsoe threw for 306 and accounted for 4 Buffalo touchdowns including 1 rushing td. Perhaps the stat of the day was that Ricky Williams shredded the Bills defense for 228 yards on the ground in a losing effort. He scored on Miami's first play from scrimmage.
5. 2003-2004 season. Bills 31 Patriots 0. Who could forget this one? This marked Lawyer Milloy and Takeo Spike's first game on the Bills defense who looked every bit like the 2nd ranked D in the league on this day. Milloy contributed a sack and Takeo contributed an INT in the drubbing of Tom Brady and the Patriots. The Bills defense forced 4 Brady interceptions including a 37 yard TD return by big Sam Adams in the most memorable play of the that season for the Bills. Bledsoe was solid and Henry scored twice in the blowout. This was the best regular season Bills game I have ever been at.
6. 2004-2005 season. Bills 38 Seahawks 9. The Bills were 4-6 coming into this football game on the road versus the division leading Seahawks. The Bills defense dominated Seattle on this day allowing 230 total net yards of offense. Willis McGahee scored 4 touchdowns and ran for 116 yards including the infamous and questionable fake qb sneak touchdown run. This game sparked the Bills late season run that featured other memorable moments.
7. 2004-2005 season. Bills 37 Browns 7. This game was the single most dominating defensive performance I have ever seen. The Browns had 17 total net yards of offense on the day. That is an absolutely amazing statistic. The Browns didn't even look like they belonged on the same football field as the Bills. The Browns managed -12 yards of net passing in the snow at Ralph Wilson stadium. McGahee led the Bills offense with 105 yards and 2 tds.
8. 2004-2005 season. Bills 33 Bengals 16. This marked Takeo Spikes' return to Paul Brown stadium and he didn't disappoint. He scored on a 62 yard interception return for a touchdown. This game is especially memorable because it was the first Bills road game that I have attended and the Bills fans came in large numbers. Jason Peters blocked a punt, recovered the football and scored a touchdown on the same play. In the first quarter a Bengals fan left the seats talking trash when Cinci possessed a 7-0 lead. When he returned 10 minutes later the Bills were up 14-7. He was owned and so was his football team. By the way, Cincinatti hasn't beaten Buffalo since 1988.
9. 2005-2006 season. Bills 37 Bengals 27. I know this game cost the Bills the 3rd pick in the draft but all in all it was a great win for the Bills. Terrance McGee showed signs of the game changer that he can be with a kick return touchdown and a 4th quarter interception return for a touchdown to ice the game. The Bills actually outscored the Bengals 17-3 in the fourth quarter to come back and get a win.

In my opinion, these represent the best Bills wins of the past 6 years. I know there is only 9 but these stand out. The Bills are 3-6 right now after 9 games, the same record they had in 2004 after 9 games. The Bills have very winnable home games remaining versus Miami, Tennesee, and Jacksonville. The Bills also have a winnable road game left against the Texans. Buffalo needs to win these football games and then somehow win 2 of 3 verse the Chargers at home and at Baltimore and at New York. I got faith. You heard it here first. Bills win 6 of their last 7 and give themselves a shot at January football.

Week 11 "Expert" Picks

Joe (11-5)

St Louis
Tampa Bay
Cinci
Pittsburgh
Baltimore
Philly
Chicago
Miami
Kansas City
Buffalo
New England
San Fran
Detroit
Indi
San Diego
Giants

Mike (11-5)

Carolina
Tampa Bay
Cincinnati
Philadelphia
Chicago
Miami
KC
New England
Pittsburgh
Atlanta
Buffalo
Arizona
Seattle
Dallas
San Diego
Jacksonville

T Wreck (10-6)

Houston
Kansas City
Dallas
New Orleans
Pittsbrugh
Philadelphia
Atlanta
Carolina
Green bay
Tampa bay
Chicago
Minnesota
Detroit
Seattle
Denver
NY Giants

AJ (7-9)

Carolina
Tampa Bay
New Orleans
Philadelphia
Jets
Miami
KC
New England
Pittsburgh
Baltimore
Houston
Detroit
Seattle
Indianapolis
San Diego
Giants

J Rod (7-9)

Steelers
Patriots
Chiefs
Dolphins
Bungals
Bears
Eagles
Redskins
Panthers
Ravens
Texans
Lions
Seahawks
Cowboys
Chargers
Giants

Janis (6-10)

Baltimore
Buffalo
Jets
New Orleans
Miami
New England
Kansas City
Pittsburgh
Carolina
Philadelphia
Tampa
Arizona
San Francisco
Indianapolis
San Diego
Giants

Week 10 power Rankings

1. Indianapolis (9-0), they played terrible really to keep the Bills close, but a win is a win.
2. San Diego Chargers (7-2), LT scored 13 tds in the past 4 games, the Bills offense has 11 on the season. This team never quit, they scored 6 2nd half tds.
3. Chicago Bears (8-1), huge road win for the Bears at New York. Maybe that Dolphins game was a fluke but I still think Rex Grossman sucks.
4. Denver Broncos (7-2), it wasn't easy but it's not easy to win on the road in this league even against the Raiders.
5. Baltimore Ravens (7-2), what a comeback by McNair at his old home. Must feel good to do that to the Titans after he was kicked out of town.
6. New England Patriots (6-3), bad home loss vs the Jets. First time losing back to back games in like 3 years or something ridiculous. Bills haven't won back to back games in like 3 years it seems.
7. Dallas Cowboys (5-4), maybe the NFC east favorites with Romo at QB.
8. New York Giants (6-3), they are decimated with injuries and losing Luke Petitgaut now doesn't help. Bad collapse at home vs the Bears.
9. New Orleans Saints (6-3), Reggie scores a td but the Steelers were too much at home.
10. Carolina Panthers (5-4), I was debating over the Panthers and Eagles in this spot. I like John Fox better than Andy Reid so they are in.

28. Buffalo Bills (3-6), this team can't buy a road win against a good team even when they try to give it to them.

29. Tennessee Titans (2-7), embarrassing choke job at home.

30. Detroit Lions (2-7), what a flop after a good win vs the Falcons.

31. Oakland Raiders (2-7), This offense is almost as bad as Buffalo's.

32. Arizona Cardinals (1-8), Dennis Greene will be looking for employment come January.

"EXPERT PICKS" STANDINGS

Joe

• 11-5

Mike

• 11-5

Tim

• 10-6

AJ

• 7-9

J Rod

• 7-9

Janis

• 6-10

The day after the biggest disappointment of the season so far, let's break down Bills quarterback JP Losman's season...

• His best statistic is QB rating...80.6 ranks him 18th in the league and for a 2nd year qb essentially that really isn't terrible. It's everything else that makes me cringe.
• He has passed for 1498 yards through 9 games or 166.4 yards per game. He has thrown for more yards than Walter, Harrington, Hasselback, Bledsoe, leftwich, Romo, Leinart, Young, Culpepper, Warner, etc. All of these guys have not started all of their teams games. In fact they haven't started more than 1 game. JP has the fewest yards in the NFL among QB's who have played every game.
• He has only 7 td's thus far. This puts him in a tie for 25th in the league. Again, among quarterbacks that have played in all their teams games, he ranks ahead of only the aging Brad Johnson.
• His TD percentage, 3.1%, naturally is terrible. This is the percentage of tds per pass attempts or in other words, he will throw 3 tds in 100 passes. This ranks 27th in the league.
• Losman ranks 32nd in the league in sacks with 30. Even worse, he ranks dead last in the NFL, 34th, in sack yards with 243 yards lost.

In conclusion ladies and gentlemen, the numbers don't lie.

Colts 17 Bills 16

I wish this was a blow out. This game perfectly depicts the ineptitude of the Bills as an organization. The offense is non existent. The coaching is terrible. The kicker is completely not clutch. I have never been this pissed off/upset about a Bills game in recent memory. This is brutal. I cannot stand being a Bills fan any longer. I can't stand anything about this football team/organization and it has been pathetic for 7 years and it is not improving.

Here are my reactions to this game. I am writing this approximately 10 minutes after the game ended so all my fustrations are fresh in my mind.

1. Where else to start besides the offense. Complete ineptitude. This is the worst offense in the NFL. When you have drive starts at the 12 and 40 and get a combined 3 points on those drives, that is embarassing. When your defense and special teams outscores the offense on a regular basis, that is embarassing. When you are only beating your defense by 7 touchdowns through 9 games that is embarassing. WHEN YOUR OFFENSE GETS -8 YARDS ON 11 PLAYS INSIDE THE RED ZONE THAT IS STRAIGHT UP ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC. There is no other way to describe it. What more can our defense do. They get the Bills the football at the 40 with a chance to take the lead. Thomas gets a few first downs. Then the ball is put in Losman's hand and as usual, nothing good happens. He get's sacked as he always does. This guy get's sacked 25 percent of the times he drops back to pass and it seems like more. Why did we have Robert Royal blocking Dwight Freeney on that last sack. Its unbeievable. The A train was not impressive today either. He had some pretty good runs but Willis would have just run through that defense. JP losman is not going to win the Bills any football games. The coaches have no confidence in this guys ability. I don't think JP has any confidence in his ability. How come every time they show him on the sideline he is sitting on the bench in a complete daise. He seems to be completely clueless in every way. He has no pocket presence. He has never made an audible in his career. He seriously has never made an audible in his career. MCGEE RETURNED A KICK TO THE 12 AND WE GOT 0 YEARS OF OFFENSE ON THE DRIVE AND SETTLED FOR 3. WHAT A JOKE. WE SCORED A TOTAL OF ZERO TOUCHDOWNS IN THIS GAME, AGAINST A BELOW AVERAGE DEFENSE. THIS IS ABS. PATHETIC. Well let's take a look at the stats. Losman had 51 net passing yards. That means, in the past 2 games, 1 of which was against the 32nd ranked pass defense in the NFL, he has 105 net passing yards. That is a total for 2 games. What else can I say? 105 net passing yards in the past 2 games combined. Kevin Everett should be released. 2 huge penalties today and he hasn't had a catch all season I don't think. He might have 1 but he is just so bad that it isn't worth it for me to look it up. He is a bum. Worst TE from Miami ever.
2. Lindell is the most unclutch kicker I have ever seen. In his career with the Bills, I have never seen this guy make a clutch kick, ever. Yeah he may be accurate when the kicks don't matter but when was the last time this guy has ever made a kick of significance. how about this stat. ZERO, 0, nil, cero, NO GAME WINNING KICKS AS A BILLS KICKER. HOW CAN WE DEPEND ON A GUY IN THE CLUTCH WHEN HE CAN'T MAKE A BIG KICK. Yeah our special teams may be good and yeah Moorman had a great game, and yeah McGee had a great game returning kicks. But all that matters is the clutch. And in the clutch, the Bills again folded. Again they didn't get the job done. Again, the play the Bills needed to make, they didn't make. It is a theme. It has been a theme in the past 7 years. Ever since all they had to do was make a tackle on special teams on 1/2/00, they haven't made a play they needed to make.
3. I guess I will say a few good things about the Bills defense. First of all, Angelo Crowell showed he can be a pro bowl player. He had a great game. Also, Nate Clements is playing like the shut down corner that he should be making the money that he makes. But again, the theme continues. When they needed a stop, they were just atrocious. At the end of the game, when everyone was expecting a run they couldn't stop a rookie running back. The were getting shredded for 7 yards a carry. Rhodes averaged 5.1 a pop, Addai averaged 6.0 a pop. We let the Colts just tick away the last 6 minutes of the clock, similar to the opener when the Pats were able to eat the last 6 minutes. THe D, just like the rest of the team, is not clutch. Takeo Spikes has been mediocre at best. The D line is the worst I have ever seen. I Feel like the Bills have 2 guys on the D line that wouldn't make the roster of a good football team in Anderson and Williams. Two undersized, white D ends. I have to take my hat off to the safeties though. No big plays downfield today. At last we can hang our hats on these two guys for the next 8 years. Whitner and Simpson could be the best tandem in the league for years to come. But right now it doesn't matter, this was a must win and we just didn't win.
4. Wow, the coaching. CAN DICK JAURON WASTE TIMEOUTS IN A WORSE FASHION THAN HE DOES. HE JUST SPENDS THEM WHEN THEY ARE NOT NEEDED AND IT CONTINUOUSLY HURTS THE TEAM. IT HURT THEM AGAISNT THE LIONS, IT HURT THEM TODAY. Timeout management is absolutely pathetic. Fairchild is the offensive coordinator. I don't kknow if he sucks by default cause our offense is so pathetic. But at times it seemed like he didn't realize we were playign the COlts. Obviously we need touchdowns when playing the best offense in football. BUT INSTEAD WE R RUNNING ON 3RD AND GOAL FROM THE FUCKING 12. YEAH GREAT WE GOT A GOD DAMN FIELD GOAL. THIS JUST IN, PEERLESS IS NOT ELLUSIVE STOP THROWING GOD DAMN WIDE RECIEVER SCREENS TO THIS GUY. YEAH WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONSERVATIVE, BUT THERE IS CONSERVATIVE AND THERE IS NOT TRYING TO WIN A FOOTBALL GAME AND TODAY ON OFFENSE AS USUAL IT SEEMED LIKE WE WERE TRYING NOT TO LOSE RATHER THAN TRYING TO WIN.

There will be more, these are just some first impulse reactions and right now I am just way too pissed off to think clearly. This team is taking years off my life. The Bills are out of it by Thanksgiving. To make things even better, all the teams the Bills needed to have lose, all lost (ie. Chiefs, Jags, Bengals) so again an opportunity completely blown by the Bills.

• One more thing. I THINK EVERYONE CAN SAFELY ADMIT THAT JP LOSMAN IS NOT THE ANSWER. WE NEED A NEW QUARTERBACK. I WANT A PROVEN GUY IN THIS LEAGUE IN THIS OFFSEASON. A GUY THAT CAN WIN FOOTBALL GAMES AND CAN THROW FOR MORE THAN 105 FUCKING NET YARDS IN 2 COMBINED GAMES. HOLY SHIT. WHY NOT START NALL. HONESTLY, CAN THIS OFFENSE BE WORSE WITH NALL, THIS OFFENSE WOUDLN'T BE WORSE WITH STEVE JANIS AT THE HELM AND IM 100 PERCENT SERIOUS AS SADLY AS IT SOUNDS.

Week 10 "Expert" Picks

Twreck (0-0) AJ (0-0) Joe (0-0) Janis (0-0) Jrod (0-0) Coast (0-0)
Jets @ Pats Pats Pats Pats Pats Pats Pats
Skins @ Eagles Eagles Eagles Eagles Eagles Eagles Eagles
Browns @ Falcons Falcs Falcs Browns Falcs Falcs Falcs
Chiefs @ Dolphins Phins Chiefs Phins Chiefs Chiefs Phins
Packers @ Vikings Pack Vikes Pack Pack Vikes Pack
49ers @ Lions Lions Lions Lions Lions Lions Lions
Bills @ Colts Colts Colts Colts Colts Colts Colts
Ravens @ Titans Ravens Ravens Ravens Ravens Ravens Ravens
Texans @ Jaguars Jags Jags Jags Jags Jags Jags
Chargers @ Bengals Cinci Cinci Cinci Cinci Chargers Chargers
Broncos @ Raiders Den Den Den Den Den Den
Cowboys @ Cardinals Boys Boys Boys Cards Boys Boys
Rams @ Seahawks Hawks Rams Rams Rams Rams Rams
Saints @ Steelers Sains Pitt Pitt Saints Saints Pitt
Bears @ Giants Bears Giants Bears Giants Giants Bears
Bucs @ Panthers Car Car Car Car Car Car

Week 10 Bills @ Colts

No McGahee, no problem this weekend for the Buffalo Bills. Yesterday I was borderline suicidal over the McGahee issue, but after much deliberation I realized that the Colts run defense is absolutely terrible. In fact, Indianapolis ranks dead last in the NFL in run defense, allowing 165.4 yards per contest. Therefore, I think the A Train should have no problem shredding the colts undersized defense.

Are the Indianapolis Colts invincible? Far from it. The Colts have struggled this season at times, including against two mediocre teams at best. Let's take a look at those two specific games.

1. Week 4: Colts at Jets, the Colts hang on to win 31-28 on a late touchdown. Manning was far from superman in this game. He threw for only 217 yards and 1 touchdown. Losman on the other hand, scorched the Jets for over 300 yards. Furthermore, the Colts special teams was questionable. They gave up a touchdown return off of a kickoff. Also, Vinatieri has not been automatic lately like he usually is. The Colts barely won this game even with the Jets 3 turnovers and their none. The Colts were definitely beatable on this day.
2. Week 5: Titans at Colts, the Colts rally to beat the lowly Titans 14-13. Manning threw for an anemic 166 and a pick in this one. The defense got scorched by Travis Henry on the ground for over 6 a pop while allowing 214 on the ground total on the day. The Colts turned the football over 2 times compared to the Titans 1. Also, the special teams allowed some long kick returns. The Colts looked mediocre on this day also.

SO, whose to say the Colts won't have a game like this on Sunday. They are coming off two great wins on the road against playoff teams in Denver and New England, so this is a typical let down game for them. In fact, with the Colts go to Texas stadium in week 11, they could be looking past the Bills.

So what are the keys to victory for the 12.5 point underdog Buffalo Bills? Well it's simple, keep the Colts offense off the field.

1. We all know how potent the Colts offense is. So what better way to beat them than by keeping Manning and company on the sideline. Therefore, the Bills must run the football and pound the small Colt defense. The run to pass ratio in this football game should be no less than 2-1 even without McGahee in there. Thomas is a big back and can carry the football 30 times if needed. Also, the Colts are ranked third in the NFL against the pass so why pass? Especially since our QB Lostman is brainless and locks onto guys. Run to set up play actions. Keep is simple for JP, if the Bills turn the ball over at all the score will be lopsided after 7 minutes.
2. Force the Colts to run with Joseph Addai. Manning will be able to pick the Bills apart with the passing game so i think the Bills need to take a page from the Giants playbook in Super Bowl 25. 2 down lineman, invite the Colts to run the football. I don't know about you but I am not scared of Joseph Addai at all. And if the Colts do run a lot, they will be using more clock and therefore they will have less chances to score points. Also, the Bills need to play very physical with Wayne and Harrison. These guys aren't big. When they catch the ball the Bills need to light them up. Make them scared to go over the middle. Manning also loves the comebacker to Wayne near the sideline. McGee needs to jump that rout. Also, I don't want to see any 10 yard cushions on the outside. Manning will be salivating at the sight of that.
3. The Colts have given up some long returns this year, so if the Bills want a chance to win, they need to have 2 long ones from McGee at least and 1 for a td. The Bills need to set up points on special teams this game, be it on punts or kickoffs.
4. The Bills defense can't expect the colts to give the ball away carelessly like the Packers did. The Bills need to be opportunistic and aggressive and try to force the action and create turnovers.

So, will the Bills win the ball game? Well the answer is no, unless everything i stated above happens. And will that happen? NO. The Colts are too good. Manning vs Losman is as big of a mismatch as the Royals vs the Yankees in the bidding for Daisuke Matsuzaka. Colts win 34-13 because Jauron will abandon the run when it is 7-0.

GO BILLS

Willis Out Sunday

WOW, the Bills are SCREWED. I was thinking about predicting a Bills 9-8 win over INDY but now with the absence of our franchise player, I have to go with 51-0 INDY. He has a broken 9th rib and cracked 8th and 10th ribs. How did the doctors miss the cracked 8th and 10th ribs on Monday? How do you miss cracked ribs in an x-ray when your profession is to examine x-rays (hang on i can't see I need to wipe my tears). Anyway the Bills are screwed...3-6 after 9 games and then if he is out vs the Texans on the road you can mark down 3-7. Unless A-Train can go back to his days in the Big 10 and pretend the Colts defense is Northwestern or something then I can't see the Bills doing anything on offense. I am in a world of pain right now. That's all.

Week 9 Power Rankings: Colts on top for one last week until their undefeated season takes a hit on Sunday.

Top 10

1. Indianapolis Colts (8-0), this Sunday they face their biggest test of the season. Anthony Thomas and the Buffalo Bills. (last week: 1)
2. New England Patriots (6-2), Brady played bad and made a lot of mistakes and they still only lost by 7 to the Colts. Brady won't play like that next time. (last week: 3)
3. San Diego Chargers (6-2), LT 172 3 tds and its not even anything special for him. (last week: 6)
4. Denver Broncos (6-2), Champ Bailey 2 pics, this guy can take any wide reciever in this league out of the game. Plummer starting to play better too and Javon Walker for a 2nd rounder was a steal. (last week: 5)
5. New York Giants (6-2), Struggled vs. Houston, but a win is a win. They should handle the overrated Bears. (last week: 4)
6. Baltimore Ravens (6-2), Ravens scoring points now that Billick is calling the plays. Defense is really strong as always. They have a stranglehold on the division. (last week: 8)
7. New Orleans Saints (6-2), I don't know how good this team really is, but the weaknesses of the NFC are beginning to show. Drew Brees is lighting up defenses and this team could battle with the Giants and Bears for a first round bye. (last week: UNR)
8. Chicago Bears (7-1), listen to their opponents so far: packers, lions, vikings, seahawks, bills, cardinals, 49ers, dolphins. They lost to the Dolphins and should have lost to the Cardinals. That is terrible and this team is officially the most overrated team in the NFL. (last week: 2)
9. Kansas City Chiefs (5-3), If you are called by your initials or have a nickname you are a great running back, LT, LJ, OJ for example. LJ putting up LT like numbers of late. Too bad the Chiefs will lose out to the surging Bills for a wild card. (last week: UNR)
10. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-3), I couldn't think of a team that belonged here so I went with the Jags cause they have a winning record. The NFL is weak this year, very weak. (last week: UNR)

Bottom 5

28. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-6), maybe the national media and vegas have realized how bad this team is. How were they favored over the Broncos, this isn't 2005. (last week: UNR)

29. Houston Texans (2-6), Mario Williams was "balling" Sunday but too bad his team just isn't (and neither is Mario Williams really at all). (last week: UNR)

30. Tennessee Titans (2-6), When your opposing QB has 3 or more tds and you have 3 or more picks chances are you are going to lose the ball game. (last week: UNR)

31. Oakland Raiders (2-6), no comment, kneeing a dude in the balls if you are a dude is just not cool dude. (last week: UNR)

32. Arizona Cardinals (1-7), no comment again, these 2 teams r just that pathetic. (last week: 31)

Editorial: Bills Offensive Midseason Grades
by: Tim Hourihan

Well here we are, sitting at 3-5 halfway through our first season with the greatMarv Levy as our GM. It could be better, it could be worse. My job today is tograde each Bills starter or major contributor on their performance halfway throughthe 2006 National Football League season, what to expect from them in the 2nd halfof the season, and to predict their status with the Bills for the 2007 campaign. OBOY

T WRECK’s Mid- Season Grades

J.P Losman D - Fu_kin brutal quarterback play by our 1st round savior… little J.P.. Hestill talks like he hasn’t hit puberty yet people. I wonder if that is the reasonhe’s made the total of .. ummm 0 audibles this entire season.. Maybe the playerscant understand the tone of his voice. I liked the way he threw the pigskin againtEric Mangini and co. but that’s about it. In the past 2 home games I’ve seenthe guy stair down his 1st read then freeze for a complete second.. By the time hefinds his checkdown, he’s on his back (most likely with the other team recoveringa fumble. Another thing that I do not like is the batted balls at the line (tooshort). The only football game he seemed ready to play and lead the team was theseason opener, where I feel he played a solid football game. But people, the guyholds onto the ball WAYYY too long and is playing terrible football. Dick Jauron hasto be strongly and I mean strongly considering making the move to Craig Nall.

Willis Mcgahee B- - Running hard as usual. Not a team leader as usual. Willis has showedthat he is willing to block for the QB a little more than in previous years. He hasnot been the big play threat that he claimed he would be this season, and also hasnot had many receptions. Anthony Thomas runs just as hard, but Willis is probably alittle better in open space. Also, his pace has tailed off in the past 4 footballgames. Hopefully Willis can play this week against Indy even with the broke rib. He needs to find the damn end zone though if this offense wants to be even mediocre. I predict Willis will be dealt in the off-season for a 2nd or 3rd round pick. Theguy simply does not want to be here. I hope I’m wrong, but I’m not from whatI’ve heard from my sources.

Lee Evans B- - What a player… If you don’t like Lee Evans your not a Bills fan or afootball fan. I predict he will go down as the 2nd best receiver in Buffalo Billshistory behind only Wall of famer Andre Reed. But anyways, his production this yearhas not been fantastic due to significant double teams, and porous QB play. Ihonestly can’t think of a drop he has had all season. He had a thing going withJ.P. earlier in the season, but the entire offense has been brutal as of late. Lookfor more than one multiple touchdown games in the 2nd half of the season for yourboy Lee. Yea he’s THAT good. Will be a Buffalo Bill for life hopefully. What aclass act as well.

Peerless Price D+ This guy flat out sucks. You gotta be kidding me with this guy as anumber 2. I even had a guy this past week try to tell me we don’t needto draft a wideout because Peerless is a solid number 2. I friggin lostit! No separation + no size + bad attitude = worst offseason signingby Marv. We try to get this guy the ball just so he doesn’t bitchduring the week and I’m sick of it. I’d much rather see Sam Aikenor Andre Davis get more playing time than # 81. Marv will not exercisePeerless’ option for 07.

Josh Reed B- Overpaid but a competitor. Doesn’t drop footballs like earlier in hiscareer. Against New England, he was starting with Rodney Harrison, andlooked like the only Bill with any fight in him that day. Hopefully hisinjury is not severe. Will most likely be back with the Bills nextyear.

Roscoe Parrish D+ 2nd round pick for this bust? You gotta be kidding me Donahoe. Maybeit’s just the offense, but this guy has been nowhere to be found eversince that broken down lucky ass play against the Lions. Returningskills have sucked as well. He’s lucky if he even catches thefootball. PLEASE Fairchild……. Get this man the rock in open spaceso we can see whether it’s even worthwhile to bring him back for a 3rdseason of his short and disappointing career so far.

Robert Royal C I’ve mosty liked what I’ve seen from Robert.. not his fault theBills still underutilize the tight end position . Will continue toimprove and should score a couple TD’s in the 2nd half of the season.Drop against Packers dropped him from a B- to a C…. OWCH.. Justcan’t have drops when J P is your QB. He is signed for at least 2more years and should be on next year’s team.

Kevin Everett D Where has this guy been? I know it is only his 2nd season in the NFL,but when you play for the U, you are expected to make an immediateimpact. Hopefully we see an improvement for in the 2nd half or elseKevin will be in a fight for his NFL job come next summer in Pittsford.

Jason Peters B Only good lineman that we have so it is not an easy task for da pimpJason. I like his leadership and attitude though. Willing to dowhatever it takes to make this a better football team. Atta boy Jay!!!! Franchise tackle for years to come baby.

Mike Gandy C- Hopefully will do something at guard. Debated for over half hourwhether to give him a D+ or C- . Figured he can’t be that bad since hedidn’t get benched. Wait … are backups are FU_King Brad ButlerAaron Merz and Duke Preston.. WTF WTF WTF

Melvin Fowler C Honestly not as bad as I expected. Just a castoff the Bills decided tohook up. Shortest arms of a center in the NFL. Honestly who knows withthis line. Needs to develop more cohesiveness with fellow lineman. Most likely will be starting center next September

Chris Villarrial C+ is Also having a better season that I expected. These guys just don’thave talent people. Playing his ass off though. Him and your boy Pennington a scary thought on the right side. Hopefully we sign a guardto start next year and find another one somewhere to replace Villarialand Gandy as the worst Guard tandem in the NFL

Tutan Reyes/ Pennington – No grade, no comment.

Heres the offense peeps. Steve Fairlchild doesn’t have much to work with, but hisass better start making better playcalls. Our 3rd and short sucks. Our red zonesucks. Our player’s suck… Our coaches suck. The fans even suck this year. Defense and special teams coming ASAP

Bills 24 Packers 10

The Bills were able to keep any possible chance of a playoff berth alive yesterday with a HUGE win over the Packers. The Bills now stand at 3-5 and are 2 games back of the wild card. WIth the Colts on the horizon, the Bills have another chance to save their season against an elite team, a team that is the best in the NFL. This could be a huge let down game for the Colts who are coming off road wins verse the Broncos and Patriots. In fact, the Bills only chance may be if the Colts take this week completely off and do not even game plan at all. Unfortunately, Dungy can gameplan for the Bills offense starting at 12:45 on Sunday and be easily prepared and Manning just doesn't need to gameplan. Well lets just enjoy this win for now as Favre still has never won a ball game at the Ralph.

REACTIONS

1. First and foremost, the McGagee injury. Anyone who thinks Anthony Thomas is even close to as good of a back as Willis McGahee is needs to get their head checked as soon as possible. Yeah, Thomas is a good backup. He can step in and perform when given the opportunity, but he is NOT a franchise back. If he was, the Bears never would have gotten rid of him. As it turns out, McGahee suffered a rib injury and not a knee injury like I thought when they carted him off the field. In fact, seeing him get carted off was one of the worst feelings I ever have had as a Bills fan. He is our offense. Yeah, Thomas stepped in and was productive with 20 carries, 95 yards and 1 td, but he is no McGahee. Willis was on the sideline in street clothes at the end of the game smiling and laughing so hopefully he just bruised his ribs and get perform against Indy's atrocious run D.
2. The Bills offense was absolutely terrible. This performance proved a number of things. First of all, our offense depends on Willis McGahee...look at how they played for 3/4 of the game without him. 3 and out after 3 and out. Secondly, I AM SO SICK AND GOD DAMN TIRED OF PEOPLE BLAMING JP's SHORTCOMINGS ON THE PLAY OF THE OFFENSIVE LINE. Yeah, the Bills O-line isn't good but I don't care. A bad O line doesn't cause a servicible quarterback to completely not have a pulse for most of the game. Even his TD pass to Evans was severely underthrown and if Al Harris didn't completely blow the coverage that ball probably would have been picked off. JP does not make plays. He doesn't make plays with his arm, he doesn't make plays with his legs. If passing isn't successful, improvise and run a little bit. He needs to do something. That pass to Evans might have saved his job for another week and it wasn't even a good pass. Here are some numbers from the game yesterday: Losman was 8-15 with 102 yards and 1 td. He averaged 4.3 yards per pass. JP also lost 38 more yards because of sacks. The O line was bad but there were plays where he just held onto the football way too long. So that puts him at 64 yards passing. Excluding the pass to Evans, a pass that Chris Rix could have completed, Losman had a whopping 21 net yards passing. Its not like the Bills were playing the 85 Bears either. THE PACKERS HAD THE 32nd RANKED PASS D IN THE LEAGUE COMING INTO THE GAME. That is pathetic. I almost wish Al Harris wouldn't have blown the coverage so these numbers would be evident. The Bills have no threat of a passing game. JP is Todd Collins except shorter and he really needs to figure it out soon or it could be time for Nall. I hate to say this but sometimes you just need to face the facts. The positive: Losman had 0 turnovers.
3. The Bills bend but don't break defense did exactly that. I want to point out a couple of players/plays that really stood out to me. No surprise, London Fletcher is first. He had his best game as a Bill if you ask me. He was a ball hawk yesterday. Obvisouly the touchdown, but there were numerous other plays where he was around the football causing havoc and breaking up passes. He almost had another pick in the 4th quarter also. The Bills need more performances like this from London. Secondly, Nate Clements had his best game of his Bills career not against the Miami dolphins. Well maybe I shouldn't go that far, but he had a great game and it was his best since 2004. He didn't have any INTs but he made the play on the Simpson interception that iced it and he made a great defensive play on the deep ball to Driver I believe. The only beef I have is about Perry Fewell. Why is he having the Bills corners playing 10 yards off the ball on some plays. It is so easy for a good quarterback to pick that apart and well next week we play a good quarterback.

Well, the Bills got themselves back into the race momentarily at 3-5. The Bills need to pull a miracle next week against the Colts. I have some faith, not much, but some.

PS: To all you "diehard" Sabres fans who think the Sabres are the 2nd coming of the 96 Bulls, think about this. The Sabres have only won 7 of 14 games this season in the regular season. That is 50 percent for all you non math people. The Sabres record is skewed because of the shootout and there is no denying that. Miller is the best shootout goalie in the NHL and the Sabres have some of the most talented shootout shooters. Just remember, being a great shootout team doesn't win you playoff series. I would rather be 10-4 right now with 10 wins in regulation and only 20 points compared to the sabre 12-1-1 with 4 of their wins by shootout and another in 4 on 4 overtime (again, there is no 4 on 4 overtime come April). Anyways, go Bills/Sabres...we need Afineganov back asap.

Week 9 Predictions

If you are looking for advice on who you should bet on this week, you have come to the right place. With my astonishing record last week (4-10), my picks are an instant moneymaker. Take the opposite of me and go big and you will win money.

KC @ St Louis (-3) PICK: The Rams
Bulger/Holt will go off in this game, Rams will score tons of points and win in a shootout.

Cinci @ Baltimore (-3) PICK: Cinci
The Bengals are a desperate football team. This is a must win for them and they will get it done.

Houston @ Giants (-13.5) PICK: Giants
The Giants will definitely win but 13.5 is a lot of points. I think the giants win by 14 and cover barely. Besides, the Texans are lost.

Tennessee @ Jacksonville (-10) PICK: Tennesee
Are you serious? The Jags can barely score 10 points. The Titans might win this game outright.

Dallas (-3) @ Washington PICK: Dallas
Tony Romo has transformed this team into a Super Bowl contender in the NFC is my opinion. Unlike Drew Bledsoe, he realized how good TO is and tries to get him the ball as much as possible much to the shagrin of Terry Glenn.

Green Bay @ Buffalo (-3.5) PICK: Bills
Favre will be lost at the Ralph. McGahee goes off. He is going to have 450 yards in the next 3 games. Bills win by 14 and keep slim hope alive with a trip to the Indiana looming.

New Orleans (-2) @ Tampa Bay PICK: Tampa Bay
The Aints are overrated big time. They will lose on the road, take the Bucs money line.

Atlanta (-6) @ Detroit PICK: Falcons
Vick is nasty

Miami @ Chicago (-14) PICK: Bears
Are the Bears serious with this schedule. Cupcakes week after week. UB has a tougher schedule. The Bears should get a wake up call next Monday night but this week...not happening, the Dolphins are that bad.

Minnesota (-5.5) @ San Fran PICK: Minnesota
The 49ers just allowed 41 points in 30 minutes of football. If they allow 1/2 as many points in the whole game, the 9ers still lost by 10.

Browns @ Chargers (-13) PICK: Chargers
The Chargers have the 2nd coming of GOD on their team. They should trounce the Browns although I hope not. Go Browns.

Denver Broncos @ Steelers (-2.5) PICK: Denver
When are the national media and Vegas going to realize how bad the Steelers are? They just lost to the Raiders. Ben is bad. Denver wins easily.

Colts @ Patriots (-3) PICK: COLTS
I am picking the Colts only because if they don't win, they will be mad. And then the Bills get to play them when they are mad. That just doesn't bode well.

Raiders @ Seahawks (-7.5) PICK: Seahawks
This is a barn burner. I can't wait to watch this game. How is Andrew Walter starting a Monday night game. 8-0 Seahawks.

Week 9 Preview: Packers (3-4) @ Bills (2-5)

This game marks Brett Favre's last trip to Orchard Park, NY. Brett Favre is the guy that many compared Bills quarterback JP Losman too. The cockiness, the strong arm, the style of play. But so far, they have been anything but alike. Favre, a proven winner, Losman well uhhh 2 wins as a starter in 15 starts. Not only has JP not won any games, but when given a chance to lead a possible fourth quarter comeback, he has shown no spark, no leadership, nothing to give us head scratching Bills fans any hope. So hopefully, maybe, with the intervention of God, Brett's last game at the Ralph will turn on a light bulb in JP's head. It also doesn't hurt that the Packer's have the league's 32nd ranked pass defense.

KEYS TO VICTORY

1. Although Green Bay has a terrible pass defense, I still think the Bills will need to run the football to win this game. Favre is a gun slinger, and if the Bills try and play a style where they want tons of big plays (ie. The Jets game), they will find a way to lose. The Packer's defense is decent against the run (t9th), the Bills still need to come out pounding it. The once leading rusher in the NFL has dropped all the way down to 10th in the league, and if you ask me, it is not Willis McGahee's fault. The Bills just for some reason don't like to play smash mouth football. If JP is going to be successful, the Bills need to use the run to set up the pass with some quick hitters and play actions. If JP is dropping back all day, he will fumble and throw INTs. So, give Willis the football 25 plus times, control the clock and that will prevent turnovers.
2. Stop the run. I think it is about time for Takeo Spikes to be Takeo Spikes again. With the week off, his hamstring should be well rested and ready to play. The Bills defensive tackles need to play like they belong in the NFL. Ahman Green is coming off back to back 100 yard games so it isn't going to be easy, but Favre is mistake prone, so stopping Green and making Brett pass alot could work in our favor.
3. FORCE TURNOVERS. This defense has done nothing in terms of forcing turnovers of late. As I said earlier, Favre is mistake prone especially if the Bills can generate some pressure. Maybe this is a game where Clements will actually make an appearance at One Bills Dr. I haven't noticed him there since 04. By stopping the run and generating a pass rush with the D line, Favre will throw some picks that will lead to points for Buffalo.
4. Coaching. Run the ball fairchild. No direct snaps to Josh Reed. No fake punts and/or fake field goals. If you want a trick play, call one that might actually work, like a flee flicker. I am sorry, but a direct snap to Reed isn't a trick play, it is just retarded, he isn't even illusive. I don't know what that was.
5. Special Teams needs to score a TD and NOT allow 80 yard returns. Tony Hargrove MAKE A TACKLE.

Prediction

I think this is a team that the Bills match up well to. I think Green Bay will make some mistakes and I think Willis will score 2 touchdowns. I think the crowd will be into it simply because the next Bills home game 3 weeks later could be 100 percent meaningless so this is the last time the crowd can have even a glimmer of hope. The Bills crack the 3 TD as a team plateau Sunday and win it 27-13. Go Bills.

Week 8 Power Rankings Top 10 and bottom 5 only, I am way too lazy to rank every team again, it takes way too long and there are only like 5 good teams in the entire league this year anyways.

1. Indianapolis Colts (7-0), Peyton Manning would make the Bills a contender instantly, he is that good. They need to stop the run however to have a chance to win in January. (last week: 2)
2. Chicago Bears (7-0), 41 points in the first half is ridiculous, I don't care who you are playing. (last week: 3)
3. New England Patriots (6-1), Brady 378 and 4 tds against an allegedly good defense. The game of the year so far is this Sunday, whoever wins between the Colts and Pats is the best in the NFL. (last week: 4)
4. New York Giants (5-2), They have a stranglehold on the NFC east. Huge showdown looming in 2 weeks verse the potentially 8-0 Bears. (last week: 5)
5. Denver Broncos (5-2), Darrent Williams got embarassed, abused, toyed with, you name it...Manning picked their defense apart. (last week: 1)
6. San Diego Chargers (5-2), One word...LT (last week: 6)
7. Atlanta Falcons (5-2), If Vick really is figuring out how to pass the football, he will be extremely scary and probably unstoppable. (last week: 8)
8. Baltimore Ravens (5-2), They looked like a different offense with Billick calling the plays. (last week: 12)
9. Cincinatti Bengals (4-3), They still havent beaten the Bills since 88. (last week: 9)
10. Dallas Cowboys (4-3), Romo brings new life and TO loves him. Drew needs to retire and hit up the golf course. (last week: 16)

28. San Francisco 49ers (2-5), They allowed 41 points in 30 minutes of football. Folks, that just is not going to win you many ball games.

29. Detroit Lions (1-6), The Tigers are terrible. How do you lose to the Cardinals who won 83 games in the regular season (13th best in the majors which means they were worse than 4 teams that didn't even make the playoffs). So Lion fan who kept chanting "Ordonez," Go F yourself your team sucks and so do you.

30. Buffalo Bills (2-5), A rookie 7th rounder is starting at right tackle and somehow that is an improvement. This team needs a miracle. Willis needs 30+ carries in the next 3 games and the bills need to win them all...including at INDY. The less Losman touches the football, the fewer turnovers, and the better chance the Bills have of winning.

31. Arizona Cardinals (1-7), At least they gave Edgerrin James all that money. I could average 2.7 yards per carry.

32. Miami Dolphins (1-6), Disgrace of a football team. As a friend of mine once said "FU_K NICK SABAN.

NOTE: SPECIAL EDITORIAL POSTED SOON, YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS IT

Reaction to Week 8

1) This is the happiest I have been on a Tuesday since October 3rd. The Bills didn't lose this weekend and they actually have moved up on my power rankings since Arizona is officially terrible.

2) The Patriots game vs. Minnesota was a complete joke. NEW ENGLAND GETS ALL THE CALLS. I have never seen New England not get a call. This takes me back to 1998 when the Bills were playing in New England. Buffalo led 21-17 in the end of the 4th. First, on a 4th down I reckon, Bledsoe threw a pass and it was caught for a first down although clearly out of bounds and the ref said "just give it to him." Then, Henry Jones was flagged for pass interference on a hail mary. First and only time that has ever happened. Then, Bledsoe to Coated, ballgame. So this takes me back to yesterday. After Belifuck confinced the refs to change their mind and call the 3rd down completion to Wiggons incomplete, it was somehow not overturned. It was clearly a completion. The guy took like 6 steps. What is a "football move?" Then later, they called Darren Sharper for illegal contact when he layed a finger on a reciever and the pass landed 10 yards out of bounds. It just didn't make any sense.

3) Peyton Manning is good. He dissected the previous best defense in the NFL unlike anything I have ever seen. He wasn't playing the Bills or the Cardinals, this was the Broncos on the road on national TV. Denver was allowing 7.3 pts a game and only allowed 2 tds through 6 games. Manning threw 4. Darrent Williams was abused the whole 2nd half. I feel bad for the guy.

4) I was 4-10 in my picks versus the spread. If you are a betting man, take my picks into account. Look at them, pick all the opposites and you will make money every week.

5) Why was Bledsoe wearing eye black Sunday night. He and everyone else knew he wasn't playing.

6) Losman played his best game since week 4.