Indy Dave

I don't think anyone should be blasted for being optimistic abot our 2-0 start. There's a lot to like, not the least of which is we look organized, look like we know what we want to do and with certainty, and we showed Sunday that we can counter punch (whereas in recent history, when the plan we put in place on Tuesday didn't work on Sunday, we were screwed for the rest of the game.) All of that seems minor, but it's significant to me. As frustrating as losing has been, it's been magnified by the fact that we didn't seem to know what the hell we were doing the vast majority of the time. However, I don't think anyone should be blasted for being pessimistic about our chances this weekend. Maybe we will turn some heads with a statement win on Sunday. Maybe we'll lose 56-10. Right now, we're the Homecoming Queen. But maybe Sunday, pig's blood gets dumped on our head. If it does, the key to the rest of the season is whether or not we get pissed off about it and take our frustrations out on Cincinnati and future opponents instead of crawling into a fetal position and letting a loss to the Pats ruin the rest of the season.

Beautiful. I wish you let the video rolling to catch the reaction of everyone's heart coming to a stop on the Hail Mary. That would have been funny, in a watch-your-fellow-Bills-fans-have-a-stroke kinda way. And one more thing...Hey LA, that's what real football fans do on a Sunday afternoon, even when the team has been dreadful for a decade. Go find your own team. That one's ours.

Read every post in this thread. As much as reliving those moments sucked, it helps to be reminded that there are others who love our Bills. It's why I have been coming to this forum for about 15 years. I was convinced the winner of the Bills-Titans game was going to the Super Bowl. I was fine with the RJ for Flutie move. Didn't think it mattered much, and truthfully it didn't. RJ put us in a position to win; we just didn't cover a kick, nor did we get the call at the end. RJ haters would have to admit that the kid, despite his many faults and anti-Buffalo persona, played his guts out that day. Anyway, that game crushed me. The several-times-mentioned loss to Cleveland was the day I decided to stop with the Sunday Ticket. I had been a subscriber since DirecTV's inception but I just couldn't take it anymore. Since then, I have been a glass-half-empty guy about this team. It will take a few more efforts like last weekend to turn that completely around, but getting rid of DJ at least made me glass-half-empty rather than glass-thrown-up-against-wall. That guy really, really, really sucked. Really sucked. My lasting image of him was a game against the Patriots. My memory of the play and circumstances might not be completely accurate, but I remember Brady completing a third-and-long to a receiver (Welker?), who clearly didn't have both feet in bounds. But of course the ref saw it different and ruled it a catch somewhere around our 10 or 15-yard line. Brady and Belichick knew they had gotten away with one so they rushed to the line and called a play. Jauron pulled out the challenge flag, held it, held it some more and finally dropped it at his feet. Problem was, he was standing 20 yards down the field and the Pats had snapped the ball so it didn't matter. A few moments later, the Pats were in the end zone. All I could think about was how teams are a reflection of their head coach, and how Bill Cowher (for example) would have sprinted down the sideline, screaming at the refs and slamming the challenge flag to the ground, pissed as hell that he had to use one of his challenges on a call that should have easily been ruled incomplete and spitting in the ref's face while yelling about what a moron he was. But instead we had Jauron, the nerdy, wimpy guy who was afraid to stand up for himself and his team.

Not to mention he told his listeners last week that the Bills would win in KC.

Great observations, Bill. Plesantly surprised by the win today, completely shocked about the lopsided nature of it. I wasn't optimistic coming into the season. I'm not buying playoff tickets, but you can't help but feel better about the way the team played today. Hopefully we can keep it up!

I certainly hope you're right. Believe me, I'm not one to make 100 predictions and then boast about the three I get right, particularly the ones I want to be wrong about anyway. Peace, and Go Bills!

Exactly. I don't know we won't beat the Pats. It was a prediction. In fact, I said in my post "nothing is impossible." But common sense and reason, recent history and an analysis of the players and coaches that make up the 2011 Patriots and the 2011 Bills make it completely logical for an objective person to come to the conclusion that the Bills won't beat the Patriots this year. If that gets some people's panties in a wad, I'm sorry. I'll be just as happy as the next Bills fan if beat those sumbitches, and I sure as hell won't take any satisfaction from being right should this meaningless prediction come true. But I call it as I see it.

With all due respect (sincerely PTR), we aren't beating the Patriots this year. There's a talent gap, a coaching gap and equally as important, there's a psychological edge. Even if we do stay competitive with them, rest assured they will keep their cool and we will flub it and the result will be a familiar one. Granted, nothing is impossible but I can't make sense of predicting a win over New England, given the state of the two franchises.

Had several friends there. Thankfully they all are safe, although some were 10 feet away and barely avoided the collapse. Thoughts and prayers who weren't so lucky.

Thoughts and prayers to you and your family, Scott.

Pretty good video worth five minutes of any Buffalonian's time. Not just part of the Rust Belt

Thought those chiming in within this thread would like to read this.Pat Forde story

ESPN is asking readers to vote on who they think will be the stars of the future, specifically the 2014, 2015 and 2016 seasons. Bills players who made the list of nominees for their "Dream Team of Tomorrow" include: G Andy Levitre (starter in 32 games last two years) G Eric Wood (known for resiliency and fundamentals) WR Stevie Johnson (breakout season was only the beginning) RB CJ Spiller (talent to bounce back from shaky rookie season) CB Leodis McKelvin (solid in two of three seasons) SS Donte Whitner (consistent tackler who needs to pick up in other areas) SS Jarius Byrd (talented player who tied for league lead in INTs in 2009) DT Kyle Williams (coming off first Pro Bowl appearance) DT Marcell Dareus (3rd pick of the draft, defensive MVP of BCS title game) What you read in parenthesis are ESPN's note with each player, so don't shoot the messanger if you disagree.

Because of my job, I generally stay away from discussions about the NCAA. The public's understanding of how it operates and the many good things it does is, well...a joke. Not that it's the public's fault, and not that the organization doesn't have its flaws... Anyway, I thought I'd share this link in hopes those of you writing in this thread find it useful. My link

So sorry for your loss, Mead.

Old Time Rock and Roll by Bob Seger is the worst song in the history of music. I would rather listen to Ke$ha and Justin Bieber do a duet called "Cats In Heat" than hear that f'ing song.

This better turn out better than the Erik Flowers pick.

Bastard!

Not only has 'Cuse lost four in a row, they have held the lead for less than two minutes comibined in those four games (during an early trade of buckets with Villanova in which the Orange gave up a basket every time they took the lead...they never had the lead and possesion in the early part of that game. And of course they never lead against Pitt, Hall or Marquette.)

Count me as one who respects the Pats and even is rooting for them this season, to an extent. It has been a two-horse race in the AFC East and I can't stand the Jets during the Rex era. I even found myself rooting for Miami today...that's how much I dislike the Jets this year. Face it, the Pats have players on their team that, if they were in our training camp, they would be cut. But on the Pats, they manage to be effective players. Great coaching, great personnel moves. Don't disagree with the comments about their fan base. I think those folks care more about the Red Sox and Celtics, even in December. But as an organization, they are rolling right now, and unfortunately there is no end in site.

To clarify, they are losers in the sense that they lose frequently and make too many plays that strip away potential victories. And there is a culture of that within the organization. They are not losers in the sense that they dog it, don't give it their best, etc. Those are the worst kind of losers. I do disagree with the notion that we are "close." We're lacking talent, our recent draft history doesn't give me much reason to think that a top five pick is going to make a huge difference, and Chan has his hands full in trying to turn around the losing culture that exists within the organization. Maybe that one special player can magically turn it around. Who knows? I know one thing: I'll be here whether that happens or not.

First of all, I never said I was an expert. Common sense said the Steelers would win handily today. Surely you see that. And the team has a bunch of losers because they have players who have done nothing but lose in this league. And before you get into a big name-calling debate on the internet, try reading the entire post. I thought the last line, which was in parenthesis, would indicate that I am just a frustrated fan who wanted to vent a little. I doubt you are much different.

Sorry, but count me on the side of the who gives a crap about the "good performance" against a good team. Did I expect us to win today? No. Did I expect us to keep it close? No. I was obviously wrong about that. But what happened was not a positive thing. All it did was lay the foundation for more losing. Losers lose, winners win. Losers drop game-winning touchdowns right in their bread basket in overtime. Losers get the ball in good field position and can't finish. Losers get opponents in their grasps and can't make the play. Losing breeds more losing. We don't lose because we are so terrible....although we do in fact have a number of terrible players on the team. Losers lose because they are used to losing and can't do anything about it. We're a bunch of losers, and all of the new players on this team are learning what it takes to continue losing from all of the veterans who don't know how to do anything but lose. Lose, lose, lose, lose, lose, lose. Losers, losers, losers, losers, losers. (Thanks for letting me get that off of my chest.)

Not tootin' Colt McCoy's horn as I don't think he is a long-term solution to our quarterback needs, but how are the Texas Longhorns doing without him? Just sayin'.

Exactly right. We weren't going to score the game-tying field goal (and God knows we weren't going to score a game-winning TD), but the sports gods had to go and make it worse with that bounce. When that happened, it was the first time I vented all year long. Just kicking us when we are down.