hondo in seattle

I'm not right about many things but I've liked Freddie since he's been on the team. He plays hard. He runs, blocks, catches. And except for that recent outburst, he doesn't complain. His yards after contact have been amongst the very best in the league for the past couple years. And he's piled up some huge all-purpose yards too. Even though few people outside Buffalo seem to know him very well, you could make an argument that he's Top 10. I was happy when we got rid of Lynch because I thought that would mean more playing time for Freddy who's a better back.

I laughed at your silly optimism when I saw your prediction... but you were closer to the final score than just about anyone

Thanks for the link. Sully says, "Have to admit, I'm stunned by this."

For what it's worth, The Senator predicted a Bills rout: 44-0

Everyone who says the Bills won because of Fitz or Freddie or the revamped defense is really missing the boat. The Bills won because I wore my Bills underwear today!

The Defense, Offense and Special Teams played pretty much like I expected them to. The Wildcat was perhaps a little less effective than I expected though it did pick up some key first downs. The most encouraging thing for me was the play of the offensive line. Bell, in particular, played up to my hopes instead of down to my fears. The solid performance of the OL makes me more optimistic about 2011 than I already was. What was the most encouraging thing about this win to you?

Sorry! This is a good point! I would enjoy, though, listening to some of the Negative Nancy's eat some humble pie right about now. It's too early to talk playoffs but I think we're seeing clear evidence that Nix/Gailey are building a credible team.

I usually eat wings on Bills game days... and they usually lose. Today I dispensed with the wings and they won in a rout. Maybe the new tradition is oatmeal and fruit????

I agree - tackling was MUCH better than last year! The Chiefs didn't get a lot of yards after contact.

I liked the long pass. It shows future opponents that we aren't afraid to let Smith throw. Parrish had his man beat and the throw would have been complete if not for another DB (I didn't see who) racing back and getting the pick. Overall, though, I feel the Wildcat was only so-so against KC. It did produce a couple first downs, but not a lot of yards. Conventional running plays with Freddie were the way to go. I'm still optimistic about Smith, however.

I admit I was one of those who disliked the Evans trade. I thought Evans still had good speed and that we needed him to stretch the D. Maybe I was wrong. Chandler had more catches than Evans today! Receivers were apparently getting open without Lee to draw away coverage - Fitz threw 4 TDs. My faith in Nix/Gailey continues to grow.

I thought the same thing about Barnett versus Poz - and Barnett in general.

You can dissect even a game like this and find lots to improve. That's what a coach has to do - continually push the team to get better. As a fan, however, I just want to luxuriate in the afterglow until the Raiders come to town next week.

Very solid. Not great. Made a couple of tackles. Pushed the pocket a couple times. Jumped offside once, giving the Chiefs a first down. It was first game and a good start to his (HOF???) career. Looked like he belongs in the NFL.

Sully is the friend who always points out that every silver lining really covers a dark cloud. If the sun is shining and you say, "What a beautiful day!", Sully will respond, "Yeah, but it will rain tomorrow." Just by chance, sometimes he'll be right. I wonder what he'll say about the KC win?

Agree on both counts. Neither of the other Bills backs, incidentally, had as many yards per carry as Freddy behind the same line.

We all think the Senator is nuts but he was pretty close!

I wonder about Haley. He fired Chan which didn't seem like a smart move. And Charlie Weis left after one year take the same job (OC) at the college level. Makes you think that Haley can't get along with his assistant coaches. Maybe a control freak? Maybe too arrogant to listen to other ideas? A lot of fans in KC don't seem to like him and I'm glad we have Gailey instead.

Wanny is the mentor that Edwards needs. And he'll have the LBs ready to play.

Best wishes to you. Life is cyclical and better times await. I hope they come soon. And I hope the Bills win for your family's sake - and for all of us!

I often think Jauron was under-rated as a coach. He simply had too few NFL caliber players. He achieved 7-9 records despite having 4-12 talent. Look at Jauron's staff. Bobby April was a great ST coach. Perry Fewell was a very good DC. We were an OC away from having a great coaching staff. Obviously, Jauron wasn't a fiery leader. Statements like "It's hard to win in the NFL" aren't what fans - or players - want to hear from their leader. Nonetheless, the team played hard and mostly played up to their potential. But the ceiling was low because of years of bad drafts and poor personnel moves. I am happy with the Nix/Gailey combo so far and don't want to go back. But I do think Jauron is somewhat better than his record or his reputation.

In honor of that song, I won't shave game day weekends. Great post.

The scary truth is that the Bills would be even more profitable in SoCal. However, it is good news that the Bills are profitable. Business isn't just business. Businessmen are people with emotions and they are often sports fans too. Our hope has to be that a local billionaire buys the Bills when Ralph goes off to Valhalla. Buying the team would be an emotional decision. The fact that the Bills are profitable makes it justifiable from a business perspective.

PTR, I usually agree with you but this is just speculation based on far too little information. The fact that someone with a MBA is making a wild-ass guess doesn't make it any more than a wild-ass guess.

+1