Stormin Norman

We simply got manhandled in the second half. Mike and Mike were live at Gillette today and who was signing autographs For the live audience? The running back - Ridley. I am a medium sized guy AT BEST and I am bigger than him. He looked as unscathed today as he did running through the gaping holes his O-line carved open for him.

Great line. Helps me laugh in the face of another crush job by the Evil Empire.

Fudged Packers

I had the good fortune of attending a press conference today in Massachusetts where Rob Gronkowski introduced his new "Gronk Flakes" cereal. He is a BIG dude, ripped, and I have more fat in my pinky finger than he has on his entire frame. We exchanged some good-natured ribbing about him growing up a Bills fan and where I believe his true (but secret) allegiance really lies. He was well aware of the MariOs cereal unveiling last week, and he spoke very fondly of enjoying Flutie Flakes every day for about three weeks straight when he was ten years old. A good guy who is supporting his very generous foundation with the cereal. Here's an interesting factoid: Big Rob and Big Mario have 14 oz. of cereal in their limited edition boxes. The smallish Flutie had a wopping 20 oz. in each box! Check out the video... Buffalo is mentioned at the top! http://www.patriots.com/media-center/videos/Patriots-Today---Gronk-Flakes-unveiled/0d23876b-b737-4c0d-bf81-cbd0b7c8120d

Just you recapping some of them makes me want to throw my Xoom out the window! By the way, you forgot to submit yourself to galactic domination.

I think Fitz is better suited in the "game manager" role. He gets in trouble when he's slinging it all over the place, primarily because we have no vertical passing game. So when he slings it around, it's always in tight spots... not good for a guy whose forte is not accuracy. The risk of a wide open Fitz-led attack far outweighs the reward when the INTs pile up. Let's pound the ball, chew up some clock, keep the defense fresh, and not lean on Fitz so much. This offensive line is the real deal if they can stay healthy.

For us die-hard Buffalo sports fans who live out of state and listen to WGR sports coverage online, we are subject to a bludgeoning of "Ad Council" radio spots during every freakin' commercial break! As if it isn't bad enough to listen to Mike Schopp's psychotic refusal to acknowledge the friendly listener who innocently says, "Hey, how are you guys?", we're subject to a barrage of advertisements from every government agency and government-funded agency (ending in '.org') known to man. Are there no companies willing to pay for online advertising on this radio station? I thought it would get better once WGR landed the Bills, but it has gotten worse. I never thought I'd pine for regular radio commercials, but, please, can someone with authority at the station stop the repetitive, nauseating public service announcements? Radio silence would be preferable! Am I the only one suffering through this online nightmare?

CJ fills a role I haven't seen on this team since the dynamic Thurman Thomas showed us what "all purpose" really means. And Spiller has more speed. As players, both are not big in size but are blessed with quick feet and are very illusive. Most noteworthy, they are a dual threat as runners and pass catchers. Opponents have to respect both means of attack in one player which serves to free up time and space for our other weapons. Finally, they are both impactful playmakers who love to take on the workload. Obviously, CJ follows a big shadow in Thurman, but it's nice to have a guy who brings all of Thurman's qualities to this edition of the Bills.

Really? I think he looks the same as he has for 89% of his career in the NFL. The results are no different.

I love reading the posts that say, "Well, all teams lose sometime during the season. In fact, half the league will wonder what went wrong after Week 1. Maybe we can turn a slow start into a momentum-changing second half of the season." Hello! McFly! This is after TWELVE seasons of embarrassing futility! At least have the stones to make this team SHOW YOU some evidence of competence and to prove this isn't simply the latest rendition of the Russ Brandon Traveling Smoke Screen & Marketing Machine.

I wouldn't give him an Academy Award or anything, but I'm living in Massachusetts -- with no accent -- and found this to be humorous. http://www.boston.com/sports/columnists/wilbur/2012/05/tom_brady_stars.html

It doesn't matter what you think of the guy, it is certainly beyond a doubt that his performance today was instrumental in securing this huge win. And the Denver defense might give the Patriots some fits next week, too. Good story, unbelievable ending. This is what sports can be like, regardless of which teams are playing

I have been a big Fitz fan, but this stretch has become too much to fathom. I loved his fearlessness and football smarts, during the back half of last year and in the first third of 2011. Regardless of any other intangible, his inaccuracy and inconsistency can't be overcome. Last year, Jim Kelly talked about how a quarterback has to hit the plays when they are there...that there are moments when it's all on the QB to get it done. We've witnessed a devastating stretch where Fitz can't deliver on Kelly's observations. He over- & underthrows in maddening fashion when the play is there to be had. How can he be looked at in any way other than a stop-gap given this year and last year as evidence?

In the end, isn't it about lack of talent and depth? Who in American coaching would simply wave his all-magical coaching wand and create a playoff team out of the current crew? Past poor drafts (small and quick on defense) has been acknowledged as a problem. The Bills need to get bigger and tougher period. On offense, the game plan seems to have no plays designed for more than 12 yards (excluding YAC). Opposing defenses know (a) our offensive line cannot sustain blocks long enough for our less-than-speedy receivers to get open, and (b) we have a QB who, generally speaking, gets less accurate for every additional yard past 12 that the ball is in the air. No viable deep threat means little space to work in. I do agree that Gailey has opted for the pass too often in some games. With all that said, I'd give the current regime another two years. Why? - They finally dispatched players who could never lead us to the playoffs (hello, Sabres) - They seem to get the most out of what they have (which is not the best talent) - They've competed with a depleted roster, a roster that started with a bunch of nobodies, really. We lost games in which we were man-handled....hence the need for size and toughness. - Aside from Stevie, it seems we have less stupid penalties (false starts, etc.) than past teams. Rather, our penalties are more talent/scheme related (for example, interference). Simply said, the team is more disciplined (again, Stevie is in his own category) - I think it takes a couple more drafts to change the physical make-up of the team, but it's very hard to be patient after 11 years of futility (believe me, I couldn't be more impatient). Firing the coach and/or GM would not correct our need to get more size and talent. Another draft or two (and perhaps a few decent free agents) are needed. So here is my glimmer of hope this Christmas season: 1986: 4 - 12 1987: 7 - 8 1988: 12 - 4, and the glory years.

I do like the way our offensive line has battled all year long. It is undeniable that the scheme has helped (quick throws) but we must acknowlwdge that our lack of a deep threat is partially due to the O-line (among other things). Imagine Freddy's impact if we could stretch the field more with our passing game! They have looked every bit the part of a line learning on the fly but offering some nice upside potential...moments where they look very solid and others where they're clearly overmatched. With that said, the offensive line has been a pleasant surprise. Now, the defense on the other hand...

Mike Mularkey - Gregg WIlliams - DIck Jauron. a.k.a, Moe - Larry - Curly

I think the Bills give nay-sayers all the fuel they need, and that's the problem. But for the glory years, the organization has been satisfied with mediocrity, yet the seats keep getting filled. I agree 100 percent that it gets old, but the Bills keep perpetuating the agony. What other truly contemding team has so many umdrafted players and no-names? No wonder Ralph expressed his utter surprise that the Bills were doing so well to start the year. And weren't we all equally surprised? Give Gailey credit, we won with schemes and imterceptions and now both aren't working. In the end, it takes talent and physical toughness to win in the NFL. Buffalo lacks both. Like the last ten or twelve years.

Having suffered through a third straight dismantling, I was thinking about all the blind loyalists who pistol-whipped Jerry Sullivan and other press folks for taking the pessimistic view of this roster. They all slapped Jerry and the boys around pretty good for voicing doubt, even while the Bills pulled out dramatic comebacks and stirring victories. However, being a well-trained Buffalo fan, I patiently waited for the inevitable anvil to fly out of the sky and hit me in the head, certain to wake me from the nice dream I had been living until, oh, about the eighth game. It's been over a decade of non-playoff futility. Yes, it's easy for Sullivan and company to pre-ordain the Bills as losers until proven otherwise, but the organization refuses to prove them wrong.

Dude, lighten up. Second relaxing win of the year and you're wound way too tight. Every time the Bills win is not an indictment of Jerry Sullivan and other pundits who have expressed caution or even skepticism. Utilize the 24 hour rule and enjoy the win!

Wow, it's like a knife in the ribs when the Bills come so close and can't finish. Just when you think they have "learned how to win," we have two road games where the Bills can't get it done. Winnable games there for the taking, and we come up short. These are the growing pains that must be endured, I suppose, as the team continues to improve. Is the talent there to overcome our frailties? I am afraid this is all going to come down to the wire and more years will be taken off my life in the hope we can eke out enough wins to make the playoffs. It is with conviction that I offer this: The Bills can play with any team in the league and beat 'em. But week to week, can they FINISH? The answer will determine our fate come January.

We are seeing what we're going to get with Ryan. He operates like a machine in stretches, and then operates like a backup in others. For whatever reason, his mistakes seem particularly head-scratching, like the INT vs. Baltimore last year when we were driving to win the game. Or the two picks today. Why is that intermediate sideline sprint pass so hard for him to lay out there correctly when he makes all these other tremendous throws? We're driving for the winning score on the road in a tightly contested game and a very poor throw does us in. FRUSTRATING. At other times, he's a Robo-QB, like the five drives against the Raiders in the second half and the dropped pass to Stevie against the Steelers (last year). He has to find a way to overcome (i.e., AVOID) these major physical/mental lapses in crunch time. WIth that said, I want him to continue firing and not succumb to the "play not to lose" garbage we've seen for ten years.

We have suffered for WAY TOO LONG for me to feel sorry for Philly fans... especially BECAUSE they're Philly fans. That's like asking me to feel empathy for Jets fans. Screw that. Take your medicine and shut up! Beautifully stated!

Good one! Yeah, I should have included him, but the truth is we have a BUNCH of names who are no longer part of this team -- thank goodness -- and never won anything when they were here. The list is five times longer than the guys who ARE here!

It is evident that Bills fans are appreciating this COMPETENT coaching staff. Buffalo football fans are very smart, and there are so many ways in which this staff is revealing itself to be better than any we have seen in ten years. And they have instilled ACCOUNTABILITY within the organization. It started when Trent Edwards was booted and then Donte Whitner was not re-signed, but here's a direct example of what I'm talking about. Leodis McKelvin runs the ball out of the end zone against the Patriots and causes a bone-headed fumble as he fights (unnecessarily) for extra yards. Jauron defends him, saying, in essence, "Who knows? Maybe next time he'll break one." McKelvin CONTINUES to take kick-offs. Yesterday, Danny Batten gets flagged for a blatant, stupid personal foul call against Vick, erasing a third down stop. He disappears after that mainly because the COACHES SEND HIM A MESSAGE and virtually eliminate his playing time for the rest of the game. It struck me that other teams are taking the dumb penalties now and are becoming flustered in crunch time, whereas I would have expected to see things like that go against the Bills over the last ten years. Coaching competency. What a breath of fresh air!

Boy, the defense is tough to watch - unless they get a turnover. And, thankfully, those have come in abundance! But what a fool i would be to be picky about some tough wins. We've been on the other side of those for over a friggin decade.