R. Rich

The more things change, the more they stay the same. The Bills play the Patriots, the Bills lose to the Patriots. The sun rises in the east... Let's start off w/ the QB. Ryan Fitzpatrick laid yet another egg of a game. Sure he completed his fair share of throws, but none of any significance and ended up w/ just over 100 yards before he was benched for Trent Edwards. Yikes. Edwards did nothing, getting sacked twice in four plays and being knocked out of the game. Fitzpatrick came back into the game and led the Bills on their only TD drive that was a case of far too little, far too late. The Bills are kidding themselves if they feel that the answer to their QB issues is currently on their roster. Fred Jackson had a very good game running the ball. I really like the way he can hit the hole strong and make someone miss while picking up extra yards. If only Marshawn Lynch, who has improved as a 'tween the tackles runner in my (meaningless) opinion, could do more of this. That's when these guys will be lethal. Outside of Lee Evans' TD catch on a fade route after coming up just short shortly before, the Bills receivers did little to distinguish themselves. Josh Reed dropped a ball that would've gone for a huge conversion and may have put the Bills in position to score a TD that could've made things tighter. Earlier, he made a big fourth down conversion, so I guess that makes him even. Terrell Owens looked more like Randy Moss from the Carolina game w/ a performance that was seemingly mailed in. A pair of catches for 20 yards and no big plays, other than a false start, but that was big for the wrong reasons. Jackson made the heads up catch on a play that was intended for Johnathan Stupar, who knocked the ball up in the air while attempting to catch it. It wasn't the best thrown pass, but really what do you expect from an inaccurate QB who is being chased out of the pocket? Shawn Nelson wasn't able to provide help down the seam, but did make 4 catches in the game, albeit for 17 yards. Here's the most sobering stat of this contest: the Bills gave up 6 sacks to a pass rush that was generating 'em @ a whopping rate of 1.7 per game coming into the contest! That is the defensive Achilles heel of New England, and most football observers know this. Yet, they got to play, "the cure for what ails your team," and viola! They can rush the passer. Kirk Chambers was just outclassed by guys like Tully Banta-Cain (a decent rusher) and Mike Wright (a journeyman). Jonathan Scott continues to show that he's a liability vs edge rushers. ANY edge rushers. As for the interior guys, I think there was some good things (Geoff Hangartner actually had a good overall game vs Ron Brace, moving him 'round and letting the RBs get to the 2nd level) but plenty of bad things (Hangartner's holding penalty, Chambers and Scott's edge deficiencies, Andre Ramsey's ill advised penalty @ the 2 yard line). RICHie Incognito had a couple bad penalties in his Bills debut, but also showed flashes of potential. Unfortunately, this team and this unit in particular needs MUCH more than flashes right now. I know this line has been decimated by injuries, but this season has illustrated just how poorly the Bills' personnel guys have been in evaluating the talent needed to round out an NFL roster. You don't need to have a ton of all stars, but you should have guys you feel somewhat confident 'bout when they are called upon in a pinch. Witness the play of Mike Wright and Johnathan Wilhite from yesterday, and you'll see that it is possible to have guys as reserves who can be counted on. The defensive line went yesterday as far as Aaron Schobel took 'em. He did a solid job of providing pressure on Brady for most of the game, even though he didn't bring Brady down. Must be that high motor, huh? As for the rest of this group, well, we're still waiting. Chris Kelsay was once again a non factor, but did manage to come up w/ 3 solo and 3 ASSisted tackles. Marcus Stroud, on the eve of fan voting for the Pro Bowl, made sure people would disregard his name w/ another lackluster performance. He did bat down a Brady pass, but he also was blown off the ball several times, allowing for big gains up the gut. Where was Kyle Williams' pressure and penchant for getting into the backfield to disrupt plays? Nowhere to be seen yesterday, that's for sure. The reserves, Spencer Johnson, John McCargo, Ryan Denney, and Aaron Maybin (stay onside on onside kicks!) showed up to collect a check, but nothing more. Paul Posluszny has put together a nice string of games here lately. He was all over the field, disrupting passes, getting a pick, and making tackles in the Patriot backfield. A stellar game from a guy who needs to show this type of consistency. As for Bryan Scott, he gives a game effort, but like many of the guys on the defense, is far too small to hold up. Laurence Maroney was able to break off big gains while either going past pursuing defenders or simply running through 'em. They're not too bad in terms of flying to the ball, as they do have good speed as a unit. Problem is, when they flow to the ball, they get knocked off it. When it comes to the linebacker unit, the Bills need to realize one thing: size matters. Terrence McGee gave it a go, but got hurt (arm) and had to leave. I thought he had sound coverage for the most part, and that pass breakup for the bomb intended for Sam Aiken was a thing of beauty. Meanwhile, Drayton Florence, who usually is pretty reliable, had more than his share of problems dealing w/ Moss. But, who wouldn't? George Wilson came up w/ some solid stops, including one @ the line of scrimmage and another that went for a loss. He finished w/ 7 tackles, 4 solos. Both Reggie Corner and Donte Whitner were victimized by the long ball w/ interference calls and Jairus Byrd reacted way too late on the TD to Moss (a heck of a catch by him!). They were able to minimize Brady's effectiveness, as he had just 5 completions in the first half and threw for only 115 yards, but they also had an offensieve line-like day in terms of penalties. Again, special teams could've made a difference and did not. Aaron Maybin......stay onsides!!!! I don't know if the Bills would've done to New England what they did to the Bills on opening night, but I sure would've liked to see 'em try. What was up w/ Brian Moorman's punting? As for Lindell's miss, it wasn't a gimme, although he did have the distance and just shanked it. Why was Josh Reed returning punts? Have things gotten that bad in terms of the return game? Get well soon, Leodis. As for Perry Fewell, I really was looking forward to him coaching this game as "the unknown" and giving the Bills a shot in this one. Problem was, there were a bunch of head scratching play calls and some decisions in terms of usage of personnel that were puzzling as well. Not to mention the rash of penalties, including the drive killers courtesy of Ramsey and Maybin. Any of that stuff sound familiar to you? It does to me, and I'm sure it did to Bill Belichick. And so the streak continues. Oh well. As they say, the Bills are what their record says they are. Unfortunately for us die-hard fans, it's another team that builds up your hopes only to rip out your heart. They didn't have a whole lot left to play for, but FINALLY beating the Patriots would've been nice. Sorta akin to how Browns fans had to feel 'bout stopping their losing streak to the Stillers (which, like the Bills' streak to the Patriots before yesterday, was 12 straight). But, like a possible division championship (or more), a postseason appearance, or even a .500 record, it will have to do what it's had to do for quite a while: wait 'til next year.

Fixed.

Oleg Cassini?

Vodka?

Ice skater hotties? Most of 'em have the bodies of a 10 year old, just not as heavy as one.

Pot, meet chef.

What is it?

Yeah, yeah. What would you possibly know 'bout it?

Did you search that response to see if someone else had posted it?

Sooo not true. See?

Maryland is 40th, huh? Not bad. That's 'bout 12 spots better than I had 'em ranked.

I hope whoever is out there in a Bills uniform does well and that the Bills win.

Good. Maybe everyone can relax and move on, then. Shanahan's coaching tenure in Denver died a slow and painful death, w/ a large part of that attributable to the poor choices made by Shanahan himself in terms of personnel decisions. I respect what he was able to do in Denver, but I'd rather see another person come in to run things.

I sure hope the "popular culture" isn't going to games and drinking to the point where you have no clue as to what's going on, have to get up frequently to run back and forth to the bathroom and annoy those 'round you, and generally act like an a**. If that is truly the "popular culture", it needs to change.

Results of Week 7 are posted in the league forum. Also, make sure you vote for the top offensive, defensive, and special teams players of the week.

Enough. Both of you.

That would be some trick.

That's why I always loved how Michigan handled their coaching situation back in 1989. When basketball coach Bill Frieder decided to leave and take over the Arizona State job @ season's end, the school's athletic director, the late Bo Schembechler, fired 'em and said he wanted, "a Michigan man" coaching the team in the NCAA tournament that year. Michigan promoted Steve Fisher to the head job, and all the Wolverines did that year was win the national title (damn you, Glen Rice for what you did to my Tar Heels that year!!). Classic.

A win is a win is a win, huh? Hey, we Bills fans will take it. It certainly feels better than watching yet another heartbreaking loss. Ryan Fitzpatrick may feel differently, as he was horrendous in this one. Woefully inaccurate yet again (throws are still going to the inside on out routes, giving CBs a shot @ a pick) and locked onto one target (the reason for the red zone INT; scan the field, man!!) for most of the game, he struggled mightily. I love the effort (especially on his diving block to clear the way for a nice gain), but he is simply not a very good NFL QB. The Bills need to do better if they are going to ever be a viable contender. Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson were very good in getting to the 2nd level and making some things happen. Two things I particularly liked in this game were: (1) Jackson's toughness in breaking a would be tackle for a loss and turning it into a big gain and (2) Lynch just getting the ball and, get this, attacking the line of scrimmage and making people miss on the fly on a huge gain! I know; I couldn't believe it, either. Corey McIntire still doesn't impress me as a lead blocker (whiffed big time on an outside run and failed to pick up a LB shooting the gap), but he's not atrocious either. I really like the way Jackson and Lynch were able to compliment each other in this one. Hopefully, we'll see more of the same in these last few games and the Bills will continue to build on it. Oops, forgot to mention the receivers. Then again, what did they do? Terrell Owens had a TD reception, Lee Evans had one catch all day and was the intended target on Fitzpatrick's red zone INT (but did have a really nice downfield block on one play that went for a big gain), Josh Reed did even less (missed a 3rd down play in the red zone that was tough, but could've been caught), and TEs Johnathan Stupar and Shawn Nelson were barely there. Nelson did make a nice catch on a poorly overthrown ball by Fitzpatrick, but then got injured and was done for the day. What a run blocking performance by the offensive line! Andy Levitre had a really good block on an inside run by Lynch that made me take notice. He also had a good lead block on an outside run later in the game. Overall, this had to be one of his best performances of the season, if not his best. The holding call puts a bit of a damper on it, but he was still very good. Geoff Hangartner still is not as stout as we'd like to see in pass protection. In this regard, he's not much of an upgrade from Melvin Fowler. But, he did do a solid job of run blocking, as there were holes UP THE MIDDLE in this game. Props also to Kendall Simmons, who has improved by leaps and bounds from what was a disastrous debut. Another guy who looked pretty good in run blocking was Jonathan Scott. But, boy does he struggle in pass protection! Tamba Hali looked like Dwight Freeney out there, getting pressure from the edge, regardless of whether he brought the QB down or not. Kirk Chambers also struggled maintaining the edge, and his leverage looked pretty bad. No knee bend, and guys were able to get into his chest 'cause of it. Considering how well Lynch and Jackson performed in that scheme, and how these guys were able to give the backs a crease, maybe they should try to run like this more often. Props also to the defensive line, as they got consistent pressure off the edge all game. Chris Kelsay had a terrific sack, where he rushed wide, then got inside the right tackle to shed 'em and get a sack. Where has that been all year? I thought all he could do was run outside and overrun QBs. Aaron Schobel's sack was even more impressive, as he shut down a drive in the red zone (yeah, I know...they really did!) by....you'll never believe this, folks......staying home on a misdirection play!!!!!! Outstanding. I actually thought Spencer Johnson was pretty good against the run in this one, and he was very good in providing interior pressure. Marcus Stroud also did a good job of getting into the backfield to disrupt plays, but he did have his share of plays where he was single blocked out of the play. Considering the Chiefs weren't able to just run wild on the Bills w/ the exception of the long Jamal Charles TD run, I'd say he did okay. Kyle Williams also had a nice play where he shot the gap and slowed up the RB, but the pursuit didn't get there quck enough and the back avoided a loss. Paul Posluszny had a very good game this week. The INT was nice, but he does need to know when to go down. You're not going to shake your way out of traffic and take that one in, so just go down and secure the possession for your squad. Now, if you see nothing but green, by all mean, take that ball to the house! Bryan Scott made some nice plays, but I did see one play where he inexplicably pulled up on an outside blitz. He made up for it by coming up w/ the sack to take KC out of FG range later. Nic Harris was okay in getting the start, but aside from one tackle for a loss, wasn't much of a factor. He also looked a bit out of place in his dropbacks, but hey, that's to be expected in a guy who hasn't had much run. I think these guys did a pretty good job of holding the outside down, so that powers, counters, and screens didn't kill the Bills as in many other games this year. If Terrence McGee isn't really healthy enough to go (more on this later), then don't go. Going out there not fully ready to play isnt' going to help much, as was obvious on a play where Chris Chambers beat him for a nice gain. I just didn't see the typical McGee fiestyness, nor did I see him in position to make a play on many passes in this one. Lucky for him, and the Bills in general, that Drayton Florence was very reliable in coverage. He had one pass breakup in particular that was really sweet. I liked the way Donte Whitner was able to snuff out the one screen pass early in the game. Obviously, it was something the Bills saw in film study and was ready to counter. The guy who continues to impress in limited action, though, is George Wilson. He broke up some passes, had a nice pick to seal the deal, and was able to bust through and make a stop for a loss. Good job. I must also apologize for dissing special teams lately. I've just taken for granted the Bills' stable kicking game. Well, this week, you have to single out Brian Moorman for a wonderful job of providing poor field position to the Chiefs. Considering how much the team struggled throwing the football and in how poor they were in coverting third downs (3 of 12) despite a very strong running game, Moorman's punts were essential to this victory. Props also to Ashlee Palmer for making some tremendous plays. The one where he just shot through to make the stop on a kick return was a thing of beauty. Rian Lindell was reliable as ever, knocking in 3 FGs and just barely missing one from 51 yards. Great job. For the most part, the coaching was sound in this game. Perry Fewell did blow it by sending the house, only to see Charles take it to the house. Also, Alex Van Pelt could've just ran the ball in on the drive where Fitzpatrick threw the pick in the red zone. But, as I mentioned earlier, they did make sure the KC running game didn't control this game (especially the outside and misdirection plays) and also made sure they got their own running game going. This is how you win games, especially ones where your passing game falters and you can't convert on 3rd down. Controlling the clock is exactly how the Saints were able to beat the Bills earlier this year, as you'll remember that Drew Brees was neutralized and the Bills were surprisingly good @ getting the Saints offense off the field. But, they were able to run the ball down the Bills' throats in the second half and got the win. So maybe you're onto something here, guys. But you still have a ways to go. Now, one thing I must address before I'm done is how in the world is the Bills' strength and conditioning program not being held accountable for the laundry list of injured players? There are some that you just can't pin blame on (like Eric Wood's injury), but there are many others where guys just don't appear to be in good enough condition to endure an entire season. When your team endures a riduculous amount of injuries over the course of a few seasons, it's time to question how well conditioned they are. I say it's time for a change in this department. Now. Well, as I said initially, a win is a win is a win. Enjoy it, as you know who (hint: a dozen in a row) comes to town this weekend. The postseason is still just a fantasy for us Bills fans, so we can only hope to be the kinda spoiler to them that Cleveland was last Thursday to the Steelers. Belichick has a few weeks of film on a Fewell-coached Bills team, so that could mean trouble. But, you never know. They've got a shot, and I will be rooting as hard as ever for a Bills win. I saw a team not only play hard, but find a way to win a game this week. When's the last time we were able to say that 'bout our Bills?

Results of Week 6 are posted in the league forum. Also, make sure you vote for the top offensive, defensive, and special teams players of the week.

Agreed, and I told this to Badolbilz and Lori @ the Miami game. Lewis been very impressive as a true freshman. Over 1600 yards and 16 TDs...wow!

This is no different than 1996, when they gave the Hypeman to Danny Awful rather than giving it to the best player in college football that season, Orlando Pace. Stats is all they look for when it comes to stuff like this, and even though they popularized a stat for Pace due to his dominance (pancake blocks; though the Pittsburgh folks coined the term for Bill Fralic a dozen years earlier), he still had no chance. So much for the Hypeman going to the, "best college football player."

That "flaw" is older than the BCS itself. Teams have been playing weak out of conference schedules for a very long time. The BCS is just protecting its own. Oh, they'll say that isn't the case, but most people realize they are. How else do you explain the numerous blown calls in games this year from both Alabama and Florida? Maybe it had something to do w/ both teams being in the top 2 and if they won out, one was guaranteed a spot in the BCS title game, making it even less likely a team like TCU or Boise State would get in? Whatever the case, the BCS is lying to itself by not just admitting that the decision to not have a playoff system in 1A is money related.

What an ugly game! It took me this long to recover from it. Nah, not really. Fitzpatrick showed yet again that while he's a guy who shows the willingness to throw the ball down the field, he's not necessarily a very accurate thrower. On top of showing how inaccurate he is, he also did not take care of the football, fumbling twice (one overturned w/ replay) and throwing a wounded duck of a pass late that was picked off. Yeah, the Bills still need help @ the QB position. Sad part is, I could see 'em look to address that issue w/ their first round pick instead of using that pick to address other glaring needs......like a LB w/ enough size to stop the run, or O linemen who can blow people off the ball and also give the QB a pocket to throw from. Marshawn Lynch was solid in the first half, then went MIA for some reason. I know Fred Jackson does a better job in terms of blitz recognition, but Lynch was actually getting it done on the ground for a change. Jackson had trouble getting it going all day. Maybe the Bills should've rode the hot hand and let Lynch carry the ball more. Corey McIntire led the way on Lynch's 15 yard TD run w/ a nice block, but wasn't much of a factor in terms of blocking or receiving after that. Very disappointing game from these guys. The receivers? Well, Terrell Owens wanted center stage vs Jets corner Darrelle Revis, and he got it. Boy, did he get it! Let's see: in 9 opportunities, Owens had 3 catches for 31 yards. Lee Evans had more than that on his first (and only) reception (38 yards)! For the game, Revis had 3 tackles, broke up 5 passes, and had an INT. I think he got the better of this pivotal matchup. Just barely. Jackson had 3 catches for 21 yards and Johnathan Stupar and Lynch joined Evans w/ one catch while Josh Reed and Shawn Nelson did even less. Yuck. Pass protection? Fitzpatrick ran for his life often and got taken down 3 times in this game. Another putrid performance from the offensieve line. The Ironic Moment of the Night was when the NFL Network's Matt Millen made reference to the good job that C Geoff Hangartner was doing this year. And after making that statement, Hangartner seemed determined to show Millen just how wrong he is. On one screen play, it was Hangartner who went out to lead block, yet ended up being the one driven back by the defender. On another play, he was beaten for a sack. Basically, he was awful. Jermon Meredith also got abused on a sack. This unit is woefully inadequate. The one shining moment the line had was Andy Levitre's pull on Lynch's TD run to seal it off and allow Lynch to go in. Nice play, but that was 'bout it for these guys. Speaking of Millen, he also made reference to Aaron Schobel's pre-game comments on "staying home" (keeping contain on the outside instead of blindly going down the line to make the play). Schobel said that, "he was more worried 'bout the dive plays," and that the outside run should be, "somebody else's responsibility". In theory, you may be right. Of course, when a defensive coordinator decides to put his LBs inside to shoot the gaps instead of keeping 'em outside to contain and/or rush the passer, then that unfortunately leaves YOU to be the containment person, Schobel. Once again, you proved to be a sucker for counter plays and got sucked in, allowing the Jets to get to the outside on a big running play by Brad Smith. Schobel did have a sack later in the game and, for the most part, did a good job after getting beat on the counter. As for Chris Kelsay, he did come up w/ a sack, but also showed that he's not much of a factor in the running game. Same for Ryan Denney, who whiffed on a potential sack. Aaron Maybin had another nice play, a tackle for no gain. The kid has athleticism and should be used a lot more. The interior guys had their share of moments. Kyle Williams had a pair of sacks and was able to disrupt things in the backfield. Spencer Johnson also did a decent job of pressuring the QB and nearly came up w/ a sack (Schobel got their a bit quicker). But, the run defense was once again atrocious. Now, who wants to extoll the virtues of Marcus Stroud for the Pro Bowl? Again, I saw him get single blocked often and he was no factor in stopping the run. None. Williams and Johnson were no more stout than Stroud, which is probably why the Jets had their way w/ the Bills in terms of rushing yards. Did any LB distinguish himself? Paul Posluszny had a sack and caused the fumble, sure. But, where was he when Thomas Jones, Shonn Greene, or Tony Freaking RICHardson (!!!) were running wild? These guys show no toughness @ the point of attack. I'll give 'em credit for having the ability to fly to the ball, but what good is it when as soon as you get there, you get blocked and allow a runner to get to the next level, where it's them vs a safety or corner? Bryan Scott (unit high 6 tackles), a converted safety, definitely has the heart of a lion (and not just a Nittany Lion, either). I just wish he had the strength and power of one. There seem to be some serious issues in regard to the Bills' secondary and playing zone coverage. Too many times this year, I've seen Reggie Corner pass a receiver to the deep guy in a zone, only to have said deep guy either ridiculously far out of position or not even there @ all. Donte Whitner made some nice plays, like the pass breakup he had on a 3rd down the Jets had in the red zone. But, he also got beat a few times, mostly on out routes, including a 3rd and long play. Once the receiver made the cut and headed toward the sideline, Whitner was done. Drayton Florence continues to be reliable in terms of man coverage. He just doesn't come up w/ the big turnovers. The guy I like is George Wilson. It seems like he's good for a solid play, either a tackle for a loss or a pass breakup or something else, more often than not. I'd like to see more development from Wilson, maybe to the point where he's a major contributor to the defense and they're coming up w/ turnovers and big plays. It was good to see Terrence McGee get some work, but he is still quite rusty, obviously. Let's hope he rounds into form quickly. The Bills' secondary badly needs it. The coaching staff was in need of a tune-up. Why not let Lynch do more, especially when he showed some life out there? Why continue to try to force the ball to Owens when Revis had him locked up like Bernie Madoff? This appeared to be another game that got away from the Bills. Unfortunately, there's a bunch of those kind. After the high that was the impressive win over Miami, the team again sunk to the depths. Time for Perry Fewell to rally his troops for a tough stretch run, starting w/ a trip to Arrowhead next week. Yeah, KC has all sorts of issues, but this team showed they still have heart when they beat Pittsburgh @ home and should not be overlooked. Anyway, how the heck does a 4-8 team overlook anyone?

They aren't?