djp14150

this streak happened because of schedule patterns. 2008 at KC (divisional face off) 2009 at KC (EAst at west this year) 2010 at KC (east at West this year) 2011 at KC (divisional face off-changed the pairings from DEN-KC to SD-KC thus KC followed SD pattern) 2012 KC (West at East this year) 2013 KC (west at East this year) 2014 KC ( diviisonal face off-flip 2011 oppoenet locations) 2015 East at West 2016 East at West 2017 at KC (divisional face off flip of 2014) 2018-2025 ????? new set of pairings likely made and 8 year pattern of opponents

a reason they shifted the matchups was because of the two times the you had the East teams play both West divisions in the same season and thus 2 of the teams had to do 4 trips(Seattle, Oakland, San Fran, San diego) to the west coast while the other teams only had to t2 (Arizona and Denver). Teh year the AFC East played both West divisons in 2008....New England asked for and got back to back games on the west coast thus only needing to make 2 trips (thus staying the week in California) while the Jets didint say anything and got to do 4 separate trips. Buffalo likely did the same thing where they asked to play San Fran and Arizona on back to back weeks last year.

the reported proposal was with San Fran trading down to their spot at 31 and likely gaining a few more picks. the problem and why they didnt do this.... Philadelphia being near the top of the second round would have likely made a trade with New England and jumped ahaead of Buffalo to draft EJ. Chip Kelly seriously looked at EJ in recruiting him to Oregon. He would have pulled the trigger on this deal. Buffalo would have moved down to around 20-23 if a deal was offered.

they started the current scheduling format in 2002... In 2010 when they redid the cycle of opponents besides the Western teams they also shuffled the NFC South. there is a six year cycle of who you play home and away in the placement games that balances out as 2 home and 2 away against each division. an example of a cycle: year 1 NORTH at West South year 2 WEST North at South year 3 SOUTH West at North year 4 NORTH West at South year 5 WEST at North South year 6 SOUTH at West North because they refomated the divisional pairings for 2010 was why Buffalo had a string of playing at Kansas City from 2008-2011 and they will now go for 3 years of hosting KC from 2012-2014.

outside of divisional teams..... 2014: AFC West, NFC North 2015: AFC South NFC East 2016: AFC North NFC West this cycle should go through 2017. the first cycle was 2002-2009, then the second 8 season cycle is 2010-2017 which assures a home and home against all teams. In 2017 they will play the same teams in the NFC south they are this year except in opposite location the other 2 teams are positional offonents of the AFC division they arent playing. In 2014 they with play the team of the same place in the standings as them in the AFC North and AFC south...one at home and one on the road.

I am surprised WR Josh Gordin is talked about being dealt. I dont get this what Cleveland is doing. They went through this before with WR Edwards. then there is Trent richardson and Weeden.

i mentioned this on another topic.... 1. buffalo needs to make some plays (returns, turnovers, big pass/run plays 2. Buffalo needs to hold them to FGs instead of TDs 3. Marrone is more familiar with the offense of the Saints than other teams. this game will be close where its a one score game in the 4th quarter coming down to the end of the game. for Buffalo to win it would be something like a 25-22 victory where Buffalo holds them to 5 FGs and one TD...while they score 3 TDs + going for 2 on onw of them. One of Buffalo TDs either is a return TD from Defense or special teams or involves a big play by them giving Buffalo the ball inside the red zone. Buffalo played well against NE losing on a last second FG, NO lost to NE on a last second TD, NE beat ATL on a late TD, and NO beat ATL on a last second TD...so Buffalo should be able to play with NO.

i agree it will be a hard game...but it is still winnable. I see this being a close game in the 4th quarter---being a one score game. It might extend to more than one score as a final score but for much of the game it will be a one score game. The keys for a win: 1. Buffalo will need to make some plays early to get the crowd out of it. 2. Buffalo needs to either get a decent return or turnover that sets them up with a short field and they get points out of it. 3. On the saints drives they hold them to FGs instead of TDs. 4. Buffalo needs to try and control the time of posession. dont forget Marrone was OC in New orleans so he is more familiar with their play calling and offensive philosphy than many other teams. If the bills were to win it would be something like 25-22 where Buffalo holds them to 5 FGs + a TD while they score 3 TDs (one set up from a turnover either a pick 6 or returned into the red zone) then on a late score they go for 2 and succeed. Then the game is deceided by a FG late.

possible candidates to get flexed to Sunday or moved to a 4:25 game slot: week 11 Jets at Bills could be flexed to Sunday because the Giants stink. week 12 bye week 13 Atlanta at buffalo is a possibility along with CIN-SD and MIa-Jets week 14 no chance week 15 no chance week 16 New England-Baltimore is safe for now unless Baltimore tanks. Miami-Buffalo is a candidate to be shifted to the 4:25pm slot if not to NBC. week 17 Buffalo at New England has a decent shot of being flexed either to 4:25 or to NBC. The driver of being selected is that one team needs to win to get a wild card or division title. Ideally they want a game where its a play and the winner gets the division title and the loser goes home. This week there are a few other candidates---Philly at Dallas, Green Bay at Chicago, Baltimore at Cincinati

NFL protection rules for networks...... From week 11-16 (6 weeks) each network has 5 protects to use 1 per week max to protect one game on their network from being flexed to Sunday night. This means each week they can protect one game except for one week where they dont protect any. The networks usually save the week to not protect a game for a week they either feel the game is a safe bet to stick on NBC or they have no problem getting a game back that would be there and they would be happy to air even if the teams werent necessarily in playoff contention (such as a division rival game) Week 17 the networks have no protection. The NFL decides which game moves. protecting games has nothing to do with what time the game is on. Rememmber from weeks 11-17 the schedule is by default set to 1pm for East/central time zone game locations and 4pm for Mountain/west coast game locations. The only exception to this are games involving NYC teams where the Jets and Giants cant play in the same time slot so they move one of those games to 4pm when the schedules are released, CBS and FOX can decide which games will be slated for 4:25 that week from weeks 11-17 if they arent by default 4:00 pm games. These games can always be changed by the network a few weeks before if the game is being played in an east/central time zone. An early San Fran/Oakland game at 1pm cant be moved if the other is playing home at 4pm. This year the networks did decide on a few games for certain weeks, but not ones for other weeks. Om weeks 11 and 13 are their games set to play at 4pm that is not a west coast game location or a Giants/Jets game. week 11; FOX decided on San Fran at New Orleans for a 4:25 pm slot week 13: CBS New England at Houston for 4:25 and FOX has Atlanta at Buffalo for 4pm. The past few years the toronto game has been a 4pm game.

He is practicing by himself?

He doesnt live in boston anymore...moved back to NJ. He ranks teams based on a neutral field who he feels would win. Because the Jets beat the Bills in NY/NJ doesnt matter much since it was a close game.

all teams are certain of getting an Thursday game on national TV. That could change if the NFl sells the package to a network where they will not want dud games. If Buffalo makes the playoffs or is a 2nd place team just missing the WC by a game or two with an 8-8 record or better then they have a very good shot of getting at least 1 MNF game. If they make the playoffs then they should get 2 or more.

In each game...a play here/there this team could 5-2 or better. New England---defense was tired on the late FG drive to win it. If they didnt have Amendola in that game Buffalo likely wins. Jets---healthy Cbs would have prevented at least two of the 4 long pass plays they were successful doing which would have eliminated points and likely made it a 20-20 game. Especially that long passmid way through the 4th quarter when it was 20-20. Browns---no injured Manuel, or having a decent backup in that game they likely come back and take the lead for 31-30 and not a pick 6 for 37-24. Bengals---there was a long pass play that PI should have been called that would have put Buffalo in FG range which then puts them ahead. Other big decision was the failed 4th down from the 1. take 2 of those and flip them then they are 5-2 instead of 3-4.

Lets look at their schedule prior to week 17..... Home: Chiefs, Jets, Falcons (Tor), and Fins --Chiefs---Bills know them very well having played them in consecutive years since 2008 (??) where they eaither won or lost in very close games. Im not sold on them. The only above .500 team they have beaten was Dallas who may not be as strong as their 4-3 record indicates. since 3 wins came aginst fellow division teams. --Falcons--the team seems very beatable this year unless something big time changes. Was this last years Falcons--id say no. Away: Saints, Steelers, Bucs, and Jags Lets say they go 3-1 both at Home and on the road you are talking 9-6 going into the game at New England which would mean a very realistic shot at a WC spot with a 10-6 record. --Bucs and Jags---should win both. --Steelers---even though they won this past week Im still not convinced with them. --Saints---they will be the most difficult opponent they have left until week 17. Can they beat them--yes. If they lose they are in no way out of it.

What Buffalo needs..... 1. NE loss to Miami 2. Jets loss to Miami 3. Buffalo beat the Jets and Miami both in Buffalo.... Then if Buffalo is one game behind New England going into the final game of the year they win --they win the division title. reason---they split head to head with NE, their division record 4-2 vs 3-3. If Miami beats New England next week, buffalo beats New Oreleans, Jets lose to Cincinati then Buffalo controls their own fate...they win out they win the division no matter what. I am rooting for Cincinati to win the AFC North and Denver to win the AFC West then Buffalo would have the tiebreaker edge on KC (by beating them) and Baltimore due to head to head wins. If they can be in 2nd place in the division they have a very good shot at a WC.

He caught the ball...both feet in the endzone about 1 year deep. The WR then in tackling him driving him outside the endzone around the 2. Should have been a touchback.

Buffalo is still in this. New England has the Jets and Fins the next 2 weeks. They lose both they are 5-3. Buffalo win their next two they are 4-4.

KC isnt as good as their record....yes if Buffalo played that schedule they would be 5-1 easily.

Im sure this crossed his mind. He may have done this if on the road instead of at home. also it was early in the season to do that. Its the kind of call you do later in the season if you have nothing to lose because you were out of the playoffs but taking on an in the hunt for a playoff team.

a cardboard cutout is better...

By rule if both feet are in the endzone its a TD....even if he is pushed back and the ball didnt break the plane. This has happened countless times of players catching the ball with both feet in the endzone but he wasnt allowed to stand up ahich would then bring the ball in the end zone. If you are standing outside the endzone the ball must break the plane.

I dont directly blame the QB..... In their 3 loses.... NE: The defense got tired due to playing too much. Had they had NE without those two they win easily. Jets: QB gets lucky on go routes. Had Bills been healthier at CB they win this game. CLE: injury to QB and the punt return for TD. Had Gailey kept the defense and kept Fewell as a DC when he was hired, He'd likely still have a job. the offense played well enough to win games...the defense sucked.

Cincinati has a good defense--their offense isnt strong. Remmember each game is different.....Buffalo likely would have beaten the Browns if either EJ doesnt get hurt, or they stopped the punt return TD. Remember Cincinati lost to the same browns...17-6. Also remember this is a young team....the won their home games but lost on the road. They also benefited from geting revved up home schedule of host Pittsburgh at home on SNF, then hosting Green Bay and New England (both likely playoff teams for this year). Another common problem with young teams is them playing to the level of their opponent. In early season predictions...I said that if this game was in Cincinati Buffalo would probably lose but with it being in Buffalo they have a decent shot at winning.

disagree....the team can opt to IR a player...remember since it would be done now it is possible to be recalled during the season. Every team in this league then has violated the IR rules then. I have seen people get IRed because of a less period than the rest of the season or the ailment is a nagging injury that is effecting their performance week in and out.