JoeF

....The ESPY's become the Teddy's....Chris Berman changes one of his signature phrases to "Nobody overcomes brain hemorrhages and holes in their heart like Teddy Bruschi" My friend--what did you expect today? They have the game on their network to add to the monster hype....I am hoping this will be like the game the Bears dedicated to Piccolo...they got beat...

I know that nothing is for certain...but the quotes about wanting to retire there and wanting to be coach when his son graduates sound pretty genuine. A lot of guys cite the pros being somehow easier than the college game because of recruiting, etc. But a couple of things... 1) Weis seems to enjoy recruiting...he loves making the close and he has a great staff (Bill Lewis, Rick Minter, Brian Polian (yep Bill Polian's son) etc.) to help. 2) Because of the limited amounts of time to work with players in the college game--a great coach is even more of a competitive advantage--a staff that can scheme at the elite level of division one (the top 30 teams) makes a huge difference. 3) This is his alma mater, a place he self admittedly loves and wants to return to past glory--winning a national championship might have the same cache as hoisting the Lombardi--I know its blasphemy to some on this board--but its Notre Dame... One last thing--I sure am glad he will not be calling the plays for the Pats tonight...

Weis may yet turn out to be a dud...but he has taken a team with basically the same or less talent than last year's ND team and turned them around. The offensive schemes are brilliant--once they get some better front 7 play on D (and a good FS)--you are talking a national championship capable team. I think this one turns out to be a very good use of tuition money....plus donations they get when this is announced from now happy alums will more than make up for any buyout down the road if it ever comes to that.

AJ---if you are being sarcastic about TD, that's cool. Any GM is going to have hits and misses..but the most important decision they make is hiring a head coach. I don't think Charlie Weis would have given the ball to a guy who hadn't carried it for 5 years on fourth and goal from the one....that's not being coy or smart, its idiotic. Weis is a brilliant coach. Exactly how many Super Bowls did the Steelers win when Mularkey was OC? If we truly had a chance to get Weis as Mort and others have reported, we should have jumped at it. Does that mean I am not cheering for Mularkey to do well--no way...I like the guy and God knows I want him to be a huge success..but Weis is a better football coach...

Just announced that Charlie Weis has signed on with the Irish to 2015 (a five year extension). Yesterday the brilliance that is Pro Football Talk wrote that their "sources" said that Weis was basically giving coach speak about his commitment to ND and that he may bolt after the season (with the Bills being listed as one of 5 teams that would be interested). PFT speculated that Weis' relatively small $1.5M buyout would be easy for an NFL team to meet. While the figures of the new deal are not yet public--I am certain the buyout is much more robust. Weis The Bills should have hired Weis when we had the chance..waiting three weeks is immaterial if he was the right man...that said, I am glad he is at ND for a while.

Were you reading A Clockwork Orange before you fell asleep?

This is just ugly.....you guys are sons of satan.... If Holcomb hit Bruschi in the nads it probably wouldn't hurt..... Let's just beat the hell out of them and then call out HD on Monday...

This may be the first time someone has actually missed hearing the insights of Joe Theismann. Dare I say this is a defining moment.

"What do you mean Alzado retired?" or "This is your brain on drugs" or "Oakland, see it like a native"

It was a great play--but if Willis cuts inside of Gandy and Anderson its 6 points instead of just a 13 yard gain. To truly be the defining RB of the NFL -- he makes that move instead of allowing Ty Law to tackle him.

This isn't a loud thread at all..how can a message board thread be ear ringing, Molly Hatchet loud...

Lori--Chris Brown should hire you for Bills Digest. Your summaries are so much more entertaining than what they produce. A couple of short addendums: - The Bills are actually on a 2 game west coast travel winning streak with crushing wins at Seattle and San Fran at the end of last year (Combined score 79-16). The Mularkey post flight walk and cheeseburger menu approach seems to be effective. - Lori wrote it--but it can't be stressed enough...running up the middle will be tough tomorrow. We need to attack the edge a bit more early in the game...The one thing that worries me is that Kelly Holcomb has had trouble the last couple of games getting the ball to Willis on the off tackle. He doesn't seem to have the quickness to take the drop step and put the ball safely in Willis' gut without some hesitancy...results have been a fumble in each of the last two games...hopefully they worked on that in practice this week. Its totally a Holcomb thing-he needs to get the ball out there--and the off tackle is going to be a key play this week.

The Shaud Williams pitch sweep last week was a thing of beauty. Peters, Gandy and Big Bennie out front....I felt sorry for the OLB, Corner and Safety on that side.....Yikes.. Jason isn't a slash, he's more like SAK...Swiss Army Knife...He can do so many things well...Nice UDFA pick-up.

You said way more than a mouthful. I could see that statement adorning a large bust in a museum some day.

Holcomb to Moulds wasn't mentioned? What about Fergie to Jerry Butler? Kemp to Dubenion?

Let me first say--I put no credence in this rumor...however--it would not kill Minnesota cap wise--most of Winfield's bonus was not pro-rated but taken entirely as a salary hit to last year's cap......

Both these plays were in the third quarter--but they were memorable... The screen pass to McGahee in the 3rd quarter. It was just a wonderful play call..it went for 13 and a first down...it could have went for a touchdown. Gandy and Anderson had the outside walled...I think it was Law who squeezed through Gandy's block to the outside and Willis ran right into to his tackle. A cut to the inside and Willis follows Benny for one more block on a d-back and its six. That same drive had the toss sweep to the left to Shaud Williams that went for 20 to the 7 yard line. Gandy, Benny and I think Peters were the lead on that one..imagine being a d-back and seeing that beef coming at you.. The thing is the Jets aren't slow on D by any means--but we were running wide with our beef and having success. Overall... These next two road games will be huge indicators on the contender/pretender scale...but I am at least semi-optmistic...we need to get the run D issues solved--but I saw overpursuit on Martin's two long runs--not anything to do with getting blown off the ball...

After the first drive, Kelly had good time to throw and we were getting 2 or 3 yards of push on most of the run plays, Also--Big Benny can get outside on sweeps and screens...something most thought he couldn't do... I have to be honest---seeing them live today--I was impressed.

Evans. Aiken's block allowed Fast Freddie to get a TD in the first Quarter Reed laid a DB out on another Moulds catch in the 3rd quarter.. We do have some good blocking WR.

Thanks Lori. Great prep for the annual family sojourn to Buffalo this weekend... Another little one (6) gets introduced to the Bills experience on Sunday..If she is anything like her older sister--we will have another life long fan.

Geez a coach looking for competitive advantage by not revealing personnel choices and moves...he should be blasted and roundly criticized by his local media and on his team's Internet message boards..

Jennings missing games..thats about like confirming Romo on roids. The guy MAY be worth $6-7 million a year if he was durable--but durability is the main reason the Bills didn't make the offer. Give TD, Modrak and John Guy just a little credit on this one... Also--I know this won't be popular--but the Bills most consistent offensive lineman this year may just be Mike Gandy....our street free agent...admittedly the best of a bad lot right now...

The Bills won a game last week against a very good defense with the entire right side of their OL (the best side of their line in most pundits opinion) out (sans extra points by Williams). They moved the ball at will their first three drives aided by some penalities but they still made clutch plays. They shut out an offense that had shown the ability to move the ball in previous games during the first half. They forced 4 turnovers and recovered a bad snap. They continued to display dominant special teams. They get missing pieces of the offensive line back this week. I don't think its rose colored glasses to give them a few more weeks before counting them out.....

I saw the season opener against NC State. Marcus was clearly the difference in that game in the 2nd half--there were at least 4 plays in the half where he avoided an onslaught and picked up 15 plus either through the air or with his feet. Pocket awareness is uncanny given how little QB he has played. Va. Tech would have one in the L column without him... Now if he would stay away from the weed and under age girls -- we may have something...I call him little Mexico...

Sam Adams? Goal line TE's should work on their game... I would enjoy seeing Roscoe play on Sunday...The Jets will have to respect that speed in the slot or out wide..a little bit less attention to the run and little bit less attention to Moulds and Evans. O-Line should be back to the starters this week as well...we are 1-0 with the full starting unit playing an injury free game...