Buftex

I have been turned off by the over-saturation for about 10 years now...I never watch pre-game shows (maybe some of the Super Bowl pre-game), and I don't watch the Sunday night re-caps any longer...I will say, I still watch most of the Sunday and Monday night games, but a lot of the time, I simply have them on as background noise. I still watch every moment of every Bills game, ever week...but it becomes more of an effort that the pleasure it used to be. The number of commercials is a real turnoff to me...if I am watching a game that I am very engaged in, I often start watching about 15 minutes after real time, so I can fast forward through ads. I hate them... The NFL has always treated their fans like garbage, so that is nothing new....

Words to live by!

I know your being sarcastic, but I think McCarthy is pretty underrated. And, I may be wrong, but didn't Del Rio's gambling ways come back to bite him in the ass in week 2 against the Falcons?

Just looking...prior to week 6 of last season, QB ratings of 100+ were more the norm for Rodgers than games below...by my count, in the 109 games he started before, with a QB rating of 100+ in 71 of them...and he had few that were much below that mark, especially in 2012-2014 period. It may say more about the Packers offense than it does about Rodgers....

I just happened to hear Colin Cowherd on the radio yesterday morning (I hate Cowherd), but he brought up an interesting stat...Aaron Rogers has not had a game with a QB rating over 100 since week 6 of last season. That is a long streak (12 games) for a QB of his caliber. I remember late last season, a buddy of mine, a die-hard Packers fan, after a loss said that he thought "Rogers has lost it. I don't think he is going to be the same QB he was before". I thought he was joking, or at least being over dramatic. Of course, being a Bills fan, my immediate reaction was "I will trade you any player, pair or trio on the Bills roster" for him...and while I would still make that deal, I wonder if he was on to something...rumors of Mike McCarthy starting to get frustrated with him for not making the plays that are there to be made...not saying the Packers or Rodgers are not an upper tier team, still....but it is interesting. Packers fans must appreciate Jordy Nelson all the more...

Agreed on the "middle of the field" issue. He showed some progress in this area the last few games of the season, but it seems DC's are going to do thei r best to keep him in the pocket, to narrow his vision. While I hate making excuses for (yet another Bills QB), I think the offensive line has been even more brutal over these first two games. The left side of the line just can't hold their own...especially against Baltimore...and even Incognito has been made to look foolish on a number of occasions. Point taken!

I am amazed at how down on Taylor everyone is, after two games...

Maybe so. I think a lot would depend on who the GM/Coach and OC are next year... I do remember reading a piece this summer about EJ. In the article he said something to the effect that he "still wanted to be a starting QB in the NFL, but, he realized that it was something that has to be earned, and that while he realized it could be his last year in Buffalo, he would never rule anything out."

Hard to remember, sometimes, that there have been some great times...for me, it was the first game of the 1980 season, when the Bills finally broke the stranglehold that Miami had over them from 1970-1979. Not sure if it still stands, but at the time, that 10 season streak was the longest period of dominance that one team had over another, in pro sports history (NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL). I think some of you whipper-snappers don't realize how deep the animosity was for the Dolphins. I realize, the Pats dominance is maybe even greater, but the Pats dominate everyone...the Dolphins were very good that whole decade, but it was the Bills who they regularly punished twice a year...that opening day win not only signified the end of fish dominance, but it was the first game of, for me, the funnest season in all my time as a Bills fan (I will say that started in 1972, when I was 7). It was the first Bills team, in my lifetime, that was good enough for us to entertain the notion that the Bills were Super Bowl worthy. It was the beginning of the "talking proud" period...which was a great ride, as short lived as it ended up being. How many teams had their goal posts torn down after an opening day win...I was at the game (my first game as a season ticket holder), and it was, to this day, one of the more surreal moments I have ever experienced at a live sporting event. Of course, I wasn't at the 1990 AFC Championship game..that must have been a wild one too! Close runner up: Being at the first game Jim Kelly played in a Bills uniform...they lost, but I swear, the stadium was shaking when #12 came out of the tunnel...still sends shivers down my spine thinking about it. Here's to some more modern moments! We deserve better than we get from this team... but I am still proud to be a Bills fan.

Shh...they're on a roll!

Could Schwartz next HC chance come in Buffalo, 2017?

Yes, you are all probably right. I guess I am wondering how Allen's injury will effect Gordon's opportunities. He looked really good last week too.

PPR league (1 point per reception). I need to start 2 WR's and 2 RB's, and 1 FLEX (WR or RB). Bolded are the guys I am sure I am starting...who else to make my starting 5? I guess the big question is, do I start Kelvin Benjamin (vs SF) or Melvin Gordon (vs JAX) as my FLEX? My receivers: Odell Beckham (vs New Orleans) Mike Evans (at Arizona) Kelvin Benjamin (vs San Francisco) Pierre Garcon (vs Dallas) Tavon Austin (vs Seattle) Kenny Stills (at New England) My running backs: Mark Ingram (at NY Giants) Carlos Hyde (at San Franciso) Melvin Gordon (vs Jacksonville) Chris Ivory (at San Diego) Christine Michael (at LA Rams) Mike Gillislee (vs NY Jets)

Not wanting to start another Rex thread, not sure if this is being discussed elsewhere: Did anyone see the segment on the Bills last night on ESPN NFL Live? It was Trey Wingo, Jeff Saturday, Damian Woody and Jerome Bettis, discussing Rex Ryan. They showed a clip from the Ryan brothers documentary...it was Rex speaking to the team, in a lecture hall at SJF, the first day of training camp...he is doing the classic Rex, swearing every other word, speaking in a lot of platitudes and talking tough. Only Bettis defended Rex, saying "that's who he is", for better or worse. The Bills owners hired him, to be that guy, and that is what he is giving them. Jeff Saturday, former Colt, said, essentially, "if grown men need to be motivated like that, you are not going to win anything" The most interesting take, however, came from Woody, who played for years for Rex. He prefaced it by saying "You all know, I am a Rex guy, I love Rex...but after a while, players start to realize, everything Rex says is about "me"...it is always centered around him, and how people perceive him. It may get guys fired up some, but at the end of the day, it doesn't teach them, or re-enforce fundamentals that it takes to win football games. And, Rex hasn't really won anything, for as big as his reputation is..." I am pulling for Rex, because he is our guy, and I will pull for him as long as he is our guy...but I must say, I have never been a big fan.

I agree with all of this...but I voted "hang in there" because that is pretty much what we have done in the 40+ years I have devoted to this team...there is rarely any pay-off for your loyalty, but unfortunately, there is some comfort to knowing how I will be spending my Sundays from Sept-December, every year. Also, I never really "give up" on the playoffs, until they are mathematically eliminated. All the years watching the NFL. I have seen too many weird and improbable things happen. The 2007 NY Giants were a team that absolutely nobody expected a Super Bowl Championship out of, until they actually won it.

I thought this show started out with a lot of potential, just as I was growing pretty bored with the original...now I think it has morphed into being close to unwatchable...too bad. One of the two most interesting character on the show, Daniel, was killed off already...I think Nick is a good character, and the kid playing him is really good...but jeezus, it seems like they have fallen for every trap that the original show fell into...bad writing... FYI: to whoever was asking why they killed off Daniel: not sure, but it could be that the actor who played him, Ruben Blades, is first and foremost, a musician, not an actor. He is huge in South America...

It's only one loss folks...

Was happy to hear that that Ruben Brown is going to have a Sunday evening (or late night show, not sure what time) Bills show during the football season...it won't be the post game show, but after all that. Heard Murphy talking about it the other day...didn't say what time, just a "late Sunday Bills show"...I am thinking, after the prime-time game is over? I know we are all Bills fans here, but I think there is a segment that really don't realize that the Sabres are a pretty big deal to Buffalo too...they aren't nationally prominent, but every bit as important to the local identity as the Bills. I really have no problem with them talking hockey, even during football season! Living in football crazed Texas, it is kind of refreshing to hear some puck talk now and again. I personally think a 2-3 hour a day show, devoted to either team, during the off-season, is kind of over-kill. There is only so much to say about the same thing, over and over and over again...

Admittedly, I have always been pulling for EJ, but I sense, more this year than any year past, that he is carrying himself like he knows what he is doing, rather than hoping he doesn't make any mistakes. I know, I know...everyone says he sucks, and I realize he isn't an elite QB, but I think we (Bills fans in general) have been way too quick to heap on him...I know I do it sometimes too (with me it is more Rex than anything) but it is hard to remember sometimes that Rex, or EJ isn't individually responsible for everything that has gone wrong for this team over the last 16 years...the situation that Manuel came to Buffalo was unique to him...he was drafted, with nobody expecting him to start right out of the gate, and with the caveat that management realized he was a project...but he was thrust in as the starter right off, and Bills fans can get ugly pretty quickly...I just don't think the guy is as awful as so many here do...I sense that development you are speaking of as well. I see him being vocal, chastising teammates for screwing up, jawing with opponents who take cheap shots at his teammates...he looks so much more comfortable out there this year. I know, he still isn't as accurate as we would like...but he is about as good a backup QB as we could hope to have this year, realistically.

Yeah, I think Murph is a great guy, and Jones seems cut from the same cloth, but it just doesn't make for great radio. I think that is why ESPN morphed into "point-coutner point" entertainment...

Hate to say it, but Jones seems like a nice guy, but he is maybe even more milquetoast than Murphy...what on earth are they thinking? The move to noon has been positive, so far , because there are more guests, more things going on, and that leaves less time for Murphy to kill...but why on earth are they scared to add somebody with a personality to the lineup? Ruben Brown or Gabe Northern would have been much better choices in my opinion...if they wanted somebody more current, maybe go after Fred Jackson when/if he retires. I can't imagine being compelled to tune into this show in the off-season unless thee is something particularly newsworthy going on. Who knew that having Bills talk 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year, would be a bad thing?

Cam Newton?

He said so many inaccurate things during the course of the game, it was hard to keep track...Cardale Jones was a 5th round pick (actually he was a 4th round pick)....he seem to have some personal knowledge that the Bills really liked Kevon Seymour prior to the draft, and were just thrilled to get him as an undrafted FA, "like getting an extra draft pick" after the draft...ignoring the fact, of course that Seymour was a 6th round pick...there was more....his game analysis was ok (he still has a hard time saying simple things...like he is trying to over explain simple things to the point you don't know wtf he is trying to say anymore)...but to me he just sounds like he is mailing it in.

I was re-watching the Colts game from Saturday, as it was re-broadcast on the NFL Network...they definitely cut some stuff out, including the Bills first drive, the only appearance of Tyrod and Shady.

I have never been a Tasker hater, though I think he is not great....my gosh though, he and the other guy doing the game on Saturday night (Mike Stone is it?) were just terrible...Tasker sounded like he really didn't do any homework for this game.