BarleyNY

Nice, factual analysis. I'd add one important factor - this Sunday's game could make the week 17 game quite a bit easier. Denver and New England are almost certainly going to get byes, but NE has the head to head tiebreaker for home field advantage. If the Bills give Denver a loss this Sunday then there is a much, much greater chance that NE will be resting starters on week 17. The Bills have the opportunity to put themselves into position for that game to be meaningful. The odds are still long, but maybe not quite as long as they appear.

I've watched all but two Browns games this season. Their two worst games have come against the two teams with the two best defensive lines they've seen - Houston and Jax. That's the reason I think the Bills will win although Josh Gordon is back and the impact he makes shouldn't be overlooked.

If the game was moved because the city of that team was going through a terrible natural disaster where people were dying and/or the recently deceased former owner of that team had just left my struggling city a 9 figure charitable donation I think I might just let the carrying their DC off the field thing go. Seriously, either one would have been plenty for me to personally get over it.

Quite the on-again-off-again relationship he has with God, no?

Locker should have been included in the poll. Honestly, I'd bring in two off that list and Locker. Him being prone to injury is an issue obviously, but he can play when healthy. Ditto Bradford. Get me those two, or try. Then work the list.

I don't have an issue with the NFL waiting on announcing changes of the game time and/or location. If they said they were moving it, but didn't say where and when there'd be a ton of speculation and misinformation floating around. It would cause problems and make them look unorganized. Just think about all of the real and fabricated "leaks" being tweeted around. Everyone knows the game won't be played on Sunday at 1 pm in Orchard Park. Once their ducks are in a row we will all find out where and when. Just sit tight.

My big fear there is something no one is talking about - flooding. If we get the temps (and rain) expected that field is going to be a big, muddy swimming pool. Not to mention all of the homes, roads, etc. that'll be flooding. Maybe, but I doubt it is in Orchard Park. So many are going through so much. That could be ME without beer! I shudder to think.... lmao. That was hilarious.

The Bills are currently in 7th place in the race for the two wild card spots. Note that this already accounts for 4 division winners, so that makes them 11th overall in record in the AFC. Out of 16 teams. We could talk tiebreakers (where there is little help), but just to get to the point where they come into play the Bills would have to almost win out anyway. 5-5 now and 10-6 is going to be needed to get a WC spot. Heck, there might be a 10-6 team that doesn't make it so 11-5 would be needed to be certain of getting a spot. That means the Bills have to either win their last 6 or go 5-1 and get some help on tiebreakers. Anyone see that happening? I didn't think so.

I wouldn't if I was him.

David Shaw, current HC of Stanford, is a true leader of men and an excellent football mind. I'm not sure he can be pried away from there as he is a perfect fit at Stanford, but Pegula should try. Next choice is Jim Harbaugh. Why even include the likes of Cowher, Gruden and Dungy? It is highly doubtful that any of them is ever coaching in the NFL again. Maybe if the money was great and they were walking into a phenomenal situation they'd consider it, but that sure isn't the case in Buffalo.

Agreed. No reason for the Browns to move on from Manziel anytime soon unless he is bombing or a ridiculous offer comes along. The Bills don't want him in the former case and can't afford the latter. That is hilarious. Bills hot garbage = the 22nd overall pick from last year who has barely seen the field. In what universe does that happen? And what makes you think that Pettine is fond of EJ? Even if he likes him as a person what makes you think Pet think he's a good NFL QB? Certainly not his play on the field. Incidentally, I've heard about how Manziel has been doing in Cleveland. Other than being very late to a team meeting early on there hasn't been anything negative. He has improved and is doing well overall in his development although he is way behind Hoyer in his presnap recognition, which Hoyer excels at. The coaches and front office are very happy with the success Hoyer is having and are giving him his due. Some wonder if Manziel can be even better than Hoyer (who has shown some inconsistiency), but they aren't pulling a successful QB out of the starting spot and disrupting the team chemistry. Hoyer is getting his shot and Johnny is in the wings for the foreseeable future.

My uncle was a trustee of Hinkley. Loved that park with the little lake and dammed off swimming area.

I know what I see. When I watch Orton I see a QB who is, at best, an average game manager type QB. He's a guy who'd be a quality backup, but not much better than marginal starter. When I watch Manuel I see a QB with a ton of physical talent, but poor accuracy, pocket presence and anticipation. He's a guy who will be lucky to be a decent backup in the NFL. He has plenty enough talent for some team to the and develop his game, but his odds of doing so are very, very long.

Two guards and a quarterback.

I only have this: Orton is still the best QB on the roster and he is a lot less likely to get a receiver concussed or otherwise injured by a throw that leads that receiver into a hit. Also, I think we all know what we have in Manuel. Sorry, but he's not a starting NFL QB. Hope and optimism are not warranted in his case. He is, at best, a long term project - almost certainly for some other team.

You are correct in that assessment. Arguing so much about the grounding penalty would make one think that it was the reason the Bills lost and that is completely false. Not being able to score a TD - even when starting at the Dolphins' 35 yard line - is the reason the Bills lost.

Your blue and red tinted glasses must effect your distance perception because it was a lot more than 6 yards away, but honestly I don't make the grounding call there. The rule states that there has to be no realistic chance for a receiver to catch the ball - no yardage away from a receiver is noted. On one hand I do think it was theoretically possible for Watkins to have missed a change in route due to the blitz. When the ball was released he had time to break outside to the area where it was thrown. On the other hand, Orton was clearly throwing the ball away to an empty place on the field to avoid a sack. He wasn't trying to get the ball to where Watkins was and failure to run a proper route doesn't excuse a grounding call. It's a judgement call and their judgement is defensible, even if I would have let it go. This doesn't even address the effect this call should have had on the game - or the one it did have on it. If the grounding call had not been made the Bills would've been punting from their own endzone and the Dolphins would've probably gotten the ball around midfield. As it actually played out the Dolphins got two points and the Bills got the ball deep in the Dolphins' end of the field. I'm finding it very difficult to blame this call for anything bad that happened to the Bills as the net result should have helped them.

If the NFL is fixed, then the Browns win the Super Bowl this season. Exactly 50 years ago the Browns won their last championship. No other major Cleveland sports team has won one since. (Sorry Crunch, that single indoor soccer championship doesn't count.) Now they are QBed by native Clevelander Brian Hoyer. It couldn't be teed up better for drama and heartwarming stories. The Jerome Bettis going home to Detroit to win a Super Bowl in his last game before retiring would pale in comparison. As a native Clevelander I hope this happens.

Here's the reality of the intentional grounding penalty. It was, IMO, a borderline call. But here's the killer - the Dolphins fumbled the free kick away to the Bills who then had the ball deep in the Dolphins' end. The Bills just failed to capitalize on having the ball in the red zone by (again) failing to score a TD, then missing a FG attempt. The Dolphins capitalized on some of their opportunities and breaks and the a Bills didn't. That was the whole story of this game - and consequently the season.

You must be confusing the 2013 and 2014 Ray Rice models with the 2012 and previous ones.

Exactly.

I couldn't disagree more. Right now the Bills have Orton - who is average-ish and little else at QB (unless delusions of Manuel progressing are still in play). Even if Orton can be good enough in the short term, the Bills still lack at the most important position long term. The time to find the QB of the future is while Orton can hold the fort down and they don't have to be rushed into the line up. And there's no guarantee that the Bills even hit the their pick. Why start looking when they're desperate again and wind up reaching (again)? Look for value in the draft, in free agency and even via trade. Find a guy who can be your FQB, find out if he is or not and repeat until you have him. There's no excuse for not starting this offseason. And don't jump the gun regarding who is going to be available. It's way too early for that except for the likes of Mariota and the like.

I think it's "White Castle".

Great illustration that shows how misleading it is to compare stats of QBs from different eras.

ESPN's QBR rating system tries to factor out some of the flaws in the standard passer rating. I'd be interested to see if there is a better correlation.