SoMAn

About month later than it used to be. Until last year, I believe, the schedule came out just ahead of the draft. But, everything is 'an event' now with the NFL. Not too many years ago it was just a news item publication in the daily paper without much fanfare. Now, ESPN and NFL Network milk several hours of air time out of the 'schedule release'. I'll admit, I'm susceptible to the method through which the NFL feeds our football hunger piecemeal throughout the off-season.

No contest - Beth Mowens. It's when that mute button on the remote really earns it's keep.

Unlike many of you, I’ve been reasonably happy with DIRECTV. Have had it since ‘98. After years of crowded sports bars with snot-nosed kids running around while trying to watch the Bills, ST at home has been a godsend. Before the advent of satellite dishes and spirts bars, we had to pray that the Bills were shown locally or that we could catch a few post-game highlights. I love the luxury of sitting in my comfy chair with the fire blazing, no distractions, snacks within arms reach, etc. I like having DIRECTV and recorded shows accessible on all TVs concurrently. I like the DVR features. I’ve been able to negotiate reasonable monthly fees. I’ve paid little or nothing for Sunday Ticket for years. Customer Service isn’t always perfect, but overall it has been decent. The CSRs are generally helpful and willing to accommodate. Occasionally I’ll get one who’s tougher to deal with or difficult to understand, so I end the call and try another again with a different rep. I’ve experienced very few outages. Only temporary outages when a large weather system is between my dish and the bird. Rarely more than a couple of minutes. My neighbors with cable have had more frequent issues. I don’t know what the service will be when Apple takes over the ST package, but hoping I’ll be able to enjoy the same functionality at a reasonable price. Hoping 4k (or better) will become a standard for NFL broadcasts. I may join a gang of local Bills Backers this season at our Anchor Bar or one of the other area venues for a game, but for most games I’ll be fireside, remote in hand, watching from the cozy confines of my living room.

4 scheduled, including at Detroit for Thanksgiving. 5 if flexed 8 if flexed and including the 3 playoff games.

I’m thinking Beane, knowing last January that Dabol and Schoen we’re headed down the road, penciled in a bunch of duds on the war room white board just to mess wit their minds! Gen-I-us !

Absolutely. If for no other reason than if we wait until pick 120 in round 4, he’ll be gone. Field position is often a huge part of who cones out on top in closely matched games. As potent as the Bills’ offense is, there will be times when they’re 4th and 5 inside their own 30. And by the way, the guy is a decent place kicker too. Wouldn’t ever expect him to replace Bass, but could be an important emergency backup. Don’t discount the importance of special teams and field position. It can be the difference between 3 points or 7 points. How many games are decided by less than 7? There aren’t too many ‘sure things’ after pick # 10. If we can get a ‘sure thing’ in round 3, I’d be all in. Wouldn’t even be opposed to trading up in the round.

The Facebook thing with my wife is what I don’t get. Suddenly, she’s carrying on dialogues every day with some nobody that was in her 2nd grade class picture that she hasn’t had contact with since grammar school. IMO a lot of time is wasted with those relationships. Of course, any of us may have significant others that believe we waste a lot of time at the Stadium Wall speculating about draft picks for which we’ll know the answers in less than two weeks. Touché my dear.

This relates to a recent topic in our house where my wife is organizing a reunion. She’s concerned that some people aren’t interested. I explain that a lot of folks are content to leave the past in the past. I’m one of them. I maintain contact with a handful of old friends and acquaintances, but have no desire to rekindle ‘friendships’ with people who were merely on the outskirts of some social construct from days gone by. Let’s ‘catch up’’! Ummm, no let’s not. Doesn’t Edgerson still live in WNY? Byrd may be ok with not dwelling on the past and enjoying the now while planning for the future. I don’t know if the Bills ask WOF prospects if they’re enthusiastic about that recognition, but for all we know Byrd declined the offer.

He lived with his family in the apartment complex next to our Williamsville elementary school that we walked to every morning. We ‘played football’ with his boys on the school grounds. They were several years younger than us, so it was more just tossing the ball around. Times have sure changed since then; our star corner lived in a modest apartment complex. His punt return for TD was kicked by opposing team QB. On the same play, Bills, punter McGuire (also a LB) was blocking for returns on special teams. I still think ‘Byrd’ when I see a Bills uni with # 42. A great player in the formative years of Bills football. He deserves to be honored.

I don’t know that the Bills are as desperate for a CB as some might believe. In the 8 games since Tre White was injured, the Bills went 5-3. One of the losses was the wind bowl against the Patriots where pass defense didn’t factor into it. The other 2 were OT losses against Brady and Mahomes- winners of previous 2 Super Bowls. If the Bills think Tre can return to full form sooner than later, and with an improved front 4 pressuring QBs, they might be more open to receiving threats or run defense support with first round pick.

You may be right about the first Raiders MNF loss, but it was the second MNF win in 2 years for the Bills. I was also at the first one in '73 against KC when OJ went over 1,000 yards in game 7. Was in the club seats on the press box side, sitting a few rows in front of where Cosell, Meredith, and Giffords were broadcasting. That game is when the notion of OJ breaking Jim Brown's season record and maybe even hitting 2,000 yards became a frequent conversation.

Nice to see the 1974 opener mentioned. It’s rarely discussed and the younger generation have no idea. I was at that game. The final few minutes were much like the recent KC playoff game with the Raiders and Bills trading the lead several times in those last few minutes. The difference is that the Bills had the final lead. OJ was out with injury and Fergy JD Hill and Ahmad Rashad picked up the slack. One of the best games I ever attended.

If there's a run on a few positions, there should be some top talent at others. We know DT, Edge, CB, OT, QB are typically premium positions taken early in the draft. Will that leave a LB, RB, G, or Safety that are among the best coming out of college? Will they be considered an immediate contributor for the Bills? Or (for example), would the Bills be looking down the road at an economical solution and heir to a position they'll be needing in coming years? A rookie contract nearing its end (Edmunds) might be plan B and drafting his reaplacement if 'their guy' was off the board. Maybe looking ahead to Safety, with an aging veteran (Poyer) nearing the end of their contract. It don't expect it, but wouldn't shock me if the Bills went LB or Safety in the first with their desire to remain competitive long-term. If one of the corners the Bills see as a good fit are all gone, will they look to a WR? The consensus is that there are several WR prospects that could start sooner than later. Maybe they see a WR they project to last into the 2nd round who could be a good developmental player. Or, will they trade back for more choices or trade up to get 'their guy'? I suspect they're more likely to unload draft choices and move up if possible. Last year's picks were poached off the practice squad by other teams. Why spend resources developing players for other teams? There are still veteran FA corners out there. Some of the decision may hinge on the rehab progress of Tre White. I'd like to see McDuffie or Booth in a Bills jersey. It would be hard to find a weakness in the defense if that all works out. These and other questions will start to be answered in 3 weeks.

Described as 'former Bills GM'. Doesn't say what his current title is. Oh yeah... unemployed.

He'd separate a shoulder doing it.

No. First attended games as a kid in the old rockpile. That was the seed that was planted. Then, when I was old enough to grasp the nuances of the game, OJ was the biggest name in football, if not pro sports. Went to numerous games at Rich, including the first Monday night game in '73, the '80 opener when they finally beat the fish after 20 losses, the Bills-Rams 'encore' game, and many more. Fandom grew through the Knox era of late 70s-early 80's, then mini-drought, part 1, then Kelly signs in '86, then the 90's, then Wade Phillips, then drought part 2. 17 of years in search of an elite QB. So, having gone through some rough patches Bills' teams that had terrible coaching, awful personnel departments, and/or a tightwad owner who wouldn't retain good talent, my allegiance never faltered. Even though I've lived in Atlanta area most of my life, I can't imagine rooting for the Falcons or any other team. It's the Bills until the day I die. Having stuck with them through thick and thin over 50 years, it'll be that much sweeter when they finally win it all!

Maybe the boom in job openings made it possible for some of the people getting assistance to become financially independent. Could be the $$800 millions wasn't as needed for families as it was during the height of the pandemic. Maybe some of the families moved to other states. Maybe the state investigated the recipients to see who was really needy and found a number of deadbeats who were able to provide for themselves and were then cut off. I have no idea if any of those things factored into it. Could be other reasons. But without knowing all the details, it's irresponsible to wag a finger at the state for pulling the rug out from underneath needy families. New York has historically been very generous with helping the less fortunate. Check back when you have all the facts.

It does, but it's par for the course with Erie County and NY State politics leading the charge. The first 10 years will be getting the architect agreed upon, drawing up plans, and going through the approval with a new study and committee. But only after they approve the new Peace Bridge.

I didn’t mean six or seven plays for a single game. I was referring to 5 playoff games (all losses) that were collectively decided by 6 or 7 plays. 300 minutes (+ OT) of football decided by that handful of plays. A dropped pass in the end zone, wide right, special teams screwup with seconds remaining, amazing escape from a certain sack by Deshaun Watson, and 13 seconds of either poor coaching or missed assignments. 6 or 7 plays that may well have changed the outcome of all 5 postseason games.

5 Bills playoff games with defeat snatched from the jaws of what could have been victories. About 6 or 7 plays total decided the outcomes of these 5 playoff games: Browns ‘89 Titans ‘92 Giants ‘90 Texans ‘19 Chiefs ‘21 observations watching vintage game film… the officials appear much older and less fit than today’s crews. QB hits were brutal. The rule changes protecting quarterbacks are some of the best changes in recent times. Originally the rule was scoffed at, and jokes were made about quarterbacks in skirts, but so much of the team’s cap is dedicated to that position and those are the marquee names that increase viewership = $$$. Good rule. Personal note- That Browns Game was memorable for me as I watched the first half at a local sports bar with my fellow Bills fans, then had to see the ending in hospital after breaking my ankle in three places at halftime playing parking lot football. 32 years later I can still feel it.

Thanks. Follow up- with game pass, can you watch on your smart tv using the Amazon app (or other) or are you limited to using phone or computer?

Question about Amazon broadcasts… can they be watched at your convenience on your watch as are most streaming offerings, or can you only watch live? I have DIRECTV and DVR and always record games. I usually watch in real time, but it’s a nice feature being able to pause, rewind, forward, or go back at a later time to review. We can’t record from streaming services with the DVR, but the benefit is the content is usually available as long as you’re a subscriber. So, with live sports like NFL football, are games available after original airing?

An MD carnival

No doubt there were rookie mistakes, but coming from Wyoming he had little exposure to the level of speed and talent of the NFL. Naturally, there was going to be a learning curve. But as others have pointed out, the Minnesota game showed glimpses of the smart, athletic leader and gave hope to the long-suffering Bills Mafia. His first 2 years were not awful, as seems to be a common perception. He was simply a rookie who had a huge adjustment from college - and BTW, had a less than average surrounding cast on the O-line and receiving group. He was behind the eight ball from the start. How well could any QB have done with that supporting offense? With off-season Jordan Palmer sessions to correct mechanical flaws, and his improving ability to read defenses, his natural physical gifts are more evident now. The signs were there in the first 2 years. It blossomed in year 3 after getting a couple years of experience. But, he didn't suck in years 1 and 2. In year two they won 10 games. How bad could he have been?

I never wanted Darnold-mostly because it’s a stupid name. Its not Donald. It’s not Arnold. It’s an awkward mashup of two names that doomed him from the start.