Terry Tate

My wife's never been to Buffalo, and football's not played where she grew up. I explained to her what it's like to try and play when your hands are getting raw and red from the cold, and sleet/snow is making a brand new football as slick as a, uh, a thing that's really slick (my metaphor machine seems to be broke) - she took it a little easier on Drew after that.

I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part.

I blame the Bengals. Sick Takeo on them.

Sorry, couldn't do it. Not yesterday, not today, not tomorrow, not ever. It's one thing to hope the Broncos lose, another entirely to root for the Dolphins. My wife tried that crap yesterday. I told her if she didn't knock it off, I would kick her out. There'll be no cheering any team except the Bills in my house. Of course, she lol at me. But she stopped.

Drew's horrible lob pass attempts, Moulds drops, McGahee and Clements fumbles, the Brown's QB just about dropping every snap from center, Moorman mishandling a snap for FG attempt and appearing to lose his grip when he threw it on the subsequent fire drill, it looked like it was raining WD-40 out there. They could have used some stick-um shower heads on the sidelines.

The only defense I can give for Don C and Steve T (and any other host) is that they have producers jabbering at them non-stop during the whole game. Plug the Survivor show, go to commercial, go to sideline reporter, tee up the personal video, blah blah blah. If I had that many people yapping at me during a game at my house, I'd last about 2 minutes before I strangled somebody.

I don't know who I envy more right now, #89 for having access to the game and Bills players, or Dave for going to the game with JK and having #89 hit on him.

Ouch - brain cramp. I had to look it up. That's a great trivia question. I won't spoil it with my cheater answer.

Drew had a bad "touch" pass day (one of many). It's maddening. I pointed out to someone watching the game with me that not every pass that looked off, actually was - for example, a pass the receiver had to dive for at one point looked like it was low and away to make sure the DB covering him had no shot at it - a good pass. But those lob passes are killing me. I can't blame Moulds for not catching them. The FG was a fire drill. Moorman got the snap, but when he went to place it, he mishandled it. It was a good recovery that almost worked. When your secondary can hold the coverage long enough, you can risk the blitz. Nice to see Troy Vincent back in.

HC or any coach? Gilbride was OC at the burg.

While one game against the Browns is maybe not the best example, I'm pretty optimistic about having Milloy, Vincent and Clements in the secondary, with McGee showing improvement seemingly every week. The Bills suffered from not having a real serious pass rushing threat at DE, because there were too often holes in the secondary. With an improved secondary, this should make opposing QB's hold the ball a tick longer, which should give the pass rush a better shot at getting to them. A great pass rush takes pressure off the secondary, and a great secondary can assist your pass rush by giving them an extra second. An already good defense just got meaner.

If JP doesn't quickly learn how to run out of bounds when he should, he's gonna have a bobble head pretty soon, too.

the defense rushes EIGHT players to try to make a play - and fail. Unreal. On Willis' delayed hand off that he ran for a TD, the Browns rushed EIGHT! I mean, if you're trying to get to a QB, most times they blitz six or seven. When Willis got to the line of scrimmage, there were only three Browns left anywhere on the field between him and the TD. Their play doesn't seem to drop off when a starter is injured and a sub comes in. Not that I've noticed, anyway. Marcus Price got beat once last week when he subbed for Jennings, but other than that, he's been getting it done. I don't even know who the heck is in half the time at guard, Tucker, Smith, a DE, the waterboy, etc.

He did seem to move pretty well in the backfield, but that putting his head down thing, man, that's gonna hurt real bad someday. Glad it was a DB and not a LB. Anyone notice the Brown's QB play fake to the no one late in the game (RB on that side was already gone)? Man, that kid was shellshocked.

Yes, he was struck in the eye by a snowball. Deplorable, but it was not in a 1979 MNF game after a winning TD, but in a 1975 day game after an incomplete pass. Pretty much end his career? It didn't stop him from coming back in the game two plays later and catching a TD pass. He went to the pro bowl not just in 1975, but in 1976 and 1977, as well as being named to the All-Pro team 1975 and 1976, and conference player of the year by UPI in 1976. It had nothing to do with Roone Arledge or whether or not MNF games were hosted in Buffalo, as they continued. Definitive statements should be backed up by fact, not fiction.

Yeah, I was a little too harsh, but every aspect of that statement besides the snowball was fiction.

I believe anyone who is not 1-49 or 80-89 (eligible pass receiver numbers) must report, so yes.

That's funny, I thought it was football-related knee injuries that ended Chuck Foreman's career. Because you see, Buffalo and Minnesota have never met on Monday Night Football. Not in 1979, not ever. Not in Buffalo. Not in Minnesota. Not in a box, not with a fox. Maybe you're thinking of a MNF game Buffalo played against New England in 1980, where Chuck spent his last year. Except that didn't occur either. Buffalo played no MNF games at all in 1980. Of course, Buffalo's hosted eight MNF games since then. But Chuck Foreman didn't play in any of them.

I was laughing along reading this up until this point, which stunned me. Can you fill me in on that story? He did that for real? I missed that one.

Sounds like you would have figured it out without the hardship. Happy Birthday Johnny, you tough little SOB. A life of never taking anything for granted awaits you. Your parents' example of focusing on what really matters will be one to emulate. Enjoying things many don't take notice of, having empathy and understanding of the hardships of others, having the emotional and mental courage to stand where others may falter - these are just a few of the many things that have been forged into steel by the heat. Enjoy the clarity of purpose in your life.

We can only hope.

Chasing that girl in your avatar at the time? It takes me 4.5 to get out of my lazyboy recliner. Anyone time our 300+ lb DE's returning picks for TD's?

I've never considered a lease, so I don't know all what kinds of catches to look for. I would definitely check the mileage allowed limits and buyback parameters. I know I've heard of some bad deals regarding those, anyway.

The fed's case against California's medical marijuana law is being heard by the Supreme Court. Similar state laws are currently in effect in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. Here's a link to a good op-ed on the subject. If Congress can ban or penalize Angel Raich's marijuana - noncommercial, medically necessary, all grown and used within a state where it's legal under state law - then Congress can reach absolutely any activity at all.

I'm sure someone does, It's been brought up from time to time. I had the espn special on it saved on Tivo for the longest time - finally deleted it since they show it all the time on espn or nfl network.