chongli

And a little less fumbles!

The USFL was actually good to Buffalo in that regard. Jim Kelly, Doug Flutie, Kent Hull, Scott Norwood, Ray Bentley, Dwight Drane, and others all played there first. Bill Polian, Marv Levy, and John Butler also were there before Buffalo. https://www.espn.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/4953/remembering-how-useful-the-usfl-was-to-buffalo "Bills fans despised the USFL for harboring Kelly and luring away star running back Joe Cribbs, yet no other team benefited more from the USFL than the Bills did. The man who built their Super Bowl teams (Bill Polian), his eventual replacement (John Butler) and the man who coached them (Marv Levy) all came from the Chicago Blitz. Three-time Pro Bowl center Kent Hull was undrafted out of college, but proved himself with the New Jersey Generals. [...] Polian wouldn't have gotten his break when he did. Somebody else would've needed to make selections such as Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed and Shane Conlan. Without the USFL, enough variables would have altered Bills history that they wouldn't have gone to four consecutive Super Bowls. And it's safe to say one other memorable event wouldn't have occurred. Birmingham Stallions kicker Scott Norwood probably wouldn't have made it to the NFL either."

I actually had fun as a kid in the 80's following the USFL. Not happy that Joe Cribbs left Buffalo for them and Jim Kelly went there instead of to Buffalo, but I was glad for their success. My Social Studies teacher at the time flipped a lid when Steve Young signed a $40 million contract the LA Express, the highest at that time. But can you blame him for not going to the Bengals, lol? https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/flashback-steve-youngs-43-year-40-million-usfl-contract/ "The billionaire owner of the USFL's LA Express, J. William Oldenberg, lured Young to the new league by basically offering him a four-year, $40 million contract that would be payable over 43 years. Young's other choice was to go No. 1 overall in the 1984 NFL Draft to the Cincinnati Bengals, but the Bengals were only offering him $3.5 million, according to a Sports Illustrated article from March 1984. The $3.5 million wasn't even guaranteed -- Young would get a $1 million signing bonus and a five-year nonguaranteed contract at $500,000 per year."

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/31559189/usfl-relaunching-spring-2022-least-eight-teams "The USFL's return could result in two pro leagues playing football in the spring. The XFL has been targeting a 2022 resumption of play after owners Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson and RedBird Capital Partners purchased the league out of bankruptcy in 2020. Planning for the XFL's 2022 season has been on pause since March, when it entered into negotiations regarding a collaboration with the Canadian Football League." Ought to be quite an interesting spring.

Nate Peterman will probably start, along with Tim Tebow as tight end!

Uh oh!! The NFL had better be scared! 😅 https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/usfl-set-to-return-in-spring-2022-after-being-shut-down-in-mid-1980s-original-team-names-will-remain/ "USFL set to return in spring 2022 after being shut down in mid-1980s, original team names will remain The league folded back in 1986 after a three-year run" Excerpt: "The United States Football League was the most popular spring league in football, emerging as a viable competitor to the NFL in the early to mid-1980s. Nearly 40 years later, the USFL is planning to make a major comeback. The USFL announced its re-emergence Thursday with a return in the spring of 2022. The league plans a minimum of eight teams for its first season and will retain rights to key original team names -- like the New Jersey Generals, Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars. Memphis Showboats and Los Angeles Express. [...] More information on the USFL, including cities, teams, head coaches, and game schedules, will be announced at a later date. Fox Sports will serve as the broadcast partner for the league. "

I lile your enthusiasm, but KC has beaten us the last two times, including us at home last season. They have represented the AFC in the last two Super Bowls. Until we prove we can beat them, they are the team to beat in the AFC. Period.

When McD actually arrived in Buffalo and signed his contract. They literally rolled out the red carpet for him. I just had this weird feeling.

"How an NFL star and an Austin pit master brought their Tex-Mex barbecue to Miami Lakes" https://www.miamiherald.com/miami-com/restaurants/article251679683.html Excerpt: "Rodriguez’s ‘cue enticed McKenzie, an American Heritage football star whose cooking was mostly reserved to family cookouts and the football field: He smoked the Miami Dolphins for three touchdowns when his Buffalo Bills came to town in January. But McKenzie, 26, had been looking to open a food truck or restaurant in his hometown. In the football off season, the two worked the smoker together at pop-ups and watched their following grow. McKenzie tapped into his 73,000 Instagram followers and 20,000 tweeps, and soon he and Rodriguez had been invited to the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, where guests got a preview of their barbecue."

And Cleveland! They didn't name it the "Mistake on the Lake" for nothing! And they have their own "Fumble" Wikpedia page too: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fumble

No apologies needed, but Frank Lewis! He played 6 seasons with Buffalo from 1978-1983, including two 1,000-yard receiving seasons: 1979 (1,082 yards) and 1981 (1,244 yards). He and Jerry Butler were a remarkable tandem.

May have been mentioned, but the Andre Reed helmet slam for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty during a crucial time?

Yep, the sad thing is Tennessee went on to go to the SB. That could have been Buffalo. ☹

Good post. It also happened in the early or mid-80's to a Bills KR. He thought it was a dead ball, but it wasn't. I was furious when if happened. A lot of plays from those mid-80's teams would qualify for this thread, lol Also, haven't read the entire thread, but has someone mentioned the Stevie Johnson dropped TD pass (because of God)?? 😁

This thread reminded me of an old thread on the former BBMB years ago which asked in a poll "Would you trade JP Losman for Tom Brady straight up?", and a lot of people said no, lol. My answer to this current poll is no. I haven't read the whole thread, but put simply: 1. Josh is younger, and cheaper for another year. 2. Josh has (a little) stronger arm. 3. Josh's ceiling is higher. 4. Josh is a better rusher. 5. Josh is bigger, and, presumably, less injury-prone (if he doesn't run too much). 6. Josh is more athletic. 7. As people have mentioned, Josh is a better fit for Buffalo. He reminds me of Jim Kelly with his attitude. He is loyal and loves Buffalo. 8. Josh has demonstrated growth, especially in accuracy and decision making, and commitment 9. Josh has already developed a good relationship with the team. Now if he could just protect the ball better! 😃

Record for longest post ever, lol? 😁 Thanks for making a well thought-out post, especially from a new poster. Your effort is much appreciated.

Good post, and I agree with it. To nitpick, a team could go 8-8-1, lol! But it's really not going to happen much.

Tebow's jersey is now on the team's site for sale: https://shop.jaguars.com/mens-nike-tim-tebow-black-jacksonville-jaguars-alternate-game-jersey/p-15029579320192+z-9393-2266326832?_ref=p-TLP:m-GRID:i-r0c0:po-0

Maybe. Good idea. I had completely forgotten about him.

Good post. I think everyone respects Tyrod. But who is Wilson? Russell Wilson? He started for Seattle in his rookie year in 2012.

5 of the 6 teams are AFC and potentially playoff bound. Ugh.

Well if those players on the edge want to make a good impression, they had better show up!

Agreed, Tyrod is limited, but I wonder if other options like Dalton or Fitzpatrick would have even signed. I don't think the Watson controversy had become public when those two signed with Chicago and Washington, respectively. Maybe Mariota would have been interested, but I guess they liked Tyrod for other intangibles, like familiarity with the coaches and how he handles negative situations.