Georgia Bill

Even if Brad Johnson is a carbon copy of Pennington, that should not be anything to be afraid of. The Jets offense didn't exactly "whup up" on the Bills. The bigger questions is -How good is the Vikings defense? If they are not better than the Jets AND we can eliminate (or reduce by at least half) the turnovers, and get a little better on 3rd/4th down percentage, we win. I think we get our act a little more together and are 2-2 next week. Go Bills!

I tend to agree with you - it is looking like it is going to be a dog pile in the AFC east. I wouldn't be surprised if the division "champion" is 9-7 or 8-8. Sure wouldn't mind that if it was us.... I figured we start out rough but promising, with bright spots plus bonehead plays that make you slap your head. I still think we work our way through that and have a better second half of the season than the first.

I think the Jets are not going to be a cake walk. They have been playing really well in the 3rd and 4th quarters - not giving up. I hope we can have a good lead going into the 4th! Reason for optimism though, in that they are more of a passing team than a running team - which should play into our defense's hands. Is there any game any one wants to win more than the NE game at home? It seems that inevitably we have to use them as our measuring stick!

That's it in a nutshell - they are fun to watch, playing with heart, and there's reason for optimism. Seems we have not had THAT in a while now.. If we keep making progress week in and week out ... (STOP that dreaming, must think week to week) ...yes, me hopes the fun continues!!!

No doubt it takes the media quite a while to veer away from their "favorites" and start to give teams that really are earning the wins (but were'nt expected to) their appropriate credit. If we get to the point where this D plays consistently good, and we string together several wins, you might start seeing the media talking about those "surprising" Bills - and then piling on about the coaching genius, great draft picks etc. As for me, I like it better if we fly under the radar a little. Let them keep saying it's how "poor" the other teams played. We will earn respect over time (and hopefully pile up some W's in the interim). I sure hope the fans get LOUD for the team against the Jets. The Bills could thrive off that positive energy!

I only got to catch the game at the sports bar starting midway through the 3rd. I loved it (quite sorry I missed the beginning)! Lot's of glum looking Miami fans. When I left I overheard a couple Pats fans saying "man Buffalo's looking like they might give us some real competition this year".. Gotta love it. I don't want to get too optimistic, but when you whomp Miami in Miami, it brings back memories of our Glory years! Fins fans must hate it. Levy's baaack.... Go Bills!

"What Down Is It?"

Maybe I'm sensitive to the word "newbie" used in derogatory fashion, thus my initial response. That said I do wholeheartedly agree, it is flat out amazing to me how many totally negative "same old sh*t, same as last year, etc." posts there are after this game. After a dismal year last year, if you can't find some positives in a really close season opener in New England, you're either naive or a fatalist.

Might I add - wow another self righteous post from a "veteran" who prejudges anything anyone has to say by how many posts they've made. Now that's pompous!

"Stupid Coaching: 4th and 1" You mean like the stupid 4th and 1 Belli called to seal the win? Sometimes a tad bit of luck also enters in. No matter who you are you don't consistently make a 4th and 1.

NOBODY expected the Bills to win this game. The fact that we lead most of the way, and were in it to the end was for me, a big positive. If we keep making incremental improvements as the year goes on, we will be a pretty damn good team by year's end. And that will certainly be a BIG improvement compared to where we left off at end of last year. It's looking like this will be a fun year - enjoy the ride!!!

Now that's stinking funny!

When I was about 5, this really large guy w a big gut moved in a few doors down from us on Grand Island. My dad told me he was Ron McDole, and that he played footbal for the Buffalo Bills. That was the first time I remember hearing anything about football or the Bills, and soon I got my first ball and got more interested. I don't remember my Dad watching games back then. A few yrs later my mom remarried and my stepfather watched all the games, and he taught me what it was about. I loved watching them on TV and cheering for the Bills - the Juice and Electric Co were kings (for awhile). He took me to my first game at Rich Stadium, I think it was like the 2nd or 3rd game played there. By then I was totally hooked! Sadly, while I watch a LOT on TV, I moved away and have only been to 4 games total. That first one I mentioned (they lost), then when I moved to Orlando I watched them get beat in Tampa - I think in 88 or 89. I now live in Atlanta, and took my son to the Falcons Bills for his first game a few years ago and we got beat by a last second long field goal - Crap! I went back to Buffalo two yrs ago to watch the Bills squish the Fish in a December game in the snow - but we got whupped - again I'm not sure if I'm a curse when I go to games - but I love dem Bills!

Dick moves from rear to front in selection process

In summary, I fail to see why so many are angry at Drew. He is not Joe Montana. He is what he is, and he is better by leaps and bounds than what we have now. Imo, he is lucky to play in a place where Bill Parcells is calling the shots. The Cowboys got Canty in round 4. We got Roscoe Parrish in round 2. I blame TD for the mess we are in, not Drew Bledsoe. 528807[/snapback] I have to agree. If I could have the Cowboys swap teams and coaches with the Bills I'd feel pretty fortunate at this point. I have to admit I was one of those that thought Drew should go. I was convinced his immobility was killing us (admittedly behind a not so solid line). He also seemed to have a knack for fumbling or throwing the interception at the worst time, and for not being able to win the big games (seemed he psyched himself out or something). Having said all that, it was unimaginable to me that without him we could sink as low as we have. I'm not saying we'd have been a lot better with him, but if we had invested in our O-Line, it is hard to imagine us being worse. What I see at this point is a team with no heart, and that is really disturbing. Sure when we were winning (last year) w Drew, everybody got on board, believed, and they played strong the second half of the year. Now with some losses, there's no believers left apparantly... but whatever became of playing for pride, playing with heart. This team is friggin listless, and it is hard to believe we have much to build on. I apologize Drew, it was not your fault. I hope you have a rewarding season. I'll go drown in my "Bills" sorrows now...

No, you're just not getting the big picture. You see, Mularkey suggested to Willis that he should run his mouth about how great he is. That way, the Raiders will get all keyed up and plan their game around doing just one thing - stopping Willis. And then, of course we will do the opposite of what they expect, which will catch them so off guard we'll just blow them out of the water with our passing game. It's always a good idea to keep the opposing team off guard. It's how you win in this league!

Maybe I'm off here, but it seems to me that every NFL fan, if he sticks with his team for say 50 years, damn sure ought to get to experience the high of the championship victory. As for me, I've got about 33 years into this. Close ain't cutting it, and not even close is getting really old. But I will hang in there. Someday....

While I long for the good old days, thinking of them also makes my heart ache even more about that first SB. To come that close... If we had one that one (any one for that matter) we could relish that perfect memory forever. As it is we succumb to wishing we could be that good again. Good enough to dominate the division and the AFC, for years much less, but sadly, not good enough to be true champions. It is sad to realize how close we came, and sadder still to realize that the elusive super bowl victory keeps seeming farther and farther out of reach. Do you ever wonder if (forget about Ralph) will YOU ever live to see the day??

Last year we started 0-4, everyone thought all was lost, and we end up going 9-3 in our last 12 games. We even started rolling over people on the ROAD! Was that some kind of cruel hoax? I just have to wonder, if that same exact team were playing as Bills this year (w no injuries), what would our record be right now? Were we a good team that since has started to fall apart, or were we mediocre even then, w a soft schedule and some lucky breaks (i.e turnovers)? Just trying to sort out the reality here...

Not being in WNY anymore, I don't get to hear the radio play-calling. Do any of you know if it gets broadcast on the web, at some obscure location I don't have to PAY to hear?

Just wanted to take a moment to reflect on a rare great day for Bills fans. -BILLS WIN! -JETS Lose -PATS Lose -DOLPHINS Lose Not too often we get one of those. Enjoy it!! Go Bills!

Are we a playoff contender because we are 5-3? Or because we show we can win a west coast game (even if against a weak team), or because we prove we can finally beat NE in NE? All that would be great - but the toughest part of the schedule will still be ahead.

I agree. I hope like hell we'll still be thinking playoffs in the last couple weeks, but THIS scares me: -2 games against NE (I don't care what anyone says about them being dead, or who ELSE beats them, we have had big problems against this team, and until WE beat them, well, talk is cheap) -Denver -Cinci -KC -San Diego That right there is 6 tough games. It is certainly possible that we lose them all. I'm hoping we can at least win a couple, but I'm damn sure not gonna get overconfident based on a couple home wins against what for sure are NOT playoff teams.

For sure! At a bare minimum we need to win ALL our home games in division. We have not yet shown an ability to win on the road (here's hoping that changes). I think this week's victory will give us something to build on and we will take down the Jets next weekend. Let's hope it's not a nail biter!!

I always heard that the home team is always favored by 3 points - if the teams are considered "equal" (just due to being home). So if we are favored by 4 instead, it means we are being given a tiny bit of additional respect?