merlin

TMQ - Gregg Easterbrook I didn't know about that rule ... good thing the officials on Sunday didn't either!

Sounds like we are using our "punt catcher" today. Have they decided not to risk Roscoe or McGee or Clements back there on punts?

Mood (ring) swings across the NFL

TMQ - Gregg Easterbrook GO BILLS!

fyi ... article linked on TBD front page indicates that Pennington's folks will be at the Ralph to see their son's first NFL start. Hope he does them proud!

TMQ column

Actually, since the threat included a stadium "in New York", that could only be the Ralph, since it is the only NFL stadium in New York (state).

1ST, 2ND, 3RD, WHATEVER IT TAKES ... GIT ER DONE!

Is this Sam's speech (Samwise) near the end of the 3rd book in the "LOrd of the RIngs" trilogy? Sounds familiar, but I can't quite place it ..... GO BILLS!

ESPN article about Mets/Cardinals ... although I think it was more the Dallas Defense, or maybe Emmit Smith, who seemed to be the bigger "Bill-killers" than Troy. He was one of those QBs who never seemed to put up extraordinary numbers, but did just enough to "manage the game".

... tight end ....

Heard Mort on ESPN radio this morning, and he said that at one point during the off-season, during one of the "optional" sessions when the quarterbacks were supposed to come in, Volek was a no-show. He (Volek) called and left a message to the effect that he was out of town ... and later it came out that he had been in Nashville all along, and just made up the "out of town" story. ... but at this point, who cares??? GO BILLS!

.... plus the fact that he was a total mental case .... GO BILLS!

.... not to mention the 50-yard gain on the pass interference call that set up the Bills on Miami's 4 yard line for the game's only touchdown. It's really a shame that PI penalty yardage doesn't count in the "official" stats for the QBs and the receivers. GO BILLS!

... but, doesn't he play RG for the Fins? and wasn't he pulled out of the game due to ineptness today???

No wonder his best move in pass blocking is the "ole'" ! ;-) http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-091...0,6491569.story

I have a question about the rules concerning this issue ... is this really the way it works? I thought that the team that won the toss just got to CHOOSE whether they wanted to receive or kick-off AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FIRST HALF .... and then the other team gets to choose whether it wants to receive or kick-off at the beginning of the 2nd half? If that is true, then CHOOSING to kick-off to start the game does NOT guarantee you will automatically get to receive the ball in the 2nd half ... the other team could just as easily (and most likely would) choose to receive again in the 2nd half. I seem to remember this coming up a few years ago during a particularly bad weather game down south somewhere ... maybe one of the Florida teams? There were near hurricane-force winds to start the game, and so the team that won the toss elected to kick-off, so they would start with the wind at their backs. By the 2nd half, the winds had died down considerably, but the same team who received the kick-off to begin the game elected to receive it again. I remember because it was talked about as the first time in NFL history the same team received the ball to start both halves ... anyone else remember this? Or maybe the rules have been changed since then? GO BILLS!

Here's my prediction of the teams that will wind up with worse records than the Bills this year (saving us from getting the #1 overall pick in the draft next year). In no particular order: 1. San Francisco 2. Detroit 3. Cleveland 4. New York Jets 5. Tennessee 6. Arizona 7. New Orleans 8. Houston 9. Green Bay I think we are about "equal", talent-wise, with the following: 1. Miami 2. Minnesota 3. Oakland 4. Kansas City 5. St Louis 6. Baltimore 7. Jacksonville 8. Dallas 9. Atlanta It's not TOO much of a stretch to think of us finishing at about the "middle of the pack" this year (somewhere between 14 and 20). Hopefully we won't even be TEMPTED with picking Brady Quinn with our 1st pick ... he'll either be long gone ... or will have dropped out of the 1st round all together! ;-) GO BILLS!

I didn't see Martin Nance's name mentioned ... did I miss something earlier? Had he already been cut? I hope they can keep him on the PS as well. Here's what I'm hoping for on the PS: Lenohard Wilson Nance Gates Geisinger or Jerman Cielak Baker or King Sape (assuming all these guys are still eligible?)

I chalk some of that up to the fact that it is pre-season ... esp. the 12 men on the field one. All the "new guys" are getting rotated in and out on special teams as they evaluate them, so that stuff is bound to happen. Don't know the details of the illegal formation penalty. That one would worry me more if all the 1st stringers were still in there. I really wasn't all that impressed with the running game against Cleveland ... not the 1st unit, anyway. McGahee didn't do much, but I don't think they were opening many holes for him.

He's not expected to be back in time to play the Detroit game.

One small correction ... peyton manning now holds the record for TDs (49 in 2004) .... but I'll be satisfied if JP ties Marino with 48!

You didn't mention the Colts ... though their running game without Edge hasn't been very spectacular so far in the preseason, Manning is still Manning. But I really think Cinci is going to be right back at the top this year as well.

I also agree, with one caveat ... they all have to remain healthy! The only backup I have any confidence in whatsoever at this point is Preston (I actually think he may wind up winning the starting RG spot over CV before the year is out ... sooner if CV gets nicked up at all). If any of the other 4 starting OL go down, it won't be pretty .... GO BILLS!

Yeah, I have a nephew who plays high school football. He's a 2nd-string linebacker, but is the irst-string punter AND place-kicker (and does their kick-offs). My brother has been working with him, and also has sent him to a couple of "kicking camps", to strenghthen his leg and technique for BOTH duties. He thinks it might be his ticket to college. He consistently punts 40+ yards with good hang time, and is reliable on field goals up to about 40 yards as well - made one of 47 yards last year (though it JUST snuck over the cross bar ...). He just started his senior year (Fayetteville, Arkansas). Maybe we'll see him in a Bills uni in about 5 years! ;-) GO BILLS!