Dr. K

Ah, those dreaded hamstring-sternum injuries.

Of course we can lose. But we can win, too. Go Buffalo!

You guys seem to be assuming the Bills are going to beat the Steelers, no problem. I certainly hope they do, but this is going to be a harder test than any game they've had since they lost to New England. Too much woofing going on.

Update on high-rated relief agencies: 5) Tsunami Relief: Charity Efficiency and Transparency Ratings http://www.benjaminrosenbaum.com/blog/arch..._12.html#000151 Helps provide an overview of how much of your donations actually make it to the victims, using several rating systems. Doctors w/o Borders, American Red Cross, American Jewish World Service and OxFam were all very highly rated. Here's where to make Contributions online to the top rated Charities: American Red Cross (via Amazon) American Jewish World Service Asia Tsunami Relief, 45 West 36th Street, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10018, 800-889-7146 donate on line Doctors w/o Borders donate on line Oxfam donate online

Bills need to avoid mistakes, turnovers. ("Thanks, Dr. K, that was deep....") They have a lot narrower margin for error in this game. I wonder if they could be too high coming into the game, overpursue on defense and screw up. I expect them to take a series or two to settle down.

I know this is off-topic, but if you have any resources to donate to relieve the terrible destruction and suffering as a result of the Indian Ocean tsunami, you can contribute at one or more of the following places. Merry Christmas to you all and all the best for the New Year: American Red Cross Contributions should be sent to International Response Fund P.O. Box 37243 Washington, D.C. 20013 For more information about donating, call 800-435-7669. or www.redcross.org. For information about friends or relatives who may have been affected, call 866-438-4636 Asia Relief The Maryland-based nonprofit organization is accepting donations of cash, nonperishable food, clothing and toys for victims in Sri Lanka. Donations should be dropped off or mailed to Asia Relief 19409 Olive Tree Way Gaithersburg, MD 20879 Contact Rizwan Mowlana at 301-672-9355 for more information. Association for India's Development Inc. The Maryland-based nonprofit organization is accepting cash donations to help relief work in India. Contributions can be made on the Web at AidIndia.org or mailed to AID Zone 3 P.O. Box 4801 Mountain View, Calif., 94040-0801, with checks made payable to AID. Contact Priya Ranjan at 301-422-4441 for more information. Tsunami Relief Inc. The Virginia-based nonprofit group has been set up to help victims in Sri Lanka. Donors can call 703-934-6922 or mail checks payable to Tsunami Relief Inc. to 9302 Lee Hwy. Fifth Floor Fairfax, Va. 22031 B'nai B'rith International Donations can be made online at BnaiBrith.org or mailed to B'nai B'rith Disaster Relief Fund 2020 K St. NW, Seventh Floor Washington, D.C. 20006 More information about donations to humanitarian organizations can be found on the U.S. Agency for International Development's Web site, USAid.gov. Donors can also call the Center for International Disaster Information at 703-276-1914.

Your new backup change-of-pace back, and a dangerous ballcarrier: Shaud Williams. Just thought I'd bump up my post from the beginning of last week predicting Shaud would do well. Not that the Niners are very good, but I still think Shaud's got bright future. Boy, it's fun to watch the Bills right now. Here's hoping for next week.

Cowbell = RJ

Merry Christmas! Wrapping paper and music at our home.

Game Time Decision=Mularkey does not want the Niners to assume McGahee will NOT be playing Sunday--but he probably will not start, and won't play unless absolutely necessary. IMHO

They certainly seem to be piling up. Who is going to play tight end? The backfield is shaky. It's been a tough season for injuries across the NFL, and the Bills have been reasonably lucky so far. I hope they're ready for these last two games.

One thing I noticed Williams do during the game against Cleveland was using his small stature to his advantage by "hiding" behind his blockers before making his break. He's short enough that the D-linemen and linebackers couldn't always see around the O-linemen. Thurman used to do this all the time, and it made him much harder to draw a bead on. I loved watching Thurman run (my favorite Bill all-time) and I'm really curious to see how Williams does Sunday.

Just for curiosity's sake, how big was Barry Sanders? Not that Williams is any Barry Sanders...

I expect him to break at least one very long run. He represents a real change of pace form the physical running styles of McGahee and Henry. If he finds a gap in the line, he will be gone. Don't get me wrong--I'd much rather have McGahee in there. But for this game at least, I think Williams is a good fill-in.

I think we're going to have to catch the Jets, if we make it at all. Of course, who knows how all this will play out. I just want to see the Bills beat SF and the Steelers.

. . . if the Jets lose their last two. I'm afraid the Jags are going to win out. But, after blowing this game against the Fins, the Pats are going to be up for this game against the Jets. I think it's more likely Denver and Baltimore will lose one more than for the Jags to lose one. So assuming the Bills beat the 49ers, we may come down to the last week needing to beat the Steelers and hoping for the Rams to somehow pull themselves together and edge the Jets. At least, given the pathetic play in the NFC, the Rams should still be in the playoff hunt and have something to play for.

So I want to know how the Jags developed the cloak to make this DB Mathis invisible to Brett Favre....

I can't stand this. Bills need some help!

...As long as he skinned, dressed and ate it afterwards.

Ted Nugent as kicker? What has he done since "Cat Scratch Fever"? Besides, he'd probably shoot the mascot with a bow and arrow.

I was never one of the ones calling for TD's head, though I had my doubts about some of his moves. But stuff like this confirms that guys like me, anyway, don't know enough to make meaningful comments. Wiley, fir instance--I was distressed when the Bills let him get away. I figured he was just coming into his own as a DE, after three years, and would be a solid performer if not a star. I guess San Diego and Dalls thought so too, Boy were we wrong. TD was right. Same with Cowart, whom I also waqs distressed to see go. I was never a huge Peerless Price fan, so that one didn't bother me so much. The point is, however, that building and managing a team is a complex business that involves a dozen different skills--drafting, talent evaluation, cap management, hiring coaches, etc. etc. I could question other TD moves--I thought he was cavalier about how hard it is to get a first rate FG kicker, and I never was a Gregg Williams man--but the fact is, TD is a solid general manager and perhaps much better than solid. He will take chances and sometimes they don't work out, but he's shrewd and steady and it seems to finally be paying off. In fact, the one bad mistake he made with the Bills was to hire GW. Subtract that one and it's hard to reasonably fault him on other decisions, even when they haven't worked out. And even that decision can be seen as his rolling the dice on a first-rate successful defensive coordinatior with the hope that he might pay off big, rather than hiring some retread head coach who was a known quantity. He did the same thing with M Mularkey, which considering the result with GW is an amazingly ballsy move. Yet on this one it seems to be paying off. I think a lot of people on the board owe TD some kudos, and some slack. Though there's still a long way to go with this team.

Have you read the original books? Dahl's kids' books have a rels streak of hostility and violence in them--it's what makes them interesting, in my opinion. He does not idealize childhood. So Burton's version is likely to have that aspect too. The best Dahl movies I know of are _James and the Giant Peach_, and _The Witches_. Both of them have that Dahl creepiness.

I still remember a game from a few years back where Kitna ripped us to shreds--he was still playing for the Seahawks back then. And he played well last year. I wouldn't count on the Bengals being less effective with him at QB.

He looked great in preseason too, for what it's worth.