Archives for September 7, 2014

‘Opening day provides hope that things finally will be different. Still lurking deeper are 14 years without the playoffs and recurring disappointments too numerable to tally.’

‘Bears 34, Bills 10.’

‘But the coach is generally first on the firing line. Today at Soldier Field, Marrone begins his second season as Bills coach on increasingly unsteady ground, seemingly at odds with management and desperate for EJ Manuel to prove himself as a franchise quarterback.’

‘Which raises the question: If Torontonians wouldn’t jump on a cross-town trolley to see the Bills, what leads anyone to believe they will trek 90 miles down the QEW on a Sunday morning, then endure a Peace Bridge backup, to watch the team down here?’

‘But I can’t be a cheerleader for the issue unless we’re talking about ending blackouts of meaningless preseason games when the weather is decent in the summer and no one wants to buy tickets at regular season prices anyway.’

‘J.D. Hill was a junkie.’

‘Are you ready for some football? One has to wonder if the Bills are.’

‘Bears 24, Bills 12.’

‘If you’re like me it’s the whiff of fresh cut grass, mud and Bengay. Your mind will backpedal in time. And you will smile. It’s football season.’

‘If Bills rookie wide receiver Sammy Watkins hadn’t spent most of the preseason nursing injured ribs, the question of his usage might come with a bit more intrigue. As it stands, it’s tough to say how much Watkins will be available on Sunday or how comfortable the Bills will be feeding him the ball. Still, Buffalo gave up quite a bit to acquire Watkins with the idea being he could help Manuel. The expectation will be for Watkins to perform early.’

‘The Bears will win 27-13.’

‘A typical week for an NFL scout goes something like this: Drive to a school, gather information, head back to the hotel, eat, write up scouting reports on players, go to sleep, wake up and drive to the next school.’

‘However, the NFL has introduced “cross-flexing” which allows games to be moved between CBS and FOX. This will help balance out the television schedule, especially in a week where one network has all the most intriguing games, according to a NFL.com story.’

‘The line between gutsy and stupid can be pretty thin and if Manuel continues to struggle it’ll tilt stupid awful quick.’

‘The reality: Toronto isn’t getting the Buffalo Bills or any other NFL team. This chase has gone on forever. But more than ever before, it feels like nothing more than chasing your tail.’