Archives for November 25, 2021

‘“We’re watching Buffalo just empty out the playbook, man, and just do everything, right,” Tirico said on a conference call this week. “That was one of those, when you saw the schedule came out, you go, ‘Are you really going to put Buffalo and a second-year quarterback in Dallas on Thanksgiving?’ And they were ready for the moment. … That was a real statement to do it on that stage against the Cowboys.”’

‘The Saints have the talent at cornerback to play man coverage and take away quick throws. They have veteran safeties adept at playing two-deep on the back end. They play two-man a lot against good quarterbacks.’

‘He was the lone player with ties to the Bills to reach the semifinals. Linebackers Cornelius Bennett, London Fletcher and Takeo Spikes, offensive lineman Ruben Brown, fullback Larry Centers and defensive back Troy Vincent had been on the original list of 123 nominees. Bennett was a semifinalist last year.’

‘“At the end of the day, I think that’s really what fans want. They want a deeper dive and great insight into what’s happening on the field, and not for us to take away from it, but for us to add to it.”’

‘During the final two weeks of 2022 Pro Bowl voting – Dec. 1-16 – fans will also be able to vote directly on Twitter, according to a news release.’

‘Prediction: Bills 30, Saints 17.’

‘It’s getting harder to keep believing in the Bills. The players continually talk about how they believe they have a great team. Now would be a good time to actually show it. The Bills were supposed to be Super Bowl contenders. At 6-4, they’ve hardly been that. As Bill Parcells once said, “You are what your record says you are,” and right now, it says the Bills are nothing more than a slightly above average team. The Saints come into Thursday’s game with major injury issues. They’re starting a backup quarterback. The Bills have the better quarterback, better receivers and better overall defense. They need a statement victory, similar to the one they earned two years ago on Thanksgiving against Dallas. With some hesitation, I’ll say they get it. Bills, 30-17.’

‘We seal the deal with the clincher: Sean Payton is 6-2 straight up and 7-1 against the spread with the Saints when coming off three consecutive losses, including 5-0 straight up and against the spread as an underdog.’

‘All NFL fans are sensitive about their teams. I would guess Bills fans rank in the top five on the sensitivity scale by virtue of Western New Yorkers’ inferiority complex, the weather digs the area receives and the area’s need to be loved.’

‘And so the joke was born: “We’re spending our kids’ inheritance following the Bills to the Super Bowl.” They made the slogan into a flag that they carry with them to games. It’s made them into Bills Mafia celebrities. Hundreds of photos, many of them with fellow road warriors, have made their way onto social media.’