Never NEVER Give-up

Shawn Powell was released before the Bengals 1st playoff game due to a 10 yard shank. Moorman was far from his old self, but he's the only punter on the roster NOW, so Whaley wants to be sure we maintain that into training camp. It makes sense to re-sign him (for now) and make him win the job in preseason. He wouldn't be worth much as a GM if he lets players go for nothing - especially if it does no harm retaining them for the short term.

Hmm - check out the top 30 rookies - No EJ, No Woods. Glennon & Geno make the list. I wonder if it's because Mel thinks they're better than EJ or because EJ's season is best described as "incomplete"

Agreed - it should've been Fred at RB. I can't argue with Gostkowski though, especially when his kick-offs regularly are out of the end zone or not returned. I like Carpenter, but his kick-offs seemed to get returned more often than not. Lastly, none of our receivers had good numbers due to all the different QB's we had and they had to practice with. EJ missed so much key-critical practice snaps. Hopefully having him healthy going forward, he can continue building chemistry with the receiver corps.

Given the Bills wishes and his choices, he wanted to leave and because he was such a stand-up guy, the Bills wanted to give him every chance to land softly.

You're just trying to evoke a reaction! You must be kidding!! I thought you were going to say how the Bills were only good because of Tasker and Mark Pike! Rick Gosselin's annual ranking of Special Teams had Buffalo near the top for years during Levy/DeHaven's tenure. In fact, the coverage teams were the best part of the special teams with Tasker and Pike making tackles virtually every time. It was our return game that was lacking for talent, never any great returners, but always sound units. Now we have solid returners who cannot show their greatness because every kick seems to go thru the end zone. (McKelvin, Goodwin, Spiller, Easley are all top notch, Jim Leonhard is so technically sound, his abilities are vastly underestimated.) Our coverage units are poor and we can't seem to find a guy who can put his kicks thru the endzone like our opponents do.

I hope to see the following occur - in no particular order: Fire Crossman, get a proven ST Coach - DeHaven would be an upgrade. Where's Bobby April? Someone of that ilk. (I like Marrone, but I will be VERY disappointed if he doesn't replace Crossman.) Re-sign Byrd to a L-T Deal. Get a run-stuffing LB. Get a tall/fast receiver Upgrade at left guard IF they are unsure of Manual, bring in another QB until they are sure about someone!

http://buffalowdown.com/2013/12/26/buffalo-bills-2014-schedule-opponents-set/ (by Dennis Amo via SI.com) Home: Dolphins, Patriots, Jets, Chiefs, Chargers, Packers, Vikings. Away: Dolphins, Patriots, Jets, Broncos, Raiders, Bears, Lions. Last two opponents TBD based on where they finish in respective divisional standings. If the Bills finish in 4th place, it will be the Browns in Buffalo and away at the Texans. If Bill s beat Pats on Sunday and the Jets lose to Miami, it will be Steelers at home and Jags away. Looks like a pretty tough schedule, luckily we're also getting better so it all should be interesting!

Anyone have the LINK to view the game?

Anyone have a LINK to watch the game? Share please!

I just casually glanced at the Bills' 2013 Schedule and after looking at each game and capsulizing what happened each week, I think I now see exactly what Coach Marrone has been saying - that the Bills need to become more consistent. Play-in, play-out, win some games in a row. I heard him on the radio this morning, he's not interested in revenge against Miami or winning to keep them out of the playoffs, he's interested in winning a second game in a row. Take a look at the following, after I did this I concluded Coach Marrone is spot-on in his assessment of this team and what it needs to do to get better and over a 14-year hump. New England Patriots Lost Carolina Panthers Won @ New York Jets Lost Baltimore Ravens Won @ Cleveland Browns Lost Cincinnati Bengals Lost – should have Won @ Miami Dolphins Won @ New Orleans Saints Lost Kansas City Chiefs Lost – should have Won @ Pittsburgh Steelers Lost New York Jets Won Atlanta Falcons (Tor) Lost – should have Won @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers Lost @ Jacksonville Jaguars Won Miami Dolphins Win, and we may be getting over the hump! @ New England Patriots TBD The Bills aren't bad, but horribly inconsistent! But for 3 games they should have won, they'd be 8-6 at this point - in the wild card driver's seat ahead of the Ravens & Dolphins. I'm not trying to say the if for a few plays we'd be better because we are what we are. I am saying that when reflecting on the majority of the season, the Bills have yet to find their way. Here's hoping the Coach gets them to get out of their own way and start playing with some consistency - and start winning regularly. There's 2 more weeks, no need to wait 'til next year to start winning! Go Bills!

OK Russ, we get it.

Bills were depressed about the "home" loss to Atlanta. Then the very popular Tashard Choice was let go and the team had a crappy week of practice. Next week will be a better indicator. Remember even the Pats were horrible after they released Lawyer Milloy in 2003, but they bounced back in week 2 and went on to 14-2 and beat Carolina in the SB. I'm certainly not predicting that - not even for next year, but I think it takes them a week to adjust to the loss of a popular player.

Bills were bad from 1960 - 1961. OK from 1962 - 1963*. Champs in 1964* - 1965*. Good in 1966*. Bad from 1967 - 1972. (one win seasons in '68 & '71.) Pretty good in 1973 - 1974*. Ok in 1975. Bottomed out in 1976. Bad from 1977 - 1979. Good in 1980* - 1981*. Bad in 1982. Strike year. Ok in 1983. Bad from 1984 - 1986. Improving in 1987. Good in 1988* - 1989*. AFC Champs 1990* - 1993*. (* inclusive) OK in 1994. Good in 1995* - 1996*. Declining in 1997. Improving in 1998* - 1999*. OK in 2000. Bad in 2001. OK in 2002. Slipped in 2003. OK in 2004. Bad ever since - 2005 - 2013!! This is the worst stretch EVER! (* - Playoffs)

Cutting Stevie will make another team stronger - can't you just see him on the Pats!! A trade makes more sense, but it'll have to wait till the offseason if it is to come to pass.

Oh great! Now you said it!! The Bills will start winning NOW that it's meaningless and they have no pressure (to win) on them!! Seriously, this team is still too good at shrinking at the moment of truth. Whenever they're called on to deliver in the clutch - they don't. Then when the pressure is off, they play well again making us think there's a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. I know the regime is new and so is the QB, so I am willing to be patient, but this team needs to know that this is a continual pattern of behavior and that each of them need to decide if they want to belong to the Pretenders (like the last 13 versions of the Bills) or do they want to stand-up and smash Fate in the mouth and make their own destinys!!

Another log for the fire - Byrd's roughing the passer on his 3rd down sack - ruled that he hit the QB too low. The reply showed he hit him above the knees!!

We're talking HOF'ers, not hall of the good/very good.

No. They would always be a curiosity - but not my team. What would I do? Probably watch a lot less football. I need skin in the game to follow it. The Bills & Sabres (and even the Bandits) are my teams and I follow THEM. If they were no longer, I would not follow the NFL or NHL. I don't really follow Baseball, though the Pirates have always been my favorite because of Willie Stargell and team of his era which was boosted when the Bisons became their farm club years ago. I no longer follow the Bisons - they are a curiosity, but I haven't been to a game in years.

Agreed. However, Marshall Faulk seems to get the most credit for that. You hear it all the time because he's on one of the NFLNetwork shows and this gets played-up quite often - I'm always yelling back at the TV saying, "What about Thurman!?!?!?"

From the Bills remaining schedule, the teams are no longer losing consistently : Atlanta (@TO) @ Tampa @ Jacksonville Miami @ New England The Falcons played New Orleans tough on 11/21 and are always dangerous with Matty Ice and Tony Gonzales. The Bucs crushed the Falcons 2 weeks ago and beat Detroit 24-21 on 11/24. 2-game win 'streak'! The Jags beat the Texans 13-10. Who knows what wrong with the Texans, but the Jags also beat the Titans 29-27 on 11/10. Those wins sandwiched a loss to Ariz on 11/17. Miami pulled a loss out of the fire yesterday against the Panthers who got hot after playing the Bills. Always tough, but this is the last home game! New England has been up-&-down. The were blown out in the 1st half last night, and handled the Broncos in the 2nd half & won in OT. Kinda the way it was against us in the opener. We looked good against them early and then let Brady steal the win late. Up & down. These game will test the Bills' mettle. They need to win them all. 8-8 will not earn a playoff berth. I could see them losing all of these. However, if the offense can eliminate turnovers and the defense remains tough, we have an excellent chance to get to 9-7 and maybe end the playoff futility!

Wow. Sounds like sour grapes. I like Rex Ryan and his statements in the post game presser were accurate. They didn't execute and we did. Last time we didn't execute and they did.

Conventional Wisdom On the surface, this should be a Bills win. But the talking heads and fans look at it this way: The Bills are the Bills and will find a way to lose and the Steelers are the STEELERS and will win because of that alone. Over the last few years the Bills have only disappointed and no one will pick them to win (except we die hards) until they start to do just that. As far as the Steelers go, no one can believe their eyes - the mighty Steelers with a losing record!! Well that can happen when you get old and sustain critical injuries and you don't man your OL with better players. So Sunday comes down to who will show up: The old or new Bills and the old or new Steelers. If the old versions play - bad news for us, but if we play to our talent level (we actualy have more than the Steelers), we should win this one! I get a little irked because we get no props - but at 3-6 you don't DESERVE any. Most of us believe we're better than we've shown, but 3-6 is all that counts! We need to start winning. I think an 8-8 record will be very likely. Someone posted that all the espn experts pick the Steelers this weekend. Why? - See Conventional Wisdom above. Don Banks at cnnsi picks the Steelers 24-13. Next to that prediction he writes only about how bad the Steelers have been. Not one word about the Bills, yet he says Steelers 24-13! We gotta start winning - that's the only road to respect in the NFL.

First - Spiller is only being held back by his ankle. Otherwise he's fine regardless of the "scheme". Seems conspiracy theorists are always looking for another reason/answer. It's not Hackett. Let's give him a fair shot (Healthy starting QB + 2 Healthy RB's + 2 Healthy Receivers), then if we fall all over ourselves we can start to look at scheme. Marrone reported Lawson and Spiller should be "good to go" on Hose's morning show. What I'm more interested in is how the TEAM will do. We played KC the last two years - there - and killed them both times. It'll be interesting to see if we can do it again, at home. I like our chances and like how Marrone is playing the starting QB close to the vest. If we can score 3 TD's, I like our chances. KC has only played teams with losing records and no one as physical as Buffalo. I was nervous about facing the Saints last week. I can't wait to play the Chiefs Sunday - snow showers & 38 degrees are forecasted! Go Bills!!!

Not 1 QB Sneak? On one of the four plays, the D-Line had a gap between our C & LG. Lewis should have taken it himself on that play.

. . . you'd have one ugly family, Dude!