JESSEFEFFER

With TB, NO and Cleveland at home and the Dolphins on the road, what do you think the chances are that the Bills are 3 and 2 after their first 5? I'd say it's like this: 5-0................. <1% 4-1................. 12% 3-2................. 43% 2-3................. 33% 1-4................. 9% 0-5................. 4% We'll know more by 10 PM tonight but if they are at 2 or 3 wins after 5 games, they are still in it with a chance to be getting better throughout the rest of the season.

I think TOP is too simplistic and misleading if one team is running a no huddle offense. A better stat is to look at offensive snaps in relation to turnovers. If you have more snaps and are not negative on turnover differential then you controlled play. Scenario 1: Run 50 20 yard sprints with 40 seconds in between each. Scenario 2: Run 50 20 yard sprints with 20 seconds in between each. Under which scenario is your time to run the 50th sprint faster? Under which scenario do you throw up sooner?

I always thought that he went out due to an illegal chuck so it was a fitting "no call' response. As for Fisher, I saw it as an experiment taking place in a situation where it wouldn't hurt too much if the play "blew up." Just when it could ever be used again is the question.

If you have followed UB football, you might have noticed that former Bull Trevor Scott, Raider 5th rouind pick, managed to get 5 his rookie year with Oakland in part time duty. He played on the left side when I was watching. That should be a benchmark for our 1st round guy.

I hate the preseason games. I hate how starters are treated with kid gloves like they have mastered something and then play like crap at the start of the season. I hate the excuses that we hear about how when they "game plan" they will perform better. I hate how much time and energy is devoted to determining the last 5 roster spots and how the NFL charges inseason prices to attend. I could go on but............... Not this year. There is too much at stake, lots of roster/position battles, and a chance to see if there is anything special about this year's draft. This could be the talent infusion that makes the difference. Is Maybin's quickness off the ball a game changer? A rare physical gift that can draw penalties and create turnovers? If they are as advertised, can the lighter, fitter, smarter, nastier offensive line grow into one that can let the skill players thrive? Everytime I heard some network B team commentator talk about the Bills' big and powerful o-line I cringed. Fat, dumb, and slow off the ball does nothing to get you a yard when you really have to have it. The secondary should start to shine. These guys ought to be one of the better units in the league. There is depth here and the training camp battle should settle the pecking order so the preseason play will be all the more meaningful. The emergence of a wlb from the crowd of candidates would be greatly appreciated. Most of the offensive skill positions are set and the playcalling will be vanilla so there won't be so much to see. But finding a backup QB that inspires some reason to believe that they have a chance to keep a playoff chance alive should Trent get hurt would be a relief. A playoff spot is likely to ride on it. I would also like to see a FB emerge that demands to be on the field more. A good fullback injects attitude into an offense right at the point of attack. I don't have too much optimism in that regard. I wonder what Sam Gash is doing. For the most part, watching the Bills the last two seasons left me in a surly, frustrated mood. UB football has been entertaining and uplifting by contrast. Sort of like anti venom for a snakebite victim. Going to Bills games often turned into guilty feelings about a wasted sunday watching poorly managed game situations and uninspired play. If this is going to change the evidence should be there in these August games. Call me a Kool Aid drinker if yoy like, but I am actually eager to watch them this year.

Chris Spielman. He is often assigned the lower profile college games but he is 1) enthusiastic, 2) knows the rules, 3) can speak to a player's performance with either praise or criticism (like the player's coach would), 4) doesn't fill the air with pointless babble, and 5) sees the entire play. This is a guy that spent ALOT of time in film study. Nothing like noticing the same little details that I saw during a play and then commenting about it to make me think highly of him. He and McDonough did a first rate job on UB's MAC championship game. Just like some coaches are best suited to the college game (I think he'd make a good one), he may not translate as well to the NFL but he'd still be better than most of the ones doing that job there now.