Dan

limping off the field a little. hurt his ankle/knee maybe?

Week 16: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills Sunday, December 22, 2013 at 1:00pm TV Network: CBS (TV Map) Announcers: Dedes and Steve Beuerlein (Local Blackout) DirecTV: 704 Bills Radio: On the call: John Murphy (play by play), Mark Kelso (analyst), Joe Buscaglia (sideline) Flagship: Buffalo – WGR550 (550AM); Toronto - Sportsnet 590 The Fan; Rochester - WCMF (96.5) and WROC (950AM); Syracuse - WTKW (99.5/WTKV 105.5) Sirius: 93 ================================================================= Game Preview: Looking for a season-high fourth consecutive victory, the visiting Dolphins can possibly clinch that playoff berth Sunday while trying to avenge an earlier loss to the Buffalo Bills, who will be without their starting quarterback and top receiver. A sprained right knee kept Bills rookie quarterback EJ Manuel out of the October game against the Dolphins, and a left knee injury will keep him from playing Sunday. Thad Lewis, who went 21 of 32 for 202 yards with an INT and no TDs while getting sacked four times at Miami, will make his fourth start of the season and first since Oct. 27. In danger of a fifth straight season of double-digit losses, Buffalo looks to win consecutive games for the first time since Sept. 16-23, 2012, after defeating Jacksonville 27-20 last week. Read more at ESPN game preview... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scouting Report: Week 16 (from Buffalo Bills.com Chris Brown) NFL.com Video Preview 'Playbook': Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills NFL.com Game Center Team Stats: Bills Dolphins Total Yds/Game.... 330.5 329.1 Total Rush............. 138.2 95.3 Total Pass............. 192.3 233.9 Points/Game.......... 21.4 22.1 Time of Poss.......... 28.3 29.2 ---------------------------------------------- Yds/Gm Allowed... 346.3 356.1 Rush Yards........... 127.3 117.2 Pass Yards........... 219.1 238.9 Points Allowed........ 25.3 21.1 Source: NFL.com Injury Report: Buffalo Bills NAME POSITION INJURY WED. THU. FRI. GAME STATUS Carpenter, Dan K Illness - - - Probable Dareus, Marcell DL Ankle LP FP FP Probable Jackson, Fred RB Ribs DNP LP FP Probable Johnson, Stevie WR Not injury related DNP DNP DNP Out Manuel, EJ QB Knee LP DNP DNP Out Moats, Arthur LB Not injury related - DNP - - Smith, Brandon DB Ankle LP FP FP Probable Williams, Aaron S Ribs DNP DNP DNP Out Williams, Kyle DL Achilles DNP FP FP Probable Source: BuffaloBills.com Miami Dolphins NAME POSITION INJURY GAME STATUS Chris Clemons S Knee Limited Participation Probable Brent Grimes CB Groin Limited Participation Probable Paul Soliai DT Ankle Limited Participation Probable Nolan Carroll CB Knee Full Participation Probable Jamar Taylor CB Hamstring Full Participation Probable Olivier Vernon DE Ankle Full Participation Probable Reshad Jones S Groin Full Participation Probable Daniel Thomas RB Ankle Limited Participation Questionable John Denney LS Illness Did Not Participate Probable Source: NFL.com Practice Status Game Status DNP = Did Not Participate in Practice Out = Player will not play LP = Limited Participation - Less than 100% of normal reps Doubtful = 25% chance a player will play FP = Full Participation - 100% of a player's normal repetitions Questionable = 50% chance a player will play Out = Player will not play Probable = 75% chance a player will play (-) = Not Listed = No practice status available (-) = Not Listed - No game status available The Odds: Line: Miami -3 even Over/Under: 43.0 Source: The Linemakers Up to date lines... if you're in Vegas. My Take on the Matchup: We're really riding out the season in style this year. At this point, about all I had to look forward to watching was EJ play to see if he had the makings of a franchise QB. Well, that lasted a week! We're back to Thad again and the lost season just lost what little luster there was left. I'll still be watching the game. Although, its really getting difficult trying to figure out why. Maybe Thad plays well enough to be the back up next season. Great. We can all say we witnessed the growth of our back up. So, what's left? Seeing the growth of Marrone as a head coach? Yeah, that's it. Should be a super great game. Go Bills!!

It starts and ends right there. Too much inexerience and it shows. Defensively, the team has improved and just needs more time playing together to fix a lot of their bad play. Offensively, the team has regressed tremendously. The game plans are predictable, simplistic, and not taking advantage of our player's strengths.

We've been consistent in many areas, actually. Just... consistently bad. We consistently have predictable play calls. We consistently allow TJ Graham to run around wide open even though he can't catch. We consistently give up 3rd and long. We consistently go 3 and out on offense, putting our tired defense back on the field late in the game. We consistently allow no name RBs to look like Pro Bowlers. We consistently make too many penalties. We consistently look unprepared for what the other guys are doing. So, if you think about it, the Bills are pretty much doing what they've always done. They're the very definition of consistency.

There is absolutely no way the league doesn't do everything possible to ensure a Brady vs Manning Championship game. Anyone thinking the Fins have a chance at the division title, is just ignoring today's NFL.

The Bills field a professional football team and coaching staff that looks like they belong in the NFL? No way.

A lot of that, I attribute to being a rookie and the game moving to fast for him. It looks to me like he's trying to process everything rather than just play... which is to be expected from a rookie. But, hopefully, he makes strides in reading defenses and understamding what he has to do and adjusting to his receivers and the current game situation and all else.

The problems, as I see it, are coaching and QB. The coaching is leading to piss poor 3rd down efficiency on offense and defense. And the QB is a rookie, making plenty of rookie mistakes in a league where you need a top passer to succeed. The team is young and learning new systems. They need to focus and play consistently. And, that, comes back to coaching. All too often, they stop someone on 1st and 2nd down only to give up 3rd and long. Why? Because the players are losing containment when they need to be coached that a 5 yd gain on 3rd and 7 is ok. Instead, they crash the line to make a big play, lose containment and give up the big play. It's happened forever. On offense, the play calling gets entirely too predictable leading to a lot of 3rd and longs. A great QB can overcome that. A rookie rarely can. Hackett seems to have almost zero situational game awareness and consistently puts his players in the worst position. He's running into the hear tof a defense with an elusive back, from a formation that the entire world knows he's running. He goes empty backfield, shotgun in known passing downs just allowing the defense to T off on EJ. Hopefully, after a year together and another off season, they'll begin to learn to play with more consistency and eliminate many of these mistakes. If not, all the draft picks and free agents won't help a bit. IMO, we need on offense more OL help. We just can't get the consistent push in known running situations. And Hackett seems bent on running CJ up the middle, so we need the big men to make it happen. We also need a big WR that can snatch balls. Anyone see Dez Bryant last night? He made catches that our current receivers just simply can't. Small and fast is good... but big and overpowering is pretty nice as well. Defensively, I think we just need more consistent play, especially from the LBers. Or get a new one or two. Oh yeah, and of course, a QB that can consistently bail out the offense on 3rd and long and not look like a rookie all the time.

How can we get a QB like that on our roster? Dude is looking good!

Screw the other teams and their playoffs... I want the Bills to beat 2 divisional teams and close out the season thinking they can actually win in the NFL. Preferably with EJ taking command of the offense and throwing for 300+ yards in each game (not combined).

True. The game next week is very winnable, very lose-able as well. But, my response was to someone that acted as though being one and done in the playoffs is somehow a bad thing. Given the Bills can't even manage a winning record, I'd love a one and done post season.

I'd rather be one and done, while rebuilding, than eliminated with a month left in the season.

EJ is NOT looking good... but Hackett is doing everything possible to put him in the worst possible position to succeed.

The offensive play calling is pretty bad and has been. At this point, I'm ready to conclude that the offense has had the little success it has in spite of the offensive coaching, not because of it.

If CJ gets traded, I would lose all respect for the front office. There is absolutely no way HE is the problem with this offense!

Week 15: Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, December 15, 2013 at 1:00pm TV Network: CBS (TV Map) Announcers: Andrew Catalon and Rich Gannon DirecTV: 710 Bills Radio: On the call: John Murphy (play by play), Mark Kelso (analyst), Joe Buscaglia (sideline) Flagship: Buffalo – WGR550 (550AM); Toronto - Sportsnet 590 The Fan; Rochester - WCMF (96.5) and WROC (950AM); Syracuse - WTKW (99.5/WTKV 105.5) Sirius: 136 ================================================================= Game Preview: Jacksonville (4-9) has won three straight for the first time since 2010 and four of five after an 0-8 start. Though the Jaguars will attempt to win four in a row for the first time since Sept. 16-Oct. 14, 2007, first-year coach Gus Bradley wants his team to continue its progression while maintaining some perspective amid the franchise's sixth consecutive season without a winning record. Buffalo (4-9) was held to a season-low 67 rushing yards while falling to 1-5 on the road with a 27-6 loss at Tampa Bay last Sunday. The Bills held a closed-door meeting following their fifth loss in six games. This is Buffalo's ninth straight losing season. One more defeat will give the team a fifth year in a row of reaching at least 10 defeats and sixth consecutive last-place finish in the AFC East. Read more at ESPN game preview... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scouting Report: Week 15 (from Buffalo Bills.com Chris Brown) NFL.com Video Preview Film Room: Bills Preview NFL.com Game Center Team Stats: Bills Jaguars Total Yds/Game.... 327.8 285.2 Total Rush............. 133.6 76.6 Total Pass............. 194.2 208.6 Points/Game.......... 21.0 15.5 Time of Poss.......... 27.9 27.7 ---------------------------------------------- Yds/Gm Allowed... 345.8 383.0 Rush Yards........... 124.8 126.8 Pass Yards........... 220.9 256.2 Points Allowed........ 25.7 28.6 Source: NFL.com Injury Report: Buffalo Bills NAME POSITION INJURY WED. THU. FRI. GAME STATUS Alonso, Kiko LB Knee LP LP LP Questionable Meeks, Jonathan S Ankle FP FP FP Probable Smith, Brandon DB Ankle LP DNP DNP Out Urbik, Kraig OL Foot DNP DNP LP Questionable Williams, Kyle DL Achilles DNP FP FP Probable Source: BuffaloBills.com Jacksonville Jaguars NAME POSITION INJURY WED. THU. FRI. GAME STATUS Cyprien, Johnathan S Thigh LP DNP DNP Doubtful Evans, Josh FS Shoulder LP LP LP Probable Hayes, Geno LB Knee LP DNP LP Probable Jones-Drew, Maurice RB Hamstring DNP DNP DNP Doubtful Miller, Roy DT Shoulder DNP DNP LP Probable Nwaneri, Uche G Shoulder - LP FP Probable Pasztor, Austin G Shoulder LP LP LP Probable Prosinski, Chris S Concussion LP LP FP Probable Scobee, Josh K Left hip DNP LP FP Probable Shorts III, Cecil WR Groin DNP DNP LP Questionable Todman, Jordan RB Shoulder LP FP FP Probable Source: Jaguars.com Practice Status Game Status DNP = Did Not Participate in Practice Out = Player will not play LP = Limited Participation - Less than 100% of normal reps Doubtful = 25% chance a player will play FP = Full Participation - 100% of a player's normal repetitions Questionable = 50% chance a player will play Out = Player will not play Probable = 75% chance a player will play (-) = Not Listed = No practice status available (-) = Not Listed - No game status available The Odds: Line: Bills -2 Over/Under: 43.0 Source: The Linemakers Up to date lines... if you're in Vegas. My Take on the Matchup: Yep. What can you say about two bad teams playing late, in yet another bad season of football? More appropriately, I think, is who cares? The Bills have once again given us a season that ends with meaningless games in which winning or losing really doesn't matter. Seeing as how I'm a glutton for punishment, I'll be watching. And I'll be watching just to see if this team has a pulse. 1. Can EJ actually look like an NFL QB? I don't want a mediocre game that's managed well. I want him to play like a guy that belongs, like someone that can operate an NFL offense. If they really did dumb down the "run, run, pass" offense for him, then I think we have little hope of ever seeing this. 2. Can the defense stop a pitiful offense? Or will they make Chad Henne look like the Pro Bowl player only he knows he is? 3. Coach Marrone and Hacket seem to have lost the team and are probably wondering why things aren't all fun and fuzzy anymore. Can they actually get the team fired up to play? Can they show any ability at all to lead this team? Or will they and the team continue their continual regression into irrelevancy? Go Bills!

Why do other coaches "luck into" good players, while Bills' coaches get stuck with untalented players? Perhaps its time to accept that the Bills have been hiring bad coaches for quite some time, and at this point in the season, appear to have repeated that mistake. Over the years, there's an ever increasing pile of bad Bills players that leave and contribute to other team's success. There's also an ever increasing pile of unknown draft picks producing and contributing to other team's success, while the Bills continue to draft bad players. Marrone is showing to be a marginal HC, at best. And his hiring of Hackett is proving to be a huge mistake. It sucks, I know, but I fail to see how anyone can think Marrone and company have this team heading in any direction other than... same old Bills at this point. Dumb the "run, run, pass" offense down? Really?

I've been saying this for quite a while now. The only way I can explain the wildly inconsitent calls made in most every game, calls that extend drives or end them, is the league wants it that way. The storylines and manufactured hype is pretty well predictable with the calls. Rarely do the refs give scores. The teams still have to take advantage of the situation the refs put them in, but the refs give teams like the pats every chance and then some to make those plays.

Week 14: Buffalo Bills at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, December 8, 2013 at 1:00pm TV Network: CBS (TV Map) Announcers: Spero Dedes and Steve Beuerlein DirecTV: 711 Bills Radio: On the call: John Murphy (play by play), Mark Kelso (analyst), Joe Buscaglia (sideline) Flagship: Buffalo WGR550 (550AM); Toronto - Sportsnet 590 The Fan; Rochester - WCMF (96.5) and WROC (950AM); Syracuse - WTKW (99.5/WTKV 105.5) Sirius: 128 ================================================================= Game Preview: Key turnovers last week saw the Buffalo Bills' slim playoff hopes all but evaporate. Untimely giveaways also cost the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a shot at a four-game winning streak. Both will look to take better care of the ball in Sunday's meeting in Tampa Bay. The Bills (4-8), who are 1-4 on the road, coughed up the ball on their final two possessions of Sunday's 34-31 overtime loss to Atlanta in Toronto, all but guaranteeing their NFL-worst 14th straight season without a postseason appearance. Buffalo is tied with Tampa Bay -- and Houston -- for the league's most losses via blown leads with seven. Read more at ESPN game preview... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scouting Report: Week 14 (from Buffalo Bills.com Chris Brown) NFL.com Video Preview Buccaneers Insider - A look at this week's matchup. NFL.com Game Center Team Stats: Bills Bucs Total Yds/Game.... 337.2 295.2 Total Rush............. 139.2 106.2 Total Pass............. 198.1 189.1 Points/Game.......... 22.2 18.1 Time of Poss.......... 27.9 30.8 ---------------------------------------------- Yds/Gm Allowed... 354.1 352.8 Rush Yards........... 121.5 106.8 Pass Yards........... 232.6 246.0 Points Allowed........ 25.6 23.8 Source: NFL.com Injury Report: Buffalo Bills NAME POSITION INJURY WED. THU. FRI. GAME STATUS Chandler, Scott TE Not injury related - DNP - - Goodwin, Marquise WR Calf - LP FP Probable Williams, Kyle DL Achilles DNP FP FP Probable Source: BuffaloBills.com Tampa Bay Buccaneers NAME POSITION INJURY WED. THU. FRI. GAME STATUS Gibson, Gary DT Calf - LP LP Questionable Jackson, Vincent WR Hamstring DNP LP LP Questionable Joseph, Davin G Knee DNP FP FP Probable Nicks, Carl G Foot DNP DNP DNP Out Owusu, Chris WR Hamstring - - LP Questionable Revis, Darrelle CB Chest/Shoulder FP FP FP Probable Spence, Akeem DT Wrist FP FP FP Probable Source: Buccaneers.com Practice Status Game Status DNP = Did Not Participate in Practice Out = Player will not play LP = Limited Participation - Less than 100% of normal reps Doubtful = 25% chance a player will play FP = Full Participation - 100% of a player's normal repetitions Questionable = 50% chance a player will play Out = Player will not play Probable = 75% chance a player will play (-) = Not Listed = No practice status available (-) = Not Listed - No game status available The Odds: Line: Buccaneers -2.5 Over/Under: 42.5 Source: The Linemakers Up to date lines... if you're in Vegas. My Take on the Matchup: Well it took a little longer than some expected, perhaps. But, the Bills are all but eliminated from playoff contention... again. They're also doing their best to ensure a 9th consecutive losing record. And so here we go into the game against the vaunted Bucs. By all accounts, the Bills should be the better team. The Bills should get the win. The Bills should be able to gain some positive momentum to end the season. However, this is the Buffalo Bills; they rarely do what they should. Hence, I'll be surprised if we win. Yet, as its coded into my DNA, I'll be watching the game. Here's my list of things to watch for: 1. EJ. Yes, this season really does come down to the development of EJ. He still has quite a bit of learning to do. Let's hope he continues to do well and progress as a QB this week. 2. Marrone. Will he ever learn how to manage the clock at the end of the half? I've all but lost hope on this one. Although the offense, looks good at times; it grinds to a halt far too often. Will Hackett still have lapses in his situational game awareness? I'm guessing he will. 3. Can the defensive backfield prevent a rookie QB from looking like a future HOFer? If we can get some decent coverage on 3rd and long, just maybe we could get a road win. 4. Detroit at Philly. That has the makings of a decent game; as does Indy at Cincy. Chances are quite good that from time to time, I'll be flipping over to one of those games before half time to keep me awake. 5. The crowd. It'll be nice to see the Bills play in front of a live crowd again. I'm fairly certain last week's Toronto game was played in front of a few thousand cardboard cut outs. Go Bills!!

If you want to cheer for a Super Bowl winning team, as other have said, just continue cheering for the Bills in whatever new town/country they moved to. EVERYONE on this board knows all to well, that with our luck the London Bills would win the Super Bowl within 3 yrs of the move.

Not a chance. The NFL is nearly unwatchable as it is now with all the rule changes and subjective, biased refereeing each week. Take the Bills out of Buffalo and what's the point of caring about it any more?

As I said in the Pregame thread, the key to the game was the defensive line getting pressure while keeping the Flacons rungame in check. Ryan and the run game exceeded their season averages. When you're offense scores 31 points, youre defense HAS to be able to tet you a win. Despite all the consternation with Stevie, Chandler, EJ, and so forth, the bottom line is they did their job today, the defense didn't.

Marrone, literally, just gave away a possession. Just incredibly bad.

Are the Jets officially crashing and burning now?

Thanks for catching that! I just corrected the link.