msw2112

As a Michigan alum and fan, and also a lifelong Bills fan, I'm conflicted. On one hand, I'd prefer of the Bills came up with something original, rather than something that's been done somewhere else already. On the other hand, it's cool that my two favorite teams have something in common. There's enough negativity in the world, so I'll go with the latter and enjoy that my two favorite teams have something in common. While I've always thought it an odd song for football, it clearly works. The fans love it and the players seem to respond to it, so why not?

This type of thing shows why many guys who are great athletes - big, strong, fast, great arms, accurate passers, etc. - often can't succeed as a NFL QB. The brain has to process information SO quickly and then, once it's processed, execute the play. Orlovsky himself didn't have the talent to do it in the field (at least not consistently at the NFL level), but he's pretty good at breaking it down in the studio. Nice clip.

I don't watch pregame shows anymore, but it seems crazy to me that he'd want to do that at this point in his life. He's made millions, and I'm sure he's well paid by ESPN to sit on his fat ass with his bright white horse teeth and spew commentary. He has plenty of time to head home and munch on his wife's toes, go on bike rides with his obese brother, etc. Why would he trade that for a grueling job from which he'd be fired within 2 years? I don't hate Rex, but there's a lot there that's ripe for comedy. Despite the fact that he set the Bills back a few years, and I was beside myself when the Bills hired him, he'd probably be a fun guy to have a few beers with. I don't watch enough pregame to know, but I suspect he's a pretty entertaining on-air personality.

I agree. I saw it and I interpreted it as him saying "nice job Bills, you beat us and deserve the win." To me, that's a much classier way to do things than to make excuses about why one's team lost. The Bills were the better team on Sunday, we know it, everyone watching it knows it, and Kelce knows it too and acknowledged it with a clap. He understands that the rivalry is fierce and it's a big accomplishment for either team to beat the other. Now the Bills need to take the next step and do it in the playoffs. As to Kelce himself, I've grown tired of the media hype for the guy, but I can't fault him for living his best life. He's a great football player nearing the end of a Hall of Fame career and he's marketing himself to the hilt, making millions and setting himself up nicely for a lucrative post-football career, all the while dating a young (relative to many of us), attractive (may not be everyone's cup of tea, but she's not ugly), billionaire pop star. Other than jealousy, I can't see any reason to disparage him for it. I just tune most of it out.

From the angle that the clip in the original post shows, I don't see much more than a futile attempt by a defender to make a play. I don't see a cheap shot. Maybe, as some suggest, there's a different angle that shows something else.

In my opinion, the coaching on the offensive side of the ball is the biggest difference. While the stats under Dorsey were very good at times, the offense was way too predictable. They were not able to stick to the run and they were far too reliant on Diggs. Allen, at times, was the ONLY reliable running option. They used little pre-snap motion to confuse the defense. Now, they may line up in the same formation twice or more, but run a completely different play on the second or third time. The current offense runs the ball consistently. That said, the Chiefs have a great run defense, so the Bills used it more sparingly and appropriately yesterday. They still pounded the ball enough to keep the defense honest. They spread the ball around on offense, which keeps the defense on its heels. Allen is developing into a more mature player, taking what the defense gives him. I think that Brady's coaching has helped him do that. He can still be the hero and difference maker, but he doesn't have to be that every snap of every game. They're not perfect. The trick play against Baltimore was a terrible call and the final series at Houston was equally bad. Note that those are the only 2 losses....Overall, it's much better than what the Bills have had on offense in recent years. Credit to Brady and Kromer, and to McDermott for putting the right people in place and letting them do their jobs.

I believed at the time, have believed since, and will always believe that the Bills would have won that playoff game against the Chiefs last season with a fully healthy defense and even with just 1 or 2 more guys back than they had. I'll even go so far as to say that if Allen had checked down to Diggs underneath instead of throwing into the end zone on the final drive, they probably would have won that game, or, at worst, gotten it to OT. That said, yesterday's big victory is not irrefutable proof of what would have happened last year. Every year, team, game and circumstance is different. If the Bills had a fully healthy defense, maybe the Chiefs would have had a different game plan. We'll never know. I'm agreeing with the OP's premise (a healthy Bills defense likely would have won the game), but not with the choice of words (irrefutable proof). I believe that this year's Bills team can beat KC in the playoffs, but it will be more difficult than yesterday. The pressure of the playoffs (lose and your season is over) adds a whole new element to the game that is just not present in the regular season and certain teams and players handle that pressure better than others. The Chiefs have proven to handle that pressure better than any other team in the NFL, and unfortunately, the Bills have not. Having a more diversified offense - meaning a running game and multiple receiving options rather than Diggs-left, Diggs-right, Diggs-downfield, Diggs-underneath with an occasional Allen run or Gabe Davis pass - will make the Bills better in the playoffs. They'll be harder to stop, as they will be much less predictable. I think the Bills are capable of doing it in the playoffs, but it won't be easy and is far from a guarantee. None of this takes away from a fantastic game yesterday. The Bills stepped up on the big stage while the whole country was watching.

I used to like Gruden as an analyst, and his 1 on 1 sessions with college QBs entering the draft were great TV. At some point, however, he became a caricature of himself, as it appeared that he was trying too hard to exaggerate his natural personality. That happens to a lot of people when they become big stars. Aaron Rodgers is a perfect example of this. While I don't agree with everything he says and does, he does strike me as a pretty intellectual guy for a NFL player. That said, I believe that he KNOWS he's intellectual and that others know it too, so he goes out of his way to accentuate it and it comes off as phony. I used to like the young Rodgers as a player and a person, but now I can't stand the guy (in either capacity). This type of "getting too full of oneself" is the downfall of many NFL head coaches. Robert Saleh is a great example. When he was the 49ers DC, he was a cool, tough, emotional, edgy guy. As the Jests head coach, he knew he had this reputation and he tried WAY TOO HARD to be that cool tough guy. If you watched any of his speeches to the team during Hard Knocks, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. He'd drop f-bombs left and right, trying to look cool and tough. What he really looked like, however, was a douche. The players see right through guys like this and they lose the room. While not exactly the same, as every guy is a little bit different, some of this was the case with Kliff Kingsbury in AZ and I thought Nick Sirianni was losing the room with the Eagles last season (Sirianni may have recovered it a bit this season, however). Love him or hate him, McDermott is not like that. He's consistent with his demeanor and he is who he is. He's not putting on an act. While you may question his in-game decisions, he's a guy that players respect and play hard for. Jim Harbaugh, love him or hate him, has been successful everywhere he's been. He's a strange, quirky guy, who says and does a lot of odd things, but he's really being himself and not putting on an act. Players see this and respect it. Another guy who projects a positive, real personality is Josh Allen. He's become a big star, but remains humble and knows how to be himself.

I used to dislike Gronk because he played for the Pats and because he came across as the ultimate meathead. Since then, he's grown up and matured, and he has sort of embraced the fact that he's a meathead and taken a self-deprecating humorous approach towards it. He's become a likeable figure and that's why he's all over TV and other forms of media. He also did a personal favor for a friend of mine who lives near Williamsville North, so he did a solid for a guy from his old neighborhood. So, I actually like the guy now. And there's no disputing that he was born and raised in the Buffalo area and that he's one of the best TE's to ever play the game. The hit on White was a cheap shot, but those things happen in the heat of the moment in sports, he apologized about it and it's over. I think he should have gotten a longer suspension from the NFL, but that's not his fault. He's not a guy that made a career of cheap shots. I think that those kind of players - and there are several in the NFL and NHL today - should be banned from the sport after multiple incidents. Gronk is not one of those guys.

To add, WR is a position where the Bills are particularly thin, so it's even more important to have all of our WRs healthy for the playoffs. If Cooper can go Sunday without any risk of re-injury or aggravating the injury, then I'd like to see him give it a shot. If there's risk of a longer-term, lingering injury that can be avoided by resting through this week and the bye week, then he should sit.

This is a very reasonable take. I could see the Bills losing here, but pulling out all the stops in the playoffs with a healthy Kincaid, Coleman, Cooper, Brown, and Milano and winning the game. Even if the Bills win here, the Chiefs are still likely to get the #1 seed, so they're still potentially going to Arrowhead in January and that's clearly the more important game of the two. The timing of the schedule is not favorable to the Bills in this one - they have a number of day-to-day/week-to-week injuries and with the bye week approaching, the smart thing to do may be to get these guys fully healthy with the long break rather than rushing them back for Sunday and jeopardizing their health down the stretch. All this said, I would not be shocked if the Bills won this game either.

I hate to give props to a Buckeye, but Orlando Pace was pretty damn good. I agree that you can't argue with Anthony Munoz either.

Hollins has played well and has produced. He's not an all-pro, but he was neither signed to be one nor was he expected to be one. He's met/exceeded expectations as a 4th WR who has climbed up a bit due to injuries. He's never going to light up the stat sheet, but he's made some key grabs, including 3 TDs. He's also a willing and solid blocker in the run game and is a good teammate. What else does anyone want/expect from the guy? On a related note (discussing down-the-roster WRs), MVS had a great stat line for the Saints last week: He was terrible with the Bills and I'm fine with them having moved on, but he did have a good day on Sunday.

I don't live in Buffalo anymore, but I was in town the weekend they lost to the Texans. The next day, before leaving town, I bought a new Bills shirt. I've worn it every game since and they have not lost. I will be wearing it again next week....

I realize it's a cliché, but all the BILLS should think about this week is beating the Colts on Sunday. They need to go 1-0 this weekend. Then on to the next game. That said, I realize that this is a message board where people are free to express their opinions and debate topics and FANS looking ahead on the schedule doesn't harm the team at all....

If the Ravens are playing the Chiefs in the AFCCG, I will be hugely disappointed, but I will definitely be pulling for Tre to make it to his first Super Bowl.

Correct. He was just able to let 'er rip. If it was from 47, a kick he's expected to make, the demons might have gotten into his head. At 61, he just kicks the hell of out it without much thought. That ball would have been good from 70. He absolutely drilled it.

There are a bunch of hotels in the UB-Amherst Campus area that are reasonable places to stay and won't break the bank. They're generally near the 290, so you can get downtown or most places in/near the city (and to Niagara Falls, if you are so inclined) very quickly by car and an Uber would not be terribly expensive, given the money you'll save on the hotel. These hotels are near the Millersport and Niagara Falls Boulevard exits off the 290. Given that they're in the Northtowns, it's a longer drive out to the Stadium on Sunday, but you're well situated for the rest of the weekend. That's typically where I stay when I visit Buffalo and it's worked out well.

As much as I enjoy seeing the Jests falter and implode, I have to pull for them to win tonight. The Bills have a huge lead in the division race and have already beaten the Jests once and they play again in December in Buffalo, so even in the unlikely even that the two teams tie in record, the Bills can secure the tie-breaker with a win in December. On the other hand, the Bills have already lost to the Texans head-to-head and don't play them again, so the Texans have the tie-breaker if the two teams both win their divisions (likely) and have the same record (very possible, as they currently are both 6-2). The Bills would need to have a better record than the Texans to achieve a higher seed in the playoffs. This thread is 7 pages long and I have not read all of the posts, so I assume that the points I am making have already been stated earlier in the thread and to the extent others have said (largely) the same thing, I agree.

Given the appreciation of pro sports franchises, this seems like a good investment if the investor has the capital to do it. They really don't need a vote or controlling interest. They just buy in, sit tight while the value of their investment multiplies over the years, and can later sell and make a substantial profit. It works for the majority owner too, as they get a capital infusion at a time when they might need it (such as to pay for stadium overrun costs). Even the "lowly" Sabres organization has appreciated substantially in value over the years, so a (hypothetical) 10% stake from 10 years ago would have generated lot of money for one who would have owned it.

Don't know yet. I'm several hours away from LA, but it's definitely drivable. Will probably be a last-minute decision. To be honest, I loved the atmosphere INSIDE the LA stadium the last time - it's a beautiful facility and was packed with Bills fans - but I found the atmosphere outside of the stadium to be really sterile. There's only one lot that allows tailgating and we couldn't get into it, plus the Bills "tailgate" was sold out. Thus, pre-game consisted of parking at the Forum for $120 and a cop telling us to close our trunk when we tried to take out a sweatshirt and hat (trying to enforce a no-tailgate rule). Ultimately, we sat on a curb outside the stadium and drank a couple of beers, but it was one of the worst pre-game experiences I've had. I was at the previous LA game at the Coliseum and had fun and also went to the game in Carson (Chargers temporary home at the soccer stadium) and that was fine too (except for the fact that it was the Peterman game), but the environs of SoFi was pretty lame. While nothing compares to the tailgate scene in Buffalo, most NFL cities have opportunities for pre-game fun, either in parking lots for stadiums that are on the outskirts of a city or in bars for downtown stadiums. Outside of the one lot that's impossible to get into, Inglewood has neither and pretty much sucks. I could hear the "Cooop" chant on TV.

I was at that game in LA and the Bills crowd was amazing. I was not at yesterday's game in Seattle, but could definitely hear the Bills fans during the TV broadcast and was impressed. I really wanted to be at this one, because I live in the west, so Seattle would be same time zone, easy flight, etc. and it's a great city to visit and a pretty iconic newer stadium that I've always wanted to visit. I'm sorry I couldn't make the trip, but kudos to those who did and made their presence felt! That comment by Geno really captures it all and demonstrates that the Bills fanbase is truly the best in NFL (and quite possibly the best in all of US professional sports).

Great post...I too was playing football in the street with my brother and the neighborhood kids and listening to the game on the radio and I'll never forget it!

I agree that tendons and ligaments were not designed to handle the strain of bigger, heavier athletes with the extreme muscle weight and density that many of today's athletes have, leading to more stained and torn tendons and ligaments. I also agree that many athletes focus on building muscle mass, but don't do enough stretching and yoga type of exercise to help with lean and flexible muscles, resulting in more soft-tissue injuries. I know that as Bills fans, many on this board dislike Tom Brady, but he did that type of exercise and it's, in my opinion, one of the reasons he was able to play as long as he did without too many injuries. I'm not a physician, physical therapist or yoga instructor, so my comments are simply my lay person's observations and not based on specific experience or evidence. I can say that my sore back and other ailments tend to decrease substantially when I attend yoga classes, but I don't believe that my experience compares a whole lot to the stressors that the body of a young, fit professional athlete faces.

That's the exact number I had in mind! I guess I'll modify it slightly and go with 30-20. The Bills "bend but don't break" defense can convert that 3rd TD into two FGs.