The Senator

We'll have to rely on whatever Lee Smith has already provided, I guess... (September 4, 2011) It is almost like the Buffalo Bills were just awarded another draft pick for the 2011 NFL Draft...The Bills today claimed rookie tight end Lee Smith off the waiver wire from the New England Patriots... Smith was thought to have a solid chance to make the Patriots roster, but he failed to pass any of the outstanding rookies from the 2010 team, namely Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski. Smith was drafted by New England with the 159th draft pick. He is 6'6" and weighs 269 pounds, so is a nice big target for Ryan Fitzpatrick... The other benefit regarding adding Smith to the team, is that it is safe to assume that he has some inside knowledge about the Patriots offense that will be of extreme interest to Chan Gailey and George Edwards. Just another added benefit. Buffalo Bills Claim TE Lee Smith off Waivers Boston Globe - Analysis of 5th round pick (B): Marshall TE Lee Smith Gronk was only with them for 2 weeks, since we signed Smith. My guess is that NE* is more upset - and Nix much happier - about losing Smith to the Bills than they* would be about 'Mr. Almost-Irrelevant' Dan Gronkowski.

"That's how ya gotta do it...rip their f----g heads off and s--t down their necks! Now, let us pray..."

Time of Possession: Buffalo Bills 37:02 Kansas City Chiefs 22:58 Final Score: Buf 41-KC 7 Buffalo Bills 30:47 Oakland Raiders 29:13 Final Score: Buf 38-Oak 35 Almost identical T.O.P. = extremely close game; T.O.P. for 2/3rds of the game = Bills blowout. Amazing, isn't it? The Cheatriettes* are not football gods, and they* are certainly not invincible. They* are very beatable, maybe even vulnerable. They* can't run their* 2 TE* formations*, their* o-line* and secondary* are both depleted, and they* may or may not have a punter*. NE* is good, the Bills are good. Our QB, RBs, WRs, TE, O-line, stack up just fine against theirs*. Our D-line, LBs, secondary, and special teams are better. Moorman and Lindell are very familiar with the swirling winds at RWS, and the stadium will be filled with the thunderous noise of 75,000 screaming Bills faithful. Control the clock, control the ball, protect the ball, no stupid penalties, no stupid mistakes, and blitz blitz blitz (just the nearness of an opposing LB or lineman makes Brady* tremble with fear). If the Bills can do all that, there's no reason - no reason at all - that this won 't be another Bills blowout... BuffTown Bills 57 New* England* Cheatriettes* 0 GO BILLSSS!!!! "I expect to be undefeated." - Chan Gailey 19 and 0 baby!!!

I wouldn't assume anything. Don't get me wrong - I've always had high regard for Evans and believe that had he been with a quality and stable franchise (rather than suffering thru 3 head coaches, 4 QBs, and 6 - or was it 7? - OCs), he might have been among the NFL's best. But Lee's now a 30-year-old WR (with yet another new QB...and HC...and OC) whose body is now clearly showing signs of age, and whose production has steadily declined since 2008 - as evidenced by his 37 rec/578 yds #56 ranking among NFL WRs last season. I wonder if a 30-year-old WR with declining stats and a nagging foot injury can come back strong, if at all. I wish him the best, but also would not be shocked at all to see him placed on IR at some point. You do have to admit, RJ - it became much easier for Boldin to get so wide open in Arizona once Evans started drawing all that coverage here to Orchard Park

Afghanistan Bills Backers mentioned in this great front page article from this morning's Buffalo News... Spreading Bills fever around the world God Bless the brave men and women of the US armed forces - fair to say, I think, that no one flies their Bills colors higher...

He looked good in August?

I am so done with this team... The Onion usually does much better - we can't even merit decent parody, dammit!

Alas, SJBF, time and two ownership changes have likely erased most memories of The Senator at 1560 Powell - though I'm sure on any given Bills Sunday you will find some SFBABB regulars that still remember the days when The Dean and I convinced the owners to host the Bills games, and took turns opening the place at 9:30 am and working the bar during the games. However, all Bills fans are welcomed warmly there... The Northstar welcomes the Buffalo Bills for another campaign!! Their fans have been drinking there before our reign began 10 years ago!! vs. Chiefs 10 am. link

Or, just going out to a fine drinking and dining establishment for your breakfast beers and Bills fix...

I'm also trying to figure out why they* would leave themselves* with only one TE - particularly since they* run more multiple TE formation plays than any NFL team. There is no word yet on a corresponding roster move, but the team* could add an offensive lineman for depth now that starting right tackle Sebastian* Vollmer* has been ruled out of Sunday’s game at Buffalo. It’s also possible that the Pats* may need to add a punter if Zoltan* Mesko* is unable to play through a left knee injury. The Pats* also could add a tight end, with practice squad member Garrett* Mills* the most likely candidate. With Aaron* Hernandez* ruled out of Sunday’s game, Dan’s brother, Rob* Gronkowski*, is currently the only active tight end. (Link - Un-Gronk’d: Patriots* release TE Dan Gronkowski) This can only be good news for the Bills, and I may have to revise my original prediction of... BuffTown Bills 57 New* England* Cheatriettes* 0 GO BILLSSS!!!! "I expect to be undefeated." - Chan Gailey 19 and 0 baby!!!

1) I think maybe you meant Lawyer Malloy? 2) Nix got the Pats playbook when he signed Lee Smith on September 5th GO BILLSSS!!!! 19 and 0 baby!!!

19 and 0 baby!!!!!

Actually, the last time the Cheatriettes* went to the big dance was the season they* were caught - the scandal broke early in the 2007 season, and their* last SB appearance (Feb. 2008) was the one they* lost to the Giants that season... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSyJVZUunyM ...and they* have not won a playoff game since then either, missing the playoffs entirely in the 2008 season and losing in their* first/only playoff games of both the 2009 and 2010 seasons. While the Belicheat* insists that, once the scandal came to light, they* stopped video taping of opposing teams defensive signals immediately, I have no doubt at that NE* had other methods of cheating that continued thru the Spring 2008 NFL and congressional SpyGate investigation-such as jamming or listening in on QB helmet frequencies, illegally using IR players in practices to relieve their* actives* from 'too many reps' in late season, etc. The 'just one team' line that you cited is also quite laughable, and yet another Cheatriettes* vile canard. In addition to being accused of video-taping the St. Louis Rams final 'walk-thu' practice prior to NE's* very first SB win*, the NFL 'investigation' also examined... One tape from the Miami Dolphins game on September 24, 2000 Two tapes, one offensive signals and one defensive signals, from the Dolphins game on October 7, 2001 One tape from the Buffalo Bills game on November 11, 2001 One tape from the Cleveland Browns game on December 9, 2001 Two tapes from the January 27, 2002, AFC Championship Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers One tape, from a "third camera", from the San Diego Chargers game on September 29, 2002 (per Wikipedia - 2007 National Football League videotaping controversy) Subsequent to their* Superbowl loss to the NJ Giants and the revelations that all of Belicheat's* and the Cheatriettes* pre-SpyGate seasons are tainted by cheating, NE* failed to reach the playoffs the following season (2008), were eliminated in the wildcard game in 2009 and, after clinching home field throughout the playoffs in the 2010 season, lost their only playoff game to the NJ Jets. Since the tapes were supposedly destroyed by Goodell once investigation was completed, the full extent of their* cheating may never be known, but I think it's reasonably accurate to say that Belicheat* and NE* were more successful before SpyGate forced them* to play by the same rules as the rest of the league.

No reason why we can't... BuffTown Bills 57 New* England* Cheatriettes* 0 GO BILLSSS!!!! "I expect to be undefeated." - Chan Gailey 19 and 0 baby!!!

The true reason for the Cheatriettes* former playoff success*, in classic ballad form... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EU1O-hGxgg GO BILLSSS!!!! "I expect to be undefeated." - Chan Gailey 19 and 0 baby!!!

I hope the Bills aren't! Must respectfully disagree on your odds this Sunday, eball, but I know that comes as no surprise However I do agree that, coming off our HUGE win against the Cheatriettes*, our young Bills players could easily fall into of looking ahead to facing Micheal Vick and the Eagles while overlooking Cincinnati, and/or taking the Bengals too lightly. It's the very definition of a 'trap game', I think - but I'm also confident that Coach Gailey won't allow his team to fall into that trap... GO BILLSSS!!!! "I expect to be undefeated." - Chan Gailey 19 and 0 baby!!! .

Yeah, after sucking as a HC in Cleveland and his* first season (5-11) in NE*, cheating certainly helped reverse Belicheat's* fortunes. I guess it's much easier to be a brilliant coach when you know your opponents' signals, playbooks, game plans, etc. Having the league office and the officials in your pocket helps too... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As2va2GRAz4 JMO, but I think it's pretty clear that BB* hasn't won many big games post-SpyGate. .

Or, in no uniform Now that Kelsi's a Cowboys cheerleader, this shot from last season may be the only pic we see of her wearing Bills gear for a while...

Right now Rob Gronkowski & Chandler each have 3 TDs, but Gronk & Hernandez both have more than twice the yardage as Chandler. Bowever, NE runs multiple TE formations more than any other team in the league - so you may be right in thinking that, once Hernandez returns, neither his nor Gronk's TD pace will keep up with Fitz'z favorite red-zone target, Scott Chandler. The problem with Pro Bowl voting though, as we all know, is that most fans vote for the names they know, the players tend to vote for the same veterans year after year - whether or not the player is deserving (i.e., Jason Peters). My money's on Scott Chandler as well, though - if for no other reason than 'cause WEO insisted the guy sucks

For some reason, though, I can no longer seem to find any of your derisive, 'dead on' posts about Scott Chandler - how he sucked so bad that he was cut by 4 teams, only had one career catch, could never in a million years compare to Kevin Boss or Zach Taylor, and his only talent was in taking up space. (I think you said you'd be happy to be wrong about him as well, yet it's almost as if all those posts somehow mysteriously disappeared )

Goes without saying, I guess, that the wait for my weekly Bills fix is sweeter when the team is doing well - like right now - as opposed to the Jauron era, when I nearly came to dread game time and seeing how man ways the man could find to lose a game. Until the Sabres season arrives, college football, the Red Sox, and IndyCar/F1 auto racing are my main sports diversions between Bills games. GO BIG RED!!!

Great observation, Harveyj001, though I think the Bills v.2011 are further along than that 7-8 strike-plagued season - I believe our 'replacements' were called the "Counterfeit Bills" But I was thinking along those very lines the other day - that this Bills team is 2-3 years ahead of where everyone else thinks they are - only I was recalling the 1988 Bills that shocked everyone, finishing 12-4 and going on to the AFC title game. (Most folks thought THAT team was still a couple more years way from a playoff run as well.) Stranger things can (and do) happen in the NFL... GO BILLSSS!!!! "I expect to be undefeated." - Chan Gailey 19 and 0 baby!!! .

F____n' Ralph. Cheap bastard. FEED MIKE!!!

Fixed. I know you love the team, but I still feel somehow that - even when we actually win the Superbowl - the following mournful dirge represents the highest level of ecstasy you will ever derive from being a Bills fan... ...and I feel badly for you because of that. Cheer up. The Bills players aren't exactly clipping any coupons. Our long, fun-filled ride to Superbowl 46 has barely begun... GO BILLSSS!!!! "I expect to be undefeated." - Chan Gailey 19 and 0 baby!!!

1) Offense 2) Defense 3) Special Teams