Lori

On the other hand, if you flip those results (Jets W / Pats L), the Jets would be a single game behind New England AND have a better division record. Jets have Minnesota, Miami, and Oakland left after this weekend, thus a realistic shot to run the table; the division title is still in play.

Ouch. Top priority for 2007: Right Tackle. #2: Right Guard. And it looks like Marv knows it. 858902[/snapback] Either that, or it shows how much confidence the Bills DO have in Peters. I'd be curious to know what those percentages looked like before the switch was made.

I'm sure you'll be the only one. Have one on me...

Maybe you missed it, but Jay's real problem isn't with the blackout rule -- he has season tix. I won't argue against the blackout rules either, since the last time I missed a blacked-out home game was... 1996? 97? The issue is this: by moving games at the last minute, the NFL is messing with the people who actually DO buy the tickets. It makes sense from their point of view, but that doesn't help those of us scrambling to rebook flights or find hotel rooms for Sunday night, burn extra vacation time, or cancel their plans completely because of the late time-shift. I'm working midnights next week; with a minimum two-hour drive after the game, I'd be lucky to make it home before my shift starts. So moving this game costs me an extra day's pay, and I was lucky they even gave me the day off, as late as it was. Changing flights will probably cost GG even more than that. At what point do we (season-ticket holders living outside the blackout area) simply say "#&^! it", stay home, and buy the Sunday Ticket instead?

All valid points, ganesh, but if said 'whisperer' is thinking along the same lines as Pollock's column, I understand his reasoning. I can give credit where it's due for certain parts of the process, while still disliking the overall outcome...

Revisit the 2004-2005 Steelers. 15-1 in 2004, but Super Bowl champs as a wildcard in 2005. Which team was "better"?

Hear, hear! Hope it's special.

Since the only other 4:00 option is the stellar Denver-at-Arizona matchup, it might happen. Guessing the distaste for that game was the reason for the move to begin with...

Stay that way, y'hear?

If the 'whisperer' is who I think it is, I'm reasonably sure he's no TD fan, and he has no stake in whether or not Donahoe ends up back in the league. But does he have a valid point? Breaking it down... DRAFT: 2001 (day 1) - Nate Clements, Aaron Schobel, Travis Henry, and Jonas Jennings all became quality starters; Clements and Henry have played in a Pro Bowl. Ron Edwards? Not so much. Four of five isn't bad, though. 2001 (day 2) - Nobody of consequence. 2002 (day 1) - BIG miss with Big Mike Williams. Second-rounders Josh Reed and Ryan Denney seem to have outgrown their status as TSW's favorite whipping boys, unlike third-round pick Coy Wire. 2002 (day 2) - Justin Bannan and Mike Pucillo are still in the league (although in Pucillo's case, I still wonder why). Kevin Thomas was making plays before ripping up his knee. **Gotta put the Bledsoe trade in here somewhere. Like him or hate him, you hafta admit he was an upgrade over the 2001 QB corps. Was that reason enough to deal a #1 pick to get him? Open to debate. 2003 (day 1) - McGahee, Kelsay, Crowell. All starting. 2003 (day 2) - McGee's a pretty good fourth-round find, no? Aiken and Haggan are still on the roster, but solely for STs at this point. 2004 (day 1) - Evans, Losman, Anderson. Lee is a stud. Jury is still out on Jonathan Paul. Anderson's a 'depth' guy at best. 2004 (day 2) - Euhus, McFarland, Fast Freddie. Gone, all gone. 2005 (day 1) - No #1 because of the J.P. trade/pick. Parrish and Everett. The Jacksonville game is a loss without Roscoe, who was leading the league in punt-return average before Devin Hester's latest long touchdown dropped him to #2. (He also recently qualified for, and took over, the franchise record for career PR average.) It's still early in his career and he's coming off an ACL injury, but Everett sure looks like a bust. 2005 (day 2) - Duke Preston is the only one left. FREE AGENCY: The good - Takeo Spikes, Sam Adams, Larry Centers, and Brian Moorman have all been to at least one Pro Bowl in a Bills uniform; London Fletcher should be on that list as well. Lawyer Milloy and Troy Vincent put up some good numbers at safety before age/injury caught up to them. Rian Lindell is 64-70 from 40 yards and in (91.4 %), 87-106 overall (82.1 %); factoring in the Buffalo weather, I've seen worse. Before him, Mike Hollis gave us a decent year before pricing himself out of the market. Marcus Price filled a need as a swing tackle. Kelly Holcomb is a solid #2 QB. And if you like our current starting LT, remember he was an UDFA snagged by Donahoe. Mediocre - Signing Trey Teague to play LT. (We'll never know how that would have worked... which, I guess, probably tells us how well that would have worked...) Jeff Posey made a couple of big plays here, but never really fit. Mark Campbell was an adequate TE; he certainly had better hands than Royal. Dave Moore, Ross Tucker, Lawrence Smith, Mike Gandy, Chris Villarial, and any other street FAs signed for the OL probably go here as well... with one rather large exception. Ugly: Billy Jenkins. 'Coach' Eddie Robinson. Bennie Anderson. Whacking Steve Christie and replacing him with a a not-yet-ready-for-prime-time Shayne Graham and Jake Arians. (If there's anyone I'm missing, I'm sure someone will be along to add their names to the mix.) And that doesn't include the head-coaching choices, or some purely financial decisions (like letting Pat Williams walk). From a recent column by longtime Bills beat reporter Chuck Pollock: Overall, 31-49 doesn't lie... but despite the vitriol directed at him, Donahoe was far from the worst GM in Bills history, and several of the players he signed or drafted are still making a significant impact here. That, I believe, was the point said 'whisperer' was trying to make -- and I have to agree. Just my opinion; yours may vary. That's cool. Just don't assume that every single statement regarding a certain player/coach/administrator is a surefire sign of a hidden agenda, okay? Thanks.

Correct. Chargers have drafted in the top five picks 3 out of the last 6 years.

Nope -- 2001 was bad, this is slightly worse. 140.3 yds allowed per game this season, 4.8/carry. (Only given up 13 rushing TDs so far, though, which is an improvement over last season.) When I'm looking for "worst ever" stats, I normally start with the '84-'85 seasons; they seldom fail to disappoint. (Yeah, I meant that precisely the way I typed it. ) This time, though, I had to go a little further back: 2005: 137.8, 4.5/carry, 22 TDs. 2002: 132.6, 4.5/carry, 20 TDs. 2001: 133.3, 4.4/carry, 20 TDs. 1985: 153.9, 4.3/carry, 20 TDs. 1983: 156.4, 4.4/carry, 14 TDs. 1979: 155.1, 4.0/carry, 18 TDs. Oh-ho, I think we have our winner. (Or loser, if you want to look at it that way...) 1978: 201.8, 4.8, 23 TDs. 1977: 171.8, 4.1, 21 TDs. 1976: 176.9, 4.7, 19 TDs. So if you want to go by the yards-per-carry stat, Rubes, this does match the worst season in team history. And with Crowell now sidelined, it could get worse...

Actually, no. It's even worse than that: Nixon was the President-elect, but hadn't been inaugurated yet. Watch for Phil on TV Sunday. Odds are, he's the guy in the size-XXXL Gastineau jersey with the matching mullet...

, or maybe No, they just hate Michigan THAT much.

Correct. When the Bengals signed Adams and people started attaching "run-stuffing" to his name, I just laughed. The only runs Adams stuffed were the guys unfortunate enough to pick the same gap he was coming through. Has the 'Gal run D improved with Adams in there? Sure... if you consider going from 4.31 ypc allowed to 4.23 an improvement. And to the author of the post SACTO quoted -- enough with the "what a retard you are", etc. From the TBD Terms of Service:

re: TKO - how much of that do you think might be attributed to all the reps he missed while rehabbing both the Achilles and hamstring injuries? Add a position switch on top of that, too. McGee is adequate, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out he's at a severe disadvantage against the taller WRs that seem to be taking over the league these days. (Good thing, too, because I'm certainly no rocket scientist. ) Good stuff, Joe. ADD: I've been wondering whether the gameplan allowed JP to audible, but haven't really paid much attention to it during the games. Thanks for bringing that up.

That asterisk is well-deserved. One has to wonder what would've happened if Mularkey had allowed Losman the chance to work through and learn from his mistakes, as the current regime is doing...

'Zactly. I hate to keep rehashing the Donahoe-freezing-out-GR flap, but that's not an uncommon occurrence. Earlier this year, Tennessee (as in UT) temporarily pulled a local beat writer's credentials after he dared to sidestep the SID's office to get an interview with an injured football player... who, incidentally, was more than willing to talk to the reporter. All about controlling the message.

Look further than Gannett -- this is a big issue in the entire industry, as leagues and/or individual teams continue to limit media access while creating an ever-increasing amount of in-house product.

And LT is their second-leading receiver. Up until then, though, it was a good plan...

...after which, he was seen puking on the sideline. Correct, you are.

Agreed. Seventh-largest stadium in the league, second-smallest market. Bad combo.

Funny, I don't remember seeing that on the back of my tickets. As BART noted, not everyone CAN stand for extended periods of time -- my seventysomething stepdad, for instance, with his multiple knee surgeries and artificial hip. (He can yell with the best of 'em, though, even from a seated position.) You going to turn around and tell him he can't watch the game because it's your "right" to block his view? Standing during exciting plays (Roscoe's punt return) or at critical moments during the game -- a defensive stand, or the last drive last week, for example -- is expected, and entirely appropriate. But for the whole... freakin'... game? Unnecessary. While I'm here, I'll also second the moving-during-plays bashing earlier in this thread. I don't care HOW bad you need that next beer, you're not getting by me if the quarterback is under center, ready for the snap. Got a problem with that? Too effin' bad.

Nicely done...

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (9-2) at BUFFALO BILLS (5-6) SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2006 – 1:00 PM ET RALPH WILSON STADIUM, ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK CBS: Gus Johnson, Steve Tasker ***GAME BLACKED OUT IN BUFFALO MARKET*** DIRECTV NFL Sunday Ticket: Channel 711 (no HD) RADIO: Buffalo Bills Radio Network PLAY-BY-PLAY: John Murphy COLOR ANALYST: Mark Kelso SIDELINE REPORTER: Paul Peck San Diego Chargers Radio Network PLAY-BY-PLAY: Josh Lewin COLOR ANALYST: Hank Bauer SIDELINE REPORTER: Jim Laslavic Sirius Sunday Drive: Channel 152 (Buffalo feed) / Channel 130 (San Diego feed) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ REGULAR-SEASON SERIES RECORD: San Diego leads, 19-9-2, but the Chargers haven’t won in Buffalo since 1985. They’re 2-2 overall at Rich/Ralph Wilson Stadium. PLAYOFF RECORD: Bills lead, 2-1. The Chargers were the opponent in both of Buffalo’s AFL Championship wins. LAST MEETING: November 20, 2005 – Chargers 48, Bills 10 At first, I was disappointed I had to work during this game… but as I listened to the score mount, I decided I wasn’t missing much. (Not sure I ever did make it all the way through the tape later that night.) The Bills concentrated on containing LaDainian Tomlinson, and actually held him under 100 total yards. Unfortunately, by selling out to stop the run, they left Drew Brees plenty of room to work. He spent the afternoon playing catch with wide-open receivers, finishing 28-33 for 339 yards and throwing touchdown passes to four different players. LAST TIME IN BUFFALO: December 15, 2002 - Bills 20, Chargers 13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHARGERS OVERVIEW (2006 RANKINGS) OFFENSE (#5 total yardage, #2 rushing, #14 passing, #1 scoring): No matter whether the starting quarterback is Drew Brees or Philip Rivers, the San Diego offense continues to revolve around the man lining up behind him in the backfield, LaDainian Tomlinson. L.T. is this generation’s version of Thurman Thomas, equally at home taking a handoff or catching passes (and even throwing one now and then). He’s currently on a streak of five straight 100-yard games; another one on Sunday would put him well over the 1200-yard mark for the sixth time in as many seasons, a record equaled only by Eric Dickerson. Want more numbers? Two weeks ago against Denver, he became the fastest player to score 100 touchdowns (89 games), topping Jim Brown and Emmitt Smith (93). Is Tomlinson the best running back ever, as some pundits have suggested? Still a little early for that, and difficult to argue against the merits of such legends as Brown and Walter Payton… but he’s forcing his way into the debate. Doesn’t hurt that he’s got Lorenzo Neal, one of the best blocking fullbacks in the league, leading the way, either. While there was much debate about whether or not the Chargers were making the right decision in letting Brees leave last offseason, Rivers is acquitting himself well in his first year as the starter. He’s completing 65% of his passes, not turning the ball over, and has led the team to touchdowns on a remarkable fifteen straight trips into the red zone. Oddly, none of Rivers’ 15 touchdown passes has ended up in the hands of starting wideouts Eric Parker or Keenan McCardell. But then, when he has playmakers such as Tomlinson and two-time Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates to throw to, perhaps that’s not such a surprise after all. At 6-4 and 260 pounds, Gates is a matchup nightmare who leads the team in receptions for the third consecutive season. Brandon Manumaleuna, the other TE, is more of a third-tackle type, but 3 of his 12 catches have gone for touchdowns. And after watching film of Terrence McGee struggling to cover tall receivers, offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has to be devising plans to involve 6-5 Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd in the gameplan. After journeymen Roman Oben and Leander Jordan split time at left tackle last season, A.J. Smith decided to upgrade the position by drafting massive Marcus McNeill (Auburn) with the Chargers’ second-round pick. So far, so good: McNeill has played well, starting every game this year despite broken bones in both hands. The rest of the line returns intact; left guard Kris Dielman is the only player to miss a start this season. They’ve done a good job of protecting their young quarterback, allowing only 18 sacks in 349 dropbacks. DEFENSE (#9 total yardage, #7 rushing, #14 passing, #11 scoring): When Wade Phillips was hired to run the San Diego defense in January 2004, more than a few Chargers fans assumed he’d continue to run the 4-3 set, because he didn’t have the players to fit his beloved 3-4. Instead, as I predicted on one of their message boards, the team cleaned house on the defensive line and found players who did fit; Pro Bowl NT Jamal Williams and LB Donnie Edwards are the only two front-seven starters left from the Dale Lindsey era. The improvement has been dramatic: the Bolts’ run D shot from 26th in 2003 to 3rd in 2004, and led the league last season. The current rankings are somewhat misleading; the Bolts were #2 in total defense when the league gave Shawne Merriman his four-game vacation. Merriman, the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year, returns for this game… just in time to take out his frustration on the Buffalo offense. Wonderful. Jacques Cesaire has started the last three games in place of left end Luis Castillo (high ankle sprain), and will probably be in the lineup again Sunday. Igor Olshansky is the right end; he doesn’t have great stats, but against Denver two weeks ago, he earned the thanks of defensive players around the league for retaliating against a Tom Nalen cheap-shot. (Memo to Bills offensive linemen: Igor doesn’t like cut-blocks, especially on “spike” plays. Nalen should have been suspended.) Edwards and Randall Godfrey hold down the ILB spots, freeing Merriman and Shaun Phillips to get after the quarterback. Both have the perfect size/quickness combo for rush OLBs, and they’ve combined for 18 of San Diego’s league-leading 41 sacks. Backups Carlos Polk, Marques Harris, and Matt Wilhelm have filled in adequately when called upon. If there’s one trouble spot on the Chargers defense, it’s the secondary, where starting corners Quentin Jammer (the fifth overall pick in 2002) and Drayton Florence (second round, 2003) have never lived up to the lofty expectations placed on them. Free safety Marlon McCree (Panthers) joined the club in the offseason and has been praised as a steadying influence, but I still have memories of Drew Bledsoe and Bobby Shaw toasting McCree early and often in a 2003 game against Jacksonville (and the Jags cutting him the next day.) Terrence Kiel is the strong safety, with last year’s starting FS, Bhawoh Jue, in reserve. SPECIAL TEAMS: Nate Kaeding has one of the easiest jobs in the league right now: because the Chargers are so proficient at finding the end zone, he hasn’t attempted a field goal in the last month. (When he has had to line up for something longer than an extra point, though, he’s been perfect from 40 and in.) Likewise, punter Mike Scifres hasn’t had much work lately. While he’s averaging a pedestrian 43.5 gross yards per kick, over half of his 41 attempts have landed inside the opponents’ 20, with only one touchback. Backup RB Michael Turner is the normal kick returner, but rookie DB Antonio Cromartie filled in admirably in Turner’s absence last week with a 91-yard runback against the Raiders. Parker handles punt returns. Both coverage teams are average, but haven’t given up any scores. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ OUTLOOK: This is a classic “trap” game for the Chargers: sandwiched among division games, cross-country flight, 10am Pacific game start. (Could it be a coincidence that both San Diego’s losses were also early games?) Plus, as previously discussed on the Wall, the Bolts don’t play many “weather” games. Their fans keep bringing up their last snow game, a 21-0 win in Cleveland two years ago… but conveniently fail to mention that the Browns had already fired Butch Davis, were playing out the string, and had just gotten smoked 37-7 in Buffalo the week before (in a game where the Bills sacked Brownie QBs 8 times, forced 5 turnovers, and allowed an incredible 17 total yards to the Cleveland offense, the fifth-lowest total in league history). Given all that, the Chargers are still the better football team right now. (Heck, they should be, considering all the early draft picks they’ve ‘earned’ in recent years.) If Buffalo manages to get an early lead, the upset might just be there for the taking… but if it comes down to the Bills porous run defense trying to stop Tomlinson and "Martyball", it could turn into a long afternoon for the hometown team. Don’t forget to pack your snow gear, see you in Lot 1 Sunday morning, and Go Bills. Links: NFL.com: injury report / Chargers depth chart / Chargers team stats / Bills depth chart / Bills team stats Official team website: Chargers.com ADD: latest info, courtesy of the San Diego U-T, has Castillo, McCree, and Turner all OUT for this game.