Lori

Coulda had Dallas Clark with that pick, BADOL... ...sigh... (Then again, maybe he would've been the one trying to block Freeney on the most important play of the game, no?)

Blah, blah, blah. And yet, you keep showing up here to grace us with your presence. Aren't we lucky... By the way, how'd that "BET THE HOUSE!!!" thingy work out for ya? 55-9, right?

Here ya go. You'll enjoy this one, too.

Because you're not allowed to like them both; you have to pick one and hate on the other. At least, I think that's somewhere in our Terms of Service... [/sarcasm]

HE most likely will. Jp has improved hugely in his decision makingpost-Vikings game Looks like you've got more post-editing to do.

So that's how he keeps getting re-elected....

A question for the ages...

Nope. One had to be Shaud, the only other RB on the roster. Otherwise, what do they do if something happens to Thomas? And Aiken was inactive last week, so that takes care of the other one.

Manning turned 30 in March. I think he's probably got a couple of good years left. And judging solely by the stats -- which already have him pushing the all-time top 10 lists populated by players with much longer careers -- the Indy crowd has a decent argument. Jim Kelly was two weeks short of his 31st birthday when the Bills played in SB XXV. Roger Staubach was a month away from his 30th in SB VI, his first trip as the starter. And Bradshaw, all-time elite? You mean the guy who threw two more TD passes than INTs and was benched for Joe Gilliam during the Steelers' first Super Bowl season? Those Steeler squads won with an outstanding running game and the 'Steel Curtain' D; if they'd had to depend on Bradshaw to win many games for them, that 'Team of the 70s' moniker might well belong to someone else. I'll give you this, Manning and Fouts DO have something in common: a team with lousy defense for a good chunk of their careers. The Chargers' D finished in the top half of the league exactly once during the 'Air Coryell' era.

Tied with Evans, Roscoe, and A-Train. Even so, a depressing stat...

BUFFALO BILLS (3-5) at INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (8-0) SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2006 – 1:00 PM ET RCA DOME, INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA CBS / CBS HD: Dick Enberg, Randy Cross DIRECTV NFL Sunday Ticket: Channel 711 / Channel 723 (HD) RADIO: Buffalo Bills Radio Network PLAY-BY-PLAY: John Murphy COLOR ANALYST: Mark Kelso SIDELINE REPORTER: Paul Peck Indianapolis Colts Radio Network PLAY-BY-PLAY: Bob Lamey COLOR ANALYST: Ted Marchibroda Sirius Sunday Drive: Channel 125 (Buffalo feed) / Channel 123 (Indy feed) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ REGULAR-SEASON SERIES RECORD: Bills lead, 34-29-1, although the Colts have won the last five meetings. This game marks Buffalo’s final trip to the Hoosier/RCA Dome, where they’re 7-11 since the Colts moved from Baltimore in 1984. The next time the Bills visit Indy in the regular season they’ll be playing at brand-new Lucas Oil Stadium, scheduled to open in 2008. PLAYOFF RECORD: none LAST MEETING: November 23, 2003 – Colts 17, Bills 14 The Buffalo defense held the potent Indy attack at bay for most of the afternoon, but couldn’t stop the two-minute drill when it counted. Trailing 14-9 with 7:38 remaining, Peyton Manning engineered an efficient, clock-burning drive that put the ball inside the Buffalo 10 just before the two-minute warning. An offsides penalty on Sam Adams gave the Colts first-and-goal at the three; it took all four downs, but Edgerrin James managed to sneak across his second touchdown of the day with 1:38 left on the clock. A Manning-to-James Mungro hookup for the two-point conversion gave Indy a three-point lead, and David Thornton intercepted Drew Bledsoe at midfield to preserve the final margin. James finished with 108 yards on 28 carries, while Travis Henry paced the Buffalo offense with 22 attempts for 77 yards. Bledsoe (15-28-135) suffered through his fourth consecutive sub-200-yard passing game, all Buffalo losses. LAST TIME IN INDY: September 23, 2001 – Colts 42, Bills 26 On a weekend that marked the NFL’s return to action after the September 11th attacks, the Colts spent most of the afternoon running over, around, and through a mediocre Buffalo defense. The game actually got of to an encouraging start, with the Bills jumping out to an early 7-0 lead on a 48-yard interception return by rookie CB Nate Clements; a Kenyatta Wright fumble recovery ended Indy’s next drive. After that, though, it was all Colts, all the time: they scored on their next six possessions en route to rolling up 555 yards of total offense, the third-highest total ever amassed by a Bills opponent. Manning recovered from the early INT to throw four touchdown passes to his own team, and added a one-yard TD run to cap off the Colts’ final scoring drive. On the day, he was 23-29 for 421 yards, with the majority of those completions going to Marvin Harrison (7-146, 3 TDs) and Jerome Pathon (9-168, 1 TD). Edgerrin James added 111 rushing yards on 23 carries. Rob Johnson led the Bills in rushing with 63 yards, and was 24-37 for 257 yards and a touchdown. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ COLTS OVERVIEW (2006 RANKINGS) OFFENSE (#2 total yardage, #21 rushing, #1 passing, #3 scoring): Where to begin? The Colts’ weekly game release seems like a good place, with its page upon page of franchise and league records held by the Peyton Manning-to-Marvin Harrison combination. Manning, the pundits’ overwhelming choice for midseason MVP, is playing perhaps the best football of his career; he leads the league (again) in touchdown passes and quarterback rating. Harrison and running mate Reggie Wayne are both among the league receiving leaders. And the rushing attack, expected to drop off after Edgerrin James left for a big paycheck in Arizona, is averaging exactly the same yards per carry as last year. Despite splitting time with Dominic Rhodes, first-round pick Joseph Addai (LSU) leads all rookies – yes, that includes Laurence Maroney – with 490 rushing yards. Rhodes is still listed as the starter in Indy’s single-back offense, but Addai, also a receiving threat out of the backfield, should become their next ‘franchise back’ sooner rather than later. The starting wideouts present a dilemma to opposing defensive coordinators: which one do you try to cover with your top cornerback? Harrison, the seven-time Pro Bowler who keeps quietly moving up the all-time leaderboards (recently passing Andre Reed for #4 in receptions), or Wayne, who stands twenty yards behind Houston’s Andre Johnson for the league lead in receiving yardage? Brandon Stokley has missed most of the season with leg injuries, but the Colts have been able to compensate by using more two-TE sets. Dallas Clark – the guy many Bills fans wanted with the pick used to draft Willis McGahee – is the starter, but Ben Utecht and Bryan Fletcher provide more than adequate depth at the position. Tarik Glenn has been a fixture at LT ever since his sophomore campaign in 1998, missing only six starts during that time. Ryan Lilja is still working his way back from a knee injury, so second-year man Dylan Gandy has started all eight games at left guard. All-Pro center Jeff Saturday is even more durable than Glenn; since taking over as the starter in 2000, the former UDFA has missed just two games. RG Jake Scott and RT Ryan Diem round out a starting five which allowed ten sacks in the first half of the season, fewer than any team except New Orleans. DEFENSE (#20 total yardage, #32 rushing, #3 passing, #t20 scoring): Good thing the Indianapolis offense is so prolific; even at their lights-out pace, they’ve scored just five more touchdowns than the defense has allowed. When the Colts used the eleventh overall pick in the 2002 draft to select Dwight Freeney, several draft ‘experts’ declared him a tweener who wouldn’t make it as an undersized pass-rushing end. Four double-digit-sack seasons, three Pro Bowls, and the all-time franchise sack record later, that talk has died down, although he’s having a subpar 2006 season. Robert Mathis, the left end, leads the team with 4.5 sacks. Aaron Schobel’s cousin Bo is one of the backup ends, as is Josh Thomas (Orchard Park H.S. / Syracuse). With Corey Simon on the non-football-injury list, and Montae Reagor still out for the next few weeks with injuries sustained in a car accident, the Colts, desperate to solidify the middle of their line, sent a second-round pick to Tampa Bay for DT Anthony ‘Booger’ McFarland. Raheem Brock is the other tackle, with former Patriot Dan Klecko and Darrell Reid in reserve. Cato June, a converted college safety starting at weakside linebacker in Tony Dungy’s Tampa 2 defense, leads the team in both tackles and interceptions. MLB Gary Brackett, an overachieving UDFA, beat out Rob Morris at MLB and started all sixteen games last season. (Brackett is questionable with a hamstring injury, so either Morris or third-round pick Freddie Keiaho could get the start there instead.) Gilbert Gardner replaces David Thornton (FA – Titans) as the strongside ‘backer. The starting cornerbacks, Nick Harper and Jason David, are average at best. Last year’s second-round pick, Kelvin Hayden, filled in when Harper missed the Jets game, and could push for playing time. Free safety Bob Sanders is the best player in the secondary; when he missed several recent games with a knee injury, his absence was definitely noticed. Sixth-round pick Antoine Bethea (Division I-AA Howard) might have pushed Mike Doss at SS even if Doss hadn’t been injured; now that he’s on I.R., Bethea should have no problem holding onto the job. Marlin Jackson started the Denver game at FS, and can also play corner. SPECIAL TEAMS: Other than Adam Vinatieri’s yips in his return to Gillette Stadium, he’s actually having a good season. Despite missing three games due to injury, the eleventh-year vet has already connected on 16 of 18 field goal attempts, is perfect on 14 PAT attempts, and has six touchbacks out of 34 kickoffs. Hunter Smith has to have one of the least strenuous jobs in the league, averaging barely sixty punts per season, although he does manage to keep busy by holding for field goals and extra points. He places a good percentage of his kicks inside the 20-yard line (7 of 24 so far this season), but bad punt-defense play – only San Francisco is giving up more yards/return – has dropped his net average to 32.9 yards/kick, worst since his rookie season. Terrence Wilkins is back as the kickoff/punt returner; he’s averaging 25.2 yards on kick returns, good for eighth in the league, and his 11.0 punt-return average includes an 82-yard touchdown against Jacksonville. As noted, though, the coverage teams are bad: 28th on kickoffs, 31st on punts, and they’ve given up a touchdown on each. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ OUTLOOK: Indianapolis provides the counterpoint to the New England model in the “draft linemen or skill players?” debate. Since Bill Polian arrived in town in 1998, the team has used #1 picks on: QB (Manning), two RBs (Edgerrin James, Addai), a WR (Wayne), a TE (Clark), a DB (Jackson), a LB (Morris), and a DE (Freeney). Those nine drafts have added up to exactly one first-day pick on the offensive line: 1999 third-rounder Brandon Burlsworth (Arkansas), who tragically lost his life in a car accident less than two weeks after he was drafted. As in Buffalo and Carolina, Polian has filled out the roster with lower-round picks and free-agent signings on the lines. Obviously, that’s worked out better on offense than defense for Indy… but overall, well enough to earn the NFL’s best regular-season record (85-35) since 1999. The Colts, early eleven-point favorites, can become the first team in NFL history to start 9-0 in consecutive seasons. Even with their problems on defense, it’s tough to bet against them. Go Bills... and good luck. Links: NFL.com: injury report / Colts depth chart / Colts team stats / Bills depth chart / Bills team stats Official team website: Colts.com

Except he's not BEING sarcastic.

Not unless you count Fletcher as part of the offense.

Josh? PAHS '97 (or maybe '98?). After working his way all the way up from single-A ball, he finally made the "big club", just in time to enjoy the Cards' wild ride. (And contribute to same, posting a 0.00 ERA in the playoffs.) His dad, Tom, works at the plant. NLCS/Series was fuggin' nuts around here. (Never knew there were so many Redbirds fans in this neck of the woods. ) Couple weeks ago, the R-A ran a full-page game photo from his Game 2 appearance on Page 1, and there are still "Go Josh!" signs up all over town.

Sometimes, though, it's appropriate.

Preee-cisely. This isn't a playoff team no matter who's playing QB. Last year, MM decided he'd rather play Holcomb than try to develop Losman, and that got us all the way to 5-11. Woo-frickin'-hoo. But while I understand the logic behind using this season as an extended training camp/player evaluation period, it doesn't make the games any easier to watch...

Wow. Looks like the playlist from my 20th HS class reunion earlier this summer... and that's probably how they defined "greatest": i.e., fun to dance to, had a cool video, etc., etc. Certainly not my Top 40, but it looks like a fairly representative sample. (Whether that's good or bad is up to you. )

He was, though. Koob sat him down in favor of our old buddy Sage Rosenfels last week, after Carr lost fumbles on consecutive drives just before and after halftime. (The first one was returned for a Titans TD.) Carr's still the starter there, no doubt, but GK apparently wanted to send the message that turnovers are unacceptable. (So Rosenfels comes in and throws a pick on his first series. ) Some other random thoughts on this thread: -Interestingly, Moulds is averaging about 1.5 yards more per catch this season and already has 5 receptions of 20+ yards, matching his total from 2005. That said, Eric wanted to move on, and the Bills (rightly) weren't interested in paying the huge salary he was due this season. Hail and farewell, E-Mo. -Evans is one of the (very) few guys I'm NOT worried about on this offense. -And sorry to pile on, LSI, but that was a bad guess. In seven games Evans has been targeted 65 times, or an average of over nine/game. (In fact, the more likely argument would be that Losman is locking onto Lee TOO much... and that defensive coordinators have picked up on that and shifted their coverage accordingly.) Washington Post: WR targeting data

http://thebiglead.com/?p=1280

GREEN BAY PACKERS (3-4) at BUFFALO BILLS (2-5) SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2006 – 1:00 PM ET RALPH WILSON STADIUM, ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK FOX: Ron Pitts, Terry Donahue DIRECTV NFL Sunday Ticket: Channel 709 / Channel 721 (HD) RADIO: Buffalo Bills Radio Network PLAY-BY-PLAY: John Murphy COLOR ANALYST: Mark Kelso SIDELINE REPORTER: Paul Peck Green Bay Packers Radio Network PLAY-BY-PLAY: Wayne Larrivee COLOR ANALYST: Larry McCarren Sirius Sunday Drive: Channel 110 (Buffalo feed) / Channel 107 (Green Bay feed) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- REGULAR-SEASON SERIES RECORD: Bills lead, 6-3. Buffalo is 4-0 versus the Packers at Rich/Ralph Wilson Stadium. PLAYOFF RECORD: none LAST MEETING: December 22, 2002 – Packers 10, Bills 0 The defense played well enough to win, intercepting Brett Favre twice and holding him to his second-lowest passing-yardage total of the season. Their strong effort went for naught, though, because the Bills offense was colder than the icy winds howling across the fabled ‘frozen tundra’ of Lambeau Field that afternoon. After setting a single-game team record with five sacks and three forced fumbles, Vonnie Holliday owes Drew Bledsoe part of the free-agent contract he signed following the 2002 season. Toss in a couple of interceptions, a Travis Henry fumble, Nate Clements’ muffed punt and a missed 33-yard field goal, and it’s hard to imagine Buffalo even keeping the score close, much less being in position to take the lead on a long fumble return by Clements midway through the fourth quarter. The play in question was ruled an incomplete pass, though, and Donald Driver scored the only touchdown of the day on the next play to seal the win. With the victory, Green Bay capped off a perfect 8-0 home record. The Bills dropped to 7-8, and were officially eliminated from playoff contention. LAST TIME IN BUFFALO: September 10, 2000 – Bills 28, Packers 19 Rob Johnson threw for 259 yards and three touchdowns and the defense forced three turnovers as the Bills cruised to their first 2-0 start since 1996. After a Johnson-to-Jeremy McDaniel pass opened the scoring late in the second quarter, Marcellus Wiley’s sack (and Phil Hansen’s ensuing fumble recovery) put Steve Christie in position to send them into halftime with a 10-0 lead. The margin grew to 17-0 on the opening drive of the second half, with the first of RJ’s two touchdown passes to Jay Riemersma; the Packers never got within ten points until two late Favre-to-Freeman scores made the final outcome appear more respectable. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PACKERS OVERVIEW (2006 RANKINGS) OFFENSE (#9 total yardage, #11 rushing, #8 passing, #13 scoring): Different year, same familiar face throwing passes for the Packers: three-time league MVP Brett Favre has started every single regular-season and playoff game for Green Bay since September 27, 1992. (To compare, Chicago has started twenty different QBs during that same timeframe…) Favre looked bad in early-season losses to Chicago and Philadelphia, but has since matched a career-long streak by going the last three games without throwing an interception. He’s obviously not the same quarterback he was ten seasons ago, but he’s still more than capable of picking the Buffalo defense apart if they can’t mount a serious pass rush. Ahman Green is working hard to prove he’s recovered from the ruptured quadriceps tendon that cost him most of last season. He missed two games with a sore hamstring, but signaled his return to the lineup by breaking off a 70-yard touchdown run against Miami. The Packers are running the ball well: Green, Noah Herron, and Vernand Morency (acquired in an early-season trade with Houston) are all averaging over four yards per carry. Green and Morency both went over the hundred-yard mark against Arizona last week, the first time two Packers backs have accomplished that feat since Eddie Lee Ivery and Gerry Ellis ran over Tampa Bay in 1985. Morency is out indefinitely with a back problem, so Herron will serve as Green’s primary backup; the team also signed rookie RB P.J. Pope from Chicago’s practice squad earlier this week. Fullback Brandon Miree, a strong blocker, is listed as doubtful with a hyperextended elbow. The Packers still have veteran William Henderson, though, and can also line up their TEs in the backfield. Second-round pick Greg Jennings has been a pleasant surprise opposite #1 receiver Donald Driver, moving into the starting lineup quicker than anticipated. He missed the Arizona game with an ankle injury, but participated in practice Thursday and may try to play this week. There’s not much depth at wideout: disgruntled Javon Walker was shipped to Denver, Robert Ferguson is on I.R., and Koren Robinson’s latest DUI arrest earned him a year-long suspension. That leaves street free agents Ruvell Martin, Chris Francies, and recent pickup Shaun Bodiford (Lions) as the only other WRs on the roster. As usual, the Packers will run plenty of two-TE sets; Bubba Franks remains the starter, but David Martin will also see plenty of playing time. Durable tackles Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton anchor an offensive line that’s only allowed nine sacks in the first seven games. When Clifton missed the Miami game due to illness, it marked the first time since 2002 that anyone other than Tauscher or Clifton started at either tackle spot. There’s a youth movement afoot at the interior positions, as third-year man Scott Wells moves from left guard to center to replace the departed Mike Flanagan; he’s flanked by rookie guards Daryn Colledge and Jason Spitz. Colledge, who played left tackle at Boise State, made the switch to LT for the game Clifton sat out. A word of warning to the Buffalo defensive line: offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski is a graduate of the Alex Gibbs school of cut-blocking. (In fact, the Packers actually set goals and chart the number of successful ‘cuts’ in each game.) With McCargo out and Denney nicked up, the Bills can ill afford any more injuries at the position. DEFENSE (#30 total yardage, #10 rushing, #32 passing, #27 scoring): Welcome to the NFL, Terrance Pennington. Your primary blocking assignment in your very first start? Packers left end Aaron Kampman, who is merely tied for the league lead with 8.5 sacks. On the left side, Jason Peters will face a challenge of his own: right end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila is seven sacks shy of Reggie White’s franchise record. Ryan Pickett and Corey Williams start inside, with Cullen Jenkins and Colin Cole in reserve. #5 overall pick A.J. Hawk (Ohio State) was drafted to provide immediate help at linebacker. The consensus All-American was a popular choice among Packers fans both for his talent and his old-school attitude; he’s currently leading the team in tackles from his weakside position, and was nominated for the league’s Rookie of the Month award in both September and October. Brady Poppinga, working his way back from a torn ACL, replaces Na’il Diggs (free agent – Panthers) on the strong side. Steady MLB Nick Barnett, who has missed only one start in his three-plus-year career, set a franchise record for tackles last season. High-profile free agent Charles Woodson was signed to start opposite Al Harris at cornerback; the move allowed the Packers to cut ties with Ahmad Carroll, who never lived up to his first-round-pick status. Second-year man Patrick Dendy is the nickel back, and would move into the starting lineup if Woodson’s knee injury keeps him out of the game. (He hasn’t practiced this week and is listed as ‘doubtful’ on the injury report.) A pair of rookies, fourth-round pick Will Blackmon (Boston College) and UDFA Jarrett Bush (Utah State), round out the depth chart at CB. Free-agent pickup Marquand Manuel (Seahawks), an underrated part of Seattle's run to the Super Bowl, is the new SS. Second-year FS Nick Collins has started every game of his NFL career, and earned a spot on the Pro Football Weekly / PFWA All-Rookie Team. Rookies Tyrone Culver and Charlie Peprah are the backup safeties. SPECIAL TEAMS: After nine years in green-and-gold, kicker Ryan Longwell was allowed to leave via free agency. Strong-legged Dave Rayner beat out Billy Cundiff for the job in training camp and has had a solid season, missing only one of 14 attempts from inside fifty yards and tying the club record with a 54-yarder at Philadelphia. (A successful 55-yarder against Miami was nullified when Green Bay accepted a penalty on the defense, taking the points off the board.) First-year punter Jon Ryan is fourth in the league with a 47.1-yard gross average, and has at least two 50-yard kicks in every game this season. Then again, that shouldn’t come as a surprise: the Saskatchewan native and former Winnipeg Blue Bomber set the single-season CFL record in 2005 with a 50.6-yard gross average. The team is seeking yet another kick returner after Robinson’s suspension and the injuries to Ferguson and Morency. Bodiford and Herron appear the most likely candidates. Woodson normally handles punt-return duties, but his injury could mean Bodiford gets those reps as well. The kickoff cover team is outstanding, giving up a league-low 19.3 yards per return. Punt coverage could be better, though; an 84-yard touchdown by Chicago’s Devin Hester in the season opener helps push their per-return average over twelve yards/attempt. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OUTLOOK: Green Bay’s current two-game winning streak could be a sign the team is picking up some momentum… or it could merely be a product of playing bad opponents, since their victims have a combined 3-19 record. I like the Peters-to-LT move, but whether or not the reshuffled offensive line has had nearly enough practice time to coalesce remains to be seen. (With Kampman and KGB across the line of scrimmage, that answer shouldn’t take long to find out on Sunday.) Going strictly by the trends I’m seeing in the stats, I should probably be picking the Packers… but for some weird reason I like Buffalo’s chances in this game. Maybe because I’m not convinced Green Bay is any better than the Bills, maybe just wishful thinking that Buffalo can force the other guys -- especially the youngest team in the entire league -- to make some mistakes for a change. One thing’s for sure, though: if they can’t get past the Pack in the friendly confines of Ralph Wilson Stadium, a place Green Bay has never won a regular-season game, then it’s time to start scouting next April’s draft. See you Sunday, and Go Bills. Links: NFL.com: injury report / Packers depth chart / Packers team stats / Bills depth chart / Bills team stats Official team website: Packers.com

True enough. Sometimes you DO get exactly what you pay for. Good read, Tony... although after doing so, the depression that lifted slightly during the bye week is starting to sink in again... (Now you know why I mostly stick to previewing upcoming opponents -- I'm not sure I could handle re-watching any of the last three games. )

Once upon a time, Fonoti was an up-and-coming OL prospect. But after breaking his hand in San Diego, his career sank like a rock... a very, very, very large rock, if you catch my drift. (Last rumor I heard had him weighing in at close to 400lbs.)

One of these names is not like the others.... Fonoti wasn't a FA last season. He was traded to the Vikings for a seventh-round pick after the Chargers gave up on him... a trend followed by several teams since then.

Lot opens at 8. Most of the regulars are there soon after that, but in the meantime, you can check out the early festivities at the notorious Pinto Tailgate a couple of rows over... 34-78-83, sorry to hear that. Our sympathies to the family.

Yeah. I can see that happening. Glad you can join us, CTW!