Lori

I'd be less concerned about Chambers if I hadn't been there in person to see our Pro Bowl CB flash-fried by Donte' freakin' Stallworth. As for their D... used to be we could count on Wanny to screw something up, but I'm afraid we don't have that luxury with Saban. You 'n me both. Dunno if Clements has the opposing D guessing, but he's sure got me confused.... Live by the blitz, die by the blitz. Like I said - it hasn't been getting there in time lately, and we're paying the price. You'd think playing against an oldster like Gus F., behind an OL that spent a good chunk of last year scraping their QBs up off the turf, would be a recipe for success... but said OL has also been better than expected so far. I realize the Panthers miss Kris Jenkins, but I'm still having a hard time comprehending the idea that they couldn't get even one sack vs. Frerotte...

Most excellent, Rock! ...so everyone, where's the party at tomorrow night?

If anything, I like the N'Awlins OL better than the Miami one. Not so much with Nesbit in place of Mayberry, perhaps, but LeCharles Bentley for damnsure > Seth McKinney at C. JMO.

Stop making sense.

Or so we think.

Nope.

Unfortunately, you may have a valid point. And then, the Losman vs. Matthews controversy begins. Aaaarghhhh....

MIAMI DOLPHINS (2-1) AT BUFFALO BILLS (1-3) SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2005 - 1:00 P.M. EDT RALPH WILSON STADIUM, ORCHARD PARK, NY CBS: Kevin Harlan / Randy Cross REGULAR-SEASON SERIES RECORD: Miami leads, 48-29-1 PLAYOFF RECORD: Buffalo leads, 3-1 LAST MEETING: December 5, 2004 – Bills 42, Dolphins 32 One of Drew Bledsoe’s best games as a Bill – he threw 4 touchdown passes in the win, including two to Lee Evans. Fish QB A.J. Feeley tossed four TDs as well; too bad for him one of them was also his fifth INT of the day, returned 20 yards by big Pat Williams for Buffalo’s game-clinching score. LAST TIME IN BUFFALO: October 17, 2004 – Bills 20, Dolphins 13 The ‘Hawk’ made an early-season appearance in Orchard Park; with temperatures in the mid-forties and a steady 25-mph breeze off Lake Erie, the only points into the scoreboard end zone were from Rian Lindell’s just-barely-good 20-yard fourth-quarter FG. It was a day of firsts for the Bills – the first win of the season and of Mike Mularkey’s head-coaching career, Takeo Spikes’ 11-yard INT return for his first TD as a Bill, and Willis McGahee’s first 100-yard game in his first career start. OVERVIEW OFFENSE: The Miami running game was putrid in 2004, ranking 31st in yards/game and dead last in yards/carry. You wouldn’t know that by watching the games against Buffalo, though – Sammy Morris averaged over five yards/carry (18-91) in his return to the Ralph, while Travis Minor carried 20 times for 82 yards (4.1 average) in the rematch. Since Ricky Williams’ status was still up in the air (up in smoke?) at draft time, new head coach Nick Saban used the #2 overall pick on Auburn RB Ronnie Brown. Brown was underwhelming in his first two starts, but bounced back nicely with a 132-yard performance vs. Carolina. Look up “journeyman quarterback” in the dictionary, and you might find a picture of Gus Frerotte. Miami is the sixth stop in the eleventh-year veteran’s tour of the league; he’s 29-37-1 in 67 career starts. His only previous visit to Rich Stadium as a starter ended badly, with the Bills trouncing his Redskins 38-13 back in 1996. (Washington was 7-1 and leading their division coming into that game, but collapsed to 9-7 and missed the playoffs…) Saban is asking Frerotte to manage the game and not turn the ball over, which would be a vast improvement over the Fiedler/Feeley/Rosenfels trifecta of last year – they combined to throw 26 INTs, including 8 that were returned for touchdowns. One of Saban’s better offseason moves may have been hiring respected OL coach Hudson Houck, who was in Los Angeles for Eric Dickerson’s 2,105-yard season in 1984, and on the Dallas staff for their last two Super Bowl titles. Houck wasn’t given much to work with – 2004 #1 pick Vernon Carey (RT) is the only different starter from a mediocre group that gave up 52 sacks a year ago - but Frerotte has only been taken down twice in the first three games. Talented WR Chris Chambers and TE Randy McMichael have been waiting a long time for a QB who can consistently get them the ball; if Frerotte is that guy, McMichael could end up being one of the best in the league. Marty Booker is the other starter, with special-teams standout Wes Welker getting most of the reps at #3 and David Boston seeing some time at Booker's spot. Weird factoid of the week: the Bills have run back an INT for a touchdown in four of the last six games vs. Miami, including two by Nate Clements. DEFENSE: Although their depth chart still shows a base 4-3 set, one of Saban’s first moves as head coach was to install plenty of 3-4 packages. Kevin Carter and Vonnie Holliday (who can both play end or tackle) and NT Keith Traylor were signed as free agents, with Pro Bowl DE Jason Taylor moving into more of a hybrid DE/OLB role. Rookie LB Channing Crowder has bypassed 2003 second-round pick Eddie Moore in the lineup; holdovers Zach Thomas and Junior Seau are the other two starters. Seau has been bothered by a calf injury since training camp, though, and tweaked it again vs. Carolina. If he doesn’t suit up, Donnie Spragan will fill in at SLB. Patrick Surtain was traded to Kansas City and both safeties were released in the offseason, so Sam Madison is the only starting DB left from 2004. Rookie Travis Daniels, a fourth-round pick from LSU, inherited the other CB spot after previous starter Reggie Howard was torched against the Jets; Howard is now the nickel DB. Lance Schulters (a salary-cap casualty in Tennessee) and Tebucky Jones are the new safeties, with former Bills second-rounder Travares Tillman in reserve. SPECIAL TEAMS: Olindo Mare isn’t as dependable as he used to be; he’s missed 8 FGs inside the 40 since the beginning of the 2002 season. He seems to have regained some of his leg strength, though, with 5 touchbacks out of 14 kickoffs so far this year. Donnie Jones is the new punter; he’s placed 6 of his 16 kicks inside the 20 and carries an impressive 39.5-yard net average. This may strike some of you as heresy, but Wes Welker reminds me a little bit of a pretty good special-teamer who used to play here in Buffalo. He does it all – returns both kicks and punts, plays on the coverage teams, and even booted a 29-yard FG and an extra point after Mare was injured last season. I’m not saying he’s at Tasker’s level, mind you, but I wouldn’t mind having him on my team… --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OUTLOOK: Let’s see here… the Bills have a young quarterback whose head is obviously spinning right now, a mediocre OL better at runblocking than passblocking, and an RB who has averaged almost 5.3 yards/carry in the two games since he was taken to task by Mike Mularkey for “dancing” vs. Tampa Bay. Will the rumored QB switch to Kelly Holcomb be an improvement, if it happens? Probably, at least in the short term… but it won’t matter who’s taking the snaps if Willis McGahee doesn’t start getting the ball more often. No expert analysis needed to figure that out - we were yelling it before halftime at the game Sunday, and I’m sure many of you were typing similar thoughts here on the Wall: “RUN THE ^#&!ING BALL !!!” On the other side of the line, here’s all you need to know about the Buffalo defense’s performance in the first four games: four out of the top five tacklers are DBs. The front seven wasn’t stopping the run even before Takeo Spikes got hurt, and the blitz hasn’t been getting to the opposing QB. That has to change, and soon, or the Bills will be out of the playoff race before Thanksgiving (if not Halloween). See you in Lot 1 on Sunday, and Go Bills. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Links: NFL.com injury report NFL.com Dolphins depth chart NFL.com Dolphins team stats Ourlads.com – Dolphins depth chart MiamiDolphins.com

"Wilson needs to fire TD, MM, TC and JG, this is the last straw." Why are you so sure the alleged QB switch wasn't Wilson's decision to begin with? Wouldn't be the first time, now would it?

Some highlights: ah fuggit, time to go drink (more). Jay Rubeo and aussiew send their love....

Webshots link The Holiday Inn Riverwalk didn't know what hit them, as a rowdy mob of Bills fans took over the bar at 4pm..... with a surprise addition to the agenda. Tom Donahoe, VP of Communications Scott Berchtold, Bills Digest editor Chris Brown, and buffalobills.com webmaster Gregg Pastore decided to drop by the hotel for a Q-and-A session/Bills pep rally in the hotel conference room.

Pictures on the way. I'll be starting a new thread.....

One more reminder to anyone in San Antonio right now - the party starts at 4 PM, Holiday Inn Riverwalk. See y'all there! Addendum for the rest of you: Bills fans have taken over the Riverwalk. Saints might not get the "sea of black" they're hoping for tomorrow.....

Good point about Wannabe (nice loss to Rutgers last night, BTW). I can see Saban getting our least-favorite team back to the playoffs sooner rather than later....

Wow. When I saw him at the airport yesterday (his flight to Cincy was boading right next to mine to Cleveland), I just assumed he was also picking up a connecting flight out here. Guess not.

I'd debate the Atlanta game, but I'm right there with ya on the Tampa one.

BART's pretty much covered it. Badol's van is the default gathering point - from the stadium, go south to Pole 5, turn (left) towards the Pinto, and look for a big blue van with a bunch of scruffy-looking characters hanging out around it. (I'll be one of the scruffy-looking characters.... )

That's odd; all the Cowboys fans I know (including my brother) were TICKED when they signed Bledsoe. And while they're happy with the 2-1 start, they realize Dallas doesn't get to play against the 49ers defense every week...

Originally signed with Seattle in 1994; hadn't missed a start since 1997. Not bad for a UDFA. Packing up and heading out as soon as I finish up here; don't know how often I'll be checking in over the weekend. Enjoy the game, everyone....

Even a blind squirrel... (Kidding, VA... just kidding....)

BUFFALO BILLS (1-2) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1-2) SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2005 12:00 PM CDT ALAMODOME, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS CBS: Don Criqui / Steve Tasker REGULAR-SEASON SERIES RECORD: Bills lead, 4-3. Buffalo was 3-1 in New Orleans, and 3-0 in the Superdome… PLAYOFF RECORD: none LAST MEETING: September 9, 2001 – Saints 24, Bills 6 Game #1 of the Tom Donahoe / Gregg Williams era, and the scene of the Second Annual TwoBillsDrive Tailgate. Buffalo held Ricky Williams to 5 first-half yards and led 6-0 at the break, but Rob Johnson completed more passes to Saints SS Sammy Knight (3) than to Eric Moulds and Peerless Price combined (2), and Aaron Brooks tossed three second-half touchdown passes to lead the Saints to victory. Far worse than losing the game, though, was the sight of Sam Cowart being helped off the field with a torn Achilles tendon early in the game. I had the same sick feeling last weekend as I did that day; as soon as Takeo slammed his helmet off the turf and I saw the look on his face, I knew… LAST TIME IN NEW ORLEANS (and here’s hoping there’s a next time in New Orleans): December 27, 1998 – Bills 45, Saints 33 Guaranteed a road trip to either Miami or Jacksonville the following weekend, Wade Phillips decided to rest several starters in a mostly meaningless game. The Bills jumped out to a 28-0 first-half lead, then cruised the rest of the way for a win that wasn’t nearly as close as the score. Rob Johnson threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score, and Eric Moulds broke Andre Reed’s single-season team record with 1,368 receiving yards. This game also brought Kerry Collins’ short-lived Saints career to an inglorious end; after starting the game 3-12 for 23 yards and two turnovers, he was benched in favor of Billy Joe Tolliver. OVERVIEW OFFENSE: WR Joe Horn and RB Deuce McAllister are among the best in the league at their positions, and Horn’s running mate, Donte’ Stallworth, could be scary good if he ever develops the technique to match his raw talent. With Az-zahir Hakim still slowed by a hamstring injury, Devery Henderson should see most of the snaps at #3 WR. Ernie Conwell is a decent all-around TE but not much of a deep threat; “Boo” Williams is gone for the season, and FA signee Shad Meier (Tennessee) has yet to play this year. Old friend Antowain Smith was signed as McAllister’s top backup; last year’s second-leading rusher, Aaron Stecker, will probably miss this game with a high ankle sprain. The Saints made a serious effort to upgrade their offensive line in the offseason, signing RG Jermane Mayberry away from the Eagles and trading up in the first round to select OT Jammal Brown with the 13th overall pick. LeCharles Bentley is a top-flight center; I seem to recall quite a few Bills fans hoping he’d end up here in Buffalo on draft day 2002. LT Wayne Gandy is solid in the passing game; Gandy vs. Schobel should be an interesting matchup. Mayberry sat out last week’s game with a bad shoulder; Jamar Nesbit started in his place, and might get the nod again this week... But in the end, it all comes back to Aaron Brooks. He’s got the physical skills; watch him play and you can see the resemblance to his cousin, Michael Vick. The knock on Brooks has always been his questionable decision-making, and I haven’t seen anything yet this season to make me think he’s getting any better in that regard. To be fair, though, he’s not getting much help from the running game (currently averaging under 100 ypg). DEFENSE: Better at rushing the passer than stopping the run. New Orleans ranked 30th against the run and dead last in overall yardage in 2004, and they didn’t make any major changes to their front seven. Ends Darren Howard (11), Charles Grant (10.5), and Will Smith (7.5) lead a front four that combined for 34 of the Saints’ 37 sacks last year; veterans Brian Young and Willie Whitehead start at tackle. The linebackers won’t make any Saints fans forget about the legacy of Sam Mills, Pat Swilling, and Rickey Jackson; Sedrick Hodge (SLB), Courtney Watson (MLB), and Colby Bockwaldt (WLB) start, but backups James Allen, T.J. Slaughter, and Ron McKinnon will also see playing time. Mike McKenzie (acquired in a trade with the Packers last year) and Fakhir Brown are the top CBs. Brown has missed the last two games with a leg injury, though, forcing Jason Craft into the starting lineup. Team captain Jay Bellamy led the Saints in tackles last season and had started 122 consecutive games at strong safety, but a torn rotator cuff landed him on injured reserve this week. Tentative plans have Dwight Smith moving into the SS spot and rookie second-round pick Josh Bullocks taking over at FS, but Smith is also on the injury report; Mel Mitchell and special-teamer Steve Gleason are the other options there. SPECIAL TEAMS: Kicker John Carney may not have the distance he used to, but the 17th-year veteran is still fairly accurate from inside 40 yards. Punter Mitch Berger led the league in net yardage last season and earned another trip to the Pro Bowl; he’s one of the best in the business at dropping punts inside the 20. A rash of injuries – including a blown-out knee that put former Pro Bowl KR Michael Lewis on I.R. - has left New Orleans scrambling to find kick returners; Stallworth, Henderson, and Fred McAfee are all possible candidates. Stallworth will probably handle punt-return duties. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OUTLOOK: Last year, New Orleans never scored on their opening drive and was outscored 117-29 in the first quarter. Having to play catch-up all the time helped limit McAllister’s impact (only 269 carries) and put too much pressure on the passing game. To fix that, new OC Mike Sheppard – yes, the same Mike Sheppard who called the plays in Buffalo, circa 2001 - is trying to shift to more of a ball-control, Steelers-type offense this season. Deuce and Antowain provide a decent one-two punch at RB, and every lineman on the roster weighs in at over 300 pounds. For that gameplan to work, though, they have to cut down on the turnovers - fumbling the opening kickoff away the last two weeks in a row doesn’t help - and penalties (dead last in penalty yardage last season, and right near the bottom of the rankings again this year). If they ever figure out how to stop shooting themselves in the feet, the Saints definitely have the talent to put some points on the board. When the Bills have the ball, I think it’s time for another healthy dose of run-Willis-run while Losman continues his on-the-job training. We knew this was going to be a roller-coaster ride… which may explain why some of you are starting to get nauseous. There should be opportunities to make plays in the passing game, but can J.P. make them? (And just out of curiosity, are there still TEs on the roster?) Too many questions, not enough good answers… I’ve looked up the stats and crunched the numbers, but I still have no idea how this game is going to play out… because which mathematical formula can tell us what the guys in gold-and-black are thinking? True, this is as close as they’ll get to a “home” opener (even though it’s 500 miles away from New Orleans), but how will the San Antonio crowd react? And will serving as a rallying point for the entire Gulf South region inspire the Saints players, or wear them down emotionally? Your guess is as good as mine. See you at the Alamodome. Go Bills. Links: NFL.com injury report NFL.com Saints depth chart NFL.com Saints team stats Ourlads.com Saints depth chart NewOrleansSaints.com SaintsHurricaneFund.org

To DiCesare's credit, he has been consistent on this. (Whether you think he's consistently right or wrong is another matter....) The quote Dan Gross referenced is from a column printed right after the Pittsburgh game - titled "Bledsoe deserves another shot", it ends like this: More:

According to a co-worker who has seats up there, someone actually got stabbed in that fight (two rows behind him). As for the Ron Mexico shirts, some guys went through the gates right beside me wearing t-shirts with the name and number - no obscenities or anything like that, just the name and number. Security just inside the gates made them turn them inside out. I'm guessing the kid who called GR yesterday was part of that crew.

Agreed. Hall makes some plays, but takes a lot of chances - even he can be burned. And yes, the depth chart I have lists Keion at SS and former Nit Bryan Scott at free. You know, it's funny - got an e-mail from the Bills telling me the patdown was to ensure a "safe and enjoyable game-day experience". Wonder how they define "enjoyable"...

Well said, fellow Gator alum.