ChasBB

The organization should be banned from competing for one year (like the NCAA death penalty for cheating teams in college).

Agree (though I know I've added to the cheating discussion here). But that's why I also said that it's time for SMASH-MOUTH football - hit them and hit them so HARD that they'll be thinking about their wellbeing over play execution. It's the only way.

Yes, agree with you that they've been caught, but it's time something real is done as punishment - that's not really happened much save for when they lost a draft pick. It is systematic and sophisticated cheating that has been going on since forever. And think how much they've done where they have NOT been caught? The few times they have been caught probably represents about 1% of what they have done over the years. The FBI should have a look at these guys - seriously. Think of the financial gains from all of the winning over the years.

The Buffalo Bills must realize what they are up against: 1. Ernie Adams is former military intelligence - the guys who like to decode signals and communication (and cover their own tracks). https://www.northwestern.edu/magazine/winter2008/feature/adams.html http://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=adams 2. Ernie Adams has a photographic memory (think Rainman) 3. Ernie Adams works hard and is a competitor - said to work 100 hours per week. 4. Erine Adams is the voice in Belichick's ear on game days. 5. Ernie Adams has been with Belichick for essentially Belechick's entire NFL career - they are childhood buddies. This is tough to compete against. Having instant visual/mental recall of ALL tape ever watched - wow - that is a pretty valuable skill, no? It's like trying to play your computer in chess set at the "Expert" level - good luck. I maintain that Belichick & Brady are certainly above average, but it is Ernie Adams that has made them a virtual machine for all these years. Throw in the cheating (and the skills to get away with it) on top of it all and you have a powerhouse - which is exactly what they have been all this time. Beat them with good, old-fashioned smash-mouth football so they don't know what hit them - that's the way to handle these #######s.

Really? This is not the type of thing one would say randomly or for amusement purposes. You can assume it WAS said - AND that is was MEANT. The fact that he recanted the statement is somewhat meaningless.

Skimmed it -

Sorry to disappoint - I meant it. I want them to knock the snot out of the Pats* and don't want to see the team face a single distraction this week.

Congrats to McD, but why does the NFL have to do this right now? What a distraction. The guy is trying to prepare for the Pats* and now he's probably getting inundated with requests for interviews and crap like that - can't they just do this stuff when the year is completely over? Damn.

Nothing needs to happen with Gore for the remainder of this season. The guy will be 37 next May. He's done exactly what he was brought here to do - be a veteran presence to mentor our young backs and chip in some tough yards here & there. If he has taught Singletary how to take care of his body and play in the league for many seasons, it will pay dividends in future seasons to the Buffalo organization. Also, his contract hasn't broken the bank, either. Gore was a good add! Does he have another season in him? Probably not. I'd like to see Bills rest him next couple of weeks so he's fresh for the Super Bowl run when the playoffs start. It'll be good to have a veteran on-hand for the playoff run. Instead of complaining "he's not the back he was", look at the positives he has brought to the team and show this man some respect in what will likely the final (hopefully 6) remaining games of his great career. He's earned that.

Even Ernie Adams got into the fray. He said it was difficult to watch the covert video of Bills sideline hand signals because he found "such an ugly bunch of players too much of a distraction" to his photographic memory. While Adams & Belechick raised a glass of fine scotch to celebrate their 12th win in advance on a Tuesday morning, Belichick added "McDerrmott looks like a shaved monkey".

Hope he learns from that. The way to handle every opponent is to set them up like bowling pins - say how great they are and how difficult it will be (not "just another game). And on game day, knock them DOWN!!

Hmmm, wonder if the Ravens used similar for motivation when Josh Allen said it was "just another game" !?!?

Irv would have called them "punks"

This should bring back some good energy ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsW7aPT3BZI

To OP: Great, level-headed look at this performance - and nice job of gathering some stats! The bottom line is success breeds confidence. If just one of those deep balls early in the game connects, it's a different ball game and one where Buffalo's offense gains confidence and one where the Raven's start to doubt themselves. Every single play matters in this league. Like you, I was very disappointed in the QB performance and the offensive performance, in general. Allen and the offense MUST do better if they are to be taken seriously as a contender in the playoffs. I hope they learn from it and can put that clunker of a performance behind them. I'm still an Allen fan, but c'mon - it is time to take it up a notch!

It took a few years, but Joe Ferguson eventually learned to put a little touch on the ball - hoping Allen will, too.

That big WR is on our roster - Duke Williams. Too bad he injured his shoulder in the Miami game in October. I really expected coaching staff to work him back into the lineup by now. I see no reason good reason to wait any longer. He also caught his only target of 23 yards in that game before he went down.

Buffalo 37 Baltimore 23

+ 1 It generally (not always) gives the Bills a competitive advantage to have a full week of preparation for each game of the season. Of course, there will be times other teams come off a Thursday game and have a few extra days to prepare to face us, but I'm sure the Buffalo coaching staff enjoys counting on having a full week to prepare week-in and week-out. There's only one prime time game worth being in - the Super Bowl.

Oh ... ??(?)=1 / 10−???????400+1 ... now I get it ?

Maybe we can take into account that virtually the entire offense has new starters this year and it takes time for an offense to come together. I expect better things from this offense to finish out the season. Prior to this year, the offense really did suck. This year, I don't feel that way - I think they just have yet to put it all together. That said, would sure love to see that breakout game sooner rather than later because our defense can't be expected to win all of them.

I'm totally ok with lack of press. Buffalo got more press than ever when they were appearing in Super Bowls. With more winning, the press time will come. Also, they still haven't really proven anything. Until they actually earn a playoff spot, I don't expect to see much press. That's fine - too much distraction anyhow - lack of press helps keep focus.

Could be the year. Also, New England just handed Buffalo the conference tie-breaker. If Buffalo wins at New England and takes care of other business, the division title is theirs. Edit: EVERY game is winnable when players don't put the ball on the ground.

I don't disagree with anything you've said, but there's just no excuse for putting the ball on the ground. It's not something you see the Patriots doing routinely. Serious teams protect the football. Serious players protect the football. I like the direction Buffalo is going, on the whole, but I can't take a team seriously wherein its players don't understand protecting the football is paramount to all else. It just can't happen.

I stand by what I said. Turnovers are game-changers - end of story. Edit: Oh, and you are correct - after that 2nd quarter fumble, I tuned out. The fumble was enough to tell me Buffalo didn't want it on this day. You give the ball away in your own end of the field shows you didn't come to win - no point wasting my time with the remainder of the game.