BuffaloWings

This makes me feel a little better about the Bills' chances this week. Those three plus the Miami game (I think) had windy weather, which the Bills were able to use to their advantage (read: McGahee, McGahee, and more McGahee). Cincy's defense is allowing about 100 yards per game, so I like this matchup. Of course, lest we forget, I think Brian Moorman knows how to punt in the wind.

Yes, 7-1 in their last 8, but the last 2 have been a bit suspect. There's no way anyone expected them to lay that egg in Philly the way they did and they had to rally in the 4th quarter to beat an inferior Lions team. They're in a 2-game slump right now and playing Jacksonville isn't the most ideal way to get out of it. Having said that, I haven't yet seen Jax succeed in a big game. They lost at Minnesota, then to the Steelers at home (where they *should* have won). Tough games, no matter how you look at them, but facing the Packers in Lambeau is tougher than both of the other two. I think Jacksonville is a pretty good team, but not quite ready to make a big splash. They may hang tough in this one, but I see Green Bay pulling it out.

I think you MUST look at David Pollack from Georgia, also. I like this guy...quick, good moves, has the intensity of a rabid dog, and can get pressure on the QB. He's probably the best DE coming out. He may be a bit on the small side, but he's definitely NFL material. He could be gone by the time the Bills pick, though. And forget Clarett. This guy is a head case no matter which way you look at it - regardless of whether or not his accusations of Ohio St. are true. The Bills do NOT need that.

I really hope Seattle pulls it off. I typically enjoy watching the Rams offense and usually want to see them win. However, I lost a TON of respect for Mike Martz :I starred in Brokeback Mountain: when he accused the Bills of the cheap shots (a simple whining ploy, really). Nothing against the players on that team, but I hope they miss the playoffs because of Martz's stupidity.

For what it's worth, Sean Salisbury on ESPN said last night that the Jets would finish no worse than 10-6 and the other four teams (Denver, Baltimore, Jacksonville, and Buffalo) would all finish 9-7. Based on who he predicted those teams would beat down the stretch, he saw Jacksonville making the playoffs. I don't remember all of who he said would beat who, but I remember he did say that the Bills would beat Cincy and San Fran, but lose to Pittsburgh. Honestly, I think the media is giving the Steelers a bit too much love these days, but since they're winning, I guess I can't fault them. But if the Bills get that far, I'd be thrilled. Disappointed, yes, but happy they didn't quit on the season.

Well, you know....it really wasn't the network or the NFL there. The Travis dive from the 1 happened at the end of the 3rd quarter, so it's not like the officials had to review it. Mularkey should have thrown the red flag. What I don't remember is whether or not they had any timeouts left to afford a challenge.

Palmer got hurt against NE (bad knee, I think) and is questionable for Sunday. I doubt he'll play, so Kitna will probably get the start. I think the Bills would benefit from Kitna starting, since I don't think he's as mobile and athletic as Palmer is. Given the Bills attacking-style of defense, this is a good matchup. At the same time, Kitna is a smart QB. The Bills have to be careful to not get burned on blitzes. Cincy's offense is solid - Chad Johnson and TJ Houshmanzadeh need to be covered. I think the Bills D can stop Rudi Johnson and force the Bengals into a passing game. This is - by far - a better offense than the last two they've seen. I agree about running the ball. Willis left, Willis right, Willis sweep, Willis off-tackle. Cincy gives up about 23 points per game and 345 yards per game. I can see the Bills scoring a few points here. Giving up about 200+ yards per game through the air, I think Bledsoe will find Moulds and Evans open a few times. On paper, this doesn't look as tough as I originally thought. But given this is on the road and Marvin Lewis won't let his guys quit, this will be a tight one. A win by the Bills knocks them up a few rungs in the power rankings to me and gives the rest of the league some notice that the Bills won't go quietly.

Actually, I'd rate this at least a 9/10. This is probably the BEST chance for Jacksonville to lose. I don't see Houston or Oakland beating them.

Here's the way I'm looking at it... Drew wasn't good yesterday (probably because of the conditions), but he didn't have to be. Special teams weren't good yesterday, but the team overcame the mistakes. The two *good* things about this run have been the offensive line and the defense. No, the Bills probably don't look like a Superbowl team, but each unit is making the contributions to win. This is the sign of a good team. It's also the sign of a dangerous team heading into the playoffs, though the Bills are not there yet. I think they *can* beat Cincy, despite the game being on the road. No - that wasn't the same Cleveland team that scored 48 points a few weeks ago, but Cincy also gave up 35 to New England yesterday. They're giving up 23 points per game, so take that for what it's worth. Regardless, I like the Bills' chances, as long as each unit of the team sticks together.

Actually, they did away with the ESPN Skybox thing and made a sports bar. Well, not quite your traditional sports bar, but it had about 8 TVs with the Sunday Ticket. What game is on which TV usually depends on the crowd there. I was there in October and Disney had pretty darn good reception for each game.

Wow....and I thought things were bad in New Jersey. Seriously, the game *shouldn't* be that close, but this is a classic trap game. The Browns have nothing to lose, the Bills do. Buffalo has to play this like they're playing the Bengals or Steelers...someone with a solid, legit playoff chance.

Call me loopy if you want, but watch for Cincy to do something in Foxboro. Yeah, yeah...it's the Patriots and they'll probably win, but don't be surprised if the Bengals sneak out of there with a win.

I think this is what the Bills need...someone to steal some national spotlight with dazzling performances. We heard about Dante Hall and his returns all last year. We hear about the big stars every day (Manning, McNabb, Favre, Brady, etc). I think it would be a VERY good thing to retain McGee - especially if he looks to be the star player Bobby April is turning him into. Bring some spotlight to Western NY - and not because they lost 4 Superbowls in the 90s. Agreed about Jennings and Clements, also. A good tackle and CB are hard to find. They will help the foundation of the team for years if TD signs them.

Hell, if the Red Sox can win the World Series, the Bills can win the Superbowl. I think the worst part of the Superbowl teams is how they were labeled "losers". The core of those teams were winners - Kelly, Thurman, Bruce, Reed, Lofton, Tasker, Talley, Hull, Bennett, etc. I appreciate them more these days than I did during their prime, but even then I thought they were classy players who I would stand behind in a heartbeat. I always seem to have a hard time arguing how they were "winners" because I always get the Superbowls thrown at me. Even when I throw back the 4 consecutive AFC Champs, it's not good enough. Even worse - my boss is a huge Dallas fan.....someone kill me.

I say we don't worry about them - if they win, it's no skin off our nose. If they lose, it's a bonus. I'd rather worry about the rest. If the Jets start crumbling, it *could* make things complicated, but let's presume they're in for now. Even if Cincy pulls off the upset, it's not that big of a deal. Buffalo still has to beat them, anyway, so that game means little to me. In fact, I'd be happy to see them pull off the upset and may actually be rooting for it. Regardless, that game doesn't matter, mathematically speaking. I wouldn't chalk up a Baltimore loss just yet. I don't know if they're bad enough yet to lose 2 in a row at home with that defense. Remember, they're playing the Giants, who aren't exactly the second coming of the '85 Bears.... Speaking of which, don't count the Bears out just yet. They've been giving their opponents a lot of trouble lately.

It is indeed, Jim Kelly from the snow game. I'm pretty sure I have it saved somewhere....

Hell, I'll take it. If these guys keep playing like this, I'll take my chances right now. Four Superbowl losses should teach every one of us that if you have a chance, go for it.

And your point is...? There's nothing to gripe about regarding who they play, so if it's all bad teams, then let them crush every one of them. I'll say it again....THE BILLS SHOULD BE BEATING UP ON THESE TEAMS. Given where we were 6 weeks ago, I'll take this in a heartbeat. I'd rather the Bills be playing like this and be 6-6 than be inconsistent or on a bad losing streak.

Going through some of the recent history of the Bills, I wondered.....when was the last time they played at home on a Monday night? After scouring through the game results, the last one I could remember was September 26, 1994 against the Broncos (27-20 win). I know the most recent night game at RWS was against the Jets in 1999, but am I right about the last time a Monday night home game was in 1994? If that's the case....wow. Waiting for the next prime time game in Orchard Park....

Woulda, coulda, shoulda.... I think the entire ORGANIZATION (much less the fans) will be kicking themselves until next September because of the first two games. I'll go as far to say that the Jacksonville and Oakland losses may have helped the franchise turn things around. The defense learned a tough lesson against the Jaguars (yes - every play could mean something) and the coaching staff learned something against Oakland (challenge the play when it's that close, Mike!!). Over the past few weeks, this team is probably the 3rd or 4th best in the league behind Philly, New England, Pittsburgh, and maybe San Diego. I agree that Seattle and St. Louis aren't as good as many made them out to be. Buffalo should beat those teams - the WAY they beat them tells me they're one of the top 5 teams at the moment. Over the course of the season, they're not close to that. Look at it this way....would you rather have the Bills peaking right now while fighting for a playoff spot than tanking it down the stretch while fighting for a playoff spot? I'll take the former.

Why? Sure, he can be a bit corny (who wouldn't while working with Theismann?), but I prefer his style of "Don't give me your BS...this is what really happened on that play" type of analysis. For the most part, McGuire tells it like it is. He does his love-fest sh*t because he has to on national TV, but otherwise, I'd prefer him over anyone.

You make a good point there, but I can't say that Green Bay could win a Superbowl right now - even with Favre. Make no mistake, I love the guy and would worship him if I lived in Wisconsin (they're my #2 team behind Buffalo), but I don't see the spark from that Packer team at the moment. Just too inconsistent for me. Either way, yes - it's a team game. B)

Well, it really *is* two games because of the losses to Jacksonville and Baltimore. The Bills have to hop over both of them to get in and having a 10-6 record along with either of those teams does us no good. I can still hear myself screaming "KNOCK IT DOWN!!!!".... Yeah, I'm tired of the love-fest for Parcells and Gibbs, also, but they have to give props to Carolina right now. Talk about not giving up?? The Panthers were 1-7 a month ago. 1-7!!!!! Just like the Bills, the Panthers are on a nice winning streak and playing well along the way. In the NFC, the ESPN guys have every right to think Carolina will make it. Hell, if the Eli Manning-led Giants and the Vinny-led Cowboys can have a shot, why not Carolina?

I hear what you're saying, but I don't think it's one specific player that can bring a Superbowl ring to a team. I think what typically happens is that "one special player" feeds other parts of the team. In this case, McGahee's running has made the opponents have to game-plan for him. This has let the Bills open up the passing game and help Drew get back to being the QB he should be. Combine that with the semi-tricky plays that Mularkey has pulled out, the Bills offense is now something to be feared. You could also say that because of the offense's resurgence, the defense has become more inspired and isn't actually on the field as much, resulting in a more rested defense. OK, that may be a stretch, but I think you could potentially say that the running of McGahee leads to all of that. It's not as if he's carrying the team, but his contribution is leading to other good things from this team.

Probably, but look at it this way.... The Bills scored 37 and 38 against St. Louis and Seattle, respectively. That's a lot of points to score in *any* game, even these days. If the Bills are going to raise some eyebrows, they need to beat up on these teams. Sure, they're schedule may not be the strongest, but when all three units of the team are scoring points, you have to feel good about them. So far, probably the most impressive win was against the Jets. The toughest game ahead of them is against Cincinnati - who is probably as good as the Bills are now. With their schedule, I like the Bills chances of getting in. What happens once they get in is probably another story.