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This thread is missing a lot of asterisks *** Can't spell Patri*ts without an asterisk. kj

Who else is left besides RW and Davis?

I threw a beer can at the tv after the 1st Super Bowl loss, when they were interviewing Hostetler in the locker room. It was still half full and my finger got caught in the hole on the follow through. The weight of the beer was enough to really dig the sharp aluminum into my finger. Lot of blood. kj

"You over officious jerk." kj

Put up or and shut up for Maybin. Just my preference. kj

Yeah. Hey Buddy, please stick to signing Pro Bowl caliber players off the waiver wire to improve the roster in December.

This, from the Buffalo Bills.com link in my OP: But also this from same link: And this from the Buffalo Rumblings link in OP: kj

Bills claim waived Cowboys TE So the Bills: 1. Tried to sign TE Rucker off the Cowboys practice squad 2. Cowboys respond with an offer to put Rucker on active roster, which he accepts 3. To make room, the Cowboys waive TE Chandler, with the intent of placing him on practice squad, essentially intending to swap roster spots between Rucker and Chandler 4. Chandler was a draft pick (4th) by the Chargers a few years ago, when Nix was there. From BuffaloBills.com Did Nix get the man he wanted all along? This is probably more interesting than the truth, anyway, so why not speculate? kj

Our lockout chest would be made of styrofoam and full of ice and cheap beer. Seriously, though: are there any figures available as to which stadiums have league debt tied to them (as opposed to the individual owner/franchise, or a municipality)? I wonder how that is allocated. kj There are tax advantages to carrying debt for corporations. Also, debt can always (at least in an era of insanely cheap credit) be restructured, but lost equity is gone forever.

Great stuff. Thanks to the 3 of you for clarifying this. I didn't realize the complexity of the adjustments and changes between breaking the huddle and snapping the ball. Amazing to think about. Thanks again. kj

Preface: I never played the game or been particularly close to the action. So a lot of the nitty gritty Xs and Os stuff is lost on me. If you can get past my admitted ignorance and have some knowledge about the game, maybe you can explain something to me. What constitutes a 'line call'? I understand that protections are adjusted pre-snap based on things the center picks up as the lines settle in and before the QB begins the cadence. But I don't understand what specific details/elements they are looking for, and then what the adjustments could be. So: What are some specific things that the center would key on or look for, in that pre-snap moment? Some of it must be blitz recognition, but that can't be it all, esp. since blitzes are disguised or faked so much. Based on this or that observation, what would the center say? How many options could be available in that situation, and how do they convey that to the linemates? It must be some sort of one-word code, right? What are the actual adjustments? What would a left guard or right tackle do differently in a given situation? Also, did I read correctly that Fitzbeard participates in some of that pre-snap protection adjustment? (I tried to find that with a search, but couldn't.) If my memory is correct, is that common among QB responsibilities? (God, one more thing for Trent to not do well.) Is it in addition to or instead of a center making the adjustments? How is that different from what a center would see or say? Thanks. kj

Along those lines, watching his 1st TD, where he pulled out the now-infamous shirt, I cringed when he got tackled as he crossed the goal line. It really looked awkward when he came down on that trailing leg. kj

It's not silly to mention CJ. I noted he was out b/c of injury. Should have said the same about Merriman. It's a list. I didn't call him a deadbeat or suggest he belongs on any other list that McCargo and Maybin should be on. I just pointed out that we won that game with no on-field contributions from 4 1st round picks.

Keying the win were contributions from unlikely players, or unlikely based on their draft/acquisition history (the first half of this borrows from and builds on Jerry Sullivan's column): Start with Fitzbeard, 300 yds, 4 TDs, and the shortest memory in the game: acquired as an unwanted free agent to be a backup Fred Jackson, 116 yds, 2 Tds, also has a big head: resume includes Coe College, Indoor football, and NFL Europe Steve Johnson, 130+ yds, 3 TDs (hat size unknown, but sizable sense of humor): 7th round pick Donald Jones, TD and 70 yds: undrafted out of Youngstown St Craig Urbik, filled in capably at guard: waiver wire pickup Wrotto: 3rd starter at RT, waived and mid-season acquisition D Bell: 7th rounder Quinton Gainther and Jehuu Caulcrick both had key gains in limited time, and both were mid-season additions to the roster Reggie Torbor: Miami castoff and late acquisition George Wilson: undrafted, orig. signed by the Lions and let go before being signed to our practice squad. (Thanks, Bill from NYC.) Who am I missing from the above list? On the other side of that coin, yesterday's inactives included: CJ Spiller, injured 1st round pick John McCargo, 1st round pick Aaron Maybin, 1st round pick Shawne Merriman, 1st round pick of the Chargers and running out of time to prove that he has gotten past the 'roid hangover Interesting contrast. kj

Yes--between Week 1 and Week 2 of the season this is a true statement.

Facts are good. Doesn't change my point (which was probably made in a ham-handed way): QBs can improve over time.

Maybe 3 or 4 years ago he was no good? Maybe he wasn't paired with the right coach until CG? Do you gotta wonder why Atlanta traded Brett Favre? Why Tom Brady sat behind Bledsoe? (Not saying Fitz is going to equal either of those quarterbacks, either on the field or by texting pictures of his junk or by benefiting from a cheating coaching regime. Just that maybe he got better as he learned the game.) kj

Throw out the 1st 2 games--which is reasonable, as we are measuring team improvement and the team has definitely improved since jettisoning Major Dumbass or Capt. Checkdown or whoever he was--and we average 21 points a game. A full 5 point/game improvement over last year. That shows definite statistical improvement, and it correlates with what many of us sense about this team: it is improving on offense, and maybe eve on defense of late (a little. Maybe?). Adding: somehow didn't see the post from Halftime saying exactly this. Sorry.

First he signed the extension, and then Shanny informed him he was benched in favor of Rex Grossman.

Champagne, anyone?

Question of the day: Do the Bills even have the kneeldown in their playbook?

I wouldn't cover Johnson there, either.

So did the 2ndary

Online feed just crapped!

Leodis playing well