Rubes

What do you mean, "getting"?

Wait, so that wasn't Fitz driving for clutch game-tying TDs and FGs on the road against two top AFC teams?

I'm actually surprised how well received this has been so far. I fully expected it to get thrashed mercilessly. I know next to nothing about business and finances, so I have no idea if this is a good idea or not. Anything that could help keep the Bills around is fine with me, though.

I believe you're right, but the point is that there were way too many 'what-if' moments where Fitzy's inaccuracy cost us a big play. Still love the guy, though.

Too many what if's in that game. The toss to wide-open Roscoe over the middle that made him stretch out and dive almost killed me. He couldn't have been more open and an easier target. Ugh.

Damn, that was some response from Mason at the end, I agree. Awesome!

Last night I had SportsCenter on, when my wife came into the room and saw Jerry being interviewed in the locker room after the game. She didn't know who he was or what the situation was, but her first reaction on seeing him and hearing his voice was, "Is he okay? Did he just have a heart attack or something?" I thought that was awesome, actually.

Give me a break. Clock management with 10 minutes left in the game? Try complaining about something else. I'm also pretty sure that a run was called, but Fitz changed it at the line. It was a good call, the guy was open, but Fitz underthrew it.

Those are both pretty interesting ideas...

There's always the fact that a lobotomized Merriman with the entire left half of his body amputated would still be an upgrade over Kelsay.

If we can somehow keep the Bears from rushing for more than 250 yards, then maybe. The terrible thing about that statement is that it's not an exaggeration.

I just can't get over the fact that for two weeks in a row I've still been engaged in the second half.

You mean other than the pick-6 he dropped?

Please, Chan, I beg of you. Get this man off the field. I can't take watching him anymore.

I'm with you there. Baffling why we never tried to run the ball in those situations. And no play action? Criminy.

The guy has played in four games this year and is the #2 ranked passer in the NFL. Are we really asking for more from the QB position right now? There are many reasons he's playing better, and it's because the whole offense is playing better. The run blocking is getting better, the pass blocking is getting better, the running backs are picking up the blitz better, the receivers are getting open better, and the game plans are slowly evolving as the team gets more confident in what they're doing. All of this takes time, even with the right guy in charge of it. You can't expect the offense to come out like gangbusters at the start of the season with a new coach and a lot of young, inexperienced players. And that includes Fitz, who hasn't played a huge amount in his time in the league. Everyone, including Fitz, is starting to 'get it', and that gives them increasing confidence, and the ability to do more on offense. This is what gives me the greatest hope as we move forward, especially (and hopefully) into next season, when presumably we can seriously address the deficiences in the defense (DE and LB).

Excellent read, thanks!

No kidding. Didn't we hear all week before the game that the Ravens were going to beat the living hell out of us after their crushing defeat in New England? Now everybody is saying they were looking past us. Whatever.

So you're starting next week's game thread on a Monday? Sounds reasonable.

Here's a stat to open some eyes: According to Chris Brown, Fitz is the first QB to throw for 3 TDs in consecutive games since Kelly in 1990. WTF??

I've always liked Fitzy, but I've been one of those that looked at him as a career backup. I think he has some good tools, but I've thought like others that his accuracy and velocity were the biggest issues for him. Like Kelly said, there are throws that he has to make, but missed either because of accuracy or a lack of velocity on the ball. I'm starting to wonder just how much of an issue that has to be, though. If a guy can throw for that many yards and TDs on the road against the #3 defense in the league, he's got some balls. The thing I like about him is that he has the two things that are hard to teach -- pocket presence, and the moxie to take chances instead of playing it safe. JP had horrible pocket presence, but he did have some moxie. Trent had fairly horrible pocket presence and absolutely no moxie. It's just nice to see a guy who knows when to tuck and run, and who doesn't bail on every play if the #1 receiver isn't wide open. Personally, I'd give the job to Fitz and do everything in my power to shore up the defense next year. The offense is actually fairly decent -- it's that defense that is downright embarrassing.

1. Buffalo allowed only 135 yards rushing, in what seems like the first time since the Clinton administration that they did not give up more than 200 yards rushing. 2. Buffalo allowed only 2 of 11 third down conversions (18%), and made 11 of 17 themselves (64%). I am quite certain the stats guys have that reversed, but for now I'll just pretend that they didn't. 3. Buffalo punted only twice the whole game, matching their previous average number of punts before the first TV timeout. 4. Buffalo allowed fewer sacks (1) than they had (2), and even that one sack really shouldn't count as a sack. In related news, Cornell Green just reinjured himself at the buffet table. 5. Buffalo had an advantage of more than 13 minutes in time of possession. I'm thinking they counted most of the television timeouts in our favor. 6. Despite these stats, most of which we haven't seen in the new millenium, we still somehow suck serious ass on defense. Which is why stats, as they say, are for losers. Go Bills.

The thing that impresses me the most is that we had this kind of offensive production against one of the top defenses in the league, on the road. Seriously, did anyone think we could make the Ravens defense look so bad in their own stadium? This is the Bills offense we're talking about.

If by 'crapshoot' you mean 'we shoot, and crap comes out', well then, I would agree.

This is his first healthy scratch. And in front of his hometown. I'm one of those that hates to judge a draft too early, but this pick is now officially, to me, one of the worst ever for this franchise. And I've been following since the mid-70s with some truly horrendous picks. This franchise's drafting over the past ten years has been embarrassingly bad, and the number one reason we suck so badly today.