Bills 17, Patriots 9

One account I read last night described the Patriots effort yesterday as "uninterested". There was certainly no sense of urgency about their game, especially in the second half and the Bills first win ever at Gillette Stadium will need an asterisk beside it to indicate that the Patriots had nothing to play for except for general consistency and avoiding injury. The stadium opened in 2002 and the Bills play there every year so a win there has been a long time coming, but still.

Week 17 in the NFL features 16 Sunday games - the only week where all 32 teams play on the same day - with no Thursday or Monday games and no byes. It was an exciting day in terms of what was at stake in some of the games but the key games themselves generally lacked drama. The Atlanta Falcons were embarrassed at home by the Panthers in the NFC South Bowl and Black Monday will probably mark the end for coach Mike Smith. The Detroit Lions string of losses at Lambeau Field makes the Bills losing streak in Foxborough look tame in comparison as the Lions, who also play there every year, have not won in Green Bay since 1991. They gave up a chance to win their division and host a home playoff game and will now travel to Dallas on Sunday for a first round match-up. The Steelers also won at home and sent the Bengals to Indianapolis on Sunday. Pittsburgh will host Baltimore on Saturday. The Panthers will be home to the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday.

As for the Bills, President Russ Brandon dispelled rumours yesterday that former General Manager and the architect of the Bills Superbowl teams, Bill Polian, would be returning to the team as early as today. Coach Doug Marrone looks secure for another season as the Bills registered their first winning season in 10 years. GM Doug Whaley may be more vulnerable. He has clearly brought in some good talent, especially on defence but he is also responsible for two key moves which look questionable in retrospect: the over-reaching in last year's draft for quarterback EJ Manuel who, after two seasons, has not lived up to his first round draft position. Second was the trading of the team's first round pick in the 2015 draft to get wideout Sammy Watkins this year. Watkins had a good season and will be a key offensive contributor for years to come but the price of a first round pick for him now seems too high as a couple of other rookie receivers (like Odell Beckham) have posted seasons just as good or better than Watkins has but without the steep price. Whaley saw something in Manuel which just isn't there yet and he gambled that drafting Watlkins would create a powerful combination between the two which never materialized. The key question for the team and whoever the GM is, as it has been since Jim Kelly retired after the 1996 season, is who will be the quarterback. The fan base will likely not be satisfied if they decide to ride Kyle Orton again and with no first round pick, the draft is less likely to produce the franchise quarterback the team needs. A trade? Jay Cutler will probably be available but he has had character issues - which is why he will be available. With a top ten quarterback, I wonder how well this year's team with its awesome defence would have done.

Overall, the 2014 Bills season has been successful as their 9-7 record indicates. After all, I haven't resorted to political rants even once this year (I don't think). I will post after the Superbowl and possibly beforehand if there's something which grabs me.

Raiders 26, Bills 24

Bills defensive tackle Marcel Dareus is signed through the 2015 season, after which he will be an unrestricted free agent, having completed his five year contract. If I were his agent, I would be approaching Doug Whaley this week to discuss an extension. His bargaining position peaked after he left yesterday's game in Oakland with what looked to be a knee injury. With Dareus no longer plugging up the interior of the Bills defensive line, the Raiders began to run the ball seemingly at will which, as it always does, opened later opportunities in the passing game as they officially ended Buffalo's slim playoff hopes. As soon as Dareus left the game, it was like the team collapsed. The Raiders offence moved the ball and their defense stopped the run and found their pass rush too. A late touchdown by the Bills made the score close than the game really was. Just before the Raiders converted on a third down and 22 in the fourth quarter, I jinxed it by saying that if they made it, they deserved to win the game

So, the Bills continue to extend the NFL's longest current playoff drought as they will have to wait until at least next year to play their first post-season game since the Music City Miracle some 15 years ago. CBS decided to show that infamous play near the end of yesterday's broadcast to remind Bills fans of just how long it's been. It looked like footage from a different era (and I guess it was) as it was non-HD. Rob Johnson was quarterbacking the team that day in Nashville (and ironically led the team to what should have been a playoff win) in case anyone had forgotten his name. Now that the Bills have been eliminated, I no longer need to worry about the Bengals losing twice or about needing two teams to tie - or, for that matter about trying to win in Foxborough next week.

Doug Marrone will surely be back next year. But Bills fans will wonder who will be under centre next September. Will EJ Manuel start on Sunday in New England and begin the process of earning his starting job back which he lost after week 4? Or will the team try to ride the workmanlike Kyle Orton again? With no pick in the first round of next year's draft, it is possible that the franchise quarterback could be found in the second round, but it doesn't seem likely. How would this year's team have done with an elite quarterback throwing to Sammy Watkins? The Bills very good defense will be a year older next year and the window may be closing on players like Kyle and Mario Williams. Or not. Teams can change so much year to year but the Bills seem to swing between simply being bad and then being mediocre or slightly better. The defining play this season was Bryce Brown's fumble on his way into the endzone against the Chiefs.

I felt a little sorry for the Arizona Cardinals last night. They had a chance to clinch home field and a good chance to be the first ever team to play in a Superbowl in its home stadium. But a third string quarterback going against the Seattle secondary had no chance and now the Seahawks look like they could be the league's first repeat Superbowl winners since Denver in 1999. And if the Broncos lose tonight, the Patriots wrap up home field advantage through the AFC playoffs and look to be a good bet to get back to the Superbowl and maybe even win it for the first time in 10 years.  

Bills 21, Packers 13

On the final meaningful play from scrimmage in yesterday's memorable game in Orchard Park, Mario Williams got enough of his fingertips on the ball to knock it out of Aaron Rodgers hand. It spun back and landed about 2 yards deep in the endzone and it looked it would sit there for a while since no one on the line of scrimmage seemed to know where it was. So, I went to the bathroom, brushed my teeth and when I returned to the TV, Rodgers was still looking for the ball around the 5 yard line. Packers running back Eddie Lacey finally picked it up, tried to advance it and was tackled just outside the goal line. The play resulted in a safety which gave the Bills an 8 point lead and, since Green Bay had exhausted its time-outs and the Bills would get the ball back again, the game was over.

Why a safety, then? After all, Lacey appeared to advance the ball out of the endzone before being tackled. NFL rules are complex by any standard and I had to look up the one which caused the play to be called a safety. In the last 2 minutes of a half (or on 4th down), a fumble by the offensive team can only be advanced by the offensive player who originally fumbled it (or by any player on the defense - obviously). Otherwise, the ball is deemed to be dead at the point of recovery. Lacey picked it up (recovered it) in the endzone. Dead ball at that spot. Safety. Only Rodgers could have picked it up and advanced it and he was still conducting an investigation as to the whereabouts of the ball around the 5 yard line. The rule exists to eliminate the possibility of the ball being intentionally fumbled to a team-mate who could then advance it. Think of those crazy rugby type final plays of the game with desperate lateral passing as the clock runs out. The rule prevents "fumbling" to a team-mate on such a play who could advance the ball. Anyway, strange play, strange call but great result. Terry Pegula approved of the play and the ruling.

If the Packers don't win the Superbowl this year (or don't get to the big game at all) Jordy Nelson will surely remember the ball he dropped in the 3rd quarter yesterday on which he would have likely scored. Deep in their own end and trailing the Bills 16-10, Nelson made a double move at the line of scrimmage and was wide open. Rodgers pass couldn't have been better but it hit Nelson's hands and bounced away. It seemed like a turning point in the game. Packers receivers had a few drops yesterday and Rodgers uncharacteristically missed some throws which he almost always makes. The Packers come to Buffalo only every 8 years and they're probably happy about that as they have never won in Orchard Park. Not once in 6 tries darting back to 1979. Mike McCarthy will surely have his team prepared for their next chance in 2022.

So, at 8-6, the Bills will not have a losing season - their first in 10 years. If they can win in Oakland next week, they can match 2004's 9-7 record, assuming that they will not win at New England in week 17. There is a logjam of teams at 8-6 and the 2 AFC wildcard spots are currently occupied by 9-5 teams so the playoffs are still extremely unlikely. But Bills fans have to be encouraged as their team has one of the best defenses in the league and possibly the best front 4. Questions that come to mind now include: Will the defense be as good next year? Who will play quarterback next year? Will Kiko Alonso return and pick up where his rookie season left off? Will CJ Spiller be on the team? With the Giants and Cowboys coming to Orchard Park next year, will they get a Monday night home game? I'm betting that they will - against Dallas.

Broncos 24, Bills 17

This game was not nearly as close as the score would imply. Despite a solid defensive effort which ended Payton Manning's streak of 51 consecutive games with at least one touchdown pass, the Bills fell rather easily to the Broncos who ran for three touchdowns and were never really in danger of losing this game. They built a 24-3 third quarter lead before simply letting the Bills run out the clock and score a couple of late touchdowns in the process.

Kyle Orton returned to Denver where he famously lost his starting job to Tim Tebow at the end of the 2011 season. That led one Denver sports writer at the time to create an amusing headline to describe Orton's performance: "Orton hears a boo". He might have heard more boos had the game been played in Buffalo as he did what he had done a good job of not doing so far this season: throwing interceptions. For his part, Payton Manning did not have a great day throwing the ball either but the Broncos earned the win with their defence and running game - two things that the Bills were also expected to rely on as the season began.

The AFC playoff picture is no more clear than it was a week ago, There are now three teams at 8-5 (and two of them are likely to earn playoff spots) and five teams at 7-6, including the Bills. With three games remaining and two of them against the two teams favoured to earn Superbowl births in Green Bay and New England, Buffalo's playoff hopes are now dead. Even the winnable looking trip the Black Hole in Oakland looks a little less winnable now after the Raiders took care of the 49ers there yesterday. Even an 8-8 season looks tough now.

I felt sorry for the Cleveland Browns and their fans yesterday. Losing their game by one point to the Colts dropped them to 7-6 and reduced their playoff hopes to slim at best. As I nursed a hangover from a rockin' house party the night before (thanks Jen and Martin), I watched the Browns dominate the Colts for most of the game and I ended up missing a good portion of the first quarter of the Bills game because I stuck with the Browns until the bitter end. Despite both the Bills and the Browns losing yesterday, this morning I feel hangover free and fantastic.

I wrote an article about my experience working on the Toronto election and it was published in the December issue of True North Perspective. Here is the link. My account may represent one of the final impacts that the Fords have had on Toronto politics and it was almost as chaotic and crazy as any of the others. I recently saw Robyn Doolittle speak and I'm now about halfway through her account of the Ford story called Crazy Town.

 

Bills 26, Browns 10

The AFC playoff scenarios after week 13 (with one game to go) are as complex as they could be. With 5 teams, including the Bills, at 7-5 (and likely a 6th in the Miami Dolphins if they can beat the Jets tonight), the 5th and 6th playoff seeds are up for grabs and will likely be determined by the NFL's tie-breaker formula. Yesterday's loss in Buffalo was particularly tough for the Cleveland Browns who allowed the Bills to tie them at 7-5 and would now lose the tie-breaker to them as head-to-head competition is the first metric of the tie-breaker. The Chiefs loss last night to Denver also brings them to 7-5 but they hold the tie-breaker over the Bills, having beaten them 3 weeks ago. The Ravens and Steelers are not on the Bills schedule this year so each team's record within the conference would be the first tie-breaker should either of them end up tied with Buffalo. The most important thing to focus on is to keep winning games. The fact remains that if the Bills are ever going to play a home playoff game (something they have not done since the 1996 season, Jim Kelly's last), they must win the AFC East. The Patriots lost yesterday at Lambeau Field to fall to 9-3 and they face the Bills in week 17. So, it is possible. But a huge test awaits the Bills this week with a game in Denver before returning home to play the Packers in 2 weeks. Of their remaining 4 games, the only truly winnable looking one is a trip to the Black Hole against the hapless Raiders in week 16.

The Buffalo News published a story last week about the tough times which have befallen former Bills linebacker Daryl Talley. He is broke and he is not well. He now thinks that the concussions he suffered over 14 NFL seasons hardly seem worth it now as he is a broken man, plagued by memory loss, mood swings, family and financial issues and depression. A fund raising website was created by a thoughtful Bills fan after the story was published and it has raised more than $100,000 and counting. The NFL wishes that these stories would go away but yesterday, but Jim Kelly showed his support for his former teammate by wearing Talley's jersey as he led the team onto the field. Talley played in the late 80's and 90's when concussion protocols were not what they are now but how much difference did that make? There are many players who played as long as Talley did and are fine but I suspect that there will always be some who end up like Talley regardless of the NFL's improved policies on head trauma. It's a dangerous game and you take your chances.

The CRTC and Canada's cable and satellite TV providers estimate that over-the-air (OTA) TV watchers in Canada make up about 8% of the total. The Toronto area, which overlooks the "Lake Ontario Broadcast Basin", is one of the best locations in North America for antenna TV viewing and more and more of us are ditching our pricey cable and satellite subscriptions. Combined with internet based services like Netflix, we can watch most of what we could with cable - and in full 1080 HD. Most but certainly not all. Like yesterday's Grey Cup. Broadcast only on TSN, I saw not a single snap. I would have tuned in (after the Packers/Patriots game was over) but had to follow it through Steve Paikin's twitter updates which were frequent. If the Grey Cup is still the most watched broadcast in Canada every year, and if the CFL wants to maintain that top spot, it might consider arranging for its showcase game to also be broadcast on a non-cable broadcaster. CTV is the obvious choice. There's another 8% of the TV audience - and growing - up for grabs.

Bills 38, Jets 3

Terry Pegula's first choice for the relocation of last night's game was, apparently, Beaver Stadium at University Park which is in State College, Pennsylvania in an area also known as Happy Valley. It's where the Penn State Nittany Lions play their home games on Saturdays and where Jerry Sandusky perpetrated his evil deeds against young boys, under the not-so-watchful eye of Joe Paterno. PSU is Pegula's Alma Mater and Happy Valley is about a 2 hour drive from Orchard Park. It seemed like a good choice but the league would not approve it because the stadium lacks the communication and video infrastructure for NFL coaching staffs and CBS broadcast requirements. The Rogers Centre was also considered but it was in mid-preparation mode for a music and dance event called "Sensation: Into the Wild". The Carrier Dome in Syracuse was hosting several indoor hockey games over the weekend and logistical considerations would have made it impossible to host the game before today, Tuesday, at the earliest. So, the league settled on Ford Field in Detroit, an modern indoor facility which was available and able to accommodate the Bills requirements for the usual video review and analysis which is part of any team's weekly game preparation. The team and its 53 players, coaches and staff extricated themselves from the snow in Buffalo and flew to Detroit on Friday. Roger Goodell looked a bit nervous in a sideline interview with Steve Tasker as he emphasized that the league did not want a football game to interfere with the needs of western New York citizens.

I liked Scott Chandler's touchdown celebration which was a snow shoveling motion, after he spiked the ball. Then, the disaster that is the New York Jets did the rest as the Bills cruised to their easy win in their first, albeit unscheduled, appearance on a Monday night since 2009. Robert Woods had by far the best game of his career with 9 catches, including a spectacular one-handed grab along the sidelines which wasn't quite as impressive as Odell Beckham Jr.'s catch on Sunday night but was still worthy of inclusion in this season's Bills highlight reel. The defence was solid once again and the Bills had their first blocked punt for a touchdown since 2004. EJ Manuel even came in and performed three successful hand-offs on the last offensive series.

Around 9.30pm, CBS scrolled the result of the Ferguson, MO grand jury deliberations which were that no charges would be laid against the white police officer who shot an un-armed black teenager in August. Overnight riots would ensue in the St. Louis suburb as they would in other US cities. Race relations still have a long way to go in the US, regardless of the specific facts in this case.  

The next challenge for Ralph Wilson Stadium and for Erie County is to get the stadium and surrounding area in condition to host a game five days from now. Temperatures reached 65F in the Buffalo area yesterday and there is just no way that the satellite parking lots (most of which are grass fields) can be in any condition to have cars parking on them on Sunday after seven feet of snow has melted on them. The stadium will probably be fine as will the paved lots directly surrounding it but for those going to the game (which I'm hoping will not include me), I would suggest that parking will be limited and extra time should be allowed.

The Bills are now 6-5 and were certainly hoping that the Saints could knock off the Ravens last night, one of the many four loss teams in the AFC playoff hunt. The Ravens won and remain a four loss team. The Bills chances at a playoff spot remain slim but still alive as their Lake Erie cousins, the Cleveland Browns come to Orchard Park on Sunday. The Browns, coached by former Bills defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, are another one of those four loss teams and obviously have a lot to play for.
 

Dolphins 22, Bills 9

November is often a bleak month with little daylight and miserable weather. Its a shoulder season in Muskoka where biking is usually wet and muddy and skiing is still down the road. It is also the only season where we get significant snowfall before the lake freezes, making for often stunning photography - especially when the sun shines on the fresh snow. The photo above was taken this past Friday morning after about 20cm of snow fell on Wednesday overnight and during the day Thursday. The reflections of the snow laden trees on the water makes for memorable late season paddling.

Since CBS decided to carry only the first half of this season's Thursday night games, I was forced to go north for the game. There was no snow on the ground until Gravenhurst on Thursday morning and then I got one of the last bike rides of the season in later in the afternoon in a heavy squall. Then a sauna, dinner and some Thursday night Bills football. This game was going to determine if the Bills long run of non-playoff appearances would continue or if they could make a statement in south Florida and preserve their post-season chances at 6-4. I was not feeling at all confident but through the first half, the offence was decent but was still unable to convert red zone opportunities. The season came apart in the second half which was bleak for Bills fans as Kyle Orton and the Bills offence had no solution for Miami's pass rush. He played his worst game of the six he has started, prompting calls for a return to EJ Manuel. I turned it off when Miami went up 19-9.

Now, the question I have is, once again, how in the world am I going to find anyone interested in seeing the Bills play either the Jets on Sunday or the Cleveland Browns the following week? The Green Bay Packers, one of the league's elite teams, make their once every eight years trip to Orchard Park in week 15 in mid-December and I'm a little less concerned about moving tickets for that game. But, the Jets on Sunday? Really, I ask, who is going to want to go? And, how many more years will I be willing to eat these tickets for late season games after all (or almost all) hope is lost? They would have to go 5-1 over the remaining six games to have a chance at a wildcard and that's just not going to happen.

I saw bits of the games yesterday and the first half of the Patriots game in Indianapolis. I am now really hoping that the Patriots can get to another Superbowl as I just think it would be a good story. After all, its now been 10 years since they won a championship, having lost the big game twice to the New York Giants since then. A New England vs. Green Bay Superbowl is what I would be betting on now and the Bills can help with that as they play each of the those teams in the final six weeks. I'm also hoping that the Browns can grab a playoff spot and the Bills can help with that too.

So, the J-E-T-S come to Orchard Park this weekend. Don't look for CBS to assign its top crew to this one. The game will probably be blacked out and I will listen to a bit of it on the radio in Muskoka. At least, with no paper tickets this year, I won't have to burn them.  

Chiefs 17, Bills 13

I was feeling a little down yesterday before the game. Despite my best efforts at working my network, reducing the list price on NFL TicketExchange every day since Monday and even dropping by a couple of sports bars in my neighbourhood to canvass interest, I was unable to sell my tickets to yesterday's game. And it wasn't a December game against Jacksonville where both teams were 2-12 either; this was a big conference game between two 5-3 AFC teams played in perfectly good weather and not on a holiday weekend on either side of the border. So, in the end, I emailed my tickets to my fine Buffalo friend and fellow season ticket holder, Joe, who tried to sell them at the stadium but with no luck. Why? One reason, I honestly believe, is that this year we received no printed tickets - just 2 credit cards with the games loaded on them and the ability to email individual "tickets"to third parties who would then print them on their own paper and take the paper to the stadium gate. I had one guy interested on Saturday evening at Gabby's on Yonge Street but when I said that I would have to email him the tickets, he remembered that he had to change the oil in his car on Sunday. Joe tells me that he had the same kind of problem yesterday. A piece of 20lb paper from a home printer, purported to be "tickets" to the game, just doesn't carry the same weight or look nearly as legitimate as printed tickets on card stock with professional imagery - ie, actual tickets. I think I'll call my account rep today to share the feedback. It's not really the $200 value which I forfeited but the idea that seats at the 30 yard line, 19 rows above the Chiefs bench for a sold out game went unused.

On the opening drive of the second half, leading the Chiefs 10-3, the Bills drove down the field and, just as they were about to score to take two touchdown lead, Bills quarterback Jeff Tuell threw an interception at the goal line which was returned for a touchdown and they then went on to lose the game. That was in early November last year. Yesterday's game was eerily similar, except that the Chiefs, rather than intercepting a pass, made Bryce Brown fumble as he was about to rumble into the endzone to put his team up 17-3. After the fumble, Brown's momentum sent the ball bouncing into the endzone where it flipped up and right into Scott Chandler's sure hands. But he dropped it and it bounced out of the endzone for a touchback. The Chiefs would themselves score two touchdowns which would be all they would need.

The problem with these big games is that one team has to lose. And lose the Bills did. I blame myself in a sense as the Bills record with me in the stands is 2-0 and, without me, it's 0-3. Or, maybe it's the dark home uniforms - also 0-3 while with the home white uniforms, their record is 2-0. The Bills dominated the game statistically and could have and should have won. But, as Bill Parcells used to say, you are what your record says you are. And they lost the game to go to 5-4 while the Chiefs capitalized on two fumbles to go to 6-3 and now obviously hold the head-to-head tiebreaker with Buffalo. Now, the Bills have a short week and trip to south Florida to face the Dolphins on Thursday night. Miami also lost yesterday and also stands at 5-4. They will be motivated not to let the Bills sweep the season series from them and seriously jeopardize their playoff aspirations.

There was an Andy Reid lookalike sitting somewhere in the first row yesterday. The similarity was uncanny as he had a red Chiefs jacket, headset, glasses, moustache, clipboard and the perfect body shape. CBS showed him several times on their broadcast. His name is Chris Wilhelm and he's from Lancaster PA. He has been a Chiefs fan for many years and drove 5 hours to the game. He must have been ecstatic when Reid was named Chiefs coach before last season because, although the body shape would still work well, he would have had a hard time looking much like Romeo Crennel.

Bills 43, Jets 23

When the Bills were scoring multiple touchdowns yesterday in the Meadowlands, they were messing up my ballot count. I have more than 1,000 ballots in my possession for today's election in Ward 18 and yesterday I had to count them and initial the top of of half of them before I take them to Wallace Emerson Community Centre on Dufferin Street, just south of Dupont this morning, where I will be working as a Managing Deputy Returning Officer, responsible for 10 staff and serving up to 2,000 voters today. The never-ending mayoralty campaign has now ended and, this evening, we will have elected a new mayor. I will hold off on any predictions in order to maintain my impartiality as I sit here at my desk early on election day morning.

I watched the Thursday night game between the Jets and the Patriots 11 days ago and, since the Jets played well enough to win the game and lost it by 2 points after a blocked potentially game winning field goal, I was worried about playing a dangerous looking 1-6 team the following week. Then the Jets traded for malcontent speedster wide wide receiver Percy Harvin during the week and I really thought that it could be a long day for the Bills. But the Jets and their starting quarterback Geno Smith were about as bad as they could have possibly been yesterday before switching to Michael Vick who was at least able to generate some semblance of an offense. Riding no less than 6 Jets turnovers, the Bills racked up more points yesterday than they have in 4 years on their way to pre-bye week win to bring them to 5-3 at the mid-point of the season.

I have been very impressed with Bills rookie receiver Sammy Watkins who had another strong game yesterday. Since the Bills scored a touchdown on the drive and won the game easily, the mental error Watkins made on a long first half pass can easily be forgotten but I don't he will soon forget it. Thinking that he was cruising easily into the endzone on a long pass from Kyle Orton, Watkins eased up and raised his arms in touchdown celebration mode just before Jets defender Saalim Hakim caught up and tackled him at about the 4 yard line. He was lucky not to have dropped the ball on the play as others in that position have done while being chopped from behind. Bills coach Doug Marrone said afterward that "we don't have time for that". Watkins scored a touchdown in the second half but he will likely have a more lasting memory of the one he didn't score yesterday.

I'm rather stunned by the Jian Ghomeshi developments over the weekend and I'm really not sure what to think about it. He will apparently file a $50 million lawsuit against the CBC today (after he votes, I presume) and seek reinstatement of his position as host of the very popular weekday morning program "Q" under the collective bargaining agreement. The CBC fired him after learning of certain details relating to his sex life. He claims that a jilted lover, with whom he engaged in consensual "rough sex", is now trying to advance a claim that aspects of the sex were not consensual and generally expose his private sexual preferences. The CBC says that they deliberated thoroughly before deciding to end its relationship with him. There is likely more to this story than what the CBC has said in a brief press release and what Ghomeshi posted on Facebook yesterday but, at this point, I'm not sure than I really want to know anything more about it.

Bills 17, Vikings 16

With the clock winding down in the fourth quarter and his team trailing 16-10, the Bills quarterback was calm and focused in the huddle as the game's final drive was about to begin. He encouraged his teammates to bear down, execute their assignments and move the ball down the field to win the game. And that's exactly what happened. After a rather sloppy effort against a pesky underdog, the game winning touchdown came in the dying seconds and Bills fans celebrated a key victory, went home happy and probably felt a little more confident in their starting quarterback. After all, he was signed to be a back-up - an insurance policy really - in case the anointed starter was injured or floundered. The date was October 18, 1998 and the quarterback's name was Doug Flutie.

I had seats in the upper deck to watch Flutie's first start as a Buffalo Bill on that October day 16 years ago. On a 4th down play from inside the Jacksonville Jaguars five yard line, Flutie, alone in the backfield, took the snap in shotgun formation and moved to his right, along with the entire offensive line all of his receivers. As intended, all 11 Jaguar defenders also moved to that side of the field. Then, he quickly spun around, turned the other way and carried the naked bootleg into the wide open left side of the endzone to tie the game. Steve Christie's convert would give them the one point lead with only a few seconds left. A thrilling 17-16 win for Flutie and the Bills. Flutie Flakes went into production the next week and the diminutive Boston College graduate and CFL star went on to lead his team to a 10-6 record and a playoff berth.

Yesterday at Orchard Park, Purdue graduate and 10 year NFL journeyman Kyle Orton, signed just before the season began as insurance in the event that EJ Manuel could not progress enough in his second season as the Bills franchise quarterback, repeated a very similar feat. Trailing 16-10, the final drive began with just over 3 minutes left in the 4th quarter. After completing a 4th down and 20 to tight end Scott Chandler (who had uncharacteristically dropped a pass earlier in the drive), he found Chris Hogan who made an acrobatic catch at the Vikings 2 yard line. The offence rushed to the line of scrimmage and Orton spiked the ball with 5 seconds remaining on the game clock. The Vikings called a time-out and the Bills drew up a play to Sammy Watkins which both he and Orton executed perfectly to the front left corner of the endzone. Sammy got both feet down for the touchdown and Dan Carpenter sealed the win with the convert. Bills fans went home happy - just as they had exactly 16 years earlier.

My friend Greg had a long day yesterday, He awoke at 4.30am in Ottawa, boarded a 6am flight to Pearson where I picked him up and then took him to see my friend at the Lewiston US Border entry point. I was disappointed not to be able to introduce the two. Either he was recently arrested or perhaps it was his day off but his replacement was quite pleasant and we were parked in Drive 5 at the stadium just before 10am. My pals Paul and Rodger and their respective young sons found us there and the boys got some nice woolen Bills hats at the new Bills gear store at the front of the stadium as they prepared for their first live NFL game. I hope they remember it for what it was - a thrilling finish and much needed win for the home team.

On to the Meadowlands next week to face the 1-6 Jets who will have had 10 days to prepare after a strong game against the Patriots which they lost by only two points. With both Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller out, it's time for Boobie Dixon to step and establish himself before the Bills have their bye week.

Patriots 37, Bills 22

It's clouding over here in Muskoka on this Thanksgiving Monday. I don't mind because today is the day when many cottagers leave, not to return until May. The shoulder season officially starts today so I can look forward to peace and quiet, perhaps more wildlife to see and a cold lake which provides generally perfect sauna conditions for the next few weeks and beyond.

I spent the first quarter of yesterday's game preparing the Thanksgiving turkey. I tried a new brine solution with a bit of soy included and it was particularly good. I stuffed the turkey, catching a play after each handful and also between bodkin stitches on the two turkey cavities. The game looked to be a defensive struggle through the early going which I thought boded well for the Bills with their ball control offence and I thought their pass rush might keep Tom Brady off balance enough to generate a turnover or two at some point as the Bills were likely to need at least one to post a win in the first game of the Pegula era.

Terry and Kim Pegula were introduced to the crowd at the Ralph before the game and, based on the short clip I saw, were well received. The letter they penned to the fans after the Governors approval on Wednesday and the closing of the sale on Friday sent a positive message and Pegula's comment about never wanting to finish second in anything - except for being the second Bills owner after Ralph Wilson - was a good message too. When he joined the Fox broadcasters in the booth during the game, it was clear to me that Pegula is a man who thinks before he speaks and doesn't say too much. Apparently, he and his wife choose to lead quite private lives and do not circulate much in high level social scenes. I presume that they usually stay home and count their money so I guess they can look forward to having a bit more free time after dropping $1.4 billion on a football team. It has been reported that Kim Pegula will be the CEO under the new ownership structure so if I were Russ Brandon, I'd make sure I was in early every day, at least for this week. The Bills ownership situation has clearly resolved itself in what looks to be just about the best possible way. I was worried that a Toronto ownership group would outbid Pegula and create a lingering sense of uncertainty which could potentially sour the fan base and cause permanent resentment no matter what they did or didn't say about the Bills staying in Buffalo. So, on with the Pegula era which may or may not include more fracking. Either way, I'm happy about it.

I did watch the second half of the game closely. I think that the Patriots are simply very well coached and their game planning against the Bills, year in and year out, is well conceived and well executed. We just can't stop them when we need to and it feels like that has been the case for so long that I can't remember when it wasn't. Although I'm a Bills fan, I do find the Patriots impressive and I usually root for them in the post season too. I don't hate them. I don't think I hate anybody really when it comes to sports teams and rivalries. I just wish we could beat them a little more often.

So, at 3-3, The Bills get ready to play the Minnesota Vikings in Orchard Park - something they do only every 8 years. The Bills need to win and I think they will. I'm looking forward to seeing my buddy at the US Border station in Lewiston. I've managed to avoid arrest since I saw him and I can't wait to share the good news with him. Happy Thanksgiving and to my American friends, Happy Columbus Day.

Bills 17, Lions 14

Meet Alex Henery. An honourable young man, by all accounts, Alex is from Omaha, NE and he attended the University of Nebraska where he earned a degree in Construction Management. He also earned a Community Service Award while in university for his work volunteering at local hospitals. As the Cornhuskers place-kicker, he ended his college career as the most accurate place-kicker in NCAA history. This was presumably one of the reasons why the Philadelphia Eagles drafted him 120th overall in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL draft. The Eagles obviously changed their mind about Alex as they released him on August 30th, near the end of this year's training camp. The Detroit Lions signed him on September 22nd, three full weeks into the regular season.

Alex Henery missed all three field goals which he attempted in yesterday's game against the Bills. He hit the goal post on one of them and hooked the other two badly to his left. The attempts were long by NFL standards (47, 50 and 50 yards) but in the indoor confines of Ford Field, the Lions home field where the game was played, an NFL kicker would be expected to make at least one of those. It must have been particularly painful for him to watch his counterpart, Bills kicker Dan Carpenter, win the game for Buffalo on a 58 yard kick in the game's final seconds, his third successful kick of four attempts yesterday. Carpenter himself, also from Omaha, NE, was released by the Miami Dolphins in 2013 after five seasons with them and was signed by the Bills just before the start of last season as an injury replacement for Dustin Hopkins. He has been one of the best kickers in the league over the course of last season and the first five games this year. As for Alex Henery, he may be about to pursue a career in construction management a little sooner than he expected.

The other compelling story from yesterday's game was the play of Bills quarterback Kyle Orton. Orton, a late pre-season signing, had never taken a snap for the Bills and his rustiness showed early on. His errant pass in the second quarter was intercepted and run back for a Detroit touchdown to give the Lions a 14-0 lead and, at that point, I wondered if we might see EJ Manuel in the second half. But Orton kept improving as the game went on and, when he hit Marquise Goodwin for a long gain to the Detroit two yard line to set up what was the tying touchdown, I thought at that moment that Bills coach Doug Marrone had made the right call in giving him the start yesterday.

Jim Schwartz must have enjoyed being carried off the field on the shoulders of his defensive players after yesterday's game. After serving as the Lions head coach for five years before being fired after the 2013 season, the Bills defense made his homecoming a sweet one by playing extremely well for him, holding the Lions to one offensive touchdown. And Sammy Watkins made a couple of acrobatic catches which made a huge difference.

A strange note from yesterday's game: The Bills have filed a complaint with the league about laser pointers being shined in some of their players eyes during the game. Up Next: The Patriots come to Orchard Park. I will put our Thanksgiving turkey in the oven at halftime.  

Texans 23, Bills 17

It was a spectacular weekend in Muskoka but I dutifully came inside at 1pm yesterday with my dad to watch the Bills play the Texans. The roof was closed at NRG Stadium due to high humidity in the Houston area which made me feel that we weren't the only ones sitting inside watching this game. And a most infuriating game it was to watch. When they get blown out, at least I can pack it in and do something else but not yesterday when we had to stick with it until close to 4.30pm when EJ Manuel threw the game ending interception on what could have been - would have been - the game winning drive.

Manuel clearly took a step back yesterday. I want so badly for him to look like the franchise quarterback for the next 10 years but I'm afraid that he really did not look like that yesterday. In fairness, the Texans pass rush, led by the super-human JJ Watt, was pressuring him and knocking him down all day and there were at least 4 dropped passes by his receivers. But, despite showing some impressive pocket quickness a couple of times yesterday, his throwing is just not accurate enough of the time. He throws too low or too high or behind his receivers when he seems to have plenty of time. It sometimes seems like he panics a bit when he has time to set his feet, step into the throw and deliver it accurately. It is frustrating to watch. He's such a likable kid too. He's good at saying the right things in post-game press conferences and I'm sure that his mother and his god-father Bruce Smith feel good about that but he needs to show that he can get it done on the field starting next week or another season could begin to slip away.

If I were Roger Goodell, I would be buying Jason Witten lunch today. And I just might take some of my $44 million salary and pay for it myself because his pre-game interview on NBC last night on the subject of domestic violence was very impressive indeed. He has first-hand experience as his mother was a victim of an abusive spouse. He was careful to compliment the league office and the Commissioner for taking ownership of the issue after a difficult couple of weeks while acknowledging that the problem goes far beyond the NFL. Whether he was coached on what to say or not, it came across as sincere and I'm sure that the Commissioner was duly impressed.

The best highlight from yesterday's games, for me, was Stevie Johnson's first touchdown catch as a 49er. He was able to keep the tips of his toes in the front left corner of the endzone and maintain control of the ball as he fell to the ground, helping his team give the Eagles their first loss of the season. The man who calls himself "7/11" (because he's always open) may not be open quite as often now as his career advances, but he's a skilled receiver and, when he was in Buffalo, I was always impressed with his ability to get separation even from much faster players.

EJ Manuel said in his post-game press conference that they need to be more prepared than ever to face the Detroit Lions next week. Prepared, yes but his confidence needs a boost next week so he can prove what he can do or there will be more questions about when Kyle Orton might see some playing time. Better quarterbacking probably would have won the game yesterday. Now is the time for Manuel to step up and not follow in the path of Trent Edwards, JP Losman or - dare I say - Ryan Fitzpatrick. Although he is very well paid by any standard of comparison, I feel for EJ Manuel as the pressure to perform must be immense. For so many reasons, I hope he can do it.

 

Chargers 22, Bills 10

Being 2-1 is better than being 1-2 if your goal is to make the playoffs and if someone had asked Bills coach Doug Marrone if he would have taken a 2-1 record after the first three games of this year, I would have thought that he'd jump at it. But, in fact, I did make that very offer to him over the Labour Day weekend but he must have found it to be a difficult one to evaluate and, in the end, he neither accepted it or declined it. He did make it known to me that his preference is to simply play the games and see what happens. That's what he's paid to prepare his team for I guess.

In a quarterback dominated league, Philip Rivers was clearly far better yesterday than was EJ Manuel who seemed to take a step or two back yesterday with his weakest performance of the season so far. Rivers and the Chargers offence showed a great ability to extend drives, convert third downs and dominate the time of possession. The Bills secondary looked outmatched as Rivers found wide open targets far too often. I think that the Chargers are going to challenge Denver in the AFC West this season and will turn out to be one of the league's best teams.

The NFL and its Commissioner Roger Goodell have obviously had a bad couple of weeks on the public relations front. Goodell's desire to "make things right" around its handling of domestic abuse on the part of its players and in the creation of a new league policy in that regard, as he stated last week, felt like too little too late. It just isn't plausible that he or the league office was unable to secure the Ray Rice elevator video tape which was obtained (easily, so they say) by TMZ. The league was unwilling to pursue it for obvious reasons but if it can be proven that it was sent to the league office and either shown at high levels or suppressed at lower levels, then Goodell will likely have to go. The "investigation" into this, headed by former FBI Director Robert Mueller, has potential to be a whitewash which could deepen the PR hole that Goodell and the league has dug.

Over the past couple of weeks, as this story has played out, there is no question that the issue of domestic violence - among NFL players and, I would suggest, in society generally - has received considerable media attention and has occupied a more prominent spot in the public discourse than it perhaps ever has. I see this as a good thing. James Brown, host of CBS's NFL studio broadcasts, has, in my opinion, tackled this issue with honesty and integrity in his editorial pieces and in his interviews. When a respected head coach like Tampa Bay's Lovie Smith sat with Brown last week and commented that it hardly needs to be said that its not OK to hit woman, I thought to myself that, unfortunately, it actually does need to be said. There is no question that domestic abuse among NFL players has been minimized, downplayed - ignored - and it seems likely that will now stop. Say what you want about how the league has approached this issue in the past - and there's plenty of valid criticism to go around in the NFL and elsewhere - I firmly believe that there is a societal good in shining a light on it, having it occupy the headlines of the sports pages and the front pages, seeing it discussed on prime time broadcasts with huge audiences - even watching Roger Goodell try to squirm his way to keeping his $44 million a year job over it. Yes, Lovie Smith, it's not OK to hit a woman and we need more people like you to say so.

Bills 29, Dolphins 10

"Does never really mean never?", asked the US Customs and Border Patrol officer at the Queenston Lewiston bridge just before 9am yesterday. This came after he had asked us four separate times if either of us had ever been arrested in Canada or in the United States. After scanning our passports and confirming our destination, he casually told us that he had one more question, the answer to which he didn't really care about, as long as neither of us lied. I was certain that the formal part of our discussion was over and that he was about to ask us if we were confident that the Bills offensive line was going to be able to handle to Dolphins pass rush or perhaps our best guess on how many false start penalties the crowd noise would cause the Dolphins offence. Nope. He wanted to know - although he claimed not to care what the answer was - about the business of being arrested. This, I believe, was not done due to any real suspicion on his part that either of us had ever been arrested but as part of a larger strategy to take travelers out of their comfort zone by asking unexpected questions and evaluating responses. I guess we seemed believable on the fourth try so he graciously allowed us entry to the United States. I was going to ask him if he wanted to go to the San Diego game next week but decided that he might find that to be an odd question. And I know that odd questions can be a little disconcerting.

Jim Kelly was tearing up a little as he paid tribute to the late Ralph Wilson and thanked the fans for their well-wishes on his cancer recovery in a pre-game ceremony. He looked a little rough, a little pale and a little thin but spoke well and from the heart. His speech was not too long, not too sappy - just about right. Then, he concluded by declaring that it was time to squish the fish. The crowd erupted and remained as loud as I've ever heard throughout the game. Terry Pegula was likely in attendance but did not appear publicly as NFL approval of his ownership bid is still required. That will come next month at the NFL owners meeting which will take place at the site of Pegula's newest fracking site in rural Pennsylvania. The owners and their beleaguered Commissioner will bring their own water, apparently, as they all know about the dangers that fracking poses to ground and drinking water. These guys are smart.

One of the WGR radio guys said that the Bills best free agent off-season signing was former Lions head coach and defensive specialist, Jim Schwartz. Contrary to some rumours, Jim Harbaugh was NOT the first to shake his hand on being appointed Bills Defensive Coordinator. But Bills fans should be thankful that he's here because the defense was good last week in Chicago and great yesterday against the Dolphins who had put up 33 points in their first game against the Patriots. All three levels of the Bills defence were solid yesterday. I would have given a game ball to Corey Graham who had another big day pass defending.

Yesterday was a great day to be a Buffalo Bills fan and to be at Ralph Wilson Stadium. After much effort, a more subdued and civilized tailgating experience has been established, the weather was perfect, my new seats are excellent (as are the fine Buffalo people who sit nearby), the team performed well in all three phases, the fish were properly squished and the quarterback looks confident and comfortable in what has been a limited role through the first 12% of the season.

The San Diego Chargers come to Orchard Park next week. I'm trying to make sure that the same border guard is on duty next Sunday and I'll do my best not to get arrested anywhere this week. I just don't think he'd appreciate me changing my story - even if it was true.

Bills 23, Bears 20 OT

I've said before on this blog that Fred Jackson is one of the classiest guys in the NFL. I haven't changed my mind about him in that regard but an issue has now arisen between us which I hope we can resolve quickly. See, he owes me $16,371.60 because if he had been able to extend his fantastic overtime run yesterday by one more yard and reach the endzone, my Proline ticket would have been a winner.....if the Jets and Cowboys had also won their home games. So, I'm optimistic that Fred can and will pay me what I'm owed and if he wants to approach the Jets and/or the Cowboys to extract a third of the money from each of them, that would make sense too. I will leave it with him to deal with those teams as, after all, he is in the NFL.

I watched most of the game with my dad who actually watched the entire game. When the Bills went three and out on their first possession and then the Bears reached the endzone easily on their first drive, I got up, went out side and started cutting up hemlock to take my mind off the misery that was going to be the Bills afternoon in Chicago. After a few minutes, he opened the door and told me that the Bills had tied the game. Then a few minutes after that, he said that they took the lead on a field goal. Then when he came out again to tell me that they'd gone up 17-7, I thought he was developing cognition problems and I had to come inside to verify it.

Someone posted a couple of weeks ago that it had been ages since the Bills had recorded a "signature" road win. The 2011 home win against the Patriots was surely a signature home win but a meaningful road win was ancient history for them - until yesterday. I guess we'll have to wait to see how good Chicago really is this season- or if the Bills really are ready to step up from also-ran mediocrity but there were no expectations of a win for Buffalo among prognosticators I saw anyway. In fact, Chris Simms had a piece last week on the five teams guaranteed to lose their week one games. Guess which one topped his list. I have no doubt that many suicide pools blew up yesterday on this game.

I was acutely aware over the days leading up to opening week that my optimism for the team was lower than it had been for a few years. Usually, I'm quite upbeat before actual games are played - with the draft picks, maybe a new quarterback or a new head coach - whatever changes have taken place, I find a way to convince myself that this is the year when those December home games will actually mean something and that I won't be scouring the depths of my rolodex to find someone to go with. But this pre-season with EJ's weak performance, the jettisoning of two back-up quarterbacks, the signing of Orton and the head coach embroiled in controversy with his Player Personnel Director and GM, I was not feeling good about things yesterday morning. But a signature road win changes everything.

Now the Dolphins come to town after having beaten the Patriots yesterday. The crowd will be cranked up and the Ralph will be rockin on Sunday. And, with new seats in a new section, I'm thinking that this season will finally be different.