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.
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