Rams fans are questioning Jeff Fisher's decision to go with a fake punt attempt on a 4th and 5 deep in his own territory with less than 4 minutes to go and trailing by 4 points. The Bills were ready for it, stopped it and went on to score the game clinching touchdown. As the Rams lined up to punt, I was thinking this possibility: with only 5 yards needed for a first down, the chances seemed good that Fisher might try it. If I were a Rams fan, I hope that I would have the perspective to appreciate that it was a reasonable call (although obviously a high risk one) in a game where the Rams needed a touchdown or they would lose the game. The trouble with such a call in such a critical situation is that if it doesn't work, the game is over. And it was.
When the Bills traded linebacker Kiko Alonso to the Eagles before last season for running back LeSean McCoy, detractors said that the NFL had become a passing league and that serviceable running backs could be found in the later rounds of the draft and there was no need to trade valuable assets for a featured back. Under former offensive coordinator Greg Roman, through a full season and two more games this year, McCoy's production was decent at times but probably less than what Bills fans had hoped for when he was acquired. In the three games since Anthony Lynn became offensive coordinator, McCoy has been fantastic and yesterday was, in my opinion, his best game in a Bills uniform, gaining 150 yards on the ground.
Tyrod Taylor's play at quarterback over the course of the Bills current three game winning streak has been less than eye-popping in terms of the usual statistical accumulation expected from franchise quarterbacks. The key statistic for me, on the other hand - and one which sometimes isn't tracked as closely as it should be - is turnovers. In Taylor's case, the dominating statistic is his lack of them. The quarterback, more than any player on the field, has the potential to cause turnovers through the usual course of ball handling, receiving snaps from centre in the shotgun formation, interceptions and sacks/blind side hits which lead to fumbles. How may times did we see JP Losman or even Drew Bledsoe, at critical points in games, hold on to the ball for too long, get sacked and fumble away a game? How many times have we seen Tyrod Taylor do the same? I can't think of any. This man protects the ball and avoids disastrous plays. Sure, he doesn't throw for 300 yards on a weekly basis and sometimes lacks the right touch on certain passes but I will take his modest statistical production combined with his commitment to ball protection - any time. Combining a very strong running game with a competent quarterback who protects the ball is a winning formula and the Bills have proven this over the past three weeks.
Now at 3-2, the Bills have what looks to be an easy out coming up with the San Francicso 49ers coming to Orchard Park next Sunday. I will be watching the 49er bench during the national anthem as coach Chip Kelly will likely start Colin Kaepernick at quarterback. The 49ers are rated at or near the bottom of the league in most analysts power rankings so I look for the Bills to possibly be double digit favourites for the first time in a very long time. Their well documented struggles over the past 16 years have not presented the Bills with many games where they could potentially overlook a weak opponent and I hope they don't start this week. A trip to south Florida to play the reeling Dolphins is on for the following week before a home re-match with the Patriots on October 30th where the AFC East lead could be on the line.
I made sure to put new batteries in my TV remote yesterday morning with the early slate of NFL games, the Bills late kick-off in Los Angeles and then the Blue Jays clinching their series with Texas to earn their second consecutive trip to the ALCS. But at 9pm, my TV was locked on to the second presidential debate which I watched almost in its entirety while checking on the baseball game.
Like many who follow politics, I think I have officially run out of things to say about the campaign. I will offer only this comment: The sheer volume of outrageous statements made by Trump over the past year or so has served to anesthetize us from feeling the contempt and outrage we should over the things has said recently - and one thing in particular from last night. I'm talking about his threat to "direct" his Attorney General (if elected President) to appoint a special prosecutor to go after Hillary Clinton. That's right: a public commitment to prosecute his political opponent.
David Frum said it best on Twitter yesterday: if you left Trump alone in a room with a bottle of whiskey and a revolver and advised him to just do the right thing, when you went back to the room, he would shoot you in the face.
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