Jerry Sullivan of the Buffalo News put it best in his post-game column: "I can't blame Bills fans who are conditioned to expect calamity when things seem most promising". Over the course of what is known throughout the fan base as the "Drought" (as in, not making the NFL playoffs since 1999 - the longest current streak of non-playoff seasons in the league), Sullivan ominously observed that, over the course of the last 17 years, the team often hits the wall after 5 wins. And, after citing several examples, I'm afraid that he's right.
The Thursday night game 4 days ago was forgettable from the start. The Bills first offensive play from scrimmage was a 12 yard sack of Taylor after the right side of the line allowed a full Jets jailbreak. They never recovered on either side of the ball. Josh McCown, the journeyman quarterback now playing for his eighth NFL team looked like the second coming of YA Tittle (for you, Scott B) as the Jets built a 31-7 lead before I turned off the TV and went to sleep. I gather that the Bills managed to score a couple of touchdowns late in the game to make the score look more reasonable.
I wonder about the future of the the NFL's full slate of Thursday night games. Don Banks, the long-time NFL writer and weekly commentator on Bob McCown's Prime Time Sports said last week that he sees the Thursday night schedule as a prime target for the league to address the problem of over-saturation if it chooses to do so - which it should. The old adage seems to have been turned around for many sports fans as the NFL Thursday night games have left many of them wanting less. The Bills and Jets have faced each other on TNF for 4 straight years now and while the idea of promoting a divisional rivalry year after year would appear to make sense, neither of the two teams has not been particularly compelling to watch in recent years. Many of the Thursday night match-ups since the league expanded to a full season schedule in 2012 have been similarly uninteresting and I think that the combination of over-saturation and games that don't generate much interest regardless of when they are played has presented the league with a clear jumping off point if they are serious about stopping the TV ratings decline.
Thursday Night Football actually dates back to 2006 when the NFL presented 8 late-season games on Thursday and Saturday nights. I recommend that they return to such a format whereby Thursday games are limited to the first regular season game every year, the Thanksgiving Day games (of which there are now three) and perhaps one or two others in the second half of the year which feature teams in the playoff hunt (under NFL Flex Scheduling, this is certainly possible, although a logistical challenge to be sure). Having attended two Thursday night home games in Buffalo, I can say that while night games are an interesting novelty, I am not a fan of getting home at 3am. Scrap the full slate of Thursday games next season, I say.
I am looking forward to a trip to Orchard Park this coming Sunday. The weather forecast is looking decidedly cold and I'm happy about that not only because I have all the right clothing but because the New Orleans Saints may not be entirely comfortable breaking out their own cold weather gear. The Bills will need all the cold and wind they can get as the Saints come in on a 6 game winning streak. After losing their first two games, the Saints have built their record to 6-2 and they have done it like a cold weather team usually does - by running the ball and playing strong defence. The Bills will need their running game to shine again if they are to break the Saints winning streak.
Bills fans who read the Buffalo News have been critical of sports columnist Jerry Sullivan who has pulled no punches in trashing the team over the course of the Drought. I hope that he has a positive angle to his story next Monday. As he likes to say in response to readers who don't like what he writes, "I column as I see 'em".
Commentary on the Buffalo Bills, politics and whatever else is on my mind
Monday, 6 November 2017
Monday, 30 October 2017
Bills 34, Raiders 14
In the second-last game of the ill-fated "Toronto" series, a 23-0 blanking of Washington on October 30, 2011, the Bills improved their record to 5-2 under second year head coach Chan Gailey. Marcel Dareus had 2.5 of the Bills 10 sacks that afternoon and Ryan Fitzpatrick played well enough to earn himself a lucrative contract extension as he had, in the minds of the Bills management team, established himself as the team's franchise quarterback. After starting the previous season 0-8 and posting a 4-12 record in 2010, the Bills had turned things around just short of the mid-point of that 2011 season and were positioned to at least challenge for a playoff spot, and perhaps even overtake the Patriots to win the AFC East. Bills fans were riding high that day - even if most of them stayed state-side and watched the game from Toronto on TV.
The Bills went on to lose their next seven consecutive games and would win exactly once more in 2011, en route to a very dissapointing 6-10 season. Bills GM Buddy Nix would end up wearing the Fitzpatrick extension like an anvil around his neck. Chan Gailey and Ryan Fitzpatrick would have one more season as Bills head coach and quarterback respectively before passing their torches to Doug Marrone and EJ Manuel, who also came and went like so many Bills coaches and quarterbacks have since Marv Levy and Jim Kelly retired. I have never really been a glass half-empty kind of sports fan but I've seen enough promising starts vapourize by the teams I root for over the years to not always see the glass as half-full.
But the Bills do look pretty good this time around. The head coach seems to have fostered a winning attitude which manifests itself by way of his team playing with confidence and poise and I think I detect a certain intangible trust on the part of the players in the game plans, schemes and individual plays designed and called by the coaching staff. In short, McDermott just seems like a guy who knows what he's doing, knows the kinds of players he wants and, most importantly, he demands and receives the effort and commitment that's required not just for this season but for the long term.
It's quite amazing really that the team has, since training camp, jettisoned Sammy Watkins, Ronald Darby and, this past week, Marcel Dareus. Any Bills fan would have identified these players as some of the most valuable on the roster as the team reported to camp and, although Jordan Matthews has contributed very nicely at the wideout position, the stockpiling of draft picks from trading these players looked very much like a sacrifice of this season in favour of a better chance of success over the next five seasons. Maybe that was the strategy all along and no one is more surprised than Bills GM Brandon Beane at the team's 5-2 record so far. Sure, we'll trade one of our starting defensive tackles and former 3rd overall pick in Darues for a conditional later round pick. No problem. We'll beat Oakland anyway.
Speaking of Oakland, when the Raiders took the opening kick-off yesterday and marched it downfield for a touchdown, I worried that it was going to be a long afternoon for the Bills secondary. But, aided once again by a series of take-aways on defence and by a brilliant performance by LeSean McCoy and the offensive line, the team improved its home record to 4-0. It feels like with every home game and as the weather now turns colder with the threat of snow in the air before long, New Era Field looks like a very tough place for visiting teams to win - just as it was way back in the early 90s when when it was still called Rich Stadium. The next home game is in a couple of weeks against the red-hot Saints, a dome team which just might be worried about being overwhelmed by the crowd noise and the cold and wind of a mid-November afternoon in Orchard Park.
Up next - just three days from now - is a prime time match-up with the Jets. When you're 5-2, all games are big but this game feels like one the Bills need to have to go 6-2 with 10 days for the team and the fans to prepare for the Saints. It will be my first trip to Orchard Park this year and I would love to leave the stadium with a 7-2 record to contemplate.
The Bills went on to lose their next seven consecutive games and would win exactly once more in 2011, en route to a very dissapointing 6-10 season. Bills GM Buddy Nix would end up wearing the Fitzpatrick extension like an anvil around his neck. Chan Gailey and Ryan Fitzpatrick would have one more season as Bills head coach and quarterback respectively before passing their torches to Doug Marrone and EJ Manuel, who also came and went like so many Bills coaches and quarterbacks have since Marv Levy and Jim Kelly retired. I have never really been a glass half-empty kind of sports fan but I've seen enough promising starts vapourize by the teams I root for over the years to not always see the glass as half-full.
But the Bills do look pretty good this time around. The head coach seems to have fostered a winning attitude which manifests itself by way of his team playing with confidence and poise and I think I detect a certain intangible trust on the part of the players in the game plans, schemes and individual plays designed and called by the coaching staff. In short, McDermott just seems like a guy who knows what he's doing, knows the kinds of players he wants and, most importantly, he demands and receives the effort and commitment that's required not just for this season but for the long term.
It's quite amazing really that the team has, since training camp, jettisoned Sammy Watkins, Ronald Darby and, this past week, Marcel Dareus. Any Bills fan would have identified these players as some of the most valuable on the roster as the team reported to camp and, although Jordan Matthews has contributed very nicely at the wideout position, the stockpiling of draft picks from trading these players looked very much like a sacrifice of this season in favour of a better chance of success over the next five seasons. Maybe that was the strategy all along and no one is more surprised than Bills GM Brandon Beane at the team's 5-2 record so far. Sure, we'll trade one of our starting defensive tackles and former 3rd overall pick in Darues for a conditional later round pick. No problem. We'll beat Oakland anyway.
Speaking of Oakland, when the Raiders took the opening kick-off yesterday and marched it downfield for a touchdown, I worried that it was going to be a long afternoon for the Bills secondary. But, aided once again by a series of take-aways on defence and by a brilliant performance by LeSean McCoy and the offensive line, the team improved its home record to 4-0. It feels like with every home game and as the weather now turns colder with the threat of snow in the air before long, New Era Field looks like a very tough place for visiting teams to win - just as it was way back in the early 90s when when it was still called Rich Stadium. The next home game is in a couple of weeks against the red-hot Saints, a dome team which just might be worried about being overwhelmed by the crowd noise and the cold and wind of a mid-November afternoon in Orchard Park.
Up next - just three days from now - is a prime time match-up with the Jets. When you're 5-2, all games are big but this game feels like one the Bills need to have to go 6-2 with 10 days for the team and the fans to prepare for the Saints. It will be my first trip to Orchard Park this year and I would love to leave the stadium with a 7-2 record to contemplate.
Monday, 23 October 2017
Bills 30, Buccaneers 27
There are many ways to lose games in the NFL and the Bills were busy stockpiling them yesterday afternoon in Orchard Park against the Tampa Bay Bucs before finally finding a way to pull out a win. After the Bucs took a 27-20 lead with a little more than three minutes remaining, things didn't look good for Bills fans. Whether it was the inexcusable clock mismanagement at the end of the first half, the missed field goal by the usually very reliable Steven Hauschka or the untimely late game fumble by LeSean McCoy, the Monday morning quarterbacks would have plenty of reasons to choose from to explain rookie head coach Sean McDermott's first home loss.
But the Bills offence came roaring back on the next series with a deep pass to Deonte Thompson who the Bills plucked from the scrapheap after being cut by the Bears last week. Aided by a personal foul on the tackle, the Bills found themselves deep in Tampa territory and they scored the tying touchdown shortly afterward. What they needed then was to play some defence to get the game to overtime. But a Tampa fumble which reciprocated the McCoy fumble earlier in the quarter set them up for the winning field goal which Hauschka actually almost missed. The game ended with a prolonged Harlem Globetrotters style Bucs exercise in laterals which sent them closer and closer to their own endzone before it finally ended. NBC showed the play in fast motion with a ragtime soundtrack on their highlight reel. The disaster of the "home run throwback" play in Nashville in January, 2000 (which became better known as the Music City Miracle) isn't far from the surface of my consciousness and, honestly, I was worried about another calamity of that kind until the game-ending tackle was finally made.
Seven weeks into the NFL season, the owners are increasingly concerned about steadily declining viewership numbers. The average television audience for an NFL game has dropped about 7% from a year ago - from 16.3 million to 15.2 million. In 2015, the average game drew 18.5 million. Declining viewership will not impact the league's bottom line in the short term as network television contracts are fixed but when television rights are up for sale next time, they definitely will. The networks who broadcast NFL games now find themselves having to prepare to offer "make good" spots to advertisers whose audience numbers have fallen short of projections upon which advertising rates are based. Make good spots count among television networks least favourite obligations for obvious reasons. Credit Suisse has actually downgraded its target share prices for the parent companies of NFL broadcasters like CBS and FOX on account of their having to offer them. Now that's some serious stuff which can't be explained away by election or hurricane coverage.
A recent Gallup poll found that 57% of Americans consider themselves to be "pro football fans". That result is down an amazing 10 full points from a year ago. A CNN poll, which asked respondents about their support for the ongoing NFL player protests, found that only 43% supported the practice of players kneeling during the national anthem or skipping it altogether while 49% were opposed. Roger Goodell convened a meeting of team owners last week to discuss the protest issue and, to their credit, they did not mandate that players stand for the anthem as was widely expected. They realize, I presume, that the issue is extremely sensitive, especially when combined with Trump's flame-fanning tweets and they decided instead to propose a series of race relations and equality initiatives to placate the protesting players. What they really hope is that the issue just slowly fades away. If not for the President's involvement, it probably would have already.
So, what, if anything, will stem the NFL's decline in popularity? After decades of domination of North American sports culture which has seen the league's fortunes improve despite teams extorting stadium funding from cities under the real threat of moving (ask San Diego, St, Louis, Oakland), adding a full season of Thursday prime time games and a steady stream of criminal charges and domestic battery issues among it players, is the jig finally up for the NFL? I predict that the decline will continue for some time to come - perhaps another two or three seasons or more - before settling at a level maybe 20% below its peak of a few years ago in terms of television viewership. And maybe that will end up being a good thing for a league which has suffered no real adversity or threat to its bottom line until very recently. Mark Cuban, the outspoken NBA owner, said this a few years ago about the NFL moving to a full slate of Thursday games: "Pigs get fat; hogs get slaughtered."
But the Bills offence came roaring back on the next series with a deep pass to Deonte Thompson who the Bills plucked from the scrapheap after being cut by the Bears last week. Aided by a personal foul on the tackle, the Bills found themselves deep in Tampa territory and they scored the tying touchdown shortly afterward. What they needed then was to play some defence to get the game to overtime. But a Tampa fumble which reciprocated the McCoy fumble earlier in the quarter set them up for the winning field goal which Hauschka actually almost missed. The game ended with a prolonged Harlem Globetrotters style Bucs exercise in laterals which sent them closer and closer to their own endzone before it finally ended. NBC showed the play in fast motion with a ragtime soundtrack on their highlight reel. The disaster of the "home run throwback" play in Nashville in January, 2000 (which became better known as the Music City Miracle) isn't far from the surface of my consciousness and, honestly, I was worried about another calamity of that kind until the game-ending tackle was finally made.
Seven weeks into the NFL season, the owners are increasingly concerned about steadily declining viewership numbers. The average television audience for an NFL game has dropped about 7% from a year ago - from 16.3 million to 15.2 million. In 2015, the average game drew 18.5 million. Declining viewership will not impact the league's bottom line in the short term as network television contracts are fixed but when television rights are up for sale next time, they definitely will. The networks who broadcast NFL games now find themselves having to prepare to offer "make good" spots to advertisers whose audience numbers have fallen short of projections upon which advertising rates are based. Make good spots count among television networks least favourite obligations for obvious reasons. Credit Suisse has actually downgraded its target share prices for the parent companies of NFL broadcasters like CBS and FOX on account of their having to offer them. Now that's some serious stuff which can't be explained away by election or hurricane coverage.
A recent Gallup poll found that 57% of Americans consider themselves to be "pro football fans". That result is down an amazing 10 full points from a year ago. A CNN poll, which asked respondents about their support for the ongoing NFL player protests, found that only 43% supported the practice of players kneeling during the national anthem or skipping it altogether while 49% were opposed. Roger Goodell convened a meeting of team owners last week to discuss the protest issue and, to their credit, they did not mandate that players stand for the anthem as was widely expected. They realize, I presume, that the issue is extremely sensitive, especially when combined with Trump's flame-fanning tweets and they decided instead to propose a series of race relations and equality initiatives to placate the protesting players. What they really hope is that the issue just slowly fades away. If not for the President's involvement, it probably would have already.
So, what, if anything, will stem the NFL's decline in popularity? After decades of domination of North American sports culture which has seen the league's fortunes improve despite teams extorting stadium funding from cities under the real threat of moving (ask San Diego, St, Louis, Oakland), adding a full season of Thursday prime time games and a steady stream of criminal charges and domestic battery issues among it players, is the jig finally up for the NFL? I predict that the decline will continue for some time to come - perhaps another two or three seasons or more - before settling at a level maybe 20% below its peak of a few years ago in terms of television viewership. And maybe that will end up being a good thing for a league which has suffered no real adversity or threat to its bottom line until very recently. Mark Cuban, the outspoken NBA owner, said this a few years ago about the NFL moving to a full slate of Thursday games: "Pigs get fat; hogs get slaughtered."
Monday, 9 October 2017
Bengals 20, Bills 16
I guess the Bills could have won yesterday's game in Cincinnati if they had made a play or two here or there but they didn't play well enough to have deserved to win. Without the benefit of three Bengal turnovers, the Bills would have been lost more decisively than they did and if they had somehow managed to pull it out, the headlines in this morning's papers would have referred them as having stolen a win etc.
The Bengals gave a good effort on both sides of the ball with their defense holding LeSean McCoy to 63 hard-earned yards and Andy Dalton looked confident and poised throughout the game with his only bone-headed throw - a pass to the endzone late in the fourth quarter which could have easily been intercepted but wasn't - not costing him at all. The three turnovers the Bengals gave up were mostly of the unlucky variety with two Bills interceptions coming on tipped balls and another coming on a punched out ball after a long gain. The Bengals got off to a terrible start this season but yesterday they looked like a competent and talented team.
US Vice-President Mike Pence decided to upstage a tribute to Payton Manning yesterday in Indianapolis by leaving the stadium after 23 San Francisco 49ers players kneeled during the national anthem. Pence took to Twitter afterwards explaining that he and the President "would not dignify any event that disrespects our soldiers, our flag or our national anthem". As SI's Peter King wrote on Sunday (as a special piece ahead of his weekly Monday Morning Quarterback column), this was an orchestrated strategy by Pence as he knew that at least some players would kneel during the anthem and he also knew that he would then leave the stadium, making that the story of the day in Indianapolis instead of what it was intended to be - a well-deserved tribute given to Manning who was inducted on to the Colts Ring of Honour for his incredible career in a Colts uniform. King's point is that Pence knew that he would become the headline and he deliberately and intentionally proceeded to insert himself into the situation, presumably at the urging of or on orders from the President. One of Indiana's most beloved sports figures deserved his special day yesterday without it being overshadowed by the Trump administration's wedge politics. As King said in his column, "Mike Pence will have to live with himself for that."
I think that I am now leaning towards wanting the national anthem dropped from professional sporting events. Do we really need to hear it every time? Ok, maybe we can still have it for the Superbowl but having it before every game is ridiculous. The NBA has moved the anthem up so far that it takes place a full 15 or 20 minutes before tip-off with the stands mostly empty. The pre-game ritual before an NBA game is now fully focused on a loud and inspirational music video for the home team and its fans which takes place just before the presentation of the home starting line-up and only a couple of minutes before the game starts. It feels like the anthem is now played at NBA games because its required and not because fans want it or care at all about it.
I am not suggesting that the anthem be dropped to remove the opportunity for players to express their political views but rather so that those who practice right-wing wedge politics will have their opportunity taken away. Trump has seized the chance to energize his uncouth base and try to damage the NFL for not taking action against those players who passively demonstrate dissent by choosing to kneel during the anthem. Lets deny him that stage and let a football game be just that and nothing more. NFL players will still have plenty of media coverage if they want to be political and I hope that they will use it to share their views. We need to stop the distracting and destructive fallout from the whole national anthem business. I would bet that Roger Goodell agrees but I am sure that he will continue to simply hope that the problem goes away.
The Bills enter their bye week after five games which is probably earlier than they would have liked but still comes at a time when they can rest and try to get Charles Clay and Jordan Matthews back in the line-up for two games against the Bucs and Raiders to close out the month of October.
The Bengals gave a good effort on both sides of the ball with their defense holding LeSean McCoy to 63 hard-earned yards and Andy Dalton looked confident and poised throughout the game with his only bone-headed throw - a pass to the endzone late in the fourth quarter which could have easily been intercepted but wasn't - not costing him at all. The three turnovers the Bengals gave up were mostly of the unlucky variety with two Bills interceptions coming on tipped balls and another coming on a punched out ball after a long gain. The Bengals got off to a terrible start this season but yesterday they looked like a competent and talented team.
US Vice-President Mike Pence decided to upstage a tribute to Payton Manning yesterday in Indianapolis by leaving the stadium after 23 San Francisco 49ers players kneeled during the national anthem. Pence took to Twitter afterwards explaining that he and the President "would not dignify any event that disrespects our soldiers, our flag or our national anthem". As SI's Peter King wrote on Sunday (as a special piece ahead of his weekly Monday Morning Quarterback column), this was an orchestrated strategy by Pence as he knew that at least some players would kneel during the anthem and he also knew that he would then leave the stadium, making that the story of the day in Indianapolis instead of what it was intended to be - a well-deserved tribute given to Manning who was inducted on to the Colts Ring of Honour for his incredible career in a Colts uniform. King's point is that Pence knew that he would become the headline and he deliberately and intentionally proceeded to insert himself into the situation, presumably at the urging of or on orders from the President. One of Indiana's most beloved sports figures deserved his special day yesterday without it being overshadowed by the Trump administration's wedge politics. As King said in his column, "Mike Pence will have to live with himself for that."
I think that I am now leaning towards wanting the national anthem dropped from professional sporting events. Do we really need to hear it every time? Ok, maybe we can still have it for the Superbowl but having it before every game is ridiculous. The NBA has moved the anthem up so far that it takes place a full 15 or 20 minutes before tip-off with the stands mostly empty. The pre-game ritual before an NBA game is now fully focused on a loud and inspirational music video for the home team and its fans which takes place just before the presentation of the home starting line-up and only a couple of minutes before the game starts. It feels like the anthem is now played at NBA games because its required and not because fans want it or care at all about it.
I am not suggesting that the anthem be dropped to remove the opportunity for players to express their political views but rather so that those who practice right-wing wedge politics will have their opportunity taken away. Trump has seized the chance to energize his uncouth base and try to damage the NFL for not taking action against those players who passively demonstrate dissent by choosing to kneel during the anthem. Lets deny him that stage and let a football game be just that and nothing more. NFL players will still have plenty of media coverage if they want to be political and I hope that they will use it to share their views. We need to stop the distracting and destructive fallout from the whole national anthem business. I would bet that Roger Goodell agrees but I am sure that he will continue to simply hope that the problem goes away.
The Bills enter their bye week after five games which is probably earlier than they would have liked but still comes at a time when they can rest and try to get Charles Clay and Jordan Matthews back in the line-up for two games against the Bucs and Raiders to close out the month of October.
Monday, 2 October 2017
Bills 23, Falcons 17
On fourth down, with less then a minute to go, Matt Ryan's pass misses receiver Taylor Gabriel but Bills rookie cornerback Tre'Davious White is flagged for pass interference, giving the Falcons a first down at the Bills three yard line. After the Bills spend their three time-outs, the Falcons score a touchdown with 48 seconds left, make the extra point, stop the Bills on fourth down on the ensuing series and win the game 24-23. Except there was no pass interference called and the Bills left Atlanta with what Jerry Sullivan of the Buffalo News called the team's biggest road win since 2011.
I generally like the idea of video review for challenges, turnovers and scoring plays. They do take time and they break the natural flow of the game but they usually get the call right. There were two reviews yesterday which I was convinced would go against the Bills but didn't. The first resulted in a Bills touchdown after what was ruled a fumble by Matt Ryan. I've seen plenty of theses kind of plays where, if the quarterback's hand is moving forward - and especially if that forward motion propels the ball forward in any way - the ruling is almost always an incomplete pass. The ruling yesterday must have been that Ryan had already lost control of the ball (which he had as it was clearly knocked out of his hand well before it began to move forward) before batting it forward like a desperate volleyball player using the third hit to get the ball over the net. Ruling: the call on the field stands: touchdown Buffalo.
The second replay review was on a Micah Hyde interception of another Ryan pass where Hyde appeared to trap the tip of the ball on the ground simultaneous with his hands grasping its sides. The ground can not be used to help make a catch - or at least that's what I was convinced would be the ruling - but the play which was initially ruled to be an interception was not overturned on review and the Bills had secured their third turnover of the game. A third replay review went against the Bills who had recovered a fumble after what was initially ruled to be an interception and was then correctly ruled an incomplete pass as the receiver never controlled the ball. Two for three on replay reviews. Had they lost either of the two which they won, the Bills would likely be 2-2 this morning.
It never ceases to amaze me how much the fortunes of NFL football teams can change from season to season (with the obvious exception of the Cleveland Browns who seem permanently mired in oblivion no matter how many times they change general managers and coaches or how many high draft picks they get year after year). After installing a new coaching staff and trading two of their top players in Sammy Watkins and Ronald Darby in the pre-season, this season looked like an rebuilding year for the Bills with a stockpile of draft picks coming in 2018 and 2019. But, after four games, the Bills look to me like they actually are good team right now. The Falcons came as close to winning the Superbowl last year as a team can come without actually winning it and they were 3-0 before losing to the Bills yesterday. Buffalo's only loss was to the Panthers who won in New England yesterday and they have also beaten the Jets who are a surprising 2-2 and Denver who won against the Raiders yesterday to improve to 3-1.
I sense that it won't be long before I receive an email from the Bills asking me for a deposit on tickets to a home playoff game, something that Bills fans have not witnessed since Jim Kelly's final game in December, 1996. A home playoff game is only possible for teams who win their division (with the extremely remote but mathematically possible exception of a fifth seeded wildcard team playing a conference championship game at home against the sixth seed). With the Patriots at 2-2, the Bills find themselves in first place in the AFC East at 3-1, a position they have not occupied this late in the season in nine years. Yes, I am projecting far too much at the one quarter mark of the season but I am feeling optimistic right now with my desire for important winter-time football in Orchard Park seeming a bit less like a wild fantasy than it did a month ago. There's still plenty of time for the team to come back to earth with a schedule which still includes a trip to Kansas City and two games against the Patriots. But the schedule looks quite manageable otherwise and I see no reason to think that the team can't stay competitive at least through November.
Up next is a trip to Cincinnati this Sunday before the bye week. The Bengals throttled the Browns in Cleveland yesterday for their first win of the season. Their anemic offence has looked much better the past two weeks after firing their offensive coordinator after following a week two loss.
I generally like the idea of video review for challenges, turnovers and scoring plays. They do take time and they break the natural flow of the game but they usually get the call right. There were two reviews yesterday which I was convinced would go against the Bills but didn't. The first resulted in a Bills touchdown after what was ruled a fumble by Matt Ryan. I've seen plenty of theses kind of plays where, if the quarterback's hand is moving forward - and especially if that forward motion propels the ball forward in any way - the ruling is almost always an incomplete pass. The ruling yesterday must have been that Ryan had already lost control of the ball (which he had as it was clearly knocked out of his hand well before it began to move forward) before batting it forward like a desperate volleyball player using the third hit to get the ball over the net. Ruling: the call on the field stands: touchdown Buffalo.
The second replay review was on a Micah Hyde interception of another Ryan pass where Hyde appeared to trap the tip of the ball on the ground simultaneous with his hands grasping its sides. The ground can not be used to help make a catch - or at least that's what I was convinced would be the ruling - but the play which was initially ruled to be an interception was not overturned on review and the Bills had secured their third turnover of the game. A third replay review went against the Bills who had recovered a fumble after what was initially ruled to be an interception and was then correctly ruled an incomplete pass as the receiver never controlled the ball. Two for three on replay reviews. Had they lost either of the two which they won, the Bills would likely be 2-2 this morning.
It never ceases to amaze me how much the fortunes of NFL football teams can change from season to season (with the obvious exception of the Cleveland Browns who seem permanently mired in oblivion no matter how many times they change general managers and coaches or how many high draft picks they get year after year). After installing a new coaching staff and trading two of their top players in Sammy Watkins and Ronald Darby in the pre-season, this season looked like an rebuilding year for the Bills with a stockpile of draft picks coming in 2018 and 2019. But, after four games, the Bills look to me like they actually are good team right now. The Falcons came as close to winning the Superbowl last year as a team can come without actually winning it and they were 3-0 before losing to the Bills yesterday. Buffalo's only loss was to the Panthers who won in New England yesterday and they have also beaten the Jets who are a surprising 2-2 and Denver who won against the Raiders yesterday to improve to 3-1.
I sense that it won't be long before I receive an email from the Bills asking me for a deposit on tickets to a home playoff game, something that Bills fans have not witnessed since Jim Kelly's final game in December, 1996. A home playoff game is only possible for teams who win their division (with the extremely remote but mathematically possible exception of a fifth seeded wildcard team playing a conference championship game at home against the sixth seed). With the Patriots at 2-2, the Bills find themselves in first place in the AFC East at 3-1, a position they have not occupied this late in the season in nine years. Yes, I am projecting far too much at the one quarter mark of the season but I am feeling optimistic right now with my desire for important winter-time football in Orchard Park seeming a bit less like a wild fantasy than it did a month ago. There's still plenty of time for the team to come back to earth with a schedule which still includes a trip to Kansas City and two games against the Patriots. But the schedule looks quite manageable otherwise and I see no reason to think that the team can't stay competitive at least through November.
Up next is a trip to Cincinnati this Sunday before the bye week. The Bengals throttled the Browns in Cleveland yesterday for their first win of the season. Their anemic offence has looked much better the past two weeks after firing their offensive coordinator after following a week two loss.
Monday, 25 September 2017
Bills 26, Broncos 16
Tyrod Taylor says that he and Von Miller are friends. Maybe in the heat of the moment - with the temperature hovering close to 90 degrees and the Bills holding on to a seven point lead late in the fourth quarter of yesterday's game in Orchard Park - Miller decided to set aside their friendship by offering his hand to help Taylor from the ground after a hard hit and then pulling it away just as Taylor reached for it. Perhaps it was just an incident of competitive ribbing between friends or maybe it was the manifestation of Miller's frustration that a game in which his team was clearly favoured to win was slipping away. But Miller was called for unsportsmanlike conduct which gave the Bills a new set of downs and then a field goal which put them up by 10 points with just over three minutes to go.
I was surprised that the call was made. Not because it wasn't unsportsmanlike conduct - because it was - but because I have never seen such an act in a football game and I wondered if the officials had seen it before either. The CBS broadcast team of Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta obviously hadn't seen it called before either as Archuleta seemed stumped by the call, wondering why Miller's clean hit on Taylor was called: "it was a textbook shoulder to the chest hit", Archuleta declared, looking for a reason for the call. Sure, I've seen a player turn away from an opponent on the ground and not help him up after a play - I mean you don't have to help your opponent up after every play. But what Miller did was actually taunting in a slightly different form than it's usually seen and taunting is regularly called as unsportsmanlike conduct in NFL games. It was a devastating penalty for the Broncos and one from which they would not recover.
The Bills will likely find themselves climbing a few rungs in the NFL Power Rankings later this week after a solid performance against what was considered to be a clearly superior team in the Broncos. It was another outstanding defensive effort which in the end was too much for Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian, the Northwestern product in his third NFL season. Siemian made two awful plays in the second half which resulted in crucial interceptions and, along with a highly questionable fake punt play which the Bills stopped, cost his team the game. Kudos to the offence are also deserved: With the Broncos outstanding front seven shutting down the Bills running game, Tyrod Taylor was able to move the ball in the air, showing impressive touch on a couple of key passes in the second half and LeSean McCoy set aside his frustrations and was able to find his way to two key fourth quarter first downs which kept drives alive and kept the Broncos offence off the field. For the Bills, it was big win indeed.
I really am reluctant to wade into anything related to Donald Trump on this blog but since his recent statements were aimed directly at the NFL and prompted such a strong reaction, here's where I am on it: I have never understood Trump's strategy and I'm even more mystified by it this morning. I wonder if he is ever able to predict the response to his words and actions or if he practices any semblance of game theory in how he plays out issues he decides to tackle. Regardless of what I might think of him, his policies or his personal style, his success in politics can not be denied. Despite what seemed like insurmountable flaws, he won last year's election so while his strategy on any number of issues so often looks to be self-destructive, he somehow endures. Until he is impeached or indicted, his strategy works - like it or not. His recent statements have unified most of the NFL's players, many of its team owners and some of its fans. But, for sure, not all of its fans. If his goal was to divide NFL fans by making them choose sides, he surely succeeded. Did he foresee the on-field response yesterday with most players kneeling, locking arms in solidarity or skipping the national anthem altogether? Who knows? And who knows what, if any, his larger strategy with this issue really is. If he thought that Colin Kaepernick was a lone wolf who has been appropriately ostracized by the NFL for fighting an unpopular solo battle, he is obviously wrong. How or even if this forms part of any coordinated political game plan on his part is entirely unknown to me.
Things don't get easier for the Bills in week four with a trip to Atlanta to face the Falcons and their high powered offence.
I was surprised that the call was made. Not because it wasn't unsportsmanlike conduct - because it was - but because I have never seen such an act in a football game and I wondered if the officials had seen it before either. The CBS broadcast team of Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta obviously hadn't seen it called before either as Archuleta seemed stumped by the call, wondering why Miller's clean hit on Taylor was called: "it was a textbook shoulder to the chest hit", Archuleta declared, looking for a reason for the call. Sure, I've seen a player turn away from an opponent on the ground and not help him up after a play - I mean you don't have to help your opponent up after every play. But what Miller did was actually taunting in a slightly different form than it's usually seen and taunting is regularly called as unsportsmanlike conduct in NFL games. It was a devastating penalty for the Broncos and one from which they would not recover.
The Bills will likely find themselves climbing a few rungs in the NFL Power Rankings later this week after a solid performance against what was considered to be a clearly superior team in the Broncos. It was another outstanding defensive effort which in the end was too much for Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian, the Northwestern product in his third NFL season. Siemian made two awful plays in the second half which resulted in crucial interceptions and, along with a highly questionable fake punt play which the Bills stopped, cost his team the game. Kudos to the offence are also deserved: With the Broncos outstanding front seven shutting down the Bills running game, Tyrod Taylor was able to move the ball in the air, showing impressive touch on a couple of key passes in the second half and LeSean McCoy set aside his frustrations and was able to find his way to two key fourth quarter first downs which kept drives alive and kept the Broncos offence off the field. For the Bills, it was big win indeed.
I really am reluctant to wade into anything related to Donald Trump on this blog but since his recent statements were aimed directly at the NFL and prompted such a strong reaction, here's where I am on it: I have never understood Trump's strategy and I'm even more mystified by it this morning. I wonder if he is ever able to predict the response to his words and actions or if he practices any semblance of game theory in how he plays out issues he decides to tackle. Regardless of what I might think of him, his policies or his personal style, his success in politics can not be denied. Despite what seemed like insurmountable flaws, he won last year's election so while his strategy on any number of issues so often looks to be self-destructive, he somehow endures. Until he is impeached or indicted, his strategy works - like it or not. His recent statements have unified most of the NFL's players, many of its team owners and some of its fans. But, for sure, not all of its fans. If his goal was to divide NFL fans by making them choose sides, he surely succeeded. Did he foresee the on-field response yesterday with most players kneeling, locking arms in solidarity or skipping the national anthem altogether? Who knows? And who knows what, if any, his larger strategy with this issue really is. If he thought that Colin Kaepernick was a lone wolf who has been appropriately ostracized by the NFL for fighting an unpopular solo battle, he is obviously wrong. How or even if this forms part of any coordinated political game plan on his part is entirely unknown to me.
Things don't get easier for the Bills in week four with a trip to Atlanta to face the Falcons and their high powered offence.
Monday, 18 September 2017
Panthers 9, Bills 3
It was a perfectly scripted ending for Sean McDermott. Returning to Charlotte after six years as the Panthers Defensive Coordinator, the Bills new head coach lead his team through a grinding defensive battle and a last-minute win on a spectacular catch by rookie wideout Kay Jones who lept high in the air at the goal line, grabbed Tyrod Taylor's pass and rolled untouched into the endzone. Bills upset the heavily favoured Panthers 10-9.
Except Jones couldn't make the catch and the Bills have now fallen from first place in the AFC East. It was a fun ride for the one week it lasted. The silver lining was obviously the defence which kept Cam Newton out of the endzone for four quarters. Holding a team to 9 points should and almost always is enough to win in the NFL but the Bills weakness on the offensive side of the ball was glaring. The Panthers game planned very well for LeSean McCoy who was unable to move the ball on the ground at all. The passing game wasn't able to step up until later in the second half and, although they almost pulled it out, the Bills didn't come close to the endzone either except on their final play.
This was a frustrating game to watch as a Bills fan but for NFL fans without a rooting interest, it must have been excruciating. A defensive battle with only four field goals isn't going to do much for the league's sagging ratings, especially on a day without many close games to switch to in the 1pm line-up.
Comparing yesterday's Bills game to Saturday's Toronto Argonaut victory over the Edmonton Eskimos is a little like comparing apples to kiwi fruit but I'll give it a go anyway. Played before a gathering of just over 13,000 at BMO Field (which, laughably, is one of the biggest home crowds the Argos have drawn this season in a stadium with a football capacity of about 33,000), the home side beat the favoured Eskimos 34-26 in a game which featured 46 first downs and more than 800 yards of offence. I watched most of the second half with my dad, a life-long Argonaut fan who hasn't been to a game since 1978. The CFL still generates surprisingly decent national television ratings despite high levels of apathy in Canada's largest city. Regardless of its many challenges, the CFL's on-field product is almost always entertaining and Saturday's game was a great example of that.
The CFL made news last week by announcing an end to padded practices with contact during the regular season. The league obviously knew which coaches would support the move and which ones likely wouldn't as BC Lions head coach Wally Buono said that it was about time for such a move and Eskimos head coach Jason Maas questioned the decision and said that he learned of it only through the media. The only valid criticism I've heard of the decision is from junior and high school football coaches in Canada who worry that the pressure from parents to match the policy in their own leagues may develop a cohort of younger players who have not learned how to make or receive a proper football hit until they find themselves in game situations. This may lead to more injuries in the end, not less, they say. We'll see. If the policy serves to slow the decline in participation rates among young athletes, then it probably makes sense. I doubt that it will really give parents any more comfort when they decide which sports to sign their children up for.
The Bills have a tough test upcoming in week 3 as the Denver Broncos, coming off an impressive win against Dallas yesterday, come to Orchard Park. Then the team has two road games and a bye week before their next home game on October 22nd.
Except Jones couldn't make the catch and the Bills have now fallen from first place in the AFC East. It was a fun ride for the one week it lasted. The silver lining was obviously the defence which kept Cam Newton out of the endzone for four quarters. Holding a team to 9 points should and almost always is enough to win in the NFL but the Bills weakness on the offensive side of the ball was glaring. The Panthers game planned very well for LeSean McCoy who was unable to move the ball on the ground at all. The passing game wasn't able to step up until later in the second half and, although they almost pulled it out, the Bills didn't come close to the endzone either except on their final play.
This was a frustrating game to watch as a Bills fan but for NFL fans without a rooting interest, it must have been excruciating. A defensive battle with only four field goals isn't going to do much for the league's sagging ratings, especially on a day without many close games to switch to in the 1pm line-up.
Comparing yesterday's Bills game to Saturday's Toronto Argonaut victory over the Edmonton Eskimos is a little like comparing apples to kiwi fruit but I'll give it a go anyway. Played before a gathering of just over 13,000 at BMO Field (which, laughably, is one of the biggest home crowds the Argos have drawn this season in a stadium with a football capacity of about 33,000), the home side beat the favoured Eskimos 34-26 in a game which featured 46 first downs and more than 800 yards of offence. I watched most of the second half with my dad, a life-long Argonaut fan who hasn't been to a game since 1978. The CFL still generates surprisingly decent national television ratings despite high levels of apathy in Canada's largest city. Regardless of its many challenges, the CFL's on-field product is almost always entertaining and Saturday's game was a great example of that.
The CFL made news last week by announcing an end to padded practices with contact during the regular season. The league obviously knew which coaches would support the move and which ones likely wouldn't as BC Lions head coach Wally Buono said that it was about time for such a move and Eskimos head coach Jason Maas questioned the decision and said that he learned of it only through the media. The only valid criticism I've heard of the decision is from junior and high school football coaches in Canada who worry that the pressure from parents to match the policy in their own leagues may develop a cohort of younger players who have not learned how to make or receive a proper football hit until they find themselves in game situations. This may lead to more injuries in the end, not less, they say. We'll see. If the policy serves to slow the decline in participation rates among young athletes, then it probably makes sense. I doubt that it will really give parents any more comfort when they decide which sports to sign their children up for.
The Bills have a tough test upcoming in week 3 as the Denver Broncos, coming off an impressive win against Dallas yesterday, come to Orchard Park. Then the team has two road games and a bye week before their next home game on October 22nd.
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