SB Nation - Joey Porter

Jets Flight Connections 121009

dvdvil — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:15:55 -0000

HC Rex Ryan decided that QB Mark Sanchez will not play this Sunday. Rich Cimini reminds us that he thought of it first.

Fellow rookie and first round pick QB Matthew Stafford will not start either.

Fellow rookie and first round pick QB Josh Freeman is getting ready for the Jets game.

The Buccaneers have their work cut out for them, and having WR Michael Clayton might help.

The state of the upcoming opponent had nothing to do with the Sanchize being inactive. Attached to Dave Hutchinson's article are videos of Rex, Mark and back-up QB Kellen Clemens.

Hofstra product and Tampa Bay HC Raheem Morris knows the Jets just plan to run the ball anyway.

Clemens will get another chance to start, possibly his last shot to show what he can do. WR Braylon Edwards compares Kellen's situation to Browns QB Derek Anderson's experience.

The Jets and the Giants are keeping New York somewhat optimistic.

Former Giants RB Tiki Barber thought Mark would be okay to play.

Speaking of RBs, I once again urge you to vote early and vote often for Thomas Jones for FedEx Ground Player of the Week.

And again, you can send CB Darrelle Revis and other Jets all-stars to Miami by voting them in the ProBowl.

More connections after the jump.

Here is a nice summation of the Jets' clearest path to the playoffs.

ESPN.com says the Jets are in good position with their running backs.

RB Leon Washington is a big bargain. Browns HC Eric Mangini thinks highly of him.

Do the Jets actually have "the best front seven" out of the top five defensive teams right now?

This article names Darrelle Revis as Defensive Player of the Week.

This blogger compares Revis to 1994 Defensive Player of the Year Deion Sanders.

This blogger, for some reason, compares and contrasts the Jets to the Cowboys over the years.

Even K Jay Feely should have a productive Sunday for fantasy football. Pick Thomas Jones for your running back this week, as well as the Jets defense.

This article mentions Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew's no-TD play against New York, as well as his experience with Jets fans.

University of Washington QB Jake Locker looks at Mark Sanchez's decision to turn pro.

Even though Patriots QB Tom Brady recently became a daddy, he still made it to work on time, unlike these guys.

New England activated DL Titus Adams, who used to be on the Jets practice squad.

San Diego activated DT Antonio Garay, who used to be on the Jets practice squad.

Miami LBs Jason Taylor and Joey Porter did not practice.

Bills WR Terrell Owens says, "Just shoot me."

And lastly, here is a video of the Jets defensive players talking about their squad:

5 Questions: Patriots @ Dolphins

MaPatsFan — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:09:41 -0000

More photos » by Hans Deryk - AP

Browse more photos »

Moving on. Divisional game. Miami Dolphins at home. That's all that matters right now. Just as our favorite team and players are doing, it's time to stop mourning and start figuring out how we can make this a W. I'm not simply being nice when I way Miami gives New England trouble. More than any other division rival, they seem to know us pretty well and know our tendencies. However, in the last 5 games, we're 4-1 against the Fins and with Tom Brady under center, 3-0. That being said, Miami has managed an impressive 3rd in yards per game rushing...and that's WITHOUT Ronnie Brown. I also believe Head Coach Tony Sparano has been burning the midnight oil watching game film from our Saints matchup.

But on to the Dolphins. As is our custom, Head Blogger Matty I of The Phinsider and I exchanged questions on our upcoming matchup. Matty offered some excellent insight into how his team is doing this year and how some of the young guys have progressed.

Read on after the jump...

What impact has Ronnie Brown's absence had on the Dolphins? Can you think of any situations where his presence might've swung a game in your favor?

Well the Dolphins have only played two full games since Brown went down with his foot injury. In those two games, the Dolphins are 1-1. But I'll admit I can't help but think that if Ronnie was still healthy, the Dolphins wouldn't have lost to Buffalo last week.

Why? First off all, the 'Wildcat' really lacks any teeth without Brown. Ricky Williams is a talented back and all - but he's not nearly as good as the 'Wildcat' triggerman as Ronnie is. Truth be told, Brown is the 'Wildcat.' Secondly, I get the feeling that offensive coordinator Dan Henning doesn't attempt that ridiculous 'Wildcat' pass on first and goal from the three yard line against Buffalo on their first drive of the game last week - which resulted in an interception, of course. If Brown was healthy and the 'Wildcat' was as effective as usual, I think they decide to just pound it in. Also, if they were planning on throwing it there out of the 'Wildcat,' at least it would have been Ronnie - who has experience and some success throwing the football - rather than Ricky. In fact, Ronnie might decide to not even make the throw after seeing how the defense reacts. Ricky, on the other hand, doesn't have the experience and tried to force it in.

Most importantly, though, is how I think too much of the load is falling on Ricky's shoulders. The Dolphins got away from running the ball in the second half. And I can't help but think that if the Dolphins had a healthy Brown to go with Ricky, Dan Henning wouldn't have gotten away from the running game.

The bottom line is simple: Ronnie Brown was this offense's best player. And they aren't the same offense without him.

The Dolphins are #3 in rushing yards per game. Tell us about some of the guys who have stepped up in Brown's absence.

Well since Brown went down, it's mainly been Ricky Williams as the guy who has stepped up. Beginning with the game against Tampa Bay three weeks ago, Ricky has three consecutive 100 yard rushing games. He had just one all of last season. In fact, he hasn't had a run of 100 yard games like this since November of 2003. Dolphin fans everywhere just hope that he can keep it up as the increased workload takes its toll on him.

The other player who has stepped up - and who will probably see more carries on Sunday than he ever has - is running back Lex Hilliard. Hilliard is a second year player (spent '08 on practice squad) out of Montana who is a big, physical runner with lots of power. And he got his first career carry just two weeks ago against the Panthers. It was a 3rd & 16 and Hilliard ran up the middle, bouncing off defenders, for 18 yards and a first down. But in his two weeks of experience, he has just 9 carries for 46 yards. The coaches, I'm sure, just wanted to ease him into the role. Keep in mind that Hilliard is this team's fourth running back and just narrowly made the cut out of training camp. But injuries to Brown and to third running back Patrick Cobbs has thrust Hilliard into a bigger role. So far, he's looked promising in limited action. But I think he'll see a good 7 to 10 carries on Sunday - his biggest test yet.

Now that Jason Taylor has been around for a while, do you feel like he's been able to make significant contributions on the field or do you feel he's more valuable as a veteran locker room guy?

It's hard to know for sure how much of an impact in the locker room Jason Taylor has had this year. Keep in mind that this is a team that is not short on locker room leaders, especially on defense (Jason Ferguson and Joey Porter, for example). But it says a lot that Taylor was voted one of the team's captains back in the preseason by his teammates even after that ugly 2008 offseason mess that resulted in his trade to Washington.

On the field, Taylor has made significant contributions. Has he been as good as he was when he was younger? Of course not. But to even expect that is crazy. He's still an effective pass rusher, though. He is tied for second on the team with 6 sacks and probably gets more pressure on the quarterback than anyone else on this team other than Cameron Wake. Throw in a fumble return for a touchdown and an interception that set the Dolphins up deep in opponent territory - and yes, I'm pretty happy he's back in Miami.

Chad Henne was going to ease into the roll of starting quarterback until Chad Pennington's season ended abruptly. Was Henne's "instant" promotion a positive or a negative? Where have you seen Henne improve and where has he struggled?

I don't want to say his promotion was either a positive or a negative. He obviously brings something to this offense that they didn't have with Chad Pennington under center - a big arm. But that doesn't replace all of the things that Pennington brought to the table. His accuracy, his knowledge of the game, his leadership. With all that said, however, Henne's promotion to the starting role this season is definitely a positive in terms of what it means to this franchise's future.

As far as his play is concerned, his big arm comes as advertised. He can make all of the throws. We've seen his decision making improve. He had a tendency of holding onto the ball too long. But recently, we've seen him throw the ball away when necessary. And outside of last week's game, he hasn't really had issues with forcing the ball into coverage. I've also been impressed with Henne's ability to roll out and throw on the run.

But there are two main areas that Henne still needs to improve in. One - his accuracy. Sometimes he's perfectly on the money. Other times he's off. It's more of a consistency issue than an accuracy issue - which is a good thing. He has the ability to be extremely accurate. He just needs to be more consistent. Two - his tendency to stare down receivers. This is the biggest issue, in my opinion. He still tends to telegraph where he's going to throw by staring down his receiver. But I've seen him do this less and less as he has gained experience. Hopefully this is just something that goes away as he gets more comfortable in this offense with these receivers.

In our last matchup, Brady threw for 332 yards, 147 of those to Randy Moss. Do you feel like the Dolphins' young secondary has made some positive strides? Is Vontae Davis the guy who will get Moss and if so, will Randy Moss have a tough day?

I think that Vontae Davis and Sean Smith have definitely made some positive strides. And every time either one gives up a big pass, I see it as a learning experience for those two kids. With that said, I'm very worried about Sunday because it's beginning to look like both of those two young corners are hitting the dreaded "rookie wall." Most rookies only played in 12 or 13 games per year at the college level. We're now getting to that point where their bodies aren't used to taking this weekly pounding. And if either of them are a step slower because of this, Sunday could be a long day.

As far as who covers who, I'm still not too sure. I thought we'd see more of Sean Smith on Randy Moss last time - simply because of his size. But Vontae got the duty last time and didn't play poorly outside of one or two plays. Unfortunately, you can't give up one or two big plays per game and hope to win. The only thing I can guarantee you is that we'll see plenty of Nate Jones covering Wes Welker whenever Wes is lined up in the slot. Outside of that, it's anyone's guess.

A big shoutout to Matty I from for his most excellent answers. Head on over to The Phinsider for my answers to his questions.

Web Rumblings: Buffalo Bills Links, 12/1

MattRichWarren — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:14:24 -0000

WGR 550 SportsRadio - Lynch Fine With Back Seat Role
"I feel good. It feels good to come home and get a win in the fashion that we did," said Marshawn Lynch. "It's all right. If I could sit down and watch Fred (Jackson) do his thing, then that's what I'm going to do. As long as we get wins, I'm satisfied."

Veteran Florence proving a valuable pickup : The Buffalo News
"Drayton Florence is doing his talking on the field this season, and his performance says he is rehabilitating his career."

Bills Announce Thursday's Game in Toronto Is A Sellout | WGRZ.com
The Buffalo Bills announced late Monday evening, the game against the New York Jets in Toronto on Thursday is officially a sellout and the game will be televised locally (in Buffalo - NOT Rochester).

Fitzpatrick helps Bills finish | BuffaloBills.com
"In winning his sixth game as an NFL starter, Fitzpatrick led four touchdown drives on 17-26 passing for 246 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also capped a scoring drive with a 31-yard run—the longest rush by a quarterback in team history."

Bills replay: Run defense stiffens : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
The rushing defense didn't look great in the first half but that changed in the second when they clamped down on Ricky Williams.

WGR 550 SportsRadio - Home of the Buffalo Sabres - Levy and Thomas reunite on air
Former Bills head coach Marv Levy joined Thurman Thomas and The Bulldog on Buffalo Football Monday's Extra Point show, and Levy touched on a number of topics and memories.

Buffalo Bills Replay: Has team turned corner? | Democrat and Chronicle
Leo Roth and Sal Maiorana take a look back at the Dolphins game giving their feedback.

Buffalo Bills give Fred Jackson chance to be No. 1 RB | Democrat and Chronicle
"We need two running backs and he needs to get started and he needs his carries," said Fred Jackson. "I know he's the feature back and that's who they want to try to get rolling, but yeah, anybody in my situation wants the ball. You want to help the team as much as possible."

Food for Perry | Democrat and Chronicle | Three-Point Stance
Sal Maiorana gives his opinions on Perry Fewell and other events surrounding the Miami game.

Six from Sunday: Questionable calls prove costly
"The Dolphins' Wildcat pass from the 3-yard line in the opening drive of their loss to Buffalo is a play the Fish would love to have back. The play resulted in an interception, after Miami had rushed five times for 32 yards (6.4 average) to reach the 3"

Buffalo Bills | NFL at CBSSports.com
Bills interim coach Perry Fewell has quickly won over his team with his energetic approach. "He's the type of guy that has come in and gotten everybody behind him," DT Marcus Stroud said. "We want to play ball and ... we're trying to build up some wins."

Week 12 Morning Aftermath | ProFootballTalk.com
Mike Florio thinks that "Under Fewell, the Bills are dangerous." He continues saying, "It's easy to have big gonads when there's no real danger of getting them cut off."

No pads practices this week – Inside The Bills
"We will have walk-through practices, they won’t be padded full-speed practices because you’re coming off a game on Sunday," said Fewell. "And so we must try to keep our players fresh but give them good information."

BillBoard: Porter & Fish LBs | Buffalo News
"This will sound odd, but even though Miami linebacker Joey Porter had 2.5 sacks in Sunday's game against the Bills, he did not play a great game."

Oh Snap! Guess What I Saw? | The Goose's Roost
"Fewell may not be the guy, but he’s making Russ Brandon and Co.’s decision a little bit tougher every day. It’s hard not to root for him."

Niagara Gazette - BILLS DVR REWIND: Defense kept Buffalo in Sunday's win
Tim Schmitt rewatches the game and thinks the Bills defense is what won the game - not the offense.

Inpspired Bills down Dolphins | Olean Times Herald
"BUT THE real winner was Fewell who the players have embraced for his upbeat personality, positive attitude and willingness to get in their faces if needed," says Chuck Pollack.

Bills/Dolphins notebook: A record run for Fitzpatrick; Lindell redeems himself
Notes from the Bills’ 31-14 win over the Dolphins on Sunday afternoon at "The Ralph:"

Bills hope to get warmer reception in Toronto - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
John Wawrow talks with Brian Moorman and Rogers Communications' Adrian Montgomery about the upcoming game north of the border.

Anything But | The Goose's Roost
Ryan knows it's better for the Bills if they lose but, like me, can't bring himself to root against Buffalo.

Kubiak must go, the amazing Colts, coaching blunders - Don Banks - SI.com
"If the Bills can't land one of the big-name coaching candidates they've pursued, they could do a lot worse than retain Fewell, who at least has his guys playing impressively early on in his seven-game audition."

Stock Watch: Bills RB Fred Jackson - George Winkler - Fantasy Source Blitz - Sporting News
Fred Jackson's fantasy stock has gone way up now that he is the featured back.

Underdog Buffalo Bills likely to bite New York Jets | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle
Bob Matthews wonders why the Jets are favored on Thursday night when the Bills beat the Jets while they still had their two best players in Kris Jenkins and Leon Washington.

The 10 best NFL games of the last decade - Shutdown Corner - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
The Music City Mirage makes the list as the third-best game of the decade.... and it's barely part of the decade (January 8, 2000).

Touchdown for Teachers award winners announced | BuffaloBills.com
The Buffalo Bills and M&T Bank announced the "Touchdown for Teachers" program finalists and grand prize winner during the Bills vs. Dolphins game on Sunday, November 29th.

Web Rumblings: Buffalo Bills Links, 11/30

MattRichWarren — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:45:12 -0000

In a game of gut checks, Fewell passes the test : Jerry Sullivan : The Buffalo News
Sullivan runs down the list of Fewell going with his gut: attempting a 56-yard field goal, the deep bomb to T.O. (which Fewell didn't call), and starting Fred Jackson over Marshawn Lynch.

Miami Dolphins' Vontae Davis says officials gave Terrell Owens a break - Palm Beach Post
"We knew that we were playing against them and the refs," rookie cornerback Vontae Davis said. "That's tough. You can't make the game close. After that, I just knew (the officials) were not letting us get out of here with that game."

Bills Notebook: Moorman and Lindell find their finishing kicks : The Buffalo News
Brian Moorman and Rian Lindell had rough starts to the game but when it counted the most the Bills' kickers delivered late in the fourth.

WGR 550 SportsRadio - Immediate Reactions, Wk12
Nick Mendola is downright giddy in his postgame analysis.

Buffalo Bills trample Miami Dolphins | Democrat and Chronicle
"Playing to win as opposed to playing not to lose as his predecessor, Dick Jauron, often did, Fewell was grandly rewarded."

Buffalo Bills two-minute read | Democrat and Chronicle
Sal Maiorana recaps the game in condensed fashion.

Buffalo Bills NFL News Updates - CBSSports.com Rapid Reports
- The Bills technically had four safeties on the field for most of Miami's first drive. George Wilson and Jairus Byrd lined up at strong and free safety, respectively, with Donte Whitner at the nickel spot and Bryan Scott starting his third game in a row at LB.
- The Bills suffered only one injury today, as LB Nic Harris left the game with an eye contusion.

Bills 4th qtr changes perception – Inside The Bills
"In less than two weeks Perry Fewell has gone a long way in convincing this team they’re capable of better and that fighting to the end of games despite the postseason not really being in the cards is impressive."

Bills use fourth-quarter surge to put away Dolphins : The Buffalo News
"The great thing about it is the fourth quarter has been our Achilles' heel," said Bills linebacker Bryan Scott. "This fourth quarter we were able to ... score some points and then light our tails on fire and get after the quarterback."

Fitzpatrick shows qualities that are Peytonesque : Bob Dicesare : The Buffalo News
"If only for a day there's reasonable cause to compare Ryan Fitzpatrick, a starting quarterback by default, with Peyton Manning, a star quarterback by birthright."

Bills-Dolphins report card : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
The entire Bills team gets a "B-" or higher. What gives?

Dolphins' late collapse is tough to explain : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
Dave Hyde of the Orlando Sentinel is despondent about the fourth quarter collapse the Dolphins suffered.

Quarterly report: Bills-Dolphins : The Buffalo News
The News' Mark Gaughan breaks down the Bills' 31-14 win over the Dolphins quarter-by-quarter, analyzing statistics, key plays and more.

Buffalo Bills two-minute read | Democrat and Chronicle
Sal Maiorana recaps the game in condensed fashion.

Buffalo Bills Report Card | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle
The OL gets a "C-", tight ends "C+". Everyone else is sitting pretty in "B" territory or higher.

Playoff hopes take big hit as Dolphins fall in Buffalo - The Phinsider
"The Dolphins 17 point loss in Buffalo was a tough one to swallow."

Recap: Buffalo vs. Miami
The Sports Network recaps the game.

My First Dolphins Game Ever...with some pictures - The Phinsider
Great pictures from the game yesterday from dolphinsinbuffalo.

Refreshed Rivalry and Bright Future ahead - The Phinsider
DPL3 Rollin of the Phinsider is glad the Bills-Dolphins rivalry is back.

Bills playing with pride under Fewell - AFC East Blog - ESPN
"About a third of the way into the tryout, I'd say Fewell is making a sound case to get the job permanently. I'm not saying Fewell is the best option, but there's no denying he has been impressive so far."

Wrap-up: Bills 31, Dolphins 14 - AFC East Blog - ESPN
"The Buffalo Bills deadened the hopes of an AFC East playoff race by denying the Miami Dolphins their first peek at a winning record this year."

Run, Ryan, run? Throw, Ricky, throw? - AFC East Blog - ESPN
"Ricky Williams is throwing interceptions and Ryan Fitzpatrick is busting off 31-yard touchdown runs. What's next? Joey Porter taking a monastic vow of silence and Dick Jauron taking a job as a color commentator?"

Fitz and Fewell Bring Bills Fodder for the Future | wgrz.com
"Loved the way Perry Fewell has injected enthusiasm into his team, and is playing to WIN, not playing not to lose. On the other hand, to be honest, it's a bit easier to play it that way when you have everything to gain and little to lose."

Fewell's gut instincts provide spark for Bills | Democrat and Chronicle
Buffalo interim head coach Perry Fewell trusted Rian Lindell to come through on a fourth-quarter 56-yard field goal and it paid off for the Bills on Sunday.

Fewell fuels Bills | Ken Fidlin | Columnists | Toronto Sun
"It's probably too little, too late, but there's no questioning that Perry Fewell's appointment as interim coach has energized the Buffalo Bills in a way most of them never thought possible."

Niagara Gazette - BILLS NOTEBOOK: Fitzpatrick flashes running ability
"Ryan Fitzpatrick is making Bills fans forget about Trent Edwards. Ironically, he’s doing it with some of J.P. Losman’s old moves," says Jonah Bronstein.

Niagara Gazette - TIM'S TAKE: Fewell's fire gives Bills a much-needed spark
"It’s a difference, right? It’s a difference," Donte Whitner said. "And around here, it’s no knock on anybody, but we’re used to playing it safe in those situations. And the opposition, they know that. Today, they didn’t really expect that. Even last week, when (Terrell Owens) caught the 98-yard touchdown pass, they expected us to run the ball, run the ball, run the ball, punt the ball."

The right spark - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow
"Fitzpatrick proved Sunday you don’t need to have a lot of style, or the strongest arm, to win a game in the NFL. With the way the season has gone for the Bills and their fans, it might just be what the team needs going forward."

Jackson's the man in Bills backfield - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow
Bryan Sullivan looks at Perry Fewell's decision to start Fred Jackson over Marshawn Lynch.

Fewell’s presence is having an impact in the locker room - The Dunkirk Observer
"The players stood behind Jauron and always gave him their vote of confidence. I honestly believe the players LIKED playing for Jauron. But I think the players LOVE playing for Fewell."

The Miami Dolphins' defense allowed Buffalo to rush for 129 yards and score three rushing touchdowns in Sunday's 31-14 loss. -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
Buffalo averaged 5.3 yards per carry against the Dolphins and scored three rushing touchdowns

Ex-Dolphin Jim Mandich's take on Dolphins game. -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
"You wish you had that one back, but the Dolphins let many more get away by letting the Bills hang around all game."

T.O. helps Bills beat Dolphins in 31-14 win - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
The AR's John Wawrow gives his account of the game from the press box.

Bills strong 4th quarter sinks Dolphins - BuffaloBills.com
"For once this season the Bills owned the fourth quarter, and it was pivotal as Buffalo outscored the Dolphins 24-0 to overcome a touchdown deficit and win for the first time in a month, 31-14 over division rival Miami."

Scott Pitoniak: New coach "Fewells'' Bills victory vs. Dolphins
The Rochester writer likes what he sees from Perry Fewell so far and gives other thoughts from the win over the Dolphins.

Does God Hate the Buffalo Bills? : Buffalo Sports Daily
Jeff Nixon gives his recollections from losing to the Dolphins for the 19th and 20th straight times before finally knocking them off in 1980.

You Can’t Rush Beauty, Partna : Buffalo Sports Daily
"The T.O. turnaround is in full flight and suddenly, labeling it as beauty would be quite the understatement. Breathtaking may be more fitting."

Other Bills bits
Congrats, Hall Semifinalists, and Good Luck: You'll Need It This Year -- NFL FanHouse
"Andre Reed and now Tim Brown further clog the receiver backlog -- I'm coming around on Reed after long talks about him with his bosses in Buffalo: Bill Polian and Marv Levy."

Haslett hasn't been contacted as a candidate for NFL job | ProFootballTalk.com
A league source tells us that Haslett hasn't been contacted regarding himself.

No Monday update from Fewell – Inside The Bills
Interim head coach Perry Fewell will not be giving a wrap up on Sunday’s game Monday. It’s due to the fact that the Bills have a very short week of preparation with their next game coming on Thursday night against the Jets.

Game Day Web Rumblings: Buffalo Bills Links, 11/29

MattRichWarren — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:21:37 -0000

Gameday Tipsheet - Week 12 | BuffaloBills.com
Chris Brown's things to watch for.

Buffalo Bills set to host Miami Dolphins | Democrat and Chronicle
John Wawrow's AP preview

Simmons expected to start – Inside The Bills
The seven-year veteran Kendall Simmons is expected to start at right guard in place of rookie Eric Wood.

Game Previews
Bills-Dolphins Preview | BuffaloBills.com
Preview from the Associated Press.

Bills Daily Gameday Preview
The Bills blog gives its preview.

Dolphins' Porter out to prove he's not all talk : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
Expect Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter to have blood in his eye Sunday when he faces the Buffalo Bills.

NFL Preview - Miami (5-5) at Buffalo (3-7) | Sports Network
The 2009 season has descended into the abyss for the Buffalo Bills. On Sunday, when Perry Fewell makes his Ralph Wilson Stadium debut as the team's interim head coach, the 3-7 Bills will be looking to drag the AFC East rival Miami Dolphins down with them.

Week 12 NFL game previews - USATODAY.com
Dolphins @ Bills is a third of the way down the page: The Dolphins have won the past three meetings by an average of 16.7 points.

Bills-Dolphins scouting report : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
Here is Allen Wilson's breakdown of today's matchup.

Game Day: Buffalo Bills | Democrat and Chronicle
Sal Maiorana's six points and gameday preview.

Dolphins vs. Bills Preview | wgrz.com
Adam Benigni spoke with Dolphins color Commentator Joe Rose as the team arrived at the Adam's Mark hotel in downtown Buffalo.

Buffalo Bills Game Day (Two Bills Drive)
Gameday preview by the Bills blog, Two Bills Drive.

Who has the edge: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills - Miami Dolphins - MiamiHerald.com
Armando Salguero breaks down who has the edge during several specific times in the game like when the Bills run or the Dolphins pass.

Team in Transition
Russ Grimm emerges as candidate for Bills job | ProFootballTalk.com
Charley Casserly of CBS's The NFL Today suggested the Cardinals line coach.

Mike Shanahan, Leslie Frazier among NFL coaching candidates - Don Banks - SI.com
Don Banks profiles the list of potential head coaches fir 2010.

The Tuna recipe to NFL success : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
Dolphins football chief Bill Parcells built winners in New York, New England and Dallas, and now he has helped remake Miami in his own image. The veteran coach's doctrines are no secret; adopting them could pay major dividends for the Bills.

A strong GM is a thing of the past in these parts : Jerry Sullivan : The Buffalo News
Jerry Sullivan profiles Colts GM Bill Polian.

UFL's Jim Haslett Contacted for NFL Job --FanHouse
Haslett didn't elaborate or even say if it was for a head coaching job or a coordinator position.

Tasker, Reed named Hall of Fame Semifinalists
Hall of Fame announces 25 semifinalists | ProFootballTalk.com
No-brainers for enshrinement are Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice. Tim Brown might have to wait until Carter gets in. Reed arguably should get in before either of them.

NFL Videos: Road to Canton with Rod Woodson
The Hall of Fame DB discusses Tim Brown, Cris Carter, and Andre Reed. When asked to pick one of the 3 he picks Andre calling him "the most complete" and "the greatest at yards after the catch".

Reed, Tasker Make Final 25 List for NFL HOF : Buffalo Sports Daily
"In what is sure to raise the ire of Buffalo Bills fans everywhere, Darryl Talley was inexcusably not included among the final 25."

More Bills News
ONLY GATORS Get Out Alive - Florida Gators college football
New Bills practice squader Jason Watkins played on the UFL's New York Sentinels.

Calls and Effect: AFC East penalty tracker - AFC East Blog - ESPN
Officials already have marched off 75 infractions against the Buffalo Bills. Their 71 accepted penalties last year were the NFL's second-fewest.

Buffalo Bills NFL News Updates - CBSSports.com Rapid Reports
"[Eric Wood] is back in town ... and everything looks good," interim coach Perry Fewell said.

Mace jersey number – Inside The Bills
Chris Brown is worried that Mace's promotion means Marcus Stroud may be limited even if he plays.

Prep work already on Jets – Inside The Bills
Buffalo's position coaches already have the shell of the game plan set up for the Thursday night game against the Jets.

Felser: Bills need to find out Brohm's capabilities : The Buffalo News
The Bills need to find out everything there is to know about Brohm and his possibilities as a quarterback who could produce a contender in Buffalo says Larry Felser.

Buffalo Bills have lost their home-field advantage | Democrat and Chronicle
Sal Maiorana laments the loss of Buffalo's homefield advantage.

Video: Kelly wants Bills to draft Tebow - AFC East Blog - ESPN
ESPN takes a look at Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly's recent comments about Tim Tebow being a perfect fit for the Buffalo Bills.

Wilson owes a debt to fans like Chuck : Donn Esmonde : The Buffalo News
Donn Esmonde uses a fan named Chuck Jones to highlight some of the struggles Bills fans go through rooting for the team when they are so bad.

Answer Man: Buffalo Bills should consider McCoy | Democrat and Chronicle
"I believe McCoy has the arm strength, accuracy, mobility and savvy to be a very good NFL quarterback for a long time."

Bills finished with Edwards | Olean Times Herald
Chuck Pollack thinks the BIlls addition of Brian Brohm means they are permanently done with Trent Edwards on any level - backup this year, backup next year, starter if Fitzpatrick is hurt.

Bills Tweets
Terrell Owens
Is it time 2 put the Xmas tree??? I'm puttin up my tree rite now: http://tweetphoto.com/5516897

Thurman Thomas
@DarrylTalley ur a hall of famer in my book, I love you and ur family

Lydell Sargent
Mannn Tim Tebow has hearttt bro!!! Heart, Passion, Swag!! I can respect it....

ESPN's Adam Schefter
Q: What do you think the chances of terrell owens staying in buffalo?
A: Far less than chances he'd ever play there.

Former Bill Ross Tucker
Love the fake QB sneak by ND. We did that in Buffalo vs. Seattle in 2004. Mike Mularkey special.

Ross Tucker
JeremyNPike: "One more game and the Bills would have been in the playoffs. So close that year."
Tucker's response: "Tell me about it."

Thurman Thomas
Gameday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It wld be nice if 72,000 fans gave the Dolphins the Bud Adams at the same time... I'm just saying

Thurman Thomas
They sld show nothing but Bills/Dolphins highlights on jumbo tron today.... 90's highlights...Y I'm not workin over there blows my mind

The AP's John Wawrow
#Bills #Dolphins an absolutely perfect late November morning for Buffalo. Mild, partly cloudy. 2 bad not many fans showing up early.

Thurman Thomas
I asked Thurman: "Do you hate the Dolphins more or less now than you did before your one year there?"
He responded: "less it ws a different experience, but I gained alot of friends there. Taylor, Zac,McDuffie,even got 2 spend time wit Marino"

Bills/Dolphins: Five questions with The Phinsider

Brian Galliford — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:30:17 -0000

by Rick Havner - AP

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You know what time it is. The Miami Dolphins will be gracing Ralph Wilson Stadium with their presence this Sunday for the first time since December 9, 2007, when the Trent Edwards-led Buffalo Bills put a 38-17 beat down on a Dolphins team that finished 1-15 that year. Now Buffalo is attempting to avoid losing their fourth straight game to their biggest rival.

Joining us, as always, for Bills/Dolphins week is Matty I from The Phinsider. His interview with me is after the jump, and his interview of me is over at his site, so make sure you check both out. Away we go.

Chad Henne. He's the present and future of the Dolphins, and Miami is now 5-2 in games he's started. He's been a pretty solid game manager, only throwing 4 INT - but it's also pretty clear that he's not doing some of the things he was supposed to do, like improve Miami's deep game (he's averaging just 6.1 yards per attempt). Have you in any way been disappointed by this guy?

Disappointed? Not at all. Henne is a guy who has stepped in when he wasn't even expected to (at least not that early in the season) and has played relatively well. He's still inconsistent with his accuracy. But his strong arm has come as advertised, and he's made some throws that Chad Pennington's arm just wouldn't allow him to make. He looks very poised in big spots and has been exceptional on third down.

As far as the deep passing game goes, you can't say that Henne isn't doing something he is supposed to do. Those long passes will come in time. The fact of the matter is that the Dolphins don't have any receivers to throw to down the field. Ted Ginn is the only receiver the Dolphins have who can actually stretch a defense - and he has suddenly forgotten how to catch the football. The rest of this team's receivers look like they're running in quicksand. But once the Dolphins actually get some speed at the receiver position, I'm pretty confident that we'll see an improved deep game.

Here's how desperate Bills fans are about our current quarterback position: any chance Miami re-signs Chad Pennington as a backup for the 2010 season?

Ugh.

I say that because I think it makes a lot of sense for Chad Pennington to consider going to Buffalo. And that's the last thing I want to see. Having had the pleasure of seeing how valuable a guy like Pennington is to a franchise in the year and a half he's been in Miami, I would really hate to see him go to a division rival. He's exactly what a team like Buffalo needs.

As far as Pennington's future in Miami goes, I don't think anyone can say with any certainty that they know what will happen. With that said, I don't find it likely that Pennington - if he decides to play next season - is a Dolphin in 2010. I think that both the front office and the coaching staff have decided that Henne is their guy. They also seem determined to develop Pat White as both a backup and a "spread option" quarterback. And I'm not sure Pennington would want to come back to Miami knowing that he was, at best, only going to be the No. 2 guy - especially if a team like Buffalo comes calling offering their starting job to him.

Like I said, it's the last thing I want to see. But if he was to end up in Buffalo, I'd wish him all the luck in the world, because he's among the classiest athletes I've ever seen.

Obviously the Ronnie Brown injury hurts - less so for the Dolphins than for the championship run I was plotting in my fantasy football league. I've spoken with you before about my immense respect for Ricky Williams, but at 32 years old, is he capable of being the workhorse back for a physical team trying to make a playoff run?

Tell me about it, Brian. Ronnie was also on one of my fantasy teams - in the league that has "a lot" on the line (if you catch my drift). So his injury was a double whammy for me.

As for Ricky, that's the million dollar question. I don't doubt his ability and I wasn't very surprised at how effective he was last week against the Panthers. But he did carry the ball 22 times just four days after carrying it 20 times against Tampa Bay. His season high in carries last year was just 16 - back in Week 3. And he hasn't carried the football 20+ times in back to back weeks since the end of the 2005 season. So I'm not as confident as some are that Ricky can handle a much increased workload for six more weeks.

But I also think we're going to see Lex Hilliard get more chances as the year goes on. The Dolphins kept Hilliard on the 53-man roster out of training camp as the fourth running back because they did like what they saw from him. Now he's the primary backup and I think we'll start to see 10-12 touches per game for Lex as we move forward. Rookie Kory Sheets might also get a few looks - particularly in the "Wildcat" taking Ricky's spot as the "sweeper" while Ricky mans Ronnie's old spot as the triggerman.

It's hardly surprising that Cameron Wake had his coming out party against Buffalo, but he's been much more than a flash-in-the-pan of late. How has his role changed, and will it continue to do so in the future?

Cameron Wake has proven to be a real pass-rushing monster, to be honest. Despite playing just 100 defensive snaps this year, Wake is tied for second on the Dolphins with 4.5 sacks and leads the team in quarterback pressures with 15. But the coaching staff still isn't comfortable with Wake's ability to set the edge on rushing plays and to drop into coverage when it's necessary to do so. And that's why his snap count has been so low.

But his game reps are increasing. Back in Week 8, Wake saw just one defensive snap. The following week, he saw 12. But then in Week 10 - with Joey Porter sitting out due to a "coach's decision" - Wake saw 33 reps. Then last week, with Porter returning, Wake only saw 10. But I get the feeling that his role is going to slowly increase as the weeks go by - especially to keep the team's two starting OLB, Porter and Jason Taylor, fresh.

Sean Smith and Vontae Davis have been your full-time starting corners for about a month now. How well have they progressed this season?

I think I echo most Dolphin fans when I say that I'm very excited about both Vontae Davis and Sean Smith. Smith has been starting since day one and he's played quite well. In fact, it seemed like teams were picking on Will Allen to avoid throwing in Smith's direction. But over the past few weeks, Smith has been a little more inconsistent. I don't know if it's the "rookie wall" - though that would make a lot of sense considering he's been a starter all season - or if it's just a situation where he's making some mental mistakes. Either way, though, I'm not too worried about it because I think he's going to be a very good player.

Meanwhile, Davis just stepped into the starter's role once Allen went down for the season. And he's progressed very nicely since his increase in snaps. He's making fewer mental mistakes and, right now, might be out-playing Smith. But even still, he does get beat at times. But I've also noticed that when he gives up a big play, it's not because he's beat or out of position. He just needs to get his head around quicker on deep balls.

All in all, though, it's hard for any Dolphin fan to sit here and not be pleased with how these two are coming along. Quite honestly, I think the Dolphins are going to be strong at cornerback for years to come.

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:00:20 -0000

Happy Tuesday, friends. It's a short week, with another game on Thursday night, so there's no time to mope or feel sorry for ourselves. In their scheduling wisdom, the NFL took away our right to do so - and I, for one, am glad. The Giants can be beaten, with sound play, but we'll get to that eventually. For now we'll put this week to bed and move on quickly. Ready.... BEGIN!!!!

1. I am approaching one full year as a staff contributor to MHR, having joined at the beginning of December 2008. It's been quite an interesting year, and my relationship to the team has kind of changed in an unexpected way during that time.

I first discovered MHR in April 2008, right before the draft. It, and SBNation, have come a long way since then, but the basics were the same; MHR is a respectful, knowledgeable community which discussed all things about their team. I was inspired to join such a community, and I started posting some FanPosts (which were still called Diaries only a year and a half ago).

Unlike a lot of staff members, I wasn't asked to fill a specific role, so I had to figure out what mine would be. I had always done some around the league stuff, but I wanted to find a delivery formula that would work well on a Broncos site. I debuted ST&NO on January 12, 2009, with the following opening:

As we enter the re-loading season, I felt like I needed to establish a fun new recurring feature. HT has MHR University, and Broncobear has the always excellent Tales from the Sunny Side. Styg is heading up some great draft coverage, which has a fun name, which you'll be hearing about very soon. Nick has some statistical analysis pieces which will be coming, and Zappa will continue to be Zappa, intermittently unleashing jolts of Broncos fan brilliance. And the Guru, when we form like Voltron, the Guru is the head.

So where does that leave me? Well, I was thinking a couple days ago, as I listened to Enter The Wu-Tang and shoveled a foot of snow, that two things I can consistently provide are shallow thoughts, and nearsighted observations. Since this is a Broncos blog, I'll focus on our team, but I'll also include some league-wide thoughts, for keeping-up-with- the-Jones purposes. Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations. What else could be needed on top of that? Maybe just some more cowbell.... Did anybody bring a cowbell?

Well, ST&NO has grown, and I have too. As I was sitting on my couch Sunday, watching the debacle against the Chargers, I realized that I wasn't yelling and cursing as much as normal. I didn't get that excited, and I have to say, upon some reflection, that I have been less excitable about the Broncos this season than ever. For the first 6 games, I had a hard time finding new ways to express my pleasure with the situation, and for the last 4, I have had trouble doing the opposite thing.

All I can figure is that my role in writing for this site has subtly and gradually forced me to become more of an objective analyst, and less of a passionate fan. I think the change largely has to do with my relationship with and attitude toward reporters.

I like to beat up on NFL reporters, because I think that most of them only have a surface-level knowledge of what is going on in a football game. The Broncos have a couple of good reporters, in Lindsay Jones and Jeff Legwold, and I never take any shots at them. I actually have tended toward staying away from taking deserved shots at the Denver-area Woody Paige bloviator class, because I don't want to spend the site's goodwill with the Denver media; it's John's to spend, not mine, after all. (Woody going after Kyle at BroncoTalk made me briefly lift my moratorium in the comments section of Horse Tracks the other day.)

Here's a summary of my general attitude toward football reporting. I think there is relatively little value in the reporting of news, at the national level. When Lindsay Jones reports on what happened at the facility every day, there is value in that. When Chris Mortensen hears 10 minutes before Jay Glazer that Chris Simms will start, who cares? Everybody was going to find out soon enough anyway, so what's the difference who had it first?

The real value, to me, is in the analysis, which is why I devote my time and effort to being a good analyst. While I am not a journalist, I do admire the journalistic principle of objectivity, and I think that in reconciling my criticism of national NFL reporters with my long-held policy of non-hypocrisy, I have become more objective. If I am going to beat them up for not knowing the technical aspects of the game as well as me, I can't be less objective than them. Something like that.

I remember last spring sitting in a bar with some co-workers for a happy hour, and seeing Woody's face come on Around The Horn. I told this girl I work with, Trudy, that I competed with him in the marketplace of ideas, and that I kicked his butt, on the merits. Well, I really don't think of Woody as my competition anymore, for a lot of obvious reasons. (Like, for example, he can't compete with me.) Due to the established nature of my content, I feel like I am competing with national guys, like Peter King and Gregg Easterbrook, even if this platform is Broncos-specific.

So, the point of this is that I was struggling with what to say in a general way about Sunday's game, when I don't have the deep feelings that most of you do, and that I would have had a year ago. I feel like I imagine Tom Jackson to feel; I'm very disappointed at the result for my affiliated team, but at the end of the day, I have the rest of the football landscape to worry about, too, and I have to get on with the business of being an objective analyst. I am still coming to grips with this change, and I am not really sure what the ancillary implications are for me. This may be one of these existential crises like we're seeing with Team Edward or Team Jacob. (I have a lot of 20-something women among my Facebook friends, so, trust me, I know.) See here for a funny breakdown of that Twilight sitch-ee-ation.

(Big up my man Justin Dazet for finding that. Justin writes a blog that gets into gaming and other stuff, and a San Diego area column on Geek Culture. Check him out if you're into that sort of thing.)

Momentarily, I will get back to the business of breaking down the game details, like I always do, but I thought I should at least explain why there was no impassioned, emotional screed today about the Broncos.

2. Information From My Eyes - Chargers at Broncos

a. First things first. I am going to tell you why Kyle Orton didn't start the game. He couldn't take snaps from under center and drop back effectively. It's that simple. The injury that he has prevented it. If you can only play in the shotgun, your running game is severely limited, from the perspective of the direction you can run. Josh McDaniels said this without really getting detailed, but this is what he meant.

Orton took a few snaps under center, but he really labored with his footwork, and it hindered the timing of the running game, and the Broncos could only really run to the A and B gaps. When the QB is playing slow, it makes the whole offense play slow, unfortunately.

b. The Broncos came out running the ball like they meant business. They could do that with Chris Simms under center, but Simms obviously never held his end of the bargain as a passer. When Orton came into the game, it wasn't conducive to running the ball, and neither was Orton's ability to retreat from center.

c. Knowshon Moreno scored a Touchdown, and ~~Ron~~ Nuclear Winter's crew blew the call. When I saw who the referee was, right after kickoff, I tweeted;

I am sure Moreno's play was a TD by virtue of relative positioning. To wit, Russ Hochstein's knee was across the goal line, and if his knee caused the fumble, which it clearly did, then the ball had to be across the goal line. That play was an absolute killer, because with a TD at the end of the half, the Broncos are right back in the game at 13-7. The energy of the game had momentarily shifted to the Broncos, and just like that, it was gone.

d. I was very disappointed with the defensive scheme, as I have been the last several weeks. The Broncos have really changed from an aggressive defense to one which is reading and reacting, and I don't like it at all. In the game at San Diego, the Broncos had great success pressuring the A gaps, and I saw very little effort to do that Sunday. They also got Elvis Dumervil in favorable matchups against the terrible Jeromey Clary, and again, there was none of that. Clary was even injured, and they didn't seem like they wanted to go after him. The Broncos need to get back to what made them tough on defense.

e. A little noticed good thing about Sunday was kickoff and punt coverage. The Broncos never let Darren Sproles hurt them in the return game, and both Josh Barrett and David Bruton made outstanding plays in downfield coverage.

f. The Chargers defensive backs got away with playing through the bodies of Denver receivers several times. The Broncos were a lot sloppier than San Diego, but not to the point where the penalty disparity should have been as wide as it was. It seems to me that teams which have "physical" labels like San Diego, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore get away with mugging a lot of WRs, and not just with crappy officiating crews like Nuclear Winter. It's like how you might call a foul playing an indoor basketball game at the Y, but you wouldn't call the same thing playing streetball.

g. Speaking of penalties, I want to know what the unsportsmanlike conduct was against Marcus Thomas and Ronald Fields on those two kicking plays. It seemed to me that they just hit the long snapper, though it was hard to tell from the TV angles on the recorded Short Cut. Those seemed like Nuclear Winter ticky-tack calls.

h. Andre' Goodman had a hard time dealing with the size of Malcolm Floyd on Sunday. Chris Chambers has done very well in Kansas City, but Floyd is a much tougher matchup for a guy like Goodman.

i. I put a great deal of the Broncos' recent offensive struggles on the absence of Ryan Harris. They haven't been able to protect nearly as well as they did in the first six games. That's not exactly meant to be an indictment of Tyler Polumbus, who is fine as a backup OT and special teams player. It's just recognizing the fact that Harris is one of the best RTs in the game. The timing of the offensive struggles aren't coincidental. It looks like Harris is still hurt, but let's hope he can play on the other side of the Giants game.

j. Again, the gap discipline took a vacation in the second half of the football game. Peter King thinks the defense of the first six games was a mirage, which is dramatically oversimplifying the case. They have still been quick and active for big stretches during the losing streak. It's just been less common to see them sustain it for 60 minutes lately. D.J. Williams (again) and Andra Davis both had pretty bad days in the gap discipline department.

k. I was fine with the onsides kick call, even if it didn't work. It was a good situation for it, because the Broncos were going to lose anyway without a big play.

3. Information From My Eyes - Other Games

a. Again, Thursday seems like it was a long time ago. I was very impressed with the play of Ricky Williams in the absence of Ronnie Brown. I haven't liked the play of Williams so much, maybe ever. The Dolphins didn't do much of their Wild Cute Marine Mammal stuff, but they ran very well from traditional formations, against a Carolina defense which is usually stout against the run. The direct snap stuff is good because of Brown, who has a rare instinctiveness for the options it provides. The Dolphins were smart to go back to the handoff game with Williams.

b. I still don't like Chad Henne's tattoo, but he had a very steady game. He's improving as a player every week, and I give the Dolphins a lot of credit for taking it slow with him, and developing him in an intelligent way. Tony Sparano doesn't receive a lot of acclaim, but I have been very impressed with the coaching job his staff has done for two years now.

c. The Dolphins have started ST&NO Favorite Sean Smith at RCB all season, and are now starting Vontae Davis at LCB. They have done a great job, and they really more than held their own against Muhsin Muhammad and Steve Smith last Thursday. Both guys are very talented, but again, it's a testament to the coaching they are getting from Todd Bowles, the Dolphins Assistant Head Coach and Secondary coach. I fully expect Bowles to get a head coaching job this offseason, even though nobody in the reporter-o-sphere is talking about him.

d. I criticized Joey Porter's play last week, but the benching seems to have motivated him. He was dominant, with two sacks and two other tackles for losses. It helped that Jordan Gross was hurt, but Porter looked much better than I have seen him this season, regardless of the matchup.

e. I watched a great deal of the Green Bay-San Francisco game, and I came away thinking that Aaron Rodgers has it better than Alex Smith from a protection standpoint, which isn't saying much at all, obviously. San Francisco has a pretty good LT in Joe Staley, but he's been hurt for a few weeks now. Smith couldn't do anything at all for most of the game Sunday, because he was getting hit the second he got to the top of his drops.

In the second half, with the score getting lopsided, the Niners smartened up and just put Smith in the shotgun, where he is most comfortable. He responded with 3 TD passes and made the game look like it was closer than it was. I continue to think that Smith is more than good enough to win with, if he gets protection. When you evaluate what he does in a vacuum, he's doing the right things way more often than not.

f. I have heard a lot of criticism of Aaron Rodgers lately, but he continues to look like a top-notch passer to me. He is gaining 8.2 yards per pass attempt, with 19 TDs and 5 INTs this season. He has also run for more yards than any QB in the NFL, and 3 TDs. I also tend to think you have to evaluate Rodgers in a vacuum, and other than holding the ball a little too long sometimes, he doesn't do much wrong. The last couple weeks, he's been getting the ball out quicker, too.

g. The loss of Al Harris is really going to hurt the Packers badly. It severely limits their ability to use Charles Woodson in the wide variety of roles that they liked to use him in. Woodson has often covered TEs and is a great blitzer. He's played as well as any defensive player in the NFL this season, and now the Packers may need to use him more on the outside.

I actually think the loss of Aaron Kampman is pretty negligible for them, despite his big name. He hasn't adjusted well to playing OLB, and his tallness has hurt him. By coming from a standup position, Kampman hasn't gotten the leverage he used to play with. He needs to move on to a 4-3 team where he can play on the strongside again. He's about the best in the NFL at that, after Mario Williams.

h. I can't believe the Jaguars are 6-4, but they are. When they win, they have been getting good play from David Garrard and Mike Sims-Walker, which they did on Sunday against Buffalo. Garrard is an interesting guy, because he seems young, but he isn't. He's actually 31, and he's probably reached the prime of his career. He's good enough to take a team to the playoffs, obviously, but do you build around him? I kind of feel the same way about Garrard as I did about Jake Plummer at the end of 2005, though I think Garrard is a little better player than Plummer was.

i. A guy who has been an outstanding player for a few years, without getting any credit, is Kyle Williams for the Bills. He was dominant on Sunday. Williams is kind of a short, stout DT, who does a great job getting penetration from a 3-technique position. He's never been a big sack guy, but his ability to shoot gaps has disrupted a lot of running games.

j. It's funny how many ST&NO favorites become really good players in the NFL. Percy Harvin hasn't gotten a lot of credit, because the media is busy loving on Brett Favre, but he's become a good NFL receiver quickly. A lot of Mel Kiper's said Harvin didn't run a lot of routes at Florida, but he was always open when he did. It was clear to me that he'd be able to separate with quickness as he learned NFL technique. His technique is improving quickly, and he's a handful. Along with Sidney Rice and Bernard Berrian, he's part of a really dangerous receiving corps. I can't think of a lot of groups I'd take over them, actually.

k. Joseph Addai has never been a favorite of mine, but he's playing better than ever lately. I still think that Donald Brown is going to be the better player, but Addai seems to have found some confidence and toughness that I never perceived in him.

l. The AFC has had a lot of outstanding safety play this season, but if I had to pick two starters for the Pro Bowl, they'd be Melvin Bullitt and Bernard Pollard. Bullitt got some notice for stopping the 4th and 2 last week, but he has been terrific in replacing Bob Sanders. Tampa 2-teams need a quick safety who can get from a cover-2 shell to the box very quickly, and Bullitt has done it as well as Sanders ever did.

Pollard was cut by Kansas City, and I just didn't get it. Maybe Scott Pioli was paying him back for last season's hit on Tom Brady? Pollard has been spectacular at times for the Texans, and has really been the star on the back end that they've never had. (No, Dunta Robinson is not a star; he's only paid like one.)

Brian Dawkins, Ed Reed, Jairus Byrd, Antoine Bethea, Kerry Rhodes, Brandon Meriweather, and Reggie Nelson would be battling it out for the last Pro Bowl spot, but I am sure about the top 2, as of today.

m. Laurence Maroney is doing a decent job of re-establishing his reputation as a solid RB. He has had the knock of not being particularly tough, kind of like Addai, but Maroney has been picking up a lot of tough yards lately. Take away the goal-line fumble against he Colts, and he's been really good.

n. Mark Sanchez looked confused almost the whole game on Sunday, against a New England team that knows how to confuse a QB. Sanchez is a classic example of what happens when teams get some film on you and know what you're going to do. I don't think it's time to bench him, like the average Peter King is calling for, but it would definitely behoove the Jets to figure out what Sanchez is comfortable doing, and sticking to only that stuff.

o. I can tell you right now, the Lions had a fantastic draft in 2009. Matthew Stafford, Brandon Pettigrew, and Louis Delmas all look like future Pro Bowlers. MHR favorite Sammie Lee Hill has been a solid starter at DT, and DeAndre Levy has been solid starting at WLB, since Ernie Sims as lost for the season, too. The guy I might like best, actually, is sixth-rounder Aaron Brown, a RB from TCU. He caught a TD pass on Sunday, but where he looked really dangerous was on kickoff returns. He's very explosive looking. I think Derrick Williams will eventually be a useful player too, and that makes 7 hits in one draft class. It's exactly the kind of performance that their opponents from Sunday (the Browns) need.

p. Speaking of he Browns, I have some thoughts. It sucks to lose like that, on an untimed down, but if I was a Browns fan, I would feel a lot better than I did a week ago. Brady Quinn had his best day as a pro, with 4 TD passes, and a 5th one dropped. Sure, he wasn't pressured a lot, when Detroit didn't blitz, but he looked like he was in command, and the offensive game plan looked like Brian Daboll trusted Quinn, finally. Mohamed Massaquoi and Chansi Stuckey did a very nice job making plays down the field.

I mentioned that the Browns need a good draft; they have 11 picks as of right now, and they need to hit on the majority of them. If I were their new football czar, I wouldn't draft a QB in the first round. I would give Quinn a full year with better talent (and coaching), and see what I have. My target would be Russell Okung, an OT from Oklahoma State, who I'd play on the right side. The Browns' current right side is flat-out awful. I'd be bringing in 2 good RBs, since they have zero right now. They need a Correll Buckhalter-type of free agent, and a second-round pick like a Jonathan Dwyer from Georgia Tech. One of their 3rd-round picks would go for a TE who can catch, like Ed Dickson from Oregon. With 2 new RBs, a TE, and a RT, all of a sudden, you have a solid group of players on offense.

Offense has to be the priority, because their 5 TDs on Sunday matched their previous total in 9 games. They aren't really that far away from being league-average, and I only used 3 of 11 picks in this hypothetical situation. The Browns could be 8-8 or 9-7 next season, if they make the most of their offseason opportunities. I can see it now; Todd Bowles wins coach of the year for them, after going from 2-14 to 9-7.

q. The Texans just continue to lose heartbreakers. Matt Schaub made plays, again, and gave his team a chance to win, again. And then Kris Brown blew it, again. I feel really bad for guys like Schaub, Andre Johnson and Mario Williams, who bring it every week. I'd hate to see these circumstances cost Gary Kubiak his job, but they just might.

r. I was going to talk about how everybody needs to slow down on the Vince Young hype train, but he justified the hype Monday night. Repeatedly, he picked up 3rd downs with his legs, and his throwing was pretty good too. He particularly threw a pretty ball that Nate Washington didn't come down with. He looked like he did at the University of Texas. You heard it here first; the Titans are going to beat San Diego by 2 TDs in a few weeks.

s. Trent Dilfer is a really terrible analyst, and I don't get the Steve Levy and Matt Winer combination with him. Usually, there's one anchor type to serve up softballs to the analyst. It's a weird setup. Back to Dilfer, I think the guy is just about always wrong.

t. Right after I typed that, ESPN went back to the Stuart Scott-Matt Millen-Steve Young set, and they proceeded to blame Matt Schaub for Kris Brown's missed field goal. Epic FAIL. All the guy could do was what he did. He moved his team down the field in 45 seconds, and set them up with a shot at a makeable kick. How in the world does that fall on the QB that they lost the game? That is just too idiotic for words

4. As promised, here is the rationale for why the Broncos can win on Thursday night. The Giants are extremely susceptible to getting beaten down the field, since they lost their starting Free Safety, Kenny Phillips. They are getting Aaron Ross back into the swing of things at CB, but he hadn't played all season, prior to this past Sunday.

With their shakiness on the back end, the Giants have blitzed a bit less than in past years, particularly in the A gaps. Tyler Polumbus will need some help on Justin Tuck, when they're matched up, but I expect the Broncos to be able to protect Kyle Orton reasonably well.

The Giants, meanwhile, aren't getting much from their running game lately. I also believe that their WRs don't pose a huge threat against Champ Bailey and Andre' Goodman. David Diehl will almost certainly struggle against Elvis Dumervil, because he's a natural LG playing LT. I feel pretty good about the defensive matchup, really.

This game is no lock, obviously, but it's one which the Broncos can win if they execute, stop taking bad penalties, and take care of the football. John Bena had it exactly right Sunday night. The Broncos can't beat good teams if they make mistakes, and the Giants are a good team. A victory is very plausible, though, if they do what they need to do.

5. I have cited several reasons lately for cutting ST&NO a little short, and I have another one. I got a bit sidetracked from writing, because of some big news in my family, which led to some calling, texting, and emailing, but not much writing.

On Monday night, my brother Chris911's wife Ana gave birth to their first child, Elizabeth Danielle Bartlett, at 7:36 Pacific Time, in Los Angeles, CA. Elizabeth weighed 5 pounds, 12.5 ounces, and was 17 1/4 inches long. Mother and baby are doing well. It occurred to me that I was in a good position to write the first birth announcement. Please join me in congratulating Chris and Ana on the birth of the newest little Broncos fan.

Since I am decidedly not in the having kids business, I took some time to live vicariously through them, and try to feel their excitement. Now, I am going to get back to living vicariously though myself, though. Y'all know how I do...

6. I am hitting the road for Connecticut on Tuesday, right after this story posts, to go eat some turkey, take a hellified tryptophan nap, and find a bar with NFL Network. My main reason for going, though, is to play in the 38th Annual Erb-Orsini Bowl in my hometown of Norwich, CT. I am only 32, so it predates me, but I have played in a number of them over the years. I said I would try to go back east for it last year, but it was snowing all across Pennsylvania, and I decided at the last minute to stay in Cleveland. I wasn't feeling 600 miles of driving in snow. This year, I wanted to show up and play, and the weather is cooperative. I have too much work to do to take the time, but I am going to work on Wednesday from a Tim Horton's restaurant.

The Erb-Orsini Bowl is a touch game, but it's been pretty physical and competitive in the past. The picture below is from the 2004 game. I am on the left. On the right is my brother John. He laid out for a pass early in the game, and was shaken up. His shoulder hurt, and he said that he didn't want to catch any more passes, and that he'd just stay in and pass-block, so he did just that. Thirty-six hours later, after not saying anything more about the topic, he decided to go to the hospital. Turned out, he had broken his shoulder. It's kind of the Bartlett way to suffer in silence, really, which is owed to being half Irish.

The keeper of the flame is the guy in the midde, my long-time friend Tony Orsini. Tony, as it happens, is a huge Giants fan. He's such a huge fan, actually, that he and his dad spent thousands of dollars to go to Arizona and get tickets for Super Bowl XLII against the mighty Patriots. Against that 16-0 team, i would have never spent that kind of coin, but he did, and he was rewarded. (To me, when I heard about it, it sounded like that time in 7th grade when I bet Pete Lacombe 5 bucks that Denver would beat San Francisco, straight-up, in Super Bowl XXIV, even though my allowance was $2 per week at that time. That was an all-time dumb call.)

On Thursday morning, I am hoping for a good Erb-Orsini Bowl, where I make some big plays, and on Thursday night, for our Broncos to beat Tony's Giants. Do any of y'all have good Turkey Bowls to play in? Let's hear some tangential Thanksgiving football stories. You might as well get with me on this meandering, because you never know where we might end up when the carousel stops.

7. Retired for John Elway.

8. The Buffalo coaching search is interesting. We know they've reached out to Mike Shanahan, and word materialized Monday night/Tuesday morning that Bill Cowher was contacted, and that he declined to be considered. Ralph Wilson is 91, and he wants to win now. Unfortunately for Buffalo, he is relatively cash-poor, and the team probably doesn't stay in his family when he dies, due to estate taxation. If it leaves his family, it almost certainly leaves Buffalo, which is a rapidly declining city.

If I were a coach looking for work, I would consider Buffalo unattractive for those reasons, as well as for the fact that they don't have a QB or any real quality on the O-Line. They have 2 good RBs, the fantastic Lee Evans, some good CBs and a good young safety in Jairus Byrd and pass rusher in Aaron Maybin. Paul Posluszny is solid, and Kyle Williams is very good, as I mentioned. The cupboard is not totally empty talent-wise, but it's a serious personnel challenge in a boring, economically depressed cold-weather town. The only thing they have on Cleveland, in terms of attracting free agents, is marginally better-looking uniforms. I expect that the Bills end up hiring a first time Head Coach, after being spurned by Shanahan and others.

That's all I have for this week, friends. I am off to get on the road for the East Coast. I won't see any comments until 10 or 11 hours from now, but I will check them out when I get where I am going, and will answer the ones that need answering. Have a great week, a great holiday, and a great Football Thursday. Go Broncos!

Dolphins vs Bills: Three Key Matchups

Matty I — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:15:08 -0000

More photos » by Lynne Sladky - AP

Good coverage. Good throw. Good dropped pass by Terrell Owens back in week four.

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It's been days now since the Dolphins knocked off the Panthers to get back to .500 but it feels like it's been much longer. But on Sunday, the Dolphins will finally get back on the field and head up to Buffalo to take on the division rival Bills. With the holiday approaching on Thursday, now is probably a good time to start looking ahead to Sunday's game.

So let's focus on three of the most important matchups:

Terrell Owens/Lee Evans vs Sean Smith/Vontae Davis
Sure, the Bills have obvious quarterback problems. But no matter who is under center, receivers like Terrell Owens and Lee Evans are always dangerous. Last week against Jacksonville, in fact, Owens had his best game as a member of the Bills - catching 9 balls for 197 yards and a touchdown. That 197 yard receiving performance was actually the second highest total for Owens since 2000. So don't sleep on him.

Back in week four, the Dolphins did a solid job on Owens and Evans - holding each to just 60 yards receiving. Of course, at that time, the Dolphins did still have Will Allen. And Allen was thrown at three times while covering either Evans or Owens, intercepting two of those passes with the third falling incomplete.

But Vontae Davis and Sean Smith didn't play badly themselves. Smith was thrown at 6 times while covering either Evans or Owens and he allowed 2 receptions for 39 yards. Davis wasn't as effective, allowing 2 completions to Evans for 60 yards on just two targets.

On Sunday, both of the rookies have got to play well and limit the number of big plays either of those two receivers - Buffalo's two biggest play-makers - make during the game.

Miami's interior offensive line/Lousaka Polite vs Paul Posluszny
While Buffalo's rush defense is pretty bad - 31st in the NFL allowing 165 yards per game on the ground - the Bills did manage to limit Maurice Jones-Drew last week to just 66 yards and just 2.6 yards per carry. How did they pull that off? From what I saw of the game, middle linebacker Paul Posluszny was just all over the place making plays - finishing the day with 11 solo tackles (his highest total of the season). And he now looks like he's back in game shape after missing about a month earlier this season due to injury (including the first meeting between these two teams).

Posluszny - when he's healthy - is a beast in the middle of Buffalo's defense. He does a great job recognizing plays and getting to the football. He isn't the fastest or the biggest guy around, but he has a nose for the football (a la Zach Thomas). And since returning from injury, Posluszny has looked like the budding star he is.

The Dolphins will obviously look to pound the rock against this bad rush defense. But to be effective, the Dolphins interior linemen - whether it's Jake Grove or Joe Berger at center - have got to do a better job than the Jaguars did last week at getting Posluszny blocked off. He does only measure in at 238 pounds. And we know that Miami's offensive line is big and nasty. They have to make sure they get through Buffalo's defensive line and get to the second level.

Of course, it's not only the linemen's jobs to do this. Fullback Lousaka Polite - a budding star at the fullback position, if you ask me - also will be asked at times to find #51 and get a hat on him. We've all seen just how tremendous of a run blocker Polite has become and he's coming off what was probably his best game as a Dolphin last week in Carolina. Hopefully we see the "Lousaka Monster" knock a few heads on Sunday - preferably Paul Posluszny. He's a difference maker in Buffalo's defense when he's on the field.

Miami's pass rush vs Buffalo's offensive line
Describing Buffalo's offensive line as bad would be an understatement. They have struggled all season long - including back in week 4 against the Dolphins when Miami sacked Trent Edwards six times. If you remember - and I'm sure you do - that game was Cameron Wake's coming out party, picking up 2.5 sacks. Jason Taylor also had 2.5 sacks. The Dolphins also pressured Edwards on at least 6 or 7 more drop backs.

We've also seen the Dolphins' pass rush really step up the past two games - tallying four sacks in each of their last two. It'll be interesting to see how the snaps get divided between all of Miami's pass-rushing outside linebackers (Joey Porter, Jason Taylor, Cameron Wake, Charlie Anderson). Whoever is out there, though, I anticipate the Dolphins putting consistent pressure on Ryan Fitzpatrick all game long.

Six questions to ponder with six games left

Matty I — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:46:41 -0000

More photos » by Rick Havner - AP

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Don't look now, naysayers. After a rough 0-3 start, the Dolphins are not only back at .500 for the first time in 2009, but are also within just one game of the AFC wildcard leaders. Even better news for Dolphin fans? Miami still has to play three of the teams who are ahead of them in the wildcard race - as well as one remaining shot at the division leading Patriots.

It's still going to be a tough climb, however. There are some big challenges that lay ahead for these Dolphins. So to prepare for these six games, let's highlight six critical questions that the Dolphins face.

Can Ricky handle the increased workload over the next month and a half?
After the terrible news last week about Ronnie Brown's injury, many of us were wondering if Ricky Williams would be able to step into the lead role in Miami's backfield and be as effective as he's been the past two seasons as the number two guy. On Thursday, Ricky answered that question by showing proving that he's still as capable a starter as he's ever been, rushing for 119 yards and scoring three touchdowns. But can he sustain this kind of production?

Against the Panthers, Williams received 22 carries. And that came on the heels of a 20 carry performance just 4 days earlier against the Buccaneers. That is a lot of carries for a 32 year old back. No - he's not your typical 32 year old running back and doesn't have the mileage that most 32 year olds have on them. But keep in mind that Ricky's season high in carries last season was only 16 (back in week three against New England). And if you want to know when the last time Ricky had at least 20 carries prior to the game against Tampa Bay? You'd have to go all the way back to New Year's Day on 2006, when he closed out the '05 regular season with a 28 carry, 108 yard performance in New England.

It's a lot to ask Williams to carry the rock 20-25 times per game over these remaining six games. At the same time, the Dolphins don't really have much of a choice.

How much will the Dolphins miss Ferg?
While nothing has been confirmed, it's expected that nose tackle Jason Ferguson will miss the remainder of the season with an injured right knee he sustained against the Panthers last week. Needless to say, this is a huge loss (no pun intended). A 3-4 defense is only as good as it's nose tackle performs. And Ferguson leaves a large void for Miami to fill (again, no pun intended).

This season, Ferguson has only missed one game. That day in New England, the Patriots averaged 4.5 yards per carry on the ground against a defensive line anchored by Paul Soliai in the middle. Soliai, meanwhile, has missed the last two weeks with his own injury issues. Outside of those two, the Dolphins don't have a real nose tackle to step in. Tony Sparano said that he would expect to play Tony McDaniel (6'7, 305) and Randy Starks (6'3, 305) at the nose if needed. Last year against the Ravens in the regular season, Starks did have to man the nose tackle position once Ferguson left the game with an injury (Soliai was suspended by the team for the game). While he wasn't terrible, the Ravens did run for 139 yards.

It will be interesting to see how this coaching staff attempts to make up for the rumored loss of Ferguson as we head down the home stretch.

Can the Dolphins beat a team that's better than they are?
Don't get all angry with me here. But you might need to take off those aqua colored glasses for a moment here. The way I see the season playing out, it will take at least 10 wins in the AFC to make the playoffs. For the Dolphins to get to that mark, they'll obviously have to win five of their remaining six. That means beating either the Patriots or Steelers - two teams who are ("homer-ism" aside) better than the Dolphins are.

The good news here is that both of these games are at home in Miami. The Dolphins have also played the Patriots tough once already this year. But let's be real for a moment - the Dolphins have not beaten a single team in 2009 that is better than they are. They've come close - tough losses at home to both of the undefeated teams (Colts and Saints). But a loss is still a loss. You can even make the case that Miami didn't beat a more talented team in 2008, either, despite winning 11 games. After all, they lost to the Ravens twice and to the eventual NFC Champion Cardinals. They did split with the Patriots, though.

To make the playoffs, the Dolphins will have to not just play these more talented teams tough - they will have to win at least one of those games.

Will the rookie wall be a problem?
Some people think that the idea of the "rookie wall" is nothing more than a term created by the media. But if you NFL head coaches about it, I'd bet most would say that the wall is real - and it can be problematic.

The Dolphins rely on two rookies to start at cornerback - which is always risky. Making things worse is that the Dolphins face three of the top five passing offenses over their remaining five games. Yup - just in time for that "rookie wall" to rear its ugly head. In college, these kids will only play about 12 games in a season - maybe 13. And in the month of December, these kids will play - at most - two games. They'll have a lot of rest in between games in December, as well. In the NFL, there is no rest in December. That's the time to put up or shut up as teams make their playoff pushes.

For the Dolphins, Vontae Davis and Sean Smith cannot afford to go through any kind of rookie wall. Hopefully their offseason training has prepared them well to close out a season strong.

Can we see more Wake?
Ever since the John Beck debacle, I try my best not to "anoint" a player too early in their careers. But like Cameron Wake rushing off the edge, I'm coming around quickly. After picking up three more quarterback hurries on just 10 snaps against the Panthers, Wake leads the Dolphins in hurries with 15 - on just 100 total defensive snaps.

Now I know we can't just steal Joey Porter's reps after his outstanding game against Carolina last week. But maybe we should cut into Charlie Anderson's 20 to 25 snaps per game to give Wake some more opportunities. He always seems to be causing havoc on the field when he's out there. So why not unleash him a little bit more and see what happens?

Can Henne win a game on his own?
It's not secret that the Dolphins want to run the football. So teams will continue to stack the box against Miami's offense and force the young Chad Henne to beat them through the air with an average (at best) receiving group. That means there's likely going to come a point in time this season in which Henne will be asked to win the game himself through the air.

Some might argue that he did just that back in his second career start against the Jets. Sure, he was a critical part of that big Monday night win - throwing for 240 yards and two touchdowns. But let's not forget that Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams also combined for 142 yards on the ground, Ronnie threw for 21 more, and on that final game-winning drive, Henne only completed 3 passes (though two of those were on 3rd down).

Now I'm not saying Henne can't win a game on his own at this stage of his development. But he hasn't had to yet. It's likely, though, that some point during these final six games, he will indeed be asked to do so.

Panther Paw Prints - Dolphins Loss Edition

Jaxon — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:12:43 -0000

by Chuck Burton - AP

22 days ago: Miami Dolphins' Tyrone Culver (29) knocks down a desperation pass in the end zone as Carolina Panthers' Dwayne Jarrett (80) reaches in vain at the end of the Dolphins' 24-17 win in an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

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This edition of Paw Prints has the sour taste of a loss all over it. Let's take our medicine Panther fans.

Key Moments - CharlotteObserver.com
Facing third-and-goal from the Miami 7, the Panthers fail to convert a third consecutive pass play, leading to a field goal. Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter beats left tackle Travelle Wharton to sack Jake Delhomme, who's previous two passes from the 7 were incomplete.

This is the series causing all the heat on OC Jeff Davison. 1st and goal and we attempt to throw the ball three times? He will be hearing abouth this one for a while. My second biggest concern from this loss was the continued poort play from our kick coverage, which gets an unearned 'C' grade from the Observor.

Panthers Report Card - CharlotteObserver.com
SPECIAL TEAMS Grade: C Comment: Miami's superb kickoff returner Ted Ginn Jr. had a big day against a Carolina kickoff unit that has struggled much of the season. Ginn had returns of 37 and 48 yards. Panthers punt returner Captain Munnerlyn let a punt go without a fair catch that wound up costing the Panthers quite a few yards. Punter Jason Baker appeared to shank a low punt near the end of the first half. It went only 34 yards and resulted in a 22-yard return. Baker bounced back and later had a punt downed at the 7. Carolina rookie Tyrell Sutton looked sharp as a kickoff returner. He had returns of 31 andd 29 yards.

Munnerlyn has let too many balls hit the ground this year resulting lost yardage; another issue I blame on coaching.

The players lost to injury is being felt too.

Dolphins outplay both Panthers' lines - CharlotteObserver.com
On Porter's second sack, Wharton appeared to be interfered with by fullback Tony Fiammetta. Wharton angrily stalked off the field after the play. "Early on, we were a bit of a new offensive line in there," said Panthers coach John Fox. "Once, we got picked off by our running back, our left tackle (Wharton) did. "But we settled down and our protection got a little better as the game wore on. Unfortunately, we came up a little short."

From the land of the obvious here's another one:

Delhomme, Smith not the same duo - CharlotteObserver.com
Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith were once one of the NFL's telepathic quarterback-wide receiver duos, seemingly able to read each others' minds on the fly. That ability comes and goes nowadays, like a cell phone call with inconsistent reception.

Inconsistent reception? More like the call was never completed period... Scott found five things from this loss he didn't like...only five?

Scott Says ...: 5 things I didn't like in loss to Miami
. Defensive pressure and tackling. The Panthers’ defense gave up three touchdowns to Ricky Williams, who is a good back, yes. But he’s also 32 years old and wasn’t good enough to start in Miami until Ronnie Brown got hurt. Yet Williams was nearly unstoppable and broke off a 46-yard run that was the play of the game with 3:55 left in the fourth quarter. Plus, Carolina never sacked Chad Henne.

Fox speaks:

Playoff hopes dashed for Carolina Panthers? - CharlotteObserver.com
"I think there's a lot of fight in that room," he said, speaking of his players in the locker room. "There's still a lot of football left to be played and we're in no way or stretch out of it." But there's no doubt this one hurt the Panthers deeply. "Those guys fought hard," said Fox. "I'm disappointed for them."

Mathmatically we are still in it sure, but just like going 0-4 int he preseason, 4-6 doesn't give us much confidence they can pull it off.

Tom Talks: Marriage proposal at BofA Stadium? - CharlotteObserver.com
Third-and-1 from the Carolina 41 and the Panthers go deep to Steve Smith? What are they thinking? They're thinking that Smith will get single coverage from rookie cornerback Sean Smith. Both Smiths played at Utah. Jake Delhomme throws a nice pass and Steve Smith reaches for the ball and gets his fingers on it and - the ball falls incomplete. Sometimes a good call fails. It fails here.

2nd and 1 sure, give it a shot. 3rd and 1 on your own 40 run the ball and get the 1st down. Dumb....So even the players most optimistic outlook is 8-8?

Third-downs fin-ish off Panthers in 24-17 loss
"This is the fourth time we could have been .500 and we didn't execute enough to get there," said Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams. "I think we play well under pressure, but we can't continue to do this. Eight and eight doesn't sound like it will get us into the playoffs." "Playoff talk is something that is not even brought up," added quarterback Jake Delhomme.

Where is he getting 4 more wins I wonder?

We got another week to shake off this funk and get up to NY to shoot down the Jets!