SB Nation - Buffalo Bills

Web Rumblings: Buffalo Bills Links, 12/22

MattRichWarren — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 11:58:13 -0000

Sources: McGee to IR, Edwards and Scott Could Follow : Buffalo Sports Daily
"According to more than one source, Trent Edwards has suffered a significant high ankle sprain that will force him to miss the rest of the season. He suffered the injury while being sacked in the fourth quarter against New England on Sunday. Also, staring cornerback Terrence McGee will be forced to have surgery this week on the shoulder he injured Sunday and will be placed on injured reserve."

Fitz’s ankle injury on plant leg – Inside The Bills
"Ryan Fitzpatrick injured his right ankle in the game Sunday and that’s important that it’s his right ankle. For a quarterback when your plant leg is compromised by injury it can compromise throwing mechanics."

McGee hoping to be ready for Sunday – Inside The Bills
"Putting on deodorant this morning was hard, so jamming a receiver is definitely not an option right now," Terrence McGee said.

Bryan Scott injury update – Inside The Bills
Scott has a concussion according to Perry Fewell. "Under the new NFL guidelines for concussions Scott will not be allowed to return-to-football activities until he is fully asymptomatic, both at rest and after exertion, has a normal neurological examination, normal neuropsychological testing, and has been cleared to return by both his team physician(s) and the independent neurological consultant."

Brian Brohm may start
Bills QB situation up in the air - BuffaloBills.com
"There could be a quarterback change for the Bills for their Week 16 matchup against the Falcons in Atlanta, and it won’t be due to performance. Both Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick suffered ankle injuries in Sunday’s loss to New England. Their status is day-to-day, as the coaching staff waits to see how the two signal callers recover between now and the middle of the week."

QB injuries will force Brohm under center : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
"Interim coach Perry Fewell offered few details Monday on the severity of the injuries to Fitzpatrick and Edwards, but the source said Edwards suffered a high ankle sprain. Such an injury takes several weeks to heal."

Buffalo Bills may give QB Brian Brohm a start | Democrat and Chronicle
"If neither can practice Wednesday, that will hinder their chances of playing at the Georgia Dome. It also would open the door for Fewell to go with Brohm, a move many fans would like to see because it could determine whether Brohm is a player the Bills can look to as a potential starter in 2010."

Interesting twist...Brohm to START in week 16 - Acme Packing Company
The guys at Acme Packing Company got wind of their old QB starting and wondered how he is going to do. Go give your opinion.

Injuries might open door for Brohm - AFC East Blog - ESPN
Brian Brohm may have to start on Sunday and Perry Fewell is understandably apprehensive. "To put him in that position might be a recipe for failure for him," Fewell said Wednesday. "It might not give him the best opportunity. It might not show us what he really can do."

Patriots' game recaps

Bills replay: Pats' unique defensive scheme led to sacks : The Buffalo News
"The Patriots used mostly linebackers and defensive backs on passing downs. Often times, they had only one or two players on the line of scrimmage, while the rest of the defenders milled around a few yards off the ball. The Patriots called the scheme "organized chaos," and it successfully created confusion because the Bills didn't know who to block."

That was Pretty Typical | Democrat and Chronicle | Three-Point Stance
Sal Maiorana uses the same start to his post-game blog that Brian did a day before and harps on penalties, inept offense, and everything else that has been plaguing the Bills this year and every other year this decade.

Game Recap: Patriots defeat Bills, 17-10 - Pats Pulpit
MaPatsFan looks back at the game that was, obviously from the Patriots' perspective.

Patriots ‘good enough’ to beat Bills | Olean Times Herald
Chuck Pollack gives his thoughts from the game Sunday beginning with, "It wasn’t much of a game."

Bills Daily - "Bills Daily Game Recap"
The Bills' blog's final recap of the Patriots game.

Scott Pitoniak: A forgettable Bills decade is coming to a sad conclusion
An unhappy recount of the last game and the last decade.

Bills Notebook: Poz’s pick adds to Bills’ league-leading total | Olean Times Herald
Bullet points from the Bills’ 17-10 loss to the Patriots on Sunday afternoon at "The Ralph".

Poz presses forward | BuffaloBills.com
Dan Bates spoke with Paul Posluszny yesterday about the linebacker's interception and the rest of the game against the Patriots.

Team in Transition
WGR 550 SportsRadio - Thurman Thomas Expecting a Big Splash From Bills
"I'm into it," said the Hall of Famer. "I'm not like Jim (Kelly) and want to be an owner but, I want to be a part of the turn-around. They know that. I've had some conversations with Russ Brandon. They're well aware of my situation and what I want to do over there. I want to be a part of this big splash that they're going to make."

Buffalo Bills have a long Christmas list | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle
Bill beat writers Sal Maiorana and Leo Roth wonder: What will Santa leave under the tree for these Bills?

POLLOCK: QB just one problem Bills must address | Olean Times Herald
"Here’s the problem with the Buffalo Bills ... and you’ve known it all along. They’re just not good enough."

Blow Up This Roster - 13WHAM.com
Mike Catalana goes position by position explaining who can stay but more of who needs to go.

Sunday at the Post | National Football Post
"3. The Buffalo Bills have been very quiet in their search for a head coach and general manager. They seem inclined to go after a "name" head coach first, then allow him to have a say in the formation of the front office. But one thing is for sure: Russ Brandon will be leading the search and will be in the organization, no matter whom they hire."

Other Bills news and notes

Buffalo Bills NFL News Updates - CBSSports.com Rapid Reports
"It doesn't look like the Bills will make a concerted effort to get young, inexperienced players like WRs Steve Johnson and James Hardy on the field these last two weeks. 'My objective is to put the best 45 out on Sunday to get a win,' interim coach Perry Fewell said."

Wilson: T.O.'s season of frustration continues | National Football Post
"You try to stay patient," Terrell Owens said. "It's just disappointing to be in this offense and know you can play and not really being utilized the way you can to help the team."

WGR 550 SportsRadio - Home of the Buffalo Sabres - Moment No. 7 (tie)
The seventh-biggest moment in the Buffalo sports scene during the 2000s was trading the Bills' 2003 first round pick to the Patriots for QB Drew Bledsoe.

Bills salute high school football - BuffaloBills.com
"At the Bills vs. Patriots game on December 20th, Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly handed out awards and congratulated the 2009 Buffalo Bills high school coaches of the week winners. Eric Jantzi, head football coach of the Class AA State Champion North Tonawanda Lumberjacks, and Jay Sirianni, head football coach of the Class "C" State Champion Southwestern Trojans were also announced as the 2009 Bills High School Football Co-Coaches of the Year."

Bills unlikely to see ‘Burner’ Turner Sunday – Inside The Bills
Michael Turner reinjured his ankle (putting several fantasy owners in a hole after one carry might I add) and will likely not play this weekend against Buffalo.

Law.com - Former NFL Player Henry Appeals Child-Support Ruling
Travis Henry must make child support payments and establish a trust fund of 250,000 dollars according to a judge. Henry's lawyer says this is a "double payment".

Bills Tweets
terrellowens | TweetPhoto
T.O. isn't cold anymore. :-) Check it out.

Twitter / DonteWhitner
Hope I didn't see moss jump in the stands and bills fans enbrace him!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope not!

Game Recap: Patriots defeat Bills, 17-10

MaPatsFan — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:43:20 -0000

More photos » by Mike Groll - AP

1 day ago: New England Patriots running back Laurence Maroney (39) gets past Buffalo Bills cornerback Drayton Florence (29) during the second half of an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009. The Patriots won 17-10. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

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A win is a win. There were some ugly bits and there were some good bits. It was ugly because our overall yardage was abysmal and 4th quarter third down conversions were almost non existent. It was good because despite a number of absent key starters, our backups stepped up and made plays when they needed to. That's encouraging. Just think what we could've done had the starters been in.

First, let me get this out of the way: I do not believe Randy Moss is "Back". For that to be true, he'd have to have "Left". As I've said before, when Moss's production droops below superhuman, MSM pundits declare him dogging it and begin hammering him senseless. When faced with real evidence, they retreat into "Well, what can be seen on the game tape that I can't see on TV?" Well, that answer alone proves how pathetic these guys are. Asking that question means you have no clue, Mr. MSM Pundit, and are summarily dismissed.

Moving on...

There were a slew of positives, one of the more important ones being a phenomenal tip toe catch by Mr. Moss. It was extremely important because it was a touchdown, but even more importantly it likely gave Randy an emotional boost, a boost he so sorely needed. It was key to get his head back in the game and I'm glad Belichick and Brady worked to insure he was relevant to the win.

On defense we were missing a number of key starters: Ty Warren, Vince Wilfork, and Myron Pryor. This put us in scramble mode. How did Belichick handle it?

Around the locker room yesterday, no defenisve players would divulge the name of the defense they used on third and long yesterday, when the Patriots used six defensive backs, no defensive linemen, and five standing linebackers strewn around the line of scrimmage. "I'll pass on that one," linebacker Ron Ninkovich said, which was representative. Adalius Thomas offered "organized chaos," but that is a description more than a name.

Bill Belichick didn't have an answer today, either. But he did have an idea.

"We can do a fan poll," he said. "See what you can come with."

If you remember, we commented during the game threads that it looked like the 5 linebackers were milling around, not sure where they were supposed to be. In reality, that was defensive genius. On more than a few occasions, Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick looked at bit confused. Once it was too late to make any offensive adjustments, the Patriots defense settled into its formation. I love it!! Keep that up. This from Rob Ninkovich:

"We had more speed out there, more confusion – Who’s coming? Who’s going? Who’s rushing? Who’s dropping?" another rush linebacker, Rob Ninkovich, said. "It worked out for us. Hard for them to figure out who’s the Mike, where they’re sliding to, basically. It worked well for us."

One of the highlights for me was the makings of a pass rush. Tully Banta-Cain showed up HUGE for this game:

"We knew they had some changes on the O-line and a different quarterback," linebacker Tully Banta-Cain said after posting three sacks. "So we knew if we gave them some different looks and mixed up the pressures, it could cause some confusion. I think we were able to try it out early in the game and we got some success on it and it carried through the rest of the game."

Yeah, 3 sacks and a lot of pressure. I have a feeling Tully will have a spot on the 2010 roster if he wants one. I thought the defensive play calling was pretty good up front. We still need a TON of work wrapping up during tackles as Brandon Meriweather continues to go after the big hit, but overall we're a better unit than in previous outings.

The offensive story of the game was, for once, NOT Tom Brady and Wes Welker. Sure, the QB/WR duo came up huge on a third down conversion to essentially ice the game, but this was a game won on the ground. Despite an abysmal third down conversion rate in the 4th quarter, we managed to mix it up in the air and on the ground; not abandoning the run game was crucial and Laurence Maroney has stepped up nicely as the feature back in this backfield-by-committee. 23 for 81 yards and a TD will never get you "elite status" labels, but it certainly was just what we needed when we needed it. LoMo was turning his upper body and slicing through holes - very cool. He was also pounding into defenders and making them pay for daring to tackle him; maybe he has a headset wired to Fred Taylor.

Most importantly, this is a division win. With both Miami and NE at 4-2 in the division, that potential tie breaker is eliminated, moving us to common games. In essence, we clinch the division with any NE win or any Miami loss. Seeding gets a bit more complicated and is explained here. Both the Jaguars and Texans could be tough games for us, but we take on Jacksonville at home - the more likely win. Miami closes the season with the Texans and Steelers, both in Miami.

It's close...again.

GM Scouting: Bears Director of College Scouting, Greg Gabriel

Brian Galliford — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:58:33 -0000

The biggest, most important necessity for Buffalo Bills fans right now is catharsis. At the time of this posting, the 2009 version of the Bills are 5-9 and coming off of their most recent embarrassing home loss. The 2000-2009 Buffalo Bills? Yeah, they're 65-93 in the decade, likely to add two more losses to that pile, and about to finish the entire decade without a single playoff appearance.

I tried to hold off on the "moving on to the next decade" posts for as long as possible. The season is still being played, after all. But I doubt you'll hold it against me that I'm about to start off our GM search articles here at Buffalo Rumblings. We all want to see things change, and change is coming. Hell, the vast majority of Bills fans would take change from Russ Brandon all the way down to the team's uniforms without a second's hesitation right now.

There are plenty of names the Bills have already pursued in relation to their head coaching opening as well as their likely opening(s) in the front office. More names will be linked to the team over the next two or three weeks as the '09 season - and a decade's worth of terrible football in Western New York - comes to a close. For now, we're starting the 'Catharsis Now' movement. It's time to move on. Mentally, I can't bring myself to talk about this team today. So we're going to talk about Greg Gabriel instead.

I've spoken several times of my belief that Buffalo needs to fix its front office before it even considers hiring a head coach. Names like Mike Shanahan and Bill Cowher are nice to talk about and all, but asking one guy to rule the roost and fix every dysfunctional portion of an organization is a move of desperate madness. Fix the front office first; when the Bills miss out on bringing in a big name, it's exactly what the Bills should do.

So I'm not even thinking about the Shanahans of the world. Let them take their money where they can get it. Buffalo needs a GM. It needs a visionary in the front office that isn't here to fix the team; rather, he's here to build a team with the right front office, coaching and playing talent, from top to bottom. (And fix those uniforms, too, Mr. New Bills GM Person.)

Greg Gabriel
The first thing you should know about Greg Gabriel - who, at this time, is the Director of College Scouting for the Chicago Bears - is that he's a Buffalo native. Many of you probably already knew that. He grew up in the area, attended Bishop Neumann High in Williamsville, was a football star at Canisius College, and knows precisely what the Buffalo Bills mean to this area. If there is one single GM candidate on the market that has a rooting interest in this franchise engrained into the very fiber of his being, it's Gabriel.

His bio from the Bears' official team website is linked above. We'll talk about some things piece by piece as we break down that bio.

Hired by Chicago on June 19, 2001, Gabriel is a veteran of 28 NFL seasons, spending 16 years in the New York Giants scouting department, one season with National Scouting and two years part time with the Buffalo Bills.

Not only is he connected to the area, he's actually worked for the organization (in 1983 and 1984). He therefore has at least some small semblance of a working relationship with Ralph Wilson, which is obviously important. That gives him something of a leg up on other up-and-coming GM candidates.

Gabriel's chief job responsibilities are scheduling scouting visits, coordinating scouting meetings, evaluating collegiate players while playing an instrumental role in the development of the Bears draft plan.

That all sounds good to me. It's not imperative that a GM candidate come in with experience in all facets of the game (college and pro scouting, salary cap management, etc.), and Gabriel has had a good job for a number of seasons. I will always and forever prefer candidates that have strong backgrounds in college scouting as compared to pro personnel evaluation, because as the old adage goes, the best way to build a team is through the draft. Gabriel has been in the league long enough to have enough ties to bring in strong people to fill in the gaps.

His first seven drafts with Chicago yielded 16 players who started at least one game for the Bears in 2008 and Pro Bowl selections for Lance Briggs (2005-08), Tommie Harris (2005-07), Devin Hester (2006-07) and Nathan Vasher (2005). Chicago finished the 2008 season with 34 players on its roster drafted or signed as undrafted free agents during Gabriel's tenure with the team, including 13 of 22 opening-day starters.

This is why I generally dislike team bios. Those were not Greg Gabriel's drafts, folks. They were Jerry Angelo's drafts. Yes, Chicago has had some great draft picks this past decade (Gabriel has worked in Chicago since 2001), but they were Angelo's picks, not Gabriel's. That idea encompasses the good and the bad picks, as well. I think Jerry Angelo has as solid a scouting department as anyone, and in general has been a good decision-maker. Gabriel has worked pretty closely with him for a number of years, and knows his way around a war room. But it's important - not just in evaluating Gabriel, but in evaluating any candidate - to understand that Gabriel is not responsible for the team's success, nor their draft picks. He's just one cog in the process, for better or worse. It is noteworthy, however, that Gabriel's profile in Chicago is strong.

Gabriel came to Chicago after serving as the Director of Player Development for the New York Giants... During his tenure with the Giants, the team went to three Super Bowls, winning two.

Gabriel has worked for three organizations - Buffalo, the Giants and Chicago. He left Buffalo prior to the team's glory years, but has been part of Giants and Bears teams that have participated in - and in New York's case, won - championship games. Gabriel's experience with championship organizations is important. At age 58, he's been a part of Super Bowl winners, but has never had the chance to build his own contender from the ground up. He'd jump at the chance to do so, particularly if his home town team came calling.

I should note here that the point of this series - oh yes, we'll be looking at many, many more GM candidates - is not to advocate any one individual. We'll do that at a much later date. For now, we just want to get names out there for discussion purposes. I happen to like the idea of Greg Gabriel returning to his home town as the football ops chief of his home-town team. You might not - that's why we're having these discussions.

Mark Gaughan of The Buffalo News mentioned last week that the Bills would start interviewing for the front office sometime after Christmas. That's as soon as next week, folks. So the obvious question here is this: would you have an objection if Gabriel was one of the first candidates to get a phone call?

Bills miss out on golden opportunity to upset Patriots

Brian Galliford — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:24:01 -0000

More photos » by Mike Groll - AP

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I mentioned in yesterday's post-game recap that the Buffalo Bills' 17-10 home loss to the New England Patriots was very typical of a Bills loss. Playing a Patriots team that is a far, far cry from their glory year teams, Buffalo could only manage a sloppy 10 points in finding a way to fall just short, squandering one of their best chances yet of ending a six-year losing streak to this team.

On Saturday, I filled in for Kurupt in penning this week's "Keys to Victory" column. As such, you get to listen to me prattle on about how Buffalo lost because they didn't satisfy all of the criteria outlined in that particular post. Yes, K doesn't subject you to this type of post, which probably makes him a better person than me, but for one day, you'll have to deal with it. I don't vent very often.

Key 1: Find a way to get off the field defensively. The Bills fared well in this department for much of the game. Tom Brady and the Patriots converted just 5 of 12 third down opportunities on the day, limiting the Patriots' offensive exploits and holding Brady to a Fitzpatrick-esque stat line (11 of 23, 115 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT). In fact, the Bills did particularly well in this department in the fourth quarter, allowing only one Patriots first down in the final stanza.

Unfortunately, that first down came with two minutes remaining, on an eight-yard Brady-to-Wes Welker connection that put the game on ice for New England. Of course it happened then.

Key 2: Limit the big play. If I had to choose one game in the pre-season in which I would have guessed the Bills would not allow an opponent to gain 20 yards on a single play in said game, I certainly would not have chosen Week 15 against New England. That's exactly what happened on Sunday, however - the Bills did not allow their opponent to gain more than 20 yards on a single offensive play in the entire game. That's the first time that's happened this year, folks. New England's offense looked quite dysfunctional, obviously, but Buffalo deserves credit for at least giving themselves a chance to win at the end of the game by not allowing the Patriots any big plays offensively.

Key 3: Play mistake-free football offensively. After a thoroughly dominant opening drive in which the Bills did just about whatever they wanted offensively - how often have we said that in recent years? - a false start on the part of Andre Ramsey negated a Fred Jackson touchdown. Suddenly, that thoroughly dominant drive was a mere 3-0 lead, and all of Buffalo's momentum was gone.

Ryan Fitzpatrick can't go a full game without throwing a hideous interception directly to a defender; Jonathan Wilhite was the beneficiary of Fitzpatrick's terrible play this week. I also understand that not all of the Bills' 11 penalties (that yielded 124 yards) were not on offense, but the idea of "mistake-free football" was not present offensively or defensively on Sunday. Add in six sacks and two quarterbacks with ankle injuries, and yeah - Buffalo whiffed badly on this key, and it, more than any other factor, cost them the game.

Key 4: Get Lee Evans involved. Evans entered Sunday with 28 receptions for 397 yards in 11 career games against the Patriots. Although he did end up scoring his first career touchdown against the Patriots late in the fourth quarter in a last-ditch comeback attempt, Evans caught just three passes for 35 yards on the day. He did fare better than Terrell Owens, who caught just 2 passes for 20 yards in yet another awful showing from Buffalo's passing game.

Key 5: Give these Pats your best shot. Well, not so much. As mentioned, Buffalo got off to a really quick and dominant start in this game, running the ball down the Patriots' throats to the tune of an early field goal and netting a Paul Posluszny interception off of Brady on New England's first drive of the day. From that point on, however, it was the Buffalo Bills we've all come to know and ~~love~~ be completely apathetic towards. Jackson and Marshawn Lynch carried nine times on that opening drive; they'd only log 14 more carries in the remainder of the game. The penalties piled up, and so did New England's early lead (the Pats led 14-3 at halftime). When bad teams get down, they rarely find a way to reclaim a lead, and Buffalo's performance was par for the course. Effort? Sure. Urgency to win? I didn't see it.

Web Rumblings: Buffalo Bills Links, 12/21

MattRichWarren — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:23:19 -0000

More photos » by Mike Groll - AP

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Penalties, lack of offense lead to latest loss - BuffaloBills.com
"The Bills defense played valiantly holding Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to just 115 yards passing and giving up just 109 yards on the ground was an effective day for Buffalo. In the end there was just not enough support from the other side of the ball to stage an upset."

Bills' popgun offense produces dud : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
"We were not converting on third downs," Fewell said in explaining the QB switch. "We needed something to give us some momentum so I made the decision. I thought Trent could come in and maybe give us a little spark, give us some momentum."

Bills' secondary contains Patriots' passing attack : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
"Maybe the Buffalo Bills' pass defense is for real after all. Led by tight coverage in the secondary, the Bills justified their No. 5 NFL ranking against the pass by slowing down the New England Patriots' vaunted attack. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who has been a Bills killer, was far from lethal Sunday. He completed only 11 of 23 passes for 115 yards — all season lows — with one touchdown and one interception. His passer rating was 59.1, which is far below the 102.6 rating he had in the previous 15 meetings with Buffalo."

Bills' aura of futility catches up with Fewell : Jerry Sullivan : The Buffalo News
"Fewell has to know he's cooked. He was a long shot for the permanent job even if his team had won Sunday at Ralph Wilson Stadium. But it's looking grim now, after the Bills lost to the Patriots, 17-10, in a game that was all too reminiscent of the losses that came before it in this dying, dysfunctional decade. "

WGR 550 SportsRadio - Immediate Reactions, Wk15
Nick Mendola has cracked, guys. He gives his immediate reactions to the Bills game before predicting "Atlanta 735, Buffalo -4" for next week.

Patriots Extend Streak to 13 Over Bills - 13WHAM.com - Rochester News, Weather, and Sports
"No matter how inconsistently the Patriots have played -- particularly on the road -- or what distractions they've faced, one thing remains constant: They can always count on beating their perennial patsy, the Buffalo Bills."

Postgame injury update – Inside The Bills
Trent Edwards (ankle), Terrence McGee (Shoulder/arm), and Bryan Scott (head) all sustained injuries sever enough to keep them from returning.

It's tough to pay attention to the Bills these days : Bucky Gleason : The Buffalo News
Bucky Gleason was so bored and distracted during the game Sunday his mind kept wandering to Brittany Murphy's death.

BillBoard: Woe for the '00s
Comparing the Bills losing decades of the Dolphins in the 70s to the Patriots in the 00s. It's surprisingly close.

Bills-Patriots report card : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
The Bills get better grades than you might expect from the Buffalo News.

Quarterly report: Bills-Patriots : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
"The News' Mark Gaughan breaks down the Bills' 17-10 loss to the Patriots quarter-by-quarter, analyzing statistics, key plays and more."

Miscues add up to 124 yards in penalties : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
"The Bills had 11 penalties for 124 yards. They had more than 100 penalty yards in the first half alone."

Buffalo Bills: Two-Minute Read | Democrat and Chronicle
Breaking down the Buffalo Bills' Sunday loss to the New England Patriots.

Buffalo Bills' newest lineman states his case | Democrat and Chronicle
"Anytime you lose, you obviously didn't play well enough," said Richie Incognito when asked to analyze his game. "We'll watch the film and correct what went wrong and keep battling. But this group has a lot of fight in them and I like it. I'll fight with these guys any day of the week. We were close at the end, we just came up short."

Buffalo Bills' opening drive set bad tone | Democrat and Chronicle
"Nine minutes into the game, the Bills were ahead 3-0 and New England hadn't even touched the ball yet, and I knew Buffalo wasn't going to win. OK, I knew that all week, but this is what solidified my thought: Awesome opening drive, ruined by a false start penalty at the 2, and they settled for a Rian Lindell field goal. They needed a touchdown to start the game, and didn't get it. That set the tone for the rest of the day."

Buffalo Bills Report Card | Democrat and Chronicle
See what grades our experts give out and rate the Bills yourself. These grades make a lot more sense.

Buffalo Bills fall to New England Patriots | Democrat and Chronicle
"But when you factor in the litany of lousy plays the Bills offered up on a cold but mostly wind-free afternoon, the Bills have no chance against Bill Belichick's troops, not even when Tom Brady is looking merely mortal and the Patriots gain only 224 yards and score 17 points."

Quick Recap: Patriots defeat Bills, 17-10 - Pats Pulpit
Quick recap by the guys at Pats Pulpit.

Recap: Buffalo vs. New England
The Sports Network recap of the game.

Trent Edwards goes in, down and out - AFC East Blog - ESPN
Tim Graham gives a good summary of Trent Edwards' day.

$50k to bolt St. Louis? Fine with Incognito - AFC East Blog - ESPN
"With the fine of 50 grand, I would have gladly paid more to get out of that situation in St. Louis," Incognito said Sunday after the New England Patriots beat the Bills 17-10 in Ralph Wilson Stadium. "So I chalk it up to that."

Rapid Reaction: Patriots 17, Bills 10 - AFC East Blog - ESPN
Tim Graham, who was in the press box at the Ralph, gives his game summary.

Fewell Deserves a Chance -- Somewhere Else | WGRZ.com
Ed Kilgore meanders around the roster, the front office, and Perry Fewell in his most recent post.

Take 13 | wgrz.com
"So that's it... 13-straight and little signs of progress. Owner Ralph Wilson wasn't talking when he left the locker room today. After he fired Dick Jauron he talked about the need for an overhaul. 13-straight losses to the team that's set the standard in the division should underscore that point."

Y’all’s forgiven in Patriot land - The Globe and Mail
"When they assemble next season, trying to avoid their 14th consecutive loss to New England, Buffalo will surely bear little resemblance to the team that walked off the field yesterday. "

Niagara Gazette - TIM'S TAKE: Bills wear stare of humility
"A blank look of humility, one that so many Bills players and coaches have brought to the Ralph Wilson Stadium podium over the past decade, was the common thread after yet another lackluster loss to the mighty New England Patriots on Sunday."

Niagara Gazette - BILLS NOTEBOOK: Edwards makes a cameo
"The sequence symbolized the demise of Edwards, who was still considered the future of the franchise the last time Buffalo met New England, in the season opener. Too many checkdowns, too many injuries, too many punts. "

Failure to lead - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow
"The first drive was the game plan, and then the next few series that we had, we got ourselves into some trouble," Ryan Fitzpatrick said. "When you’re going to play a game like that where you want to wear your opponent out, you have to play mistake free football."

Best and worst of yesterday’s game - BostonHerald.com
Ron Borges gives his thoughts on the game. Interesting bits I think.

Analysis/reaction: Pats 'good enough' in Buffalo - Patriots.com
Escaping Buffalo with a 17-10 victory, New England did what it needed to do, right when it needed to most.

Bills Daily Gameday Grades
Game grades from the Bills blog from the Pats game.

Bills Daily Gameday Review
The Bills blog recaps the game.

WGR 550 SportsRadio - Bills Fall to Pats 17-10; Eliminated from Playoffs
"The Buffalo Bills were their own worst enemy in their 17-10 loss to the New England Patriots at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Bills gave the Patriots over 119 yards through penalties, which ended up being the difference in the game. "

Buffalo Bills NFL News Updates - CBSSports.com Rapid Reports
- Paul Posluszny is the first Bills LB to have an INT in back-to-back weeks since Bryce Paup, who accomplished the feat back in December 1995.
- Just when you think it couldn't get any worse, Bills WR Josh Reed drops a wide-open pass on a 4th-and-9 near the goal line on one of the few well-thrown passes by Buffalo today. Reed has had an awful day, with two muffed punts as well (which were recovered by Buffalo).

Bills Tweets
Twitter / Donte Whitner
In my post game interviews I was not saying I want to leave buffalo....I wanna stay here forever!

Twitter / Thurman Thomas
I have never met Randy Moss, he came up to me during warm-ups and said" what's up old school, you are the man" ... WOW, made me feel good..

Twitter / Donte Whitner
Hope I didn't see moss jump in the stands and bills fans enbrace him!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope not!

Terrell Owens
Sometimes things must come 2 an end, u hv 2 move on & accept wht life has 2 offer. So looking 4wd to 2010.

Falcons And Jets Recap: On The Way To 9-7

Dave the Falconer — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:00:42 -0000

by Kathy Willens - AP

Ah, victory. How I missed you. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

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I've been accused of being a bit too verbose in these kinds of posts, so let me break this down in the easiest way possible.

Winning is fun.

Yes, it was fun to be an Atlanta Falcons fan again yesterday, fun for the first time in nearly a month. It's not that there weren't exciting moments and little triumphs, but ultimately what you plunk down your soul for when you select a sports franchise is winning. There's a lot of extra baggage that comes with that, but nothing feels quite so sweet as the win. So even though it was a game the Falcons repeatedly tried to give away with an inept offensive display for three quarters, it was a win. Praise the football gods!

The defensively-minded Buffalo Bills and the unpredictable Tampa Bay Bucs are now all that lie between us and that winning season we've all been hoping for, and I think we can do it. My sunny disposition has been restored and I now believe many things, including the fact that we will defy mathematics to make the playoffs. Eliminated, you say? That's just another word for quitting.

But I've gotten long-winded again. Please, by all means, check out the meat of the recap after the jump.

HIGHLIGHTS

Matt Ryan was far from great on Sunday, but he came back still hurting against the league's best defense and tossed a touchdown pass when it mattered. He will have to get better in a hurry if we're going to finish the season on a high note, but at least this was a step in the right direction.
Considering the absurdly bad runs being called for him, I thought Jason Snelling was once again solid. The Jets were putting up a brick wall and Mike Mularkey was asking him to run right into it, so considering that his 3.5ish run per carry average isn't half bad. It would be really nice to have Michael Turner back on the field for more than one play, though.
On a day when the passing game was basically shut down, Tony Gonzalez still got his touchdown and sealed the victory for the Falcons. He can't got unmentioned, because it takes two for the touchdown tango, so to speak. Roddy White's four catches for 33 yards actually isn't completely horrible when you consider that Darrelle Revis was matched up against him. That's no easy task.
The much-maligned offensive line quietly kept Matt Ryan on his feet for the entire game. The Jets have a decent pass rush and Ryan wasn't operating at full strength, so this is an impressive sign for them. It's kind of an indictment of the offense that there wasn't any sacks and nothing happened for most of the game, but hey. We still won, right?
Brent Grimes was just plain awesome Sunday. Both of his picks came at critical times and showed off his athleticism. There's legitimate ability there, regardless of any size concerns, and my hunch is that Grimes will be either in the starting lineup or in a nickel role going into 2010.
Thomas DeCoud gets honorable mention for his ball-hawking ways. There's growth to be done here—he still isn't the most able tackler—but safeties who can grab a few interceptions are welcome in the Falcons' backfield any time.
John Abraham and Thomas Johnson both got sacks, and both probably needed them after muddling through recent weeks without sniffing one. Well done, boyos. Hell, kudos to the entire defense today.
Michael Koenen continues to punt his way into our hearts, averaging 39.9 yards on eight punts and one swoon per booming kick.

LOWLIGHTS

I'm going to beat this drum until someone else beats Mike Mularkey over the head with this simple fact: Our offensive playcalling is not putting us in a position to win. Going against the league's best defense, you have to do something more creative than repeatedly running up the gut and depending on your receivers to break free of coverage. Mularkey has that reputation as a creative dude, but it's more for the occasional gadget play that works insanely well than sustained cleverness. It may just be the way the entire team is going, but he's gotta be sweating a little with the way this supposedly elite offense has been performing, injuries or no.
Speaking of injuries, why even trot Michael Turner out there? To confuse the Jets? Considering he only had one carry—at least it was seven yards—I can't imagine that actually worked all that well. Rex Ryan isn't manning the helm of one of the league's best defenses because he gets flustered by a guy making a guest appearance. Let the dude heal or declare him ready and give him a decent workload.
Admittedly it was a 48 yard field goal, but seeing Matt Bryant miss a field goal gave me unfortunate flashbacks.

THE WRAPUP

Game MVP: It's gotta be Grimes. You don't grab two interceptions and alter the course of a 10-7 game and get anything less than an MVP. Congratulations, Grimey!

Game Theme Song: Please don't listen to all seven minutes of this.

One Thing To Take Away: It's not the playoffs, but sweet redemption is still at hand.

Next Week: The Buffalo Bills can be found at Buffalo Rumblings . Despite the name, it's actually an excellent Bills blog and not something that happens when you have way too many wings.

Final Word: Win.

Post-Game Thread: Defense Holds, Falcons Edge Jets 10-7

Dave the Falconer — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:04:43 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

YOU CALL THIS OFFENSE?! (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

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The Falcons have elevated winning ugly to an art form.

It doesn't get much uglier than a game where your highly touted offense is outdone throughout by your supposedly lackluster defense, who deserve better than 75% of the credit for this game. Holding the Jets to 7 points is an impressive accomplishment, and pulling out the win despite their excellent defense is nothing to sneeze at. Now the Falcons are at 7-7 and have only the lowly Bucs and Bills left on their schedule, so that winning season is still a very tantalizing possibility.

Please consider this your open thread to talk about the game and anything else you'd like to as the holidays approach. A few notes from my end:

Brent Grimes gets a lot of up-and-down reviews, but that man knows how to pick a pass. Two today against Mark Sanchez. With Josh Freeman and Ryan Fitzpatrick up next, he could add to his season total of four pretty easily.
John Abraham returned to the magical land of sacking the quarterback. What a delight.
The team made a big show of Michael Turner being active, and then he only got one carry. Matt Ryan at least played the entire game, even if it wasn't his finest hour.That strike to Gonzo saved our butts, though.

Bills drop No. 13 in a row to New England

Brian Galliford — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:20:14 -0000

More photos » by Mike Groll - AP

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Well, that was typical.

Trailing 17-10 in the fourth quarter after Lee Evans caught his first career touchdown pass against the New England Patriots, the Buffalo Bills recovered an onside kick with three minutes remaining. The potential game-changing play was negated, however, by the fact that rookie defensive end Aaron Maybin crossed the 30-yard line prior to the ball being kicked. Offsides; no play; ball goes back to New England.

But that's not the end of the world - not when the Bills' defense has completely shut down the Patriots for the entire second half, holding them to three points in just under two quarters. On a third down, Tom Brady his Wes Welker for a first down - the Pats' only first down of the final quarter. Game, set, match.

The loss is Buffalo's thirteenth straight against Bill Belichick and the Patriots. It came in a pretty unique way; Ryan Fitzpatrick was benched, then Trent Edwards hurt his ankle and carted off the field, so Fitzpatrick came back in and hurt his own ankle, and then gave the Bills at least some semblance of a chance at winning the game late in regulation with his touchdown pass. Buffalo lost linebacker Bryan Scott late, too, as he joined Edwards as Bills carted off the field of play.

Buffalo lost this game well before Maybin's miscue, commiting 11 penalties for 124 yards and giving up six sacks on Fitzpatrick and Edwards. That's 165 free yards for a New England club that only gained 224 yards offensively - Buffalo actually out-gained the Patriots offensively, if you'll believe it, gaining 241 yards themselves. Penalties - the most critical of which were defensive holding or pass interference calls - absolutely killed the Bills in this game, particularly in the first half.

The loss overshadows strong individual efforts from Fred Jackson (80 rushing yards, 32 receiving yards, 108 return yards), Paul Posluszny (9 tackles, INT) and others. Buffalo held Brady in check; Brady completed just 11 of 23 passes for 115 yards, with one TD and the Posluszny interception. Despite the solid defensive effort, the team couldn't muster enough offensively to pull off the upset.

Buffalo is now 5-9 on the season, including a 2-3 record under interim head coach Perry Fewell. The team has officially been eliminated from playoff contention. Next week, they travel to Atlanta to take on a Falcons team that pulled off a last-minute win over the New York Jets on Sunday, evening their record at 7-7.

Quick Recap: Patriots defeat Bills, 17-10

MaPatsFan — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 20:59:08 -0000

More photos » by David Duprey - AP

1 day ago: New England Patriots' Laurence Maroney (39) runs for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/ David Duprey)

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The Patriots offense didn't light up the field. There weren't any gaudy numbers that make you think Tom Brady is back to his 2007 self. But we did see, at times, a defense that did its job. I was worried given the injuries to our starting defensive 300 pounders. Ron Brace, struggling all season, was our primary guy and struggled in the beginning, but seemed to settle in. The star of the defense? Tully Banta-Cain contributed to 6 sacks with 2 sacks and consistent pressure. What interested me the most was how creative the defense was called. At times, they looked to be milling around, but didn't give the Bills offense a formation until the last possible second.

On offense, Laurence Maroney did not have crazy numbers, but he did show some true grit by absolutely pounding the rock down the Bills' throats. Don't get your hopes too high; Buffalo is the 32nd ranked run D. At any rate, we saw some good downfield vision and good turns of the shoulder to slice through.

A win is a win and puts us tied in the division at 4-2 with Miami, but with a better record. The Bills are officially out of it. They've been through a tough year and I gotta give them lots of credit for getting this far.

NFL Week 15 - Early Game Open Thread

John Bena — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:57:03 -0000

The Broncos face the Raiders later this afternoon, but there are plenty of early-games that are of interest to the Broncos and their playoff hopes -

First, the Patriots head to Buffalo to face the Bills. Should the Pats lose their grip on the AFC East, they become factors in the Wildcard Race, though the Broncos hold the tie-breaker.

Next Game

New England Patriots
@ Buffalo Bills

Sunday, Dec 20, 2009, 11:00 AM MST
Ralph Wilson Stadium

Complete Coverage >

Next, we have the Titans and Dolphins from Tennessee. The Dolphins are one of the two teams that can win out and knock the Broncos off on tie-breakers should Denver finish 10-6.

Next Game

Miami Dolphins
@ Tennessee Titans

Sunday, Dec 20, 2009, 11:00 AM MST
LP Field

Complete Coverage >

Lastly, the Jets and Falcons play in the Meadowlands. At 7-6, the Jets could win their final 3 and finish at 10-6, but all 3 teams - the Dolphins, Patriots and Jets are in play for a division title as well.

Next Game

Atlanta Falcons
@ New York Jets

Sunday, Dec 20, 2009, 11:00 AM MST
Meadowlands

Complete Coverage >

Of course, the Broncos can make it all a moot point by simply winning their final 3 games and finishing the season at 11-5 - the Broncos control their own destiny - win and they are in.