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The wins are starting to roll in, but not for the Bills. Critical matchup against the Browns on Monday night. If they lose, you can kiss their playoff hopes goodbye. Lets take a look at this week's #1 NFL Predictions for Week 11 (Home team in CAPS).
Last Week 10-4
Season 86-58
PATRIOTS 27 Jets 20 - Jets put up a good fight, but not enough as the Pats assert their AFC East lead.
FALCONS 30 Broncos 26 - Blame the Broncos D again.
Eagles 28 BENGALS 17 - Eagles look to rebound off of that Sunday night loss.
PACKERS 23 Bears 20 - Do or die game for the Cheeseheads.
COLTS 28 Texans 10 - Best bet of the week.
Saints 24 CHIEFS 21 - Chiefs might actually pull this one out.
DOLPHINS 27 Raiders 7 - Remember how many games the Phins won last year?
GIANTS 24 Ravens 13 - Flacco's fault.
BUCS 24 Vikings 20 - Do people still doubt the Bucs?
PANTHERS 27 Lions 6 - That Panthers D ain't that bad either.
49ERS 31 Rams 27 - The "Who Cares?" game of the week.
Cardinals 27 SEAHAWKS 17 - The return of Hasselbeck?
STEELERS 26 Chargers 17 - Put in Leftwich.
TITANS 17 Jaguars 14 - That Titans D is really good.
REDSKINS 20 Cowboys 14 - Buh Bye Cowboys!
BILLS 28 Browns 20 - Must win for the Bills.
Its been a depressing three weeks being a Bills fan. What started as a promising season at 5-1 has now become a nightmare as the Bills have lost 3 straight games within their division. Needless to say they're now ranked 18th in my weekly Power Rankings. In other words, they suck. Here are the rest ...
1. Titans (9-0) - Undefeated.
2. Giants (8-1) - Impressive.
3. Panthers (7-2) - Defense.
4. Bucs (6-3) - Gruden.
5. Steelers (6-3) - Injuries.
6. Eagles (5-4) - Unlucky.
7. Cardinals (6-3) - Lucky.
8. Patriots (6-3) - Cassel?
9. Ravens (6-3) - Flacco?
10. Falcons (6-3) - Matt Ryan.
11. Redskins (6-3) - Playoff bound?
12. Colts (5-4) - Rebounding.
13. Jets (6-3) - Favre.
14. Bears (5-4) - Grossman?
15. Cowboys (5-4) - Romo.
16. Dolphins (5-4) - Wildcat.
17. Broncos (5-4) - No Defense.
18. Bills (5-4) - Over-rated.
19. Vikings (5-4) - Frerotte?
20. Packers (4-5) - Sub-500?
21. Chargers (4-5) - Hanging on.
22. Jaguars (4-5) - Coming up?
23. Saints (4-5) - Buh bye!
24. Browns (3-6) - Quinn?
25. Texans (3-6) - Ugly.
26. Rams (2-7) - Yowsers!
27. Seahawks (2-7) - Hasselbeck.
28. 49ers (2-7) - Singletary.
29. Bengals (1-8) - Ouch.
30. Raiders (2-7) - Kiffin?
31. Chiefs (1-8) - Brutal.
32. Lions (0-9) - Winless.
Ok, ok, I've been slacking lately. Here's my post-Week 10 predictions (Home team in CAPS).
Last Week 10-4
Season 76-54
Broncos 30 BROWNS 21
Saints 21 FALCONS 17
Titans 24 BEARS 16
Jaguars 23 LIONS 7
Ravens 20 TEXANS 14
DOLPHINS 28 Seahawks 17
Packers 24 VIKINGS 22
PATRIOTS 24 Bills 21
JETS 30 Rams 27
Panthers 27 RAIDERS 13
STEELERS 28 Colts 25
CHARGERS 20 Chiefs 3
EAGLES 27 Giants 26
CARDINALS 35 49ers 10
Happy Election Day! Week 10 is now upon us and once again its time to see where your team ranks amongs the NFL's elite. No longer are the Buffalo Bills included in that category. Losing to the Jets at home is a disgrace. Here's the Week 10 Power Rankings ...
1. Titans (8-0) - They always find a way to win.
2. Giants (7-1) - The Giants showed some weaknesses in Sunday's 35-14 win over Dallas, but when you beat a team by 21 points and show some weaknesses, your weaknesses aren't that weak. Get it?
3. Steelers (6-2) - When you can beat an upstart Redskins team in Washington with Byron Leftwich at QB, you know you're good.
4. Panthers (6-2) - With the BYE week behind them, the Panthers schedule gets a little easier with the Raiders and Lions on tap.
5. Eagles (5-3) - Yeah the Eagles have 3 losses, but they haven't lost by more than 6 points in any of them.
6. Bucs (6-3) - Slight scare against the lowly Chiefs, but I've been saying it all year - good teams find a way to win games.
7. Cardinals (5-3) - Kurt Warner returns to St Louis and lights the place up. No wonder Arizona fans love him so much.
8. Redskins (6-3) - The Skins still have a lot of work to do going into their BYE week. But at 6-3, they couldn't ask for a better start through 9 games.
9. Patriots (5-3) - You can blame that loss to Indy on Belichick's coaching.
10. Bears (5-3) - The loss of Kyle Orton is a huge blow to this team.
11. Falcons (5-3) - How wrong was I earlier this season when I said the Falcons stink?
12. Ravens (5-3) - The Ravens are now on a 3-game winning streak. Is it any coincidence that Joey Flacco has not turned the ball over during that time?
13. Colts (4-4) - A crucial win against the Pats to save their season. Now they find themselves a game out of a playoff spot.
14. Jets (5-3) - I still don't know how they beat the Bills. Oh yes I do, the Bills defense sucks!
15. Bills (5-3) - I'll say it again - the Bills defense sucks. When they desperately needed a big stop on 3rd down, they folded under pressure. The Bills have lost 3 out of 4, are 0-2 in the AFC East, and play at New England this Sunday. Its not time to push the panic button, but its real close.
16. Cowboys (5-4) - The Boys need Tony Romo back in a big way.
17. Packers (4-4) - Anybody else watch the entire game on Sunday only to see the last play of the game cut to commercial break prior to the Giants game? In case you missed it like I did, the Packers lost.
18. Dolphins (4-4) - Wow, the Dolphins now have a legitimate shot at the playoffs.
19. Broncos (4-4) - Wow, the Broncos are just that bad.
20. Saints (4-4) - Wow, I have nothing to write about the Saints.
21. Chargers (3-5) - And I don't feel like writing anything about the Chargers.
22. Vikings (4-4) - The Vikings pretty much sum up the 2008 NFL Season. They're a game out of first place and they're a really bad team.
23. Browns (3-5) - Brady Quinn, let's see what you got.
24. Jaguars (3-5) - Through their first five games, you could blame the Jags record on their grueling schedule, but they've lost their last two to the Browns and Bengals.
25. Texans (3-5) - Just when Matt Schaub was looking good, he's now out with a torn MCL.
26. Rams (2-6) - Steven Jackson drama.
27. Seahawks (2-6) - Matt Hasselbeck is close to returning, but don't expect to see him in Miami.
28. 49ers (2-6) - Mike Singletary drama.
29. Bengals (1-8) - Hey, the Bengals won!
30. Raiders (2-6) - As we all suspected, the real reason the Raiders are horrible was not because of Lane Kiffin.
31. Chiefs (1-7) - You play to win the game!
32. Lions (0-8) - They might just actually go 0-16.
Week 9 is upon us. Questions for this week: Will the Bills look like the team that took the field the first four weeks of the season, or will they stink it up like they did a week ago? Will the Bungals ever win a game? Does Green Bay have a shot at beating the undefeated Titans? Week 9 Predictions (Home team in CAPS) ...
Last Week 7-7
Season 66-50
BILLS 24 Jets 19 - Trent & Co. get back on track.
BEARS 31 Lions 10 -
Jaguars 20 BENGALS 7 - The Bengals are looking forward to their Week 17 game at home against the Chiefs as their only shot at a win this year.
BROWNS 14 Ravens 13 - Kellen Winslow returns.
TITANS 23 Packers 21 - Its hard to pick against the Titans D.
Cardinals 27 RAMS 20 - The return of Kurt.
VIKINGS 34 Texans 24 - Just when we thought Pat and Kevin Williams were coming back ...
BUCS 30 Chiefs 17 - Someone fire Herman Edwards already.
BRONCOS 28 Dolphins 17 - That Broncos D will need to stop the Dolphins ground game to have any shot at a win.
Falcons 19 RAIDERS 16 - Matt Ryan is starting to impress.
GIANTS 27 Cowboys 21 - Two words ... Brad Johnson.
EAGLES 30 Seahawks 14 - One word ... Westbrook.
COLTS 24 Patriots 23 - Do or die game for the Colts.
Steelers 25 REDSKINS 21 - The Steelers are the better team here.
Aaron Schobel tested his ailing foot on the sidelines at practice yesterday. Schobel has a strained ligament in his foot and has been unable to play the past two weeks. In Schobel's absence, Buffalo’s pass rush has struggled with just three sacks in its past three games.
Right guard Brad Butler and WR Josh Reed were also on the non-practice list. Reed suffered a strained Achilles and a sprained ankle in Miami this past Sunday. Meanwhile, Terrence McGee says he's closer to 100% and should be able to contribute more against the Jets.
Ashton Youboty and Jason Whittle were able to practice on Wednesday as well. RB Marshawn Lynch was excused for personal reasons, but is expected to be back at practice today.
It is widely being reported that the Buffalo Bills have reached agreement with Head Coach Dick Jauron on a 3-year contract extension that would keep him through 2011.
Its Week 9 in the NFL and I still am unable to figure this season out. What an awful loss for the Bills. The Giants and Titans, meanwhile, continue to impress. Here are your Week 9 Power Rankings ...
1. Titans (7-0) - Kerry Collins is making everyone forget about Vince Young.
2. Giants (6-1) - The Giants played a flawless 4th quarter to secure their most impressive victory of the season.
3. Panthers (6-2) - The Panthers are now 5-0 at home this year.
4. Steelers (5-2) - The Steelers are riddled with injuries. They're just lucky that Big Ben is still healthy considering the offensive line has more holes than swiss cheese.
5. Redskins (6-2) - The Skins look a bit sluggish right now, but they're still winning games. Clinton Portis is a beast.
6. Patriots (5-2) - Suddenly the Pats are back atop the AFC East.
7. Cowboys (5-3) - The Cowboys are considering starting Brooks Bollinger this Sunday against the Giants. Bad idea.
8. Eagles (4-3) - The Eagles are one of the best teams in the league when Brian Westbrook is healthy.
9. Bucs (5-3) - The Bucs ran into a stifling Dallas D - 6 drives into Dallas territory resulted in only 3 FG.
10. Cardinals(4-3) - Arizona STILL can't win on the East coast.
11. Bills (5-2) - Now you know why strength of schedule IS a useful indicator of how good a team really is.
12. Bears (4-3) - Kyle Orton looks to continue where he left off against the lowly Lions this week.
13. Falcons (4-3) -
14. Packers (4-3) - The Pack will look to be the first to knock off the Titans this week.
15. Jets (4-3) - Big game at Buffalo this week.
16. Broncos (4-3) - We'll see if the BYE week fixed the Broncos defense.
17. Colts (3-4) - Did you ever think we'd see the day when Eli was better than Peyton?
18. Ravens (4-3) - With one more win the Ravens will match their victory total from last year.
19. Saints (4-4) - Drew Brees just continues to light up opposing defenses.
20. Dolphins (3-4) - For the second time this season, Joey Porter single-handedly won the Dolphins a game.
21. Chargers (3-5) - No use in acting like the Chargers are good, cuz they're not.
22. Browns (3-4) - They just might start to turn the corner.
23. Jaguars (3-4) - Just when we all thought the Jags would put together a nice winning streak, they go out and lose to the Browns.
24. Vikings (3-4) - Pro Bowl tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams will most likely play in Sunday's game against Houston. This can only be good.
25. Texans (3-4) - Matt Schaub is starting to impress.
26. Seahawks (2-5) - I guess the Hawks got sick of losing.
27. Rams (2-5) - Even though they lost in New England, the Rams look like a completely different team from the one that took the field the first five weeks of the season.
28. Raiders (2-5) - The Raiders have scored just 29 points in their last three games. Blame JaMarcus Russell.
29. 49ers (2-6) - Mike Singletary's rant was the best thing that's happened in San Fran in a really long time.
30. Chiefs (1-6) - For a moment on Sunday, it looked like the Chiefs might actually beat the Jets.
31. Bengals (0-8) - Season over.
32. Lions (0-7) - Season was over in Week 1.
You wanna know where your team ranks this week? Week 8 Power Rankings are here...
1. Titans (6-0) - Sure, the Titans have played one of the easiest schedules in the league. But they're defense is averaging 11.0 PAPG and wins are wins.
2. Steelers (5-1) - Huge game at home against the #3 ranked Giants this week.
3. Giants (5-1) - The Giants have played the easiest schedule in the NFL to date. That all changes this Sunday in Pittsburgh.
4. Bucs (5-2) - The Bucs are doing it with defense right now. Jeff Garcia doesn't look that bad for a 38-year old washed-up QB.
5. Redskins (5-2) - The Skins looked like they were still recovering from their Rams-hangover on Sunday. They get the Lions this week, we'll see if they're sober by Sunday.
6. Bills (5-1) - I'll say it again, Trent Edwards is the future of this team. Squish the Fish!
7. Panthers (5-2) - Carolina's D faces a tough challenge against the #1 ranked Cardinals offense on Sunday.
8. Cardinals (4-2) - Let's see if Arizona can shake its East Coast blues.
9. Eagles (3-3) - Best 3-3 team in the league?
10. Bears (4-3) - Did the Bears really just score 48 points in one game?
11. Cowboys (4-3) - Its getting really ugly in Dallas. Wade Phillips needs to be fired.
12. Colts (3-3) - Three games back in the South and a matchup at Tennessee next Monday night. Must-win game would be an understatement.
13. Patriots (4-2) - I'm not impressed with the 41 points the Pats put up. They were playing the Broncos, remember?
14. Falcons (4-2) - The NFC South is starting to look like the best division in the NFC.
15. Packers (4-3) - Just when I thought the Packers were heading in the wrong direction ...
16. Broncos (4-3) - The Broncos have turned the ball over 13 times in their last four games (1-3) after turning it over just three times during their 3-0 start.
17. Chargers (3-4) - What's wrong with LT?
18. Jets (3-3) - Why is it such a big deal that Brett tipped the Lions? Get over it.
19. Jaguars (3-3) - The Jags enter the soft spot of their schedule with the Browns, Bengals, and Lions due up.
20. Ravens (3-3) - Baltimore's D shut down the Dolphins' Wildcat formation, as Miami only amassed 71 yards on the ground.
21. Vikings (3-4) - Vikings Special Teams is a mess; they've given up five touchdowns this season.
22. Saints (3-4) - Is Jeremy Shockey the biggest whiner in the NFL?
23. Browns (2-4) - Two of the Browns last ten games are against teams with losing records. Doesn't look promising in Cleveland.
24. Raiders (2-4) - NFL coaches need to stop calling timeout just prior to game-winning/tying FG attempts. Its just lame and they deserve to get screwed.
25. Texans (2-4) - Dating back to last year, the Texans are 8-3 at Reliant Stadium.
26. Dolphins (2-4) - Wildcat is over.
27. Rams (2-4) - Two weeks ago this team looked like it wouldn't come close to winning one game all year. Now, two wins in a row against two NFC East teams??? Amazing.
28. 49ers (2-5) - Mike Nolan is gone after four straight losses.
29. Seahawks (1-5) - Holmgren should take an early retirement.
30. Chiefs (1-5) - Still don't understand why the Chiefs didn't unload Gonzalez. Herm Edwards will be the next head coach to go.
31. Bengals (0-7) - The Bengals are not playing inspired football right now. They have a chance for their first win in Houston this Sunday.
32. Lions (0-6) - They are pathetic.
I'm a huge Yankee fan, and I know this blog is all about the Bills, but say it ain't so!!
One word from Week 6 - UGLY. Maybe the best thing to do is ignore my picks and flip a coin to see who wins. The Bills play a huge game at home against the revitalized Chargers. Trent Edwards will be back at the helm and the Bills are coming off the BYE week so it will be interesting to see if they come out refreshed or rusty. Week 7 Predictions, here they are (Home team in CAPS) ...
Last Week 6-8
Season 49-39
BILLS 23 Chargers 21 - Another comeback and a game winning FG by Lindell seals the victory.
BEARS 17 Vikings 14 -
Steelers 27 BENGALS 23 - Its hard picking against the Bungals in this one.
Titans 24 CHIEFS 16 - Titans remain undefeated.
Cowboys 30 RAMS 14 - No Romo, no problem.
DOLPHINS 24 Ravens 20 - If you want to see a really creepy picture of Bill Parcells, log on to FoxSports.com' NFL Home Page and check out the headline story entitled "Master Stroke".
GIANTS 28 49ers 17 - Eli back on track.
Saints 31 PANTHERS 28 - Best game of the week.
TEXANS 27 Lions 10 - One thing about the Texans, they play some exciting games - probably because they're a really sloppy team.
RAIDERS 23 Jets 21 - Wishful thinking Part II.
Colts 34 PACKERS 24 - Yes, the Colts are back.
REDSKINS 20 Browns 17 - Tough game to call.
BUCS 27 Seahawks 13 - Hawks are brutal.
PATRIOTS 24 Broncos 17 - Dear Lord, please make the Red Sox lose. Amen.
The Buffalo Bills have traded DT John McCargo to the Indianapolis Colts for an undisclosed draft pick. McCargo, the Bills first-round draft pick in 2006, was never able to land a starting role with the Bills. He appeared in 25 games through his only three seasons.
Great weekend of football. There were five games decided within the last 10 seconds of the game. The Patriots lost, the Dolphins lost, the Rams won surprisingly, and Tony Gonzalez might be a Buffalo Bill by the end of the day today. In any case, here's our Week 7 Power Rankings ...
1. Titans (5-0) - Nothing better than moving into the top spot while on a BYE, right? Due up, the Chiefs. Titans should maintain their #1 ranking through Week 7.
2. Steelers (4-1) - The BYE week came at the right time for the Steelers. Willie Parker is listed as probable for this Sunday's matchup at Cincinnati.
3. Giants (4-1) - Eli looked like "the old Eli" last night.
4. Bucs (4-2) - Who would you start at QB? Garcia or Griese?
5. Redskins (4-2) - Bad, bad, bad loss to the Rams. Very bad.
6. Bills (4-1) - Trent Edwards will start this Sunday for the Bills against the Bolts. Will Tony Gonzalez as well?
7. Cowboys (4-2) - Romo is out for a month with a broken pinkie. Enter Brad Johnson.
8. Colts (3-2) - So, Peyton Manning had 2 surgeries on his knee in the offseason. Are the Colts making excuses?
9. Panthers (4-2) - After getting spanked by the Bucs, the Panthers look to regroup against the Saints.
10. Eagles (3-3) - Donovan and Co. didn't look real comfortable against the Niners, needing 23 4th-quarter points to put them away. Big game against Atlanta looms.
11. Broncos (4-2) - As inconsistent as you can get through six weeks.
12. Chargers (3-3) - Which team will show up in Buffalo on Sunday? Hopefully, the bad one.
13. Patriots (3-2) - The offense's recent struggles just goes to show how good Tom Brady is.
14. Jets (3-2) - Suddenly, the Bretts look like contenders.
15. Cardinals (4-2) - Suddenly, the Cardinals look like contenders ... again.
16. Falcons (4-2) - Who else switched channels after the Bears scored?
17. Bears (3-3) - I still don't understand why head coaches tell their kickers to "pooch" it. Its like Prevent D, it never works.
18. Packers (3-3) - I'm gonna say the Packers don't make the playoffs this year.
19. Vikings (3-3) - Way to almost lose to the Lions at home!
20. Saints (3-3) - Drew Brees is unstoppable.
21. Jaguars (3-3) - The Jags desperately need to find some consistency.
22. Ravens (2-3) - Offense wins games, Defense wins championships. In order for the Ravens D to win a championship, Joe Flacco and the offense need to win some games. Doesn't look like that's gonna happen.
23. Dolphins (2-3) - What happened to Wildcat?
24. Browns (2-3) - Derek Anderson throws for 310 yards and the Browns win their second straight against the G-Men. Don't count them out just yet.
25. 49ers (2-4) - You can't self-destruct any better than the Niners offense in that fourth quarter against the Eagles.
26. Raiders (1-4) - No matter what Al Davis says, JaMarcus Russell will never be a good NFL quarterback.
27. Seahawks (1-4) - This team just keeps getting worse and worse. Hasselbeck will be out for at least another week.
28. Texans (1-4) - The Texans would be 0-5 if Sage Rosenfels took that final snap.
29. Rams (1-4) - I almost wanted the Rams to lose after watching OL Richie Incognito act like a complete ass and get a 15-yard unsportsmanlike with 35 seconds left.
30. Chiefs (1-4) - Bye Bye Gonzo!
31. Bengals (0-6) - Bengals fans are "dumping" their season tickets. I don't blame them.
32. Lions (0-5) - Its hard to find something to write about for this team.
Multiple sources are speculating that Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro TE Tony Gonzalez may end up in Buffalo. The trade deadline is fast approaching (Tuesday @ 4 PM) and Gonzalez has requested a trade to a title contender. The Chiefs are looking for a 1st rounder and "some change" and reports have the Bills offering up a 3rd rounder. Stay tuned ....
Good thing I'm not putting money on my picks, cuz I'd be in the hole (just like the stock market). With the Bills on a BYE, its time to kick back, relax, and watch the rest of the NFL beat each other up this weekend. Without further ado, here's my Week 6 Predictions (Home team in CAPS)
Last Week 7-7
Season 43-31
Bears 19 FALCONS 17 - Kyle Orton's not facing the Lions this week, but he'll do just enough to get the W against Atlanta.
COLTS 20 Ravens 16 - Its good to see the Ravens put their confidence in QB Joe Flacco for the rest of the season. Too bad he won't help their chances in this game.
VIKINGS 30 Lions 10 - Are there forfeits allowed in the NFL?
SAINTS 28 Raiders 24 - The Saints are living and dying by the "try to score more than your opponent" strategy.
Bengals 24 JETS 23 - Wishful thinking.
Panthers 23 BUCS 20 - Never put money on Jeff Garcia.
REDSKINS 35 Rams 7 - The Skins are my new favorite team - this weekend only of course.
TEXANS 24 Dolphins 19 - Message to Sage Rosenfels - There's no hurdling in football!
BRONCOS 21 Jaguars 17 - The Jags continue their trend of close games. And so do the Broncos.
Cowboys 24 CARDINALS 20 - Anyone else think that T.O. has serious issues? No, I mean SERIOUS issues? Seriously.
Eagles 27 49ERS 17 - This is must-win for the Eagles.
SEAHAWKS 26 Packers 23 - I think the Packers made a HUGE mistake letting Brett leave.
CHARGERS 22 Patriots 16 - The Bolts desperately need a win, and I desperately need the Sox to lose.
GIANTS 24 Browns 14 - Think the Giants might go 18-0 this year??
Starting QB Trent Edwards has reported to practice twice this week and been sent home in both instances. He continues to recover from a concussion suffered on the Bills third play from scrimmage in their 41-17 loss at Arizona last Sunday. The team hasn't released any details as to the severity of his concussion, nor whether they expect him to be the starting QB when the team resumes play a week from Sunday against San Diego.
“We follow a routine for any of our players that suffer a concussion so that’s what we’ll do with Trent,” Jauron said Monday. I think the Bills will be extra-cautious with Trent, considering he is the franchise QB many Bills fans have been waiting for for over 10 years. Teammate Lee Evans has been in direct contact with Trent and was happy to report that "he seemed to be doing alright" and that he was "alert".
If Edwards is unable to play against San Diego, backup J.P. Losman will get another chance to show us what he's got. The Bills, under Edwards' leadership, had engineered three fourth quarter comeback victories prior to their first loss against the Cardinals. After Edwards' exit, Losman threw a beautiful 87-yard touchdown bomb to Lee Evans, but other than that he made a few miscues which hurt the Bills chances of getting back into the game (which turned into an absolute blowout). He lost two fumbles and threw an interception which lead to 17 Cardinals points.
After the game, Losman admitted he didn't have his best stuff: "I felt the whole day, I was rushing a little bit, maybe rushing through my reads. Maybe I was just rushing a little bit because I haven't been under fire like that in a while. I'm glad it happened early on in the season so as we go on, I'll be more prepared for the situation."
If the Bills hope to continue their winning ways, let's hope that J.P. is more prepared ...
Its that time again. Time to see how far your team dropped in this week's rankings. There is plenty of parity this year so ranking each team is becoming more and more difficult. I'd like to give a shout-out to the Bills for getting their asses handed to them this past Sunday. Here are your Week 6 Power Rankings ...
1. Giants (4-0) - By far the best team in the league right now. Games against the Browns and Niners should have them at 6-0 before they head to Pittsburgh.
2. Titans (5-0) - Big win against the Ravens has them sitting pretty heading into the BYE week.
3. Redskins (4-1) - The Skins have gone into Dallas AND Philly and taken both games, who woulda thunk it?
4. Cowboys (4-1) - BIG scare against the Bungals. Are the Boys overrated??
5. Steelers (4-1) - Steelers might be the favorites out of the AFC, especially with that defense.
6. Patriots (3-1) - Someone tell the BoSox to lose already.
7. Panthers (4-1) - Maybe the most underrated team in the league right now.
8. Bills (4-1) - Ugly loss to the Cardinals and the Bills lose all respect. If Trent Edwards is out for any significant amount of time, the Bills are in trouble.
9. Broncos (4-1) - If I told you the Broncos were only going to score 16 points on Sunday, would you bet on them winning?
10. Bucs (3-2) - Will Sunday's loss cue another QB controversy in Tampa Bay?
11. Bears (3-2) - Kyle Orton LOVES the Lions. Then again, so does everyone else.
12. Eagles (2-3) - The Eagles may be the 4th best team in the NFC and NOT make the playoffs.
13. Ravens (2-2) - Is Joey Flacco really the only QB that Baltimore has to offer?
14. Colts (2-2) - Peyton and Co. still look out of it.
15. Dolphins (2-2) - Wildcat.
16. Chargers (2-3) - What an idiot I look like for picking them to win the Super Bowl this year.
17. Jets (2-2) - The Bretts have a chance to win three straight games (Bengals, Raiders, Chiefs).
18. Cardinals (3-2) - Who needs Anquan Boldin?
19. Falcons (3-2) - When Michael Turner runs over a 100 yards, the Falcons win.
20. Packers (2-3) - Three losses in a row and a loss at home to the Falcons gets you to #20.
21. Vikings (2-3) - Antoine Winfield's big night - 59-yard FG block return for TD, 1 sack, 7 tackles.
22. Saints (2-3) - Drew Brees can really sling it, but that's about all the Saints can do.
23. Jaguars (2-3) - Ok, wheels just fell off again.
24. 49ers (2-3) - Anything's possible in the NFC West this year.
25. Browns (1-3) - The best of the worst.
26. Raiders (1-3) - Is it any surprise that Al Davis is probably the worst owner in all of sports?
27. Seahawks (1-3) - Hasselbeck's QB rating: 57.7 (31st in NFL). Wow.
28. Chiefs (1-4) - The Chiefs are averaging 13 points a game. Surprisingly thats not the worst in the league.
29. Texans (0-4) - Sage Rosenfels single-handedly lost that game. Did you see his fumble while trying to be "John Elway". Pretty funny stuff.
30. Bengals (0-5) - Valiant effort in Dallas gets wasted. From this point forward I will not write anymore about Chad.
31. Lions (0-4) - Tough task for the Lions offense when your defense gives up 36.8 points per game.
32. Rams (0-4) - Tough task for the Rams offense when your defense gives up 36.8 points per game.
QB Trent Edwards took a vicious hit from Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson on the Bills 3rd play of the first quarter and is out for the game with a concussion. Time to root for J.P. More to come ...
Will the Bills actually go 5-0 to start this season? Will Trent lead us to another comeback victory? Will Marshawn finally get his 100-yard game? Will Lee Evans back up his new contract? Will Jason Peters finally show up for the O-Line this Sunday? Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes.
The Bills travel to Arizona this Sunday and take on the Cardinals starting @ 4:15 PM at the University of Phoenix Stadium. To say this is a big game for the Bills is an understatement. A victory this Sunday solidifies the Bills as the team to beat in the AFC East. A loss, and well you could make the case that the Bills maybe aren't as good as we all think.
The Cardinals come into this game getting completely embarrassed a week ago by Brett Favre and the Jets. The Jets put up 56 points, 34 in the second quarter alone. The Cardinals turned the ball over seven times during the game. QB Kurt Warner accounted for 6 of those turnovers (3 INT, 3 Fumbles) and the Jets scored 28 points off of 5 of those turnovers. Not very pretty. To add injury to insult, Cardinals star WR Anquan Boldin was knocked out of the game by an illegal hit to the helmet by Jets safety Eric Smith. He will not play this Sunday, which is good news to the Bills.
However, the Cardinals have enough offensive weapons to make up for the loss of Boldin. Kurt Warner can still sling the ball like he used to, and if it were not for his 6 turnovers against the Jets, we'd be looking at a 3-1 team instead of 2-2 squad. WR Larry Fitzgerald is ranked 3rd in the NFL with 415 receiving yards. Warner will most likely look his way in the absence of Boldin. RB Edgerrin James is always a threat to punish opposing defenses. The Cardinals will most likely use a balanced attack against the Bills defense, which is currently ranked 7th overall in the NFL. Warner might try to exploit the loss of Bills CB Terrence McGee by throwing to Boldin's replacement, Steve Breaston. Breaston is no slouch, as he raked in 122 yards receiving against the Jets last week, so Leodis McKelvin and Ashton Youboty will need to step up their games.
Here are the Bills' keys to victory ...
Offense please find your rythym EARLY: In every game this year, the Bills offense has struggled to get into a rythym early and move the ball efficiently. The Cardinals are not the Raiders nor the Rams so its crucial to score early because any deficit the Bills find themselves in will be very difficult to overcome. Having said that, I have a gut feeling Trent and the offense will use a late game-winning drive to steal this one from the Cards.
Pressure Kurt: Do you see what happens when you pressure Kurt??? He turns the ball over. As I said before, Warner turned the ball over 6 times last week against the Jets. The Jets continually pressured Kurt with blitz-packages designed to have him throw into man-to-man coverages and the offense capitalized on five of those turnovers as a direct result.
Jason Peters: I'm sick of wondering where Jason Peters is. All pre-season long, I asked the same question, "When will Jason Peters show up?" Well, now its the regular season and I'm still asking the same question. When will Jason Peters show up? His play so far has been sub-standard, especially for a guy that made the Pro Bowl a year ago and was supposed to protect our QB. Most of the defensive pressure has been coming from Trent's weak side, which is where Peters is supposed to be "holding down the fort". He needs to start playing up to his abilities, especially this against Arizona.
Show Me the Money! WR Lee Evans finally got his extension, and he's been a class act throughout the negotiations. His play on the field has surpassed all our expectations as he's currently ranked 7th in the league in receiving yards. He's become Trent Edwards' favorite target, and I expect him to have a big game once again.
BEASTMODE: Fearless Prediction - Marshawn gets his first 100-yard game of the year, and the go-ahead TD run from the 2.
BILLS 27 Cardinals 26
Well the Bills keep winning, and I'm still not satisfied with my weekly performances. I don't think anyone in their right mind picked the Chiefs over the Broncos. In any case, tough game for the Bills in Arizona on Sunday. Big games in Philly and Jacksonville as well. Lets have a look at my Week 5 Predictions (Home team in CAPS)
Last Week 9-4
Season 36-24
Bills 27 CARDINALS 26 - Another comeback victory???
PANTHERS 24 Chiefs 13 - Chiefs return to Earth.
Bears 19 LIONS 16 - When does Marinelli get fired?
PACKERS 21 Falcons 17 - The only reason I'm taking the Pack is because they're in Lambeau this weekend.
Chargers 30 DOLPHINS 20 - The Chargers don't impress me anymore.
GIANTS 27 Seahawks 23 - Hasselbeck finally has some guys to throw to, but too little too late.
Redskins 30 EAGLES 27 - Time to jump on the Skins bandwagon.
RAVENS 21 Titans 20 - How good would the Ravens be if they had an offense?
TEXANS 28 Colts 27 - I'll probably regret this one on Monday.
BRONCOS 24 Bucs 17 - You think Shanahan didn't kill these guys in practice the whole week?
Patriots 26 49ERS 14 - O'Sullivan gets sacked 5 times.
COWBOYS 35 Bengals 10 - Ocho Cinqo will NOT kiss THE STAR.
JAGUARS 24 Steelers 22 - If only the Steelers had a running back.
SAINTS 24 Vikings 21 - Saints D actually holds Peterson scoreless.
Bills WR Roscoe Parrish (thumb) will be OUT for Sunday's game against the Cardinals. He's still about 4-5 weeks away.
TE Derek Fine continues to nurse his sore thumb and will also be OUT this Sunday.
CB Terrence McGee (knee sprain) was on the practice field on Wednesday wearing a knee brace and walking with a noticeable limp. He will not play against the Cardinals and might return in Week 7 after the BYE week. Leodis McKelvin and Ashton Youboty will step up in his absence.
DE Aaron Schobel (foot) and DT Marcus Stroud (shoulder) also did not practice on Wednesday. Coach Dick Jauron expects both back on the practice field today.
Stay tuned ...
Week 4 gave us a couple of unexpected upsets, a 91-point game in New York, and another Buffalo victory. Let's take a look at the Week 5 Power Rankings ...
1. Giants (3-0) - A BYE week and a suspension to their best WR gets the G-Men the top spot this week. Go figure.
2. Titans (4-0) - Defense wins championships right?
3. Cowboys (3-1) - Looks like all that Dallas talk about a 19-win season will have to wait another year.
4. Bills (4-0) - Somebody pinch me.
5. Bucs (3-1) - The Bucs are now 3-0 with Brian Griese at QB.
6. Steelers (3-1) - The Steelers had to finish Monday night's game with their 4th-string RB ... and they still won against that Ravens D.
7. Eagles (2-2) - The Eagles need Westbrook taking the carries this weekend, especially with the Skins in town.
8. Chargers (2-2) - Finally the Chargers do to the Raiders what the rest of the NFL has been doing to them (SCREW).
9. Redskins (3-1) - Jason Campbell IS the real deal.
10. Patriots (2-1) - They're not the AFC East favorites anymore.
11. Packers (2-2) - The Pack's in trouble if Rodgers' shoulder injury is more serious than they are letting on.
12. Panthers (3-1) - Big matchup against the Bucs in two weeks, though they shouldn't overlook the upstart Chiefs (kidding).
13. Ravens (2-1) - This team always has a chance with that D.
14. Broncos (3-1) - Remember that Simpson's episode when Homer gets to own the Denver Broncos as a gift from Scorpio?
15. Colts (1-2) - They better start winning.
16. Bears (2-2) - Maybe I've been under-estimating them just a bit.
17. Jaguars (2-2) - I think they're finally back on track, big matchup against Pittsburgh this week.
18. Saints (2-2) - Saints should win a lot of games with they're offense. But they also might lose a lot of games with they're defense.
19. Jets (2-2) - Why the hell did the Jets go for 2 points on that last TD with 1:56 to play??
20. Cardinals (2-2) - Remember when I said they would make a playoff run? Forget it.
21. Vikings (1-3) - I can't figure out why they only have 1 win.
22. Seahawks (1-2) - Don't count the Hawks out yet. Hasselbeck will finally have some receivers to throw to this Sunday in New York.
23. Dolphins (1-2) - Wildcat.
24. 49ers (2-2) - QB J.T. O'Sullivan has been sacked 19 times already. That's on pace to tie former Houston QB David Carr's record of 76 back in 2002.
25. Falcons (2-2) - The Falcons are averaging 181.8 rushing yards per game.
26. Browns (1-3) - Derek Anderson's passer rating is 49.9%. Ugly.
27. Chiefs (1-3) - Good ol' Herm Edwards' hot seat just cooled off a little bit.
28. Raiders (2-2) - I think Lane Kiffin's sole purpose in life at this point is just to drive Al Davis nuts.
29. Texans (0-3) - The Texans finally get to play at home this Sunday. They were 6-2 at Reliant Stadium in 2007.
30. Bengals (0-4) - Carson is now saying that he could've played against the Browns. Would it have mattered?
31. Lions (0-3) - I know its still September, but why do we always have to watch the Lions play on Thanksgiving?
32. Rams (0-4) - Steven Jackson is the entire Rams offense.
It was a tale of two halfs again for the Buffalo Bills yesterday in St. Louis. The Bills scored 25 unanswered points in the second half to take care of the Rams 31-14, improving their record to an impressive 4-0 start.
After watching the Kansas City Chiefs upset the 3-0 Broncos earlier in the day, I was a bit nervous that the same fate awaited the Bills against the 0-3 Rams. After the first half of play, it looked like the Bills were in for a long afternoon, trailing the Rams 14-6 and looking confused on both sides of the ball. The offense once again started off way out of sync. Trent Edwards was sacked four times and the offense only managed 6 points in the first half alone. Meanwhile, the Rams ran the ball with ease against a Buffalo Bills defense which hadn't given up a 100-yard rushing game to this point all season.
Whatever head coach Dick Jauron has been saying in the locker room at halftime seems to be working, as the Bills came out looking sharp in the second half. The Bills took the ball 76 yards in 9 plays as Fred Jackson ran the ball in from 22 yards out on the Bills first possession of the the 3rd quarter. The defense stepped up as well as Jabari Greer intercepted an overthrown Trent Green pass and returned it 33 yards for the touchdown to put the Bills up 20-14 with 14:48 left to go in the game. You could sense the momentum swing as the Rams looked deflated and the Bills seemed to re-energize.
The Bills never looked back as they scored on their next two possessions to put the game out of reach for good 31-14.
Trent Edwards finished the day 15-25 for 197 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. He seems to find a way to get the ball in the end zone when he needs to, and he's probably the main reason this team is 4-0.
Let's look at how the Bills did against my keys to victory ...
Stop Steven: The Bills almost let Steven Jackson beat them. Jackson finished the day with 110 yards rushing on 24 carries and a TD, as well as 78 yards receiving on 5 catches. Through the first half, the Bills couldn't find an answer for him as he punished the defense for 101 yards and his lone TD score. The Bills gave up 167 yards total on the ground and 213 in the air, so it wasn't a very impressive performance for them.
Score: It took the Bills a whole half to finally get going. The offense still hasn't found a way to score early and often. In the past three games the Bills offense has scored only 23 points in the first half, while they've put up 52 points in the second half (45 in the 4th quarter alone). Marshawn still hasn't gotten his first 100 yard game of the season, but he still knows how to move the pile. Fred Jackson is seeing more time due to his impressive play thus far.
Roscoe - With the absence of Roscoe Parrish, the Bills looked to plug the hole at WR with rookie James Hardy. Trent Edwards and the Bills looked to take advantage of his size late in the first quarter as he threw twice to Hardy in the end zone. It looked as if Hardy could've made at least one of the receptions, but both passes fell incomplete and the Bills had to settle for a field goal. Leodis McKelvin took over kick return duties and faired quite well (3 returns for 97 yards, 37 long). This guy is really exciting to watch and he almost broke one early in the 2nd quarter. He also fumbled the ball on one return but fortunately it was recovered by the Bills. We saw a lot of this in the preseason as McKelvin would follow up a good play with a bad play, and vice versa.
The Bills look to improve on their undefeated record this Sunday @ 4:05 PM against the St. Louis Rams. This should be an easy game for the Bills, and should be over early. The Rams are an absolutely horrible football team. Their defense ranks dead last in points allowed (116) and total yards allowed (1370). Their offense has managed to score 29 points in three games, that's 9.7 points per game for those of you who are math whiz's. Like I said two weeks ago, this team might make an 0-16 run.
Marc Bulger has already been sacked 11 times, and he was just benched in favor of 38-year old backup QB Trent Green. Wow, Trent Green. I'm pretty sure this wasn't the right move to make yet. And guys in the Rams locker room agree. I think upsetting a locker-room full of guys on an 0-3 team isn't a very good motivational tool. Steven Jackson has been the one bright spot on the Rams offense. He's managed to put up respectable numbers while the rest of the offense has sputtered. He leads the team in both rushing and receiving yards. They might as well put him at quarterback and let him line up in the Rams secondary at this point because the rest of the team doesn't look like they want to be out there half the time.
The Bills should win this one handily, so lets take a look at their keys to victory ...
Stop Steven: As I said, Steven Jackson is responsible for about 40% of the Rams offense right now. He's a great player, but lacks a supporting cast. He hasn't rushed for more than 66 yards in any of his first three games, but you can blame that on the Rams atrocious O-Line. The Bills rush defense has been impressive through its first three games, not having allowed more than 100 yards.
Score: Sounds easy?? Should be. Trent and the O need to break this game open early. We can't afford another 4th quarter comeback, although its made for a couple of exciting games. Look for Marshawn to get his first 100 yard game of the season.
Roscoe - Return specialist/WR Roscoe Parrish is out for 4-6 weeks, so the rookie tandem of James Hardy (WR) and Leodis "McLovin" McKelvin (CB) will need to step up their games in his absence. McLovin most likely will take up Roscoe's punt return duties, and Hardy should see more time in the slot. We're not really losing much here in the way of talent. Fearless prediction - McLovin returns one for a TD ...
BILLS 31 Rams 19
OK, not too bad last week. Never saw the Pats and Colts losing, but what can you do? Bills are in St. Louis this weekend so expect them to go to 4-0. Lets look at my Week 4 Predictions (Home team in CAPS)
Last Week 11-5
Season 27-20
Bills 31 RAMS 19 - Edwards wins the Battle of Trent's.
Browns 20 BENGALS 17 - Derek Anderson is playing for his job right now.
TITANS 21 Vikings 18 - Titans D wins this one.
Broncos 34 CHIEFS 14 - The Chiefs D doesn't stand a chance against the Broncos O.
SAINTS 29 49ers 25 - Reggie Bush has a big game.
Cardinals 20 JETS 13 - It's going to be a long season for Brett and the Jets.
BUCS 24 Packers 21 - The loss of Al Harris is huge.
PANTHERS 27 Falcons 17 - Are the Falcons really 2-1??
JAGUARS 19 Texans 13 - Jags starting to get back on track.
Chargers 30 RAIDERS 20 - Lane Kiffin should save himself the trouble and resign.
COWBOYS 26 Redskins 23 - Campbell makes a game of it.
Eagles 23 BEARS 19 - Eagles continue to dominate.
STEELERS 20 Ravens 16 - This game will go the other way if the Steelers O-Line plays like last week.
Week 4 Power Rankings are in. Did the Bills gain or lose ground this week? Why is the NFC East so good? Are the Pats and Colts still the elite teams in the AFC?
1. Cowboys (3-0) - The Cowboys are by far the best team in the league right now.
2. Giants (3-0) - A bit of a scare against the Bengals, but good teams usually find a way to win against bad teams.
3. Eagles (2-1) - 3 NFC East teams in the top 3? You better believe it.
4. Titans (3-0) - What happens when Vince Young comes back from his injury? He sits.
5. Packers (2-1) - Do you think the Packers would've beaten the Cowboys if Brett Favre was playing?
6. Bills (3-0) - Trent Edwards is becoming this generation's Comeback Kid.
7. Steelers (2-1) - Big Ben got battered by the Eagles (9 sacks). I don't think he'll be buying dinner for anybody on that O-Line for a while.
8. Broncos (3-0) - The Broncos continue to put up a ton of points. But so do their opponents.
9. Patriots (2-1) - How come Bill Belichick couldn't figure out the Dolphins Wildcat formation? They ran the same play 6 times and scored 4 TDs with it.
10. Chargers (1-2) - Finally, the Chargers score enough points not to let their defense lose it for them.
11. Redskins (2-1) - Jason Campbell keeps getting better and better. Tough matchup against the Cowboys this week, though.
12. Bucs (2-1) - Brian Griese threw the ball 67 times on Sunday. 38 strikes, 29 balls, 2 K's, 3 ER ... oh wait this is the Bucs, not the Rays.
13. Colts (1-2) - Did they blow up the RCA Dome yet (0-2 at Lucas Oil Stadium).
14. Panthers (2-1) - The schedule gets a little easier for the Panthers the next two weeks.
15. Jaguars (1-2) - The rushing game finally showed up, and the Jags finally got a much needed win.
16. Cardinals (2-1) - Kurt Warner's still got it. Expect this team to be in the playoff hunt late.
17. Bears (1-2) - For the second week in a row, the Bears gave the game away.
18. Vikings (1-2) - Is Gus Frerotte really the answer?
19. Jets (1-2) - Just goes to show that one guy doesn't make for a good team.
20. Ravens (2-0) - Yes, the Ravens are 2-0. But they've only beaten the Bengals and the Browns.
21. Saints (1-2) - The Saints really like playing in close games. The bad news is that they've lost 2 of them.
22. 49ers (2-1) - Their schedule gets really tough the next few weeks. It will be interesting to see how well they do.
23. Seahawks (1-2) - Do you think the Hawks thought they'd be 1-2 or 3-0 going into the BYE week?
24. Falcons (2-1) - They'll start losing real soon, don't worry.
25. Dolphins (1-2) - They should run the Wildcat formation on every play the rest of the season.
26. Raiders (1-2) - I wanna see Al Davis become the next head coach.
27. Texans (0-2) - Matt Schaub's passer rating is 50.3 through 2 games. That's bad.
28. Bengals (0-3) - Maybe Chad Ocho Cinqo was on to something when he demanded to be traded this past offseason.
29. Lions (0-3) - Finally, someone's trying to get Matt Millen fired. I just hope he doesn't become a TV analyst
30. Browns (0-3) - Start the "Bring In Brady" chants.
31. Chiefs (0-3) - You can't get much worse ...
32. Rams (0-3) - Oh wait, yes you can.
Well it wasn't pretty, that's for sure. In what I thought would've been an easy win for the Bills turned out to be a nail-biter. Rian Lindell kicked a 38-yard field goal with no time left on the clock lifting the Bills to a hard-fought 24-23 comeback victory over the Oakland Raiders, improving to 3-0 on the season for the first time since 1992.
For the second week in a row it was the heroics of QB Trent Edwards that saved the Bills late. Edwards led the Bills on a 6-play 46-yard drive to set up the game winner with 3 seconds to go at the Raiders 20-yard line. Edwards finished the day 24-39 for 279 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT. The Raiders continually put pressure on Edwards, which led to some really bad throws in traffic in the first half. The Bills seemed out-of-rhythm early, and Pro-Bowl left tackle Jason Peters struggled mightily against Raiders DE Kalimba Edwards. The Bills converted only 1 of 6 3rd downs in the first half, and Edwards only had 59 yards passing by the time the Bills headed to the locker room. By halftime the Bills trailed 9-7 mostly due to the offense's ineffectiveness.
Marshawn Lynch did his part by scoring two key TD's, the first set up by the Raiders first turnover early in the second quarter. QB JaMarcus Russell fumbled deep in Raiders territory as Bills DE Chris Kelsay chopped the ball from his hands and Paul Pozluszny pounced on it. Three plays later, Lynch took the ball 14 yards for the score to give the Bills their first lead of the day at 7-6. Lynch's second score, a 3 yard rumble up the middle cut the Raiders lead to 16-14 with 7:59 left in the game. The score capped a 16-play 96-yard drive in 8:55 and seemed to turn the momentum back in the Bills favor. Lynch finished with 83 yards on 23 carries and the two touchdown scores.
However, on the Raiders ensuing drive, Russell hit WR Johnnie Lee Higgins on a skinny post route who then split the Bills secondary for an 84-yard touchdown scamper and a 23-14 lead, seemingly taking the wind out of Buffalo's sails. Safety Donte Whitner took offense to the play and tackled Higgins about 8 yards into the endzone, earning himself an unnecessary roughness penalty. However, Higgins did the Bills a favor by dancing like a moron in the back of the endzone and earning himself an unsportsmanlike penalty, offsetting Whitner's gaff.
Edwards and the offense clawed themselves back into the game with a 7-play 69-yard drive in 2:20. The Bills utilized their no-huddle offense as Edwards picked apart the Raiders secondary, finding Roscoe Parrish while under pressure for a 14-yard TD strike and a 23-21 deficit with 4:03 left in the game.
Now lets take a look at how the Bills did against My Keys to Victory ...
Stop the Ground Game - Once again, the Bills defense stepped up against a particularly potent Raiders rushing offense. Granted, Justin Fargas was out and Darren McFadden was wearing a boot on his foot prior to the game, but the Raiders managed only 98 yards total on the ground. Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell turned the ball over only once, but it lead to the Bills first TD early in the 2nd quarter.
Pass, Pass, Pass - The Bills were unable to move with much effectiveness in the first half, mostly due to the constant pressure the Raiders were putting on Edwards. The Bills also dealt with poor field position the entire game. Only two of their thirteen drives started in Oakland territory, and the majority started less than their own 20-yard line. Edwards stepped up again in the fourth quarter, however, and was able to find the open receiver on several key third down plays.
Turnovers - Well, after turning the ball over only once in their first two games, the Bills gave it up three times today. The Raiders scored 10 points off of the Bills turnovers, and it almost cost them the game.
The Bills are 3-0 for the first time since 1992 and look to make it 4-0 against the Rams next week in St. Louis.
The Bills have begun the 2008 season 2-0 (first time since 2003) and they look to improve to 3-0 for the first time since 1992 this Sunday against the Raiders at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo. I don't like making guarantees, but I'm 99% sure that'll happen. There really hasn't been this much excitement in Buffalo since Flutie Flakes hit shopping market shelves!
Let's face it, the Raiders are not a really good team. They're a team in turmoil right now (actually aren't they always a team in turmoil?). It all stems from their owner Al Davis. You see, he's ready to pull the trigger on firing head coach Lane Kiffin, and it was only a convincing victory against the Chiefs last week that saved his butt. He's not gonna have the same luck this Sunday however. Yeah, the Raiders players might be playing inspired football right now to try to save his job. But the Bills are too good a team to let anything like that get in their way right now.
The Raiders will look to run, run, run against the Bills this Sunday. They currently rank 2nd overall in the NFL in rushing yards per game. Rookie RB Darren McFadden is averaging 7.0 yards per carry right now, 4th overall in the NFL. He scored his first rushing TD of his career in a breakout game against the Chiefs last week (21 carries for 164 yards). RB Justin Fargas is listed as questionable, but not many are expecting him to suit up on Sunday. If the Raiders are able to run the ball effectively and control the clock, this game might be a litte too close for comfort for Bills fans.
OK, enough about the Raiders, here are the Bills keys to victory ...
Stop the Ground Game - Put the ball in Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell's hands. The Bills were able to stop the Jaguars rushing attack last week and make David Garrard beat them. That didn't happen. Same thing goes this week. Stop McFadden, get the defense off the field, and watch Trent do his work.
Pass, Pass, Pass - The Raiders secondary is god-awful. Trent needs to pick them apart like Jay Cutler did two weeks ago. His passer rating is currently at 107.7, with a 70.9% pass completion pct. If Edwards plays like he has the first two weeks, this game shouldn't be close.
Turnovers - The Bills have turned the ball over once in two games. Why do you think they're 2-0???
BILLS 27 Raiders 10
I'm still not able to figure this season out. Another unimpressive showing (8-7) last week. I WILL DO BETTER THIS WEEK!!!! Home team in CAPS ...
Last Week 8-7
Season 16-15
BILLS 27 Raiders 10 - Don't expect any sort of letdown this week from the Bills.
FALCONS 21 Chiefs 13 - Do I really have to pick a winner?
BEARS 24 Bucs 20 - Lovie Smith has this team looking really good right now.
TITANS 30 Texans 21 - I guess the Titans are for real.
Panthers 23 VIKINGS 19 - Adrian Peterson is questionable, and Gus Frerotte is atrocious.
PATRIOTS 28 Dolphins 9 - Shouldn't be close.
GIANTS 30 Bengals 17 - The Giants are clicking on all cylinders right now, while the Bengals ... well, they're the Bengals.
REDSKINS 19 Cardinals 16 - I don't trust the Cardinals.
49ERS 27 Lions 23 - The Lions defense has given up an average of 41 PPG so far.
SEAHAWKS 35 Rams 10 - One thing's for sure, one of these teams will be 0-3.
BRONCOS 37 Saints 29 - The Broncos have the #1 offense in the league right now and I don't see them letting up this week.
EAGLES 23 Steelers 20 - The winner of this game will win the coin toss in OT.
COLTS 24 Jaguars 17 - The Colts offense finally wakes up.
Browns 16 RAVENS 10 - If the Browns really think they're going to make the playoffs this year, they better start winning games. A loss to the Ravens would be a death blow.
Cowboys 27 PACKERS 23 - Hard to pick against the Packers at home, but Brett Favre isn't playing.
CHARGERS 23 Jets 14 - LT is questionable, and so are the Chargers chances of catching a break this year.
Are you starting to Billieve?? Are you starting to realize that Trent Edwards is the right guy at QB? This team is legit, and I've been saying it since the pre-season. On a hot and muggy day in Jacksonville, the Bills rallied late to defeat the Jaguars 20-16 and improve their record to 2-0 (first time since 2003).
Edwards led the Bills on a 9-play 74-yard drive capped by a 7-yard touchdown pass at the back of the end zone to rookie WR James Hardy, giving the Bills a 17-16 lead with 4:10 to go. Facing 3rd and 6 at the Jacksonville 44-yard line, the O-Line afforded Trent enough time to hit Lee Evans for a 37-yard pass to set up the score. Edwards finished 20 for 25 with 239 yards and a touchdown. The key stat for Edwards was no interceptions, the second week in a row he hasn't turned the ball over through the air.
The Bills defense did its part as well. They held the Jaguars' potent ground game to under 100 yards, and former Jag Marcus Stroud tipped a David Garrard pass to Terrence McGee in the end zone for the interception on what would've been a game-tying TD right before halftime.
The Jaguars looked to take control in the 3rd quarter as they used an 11-play 74-yard drive ending in a 2-yard TD run for Maurice Jones-Drew to tie the game at 10. A little Jags trickery added to Buffalo's woes as they recovered an onside-kick on the ensuing kickoff. The Jaguars settled for the go-ahead field goal to go up 13-10 with 6:06 showing on the clock in the 3rd quarter. The Bills couldn't muster much of their own on offense, holding the ball for only 2:14 in the quarter as Edwards fumbled the ball away. The Jags took the ball to the Buffalo 21-yard line and went up 6 points on a Josh Scobee 39-yard field goal, pretty much taking most of the wind out of the Bills' sails. But Edwards had other ideas ...
On Friday I listed keys to a Bills victory. Lets take a look at how they did:
Stop the Ground Game - The Bills held the Jaguars to 98 yards rushing. After 2 games, the Bills rank 5th overall, 11th in rushing defense. I would say they are vastly improved. If you hold a team that ranked 5th in rushing a year ago to less than 100 yards, I'd say that's a good thing.
Jason Peters, You Playing???? - Yes Jason Peters played. He split plays due to the heat and humidity, but he and the rest of the O-Line stepped up huge by allowing only 2 sacks all game.
Special Teams - It looked like the Jags Special Teams were about the steal the show as they recovered an onside kick which led to the go-ahead FG. However, Roscoe Parrish once again showed us why he is one of the elite punt returners in the game as he scampered 27 yards late in the 4th quarter to help set up the game-sealing FG by Rian Lindell.
Offense Needs to Find Their Rhythm Early - The Bills scored on their opening possession, using an 11-play 74-yard drive to go up 7-0 early. Trent and crew did exactly WHAT they needed to WHEN they needed to in order to put another W on the board.
The Bills next play the Raiders (1-1) at home on Sunday. Stay tuned ...
