Tag: Buffalo Bills (Page 26 of 32)

      And your AFC East winner is…

      December 16, 2008 /

      Matt CasselThanks to Abram Elam, Shaun Ellis and a lot of J.P. Losman’s crap play, the Jets hung onto their first place grasp of the AFC East in Week 15. But the Dolphins also beat the 49ers (albeit in unconvincing fashion) and the Patriots topped the Raiders (in convincing fashion) to stay right in the mix. All three teams currently sit at 9-5 on the season.

      Here’s what the three teams have left on their schedule:

      Jets: at Seahawks, vs. Dolphins
      Dolphins: at Chiefs, at Jets
      Patriots: vs. Cardinals, at Bills

      If you’re a Jets fan you can’t be feeling to good about things. Not only have the J.E.T.S dropped two of their last three games, but they’re also 0-3 on the West Coast this year and heading to Seattle on Sunday.

      The Dolphins are in pretty good shape this week as they face a Chiefs team that is trying to run out the clock on the rest of the season, but their finale in New York is a doozy – especially if the Jets lose this weekend in Seattle. Miami has won just once in its last six trips to the Meadowlands. And while the Dolphin defense has been outstanding of late, the offense has struggled to put up points on against weaker opponents the past three weeks.

      Which leads us to the Patriots. A little over a week ago I predicted New England to win the AFC East and I won’t back down now – especially not after they just gorilla-smacked the hapless Raiders in a rainstorm on Sunday. There’s no way Arizona goes into Foxboro this weekend and beats the Patriots. Zero chance. Will not happen. The Cardinals haven’t beaten a quality opponent on the road this year and their defense just allowed Tarvaris Jackson to throw four touchdowns on them at home last week. Believe it or not, Buffalo might turn out to be a tougher game than ‘Zona, only because of the elements. And considering the Pats will likely be playing for the division (and the Bills will still be starting J.P. Losman), I wouldn’t bet against them.

      So here is my official prediction: Jets lose in Seattle, Dolphins beat the Chiefs, Patriots beat the Cardinals. Jets beat Miami, but Patriots beat the Bills and claim the AFC East.

      Comment fodder: Who do you have winning the AFC East?

      NFL

      J.P. Losman single handily keeps Jets in first place

      December 14, 2008 /

      J.P. LosmanI realize Trent Edwards is hurt and the Bills aren’t playing for much these days, but how is J.P. Losman still starting in the NFL? I certainly don’t have the talent to play one of the toughest leagues in the world, but after watching him over the past three weeks, I struggle to fathom how this guy was ever a first round pick. And not only that, how he’s still getting the opportunity to start. A moist towelette might be more productive under center than Losman is.

      Losman gift-wrapped a 31-27 victory for the Jets on Sunday by throwing three interceptions (only two were his fault) and losing a fumble after being stripped deep in New York territory. Defensive end Shaun Ellis returned the fumble for a touchdown with less than two minutes remaining in the game, which essentially gave the Jets’ their game-winning score.

      Losman wasn’t a complete waste – he did run for a touchdown and threw for a score on a nice slant pass to Steve Johnson right before half – but I can’t see how the Bills don’t rid themselves of this guy after the season. He’s just bad. And just like Joey Harrington, what makes him even more nauseating is that once in a while he’ll show you something to make you believe he can play (only to make you puke the next week).

      This was a huge win for the Jets because it keeps them in first place in the AFC East on a day when both the Dolphins and Patriots also won. But this wasn’t a very impressive performance, especially considering the Losman-led Bills had scored a total of just six points the past two weeks. Regardless, a win is a win and at this point in the season, it doesn’t matter how a team gets them.

      The Jets still control their own destiny from here on out, although they have to travel to the West Coast again next week (they’re 0-3 out West this season) to play the Seahawks and then host divisional rival Miami in their season finale.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      NFL Week 15 Primer

      December 12, 2008 /

      Tony RomoSunday’s Best: Giants (11-2) at Cowboys (8-5), 8:15 PM ET NBC
      We’re getting down to crunch time in the NFL and there’s nothing better than an NFC East battle with playoff implications. If the regular season ended today, the Cowboys would be in as the sixth seed. But the regular season doesn’t end today and Dallas has one of the toughest final stretches of any team with playoff aspirations. After playing host to the Giants on Sunday night, they’re home against the Ravens next week and then travel to Philadelphia in the season finale. That’s a brutal three-game stretch for any team, nevertheless one that is dealing with injuries (see Marion Barber) and internal bickering (see Cowboys’ wideouts vs. Tony Romo). The Giants, meanwhile, are sitting pretty for the top seed in the NFC, but they’ll have to earn it after losing to the Eagles at home last Sunday. Suddenly the Carolina Panthers are just one game behind the Giants in the quest for capturing home field advantage throughout the postseason and the two teams play each other next week in Jersey. Can the Cowboys bounce back from their collapse last Sunday in Pittsburgh? Will the Giants lose two in a row for the first time all season? Like several matchups on the Week 15 schedule, this game is must-see.

      Upset Watch: 49ers (5-8) at Dolphins (8-5), 1:00 PM ET, FOX
      Let me state for the record that I think the Dolphins have been one of the best storylines in the NFL this season. That said – they’re due for a letdown. Just when the public is ready to hop on a team’s bandwagon and ride its coattails the rest of the season, they hit a pothole and send everyone flying off. Miami is a better team than San Francisco and they should win Sunday in convincing fashion. But San Fran is a dangerous team right now because they have nothing to play for and have fiery Mike Singletary leading the way – the same fiery Mike Singletary that is trying to prove he deserves a head-coaching job. The Niners have been more competitive since Singletary took over and quarterback Shaun Hill has been a pleasant surprise. You might think I’m crazy (and I am) for predicting a 49er upset considering Frank Gore is expected to miss the game, but DeShaun Foster is no slouch and is likely craving the opportunity to carry the full load. Just when you think you’ve got the NFL figured out, it throws you a punch to the gut. Do we have another punch coming this Sunday in Miami?

      Jon GrudenIntriguing Matchup: Buccaneers (9-4) at Falcons (8-5), 1:00 PM ET, FOX
      Call this “Sunday’s Best II.” With the Bucs’ loss to the Panthers in Carolina on Monday night, the NFC South is now 0-10 this season when playing on the road against other NFC South opponents. And considering Jeff Garcia has missed significant practice time this week due to a calf injury, things don’t bode well for Tampa. However, Monte Kiffin’s defense has always given the Falcons trouble. Both of these teams are coming off of divisional losses and both need a win to stay in the NFC playoff picture (especially Atlanta), so we can probably expect one hell of a fight. Look for Tampa to take away Michael Turner and the Falcons’ running game and force rookie Matt Ryan to beat them through the air. They had this same approach in their Week 2 victory and Ryan failed miserably, although it’s safe to say he’s a completely different player nowadays and he showed once again last week in New Orleans that he can make every throw in the NFL. Will the Bucs get back on track this week or will the legend of Matt Ryan continue to grow?

      Other Notable Games:

      Steelers (10-3) at Ravens (9-4), 4:15 PM ET CBS
      Call this game “Sunday’s Best III” or “Sunday’s Best 1A.” Whatever you call it, it’s going to be one of the best games of week. Pittsburgh remains one game ahead of Baltimore in the AFC North and currently has the head to head advantage after beating the Ravens earlier in the year. No team is playing better defensively right now than Pittsburgh, but the Ravens have suddenly hit their offensive stride in recent weeks and still boasts one of the best defenses in the league. This game might wind up being a 6-3 final.

      Vikings (8-5) at Cardinals (8-5), 4:05 PM ET FOX
      The Cardinals may have locked up the NFC West crown last week, but they still have plenty to play for as they try to improve their playoff seeding. And with the Bears’ victory over the Saints on Thursday night, the Vikings must win to stay one game ahead of Chicago in the NFC North. Can backup Tarvaris Jackson lead Minnesota to victory?

      Broncos (8-5) at Panthers (10-3), 4:15 PM ET, CBS
      With their win over Tampa on Monday night, many purists are talking about Carolina possibly being the No. 1 seed in the NFC come playoff time. But they’ll get a challenge this Sunday from a Denver team trying to clinch the AFC West crown.

      Bills (6-7) at Jets (8-5), 1:00 PM ET, CBS
      After losing two straight, the Jets now find themselves in a three-way tie with the Dolphins and Patriots for first place in the AFC East. Can they get back on track or will the Bills play spoiler?

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      AFC East wide open after Pats, Dolphins win

      December 7, 2008 /

      Miami DolphinsWith the Jets’ 24-14 loss to the 49ers coupled with the Dolphins’ 16-3 win over the Bills and the Patriots’ narrow 24-21 victory over the Seahawks, the AFC East is now up for grabs with all three teams sitting at 8-5.

      If the season ended today, the Jets would still claim first place because they have the best division record at 3-1. But they currently have the same conference record as the Dolphins do at 6-4 and the Jets still have to play Miami and Buffalo, although both games are at home.

      Even though they’re still technically in the best shape, the Jets have just suffered two ugly defeats. Miami has won six of their last seven games and arguably has the easiest remaining schedule as they host the 49ers next week before finishing at the Chiefs and Jets to end the season. New England’s remaining schedule isn’t too daunting either, as the Pats travel to Oakland next week, host the Cardinals in Week 16 and end the season at Buffalo.

      It’s amazing to think that this division is so wide open given that just three weeks ago many were talking about the Jets being a possible Super Bowl contender after they beat the Titans. Granted, all of that talk was incredibly premature, but it’s crazy to think that a Tom Brady-less Patriots and a Dolphins team coming off a 1-15 season have just as much of a chance to win the division as a Jets team that looked like world beaters just two weeks ago.

      Comment fodder: Who wins the division? None of the three teams have a very difficult schedule, so it might come down to home field advantage. The Jets have two more home games left, while the Pats and Dolphins each have one apiece. I still think New York wins the AFC East, but it’s going to be interesting over the next three weeks.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Trent Edwards captain of Buffalo’s sinking ship

      November 18, 2008 /

      Bills-BrownsUltimately, one player doesn’t make or break a team in terms of wins and losses, but Trent Edwards is getting awfully close to being the exception to the rule.

      After throwing three interceptions in the first half of the Buffalo Bills’ 29-27 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Monday night, Edwards played like a scared schoolgirl the rest of the game. He constantly threw check down passes to Marshawn Lynch instead of going downfield and rarely attempted a pass more than 10 yards.

      But it’s not fair to hang the Bills’ loss solely on Edwards. Rian Lindell missed a field goal in the closing seconds that probably would have won the game. Fred Jackson coughed up the ball in Cleveland territory. The defense allowed Jerome Harrison to bust off a 72-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter.

      It wasn’t just Edwards that lost the game, but he had more than enough opportunities to make plays and he didn’t because he was too scared. His offensive line gave him loads of time and replays showed that he had open receivers to throw to all game, but he just couldn’t pull the trigger. Have you ever seen a quarterback so afraid to throw downfield? His confidence is totally shot in the wake of Buffalo’s four game losing streak.

      The Bills were a nice early season surprise, but their playoff hopes are fading fast.

      Conversely, this was a nice win for Cleveland. Not only did Brady Quinn get his first win of his career, but the Browns also didn’t joke in the end. They finally played four quarters and while it got hairy in the fourth quarter, they finally closed a team out and won a tight ball game. (Of course if Lindell makes the field goal, all of this is a moot point and we’re talking about another massive Browns’ collapse.)

      Fantasy Football, NFL

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