Orchard Park, NY (Sports Network) - Although the calendar may read December 26, it's Groundhog Day for the Buffalo Bills whenever they're pitted against the New England Patriots.
Tom Brady added to his MVP resume with three touchdown passes, and the Patriots locked up not only the AFC East crown for the seventh time in the past eight seasons, but also the conference's top seed with a 34-3 victory over the Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
New England (13-2) has won 15 straight over the Bills since a 31-0 drubbing at Buffalo during the first week of the 2003 campaign.
The Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl that season and now find themselves in an enviable position in their quest to return to the big game as the conference's representative this year.
Brady finished with only 140 yards on 15-of-27 efficiency, while rookie tight end Rob Gronkowski caught a pair of eight-yard touchdown passes in the Patriots' seventh straight win since a loss in Cleveland on November 7.
New England forced seven turnovers on Sunday, five of which were committed by Buffalo quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick completed 18-of-37 throws for 251 yards with three interceptions. He also fumbled twice.
Fred Jackson had 81 yards on 13 carries for the Bills (4-11).
Monday, December 27, 2010
Buffalo Bills projected to Draft Fourth in 2011 NFL Draft
Tim Graham - With one game left in the season, the NFL draft order continues to settle into place.
The Buffalo Bills had been moving farther and farther from the top spot with their little hot streak, but they now project to pick fourth after Sunday's loss to the New England Patriots in Ralph Wilson Stadium.
If the season ended today, the Bills, Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals would have the same records, but the Bills would move to the back of that mini-pack because they had the most difficult strength of schedule.
The Carolina Panthers clinched the No. 1 pick regardless of what happens in Week 17.
The Bills still can grab the No. 2 pick if they lose to the New York Jets at the Meadowlands. The Broncos will host the San Diego Chargers. The Bengals will visit the Baltimore Ravens.
Maybe the Broncos can knock off the Chargers. If the Ravens rest their starters for the playoffs, then perhaps the Bengals can pick up a cheap victory.
The Buffalo Bills had been moving farther and farther from the top spot with their little hot streak, but they now project to pick fourth after Sunday's loss to the New England Patriots in Ralph Wilson Stadium.
If the season ended today, the Bills, Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals would have the same records, but the Bills would move to the back of that mini-pack because they had the most difficult strength of schedule.
The Carolina Panthers clinched the No. 1 pick regardless of what happens in Week 17.
The Bills still can grab the No. 2 pick if they lose to the New York Jets at the Meadowlands. The Broncos will host the San Diego Chargers. The Bengals will visit the Baltimore Ravens.
Maybe the Broncos can knock off the Chargers. If the Ravens rest their starters for the playoffs, then perhaps the Bengals can pick up a cheap victory.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Mississippi State's Basketball Players Renardo Sidney And Elgin Bailey Fight In The Stands
HONOLULU - Two players from Mississippi State's basketball team fought in the stands Thursday night between games at the Diamond Head Classic
Sophomore forward Renardo Sidney and junior forward Elgin Bailey got into the altercation about 10 minutes before the tipoff of the game between tournament host Hawaii and Utah at the Stan Sheriff Center. Punches were thrown in the fight that lasted several minutes and was broken up by teammates.
Sidney was seen being escorted away by arena ushers and Honolulu Police, who said later that nobody was arrested.
Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury refused comment until he "finds out all the facts."
Sidney scored 19 points in the Bulldogs' 69-52 win over San Diego earlier Thursday while Bailey had two points.
Sidney, a highly touted McDonald's All-American out of Fairfax (Los Angeles) High, sat out all last season while awaiting clearance from the NCAA. He has appeared in just two games this season and scored 31 points with nine rebounds. Just this week, he was suspended by Stansbury for "conduct detrimental to the team" and was benched for the first-round game loss to Washington State on Wednesday.
Bailey has started 10 of the 11 games this season and is averaging 6.2 points and 3.9 rebounds.
Sophomore forward Renardo Sidney and junior forward Elgin Bailey got into the altercation about 10 minutes before the tipoff of the game between tournament host Hawaii and Utah at the Stan Sheriff Center. Punches were thrown in the fight that lasted several minutes and was broken up by teammates.
Sidney was seen being escorted away by arena ushers and Honolulu Police, who said later that nobody was arrested.
Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury refused comment until he "finds out all the facts."
Sidney scored 19 points in the Bulldogs' 69-52 win over San Diego earlier Thursday while Bailey had two points.
Sidney, a highly touted McDonald's All-American out of Fairfax (Los Angeles) High, sat out all last season while awaiting clearance from the NCAA. He has appeared in just two games this season and scored 31 points with nine rebounds. Just this week, he was suspended by Stansbury for "conduct detrimental to the team" and was benched for the first-round game loss to Washington State on Wednesday.
Bailey has started 10 of the 11 games this season and is averaging 6.2 points and 3.9 rebounds.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots Preview Dec 26, 2010
The New England Patriots looked vulnerable last weekend, while the Buffalo Bills continued to show drastic improvement.
If recent history is any indication, none of that will matter when the AFC East rivals meet Sunday in Orchard Park, N.Y.
With a 15th consecutive win over Buffalo, the Patriots would clinch their seventh division title in eight seasons and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
New England (12-2) has been dominant throughout much of its six-game winning streak, especially in victories over the New York Jets and Chicago by a combined 81-10 score to begin December.
A home game last Sunday night against Green Bay and backup quarterback Matt Flynn seemed like a mismatch, but the Packers used a 2-to-1 edge in time of possession to keep Tom Brady's offense off the field and nearly pull off the upset.
The Patriots needed a fourth-quarter touchdown pass from Brady to Aaron Hernandez, then a late defensive stand to emerge with the 31-27 win.
"It certainly wasn't one of our better games," coach Bill Belichick said. "We've got to play a lot better than this or our season won't last much longer."
Another win over the Bills - or a Jets loss Sunday at Chicago - would ensure that the Patriots' season will end at Gillette Stadium or the Super Bowl, a position they're in primarily because of an offense that has helped New England average an NFL-high 31.9 points.
With help from defensive touchdowns the last two weeks, New England has scored more than 30 points without a turnover in six consecutive games, something that hadn't previously been done even four straight times in league history.
Brady has thrown 292 passes, including 21 touchdowns, since his last interception Oct. 17 against Baltimore. If he isn't picked off in his first 17 attempts Sunday, he'll break Bernie Kosar's NFL record of 308.
New England also got a special-teams boost against the Packers when Dan Connolly returned a kickoff 71 yards - a record for an offensive lineman - to the 4-yard line to set up another Brady-to-Hernandez TD.
The biggest issues remain on the Pats' rookie-laden defense, which allowed Green Bay to convert 11 of 19 third downs. The unit ranks 28th in the NFL, allowing 374.6 yards per game, but has forced 14 turnovers in the last five games, including Kyle Arrington's interception return for a TD and Vince Wilfork's game-ending fumble recovery last Sunday.
"Good teams find a way to win, especially in December," Wilfork said. "I'm not sad at a victory. I'm not worried about how we won. ... The fact of the matter is we won.
"Do I want to blow people out every game? Yeah," Wilfork added, "but it doesn't happen like that every time."
Soft defense was the reason the Patriots didn't blow out Buffalo (4-10) in Week 3, but Brady threw for 252 yards and three TDs in a 38-30 win.
It was the Bills' first game after first-year coach Chan Gailey tabbed Ryan Fitzpatrick the starting quarterback, and they finished with their highest point total against New England since a 31-0 win Sept. 7, 2003 - their last victory over the Pats.
Buffalo has been outscored 401-160 during its 14 straight losses in the series, the longest active streak between two NFL opponents.
Despite that bleak history, the Bills appear eager for the opportunity to measure up against an elite opponent. They're in the midst of a 4-2 stretch that followed an 0-8 start.
"It's a big game for us," Fitzpatrick said. "Putting (the streak) aside, it's how far have we come this year, how much have we improved? I think that's the biggest thing for us."
Buffalo's defense has keyed victories the last two weeks, allowing a combined 20 points against Cleveland and Miami.
The Bills' NFL-worst run defense stepped up last Sunday, holding the Dolphins to 65 rushing yards - 3.4 per carry - in a 17-14 road win.
"I've probably overused the word character, but I don't know if you can because that's what it's all about with this group," Gailey said. "I think we have got the wins to show for the improvement, rather than just seeing improvement in our eyes as coaches."
The Bills' breakout offensive star has been wide receiver Stevie Johnson, who is 57 yards shy of 1,000. After scoring at Miami, he needs one more receiving TD to match Bill Brooks' single-season franchise record of 11.
If recent history is any indication, none of that will matter when the AFC East rivals meet Sunday in Orchard Park, N.Y.
With a 15th consecutive win over Buffalo, the Patriots would clinch their seventh division title in eight seasons and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
New England (12-2) has been dominant throughout much of its six-game winning streak, especially in victories over the New York Jets and Chicago by a combined 81-10 score to begin December.
A home game last Sunday night against Green Bay and backup quarterback Matt Flynn seemed like a mismatch, but the Packers used a 2-to-1 edge in time of possession to keep Tom Brady's offense off the field and nearly pull off the upset.
The Patriots needed a fourth-quarter touchdown pass from Brady to Aaron Hernandez, then a late defensive stand to emerge with the 31-27 win.
"It certainly wasn't one of our better games," coach Bill Belichick said. "We've got to play a lot better than this or our season won't last much longer."
Another win over the Bills - or a Jets loss Sunday at Chicago - would ensure that the Patriots' season will end at Gillette Stadium or the Super Bowl, a position they're in primarily because of an offense that has helped New England average an NFL-high 31.9 points.
With help from defensive touchdowns the last two weeks, New England has scored more than 30 points without a turnover in six consecutive games, something that hadn't previously been done even four straight times in league history.
Brady has thrown 292 passes, including 21 touchdowns, since his last interception Oct. 17 against Baltimore. If he isn't picked off in his first 17 attempts Sunday, he'll break Bernie Kosar's NFL record of 308.
New England also got a special-teams boost against the Packers when Dan Connolly returned a kickoff 71 yards - a record for an offensive lineman - to the 4-yard line to set up another Brady-to-Hernandez TD.
The biggest issues remain on the Pats' rookie-laden defense, which allowed Green Bay to convert 11 of 19 third downs. The unit ranks 28th in the NFL, allowing 374.6 yards per game, but has forced 14 turnovers in the last five games, including Kyle Arrington's interception return for a TD and Vince Wilfork's game-ending fumble recovery last Sunday.
"Good teams find a way to win, especially in December," Wilfork said. "I'm not sad at a victory. I'm not worried about how we won. ... The fact of the matter is we won.
"Do I want to blow people out every game? Yeah," Wilfork added, "but it doesn't happen like that every time."
Soft defense was the reason the Patriots didn't blow out Buffalo (4-10) in Week 3, but Brady threw for 252 yards and three TDs in a 38-30 win.
It was the Bills' first game after first-year coach Chan Gailey tabbed Ryan Fitzpatrick the starting quarterback, and they finished with their highest point total against New England since a 31-0 win Sept. 7, 2003 - their last victory over the Pats.
Buffalo has been outscored 401-160 during its 14 straight losses in the series, the longest active streak between two NFL opponents.
Despite that bleak history, the Bills appear eager for the opportunity to measure up against an elite opponent. They're in the midst of a 4-2 stretch that followed an 0-8 start.
"It's a big game for us," Fitzpatrick said. "Putting (the streak) aside, it's how far have we come this year, how much have we improved? I think that's the biggest thing for us."
Buffalo's defense has keyed victories the last two weeks, allowing a combined 20 points against Cleveland and Miami.
The Bills' NFL-worst run defense stepped up last Sunday, holding the Dolphins to 65 rushing yards - 3.4 per carry - in a 17-14 road win.
"I've probably overused the word character, but I don't know if you can because that's what it's all about with this group," Gailey said. "I think we have got the wins to show for the improvement, rather than just seeing improvement in our eyes as coaches."
The Bills' breakout offensive star has been wide receiver Stevie Johnson, who is 57 yards shy of 1,000. After scoring at Miami, he needs one more receiving TD to match Bill Brooks' single-season franchise record of 11.
Monday, December 20, 2010
If The Giants Beat The Packers, They Are In The Playoffs
Ohm Youngmisuk - The New York Giants may have suffered one of the greatest collapses ever on Sunday but they can make up for it on Sunday.
Unofficially, if the Giants beat the Packers in Green Bay on Sunday, they will clinch a playoff berth. Green Bay and Tampa Bay lost yesterday, helping the Giants' cause. Even if the Giants lose on Sunday, it appears they will still be alive going into the final week. The NFL is expected to release the official playoff scenarios later today.
But one thing is certain, if the Giants win, they're in the playoffs.
Unofficially, if the Giants beat the Packers in Green Bay on Sunday, they will clinch a playoff berth. Green Bay and Tampa Bay lost yesterday, helping the Giants' cause. Even if the Giants lose on Sunday, it appears they will still be alive going into the final week. The NFL is expected to release the official playoff scenarios later today.
But one thing is certain, if the Giants win, they're in the playoffs.
"Hot" Buffalo Bills Knock Miami Dolphins From The Playoff Hunt
The Buffalo Bills remain on the rise, while the Miami Dolphins are headed nowhere fast.
Ryan Fitzpatrick threw two touchdown passes Sunday for the resurgent Bills, who won 17-14 to eliminate Miami from the AFC playoff race.
The Dolphins, who have won only once in Miami this season, again looked woeful at home and inept on offense. Chad Henne threw a costly interception and took three sacks, and the ground game netted only 65 yards against a run defense ranked last in the NFL.
As a result, Miami will sit out the playoffs for the eighth time in nine years.
"I want to apologize to the defensive guys," receiver Brandon Marshall said. "Offensively all year we didn't get the job done. It's embarrassing."
Buffalo (4-10) won for the fourth time in six games after starting 0-8, while Miami (7-7) lost for the eighth time in nine home games over the past two seasons. This year, Miami is 1-6 at home and 6-1 on the road, and no team has ever had such a disparity, according to STATS LLC.
Fans began booing in the second quarter, and the last jeers came after a final, comically futile play.
"They've been booing the last couple of weeks, so I guess we're used to it," Henne said. "It's a sick feeling for us not to have home-field advantage."
On a 67-degree December afternoon, the visitors from snowy New York made themselves at home.
"Anytime you get into somebody's stadium and you hear boos from the home crowd, their crowd is actually working against them, and it's like it's our home crowd," safety Donte Whitner said. "So we love boo birds when we're on the road."
The Bills were woeful in a season-opening loss at home against the Dolphins, but that was before Fitzpatrick took over at quarterback. He went 16 for 26 for 223 yards in the rematch.
"I said when we were 0-8, you need to get one win and then they start coming," Fitzpatrick said.
Miami actually outgained Buffalo, but Pro Bowl kicker Dan Carpenter went 0 for 4, missing from 48, 61, 53 and 48 yards.
By contrast, the Bills made the most of their chances. Fitzpatrick was at his best on an 86-yard drive in the third quarter. He completed two third-down passes, then threw a 15-yard scoring pass to Steve Johnson for a 17-7 lead.
An interception by George Wilson and a 34-yard punt return by C.J. Spiller set up the Bills' other scores.
"That was probably as good a team win as we've had," first-year coach Chan Gailey said. "Almost every guy that stepped on the field contributed something."
Miami tried to rally in the fourth. Henne completed passes on seven consecutive plays to spark a 77-yard drive that ended with his 8-yard scoring pass to Marshall, making it 17-14.
"Earlier in the year, we'd find ways to lose games like this," Buffalo receiver David Nelson said.
This time the Bills hung on. The Dolphins got the ball back at their own 20 and drove to the Buffalo 30, but Carpenter was wide right on a 48-yard try with 1:48 left.
"I just didn't hit the ball well all day," he said. "It hurts knowing you cost your team a chance to win."
Miami started again from the 20 with 41 seconds to go but no timeouts remaining, and four plays failed to advance the ball beyond the 35.
That ensured the Dolphins will miss the playoffs.
"It's tough to swallow, because we feel like we do have a good team," Henne said. "We just didn't put it together."
Ryan Fitzpatrick threw two touchdown passes Sunday for the resurgent Bills, who won 17-14 to eliminate Miami from the AFC playoff race.
The Dolphins, who have won only once in Miami this season, again looked woeful at home and inept on offense. Chad Henne threw a costly interception and took three sacks, and the ground game netted only 65 yards against a run defense ranked last in the NFL.
As a result, Miami will sit out the playoffs for the eighth time in nine years.
"I want to apologize to the defensive guys," receiver Brandon Marshall said. "Offensively all year we didn't get the job done. It's embarrassing."
Buffalo (4-10) won for the fourth time in six games after starting 0-8, while Miami (7-7) lost for the eighth time in nine home games over the past two seasons. This year, Miami is 1-6 at home and 6-1 on the road, and no team has ever had such a disparity, according to STATS LLC.
Fans began booing in the second quarter, and the last jeers came after a final, comically futile play.
"They've been booing the last couple of weeks, so I guess we're used to it," Henne said. "It's a sick feeling for us not to have home-field advantage."
On a 67-degree December afternoon, the visitors from snowy New York made themselves at home.
"Anytime you get into somebody's stadium and you hear boos from the home crowd, their crowd is actually working against them, and it's like it's our home crowd," safety Donte Whitner said. "So we love boo birds when we're on the road."
The Bills were woeful in a season-opening loss at home against the Dolphins, but that was before Fitzpatrick took over at quarterback. He went 16 for 26 for 223 yards in the rematch.
"I said when we were 0-8, you need to get one win and then they start coming," Fitzpatrick said.
Miami actually outgained Buffalo, but Pro Bowl kicker Dan Carpenter went 0 for 4, missing from 48, 61, 53 and 48 yards.
By contrast, the Bills made the most of their chances. Fitzpatrick was at his best on an 86-yard drive in the third quarter. He completed two third-down passes, then threw a 15-yard scoring pass to Steve Johnson for a 17-7 lead.
An interception by George Wilson and a 34-yard punt return by C.J. Spiller set up the Bills' other scores.
"That was probably as good a team win as we've had," first-year coach Chan Gailey said. "Almost every guy that stepped on the field contributed something."
Miami tried to rally in the fourth. Henne completed passes on seven consecutive plays to spark a 77-yard drive that ended with his 8-yard scoring pass to Marshall, making it 17-14.
"Earlier in the year, we'd find ways to lose games like this," Buffalo receiver David Nelson said.
This time the Bills hung on. The Dolphins got the ball back at their own 20 and drove to the Buffalo 30, but Carpenter was wide right on a 48-yard try with 1:48 left.
"I just didn't hit the ball well all day," he said. "It hurts knowing you cost your team a chance to win."
Miami started again from the 20 with 41 seconds to go but no timeouts remaining, and four plays failed to advance the ball beyond the 35.
That ensured the Dolphins will miss the playoffs.
"It's tough to swallow, because we feel like we do have a good team," Henne said. "We just didn't put it together."
Buffalo Bills Monday Morning Notes Dec 20, 2010
Ryan Fitzpatrick said it several times in the days leading up to Buffalo's game in Miami against the AFC East rival Dolphins: Injured wide receiver Lee Evans would be missed, but he was perfectly confident in the abilities of players such as Stevie Johnson, David Nelson, Donald Jones and Naaman Roosevelt to carry on and pick up the slack.
"The young guys, those receivers, they made some great plays," Fitzpatrick said after the Bills eliminated the Dolphins from the playoff chase with a 17-14 victory at Sun Life Stadium.
Nelson had three catches for 61 yards and made a terrific catch of an 18-yard laser that Fitzpatrick probably shouldn't have thrown. It produced Buffalo's first touchdown, and Nelson even hung on after he took a late-hit cheap shot from Sean Smith.
"I couldn't believe (Fitzpatrick) threw it, and I couldn't believe (Nelson) he caught it," said Chan Gailey of the pass which had to be thrown into a very narrow window. "That was a big play in the game."
In the third quarter, Roosevelt made an excellent catch on a corner route to the sideline on a third-and-3. The play went for 24 yards, and eventually, the Bills moved into position where Fitzpatrick was able to throw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Johnson.
"These young guys have ice water in their veins, I guess," said Gailey. "They went out there and did what we asked them to do."
The Bills play New England this week and close the season at the Jets. Two more tests against division opponents, and how the receivers perform could have a bearing on what the Bills do at the position in the offseason.
Evans has had back-to-back down years and because he is missing the last three games, he's going to finish with career-lows in receptions and yards. He is the Bills' highest-paid player who will be going into his eighth NFL season. There has been talk around Buffalo that the Bills may consider trying to trade him, or release him, especially if these young receivers continue to rise.
The money the Bills could potentially save by jettisoning Evans could be used in free agency to address obvious needs on the offensive and defensive lines.
No one in the organization is willing to say that's even been discussed, but it's certainly a possibility.
"The young guys, those receivers, they made some great plays," Fitzpatrick said after the Bills eliminated the Dolphins from the playoff chase with a 17-14 victory at Sun Life Stadium.
Nelson had three catches for 61 yards and made a terrific catch of an 18-yard laser that Fitzpatrick probably shouldn't have thrown. It produced Buffalo's first touchdown, and Nelson even hung on after he took a late-hit cheap shot from Sean Smith.
"I couldn't believe (Fitzpatrick) threw it, and I couldn't believe (Nelson) he caught it," said Chan Gailey of the pass which had to be thrown into a very narrow window. "That was a big play in the game."
In the third quarter, Roosevelt made an excellent catch on a corner route to the sideline on a third-and-3. The play went for 24 yards, and eventually, the Bills moved into position where Fitzpatrick was able to throw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Johnson.
"These young guys have ice water in their veins, I guess," said Gailey. "They went out there and did what we asked them to do."
The Bills play New England this week and close the season at the Jets. Two more tests against division opponents, and how the receivers perform could have a bearing on what the Bills do at the position in the offseason.
Evans has had back-to-back down years and because he is missing the last three games, he's going to finish with career-lows in receptions and yards. He is the Bills' highest-paid player who will be going into his eighth NFL season. There has been talk around Buffalo that the Bills may consider trying to trade him, or release him, especially if these young receivers continue to rise.
The money the Bills could potentially save by jettisoning Evans could be used in free agency to address obvious needs on the offensive and defensive lines.
No one in the organization is willing to say that's even been discussed, but it's certainly a possibility.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Buffalo Bills vs Cleveland Browns Preview
A pair of last-second victories have appeared to boost the spirits of the Cleveland Browns, who were on the wrong end of a number of close games during their slow start.
Their next opponent knows what it's like to endure those kinds of defeats.
Cleveland will attempt to earn a season-high third straight win by sending the Buffalo Bills to their third consecutive defeat Sunday at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
The Browns were 1-5 in games decided by seven points or fewer during their 3-7 start, but they've won the past two by a combined four points.
Cleveland got a break in the first of those wins Nov. 28 when Carolina's field goal attempt grazed off the left upright on the final play.
After that 24-23 victory, the Browns (5-7) created their own luck in last week's 13-10 win at Miami when safety Mike Adams' interception in the final minute helped set up Phil Dawson's 23-yard field goal as time expired.
"It's about time for us to win some games like that," Adams said. "Two years ago, or even last year, you can remember us losing a game like that. Fortunately, this year, it's turning our way. So a win is a win."
The Bills would probably love to get any kind of win after seeming to regress over the past two weeks.
Buffalo endured three consecutive three-point defeats at the end of its 0-8 start but rebounded for wins over Detroit and Cincinnati last month. The Bills then suffered their third overtime loss this season to Pittsburgh on Nov. 28 before falling 38-14 last week in Minnesota.
Buffalo (2-10) committed a season-high five turnovers and three personal foul penalties against the Vikings. The Bills also lost center Geoff Hangartner and right guard Kraig Urbik to knee injuries.
Starting right guard Eric Wood is expected to return after missing two games because of an ankle injury and take over for Hangartner. Ed Wang and Cordaro Howard are slated to split time at right guard in place of Urbik.
"It's no fun to try to create continuity in a situation where there is none," coach Chan Gailey said. "You can't do it in a short period of time. We're just going to have to work and do the best we can to patch a group together that can go play."
Browns rookie quarterback Colt McCoy will likely miss a third straight game with an ankle injury, giving Jake Delhomme another start. The veteran could get some help from running back Peyton Hillis, who is 38 yards shy of his first 1,000-yard season.
Hillis will face a Buffalo defense that's giving up a league-worst 170.9 yards per game on the ground and has allowed at least 200 in each of the past two defeats.
Delhomme has completed 69.6 percent of his passes for 462 yards in McCoy's absence. He didn't throw an interception for the first time this season last week after having two passes picked off in three consecutive games.
Delhomme also had a touchdown to tight end Benjamin Watson, who had a career-high 10 receptions while reaching 100 yards for the first time with Cleveland.
Delhomme threw for 325 yards last season against Buffalo but also three interceptions in a 20-9 loss for the Panthers.
Buffalo's Ryan Fitzpatrick hasn't faced the Browns since going 1-1 in two starts for Cincinnati in 2008. He had 211 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in those games, including a career-low 55 yards as a starter in a 14-0 win at Cleveland.
The Bills couldn't get past Cleveland for the third time in as many seasons in 2009, falling 6-3 at home as former Brown Billy Cundiff kicked an 18-yard field goal with 23 seconds left.
The previous season, Dawson converted a 56-yarder with 1:39 to lift the Browns to a 29-27 road victory.
Cleveland has won 10 of 15 all-time meetings, going 5-2 in Buffalo.
Their next opponent knows what it's like to endure those kinds of defeats.
Cleveland will attempt to earn a season-high third straight win by sending the Buffalo Bills to their third consecutive defeat Sunday at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
The Browns were 1-5 in games decided by seven points or fewer during their 3-7 start, but they've won the past two by a combined four points.
Cleveland got a break in the first of those wins Nov. 28 when Carolina's field goal attempt grazed off the left upright on the final play.
After that 24-23 victory, the Browns (5-7) created their own luck in last week's 13-10 win at Miami when safety Mike Adams' interception in the final minute helped set up Phil Dawson's 23-yard field goal as time expired.
"It's about time for us to win some games like that," Adams said. "Two years ago, or even last year, you can remember us losing a game like that. Fortunately, this year, it's turning our way. So a win is a win."
The Bills would probably love to get any kind of win after seeming to regress over the past two weeks.
Buffalo endured three consecutive three-point defeats at the end of its 0-8 start but rebounded for wins over Detroit and Cincinnati last month. The Bills then suffered their third overtime loss this season to Pittsburgh on Nov. 28 before falling 38-14 last week in Minnesota.
Buffalo (2-10) committed a season-high five turnovers and three personal foul penalties against the Vikings. The Bills also lost center Geoff Hangartner and right guard Kraig Urbik to knee injuries.
Starting right guard Eric Wood is expected to return after missing two games because of an ankle injury and take over for Hangartner. Ed Wang and Cordaro Howard are slated to split time at right guard in place of Urbik.
"It's no fun to try to create continuity in a situation where there is none," coach Chan Gailey said. "You can't do it in a short period of time. We're just going to have to work and do the best we can to patch a group together that can go play."
Browns rookie quarterback Colt McCoy will likely miss a third straight game with an ankle injury, giving Jake Delhomme another start. The veteran could get some help from running back Peyton Hillis, who is 38 yards shy of his first 1,000-yard season.
Hillis will face a Buffalo defense that's giving up a league-worst 170.9 yards per game on the ground and has allowed at least 200 in each of the past two defeats.
Delhomme has completed 69.6 percent of his passes for 462 yards in McCoy's absence. He didn't throw an interception for the first time this season last week after having two passes picked off in three consecutive games.
Delhomme also had a touchdown to tight end Benjamin Watson, who had a career-high 10 receptions while reaching 100 yards for the first time with Cleveland.
Delhomme threw for 325 yards last season against Buffalo but also three interceptions in a 20-9 loss for the Panthers.
Buffalo's Ryan Fitzpatrick hasn't faced the Browns since going 1-1 in two starts for Cincinnati in 2008. He had 211 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in those games, including a career-low 55 yards as a starter in a 14-0 win at Cleveland.
The Bills couldn't get past Cleveland for the third time in as many seasons in 2009, falling 6-3 at home as former Brown Billy Cundiff kicked an 18-yard field goal with 23 seconds left.
The previous season, Dawson converted a 56-yarder with 1:39 to lift the Browns to a 29-27 road victory.
Cleveland has won 10 of 15 all-time meetings, going 5-2 in Buffalo.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Week 14 College Football Championship Saturday
Fred Bierman - This is it. The last weekend of college football. It seems as if we’re getting used to the idea of Oregon playing Auburn in Glendale, but I think that we’re forgetting that sometimes that last win is the hardest to get. Remember unranked (and sub .500) Pittsburgh shocking No. 2 West Virginia in 2007? What about No. 2 U.C.L.A. losing to Miami in 1998? No. 2 U.S.C. losing to U.C.L.A. in 2006? Those were the last games of the season and games that those teams were all favored in. Then you have the championship games, where teams have lost the chance to play for national titles in the past. Tennessee in 2001 and Kansas State in 1998 are two examples from the B.C.S. era.
So what about this weekend? Well, something is going to happen. It has to. Not that I wouldn’t love to see Oregon and Auburn play for a national title. I would. But it just feels as if e college football has one more surprise for us on championship Saturday. Just a hunch. It’s not as if I haven’t been wrong before. Anyway, let’s get to the match ups.
SEC Championship Game
4 p.m., No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 19 South Carolina, Atlanta, CBS
Announcers: Verne Lundquist, Gary Danielson and Tracy Wolfson
For Auburn, a victory in this one means a trip to Glendale, Ariz. to play for a national title. It’s that simple. Win and they’re in.
But don’t think that there’s not a fair amount on the line for the Gamecocks as well. A victory would mean the school’s first SEC Championship and the program’s first BCS bowl. Those are big prizes for a school like South Carolina that is making its first appearance in the SEC Championship game and is playing very good football right now. (Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Ole Miss are the only SEC teams to have still not made it to the conference championship.)
These two teams met earlier this season on Sept. 25, when Auburn overcame a 13-point deficit to come away with a 35-27 victory. In fact, the Tigers have been coming from behind quite a bit this season, with eight come-from-behind victories on the year. Four of those were by double digits, including last week’s stirring comeback from a 24-point deficit to knock off Alabama in Tuscaloosa and keep their national title hopes alive. This is the sixth time that the SEC Championship has been a rematch, and four of the five previous rematches have seen the team that won the first meeting prevail in the second.
South Carolina has come a long way this season. The week after losing to Auburn on the road, the Gamecocks came home knocked off the then No. 1 Crimson Tide by two touchdowns. Quarterback Stephen Garcia got pulled from the Auburn game the week before, but played a near flawless game against Alabama to help the Gamecocks stage the upset. If Garcia can put together that kind of game this weekend, than South Carolina is going to be tough to beat. That might be asking a lot.
One of the key players in this one is going to be receiver Alshon Jefferey, who is one of the most underrated players in the nation. In the first meeting Jeffery caught eight passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns and Auburn has struggled to contain the SEC’s elite receivers all season.
As bad as Auburn has been against the pass this season, they have been very good against the run. South Carolina’s freshman running back Marcus Lattimore has had a tremendous season, but was stymied by the Tigers in their first meeting and carried the ball just three times in the second half of that one. Even if he’s not churning out yards, he will need to be more involved down the stretch for South Carolina to come away with a victory.
One of the keys to Auburn success against the run has been the play of tackle Nick Fairly, who has been one of the best defensive players in the SEC this season filling gaps against the run and sacking the quarterback a conference leading 8 times.
The fact that South Carolina has seen Cam Newton once this season would seem to be an advantage, but in fact Newton has been improving every week and is very likely even be a better football player this week than he was on that first meeting. Last week, Alabama focused on not allowing Newton to run and he responded with one of his best passing performances of the year. Newton is truly one of the most dangerous weapons in college football; he can beat you in so many ways and he seems to be getting even more adept at taking what opposing defenses give him and not forcing things. In my mind Newton is a lock for the Heisman Trophy and another good performance here would just further his position as the best player in college football.
This one is quite simply a must watch. It’s the last Saturday of college football. It’s the SEC Championship game at 4 p.m. Enjoy it. It’s going to be a long winter.
A.C.C. Championship Game
7:45 p.m., No. 21 Florida State vs. No. 15 Virginia Tech, Charlotte, ESPN
Announcers; Sean McDonough, Matt Millen and Quint Kessenich
With N.C. State losing to Maryland last week, Florida State backed into the championship game, giving the A.C.C. the marquee match up that it was hoping for a the beginning of the season. Although Florida State didn’t play a conference game last week, they dispatched in-state rival Florida with surprising ease. Victories over Florida and Miami this season ought to help the Seminoles on the recruiting trail and could help Florida State return to it’s glory days of the late 1980’s and 90’s. (From 1987-2000 the Seminoles finished in the top five every year. Think about that for a second.)
What hurt Florida State this season was back to back losses to North Carolina State and North Carolina as well as an absolute thumping at the hands of Oklahoma. Still, in Jimbo Fisher’s first season as head coach, the Seminoles are in the conference title game and seem to be headed in the right direction.
On the other side is a red hot Virginia Tech team that has won nine in a row after starting the season 0-2. They opened with a loss to Boise State in a very close game and followed that up with an inexplicable loss to James Madison at home. They regrouped (a lot of credit has to go to Frank Beamer and his staff) and are the first team since Florida State in 2000 to go through A.C.C. conference play without a loss. In fact, it was that 2000 Florida State team that defeated Virginia Tech (then in the Big East) for the national title.
This week’s game figures to be a close one, with both teams boasting experience at quarterback, solid running games and two of the conference’s stingiest defenses. Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder is a pocket passer, while Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor is more of a dual threat quarterback. One of the keys to the game will be how Ponder plays against a ball hawking secondary that leads the conference in interceptions (Jayron Hosley leads the nation with 8 picks on the year).
Big 12 Championship Game
8 p.m., No. 9 Oklahoma vs. No. 13 Nebraska, Arlington, Tex., ABC
Announcers; Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe
The Cornhuskers have not won the Big 12 since 1999, but in their last season in the conference before moving to the Big Ten, here they are with a chance to end that streak. Conspiracy theorists in Lincoln seem to think that Big 12 officials have been out to get them (particularly against Texas A&M) and note that no one was on hand to present the Cornhuskers with the Big 12 North trophy last week when they beat Colorado to clinch a spot in this game. Not sure I buy that, but I love a good conspiracy theory.
Oklahoma, on the other hand, is no stranger to this game. This is the Sooners’ seventh trip here in nine seasons, but this year it was a little more complicated to get here than it was in past seasons. After beating Oklahoma State in a classic last week, the Sooners were part of a three-way tie atop the South Division with Oklahoma State and Texas A&M. Thanks to B.C.S. rankings, the Sooners find themselves once again in the Big 12 Championship game, which they have won four times since 2004.
This is just a classic football matchup. Two programs that immediately come to mind when you think college football. But you better appreciate it now. This is the lat scheduled meeting between these two for some time. With Nebraska in the Big Ten, who knows when these two are going to meet again?
Two questions on the field coming into this one are which Landry Jones will come to play and whether Taylor Martinez will play at all. Last week Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones threw three interceptions in the first half against Oklahoma State, but rebounded in a big way in the second half. Martinez, meanwhile, sat out Nebraska’s victory over Colorado with an ankle injury and Cody Green played instead.
3:30 p.m., No. 2 Oregon at Oregon State, ABC
Announcers: Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge and Erin Andrews
This may not be the Pac-10 Championship game that it was last year, but arguably there is more on the line this time around. The Ducks went to the Rose Bowl last year, but this year their sights are set a little higher. Glendale, not Pasadena, would be the destination of choice for Oregon.
Consider what Oregon Coach Chip Kelly has done in only his second season as head coach at any level. He went from being an assistant at New Hampshire in 2006 to running the No. 1 offense in college football and being a win from playing for the national championship in 2010. According to USA Today, he stands to make a $4.3 million bonus for making that national championship. All this in a season where he threw his starting quarterback off the team in March.
How good is Oregon’s offense? The Ducks lead the nation with an average of 541.7 yards per game, prompting some teams to fake injuries in an effort to slow Oregon. That was what California did when they held the Ducks to 16 points in the closest to a slip up that Oregon has had this season. To slow down the Oregon offense California defenders would fall to the turf to feign injury in order to slow the pace. The Ducks’ offense is so fast-paced that there often isn’t even time for a television replay between their plays. They have the nation’s leading rusher in LaMichael James and a dual threat quarterback who has largely stayed away from turning the ball over throwing 26 touchdowns to only 7 interceptions.
Oregon State has been struggling of late, losing three of it’s last four and four of its last six. They have lost to some good teams in there (U.S.C. and Stanford), but have also lost to suspect ones (Washington State). A lot would have to go right for them to keep this one close. Namely running back Jacquizz Rodgers (who got some preseason Heisman attention) would have to have an absolutely bananas day. Still, this one is in Corvallis and as we should all know by now, anything can happen in college football. I could see flipping back to this one during the SEC Championship game to keep an eye on it.
8 p.m., Connecticut at South Florida, ESPN2
Announcers: Mark Jones, Bob Davie and Quint Kessenich
With a victory here a four-loss Husky team will clinch the Big East title and a B.C.S. Bowl ahead of a number of worthy one-loss teams. That’s just they way it works. Hey, a 7-9 N.F.C. West team is probably going to make the playoffs in the N.F.L. There have been years where sub-.500 teams from the N.B.A.’s Eastern Conference have made the playoffs instead of more worthy Western Conference teams. This is not a problem that’s unique to college football, but still, Connecticut in a B.C.S. game is going to rub a lot of people the wrong way.
That being said, the Connecticut football team is a great story. In his 12th season at the helm of a program that he took from I-AA to division I, Randy Edsall has his team on the cusp of a Big East title and a B.C.S. Bowl. Sure this is a team that lost by 20 at Michigan and was shut out by 26-0 at Louisville and also lost at Temple and at Rutgers. Those are not good losses. But they did beat West Virginia in overtime, edge Pittsburgh by two points and beat defending Big East champs Cincinnati last week to get to where they are now.
Standing in the Huskies’ way is a South Florida team coached by the former Connecticut coach Skip Holtz that is coming off a huge overtime victory over Miami. That win is a big one for this South Florida team (particularly in recruiting) and they will look to carry that momentum into this game. Starting quarterback B.J. Daniels is banged up, but his replacement Bobby Eveld led them to a win last week in the second half and overtime against Miami.
For Connecticut, keep an eye on Jordan Todman, who leads the conference and is second in the nation with an average of 148.1 yards per game. He is the latest in a line of successful Connecticut running backs.
So who wins the Big East if Connecticut loses? Well, West Virginia hosts Rutgers earlier in the day and a win by the Mountaineers and a loss by the Huskies would send West Virginia to a B.C.S. bowl game.
So what about this weekend? Well, something is going to happen. It has to. Not that I wouldn’t love to see Oregon and Auburn play for a national title. I would. But it just feels as if e college football has one more surprise for us on championship Saturday. Just a hunch. It’s not as if I haven’t been wrong before. Anyway, let’s get to the match ups.
SEC Championship Game
4 p.m., No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 19 South Carolina, Atlanta, CBS
Announcers: Verne Lundquist, Gary Danielson and Tracy Wolfson
For Auburn, a victory in this one means a trip to Glendale, Ariz. to play for a national title. It’s that simple. Win and they’re in.
But don’t think that there’s not a fair amount on the line for the Gamecocks as well. A victory would mean the school’s first SEC Championship and the program’s first BCS bowl. Those are big prizes for a school like South Carolina that is making its first appearance in the SEC Championship game and is playing very good football right now. (Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Ole Miss are the only SEC teams to have still not made it to the conference championship.)
These two teams met earlier this season on Sept. 25, when Auburn overcame a 13-point deficit to come away with a 35-27 victory. In fact, the Tigers have been coming from behind quite a bit this season, with eight come-from-behind victories on the year. Four of those were by double digits, including last week’s stirring comeback from a 24-point deficit to knock off Alabama in Tuscaloosa and keep their national title hopes alive. This is the sixth time that the SEC Championship has been a rematch, and four of the five previous rematches have seen the team that won the first meeting prevail in the second.
South Carolina has come a long way this season. The week after losing to Auburn on the road, the Gamecocks came home knocked off the then No. 1 Crimson Tide by two touchdowns. Quarterback Stephen Garcia got pulled from the Auburn game the week before, but played a near flawless game against Alabama to help the Gamecocks stage the upset. If Garcia can put together that kind of game this weekend, than South Carolina is going to be tough to beat. That might be asking a lot.
One of the key players in this one is going to be receiver Alshon Jefferey, who is one of the most underrated players in the nation. In the first meeting Jeffery caught eight passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns and Auburn has struggled to contain the SEC’s elite receivers all season.
As bad as Auburn has been against the pass this season, they have been very good against the run. South Carolina’s freshman running back Marcus Lattimore has had a tremendous season, but was stymied by the Tigers in their first meeting and carried the ball just three times in the second half of that one. Even if he’s not churning out yards, he will need to be more involved down the stretch for South Carolina to come away with a victory.
One of the keys to Auburn success against the run has been the play of tackle Nick Fairly, who has been one of the best defensive players in the SEC this season filling gaps against the run and sacking the quarterback a conference leading 8 times.
The fact that South Carolina has seen Cam Newton once this season would seem to be an advantage, but in fact Newton has been improving every week and is very likely even be a better football player this week than he was on that first meeting. Last week, Alabama focused on not allowing Newton to run and he responded with one of his best passing performances of the year. Newton is truly one of the most dangerous weapons in college football; he can beat you in so many ways and he seems to be getting even more adept at taking what opposing defenses give him and not forcing things. In my mind Newton is a lock for the Heisman Trophy and another good performance here would just further his position as the best player in college football.
This one is quite simply a must watch. It’s the last Saturday of college football. It’s the SEC Championship game at 4 p.m. Enjoy it. It’s going to be a long winter.
A.C.C. Championship Game
7:45 p.m., No. 21 Florida State vs. No. 15 Virginia Tech, Charlotte, ESPN
Announcers; Sean McDonough, Matt Millen and Quint Kessenich
With N.C. State losing to Maryland last week, Florida State backed into the championship game, giving the A.C.C. the marquee match up that it was hoping for a the beginning of the season. Although Florida State didn’t play a conference game last week, they dispatched in-state rival Florida with surprising ease. Victories over Florida and Miami this season ought to help the Seminoles on the recruiting trail and could help Florida State return to it’s glory days of the late 1980’s and 90’s. (From 1987-2000 the Seminoles finished in the top five every year. Think about that for a second.)
What hurt Florida State this season was back to back losses to North Carolina State and North Carolina as well as an absolute thumping at the hands of Oklahoma. Still, in Jimbo Fisher’s first season as head coach, the Seminoles are in the conference title game and seem to be headed in the right direction.
On the other side is a red hot Virginia Tech team that has won nine in a row after starting the season 0-2. They opened with a loss to Boise State in a very close game and followed that up with an inexplicable loss to James Madison at home. They regrouped (a lot of credit has to go to Frank Beamer and his staff) and are the first team since Florida State in 2000 to go through A.C.C. conference play without a loss. In fact, it was that 2000 Florida State team that defeated Virginia Tech (then in the Big East) for the national title.
This week’s game figures to be a close one, with both teams boasting experience at quarterback, solid running games and two of the conference’s stingiest defenses. Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder is a pocket passer, while Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor is more of a dual threat quarterback. One of the keys to the game will be how Ponder plays against a ball hawking secondary that leads the conference in interceptions (Jayron Hosley leads the nation with 8 picks on the year).
Big 12 Championship Game
8 p.m., No. 9 Oklahoma vs. No. 13 Nebraska, Arlington, Tex., ABC
Announcers; Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe
The Cornhuskers have not won the Big 12 since 1999, but in their last season in the conference before moving to the Big Ten, here they are with a chance to end that streak. Conspiracy theorists in Lincoln seem to think that Big 12 officials have been out to get them (particularly against Texas A&M) and note that no one was on hand to present the Cornhuskers with the Big 12 North trophy last week when they beat Colorado to clinch a spot in this game. Not sure I buy that, but I love a good conspiracy theory.
Oklahoma, on the other hand, is no stranger to this game. This is the Sooners’ seventh trip here in nine seasons, but this year it was a little more complicated to get here than it was in past seasons. After beating Oklahoma State in a classic last week, the Sooners were part of a three-way tie atop the South Division with Oklahoma State and Texas A&M. Thanks to B.C.S. rankings, the Sooners find themselves once again in the Big 12 Championship game, which they have won four times since 2004.
This is just a classic football matchup. Two programs that immediately come to mind when you think college football. But you better appreciate it now. This is the lat scheduled meeting between these two for some time. With Nebraska in the Big Ten, who knows when these two are going to meet again?
Two questions on the field coming into this one are which Landry Jones will come to play and whether Taylor Martinez will play at all. Last week Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones threw three interceptions in the first half against Oklahoma State, but rebounded in a big way in the second half. Martinez, meanwhile, sat out Nebraska’s victory over Colorado with an ankle injury and Cody Green played instead.
3:30 p.m., No. 2 Oregon at Oregon State, ABC
Announcers: Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge and Erin Andrews
This may not be the Pac-10 Championship game that it was last year, but arguably there is more on the line this time around. The Ducks went to the Rose Bowl last year, but this year their sights are set a little higher. Glendale, not Pasadena, would be the destination of choice for Oregon.
Consider what Oregon Coach Chip Kelly has done in only his second season as head coach at any level. He went from being an assistant at New Hampshire in 2006 to running the No. 1 offense in college football and being a win from playing for the national championship in 2010. According to USA Today, he stands to make a $4.3 million bonus for making that national championship. All this in a season where he threw his starting quarterback off the team in March.
How good is Oregon’s offense? The Ducks lead the nation with an average of 541.7 yards per game, prompting some teams to fake injuries in an effort to slow Oregon. That was what California did when they held the Ducks to 16 points in the closest to a slip up that Oregon has had this season. To slow down the Oregon offense California defenders would fall to the turf to feign injury in order to slow the pace. The Ducks’ offense is so fast-paced that there often isn’t even time for a television replay between their plays. They have the nation’s leading rusher in LaMichael James and a dual threat quarterback who has largely stayed away from turning the ball over throwing 26 touchdowns to only 7 interceptions.
Oregon State has been struggling of late, losing three of it’s last four and four of its last six. They have lost to some good teams in there (U.S.C. and Stanford), but have also lost to suspect ones (Washington State). A lot would have to go right for them to keep this one close. Namely running back Jacquizz Rodgers (who got some preseason Heisman attention) would have to have an absolutely bananas day. Still, this one is in Corvallis and as we should all know by now, anything can happen in college football. I could see flipping back to this one during the SEC Championship game to keep an eye on it.
8 p.m., Connecticut at South Florida, ESPN2
Announcers: Mark Jones, Bob Davie and Quint Kessenich
With a victory here a four-loss Husky team will clinch the Big East title and a B.C.S. Bowl ahead of a number of worthy one-loss teams. That’s just they way it works. Hey, a 7-9 N.F.C. West team is probably going to make the playoffs in the N.F.L. There have been years where sub-.500 teams from the N.B.A.’s Eastern Conference have made the playoffs instead of more worthy Western Conference teams. This is not a problem that’s unique to college football, but still, Connecticut in a B.C.S. game is going to rub a lot of people the wrong way.
That being said, the Connecticut football team is a great story. In his 12th season at the helm of a program that he took from I-AA to division I, Randy Edsall has his team on the cusp of a Big East title and a B.C.S. Bowl. Sure this is a team that lost by 20 at Michigan and was shut out by 26-0 at Louisville and also lost at Temple and at Rutgers. Those are not good losses. But they did beat West Virginia in overtime, edge Pittsburgh by two points and beat defending Big East champs Cincinnati last week to get to where they are now.
Standing in the Huskies’ way is a South Florida team coached by the former Connecticut coach Skip Holtz that is coming off a huge overtime victory over Miami. That win is a big one for this South Florida team (particularly in recruiting) and they will look to carry that momentum into this game. Starting quarterback B.J. Daniels is banged up, but his replacement Bobby Eveld led them to a win last week in the second half and overtime against Miami.
For Connecticut, keep an eye on Jordan Todman, who leads the conference and is second in the nation with an average of 148.1 yards per game. He is the latest in a line of successful Connecticut running backs.
So who wins the Big East if Connecticut loses? Well, West Virginia hosts Rutgers earlier in the day and a win by the Mountaineers and a loss by the Huskies would send West Virginia to a B.C.S. bowl game.
Buffalo Bills LB Reggie Tobor Placed On IR
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills starting linebacker Reggie Torbor is done for the season after being placed on injured reserve Friday because of a shoulder injury that will require surgery.
Torbor finished with 41 tackles after signing with the Bills as a free agent. He was hurt in Sunday's overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Bills claimed tight end Scott Chandler after he was waived by the Dallas Cowboys to take Torbor's roster spot.
Starting right guard Eric Wood (ankle), cornerback Terrence McGee (nerve behind knee) and tight end Shawn Nelson (migraine) all will not play Sunday when the Bills (2-9) play at the Minnesota Vikings (4-7).
Torbor finished with 41 tackles after signing with the Bills as a free agent. He was hurt in Sunday's overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Bills claimed tight end Scott Chandler after he was waived by the Dallas Cowboys to take Torbor's roster spot.
Starting right guard Eric Wood (ankle), cornerback Terrence McGee (nerve behind knee) and tight end Shawn Nelson (migraine) all will not play Sunday when the Bills (2-9) play at the Minnesota Vikings (4-7).
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Dropped Pass Not God's Fault, Bills Receiver Steve Johnson Hands
Buffalo Bills receiver Steve Johnson’s T-shirt said it all.
Walking to the microphone before practice Wednesday, Johnson sported a shirt with the words “It’s all good” emblazoned across the chest.
“Yeah I’ve been able to put it behind me,” Johnson said. “I haven’t forgotten about it, but I’m ready to move on from it.”
The “it” Johnson was referring to was his costly end-zone drop in overtime Sunday that prevented the Bills from upsetting the Pittsburgh Steelers. “It” also refers to the public storm that engulfed him after the game when he posted a message on his Twitter account, wondering how God could do this to him.
An upbeat Johnson talked candidly Wednesday about the drop and his controversial tweet.
“God is everything,” he said. “I feel like he’s the Creator, and he’s 100 per cent good. I simply just asked ‘Why?’ I was not blaming him or any of that. Why would I? But it happened, and the way people took it, is the way they took it. They can say what they want, it’s fine with me. I’m still going to keep doing what I have to do to keep being a good receiver.”
Johnson’s been much more than a good receiver for the Bills. He’s emerged as quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick’s go-to guy, and he leads the team with 59 receptions, 796 yards and nine touchdowns.
But it’s the would-be 10th touchdown falling out of his grasp that’s taught Johnson that sometimes he isn’t in the driver’s seat with what transpires on the field.
“When plays are called, I just felt like I was in control,” he said. “But when it came down to (making the play), I didn’t. So I’m not in control of that.”
Though the drop has been on countless highlight shows over the last couple of days, Johnson said he hasn’t seen it on television.
“I didn’t try to avoid it,” he said. “I was in the play, so I know exactly what happened.”
Johnson said he’s been getting a tremendous amount of support from his teammates, friends, family, and even Buffalo’s all-time leading receiver, Andre Reed, who called him on Tuesday.
“He just said it happens to the best of us,” Johnson said.
Fitzpatrick once again rallied around Johnson and said he’s confident the 2008 seventh-round draft pick will show no ill-effects Sunday when Buffalo (2-9) plays at the Minnesota Vikings (4-7).
“In the NFL, you can’t get too high and you can’t get too low,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think the message that everybody has tried to give to him and the message in general to the team is move on, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
This is the second instance where controversy swirled around a tweet made by a Bill. Rookie running back C.J. Spiller apologized for using a derogatory term toward gays that he posted on his Twitter account last month.
Johnson said he didn’t regret posting his tweet, but he understands that public figures have become more public with social networking.
“We’re an internet generation now, and maybe I shouldn’t have done it,” he said. “It’ll take a while for me to get back into it, but I’ll still be the same person.”
The Bills hope he’s the same receiver that’s been posting big numbers on the field.
Walking to the microphone before practice Wednesday, Johnson sported a shirt with the words “It’s all good” emblazoned across the chest.
“Yeah I’ve been able to put it behind me,” Johnson said. “I haven’t forgotten about it, but I’m ready to move on from it.”
The “it” Johnson was referring to was his costly end-zone drop in overtime Sunday that prevented the Bills from upsetting the Pittsburgh Steelers. “It” also refers to the public storm that engulfed him after the game when he posted a message on his Twitter account, wondering how God could do this to him.
An upbeat Johnson talked candidly Wednesday about the drop and his controversial tweet.
“God is everything,” he said. “I feel like he’s the Creator, and he’s 100 per cent good. I simply just asked ‘Why?’ I was not blaming him or any of that. Why would I? But it happened, and the way people took it, is the way they took it. They can say what they want, it’s fine with me. I’m still going to keep doing what I have to do to keep being a good receiver.”
Johnson’s been much more than a good receiver for the Bills. He’s emerged as quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick’s go-to guy, and he leads the team with 59 receptions, 796 yards and nine touchdowns.
But it’s the would-be 10th touchdown falling out of his grasp that’s taught Johnson that sometimes he isn’t in the driver’s seat with what transpires on the field.
“When plays are called, I just felt like I was in control,” he said. “But when it came down to (making the play), I didn’t. So I’m not in control of that.”
Though the drop has been on countless highlight shows over the last couple of days, Johnson said he hasn’t seen it on television.
“I didn’t try to avoid it,” he said. “I was in the play, so I know exactly what happened.”
Johnson said he’s been getting a tremendous amount of support from his teammates, friends, family, and even Buffalo’s all-time leading receiver, Andre Reed, who called him on Tuesday.
“He just said it happens to the best of us,” Johnson said.
Fitzpatrick once again rallied around Johnson and said he’s confident the 2008 seventh-round draft pick will show no ill-effects Sunday when Buffalo (2-9) plays at the Minnesota Vikings (4-7).
“In the NFL, you can’t get too high and you can’t get too low,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think the message that everybody has tried to give to him and the message in general to the team is move on, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
This is the second instance where controversy swirled around a tweet made by a Bill. Rookie running back C.J. Spiller apologized for using a derogatory term toward gays that he posted on his Twitter account last month.
Johnson said he didn’t regret posting his tweet, but he understands that public figures have become more public with social networking.
“We’re an internet generation now, and maybe I shouldn’t have done it,” he said. “It’ll take a while for me to get back into it, but I’ll still be the same person.”
The Bills hope he’s the same receiver that’s been posting big numbers on the field.
Cam Newton Investigation: Why the NCAA Got It Wrong, Damn Reggie Bush
cocknfire - NOTE: A disclaimer, since it's almost inevitable that this will come up. I want Cam Newton to be eligible to play in the SEC Championship Game this weekend, and not just as an SEC fan. As a South Carolina fan, I want there to be no debate about the Gamecocks' accomplishment if they somehow manage to pull off an upset that I don't really expect. There was never any reason to believe that Cam Newton would be ineligible for the SEC Championship Game, and so it doesn't change my expectations in the least. That's not what this post is about.
There's always been a bit of an uneasy balance in a democracy between our need to protect ourselves from crime and the questions about charging a citizen with conspiracy. For those who haven't followed an esoteric and kind of archaic debate about conspiracy, a conspiracy charge is brought against someone who helps or plans to help break the law -- even if they don't get to the point of committing the crime. The last part is what can be controversial: Why should prosecutors be able to bring criminal charges against someone who hasn't yet broken the law, or is just thinking about breaking the law?
The answer, supporters say, is because some crimes are so harmful to society that you can't wait until the crime is committed or can't only prosecute those who carry it out. If a terrorist is planning to build and set off a bomb at a shopping mall, it's best not to wait until he's walking into the mall to arrest him. If a governor is preparing to sell off a U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder, you don't necessarily want to wait until the money is in hand and the senator is seated to issue indictments.
The NCAA essentially ruled today that there are no conspiracy charges when it comes to the Association's bylaws. You can dissect the statement anyway you want, you can point to Mike Slive's judicial (and overly judicious) reasoning if you want, but the NCAA today ruled that trying to sell your son to the highest bidder isn't that bad if you don't actually get any money in the end. Cecil Newton can still look for Dan Mullen to put a smile on his face as long as he never actually smirks.
Star-divide
If you're an Auburn fan, or you're one of those who debate the merits of the amateurism rules in the first place, this is really not that big a deal. In the latter case, I'm talking about those who don't see a small amount of spending money as sufficient reform to the NCAA's arcane scholarship rules. They want tens of thousands of dollars to go to some students, and don't really care that this would gut everything that makes college athletics unique. But I digress. In the former case, you will repeat a mantra that is tried, and for the moment true: There is no proof that Auburn did anything wrong; why should the Tigers be punished?
It could be a fair point, I suppose, but the NCAA has proven to readily ignore that idea in the past. First, the facts as the NCAA has presented them:
[T]he student-athlete's father and an owner of a scouting service worked together to actively market the student-athlete as a part of a pay-for-play scenario in return for Newton’s commitment to attend college and play football. ...
"Based on the information available to the reinstatement staff at this time, we do not have sufficient evidence that Cam Newton or anyone from Auburn was aware of this activity, which led to his reinstatement."
And I know I'm not the first one to say this, but it bears repeating as often as possible: If this remains the end of the fallout from the Newton recruitment, the Association has not created a massive new loophole in the rules. It has thrown the rulebook out completely.
Non-Auburn fans by and large have voiced that very concern in the wake of this decision. Meanwhile, at least one Auburncentric outlet is bring up Albert Means (how convenient) to say that the precedent here has already been set.
You see Memphis wasn’t involved in any illegal recruiting of Means and he nor his family got any extra benefits. Therefore he was able to play for the Tigers after sitting out a year because of the transfer. Even though money exchanged hands in the Means case, he was still able to play at Memphis.
Well, yes, that's a precedent -- if you ignore the whole "facts of the case" thing. First, there appears to have been no direct benefit to Means or his family in the recruitment of Means, nor any talk of direct benefit to Means or his family. Whether the prospect or his family is involved in the effort to receive benefits would, I think, be something of interest to the NCAA.
Second, Albert Means transferred to Memphis not just after the rules violations had occurred, but after they had been discovered. In other words, Albert Means did not decide to play at Memphis as part of the same recruitment that sparked the NCAA investigation.
Auburn was recruiting Cam Newton at the same time that Mississippi State was, which raises this nagging question: If Auburn really did nothing wrong here, did not pay or arrange to pay Cecil Newton anything, why did this happen?
Newton preferred Starkville because of his close relationship with Bulldogs coach Dan Mullen, who had been Newton's offensive coordinator at Florida. But Cecil thought his son should choose Auburn, which had an experienced offensive line (four starters were returning) and was only a two-hour drive from Atlanta. Newton let his father make the final decision, and a few days before Christmas, while sitting at the dinner table in his brother's house in Jacksonville, Cecil Sr. uttered two words that would radically alter the college football landscape: "It's Auburn."
This is an odd timeline of events. We now have a situation where no one disputes that Cecil Newton was involved in a pay-for-play scheme. He asked Mississippi State for money and, by all counts, they didn't pay. The official Auburn version of the story now says that Auburn didn't pay Newton, either. But if Cam wanted to go to Mississippi State, and neither Auburn nor Mississippi State paid the Newtons, then why did Cecil choose Auburn? Spite? It's not like he then had anything to gain by declining to allow Cam to follow his heart and play at State.
That question was always there, but it takes on greater urgency now that we know Cecil Newton was asking Mississippi State for money and no one is really contesting that.
But let's go into a hypothetical situation for a moment: What if Cam Newton had gone to Mississippi State instead? Would anyone out there not be ruling their eyes if the same ruling was made? Does anyone seriously think that the same ruling would have been made? Or that Auburn fans wouldn't have been among those leading the siege on Indianapolis if it was made? Isn't the difference here, for those of us not blinded by fandom, less one of some sort of victory for the Newtons and Auburn and more of a loss for common sense?
What makes all of this more confusing is that it seems to be a return to the 2000s-era NCAA in the middle of an active period where the Association had sent a clear message that the "see no evil" period was over. But now there are questions about what the NCAA was doing if it's going to back of in this case. There is a question of proportionality when A.J. Green is suspended for four games for selling a jersey and Cam Newton misses not a game. Georgia did nothing wrong there, and was only punished by a 1-4 start that Green could have helped avoid.
And think about the questions that Enes Kanter's supporters must be asking about how far plausible deniability goes.
Kanter and his father acknowledged in August receiving the benefits, the NCAA said. On Oct. 25, UK officials agreed with the dollar amount but presumably argued that the money was part of the permitted actual and necessary expenses. The NCAA disagreed.
Would it have been better if Kanter had said he didn't know how much money his family had received? Heck, if he said he thought his family was only receiving permitted actual and necessary expenses, he ought to be able to play, right? And I would really like anyone from the NCAA who disagrees with that to answer this: Why not?
I don't know what the road looks like from here for this investigation. If nothing else is found, can you lower the boom on Mississippi State for continuing to recruit Newton after they heard about the pay-for-play scheme? How can you do that without also hammering Auburn? And how can you do that if Auburn knows nothing about this, which is now apparently enough for the NCAA? I don't see how the NCAA can levy sanctions against anyone if the facts don't change.
But do that, and no one faces any real consequences. If his own athletics department was apparently willing to turn on him, one wonders how much Kenny Rogers really loses from being disassociated. Cam Newton is all but certainly gone to the NFL after this year. Cecil Newton will surely get a slice of his sizable signing bonus. And Auburn will have a Heisman Trophy and maybe a crystal football, even if both come wrapped in questions that will never be answered.
And if there are no sanctions, there is no deterrent.
The NCAA investigation in this case has so far done us no good; it hasn't answered any of the questions or provided any clarity. Instead, it's just muddied the water, stacking question on top of question, and leaving the sport's fans to try to figure out what the rules are and how they are applied. It has made things immeasurably worse.
And our conference and our sport are poorer for it.
There's always been a bit of an uneasy balance in a democracy between our need to protect ourselves from crime and the questions about charging a citizen with conspiracy. For those who haven't followed an esoteric and kind of archaic debate about conspiracy, a conspiracy charge is brought against someone who helps or plans to help break the law -- even if they don't get to the point of committing the crime. The last part is what can be controversial: Why should prosecutors be able to bring criminal charges against someone who hasn't yet broken the law, or is just thinking about breaking the law?
The answer, supporters say, is because some crimes are so harmful to society that you can't wait until the crime is committed or can't only prosecute those who carry it out. If a terrorist is planning to build and set off a bomb at a shopping mall, it's best not to wait until he's walking into the mall to arrest him. If a governor is preparing to sell off a U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder, you don't necessarily want to wait until the money is in hand and the senator is seated to issue indictments.
The NCAA essentially ruled today that there are no conspiracy charges when it comes to the Association's bylaws. You can dissect the statement anyway you want, you can point to Mike Slive's judicial (and overly judicious) reasoning if you want, but the NCAA today ruled that trying to sell your son to the highest bidder isn't that bad if you don't actually get any money in the end. Cecil Newton can still look for Dan Mullen to put a smile on his face as long as he never actually smirks.
Star-divide
If you're an Auburn fan, or you're one of those who debate the merits of the amateurism rules in the first place, this is really not that big a deal. In the latter case, I'm talking about those who don't see a small amount of spending money as sufficient reform to the NCAA's arcane scholarship rules. They want tens of thousands of dollars to go to some students, and don't really care that this would gut everything that makes college athletics unique. But I digress. In the former case, you will repeat a mantra that is tried, and for the moment true: There is no proof that Auburn did anything wrong; why should the Tigers be punished?
It could be a fair point, I suppose, but the NCAA has proven to readily ignore that idea in the past. First, the facts as the NCAA has presented them:
[T]he student-athlete's father and an owner of a scouting service worked together to actively market the student-athlete as a part of a pay-for-play scenario in return for Newton’s commitment to attend college and play football. ...
"Based on the information available to the reinstatement staff at this time, we do not have sufficient evidence that Cam Newton or anyone from Auburn was aware of this activity, which led to his reinstatement."
And I know I'm not the first one to say this, but it bears repeating as often as possible: If this remains the end of the fallout from the Newton recruitment, the Association has not created a massive new loophole in the rules. It has thrown the rulebook out completely.
Non-Auburn fans by and large have voiced that very concern in the wake of this decision. Meanwhile, at least one Auburncentric outlet is bring up Albert Means (how convenient) to say that the precedent here has already been set.
You see Memphis wasn’t involved in any illegal recruiting of Means and he nor his family got any extra benefits. Therefore he was able to play for the Tigers after sitting out a year because of the transfer. Even though money exchanged hands in the Means case, he was still able to play at Memphis.
Well, yes, that's a precedent -- if you ignore the whole "facts of the case" thing. First, there appears to have been no direct benefit to Means or his family in the recruitment of Means, nor any talk of direct benefit to Means or his family. Whether the prospect or his family is involved in the effort to receive benefits would, I think, be something of interest to the NCAA.
Second, Albert Means transferred to Memphis not just after the rules violations had occurred, but after they had been discovered. In other words, Albert Means did not decide to play at Memphis as part of the same recruitment that sparked the NCAA investigation.
Auburn was recruiting Cam Newton at the same time that Mississippi State was, which raises this nagging question: If Auburn really did nothing wrong here, did not pay or arrange to pay Cecil Newton anything, why did this happen?
Newton preferred Starkville because of his close relationship with Bulldogs coach Dan Mullen, who had been Newton's offensive coordinator at Florida. But Cecil thought his son should choose Auburn, which had an experienced offensive line (four starters were returning) and was only a two-hour drive from Atlanta. Newton let his father make the final decision, and a few days before Christmas, while sitting at the dinner table in his brother's house in Jacksonville, Cecil Sr. uttered two words that would radically alter the college football landscape: "It's Auburn."
This is an odd timeline of events. We now have a situation where no one disputes that Cecil Newton was involved in a pay-for-play scheme. He asked Mississippi State for money and, by all counts, they didn't pay. The official Auburn version of the story now says that Auburn didn't pay Newton, either. But if Cam wanted to go to Mississippi State, and neither Auburn nor Mississippi State paid the Newtons, then why did Cecil choose Auburn? Spite? It's not like he then had anything to gain by declining to allow Cam to follow his heart and play at State.
That question was always there, but it takes on greater urgency now that we know Cecil Newton was asking Mississippi State for money and no one is really contesting that.
But let's go into a hypothetical situation for a moment: What if Cam Newton had gone to Mississippi State instead? Would anyone out there not be ruling their eyes if the same ruling was made? Does anyone seriously think that the same ruling would have been made? Or that Auburn fans wouldn't have been among those leading the siege on Indianapolis if it was made? Isn't the difference here, for those of us not blinded by fandom, less one of some sort of victory for the Newtons and Auburn and more of a loss for common sense?
What makes all of this more confusing is that it seems to be a return to the 2000s-era NCAA in the middle of an active period where the Association had sent a clear message that the "see no evil" period was over. But now there are questions about what the NCAA was doing if it's going to back of in this case. There is a question of proportionality when A.J. Green is suspended for four games for selling a jersey and Cam Newton misses not a game. Georgia did nothing wrong there, and was only punished by a 1-4 start that Green could have helped avoid.
And think about the questions that Enes Kanter's supporters must be asking about how far plausible deniability goes.
Kanter and his father acknowledged in August receiving the benefits, the NCAA said. On Oct. 25, UK officials agreed with the dollar amount but presumably argued that the money was part of the permitted actual and necessary expenses. The NCAA disagreed.
Would it have been better if Kanter had said he didn't know how much money his family had received? Heck, if he said he thought his family was only receiving permitted actual and necessary expenses, he ought to be able to play, right? And I would really like anyone from the NCAA who disagrees with that to answer this: Why not?
I don't know what the road looks like from here for this investigation. If nothing else is found, can you lower the boom on Mississippi State for continuing to recruit Newton after they heard about the pay-for-play scheme? How can you do that without also hammering Auburn? And how can you do that if Auburn knows nothing about this, which is now apparently enough for the NCAA? I don't see how the NCAA can levy sanctions against anyone if the facts don't change.
But do that, and no one faces any real consequences. If his own athletics department was apparently willing to turn on him, one wonders how much Kenny Rogers really loses from being disassociated. Cam Newton is all but certainly gone to the NFL after this year. Cecil Newton will surely get a slice of his sizable signing bonus. And Auburn will have a Heisman Trophy and maybe a crystal football, even if both come wrapped in questions that will never be answered.
And if there are no sanctions, there is no deterrent.
The NCAA investigation in this case has so far done us no good; it hasn't answered any of the questions or provided any clarity. Instead, it's just muddied the water, stacking question on top of question, and leaving the sport's fans to try to figure out what the rules are and how they are applied. It has made things immeasurably worse.
And our conference and our sport are poorer for it.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Buffalo Bills vs. Minnestoa Vikings Preview Dec 5, 2010
The Buffalo Bills will travel to Minnesota to take on Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings on December 5th. The Buffalo Bills are coming off a gutting
loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers who squeaked out a win over the pesky Buffalo Bills in Buffalo. The Minnesota Vikings scored just enough to take down a tough home team in the Washington Redskins to bring their win total to four wins and seven losses heading into this important home game.
Minnesota Vikings Offense vs Buffalo Bills Defense
Brett Favre and his Minnesota Vikings offense did not flourish against a weak Washington Redskins defense. Now they come up against a Buffalo Bills team that has won two of their last three and they took one of the best defensive teams in the NFL, the Pittsburgh Steelers to a late overtime loss.
The Minnesota Vikings offense looks to be reinventing itself after the departure of Brad Childress but Brett Favre did look more comfortable to improvise during the game against the Washington Redskins. An injury to Adrian Peterson may be an issue later in the week and the number on this game could be affected. Sidney Rice has returned to the fold but he has not earned Brett Favre's trust yet as Visanthe Schiancoe was the go to receiver when the game was on the line.
The Buffalo Bills pass defense continues to be their strong suit. They are limiting the opposing offenses to just under 210 yards per game but they are also giving up 163 yards on the ground. If Adrian Peterson is healthy for this game it could be his biggest game of the year. The Minnesota Vikings offense has the edge over the Buffalo Bills defense.
Minnesota Vikings Defense vs Buffalo Bills Offense
Jared Allen and the Minnesota Vikings defense have been playing below their high level of intensity in the 2009 NFL season. They are still holding opposing quarterbacks below 220 yards passing per game but they are prone to giving up the big play every game. Mental lapses have done them in several games this year. Run defense for the Minnesota Vikings is still holding opposing rushers under 100 yards per game but they are not intimidating the opposition as they did last season. The defensive line is still one of the
best aspects of the Minnesota defense and they should be able to control the Buffalo Bills run game.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is playing at a level that could make him a top 10 NFL quarterback. Fitzpatrick has created an an attitude with the offense that gives them a confidence that they can score at will as they did against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Their game against the Pittsburgh Steelers was won until Buffalo Bills wide out Steve Johnson dropped the touchdown ball that would have won the game. Fitzpatrick is the wild card in this game and he could be the man do officially finish Brett Favre's career. The Buffalo Bills offense has a slight edge over the Minnesota Vikings defense.
The Las Vegas Hilton Superbook has made the Minnesota Vikings a six point home team favorite over the Buffalo Bills in a must win game for Minnesota. This game will be down to the wire but in the end it will come down to luck. It is never a good practice to bet on a game that will come down to the last second so when making a play on this only include it on office pools. Take the Minnesota Vikings -6 over the Buffalo Bills. Vikings 34 - Bills 20
loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers who squeaked out a win over the pesky Buffalo Bills in Buffalo. The Minnesota Vikings scored just enough to take down a tough home team in the Washington Redskins to bring their win total to four wins and seven losses heading into this important home game.
Minnesota Vikings Offense vs Buffalo Bills Defense
Brett Favre and his Minnesota Vikings offense did not flourish against a weak Washington Redskins defense. Now they come up against a Buffalo Bills team that has won two of their last three and they took one of the best defensive teams in the NFL, the Pittsburgh Steelers to a late overtime loss.
The Minnesota Vikings offense looks to be reinventing itself after the departure of Brad Childress but Brett Favre did look more comfortable to improvise during the game against the Washington Redskins. An injury to Adrian Peterson may be an issue later in the week and the number on this game could be affected. Sidney Rice has returned to the fold but he has not earned Brett Favre's trust yet as Visanthe Schiancoe was the go to receiver when the game was on the line.
The Buffalo Bills pass defense continues to be their strong suit. They are limiting the opposing offenses to just under 210 yards per game but they are also giving up 163 yards on the ground. If Adrian Peterson is healthy for this game it could be his biggest game of the year. The Minnesota Vikings offense has the edge over the Buffalo Bills defense.
Minnesota Vikings Defense vs Buffalo Bills Offense
Jared Allen and the Minnesota Vikings defense have been playing below their high level of intensity in the 2009 NFL season. They are still holding opposing quarterbacks below 220 yards passing per game but they are prone to giving up the big play every game. Mental lapses have done them in several games this year. Run defense for the Minnesota Vikings is still holding opposing rushers under 100 yards per game but they are not intimidating the opposition as they did last season. The defensive line is still one of the
best aspects of the Minnesota defense and they should be able to control the Buffalo Bills run game.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is playing at a level that could make him a top 10 NFL quarterback. Fitzpatrick has created an an attitude with the offense that gives them a confidence that they can score at will as they did against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Their game against the Pittsburgh Steelers was won until Buffalo Bills wide out Steve Johnson dropped the touchdown ball that would have won the game. Fitzpatrick is the wild card in this game and he could be the man do officially finish Brett Favre's career. The Buffalo Bills offense has a slight edge over the Minnesota Vikings defense.
The Las Vegas Hilton Superbook has made the Minnesota Vikings a six point home team favorite over the Buffalo Bills in a must win game for Minnesota. This game will be down to the wire but in the end it will come down to luck. It is never a good practice to bet on a game that will come down to the last second so when making a play on this only include it on office pools. Take the Minnesota Vikings -6 over the Buffalo Bills. Vikings 34 - Bills 20
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