When I was in my late single digits -- ah, to be young -- there was one, and only one, thing that mattered to me during football season besides the Bills:

"Inside the NFL" with Len Dawson and Nick Buonicotti on HBO.

Now, I was too young to realize that Buonicotti picked against the Bills because of his history with the Dolphins, but I lived by that show, waiting for my dad to get home so we could either:

a) become enraged when someone bet against our Bills
b) play catch after the Bills were picked to win

One season specifically, I tuned in with special interest. The Bills and Redskins were the only remaining undefeated teams, both at 8-0 or 9-0, and the obvious broadcasting debate each week was, "Which one will lose first and will it be this week?"

I don't even remember who it was, but flash forward to 2008, and I'm reliving those moments right now. Howard Simon mentioned on our show this morning that he's not going to say the 'S' word yet. That's fine, I'm not worrying about that either. I'm busy having "Inside the NFL" delusions of grandeur with just three other teams holding an '0' in the loss column.

Hey, if Buffalo makes it past Arizona, it gives the other teams two weeks to blow it.

Maybe the Bills are benefiting from a soft schedule, but the fan in me doesn't care much, and the analyst is on vacation right now, so feel free to leave a message for when he returns. At 4-0, I'm having fun remember some of my favorite moments as a young Bills fan:

-- Leonard Smith picking off a pass and racing to the end zone in a 29-28 win over Denver in 1990 (Part of a huge comeback night game in which "The Biscuit" returned a blocked field goal 80 yards for a score.

--The next week... J.D. Williams blocking a punt and Nate Odomes ripping the ball away from a Raiders wide-out, both returned for touchdowns in another come-from-behind win at the Ralph.

-- The next week... Jamie Mueller catching a 14-yard touchdown pass from Jim Kelly to cap another come-from-behind win at the Ralph.

Remember those games? That run was euphoric, and while the Bills of now aren't in that class, the comebacks and "We're not going to lose" feeling of the first four weeks are nothing short of nostalgic. I'm not preparing for the return of Carlton Bailey and the 10-7 win over Elway and Denver at Rich Stadium in the AFC title game, but it's just a lot of fun.

This is Buffalo. Let's try and enjoy it, huh?

Email: nick@wgr550.com

A Week Four haiku, entitled "Nick works at 5 a.m.":

The Bills beat the Rams
Later in the day than most weeks
Write quickly for sleep

— Would you trade the reliable "20-for-25 for a TD" Trent Edwards for
the one we saw against St. Louis, having to wait for long routes to
develop, and misfiring on a deep ball or two, likely one for an
interception? I'm not concrete on this idea, and I'll ask some coaches
next week, but I think you sacrifice efficiency when you
call more "Shot" plays (I think I heard that somewhere). Also, is it possible that this is the sort of
"bad game" we'd see from a veteran Trent Edwards? I'll admit it, I'm
excited, and it's not because of the line.

— Did anyone else catch Solomon Wilcotts' best "Wisdom of Solomon"
moment ever? Midway through the third quarter, Trent Edwards is hit as
he throws, the ball pops out of his arm and goes to Josh Reed in a
complete act of luck. Wilcotts says — seriously — that Edwards did a
great job of staying tough in the face of the rush to deliver that
ball. My mom and dad were over, so four folks laughed hard at that
one. And yes, I could do a better job.

— Wilcotts and Ian Eagle had some very good analytical moments,
however, including Wilcotts pointing out how James Hardy will look
once he learns how to position himself — which he hasn't. Full credit
to Turk Schonert for calling his name several times early. Ronald
Bartell was simply up to the task.

— The Buffalo Bills secondary hits hard, and I'm not just talking
about the Leodis McKelvin/Dane Looker/short-term memory fumble fiasco.
I remember talking to Ko Simpson after Week One about how his hitting
stepped up in the season opener, and he said that when he hits
someone, he wants them to remember it every time they come deep into
the secondary. Simpson delivered again in Week Four, as did Donte
Whitner.

— The Bills definitely had some problems tackling against the Rams,
but I'll credit most of that to Steven Jackson's hard-running. Lynch
has made a lot of defenses look like poor tacklers, and this is what
it looks like on the other end.

— A nod to Rian Lindell. Two 45-yarders mixed in with his three field
goals... not child's play by any means.

— Another "would you trade": Would you trade the "offense looks slow
for a half, then turns into a veritable powerhouse for the rest of the
game" for a quick start and then barely holding on? That's why I'm not
complaining.

— I thought the illegal formation penalty on Robert Royal was garbage,
but maybe I don't understand the rule right. When I rewound the DVR,
he looked fine, a step back from the right tackle, with Josh Reed in
the slot and James Hardy closing the line.

— Trent Edwards was only sacked four times? Was the guy who ran the
stat book drunk, or did I eat too much salsa? Another
"feast-or-famine" performance from this offensive line, who looks
brilliant at times. Potential nickname: The Feast or Famine Line? I
like it, especially since they're the biggest line in the league.

— Would someone please block for Marshawn Lynch? He's a 200-yard game
waiting to happen, and I'm sick of watching him get beat up. At one
point in the fourth quarter, there were nine Rams trying to bring him
down, and only the whistle did.

— It never got old at Rutgers, and it won't get old in the NFL. Brian
Leonard is a running back for the Rams. Brian Leonard is also the name
of my father-in-law. It's just pretty amusing.

— Speaking of dads, my dad literally called the Jabari Greer
touchdown. He had just checked out my basement and, after being
negative for much of the day, said "Here's where we get an
interception return for a touchdown." Nice!

— Just for the record, I picked Washington to win the NFC, and some of
my morning show compatriots told me I was nuts. Just saying.
(Although, my Buffalonian spirit wishes I could be a homer and take
back Pittsburgh winning the AFC, even if I think they are one of the
few teams built to beat the Bills).

— Couple other emotional "around the league" notes. Thoughts and
prayers out to Arizona's Anquan Boldin after a horrific injury toward
the end of the Cards' 56-35 loss in New York, and even more to Tampa
Bay kicker Matt Bryant, who played this week despite losing his
three-month old baby on Wednesday. I can't imagine how difficult that
must be.

Stat line I enjoyed:
-- Leodis McKelvin, 3 kick ret., 97 yards; 2 punt ret., 26 yards; 1
tackle, 1 fumble recovery.
Playing what was definitively his best game as a Bill, McKelvin showed
prologned flashes of the football brilliance the Bills' saw when they
made him pick No. 13 in April's draft. He was fast, decisive, exciting
and hard-hitting. His reputation was for dropping interceptions, but
the team didn't let Torry Holt kill them, and McKelvin was a part of
it. Good game.

Stat line I didn't enjoy:
-- Bills offensive line, four sacks allowed; 3.6 yards-per-rush
That 3.6 figure is embarassing when you throw the fact that Fred
Jackson had a 22 yard run mixed in there. You can't discredit the big
run, but another rough day for the big guys, including a play early on
when Brad Butler quit on a play while Lynch was still charging away.
When the normally relentless Butler has a listless play, you're having
a rough day.

Game ball:
-- Lee Evans, 2 catches, 88 yards, TD; 2-point conversion.
With all due respect to some gutsy catches from Josh Reed, it was
great to see Evans rebound from one of his worst games as a Bill to
catch two big deep balls and run a terrific route on the 2-point
conversion.

Lastly...
Let's start quickly against the Cardinals, huh? They should be fired
up after laying an egg in New York

Next week:
Arizona. Remember how the Bills looked good when they turned it around
after a terrible first-half. The Cardinals looked better when they did
the same in the third quarter against the Jets. As sad as it is to
say, Boldin's injury makes the Fitzgerald/Boldin/Breaston threat a
little more palatable for the Bills, who at the very least have a
dinged-up Terrence McGee. Regardless, I think I'll take the Cardinals
to end the dream of a perfect season, but check back with me later in
the week. Arizona 31, Buffalo 27.

Email: nick@wgr550.com

P.S. I don't hate hate hate the Mets — thought I do hate Whitey
gloating about their rare successes and he told me I was "nuts" to
pick the Phillies to win the division — but nice baseball team, New
York fans. Way to send Shea out in style.

Sixteen years ago, the Buffalo Bills began the season 3-0 on the way to a Super Bowl loss.

I was going to write something else intelligent about how the Bills are now 3-0, and how sixteen years ago I was playing squirt hockey for the Kenmore Knights, but I just sat and stared at the word "Super Bowl" for like 15 seconds and lost my entire train of thought. Actually, let me amend that -- I lost my entire spinning biosphere of thought.

You see, for the first time in a long time, winning the AFC East looks plausible. So, if I really wanted to dream, I could think about the Bills winning a playoff game or two. And if, say, someone slipped a crate of acid into my iced tea before I took a nap, I could have a long and vivid dream about the Super Bowl before, ultimately, dying. That dream might include flashbacks to the 1991 crazy night-game comeback against the then-Los Angeles Raiders I kept having during this game.

Yes, the Buffalo Bills are 3-0. After today, several other teams will fall from the ranks of "those unbeaten." Heck, the Patriots already have. So while I am leagues away from even predicting the Bills will win a playoff game, I feel legitimately pumped about the Bills.

Now, let's get a little deeper:

-- My favorite play of the game was Donte Whitner doing something really stupid. After Johnnie Lee Higgins (who?) lit up the defense for a 84-yard touchdown slant, the former-UTEP wide-out really classed it up, slowing down several times while out-racing Whitner to end zone. Whitner, justifiably, realized some guy named Johnnie Lee Higgins was showing him up and tackled him just short of the stands.

The 15 yards would've been costly, especially that close to the end of an obviously still winnable game, but I love the statements it makes:

A) Don't make Donte Whitner angry
2) That doesn't fly in Ralph Wilson Stadium
D) That doesn't fly against the Bills
20) Don't make Donte Whitner angry

-- Before we leave that play, two other crucial questions:

1) Why in the world would Paul Posluszny go for a one-handed interception instead of containing Higgins and forcing a punt?

2) What in the world was Higgins' touchdown dance? Seriously, someone go rewind the game and tell me. Was he figure skating? Doing interpretive dance? Combining sign language with a seizure?

-- Tell me when you want the negative stuff.

-- Good teams beat the teams they are supposed to beat, so maybe, just maybe, we have a good team on our hands. The Bills were awful for most of the day. Luckily for them, they played an equally-awful-performing team who lost one of their cornerbacks in the fourth quarter due to a case of idiocy. Thanks, Gibril Wilson! Josh Reed has never been so happy to be slapped in the face.

-- Ah, Trent Edwards. Right when we were getting ready to write-off a horrendous performance as "something that happens to a young quarterback," he decides to make 99 percent of Western New York forget about that first half (more on that later).

Edwards, and his line, were dynamite for the final 16 minutes and 54 seconds. The first of the three final scoring drives was of the 16-play, 96-yard drive variety. What followed were two seven-play drives to win the game, but perhaps most remarkable was that the drives weren't flawless, and the Bills didn't come apart. "Weren't flawless?" Heck, there was a 3rd-down-84-yard-usually-back-breaking-slant-route for the Raiders mixed in there. Wow.

--Speaking of quarterbacks. I'm pulling for Jamarcus Russell. Kid's got some tools, just needs to move pass Losman status in Oakland. I wasn't rooting for him against the Bills, by the way.

-- Don't you dare hate on Leodis McKelvin for being pushed out of bounds by Raiders' kicker Sebastian Janikowski. He had one chance of getting by Janikowski, who was angling McKelvin toward the sideline, and the Raiders had two special teamers coming if the Bills returner cut back.

Even moreso, Janikowski is a left-handed and -footed, and a right-handed kicker would not have been able to shove with the same force. It's funny how a detail like that can factor into a play. Also, Janikowski is known for being an aggressive tackling kicker -- that reads funny, I know -- and up until the last couple years would join in the rush upfield to pursue the returner.

He also was a member of Poland's U-17 National Soccer team before emigrating to the United States. Can you believe I just typed about the other team's kicker for this long?

-- Is it weird that I never thought the Bills would lose? After the 84-yard score to Higgins, I conceded that it was capable a Bills team performing this poorly could lose, but I never really felt Buffalo would fall to Oakland. It's probably because I'm so awesome.

-- Let's play Madlibs:

For more than three quarters (A Bills left guard) and (A Bills left tackle) looked like (mammal) (bodily fluid) as the (below average AFC West team)'s (defensive end or linebacker) abused them on the football field. I can't fathom how a (insulting noun) could possibly think missing training camp was a good idea.

Seriously, Jason Peters and Derrick Dockery were 670 pounds of uselessness for much of the game, and they compounded the rough day Edwards was having by making him rush throws. Edwards seemed to rush throws when defenders were not using a magnifying glass for identify the thread count on his jersey's name plate, as if he knew a Raider must be coming. Dockery looked great with Langston Walker in Week One, so go figure.

-- Pardon my anger after a good win, but shouldn't we be seeing some run-blocking from this line soon? Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson continue to grab yards after contact, and the contact seems to often be a yard in the backfield. It would be cool if the line would allow Lynch to put up some All-World statistics.

-- What in the world was up with the DeAngelo Hall interception? Can anyone explain it to me.

-- On the same topic, I loved when Dick Jauron looked at the official and asked if he actually had to throw the red challenge flag, and then dropped it a foot from his own shoe. Grown men, folks, grown men.

-- Off-topic from the win, I hate the entire situation with Lynch and his hit-and-run, how he dealt with it and how the police handled it, but I don't hate him for getting angry when the media brought the incident up during his Friday interview.

-- Another solid game for Ashton Youboty. Nice.

--Robert Gallery seems to finally be looking good as a blocker.

-- If Oakland coach Lane Kiffin gets fired after this performance, it's even more of a joke than had he been fired after the Raiders' Week Two win. One of Al Davis' problems with Kiffin is the coach's displeasure with defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. Well, if Kiffin gets sacked for Ryan's defense's failings, it's an even bigger act in the Oakland circus.

Stat line I enjoyed:
--Josh Reed, 6 catches, 72 yards.
Plus, he's really good at getting slapped in the helmet.

Stat line I also enjoyed:
-- Oakland running backs, 29 carries, 97 yards
A usually-accurate media peer of mine text messaged me during the game that the Bills' offensive and defensive lines were getting pushed around like it was 2007 all over again, but I disagree on the latter half. I thought Marcus Stroud, Chris Kelsay and Kyle Williams highlighted a solid defensive line performance. At the time of the text, the Raiders' backs were average 4.3 yards-per-carry. They finished the game at 3.34 yards-per-carry.

Stat line I didn't enjoy:
-- Bills offensive line, three sacks allowed
Get better already. You're supposed to be good at the pass blocking part.

Game ball:
-- Lynch, 23 carries, 83 yards, gymnastic TD; 4 catches, 31 yards.
What a freak! His touchdown was a pivoting, leaping thing of beauty. He gets the you-know-what hit out of him week-in and week-out, and keeps going. He's like a dread-locked Energizer bunny who loves chain restaurants and Lil' Wayne (I caught him singing "Got Money" on the way up the tunnel after Thursday's practice).

Lastly...
Don't do that again. By that I mean go down by double digits in the third-quarter, because I hope they have huge comebacks whenever they need them.

Next week:
St. Louis, who looks all sorts of awful. Being a road game should help the Bills' not look past them, and I'll predict a blow-out, even with Steven Jackson. Buffalo better not be doing what I am, and wondering if the Bills can stick with Kurt Warner and the Cardinals. Buffalo 34, St. Louis 10.

Let's type about it: nick@wgr550.com

Post-type, or "Some random, non-football points I need to get off my chest":

A) The carpets were cleaned in our office and smell like wasabi.
B) My soccer team, Buffalo City Football Club, hasn't lost since the Bills' preseason, so maybe we're good luck and the other teams should not show up and risk hurting the Bills?
C) The Cubs won their second-straight NL Central crown. Feel free to email me with ways they could blow it this year.

A riddle: What do a pulled hammy, a Trojan horse, a Catholic prayer, a Hoosier tap dance and a Venezuelan history lesson have in common?

Your answer: My favorite sports weekend in recent memory. Let's walk through it together.

Saturday - Noon - Temple at Buffalo, UB Stadium
If there was a danger in my sports weekend, it was here. The UB Bulls have a pretty nice history against Temple. The Owls have been the victim of Turner Gill's first win (9-3 to open the season in 2006) and the Bulls eye-opening 42-7 throttling of Temple in Philadelphia last year.

The problem here is that the Owls are no longer a doormat, and sandwiched between road games at Pittsburgh and Missouri on the Bulls schedule. They also have a versatile quarterback in Adam DiMichele, and posed a serious threat to the Bulls' MAC title hopes during the teams' conference opener Saturday.

It went according to Temple's plan for the most part, but the Bulls rallied in the fourth quarter to take a 24-21 lead on a 25-yard field goal from A.J. Principe, the normally-reliable kicker who was anything but in the Bulls' 27-16 loss to Pitt last week. Pretty gutsy turn-around for a kid.

Yet on came the Owls, as DiMichele lead a thing of beauty in Amherst, finishing the drive with a punctuating 11-yard touchdown pass to put Temple up, 28-24 and on the road, with 38 seconds to play.

Ballgame? Hardly.

Senior quarterback Drew Willy heaved a final-second Hail Mary into the sky, and local hero Naaman Roosevelt grabbed that prayer like a St. Joe's boy should, tucking it away and falling into the end zone as the Bulls emerged victorious. The crowd went bananas, ESPN paid attention, and the Bulls have some fond memories heading into a Saturday afternoon showdown at Missouri, a team that hasn't scored under 50 points this year and is now ranked in the top five in the country.

To be honest, the Bulls needed almost holy help, and got it. I love my college football team, and you should go see them soon (Oct. 11 - Western Michigan, Oct. 18 - Army, Nov. 4 -Miami (Ohio), Nov. 28 - Kent State).

(Have you seen the game-winning TD yet? You can find it and vote it as the ESPN game-changing play of the week: http://promo.espn.go.com/espn/contests/pontiacgcp/?evar24=ponredirect)

Saturday - 8:05 p.m. - Ohio State at Southern Cal, the Memorial Coliseum
Oh, the plight of one Nick Mendola here. A lifelong Michigan supporter - even if the slimy Rich Rodriguez has me rethinking my allegiance - I hate Ohio State perhaps more than any other athletic team in the world. Unfortunately, I love the Big Ten. What could work out in my favor here?

Well, Jim Tressel could be embarassed on a national stage by a team that looks better than any other in the country save Oklahoma and Florida.

This wasn't about the Buckeyes' ineptitude, it was about complete and robotic destruction by a USC team that had me wondering how they'd fare against the St. Louis Rams. Linebacker Ray Maualuga is the best player in college football, and the Trojans defense keyed a 35-3 win. Get ready to hear his name from me in perpetuity -- he's my new Limas Sweed -- because the idea of Kawika Mitchell, Paul Posluszny and Ray Maualuga makes me want to cry tears of football joy.

That said, perhaps ol' Tressel learned his sweater-vested lesson. Don't keep your star running back in the third-quarter of a pounding against lowly Youngstown State, and try to look like an actual football team against the Ohio Bobcats before you take your "Top-five" program into USC. Yeah, there's some hate here, but the Trojans were machine-like, and I get to pretend that Penn State and Wisconsin would put up a better Big Ten fight for several weeks.

Saturday - 10 a.m. - CS Italia at Buffalo City Football Club, Ellicott Creek Park
Hey, it's my weekend, and I don't feel like talking about my Newcastle United FC circus over in England, so how about the first ever win for the Trumpets of Buffalo City FC. Ryan Edwards (Niagara Falls) headed in a Scott Lombardo (Sweet Home) corner kick, and we took down CS Italia, 1-0, in a super hard-fought home game in a mess of grass and mud. I left the game with one of the most painful injuries I've had in my life, and now totally understand why Howard Simon doesn't risk his hamstring. If any Bills player ever missed a game with a hamstring pull, I get it. You can still walk, but any quick movement whatsoever feels like your upper leg could disconnect from your knee.

It would take a whole lot of ice, heat, Icy Hot and compression shorts for me to play Sunday, and my wife said I wouldn't.

Sunday - 1 p.m. - Buffalo at Jacksonville, All-Tel Stadium
My "Immediate Reactions" piece for this week deals with this game in depth, but how fun will this week be knowing the Bills could be 3-0 for the first time in 16 years if they can manage to shut down Darren McFadden and Michael Bush (a taller task than you think). I feel like the Bills are in danger of doing what I'm doing -- salivating at the thought of the Bills defense against the Arizona Cardinals offense in a battle of 3-0 teams -- but who cares? This was a big win.

A quick thought for those who thought Marcus Stroud didn't have a good game because he didn't register a tackle: You're not watching football correctly. Three-point-one yards-per-carry for the Jags' running backs, and more disruption in the middle than you believe. Go ahead and rewatch this one on DVR, TiVo or whatever, the line had penetration, it just couldn't haul down David Garrard. All-in-all, a good part of a great weekend.

Sunday - 8:30 p.m. - Chicago Cubs vs. Houston Astros, Miller Park, Milwaukee
After "The Final Whistle" show that I host after Mike Schopp and The Bulldog's post-game rendezvous on our airwaves, I was stuck at the station for an extra 25 minutes because my car wouldn't start, a feat the ol' ZX2 would repeat at 4:45 this morning, thank you very much.

It was a blessing in disguise, because I was about to "hit the hay" before checking the Cubs' score one last time. It was the top of the eighth in Milwaukee, and my favorite pitcher, Carlos Zambrano, had a no-hitter in tact against the Astros, with only one walk to show for it.

I called the wife out. I texted many friends that "Big Z was having a very very good game" and that ESPN was about to switch over to the ninth inning on Sunday Night Baseball. Lacey had never seen a no-no, so we sat watching our beloved Cubs chase history. They did. We yelled... and went to bed. She's well-versed in the curse and told me it would be the best moment of the year for the Cubbies.

I didn't speak to her for several minutes.

And oh yeah, don't bring it up to her, but...

Sunday - 10 a.m. - Delaware Spallers at Buffalo City Football Club, Ellicott Creek Park
Yeah, after she waited on my bum hamstring and ankle day-and-night Saturday, I took a couple pain relievers, bathed in Icy Hot and stretched just enough to play in our Sunday game... and we won again. It was sweet to put two together, but two side notes made the day more memorable.

A) During the game, the entire net blew over their goalkeeper's head, and landed around him. This was only funny because he didn't die. The rest of the game was played with metal garbage cans holding the net up.

2) After the game, I met up with the keeper, who is listener/caller to my show (so he's the one). Jim had emailed me years back when I was talking about Mike Foligno being my favorite player of all-time, and he delivered big time. He had a game-used Foligno stick he had no use for, and gave it to me, signed by Uwe Krupp, Mike Ramsey and Darren Puppa, arguably the three greatest Sabres of all-time. Suffice it to say, I'm trading him a sweet piece of memorabilia that will remain nameless until he receives it after our next game... that is if we win, Jim.

For the record, Scott Lombardo again scored in our 1-0 win, pounding in a Scott Frauenhofer (Kenmore East. Go Bulldogs) rebound, and BCFC takes on Lake Shore FC at 10 a.m. next Saturday at Ellicott Creek Park. Go unofficially-nicknamed Trumpets!

Miscellaneous- Sunday night
I also received an email and subsequent phone call from a great guy I used to wait tables with at Big John's during college, and he's moved on to really solid things. He and his wonderful wife have a 2-year old son (Nicholas, absolutely no connection unless Jay's an idiot. I mean, really, I once dented the ceiling at the restaurant by playing catch with a 20-pound ham), and he's working with kids full-time. Not to get emotional, but when you find out good dudes are living the right way, that's the perfect cap to a good day.

What a weekend! God, I'll take another!

Email: nick@wgr550.com

P.S. Oh yeah... hockey starts soon.

I mean this in all honesty -- I've waited until after the game to type up my thoughts because a listener, Meredith, emailed me after last week and said the new "write as the game goes" philosophy wasn't working for her. She said it was because she was still learning the game, and my columns helped her last year.

See, one person can make a difference. Now go register to vote for someone you care about, and email: nick@wgr550.com after you read this.

Now, about the win...

-- I want to start with Fred Jackson. Credit Turk Schonert for calling his number on several short passes, or credit Trent Edwards for checking down to him, but the Bills don't win this football game without Jackson.

He was shifty, followed his blockers well, and really brought a tougher-running Roscoe Parrish ability to the open field. I love, love, love Marshawn Lynch, but even his style in the open field is more manageable than Jackson. With Lynch, you have to hang on for the ride and look out for the stiff arm. With Jackson, man, that guy is slick.

-- Trent Edwards had a solid, NFL quarterback day, another step in the right direction for the young quarterback. Just five incompletions go into his 20-25 for 239 yards and a score performance. The biggest thing to take away from his performance isn't even the completion to James Hardy for the game-winning score (For the record, most of the work was on Mr. Hardy's side). No, Edwards best moment was the 37-yard completion to Lee Evans, the only connection on the day over 16-yards that wasn't to Jackson.

Edwards showed incredible poise and presence in the pocket (alliteration, suckers), and threw a perfect ball to Evans, who crossed the entire field during his route. It was a moment where you know you're watching a good quarterback, something we've seen very little in the past few years.

-- What can I say about "All-World" tackle Jason Peters, who was flat-out embarassed by Quentin Groves on a sack that turned the ball over to Reggie Hayward and the Jaguars. I'm not going to fool around with terms like "game shape," but the Peters we know is quick enough to get off the block on that play, and take care of his man. I'd bet more practice would help.

-- We've gone all offense so far, which is a little bit of a shame, because there's a lot good and bad to talk about with the defense. For one, David Garrard is apparently covered in butter, or something slippery that isn't delicious, because the hungry big men on the line for the Bills had some issues tackling the Jacksonville quarterback.

Outside of that, the Bills did everything they were supposed to against a beat-up Jaguars offensive line. It didn't always look so hot in the game, but Jacksonville's ho-hum 3.6 yards-per-carry was much lower on actual running plays. Garrard averaged 5.3 per play, so credit the Bills defense to holding running backs Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor to 66 yards on 21 carries, or Pi-per-carry (that.s 3.14, friends).

-- With all due respect to Devin Hester, when does Roscoe Parrish get his love in the media? I'm thinking a commercial with a bunch of dogs chasing him around a town park or something.

-- At some point this week, I'll have an article on Ashton Youboty, who's been a massive surprise at corner. Youboty got a terribly slow start with the Bills after his mother passed away, and he had to head home to take care of his family, but he seems to be back on track after an exemplary preseason, and a solid couple of games to start the regular season. Sure, he appears to weigh 11 pounds soaking wet, but 9 tackles and a sack through two games is solid for someone I thought was as sure as cut.

-- I don't even blink when Rian Lindell lines up to kick a field goal. What a change from a couple years ago.

-- Hardy's game-winning touchdown catch was the stuff of perfection. Now, there are some folks who will tell you it was "no question" a touchdown, but what they should say is that there's no way they could've reversed it. He lands with what appears to be both feet in-bounds, but the white tape on the front of his shoes makes it nearly impossible to flip the call. What an athletic grab, and good to see that Edwards has the guts to chuck that ball up for grabs.

-- I can't say enough about the coaching, even if it can be just classified as "well-above average." It's nice to see a team not throw up on itself.


Stat line I enjoyed:
--Edwards, 20-25, 239 yards, 1 TD, 3 sacks
This was almost exactly his 17-14 win over the Jets last year, but better, because he didn't throw the crucial interception. Look at that game (22-28, 234 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, two sacks). Plus, 6-of-11 on third down is a vast improvement on last week.

Stat line I didn't enjoy:
--Four penalties for 40 yards.
Might not seem like a lot, but they came at some inopportune times (As if penalties come at opportune times. Nice, Nick. Pure genius).

Game ball:
-- Jackson, 7 catches, 83 yards; 6 carries, 17 yards.
He was the x-factor in my book, the variable that the Jaguars didn't look prepared for. Bonus points for Lynch continued to run behind a line that has some issues pushing the defense (which is a huge concern if you're already thinking playoffs. Lynch is a good enough runner. Not sure about his line).

Lastly...
I'll take it, even if the tackling was a little infuriating, and most of the game was underwhelming. Let's face it, Edwards style is a little bit of the station-to-station baseball of American football. I'll take it, but I feel like you'll know the Bills played their game when you're smiling with a win, and without angina.

Next week:
Oakland's defense, as well as Darren McFadden, will be a much bigger test than many think, but look for Buffalo to take care of business at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Let's call it... Buffalo 23, Oakland 14. Two big runs for McFadden, and a bunch of field goals for Lindell.

There you go, Meredith. Hope that was better!

Think I'm wrong? I'm used to it. Let's type about it: nick@wgr550.com

"It'll be a great Monday and a fun week to be a Bills fan, especially if Brady's knee exploded,"
--Me, two hours ago

That statement, uttered in my "Immediate Reactions" column mere hours ago, was tongue-in-cheek, but now I've bit my tongue clear off (which will make it very difficult to host a talk show, so stay tuned).

But let's really think about this, supposing of course that Michael Silver's Yahoo! Sports report is true. The Pats will be looking at Matt Cassel, Matt Guttierez and who? Vinny Testaverde? Daunte Culpepper? Will they trade for a Billy Volek, Sage Rosenfels or Rex Grossman?

The fun part is they'll probably sign Testaverde, and we can watch as Bill Belichick plays the role of stubborn genius, fumbling his way through a 9-or-10-win season with an aggressive defense and Cassel under center (Tell me he doesn't consider it a challenge to win with inexperienced would-be third-stringers).

Of course, this development is beautiful for Buffalo, and people will say it's the opposite of classy to be happy about this, like the division championship wouldn't count if the Bills were edging out a broken down Pats team to go along with the Jets and Dolphins. The truth is, and take a deep breath here, the Bills will be in focus on all the NFL shows nationwide as the country comes to term with Brady's knee and Buffalo's 34-10 win over Seattle.

Now, there's a pretty good chance Brady will reconstruct his own knee with the help of Tedy Bruschi, overcoming the injury to throw even more touchdowns in a 16-0 season, but could things have worked out more in the Bills favor in Week One:

--Big win over a playoff team in Seattle (albeit an injured one)
--Dallas opens up seemingly every hole in Cleveland's game
--The Chargers fall to Carolina (even if everyone has San Diego taking that division anyway)
--Jacksonville falls to Tennessee

If Denver falls to Oakland, oh, happy day.

Now, the Jags falling to the Titans could be bad for a couple reasons. One, it may wake up Jacksonville, whose pre-season hype may have gone to their heads, and two, Tennessee may be way better than most have thought. Let's face it, Jeff Fisher is in the Mike Shanahan and Mike Holmgren class of making something out of nothing.

In reality, the Pats will still be good, and it's only one game, but isn't it fun to get a little carried away? (Especially considering that it may end up not qualifying as getting carried away).

Forgive me for smiling, but it's been a good Sunday.

Email: nick@wgr550.com

This year, or at least this week, for my "Immediate Reactions," I'm going to make it more of a running blog that I publish at the end of the game, which means I'm done faster, and then you're reading it faster. Should work better for all of us, except for the fact that I won't be contemplating my feelings more, leading to more negative emails. Fun! Also, make sure to tune in for The Final Whistle with me at 6:30 p.m. tonight in WGR Sports Radio 550.

— A resounding win with a standing ovation on opening day? Don't post-pone your annual January vacation yet or anything, but your favorite team just shut down a well-coached team that's been to the playoffs five-consecutive years. Yes, they were missing some folks, but missing some folks doesn't add up to a blow-out. Nice work, defense, special teams and yes, even you offense. Let's go to Florida.

—Marshawn Lynch 21-yard touchdown run. To the left side, to boot. My brother's out with the Bills Backers of Rhode Island during his first weekend of college, and his text message was, "BEAST MODE." Apparently, they go to a Patriots bar, and the waitress leaves their food at the top of the stairs because she isn't interested in serving Bills' fans. Can't wait for our road trip to Gillette Stadium.

— Good to see Melvin Fowler up to his old antics on the first 3rd-and-1 of the year. Nice blocking as he gets blown up by a defensive tackle the league's barely heard of in Brandon Mebane. Hey, forget it, he's a 2007 third round pick who racked up 29 whole tackles last year. All-Pro, Mel! I smell a Funtime Billsland.

— John McCargo, inactive? Are Tim Graham's trade rumblings true? If so, how many disgruntled linebackers are out there? I personally hope not, because I'm a pretty big McCargo supporter.

— Don't tell anybody, but this first half is kind of boring.

— For those who of you who tuned into the font of football knowledge that was Sportstalk Saturday, you heard me say that both Baltimore and Atlanta won't be as bad as you think. Well, what's happening now? Joe Flacco, 4-for-7, 33 yards first quarter and 21-0 Michael Turner and company over everybody's darling, Detroit. I love over-emphasing the first quarter of the first game of a long season.

— Back in the preseason I did a show about how it felt a little different rooting for Lynch after his traffic infraction. No issue now. None whatsoever. He's still my favorite Bills player in years, just running so hard all the time, and it seems like defenders have to work extra hard to tackle him, which must wear them down faster.

— By the way, just seven minutes into the first quarter and we had our first satellite breakdown at the Bills party. We missed a three and-out. Shocking.

— Tom Brady was just injured by a helmet-to-knee hit, a la J.P. Losman versus Vince Wolfork's. Payback's no fun for you, huh?

— End of first half recap: Get out of bounds, Robert Royal. An eight-year old knows that. It looks like he had to think about it a second time, too. (Edit note: Edwards really utilized the tight end well today, and Bobby scored as well).

— The Bills defensive line looks very good against an above average Seattle offensive line that features Walter Jones and Mike Wahle. This is a very, very good sign for this season, and here's hoping Marcus Stroud is reading the "Jags will be better without him" articles.

— Quick, pick up Ryan Denney, wide receiver in your fantasy league. A+ for Bobby April. Can't wait to hear the critics call that play a waste. Ah, football season!

— Marcus Stroud is a large, large man.

— Funny how the NFL works: Roscoe Parrish's punt return touchdown made me totally forget about his DUI. Legitimately one of the most exciting players in Bills' history, and it was a lot of fun hearing the announcers reference the a block from Jon Corto, a hometown boy.

— Doesn't it seem like New Orleans' Devery Henderson always has a good first week or two?

— If I was a pessimist, and I was watching the first quarter of this game, I'd be asking if Trent Edwards is loving good weather at the Ralph, you know, like he did last year? Turns out his rust lasted approximately ten minutes. Luckily, I'm not a pessimist, but it's going to be fun listening to the Whiner Line tomorrow morning. And by fun, I mean like the Hong Kong Flu.

— Who else is totally down with Turk Schonert going for the throat? Coming into this year, you might've had a bunch of players wondering what Dick Jauron was up to in terms of being aggressive. They probably aren't now. Pretty good sign.

Stat line I enjoyed:
Lee Evans, four catches, 120 yards
-Just think: If he liked Trent Edwards, he could've had eight catches for 240 yards. Horrible teammate, that Evans.

Stat line I didn't enjoy:
Bills offense, 4-for-16 on third down.
-It's nitpicky, but third down efficiency was an issue for most of last year, and it will need to be better than 25 percent to win most weeks.

Game ball:
Marcus Stroud, 1/2 sack, five tackles, pass defended
-It was either him or Paul Posluszny, and Poz was around for at least some of last year. Big Marcus was a difference maker today. Who knew you needed a big defensive tackle in this league? Oh yeah. Everyone did.

Lastly...
That was a lot of fun. Parrish setting a Bills record for punt return yards with 120. Denney with a sack and a receiving touchdown. Some huge hits, including one from former poor tackler Ko Simpson. John Wendling making like Steve Tasker for a moment late in the game. We'll take it all except the blocked field goal. It'll be a great Monday and a fun week to be a Bills fan, especially if Brady's knee exploded.

Next week:
Stroud's homecoming, and a Jaguars team who won't be too happy after a season-opening loss against the Titans. Call me naive, but even with Edwards on the road facing a much better defense and the Bills defense facing a much better running game, I'll pick Buffalo 16, Jacksonville 13. Yep, it'll be that exciting, too.

Email: nick@wgr550.com

If you missed this week's Sportstalk Saturday, you missed Nick Mendola and Pat Malacaro's playoff picks. Prompted by a caller to the show, the two delivered the names, and now they back up their picks:

NFC East
Nick- Washington- Call it absurd, but I'm playing a hunch here. I really like Jason Campbell's chances of blossoming with Chris Cooley, Santana Moss, Devin Thomas and Antwaan Randle-El. I'll have to bet that Clinton Portis will have a resurgence, and that their defensive tackle injuries don't hurt them, but I like the 'Skins to have a tremendous year in a very difficult division.

Pat- Dallas- The ‘Boys may have the best offense in the NFL with Tony Romo under center, Marion Barber carrying the ball out of the backfield, and wide outs T.O. and Patrick Crayton running smooth routes. Head coach Wade Phillips is a defensive minded coach, so don’t expect Dallas to do much worse than the 9th place finish in YPG given up last season.

NFC North
Pat- Minnesota– Two letters: A.P. Add WR Bernard Berrian into the receiver mix, and the only question mark on offense is QB Tarvaris Jackson. The Vikings do have Gus Frerotte is a older in sports standards, but still can step in if Jackson does not get the job done. On defense Pat Williams sits in the middle of the d-line that gave up the fewest rushing yards per game last season.

Nick- Green Bay- I like Aaron Rodgers to be good enough to get the Packers of the North, and Ryan Grant and A.J. Hawk really impressed me last year. Look for the Packers corners to have a big year.

NFC West
Nick- Seattle- I consider Matt Hasselbeck to be the NFL's barometer for quarterbacks. You need a guy at least as good as Hasselbeck to make a Super Bowl run, and this year he's got a nice stable of running backs, including Julius Jones, a back that I was surprised to see fall out of favor in Dallas, though Marion Barber III is pretty good.

Pat- Seattle – Much like Nick, I too feel that Matt Hasselbeck is just good enough to be a top level QB in the NFL, but not quite athletic enough to be on the elite level of some of the greats that have played. The addition of Julius Jones to the running game is an improvement over the Shaun Alexander we saw the last few seasons. The NFC West is not as awful as most think, but the Seahawks did dominate their division opponents 5-1 last year.

NFC South
Pat- Tampa Bay– The emergence of RB Ernest Graham was a pleasant surprise when Cadillac Williams went down for the season last year. QB Jeff Garcia is certainly a better option than Luke McCown and the recently released Chris Simms. The Bucks have an aging defense, but still has gotten the job done consistently year after year. They had the best pass defense, and second best total defense last season.

Nick- Tampa Bay- The Bucs still have a good defense, and Jeff Garcia is still solid. I wish I had more to say about Tampa. No, actually, I don't. Enjoy the malaise.


NFC Wild Cards
Nick- Philadelphia and Dallas- Are the Eagles and Cowboys good enough to overcome playing six games in division? Absolutely. It's terrible that folks continue to underrate Donovan McNabb, who is one of the best signal callers of his era, and even Jessica Simpson won't derail Dallas (For the record, Tony Romo, I can't see how Carrie Underwood wasn't good enough. I wouldn't say you upgraded. What a world we live in where this analysis happens).

Pat- Carolina and Washington – My sleeper of the year is Carolina RB Jonathan Stewart. John Fox is still one of the top game day coaches in the NFL, their defense was middle of the road last year when the offense could not stay on the field. For the 'Skins, Expect bigger things out of QB Jason Campbell this season. In 13 starts last year Campbell threw 12 TDs, but had 11 INTs. The Redskins rush defense was in the top 5 last year, expect it to stay near the top.

AFC East
Nick- New England- The Pats will lose a handful of games in 2008, a year which will definitely be a drop-off from their record-shattering 2007 campaign, but Jerrod Mayo was the right pick at the right position, and should help re-energize their linebackers. Their d-line is still solid, and will help minimize the loss of Asante Samuel. Look for Randy Moss' numbers to drop, and Laurence Maroney's to rise.

Pat- New England- Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Laurence Maroney. Need I say more? The defense will take a hit with the loss of Asante Samuel, but they still have one a top three offense in the NFL. I am going to go out on a limb and say the Pats will go at least 4-2 against the rest of the AFC East, meaning they will only need to go 8-2 or 7-3 to finish atop the AFC.

AFC North
Pat- Pittsburgh- The home playoff loss to the Jaguars in the Wild Card round last year left a lot to be desired by the Steelers. On the offensive side of the ball, Big Ben will have another solid year throwing the ball to Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward. Add in first rounder Rashard Mendenhall and you have a solid 1-2 running back punch with Willie Parker. The Steelers’ had the best overall defense last season, giving up the fewest total yards per game on average, and were tied for second in touchdowns given up (31).

Nick- Pittsburgh- I have some questions about the defense, but I love Lamarr Woodley in the linebacking corps. I love Roethlisberger, and see Holmes having a big year, and don't think this is the year Ward drops off. Parker's injuries aren't as much of a concern with Mendenhall as a safety valve. Pittsburgh's my favorite to dethrone the Pats in the AFC.


AFC West
Nick- San Diego- As much as I think Shawne Merriman is one of the dumbest men on Earth for falling into the giant machismo trap that is "NFL toughness," the Chargers will be better than ever in 2008, which isn't saying all that much. With all due respect to Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates remains a one-of-a-kind threat until Vernon Davis really shows the league something.

Pat- San Diego– The Chargers’ defense will most certainly take a hit with a less than 100% Shawne Merriman. However, with Quentin Jammer and Antonio Cromartie on the corners and a solid return game, the defense will still be near the top in the AFC. Expect QB Philip Rivers to have a solid year with WRs Chris Chambers and Vincent Jackson, TE Antonio Gates, and, oh yeah, Ladanian Tomlinson coming out of the backfield.

AFC South
Pat- Indianapolis- The Colts are a very balanced squad on offense and defense. Wide outs Reggie Wayne, Marvin Harrison and Anthony Gonzalez show a great potential for Manning to 35 TDs this season. Add in a potent running game with Joseph Addai and there is no reason to expect the Colts’ offense to fall out of the top 5 from last season. The two anchors on the defensive side of the ball look in peak for. Defensive End Dwight Freeney should have a big year in the trenches, and SS Bob Sanders should continue to lead by example in the secondary.

Nick- Indianapolis- Even if Marvin Harrison falls further away from his legendary statistics this year, the Colts have more than enough fire power to get them through what is a very favorable schedule. If Peyton Manning's bursa sac issues are more than we know, than Jacksonville will thrive, but the Colts should only lose a handful of games.

AFC Wild Cards
Nick- Jacksonville and Denver- I hate doing this, Bills fans -- and my goodness, do I hope I'm wrong -- but the Jags have a very good schedule, and Denver scares me. Mike Shanahan knows how to coach, and the Champ Bailey/Dre Bly combo should prove more stout than last year. I'm not as big a fan of their wide-outs as Pat (see below), but Jay Cutler has finally won me over. Turns out it wasn't just "Kiperhype."

Pat- Denver and Jacksonville- I expect QB Jay Cutler to have a solid year with Brandon Marshall and Keary Colbert to throw to. Head coach Mike Shanahan is a magic man when it comes to his offensive line and the running game, expect RB Selvin Young to continue the trend. The Jags have maybe the best 1-2 running back punch with Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor (assuming Taylor isn't headed to jail). Jacksonville had the 12th best overall defense last year, allowing 313.8 ypg last season. There should not be much of a drop off, despite the loss of Marcus Stroud on the d-line in the off-season.

Pat's conference championship and Super Bowl picks
AFC- Pats over Colts
NFC- Cowboys over Panthers
Super Bowl- Pats over Cowboys

Nick's conference championship and Super Bowl picks
AFC- Steelers over Colts
NFC- Redskins over Cowboys
Super Bowl- Steelers over Redskins

Email: nick@wgr550.com