My football-watching brain is friiiiiiiiiiiied, so this may end up being another short one. Let's face it: if this game really mattered and went down the way it did, we may never stop talking about it.

For those of you who missed the in-game break-in, President Bush was giving his farewell speech from Iraq this afternoon (American time) when an Iraqi reporter took off his shoe and fired it at Bush. The president ducked, an in came shoe No. 2. You see, throwing a shoe at someone is considered the ultimate insult in Arab culture. I say this because I've had several conversations since the Bills game ended in which someone has said;

"Would someone toss a shoe or two at Dick Jauron?"

Here we go...

— Why in the world were they passing on 2nd-and-5 with just over two minutes to play and the lead? That was easily the dumbest play call of the year. Bar none. I want you all to send me emails about dumber play calls and I will tell you why this one was worse. Horrible, horrible, horrible.

— I can't say enough about Marshawn Lynch. After coming out and — as Duke Preston admitted — getting his line riled up by taking the blame for a tough year, he goes straight "Beast Mode" for 60 minutes. In the wake of his "hit-and-run" issues — something that admittedly still rubs me the wrong way — he's been a very fun player to watch.

— The Bills didn't have a single three-and-out on offense. They did have a one-and-interception, two-and-interception and four-and-touchdown... but no three-and-outs.

— How about the Bills defense on that play-action naked bootleg? Everyone fell for it. Everyone. I'm not even mad. I'm impressed.

— Good on Steve Johnson for getting his first career touchdown. He's a keeper, but think about the receivers under contract next year: Evans, Reed, Parrish, Hardy, Johnson. Then there's Jenkins as a relatively important special teamer. Don't be surprised if the Bills don't snag a wide-out in the offseason.

-- Also on Johnson... great, if unoriginal, touchdown celebration. The "football's-stuck-on-my-hand" is almost always funny.

— James Hardy was carted off with a knee injury. It's a shame, because he was due for a big catch.

— Brett Favre had a very similar game to Losman in terms of numbers, turnovers and accuracy, yet Dan Dierdorf hailed Favre as gutsy, and Losman as wild. I love Favre as much as any football fan, but that was tough to endure.

— I am liking Derek Schouman and Derek Fine as tight ends. Not saying they're my idea of a No. 1, but I'm not sure what that would look like in this style Bills jersey. When Jay Riemersma and Pete Metzelaars are the two best tight ends during your time as a Bills fan, you should probably question your allegiance... or tell the Bills to draft more tight ends with hard-to-pronounce last names. Maybe Devin Frischknecht of Washington State?

(Note: It'll be interesting to see where blocking tight end, and local boy, Dan Gronkowski of Maryland ends up).

— So, here's the drill: In my dismay during the past few weeks, I neglected to start by Bills MVP competition on time. So we're going to make this more "fan interactive." We'll go from 16 to 8 this week, eight to four after the Broncos game, and then four to two after the Patriots finale. After that, i'll put a web poll up with the final two players. It'll be "fun."

Here were the match-ups heading into this week:**

No. 1 Marshawn Lynch vs. No. 16 Chris Kelsay
No. 2 Lee Evans vs. No. 15 Roscoe Parrish
No. 3 Fred Jackson vs. No. 14 Bryan Scott
No. 4 Josh Reed vs. No. 13 Kawika Mitchell
No. 5 Marcus Stroud vs. No. 12 Paul Posluszny
No. 6 Leodis McKelvin vs. No. 11 Terrence McGee
No. 7 Langston Walker vs. No. 10 Ryan Denney
No. 8 Jabari Greer vs. No. 9 Darian Barnes*

*The reason Darian Barnes is No. 9 is because I wanted Jabari Greer into the next round, and because they cut him when they were 4-0, so.... if you really have a problem with it, I'll bump Barnes into Round Two.

**Apologies to Brian Moorman and Kyle Williams. Didn't really consider anyone else.

The round-up:
- Lynch over Kelsay. The reigning champ wins, with no explanation needed.

- Evans over Parrish. Roscoe is explosive, but what he's thinking when deciding whether or not to field a punt is beyond me.

- Jackson over Scott. Good to see Fred finally get a touchdown, and it was a beast of a run.

- Reed over Mitchell. Reed had another gutsy game, even if he did make a couple boners. Mitchell looked awful on a Favre pump fake in the third quarter.

- Posluszny over Stroud. Stroud's been better all year, but Posluszny had important tackles and a pick against the Jets.

- McGee over McKelvin. Terrence was just McBetter today, even if Leodis' growth will be pivotal to next year and beyond. Like the Posluszny/Stroud match-up, McKelvin would've won the year-long battle.

- Walker over Denney. Paul Hamilton would say I'm crazy, but I think the two most-unheralded seasons belong to these two. Denney absolutely over-performed as someone who should be a situational rusher, batting down a ton of passes.

- Greer over Barnes. Again, if you have issues, email me: nick@wgr550.com

ROUND TWO:
No. 1 Lynch vs. No. 12 Posluszny
No. 2 Evans vs. No. 11 McGee
No. 3 Jackson vs. No. 8 Greer
No. 4 Reed vs. No. 7 Walker

(I can't believe five offensive players move on, but I had to go with my gut).

Stat line I enjoyed:
Lynch, 21 carries, 127 yards; three receptions, 13 yards
— Sensational.

Stat line I didn't enjoy:
Losman, 24-of-39, 148 yards, three sacks, 1 TD, 3 INT, one fumble lost.

(Bills) Game ball:
Lynch.
— Unquestionably, with a nod to the run-blocking of the line.

Lastly...
I really like the way Thomas Vanek has reshaped his game.

Next week:
Thank goodness the Broncos won't need the game. I vote for Denver 27, Buffalo 20.

Email: nick@wgr550.com

Stupid Bills.

What in the world are we supposed to do with that? I really mean that question.

Ugh...

-- The first place I'd like to start is Roscoe Parrish. Now, I absolutely admire his positivity before that final punt return, bobbing his head to and fro, enjoying the music that announced the arrival of the football in his hands.

Now me, if I were him, I'd be thinking about the touchdown I dropped. You know, the one that would have tied the game, and not made math your most important ally for all of December.

-- I like Fred Jackson. Great guy, I mean it, but if it's 3rd and short, and the best running back on your team has gashed a defense for over 130 yards, give him the football. Please. I totally understand that Derrick Dockery and Jason Peters decided to block the same guy on the play, but still, give it to Lynch, and if he doesn't get it, give it to him on fourth down.

Disagree? Jackson averaged 1.6 yards-per-carry, Lynch had 8.4. Even without the 50-yard run, Lynch would've averaged over five yards per carry.

-- Ron Pitts is the worst play-by-play announcer in the NFL. Tony Boselli, on the contrary, is a pretty good color guy.

-- I don't think it's too much to assume that the defense has had enough of the offense's shenanigans. Your defensive ends got you three sacks, allowed ten points, and gave up a paltry 52 meaningful yards in the second half. The opponent was San Francisco, and your quarterbacks need to be able to come up with 10 points in 60 minutes.

-- Between Trent Edwards and Jack Losman, the Bills were 21-of-37 for 205 yards and three sacks. Sometimes numbers don't tell the story, as inaccuracy plagued Edwards and indecision punished Losman.

When Losman's sent packing after this year, you'll need a veteran back-up, and you'll also need to pick up another quarterback, whether on Day One or Day Two of the draft is your call.

-- The major difference between Edwards and Losman today was that Losman was sacked on plays that Edwards would've dumped it to his running back or tight end. How do you get this far in your career without knowing the rush is coming.

-- That said, Parrish dropped a touchdown. Did I mention that?

-- My golly, what happened to Rian Lindell? I know the weather was awful, and has been awful, but his performance was inexcusable.

-- This team needs to practice outside, and if they do, then they need to practice outside more. When you have elite, effective athletes like Leodis McKelvin and Marcus Stroud saying, "It's going to be a cold one and we'll have to stay warm," (I'm paraphrasing), it's time to change your routine. You're a cold weather team, play cold weather football.

-- Patrick Willis is really good at playing tackle football.

-- Six penalties is too many.

-- Between you and I, it's going to make me sick to listen to all the "We just have to go out and win the rest of our games and hope for the best" comments for another year. I went to college for this.

Stat line I enjoyed:
Lynch, 16 carries, 134 yards, TD
-- He's really good at football, too.

Stat line I didn't enjoy:
Lynch, 16 carries.
-- Don't overthink it. Just give him the ball.

Game ball:
Ryan Denney and Chris Kelsay, 10 tackles, three sacks
-- Can't put it on the defense this week.

Lastly...
Nice home game, team. Stupid.

Next week:
Don't call it a home game. Bills 20, Miami 17 in Toronto, Ont., Canada, North America, Western Hemisphere, Earth, Milky Way, Universe.

Email: nick@wgr550.com

Welcome to the 2008 MLS Cup running diary. Just kidding (although I am watching the Columbus and New York while I type this in preparation for my 6:30 p.m. "Final Whistle" show on WGR).

So, I don't know about you, but I needed that. Forget the running game, the defense and the special teams, I needed to see Trent Edwards knuckle up and play with some gumption, and did he ever.

Bills 54, Chiefs 31. Let's go (Buffalo)...

-- Was anyone else freaking out when Edwards missed Robert Royal on a picture-perfect-wide-open-play-action-of-all-things-surefire-touchdown pass attempt? Sweet Losman's Uncle, that was terrible.

Luckily, redemption came in buckets for the Stanford kid, who was 24-of-32 for 273 yards and four touchdowns (two passing, two running). More important to my confidence than his tosses to Josh Reed and Derek Schouman were the rushing scores. If this season was Edwards' life, than this game was his puberty. He took a whole sackful of courage into the end zone with him.

-- I don't want to look too far into the future, but the only good thing about this season eventually ending -- unless it ends with the Upersay Owlbay Ampionshipchay -- will be knowing Edwards' noggin will get a month or two off. I swear, every single time he gets hit I start getting Tim Connolly and Brett Lindros replays dancing through my
head.

-- Also, Trent, learn to slide.

-- I really want to rip on the defense, but the team was a plus-five on the day in turnovers. I guess that's what you have to deal with as a fan if Perry Fewell's defense is going to take more chances with the blitz.

-- I said all week, most prominently on Sportstalk Saturday with Corey Griswold, that the Bills were going to be looking at 7-5 going into the last four games of the season, but I certainly didn't see win No. 6 coming quite this emphatically.

-- The thing I've loved about Lee Evans since Day One is the humility he has when he plays the game well. Sure, he'll bob his head after a catch or a touchdown, but while Edwards, Lynch and company were giddy on the bench in the waning moments, Evans was just sitting there, looking straight ahead. Unless they were making fun of his mom, nice to see that composure from the captain.

-- Edwards loves Reed, and Reed is a tough man.

-- "Beast Mode," indeed. I love watching Marshawn Lynch run so much more when his line decides that blocking is part of its job description. Twenty carries should be a must, and his 79 yards round up to 4.0 per carry. Fred Jackson packed in a 24-yard run to make his nine for 56 looks explosive enough, and Edwards carried six times for 38 yards. That's a remarkable net of 171 yards, and 357 combined in two games after looking dead for several weeks.

-- Speaking of "Beast Mode," the microphone picked up some vintage, "punky" trash talk from Lynch after converting for a first down. Early in the third quarter, Lynch was right near the refs' mic when he
blurted out, "That's what I'm talking about. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah." I know I laughed.

-- A huge high-five for Duke Preston, who showed something we haven't seen out of a Bills lineman in a while, standing up for Lynch after a questionably-dubious hit from Kansas City safety Bernard Pollard.

-- That moment was also scary for Bills fans, as Lynch ended up on the bench, favoring his shoulder.

-- Not one Bills tackle was assisted on, according to Yahoo! Sports, and no Bill had more than four takedowns. Keith Ellison, Blake Costanzo and Terrence McGee has three.

-- Exactly what was McGee doing on that play where he didn't bother to defend Dwayne Bowe because he was busy assuming offensive pass interference was about to be called? That, and Jackson catching the kickoff that was headed out-of-bounds, was the epitome of bad silly stuff. Poor form, fellas.

-- Really good to see Schouman with a nice three-catch, 25-yards and a touchdown game. He's been through a ton since being drafted out of Boise State, including foot problems and constant position changes. He's a quiet, hard-working player who's always cordial in the locker room. Plus, terrific beard.

-- Marcus Stroud is not only large, he is good at football. He only gets credit for a tackle, pass defended and fumble recovery, but Stroud is such a difference maker in the middle of that line.

-- Three sacks? In one game? Buffalo is allowed to do that?

-- Lynch's 42 catches are one-shy of the most for a Bills' back since Larry Centers and Travis Henry each caught 43 in 2002. Edwards will have to check-down-his-brains-out to get Lynch near's Centers' 80 grabs (2001) or Thurman Thomas' 62 (1991).

P.S. Isn't it weird that Thomas never caught more than 62 balls in a year?

-- Kawika Mitchell had a weird game, often in a place to do something nice, but never quite achieving his goal. Just one tackle, and he did a standing push-up on Tyler Thigpen in the end zone, apparently fooled that Thigpen had thrown the ball.

-- Ryan Denney impressed me again, even if I wish he was still a very-good third defensive end. He plays tough each week.

-- How about those Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks? After Donovan McNabb goes 8-of-18 with two sacks and two picks for a quarterback rating of 13.2, Kevin Kolb comes on and shows him up with two picks of his own and a 13.2 rating. Yikes, and the Bills could've used the Eagles taking advantage of a Baltimore team that left the game there for the taking for most of the first half (at least it seemed).

Stat line I enjoyed:
Rian Lindell, 4-for-4 field goals, 6-for-6 extra points, 18 points.
-- No one liked seeing his forlorn face after the Cleveland miss, and the quiet, consistent kicker deserved a nice rebound.

Stat line I didn't enjoy:
Tony Gonzalez, 10 catches, 113 yards, 1 TD
-- First of all, I have a Buffalo complex, and he may or may not have nixed any trade ideas to Buffalo. Nice team, Gonzo. Second of all, Buffalo has struggled with tight ends for as long as I can remember, and I have Dustin Keller and Ben Watson-sized fears the rest of the way.

Game ball:
Leodis McKelvin
--Two tackles, two interceptions, 64 INT return yards, 1 TD
--Two kick returns, 67 yards, long of 46

I wish I had the phone numbers or emails of every "Leodis McKelvin is a bust 10 weeks into his career" person. Would've been nice to see him corral that interception late against Cleveland.

Lastly...
In the words of Benjamin Orr, bassist for The Cars, this game was just what I needed (Ric Ocasek doesn't sing on the track. True story). The defense needs to be much better, but Sunday felt pretty good. Also, I hope Herm Edwards is cut some slack. Twenty-three new players since the season's inception is an eerie reminder of last year's Bills struggles.

Next week:
They win against visiting San Francisco. I'm standing by my 7-5 call, and if there's a big, emotionless let-down at home, then everyone should be fired. Bills keep the playoff hopes alive by beating the 49ers, 29-17.

Email: nick@wgr550.com

I'm sick of failures so awful we have to name them.

There's a laundry list of them, you know. From your "Homerun Throwbacks" to your "No Goals" and back again, there's a sickening, stench-filled sack of titles for our sports misery, and now the cupboard has become so bare that even Old Mother Hubbard's headed straight for sequel territory, and she still has to choose between two monumental repeats.

"Wide Right 2" or "The Monday Nighter 2."

If pressed, I'd choose the latter, because even though this one ended dreams and shattered hopes, it won't end with a crowded town square saluting the courage of a kicker who failed on the nation's biggest stage. No, this one's not even over, at least not until the audience tastes the leftovers with every bitter bite of what's sure to be a half-inspiring romp in Kansas City on Sunday.

The truth is, I'm left trying to find something left in my guts that isn't bruised from another series of kicks to the ribs. This is the recurring dream where I wake up and run my tongue over my teeth to make sure they didn't all fall out. Well, my abdomen hurts, I can't really chew and I feel like running my cheeks over a belt-sander.

I'd say, "This is Buffalo sports," but it isn't. It's truly much worse than a title.

Onto the game (in brief, I promise)...

-- Trent Edwards' massive failures hurt even more because the offensive line was borderline heroic, at least relative to their play in Weeks Two through Ten. You can have your Rian Lindell miss, and your three-consecutive running plays leading up to said miss, but Edwards made two throws all evening in an otherwise miserable performance.

How bad was he? Besides the three interceptions in the first 11-and-a-half minutes? Well, he played scared, which is the worst kind of quarterbacking to play, or watch. Edwards was so gunshy that of his 16 completions, 10 went to his feature back, Marshawn Lynch, and I'm not sure more than three were clearly past the line of scrimmage.

His No. 1 wideout, Lee Evans, was open almost all evening. He didn't find him once. Not once.

He was throwing against a defense that was giving up more than 225 yards-per-game, and came up with 148.

His quarterback rating, if you're into this, is 19th amongst starters.

Only six passers have more interceptions than Edwards, and of them, only J.T. O'Sullivan has thrown as few as the Bills starter's eight touchdowns.

In his last four games, he is 74-of-119 for 784 yards, with three touchdowns and eight interceptions.

He was wildly inaccurate, even in his completions. Looked a lot like J.P. Losman.

Just brutal stuff. No injury excuse. No scapegoat offensive line. Just this man wearing No. 5.

-- Marshawn Lynch was, surprisingly, a monster with all the blocking. Twenty-three runs for 119 yards from the man with the "Beast Mode," who also hauled in 10 passes for 58 yards. His touchdown was a thing of beauty, as was his season-long 28-yard run. He was magnificient.

-- Speaking of running games, I heard folks dogging the Bills defense because of Jerome Harrison's 72-yard touchdown run, but that's ill-advised. It would've been a big run in any event, but Terrence McGee was being held like a newborn by Braylon Edwards, right in front of the official. Jamal Lewis was held largely in check.

-- Kawika Mitchell made some nice plays. He also made a really dumb one. You know what the best part about personal fouls made three yards out-of-bounds is? Nothing. He's a veteran who's won a Super Bowl, remember?

(***Edit note: I was at the game, and I've received several emails telling me the hit was in bounds. It definitely didn't look that way on the field, and they didn't show a replay. Speaking of which, they did a great job of "slow-mo-ing" questionable calls on the scoreboard. Great work).

-- Lindell's been so good for so long that it's hard for me to ... sorry, my brain just exploded.

-- The box score accurately states that Terrence McGee defended six passes. Six passes. Even though he was still too far off his receivers on several plays, it was a very good performance, particularly on the last break-up to Braylon Edwards before Phil Dawson, well, you know.

-- Marcus Stroud was dynamite.

-- Clearly, this was the best game of Leodis McKelvin's career. Don't look now, but he's third in the league in yards-per-kick-return (29.0), and first in total kick return yards (1,073). No one in the league has more than his one kick return touchdown. The dropped interception wasn't fun, but it was at least a tough a catch as Ko Simpson's dropped pick.

Stat line I enjoyed:
Lynch, 23 carries, 119 yards; 10 receptions, 58 yards, TD
-- Marshawn and his line were very good, and he also made several terrific blitz pick-ups. He's coming into his own, and it's been hard to notice because of his teammates.

Stat line I didn't enjoy:
Lee Evans, 0 catches
-- I'm not even sure Trent Edwards threw at him multiple times, and from field level, you could tell Evans was open. Often.

(Bills) Game ball:
Lynch, with a nod toward Stroud and Brad Butler, who was clearly playing hurt.

Lastly...
It's sickening. I'm not sure what else to say. The emotional cupboard is bare.

Next week:
Kansas City has the second-worst rush defense in the league, so good news for Turk Schonert: you don't have to throw. The Chiefs are allowing 165.4 yards on the ground per game. They've also only sacked opposing quarterbacks a league-low six times, five less than second-worst Cincinnati. The Chiefs' offense is also terrible, and despite the Bills morale, it's unlikely Buffalo will lose. Bills 24, Chiefs 23.

Finally...

I was convinced it would be good. I guess I should've known better?

Maybe "The Nightmare on Abbott Road?"

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.

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

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

510 net yards. 8/11 on third down. 2/2 on fourth down. One punt. Seven offensive touchdowns. One defensive score. 10-0.

What. The. Heck?

Football teams are not supposed to be as good as the New England Patriots. This is going to — by far — be the shortest of my "Immediate Reactions" columns this year, and it has almost nothing to do with it being post-midnight.

Look, I was as hopeful as anyone about the Bills having improbable success against the Pats, but a Bills team without their star running back and with quarterback/wide receiver issues against one of the most cutthroat teams in the history of the NFL.

On the eve of the Whiney Awards, there are already a close-to-record 289 calls to the Whiner Line. Guess who listens to and cut that baby every morning? Yeah, we're going to keep this quick...

— First, the "running up" of the score. I don't have much of a problem with the continuing to pass and attempting to score well into the second half, but I have a number of complaints with New England head coach Bill Belichick, who I think displayed classlessness numerous times (Is classlessness even a word? It's awkward to type. Sounds about time for my weekly apology to Linda Bogdan and the UB English department).

Look, Billy, I know you're trying to get your boy Tom Brady his touchdown record, but don't you think he was in there well after the game was out-of-reach. Also, going for it on fourth down, up 36. Stay classy, William.

I wish I could say I was incredulous the entire time, but I expected it. Belichick's established his modus operandi for 2007, and he unflinchingly presses on.

— I'm not sure what Dick Jauron could've done that would've altered the course of the game entirely, but moving away from Anthony Thomas a little earlier couldn't have hurt. I'm sure the logic was that if you established some semblance of a run with Thomas, the Patriots wouldn't be able to read pass every time he was in there. The Bills offensive line was brutal against New England's pressure, but 11 carries for 31 yards isn't going to cut it. Fred Jackson carried three times for 15 yards, and Dwayne Wright had one carry for one yard. Even worse, Losman tied Thomas in yardage on just four rushes.

— Is there any chance the conversation between the official who threw the intentional grounding flag on Brady and ol' Tom himself didn't go like this:

"Intentional grounding, Tom."

"Oh, good, you know my name. I wasn' t sure if you're aware that I'm Tom $&^%$^%$ Brady and I know %$^$%^& well where the ^&%$%&^$ pocket is."

— For the record, because I think those who call me a "Losman apologist" will appreciate it, here are the incredible stats of all the quarterbacks who have faced the New England defense this year (the final number is quarterback rating for the game):

Wk1- Chad Pennington, 16/21, 167 yards, 4 sacks, 2 TD, 0 INT - 130. 5
Wk2- Phillip Rivers, 19/30, 179 yards, 3 sacks, 2 TD, 2 INT - 74.2
Wk3- Trent Edwards, 10/20, 97 yards, 1 sack, 1 INT - 43.1
Wk4- Carson Palmer, 21/35, 234 yards, 1 sack, 1 TD, 2 INT - 65.7
Wk5- Derek Anderson, 22/43, 287 yards, 3 sacks, 2 TD, 3 INT - 58.9
Wk6- Tony Romo, 18/29, 199 yards, 2 sacks, 2 TD, 1 INT - 91.0
Wk7- Cleo Lemon, 24/37, 236 yards, 3 sacks, 1 INT - 71.4
Wk8- Jason Campbell, 21/36, 197 yards, 3 sacks, 1 TD, 1 INT - 71.2
Wk9- Peyton Manning, 16/27, 225 yards, 3 sacks, 1 TD, 1 INT - 83.1
Wk10- BYE
Wk11- J.P. Losman 15/26, 173 yards, 4 sacks, 1 TD, 1 INT - 74.7

In essence, Losman had the same game every quarterback whose faced the Patriots this year has had. If you live by the quarterback rating, which is kind of silly, he had the fourth-best day against the Patriots this year. I listened to Mike Schopp and The Bulldog's post-game show on the way home, and if you want to lambaste Losman and get him out of the line-up, go for it, but not because of Sunday night. Maybe Howard Simon was right about the whole "free pass" thing. I think Losman starts next week against Jacksonville, and I believe it will be his final chance to "make or break" 2007 for the Bills.

— While the Bills front four did a decent job against the rush in the first half, they should be berated for their lack of pass rush. New England's line is good, and Brady is poised, but come on. You need more from Aaron Schobel and company.

— A note on Brady: he looks like he could take a nap when he's in the shotgun. His body language is that of a guy who barely cares what's going to happen, and then he proceeds to do things like fire lasers in between three Bills defenders. The guy looks he's listening to Coldplay in the pocket. His passes seem to make open receivers appear out of thin air, a la David Blaine.

— I guess it pays to use early draft picks on good linemen. I guess.

— I hope Stephen Gostkowski's foot isn't sore from kicking all those extra points, eight to be exact. Did anyone else feel like Belichick would go for two every time if he didn't think Anthony Hargrove would eat Tom Brady. Love Hargrove on the field, but Brady's the wrong guy to pick a fight with, Big Tony.

— Tough day for Brian Moorman. It's been an off-year for the All-Pro punter, which simply means he's been "pretty good" instead of "incredible.'

— Also, Terrence McGee has to feel like he ran a marathon. After covering Moss and Donte Stallworth up-and-down the field, he had to mentally regroup while returning eight kicks, which would've been nine if Fred Jackson hadn't been antsy.

— Randy Moss is good, but Brady remade him this season.

— Perry Fewell's done an exceptional job as defensive coordinator in 2007, but there were far too many plays Sunday night that began with two defensive backs despite the fact that Wes Welker was in the slot. Angelo Crowell won't work on Welker, and Donte Whitner and George Wilson simply aren't good enough pass defenders yet. Wilson had an especially rough game, and it's worth watching whether Jauron plugs Jim Leonhard back in against Jacksonville.

— Grades across the board were F's, so if I've missed something, just pretend I wrote about it being "substandard," "insufficient" or "lackluster." That should just about cover it all.

Stat line I enjoyed:
— John DiGiorgio, 11 tackles
What's the old maxim? "It ain't the size of the dog in the fight..." The Bills were out-classed Sunday night, but I was impressed that they pushed forward. Hey, it's not much, but it's something.

Stat line I didn't enjoy:
— Eight different receivers, 383 yards, 5 TD.
I know they're good, but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy it. At least we'll be able to tell our grandchildren we saw greatness, again and again and again and again.

Stat line I didn't expect:
— Dwayne Wright/Fred Jackson, 4 carries, 16 yards
That's 4.0 yards-per-carries for the youngsters, and it was extra disappointing for me consider I spent Thursday afternoon writing an article on how excited the kids were to play, and how much the coaches said they believed in them. *Cough* Bull (Expletive deleted) *Cough*

Lastly...
To sum it all up, I'm amazed that I walked out there feeling just slightly worse than I did after the Jets win. It was a foregone conclusion, and while I hate that, it was a young defense that the Brady Bunch tore up in Primetime.

Next week
—I think the Bills of Weeks One through Ten are good enough to beat Jacksonville in Jacksonville, but I also think the Patriots showed the Jaguars far too many ways to exploit the Bills. Marshawn Lynch's status is a big factor in this one, but the Jags defensive line will create a number of issues for Beast Mode as well. My heart's pulling one way, but my brain is saying: Jacksonville 21, Buffalo 18.

The again, I predicted New England would beat Buffalo, 31-20, so what the heck do I know?

The running count...
Here, dear friends, is a list that usually includes the players who have yet to let me down during the course of 2007. With Lynch's injury making him ineligible, this list would likely be down t Roscoe Parrish if I was honest, but do you think "The running count" deserves a free pass for Week 11? If not, it's going to be one player — Parrish — putting the future of the running count in serious jeopardy. So, make the call, and email me with a vote or "yay" or "nay" to a free pass for this list. I'm sure Donte Whitner waits will baited breath.
-Donte Whitner
-Brian Moorman
-Marshawn Lynch
-Roscoe Parrish
-Larry Tripplett
-John McCargo...

—Terrific to see Kevin Everett looking healthy on the scoreboard. I know I'll continue my well-wishes and prayers for him and everyone with serious handicaps or misfortunes. Important to remind ourselves that we've got a lot going for us. Get better, Kevin.

—Howard Simon Show, Monday morning at 6 a.m., followed by The Coach's Extra Point, with Chuck Dickerson and me at 10 a.m. Let's have some fun, Bills fans.

E-mails: nick@wgr550.com

That was, without question, one of the worst good weather football games played in the history of the NFL, or at least the ones I've watched. Terrible offense on both sides of the ball. Dropped passes, poor passes, poor blocking. Just brutal. The Dolphins are perhaps the one team the Bills have played that are worse than the Jets. I'm going to try and write as little about this game as possible.

Still, the old cliche...

A win is a win is a win.

Right?

Let's check it out.

— First and foremost, the question on everyone's mind: J.P. Losman. The veteran had a lousy first half, as bad as I've seen from him or anyone not named Ray Lucas. The second half was markedly better. This game was essentially the Pittsburgh game, except the fourth-quarter numbers actually mattered. His first-half was wildly-inaccurate, including a terrible interception in the second quarter that could've crushed the Bills' hopes had Miami been anything but inept. A half like that from your quarterback will likely be the death knell for the Bills against most teams.

Enter the second half, and it's very difficult to separate the two in your mind, but Losman went 8-of-12 for 95 yards, with a sack and a miserable throw-away that Will Allen almost took to the house. Still, it's hard to forget that Michael Gaines dropped a sure touchdown on a beautiful touch pass in the third quarter. I won't pro-rate stats, but Losman has now directed the team to three consecutive fourth-quarter wins. Yes, he was an abomination in the opening half, but he's your starter moving forward. Let the hate-filled emails begin...

In fact, the more I think about it, the more Edwards can't be the man yet. The Bills lost two games — Denver and Dallas — that they deserved to win, and won two games — The Jets and Dolphins — that they deserved to lose. Each signal caller was responsible for a win and a loss, so we're fine (Except New England is next week).

— Marshawn Lynch's game wasn't his best, but like the rest of the offense, he was there when it counted. The touchdown run and two-point conversion were both Beast Mode at it's highest. With the exception of the fumble, and the mildly-terrifying injury, he ends up with 61 rushing yards and 24 receiving yards, which works. Hope for his health, because the Bills have the smallest chance to win in the football world with Anthony Thomas or Dwayne Wright as their feature back.

— Were they using new footballs? Marty Booker was simply awful for the Dolphins, who had to have been missing Chris Chambers, as well as a reliable tight end like Randy McMichael seemed to be in every game against the Bills. Buffalo dropped a bunch, too.

— For those who thought Lee Evans didn't go after Losman's passes, here's hoping you saw the Will Allen interception. If you didn't, just picture a mirror image of the Edwards interception against the Jets that some said Evans didn't fight for. Football can be ridiculous.

— At the risk of sounding like a broken record, Donte Whitner has been worth every bit of that eighth-overall pick. He's a solid tackler, a threat around the line of scrimmage and, as we learned against Miami, a motivator in the huddle. At least twice, cameras caught him propping his teammates up after rough spots that would've crippled the team in 2006.

— John DiGiorgio has been adequate, and the Italian side of my lineage is planning a hit on me just for writing this, but wouldn't it be nice to have Paul Posluszny returning for a primetime game against the best team in the NFL? Rhetorical, I know.

— Let's not forget that Josh Reed catch on the right sideline at the very end of the first half. The clock CBS provides which, if I'm not mistaken, is connected to the actual game clock, was at :01 when Reed stepped out-of-bounds. I realize it's the "home clock" benefit, but where in the world was this supposed "home clock" benefit on the onside kick against Dallas? Yes, I'm still bitter.

— With Trent Edwards, I've been a guy who's held third-down conversions in high regard all year, and Edwards has been poor, but Losman didn't direct anything on third-down. One out of 10 on third down.

— One thing you won't hear this week is how the Dolphins had the bye week to prepare for the Bills, but I guarantee you'll hear it an awful lot next week against the Patriots, especially if you-know-who is somehow the starting quarterback.

— Remember last year, when the main concern was Losman's inability to win a game in the final quarter until he lit up the Texans, and Peerless Price may-or-may-not have tapped his toes in the back of the end zone. Three fourth-quarter wins in a row, playing down to the competition or not, seems pretty impressive, regardless of if his performance dug the hole this time around. There will always be a hang-up between the fans, certain media members, and Losman, at least until he's fully out-of-town.

— Not to get too sentimental, but there was something special about the way Chris Kelsay talked about season back when spoke to the press on the first day of off-season work-outs. He's now made two big end zone plays, and would have a nice number of sacks if he didn't spend the first four games of the season playing with spray butter on his gloves (I know he just missed the tackles, but I'm going with the spray butter line. Plus, it makes me think of fresh muffins).

Stat line I enjoyed:
— Terrence McGee, seven tackles, two passes defended
— Jabari Greer, one tackle, two passes defended
The "passes defended" stat isn't one I put a lot of faith in, but both McGee and Greer made clutch plays on the final drive. McGee broke up a third-down out-pattern that would've all but put the Dolphins in field goal range, and Greer broke up a game-ending toss to Booker. Both players have been solid against teams without No. 1 wide-outs, and did a fine job against Dallas, too. The Moss/Stallworth/Welker combination will be a true test, especially with one of those threats being guarded by Kiwaukee Thomas, Jerametrius Butler or Ashton Youboty. At least Tom Brady doesn't use his tight ends. Yikes.

Stat line I didn't enjoy:
— Losman's first half... 4/11, 62 yards, INT
Just brutal. Nothing like building confidence with fans and teammates by looking terrible against the Dolphins, although Miami's downfall has been it's run defense, not stopping the pass. His second half was more than enough to keep him as starter against New England, though, if only to avoid quashing Edwards' confidence.

Stat line I didn't expect:
— Jesse Chatman, 27 carries, 124 yards.
A defense that held down Thomas Jones, Rudi Johnson and, for the most part, Willis McGahee had its hands full with the girl who sang "Fast Car?" Oh, that was Tracy Chapman? My mistake. Play on, boys.

Lastly...
Nothing. I'm done writing about this game. Can't we talk about the Sabres? Scratch that. Can't we start tailgating for next week?

Next week
It'll likely be ugly, but take solace in the fact that the Bills play the Patriots tight at least once each season. If it's 21-0 in the first quarter, go ahead and chastise me, but I'm looking forward to experiencing another night game at the Ralph, and I'm also going to be optimistic, and blatantly disregard the reality that is the 9-0 Patriots. Then again, Hey! It's a four-game win streak with three of those coming with Losman in the fourth quarter. Pulling for the defense, but too many questions surround this game... New England 31, Buffalo 20.

The running count...
Roscoe Parrish is on notice for next week, but I can't take him off the list of players who haven't let me down thanks to that wonderful punt-return in the fourth quarter. Larry Tripplett and John McCargo weren't all over the place, but hard to pull almost any defenders off a list after a 13-10 win, even over Miami.
-Donte Whitner
-Brian Moorman
-Marshawn Lynch
-Roscoe Parrish
-Larry Tripplett
-John McCargo...

—Get better, Kevin Everett

Can't wait to read the spiteful Losman E-mails: nick@wgr550.com

WEEKLY WARNING: I was at the game, so if I missed something that was pointed out on replay, or more easily viewed on television, I don't hold myself accountable. As always, these are gut feelings written as soon as I get the chance to sit down and write.

— That was the most satisfying mid-season win over a bad defense I've ever experienced. Besides the Chad Johnson injury, which I don't want to gloss over — it was a sickening form of deja vu in Ralph Wilson Stadium — everything was aces at One Bills Drive.

— Very difficult to do anything but sing the praises of J.P. Losman, but let's start with the offensive line. Still suspect as run blockers, but gave Losman all the time he could possibly want to operate. Just a fantastic job, and continued improvement from the Bills' most significant — not good or bad, significant — free agent signings since Takeo Spikes.

— That was one of Losman's most impressive starts as a pro, as he gave the Bills' brass almost everything they could've asked for:

*a fourth-quarter comeback
*closing out an opponent
*long passes
*10-15 yard passes
*check downs
*throwing to tight ends
*converting third downs
*squeezing the ball into small windows
*elusiveness against the pass rush
*improvisation
*time of possession
*passes into the end zone

All that was missing was a little more intelligent work when things broke down around him, like the interception and a couple other forced passes in the brutal wind at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Just a monster day.

— Perhaps most impressive was the first drive, when both his critics, supporters and — most importantly — teammates saw evidence of the player who was one of the NFL's top-rated passers in 2006. 38-, 19- and 8-yard completions to Lee Evans. A 10-yard run from Lynch. Not one set of downs made it to third. Granted, it was against the Bengals, but an inspiring performance considering how many eyes were dissecting that first drive.

— Just ran across this stat in a post-game write-up: Rian Lindell hit his 235th straight extra point, which is the NFL record for consecutive extra points to start a career. Surely a rough day for Tommy Davis, who set the record in 1965.

There can't be too many fans who don't have complete confidence in Lindell, who hasn't missed a big kick in a while after misfiring in the 2004 finale against Pittsburgh and last year against the Colts — a game in which Peyton Manning would've had time to mount a drive afterwards, anyway, but let's not live in the past.

— BEAST MODE! It was great to watch Marshawn Lynch get rewarded for his hard running style with a brilliant, tackle-breaking, 56-yard run to seal the victory late in the fourth quarter. Lynch is already one of my favorite backs to watch in the NFL, and he got a little of the Tomlinson treatment, completing an 8-yard touchdown pass to Robert Royal in the final quarter as well.

The halfback option was such a great call by the coaching staff, considering the Bills had run Lynch six-straight times to open that drive. Pretty nice throw from the rookie as well, and good to see that Royal didn't dive out-of-bounds. Yes, still bitter from last year.

— A rare off-day for the Bills coverage teams, chewed up by Cincinnati's Glenn Holt twice, once for a touchdown. Very surprised that Bobby April chose to kick to Holt late after avoiding him earlier in the second half.

— He'll get some amount of grief for a big drop — despite his scary injury — but Chad Johnson showed Orchard Park just how good of a receiver he is. Just three catches for 48 yards, but he demanded double coverage, and was all over the Bills secondary, who did a commendable job covering Ocho Cinco and T.J. Houshmanzadeh.

— Can't say enough about how the Bills defense didn't rattle after giving up 20-plus points for the first time since the Monday night loss to Dallas, Oct. 8. Very hard to get burned by play action when you hold a team to 28 yards on 17 carries. The defensive linemen and linebackers were stalwart against the run, and didn't miss too many tackles.

— Very impressed by the way Perry Fewell called the defense, yet again. A lot of pre-snap movement from the tackles and ends, as well as bouncing Donte Whitner in a lot of different spots, to challenge Palmer with several looks.

— Fourteen more tackles for Angelo Crowell, who is perhaps my favorite player on the defense. Took a liking to his solid tackling and superb instincts last season, and he's continued to impress, all but one week of 2007.

-- In terms of NFL parity, think about this:

This year, the three teams the Bills have beaten - Baltimore, Cincinnati and the Jets - have a combined record of 7-17. Last year, those three teams combined for a 31-17. Almost absurd. I take that back. It is absurd.

Here are the rest of our traditional features…

Stat line I enjoyed:
—Lee Evans, 9 catches, 165 yards, TD
Now, why in the world would Evans want Losman to quarterback this team? I still don't get it. Weird. Must make him a "bad teammate."

Stat line I didn't enjoy:
— Kenny Watson, 7 catches, 90 yards
I know it's a minor detail, but the Bills did not do a good job of depriving Palmer of his check down option out of the backfield. Thomas Jones and Marion Barber III had similar success against Buffalo in the past few games.

The official Steven Sadsack line of this column:
— Cincinnati's defense is pretty poor, but not that poor. Hard not to be happy with the contest,

Stat line that betrays itself:
— Palmer, 26/39, 271 yards, 2 TD, INT
Palmer had a nice day, and he's one of the best signal callers in the league, but 57 of those yards came in the garbage time drive to close the game. The Bills did a very good job against Palmer, who's one of those quarterbacks you wish was on your team.

Words of warning...
— It'd be nice for the Bills to crush Miami next week, allowing to Lynch to sit a quarter or two out. Through eight games, Lynch has 177 carries, putting him on pace for 354, a number that would've placed him second in the NFL in 2006. Larry Johnson led the league with 416.

Don't get me wrong, I love having a work horse who hates being tackled, but I also don't want to abuse it. Lynch is as exciting an athlete as the Bills have had, but he seems to get hit several times on each carry. I'd like to have him around for a few years.

Other NFL thoughts...
— 296 yards, Adrian Peterson. Really? Wow. This kid is so impressive, and is proving his doubters wrong by staying healthy. No one's questioned his ability — Peterson was downright freakish at Oklahoma — but collarbone and shoulder issues crippled some of his time for the Sooners. So far, so good for the 3-5 Vikings, who desperately need some steady quarterbacking.

— The Colts had the Patriots game in their hands, and choked it away. I've seen the Patriots play a lot this year, and they are one of the league's all-time best, but Indianapolis but the ball in New England's hands one-too-many times, including an undisciplined fumble by Peyton Manning on third down in the final three minutes. Now, I'm posting this column after the Patriots converted to send the game to the two-minute warning, so unless there's some Colt-magic, I don't think I'll have any editing to do.

— 19-17. That's the AFC's advantage in inter-conference play against the NFC. Detroit's absolute demolition of Denver made me look that stat up, and it's another number that would be .500 if the Bills didn't screw up Monday Night. No, I'm not forgetting anytime soon.

The running count…
Roscoe Parrish was injured, which may put his status for the running count in limbo for Week Ten, but can't take anyone off the list. Had a reader, Scott, suggest that I should be allowed to add players who weren't on the field at the beginning of the season, reasoning that those players hadn't let me down since they entered the spotlight. Another reader, Pat in Geneseo, said I should've taken Moorman off the list after the Jets game, but I told him I don't think it's right to retroactively remove someone, even if I think it might've been a mistake. Pat said I should be allowed to. Anyone agree? Shoot me an email and it could make the difference for Moorman, Derek Schouman, and George Wilson.
-Donte Whitner
-Brian Moorman
-Marshawn Lynch
-Roscoe Parrish
-Larry Tripplett
-John McCargo...

Next week
— Should be a blowout, especially if Losman's under center, but I bet the Dolphins keep it close, at least on the scoreboard. Buffalo 30, Miami 20.

—Get better, Kevin Everett. Pulling for Chad Johnson, too.

E-mail: nick@wgr550.com

P.S. I'd be remiss if I didn't invite everyone to join me in my annual celebration of "No Shave November." It's based almost solely on my belief that Thanksgiving dinner is better when the men at the table have beards. Yes, I'm that odd.