The New Year.  A time to start fresh and look to a year of endless possibilities. It's a time we share with each other, knowing that we're all free to enjoy this time of new beginnings. We're excited, we're anxious, and we're all hopeful for what's to come. In a perfect world, every aspect of our lives would be filled with this optimism during this time. But for Bills fans, there's just one thing that even the New Year can't change.

Weeks ago, I was still trying to wrap my head around what exactly happened to my team. Like many of you, I've accepted the fact that again, like the years before, it just wasn't our time. Maybe it's not the best justification for the team's failure, but it does help me sleep at night. But now, I've moved on to trying to wrap my head around why Dick Jauron is still going to be head coach and why there's absolutely no change to the Bills organization.

In the spirit of the New Year, I like many of you fellow Bills fans, don't want change--we need it. And maybe indirectly, Wilson's decision, puts the change in our hands. See, change is really about making choices and sometimes in life, we're handed some tough ones to make. While making the choice to stay a fan really isn't that big of a deal when you consider what's going on in the world, it's different when it comes to the Bills.

For many of us from Buffalo, the Bills are more than just our team. They're like our family. They've become such a huge part of us that the idea that they fail again does more than break our hearts. It breaks us. We're more than just angry this time because really, in the end, we're exhausted. I feel like I've been on the team for 25 years now, and I'm just tired. I'm tired of being the bunt of the jokes and I'm tired to trying to laugh off stupid plays and dumb coaching. And as much as it's hard for me to say, I'm tired enough to maybe just call it quits this time.

While I'm sure there are some of you out there that will just call me a bad fan, I hope you will understand where I'm coming from just a little bit. And maybe once the acceptance of all this has come, I might be able to re-hang my Marshawn Lynch jersey after all. But for now, I'm looking forward to the other parts of my life for the New Year and maybe someday soon, I can start looking forward to seeing my Bills circle the wagons again.  

After spending Thanksgiving in Buffalo at home with my family, I came back to Manhattan to the massive media storm surrounding Plaxico Burress of the New York Giants. After reading about the incident, I was consumed with a ton of anger. Now I'm not a New York Giants fan, so truthfully I should have cared less about Burress. But what really pissed me off was the fact that despite what Burress has been accused of, the Giants will still continue to play as amazing as they have been and most likely, will make a return to the Super Bowl this year. After watching the Bills' humiliating loss to the San Francisco 49er's this past Sunday, I couldn't help but wonder if you have to be a bad person off the field to win on it?

 

Besides Burress and the Giants, think about Tom Brady. He leaves his girlfriend to pursue a supermodel, all the while that his ex is pregnant. And what happened to his team? They ended up going undefeated in the regular reason and made it to the Super Bowl that year.

 

And what about Tony Romo? He dates a wanna-be Country singer and embraces his new tabloid, media whore lifestyle. He's allover the place not because of his talent, but because of his girlfriend. And what happens? He comes back this season after an injury and starts leading the Cowboys back to playoff potential.

 

Why is it that guys like Romo and Brady can vacation in Cabo during their bye weeks or date supermodels and still get the job done on the field? They're loved by every sportscaster and are constantly glorified in the media. Besides the hit-and-run incident with Marshawn Lynch earlier this year, the Bills for the most part stay out of the public eye and seem to genuinely work hard to win games. And yet they're no-longer playoff material this season and on top of that, they could be sold to another city in the near future. 

 

There are a few names that float around that can make any Bills fan flinch--Scott Norwood, OJ Simpson, Wills McGahee. But lately, the name that floats around the most is J.P. Losman, the 2^nd string quarterback that every Bills fan loves to hate on. I remember when I was watching the Bills play the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5, when Trent Edwards was sacked and suffered the concussion. The moment Losman started jogging onto the field to take Edwards' place, half the people watching the game at the bar I was at, walked out. I should know. I was one of them.

 

I have always been on the Trent Edwards bandwagon. But every smart fan has their limits, and I started to think that I might reach mine soon if he doesn't get his act together. Curious to see if anyone else felt the same way, I decided to take a peek at the message boards on the Buffalo Bills website this week. I was pretty overwhelmed by the sudden hate towards Edwards, but I was more surprised by the sudden love for Losman. Numerous posts were made by fans, petitioning for his return as starter. Fans who are completely bored of Edwards' "unexciting plays" and missing Losman's "gunslinging style".

 

So if we lay out some statistics, who do you think is the better quarterback? In 2006, Losman finished with a passer rating of 84.9, and completed 62.5% of his passes in his 16 starts. So far, in 2008, Edwards has a passer rating of 82.5 and has completed 66.4% of his passes in his 10 starts. Career wise, Losman has a passer rating of 77.9, and Edwards has a passer rating of 76.5. Losman also has about five years of NFL experience, compared to Edwards' two years.

 

So what do these numbers mean to the Bills organization? Most likely, nothing for right now.  Dick Jauron seems pretty adamant that Edwards will remain the starter. But the fans have to wonder if the wheels on the quarterback merry-go-round are slowly starting to turn again. For now, we have Edwards, but if he wants to keep his job, he better start watching his back. 

It's the times that I walk around a city filled with Giants jerseys and Jets fans that I can't help but smile when I see a Bills bumper sticker. It's the moments I share with my fellow Bills fans at our local bars in Manhattan, that only we can celebrate in. It's the hours I waste scouring the Internet just to find a Bills jersey for my dog. It's those times that I have truly cherished being a Bills fan.

 

When I woke up this morning, filled with disappointment following last night's Monday Night Football game, I was ready to unleash 25 years of pent up aggression against the team. I think any fan would be a liar if they said that they weren't ready to do the same. To hang up the jersey for the season, and walk away. But before I wrote anything, I wanted to be sure abut how I really felt. Because, to be honest, I was really just filled with mixed emotions about the whole thing. Maybe it was more than just disappointment. Maybe it didn't even have anything to do with the team, but more about how I felt about myself.

 

I think that no matter what team you stand behind or what jersey you wear every Sunday, we all feel and own what is happening around us. People everyday are being laid off (I, unfortunately, am one of them) and many are scrambling to figure out how to get by. The more I thought about the Bills, the more I realized just how much I had in common with them. I was no longer just rooting for the Bills. I was relating to them.

 

The Bills had finally reached the top of their division and let's all be honest, they had finally earned the respect of their peers. I know how that feels. I had spent so many years trying to figure out how to make it in New York City and when I finally made it to the life I felt I had worked so hard for, it was taken from me. All I had worked for was gone and right now at this moment, I'm facing an uphill battle back. And when I was finally able to say that out loud, I realized that must be how the Bills feel. While maybe being at the bottom wasn't anyone's fault but their own, they like myself, are just looking to survive now. For me, it's the hope that either tomorrow or the day after will be that day when I get that job offer that I've been waiting for. For them, it's the day that they get their next win to keep their hopes alive. I get it now more now than I ever did before.

 

When I watched Trent Edwards play last night, I was so upset everytime he threw an interception. But underneath it all, I understood him. He was upset, just as upset as I am when I don't get that call back for a job interview or when a phone call with my recruiter doesn't go as well as I had hoped. Lee Evans, Marshawn Lynch, Robert Royal, I related to them, which is why I subconsciously pour my hopes onto them every Sunday. For me, it's no longer about rooting for the underdog. I am the underdog. I'm in this big city just looking for a way to survive, the same way they're looking to survive and make something of themselves again. For a moment, we had it all, and now we have nothing.

 

I woke up this morning and had to really think if the Bills actually got it. I mean, at the end of the day, win or lose, the players still get paid. But maybe to them, it's more than just a number or a standing now, just the way it's more to me, to just settle for a job for the financial security. Maybe to them it's not really about playing for themselves anymore, but playing for us, the fans. The way that husbands and wives and fathers and mothers all across the country are looking for jobs not for themselves, but for their families. To keep their families going financially, the way that the Bills are trying to keep their fans going emotionally.

 

When all is said and done, I think we are all trying to survive. Whether you are lucky to have a job or whether, sadly, you don't. Whether you can afford to feed your family or whether you're just scrapping by. It's unfortunately the American way for most of us right now. The Bills, let's face it, are doing the same. Trying to survive in a division where the once elite are now looking to make something of themselves again. I know how it feels. It's a long road ahead for them and it's a long road ahead for me. Until that day that I'm back on top, I work as hard as I can and I make the most out of my day. And for one day a week, just one day, I pour my hopes and dreams onto a team that I know carries the same burdens that I do. Sometimes they win and sometimes they lose. The same way I have my good days and my bad ones. I get it. They get it. And maybe not forever, maybe just for this moment, they really are America's team.

 

            While the Dolphins aren't what I would consider a "good" team, they are certainly dangerous.  This isn't the same team that eked out a single win last season.  With their wingback formation, the not so ambiguously dangerous duo of Ronnie Brown and Ricky "Where's the Visine" Williams, and the weak but accurate arm of Chad Pennington, the Miami Dolphins are officially a pain in the ass.  Coming into the game on a two-game losing streak, they are definitely going to be hungry, looking to turn their season around.  Weather shouldn't be a factor either, as the sun is actually shining and no rain is forecasted this afternoon. 

            My predictions - a nerve-racking first half for the Bills, where we might even be down going into half.  But the Defense will make the necessary adjustments, shut down the tom-foolery and force a series of three and outs.  Then the offense will jump into high gear, Lynch will be a wrecking-ball, Jackson a blade, and Trent Edwards will air the ball out for some big plays.

            An interesting thing to see will be how the shuffling in the secondary affects the defense.  Moving Whitner back to free safety will give him more freedom to disrupt plays down the field (although they'll probably be few and far-between with Pennington behind center).  Shoudl ge a good game.

            I'll be writing throughout the game but I just wanted to add some pre-game thoughts.  What are your predictions?   

I'll admit I've been slacking.  No need for the dirty looks, the hateful e-mails, the drive-by profanity baths.  Okay, so those were just from my roommates, but I know you wish me ill will for my lack of productivity.  Fair enough, duly noted.  I will do my best to keep this as regular as an intestinal tract after a Sunday of tailgating. 

First off - Buffalo fans you're on notice.  Now I know we were all excited sitting at 4-0 going against Kurt "Whoops I Shit Myself" Warner, who the previous week turned the ball over a half dozen times.  We were psyched, dreaming of undefeated glory.  We were a team, finally.  I get the context - but the minute Edwards went down and J.P. slipped his helmet on, the entire spirit of the city evaporated.  Sitting in Buffalo Wild Wings, a beer in one hand, half-eaten chicken wing in the other, I was appalled when my fellow gluttons began booing.  Where's the support?  Where's the team Buffalo?  I know J.P. is like the affair you should never have had, that dirty little secret you wish you could forget.  But when I think of some of the back-ups hidden throughout the league, J.P. doesn't look so bad (ignoring the feral beard of course).  All I'm saying is don't abandon your team just because the starting QB goes down.  Stand behind them, they just may surprise you.  Weirder shit has happened.

Now I have another confession to make: I remained unsure of the Bills' actual strength throughout the first third of the season.  The teams they beat were unimpressive, save for the Jaguars.  Despite the high scores in both the Seattle and the Rams games, the Bills didn't show me much.  Their defense was relatively solid in the first four games, keeping Jacksonville's dynamic duo to under a hundred yards.  But they showed their human-side by letting Stephen Jackson scramble for over three digits and then there's the Cardinals game.  Arizona made us their bitch that game.  There's no other way to put it.  We were dominated. 

So yes, I lacked the drunken optimism many of my fellow Buffalonians shared on the Bills' future.  Worst of all, I actually made the argument that the Bills would not win a playoff game.  I apologize but I had my reasons.  I'm a tough sell, I'll admit it.  But I stand corrected after this week.  The Bills are a good team; arguably one of the best in the AFC. 

In my mind, the entire season and more importantly, the prospects of post-season success hinged on how the Bills did against the Chargers.  I did a recent podcast interview for NFL GridIronGab (http://www.nflgridirongab.com/2008/10/17/gridiron-preview-week-seven-podcast-show/) where I stammered through what I thought needed to happen for the Bills to win; mainly, our defense needed to stop LT and knock Rivers around a bit.  Once you start hitting a young QB, they begin to lose their focus down-field, paying more attention to the thundering man-beasts careening toward them.  The Bills success hinges on the defense's ability to keep the game close.  Then Edwards can put together one of his fourth quarter drives, toss the ball up to Lee Evans in the end-zone for the winning touchdown.  It's like clock-work. 

This is how the Bills will continue to win games: keep the defense healthy, keep the games close, run the ball, keep Evans involved.  Do this and watch the tallies in the win column add up. 

Side Note:

I'm watching Rodney Harrison leave Foxboro on a cart to a half-hearted standing ovation and I can't help but feel for the guy.  I've hated Harrison the last few years, thinking him one of the dirtier players in the league in addition to being a Patriot.  But he's a player, there's no denying it.  The man loved what he did.  And his career is over.  An injury like his is something that takes months and months of rehabilitation and even then it's never the same.  Harrison is a veteran on his way to forty years old.  It's  just kind of eerie knowing this will probably be the last time we ever see him play football. 

Strikingly absent in this year’s Buffalo Bills season (not counting losses) is the divide that crippled the city last year – the dreaded Quarterback controversy.  Finally, the Bills have their man - Trent Edwards. 

Edwards has led the team to a 4-0 start while Lossman has led the league in growing one of the filthiest beards imaginable.  We all knew the team would be good this year – check that, we all knew the team had the potential to be good but few of us were actually certain that the team would deliver.  Fewer still could have predicted a 4-0 start.  While in my opinion a lot of this new found success can be attributed to some off-season acquisitions on the defense, we can’t dismiss Edward’s role.

                After week 2 ESPN put out a list of the top 5 young quarterbacks in the league.  (Below is a link to the article)  Obviously Edwards was absent but now that we’re moving into week 5, I’m wondering if maybe he should be on that list.  The five youngsters they listed as the up-and-coming superstars, the heir to Peyton and Brady’s mantle are: Eli, Romo, Big Ben, Rivers and Cutler.  Now I understand why Eli and Ben are on that list – they each own an impressive, pimp-sized Super Bowl ring.  And despite Romo’s tendency to “fumble” in big games, simply watching him play you can understand why he’s considered top tier material.  However, I’ll play devil’s advocate here and ask what exactly, besides impressive numbers, have Cutler and Rivers shown to be considered two of the top Quarterbacks in the league?  Cutler choked against Kansas City, the 29^th ranked defense in the league, throwing 2 picks and only 1 TD.  And Rivers is one of the streakiest players in the NFL.  (I know I’ll get lambasted for this comment, especially considering my acceptance of Eli as one of the top QB’s but hell, that’s the point of this blog, to get some discussion going!) 

                In my opinion, what makes a great quarterback is the ability to make plays when it is absolutely necessary.  And in that regard, Trent Edwards has shown that he not only can, but he will.  In the four games the Bills have played and won this season, Edwards has led the team down the field for 3 separate 4^th quarter game-winning drives.  This is what separates a good quarterback from a great one.  And this is why Tom Brady is not only in the top echelons of the greats, but arguably IS the best that’s ever played.  Yes, his numbers are solid, disgustingly so last year, but in my opinion it’s his ability under pressure that’s paramount.  And regardless if you hate the bastard, you can’t argue that he’s a slippery son of a bitch that makes plays when it’s necessary.   And before you try and say Brady is only as good as he is because of the tutelage of Belichick let me only mention the ass whooping Miami laid on that hoodie-wearing D-bag in Week 3.  On top of that, look at his record sans Brady – 42 wins, 58 losses.  That’s a 42% winning percentage, hardly as intimidating as his 82% win percentage with him.  The best thing that ever happened to Belichick was the night Brady’s parents got down and dirty and conceived that dimple-chinned phenom.

                Now I’m not comparing Edwards to Brady.  I’ve actually heard some people try and make that leap, but in my opinion, it is way too early for that.  If anything, I’ll go ahead and compare him to Big Ben during his rookie year.  He’s careful with the ball, makes few mistakes and makes plays when he has to.  He’s not going to blow up your fantasy league but he’ll continue winning as long as the defense stays healthy. 

                What’s your take on this list and should Edwards be on it?       

                  http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3594747

Watching the Bills in the first half, I was a little worried. Not counting the initial bomb to Evans, the offense was impotent: Edwards repeatedly airing it out to Hardy, only to have the pigskin slip through his hands, Lynch colliding with the Rams defensive line for little gain, a series of three and outs.  That wasn't completely surprising though.  I've come to expect a sluggish Bills offense.

What was alarming is the way the Rams offense moved against the thus-far daunting Bills defense.  I understand that Steven Jackson is one of the better backs in the NFL and that he's finally re-gaining some of his momentum, but I expected more from our D.  This did not look like the same defense that held the Raiders and the Jacksonville duo of Jones-Drew and Taylor to 98 yards, and Seattle to only 85 yards.  With all said and done, Jackson amassed 110 yards, including one TD and the rookie Wide Receiver Donnie Avery cashed in for a 37 yard TD.

Let's disregard Jackson for a minute and look at the Ram's passing game.  In a stunner, Bulger was sat and Trent Green was resurrected to the starting position.  Personally, I thought Green was forced into retirement from a series of severe concussions so when I heard he was starting, I wasn't worried.  But after watching him move the ball, I'll admit I expected the worse.  I mean, what would be more deflating than losing to the unarguably worst team in the NFL?

But after halftime, the Bills emerged a different team.  Freddie Jackson ignited the game with his scurrying TD, a goddamn knife slicing through blue and gold jerseys.  Then Green, surely suffering from a bout of dizziness, threw directly to Greer who sauntered in for a score.  It was all over from there, the Bills a run-away Escalade running over the Rams defense with a series of bruising runs by Lynch and deep connections between Edwards and Evans.

4-0.  It sounds good to say. Especially with the Broncos falling to the Chiefs, the Raiders giving the Charges a hell of a time and Jacksonville claiming an Overtime victory.

That's if for now - I'll re-work this a bit later but an ice-cold beer and an intense NFC match-up is calling me away.  Who knows, maybe I'll head downtown to witness some of the post-game celebrations that are surely exploding on Chippewa.  I'll just make sure to look both ways before I cross the street....

To say I assumed the worst - that their history of perpetually letting their fans down and losing to a supposed - is a stretch.  But I was worried.

Unfortunately, I will be stepping down as the writer for the Bills and Sabres pages here at MVN.com. It's been a lot of fun writing and interacting with you readers over the past few years, but it's time for me to move on. I've officially graduated from Northeastern University and have accepted a full-time position with Messenger Post Newspapers.

I really appreciate those of you who have taken the time to read my thoughts on the Bills and Sabres over the years. I will continue to be a Bills and Sabres fan of course, but I just won't be writing about them for now.

Thanks again,

Dan Goldman

I believe it was after the Patriots took quarterback Kevin O'Connell. Mort said that he talked to Donahoe before the draft and the worst decision maker in NFL history had the QB in his top three. At that point, I decided O'Connell would accomplish little in this league.

The Bills receive a lot of flak on ESPN and the NFL Network for being out of the playoffs since 1999. Yet few people point to the reason for this. So, I was pleased to read that ESPN's Gregg Easterbrook pointed this out in his Tuesday Morning Quarterback: 2008 Draft Review.

Here is the relevent excerpt:

The Bills are still reeling from the final two years of bumbling former president and general manager Tom Donahoe; his 2004 and 2005 drafts produced just one player expected to start in 2008: receiver Lee Evans. Donahoe was also the genius who let Pat Williams go, though Bills owner Ralph Wilson strongly wished to re-sign the Ticonderoga-class defensive tackle. Donahoe told Wilson that Williams was washed up; since being shown the door at Buffalo, Williams has been voted to two Pro Bowls. Note that after being shown the door himself in 2006, Donahoe has not worked in football.

Bottom line for a web of Bills trades over the past year: Buffalo surrendered the complaining Willis McGahee and the fading Takeo Spikes for Trent Edwards, Marcus Stroud and a late draft choice. That's the kind of sharp management decision making the Bills lacked under Donahoe. But note, Buffalo has not made the playoffs since abandoning red, white and American flag blue -- not to put too fine a point on it, but the single most successful color scheme in world history -- for its current hideous livery based on a hue TMQ calls Rusting Russian Dreadnaught Aft Bulkhead Cyanic. Plus the new Bills road uniforms look like toddlers' pajamas. Please Bills, simply return to your handsome old unis. No questions will be asked.

Thank you Mr. Easterbrook. I know Mort and his NFL Live colleagues would never point out this fact. Mort is too busy kissing Donahoe's behind to get "inside information." If the Bills had the Chiefs draft this year, Mort would've ripped it.

On the plus side, Mike Mayock from the NFL Net and ESPN's Todd McShay have both been praising the 2008 Bills draft.

“They can share it,” McKelvin said. "They are going to have to give me some time. I've been doing it the past four years and nothing but great things have come out of it.”

The rookie does have a point. In four years at Troy University, McKelvin returned seven punts and one kickoff for touchdowns. Despite having only two offensive touches, he racked up a school record 3,909 all-purpose yards. He holds the NCAA Bowl Subdivision record for kick return yardage with 3,817, breaking Deltha O’Neal’s previous mark of 3,455. The seven punt returns are one shy of the NCAA record set by Wes Welker.

Those are some quality numbers but Roscoe Parrish and Terrence McGee haven’t been half bad in Buffalo.

In his five years with the Bills, McGee has emerged as an elite kick returner. In those years, he’s averaged 26.4 yards-per return with five touchdowns and 23 returns of 40-plus yards. 2004 was the year McGee broke out with three touchdowns and in 2005, he upped his return average to a career-high 30.2 with one touchdown. However, since then his average has declined to 26.1 in 2006 and 24.0 in 2007.

McKelvin only averaged 23.6 yards on kick returns in college with one touchdown, but it may be a good idea to protect McGee. You don’t want your best corner to get hurt. The team took Nate Clements off punt return duties later in his career.

The argument to get rid of Parrish isn’t as strong. He just signed an extension through the 2011 season, after leading the league with a 16.3-yard return average. Parrish has two touchdowns in his career, 18 returns of 20-plus yards and four returns of 40-plus yards. McKelvin may have been dominant in college, but Parrish is already among the league’s best.

The best I can propose is a split of time on punts. I’m sure Bobby April will devise some trick play involving both players with a reverse.

Here is a video of McKelvin’s work at Troy:

Who do you think should be the starting returners in 2008?