Bills win, Sabres struggle

First, I'll cover the winning team and the only team in the AFC East with a loss and more than 1 win: The Buffalo Bills. This time Buffalo was on the good side of a close one as neither side brought their A game in the defensive struggle. Although Buffalo did not look good in the red zone, they were able to move the ball well against a stout Ravens D. The special teams was great as always. Besides a few long throws and the blown coverage on the long TD run, the Bills defense was exceptional.

The good: The result, thats all that counts. The fan support was exceptional as I was one of the many rooting against Willis McGahee, the loudest being when John McCargo stood up Willis for a 5-yard loss on a fake reverse (the same play that later burned Buffalo). Check out www.willisistrash.com to listen to a highly entertaining song and assorted stuff against Willis. I'm sure anybody at the game saw the shirts, "Baltimore got our garbage because Willis is trash." Finally, the 4th down stops were excellent by the battered defense as Perry Fewell called a great game to stop the run and the pass. On offense, the steady diet of Marshawn Lynch and a few great throws by Trent Edwards led the Bills on long drives. The Bills didn't make the win easy, but they got the job done.

The bad: I don't want to gripe about the few things Buffalo could have done better, so I'll talk some pucks. First off, the Sabres are fine. It is October, no need to even locate the panic button. Columbus played a very good trap system and LeClaire played a very good game. In Montreal, Buffalo fell victim to two fluke goals, a post, and some phantom calls. Two losses should usually cause for concern but I'm not. The offense will get better as the season goes along and look for them to do well on the upcoming southern roadtrip.

Think I'm wrong, misinformed, or think I'm an idiot? E-mail me at dar29jen@aol.com

go rockies!!!

Barry Melose Comments

On an ESPN video with Barry Melose, who I don't always agree with, and EJ Hradek, they covered the Northeastern Conference very well. http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3068159&categoryId=2459791
They praise Buffalo after their slow start. They are dead on the money when they call Buffalo the most exciting team in hockey. Right now Buffalo has 12 forwards who can all skate and right now Campbell and Spacek are playing exceptional. I think Buffalo will continue to do well even without Drury and Briere. Miller has played good enough in net to win 2 of his starts, and I think he will turn it up once Buffalo plays the better teams like Ottawa and New York.

The other important point they mention is defined in the bottom headline, "Maple Leafs a Mess." I don't know if I would define their struggles to that extent, but Melrose, usually a Leaf homer seems to think so. They are slow and they are not good defensively. This was on display Monday night at the Arena. They might be this years Philadelphia Flyers, who knows. There were a lot of loose pucks and open Sabres in the slot on Monday. Other than Hecht's goal, Raycroft played well. The Leafs lost a very winnable game by playing sloppy defense, even sloppier than the Sabres. They are in trouble and will most likely be getting out the clubs early again.

HUGE WIN!!!!

What an exciting win by Buffalo as they continue their impressive 3-game home winning streak. Buffalo was able to overcome the frustration of being robbed by bad calls, the post, and Raycroft. No matter how bad I think the Sabres played, they pulled out the dub-ya, which is the only important aspect of the contest. Sloppy defense, turnovers, and shaky goaltending could have made this an easier win. But a third straight walkover was not in store tonight as Buffalo fought through a lot of turmoil that would have made most teams packed it in. Not Lindy Ruff's Sabres!!

A thought: Why is Jochen Hecht and Dmitri Kalinin still on the team? Is it just me, or are they totally useless? Send me some responses.

Look Back and Look Ahead

Good teams win close games. Right now, the Bills are not a good team. There were some questionable calls, and plays you can look at. You can play Tuesday Morning QB all you want, but in the end, the Bills did not capitalize on their opportunities to put the game away. The Bills will come away a better football team after this loss and have gained respect in the eyes of many football fans and analysts.

Look to Next Week: First, the Bills have a bye. They will use this to get people like Denney, Wire, Leonhard, and Butler healthy. The QB controversy is raging, now that Lee Evans has given his vote of confidence to JP Losman. I think the Bills should stick with Edwards but keep him on a short leash. He has played extremely well and should be given the opportunity to win some football games.

Words cannot describe the pain

I just don't believe it. I can't begin to analyze the atrocity that it was, without being speechless, as I am now first. Unbelievable.....

What's Wrong With the Sabres?

In one word: defense. They have not played consistently and have looked shaky in their own end. Most casual fans will blame their opening losses to the loss of Drury and Briere, but the offense hasn't been a problem. As a goalie, I sympathize with Miller and can honestly say that in the last two games the only goal he could have stopped out of 9 was the game-winner last night by Comrie. Other than that, Miller has been hung out to dry by the shaky defense. Is it something to worry about? No, Lindy is a great defensive coach and Buffalo will be just fine.

Look to Next Week

JP Losman is suddenly the lonliest man in Buffalo. A QB contreversey has swept the area as many fans and experts seem to think that Trent Edwards will lead the team out of the basement. I am not so sure he will do so well this week against a tough Dallas defense. Or will he? I seem to recall Eli Manning and Plaxico Burress hooking up a few times Week 1. I'm skeptical that the Bills, especially with more injuries to their defense can pull off a win. I have this message to any better out there: The Bills will cover at home on Monday night.

There are reasons why I can see both sides winning......

HOW THE BILLS WIN: The Bills will need to be motivated at home under the bright lights. Trent will have to deliver and be accurate on his short crossing patters prominent against the Jets. On the other side of the ball, the Bills will need to shut down the big-play ability of Romo to TO and Patrick Crayton. Look for Donte Whitner to play deeper in the zone and protect the deep ball. On special teams, the Bills need a big play, most likely a touchdown to pull this game out.

HOW THE 'BOYS WIN: Not screw up. They should win this game. This is Wade Phillips' first time to Buffalo since he was fired after two winning seasons after refusing to can the special teams coach (an absolute idiot). They will seek to run a balanced offense mixed in with some plays. Dallas will make the rookie beat them. No way they can let down on the big stage.

Key Question- Is Dallas with New England coming to town next week, looking by the 1-3 Bills?

More to come including analysis of the Sabres-Islanders opener and the Bills-Cowboys game.