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Zone Original - by trapezeus
So the Bills are now 2-1. It feels good, doesn’t it. Two dominating wins against weaker opponents. Remember the times when we used to play down to the opponents level? Well that seems to be gone. That’s good.
I don’t know what to make of that game. Fitz is still scary inaccurate and it’s fine when you play the chiefs and Browns. The early throw to Donald Jones that almost got him decapitated was a throw you only make if you thoroughly hate your wide receiver. We are now going to play the Pats. And we now don’t have two of our all-star running backs at 100%. Is this game plan going to be to rely on Fitz? I’m scared. Hold me.
Sure, there were some great calls by the coaches. Both Graham and Stevie’s TD’s were awesome routes where they were wide open. So I have faith.
But then you have to think about the negatives. For example, the Pats have lost 2 games in a row. When have they lost three? Another example would be that the anti-Pats replacement refs have been…replaced by the very pro-Pats refs. Remember how on Tuesday all the non-Bills fans were up in arms about how a BS call in the endzone on the last play was completely unfair and turned the game completely around. Call Henry Jones and ask about the infamous, “just give it to them” Bills Pats game of 1998. In a situation where the replacements have been so scared about angering the home crowd, we’ll probably get the royalist screwgie this week, and the NFL Network will only discuss how nice it’s to have the old guys back.
I don’t know what to make of this Bills team. The last two weeks looked great. But the real test is the next 3 weeks. If they can somehow come out with 1-2 wins, you have to take it. But if they win this Pats game, all of a sudden, the Pats are in dead last by 2 games and lost to a divisional opponent. The Kill shot is loaded in our weapons. And as Clint Eastwood said in “In the Line of Fire”, Don’t forget…aim high.
DVD Extras
Last thoughts on Replacement refs – Watching the circus grow with the players contesting every single play was comical. It was on the verge of becoming the WWF. Refs and Coaches yelling at each other while players behind the refs backs are jumping off the top rope without issue. Truly, I am happy that this thing is over. The NFL really just doesn’t care about anything but money. The dollars they contest about pension plan is disingenuous. “A lot of companies are moving away from Pension plans”. And those companies don’t live in a monopoly printing out money from their exclusivities and government hand-outs…I mean government funded stadiums where we foot the bill and the owners take the profits. The amount was somewhere in the tune of $15MM, or to be put in otherwords, roughly 17 basis points of the $9BN annual revenue. I watched the Bills Browns game on NFL Game Rewind. It’s a $35 service. For $40, I’m sure they cover the payment and top up.
I believe the crux of the argument really is with the NFL wanting to have a system to replace bad refs. I’m all for that. And I’m sure the refs hate that. But look at the guys who are the real refs. Aside from Ed Hochuli, I’m surprised no one has died on the field. True, they look very stately making their calls, but these guys aren’t spring chickens. We need a farm system for refs.
Moorman is cut – I got a text from Mark that simply said, “longest tenured Bill got cut.” It actually didn’t even cross my mind that it was Moorman. I mean, honestly, who thinks of the Punter. I thought it was Kelsay. And Frankly, I haven’t noticed if he’s been good or not. The cut is curious. By making the team, he’s guaranteed his full $1.4MM contract. If they weren’t sold on him, they should have cut him earlier. But perhaps that was the Bills way of sending him off right. Give him a $1.4MM check and then let him sign the league minimum elsewhere and make another cool million. Whatever the reason, he was a good guy. I’m not sure we’ll ever see another punter that had so many people buying his jersey. And if during his kicking prime in 2006-07, you told me “we’ll lose Moorman, but gain a crazy front 4 and have two all-star running backs. Will you make that trade.” I would have taken that deal very quickly.
Graham’s TD dance - For whatever reason, the announcers hated his FTD logo dance. They mentioned it three times over the course of the entire game. I didn’t think it was that bad. Again, I reiterate my desire to see gangnam style performed in the endzone.
Welcome me to the 21st century – Time Warner sucked up and paid the NFL for the NFL Network (Wonder if we can keep NFL Rewind at $35 and then let the cable fees pay the refs their $15MM). The joy and power of having the NFL Network is like nothing I’ve ever witnessed. This must have been what being in Niagara was like when they lit up the city for the first time. Though I wonder when sports TV will abandon the 5 deep former player desk. Just show highlights. Show them in slow motion (RIP Steve Sabol). but show us football. I hate the 4-5 minute segments of guys arguing about stuff I just argued about at work/gym/etc. I know I hate the wildcat. Show me some film on why it should work and why it routinely doesn’t.
Kevin Shenoy can be reached at onefansview@gmail.com and @kevinshenoy on Twitter.
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