December 31, 2005

Jets' season shot down because of injuries

Two missed field goals in the final 2 minutes, 2 seconds against Pittsburgh are all that separated the New York Jets from the AFC title game a year ago. Now, instead of preparing for another postseason joyride, the Jets are in position to take the lead in The Race for Reggie.

Kelly Holcomb: Likely to Get Another Start

Holcomb again took the snaps with the first team Thursday and will likely start because of injuries J.P. Losman suffered against the Patriots three weeks ago, The Buffalo News reports. Holcomb is also coming off an excellent game at Cincinnati last week.

Bills closing in on special end to season

When rookie free safety Jim Leonhard joined the Buffalo Bills last spring, he knew in an instant that the team took its special teams very seriously.

Monday Night Memories - 1973- Bills 23, Chiefs 14

BillsZone salutes 35 seasons of Buffalo Bills memories on Monday Night Football. Stay tuned all week as we recall many great Bills contests on the NFL's brightest stage.

Heading into a Monday Night contest against the Kansas City Chiefs, rumblings were heard in the media about OJ making a serious run at Jim Brown’s 11 year old NFL record of 1,863 yards. With a national audience, O.J. Simpson made his Monday Night debut gaining 157 yards on a team-record 39 attempts in the Bills' 23-14 win. After 7 games, he became only the second back in NFL history to eclipse 1,000 yards since Jim Brown did it in 1958. The Buffalo Bills and OJ Simpson grabbed the national spotlight when they made their first –ever appearance on Monday Night Football. Simpson and the Bills made the debut a memorable and record breaking one. With the lights, cameras, and action, the sold out Rich Stadium crowd threw it’s wildest party yet.

The Bills defense wasted no time in giving Simpson his first opportunity. Coach Lou Saban elected to kick off and take the wind after winning the coin flip, and his decision would pay off the entire game. Chiefs QB legend Len Dawson was harassed by the Buffalo defense early and often. On the Chief’s opening drive, Bills LB Jim Cheyunski recovered a Dawson fumble giving the Bills a gift drive start at the 15 yard line. A couple of plays later, Simpson punched in his first score from 1 yard out and just 2:33 into the contest, the Bills had a quick 7-0 lead.

Dawson’s woes continued on the second drive. Cheyunski again made the play, picking off the Kansas City signal caller and returning the interception to the Chiefs’ 4 yard line. On the next play, Simpson galloped into the endzone. Bobby Chandler made the extra point interesting, as his botched hold on the place kick forced him to scoop up the ball and run it into the endzone for the conversion. Just 3:37 into the game everything was breaking in Buffalo’s favor for a 14-0 advantage. With 2 scores against the strong winds, the Bills were rolling.

Kansas City fought back in the second quarter, driving 43 yards following a Joe Ferguson fumble. With veteran QB Len Dawson benched, backup Pete Bethard directed a drive capped by a Warren Hayes 1 yard plunge to narrow the gap to 14-7.

Into the 3rd quarter, Saban’s choice to take the wind paid dividends. Jim Leypoldt nailed 3 field goals to push the lead to 23-7. With that advantage,, the Bills continued to hammer the KC Chiefs with massive doses of the Juice. Howard Cosell stated “OJ Simpson is the most powerful offensive force in football today” and it showed. Simpson broke Harry Newman’s rushing record of 38 carries in a game (Set in 1934 with the Giants) with 39 attempts for 157 yards. The Bills shattered their own team record of attempts with 65. Pete Bethard added a meaningless score in the 4th, but the Bills would prevail and move to 5-2 on the season with a 23-14 final.

Not only did OJ break the NFL record for attempts, but he also became only the second back in league history to eclipse 1,000 yards in only 7 games. His 1,025 yards beat out Jim Brown’s previous mark of 1,011. All eyes turned to the record books and Jim Brown’s 10 year old record of 1,863 yards. Many had loftier visions, to do what no one had done before, 2,000 yards. It was a goal that predicted by Guard Reggie McKenzie in the preseason, and a target the Bills and their offense set to accomplish.

December 30, 2005

Bills place safety Coy Wire on IR

Bills safety Coy Wire was placed on season-ending injured reserve Friday with a hamstring injury. Wire was hurt Saturday in Buffalo's win over Cincinnati.

Bills-Jets Statistical Matchup

The Bills look to finish strong this year and keep the momentum from a 37-27 road victory at Cincinnati going into New York when they face the Jets this Sunday at 1:00 PM (ET).

Jets, Bills, Seeking To End '05 With A Win

A pair of AFC East rivals bring disappointing seasons to a close this weekend, as the New York Jets host the Buffalo Bills at the Meadowlands.

The 'Ralph' in for some rehab

The Buffalo Bills and Erie County's Department of Public Works are putting the final touches of a laundry list of repairs and upgrades to Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Drafting running back first is anything but a slam dunk

The San Francisco 49ers did the unthinkable on Christmas Eve, winning on the road for the only time this season, 24-20 over St. Louis. Had they lost to the Rams as expected, Sunday's finale between the Houston Texans and 49ers at Monster Park Stadium would have been a showdown for the first draft pick.

Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets

Jets center Pete Kendall best summed up this meaningless game: "Hopefully none of the guys in our locker room will be hung over.” Pete, I know a few Bills fans who’ve drowned their sorrows during this miserable season that’s now one game from being over. Maybe its fitting that the two most disappointing teams in the normally tough AFC East will hold a dual “pity party” in the Meadowlands.

Crowell's play nets millions

Angelo Crowell's new-found wealth is the result of making the most of his time on the field this season. It's also an indication the third-year linebacker has a future with the Buffalo Bills.

Healthy Gandy ready for Sweet 16th start

When he was released by the Chicago Bears last season, left tackle Mike Gandy had the uncomplimentary reputation of a player who couldn't stay healthy. That hasn't been an issue this season with the Buffalo Bills.

There's no predicting if Bills get compensatory picks

Question: I was wondering why the Bills have not had any compensation draft picks for the loss of players in free agency in the last couple of years. Shouldn't we have gotten compensation for the loss of Jonas Jennings or Pat Williams? - James Merrill, Buffalo

Tom Donahoe's Top Ten Gaffes

Buffalo Bills fans are fed up and not going to take it anymore. It's been five seasons since Buffalo has sniffed the playoffs, and right about now that "Music City Miracle" would be inspiring music to our ears. While the blame for the consistent mediocrity has plenty to spread around, none takes (nor should it) precedent over the Bills current (and likely soon to be ex) President and General Manager, Tom Donahoe. Time and time again, Donahoe has goofed when it mattered most.

Buffalo Bills bar fans' signs of frustration

A frustrated Buffalo Bills fan knows how fast the security detail can move when it sees signs of woe at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

McGahee goes from elite to ordinary as Bills sink

When the NFL season hit the halfway mark, Buffalo Bills running back Willis McGahee was in contention for the league rushing title.

Bills' foul play

So the Buffalo Bills' management doesn't take kindly to fans who hoist unflattering signs about one of the worst teams in the NFL. What gall. And it gets worse. When a news-gathering agency tried several times to contact the Bills this week for comment, the calls weren't returned.

New York Jets at Buffalo Bills Preview

The Bills have chosen to go with veteran Kelly Holcomb as their starting quarterback, opposed to young J.P. Losman who has not played much since being drafted a year ago

Losman Future On Hold

If J.P. Losman is indeed the Buffalo Bills quarterback of the future he'll have to wait until next year. Losman is bothered by a thigh injury and all indications point to Kelly Holcomb starting the season finale against the New York Jets on Sunday.

Bills Offense Sputters in '05

As the final seconds ticked off on the Buffalo Bills most complete victory of the season, a thought crossed receiver Eric Moulds' mind.

December 29, 2005

Pro Football Weekly- The Way We Hear It

We hear that the air of uncertainty that’s pervading the team — from under-fire GM Tom Donahoe to head coach Mike Mularkey and his staff on down to the players — has been a big factor in the team’s lack of confidence, lack of identity and lack of direction.

Monday Night Memories- 1989- Bills 23, Rams 20

BillsZone salutes 35 seasons of Buffalo Bills memories on Monday Night Football. Stay tuned all week as we recall many great Bills contests on the NFL's brightest stage.

The bickering in the press hit a new high. Jim Kelly lashed out at his offensive line, in particular Howard Ballard, for giving up the sack against the Colts in the previous week resulting in an injury that would knock him out of action for a month. Kelly would rescind his remarks, but the scars remained in the locker room. To add fuel to the fire, The Los Angeles Rams came back to town sporting the league’s only undefeated record for another marquis Monday Night Football match-up. RB Greg Bell, a former Bill traded to Los Angeles in the Cornelius Bennett deal, lashed out against his former team mates. He accused Former Bill Jim Haslett and current Bill Fred Smerlas as being “rednecks” and hinting they were prejudiced as well. He accused coach Marv Levy of being a “con artist” as a coach.

In his first professional start in front of a prime time audience, Frank Reich and the Bills offense had a less than spectacular game for nearly 55 minutes. Reich was picked of on his first drive, but the Buffalo defense came through forcing a Rams punt.. Much maligned the first half of the season, they played inspired defense against the NFL’s most explosive offense. The Bills special teams had a rare miscue when recently acquired Mickey Sutton muffed the return, giving the Rams prime field position on the Bills 16. Buford McGee was on the receiving end of a Jim Everett 4 yard TD pass.

Buffalo managed to pull within 1 at the half on 2 Norwood FGs. The Rams managed to answer with a FG of their own in the third, and appeared to frustrate the conservative Bills offense. Both teams exchanged FGs in the 4th, giving the Rams a 13-9 advantage. With 6 minutes remaining, Reich managed to put together a drive of 86 yards in 10 plays. Thurman Thomas’s 1 yard plunge put Buffalo ahead 16-13 with 3:23 remaining.

The Buffalo defense appeared to finish the Rams off when Everett failed to connect on any of his 4 offensive plays. Taking over on downs at the Ram 20 yard line, Thurman Thomas fought for yards to give the Bills a first down that would end the game. However, Thomas fumbled and the Rams received one more shot at their own 22. Jim Everett made the Bills pay for their mistake, hitting WR Flipper Anderson on a 78 yard bomb on the very next play, giving the Rams an almost certain unlikely victory.

Down 20-16, Reich took over on his own 36 with 1:17 and 3 timeouts remaining. On the first play, Reich hit Andre Reed for 6. Reed fumbled when tackled, but Kent Hull recovered, sustaining the drive. On the next 3 plays, Reich found Thomas open on short dump off passes over the middle, gaining 17, 6, and 15 yards, placing the ball on the Ram 22 yard line. Ronnie Harmon broke open and caught a Reich pass down the sidelines to the Ram 8, stepping out of bounds killing the clock with 20 seconds left. On the next play, Reich hit Reed at the 2 yard line, and with 2 Rams defenders draped on his back, he powered his way across the plane of the goal line. With 16 seconds remaining, Reed put the Bills up for good 23-20.

Clyde's Anderson seeks bigger role

Second-year defensive tackle Tim Anderson is among those players vying for vital roles with the club. The Clyde native has been auditioning for a permanent starting role on the Bills' defensive line for a while.

Bills, Jets ready to put an end to disappointing seasons

Pete Kendall expects the season finale between the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills to feel more like a glorified scrimmage.

Bills LB Crowell happy to be rewarded with contract extension

Buffalo Bills linebacker Angelo Crowell's confidence has grown with each game he's started as a replacement for injured Takeo Spikes. Now Crowell's pocketbook is growing, too.

Football and free speech

For years, disgruntled football fans have taken some pleasure in mocking their team when it's losing. Fans have worn paper bags over their heads, held up signs calling for a new coach, and generally shouted rude things at anyone on the field who'd listen. But in Buffalo, where the Bills are nearly finished with their disappointing 5-and-10 season, there's a new free-speech debate underway. The methods of protest that fans have been enjoying for years are suddenly off-limits.

McGee Wins Week 16 Game Ball

Bills Backers selected cornerback/kick returner Terrence McGee as the Turkey Hill Game Ball winner for Week 16. McGee made NFL history, returning a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown then sealing the game with a 46-yard interception return for a touchdown in Buffalo's 37-27 upset of the playoff-bound Cincinnati Bengals. No player has ever pulled off that feat in the same game.

Arrested Development: Losman's season with the Bills

The 2005 Buffalo Bills were supposed to be all about J.P. Losman. Win or lose, the Bills were going to stick with the young quarterback and develop the former 2004 first round draft choice.

Holcomb will start in finale

It looks like Kelly Holcomb will get the chance to finish the Buffalo Bills' season with a flourish, and it's apparent many of his teammates would like to see him get a chance to compete for the starting quarterback job next summer.

Crowell signs extension

The Buffalo Bills gave themselves insurance at the linebacker position Wednesday by signing Angelo Crowell to a contract extension.

McGee AFC special teams' top player

Buffalo Bills kickoff return specialist Terrence McGee was named AFC special teams player of the week on Wednesday.

Bills are squarely behind Holcomb

Although for the second week in a row J.P. Losman has been listed as probable on the official injury report, it appears that Buffalo Bills coach Mike Mularkey is going to start Kelly Holcomb in the season finale Sunday against the New York Jets.

Bills report: Strategy and personnel

The four-year, $18 million contract extension awarded CB/KR Terrence McGee earlier this season hasn't changed the electrifying third-year pro.

Bills report: Notes, quotes

Linebacker Angelo Crowell, who was scheduled to become a restricted free agent, signed a contract extension on Wednesday

Bills report: Inside slant

If it were up to many of his teammates, veteran Kelly Holcomb would be the Bills' starting quarterback in 2006.

December 28, 2005

Bills Players Beginning to Back Holcomb

Awarded the starting job in February, Buffalo Bills quarterback J.P. Losman might have to compete with journeyman Kelly Holcomb to get it back next year.

Donahoe Monarchy Puts Up Too Little Far Too Late!

Given the reaction by a few fans, one would think that an average offensive performance coupled with an over reliance on passing and aided immensely by special teams, coupled with a only a fair to poor defensive performance allowing 374 net yards and 27 points, was a win in the AFC Championship game this is how starved Bills fans are for just average ball.

Losman Future On Hold

If J.P. Losman is indeed the Buffalo Bills quarterback of the future he'll have to wait until next year. Losman is bothered by a thigh injury and all indications point to Kelly Holcomb starting the season finale against the New York Jets on Sunday.

Bills LB Crowell Signs Contract Extension

Linebacker Angelo Crowell signed a contract extension with the Buffalo Bills on Wednesday, in part a reward for capably filling in for injured starter Takeo Spikes for most of this season.

McGee earns player of the week honors

A record setting day in Cincinnati has earned the Bills Terrance McGee Special Teams Player Of The Week.

McGee Earns Player of the Week Honors

Cornerback-kick returner Terrence McGee has been named AFC Special Teams player of the Week for the third time of his career.

Bills accused of stifling fans' frustrations

Among the many disgruntled Buffalo Bills season-ticket holders, Mike Allenbaugh looked forward to having the chance to voice his frustrations at the team's final home game by holding up a sign of protest.

Bills' low-impact 2005 draft has hurt their season

Last April, the Buffalo Bills went into the annual NFL draft as a team that needed help on the defensive and offensive lines. Their GM, Tom Donahoe, failed to properly address the team's needs and managed to select just two linemen.

Buffalo will not have top-five pick

The Buffalo Bills had three days off after upsetting the Cincinnati Bengals over the weekend, giving them extra time to celebrate a win over an AFC playoff-bound team and a division winner. You know it's been a long season when even their good games could come back to haunt them.

Week 17: Bills vs. Jets

When the schedule came out back in April this game looked like it could be played with a playoff spot on the line for one or both teams. It didn't work out that way. The Bills have had a very disappointing 5-10 season where they have made many mental mistakes along the way and folded when the games got tough

December 27, 2005

Bills Turn Tables on Bengals

Christmas Eve was supposed to be a celebration for Cincinnati fans, as their newly-crowned division-champion Bengals returned home bearing the gift of a postseason berth. Instead, the struggling Buffalo Bills rode into town and downed Cincy, 37-27, sending the perennially tortured fan base home with doubt rather than assurance.

Bills play spoiler in Cincinnati

Well apparently nobody told Buffalo that this game was supposed to be a blowout, because the Bills fought the Bengals hard all afternoon and skated out of Cincy with a 37-27 victory.

Ask Him Yourself: Mike Mularkey

Holcomb a Finalist for Weekly FedEx Award

Bills quarterback Kelly Holcomb is a finalist for FedEx Express NFL Player of the Week honors for games played on December 24-26.

Bengals get flagged for not handling Bills

There is no way a playoff team still playing for position in a game against a team playing out the string should lose in that situation, especially at home.

What if Holcomb had started all along?

In the aftermath of the Buffalo Bills' stunning 37-27 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals last Saturday, many have started to ponder how the Bills' season would have turned out had Kelly Holcomb been the starter from the beginning of the season. Would they have been in the playoffs? You'll have to read my analysis to find out...

Bills Positional Recap - Week 16

QUARTERBACKS With his accurate passing, ninth-year quarterback Kelly Holcomb helped lead the Bills to their fifth victory of the season and first on the road in Cincinnati on Saturday, December 24th.

Bills report: Notes, quotes

The voting for the Pro Bowl was one week too soon for kick returner/cornerback Terrence McGee, who turned in one of the great individual performances in Bills history against Cincinnati.

Bills report: Strategy and personnel

QB J.P. Losman was the No. 2 quarterback for the Bengals game. His sore throwing shoulder is healed, but it's not known if he'll get to start the season finale against the Jets.

Bills report: Inside slant

Quarterback Kelly Holcomb might make the Pro Bowl every year if he got to play all of his games at Paul Brown Stadium against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Did the Bills' win mean anything?

Sal:The victory at Cincinnati meant the end of a five-game losing streak, the end of a six-game losing streak on the road. It also killed the possibility of an embarrassing 4-12 record, which would have given the Bills one of the top seven picks in the draft.

Bills GM feeling secure

Despite this season's 5-10 record and the failure to get his team to the playoffs for five seasons, Buffalo Bills general manager Tom Donahoe isn't worried about his job status. "My family and I love Buffalo and western New York, despite what sometimes the media portrays, and we plan on being here for a long time," Donahoe wrote on the team's Web site.

Bills Have No QB Controversy

Although there have been rumblings that Tom Donahoe will not be thrown overboard by Ralph Wilson after this sinking season ends, it sure doesn’t look like Mike Mularkey believes it.

A lost season

If there’s one thing Tom Donahoe has proven during his five-year tenure as president and general manager of the Buffalo Bills, it’s that he knows how to sell hope.

December 26, 2005

Ask Him Yourself: Tom Donahoe

Bills' week 16 grades nothing shy of great

In a stunning Christmas eve game, the Buffalo Bills went into Cincinnati and defeated the Bengals by a score of 37-27. It was certainly a victory that wasn't foreseen by anyone. The Bills entered the game at 4-10, with an 0-6 road record.

Bills' win is extra special

The Cincinnati Bengals threw down a gauntlet by introducing their special teams before Saturday's game with the Buffalo Bills. The Bengals entered the game ranked third in the NFL in kickoff coverage and second in kickoff returns. They were ready to make a statement. "We took that as an insult," said Bills special teamer Josh Stamer.

Bills never doubted their heart

Mike Mularkey kept saying it, but nobody was willing to believe it, and for good reason. After the way the Bills had played in the fourth quarter at Miami on Dec. 4 and then in the home losses to New England and Denver, the assumption that it looked like the second-year coach had lost the team wasn't an illogical one.

December 25, 2005

By the numbers

Scoring, individual and team statistics

Holcomb baffles Bengals again

CINCINNATI - If quarterback Kelly Holcomb played all of his games against the Cincinnati Bengals, you might have to make a place for him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Underdogs have their day as Bills shock Bengals

CINCINNATI - Everyone who expected Kelly Holcomb to outduel Carson Palmer and the Buffalo Bills to win a wild shootout over the Cincinnati Bengals can stand up this morning and take a bow.

Successful NFL black coaches smash glass ceiling

Tony Dungy coaches the premier team in the league, the Indianapolis Colts. Marvin Lewis just steered Cincinnati to the AFC's North Division championship, the Bengals' first winning season in 16 years. That dreadful stretch included 11 years of double-digit losses. The last time they enjoyed a winning season was 1990 under current Bills quarterback coach Sam Wyche.

Cincy Loss reveals holes

The 30th-ranked Bills offense torched the Bengals' defense. The Bengals' defense, when it isn't stealing the ball, isn't exactly championship caliber. It didn't take Kelly Holcomb blowing them up for the second consecutive year to figure that out. Holcomb got them for five TD passes last year, as a Cleveland Brown. Saturday, he threw for 308 yards and had just one interception. He went 5-for-6 on Buffalo's decisive drive.

Cincy Loss dampens spirit of giving and receiving

Chad Johnson walked out of the Bengals locker room Saturday the new owner of a team record, and anything but proud of it.

Bengals notebook

Two of Kelly Holcomb's best games as an NFL quarterback have come at the Bengals' expense. The Bills quarterback is 54-for-70 passing for 721 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions in his past two games at Paul Brown Stadium.

Spirit of Scrooge haunts troubled Bills GM

With apologies to Charles Dickens, I present to you The Buffalo Bills: A Christmas Carol. The Bills have shocked the Cincinnati Bengals 37-27 on Christmas Eve, raising their record to 5-10 and snapping a five-game losing streak.

Thanks for the present, Buffalo

Ii always feels good to get that special present you never expected on Christmas. The Buffalo Bills gave the Denver Broncos and their fans a similar gift on Christmas eve, nicely wrapped and sent special delivery all the way from Cincinnati.

Buffalo Bills report card

Quarterbacks: The big question now is do the Bills have a quarterback controversy on their hands? The Bills want J.P. Losman to be their QB of the future, but no one can deny that Kelly Holcomb is the more accomplished player right now.

Buffalo Bills Two-Minute Read

Play of the game Kelly Holcomb's clutch 22-yard pass to Josh Reed on a seam route midway through the fourth quarter.

Big plays put Buffalo in spoiler's spotlight

The fans around here like to ask, "Who Dey?" Dey would be the Buffalo Bills, who played the role of Grinch very well on Christmas Eve against the giddy Cincinnati Bengals.

Bills pull tricks out of the bag

The Buffalo Bills did it all. They ran reverses, called a flea-flicker, converted an onside kick, returned a kickoff for a touchdown and scored on an interception return.

December 24, 2005

Bills 37 Bengals 27

The Cincinnati Bengals have damaged their shot at a first-round bye with a 37-to-27 loss to Buffalo. The Bengals will be playing in the first weekend of the postseason if the Denver Broncos win one of their last two games.

McGee's Two TDs Help Bills Upset Bengals

Cornerback Terrence McGee ran a kickoff back 99 yards for a touchdown and returned an interception 46 yards for another Saturday, rallying the Buffalo Bills to a 37-27 victory over the AFC North champions.

Deltha O'Neal leaves with knee injury

Cornerback Deltha O'Neal hurt his right knee on the Bengals' first defensive play Saturday against Buffalo and left the field for an exam. The Pro Bowl cornerback returned in the second quarter, getting in for one play during the Bills' 13-play touchdown drive.

Henry, Washington both go; Kelly out

The Bengals went with six wide receivers in Saturday’s Paul Brown Stadium finale against the Bills, dressing both rookie Chris Henry and Kelley Washington.

Report:Losman to Start?

QB J.P. Losman will start, according to FOXSports.com's John Czarnecki.

Bengals' takeaway squad is a force to reckon with

Ball security will be vital for the Bills today as the Bengals lead the NFL with 42 takeaways and a plus-26 turnover margin.

Save The Last Dance

You know a player's reputation when he shows an archaic form of class and gets criticized for being, well, boring. Did you see Chad Johnson on Sunday after he scored against Detroit? There was no dance, no look-at-me-I'm-The-Man celebration. He simply handed the ball to the official. The nerve of that guy.

Mularkey on hot seat as season dwindles

Buffalo Bills head coach Mike Mularkey will be sweating out the final two games of the NFL regular season. No decision has been made on Mularkey's fate heading into today's contest against the Cincinnati Bengals, sources within the team have told The News.

Bengals chase history

The Bengals (11-3) have already clinched the AFC North and their first playoff appearance in 15 years. A victory on Saturday over fading Buffalo (4-10) would match the franchise record for wins in the regular season.

Q&A: Eric King

Cornerback Eric King is wrapping up a promising rookie season for the Buffalo Bills. A fifth-round draft pick out of Wake Forest, King has played in all 14 games as a nickel or dime corner, tied with offensive lineman Duke Preston for most by a Buffalo rookie. King could figure prominently in the team's future plans if it were to lose Nate Clements in free agency. King is the subject of this week's Q&A.

Bills visiting a new 'Jungle'

Forget red and green. The colors of the holidays in this river city are black and orange. The Cincinnati Bengals are back after a 14-year absence from the NFL playoffs.

December 23, 2005

Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals Preview

The Bengals have already clinched a spot in the playoffs for the first time since an AFC Central title in 1990, but when the Bills come to town on Saturday they will be playing to keep hope of a first round bye alive.

Bills Need A New Attitude

Patti Labelle hit the nail right on the head. Our Buffalo Bills need a new attitude from top to bottom. Whether or not there is any change in front office personnel (you can wish, just don’t bet the house on it), there is no doubt that the squad assembled by the Bills just doesn’t have a winning attitude.

Bills Behinds to Be Buffed to Rosy-Christmas-Red By Bengals

They are making a bee-line for billing as the worst team in the league as their rankings drop on a weekly basis now. They are playing with less efficacy than pretty much any other team in the league down the stretch. Some of the worst teams in the league are playing better at the moment.

AFC East Report: Week 15

What’s left to say anymore regarding these Bills? Owner Ralph Wilson either gets it or doesn’t. The fans get it. The television media, judging by the wooden heads doing the broadcast for Saturday’s game clearly haven’t a clue. The print media gets it.

Bills OL Williams to sit with back, chest injuries

Bills offensive lineman Mike Williams will miss Buffalo's Dec. 24 game in Cincinnati because of an injury to his back and chest.

Question Mark:Speedy Booker gave the Bills an edge on the corner

Who's the best Bills player to never make the Pro Bowl? - David Henry, Miami, Fla.

Bengals are Bills' third straight division-leading foe

Whoever made the Buffalo Bills' schedule sure didn't do them any favors. Saturday's game at the Cincinnati Bengals will be the Bills' third consecutive division-leading opponent.

Losman can take a cue from Palmer

While watching Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer march the Bengals up and down the field against Buffalo's defense, perhaps Losman will find time to think to himself "Hey, if he can do it, why can't I?" If ever there is a player Losman should aspire to emulate, it's Palmer, because the circumstances surrounding the starts of their careers are strikingly similar.

Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals

If he scores a touchdown against the Bills, Bengals Pro Bowl receiver Chad Johnson says he’ll be “back to his old self” when it comes to an end zone celebration. He may want to have more than one ready. The Bengals could spend a lot of time in the end zone on Saturday.

Evaluating the Bills' coaching staff

At 4-10, the Buffalo Bills' season has been a total disappointment. Their coaching staff, thought to be above average, has floundered this season and it makes you wonder which of the coaches should return and which should be relieved of their current duties.

Tale of two 'backers

Spikes leaves, but Simmons finds playoffs faster As the Bengals prepare to face the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, the irony of two friendly foes is striking.

Eric Moulds Interview

Bills Backers selected wide receiver Eric Moulds as the Turkey Hill Game Ball winner for Week 15.

December 22, 2005

Bills report: Strategy and personnel

QB J.P. Losman's injured right - throwing - shoulder is improved from a week ago but he's still experiencing soreness in the joint.

Bills report: Notes, quotes

P Brian Moorman, who has rewritten Buffalo's record book in his five seasons with the club, was named to his first Pro Bowl on Wednesday.

Bills report: Inside slant

Two years ago, Buffalo Bills general manager Tom Donahoe fired coach Gregg Williams because he felt his team lacked mental toughness.

Bills place TE Neufeld on IR

Bills tight end Ryan Neufeld was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a knee injury Thursday.

NFL Preview - Buffalo (4-10) At Cincinnati (11-3)

The Cincinnati Bengals won't have much time to celebrate their first division title in 15 years, as they welcome the Buffalo Bills to town this Saturday.

Moorman to Pro Bowl

In a year when special teams have been one of the few bright spots for the Buffalo Bills, it's only fitting someone from that unit is going to the Pro Bowl.

McGahee won't rock boat over workload

It's become a weekly topic: Willis McGahee's limited role in the Buffalo Bills' offense. He would like to be more of a factor, but he's not going to complain about it.

Punter Moorman is lone Bills player in Pro Bowl

Record-setting punter Brian Moorman has booted the Buffalo Bills out of a lot of dire straits during his five seasons with the team. On Wednesday, he came through again.

Bills vs Bengals Preview

The Cincinnati Bengals are trying to match the winningest season in team history, last achieved in 1988. That's also the last time they beat the Buffalo Bills.

December 21, 2005

Moorman is lone Bill selected for Pro Bowl

Brian Moorman's long wait is over. The Buffalo Bills' five-year veteran punter is headed to the Pro Bowl for the first time.

Wyche returns to Cincy

Wyche, 60, is looking forward to coming back to Cincinnati this weekend as the quarterbacks coach for the Buffalo Bills. He is in his second season working for head coach Mike Mularkey and working with J.P. Losman, the player the Bills drafted in the first round last year and pegged as their future at the position.

Marines get to see Bengals game this Saturday

The playoff-bound Bengals provided free tickets to this Saturday's sold-out game with the Buffalo Bills to 48 Marines from the company. The Lima company had 16 members killed in Iraq this year.

Bills should end Mularkey's era and look elsewhere

4-10. That's the dreadful record that the 2005 Buffalo Bills have compiled thus far. It's amazing considering they were coming off of a 9-7 season in 2004 and the sky seemed to be the limit for this season.

Holcomb to start against Bengals

Coach Mike Mularkey said he thinks Kelly Holcomb will start again this week at quarterback when the Buffalo Bills meet the Cincinnati Bengals.

Free agents playing for keeps

The thought entered Trey Teague's mind after he walked up the tunnel following the Buffalo Bills' loss to the Denver Broncos on Saturday night. "I was thinking about it after the game - I possibly played my last game in that stadium," the Buffalo Bills center said Tuesday.

Underworked McGahee isn't running his mouth

Buffalo running back Willis McGahee hasn't been too shifty lately, failing to top 100 yards rushing in seven of his last eight games. But when it comes to his lack of carries during the past couple of weeks, no one can pin down the third-year player.

Every job could be at stake in the last two Bills games

With the way the Buffalo Bills have collapsed coming down the stretch, there is rampant speculation that big changes are on the horizon at One Bills Drive.

Bills fall apart in second half

The Buffalo Bills played the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos hard for 30 minutes on Saturday, but as has been the case all season, they fell apart in the second half of a 28-17 setback at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

December 20, 2005

22 Bills Fans Set to Face Judge for Disorderly Conduct at Stadium

Nearly two dozen Buffalo Bills fans have a date with a judge. News 4's Lorey Schultz reports the fans were flagged for "unsportsmanlike conduct" during Saturday's Bills game at the Ralph.

Bills send Broncos to Playoffs

In a Sentence: Tied 7-7 at the half, the Bills were confronted with an insurmountable deficit.

Holcomb expected start for Bills

Journeyman backup quarterback Kelly Holcomb will likely make his second start in place of limping J.P. Losman when the Buffalo Bills play at Cincinnati on Saturday.

Buffalo Bills' week 15 grades

Saturday, the Buffalo Bills were defeated 28-17 by a hungrier, better Denver Broncos football team. The loss took the Bills to 4-10, their worst mark since the 2001 season when they were 2-12.

Donahoe & Mularkey Firings Not a Given

Let’s get real. The Bills are probably going to wind up 4-12, and anybody who says they could see this one coming just isn’t on the level.

Bills defensive end Aeron Schobel quietly making sack impact

Buffalo Bills defensive end Aaron Schobel has never been one to draw attention to himself.

How should Buffalo play its final two games?

For our sake and the sake of a fan base that is truly sick of watching the Buffalo Bills this year, I hope they play their last two games very quickly — unlike Saturday's game, which took nearly 3½ long and mostly boring hours.

Fan misconduct mars Bills game

Maybe it was the 8:30 p.m. starting time. Or the fact that the game was played on Saturday night, a party night. Maybe it was the January-type frigid temperatures. Or maybe it was just a crowd of disgruntled fans unhappy with the Buffalo Bills' tough season.

Mularkey has a boatload of troubles

Bills fans in Western New York and around the nation must be recoiling in horror and astonishment, asking the same basic question. "He didn't really say that, did he?"

Bills report: Notes, quotes

Wide receiver Eric Moulds bounced back from his one-game suspension to catch nine passes for 110 yards, giving him a team-leading 63 catches for 621 yards.

Bills report: Inside slant

The Bills fancy themselves a running football team, but the evidence to support this claim is waning fast. Buffalo hasn't topped 100 yards on the ground as a team in six consecutive games and leading running back Willis McGahee has topped the century mark only once in his last eight games

Bills report: Strategy and personnel

QB J.P. Losman, who injured his right throwing shoulder against New England, was the designated third QB for the Denver game. He is expected to start Saturday at Cincinnati.

December 19, 2005

Ask Him Yourself: Mike Mularkey

Ask Him Yourself: Tom Donahoe

Bills wave white flag on run game

He spent the last three drafts acquiring what he wanted, ignoring what he needed, a general manager intent on accumulating glitz while foregoing the grit. Running backs, quarterbacks and receivers are what Tom Donahoe's been all about, a fine approach indeed if he were stocking a fantasy team.

Monday Billboard

Big picture: The Bills made their last home game of the season a night to forget. Saturday night's 28-17 loss to the Denver Broncos ensured this will be the fourth time in the last nine seasons that the Bills have suffered 10 losses or more in a season.

Grading the Bills

RUNNING GAME (F): OK, so the Broncos were focused on the run. Still, the Bills didn't get back to it. Willis only had nine carries.

Broncos ride veteran receiver again and again

Rod Smith was flashing, buzzing and gleaming like a neon sign on a desert strip. For miles and miles of the game, Smith was the only discernible display on the field.

Bills' finishes are second nature

The Buffalo Bills were deadlocked with the Denver Broncos at halftime Saturday night but you couldn't have faulted any fans at Ralph Wilson Stadium who wanted to leave early. The Bills have the worst second-half offense in the NFL.

Bills' defense bends, then breaks once again

The defense, once the signature of the Buffalo Bills, has crumbled. It's left the players and staff rubbing their temples as if they are trying to massage an answer for what went wrong. Everyone is scrambling to figure out why a defense that was so good last season now ranks near the bottom of the NFL.

Bills game not a pretty picture

As the Buffalo Bills jogged off the field at frigid Ralph Wilson Stadium early Sunday morning, the sounds of the season were in full force. Unfortunately for the Bills, whose season continues to sink lower and lower, these weren't Christmas carolers serenading them. Fans, resorting to gallows humor, chanted, "Let's go Sabres, Let's go Sabres."

December 18, 2005

Moulds makes lasting -- or is it last? -- impression in Bills' home finale

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- Bills receiver Eric Moulds heard the fans urging him to stay. One fan even held up a sign, reading, "All I want for Christmas: Moulds 2006."

Broncos-Bills Notebook

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Typically, the Broncos outscore their opponents in the first quarter. Typically, the Broncos have a substantial lead by halftime, with their cumulative 187-91 first-half score for the season heading into Saturday giving them an average intermission lead of 7.4 points. Saturday was anything but typical.

Smith's TD Catch Turning Point In Broncos Win

Rod Smith wanted to make sure every part of what he did was precise, that every aspect of his role in the moment was as crisp, professional and effective as it could possibly be.

Schedule strength becomes key for bottom-dwellers

That's what decides the order for the NFL draft among teams that finish with identical records. The weaker the schedule, the sooner you pick. Head-to-head results mean nothing in breaking draft-order ties. As usual, the strength of schedule has some big implications this season.

Parking lot poll: Donahoe must go

At a few minutes after 5 p.m. Saturday, I was driving on Abbott Road and saw the lights in the near distance above Ralph Wilson Stadium. I must admit, I felt a momentary surge of excitement. There's a certain majesty about the stadium when it's lit up at dusk, with the Buffalo Bills about to play one of their rare night games.

Moulds puts turmoil behind him with big receiving night

Moulds was the lone offensive bright spot during the Bills' 28-17 loss to the Denver Broncos. Returning after serving a one-game suspension, Moulds had nine catches for 110 yards. It was his best performance since catching nine passes for 125 yards at New England in October.

Bills run a fade pattern

The Buffalo Bills played inspired football for a half Saturday night but could not pull their season out of its downward spiral.

Buffalo Bills report card

(December 18, 2005) — Quarterbacks: Kelly Holcomb led the Bills to a touchdown on their opening possession, then handed the game over to punter Brian Moorman. Has scoring first ever meant so little to a team?

Fantasy leagues changing the game, media

 MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - As the Indianapolis Colts continue their march toward perfection and all its historical implications, an interesting thing has begun to happen to team president Bill Polian.

A classic game, this was not

(December 18, 2005) — ORCHARD PARK — Cory Wells, a member of the 1960s rock band Three Dog Night, sang the national anthem before Saturday night's game. Then, the Bills and Broncos went out and played like dogs.

Bills' home finale ends in familiar fashion

 (December 18, 2005) — ORCHARD PARK — For most of the first half Saturday night at Ralph Wilson Stadium, the Buffalo Bills managed to drag the Denver Broncos down to their level of ineptness.

Broncos provide chills and thrills

Forgive the Broncos. Warming up to playing the Buffalo Bills on Saturday night took some doing. Warming up, period, was a test.

Smith helps Denver snare playoff berth

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - Leave it to the sure-handed Rod Smith to help the Denver Broncos clinch a playoff berth.

December 17, 2005

Broncology: Into the Cold

If John Lynch takes to the Ralph Wilson Stadium turf on Saturday night wearing a little extra, one can look no further than his son for the reason why.

Bills reduced to spoilers, starting with Broncos

The Buffalo Bills (4-9) aren't going to the playoffs, but they will have an impact on the postseason.

Plummer going with the flow

An NFL quarterback won't find a much better gig than Jake Plummer has in Denver.

The Bigger They Are

Mike Williams was going to have a huge impact on the Buffalo Bills. Everyone said it when the colossal offensive lineman came out of Texas. Williams was fail-safe.

Moulds wins media game with Bills

I'll leave his football play-calling for someone else to analyze, but Buffalo Bills coach Mike Mularkey's play-calling with the media illustrates a lack of understanding of how that game is played.

Bills Q&A: Tim Euhus

Tim Euhus has always been a low-maintenance guy. Growing up in Eugene, Ore., and playing college football at Oregon State, Euhus was rarely in the spotlight, and that's just the way he likes it.

Bills should consider hiring Haslett

The Buffalo Bills almost certainly will undertake a major overhaul after this season and if Mike Mularkey is part of the purge, here's hoping his replacement would have some positive experience as an NFL head coach.

Bills know nation will be watching tonight

For the eighth time in his 11-year NFL career, quarterback Kelly Holcomb is playing on a team that is not going to make the playoffs, so he knows all about meaningless games in December.

Fletcher thrives despite adversity

Looking for the bright light in an otherwise gloomy campaign for the Buffalo Bills? Try the play of London Fletcher.

Buffalo Bills Host Denver for a Prime Time Matchup

Bills-Broncos Statistical Matchup

The Bills will close out their home schedule this week when they host the Denver Broncoes in the first ever Saturday night game at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Buffalo is coming off a 35-7 loss to New England which saw Aaron Schobel became only the second Bills player ever to post multiple double-digit sack seasons as he registered his 10th sack of the season. Lee Evans led the Bills with four receptions for 83 yards and London Fletcher posted 14 tackles (11 solo) and an interception in the loss. Brian Moorman weathered the snow to post six punts for a 43.7 gross average and a 37.3 net average. Moorman currently leads the league with a 39.1 net punting average.

Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills Preview

In a rare Saturday night game, the Denver Broncos (10-3), looking to clinch a playoff birth, will travel to New York to take on the Buffalo Bills (4-9). Kickoff is 8:30 PM Eastern Time from Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Matchup Breakdown

December 16, 2005

Shanahan: Broncos Won't Overlook Bills

Quarterback Jake Plummer isn't ready to relax even though the Denver Broncos are within a victory of the AFC playoffs with three games to go. The 10-3 Broncos will make it by winning Saturday night. All they have to do is beat the 4-9 Buffalo Bills. Still, there's a sense of urgency for Plummer.

Bills put DL Sape on injured reserve

Buffalo Bills defensive lineman Lauvale Sape was placed on season-ending injured reserve with an ankle injury.

At A Glance: Buffalo Bills

A week that began with 10-3 Denver preparing for a 4-9 Buffalo Bills team led by young quarterback JP Losman is shaken up a bit with the revelation that Losman will not play in Saturday’s game, due to an injury of his right throwing shoulder.

Bills' Teague time may end soon

Trey Teague is four years removed from playing for the Denver Broncos, so facing them Saturday night won't hold that much significance for the Buffalo Bills center. Saturday's game will be meaningful for Teague, but for a different reason. While playing against the team that gave him his NFL start, he could be playing out his final days with the Bills.

Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills Preview

In a rare Saturday night game, the Denver Broncos (10-3), looking to clinch a playoff birth, will travel to New York to take on the Buffalo Bills (4-9). Kickoff is 8:30 PM Eastern Time from Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Preview - Denver (10-3) At Buffalo (4-9)

The Denver Broncos are inching closer to their first division title in seven years, and a win in Buffalo on Saturday would go a long way towards making it happen.

Losman knows growing pains like his peers

The master plan called for the Buffalo Bills' first-year starting quarterback, J.P. Losman, to learn how to swim in the shallow end of the NFL pool.

Broncos-Bills Flashback: 1997

Usually a game in Buffalo means a little weather hardships are involved. So a rainy day didn't really surprise the Broncos when they took the field against the Bills in 1997.

Tom Donahoe does not believe in tweaking

In 2001, Donahoe became general manager of the Buffalo Bills, a team that had won four AFC titles and reached the playoffs 10 times in 13 seasons. He fired his first coach, Gregg Williams, and got rid of every player he inherited except one.

Beating Broncos Would Please Fletcher

London Fletcher is having a difficult time putting this season in perspective.

December 15, 2005

Sobieski heads west

The 49ers waived G Jim Jones from the practice squad and signed G Ben Sobieski to the practice squad.

Brrr-acing for Buffalo

The Denver Broncos will be drinking hot chocolate instead of Gatorade and fighting for space next to the heaters this Saturday night in Buffalo.

Bills' Holcomb stuck in a no-win situation

Either way you slice it, this is a no-win situation for Holcomb and the Bills. Does it really matter if Holcomb plays well against Denver? No, he's not the future and doesn't need to develop.

Peck's Preview: Buffalo Bills vs. Denver Broncos

Some fans booed Mike Mularkey as he left the field. Other fans wore bags on their heads. A lot of fans left in the third quarter. Thousands of fans didn’t even bother to come. The Bills Nation is angry, as mad as they’ve been in years. They shouldn’t expect to feel any better this Saturday, when the 10-3 Denver Broncos come to town.

Holcomb is back under center as Losman misses another practice

J.P. Losman's shoulder injury is not serious, but Kelly Holcomb will start at quarterback for the Buffalo Bills when they host the Denver Broncos on Saturday.

Zone blocking keeps Broncos on march

There are NFL teams that use a zone blocking scheme on running plays, and then there is Denver. No one has mastered the art of zone blocking like the Broncos, who have used the scheme to churn out 1,000-yard rushers the way Ford turns out automobiles.

Falcons waive LB Leake, sign DE Constantin Ritzmann

The Atlanta Falcons announced today the signing of DE Constantin Ritzmann from the Buffalo Bills practice squad. The team released LB John Leake to make room for the addition.

LB Fletcher brightens a dreary year

Since he came into the NFL in 1998, it hasn't mattered to London Fletcher what color uniform he was wearing, the blue of the St. Louis Rams or the blue of the Buffalo Bills.

Holcomb will start against Denver

Buffalo Bills coach Mike Mularkey announced Wednesday after practice that Kelly Holcomb will start Saturday night's nationally televised ESPN game against Denver at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Fletcher named Bills' Man of the Year

It has been a particularly terrific year on the field for London Fletcher, and it's been very productive off the field as well. Last week Fletcher was named the Bills' Walter Payton Man of the Year in a vote of selected members of the western New York community.

If Bills rehire Levy, it should be as adviser

With all due respect to Marv Levy, I can't endorse him as a potential coach or general manager for the Buffalo Bills, particularly with the team facing yet another rebuilding phase. But it couldn't hurt to hire the 80-year-old Pro Football Hall of Famer as an adviser to owner Ralph Wilson Jr.

Game against Bills snow job for Broncos

Safety John Lynch joked that NFL schedule makers didn't do the Broncos any favors by sending them to hot and muggy Florida twice in the first four weeks of the season, then to the Buffalo area in the middle of December for a Saturday night game. But what can the Broncos (10-3) do?

Bills report: Inside slant

Quarterback J.P. Losman was eager to get back on the field after last Sunday's dismal performance in a 35-7 home loss to the New England Patriots. But his wait just got longer.

Bills report: Strategy and personnel

If 10-year veteran WR Eric Moulds doesn't return to the Bills next year, it will be due to salary-cap reasons and not his controversial falling out with coach Mike Mularkey, he said.

Bills report: Notes, quotes

With Buffalo failing to make the playoffs for a sixth consecutive season and fifth under president and general manager Ton Donahoe's reign, speculation has heated up that Donahoe will be fired after the season is over.

December 14, 2005

Veteran LB unaccustomed to spectator's role

Buffalo Bills linebacker Takeo Spikes has been relegated to the role of spectator. The man who thought he was indestructible, who had missed only one game in eight years as a pro -- and even then only when his dad died -- tore his Achilles tendon Sept. 25, ending his season after only three games.

Holcomb to start for injured Losman

Kelly Holcomb will start for the Buffalo Bills at quarterback against Denver on Saturday in place of the injured J.P. Losman.

Veteran LB unaccustomed to spectator's role

Buffalo Bills linebacker Takeo Spikes has been relegated to the role of spectator. The man who thought he was indestructible, who had missed only one game in eight years as a pro -- and even then only when his dad died -- tore his Achilles tendon Sept. 25, ending his season after only three games.

Bills report: Strategy and personnel

QB J.P. Losman, whose record as a starter fell to 1-7 with Sunday's 35-7 loss to New England, has a sore throwing shoulder that could keep him out of Saturday's home game against Denver.

Bills report: Inside slant

Quarterback J.P. Losman, who was roughed up in Sunday's 35-7 loss to the New England Patriots, suffered a previously undisclosed right throwing shoulder injury in the first quarter and underwent an MRI on Tuesday.

Time again for Bills to start fresh

Most fans can't see a silver lining in New England's trouncing of the Buffalo Bills Sunday, but we can. Bills fans who feel depressed should think of owner Ralph C. Wilson Jr.'s aspirations. He can't be happy that his beloved team will not reach the NFL playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.

Moulds back with Bills, at least for now

Eric Moulds was back on the Buffalo Bills' practice field Tuesday, and he's aiming to make the most of his return to the lineup Saturday against the Denver Broncos.

Levy return isn't in works

Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy has not been contacted by the Buffalo Bills about coming back to lead the team, and fans should not expect him to be filling a front-office role in the future.

Holcomb may start due to Losman injury

Kelly Holcomb may start at quarterback for the Buffalo Bills this week due to a shoulder injury J.P. Losman suffered in Sunday's loss to New England.

Positive Moulds returns to Bills

Veteran wide receiver Eric Moulds, fresh off a one-week exile from the Buffalo Bills, said he felt like a "rookie" when he returned to practice on Tuesday.

It's a happy return for Moulds

The Denver Broncos won't have the same luxury as the New England Patriots. The Patriots got to play the Buffalo Bills on Sunday without receiver Eric Moulds. The Broncos won't be that fortunate.

Losman sits out practice with sore right shoulder

Buffalo Bills quarterback J.P. Losman didn't just hurt his statistics during Sunday's 35-7 loss to the New England Patriots. He hurt his right throwing shoulder, along with his left leg and a couple of other body parts.

December 13, 2005

Moulds' future uncertain with Bills

If these final three weeks are Eric Moulds’ last as a member of the Buffalo Bills — a thought that’s crossed the veteran receiver’s mind — he would rather they not be tarnished by dispute.

Bills QB Losman has shoulder injury

Bills quarterback J.P. Losman didn't practice Tuesday because of an injured right shoulder that could force him to miss Buffalo's game Saturday night against Denver.

Will attitude cost Bills coach, GM their jobs?

Tom Donahoe and Mike Mularkey have become pariahs in Western New York, not so much because their team is 4-9, has dropped four straight and six of the last seven, but rather a perception of arrogance in the face of a season long-since disintegrated.

Bills report: Inside slant

The Buffalo Bills felt they had turned a corner two years ago when they opened the 2003 season with a 31-0 victory over New England. They rode an emotional high into that contest after picking up strong safety Lawyer Milloy, who was cut just days earlier by the Patriots.

Bills report: Strategy and personnel

QB J.P. Losman had done a good job of avoiding interceptions, but he threw a season-high three on Sunday. He has eight touchdown passes and eight interceptions in his eight starts (1-7 record).

Bills report: Notes, quotes

Nine games were played at cold-weather sites on Sunday, and the team with the most rushing attempts won every game. Eight of those were home teams, the exception being the Bills, who had just 12 rushing attempts for 14 yards, both season lows.

Bills Positional Recap - Week 14

QUARTERBACKS Battling cold weather and scattered show showers, second-year quarterback J.P. Losman connected on 10 of 27 passes for 181 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions in Sunday's 35-7 loss to the New England Patriots.

Children give Bills a break from woes

Sixty children left Dick's Sporting Goods in the Galleria Mall Monday night thinking it doesn't get any better than this. They were treated to a pizza party. They were given $175 gift cards. And they were sent to shop the store in groups, a Buffalo Bill serving as their consultant.

Levy proves to be tough act to follow

Eight years after the retirement of head coach Marv Levy, the Buffalo Bills are still searching for a worthy successor.

Marv Levy Entertains 250-plus WGR Listeners

Marv Levy entertained over 250 football fans with a talk and question and answer session at the Millenium Airport Hotel in Cheektowaga.

Stats don't lie, fading Bills are in baaad company

Buffalo Bills general manager Tom Donahoe and coach Mike Mularkey probably aren't wasting any of their idle time studying NFL stats these days, and that's probably a good thing if they want to continue to believe their team isn't a mess.

Do the Bills suffer from mistaken identity?

Leo: After he and his team failed to perform during Sunday's abysmal loss to the Patriots, coach Mike Mularkey did put on a good show in his postgame news conference. For once he was contrite, honest and to the point.

'Survivor: The Ralph' with Tom and Mike

The question now circulating at One Bills Drive is this: How much time do president and general manager Tom Donahoe and coach Mike Mularkey have left? Donahoe is under contract at least through 2006 and Mularkey through 2008.

Bills' Moulds set to return to practice after suspension

Receiver Eric Moulds and the Buffalo Bills began putting their differences behind them Monday, preparing instead to focus on the final three games of the season.

Bills still searching for some answers

Ralph Wilson held a private conversation with veteran safety Troy Vincent in a hallway adjoining the Buffalo Bills locker room, then made his way for the exit.

Questions From Sunday's Loss To The Patriots

Top 10 Questions overheard during Sunday's loss to New England:
10. If the Bills had a good week of practice even with the Moulds distraction, what would the score have been if they had a bad week of practice?

A crushing loss for the Bills

It’s not certain whether Buffalo Bills’ owner Ralph Wilson considered a change at president/general manager or head coach as this season has spiraled downward.

Broncos eye opportunity in Buffalo

Denver (10-3) can clinch the AFC West with a win at Buffalo and losses by Kansas City at the New York Giants and San Diego at Indianapolis. The Broncos also can clinch a wild-card spot with a win or losses by the Steelers, Chargers and Chiefs.

Ralph Wilson Faces Tough Options

It’s hard to imagine what’s running through the mind of 87-year old Ralph C. Wilson as he watches his Bills literally fall apart, knowing there is no hope of a quick turnaround no matter what he does after this sorry season whimpers to a conclusion.

December 12, 2005

Stop Pretending!

Buffalo Bills President/General Manager Tom Donahoe still believes he has some good football players on his roster. Judging by the calls to the post game radio program, so do many Bills fans. So, I offer this dose of reality to you. This is not a good football team. There are nowhere near enough good players on this team.

Patriots Once Again Establish Themselves as Bills’ "Daddy"

This game was over from the get-go since Tom Brady entered the stadium not in "off’ mode. Rumor has it that ‘Ol Whitey is petitioning the league to have the outcomes to Bills games next season decided by Madden Football outcomes.

Ask Him Yourself: Mike Mularkey

Ask Him Yourself: Tom Donahoe

Ken Ruby (Lakeland, GA): Mr. Donahoe, as an avid Bills fan I feel that what is going on at this organization starts at the top. Do you feel this poor season is at all your fault and what will you do to fix it for next season?

Ralph Wilson Ponders Bills Future

Now, with three games left starting at home on Saturday against Denver, the Bills enter an uncertain final stretch. The fans are angry, some attending games wearing paper bags on their heads.

Blowout Doesn't Deter NYC Faithful

A brown-haired man of about 30, wearing a blue Takeo Spikes jersey and a red Buffalo Bills baseball cap, leaped into the air, pumping both fists and bellowing "YES!!!" Bartenders on one side of the well-used bar and patrons on the other slapped hands as napkins tossed high above fluttered down like so much ticker tape.

Patriots crush the hapless Bills

Sunday, the AFC East-leading New England Patriots walked into snowy Ralph Wilson Stadium to take on the Buffalo Bills. It was truly another embarrassing day in a season riddled with embarrassments for the Bills.

Fans Care More than Players

I hear the coaches and the players say it every week and it truly bothers me. When asked about the fans, they will say something like “We care even more than the fans do”. I totally and vehemently disagree. I believe the players care. Some certainly more than others.

Pats issue passing dare, Bills flunk challenge

Here's the complete summary of the big-cheer moments for Buffalo Bills fans from Sunday's football game in Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Fellow receivers miss Moulds

The Buffalo Bills have seen the future without Eric Moulds, and it isn't good. At least for one game anyway.

Dead in their tracks

From the opening kickoff until the final gun, it was a glorified scrimmage between the varsity and junior varsity. The Bills suffered their worst home loss in three seasons as the New England Patriots rolled to a convincing 35-7 victory. The last time the Bills were blasted at home like this was Nov. 3, 2002 against - who else? - the Patriots, 38-7.

McGahee's slide hits bottom

Willis McGahee has had tough days before, but nothing like this as the Buffalo Bills running back endured the worst game of his career as a NFL starter.

Brady sets standard for Losman to follow

Finally, mercifully, they have been eliminated from playoff contention. So much for the rousing "win now" campaign of Mike Mularkey and his brave band of Buffalo Bills. All that's left is to play out the string, listen for the sound of Ralph Wilson hoisting his axe, and continue the painful NFL education of J.P. Losman

Bills' poor showing hints change may be a good thing

They stood in defense of their head coach, first London Fletcher, then Troy Vincent, two veterans taking the political high road and assigning the blame to the players.

Buffalo Bills report card

Quarterback: J.P. Losman pretty much flunked his first test against Mother Nature and Patriots coach Bill Belichick, spraying the ball all over the field.

The two-minute read

Play of the game Tom Brady's 3-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.

Bills smacked by a chilly reality

Well, here's a silver lining for the moribund Bills and their disgruntled fans: At least the Patriots didn't clinch the AFC East division title on the frozen tundra of Ralph Wilson Stadium Sunday afternoon.

No guts and little pride, and now the fans know

And you thought blowing a 20-point, fourth-quarter lead in Miami was the low point. At least that game had drama and the Bills had a heartbeat. At least people still seemed to care.

Brady isn't finished with winning

Tom Brady may not possess Peyton Manning's gaudy stat sheet or Michael Vick's riveting highlight tape, but the Pats quarterback does possess Montana-esque attributes. Namely an unflappable, whatever-it-takes-to-win attitude and charismatic leadership skills.

What is there to cheer about?

Where have all the good times gone? Whatever happened to those autumn afternoons at the Ralph that meant so much? Afternoons when the Bills played games that mattered in the NFL standings?

Pats Plow Bills

The weather was perfect for Buffalo Bills football. However, it was the New England Patriots that played perfect rolling through the snow, and the Bills, to a 35-7 win at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Defense did quite a number

The Buffalo Bills ran for 14 yards yesterday against an emerging, aggressive, and dominant Patriots defense.

Buffalo's stampede heading to nowhere

It has hit rock bottom for the Bills. You can't squander a 23-3 lead in the fourth quarter and lose to Miami in hot weather one week, then return home in cold and snow and get wiped off the field by the Patriots. The prelude to yesterday's game wasn't so hot, either, when the Bills suspended usually rock-solid receiver Eric Moulds.

Brady stings Buffalo with aerial show

If a sore left leg couldn't stop Tom Brady, the unraveling Buffalo Bills certainly didn't have a chance to slow down the New England quarterback. Not with the Patriots moving toward another division title.

December 11, 2005

Brady being Brady; QB leads Pats to rout of Bills

Neither a limp, nor snow, nor a slick field could prevent Tom Brady from leading the New England Patriots to victory.

Bills McGahee returns after being knocked woozy

Bills running back Willis McGahee overcame a blow to the head, returning for the start of the second half of Buffalo's game against New England on Sunday.

Bills McGahee woozy after hit in head

Bills running back Willis McGahee was helped off the field after being kneed in the head in the second quarter of Buffalo's game against New England on Sunday.

Bills issue Moulds behavior warning

The Bills sent a letter to suspended WR Eric Moulds yesterday saying if there are any more incidents, the team will go after a portion of his signing bonus, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported.

Bills are in turmoil, but Pats have own woes

The last seven days must have seemed like an eternity for the Buffalo Bills. As if dealing with last Sunday's devastating 24-23 loss in Miami wasn't enough, they had to deal with the week-long distraction of wide receiver Eric Moulds' one-game suspension. Oh, by the way, the Bills (4-8) play the New England Patriots (7-5) today in Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Catch a rising star

Jason Peters is on an improbable journey. In a span of 18 months he has progressed from undrafted defensive lineman to NFL tight end project to offensive line candidate to starting right tackle for the Buffalo Bills.

Mularkey's done enough to get fired

At this point last season, the Bills were in the middle of a six-game winning streak that would propel them to a 9-7 season after an 0-4 start. They had just come from Miami where they overcame a 10-point Dolphins lead to win by 10.

Bills hope their pride shows up

When last we saw the Buffalo Bills on the football field they were looking brilliant in storming to a 21-0 lead in Miami. Then they were looking hapless in letting the lead slip away. It's hard to tell which Bills team will show up today at Ralph Wilson Stadium, but when they do they will find the Super Bowl champions waiting for them.

Bills Q&A: Sam Aiken

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sam Aiken will have some mighty big shoes to fill today when he takes the field against the New England Patriots at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The third-year pro will start his first NFL game in place of the suspended Eric Moulds, Buffalo's second all-time receiver.

Bills call on pride for Patriots

Their season is unraveling at the seams in the wake of five losses in six games, including last Sunday's epic collapse in Miami, and the Eric Moulds suspension saga that dominated the news this past week.

Embattled Bills to Face Pats on WROC-TV

New England Patriots are slowly starting to resemble the team that won three of the last four Super Bowls. Looking to wrap up their third straight AFC East title, the two-time defending champions visit the struggling Buffalo Bills. The game can be seen locally on WROC-TV at 1:00pm Sunday.

Bills love home

That Bills team the Patriots beat Oct. 30, the one that pushed them to the limit, shouldn’t be expected this time around. These Bills will be on the other side of a season-long roller coaster. Going into today’s game, Buffalo is 0-6 on the road and 4-2 at Ralph Wilson Stadium, and that’s just where this game is.

Unraveling Bills set to host unflappable Pats

Safety Troy Vincent attempted to stem the barrage of questions involving the Buffalo Bills’ crisis du jour — this time it’s receiver Eric Moulds’ status — by asking whether anyone wanted to know what he thought of the team’s next game.

Bills saga a bunch of Mularkey

Things are crumbling in Buffalo, where it's starting to look like General Manager Tom Donahoe's job may be in jeopardy. Coach Mike Mularkey didn't help matters, creating a circus atmosphere this week while the Bills prepared to play host to the Patriots today.

Bills report: Inside slant

Amid the circus of wide receiver Eric Moulds' announced suspension for arguing with an assistant coach during last Sunday's 24-23 meltdown in Miami, the Buffalo Bills have to get ready for a game this weekend that could officially eliminate them from the playoff race.

December 10, 2005

Bills may find clear flying

The New England Patriots have an inviting pass defense that's ranked 31st in the NFL. Whether the Buffalo Bills can take advantage of it without their No. 1 receiver will be one of the main subplots of Sunday's AFC East game in Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Flutie's home once where Buffalo roamed

If the feelings are mixed, maybe that's because the experience itself was. "I don't want to get caught up in that," New England Patriots backup quarterback Doug Flutie answered when asked about his second trip back to Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday afternoon. "Yes, it does (mean a lot to go back). I'll leave it at that."

Patriots notebook: Faulk misses practice

Kevin Faulk made an impact in Sunday’s win over the Jets, but it’s unclear if he’ll be able to do the same against the Bills tomorrow.

Floundering Bills take on Patriots

Safety Troy Vincent attempted to stem the barrage of questions involving the Buffalo Bills' crisis du jour - this time it's receiver Eric Moulds' status - by asking whether anyone wanted to know what he thought of the team's next game.

Free agents could frown at Bills' turmoil

The recent incidents in Buffalo between coach Mike Mularkey and veteran players Sam Adams and Eric Moulds has brought into question the issue of whether the Bills' organization will be attractive to prospective free agents.

Bills' image being tackled for a loss

The team blew a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost to its archrival by a point. The coach, under siege for bizarre play calling, suspended one of the club's most popular players for arguing with an assistant, a three-day controversy that dragged the team's 87-year-old owner into the mess.

December 09, 2005

Bills Coach: 'We Have to Move Forward'

Buffalo Bills coach Mike Mularkey admitted Friday that wide receiver Eric Moulds was suspended for "conduct detrimental to our team." After one of the most tumultuous weeks in Bills history, in which the Pro Bowl receiver was suspended without pay by team owner Ralph Wilson, Mularkey finally spoke to reporters about Moulds for the first time this week.

Instead of picking up pieces, Bills are falling apart

Next stop on the AFC East's Boulevard of Broken Dreams? Buffalo, where we pick up the self-immolation already in progress.

Bills' Evans, Losman build chemistry

When the Buffalo Bills' passing attack was as threatening as a squirt gun earlier this season, all receiver Lee Evans wanted was for the team to pick a quarterback and stick with him.

Bills WR Evans building chemistry with Losman

When the Buffalo Bills’ passing attack was as threatening as a squirt gun earlier this season, all receiver Lee Evans wanted was for the team to pick a quarterback and stick with him.

Bills RB Willis McGahee Misses Practice

Bills running back Willis McGahee didn't practice Friday because of an illness.

Bills prepare for Patriots without Moulds

Buffalo Bills coach Mike Mularkey admitted Friday that wide receiver Eric Moulds was suspended for "conduct detrimental to our team."

Eric Moulds Speaks To WGR

In an interview Friday morning with "The Howard Simon Show," Eric Moulds said Ralph Wilson suspended him for a number of reasons, even though the Bills owner didn't want a suspension for the star wide-out.

Boss says one and done for Moulds

Ralph C. Wilson Jr. restored some order to the ugliest week of the Buffalo Bills' season Thursday by backing his head coach and showing respect to his most tenured player.

Mularkey picking fight to gain control

Let me begin by saying I haven't a clue about what Eric Moulds said that infuriated Mike Mularkey to the point of no return Sunday. Still, it doesn't take a genius to figure out the wide receiver offered more than his respectful opinion about improving the Buffalo Bills' offense while they had a 21-0 lead.

Leonhard's work ethic finds its way into games

Jim Leonhard has always been commended as a hard-nosed, hustling player who overachieved to make the Buffalo Bills roster. But after spending several games on the sidelines, the rookie safety is finding his way into the lineup more often.

The history book is littered with no-name Bills killers

Ron Smith, a backup receiver for the San Diego Chargers who caught the winning 50-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter to beat the Bills in the divisional playoffs in the 1980 season.

Healthier Patriots too strong for Bills

The New England Patriots were outplayed for most of the game but rallied for a 21-16 home victory over the Buffalo Bills on Oct. 30. The rematch Sunday shouldn't be as close.

Bills should struggle against the first-place Patriots

On Sunday, the AFC East leading New England Patriots (7-5) will visit the Buffalo Bills (4-8) at Ralph Wilson Stadium. With Buffalo's demoralizing loss last week, combined with the suspension of wide receiver Eric Moulds for conduct detrimental to the team, it is expected that the Patriots will dismantle the Bills.

Buffalo owner suspends Moulds

With his team in chaos, Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson arrived yesterday to settle a simmering dispute involving 10-year veteran receiver Eric Moulds.

December 08, 2005

Moulds suspended without pay for Sunday

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Eric Moulds has been suspended without pay for Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots, Bills owner Ralph Wilson said. The decision to suspend Moulds, the team’s leading pass-catcher, was made during a half-hour meeting Thursday between the player, Wilson and Bills coach Mike Mularkey at the team’s headquarters.

Bills report: Strategy and personnel

QB J.P. Losman is 1-6 as Buffalo's starting quarterback and progress has been slow to come. But it's coming.

Bills report: Inside slant

Three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Eric Moulds is in coach Mike Mularkey's doghouse.

Bills report: Notes, quotes

QB J.P. Losman said having veteran WR Eric Moulds to throw to or to draw double coverage is his "comfort zone."

NFL Preview - New England (7-5) At Buffalo (4-8)

The New England Patriots may not be considered the team to beat in the NFL this season, but in the AFC East, they're still king.

Change is Inevitable

I feel sorry for Bills fans. Your best moment of this season may come when the owner finally fires his President. I don’t know what Tom Donahoe can do to save his job now. He can’t turn back the clock and get wins over the Saints and Patriots and Dolphins. He can’t bring Pat Williams back. He can’t draft someone other than Mike Williams.

Mularkey in Tough Spot in Moulds Mutiny

There’s no longer a way that anybody at 1 Bills Drive can sugar coat this lemon of a season; it’s leaving a sour taste in almost every way.

Bills Might Suspend Disgruntled Moulds

Terrell Owens is not the only standout NFL wide receiver at odds with his team these days. Buffalo Bills wideout Eric Moulds didn't practice yesterday and could be suspended for Sunday's game against the New England Patriots.

Losman follows his own path

JP Losman has been places, very different places, but perhaps the fact that he has felt comfortable in all of them - from Venice, Calif., to New Orleans to Buffalo - probably says as much about him as anything he will ever do on the football field.

Bills players display support for Moulds

Eric Moulds is no Terrell Owens. That was the message sent loud and clear by Moulds' Buffalo Bills teammates on Wednesday after they learned that the club's three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver and most tenured player could be suspended for Sunday's home game against the New England Patriots after an argument with an assistant coach.

What's going on with the Bills?

Embattled wide receiver Eric Moulds was "excused" from practice Wednesday and will be again today when he meets with coach Mike Mularkey, general manager Tom Donahoe and team owner Ralph Wilson to discuss whether he will be playing Sunday against the New England Patriots.

Moulds will play elsewhere next season

I understand why Buffalo Bills veteran Eric Moulds will be playing elsewhere next NFL season. He's still a very good player but no longer justifies being paid like a top-shelf wide receiver. The Bills prefer younger players to grow with quarterback J.P. Losman.

Mularkey has crossed the line, not Moulds

With his team riding a three-game losing streak and having lost five of its last six games, Buffalo Bills coach Mike Mularkey should've had one goal for the final month of this dreaded season: Keep low and not get hit by any more bullets.

Bills get good rating in 'fan satisfaction' survey

These aren't the happiest of times for the Buffalo Bills on and off the field, but the franchise fared well in a survey released Wednesday by ESPN The Magazine regarding "fan satisfaction" in pro sports.

Cause for concern: Bills cashing in at home

The Patriots beat Buffalo at Gillette Stadium Oct. 30 in a game in which they scored the winning touchdown with a little more than five minutes remaining, so they are expecting a tough test this week at Orchard Park anyway. But the Bills' solid play at home is more cause for concern.

Mularkey turns clumsy on suspension

Mike Mularkey ha