I truly enjoy games where I am sweating as much as the players. Most of it was stress induced, the rest of it was based on the rising heat index at Kelly\u2019s. With a perfect day outside, it was hardly the ideal day to be sitting at a bar without AC.<\/p>\n
Leading up to this game, I had almost no gut feeling about the outcome of the game. I could see the Bills winning, I could also see the Eagles rising to the challenge. When the Bills went up 7-0, I was still uncertain. When they stopped the Eagles on 3rd down at mid field, I felt like the Bills were for real. Then I saw Danny Batten headbutt Vick, and I knew we were in for a long game that was going to go down to the wire. And for me, that was problematic.<\/p>\n
Problematic because I had a dream on Saturday night that the Bills were winning 55-17 and lost 56-55. So when the were up 28-7 and 31-14, I wasn\u2019t really feeling it at all. The dream told me of troubles to come. Shelly texted me at 31-14 and asked what the score was. We were going to her premier of a movie she narrated called \u201cAmerican Meat\u201d after the game. Yes, I am married to a much better looking version of Morgan Freeman. Yes, the movie is really good. And yes, I\u2019m pretty much only eating organic, grass fed meats after watching that movie.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow are the Bills doing?\u201d Shelly texted.
\n\u201cBlowing them out, but too much time to be happy.\u201d
\n\u201cWait, are the Bills winning or losing?\u201d<\/p>\n
At 31-14, I stepped out for Pizza for the group. I returned 10 real minutes (not football minutes) later. 31-21. I also returned with slices that hadn\u2019t been part of the first 4 weeks rotation. I knew I was playing with fire. Then Vick ran into the endzone to make it a three point game. Those new slices were definitely trouble. But then the flag came out for \u201chands to the face\u201d. I\u2019ll readily admit that I didn\u2019t know that was a penalty anymore since Merriman routinely has people slapping his face and wrapping their arms around his throat most weeks. That was a nice surprise to know the refs still occasionally call stuff.<\/p>\n
On the last drive when Barnett made the pick, I still knew the game wasn\u2019t over. Shelly texted \u201cstatus? Score?\u201d
\n\u201c31-24, but I still don\u2019t trust them.\u201d
\n\u201cBut you\u2019re winning?\u201d
\n\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d
\nI\u2019ll admit, it\u2019s not fun being married to me when the Bills play. I\u2019m like a child. I can\u2019t do anything but watch the game. She\u2019s forgiven me. The Pope wrote a letter and declared her a saint. I wrote him back and asked him to declare her a Bill. No word back from the Pope. However, I\u2019ve written former Bill, Marcus Pope, and he seems to be looking into it.<\/p>\n
But alas we are off topic. At the end of the game, with the last meaningful play possibly being 4th and 1, I died a little at watching the punting unit trot onto the field. One inch at home with a RB who has accumulated almost 200 yards of offense himself? Don\u2019t you owe it to yourself to go for it? Plus I wasn\u2019t going to be able to stick around for the inevitable overtime because of Shelly\u2019s movie. I\u2019m not that myopic.<\/p>\n
Then to the tune of Chariots of Fire, the offense came back onto the field in slow motion. At least that\u2019s how I saw the whole thing unfold. I felt comfortable until I realized they were solely going for the Eagles to jump offsides. I was convinced again that they were going to go to overtime. At 12 seconds on the play clock, I couldn\u2019t believe this was the gamble. At 9 seconds, I was Marty Mcfly waiting for his parents to kiss. And then \u201cEarth Angel, EARTH ANGEL!!! Won\u2019t you be mine?\u201d They jumped. I was alive. We had survived.<\/p>\n
In the end, I\u2019m really enjoying these games because they still haven\u2019t put together a full 4 quarters since week 1. When you hear that the teams who really have playoff aspirations and Super Bowl dreams are the ones who get hot in weeks 10-17, I\u2019m giddy. The Bills have a lot to improve. They have upward mobility to go from barely hanging on to really smoking hot. They know it. Whereas for the Lions and the Packers, they are hitting on all cylinders right now. They can only go down from here. If you look at the tail end of the Bills schedule, it\u2019s easier than it is now. They could be that team that everyone has fallen in love with. In the meantime, it\u2019s all under the radar. Go ahead and book \u201cBills 49ers\u201d for the Super Bowl. It was the Super Bowl that Super Bowl 1 (or 25 depending on how you count Super Bowls) was supposed to be.<\/p>\n
This Giants game could be very exciting. The Bills seem to like intercepting top named QB\u2019s in this league, and Eli seems to like throwing interceptions. Perhaps our first full four quarters comes this Sunday!<\/p>\n
DVD Extras<\/p>\n
– Levitre \u2013 On Fred Jackson\u2019s huge screen pass run that helped put the Bills up 14-7, Levitre made the key block which let Fred Jackson explode down the field. Odd that the pre-season debate was that he was potentially getting benched. Levitre has been quite amazing thus far as has been the case for all the O-linemen.<\/p>\n
– The Hard Count \u2013 I\u2019ve never seen a QB do the intentional hard count without bobbing their head (which is technically illegal but hardly ever called). Fitzharvard\u2019s head was totally level on the hard count. Harvard teaches their students everything!<\/p>\n
– The Hard Count part 2 \u2013 I didn\u2019t read anything on this, but I\u2019m curious if the Bills would have still snapped it if the Eagles weren\u2019t biting by 4 seconds. I almost don\u2019t want to know because if the punting unit was coming back out, it smacks of Dick Jauron.<\/p>\n
– Smacks of Dick Jauron? \u2013 Yes, because not only does it essentially concede defeat, it also shows you learned nothing during the game. Learning nothing in the game is signature Jauron. Early the game, the Bills had 4th and 6 at like the 42 yard line. Moorman booted it (the same direction as the 4th and 1) into the endzone, and Corey McIntyre took a personal foul. That yielded all of 8 yards. If the Bills punted 4th and 1, they potentially were going to commit the exact same mistake they made earlier in the game.<\/p>\n
– Which brings me to\u2026 – Conservatism. The Bills dinked and dunked so much that I thought Trent Edwards was our QB for a second. I\u2019m going to just cross my fingers that this was Chan\u2019s way of saying, \u201cwhy take risks with that secondary when their front 7 is so suspect.\u201d The conservatism worked early, but since they never tried anything longer later in the game, it didn\u2019t work late in the game. On a beautiful day like that, you\u2019d have thought throwing long was a no brainer.<\/p>\n
– Fandom Volatility \u2013 Mandy, our newest member to our Kelly\u2019s group, has a fandom dilemma. Having spent the most formative years of her football development in Buffalo during the Super Bowl years, Mandy is a Bills fan. However, she has local affinities for the Giants. During the game I asked where the split was prior to the season. She said 50\/50. That was entirely not the right answer. I then asked, \u201cwhere are you now?\u201d 60\/40. We watched the Bills game some more, and the Giants game was on in the corner. At one point near the 31-14 point, her fandom gauge was clocked as high as 70\/30. The beginning of the Bills melt down took it back to 60\/40, and then Fitz hard counted the win. \u201cNow?\u201d I asked as we watched the Giants game. Before Mandy answered, Eli was picked off, and the INT was returned for 6 points. \u201c65\/30.\u201d I was told that 70\/30 is probably the highest it can go. I have a feeling a playoff run could skew this to 95\/5. Mandy has okayed the weekly barometer to be broadcast to you all. It\u2019ll be interesting to see what the head-to-head matchup does this week.<\/p>\n
– Occupy NFL \u2013 In the 1930\u2019s if you heard of a slick talking suit walking into your town talking about how he just needed a little money to give you something you\u2019d love, you\u2019d probably say, \u201cthat guy\u2019s a huckster.\u201d Well, in 2011, the same thing should be true. Roger Goodell came to town this weekend and gave the old Darcy Reiger \u201cthe fans need an education\u201d speech. He told fans that the NFL needed more government money despite having $9BN in annual revenue and 32 teams all in the $800MM or more range. \u201cDid someone say Mono rail? Mono rail\u2026mono rail\u2026\u201d Is bank debt not available to the NFL? In a world where people on the verge of rioting, don\u2019t you think a profitable entity like the NFL kind of owes it to their local areas to take care of their stadiums themselves? Then to top it off, his answer to life after Ralph was, \u201cWe hope he stays with us a long time.\u201d That\u2019s the plan?! We hope a 93 year old man stays alive forever? Quick,you\u2019re your yellow suit on and let\u2019s go find Forester\u2019s forest full of eternal life giving drinking water. Buffalo\u2019s viability of keeping our team in the area is connected to government money that we don\u2019t have and that Ralph Wilson is actually Ralph Tuck, an unknown character from \u201cTuck Everlasting\u201d. This whole thing irked me.<\/p>\n
– You\u2019re a lucky man, Roger. \u2013 Never mind the sour taste left in my mouth with the ownership talk, last time the commish was in Buffalo was the Dallas Monday Night game. The game where I became one of the most pessimistic Bills fans ever. Thankfully Roger\u2019s visit wasn\u2019t simply, \u201cYeah, I can\u2019t do anything about your football team staying here, oh and sorry the eagles came back from 31-14 to win that game. Should I not bring up that I swayed Vick to not come to this city? Ok, I\u2019ll leave.\u201d<\/p>\n
– Chad Kelly, more tweeting\u2013 Some of you knew this interesting tweet (if such a thing exists). Chad Kelly, nephew of former Bill legend, Jim Kelly, tweeted, \u201cSome pretty good news coming out of the Buffalo Bills let’s just say meeting thee new man” and then \u201cAll bills fans and what not next year might be a new year a new season and new…..fill that in and you got it. meeting on saturday.” This of course sent Bills fans through the roof that the Bills new ownership could be solved long term now. Publically, I said, \u201cBills big announcements are always spectacular in the level of lame they bring to the table.\u201d Remember how were were lead to believe Cowher was an option and then they had a hurried press conference and Buddy Nix was trotted out? Nevermind that that might actually just be the right hire and what not, in terms of electric announcements, that wasn\u2019t it. Privately, I danced and beat boxed \u201cBills are staying in Buffalo\u201d only to be crushed by the Goodell comments. I hope they win the Super Bowl this year so if they move it, I can die happy.<\/p>\n
– ESPN, the injustice \u2013 I found I don\u2019t watch much of ESPN anymore except during the football season and only when I\u2019m trying to catch Bills highlights from the wins. On Sunday at 11:30pm, I was trying to see the high lights again. On ESPN, they have the tracker on the left hand side. The segments coming up were \u201cEagles Bills\u201d followed by \u201cAre the Bills for Real\u201d and then \u201cWhat\u2019s happening to Eagles\u201d. The \u201cEagles Bills\u201d highlights consisted of the 4 INT\u2019s by Vick. It then went to \u201cAre the Bills for real?\u201d The first announcer asked just that question. The other announcer said, \u201cYeah, I don\u2019t know.\u201d and it moved to the next segment which consisted of a lot of Eagle post game press conferences for about two times the length of the highlights. And this is why I don\u2019t watch ESPN.<\/p>\n