Buffalo Bills (6-5) vs San Francisco 49ers (3-8)
Sunday, November 30, 2008, 1PM EST
SB Nation's 49ers coverage: Niners Nation

The Buffalo Bills ended a four-game losing streak and revived their slim playoff chances with a 54-31 drubbing of the Kansas City Chiefs last weekend.  This week, the Bills return home to face the San Francisco 49ers in another game the Bills should win.  Take care of business, and the playoffs remain a possibility.  Lose; well, you can kiss your season goodbye.  It's really as simple as that.

What does Buffalo need to do to win?  Just a few things...

START FAST: Not since their Week 7 victory over San Diego has Buffalo opened the scoring in a game.  That means in five straight games, Bills opponents have drawn first blood, to the tune of 40 points in those five contests.  That means the Bills, on average, are battling from an 8-0 deficit right out of the gate.  They're 1-4 in those games.  It's getting old.  Start fast, Buffalo, and you immediately sap the energy out of a young 49ers team with nothing to lose.

KEEP ON RUNNING: Buffalo's two most consistent offensive players - running backs Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson - have combined to touch the ball 81 times over the past two games.  That, folks, is ideal.  The team's new-found commitment to getting these two involved has yielded 67 points in the past two games; if it ain't broke, don't fix it.  Expect these two to push 40 touches combined.

USE YOUR WEAPONS: This goes beyond Lynch and Jackson, and it even goes beyond Buffalo's offensive unit.  Simply put, Buffalo is an average team with a few potentially elite playmakers.  Those playmakers need to be involved.  Kurupt mentions Lee Evans every week; he makes this list.  The team's two return men, Leodis McKelvin and Roscoe Parrish, make the list as well.  This trio hasn't gotten a lot of opportunities in recent weeks, particularly Evans and Parrish.  These guys are difference-makers.  Get the ball in their hands, by any means necessary.

JUST TACKLE: This one's for you, Kawika Mitchell.  The veteran linebacker was put in position by Buffalo's coaching staff to have the game of his life; instead, he missed several tackles, whiffed on a potential safety, and got burned for a long touchdown pass early in the game.  It extends past Mitchell, obviously - Buffalo needs to tackle well every week - but the Niners have players who can make plays after contact, specifically Frank Gore.  Those types of plays need to be severely limited.

GORE THE SETUP MAN: Buffalo's run defense has struggled in recent weeks, giving up plenty of big gainers on the ground.  The 49ers are going to use Gore a lot this week; we should be resigned to the fact that he's going to get his yardage.  Buffalo needs to stay disciplined when (if?) that happens, because if Gore's running well, you can bet Mike Martz will try to take advantage of it through deep passes.  Stay disciplined, Buffalo, and you'll force Gore himself to beat you.

WIN THE TURNOVER BATTLE: This one is basic to the DNA of any win in the NFL.  The Bills were able to pile on 54 points in Kansas City because the Chiefs handed them the ball 5 times.  They didn't give the Chiefs such pleasure, not even once.  They lost four straight because they lost this battle.  Seems simple enough to me.

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: After starting the season 3-0 at home with wins over Seattle, Oakland and San Diego, the Bills have lost two straight to the Jets and Cleveland.  Buffalo only has two more games at Ralph Wilson Stadium this season - this Niners game, as well as the season finale against the Patriots.  Protect your home turf is a golden rule in the NFL, and it especially holds true against an inferior opponent.

SENSE OF URGENCY: Even in winning 54-31 on the road, Buffalo didn't look overly desperate last weekend.  Perhaps that's a good thing - they're not panicking with their backs against the wall - but I'd like to see them playing for the playoffs, particularly in the early parts of games.  This is game that the Bills have to win.  They'd better play as if they're supremely aware of that fact.

***

This list is short, sweet and simple, and honestly, these keys shouldn't be overly difficult to fulfill.  If the Bills start fast and score first, it'll make their lives easier.  The Bills are favored, and rightfully so, but they still need to take care of business.  Go get 'em, Buffalo.  Your playoff hopes are at stake.

McKelvin becoming a factor in stretch run (buffalobills.com)

Ten weeks into his rookie season, fans and "experts" - the most notable "expert" being the ever-delightful Jerry Sullivan of The Buffalo News - had inexplicably already pulled out the term "bust" when discussing Buffalo Bills rookie cornerback Leodis McKelvin. Ten weeks into his rookie season, there was reason to be disappointed with the rookie, however. McKelvin had made little impact defensively, given up plenty of big plays, and had been rather pedestrian as a kick returner. Still, to term any rookie a "bust" after nine games is a bit ridiculous.

To say that McKelvin has exploded onto the scene over the past two weeks is an understatement.

It started on Monday Night Football against the Cleveland Browns, when McKelvin - filling in for an injured Jabari Greer in the second half - shut down dangerous Browns WR Donte' Stallworth. His 98-yard kickoff return for a score kept the Bills in that game, despite the fact that after four offensive turnovers, they had no business being alive in the first place.

Then came yesterday's break-out performance at Kansas City. McKelvin intercepted the first two passes of his career, returning the first one for a 64-yard touchdown to give the Bills the lead for good. He was also explosive once again in the return game, returning the opening kickoff of the second half 46 yards to set up Trent Edwards' second rushing TD and a 37-17 Bills lead.

That's not to say the kid's been perfect. His coverage has improved tremendously, but his technique is still lacking to the point that he can get turned around on occasion and give up big plays. His run support is not great, either - the kid tackles well, but he routinely takes bad angles and has trouble shedding blocks. He was engulfed on several long Larry Johnson runs yesterday when he was responsible for contain.

But he's still a rookie. When you're playing with any rookie in this league, you take the good with the bad. For McKelvin the past two weeks, the explosive good has outweighed the bad by several miles.

Said McKelvin after yesterday's stellar performance in KC:

"It felt great. It felt like I was in college, where my first pick went for a touchdown. I'm just out there trying to do my job. Basically what they tell me in practice is mind your own business, do your own job and things will come your way. I've been working very hard in practice and it's starting to pay off."

Head coach Dick Jauron piled on:

"We're obviously thrilled with the way he played today and the way he's come along."

It's not exactly necessary to point out that "experts" like Sullivan who called McKelvin out earlier in the season are eating their words this morning. Bills fans have been spoiled a bit with the solid rookie contributions of players like Donte Whitner, Edwards, Marshawn Lynch and several others during Jauron's tenure as this team's coach. Maybe the Bills were at a point where they didn't need a rookie to perform immediately, maybe not; either way, what's forgotten is the fact that making the leap from tiny Troy to the NFL isn't exactly easy. DeMarcus Ware did it in Dallas, but not even Giants star Osi Umenyiora was an instant-impact guy as a second-round pick (he registered just one sack as a rookie). When you draft a small-school guy - and for its growing reputation, Troy is undoubtedly small - development takes time. Leo is still developing.

But it's time to toss the "bust" label to the wayside.  McKelvin has arrived, and once he learns consistency, he should very quickly assert himself as one of the very best corners in this league.

McKelvin, Bills make big plays in big W (Associated Press)

The Buffalo Bills ended a four-game losing streak with a 54-31 road victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

In a game that resembled conventional Bills football in no sense of the phrase, QB Trent Edwards scored four touchdowns, CB Leodis McKelvin picked off two Tyler Thigpen passes and returned one for a score, and the Bills forced five turnovers in a much-needed victory.  The Bills needed most of the 54 points they put up, however, as Buffalo's defense struggled to tackle and gave up plenty of big plays to the Chiefs.

Offense clicks... finally
That was the offense that Buffalo Rumblings has been calling for over the past month.  The Bills successfully established the run early, with Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson keeping the game close early.  Lynch finished with 104 total yards and the team's first touchdown, while Jackson added 76 yards as well.

With the run established, the Bills started running the play-action, and the simplified offensive attack worked wonders for Trent Edwards.  In a confidence-boosting performance for Buffalo's young signal-caller - roughed up during the four-game losing streak - Edwards completed 24 of 32 passes (75%) for 273 yards and two scores.  He added two more touchdowns on scrambles, as he finished the game with 38 rushing yards on 6 carries.  Edwards' QB rating?  120.9.  It's amazing what a competent game plan (and a not-so-competent defense) can do for you.

Everything worked for Buffalo's offense today.  Perhaps the most gratifying moment was when WR Josh Reed, who missed the last three weeks with ankle and Achilles injuries, caught his first TD pass since December 17 of 2006.  It's been a long time coming for Reed.  Lee Evans (5 receptions, 110  yards) and the tight ends (a combined 7 catches, 68 yards and 1 TD) were factors as well.  Capping off the success offensively was the fact that much-maligned head coach Dick Jauron ordered up two offensive plays on 4th and 1 early in the game, the first of which led to a touchdown run by Lynch.

Defense lucky that the O woke up
Set aside the five turnovers (two McKelvin picks and fumble recoveries by Marcus Stroud, George Wilson and Derek Schouman).  Set aside McKelvin's 64-yard pick-six.  (Well, don't.  McKelvin looked like a superstar today.)  It's true that Buffalo played most of this game with a big lead, but Buffalo's defense wasn't close to good on this day.

Kansas City gained 462 yards on the day.  Buffalo couldn't tackle to save their lives, Kawika Mitchell in particular.  Larry Johnson ran for 81 yards on just 7 carries, and Chiefs quarterbacks threw for four scores (3 from Thigpen, one from Quinn Gray in "garbage time").  It's great that the team came up with big plays defensively, but they gave up too many as well.  The D was not impressive early, surrendering touchdowns on two of Kansas City's first three drives, and needed all the help from the offense it could get.

In the end, the poor performance defensively didn't matter, as the Bills scored more points than they had in 17 years.  But if you feel the need to nit-pick, this is the area to concentrate on.

Game Balls
Two of these are going to be obvious.  One might not be.

QB Trent Edwards - I know a few of you will say "it's just the Chiefs", but this game is exactly what Edwards needed for his confidence.  He threw the ball downfield, he was more accurate than he's been in recent weeks, and he looked like a leader again.  This was a huge game for Trent.

CB Leodis McKelvin - All that "bust" talk?  It can now officially be thrown out the window; chalk his early struggles up to transitioning from Troy to the big leagues.  This kid is a monster.  Two picks, the pick-six and a 46-yard kickoff return to open the second half made him the most electrifying player on the field.

LB Blake Costanzo - Buffalo's special teams were once again outstanding.  At one point, I wondered which specialist to give this game ball to.  Costanzo was an easy choice; he was in on just about every special teams stop today.  I love the unsung hero, and Costanzo is that guy today.

Roll Call
A big "good on you" to the 22 folks who dropped by today's game thread.  As is usual, norcaliangelsfan out-nerded the rest of us with a whopping 211 comments.  The 22 folks:

ccthemovieman, WABillsfan, norcaliangelsfan, thatguy455, jj24, Brian Galliford, keuka121, taskersd, kaisertown, Cinga, Joe P., StuckInNJ, jdol1568, D.O., silverstreak3k, spavery, moncheri, NJBillsfan, dontuan, BenAllen, Tatunka, Kurupt, BILLS

I don't care what the nay-sayers come up with this week about our opponent.  It just feels GREAT to win again.

 
Buffalo Bills (5-5) at Kansas City Chiefs (1-9)
Sunday, November 23, 2008, 1PM EST - Arrowhead Stadium

After 4 straight losses, the Bills look to finally rebound and return to the win column.  On paper, facing a 1-9 squad seems like the perfect medicine, but we all know how that can work out.  The Chiefs have been playing better behind Tyler Thigpen and are always tough in Arrowhead.  Here's how we can leave there with a win:

Keep running it:  If Turk Schonert didn't learn from the Browns game that Marshawn Lynch needs the ball more than the 15 times he was getting it per game, then he'll never learn.  The Chiefs are 31st in the NFL against the rush giving up over 165 yards per game, and have allowed 16 rushing TD's thus far.  Simply put, they stink.  Please, keep it simple and take advantage of this!  Continue using Fred Jackson as the #1a RB, especially if motivates Lynch to run harder and hit the holes, like Jaws was thinking Monday.

Find Trent some confidence: Trent Edwards has no confidence, or at least it doesn't look like he has any.  Again, Schonert needs to keep it simple and find him ways to pick up some confidence while picking up first downs.  Expect (or hope) for some more screens and rollouts this week.  And here's a thought......

Don't neglect Lee Evans: As predictable as the playcalling has been and as badly as Edwards has played, there is NO reason that Lee Evans should be going catchless in a game.  All three of those guys have to step up.  It's no coincedence that our offense looked better in the year when we were looking downfield to Evans.  Where that has gone the past few weeks, who knows, but we've got to return to trying to get him the ball downfield.  If Edwards is too scared to make the throw, then we have much bigger problems than we'd like to admit.  The Chiefs have a couple of rookie CB's in Brandon Carr and Brandon Flowers who should be ripe for the picking (on).

Stop turning it over:  This one is all Trent Edwards.  Quit throwing pathetic interceptions man!  You aren't even getting pressured on these picks.  They are just downright awful throws.  The lack of confidence sure seems to be part of this.  Even if we don't make the playoffs this year, which is highly likely, it'd be nice if Edwards can rebound and prove he is our guy.  Throwing interception after unforced interception is not a good way to convince us!

Pressure Thigpen:  The Bills did a good job of pressuring Brady Quinn on Monday night, though it was due to the blitz and Marcus Stroud.  That needs to continue Sunday against Thigpen.  He's another young guy who you have to make uncomfortable back there.  Thigpen has been very good over his last 4 games, averaging 236 yards passing, close to another 30 rushing and 8 TD's compared to just 1 INT.  What I wouldn't give for Edwards to have those numbers.  The Chiefs have average 22.5 points per game under Thigpen's guidance these past 4 games, while only 12.5 ppg over their first 6 games.  I never thought I'd say this, but we need to slow down Tyler Thigpen.

Let Larry Johnson run it:  I think I'd rather the Chiefs just hand off to LJ 25 times this weekend.  There's no reason to believe our run D won't shut him down, so if the Chiefs keep going to a guy that hasn't been all that good, that's better for our chances.  Shutting him down on first and second downs to set up longer second and third downs should really allow us to pin our ears back and get after Thigpen.

Get some turnovers for once:  The Bills D has a whopping 5 INT's on the season, which is fewer than teams like the Rams, Bengals and Raiders.  Sure, they've done a solid job of limiting total yards for the most part, but there are absolutely no playmakers other than maybe Kawika Mitchell on this defense.  Nobody makes a big play, nobody gets a big stop and nobody gets the ball back for our offense.  This has been a frustrating element of this season as we heard all preseason how opportunistic the Bills D was planning to be.  Well, it hasn't come close to happening and I think the lack of INT's is due to the DB's playing off the ball.  INT's happen in tight coverage and with pressure from the DL, but we don't have either.  It'd be nice if we can get that to change against KC.

Dominate Special Teams again:  If we are going to play so poorly on O and so average on defense, let's at least hope our ST's can continue playing at a high level.  Leodis McKelvin has looked so much better over the past 3-4 games and that should continue if he's given the opportunities.  Roscoe Parrish finally had a chance against Cleveland and proved how dangerous he remains.  The D has to get him more chances by forcing 3 and outs.  They've only force eight 3 and outs over the past 5 games, four of which were against the stinky Browns and one was after three kneeldowns by Chad Pennington at the end of the Miami game.  They've got to do a better job getting off the field and getting Roscoe some chances.

Show some guts, pride, a sense of urgency:  Other than for a small portion fo the Browns game, we have not seen anything from this team that shows they understand how dire of a situation they have put themselves in.  It's frustrating that there seems to be no urgency and the team continues to play complacent and conservative.  Whether it's the players, the staff or Dick Jauron, we can all blame who we want, but at this point their backs are completely up against the wall.  Will they actually come out and dominate a game?  Will they actually come out and win a game that they desperately need?  Who knows, but if the past few seasons are any indication, we may leave this weekend disappointed yet again.  I just want to see a tough, physical approach to this game.

***

Well, there you have it.  Ways to avoid letting the 1-9 Chiefs beat the Bills.  There's no reason we should lose to an opponent like this, but there's also no reason to be playing as we have the past month.  A loss here would hardly be surprising....

Career effort from Lynch wasted in L (Associated Press)

In what can only be described as one of the ugliest and sloppiest football games that I have witnessed in recent memory, the Buffalo Bills lost their second straight Monday Night Football contest, this time succumbing to the Cleveland Browns 29-27.  The Bills, once 5-1 on the season, now find themselves 5-5, losers of their last four games, and dead least in the AFC East - a division they led just a month ago.

Despite some terrific individual efforts from RB Marshawn Lynch (33 touches, 177 yards, TD), CB Leodis McKelvin (stellar DB work, kick return for a score) and others, the Bills could not overcome four turnovers, which included three first-quarter interceptions from the sinking ship that is Trent Edwards.  Despite the downfalls, Cleveland did their best to keep the Bills in the game, which they did - but a Rian Lindell missed field goal in the final minute sealed Buffalo's fate.

First of all - calm down
I know what you're thinking.  "Fire Dick Jauron!" "Trent Edwards sucks!" "Turk Schonert is a moron!" "This team plays with no heart!" "Waaaaaaah!"

Just stop it.  Seriously.  Just.  Stop.  It.

As has been the case in their three previous losses, Buffalo lost this game because it made mistakes.  No, the coaching hasn't been perfect.  Yes, the play has largely been terrible.  Yes, it's irritating to watch this team repeatedly lose games they can win.  I challenge you all to avoid being the bandwagon fan.

I'm not asking you to be a front-runner, or even be obnoxiously positive - obviously, this team doesn't deserve the latter.  But when times are tough, the majority of fans have the admirable, yet silly, notion that pointing out every miniature problem and offering radical solutions to them will provide that "insta-change".  It rarely works.  We're fans of this team for a reason.  So before you sing "woe is me" and let your fingers tap-dance in obscenities, cliches and "Fire Dick Jauron!", understand that things take time.  I don't care how (im)patient you are; they do.  I've said my piece on this and won't say any more; I just think some of the reactions around here are ludicrous.  Flame away.  I can take the heat.

Holy adjustments, Kornheiser
After Edwards threw three picks in the first quarter, offensive coordinator Turk Schonert confounded both fans and the Browns alike by making an adjustment.  That adjustment?  He ran the ball.  Despite the four turnovers, Buffalo still dominated in time of possession while racking up 186 rushing yards on the night - easily their best rushing performance of the season.

Meanwhile, the Bills were able to find a pass rush tonight - against a pretty good Browns offensive line, no less.  No, it's still not consistent, but it was enough to force Brady Quinn into completing just 39 percent of his passes.  It's a step in the right direction for this defense, who once again was left in some tight spots and acquitted themselves nicely in a "kept us in it" performance.

Don't even get me started on Buffalo's special teams - these guys are back, Lindell's gaffe aside.  (For the record, I never left the "I don't trust Rian Lindell" bandwagon).  Still want to call Leodis McKelvin a bust?  If not for Lynch and the ever-annoying Phil Dawson, McKelvin was the best player on the field tonight.

What this team needs
No!  I'm not going to say "head coaching change", "scheme change", "coordinator change", or any of those common notions.  Y'all have that well-covered.  No, what Buffalo needs are some difference-makers.  Guys to lean on.  Buffalo is a star-less team, and it's become painfully apparent over the past month that they need a couple of stars.

Right now, Buffalo is leaning too hard on Edwards, and the kid is crumbling under the pressure.  He's forcing passes; he's antsy; his confidence is shot.  Schonert was smart to take the ball out of his hands as often as he did in the second half; we even saw flashes of the "old" Trent when he hit a beautiful seam route to Robert Royal to set up Lindell's crap-fest kick.  I still maintain that Edwards is going to be a very good player (I swear, if I hear "J.P. Losman" this week, I'm putting my foot up an arse).

Especially defensively, the Bills don't have that guy to get them out of tight spots.  The Dwight Freeney, Troy Polamalu, or Ray Lewis type - guys who get the job done when their teammates expect them to.  The Bills are a team of average, to above average, to very good players.  They don't have any great ones - not yet, anyways.  That's far easier to remedy than starting over from scratch.  Great players make great coaches and great teams.  Right now, Buffalo is stuck at "average"; they started the season at "very good".  Don't expect much to change (no, not even in the coaching staff, believe it or not) until we can find those guys to lean on.

Game Balls
I'm breaking my rule and giving one to Lynch, even though the Bills lost.  He played out of his mind tonight - Cleveland couldn't tackle the guy.  He was awesome.

Roll Call
National TV makes record-breaking game threads here at Rumblings; monumental collapses don't hurt that cause, either.  2,091 comments were made this evening, and while not all of them were what I would consider "koshier" (man, some of you guys swear like sailors - not cool, folks), I'll let it slide for tonight considering the nature of the game.  Just try to keep it under control in the future.  We're not Kissing Suzy Kolber or Deadspin.

Props to norcaliangelsfan for pacing the nerds with 289 comments; Monstarr_716 also popped in with an incredibly respectful 279.  MattRichWarren (271), Kurupt (260) and Joe P (168) also had impressive outings.  Good on all 45 of you who stopped by.

norcaliangelsfan, Kurupt, fletcherjd, MonStarr_716, jwest529, sireric, Ron From NM, keuka121, Joe P., Cinga, MattRichWarren, chaosthepitbull, SebastianPruiti, garycoleman69, prbillsfan, Zumone, Thoroughbred, BearsNecessity, silverstreak3k, WABillsfan, MARVelous, Kumario!, tomsbills, TimEllis, BILLS, smokin4gnomes, TheK-GunNeedsReloaded, BillsNorth, Teaters33, NJBill, grenoire, Phinja305, TheAfghanTwilight, ccthemovieman, poz, LeClaireBill, NJBillsfan, jri111, ChrisPokorny, lefty6283, schobes44, LGB, StuckInNJ, tiimbitz4786, Hopefulcynic

Cassel, Pats run over hapless Bills (Associated Press)

For the third consecutive week, the Buffalo Bills dropped a key divisional game against a solid AFC East rival.  A 20-10 loss to the New England Patriots is Buffalo's fourth loss in their last five games, and leaves them at the bottom of the division less than a month after leading it.

The Bills committed two more turnovers in an abysmal offensive effort that negated solid efforts by Buffalo's defense and special teams.  Left on the field for far too long, Buffalo's defense eventually broke, allowing the Patriots to chew up over 37 minutes of possession time, 144 rushing yards and all of the momentum in this one.  The Bills only lost by 10, but it could have been much, much worse than that - and it probably should have been.

Offense plays terribly
Trent Edwards threw two more interceptions today, and not even a late garbage-time touchdown pass to James Hardy could elevate his QB rating above a paltry 52.8.  He completed 14 of 23 passes for just 120 yards, with the score and two picks.  Once again, Edwards struggled without a solid running game - the Bills rushed for 60 yards on the day, doubling the pathetic 30 they picked up against the Jets last week - and was erratic while enduring a steady Patriots pass rush.  This was easily Edwards' worst performance as a pro; the stats don't tell the whole story.  Buffalo got nothing going offensively.

The predictability of Buffalo's offense is laughable.  One of my key areas of focus tomorrow while reviewing film is going to be putting a percentage to the number of times Edwards throws from under center.  We've seen this predictability before; the fact that it remains an issue is, quite frankly, absurd.

Marshawn Lynch fought hard for the 46 rushing yards he did pick up (averaging 3.3 yards per carry).  Roscoe Parrish was the team's leading receiver with 4 catches for 31 yards; Lee Evans had just 2 receptions for 22 yards in what was easily his worst performance of the season as well.  Teams continue to focus on negating Evans, and it's working wonders.

D, Special Teams keep it close... for a while
While getting no help from the offense, Buffalo's defense and special teams kept this game competitive into the fourth quarter.  The D held the Patriots to just a field goal after Edwards' first interception, and forced a fumble on a Matt Cassel sack after Trent's second pick.  Allowing just 3 points off of turnovers allowed the Bills to stay alive - or, rather, it would have if the offense wasn't playing so terribly.

In the end, however, Buffalo was once again unable to get off the field in the fourth quarter, allowing the Patriots to chew up over 9 minutes of game clock in the fourth quarter.  The Patriots converted 11 of 18 third downs, Cassel scrambled for 22 yards and a score, and rookie undrafted free agent BenJarvus Green-Ellis picked up 105 yards and a score on the day.

Leodis McKelvin's 85-yard kickoff return late in the game, along with a strong punting effort from Brian Moorman (four punts downed inside New England's 20) highlighted an excellent special teams effort by the Bills.  The team also did well containing top-flight Patriots returners Ellis Hobbs, Wes Welker and Kevin Faulk.

Three big games coming up
The Bills fell flat on their faces in the toughest stretch of their schedule, and now sit at 0-3 in the division.  The team now plays three very winnable games in a row - at home against Cleveland on Monday Night, at Kansas City, and at home against San Francisco.  Needless to say, anything less than 3 wins in that stretch would likely relegate the Bills to also-ran status in the AFC - if they're not there already.

Game balls
There were some contenders, but a Bills loss negates the need to reward anyone.  If you're looking to hand out "anti-game balls", come on down, Turk Schonert, Trent Edwards and Dick Jauron.  (Yes, I said it.)

Roll Call
Thanks to ALL 34 folks who joined me in today's game thread, and props once again to WABillsFan who paced us all with a healthy 145 comments.

Ron From NM, StuckInNJ, taskersd, silverstreak3k, WABillsfan, BuffaloBrewed, Slimmons, SebastianPruiti, thatguy34, MonStarr_716, fletcherjd, D.O., NJBillsfan, Thronsen, BeastMode, ccthemovieman, keuka121, TheK-GunNeedsReloaded, Kumario!, bullruns, krytime, Cinga, keysh67, NJBill, geno227, Memphisbillsfan, jdol1568, Gino Parilli, TheAfghanTwilight, Hopefulcynic, Kurupt, chaosthepitbull, bflobob8, savedbychrist

  
Buffalo Bills (5-3) at New England Patriots (5-3)
Sunday, November 9, 1:00 PM EST - Gillette Stadium

After a second consecutive divisional loss, the Bills look to rebound in their personal house of horrors this week.  Going into Gillette Stadium wounded and on the down slope, the Bills need to find a way to play better than they have and win this extremely important divisional game.  Here's how they can do so:

Don't play scared and soft: For years now, it has appeared the Bills have gone into the majority of their Patriots' games expecting to lose.  They've come out and been manhandled instead imposing any sort of will in the games.  They've sat back and let the Pats kick them in the stomach.  Well, Tom Brady isn't walking through that door any time soon, so now is the time for the Bills to stick it to the Pats.  They can't come out and look like the same scared bundle of nerves that we've seen in the past.  Dick Jauron has to get these guys fired up and ready to punch back at the Patriots.  Take a page from the Dolphins' book here, play physical and tough.

Run the ball:  It just seems so simple, yet so difficult for the Bills this year.  Turk Schonert has to find ways to get this offense moving on the ground.  That probably includes more runs off tackle and to the outside, and fewer runs behind center.  Get the ball to Lynch and Jackson in space!  Whether he will stick with the run game this week depends on how well we can run it early.  Our offense is much easier to stop when we don't run it well.  It's also time for the high paid OL to start playing better.  It's been WAY too long.  It will be a tough task this week against a good New England front 7.

Lee Evans:  Here's your weekly reminder, get Evans the ball.  Going up against the corpse of Deltha O'Neal and rookies Jonathan Wilhite and Terrence Wheatley, Evans should have plenty of opportunities this week.  This is the perfect week for Evans to finally have a good game against the Pats.  We desperately need it now.  We also need James Hardy and Roscoe Parrish to step up in a big way this week.  A Hardy coming out party would be much appreciated.

Protect the rock:  Enough with the turnovers, Trent.  Hang on to the ball and put some points on the board.  We aren't winning this week with another 3 turnover game.  Not only does Edwards have to play better, but the OL needs to protect him much better than it has.  The Pats will be coming after him, so this is an area of importance again.

Disrupt Wes Welker:  With Matt Cassel's affiniity for throwing underneath and finding Welker, it's going to be important to disrupt their timing and stick with Welker.  Whether it's Reggie Corner or Leodis McKelvin matched up against him inside, they need to play up on him and make his release difficult.  If Welker can get off the line without a problem, he should be able to scour the middle and kill us underneath.  We can't let Cassel sit back and hit the underneath stuff like that.  By disrupting his timing and playing up on Welker, we've got to make Cassel do things he's not accustomed to. 

Find a pass rush, please:  Cassel is still a young QB that is extremely inexperienced, even after 7 starts.  He's been sacked a ton this year and that needs to continue this week if we want to shut down their offense.  I want to see the Bills pressuring and harassing Cassel, forcing him into mistakes instead of letting him sit there and hit his check-downs.  Again, this will fall into the "don't play soft" key...

Make a play on Special Teams:  They haven't been that special this year, but the talent and coaching is still there.  It's time we see a huge return again, and this would be the perfect week for it.  McKelvin looked better returning kicks last week, as he finally started making some cuts and utilizing his instincts more.  Roscoe has been bottled up as a punt returner since the opener, so it'd be nice to get him going again.  Of course, the defense has to force a punt from deep in the opposition's territory, something that we seemingly haven't done in a few games, at least.

Don't shoot yourself in the foot:  There have been too many mistakes the past two weeks, from missed blocks and dropped passes to turnovers and penalties.  These have to stop if we plan to beat New England.  The Dolphins and the Jets beat the Bills, but it was mostly Buffalo's doing.  New England and Bill Belicheck will definitely find ways to take advantage of any Bills mistakes.  It's time to limit those and play smarter football.  We won't be winning this week if the mistakes continue to pile up.  There needs to be better discipline by the coaches and better on-field discipline by the players.  Own up to your mistakes and quit making them!

Play with some urgency:  Against the Jets, it never seemed the team was feeling that sense of urgency they needed.  In turn, they never really got back into the game or gave themselves a chance to regain the lead.  To me, they just never seemed to feel that their backs were up against the wall.  I tend to feel that was part of the reason for so many mistakes.  Earlier in the year, against Oakland, the team really looked like they felt that urgency, and in turn responded with a comeback win.  I haven't seen that the past two weeks.  This week, facing a potential 3-game losing streak (and 4 of 5) and an 0-3 divisional record, their backs are squarely against the wall.  I want to see them come out knowing they have to win, something that just hasn't been the case recently, or in the past few years.

***

This is a tough, but very winnable game if we don't play another poor game.  We've played pretty poorly for much of the season, so it's going to take the extra effort to get it done this week.  With no Tom Brady, this is as good a chance as ever for the Bills to beat the Pats during their dynasty years.  More importantly, this is a must-win if the Bills want to win the division this year.  We also can't afford to fall to 0-3 in the division and expect to get a wildcard berth ahead of one of our divisional opponents.  Get it done Bills, this is a HUGE week and will set the stage for either another disappointing season or a potential playoff run.

   
Buffalo Bills (5-2) vs New York Jets (4-3)
Sunday, November 2 - 1:00 PM EST

Another week, another tough division battle.  After blowing a golden opportunity to really control the division last week in Miami, our Bills get a chance to get in the divisional win column against the Jets inside the raucous Ralph.  This is a crucial game in the context of the rest of the season; here are the keys to a big Bills win:

Get it going early: A fast start is something we're all hoping for, and Turk Schonert is striving for.  The play calling needs to be a tad bit more unpredictable.  The Jets are tough to run on (only 82.6 ypg), so being able to throw early will really give us a good chance to put some points on the board in the first half.  However, we can't simply abandon the run, as the Miami game may suggest, but instead vary up the run calls.  Enough with the numerous dives up the middle Turk, especially this week with big, fat Kris Jenkins and the force field that surrounds him taking on Duke Preston.  We had success against Miami off tackle and outside, two places we've been asking for more runs all season.  The Jets run the 3-4 just like Miami, so running outside away from Jenkins will be the way to get it done on the ground.  Marshawn Lynch has had very few opportunities to run to the outside this year, but every time he does, he makes something happen.  Why is this not a staple in the Offense?  Also, don't be surprised to see some more no-huddle.

Force the action defensively: Going up against Brett Favre and the gunslinger mentality, this is the perfect week to implement a ton of press coverage on the Jets' wideouts.  Favre absolutely LOVES throwing misguided passes into tight double coverage, so getting up on Laveranues Coles, Jerricho Cotchery and Chansi Stuckey will really increase the chances of getting some turnovers.  If Fewell plays Jabari Greer, Terrence McGee and Ashton Youboty 10 yards off the ball again, Favre will feast on the quick slant this week.  If teams like the Chiefs, Raiders and Bengals can play Favre tough, there's absolutely no reason we shouldn't be able to shut the Jets passing game down.  But if we sit back and wait for him to make the mistakes, we will be in for a long afternoon.  By the way, is there a better WR first name trio than Laveranues, Jerricho and Chansi in the NFL? I think not.

Win the turnover battle: Currently, the Bills turnover margin is sitting at -3, which is #23 in the NFL.  Our 2 losses have produced a whopping -7 margin (8 giveaways, just 1 takeaway), though it is debatable whether those turnovers cost us those games as 7 of them came when we were already losing.  They have obviously cost us chances to mount comebacks, but it's tough to say whether they are reasons we lost against Arizona and Miami.  Either way, the offense has to take better control of the ball, while our defense needs to step up and start forcing some turnovers.  We've only accumulated 4 ineterceptions on the season, with one coming in the last minute against Seattle.  That just isn't good, and there's no better time to pick off a few passes than when Brett Favre rolls into town.  This is one area that should really decide Sunday's winner.

Pressure Fav-ruh: Piggybacking the turnover idea, it's important to get into Favre's face and force him to throw when he's not ready.  Again, if he has time to throw and space to put it, he'll hurt us.  Getting after him with some blitzes will lead to his patented crazy throws, which should again increase the chance for turnovers.  I'm not afraid of Coles and Cotchery beating us deep, so we've got to get up on them and make Favre squeeze the passes in there quickly.  I'm not confident that this will be part of the game plan though.

Make Special Teams special again:  This has been an overlooked area of the team this year.  Quite frankly, the ST units have not lived up to their lofty expectations this year.  They have been solid, but other than the Seattle game, have been very unspectacular.  Kick coverage has been up and down, the punting unit has been mostly good but there have been mistakes (see snap last week) and the kick return team has been borderline bad.  Leodis McKelvin just doesn't look like a good kick returner out there.  He heads directly to the sideline EVERY time and rarely shows the propensity to cut back.  Maybe Bobby April is instructing him to take what he can for now, until he gets more comfortable, but this unit has been far from explosive this year.  McKelvin's instincts just haven't seemed to be there, we shall see what he develops into in the return game.  This week would be a great time for a big play.  Controlling Leon Washington in the return game is going to be another tough job for the Bills ST's this week.

Involve Evans early and often: Here's your weekly "get the ball to Lee Evans early in the game" key.  With Josh Reed out, it's going to be as important as ever to get Evans involved early.  Look for the Jets to really roll coverage to him this week, so Roscoe Parrish and James Hardy will need to step up. Roscoe wants the ball more, now is the time for him to take advantage of the opportunity.

Protect the home turf:  To be honest, this is a game the Bills shouldn't lose, and probably can't afford to lose.  Starting 0-2 in the division and heading to New England is NOT what the team needs come Monday morning.  Like I thought the Chargers game might be, this game is a season definer, one that sets the stage for the rest of the year.  A loss here with a tough game at New England next week is really not the downward spiral I want to see occur.  If we win this week, to finish the first half 6-2, we will be in great shape going forward, but another divisional loss, at home no less, would really put a damper on where this team might be headed.  Luckily, the rest of the AFC is a jumbled mess, but it'd be nice to rise above that quagmire.  I'd much rather head to New England next week with 6 wins and at worse, a share of the divisional lead with them.  I don't want to be a game back or in a 3 way tie including the Jets at 5-3.  Rise up Buffalo, it's time you win a big game against a team with a winning record for once!

***

Let's go Bills, dispose of the New York Bretts!  Make my daily life in NYC merrier!

The Buffalo Bills' final injury report for this Sunday's tilt with the Miami Dolphins is out, and once again there are some pretty big names on it.

DE Aaron Schobel: He has been officially ruled out by head coach Dick Jauron and will miss just the second start of his career.  The official site's Chris Brown reports that Schobel is making progress, but his foot remains in an immobilizer boot.  Rest assured that the Bills won't allow Schobel to hit the field until he's 100 percent - they want him completely healthy for the stretch run.  Ryan Denney will start in Schobel's stead, just as he did last week in the win over San Diego.

CB Terrence McGee: Listed as questionable.  He's been limited in practice all week, but Jauron admitted - again according to Chris Brown - that he didn't want to give McGee a full work load this week.  We heard last week that McGee would be good to go against San Diego; clearly that didn't manifest itself, but the injury was described to us as "very close" earlier this week.  I think McGee plays and starts in this one.

CB Ashton Youboty: Listed as questionable.  He was active last week against San Diego, but largely for numbers purposes.  He didn't play a snap.  McGee appears to be much closer to going this week than Youboty, and one of the two is going to play.  Again, my money is on McGee, and if he does, Youboty won't play.  Leodis McKelvin would take over the nickel role, with some of the team's safeties playing their roles as well.

OG Brad Butler: He's out.  He didn't play much against San Diego after spraining his knee; I, for one, didn't even realize he was out in that game for quite a while.  It's unclear how long he'll be out; until he returns, Jason Whittle - the Bills' oldest and most tenured player - will get the start.

C Melvin Fowler: Listed as questionable.  He's been limited in practice this week, and just like Schobel, I don't think the Bills are in any hurry to get Fowler back into the lineup until he's completely healthy.  I agree with Brown on this one - even if Fowler is active, I think his understudy, Duke Preston, will make his second straight start.  With Butler out, however, it may be imperative for Fowler to dress in case another guard goes down and they need to move Preston around.

TE Derek Fine: For the first time in his young NFL career, Fine is completely healthy and ready to play.  Whether or not he'll be active is another question entirely.  My guess is that he won't; the sooner they can get him in on special teams units, however, the better - the team is going to miss John DiGiorgio.

     
Buffalo Bills (4-1) vs San Diego Chargers (3-3)
Sunday, October 19, 2008 - 1:00PM EDT
SB Nation's Chargers coverage: Bolts From The Blue

It's only been two weeks since the meltdown in Arizona, but it's felt like months.  Buffalo Bills football is finally back, following a long bye week, with the San Diego Chargers in town for a tough AFC matchup.  It'll be a struggle to beat the Chargers and get to 5-1, but below are my keys to a Bills victory Sunday afternoon:

Pray for Melvin Fowler: If anyone watched the Chargers/Patriots game on Sunday night, they saw NT Jamal Williams absolutely destroy Pats' Pro Bowl C Dan Koppen.  He treated him as if he were a freshman in high school. The Fowler (or Duke Preston, if Fowler can't go) vs Williams battle is going to be one where the Chargers have a significant advantage.  The Bills are going to have to give Fowler help or we're going to see pressure up the middle all afternoon.  If they can double Williams and neutralize him, the potential for run success and a pocket for Trent Edwards will be there.  That's a big if.

Keep Trent upright:  This is twofold.  On one hand, nobody wants to see him take another shot, as I'm sure we'll all be holding our breath every time he hits the turf.  We need him healthy and running the offense if we want to beat the Chargers.  On the other hand, we also need to keep him upright in order to keep the chains moving.  As Brian said, the potential to control the clock via the pass will be there, but that won't happen if Trent is getting hit early and often.  The Chargers have 17 sacks on the season, including 12 in their past 3 games, and our OL has given up 16.  It's time for Jason Peters and Langston Walker to finally come to play. 

Start fast: Other than the Jacksonville game, we haven't played very well in the first half of any game.  A strong start would go a long way towards a victory this week.  We also have to limit San Diego early on.  In their two best performances of the season, against the Jets and Pats, the Chargers have outscored the opponent 48-17 in the first half.  They proceeded to roll after that.  If the Chargers get up early, they are very tough to come back on.  This is definitely not a game we can start slowly in.  After two weeks to prepare, there's no reason the offense shouldn't come out strong, especially if Edwards isn't rusty.  San Diego will obviously be keying on a fast start themselves, so this will be one to watch.

Find a way, any way, to get after Rivers:  I've harped on it enough and we all know the pass rush has been stagnant at best.  With two weeks to prepare and work on some blitzes, Perry Fewell's defense has to come out and get after Philip Rivers.  With Aaron Schobel iffy with his foot injury and an ineffective rush around him, Buffalo's blitzers are going to have to come up huge this week.  We cannot let Rivers sit back there and pick apart our defense underneath like Kurt Warner was allowed to do two weeks ago.  Rivers likes to go deep to his big receivers; we have to disrupt his timing and force him to move around.  With that, Fewell has to let his corners play up on the line of scrimmage to take away the quick stuff that killed us against Arizona. With Terrence McGee out, we definitely need to force Rivers' hand.

Don't let Tomlinson find his footing: We've all heard about LT's struggles this year, but he's getting healthy and he's still as good a RB as there is in the NFL.  Personally, I don't want to see him return to prominence this week.  Our potentially mediocre run defense (currently 18th in the NFL) has started to regress as the season has progressed.  The Chargers haven't run it all that well yet this year, but have the potential to do so.  Our run D has been mostly stout, but water has started leaking in as we've allowed 145 rushing yards per game the last two after a great start.  Which run D will show up this week?  Hopefully the one we saw in our first three games (94 ypg), not the past two.

More Marshawn: With the Bills continuous struggle to run the ball, Turk Schonert needs to continue finding other ways to get him the ball in space.  It'd be nice to incorporate the screen pass back into the offense this week.  Lynch and Fred Jackson should receive heavy workloads this week.

Win the turnover battle: This has been a sore spot for the Bills thus far this season.  We're near the bottom of the league at a -3, having only forced 6 turnovers in our five games.  The Chargers on the other hand are sitting at +4, which is third in the NFL.  I'm guessing if these trends continue, we're not going to have a happy Sunday.  The Bills D needs to find some ways to get the ball for the offense, while the offense has to take good care of the rock this weekend.  The Chargers and their high-powered offense are not a team you want to turn it over against.

Get Lee Evans the ball:  I say this every week, and I'll probably say it every week going forward.  We need to get Lee Evans the ball more than 3-4 times a game as we have.  The third highest paid WR in the game needs many more touches than that.  I expect Evans to see some of Antonio Cromartie this weekend, which will be an extremely tough matchup for him.  Cromartie is big, physical and fast, not the type of CB Evans is built to beat. Schonert is really going to have to move him around this weekend, including putting him in motion, to prevent jams.  Some quick passes to Lee will be essential to open it up deep for him.  DaBolts believes Quentin Jammer will be matched up with Evans often to take away the deep ball.  If that happens, I like Evans to have deep ball success.  He can beat any CB in the league deep.  Jammer would be no exception.  I think it would be much tougher on him to be matched up exclusively with Cromartie and his physical play.

Win Special Teams:  The Chargers have a dynamic return man in Darren Sproles, assuming he's healthy, so it'll be a challenge for our coverage units this week.  It'd also be a great game for Leodis McKelvin to finally break a big kick return.  He's been solid, but has yet to really showcase the big play we saw in the preseason.  And with Roscoe Parrish back in the mix, our punt return unit should again have that big play element back in it's repertoire.  I just hope the thumb injury and wrap doesn't hinder his ability to hold onto the ball.

Simply put, WIN:  To me, this game is a season definer.  With a tough schedule coming up with 3 straight division games, including a tougher-than-anyone-could-have-expected-in-a-million-years road game in Miami next week, we really could use a victory this week.  With another playoff contender coming into our stadium, the Bills need to prove themselves capable of beating the better teams in the league.  It's been a struggle to do that for as long as we can all remember.  This week is a good time to help change that attitude and prove to the league that the Bills will be there all year.  If we can come out with a big W over the Chargers, we will be in GREAT shape going forward.  A loss and we're close to teetering the wrong way with road games 2 of the next 3 weeks.  A win really sets the stage for a great rest of the season.  A loss and we're really headed in the wrong direction.  This game could really define the rest of the season and how it plays out.

***

There you have it, keys to a big Bills win.  It's going to be a very, very difficult challenge for the team.  Let's hope they are up to it.  The Ralph hasn't rocked in almost a month, let's hope it is this Sunday.  Go Bills!