Owens makes Bills relevant in AFC East (AP Photo)

When a figure as polarizing as Terrell Owens becomes a part of your team, it's only natural that fans of your team's most hated rivals sound off on the issue. In case you journeyed to Mars (perhaps with Dr. Manhattan and/or Laurie Jupiter) over the weekend and only made your return journey this morning, Terrell Owens is a Buffalo Bill. Naturally, the vast majority of Bills fans are excited - and, just as naturally, the rest of the AFC East's fan base is either nonchalantly blowing the move off, rationalizing why it's a bad move or confidently proclaiming that their team will be able to shut down Buffalo's newest weapon.

The best part of being a member of SB Nation is that we have these opinions readily available at our fingertips. Matty I (The Phinsider), MaPatsFan (Pats Pulpit) and John B (Gang Green Nation) have all weighed in on T.O.-to-Buffalo. The majority of their varied thoughts center around an attitude that comes across as not impressed - and that's fine. My rebuttals and counter-points to their arguments follow.

Matty I doesn't care. Sweet.
SBN's resident chief Dolphins fan waited until Monday to respond to Owens' signing in Buffalo. Why? He doesn't care that T.O. is a Bill. That's why.

Why? Because I simply don't care. Owens will spend the year playing in Buffalo. I'm not sure who I feel worse for - Owens, for having to spend a year in Buffalo, or the Bills, who are probably going to regret signing Owens once he starts acting like the egomaniac that he is.

Hmm... if one is harboring sad feelings for a team, a city and a player - and trying to decide which party one has sadder feelings for - it sounds an awful lot like one does care.  It's nice to know that the Bills are so close to Matty's heart.

I tend not to get too riled up with the whole smack talk game - just not my style. Dolphins fans are the boldest of AFC East fans at the moment, and with good reason - their team is the reigning division champion, after all. So I won't bother with their confident assertions that Owens won't matter if Trent Edwards can't develop and get him the ball - mostly because they happen to be right. I will, however, argue against strange logic.

And it's only a one year deal. So I don't see how this move benefits Buffalo - other than the extra tickets they will sell and the added media attention Owens will bring. The addition of Owens doesn't make Buffalo Super Bowl contenders; nor does it help them build for the future. So what's the point?

Maybe it's just me, but I thought the fact that this was a one-year deal was the benefit for the Bills. How stupid would we look if we'd given him a multi-year contract - and how desperate would Owens have looked had he accepted that multi-year contract? Let's be real - Owens probably doesn't want to end his career with the Bills. It's a one-year rental that will either have no effect on the team's on-field performance, or it will have a big effect on the team's on-field performance. When you're 7-9 three consecutive seasons, it's tough to get much more broken. There's this strange belief that Owens could make us worse - but how much worse can we actually get? (Don't answer that, Lions fans.)

The point to signing Owens is this - even if he doesn't make us Super Bowl contenders or isn't a long-term solution, he makes us a better football team right now. More importantly, if he plays well on the field, he'll accelerate progress toward the team answering the biggest question of all - is Trent Edwards the guy to lead this team for the long haul? In that way, it very much helps the team build for the future. Minimal risk; finding out what we have in Edwards; better product on the field in 2009. What's the point? There's more than one.

Head on in past the jump for observations and rebuttals from Pats fans and Jets fans.

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The NFL writers of SB Nation, in a tradition spanning at least three years, have put together their mid-season awards, titled "SB Nation's Mid-Season Studs and Duds". BigBlueShoe of Stampede Blue gets credit for organizing this "funtivity"; read on for SB Nation's mid-season NFL awards. A few may surprise you...

Clinton Portis is playing like an MVP right now.

The Studs

NFL Mid-Season MVP: Clinton Portis, Redskins

Comment from David the Falconer at The Falcoholic:

The homer in me wants to say Michael Turner, but he's done the majority of his damage against the league's weakest defenses. Portis has put the Redskins on his back and carried them 100 yards or more down the field most games, and for that he deserves my vote.

Best Player on Offense: Clinton Portis, Redskins

Comment from Skins Patrol at Hogs Haven:

He also has 150 yards receiving and has had his role increase with the injury to Ladell Betts Not everyone knows this, but Portis is the best pass protecting RB blocker in the league and is a big reason why Jason Campbell is playing well this season.

Best Players on Defense: Joey Porter, Dolphins

Comment from BigBlueShoe at Stampede Blue:

I thought this guy was DEAD. How the hell does he have 11.5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles? I mean Jeezus, it is only Week Nine and he has 11.5 friggin' sacks! The hell are they feeding them down there in Miami?

Best Rookie: Chris Johnson, Titans

Comment from cgolden at Revenge of the Birds:

No explanation needed. Just watch this kid play and it's obvious why he's truly special. Were we really questioning his status as a first round pick six months ago?

Best Coach: Jim Zorn, Redskins

Comment from WCG at Windy City Gridiron:

I hate doing this, but in that division the Redskins should have easily been the worst team.

Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio has seen better days.

The Duds

Mid-Season Worst Player: JaMarcus Russell, Raiders

Comment from Dave the Falconer at The Falcoholic:

Consider that this guy was the first overall pick in the draft. Then consider that he can't throw a pass without collapsing into a heap.

Mid-Season Worst Rookie: Vernon Gholston, Jets

Comment from cgolden at Revenge of the Birds:

He's learning a new position so this probably isn't fair but seven tackles in eight games for a top six pick is simply unacceptable. You'd think he could at least be a situational pass rusher.

Mid-Season Worst Coach: Jack Del Rio, Jaguars

Comment from Chris at Big Cat Country:

Can I vote for Del Rio and the Jaguars for every possible spot?

     
Buffalo Bills (5-1) at Miami Dolphins (2-4)
Four key matchups and who wins them

The Buffalo Bills are set to square off in Miami with the Dolphins this coming Sunday as the Bills look to open the divisional portion of their schedule with a bang.  In anticipation of the rivalry game, Matty I of The Phinsider along with yours truly have gotten together for a little debate about four of this game's key personnel matchups.

Here's what each of us had to say about the four matchups we decided to break down.  Surprisingly, there wasn't much differentiation of opinion between the two of us; still, it's good for a little debate on a Friday at work.  Take a gander and have at it in the comments section.

MATCHUP 1: Dolphins OLB Joey Porter vs. Bills' O-Line
Brian Galliford: The Bills struggled early in the season in pass protection; they gave up 16 sacks in the team's first 5 games.  Coming off of the bye week, however, the Bills faced a pretty stiff Chargers pass rush - including the underrated Shaun Phillips - and Trent Edwards wasn't sacked once.  In fact, he wasn't even hit.  Jason Peters appears to be fully restored to prominence after an off-season holdout, and when at full strength, pass blocking has always been this line's strong point.  Joey Porter is an excellent player having an outstanding season, but I don't think he's going to get too many opportunities to hit Edwards.  Advantage: Bills

Matty I: While the Bills offensive line did a much better job protecting Trent Edwards last week, I'm still not sold on them.  They've still given up the 9th most sacks in the league despite shutting down the Chargers' pass rush and Football Outsiders ranks Buffalo's pass protection 24th in adjusted sack rate - which is a stat that takes into account the number of sacks allowed per pass attempt while considering things like opponent, down, and distance.  I think Joey Porter is going to be moved around a little bit more than usual - especially if Jason Peters is having a good game, which would mean Porter would have some pass-rushing opportunities against RT Langston Walker.  And I'd be shocked if Porter doesn't at least pressure Edwards on a consistent basis.  Advantage: Dolphins

MATCHUP 2: Dolphins DT Randy Starks vs. Bills C Duke Preston
Brian Galliford: Look, I'm as down on Buffalo's centers as anyone.  Duke Preston hasn't played much at the position, and Melvin Fowler has struggled mightily throughout his tenure in Buffalo.  Fowler is a smart guy, but he's simply lacking physically.  Preston is a bit bulkier, but he struggles at the point of attack as well.  With that in mind, we know all about Randy Starks - we heard bad things about him this past off-season.  Twice, actually.  He's playing out of position this week, to boot.  Considering that Preston and his interior line mates just kept San Diego's Jamal Williams under control, I'm not particularly concerned about Starks.  Advantage: Bills

Matty I: With it looking more and more likely that Jason Ferguson won't be able to play on Sunday (and if he does, wouldn't be at full strength), Randy Starks has to step up.  He'll be playing out of position and he didn't play particularly well last week.  His inability to take on blockers and free up Miami's linebackers really hurt the Dolphins' ability to stuff the run.  And though Marshawn Lynch doesn't have great numbers, he's still a good back.  Luckily, neither Melvin Fowler or Duke Preston are particularly good centers.  But Preston, with help from the guards, did a surprisingly good job on Jamal Williams last week.  The Dolphins' coaches will be hoping for a Jay Ratliff type of performance from Starks - who had little to no experience as a NT last year in Dallas when he filled in admirably for Ferguson after Ferguson went down with an injury.  But I'll be honest: I'm a bit worried about this matchup heading into Sunday.  Advantage: Bills

MATCHUP 3: Bills WR Lee Evans vs. Dolphins CB Will Allen
Brian Galliford: Evans has been excellent this season.  I doubt he's ever going to be a guy who dominates a game from start to finish, as guys like Owens and Moss have proven themselves to be, but he's explosive.  He's killed the Dolphins, too - much like former Dolphins WR Chris Chambers routinely killed the Bills.  Evans was dominant this past weekend with Antonio Cromartie on his hip; I highly doubt Will Allen will fare much better.  Advantage: Bills

Matty I: Ugh.  Just the mention of Lee Evans sends chills down my spine.  He's the epitome of a Dolphin-killer.  In just 8 career games against the Fins, Evans has 8 touchdowns (averaging a TD every 3 catches against Miami) and averages 22.2 yards per catch.  While Trent Edwards doesn't throw the deep ball as good as J.P. Losman (at least, form what I've seen), he can still sling it and is more accurate on those intermediate throws.  On the positive side, Will Allen has shown that he can defend the smaller, faster receivers better than the taller, more physical ones.  And Allen has had at least a little success against Evans, like when he held Evans to just 2 catches for 19 yards in their first meeting back in 2006.  Even still, though, you have to imagine the Dolphins are not going to leave Allen alone on Evans.  Look for safety help over the top.  Advantage: Bills

MATCHUP 4: Bills SS Donte Whitner vs. Dolphins TEs Anthony Fasano/David Martin
Brian Galliford: The Bills generally struggle defending big targets.  They were able to contain Antonio Gates last week by lining up reserve safety Bryan Scott on him and throwing double teams at him; Gates still caught 4 passes for pretty sizeable chunks of yardage.  I doubt Whitner will see most, if any at all, of his time on these guys; CB Ashton Youboty is unlikely to play, so Whitner could be spending some time at corner.  Clearly, Fasano and Martin aren't Gates, but they're a formidable duo that have been performing fairly well, from what I can tell.  This is going to be a point of emphasis for the Bills, I believe - shut down the run and attempt to contain Fasano and Martin, who are very obviously two of Pennington's most cherished targets.  For now, though... Advantage: Dolphins

Matty I: Tight ends are a big part of a Dan Henning offense and we've seen that this season - with Anthony Fasano and David Martin combining for 33 catches, 467 yards, and 3 touchdowns.  More importantly, they seem to be the only players who can consistently get open - which is why they've combined to receive 25% of Chad Pennington's total targets.  This is important to note because, from all I've see and read, the Bills have a tendency to surrender yards to opposing tight ends.  For the Dolphins, it's important to get these 2 involved in the offense early.  Doing so could potentially open things up more for the receivers outside, as the Bills would have to make the necessary adjustments if Fasano and Martin are active in the passing attack right from the get go.  Advantage: Dolphins

Mitchell, blitzers must be effective Sunday (buffalobills.com)

SB Nation completed the NFL wing of its blog section this past September when we announced the launch of our new Chargers blog, Bolts from the Blue.  So, naturally, I am pretty excited to introduce all y'all Rumblers to DaBolts, the upstanding fellow who heads up the BFTB project.

DaBolts has spent the first six weeks of the 2008 NFL regular season watching one of the most spectacularly inconsistent teams in the NFL.  The Chargers are coming off of a 30-10 pounding of the New England Patriots, however, and appear closer to hitting their stride offensively.  I asked (or tried to, at least) some tough questions of DaBolts about his Chargers.  He didn't flinch, and he didn't gloat.  Here's what he had to say about his team and their upcoming matchup with our Bills.

Buffalo Rumblings: The Chargers haven't won a game in the Eastern time zone since the 2006 season, when, ironically, they scraped by the Bills 24-21.  Their losing streak on the east coast has now reached three games, and they've won just two of six since the start of the '06 season.  How big a factor was the cross-country trip in those performances?  Do you see it continuing to be problematic this Sunday?

DaBolts, BFTB: I'm agnostic on the time change theory.  At least two of those losses were against an excellent Patriots team, and the Dolphins showed up ready to play.  Is it a factor?  Perhaps. I flew to Boston on business recently and have to admit a bit of fog, but the reality is that it is always tough to play on the road in the NFL and the Bolts have not played well enough to win.  I hate to admit it but the Dolphins just seemed hungrier to win that game.  If it is an issue, I don't see why the Chargers aren't heading out there a day or two earlier to allow for the time adjustment; I notice the Pats just stayed out West after beating the 49ers; they still came out flat.

Buffalo Rumblings: LaDainian Tomlinson's stats are down.  Clearly, he's not on the decline, but that hyper-extended toe of his is certainly causing some production problems.  How vital is it for Tomlinson to get back to his usual statistically dominant self?  Are the Chargers a legitimate Super Bowl contender if he continues to be hampered by this injury?

DaBolts, BFTB: Great question.  It's vital to get a running game back.  We just missed trading for Michael Bush out of Oakland for a second day draft choice.  Unless we come up with a coherent running game I don't believe we will go deep into the playoffs.  We have one of our posters who calculates success rates per Football Outsiders; against the Patriots only 4 of 28 running plays were 'successful'.  Near the end of the game a power running game that chewed clock would have put it away earlier.  We are one of the worst teams on time of possession despite putting up a lot of points for just this reason; this puts a lot of stress on our defense.

Some are questioning whether we should be giving more touches to Darren Sproles and Jacob Hester while LT is out; I tend to agree with that.  LT is making a good try, but he clearly is off his game.  The attempt to trade for another running back also bespeaks a lack of confidence in Hester that isn't encouraging.  The offensive line has battled injuries early; the other hope is that they start doing a better job opening up the lanes.  The lack of running game isn't all in the backs.

Buffalo Rumblings: San Diego's passing attack has been lethal this season.  Philip Rivers is the league's highest-rated passer and has already thrown 14 touchdowns this season, a category he leads alongside Tony Romo.  Is there a weakness to Rivers' game and the Chargers' passing attack overall?

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This is a feature that the NFL writers of SB Nation ran with for a while last year; alas, it fell by the wayside for a while.  But fear not!  The Phinsider's Matty I revived the project, and we're proud to once again offer up NFL power rankings from the minds of SB Nation's writers.

Where do our Buffalo Bills rank after five games?  A respectable #7.  The Bills were ranked anywhere from #4 on the list (no, it wasn't me) to #18 (boy, do I have a bone to pick with whoever ranked them that low).  I myself plopped them squarely at #7 myself; I tried to rank them lower, actually, but their 4-1 record kept them amongst the top quarter of the league.

Without further ado, SB Nation's NFL Power Rankings appear after the jump...

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Buffalo Bills (3-0) at St. Louis Rams (0-3)
SB Nation's Rams coverage: Turf Show Times

The Buffalo Bills travel to St. Louis this week to try to extend their unbeaten record to 4-0 when they visit the reeling and winless St. Louis Rams.  As the Bills learned in last week's 24-23 victory over Oakland, this Bills team is not yet good enough to take any "easy" game lightly - and thus, they'll prepare for the Rams as if they're preparing for the playoffs.

Want to know more about the Rams?  Turf Show Times should be your final destination, but we're also fortunate enough to have TST's author, VanRam, with us this morning to answer a few Rams questions as well.

Buffalo Rumblings: What's your take on the QB switch from Marc Bulger to Trent Green?  What does Green bring to the table that Bulger doesn't?  Was Bulger really the Rams' biggest problem?

VanRam, Turf Show Times: Bulger's been so battered playing behind porous offensive lines over the years - sacked 97 times in the last three seasons - that he's off his game, making throws off his back foot, etc. which has taken some of his potency away. He needs to step back and get his groove back, but no athlete likes to be pulled away from the game. The other motivation for this move was just to switch things up on offense a bit. Green knows Al Saunders' offense very well, which is why putting him in there made sense to the Rams coaches. The real problem is a weak O-Line, and they'll have to hold up to give Green a shot to do anything - including staying alive, literally.

Buffalo Rumblings: The Rams also released CB Fakhir Brown and replaced him with Saints cast-off Jason Craft.  Is this helpful for the Rams' secondary, or is it a band-aid for a bullet wound?

VanRam, Turf Show Times: Brown was the Rams' most talented corner, bar none. The problem was that Ron Bartell was playing like the Rams' most talented corner. There's more to this than we know, but on the surface at least, Brown's attitude got him released. But his 'tude rotted out because of the way things are going behind the scenes and in the locker room at Rams Park. Something stinks here. Some team on the bubble with a big question mark over the pass defense is going to emerge after picking up Brown.

Buffalo Rumblings: Two weeks ago, you publicly asked the Rams to play their youngsters.  Has that happened yet?  Which young Rams players have been most/least impressive to you?

VanRam, Turf Show Times: They are indeed moving more young Rams into the lineup. Second round pick Donnie Avery, the first WR taken in the draft, will start opposite Torry Holt this week. Last year's surprise rookie, DT Clifton Ryan, will likely start at NT, being a better run stopper than the aging La'Roi Glover. Sadly, we don't have a lot of young players after boffing draft after draft in recent years. The 2008 draft looks like the best in a long time. The potential surprise out of this year's draft was shaping up to be WR Keenan Burton, who had a great preseason and showed out well in limited regular season work, all things considered. He's injured, however, and won't play again for a few more weeks.

***

This Rams team scares me a bit, because it's not the same Rams team that the Bills have been watching on film all week.  There's different personnel, and there will very likely be a different approach as well.  The Bills should win, but this game should be much more challenging - at least early in the game - than most will admit.

If y'all are interested in reading up on the Rams, be sure to stop by Turf Show Times.  You might even see me over there at some point today...

     
Buffalo Bills (2-0) vs Oakland Raiders (1-1)
Four key matchups and who wins them

The Buffalo Bills and the Oakland Raiders are set to square off in a Week 3 NFL matchup in just about two days' time.  In anticipation of the matchup, SB Nation's Bills and Raiders bloggers - Brian Galliford of Buffalo Rumblings and Saint of Silver and Black Pride, respectively - have gotten together for a little cage match debate surrounding four of the game's key personnel matchups.

Which blogger - and by extension, which community - is right?  Take a gander, gather your thoughts, and let's duke it out in a Bills/Raiders blogger cage match.

MATCHUP ONE: Bills PR Roscoe Parrish vs.  Raiders punt coverage
Brian Galliford: I'm not worried about the coverage men that the Raiders boast - Parrish can beat anyone one-on-one, especially on punt returns.  Shane Lechler, however, provides a formidable challenge because he's got a huge leg.  The key to neutralizing Parrish is kicking it high and making him fair catch it; otherwise, you'd better hope the ball goes out of bounds.  Lechler has the leg to force Parrish to fair catch the ball on Sunday.  Still, it's going to take a solid effort by both Lechler and the coverage unit to contain the NFL's best punt returner.  Advantage: Buffalo

Saint: The Raiders' special teams take great pride in having stopped THE BEST punt returner in the NFL - Devin Hester - last season, and I am sure that they have a pretty good game plan for your man Roscoe Parrish.  Shane Lechler has, unfortunately, been our MVP for the last 5 years because he can put the ball where he wants it, when he wants to and is probably the best distance punter in the NFL. Look for his kicks to be high in the air and don't expect MUCH from Roscoe "Pico" Parrish this week.  You may want to start thinking of other ways to score. Advantage: Oakland

MATCHUP TWO: Raiders RBs Darren McFadden/Michael Bush vs. Bills run defense
Brian Galliford: No offense to Raiders fans, but I'm not scared of this duo.  Don't get me wrong - they're both incredibly talented backs, and neither of them has a ton of mileage, so they're going to be formidable for a long time as long as they stay together.  But the Bills are returning from a trip to Jacksonville, where they absolutely shut down the duo of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew.  On the road.  In blistering heat.  I don't think that Oakland's offensive line will be able to open up holes big enough, consistently enough for Oakland's two excellent backs.  Still, these guys are going to be a big challenge for our defense.  I think we're up to it.  Advantage: Buffalo

Saint: Hah, there you go again. The Bills' run D has to be as overrated as they come, at least so far. Last season the Buffalo run D was Raider-esque. Though not quite as swiss cheesy as Oakland's, it was TERRIBLE, and Oakland's run offense was 6th in the NFL without Bush OR McFadden.  By the end of Sunday's game you will know what 200+ yards rushing tastes like. This O-Line may not be able to pass protect, but they can run the ball down anyone's throat.  Advantage: Oakland

MATCHUP THREE: Bills WR Lee Evans vs. Raiders pass defense
Brian Galliford: I like Oakland's secondary.  The back seven is clearly the strength of the Raiders defense, as y'all boast a lot of talented individuals back there.  When the Raiders are fortunate enough to match up Nnamdi Asomugha on Evans, you guys will be fine.  But Turk Schonert, Buffalo's new offensive coordinator, has done very well finding ways to get Evans matched up against lesser players.  Evans is averaging 22.4 yards per reception this year, and most of his catches have come when Schonert has drawn up a favorable matchup.  When Asomugha draws a lesser Bills receiver, however, watch out.  Advantage: Push

Saint: DeAngelo Hall put the "D" back in his first name last week as he blanketed the Chiefs receivers. I know that it was the Chiefs, but the entire defense dominated and our DBs could have easily had 5-6 picks. Of course we will need to get pressure on the QB or Lee Evans could break loose, but, Nnamdi, Howard, Morrison, Huff, Routt, Hall and Wilson is one heckuva nickel package.  I expect these guys to punch Evans in the mouth and then dominate him. IF he does match up with Hall and burn him a couple of times then he will be blanketed by Nnamdi all day.  Advantage: Oakland

MATCHUP FOUR: Raiders pass rush vs. Bills offensive line
Brian Galliford: To be honest, I'm not at all impressed with Oakland's defensive line.  I like Derrick Burgess, but I think he'll be faced with a bit of the problem that Aaron Schobel faced in Buffalo for the past two years - he doesn't have anyone to help him.  Buffalo's offensive line does an outstanding job pass protecting, and the team has two running backs that have been superb picking up the blitz.  It helps that Trent Edwards is very adept at getting the ball out quickly.  Bold prediction: Oakland doesn't register a sack on Sunday.  Advantage: Buffalo

Saint: I am looking for the Raiders to stunt up the middle this week and let the edge rushers, Burgess and Kalimba Edwards, rush the corners.  We have seen how well Langston Walker pass protects and I expect at least one false start and a hold and maybe even two sacks allowed just on him alone.  I am kidding (a bit) about Langston, and to be honest, I don't know which game plan will show up. If Oakland blitzes (like they did against KC) and mixes up their packages then they will get to Edwards. If they go "vanilla" (like they did against DEN) then Brian may be correct.  Advantage: Push

***

OK, Bills and Raiders fans.  Respect is the name of the game, but trash talk is a must.  Who's right?  Who's just a "homer"?  Time for you to sound off on these matchups and the game in general.

     
Buffalo Bills (2-0) vs Oakland Raiders (1-1)
SB Nation's Raiders coverage: Silver and Black Pride

Last week, the Buffalo Bills made a statement by defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars in their home stadium, 20-16.  Lost amongst the hype this week, however, is the fact that this week's opponent - the Oakland Raiders - made a statement of their own by rushing for 300 yards and stomping the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, 23-8.  Think the Raiders might not be a formidable opponent this weekend?  Think again.

This morning, we're joined by Saint, author of the Raiders blog Silver and Black Pride, who has kindly agreed to answer a few questions about his Raiders as we prepare for this Sunday's matchup.

Buffalo Rumblings: Clearly, your stable of running backs is, on the level of pure talent, easily the best in the business.  Talk about the injuries to Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden and how that might effect the Raiders' ability to run the ball in Buffalo on Sunday.

Saint, Silver and Black Pride: Justin Fargas's job in 2008 was to be a crash test dummy and run into the defense at will in the first half and tire them out. Then he would give way to Bush and McFadden, who would be fresh and dominate the second half. I really like this philosophy, and with a stout defense that forces turnovers and gets to the QB, it is a great recipe for victory on any game day.

When Fargas was injured, however, I was more excited about seeing McFadden get more carries than I was worried about Justin's health. In retrospect, I am bothered by the injury to Fargas because his role is very important in the overall game plan. There is no way that we tally 300 yards on the ground last week if Justin hadn't tired out the defense.   McFadden's turf toe also bothers me almost as much for Lane Kiffin mentioning it as the injury itself. Turf toe is one of those injuries that lingers all year. It is a nasty toe injury that most players play through but it does cost them a step. D-Mac was caught from behind on his 50 yard run and without the turf toe, I don't see Bernard Pollard catching him.

The two injuries combined will have an effect on the game on Sunday for the simple fact that since Fargas can't go and if D-Mac is limited, then Michael Bush will carry the load. That in and of itself is not a bad thing - Bush is a freaking stud - but the three headed monster is a MUCH more formidable foe.

Buffalo Rumblings: I'm about to ask the million dollar question: is JaMarcus Russell the right quarterback for this team?  What have been your impressions of his play in his first two starts of the season?

Saint, Silver and Black Pride: Coming out of college, JaMarcus Russell did not seem to fit Lane Kiffin's "ball control", "check down" offense, but after watching him make the proper checks and not turn the ball over through the air I have been pleasantly surprised. He has a great target in his favorite receiver, TE Zach Miller, and once a receiver or two step up he will be dangerous. Until that day comes, we will be a running offense that throws about 20-25 times a game in our best performances.

Buffalo Rumblings: Now I'll ask you the billion dollar question: Lane Kiffin  We know Al Davis doesn't like him.  What is your opinion on Kiffin and the job he's done in Oakland?  Can you see any coach succeeding under Davis, who is - for lack of a better term - a difficult boss?

Saint, Silver and Black Pride: There is so much hogwash going on in the media, once again, when it comes to Lane Kiffin and Al Davis.

My take on it is that Lane and Al BOTH have HUGE egos and the owner will always win that battle. I wish that Lane would have just checked his ego at the door and realized that he had a chance to learn from a great football mind from the outset. Instead, he has poked his finger in Al's eye publicly and many don't survive long enough to do that with any regularity.

For a great take on this, read 10-year Raiders vet Adam Treu's article on the matter.

***

Thanks to Saint for the closer look at the Oakland Raiders.  Boy, I'm just not sure I agree on JaMarcus Russell.  I think he's got a world of potential, but when a quarterback is completing less than 54% of his passes for about 117 yards per game, that defines "one-dimensional".  Avoiding turnovers can only take you so far - just ask Tarvaris Jackson.  I have more respect for Lane Kiffin than Saint does, as well - anyone who flips Al Davis the proverbial middle finger is OK in my book.

Be sure to drop by Silver and Black Pride throughout the week as Bills/Raiders game day draws nearer.