Bills: Buffalo Defense comes up big in playoff-clinching SNF win

It was billed as a defensive battle by a lot of analysts, and Sunday's Bills 17-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers to clinch a playoff berth did not disappoint.  

Buffalo's defense made life miserable for "Duck" Hodges, making his fourth straight start for the Steelers.   It was a return to reality for Hodges, getting picked off four times a week after he had a career game going 16/19 against the Arizona Cardinals in his first year playing in the NFL.

The Steelers were also plagued with fumbles, with four total.   Pittsburgh would recover three of the four, but the one they lost was costly, losing the ball on a running play inside the red zone with less than two minutes to play in the first half, with Buffalo leading 7-3 at that point. 

The defense helped Josh Allen, who wasn't at his best on Sunday night, but did enough to get the Bills in position to tie the game in the fourth quarter after the Steelers took a 10-7 lead on the first drive of the second half.   

And then he found Tyler Kroft inside the end zone later on in the fourth quarter to cement the win.   

But it wasn't easy down the stretch, with the Steelers marching down the field twice only to be picked off in Buffalo territory.  Tre'davious White sealed the victory for the Bills by picking off Hodges in the end zone with seconds left to play in the 4th Quarter.   

The win is Buffalo's 10th win of the season, the first time that the Bills have seen a double-digit win count since the 1999 season, the last time the Bills had made the playoffs before their 2017 stint.   The win also was Buffalo's first win at Pittsburgh since 1993.

It also guarantees that the Bills can do no worse than the #5 seed when it comes to the upcoming playoffs.  They still have a chance to improve their seeding next week when the Bills travel to Foxboro to face the New England Patriots with the AFC East title still up for grabs.

Kickoff for the Week 16 game between the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots is this Saturday, 4:30pm.  Pregame coverage will begin on FOX Sports Radio 97.9/1230 beginning at 2PM.

Bills: Some positives, negatives, from Week 14 loss vs. Baltimore

The Buffalo Bills lost to the Baltimore Ravens Sunday.

The positives: The Buffalo Bills remained competitive against a team that could become the #1 seed in the playoffs, pushing to tie the score with just over a minute left until the Baltimore defense came up big and deflected a Josh Allen pass that was meant for John Brown.   It may not of resulted in a touchdown, but would of guaranteed a 1st and Goal if Brown wasn't able to make it into the end zone.

This is a far cry from the last time these two teams faced each other, with Nathan Peterman and the Bills falling 47-3 in Buffalo's worse Week 1 loss in franchise history in a rainy September afternoon last year in Maryland.

The Buffalo defense held Lamar Jackson to 145 yards and picked him off for only the 6th time this season.  After putting up 40+ points in three straight games leading up to last week's raw and rainy affair against the 49'ers, the Bills held the Ravens to 24 points on a more ideal weekend.

The negatives: In those 145 yards on Sunday, 61 of them was in a back-breaker play to begin the 3rd Quarter when Jackson connected with Hayden Hurst on a slant route for a touchdown.   The slant route torched the Bills secondary and it became a foot race which Hurst won.

Jackson would finish with 3 touchdowns.

Josh Allen did not look great in the loss, going 17/39 for 146 yards and a touchdown.   The second-year QB would not get the chance to dance his feet like his Baltimore counterpart.  Allen would have an ankle issue that would see him get taped up on the bench during a Baltimore possession midway through the game, but even before then, Allen was not as comfortable with his receivers as he was against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving.

Up Ahead: The Buffalo Bills travel to Heinz Field for a Sunday Night Football match against the Pittsburgh Steelers.  The Bills are in control in their destiny for the playoff push and could use their 10th win prior to heading to Foxboro for their second meeting with the New England Patriots this season.   A win would almost ensure the Bills a playoff spot, but a loss would give the advantage to the Pittsburgh Steelers for the first wild card spot.

Kickoff is scheduled for 8:20pm, pregame coverage begins at 6:00pm on FOX Sports Radio 97.9/1230.

Bills: Buffalo at Pittsburgh Week 15 flexed to prime time

The National Football League and NBC have announced that the Week 15 game between the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers have been flexed from its original 1:00pm start and will be seen national as part of NBC's Sunday Night Football package.

The game will kick off from Heinz Field in Pittsburgh at 8:20pm, and can be heard live on FOX Sports Radio 97.9/1230 and the Buffalo Bills Radio Network beginning with the Countdown to Kickoff show at 6:00pm.

It marks only the second time that the Buffalo Bills have been on the NBC Sunday Night Football package since the network resumed airing NFL games in 2006.  In 2007, the Bills made their only SNF on NBC appearance in a game that was flexed into prime time as they hosted the New England Patriots.

The Bills lost 56-10 in that game. 

Bills: Don't get excited yet for the playoffs

Going into the season, I was a firm believer that the Buffalo Bills needed to enter this grueling final stretch of the season with a minimum of 8 wins if they were wanting to make the postseason. 

With Dallas, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and New England on the late-season schedule, anything fewer was not going to cut it. 

The Bills survived the first leg of the gauntlet, and they looked good on national television doing so.

I'll admit, after their lackluster outing against Cleveland, which could still come back to hurt the Bills at the end of the season, I wasn't confident in their quest to make the playoffs.

They beat the Jets, the Giants, Miami twice, Cincinnati, Denver, Tennessee and Washington.  A 21-67 combined record, with only Tennessee a winning record at 6-5 among those seven teams.   And some of these wins were scary wins, wins where the Bills had to come from behind to narrowly win.  Like Week 1 against the Jets, and Week 3 against the Bengals.

Yes, they were competitive against New England, but their offense look lost in what resulted in yet another loss to the kings of the AFC East this century.  The same offense that looked anemic in their loss to Cleveland, a loss that gives the Browns the edge should the two teams have identical records after Week 17.

But something happened.   The offense started gelling over the past three weeks.   Their last three wins, against Miami, Denver and now Dallas, the Bills have started to piece together stable drives.  And as we saw yesterday, it's not just Josh Allen.

How good is this offense, though?   We're going to find out over the next three weeks.   Baltimore, Pittsburgh and then New England.  No easy feat there, and all Buffalo Bills fans can hope at this point is that their current cushion in the Wild Card race can be enough to clinch a playoff spot prior to Week 17, so that they don't have to sweat it out in the cold tundra of Western New York in late December against the New York Jets to finish off the season.

And the Jets know this storyline that's playing out for the Buffalo Bills.  They've been there before, in 2015.   The Jets blew their chance at clinching a wild card in a situation where they were in control of their own destiny and missed the playoffs when the Bills won 22-17 behind a Ryan Fitzpatrick three interception game.

And they would love nothing more than to do the same to the Bills this year on the final Sunday of the season.   Especially after Buffalo's come-from-behind Week 1 win where the Jets blew a 16-0 lead as the Bills scored 17 unanswered to win.

So don't start planning on January football for the Bills just yet.   One more win, and the Bills Mafia can start breathing easier.  We're about to find out for real just how much the Bills offense has improved since their losses to Philadelphia and Cleveland.

Johnstown Field Hockey: Life Lessons Learned

Johnstown Field Hockey Facebook Page | link

At the start of summer, they had no idea if they would actually play in the fall.

But thanks to the overwhelming support of the area, the Johnstown Lady Bills field hockey team not only made their backers proud, they made the community proud as well.

Not only making it to the State Semifinals this past weekend, but in the fashion that they clinched their spot in this past Sunday's championship against Bronxville through a game winning goal with seconds left in overtime.  And even though they did not leave Western NY with the championship plaque, they left Alden High School as champions in the heart of those who live in Johnstown.

It's a Hollywood-esque story.   With almost a Hollywood ending.

The Johnstown field hockey story should be one reminder about why athletics matter in the educational experience of a child.   Some may argue about what role playing a game has in the academic world, and may use those arguments to justify striking ink through the line item on a budget.

But what these girls learned in the past 5 months, is stuff that cannot be learned in a textbook.   They learned hard life lessons that some people won't learn until well into their adulthood.  The generosity of a community, allowing a second chance through donations to help keep athletics like the Field Hockey program going in 2019.  The community wasn't forced to part with their money.   The people who backed this team did so through the goodness of their heart.

This is in addition to the team-building that these girls learned on the field.  A field that if it weren't for the generosity of their backers, would of never been able to step onto.

And then this story would of never happened.

Athletics matter.

Mid-season report - 2019 High School Football

Four weeks down.

Let's take a look and see how teams are faring as we reach the midway point of the 2019 High School Football Season.

It begins with Class AA after the jump.

High School Football - Week 2 Schedule & Important Games:

Welcome to Week 2!   This weekend's schedule:

High School Football: Week 1 Schedule

Below the jump, the complete Week 1 schedule

Section 2 State Schedule - March 9th & 10th:

Here's the schedule for all 10 local teams still playing in the NYSPHSAA State Tournaments this weekend:

All games are SATURDAY 3/9, unless noted.

Boys Hockey
D2: Queensbury Spartans vs. John Jay-Cross River-1 - 9:30AM at HarborCenter, Buffalo.

State Championship Sunday 3/10, 12:00PM at HarborCenter, Buffalo

Boys Basketball
AA: Saratoga Springs Blue Streaks vs. West Genessee-3 - 3:45PM at SRC Arena, Syracuse
A: Troy Flying Horses vs. Jamesville-Dewitt-3 - 1:45PM at SRC Arena, Syracuse
B: Glens Falls Indians vs. Ogdensburgh Free Academy-10 - 4:30PM at SUNY Potsdam
C: Lake George Warriors vs. Moriah-7 - 2:00PM at Beekmantown High School
D: St. Johnsville Wolfpack vs. Wells-7 - 2:45PM at Hudson Valley CC, Troy

Girls Basketball
AA: Shenendehowa Plainsmen vs. West Genessee-3 - 5:30PM at SRC Arena, Syracuse
B: Mechanicville Red Raiders vs. Canton-10 - 2:45PM at SUNY Potsdam
C: Cambridge Indians vs. Moriah-7 - 12:00PM at Beekmantown High School
D: Bishop Gibbons Golden Knights vs. Westport-7 - 1:00PM at Hudson Valley CC, Troy

Section 2 Boys Basketball Sectionals - Day-by-Day Schedule

February 15th
Class B 1st Round
All tip times @ 7:00PM
17-Hudson Falls at 16-Cohoes
18-Broadalbin-Perth at 15-Greenville

Class C 1st Round
All tip times are 7:00PM
17-Saratoga Catholic at 16-Cambridge
20-Galway at 13-Fort Plain
18-Rensselaer at 15-Berne-Knox
19-Duanesburg at 14-Hadley-Luzerne

February 19th
Class B Round of 16
All tip times are 7:00PM
16/17 at 1-Schalmont
9-Cobleskill at 8-Schuylerville
13-Voorheesville at 4-Catskill
12-Coxsackie at 5-Fonda-Fultonville
15/18 at 2-Glens Falls
10-Tamarac at 7-Johnsville
14-Bishop Gibbons at 3-Watervliet
11-Mechanicville at 6-Hudson

Class C Round of 16
All tip times are 7:00PM
16/17 at 1-Lake George
9-Stillwater at 8-Schoharie
13/20 at 4-Chatham
12-Greenwich at 5-Mayfield
15/18 at 2-Hoosick Falls
10-Hoosic Valley at 7-Canajoharie
14/19 at 3-Maple Hill
11-Waterford at 6-Granville

February 20th
Class AA Round of 16
All tip times are 7:00PM
9-Schenectady at 8-LaSalle
13-Guilderland at 4-CBA
12-Shaker at 5-Green Tech
10-Albany at 7-Colonie
11-Niskayuna at 6-Columbia

Class A Round of 16
All tip times are 7:00PM
9-Scotia-Glenville at 8-Queensbury
13-Bishop Maginn at 4-Mekeel Christian
12-Burnt Hills at 5-Lansingburgh
10-Ballston Spa at 7-Amsterdam
11-Catholic Central at 6-Mohonasen

Class D Round of 16
All tip times are 7:00PM
9-Loudonville Christian at 8-New Lebanon
13-Salem at 4-Hartford
12-Whitehall at 5-North Warren
10-Fort Edward at 7-Northville
11-Hawthorn Valley at 6-Argyle

February 22nd
Class B Quarterfinals
3/14 vs. 6/11 Winner - 5:00PM at Shenendehowa
4/13 vs. 5/12 Winner - 6:30PM at Shenendehowa
2/15-18 vs. 7/10 Winner - 6:30PM at HVCC
1/16-17 vs. 8/9 Winner - 8:00PM at HVCC

Class C Quarterfinals
1/16-17 vs. 8/9 Winner - 5:00PM @ HVCC
4/13-20 vs. 5/12 Winner - 8:00PM @ Shenendehowa

February 23rd
Class AA Quarterfinals
All games at HVCC
4/13 vs. 5/12 - 2:00PM
6/11 vs. 3-Shenendehowa - 4:00PM
7/10 vs. 2-Saratoga 5:30PM
8/9 vs. 1-Bethlehem - 7:00PM

Class C Quarterfinals
3/14-19 vs. 6/11 Winner - 11:00AM @ HVCC
2/15-18 vs. 7/10 Winner - 12:30PM @ HVCC

Class D Quarterfinals
All games at Stillwater High School
4/13 vs. 5/12 - 1:00PM
6/11 vs. 3-Fort Ann - 2:30PM
7/10 vs. 2-Germantown - 4:30PM
8/9 vs. 1-St. Johnsville - 6:00PM

February 24th
Class A Quarterfinals
All games at HVCC
4/13 vs. 5/12 - 1:00PM
6/11 vs. 3-Averill Park - 2:30PM
7/10 vs. 2-Gloversville - 4:30PM
8/9 vs. 1-Troy - 6:00PM

February 25th
Class C Semifinals at COOL Insuring Arena
Top Bracket Semifinals - 5:00PM

Class B Semifinals at COOL Insuring Arena
Bottom Bracket Semifinals - 6:30PM
Top Bracket Semifinals - 8:00PM

February 26th
Class C Semifinals at COOL Insuring Arena
Bottom Bracket Semifinals - 5:00PM

Class AA Semifinals at COOL Insuring Arena
Bottom Bracket Semifinals - 6:30PM
Top Bracket Semifinals - 8:00PM

February 27th
Class D Semifinals
All games at COOL Insuring Arena
Bottom half - 5:30PM
Top half - 7:00PM

February 28th
Class A Semifinals
All games at COOL Insuring Arena
Bottom half - 5:30PM
Top half - 7:00PM

March 1st
Class C Finals at COOL Insuring Arena
Semifinal Winners - 5:30PM

Class B Finals at COOL Insuring Arena
Semifinal Winners - 7:15PM

March 2nd
Class D Finals at COOL Insuring Arena
Semifinal Winners - 2:00PM

Class A Finals at COOL Insuring Arena
Semifinal Winners - 4:00PM

Class AA Finals at COOL Insuring Arena
Semifinal Winners - 6:00PM

Ranking Section 2's Top 5:

One person's top 5 rankings for Section 2's basketball, through February 5th's games:

CLASS AA:
1 - Bethlehem (18-0)
2 - Saratoga Springs (16-2)
3 - Shenendehowa (13-6)
4 - CBA (11-5)
5 - LaSalle (9-8)

Thoughts: Bethlehem has nearly ran the table in the Suburban Council, but has to survive a Friday Night showdown with Troy in order to better their chances.   Troy is looking to better their "A" resume, and a win over the top squad in AA will give their seeding push a much needed boost.   Saratoga Springs has losses against Bethlehem and Troy.  Shenendehowa's losses to Bethlehem and Saratoga Springs are by a combined 7 points, and with both of those games allowing less than 50 points, the Plainsmen could still be a strong threat. 

CLASS A:
1 - Gloversville (16-1)
2 - Troy (15-3)
3 - Mekeel Christian Academy (11-2)
4 - Lansingburgh (13-5)
5 - Averill Park (12-5)

Thoughts: Gloversville's lone loss so far is a December match against the Glens Falls Indians, though the two teams will meet again on Monday with the Foothill Council title on the line.   Troy's spot at #2 takes into consideration their Cool Insuring Arena loss to Schalmont this past weekend.   Mekeel Christian Academy's going to be making a big push for the #1 seed this weekend when they meet Albany Academy at the Washington Armory.  After that, Lansingburgh and Averill Park could flip-flop for who is the #4 team in Class A.

CLASS B:
1 - Glens Falls (16-1)
2 - Schalmont (18-0)
3 - Fonda-Fultonville (16-3)
4 - Catskill (16-3)
5 - Watervliet (12-5)

Thoughts: Let's face it, Class B is preparing for yet another fun Sectional Playoff ride.   The #1 seed is going to come down to either Glens Falls and Schalmont.   Schalmont raised its tournament profile with their win over Troy at Cool Insuring Arena this past weekend in the Sunmark Shootout, keeping their record blemish-free.   Glens Falls has the one loss, to Petals High of Mississippi when they were playing in Florida back in December.  It comes down to how much the Sectional Seeding committee looks at that non-conference match, baring any other losses the rest of the regular season here.  Fonda -Fultonville and Catskill both make strong cases to be the #3 seed.  And given the strength of Class B, there's no guarantee any of these four teams make it to Cool Insuring Arena for the semifinals/finals.

CLASS C: 
1 - Lake George (19-0)
2 - Hoosick Falls (15-1)
3 - Maple Hill (16-2)
4 - Mayfield (15-4)
5 - Granville (14-5)

Thoughts: Lake George is the clear choice for the #1 seed thanks to their shutdown of the Hoosick Falls Panthers at Cool Insuring Arena a couple weeks ago.   The Panthers are a solid #2 seed, with Maple Hill staring at the #3 seed for now.   This classification is to packed on the front end that a loss can still drop a team down several spots heading into next week's Sectional Seeding meeting in Saratoga Springs. 

CLASS D:
1 - Oppenheim-Ephratah-St. Johnsville (15-3)
2 - Germantown (13-4)
3 - Fort Ann (14-5)
4 - Hartford (11-7)
5 - Argyle (10-9)

Thoughts: Argyle is starting to catch rhythm and that earns them the nod over North Warren for #5.   The Scots are not a team the top teams of Class D want to face now that Peyton Lufkin is healthy.   But the Sectional Seeding Committee takes a look at the season as a whole, which gives St. Johnsville the nod for the #1 seed for now, but Germantown is lurking in the distance.