Buffalo Bills 2020 Postmortem

 

The Buffalo Bills magical run is over.

The Bills fell victim to a well-stacked Kansas City Chiefs squad, falling in the AFC Championship 38-24.

It will be Patrick Mahomes squaring off against Tom Brady in the Super Bowl on February 7th, as the Chiefs will play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa Bay.

The Buccaneers beat the Green Bay Packers in Wisconsin in the NFC Championship to become the first team to play in a Super Bowl at their home stadium in NFL history.

But for Buffalo, it's a cold return to New York.  But with lessons learned from the season that was.   More after the jump.

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.

Bills football returns to WMML this Sunday

With the conclusion of the New York Mets 2018 season, the Buffalo Bills broadcasts move to FOX Sports Radio 97.9/1230, where they will stay for the remainder of the season.

The first broadcast on FOX Sports Radio 97.9/1230 will be this Sunday, as the Bills host the Tennessee Titans at New Era Field. 

Pregame coverage will begin at 11AM, with the game slated to kick off at 1:00PM.

Thoughts about the 2017 Buffalo Bills Season

On Sunday, the Buffalo Bills season came to an end as the Jacksonville Jaguars won in the NFL Wild Card game 10-3.

The first season which Buffalo tasted the playoffs in this millennium, is done at 9-8.

It was a season of highs and lows, with the highest of highs coming 5 minutes after their game against the Miami Dolphins when Cincinnati punched the Bills ticket into the playoff with the 49 yard touchdown toss to beat and eliminate the Baltimore Ravens.

It paired the Buffalo Bills with another team not known for success lately, the Jacksonville Jaguars.  One of these two teams was going to lose that label on a cold day in North Florida.

It wasn't the Bills.

The Bills looked flat throughout the game.  The defense was the reason why the team had a chance, but even the defense was a reason why the Jags had a 10-3 lead.

Because they couldn't stop Blake Bortles on the scramble.  Scramble once for a good gain as a quarterback you don't expect to run, that's on the other team.  But the second scramble that led to the touchdown, and the third to help seal things, that's on the Buffalo defense that never considered Bortles as a running threat.

On the other side of the ball, the Buffalo Bills offense looked lifeless.  Part because of the Jacksonville Jaguars defense that has been nicknamed "Sacksonville" at times during the season.  But a lot of this has to do with Tyrod Taylor.  Taylor is just not a competitive quarterback in the NFL level, and his performance in the wild card game is an example of it.

Tyrod Taylor

17/37

134 YDS

0TD

1INT

2 Sacks

44.2 QB Rating

Those numbers just won't cut it in the NFL.

It's a comment that callers have been making to the Bills flagship station, WGR 550AM, for years.  That the Buffalo Bills need a quality quarterback to help their team grow.

We'll address this comment shortly.  First, we need to draw upon some points from the 2017 season.

1.  The Bills Got Lucky

First, this has to be said.  The Buffalo Bills were lucky to make the playoffs, and they knew it.  The way they made the playoffs was one example of this, but you have to look at the season as a whole for the true showcase.

The AFC was weaker this year.  As a whole, the conference was 25-39 against the NFC.  The New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns were winless, and seven other teams out of the fourteen remaining teams had a 1-3 record.  That means nine out of the sixteen teams in the AFC had a losing record against the other conference, and no team swept their four non-conference matchups. 

That's a big reason why the Bills 9-6 record was good enough to make the playoffs, whereas in the NFC, teams with 8 wins entering the final week of play were already eliminated from postseason contention, as the Falcons needed to reach the 10 win plateau in order to play in January. 

The Bills are also, for once, got a benefit from playing in the AFC East.  The tiebreaker that earned the Bills the playoff spot was strength of schedule.  The AFC East had to play the NFC South this year, a division that saw three teams make the playoffs.  The division, as a whole, was 37-27.  The Baltimore Ravens, the team they were tied with for the final playoff spot after the Los Angeles Chargers were considered out based on their 6-6 conference record, had to play the NFC North.  While having Minnesota on the calendar helped, the division as a whole was slightly weaker, at 34-30.  Having the 0-16 Cleveland Browns twice on the schedule weighed down the Baltimore Ravens.

2. Three losses that should of sunk the Bills

The Buffalo Bills lost seven games this season.  Two of those seven were against the New England Patriots, and we know how they turned out.  New Orleans was a loss against another good team in the Saints.  The Panthers game was a game that the Bills should of won, but couldn't muster the offense to win in the end, as the Panthers were vulnerable in Week 2.

But the Bills suffered three losses during the course of the season that should of wrecked their season.  And they are losses that if the Bills were to miss the playoffs, we would look back and say those were the games that made the difference. 

They are:
Week 5 @ Cincinnati
Week 9 @ New York Jets
Week 11 @ Los Angeles Charges

The team that helped get them into the playoffs was the team the Bills should have beat in Week 5 to establish a 4-1 record as they moved towards the meat of their schedule.  Then, the Thursday Night Football dud the Bills exhibited against the Jets in Week 9, and the less we say about the Nathan Peterman experiment in Week 11 out on the West Coast, the better.

In fact, that loss against the Cincinnati Bengals was the sole reason why Baltimore was able to surpass the Buffalo Bills on the Playoff Picture on Christmas Eve.  The four common opponent tiebreaker leaned in Baltimore's edge with their win over Indianapolis Colts, the tipping scale being Cincinnati.

3. One win that shouldn't of been

Knowing what we know now, the Week 3 win at home against the Denver Broncos was less attractive than it was back then.  But it was the win the following week down in Atlanta that turned out to be the most attractive win the Bills had throughout the season.

And it could of played out much differently. 

Down 23-17 in the closing minute of the game, the Atlanta Falcons faced a 3rd and 1 at the Buffalo 10 yard line, and then rattled off a pair of incomplete passes to ensure victory for the Bills in a game where Matt Ryan was missing Julius Jones due to hip injury.  The Falcons also turned it over three times, twice on Micha Hyde picks and once on a lost fumble by the Falcons QB.  It was the one win where you felt like the Bills were handed a golden-wrapped gift all season, which helps to counter one of the bad losses the Bills suffered through the season.

4. The Snow Bowl

The Indianapolis/Buffalo game in December could be summarized as being in the eye of the storm that was a tough stretch where the Bills had to face off against a streaky Kansas City, and a pair of games against both the Dolphins and the Patriots.

Who knew the literal figure would become reality, as the Bills played one of the most entertaining, most exhilarating games this season in the midst of winter's fury along Lake Erie.  People tuned to the game to watch the game unfold while the snow presented challenges for camera and field crews alike. 

The Bills wound up winning the game in overtime on McCoy's touchdown run, electrifying the Bills season down the final stretch against Miami and New England. 

5. Remember what people were saying before the season

The 2017 season shouldn't of been this memorable for Buffalo.

Right after the Bills shipped off Sammy Watkins off to Los Angeles during the preseason, it was common perception that the Buffalo Bills were going to tank the season, playing for a spot ... in the 2018 NFL Draft. 

The 1st game of the season was referred to as the "Tank Bowl" by some when the Bills played host to the New York Jets, another team that was rumored to be tanking their way through the 2017 season.  It was a battle of two teams playing to lose.  Buffalo came out the winners in that game, but for some analysts, the Jets were the bigger winner for setting their future up.

Little did we know three weeks later the Bills would be sporting a 3-1 record, and fifteen weeks later, would still be in playoff contention.

In Summary: The Buffalo Bills first playoff appearance in 18 seasons was one fans weren't expecting.  While it's great that the Buffalo Bills were able to finally snap the streak, the Bills need to work on some things heading into 2018 and beyond.

First, the Buffalo Bills need a quarterback that they can depend on to make the big plays and launch the two minute drive fans were longing for in their playoff loss to Jacksonville.  Tyrod Taylor's got leg power, but he's not known to be a quarterback to go deep on. 

But the quarterback needs some help.  A dependable wide receiver down the field could be nice.  Either way, the Buffalo Bills are armed with back-to-back first round picks thanks to their trade with the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2017 draft, so they could either stock their team with those two picks or use it as leverage to trade up in the draft. 

The future's looking less cloudy in Buffalo.

Thanks for taking the ride with us through this 2017 season, and hoping that you can join us for the 2018 ride starting in August with the preseason games.

From The Board: Bills O saved by their D and Special Teams.

Joed Viera | Syracuse Post-Standard

Don't think because the Buffalo Bills knocked off the Green Bay Packers, it means they deserve to play in the NFL Playoffs.

In fact, the Buffalo Bills have a lot of work to do if they are even going to be considered for a playoff spot -- and that doesn't include the help they need from outside factors.

But it is nice to see with two weeks left in the season, and with the Oakland Raiders coming up this Sunday, the Bills could very well enter the final week of the regular season as a team still "in the hunt".

With that being said, the Bills need to work on their offense.

Because their current package isn't getting the job done.  The Bills are lucky their special teams, especially Dan Carpenter, and their defense carried them to victory on Sunday.  Because Kyle Orton and the offense wasn't getting it done.

Yes, Orton moved the ball on occasion.  But 14/27 for 158 yards isn't going to get the job done, especially when the Bills have to face the New England Patriots at Foxborough to close the season.

The telling number is the 0 touchdowns that the Bills offense scored all game.  The Bills points came via a punt return for a touchdown, four field goals from Dan Carpenter, and a safety with less than two minutes to play.

The Bills need to get the ball into the end zone with their offensive line on the field.  The Bills are next-to-last when it comes to scoring touchdowns in the Red Zone (40% - Jacksonville is the only team worse with 38% conversion.  Driving the field to score field goals isn't going to get it done.

When Dan Carpenter booted the second field goal of the third quarter, the Bills were only up 6.  The same when Mason Crosby answered Carpenter's 4th field goal with his own to close the Packers to within six again.  Both times, the thought was in mine, and many Bills followers mind, that Aaron Rodgers would lead the team down to the field to victory in the closing minutes of the game to give Green Bay their 11th win of the season.

The Bills got lucky when Aaron Rodgers fumbled an attempted pass into the end zone, and because of the Holy Roller rule that prohibits an offensive player besides the fumbler to advance a fumbled ball within two minutes of the half or end of game, the Bills were given the two point safety, enhancing their lead to eight.

The origins of the Holy Roller rule

The defense has been great throughout the season for the Buffalo Bills, but they're not going to go anywhere in January as long as the Buffalo Bills offense remains anemic.

From the Board: Buffalo Bills Observations - Week 8

The Buffalo Bills beat the New York .... wait.  That doesn't sound right.

The New York Jets beat the New York Jets 43-23 ... wait.  That's not right either.

I got it.

The New York Jets offense beat the New York Jets defense 43-23 on Sunday.

The Jets offense, one field goal away from a marquee win against the New England Patriots in Week 7, floundered early as Geno Smith looked awful.

Three first quarter interceptions.  Geno Smith completed more passes to Buffalo defensive backs than he did his own receivers.

And with that, his day was done.

Michael Vick came in and marched his team down the field beautifully, cutting the deficit in half.  But had the Buffalo offense been clicking better, that score would be higher.

Having players take horrible penalties, like that taunting penalty on one Smith's picks, resulted in the Bills putting nothing on the board on the first two of Geno Smith's interceptions.

The Jets turned the ball over six times, and had a seventh overturned.  The Bills, had their offense played a stronger role, could have made this game the third to have a team score greater than 50 points.  And there were moments of greatness, including both Sammy Watkins catches down field -- even if the first ended in a bonehead play that saw him celebrate prematurely.

But at least that play led to a touchdown, unlike some of the premature celebrations that resulted in the ball going the opposite direction.

As the Bills make their way into the bye week, the offense will need some work.  Much of this is adapting to two different players in the backfield, and evolving the playbook to their strengths.  And that will take time, perhaps seeing some signs of light when the Bills retake the field at the Ralph on November 9th against the Kansas City Chiefs.

At 5-3, the Bills find themselves back in the hunt for a wild card spot, a better position to be in than if they were 4-4.  And the Bills are lucky to be 5-3.  Let's be real -- overtime win against Chicago, last-second field goal at Detroit, and last week's miracle drive capping in the touchdown throw to Sammy Watkins.  Three games that could easily have gone the other way, leaving the Bills at 2-6 and searching for answers.

Instead, they're in the hunt.

And this is one of the funniest Vines you'll see from yesterday's game.

We'll meet you back here again in two weeks after the Bills play the Chiefs. Until then, enjoy the full six hours of FOX Sports Radio Blitz next Sunday at 1PM.

Takeaways: Bills vs. Giants

It was just a preseason game.  The first of five for the Buffalo Bills.

But there are lessons learned and things that the Bills will have to get corrected before their next preseason game against the Carolina Panthers this Friday (5:30PM Pre/7:30PM Kick on WENU-1410).

1. SAMMY WATKINS AND EJ MANUEL NEED TIME: 
   Look, the two have only had a little time together at camp.  They can work on game plans all they want during the drills, but game-time execution is a different story.  Yesterday was the first game execution for both of these guys, and it's going to take a few games before the two are in-sync with each other.
   
   Keep in mind, as well, they only played a few series together.
   
   If by the time we reach August 28th and the two are still having communication issues, then we can start worrying.  Until then, let them develop their chemistry.  Leave them in longer for Friday's game so that they can better partner up and become the passer-receiver tandem that Bills fans are expecting them to be.
   
2. EJ MANUEL DEFLECTIONS:
   As EJ Manuel grows in the NFL, so too will the amount of game film on him.  Other teams will get to notice the quirks and other things Manuel does, so it's best if the Bills mix it up a little here and there so that Manuel doesn't become predictable.
   
   With that being said, yesterday's three deflected passes that he suffered early in the game shouldn't be a concern.  What should be concerning is...
   
3. END ZONE INTERCEPTIONS:
   The New York Giants defense for the most part ate up the Bills passing attack, snuffing two drives dead via interceptions in the end zone.  You can debate if the one thrown from Jeff Tuel was considered pass interference, but the issue at heart here is that the Bills as the season draws near cannot be throwing their chances away.
   
   Those two end zone interceptions very well could have been the difference between them winning and losing last night.

In the long run, we have to remember that this is the preseason.  What happens here has very little, if any, bearing on how the regular season goes.  It'd be nice to go 5-0 in the preseason, but what good does that do if you end up going 4-12 and missing the playoffs for the 15th straight year?

LIVE BLOG: BUFFALO BILLS vs. NEW YORK GIANTS

Let's enjoy the return of football together.

The Buffalo Bills and the New York Giants play in the annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.  Radio coverage will be found on FOX Sports Radio 1230 tonight, with John Murphy and Mark Kelso on the call.

We'll be providing updates here and on Twitter (@WMML1230), so refresh for the latest updates.

Bills reporter Chris Brown has which Giants who will not be suiting up tonight.

#Bills announced that CBs Leodis McKelvin and Stephon Gilmore, TEs Tony Moeaki and Scott Chandler, WR Marquise Goodwin not dressing tonight.
— Buffalo Bills Draft (@BillsDraft) August 3, 2014

8:10PM: The New York Giants win the toss and the we're under way.  The Giants go 3-and-out and the Bills will get the ball on the 18 yard line.  BUF 0  NYG  0  1st Q
- E.J. Manuel's first play is a run for C.J. Spiller.

8:20PM: E.J. attempted a deep pass to Sammy Watkins, but came up incomplete.  The Bills picked up a first down but lost all steam afterwards to bring about a punt.  Giants with the ball now.
- Giants fumble on a sack, Bills recover at the NYG 22 yard line.
Edit: Kyle Williams with the strip-sack for the Buffalo Bills.  

8:26PM: Three deflected passes later, Manuel and the Bills have to settle for three points.  Carpenter's Field Goal is good.  BUF  3  NYG  0  7:03 1Q

8:40PM: Long seven minute drive for the New York Giants results in a touchdown by Andre Williams.  BUF  3  NYG  7  0:49 1Q

8:56PM: Jeff Tuel throws a strike on 4th and Goal from the NYG 3 for the touchdown for Buffalo.  BUF  10   NYG  7  9:00 2Q

9:10PM: Giants field goal ties it.  10-10.

10:49PM: A pair of interceptions in the end zone for the Buffalo Bills, and the Giants will come away winners in the Hall of Fame game, 17-13.  Quick game, only 2 1/2 hours in a professional football game.

Buffalo Bills football on FOX Sports 1230/CBS Sports Radio 1410

The Buffalo Bills will be returning to FOX Sports Radio 1230 and CBS Sports Radio 1410 for the third straight year of NFL football in the Glens Falls area.  Coverage begins this Sunday, August 3rd, as the Buffalo Bills and the New York Giants play in the annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.

In cases where there are conflicts, such as Mets baseball in August and September, coverage will be moved to CBS Sports Radio 1410 (WENU) so that both games will be covered on both stations.  

John Murphy and Mark Kelso will once again provide the radio play-by-play for the Buffalo Bills, and Joe Buscaglia will report from the sidelines.  In studio, Howard Simon will host the Buffalo Bills Countdown to Kickoff pregame show, and Mike Schopp and Chris ‘The Bulldog’ Parker will co-host the post game show. 

The Bills begin the regular season on Sunday, September 7th as they travel to Chicago to face the Bears.  Coverage for that game will be on CBS Sports Radio 1410.

Under the jump will be the complete Buffalo Bills schedule for 2014, including which station will be airing the game.

Sports Roundtable: Thursday, April 10th

If you remember last year, we did a thing on this blog called the Daily Recap.  This Roundtable continues the concept - going around from league to league, local to national, and telling you what's going on in the sports world that caught our attention here in the studio.

The Thursday edition, which recaps the news from Wednesday, appears after the jump.

2013 in Review

Oh, what an exciting 2013 it was.  Both on the local scene and on the national stage, there were plenty of memories that will not expire as the calendar turns at Midnight.

The Forgettable

Florida Gators Block Each Other:

It was a forgettable year for Florida Gator football.  But, unfortunately, because of this play, the Gators mishaps in the 2013 season will take a long time to forget.  Voted as "Worst-of-the-Worst" on that cable sports channel for weeks after the play occurred, the offensive linemen involved will never live this down.

Who Wants to Catch This Fly Ball?

Zack Wheeler's second career start was less memorable than the first, but he was let off the hook after this zany play where Daniel Murphy should have been out on a fly ball.  The dropped ball gave the Mets life, but Murphy was left stranded.  Chicago would win the game in the bottom of the ninth inning on a solo walk-off homer.

New York Professional Football

It was a forgettable year for professional football in New York.  The two New Jersey teams saw their seasons end without fanfare, as the Giants kicked off the season with six straight losses.  They won five of their next six as they returned to playoff contention in an NFC East where nobody wanted to take a commanding lead, but then back-to-back teams against West Coast teams nailed the coffin shut on their season.

The Jets season began with news that Mark Sanchez would miss a part of the season with a shoulder injury sustained in their preseason game against the New York Giants. This led to Geno Smith being the Jets prime starting QB, and the rookie's inconsistency led to inconsistent results for the Jets, who couldn't win back-to-back games until the final two games of the season.

Like the Jets, the Buffalo Bills started a newly-drafted Quarterback for much of the season in EJ Manuel.  But Manuel's season consisted of three knee injuries, one that took him out of the final two preseason games and made him an uncertainty for the opening game against the New England Patriots, a second during the Thursday Night Football game against the Cleveland  Browns, and a third towards the end of the season.  There were moments where the Bills showed signs of defeating their playoff-less streak, but by the end, the Bills defaulted to old ways, missing the playoffs and finishing last in the AFC East.

Boston Marathon Bombing

On Monday, April 15th, the world was watching Boston as the traditional Patriots Day marathon took place down the city streets.  By 3PM, the world's reason for watching Boston changed after explosions rocked near the finish line.

No longer was it about the race.  It was about finding out who did this, and why.  By that Friday night, that search concluded as police picked up their suspect alive.

The Memorable

Boston Strong:

One of the most forgettable moments of 2013 led to one of the most memorable moments.  Two days after the 2013 Marathon Bombing, the first sporting event to be held in the city of Boston after the attack led to the crowd consuming Rene Rancourt and taking over the singing of the National Anthem before the Boston Bruins home game against the Buffalo Sabres.

It was one of the best crowd performances of the National Anthem, performed in front of a national stage.

From NESN - PARENTAL ADVISORY NOTE: Contains the uncensored profanity.

Three days later, Boston Red Sox's David Ortiz brought another memorable moment post-bombing as he spoke to the crowd during a pregame commemoration, and during his heart-felt speech let out an obscenity live on the air.

Perhaps using the Boston Strong to inspire them, the Boston Red Sox would win the AL East pennant, and then finished off the season with a 4-2 series win against the St. Louis Cardinals to win the World Series.

42

It was the farewell tour this season for the last player to done the jersey number 42, Yankees reliever Mariano Rivera.  Through his farewell tour, teams gave him gifts, crowds gave him standing ovations, but one of the best was in the 2013 All-Star Game at Citi Field when Jim Leyland, not wanting to risk the National League coming from behind to take the lead and voiding any opportunity for Rivera to make it out onto the field, sent Rivera out for the 8th inning following Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline".  Three things made this special: The crowd, the television crew at FOX for letting this air raw without any commentary or graphic, sans the "bug" on the top right corner, and the outpouring of support from players and managers alike.

Section 2: Title Town

How do you top a year where three teams make it to Syracuse's Carrier Dome and two of them win the state championship in Football?  How about a year where FOUR Section 2 teams carry home State Basketball titles (Troy girls, Watervliet, Lake George and Argyle boys), and Section 2 hockey team wins the State Division 1 Hockey championship (Saratoga Springs).  Fort Ann sweeping the baseball and softball titles in Class D, and the Queensbury Spartans coming close, falling in Binghamton in their title chance.  Then in the fall, Burnt Hills came to Glens Falls in an attempt to obtain a Volleyball title, and the Queensbury Cross Country team.  It all culminated in the Queensbury Spartans football team doing something no other team in the local tri-county area had done before, win the state championship in football, and did so in commanding fashion, winning 36-7 over Williamsville North.

NFL Week 15 Picks and Viewing Guide

There's not a strong library of compelling matchups in Week 15.

You've got two games where both competitors will be watching football instead of playing come January.  You've got games where one of the teams needs a pick-me-up after last week.  And you've got teams who would love to head into the last two weeks resting players instead of fighting hard for playoff spots.

Please Note: Picks are for entertainment purposes only, and 1230 FOX Sports Radio/North Country Sports Radio will not be held responsible if you use our picks for other purposes.

Thursday Night Football: San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos - on NFL Network - The Denver Broncos could be rather interested in the Kansas City/Oakland game with a win, as a loss by the Chiefs would clinch the west for Payton Manning and the Broncos.  The Chargers are fighting for their playoff lives, as that Week 1 collapse against the Houston Texans is coming back to hurt them now.  But with the home field advantage, the Broncos should have no troubles dealing with the Chargers.

Pick: Denver Broncos

Sunday Games
Early Games
Seattle Seahawks at New York Giants - on FOX 23 (Cable Channel 7) - The Seahawks suffered a setback when the 49'ers showed that home field matters in their 19-17 win last week.  The Seahawks know that the New Orleans Saints are breathing down their proverbial necks and want to make sure the 12th man is on their side come next month.  A big chance comes as the Seahawks play where they hope to be playing come the first Sunday in February as they face the New York Giants.  After getting out of an early-season hole, the Giants have now suffered two losses in their last three games and have now assured them a spot on the outside looking in come next month.  Eli Manning has one more touchdown than he does interceptions in the last 5 weeks, a key stat that could come back to haunt him as the Giants look not to be booed on their own stage.  But knowing East Rutherford, NJ, they'll be regardless.

Pick: Seattle Seahawks

Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars - on 1230 FOX Sports Radio, AM1230 - Sportswriters and media members in Western New York mentioned that the Buffalo Bills left their game in Toronto.  It could also be argued that the Buffalo Bills are still on the bye week after suffering back-to-back losses against the #3 and #4 team in the NFC South.  EJ Manuel had the worst game of his professional career against the Bucs, getting picked off 4 times as the Bills as a collective unit looked nothing like the team that shined proudly against the New York Jets. The Jacksonville Jaguars are showing that they are trying to fight, winning their last three games.  It will either become a breakout game for Buffalo, or one that will showcase what needs to be fixed come the offseason.

Pick: Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins - The Dolphins looked confident in September.  Not so much these days. Pick: New England
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts - Houston continues their freefall.  Pick: Indianapolis
Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings - After last week's snowbowl, one almost wished the Eagles would be outside again.  Minnesota, however, will be happier indoors.  Pick: Minnesota
San Francisco 49'ers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - The 49'ers last week proved that they are still a team to watch out for.  The Bucs looked good against Buffalo, but will find the competition harder this time around.  Pick: San Francisco
Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns - Quick turnaround for the Bears, who have a QB controversy in the best way possible after last week's sparkling performance by Josh McCown.  Cleveland nearly pulled the upset against New England.  Pick: Chicago
Washington Redskins at Atlanta Falcons - The Redskins are a mess.  Enough said.  Pick: Atlanta

Late Games
New York Jets at Carolina Panthers - on CBS-6 Albany WRGB - The Carolina Panthers had the opportunity to prove themselves as a top contender in the NFC, however all that has been silenced since their double-digit loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday Night Football.  The New York Jets suffered three straight losses before getting back on track with a win against Oakland.  Geno Smith looked better, but he's been picked off in 8 out of his last 10 games.  And with a stingy Carolina Panthers defense looking for a statement game after last week, it could be a long game ahead for Smith and the Jets.

Pick: Carolina Panthers

Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys - on FOX 23 (Cable Channel 7) - Both teams are in the hunt for the playoffs, and a loss may not be disastrous for either squad.  But both teams need a win.  Aaron Rogers remains questionable for the Packers, and it'd be really nice if he was able to return for them to sculpt their playoff bid.  They narrowly beat Atlanta last week, lost to Detroit on Thanksgiving and tied Minnesota.  The Dallas Cowboys defense needs a pick-me-up after allowing Chicago to score on every possession except for the last, which was only halted due to the clock reaching double-zero at the end of the game.  The winner makes their playoff chances stronger.  The loser, gasps for air and holds for help.

Pick: Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders - If Denver wins on Thursday, they'll be watching this game exclusively to see whether or not their team can clinch the West.  But unfortunately for the Broncos, the Chiefs play the Oakland Raiders.  Pick: Kansas City.
Arizona Cardinals at Tennessee Titans - The Arizona Cardinals look to help their Wild Card potential while the Titans hope to forget what happened to them the last two weeks.  Pick: Arizona
New Orleans Saints at St. Louis Rams - Although the Saints have a hard time winning away from the Superdome, Drew Brees shouldn't have a tough time fending off the Rams defenders.  Pick: New Orleans

Sunday Night
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers - on Channel 13 - The Pittsburgh Steelers looked like they were rolling back into the playoff race, but then back-to-back setbacks against the Baltimore and Miami has put them back into the "In The Hunt" category.  However, the same story happened to Cincinnati earlier in the season - back-to-back losses to those two teams before rattling off three straight wins to be on the verge of a playoff spot.  And remember, these are the Bengals who knocked off New England earlier in the season in a driving rainstorm.

Pick: Cincinnati Bengals

Monday Night Football: Baltimore Ravens at Detroit Lions - on ESPN - Two 7-6 teams facing different fates face off on Monday night.  Baltimore is hoping for some help by way of the Steelers on Sunday night so they can put pressure on Cincinnati, currently two back of the division leaders.  Detroit has the edge against Chicago, but would like to keep pace with them should the Bears win, or take the outright lead should they lose.  Detroit will be very happy to be back indoors after the 8" snowfest in Philadelphia last week, but that indoor environment did little to aide them as they lost to Tampa Bay three weeks ago.  Baltimore has won four of their last five, with that 5th being a tight overtime loss to the Chicago Bears, to put them in a better position to make the playoffs.

Pick: Baltimore Ravens

NFL Week 13 Local Viewer's Guide and Picks

DISCLAIMER: 1230 FOX Sports Radio's picks are for entertainment purposes only and should not be used for gambling purposes.  ESPECIALLY given how the two times we've posted picks on this blog they've bombed big time.

WEEK 13

Network Information to the right of the game.
My picks in Yellow

Thursday Football
Green Bay at Detroit - 12:30PM - WXXA FOX 23 (Cable Ch. 7)
Oakland at Dallas - 4:30PM - WRGB CBS 6
Pittsburgh at Baltimore - 8:30PM - WNYT NewsChannel 13

Sunday
Early Games
New England at Houston
Tampa Bay at Carolina
Arizona at Philadelphia
Miami at NY Jets - WRGB CBS 6
Chicago at Minnesota
Tennessee at Indianapolis
Jacksonville at Cleveland

Late Games
St. Louis at San Francisco
Atlanta vs. Buffalo (in Toronto) - WXXA FOX 23 (Cable Ch. 7), Radio coverage on 1230 FOX Sports Radio WMML
Cincinnati at San Diego
Denver at Kansas City - WRGB CBS 6

Sunday Night Football
NY Giants at Washington - WNYT NewsChannel 13

Monday Night Football
New Orleans at Seattle - ESPN

NFL Week 12: Your local viewing guide and picks

Thurs. Nov. 21
New Orleans 17, Atlanta 13

Our picks are listed in Yellow

Today

1PM Games

New York Jets at Baltimore Ravens - WRGB CBS-6

Carolina Panthers at Miami Dolphins - WXXA FOX-23 (Cable Ch. 7)

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions

Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers

San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs

Chicago Bears at St. Louis Rams

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans

4PM Games

Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants - WXXA FOX-23 (Cable Ch. 7)

Tennessee Titans at Oakland Raiders

Indianapolis Colts at Arizona Cardinals

Sunday Night Football

Denver Broncos at New England Patriots - WNYT NewsChannel 13

Monday Night Football

San Francisco 49ers at Washington Redskins - ESPN


Be sure to keep up with today's games with the FOX Sports Blitz, airing from 1PM to 7PM on 1230 FOX Sports Radio!

Buffalo Bills LIVE!

Circle the wagons!  The Buffalo Bills are at home this afternoon as they host the Cincinnati Bengals, trying to recover from the loss to the Cleveland Browns 10 days ago.  Be sure to listen with us on 1230 FOX Sports Radio and we'll talk about the game live on this blog.

Week 5: Buffalo Bills @ Cleveland Browns

On Thursday, the Buffalo Bills go primetime as they face the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football.

The 2-2 Buffalo Bills were given a much needed shot of adrenaline when they defeated the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, but could have been more disastrous if the Ravens were able to complete their comeback after starting Quarterback Joe Flacco was picked off 5 times.

Meanwhile the Cleveland Browns are hoping that the energy of the Cleveland Indians cross over to continued success.  Don't look now, but since dumping their Running Back to the Indianapolis Colts, the Browns have won back-to-back games, first winning against Minnesota and then using Hoyer's 2 touchdowns and 269 yards to propel them to victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Don't forget 1230 FOX Sports Radio will have your Buffalo Bills coverage starting at 6:00PM with the Buffalo Bills Countdown to Kickoff, as Howard Simon and crew get you ready for the 8:25PM primetime showdown.

NFL Week 3: Predictions

Week 3 in the NFL brings good games in the form of the early Houston/Baltimore match that could come into play later this season when seedings are up for grabs.  Miami gets a real test in the Atlanta Falcons, and the Bills/Jets could be a critical game for the Jets early in the season.

Our picks in GREEN, but take them with a grain of salt.  We'll provide a little analysis on these matchups, but just remember strange things can happen in the National Football League, and we're not responsible if you use our picks for betting purposes.

Thursday Sept. 19
Kansas City @ Philadelphia - Kansas City looks good, but don't count out Michael Vick and the Eagles just yet.  This could go either way, but if Kansas City does win, it will be another example of the weakness in the NFC East early on this season.

Sunday Sept. 22
(early games)
Green Bay @ Cincinnati - Green Bay has weapons.  Cincinnati has ... not sure what they have these days.
St. Louis @ Dallas - St. Louis has emerged to be the NFC counterpart of the Kansas City Chiefs, returning to winning ways after a few rough years.

San Diego @ Tennessee - Another game that could go either way.
Cleveland @ Minnesota - Giving away a running back for a NFL Draft pick... not sure if that's going to help the Browns in this game.  Or this season, too.
Tampa Bay @ New England - New England may have its miscues, but I don't see those miscues shining too proudly against a team that has collapsed twice in the closing minutes.

Arizona @ New Orleans - Speaking of one of those collapses, the team that had that scare against Tampa Bay better have used that as a wake-up call.

Detroit @ Washington - RG3 may improve, but not sure if it will be to the level needed to knock off the Lions this week.

NY Giants @ Carolina - NFC East weakness won't overcome a team that got deflated badly in the closing seconds of that Week 2 game against the Bills.

Houston @ Baltimore - Houston can come out of this game as a true AFC threat if they can knock off the Ravens.  But I'm not sure if the Texans will have the answers just yet.

(Late games)
Atlanta @ Miami - Miami may be 2-0, but will be in for a rude awakening when they find themselves face-to-face with strong NFC opposition.

Buffalo @ NY Jets - The Jets may have the home-field advantage, but the Bills are still sparkling after that last second win last week.

Indianapolis @ San Francisco - New running option will give Andrew Luck some better options.  And that can't be a bad thing when facing a team that was badly humiliated on Sunday Night Football

Jacksonville @ Seattle - Jacksonville won't be making a lot of noise against the team that has its crowd make all the noise for them.

(Sun night)
Chicago @ Pittsburgh - As long as the Steelers don't get in their own way, they should have a win on Sunday Night.

Monday Sept. 23
Oakland @ Denver - Denver looks like a team that could get a first-round bye.  Oakland doesn't.

NFL: Week 2 in Review

Short Recap.  It's Wednesday already and you've seen enough analysis of Week 2.

SURPRISE OF THE WEEK - Kansas City 17, Dallas 16
For years Kansas City was a team that threatened to make playoffs after playoffs.  They hit hard times, but now it appears that Kansas City, a team that last year finished 2-14, is heading in the positive direction.  Especially after beating the Dallas Cowboys 17-16.

The Chiefs are a new team after Andy Reid took control of the helm and Alex Smith came from San Francisco.  But you cannot put a lot of stock in a 2-0 start just yet, especially since one of the two was against Jacksonville and the other was against a division that isn't looking that strong early on.  But the Chiefs have one thing going for them - two more back-to-back games against the NFC East.  And if the NFC East truly isn't a strong division, a 4-0 record will look really sweet heading into that October 6th game against Tennessee.

DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE WEEK - Seattle 29, San Francisco 3
Speaking of Alex Smith, he's got to be smiling after the Seattle Seahawks didn't just beat the 49'ers, they destroyed them.  Granted the critics are talking about how things could be different when the two meet at Candlestick Park, but the truth of the matter is, the 49'ers have some serious problems two weeks in that need to be corrected.

Colin Kaepernick looked uncomfortable during the game against the Seahawks.  It looked like one of his tosses was right at a defender who picked it off.  He went 13-for-28 for 127 yards, threw 3 picks and fumbled once in the loss.

HANG ONTO YOUR HATS - Buffalo 24, Carolina 23
Most of Ralph Wilson Stadium, despite the urge from the Buffalo Bills to "Bill-eve", had to be thinking that it was over when Graham Gano kicked the field goal with 1:38 left to put the Panthers up by 6.  But then EJ Manuel started something special - a two-minute drill that Buffalo hadn't seen in a long time - that would electrify the 60,000+ that were in Orchard Park on Sunday.

It was aided by a pass interference call that gave the Bills a first down at the Carolina 11, then capped with EJ Manuel's touchdown pass to Stevie Johnson for the tying score, with the extra point to win the game. The game-winning drive was well-executed by Manuel, who worked fast to ensure the Bills quickly reset after every play.

For the Bills, winning the game was essential as going 0-2 into their road game against the New York Jets (4:25PM, 1410 CBS Sports Radio, WENU-AM) would be troubling, and with games still to come against the Ravens, the Saints and the Falcons, it would be a troubling hole to climb out of.

Coming Thursday: The FOX Blogger will pick all games coming up in Week 3, and will include some insight on what games to watch out for.

Watch out for upcoming posts:

Here's five reasons to keep an eye on our 1230 FOX Sports Radio blog this week.

MONDAY: We'll recap the 2nd week of High School Football, as we highlight some of the big games that took place in Section 2 this week, and also take a look as some of the unexpected.  Expect some mentions of Burnt Hills/Troy and Bishop Maginn/Queensbury as well as Glens Falls/Schuylerville

TUESDAY: We'll post the NFL Week 2 Recap, which will draw on some of the big plays  taking place on the gridiron.  I think we'll relive the EJ Manuel game-winning touchdown with two seconds to play.

THURSDAY: NFL Picks.  Haven't done it the first two weeks, but we'll post who we like and a little analysis.  Don't take our picks to a bookie.... otherwise you'll end up with empty pockets.

FRIDAY: We'll post the Week 3 preview for High School Football.  We'll post an in-depth preview of our feature game, Salem at Warrensburg [Saturday, 1PM on 1230 FOX Sports], and also provide any coach interviews we have for the broadcast.

Also during the week we'll post our complete interviews with Queensbury head coach John Irion, Troy head coach Jack Burger and Bishop Maginn coach Joe Grasso.  There was some stuff Coach Grasso talked to us about regarding his long 37-year tenure with the Griffins that we did not get to air due to time constraints, so we'll post them here.

So be sure to keep an eye out for those blogs.  We'll tweet and post a status update on Facebook, so be sure to like our Facebook Page and follow us on Twitter (@WMML1230).