When Detroit’s Rashean Mathis intercepted Kyle Orton’s pass early in the second quarter of Sunday’s Buffalo Bills’ clash with the Lions in Detroit, returning it for a touchdown to give his team a 14-0 lead, it looked like Bills’ coach Doug Marrone’s decision to bench EJ Manuel in favor of the veteran Orton wasn’t going to work out very well. Detroit’s formidable defense had shut down the Bills’ offense to that point, and it appeared this game could descend into a blowout. Just as Houston’s J.J. Watt had tormented Buffalo’s offensive line the previous week, Detroit’s All Pro defensive tackle, Ndamukong Suh did the same in this game. The Bills’ rushing attack had its’ worst showing of the season, with Suh and his defensive linemates stuffing the Buffalo backs all day. With Orton showing rust from not having seen any live game action since last season, it looked like the Bills were in for a long day. Luckily, Orton shook off the rust just enough to rebound and lead his team to a stirring 17-14 comeback win, highlighted by a 58 yard game-winning field goal by the reliable Dan Carpenter in the dying seconds. While Orton found his bearings and guided Buffalo to the win, hitting some timely passes on the four scoring drives he needed to secure the final result, it was the Bills’ defense that was the headliner of the day, for the fifth straight week this year. With Kyle Williams out with a knee injury, Marcell Dareus lifted his game and delivered his best effort of the season, dominating the Lions’ offensive line and recording 3 of the Bills’ 6 sacks of Lion QB Matthew Stafford. The efforts of the defense are the main reason the Bills have a winning 3-2 record so far this year, and Sunday’s game was especially sweet in that it came against defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz’s former team. Now the Bills return home for a divisional game against rival New England, and the hope is that the defense can put together another consistent effort against Tom Brady while Orton continues to improve and gain more familiarity with his offensive teammates.
Archive for the ‘Football’ Category
NFL – Throwback Thursday: Monday Night Dawg Pound In Philly
On the week five National Football League schedule is a game between two NFC clubs, the Philadelphia Eagles and St. Louis Rams. “Throwback Thursday” for this week will be a contest played on a Monday night – Monday, November 5, 1975 to be exact, between these two franchises. It was a lop-sided game played between 2 teams headed in opposite directions at the time. It was in the relatively early years of Monday Night Football, when each week’s game was a nationally televised spectacle with the broadcasting team of Frank Gifford, “Dandy” Don Meredith and Howard Cosell providing as much entertainment as the game at times. At a prior appearance in Philly in 1973, Cosell was supposedly drunk during the broadcast (he had been drinking in an attempt to stay warm) and disappeared from the broadcast booth late in the game after he apparently threw up on Meredith’s cowboy boots. The Ram franchise was still located in Los Angeles, and the team was a powerhouse in the NFL, as they wound up losing only 2 regular season games that year. The Eagles, on the other hand, were mired in a miserable year under coach Mike McCormack, and coming into this prime time clash had lost 5 of their previous 6 games. In an interview prior to the game, McCormack made a comment to the media that his roster contained “some dogs”, and the notorious Philadelphia fans came to the game loaded for bear that night. The fan base in Cleveland, nowadays, has all but copyrighted the title of “Dawg Pound” at their home games, with an end zone section of the stadium nicknamed that, as fans come dressed in dog masks and pelt the field with dog biscuits. It’s become a tradition in the city.
On this November 1975 night in Philly, however, the Eagle fan base pre-dated Cleveland with their own version of the pound, as they picked up on coach McCormack’s remarks by wearing dog masks, parading around Veteran’s Stadium carrying a giant Alpo dog bone and tossing biscuits at the team’s bench. With their home fans turning against them, the Eagles didn’t show much fight. Ram quarterback James Harris had a great night, throwing for 207 yards and 3 touchdowns, 2 of them to former Eagle Harold Jackson. Roman Gabriel, a legend when he played for the Rams in the late 1960s, had been traded to Philly for Jackson and had a terrible night, throwing 2 interceptions before backup Mike Boryla came in and threw 2 more. The Ram defense polished off the night by returning 2 of the picks for scores in the final quarter, with Fred Dryer and Isiah Robertson doing the honors. The Rams walked away with a 42-3 victory, and that type of blowout usually ended with the Monday Night broadcast team filling the airwaves with whatever nonsense they could come up with. I’m sure Cosell was his usual obnoxious self, and Dandy Don probably sang his trademark “turn out the lights, the party’s over” very early that night.
Coach McCormack with Harold Carmichael, Roman Gabriel (photo courtesy of philly.com)
NFL – Bills’ Game Review
Sunday’s contest against the Houston Texans was probably Buffalo Bills fans’ worst nightmare. The quarterback their team dumped a couple years ago, Ryan Fitzpatrick, outplayed the current QB, EJ Manuel, as the Texans won 23-17. For the second straight week, the Bills needed Manuel to bring them from behind to pull out a win, and for the second straight week he failed. He not only wasn’t up to leading a winning fourth quarter drive, he also was directly responsible for at least a ten point swing in the score as he handed Texans’ superstar J.J. Watt a gift-wrapped 80 yard interception return for a touchdown while his team was already in field goal range. The play wasn’t a desperation forced throw into coverage, it was a simple swing pass to a back that he lofted into Watt’s hands. It was just another example of Manuel’s inability to see the field and read the defense. Manuel also had numerous inaccurate throws during the game in which he missed open receivers and blew chances to keep drives alive. He still seems to be overthinking the game rather than just playing. In fact, his best play of the day came on a play when he scrambled out of the pocket and found Mike Williams wide open for an 80 yard score. Coach Doug Marrone seems content to live with the lumps (and losses) that the team will have to put up with while Manuel learns, even though his job could be on the line with the impending ownership change. In Manuel’s defense, he has had a better start to his career so far than such legends as Terry Bradshaw, Troy Aikman, John Elway and even Peyton Manning, but with the immediate success of recent young QBs like Joe Flacco, Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick and Andy Dalton, there isn’t much patience shown by fans these days. Also in Manuel’s defense, his offensive line didn’t protect him very well, and for some reason the offensive strategists had him throw the ball 44 times, while Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller totaled only 22 carries (for a respectable 93 yards). This was a dubious game plan considering Houston had surrendered almost 200 yards on the ground the previous week against the New York Giants.
The play of their young quarterback wasn’t the only reason the Bills lost on Sunday. The defense, although they probably played well enough to win if they’d gotten some offensive help, allowed Fitzpatrick to make just enough plays, with timely scrambles and completions, to pull out the win for his team. The defensive game plan was to shut down Houston’s rushing attack and force Fitz to win the game with his arm, a position he’s never been very good in. The Texans’ rushing attacked produced next to nothing, yet Fitzpatrick didn’t get smothered by the defense, which still is a long ways from being dominant. The “Amish Rifle” instead got his team the win. What’s discouraging about allowing a journeyman like Fitzpatrick to beat them is wondering how will the defense cope with legitimate passing threats on their upcoming schedule – Matthew Stafford, Tom Brady and Minnesota’s new starter, Teddy Bridgewater.
NFL – Throwback Thursday: Vikings’ Season of Heartbreak
The National Football League’s week four schedule includes a match between the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons, and so this week’s edition of Throwback Thursday returns to 1998, one of the most successful seasons in Vikings’ history. That is, right up until January 17, 1999, the date of the NFC title game that season between the Vikings and Falcons. The game was a match between the conference’s 2 best teams, with the Vikings finishing 15-1 and the Falcons 14-2. In a fact that made it perhaps a true “modern era” title game, it was the first conference championship game in NFL history played between two teams who played their home games in domed stadiums. Coach Dennis Green’s Viking squad featured a high-scoring passing attack led by quarterback Randall Cunningham throwing to his dynamic receivers – Chris Carter and Randy Moss. Their offense set an NFL record by scoring 556 points, and the team was undefeated at home. The Falcons, under coach Dan Reeves, were led by a journeyman QB, Chris Chandler, and behind young running back Jamal Anderson, were affectionately known to their fans as the “Dirty Birds”, after a winged touchdown dance the players did when they scored. The Vikings had been so dominant that year, with 10 Pro Bowlers on their roster and having won their home games by an average of 23 points, that Atlanta came into the title game as 11-point underdogs despite losing only twice all season. It turned out to be one of the league’s most exciting title games of all time, as Minnesota, as expected, jumped out to an early lead only to see the Falcons rally to overcome a 13 point deficit. Still, the Vikings pulled ahead 27-20 and drove into field goal position with the chance to go ahead by a pretty much insurmountable 10 points. Old pro Gary Anderson was the Vikings’ kicker, and had completed a “perfect” regular season, having made all his extra point and field goal attempts. However, he sent a 38 yard attempt wide left, his first miss of the year, leaving an opening for Atlanta with just over 2 minutes left. Chandler drove his club down the field and hit Terance Mathis on a 16 yard TD pass to tie the game and send it into overtime. The teams traded punts in the extra session before Atlanta’s kicker,Morten Andersen, another seasoned vet, hit the game winning field goal from 38 yards to send the underdog Falcons on to the Super Bowl. Chandler’s performance was memorable, as he threw for 340 yards and 3 touchdowns while limping around on an injured ankle. It was an unfortunate ending to a sensational season for the Vikings, but it should be noted that they lost 5 starters to injury during the game. The bottom line was that the franchise that had four Super Bowl losses on its’ resume, this time found a way to come up short in the conference championship, with probably the most talented roster in team history.
Falcons’ kicker Morten Andersen celebrates his game-winning kick (photo courtesy of petemyersrules.com)
NFL – Bills’ Game Review
After their surprising start to the 2014 season, the Buffalo Bills came down to earth on Sunday against the San Diego Chargers, a formidable opponent that made the playoffs in 2013 and upset the defending champion Seattle Seahawks last week. The Chargers prevailed, 22-10, with a workmanlike performance in which they seemed in control from the opening kickoff. They didn’t have overwhelming statistics, and their running game didn’t accomplish much, but their veteran quarterback, Philip Rivers, picked apart the Buffalo secondary with a surgical perfection, continuously connecting with his receivers in third and long situations to keep drives alive. After beating Seattle mostly by controlling the ball, the Chargers used the same formula to bury the Bills. Rivers guided his offense to long, time-consuming drives that resulted in touchdowns on his team’s first possession of the game, and on their first possession after halftime, and settled for field goals on the others. He was able to beat Buffalo’s secondary for big plays on several occasions, the type of deep passes defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz’s unit didn’t give up in the first 2 games. Speaking of coordinators, San Diego’s offensive coordinator is a familiar face to Bills’ fans – former backup QB Frank Reich – and his game plan was perfect. Rivers, an eleven year veteran with the reputation of being a gunslinger, ran the offense perfectly and patiently, keeping the Bills’ defense off guard and confused all day. It was the type of offense Reich ran when he had his chances to play here. San Diego clearly won the battle of the trenches on both sides of the ball, keeping Rivers mostly comfortable in the pocket on offense and harassing Bills’ QB EJ Manuel all day on defense.
After getting contributions from all three phases in the first 2 games that resulted in wins, the Bills were flat on both offense and defense this time. The secondary was torched, but at the same time the Bills’ vaunted defensive line didn’t generate much pressure on Rivers, especially early in the game when the outcome was still in doubt. Also, this was a game in which Buffalo needed Manuel to step up his game and lead the offense on scoring drives, and he wasn’t up to the task, looking nervous and uncomfortable most of the afternoon. His accuracy wasn’t good, and his decision-making even worse. He struggled all day to connect with his wide receivers, seemingly afraid of forcing throws, and generally looked for his safety valves – either the backs or tight end – on short throws instead of going deep. The worst decision ended any doubt about the final result, when Manuel threw the ball away from the end zone and was called for intentional grounding, resulting in a safety. The Bills now go on the road for 2 weeks, visiting Houston and old friend Ryan Fitzpatrick next week, followed by a trip to Detroit to face the Lions, who are usually pretty tough to beat at home. Manuel will be under pressure to outplay Fitzpatrick, who he replaced as the Bills’ starter. It’ll be interesting to see how he handles that challenge.
NFL – Throwback Thursday: The Longest Game
The Kansas City Chiefs meet the Miami Dolphins in one of the week 3 matchups on the NFL schedule, and that will make the “Throwback Thursday” feature for this week a game played between these two franchises on Christmas Day, December 25, 1971, that became the longest game played in league history. The game was played in the era prior to regular season overtime being implemented, but because it was a playoff game it had to be played until a winner was determined, and wound up going into double overtime. The Chiefs, under coach Hank Stram, had won the Super Bowl 2 seasons earlier, having shocked the Minnesota Vikings to give the upstart AFL their second straight title before the merger took full effect and the AFL was dissolved. It was the last game played at Kansas City Municipal Stadium, as the Chiefs would move into their new home, Arrowhead Stadium, the following year. Both coaches, Stram and Miami’s Don Shula, would go on to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as would 12 other players involved in the game. The game was a see-saw affair, as K.C. jumped out to a 10-0 lead, only to see the Dolphins come back to tie. The teams traded scores and Chief quarterback Len Dawson then engineered a classic 91 yard scoring drive, with unsung back Ed Podolak supplying much of the yardage and capping off the drive with a three yard TD run. Miami’s Bob Griese then matched Dawson by guiding the Fish to a tying score, hitting tight end Marv Fleming with a short touchdown pass to cap it off. When Podolak returned the ensuing kickoff 78 yards to the Dolphins 22 yard line, it looked like the Chiefs were a lock to win, especially since their field goal kicker was Jan Stenerud, arguably the best kicker of the era and still the only pure placekicker to make it into the Hall of Fame. Stenerud, however, sent his game-winning 31 yard attempt sailing wide right, and suffered his own personal Scott Norwood moment 20 years before the Bills’ kicker’s failed attempt. The game then went on long into the night, before the Dolphins’ Garo Yepremian finally won it with a field goal after 82 minutes and 40 seconds of playing time. It became the longest game in pro football history, surpassing the 1962 AFL title game between the Houston Oilers and Dallas Texans. The Texans won that game, and ironically the coach and quarterback of that Texan team were Stram and Dawson, as the Chiefs began their AFL lives in Dallas as the Texans before moving to Kansas City.
Podolak had a game for the ages in a losing cause for the Chiefs. He rushed for 85 yards on 17 carries, caught 8 passes for another 110 yards, returned 3 kickoffs for an amazing 153 yards, and with an additional few yards on punt returns, set an NFL record with 350 all-purpose yards in a single game, a mark that still stands today, some 40+ years later. Miami fullback Larry Csonka was quoted as saying afterwards that the game was going to be played until “somebody won, or died.” The win was the first playoff victory in Miami franchise history, and they would go on to advance to the Super Bowl, where they lost to Tom Landry’s Dallas Cowboys.
Chiefs’ LB Willie Lanier takes on Miami FB Larry Csonka (photo courtesy of Spokeo.com)
NFL – Bills’ Game Review
Last Sunday’s rousing overtime win over the Chicago Bears got the Buffalo Bills off to a surprise start in their season opener. That win, combined with the news that legendary quarterback Jim Kelly is cancer-free, and that the Ralph Wilson estate has agreed to sell the team to Buffalo Sabres’ owners Terry and Kim Pegula, created a tremendous positive atmosphere among Bills’ fans going into the home opener against division rival Miami. Adding to the anticipation was the plan by the Bills to honor their late founder and owner, Wilson, in a pre-game ceremony. Being a relatively young team, there was a concern that the Bills might go into the game a little too hyped up and come out flat, but instead they put together a workmanlike 29-10 win that resembled the opener in Chicago in that it was another great “team” win, with contributions coming from all over the roster. Buffalo followed the same formula that got them the win over the Bears – they played solid defense, got numerous big plays from their special teams and played just well enough on offense to win. Quarterback EJ Manuel, once again, had pedestrian numbers but, as coach Doug Marrone stated last week, he “played winning football”. He didn’t make any mistakes, and the lone touchdown drive he engineered came right after the Dolphins scored their only TD of the game. Rookie Sammy Watkins was a key target in the game plan, and he responded with 8 catches for 117 yards and his first NFL touchdown. The special teams, without a doubt, played “winning football” also. Their contributions included a blocked punt by Anthony Dixon, a recovered muffed punt by Randell Johnson, solid punting by newcomer Colton Schmidt, a 102 yard kickoff return by C.J. Spiller and five successful field goals by Dan Carpenter. Defensively, Buffalo harassed Miami QB Ryan Tannehill all day, sacking him 4 times and batting down several of his passes. The Dolphins were also held to 80 yards rushing, although they lost their top back, Knowshon Moreno, to a dislocated elbow in the first quarter. For the second straight week, the Bills did not surrender any big plays, and even though the defense was a bright spot in the Bills’ 6-10 season a year ago, new coordinator Jim Schwartz’s unit looks to be improved.
So the Bills, who appeared lost and looking like they were going nowhere coming out of preseason, are now 2-0 and stand alone atop the AFC East standings. Next up is a home date with the San Diego Chargers, who will provide a tough test for Buffalo. The Chargers, whose offensive coordinator is former Bill Frank Reich, opened their home season on Sunday with an even more impressive display – knocking off the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
NFL – Throwback Thursday: The Kansas Comet
This week’s Throwback Thursday featured story was an easy one to pick, once I saw that the Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers were scheduled to meet. That matchup immediately brought me back to a game etched in the memory of any NFL fan who followed the game in the 1960s. It happened on a muddy field, on December 12, 1965, at Wrigley Field in Chicago, where the Bears played their home games at that time. The Bears had three first round draft picks in the college draft of 1965, and two of their choices, linebacker Dick Butkus and halfback Gale Sayers, were destined to become Hall of Famers. On this particular day, Sayers put an exclamation point on a sensational, record-breaking rookie season, scoring six touchdowns to lead his team to a 61-20 rout of the 49ers. My apologies to the San Francisco franchise, since I’ve now started this year’s “Throwback Thursday” posts by featuring two of the most crushing losses in the team’s history, but this game was memorable. Sayers was spectacular, scoring four rushing TDs, from 1, 7, 21 and 50 yards out, on an 80 yard pass from quarterback Rudy Bukich, and also on an 85 yard punt return. His record-breaking day overshadowed a terrific performance by Bukich, who threw for 347 yards (a huge single-game amount in the NFL of the 1960s) and three TDs on only 16 completions. Sayers would end the 1965 season with an NFL rookie record 22 touchdowns, and although knee injuries shortened his brilliant career, he still managed to do enough in the six seasons he played to become the youngest player ever inducted into Canton when he was voted in, in his first year of eligibility in 1977. Having played his college ball at Kansas, Sayers would come to be known, as his career progressed, as the “Kansas Comet”, a moniker that described his speed and ability to elude defenders, but having only played full time for a little under five seasons, it might also be fitting to say that, like a comet, he flashed across the NFL landscape for a short period, yet his likes will never be seen again.
Bears RB Gale Sayers torments the 49er defense
NFL – Bills’ Game Review
The Buffalo Bills’ opening game of the 2014 season solidified the golden rule of trying to figure out the NFL – never put any stock in what goes on in the preseason. Yes, apparently the Bills didn’t show their hand at all in the exhibition games, and came out of the gate in Chicago ready to play. In my season preview of the team I answered the question of what the Bills needed to do to end their long playoff drought – go on the road, fight through adversity and put together a signature game that they could build on. What better time to go ahead and find that “signature” win than on opening day? That’s exactly what Buffalo did. They fell behind early 7-0 as the Bears scored quickly on a four play drive that probably had most fans thinking it was going to be a long day. To his credit, EJ Manuel engineered a great drive to counter Chicago’s score, mixing in his team’s strong running game with timely completions. He then finished off the drive with a rushing TD of his own on a nifty read-option play, accomplishing what the team couldn’t do at all in preseason – score a TD on a first string defense.
Buffalo went ahead at the half 17-7 then saw the Bears come back to tie the game. The teams traded field goals to end regulation in a 20-20 tie. In the overtime, the Bills’ defense held, then Manuel led another drive, again with timely passes and finished with a tough Fred Jackson run to set up Dan Carpenter for the winning field goal as Buffalo prevailed 23-20. It was an ultimate “team” win, with valuable contributions coming from everywhere on the roster. For starters, kudos have to go out to general manager Doug Whaley for his off-season moves. Free agent signees Brandon Spikes at linebacker, Anthony Dixon with a couple of terrific runs and Corey Graham filling in for the injured Stephon Gilmore at cornerback, all did amazing work. Jackson ran for 61 yards and C.J. Spiller for another 53 to go along with a receiving touchdown. Manuel was mostly workmanlike – his stats weren’t overwhelming but he was efficient and made the throws when he needed to – which should be the Bills’ formula for winning games for the rest of the year until Manuel is comfortable enough to really open up. Manuel’s receivers made terrific plays all day. Sammy Watkins and Mike Williams made 5 grabs for 66 yards between them to help keep drives alive, and Robert Woods had an amazing day, leading the team with 78 receiving yards. One of his 4 receptions was a real highlight reel catch. Rookie linebacker Preston Brown had a fumble recovery, Kyle Williams an interception, Mario Williams got a sack, new punter Colton Schmidt was an unsung hero with some nice punts and also was flawless holding for field goals and extra points for the first time with the Bills. The newly reconfigured offensive line had a couple of penalties go against them, but overall they were solid. Manuel was only sacked once and the running game produced a total of 193 yards.
The most encouraging thing about the win was the determination each and every player showed in refusing to lose. That’s a trait Buffalo has been lacking in recent seasons, really for over a decade. The players who came here from winning organizations – Spikes, Graham and Dixon – all rose to the occasion during times of adversity and made plays, as did players who’ve been here for awhile and are tired of losing, like Kyle Williams and Jackson. Despite the mediocrity of past years, this effort gives the fans, and the players themselves, a reason to believe better days are ahead this season.
NFL – Throwback Thursday: Roger The Dodger’s Coming Out Party
The 2014 National Football League season opens tonight, which means it’s time for the season’s first “Throwback Thursday” post of 2014, which highlights a game of the past that was played between two of the teams scheduled to play each other that week. The Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers open the 2014 campaign against each other on Sunday, and the obvious choice for a “throwback” game between these 2 franchises would be the 1981 NFC Championship game which became forever known as “The Catch”, as Dwight Clark caught a touchdown pass from Joe Montana in the back of the end zone to launch the Niners into a decade of domination. However, we’ll go back to an earlier playoff contest between the two teams, an NFC Divisional playoff game in 1972.
To set the stage for this game, these teams were fast becoming playoff rivals. The Cowboys had eliminated the Niners in 1970 and ’71, and this was a third chance for San Francisco to get revenge. Coach Dick Nolan’s 49ers came out flying, as Vic Washington returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. When Larry Schreiber scored on a pair of one yard plunges to give the 49ers a commanding 21-6 lead, it looked like Dallas’ past dominance was about to end. Cowboy quarterback Craig Morton hit Lance Alworth for a touchdown to bring the Cowboys closer at the half, but when Schreiber scored from a yard out again in the third quarter to up San Fran’s lead to 28-13, it looked like a lost cause. That’s when Dallas coach Tom Landry made the decision to bench Morton, who had struggled all day, in favor of Roger Staubach. At this point, the 49er players figured the game was theirs, and began taunting the Cowboys, but little did they know that Staubach was about to write the first chapter of what would become a string of come-from-behind performances that would earn him the nickname “Captain Comeback”. Staubach proceeded to lead his team on three fourth quarter scoring drives, culminating in a Toni Fritsch field goal and touchdown passes to Billy Parks and Ron Sellers. When the dust settled, Dallas came away with a 30-28 victory, and the San Francisco players who had done the taunting slithered away with their tails between their legs.
Dallas QB Roger “The Dodger” Staubach leads a stunning comeback