A Game of Inches | Cheese's Buffalo Bills Franchise

[cheese2121]

Around the NFL Wild Card Playoffs

Notable Injuries
-Patriots - LE Derrick Burgess - Fractured Toe - 5 Weeks



Notable Player Transactions
-(none)



Wild Card Weekend Scores


- 26 vs. - 16
BUF - M. Lynch - 104 yds, 2 TD's

- 10 vs. - 33
SD - P. Rivers - 244 yds, 2 TD's


- 31 vs. - 24
CAR - J. Stewart - 148 yds, 2 TD's

- 21 vs. - 9
ATL - M. Turner - 149 yds, 1 TD

[cheese2121]

Looks like you ahve the chargers in the championship game...and I'd bet the panthers beat the falcons...I think you can beat the chargers...and I'm wondering if their passing game is more of a threat now than the running game. If so, are you planning to play a lot of dime and quarter D?

The odds makers have you as 6 1/2 point under dogs!

Thanks for checking in man as always! I wish I had the Chargers unfortunately that was the Wildcard scores so I got the good ol' Patriots (13-3) (who had a bye) in the divisional round. I think I am going to have to play a lot of zone and dime sets against them because..well...my corners just aren't good enough to man up against Moss and Welker. The Chargers go on to play the Ravens. What do the odd makers have me at against the Patriots?

[cheese2121]

(11-5) vs. (13-3)

Patriots QB Tom Brady will need to have a big game in this one.

Familiar Foes Clash in the AFC Divisional Round

Injury Report (Players Not Playing)

Buffalo Bills
-(none)

New England Patriots
-LE Derrick Burgess (80) - Fractured Toe
-C Dan Koppen (87) - Torn Hamstring
-HB Fred Taylor (82) - Dislocated Elbow
-MLB Jerod Mayo (93) - Fractured Foot


3 Key Matchups to Watch

1)QB Sam Bradford vs. QB Tom Brady: Edge: Brady

2)HB Laurence Maroney vs. Bills Front Seven: Edge: Bills

3)HB Marshawn Lynch vs. Patriots Front Seven: Edge: Lynch

Prediction:
The Bills and the Patriots will square off again for the third time this season with a trip to the AFC championship on the line. The teams split the series during the regular season. Once again, as has been the case for Buffalo the past two weeks, bad weather is in the forecast as a heavy cold rain is expected in Foxboro. This will once again making passing very difficult for both teams. Don't look for the rain to dampen Patriots QB Tom Brady's game too much though with WR's Wes Welker and Randy Moss both in the starting lineup. The Patriots have not played the Bills with both WR's healthy this season. You have to like New England's chances in this one. You have the Bills who are led by rookie head coach Russ Grimm and rookie QB Sam Bradford taking on perhaps the greatest coach-quarterback duo of all time in Bill Belichick and Tom Brady of the Patriots. The Patriots have the experience, they have been here before. The Bills have a great team and I think Marshawn Lynch will put on another great performance but I don't think they have what it takes to stop the Patriots. If the Patriots can jump out to a quick lead the Bills do not have the weapons to catch up. The rain will work in Buffalo's favor but it will not be enough to slow down the Brady-led aerial assault. Patriots end the Bills season 31-17.

[cheese2121]

Bills Hang On by Inches for Incredible Victory Over Heavily Favored Patriots 25-18

Bills rookie SS P.J. Mahone strips QB Luke McCown of the ball on the goal line/Patriots TE Ed Dickson cannot keep both feet in bounds for what would have been the tying touchdown.

(11-5)- 25
(13-3)- 18

AP Foxboro: The Buffalo Bills held on by just inches to upset the New England Patriots 25-18 in the AFC divisional round. On the first drive of the game, Patriots QB Tom Brady suffered a mild injury, which kept him out the rest of the first quarter. Backup QB Luke McCown was able to drive the team down the field. From five yards out, McCown tried to run the ball in for the score but was stripped at the 2 yard line by backup rookie SS P.J. Mahone for the Bills. The Bills would fall on the ball to deny the Patriots from scoring. Bills rookie QB Sam Bradford wasted no time on the ensuing possession, hitting rookie WR Deonte Thompson for a 50 yard score. The Bills would extend their lead to 14 in the second quarter as Bradford hooked up with TE Shawn Nelson for an 11 yard score. The Bills would go into halftime with a 14-3 lead.

New England struck back midway through the third quarter when HB Sammy Morris broke free for a 30 yard touchdown run. The Patriots took the lead in the 4th quarter when Brady found TE Benjamin Watson all alone in the corner of the endzone for the score to take a 18-17 lead. Hope was fading fast for the Bills, as the Patriots had the ball with under five minutes left and looked to grind out the clock. On a third and long play, Bills CB Terrence McGee jumped a flats pattern to pick off Brady's pass and returned the interception 63 yards for the score to take a 25-18 lead. Brady would get the ball back and use all of the clock to coolly drive his team all the way down to the Bills 6 yard line. With four seconds left on the clock Brady rolled to his left and fired to backup TE Ed Dickson in the back of the endzone. The rookie would make a diving catch but could not get both feet down in bounds. Bills players leapt into each others arms as the game clock hit zero.

The top seeded New Enlgand Patriots end the season with a 13-3 record. This is the second year in a row they have lost in the divisional round of the playoffs. The Bills will continue their Cinderella story as they head to Baltimore to take on the Ravens (12-4) in the AFC championship.



Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
-D. Thompson 50 yd pass from S. Bradford (R. Lindell kick) 3:05
2nd Quarter
-S. Nelson 11 yd pass from S. Bradford (R. Lindell kick) 7:49
-S. Gostkowski 28 yd FG 0:56
3rd Quarter
-S. Morris 30 yd run (2PT) 7:34
4th Quarter
-R. Lindell 18 yd FG 11:56
-B. Watson 11 yd pass from T. Brady (S. Gostkowski kick) 6:46
-T. McGee returned interception 63 yds (2PT) 3:57


Individual Player Statistics
Next Game:
-(11-5) @ -(12-4)

[cheese2121]

Around the NFL Divisional Playoffs

Notable Injuries
-Saints - FS Darren Sharper - Dislocated Elbow - 3 Weeks


Notable Player Transactions
-(none)


Divisional Scores


- 25 vs. - 18
BUF - S. Bradford - 152 yds, 2 TD's

- 19 vs. - 34
BAL - L. McClain - 143 yds, 2 TD's


- 10 vs. - 12
NO - M. Nugent - 4/5 FG's

- 49 vs. - 45
ATL - M. Turner - 165 yds, 4 TD's

[Tearz49ers]

I am really impressed how your team has come together during these last two playoff games. Sam Bradford has really impressed me to this point with his play in the two big games.

Keep up the good work, and Bills for the Superbowl!

[cheese2121]

(11-5) vs. (12-4)

The Ravens run game is made up of the three headed monster of HB Ray Rice, HB Willis McGahee, and FB Le'Ron McClain

Bills and Ravens Battle For a Trip to the Super Bowl

Injury Report (Players Not Playing)

Buffalo Bills
-(none)

Baltimore Ravens
-FS Haruki Nakamura (68) - Broken Tibia (Leg)
-LT Michael Oher (84) - Torn Rotator Cuff
-TE Todd Heap (84) - Torn Quadricep


3 Key Matchups to Watch

1)QB Sam Bradford vs. QB Joe Flacco: Edge: Flacco

2)Ravens Running Game vs. Bills Front Seven: Edge: Even

3)HB Marshawn Lynch vs. Ravens Front Seven: Edge: Even

Prediction:
The Bills and Ravens meet for the second time this season with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. The Bills have been the Cinderella story of the playoffs. They were predicted to lose early on but have been carried along by their dominant run game led by HB Marshawn Lynch. However, last week it was rookie QB Sam Bradford who led the Bills to victory as they narrowly escaped in Foxboro. The Ravens have had a fairly easy playoff run knocking off the San Diego Chargers with ease after enjoying a first round bye. For the first time in three weeks the Bills will play in clear weather so expect to see their defense have a tougher time defending the pass. On paper these teams are nearly identical, with power running games and stingy defense. It will come down to the big plays and turnovers. Bradford will have to be careful against a Ravens defense led by pro bowlers at nearly every position. Ravens FS Ed Reed will be patrolling the secondary and will pick off any wayward passes. I'm going to go out on a limb here and take the Bills to pull the upset. Bills win 17-13.

[cheese2121]

I am really impressed how your team has come together during these last two playoff games. Sam Bradford has really impressed me to this point with his play in the two big games.

Keep up the good work, and Bills for the Superbowl!

Thanks man! Bradford has really been growing leaps and bounds during this playoff run. I just hope he can keep it going. If nothing else he has definitely answered the question about whether I made the right move going with Bradford over Edwards.

STats for the pats win look good...and congrats on the win! Turnovers and you teams ability to not make mistakes really paid off...that's the formula!

Thanks! Yeah, I've been really pleased with the new stats. The sliders seem to be working really nicely. I've had a few blow outs but if I notice any real problems I can adjust them during the offseason, for now though I think I am going to stick with them. The Patriots game was so close I really thought we were going to lose there when Brady started driving there at the end.

[cheese2121]

Bills are Headed to the Super Bowl After 35-6 Dismantling of the Ravens

Bills HB Marshawn Lynch stumbles across the goal line for the score/Bills players celebrate winning the AFC championship

(11-5)- 35
(13-3)- 6

AP Baltimore: The Buffalo Bills completely dominated the Baltimore Ravens winning 35-6 in the AFC championship game. The victory sends the Bills to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1994. The Bills have appeared in four Super Bowls but have lost every single one.

The AFC championship looked to be a fairly even matchup but that was not the case on Sunday. The aggressive Ravens defense got off to a hot start forcing Bills rookie QB Sam Bradford into two interceptions. However, the Ravens were not able to capitalize on the early turnovers coming away with only three points. The Ravens struggled to sustain drives as the coaching staff opted to let QB Joe Flacco throw the ball and hardly tried to establish any sort of a ground game. This came as a surprise since Ravens HB Ray Rice had early success against the Bills defense and was averaging over four yards per carry. The Ravens decision to go with a passing attack cost them as they only converted one third down the entire game.

Another coaching mistake by Baltimore came on the defensive side of the ball. The Ravens brought down their safeties into the box on nearly every play in an attempt to stop the well known running game of the Bills. Bills rookie QB Sam Bradford looked like a seasoned veteran as he torched the Ravens secondary mostly on play actions passes. Bradford would finish the day with over 300 yards and three scores.

“I saw the safeties creeping up into the box and knew that if I could get them to bite on the play action I would have receivers running wide open down the field.” – Bills QB Sam Bradford

The Bills will get a couple weeks off to prepare for their Super Bowl matchup against the Atlanta Falcons (11-5). This marks the first time in the history of the NFL that two wildcard teams have played each other in the Super Bowl. Both teams are true Cinderella stories, who were never expected to make it past the first round of the playoffs. No matter the outcome, history will be made in Super Bowl XLV.




Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
-G. Hartley 42 yd FG 8:41
2nd Quarter
-M. Lynch 2 yd run (R. Lindell kick) 10:37
-S. Nelson 48 yd pass from S. Bradford (R. Lindell kick) 8:01
-D. Thompson 58 yd pass from S. Bradford (R. Lindell kick) 4:28
-G. Hartley 45 yd FG 1:02
3rd Quarter
-S. Nelson 7 yd pass from S. Bradford (R. Lindell kick) 7:33
4th Quarter
-M. Lynch 13 yd run (R. Lindell kick) 0:35


Individual Player Statistics
Next Game:
-(11-5) @ -(11-5)

[Tearz49ers]

Congratulations on getting to the Superbowl. What a massive turn around compaired to last season, good luck against those Falcons.

[cheese2121]

Around the NFL Conference Championships

Notable Injuries
-(none)


Notable Player Transactions
-(none)


Conference Scores


- 35 vs. - 6
BUF - S. Bradford - 332 yds, 3 TD's


- 28 vs. - 26
ATL - M. Turner - 239 yds, 4 TD's

[cheese2121]

Congratulations on getting to the Superbowl. What a massive turn around compaired to last season, good luck against those Falcons.

Thanks! I really can't believe we made it, now we just have to win it. The Falcons look like a really good team. It's going to be all about stopping Michael Turner, if he gets going we're toast.

[cheese2121]

Pardon the Interruption

MW: Pardon the interruption knuckleheads …but I’m Mike Wilbon. Tony did you watch American Idol last night?

TK: No, but I did sing in the shower this morning, does that count? Welcome to PTI boys and girls, I’m Tony Kornheiser. Today Wilbon and I discuss last night’s matchup between Lebron and Kobe, if Mark McGwire belongs in the hall of fame, and how a pigeon ruined a little league baseball game. But first we start with Sunday’s Super Bowl matchup. Did you honestly think this was going to be the first year you saw two wildcard teams in the big game?

MW: Well Tony, no, I didn’t and I don’t think anyone did. I mean I never saw the Bills coming out of Foxboro with a win, let alone winning the AFC. You have to say the Bills are the more surprising of the two teams. I mean we all know about Atlanta, with their number one offense and such but I don’t think anyone saw Buffalo making it all the way.

TK: I completely agree, you have to be more surprised by the Bills. It’s not even a question. I mean this is a team that went 8-8 last season and is playing with a rookie quarterback and a rookie head coach. The closest thing we have seen to this is when Joe Flacco lead the Ravens to two playoff victories during his rookie season. On Sunday, Sam Bradford will become the first rookie quarterback to start in the Super Bowl, and maybe the first to win it.

MW: Not so fast there Tony, you really think the Bills have a legitimate shot on Sunday? This is isn’t Laurence Maroney or Ray Rice they are trying to stop, it’s league MVP Michael Turner. And even if they can bottle up Turner, third year quarterback Matt Ryan is no pushover. I think the Falcons could run away this one.

TK: Haven’t the Bills fans suffered enough for one century Wilbon? Although I am inclined to agree with you, I have to give them a chance. The Falcons defense is very young and the Bills have arguably the best defensive line in the game. This game is going to be won and loss in the trenches. I don’t see either quarterback throwing more than 25 passes. I think we are going to see these two teams go out there and just punch each other with power running games for 60 minutes.

MW: Don’t you love it though? The NFL in recent years has been such a pass happy league and for the first time in years we have two teams who rely almost completely on their running games. I mean let’s face it without Marshawn Lynch, Bradford couldn’t pass for more than 150 yards a game. All that being said, give me a prediction Tony, who you got your money on?

TK: I’m sorry Bills fans but you all should brace yourself for Super Bowl loss number five. The way I look at it, it’s Michael Turner vs. Marshawn Lynch and in that matchup I’m taking ‘Turner the Burner’ every time.

MW: It’s time for a break when we get back, we’ll sit down with Mark McGwire and take a look at that youtube video of the pigeon.