Buffalo Bills

Buffalo Bills guard Derrick Dockery spent 15 minutes after practice Thursday working on blocking drills to improve his pad level after the snap of the ball.

• New York Jets rookie quarterback Erik Ainge was suspended four games for violating the league's policy on steroids and related substances. Ainge, already on injured reserve and out for the season with a foot injury, is not allowed to be with the team or at its facility during the suspension.

This is what I'm thinking:

It’s a role no NFL quarterback wants to have, but J.P. Losman knows it’s his job this year. The backup role is never easy as you’re often thrust into a game cold, which was the case for Losman last Sunday.

There wasn’t much new with respect to the condition of Trent Edwards following his concussion Sunday at Arizona.

Bills starting safety Donte Whitner and starting cornerback Jabari Greer won't play because of injuries when Buffalo travels to Kansas City to play the Chiefs on Sunday.

The Titans and Giants appear to be locks for the playoffs. Beyond those two powers it's anyone's guess. So, with six weeks left, who's in and who's out?

The reeling Bills are playing for their playoff lives as they travel to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs who are much improved after turning to quarterback Tyler Thigpen.

Man, lots of talk about firearms in Kansas City these days. The Chiefs currently have a bulletless Gun leading the defense, and an offense that features a pistol and a shotgun. No doubt that these new looks have created a lot of firepower for the offense (okay, I promise that's the last lame attempt at a joke).

Every week in MVN Outsider's Great Debate, we take a look at different sides of an ongoing debate in the NFL. MVN Outsider writers will offer key points to support either side of the issue, and we'll also ask a group of football bloggers to chime in with their thoughts on the matter. This week's Great Debate is: Who's your pick to win the AFC East?

Greg Trippiedi offers up three non-Favrearian reasons why the Jets are in charge in the AFC East:

Kris Jenkins = defensive MVP...
The acquisition of Favre aside, it's clear that the New York Jets have won the off-season.  No move has been bigger than the acquisition of a dominating 3-4 NT.  Widely regarded as the most important defensive position in that defense, and one that a majority of 3-4 teams have failed to fill, much like the Jets in 2006 through 2007.  All of a sudden now, things like having a developing shutdown corner (Darrelle Revis), an actual third receiver (Chansi Stuckey) and a superstar do-it-all offensive weapon (Leon Washington), these things are now relevant again.

They've had an obscenely soft schedule, but is it really going to get harder?...
Doesn't look like it.  The Jets play the Titans this week in Tennessee, and then they play Denver, San Francisco, Buffalo, and Seatle in the next four.  So yes, I would be pretty shocked if the Jets were not sitting at 10-5 or better going into what will essentially be an AFC East Championship Game in Week 17 vs Miami.  Meanwhile, if the Dolphins can defeat the Pats again this week, it's over for the Pats, and the Jets will be that much closer to locking up the East.  And, although I wish not to say it, there is a veteran presence at quarterback which should prevent the team from getting off track in the event of a loss, which could be decisive down the stretch, since the Patriots lack this.

If it comes down to Jets and Dolphins in New Jersey for the AFC East title...
and (depending on how the Ravens and Colts fare down the stretch) potentially the final AFC playoff spot, with both teams sitting at 10-5 or better, it would be hard not to side with the Jets.  In the past decade, no team has owned the Miami Dolphins quite like the Jets.  And although both defenses are playing much better, and the Dolphins sport the stronger offense, the Jets have a difficult-to-quantify edge on special teams, and an simple-to-quantify edge in homefield advantage for the game.

In all honesty, I see both the Jets and Dolphins playing in January this year.  But I'll take the Jets and the one game lead to take the division, knowing that if the Jets can beat Miami at home, this division is theirs!

Anthony Brown, meanwhile, argues that the Patriots will retain their title as Beasts of the AFC East:

Organizational superiority...
Look at the won-loss records of the AFC bEast teams since 2005:
Patriots  44-14
Jets  25-33
Bills  24-34
Dolphins  22-36

Pro football is not like the financial sector. Past performance can assure future success.

The Patriots just know who to win. Those other guys are still figuring it out. The Patriots' organizational know-how is more than picking up a star or two. They build a roster without tanking the salary cap, or mortgaging draft picks. They have stability in the NFL's premier coaching staff. This is a resilient team that will overcome any setback.

The defensive edge...
It's a razor thin, that's true. AFC East teams are ranked 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th place in the NFL for yards and for points allowed. New England holds the 12th place position. Defense still wins championships, as the Patriots learned to their chagrin in the Super Bowl. New England's defense will keep them in the race as the last piece falls in place.

Matt Cassel will get it done...
Only one or two men could hope to replace Tom Brady. Matt Cassell is getting more comfortable following Brady. Here are his quarterback ratings for his last four games: 73.7; 76.1; 89.8; 103.4. Don't expect Cassel or the Pats to be fooled by any Dolphin shenanigans Sunday. He may struggle against Pittsburgh November 30, but Cassel is set up for a late season run to put New England over the top.

NFL bloggers from The Phinsider, The Patriot Act, and The Cockpit offer up their takes:

Matty of The Phinsider writes:

Despite how bad I want to be a homer here and say the Dolphins will win the division, I'd have to realistically take the Jets.  After this week's game in Tennessee, I don't see too much trouble ahead on the schedule.  As long as Brett Favre can avoid doing what he does best - choking in big spots by throwing costly interceptions - I think the Jets' defense and the big plays of Leon Washington will be enough for NY to win the AFC East.

Jamie of The Patriot Act writes:

Truly, I feel that the AFC East is wide open this year with Tom Brady on the sidelines. As well as Matt Cassel has played, he can not bail out the Patriots' defense like Brady could last season. Looking at the remaining schedules of each team, there are games that I feel can go either way, and you never know when a team will win/lose a game it should/shouldn't. However, doing my best to predict, I have the Jets taking the division based simply on the schedule. I have the Jets finishing 11-5, the Pats and Dolphins at 10-6, and the Bills continuing their slump to finish 7-9. The Pats have a tough road ahead, literally, as they are at the Fins, hosting the Steelers, and then going on another two-week West coast trip at Seattle and Oakland. If the Cardinals have the divison locked up by Week 16, I can see the Pats winning that game, which I have them losing at the moment. If that ends up being the case, then the Pats finish 11-5. However, against division opponents, the nod still goes to the Jets, based on how I have the season playing out. Borrowing a line from election coverage, "This race is still too close to call."

Joe of The Cockpit writes:

I got the Jets in the AFC East. I have seen them go on the road and beat Miami, Buffalo, and New England. After this week's game against the Titans, their schedule gets a little easier. I think they will take care of business against the garbage of the NFC West, and be able to defend home field in December against the fading Bills and a tough Miami team. The Jets can run the ball and stop the run, which are always two key elements of any serious contender in the NFL. Beyond that, Brett Favre has been protecting the ball as of late and finally seems very comfortable in this offense. Keep an eye on rookie tight end Dustin Keller down the stretch. The guy is a playmaker who adds a new dimension to a Jets offense that already has its share of playmakers.

I think the Jets finish 11-5/12-4 and in first place, with Miami and New England both at 10-6 battling for a wild-card spot, which would obviously go to the Fins if they can take care of New England at home this weekend.

Thanks to The Phinsider, The Patriot Act, and The Cockpit for their participation in this week's debate!

It's the times that I walk around a city filled with Giants jerseys and Jets fans that I can't help but smile when I see a Bills bumper sticker. It's the moments I share with my fellow Bills fans at our local bars in Manhattan, that only we can celebrate in. It's the hours I waste scouring the Internet just to find a Bills jersey for my dog. It's those times that I have truly cherished being a Bills fan.

 

When I woke up this morning, filled with disappointment following last night's Monday Night Football game, I was ready to unleash 25 years of pent up aggression against the team. I think any fan would be a liar if they said that they weren't ready to do the same. To hang up the jersey for the season, and walk away. But before I wrote anything, I wanted to be sure abut how I really felt. Because, to be honest, I was really just filled with mixed emotions about the whole thing. Maybe it was more than just disappointment. Maybe it didn't even have anything to do with the team, but more about how I felt about myself.

 

I think that no matter what team you stand behind or what jersey you wear every Sunday, we all feel and own what is happening around us. People everyday are being laid off (I, unfortunately, am one of them) and many are scrambling to figure out how to get by. The more I thought about the Bills, the more I realized just how much I had in common with them. I was no longer just rooting for the Bills. I was relating to them.

 

The Bills had finally reached the top of their division and let's all be honest, they had finally earned the respect of their peers. I know how that feels. I had spent so many years trying to figure out how to make it in New York City and when I finally made it to the life I felt I had worked so hard for, it was taken from me. All I had worked for was gone and right now at this moment, I'm facing an uphill battle back. And when I was finally able to say that out loud, I realized that must be how the Bills feel. While maybe being at the bottom wasn't anyone's fault but their own, they like myself, are just looking to survive now. For me, it's the hope that either tomorrow or the day after will be that day when I get that job offer that I've been waiting for. For them, it's the day that they get their next win to keep their hopes alive. I get it now more now than I ever did before.

 

When I watched Trent Edwards play last night, I was so upset everytime he threw an interception. But underneath it all, I understood him. He was upset, just as upset as I am when I don't get that call back for a job interview or when a phone call with my recruiter doesn't go as well as I had hoped. Lee Evans, Marshawn Lynch, Robert Royal, I related to them, which is why I subconsciously pour my hopes onto them every Sunday. For me, it's no longer about rooting for the underdog. I am the underdog. I'm in this big city just looking for a way to survive, the same way they're looking to survive and make something of themselves again. For a moment, we had it all, and now we have nothing.

 

I woke up this morning and had to really think if the Bills actually got it. I mean, at the end of the day, win or lose, the players still get paid. But maybe to them, it's more than just a number or a standing now, just the way it's more to me, to just settle for a job for the financial security. Maybe to them it's not really about playing for themselves anymore, but playing for us, the fans. The way that husbands and wives and fathers and mothers all across the country are looking for jobs not for themselves, but for their families. To keep their families going financially, the way that the Bills are trying to keep their fans going emotionally.

 

When all is said and done, I think we are all trying to survive. Whether you are lucky to have a job or whether, sadly, you don't. Whether you can afford to feed your family or whether you're just scrapping by. It's unfortunately the American way for most of us right now. The Bills, let's face it, are doing the same. Trying to survive in a division where the once elite are now looking to make something of themselves again. I know how it feels. It's a long road ahead for them and it's a long road ahead for me. Until that day that I'm back on top, I work as hard as I can and I make the most out of my day. And for one day a week, just one day, I pour my hopes and dreams onto a team that I know carries the same burdens that I do. Sometimes they win and sometimes they lose. The same way I have my good days and my bad ones. I get it. They get it. And maybe not forever, maybe just for this moment, they really are America's team.

 

Go Bills.

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