5-2 RECORD WITH THE J-E-T-S UP NEXT: TIME TO TAKE THESE BILLS SERIOUSLY
The Buffalo Bills are no longer a joke.
We don’t expect them to fall flat on their faces when things begin to look promising.
They beat a pretty good Oakland Raiders team Sunday – 34-14, and it was no fluke.
Buffalo hit harder and showed more energy and desire. They played like they really cared.
These guys obviously have bought into what coach Sean McDermott is selling.
I’m pretty sure departed Marcell Dareus missed the Bills more than they missed him – Sunday at least, and maybe forever. The rotation system on the defensive line seems to be thriving.
The Bills had 4 more takeaways and 0 giveaways. That’s an NFL-best plus-14 on the turnover chart. Jacksonville is a distant second at +8. Every team leading the NFL in turnover differential in the past decade made the playoffs. This isn’t luck. McDermott and his staff preach gang tackling and takeaways.
Buffalo needed a max effort from running back LeSean McCoy and he stepped up – along with the offensive line. McCoy was the key player on the field with 173 yards from scrimmage on 33 touches. The Bills dominated time of possession (35:37) and Oakland’s Derek Carr was low on minutes like a car is low on gasoline.
Bills QB Tyrod Taylor had another efficient, unspectacular game. He had “only” 165 yards passing with 0 INTs, 0 times sacked and a 101.6 passer rating. Carr passed for 313 yards and had 1 TD pass, 2 INTs and a 71.2 passer rating. Which QB had the better game?
Nine Bills caught passes. Rookie Zay Jones had three catches and no drops. Good for him. He no longer need be haunted by Halloween nightmares of Butterfinger candy bars.
Buffalo’s patched-up secondary held up well. Rookie cornerback Tre’Davious White frustrated Amari Cooper for most of the afternoon. What a No. 27 overall pick he has been. Thumbs up to the scouting department.
The Bills remain one of the four remaining NFL undefeated teams at home – Buffalo 4-0, Philadelphia is 4-0 and Seattle is 2-0. Buffalo was outgained for the third straight home game. Who cares? Bend-but-don’t break defense and takeaways. Conservative offense and protect the football. It’s working.
When the current stretch of five games against opponents with weak defenses began, I wondered if 4-1 over that span would set up the Bills for a playoff berth. They’d be 7-3 and if they split the final six games, I figured a 10-6 record would be good enough for a playoff berth.
So far, Buffalo is 2-0 over that stretch with wins over Tampa Bay and Oakland. Next up, at the Jets Thursday (Buffalo is the early 3 ½-point favorite), home vs. New Orleans (five wins in a row) Nov. 12 and at the Los Angeles Chargers Nov. 19. Is a 5-0 run and an 8-2 record entering the challenging final six games such an impossible dream?
The nation is starting to recognize what McDermott and his band of mostly relatively unknown players are doing. The wise guys in Las Vegas already have caught on. Buffalo is alone of top of the NFL Point Spread Standings at 5-1-1.
The trade deadline is Tuesday. With the playoffs no longer an outlandish pipedream, would McDermott and GM Brandon Beane consider swapping a few of those stockpiled draft picks (19 total selections in 2018 and 2019, including 12 in the first four rounds) for immediate help at a soft spot or two? Whatever they do or don’t do, I’m inclined to give these guys the benefit of the doubt.
THIS COULD BE THE BEST-EVER WORLD SERIES
Some people thought Game 2 of this World Series was the all-time best World Series game. Then along came Game 5 Sunday night. It was better.
Houston outlasted the Los Angeles Dodgers 13-12 in 10 innings. Ace starting pitchers Dallas Keuchel and Clayton Kershaw both were finished before the fifth inning. Seven more home runs. Clutch hits – even some singles and doubles. Lead changes galore. A battle of attrition in the bullpens.
It was the highest-scoring extra-inning game in post-season history. A World Series-record record 22 home runs have been hit with at least one game to go.
The Astros lead the Dodgers 3-2 with Game 6 and Game 7 (if necessary) in Los Angeles, where the Dodgers are extremely tough to beat.
Doesn’t this remind you of the set-up for the end of the American League Championship Series? The New York Yankees led the Astros 3-2 headed back to Houston to finish the series. The Astros won 7-1 and 4-0.
The Dodgers had a MLB-best 57-24 home record for the regular season and are 5-1 in the postseason (the only loss was 7-6 in 11 innings in Game 2 of the World Series).
AMERKS DOING BETTER THAN SABRES IN SPECIAL TEAMS 101
Sabres University hasn’t aced many hockey tests so far this season. Here’s how the NHL Buffalo Sabres and AHL Rochester Americans have fared in Special Teams 101:
Amerks
Power play – 5-for-25 (11.1 percent)....24th in the 30-team AHL. 0 short-handed goals against.
Penalty killing – 37-for-43 (86.0 percent)...9th in the AHL. 2 short-handed goals scored.
Sabres
Power play – 6-for-42 (14.3 percent)...23rd in the 31-team NHL. 6 short-handed goals against.
Penalty killing – 33-for-40 (82.5 percent)...13th in the NHL. 2 short-handed goals scored.
RHINOS PLAYED WELL IN SEASON-ENDING LOSS AT LOUISVILLE
The Rochester outplayed host Louisville City FC Saturday night in the USL Eastern Conference semifinals last Saturday night but lost 1-0 to a goal by half-time substitute Brian Ownby in the 77th minutes.
The Rhinos outshot Louisville 9-2 in the first half and controlled the pace of play but the tide turned in the second half and Ownby was a big part of it.
Rochester goalkeeper Tomas Gomez had a few big saves in the second half to keep his team in the match.
The Rhinos finished the season with 15 wins, 8 losses and 11 draws. Defense was the team’s strength. They played 1-0 games 11 times – including the season-ending loss to Louisville – and were 7-4 in those games.
The Rhinos will have a breakup party Monday 7 to 8 p.m., at The Exchange, 251 Exchange Blvd. Fans are invited. Team awards will be presented. There will be door prizes and food and drink specials.
As it turned out, the fourth-seeded Rhinos lost an opportunity to host the Eastern Conference title game this Saturday. The defending USL champion and #8-seed New York Red Bills II upset the #3 seed Tampa Bay Rowdies 2-1 in overtime.
Louisville City FC will host New York City Red Bulls Saturday for the Eastern Conference title. Oklahoma City Energy (#6 seed) will play at Swope Park Rangers (#4 seed) in the Western Conference title match.
CHECKING THE STATS FOR THE BILLS
Entering Monday night, here are some updated numbers for the Buffalo Bills:
25th in total offense (303.3 yards per game)...t15th in scoring (21.9 PPG)...29th in pass yards per game (178.7)...t9th in rush yards per game (124.6).
22nd in total defense (346.6 yards allowed per game)...3rd in scoring defense (16.4 points allowed per game)...28th in pass defense (266.4 YAPG)...2nd in interceptions (11)...3rd in rush defense (80.1 YAPG)...2nd in yards allowed per rush (3.5).
Outgained by 43.3 yards per game. Maybe not alarming, but not good.
NFL-best +14 on the turnover table (17 takeaways and only 3 giveaways). A big reason for the 5-2 record.
Sacked 19 times. 13 sacks by (t24th). Need improvement.
Passer rating 93.1 (11th)...opposing passer rating 74.5 (4th).
+38 point differential (153-115). Only seven teams are better: Philadelphia +76...LA Rams +74...Jacksonville +73...Kansas City +46...New Orleans +46...Minnesota +44...Seattle +43.
SHORT SHOTS
(I believe I’ve used this one before). The general managers of 11 NFL teams must be sick that they bypassed Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson in the first round of the 2017 draft. The Houston Texans look set for a decade.
World Series note: Of the 81 hits through five games, 22 were home runs (27.2 percent).
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...
Monday, October 30
Devin Booker (21)...Marcus Mariota (24)...Joe Panik (27)...Drew Stafford (32)...Trent Edwards (34)...Jason Bartlett (38)...Ty Detmer (50)...Danny Tartabull (55)...Diego Maradona (57)...John Lucas (64)...Phil Chenier (67)...Mickey Rivers (69). Ivanka Trump (36) and Henry Winkler (72) are invited to the birthday party.
Tuesday, October 31
Nick Foligno (30)...Andy Parrino (32)...Mike Napoli (36)...Chris Kelsay (38)...Ross Verba (44)...Antonio Davis (49)...Fred McGriff (54)...Bill Fralic (55)...Doc Rivers (56)...Mats Nasslund (58)...Nick Saban (66)...Frank Shorter (70)...Luke Jackson (76).