The Scizz
Welcome to my Buffalo Bills, week 4 preview. I will briefly break down this so-called "trap game" against the Bengals, AND provide you with some great Buffalo Bills blog links (not just to everything on the Bills website that Chris Brown writes, or the TBN and WGR crapfest), but first, as the Big Lebowski quote that titles this post foreshadows, I have something to get off my chest.
Bengals Head Coach Marvin Lewis Guaranteed a win over our beloved Buffalo Bills this week. That's right, he thinks his criminally filled, 1 - 2 Bengals are going to be at .500 at the end of the day on Sunday. I'm not going to sit here and start preaching about how the Buffalo Bills are the best team in the NFL and that nobody can compete with them, but what I am going to do is tell Marvin Lewis to shut the fuck up. Guarantee a win in week 4 against a team clearly superior to you? Really? REALLY?
Andy Dalton and the new Bengals offense has looked fairly solid thus far, but to make a bold statement like that is just mind-numbingly stupid. I HATE when players and coaches guarantee victories. Why? Because everybody does it now. There is no longer any meaning or repercussions to making these absurd promises. Several years ago, the guarantee meant something. It rarely happened, and when it did, it was a player that, nine times out of ten, could back up the talk. Now, it seems like every week, some over-aged wide receiver, back-up linebacker, or Rex Ryan are guaranteeing victories and championships, because the media just ignores it the following week and there is no "real" accountability. So what if they are wrong? They just say "oh well" and move on to their next idiotic plea for attention. However, when they are correct in their guarantee, they look like a like a real team leader that motivated the team to victory. BULLSHIT. Shut the fuck up and do your job. If you win, congrats. If you lose, move on and work harder. Goodell needs to start suspending the douche-nozzles that make these "bold" predictions that don't come true. Otherwise, fat assholes like Rex Ryan will keep guaranteeing a Super Bowl win because his dumb ass bandwagoning fans will believe everything he says. These are your average fans that honestly know little to nothing about the actually franchise. So in closing to this part of the preview, could the Bengals beat the Bills this week? Absolutely. But, guaranteeing that it is definitely going to happen just shows how far Marvin Lewis has fallen. A once highly touted coach is hanging on for dear life, and pulling out every lame trick in the book to hold on to his shitty job.
Join me after the jump for the rest of the week 4 "preview".
The Bills currently have the 28th ranked pass defense in the NFL. Yes, they picked off Brady four times last week, but they also gave up a combined 23 catches, 326 yards, and 4 touchdowns to Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski, not to mention 146 yards and a touchdown to rookie Denarius Moore the week before. Andy Dalton is a much better QB than the average fan realizes. Yes he struggled last week, but as I mentioned when I drafted him in the DGWU fantasy league, I think he has a shot at AFC rookie of the year. He has looked incredibly calm and collected for 2nd round draft pick, and with Buffalo's lack of pass rush, it could spell trouble for their banged up secondary.
Which leads me to the next potential rookie of the year candidate, A.J. Green. This kid is the real deal. 15 catches for almost 200 yards and 2 TD's through the first three games, A.J could light up the defense if given enough time to get open, especially if anyone other than Drayton Florence is matched up with him. Back-up Jordan Shipley also caught 5 passes against the Bills last year and looked better than both T.O. and Ocho, and super criminal Jerome Simpson is also solid. Keep in mind, that besides Florence and the ever so struggling Leodis McKelvin (who did have a solid day against Ocho Cinco last week), the rest of the Bills secondary is now comprised of 7th round pick Justin Rogers, once cut but now back again Reggie Corner, and new practice squad promotee Terrance Wheatley. It could be a long day if Dalton isn't disrupted early. I'm looking for a breakout week from Shawn Merriman. If anybody can get inside a rookie QB's head, it's the steroid pumping, internet model thumping, human light switch. TM
Cedric Benson also tore the Bills up for 125 yards last year and is the quintessential downfield runner that gives this team trouble. Granted, Jamaal Charles, Run DMC, and the Law-Firm have all been held in check the last few weeks, so let's hope the trend continues. But I'm not just hear to talk about all the ways the Bills could lose. Last year's victory over the Bengals could very well be marked as the day that Fitz and his teammates started to become the team they are today. Down 28 - 7 just before the half, the Bills came back and won 49 - 31 after monster days from the Amish Rifle, Freddie Jackson, and the introduction of Stevie Johnson's "Why So Serious" persona. That day reminds me a lot of the last few weeks. I was at McFadden's for the first time in over a year with a couple good friends, drank my face off as they fell behind early, then drank even more as they came back to win while putting on an offensive fireworks display. That day ended with a shot of 12 year old Scotch. I'm an idiot.
This team is something that none of us quite understand yet. I fully expect them to play their hearts out and snatch a big win on Sunday, but there is a part of me that knows that anything can happen in the NFL. There is SOMETHING about this team that seems different than year's past. As I usually do with these previews, I will avoid an actual game prediction, but I will say that I expect big games from Merriman, Donald Jones aka DoJo, and Biggie Smalls himself, Marcell Dareus. And, if this team can shut down Cedric Benson, I will be a true believer in the new found run defense. Let's just get some pressure on that rookie QB and shove Marvin Lewis' stupid ass guarantee down his throat. Or up his ass. Your call.
5 Reasons to hate the Cincinnati Bengals: Buffalo Wins
Our dear friend Joe lines up the hate for the real Bengals Mafia.
Paging Through The Chapters: The Goose's Roost
Corey woke up Monday with a huge win hangover. Now he wonders what will happen next?
Bipolar Media on Buffalo High, Again: Buffalo Sabres Nation
Scotty strays away from only Sabres news for some great commentary on Buffalo sports and the media this week.
Is it officially time to Billieve?: WNY Water Cooler
A site I just discovered. They have snark and aren't afraid to use "blue words". Two faves of DGWU.
Why this year is different: Buffalo Wins
Brian Bund does a masterful job at breaking down the question we have all been asking ourselves.
Holy Toledo... Buffalo is 3 - 0!: Kenny's 2 Pennies
I have no words. Just do yourself a favor and watch this. New favorite blog? New favorite blog.
Nothing's scarier than a game the Bills "should" win: Buffalo Lowdown
We should all be happy right now, but Brad Andrews points out why he is still terrified for this Sunday.
And in cased you missed it, check out my look at Buffalo Sports turning into Bizarro World, Yachtsman's review of the week 3 shocker, and The Barrister's passion for beating the Bengals.
Enjoy the Ozzy and keep your mouth shut!