VIEW FROM 122......BILLS VS PATS

By FANTASYBOYZ Editor in Chief Corey Bugenhagen

With the Bills 2012 campaign has entering into it's second half #Billsmafia has reason to be very depressed.  Gone are the preseason excitement of the Bills finally breaking their post season drought as we welcome back the seemingly endless cycle of new coaches and new QBs.  It is a hard pill to swallow for yet another season but such is life for Bills fans.  It is what makes us show up for December games at the Ralph 5 games removed from the playoff race.  With all that said the show must go one and the Bills have a big game in New England to discuss.  Below are the keys to a very unlikely victory

ON OFFENSE:
GET CJ SPILLER THE BALL..... This can't be said enough as Spiller is one of the most electric players in the league.  His 6 carries last week in Houston was a fire able offense of which Chan Gailey is guilty as charged.  The Defense dictating the plays that are called is an embarrassing excuse.  The Offense should be the one dictating not the other way around.  Also lets not forget Fred Jackson in this equation.  FJax is looking more and more healthy and should get 15+ carries of his own.  The offense also MUST challenge the Patriots secondary deep early and continue to do so periodically to keep the defense honest.  Lastly they must scrap the wildcat as it seems nothing good comes out of that formation.

ON DEFENSE:

BILLS DEFENSE NEEDS THIS TODAY

This one sounds simple but has been nearly impossible for defenses around the NFL for well over a decade....Get to Tom Brady.  With that said the Bill's only hope on defense is that Mario Williams and company have their best games of the season all on the same day.  With Aaron Williams out Ron Brooks and Leodis Mckelvin really have their work cut out for them as well.   To make things that much more impossible Stevan Ridley is running hard.  The linebackers need to tough and fill the holes.

OUTLOOK:
With moral at seemingly an all time low a Bills win this afternoon would be a Godsend.  For this to happen God himself may need to intervene although most in Western New York would argue that God is certainly not a Bills fan.  All in all the outlook today is not good as I predict a loss to the tune of 35 - 21 Patriots Victory.

VIEW FROM 122.....BILLS VS TEXANS

By FANTASYBOYZ Editor in Chief Corey Bugenhagen

With a BYE week in the books and two weeks to reflect on what has gone so horribly wrong for this once promising season Bills fans have run the gamete on who to blame for what looks like yet another playoff less season.  It seems most Bills fans have centered in on Defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt.  Going into the season the defense was supposed to be a strong point and not a wet paper bag with holes in it.  The reasons for this are many, first and foremost Wannstedts inability to make in game adjustments needed to stop most NFL offenses.  With that said the NFL schedule makers are not doing the Bills any favors as they are in Texas today to play the AFC leading Texans.  Below are the Bills Keys to the game.

#BILLSMAFIA LETS PRAY FOR A VICTORY

ON OFFENSE:
The Bill's problems on offense are only that they turn the ball over at most inopportune times.  Fitzpatrick is as negligent with the football as dropping a baby into a Gorilla cage.  Case and point the Titans game.  Sitting there in the stands I said to my friend the one thing he can't do right now is throw an INT, MOMENTS before a horrendous pass that seemed intended for the Titans corner-back.
For the Bills to have any chance Sunday Fitz must be flawless in this regard.  The Texans defense is unforgiving lead by JJ Watt.  The Bills can't be completely cautious with their game-plan however.  Fitz will need to make multiple plays.  With that said Stevie Johnson, TJ Graham, and Donald Jones must get open.  Everyone knows Jackson and Spiller are going to get their yards.

ON DEFENSE:
The Texans boost the best running back in the NFL with Arian Foster.  That does not bode well for a defense that has holes like a piece of aged Swiss.  The big news in Buffalo was Mario Williams getting a minor surgery on his wrist.  I am hoping that the wrist was actually the issue with Super Mario and he will miraculously start dominating games.  With listening and reading multiple stories about Williams from Texan and National sources that probably wont be the case.  Either way improved play there is needed and I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.  Marcel Dareus also needs to get his game together.  While he is disruptive in the middle I too often see him pushed directly away from the run and a tractor trailer size hole is then opened.  Chris Kelsey gets big kudos in my book for calling out these guys in the media.  Someone had to do it and while Kelsey has his own issues, hard play is certainly NOT one of them.  The Defensive line stepping up will not be enough either.  The Linebackers actually need to come to play this week.  They have to be physical at the line of scrimmage and not 5 to 10 yards down the field.  They need to also hold outside contain as Foster has the speed to break runs around the corner.  The return of Ron Brooks is a great thing in my mind as there are possible options to replace the struggling Aaron Williams.  In a perfect world Brook's return would push William's to get his game together but only time will tell.

OUTLOOK:
For the Bills to have any chance Sunday everything has to go to plan.  Chan Gailey would have to have formulated a perfect game-plan and the team would need to execute on this plan flawlessly.  A win would be a possible season changer but we just don't see it.  We see a Bills loss to the tune of 34 to 17

VIEW FROM 122......BILLS VS TITANS

By FANTASYBOYZ Editor in Chief Corey Bugenhagen

Bills fans across the country are still holding their breath after that gut wrenching victory in the desert.  A game in which the Bills had in hand and tried their best to give it away.  Games like this while exciting shouldn't be the norm in Western New York.  Bills fans have grown way to accustomed to this.  The only saving grace here is that the end result is almost always a Buffalo Bills loss, so we are heading in the right direction at least.  Well a new week brings another matchup.  Coming to town are the lowly Tennessee Titans.  While no other team has allowed more points (yes even the Bills) than the Titans, they are coming off a big victory against the Steelers.  Lets take a look at how the Bills will take their record to 4 and 3 on the season in this must win game

ON OFFENSE
I feel like a broken record saying this but Chan Gailey needs to abandon this ridiculous spread offense and RUN THE DAMN BALL!!  Secondly make CJ Spiller the focal point of the offense.  It is obvious to all that Spiller is the better player.  This is absolutely no shot and Freddy by any means as he is still a great player in his own right.  With that said enough with this 50-50 split.  Feed Spiller the ball early and often.  Work in Freddy for the tough inside running and the Bills are in business.  Don't put the game in the hands of Ryan Fitzpatrick.  Fitz showed again last week that he would be an MVP candidate if the bills employed 9 foot tall wide receivers.  Run the ball down their throats and then run it some more.  In this scenario Fitzpatrick could actually succeed.  The Bills don't need high yardage days out of Fitz as those days, while they do produce TDs also come along with league leads in interceptions.  If both Spiller and Jackson have 15+ carries Sunday I like the Bill's chances of victory.

ON DEFENSE

BYRD IS THE WORD

Finally in Arizona the defense awoke from their slumbers and came to play.  Mario's wrist wasn't a talking point and Kevin Kolb left the game seeing stars.  More of the same is needed this week as Geriatric Matt Hasslebeck comes to town.  The front 4 needs to do their thing and get in his face early and often.  The move to starter for Nigel Bradham is huge for this team as he is bigger, faster, and has more of a feel for the Outside Linebacker spot over Arthur Moats.  The Bills need that out of their linebackers.  Look for Bradham, Sheppard, and Barnett to be all over Chris Johnson.  The improved play of the front four will leave them free to target the CJNOK all day long.  Coming off his Defensive player of the week award Jarius Byrd will be spying the weak armed Hasslebeck all game long.  Expect at least 1 pick for Byrd.

OUTLOOK
Momentum is in the Bills favor this week and coming home after an extended road trip is just what the doctor ordered.  We like this match-up for the Bills as they desperately need to win this game to get over the 500 mark before a dreaded 2 game span against the Pats and Texans.  We predict this will happen in a big way Sunday to the tune of a 28-13 Bills Victory

VIEW FROM 122.......BILLS VS CARDINALS

By FANTASYBOYZ Editor in Chief Corey Bugenhagen

Mario needs to start being SUPER

Bills fans all around the world are still licking their wounds after the beat-down of epic proportions given to our beloved Bills at the hands of the 49ers.  The loss was an utter embarrassment, with running holes the size of semi trucks and wide receivers running free all over the field.  What a difference less that 2 weeks makes huh.  Just a week earlier the team was about to go up 28-7 against the Patriots and now it seems all hope is lost.  With that said here are the keys for the Bills to getting their season back on track in the desert.

ON OFFENSE:

With the offensive line now in shambles with injuries to Glenn, Urbick, and Rinehart the Bills may have to turn to journeyman Randy Wells off the scrap heap.  This isn't good news as the Cardinals sport a very solid defense and get after the QB.  With that said why don't the Bills finally help out their line and incorporate a power running attack.  Fitzpatrick has proven that he cannot be trusted to win games and trying to put it in his hands it is a horrible mistake.  To win Sunday the team needs both FJax and Spiller to both have 15+ carries and 75+ yards. 

ON DEFENSE:

Not even sure where to start after watching one of the worst displays in the history of the NFL last Sunday.  The defensive scheme is not working.  The vanilla looks they are giving opposing offenses are being blown up in their faces.  With that said the Cardinal offense can be shut down.  Mario Williams needs to show up and earn some of that 100 million dollars he is being given.  When a defense pressures Kevin Kolb good things can happen.  The linebackers and corners need to step up as well.  Their putrid play,  missed coverage assignments and poor tackling cannot continue.  The defense must take more chances in the blitz game.

OUTLOOK:

It is hard to have a good outlook after 2 straight ass kickings but with that said the Bills have way too much talent for this to continue.  With the word out of Arizona that the time on the road has brought the team together one must hope that also means they will hold themselves more accountable on the field.  As bad as things are in Bills land a win Sunday can bring them back to .500 at a 3-3 record.  The Cardinals are not nearly as impressive as their record shows.  Many will probably call me crazy but I am calling an upset for the Bills Sunday with a score of a 21-14 and a Buffalo Bills win.

VIEW FROM 122.... BILLS VS PATRIOTS

By FANTASYBOYZ Editor in Chief Corey Bugenhagen

In the wake of the Buffalo Bills and their fans taking over the city of Cleveland last Sunday the focus now switches to the hated New England Patriots.  Year in and year out the Pats have bossed the Bills around like a drill Sargent in basic training, minus one big comeback in week three of last season as the only blemish on that record.  Being at the game last year was an amazing feeling but it quickly was lost in the Bills implosion and missing the playoffs yet again.  While the prognosticators are all picking the Pats to wipe the floor with the Bills this guy says to not act so fast!  Things just seem different this season.  Below I will breakdown why this match-up is much closer than those in the media would make you think

MY SPIDER SENSE SAYS BILLS WIN

ON OFFENSE
The injury news out of One Bills Drive went from horrible to great in the matter of a couple days. Fred Jackson's bionic knee has heeled and he is set to play Sunday.  CJ Spiller is also sounding like a possible go as well.  While Spiller is still somewhat in doubt just the possibility of him playing makes the Patriots game-plan for both.  The Patriots run defense is much improved and while Tashard Choice filled in admirably in Cleveland to win Sunday the Bills needed one of their two studs at least.  On the other side of the coin the Patriots Defense is horrid against the Pass.  To win Sunday Fitzpatrick will have to make the necessary throws and not turn over the ball as he is apt to do against New England.  In my opinion this is a career defining game for Fitzpatrick.  With a solid showing and a win Sunday he will quiet the many doubters and have Western New York breathing a bit easier about our QB position for the short to mid term.  Look for Stevie Johnson to be open early and often.  The Patriots don't have corners that are suited to stop his growing repertoire of routes.  I would also love to see the Bills work a deep ball or two to rooking TJ Graham.  The kid has all the speed in the world and was worked into the offense nicely against the Browns.

ON DEFENSE
This one is simple yet infuriatingly impossible.....GET TO TOM BRADY!!  This has been an edict in Bills VS Pats pregame talk every since Brady took over the offense in New England.  The Bills have not been equipped to make this happen on a regular basis for the last decade.  Enter Mario Williams and Mark Anderson.  While neither have been blowing up the sack lines it has completely opened things for Kyle Williams and Marcel Dareus to create absolute chaos in the middle.  To add to that the linebackers are able to run free and make tackles.  With that being said just pressure in general will be helpful.  Also helpful are injuries to Logan Mankins, Justin Edelman, Gronk and Aaron Hernandez.  Hernandez, and Edeleman is already out and the other two are Questionable.  The corners still need to be on with Welker and Lloyd still available. 

OUTLOOK
The atmosphere at Ralph Wilson will be electrifying Sunday.  The fans want this game just as bad as the players do.  The chance to put the Patriot's in a 1-3 hole is amazing opportunity, but it will not be an easy one.  Tom Brady does not lose 3 games in a row.  With that being said the Bills are no longer pushovers.  I expect a real nail biter Sunday and an around great day win or lose.  I would not be surprised with almost any outcome tomorrow.  I think the Bills will come to play hungry and the intensity of the fans will carry them to a close hard fought 28 to 24 Bills Victory

VIEW FROM 122......BILLS VS BROWNS PREVIEW

By FANTASYBOYZ Editor in Chief Corey Bugenhagen
 

SPILLER TIME HAS FINALLY ARRIVED

We are only 2 weeks into the season and the people of Western New York have already experienced the super highs and ultra lows that come along with being a fan of the Buffalo Bills.  After week 1 I could have sworn I saw the sky falling through my living room window, and after week 2 I was seen floating around in the clouds by the HSBC building.  We can't help it, that is the way Buffalonians are, and the Bills certainly help fuel our nuerotic ways.  The game this weekend in Cleveland is one that if the Bills are really going to be a playoff team like the preseason prognosticators told us they need to win.  Thousands of Bills fans, including myself, will be making the 3 hour trek down the 90 for the game.  Lets hope we are not dissapointed.  Below are my keys to the game.

ON OFFENSE
I think this gameplan is a simple one.  Get CJ Spiller the ball early and often.  Put Fitzpatrick in position to succeed but not in one where the game is his to win or lose.  Spiller is on one of those rolls right now where it almost seems like he has a crystal ball that tells him what hole to take and what cut to make.  It is in the Bills best interest to ride that out.  What has been somewhat lost in all of this Spiller praise is the fantastic play of the Bills offensive line.  They are playing out of their minds.  No sacks so far this season and not to mention they are leading the way for the number 1 rusher in the league through 2 weeks.  If they continue to play this way the Browns will not be able to stop the Bills ground game.

ON DEFENSE
After an absolute ass kicking in week 1 where wide receivers were running free all over the Bills secondary the defense came to play in week 2.  The unit amassed 5 sacks and added and INT.  All of the Chief's yards and points came in garbage time.  Stephon Gilmore looked like the player the Bills thought they drafted.  He was all over the field, leading the team in tackles, while blanketing the Chief's wideouts.  With the Bills facing a rookie QB making only his 3rd start of his career we expect Kyle Williams and company to bring the heat and make like a living hell for Weeden.

OUTLOOK:
With countless thousands of fans making the short trip from Buffalo to Cleveland this game shouldn't be as daunting a road game as most.  While the young Browns have really shown potential through 2 weeks asking a rookie QB to face a defensive line like the Buffalo Bills will end up being too much to ask.  We predict Kyle, and Mario Williams will bring the pressure early and often.  This will allow the defense to stack the box against Trent Richardson.  On offense no one has been able to bottle up CJ Spiller and we don't see it starting this week.  Fitzpatrick won't need to win the game and will ride another 100+ yard game from Spiller to a  24-10 Bills Victory

VIEW FROM 122...... BILLS VS CHIEFS

By FANTASYBOYZ Editor in Chief Corey Bugenhagen

Spiller was a Thriller in week 1

After last Sunday's debacle in Northern New Jersey Bills fans across the nation are having to be coaxed away from ledges and are jumping off bandwagons at an alarming rate.  The great news is with a new week it brings new hope that this season will not be yet another complete loss.  Many of the concerns from Sunday are valid however.  If the team does not rectify these issues we long suffering Bills fans are in line for yet another season devoid of the playoffs.  As an eternal optimist I still do have hope. Here are my keys to the game Sunday.

ON OFFENSE

When the Bills have the ball Sunday two key members of the team will be missing in David Nelson (out for year with ACL Tear) and Fred Jackson (LCL Sprain).  While losing Nelson stings he is replaceable.  Donald Jones is better suited for the slot in my opinion and it opens the door for TJ Graham to start on the outside.  Graham is a true burner who could actually open things up in the passing game.  Stepping in for F Jax is the heralded CJ Spiller, who went off against the Jets.  While losing Jackson is never a good thing Spiller is poised to completely break out in his third year in the league.  Spiller has the look of a running back who could break a long one on virtually every carry he gets.  The key to the Bills offensive success in my opinion is to work in Spiller early and often and don't be afraid to give himi 20+ carries.  The offense would also be best served to incorporate the short quick cutting passing game they exceled in early last season.  In doing this Fitzpatrick will have time to regain some confidence lost against the Jets.  If the Bills are to have any sustained success Fitz needs to be more of a game manager and not a gunslinger.  The offense is not highpowered enough to be forcing balls into tight spots.  Take what the defense gives you and focus on getting Spiller free.  Stevie Johnson needs to be targeting early as well.  It seems when Stevie is not involved early his focus lowers.

ON DEFENSE

To combat the Chief's run heavy attack the Bills need to rely on their much heralded front 4.  Then need to be strong at the point of attack and keep the linebackers free to roam.  Our hearts really go out to Marcel Dareus as he lost his brother in a tragic shooting this week.  It would not surprise us if he does play that his heart would not be in it.  The rest of the line needs to   The defensive coverage scheme most be overhauled completely.  The corners cannot be 10 yards off the line of scrimmage and expect to have success.  If they use that same scheme as against the Jets expect Matt Cassell to eat us up with 3 step drops and quick throws to Dwayne Bowe, Jon Baldwin and Steve Breaston.  Even more importantly is bottling up speedster Jamaal Charles and bruiser Peyton Hillis.  That is where the D line needs to shine.  Finally Mario Williams needs to come to play and I think he will.  He has to be fuming after getting lit up by the national media for being a non factor and complaining about the officials.  Expect a SUPER performance.

PREDICTION

While confidence in this team has already reached 1st overall pick status after last weeks drubbing by the Jets, our outlook for this game is a favorable one.  Don't forget the Chief's also were blown out on their home turf last week.  I think the Defense will come to play and the offense will lean on a run heavy attack to the tone of a Bills 21-10 Victory.

VIEW FROM 122...... BILLS VS JETS POSTGAME

By FANTASYBOYZ Editor in Chief Corey Bugenhagen

Week 1 of the Buffalo Bills season is in the books and wasn't it something all of us Bills fans would love to forget.  Sure we thought that an opener on the road against the Jets was a very tough match-up.  Many of us even pegged the Jets as the winners, but never in our wildest dreams did we think the Bills would be absolutely blown out in such an embarrassing fashion.  Then to add insult to injury our best offensive player would go down with what could possibly be a season ending knee injury.  Well that is exactly what happened on Sunday in Northern New Jersey to all of our shock and dismay.

Fitzpatrick had a day to forget Sunday

In this new age of digital everything you can get an even better idea of the fans thoughts and opinions of the this mess than you did even 5 years ago.  The #BillsMafia on Twitter was a buzz with countless angry rants and explosions.  There were even some cowards Tweeting very nasty messages directly to the players accounts.  While I by no means think people shouldn't have the right to express their feelings on the game that we all spend our hard earned money and time on, I just think it is very lame to talk directly to the players as I know they wouldn't say these things right to their faces.  Either way I can say with complete certainty the fans are extremely unhappy with almost every aspect of the teams effort today.

Now to my thoughts on the game itself.  There was almost nothing about the game, outside of CJ Spiller, that I saw as a positive.  The Defense let wide open receives run free through the secondary.  The heralded Dline put almost no pressure whatsover on the Jet's QBs.  The worst thing about game of course was the play of Ryan Fitzpatrick.  His first half was one of the worst in recent memory.  It brought me flashbacks of Billy Jo Hobert and JP Losman.  He looked lost, and inaccurate.  I have been a Fitz supporter for years now but today was a real eye opener.  When other teams like Indy and the Skins rolled out their shiny new franchise QBs Bills fans are resigned to the fact that we are still so far away from that day.

I am not saying these things can't be rectified, starting this week in the home opener.  The team has two winnable games in a row.  There is also hope that Freddy J's knee isn't torn.  The young corners have a lot of talent and are bound to turn it around sooner than later.  Mario Williams and company will generate a pass rush.  Last but not least CJ Spiller looked like a super star out there today.  You felt that he might take it to the house on every carry.  Lets hope he builds off that effort.  However the reality of the matter is that if Fitz doesn't get his act together and IMMEDIATELY the Bills are in MAJOR trouble.....

View From 122....Bills VS Lions edition

By FANTASYBOYZ Editor in Chief Corey Bugenhagen

Well just like that the Buffalo Bills 2012 Preseason is in the Books.  The team finished with an unspectacular 0-4 Record.  The games were filled with both physical and mental errors.  So much so that many Bills fans, who were brimming with confidence a mere 3 weeks ago, are now jumping off bandwagons all over Western New York.  While the team certainly needs to get their act together I for one still think the Bills will have a successful season.  Below I will break down the Positives and negatives.

Positives:

YIPPIE WE SCORED!!!!

Finally the first team offense had a solid drive to open the game and marched right down the field and scored.  They even did so without even using Fred Jackson.  CJ Spiller ran the ball with authority and appears to have finally learned that dancing around at the line in the NFL will get him nowhere.  Fitz looked very sharp picking apart the Lion's secondary with an array of quick strikes and a beauty of a fade pass to the corner of the end zone to Stevie J.   That is EXACTLY what I needed to see out of that unit to tell me to not panic about the offense leading into week 1.  Another positive is the emergence of former 1st round bust Leodis McKelvin.  It appears the teams massive patience with him may pay of in a solid nickel corner and stud Special teamer.  I also liked what I saw out of the offensive line as a whole.  I am confident this group will be very good and very deep.   Marcus Easley might have saved his spot on the roster with a spectacular kick return and a hard fought 2 point conversion. 

Negatives:

To me the biggest negative, as I am sure most fans will agree, is backup QB.  Tyler Thigpen is just not a guy that can come in and even keep a team in the game.  He is erratic and his throws flutter.  While he did have a better second half he was playing against 3rd stringers.  While in essence I like the Tarvaris Jackson trade I am also worried it came too late into the preseason.  I can't see any way possible that Jackson will be ready to contribute 1 to even 3 weeks into the season.  Gailey didn't even have confidence to put him out to run a 2 minute drill in a meaningless preseason game.  Add Brad Smith's groin pull and I am really wondering if the team can cut Thigpen right now.   Another negative was the over all pass coverage.  There were open seems everywhere.  I know the first unit was only out there for one drive and no one can stop Megatron but pass coverage has been an issue.  I don't see the linebackers having a ton of ability in this area. 

Overall view:

To me this was the best overall effort from the team of the 4 games and I see it carrying on to next Sunday VS the New Jersey Jets.  My overall prediction has been 10-6 all off-season and I am sticking to it!