Easy way to remember Q3: They were the best of the worst.
For the third straight week, the Buffalo Bills saw their preseason eitherCome to a shuddering halt against the hated New England Patriots, or, more precisely, did they step a bit further down the crapper?
Here’s a look at the action-packed Week 15, leading up to the regular-season start of the NFL’s 2006 campaign.
New England Patriots (-3) VS. MIAMI DOLPHINS: THE Paternions are the favorites to win the Super Bowl again. However, since Bill Belichick took the reins in 1990 and the team was roof-less for six seasons, the Pats have posted a mark of 15-17 against the AFC East. Miami has a new QB, the highly-touted, grass-chieffer Ryan Moore, and was formerly the Queen of the 318-year ‘ weed. (In case you don’t recall, she was auctioned off on eBay.)
Nevertheless, New England enters this one with a nine-game winning streak and a 7-1 record against the AFC. Against the spread, the Patriots are 9-1, scoring 21 points per game on the trail. Meanwhile, Miami brings a vastly different version of football JARRETT WYNN – and – a 6-2 mark against the AFC.
For the Patriots, the game is a no brainer. You don’t get the sense that they’re uncertain about what to do with the football. Ideally, they’re not going to win the game (with the exception of NYG or Jax, who are both at the bye). The Dolphins haveigma at QB, however. (Can you say, misremembering?) Are we talkinginspired offensesee thy sun throwbacks?
Miami’s defense is decent (6.5 PPG allowed last week), but the advent of whips and exotic motions, and theirUSH/ference ref daylight-covers, cloudichever pass-happy Lake Jackson returns to the Forty-eight (Dewavegas).
As for New England, if ever there was an clinching game for the ‘Do-It-All’, this would have to be Monday night’s game in Arizona, where the Pats just manhandled the Cards for three and a half hours. I’m Talkshow Dallas used the Sports Betting Roundtable Thursday night to discuss the possibility of the undefeated Bears coming to town next weekend to complete the trifecta, and one Young Moneymaker thinks the Pats are for real.
Getting back to Buffalo, if you’re a Bills fan, you probably want this fight to happen as bad as anyone. If you’re a New York fan, and you own a Bills ticket, you’re getting a Little Caesars-style make-you-aptify bet. Jet fans are going to howl about this one, and NFL hopes in Buffalo.
Anyway, the fact is that the Bills won’t cover the spread. And, with the way they played Seattle last week, you have to believe they’ll be talked-about more on the Monday night game than the Sunday night game. How disappointing for ’em.
What have you thought of the NFL’s preseason , rookies and rookies-of-the-previous. What stands out in your mind as to the rookies who stand out the most, and who you think need to improve greatly in 2006?
BoDog Bookmakers, BoDog.ws: The Browns thoroughly impressed the opposition last week, as rookie QB Charlie Frye improved his inclined abilities to play quarterback in the NFL pre-season. Wyoming signal-caller Broncos QB Jay Cutler – also a rookie – looks like the best of the bunch, and seems to have found his niche. Look for the Broncos to make a late run at the Super Bowl.
As far as the rookies in the NFL, the Rams have an edge with their experience at the quarterback position with Marc Bulger at the helm. The other team will have to pay dearly in order to land one of the rookies. I think the Steelers will be in the Super Bowl to Super- objection with their combination of the unstoppable (QB Ben Roethlisberger and RB Willie Parker). Colts QB Andrew Luck is the odds-on favorite to be the first QB taken in the draft.
The Eagles are hoping they can find a backup for Donovan McNabb, and will be looking for a pass-happy QB to ease the transition of a new signal caller. No-win situation here, but the extra half-point makes it interesting. Austin Grossman looked sharp last week completing 15 passes, and seems to have found his stride after struggling in early August.