My thoughts on the Bills, Brady's injury and my baseball season

If there’s one thing that Bills fans aren’t used to anymore, it’s a high level of expectation. And yet, heading into the 2008 season, another year out of the playoffs will be seen as a huge disappointment. For the second straight year, Uncle Ralph opened up his pocket book and spent more money than ever before. The Bills addressed THE most crucial weakness on this team. The defensive front 7. Signing tackle Spencer Johnson and linebacker Kawika Mitchell were excellent depth moves. But the clincher was definitely trading for Marcus Stroud. He was a two time pro bowler who needed a change of scenery. And the Bills needed a big body in the middle of the line, somebody to finally replace Pat Williams and Ted Washington.

 

For those who didn’t see the game in week 1, Buffalo dominated the line of scrimmage. They were actually able to generate some pressure with their front four. That’s something that simply didn’t happen last year. One of the better quarterbacks in the league, Matt Hasselbeck, couldn’t handle it. Along with Pittsburgh, the Bills looked like a team poised to come out of the AFC after opening week.

 

Chowder, anyone?

 

There’s no way to aptly describe how the loss of Tom Brady will affect the Pats. Sure, he’s a gifted athlete and one of the best players ever in the NFL. But, it’s his intelligence that separated him from his peers. Nobody can read a defense as well as Brady. Say what you will about Matt Cassel and his ability, but he lacks Brady’s knowledge of the game.

 

There has always been a sense of inevitability for teams facing the Brady-led Pats. Like going up against Tiger on Sunday when he’s down by three strokes. You just KNOW that he’ll take control. That feeling is bound to affect how defensive players react to any given play. The bottom line is that sense won’t be there anymore this year. Tom Brady has started 128 consecutive games for New England, and he’s won 101 of them. No backup in this league could be expected to match those numbers.

 

Play Ball

 

I’m wrapping another year of umpiring on the West Island. The senior league that I’m a part of ( www.mucslb.com ) was affiliated with Lakeshore Baseball for the first time. We could not have been treated any better. It really flies by, and I can’t wait for 2009. In case you get the baseball bug over the winter, check out our website. We’re always willing to accommodate new teams.