Here’s a few names for you to ponder Bills’ fans: Trent Edwards, J.P. Losman and Kelly Holcomb. Bills’ Thrills was reminded of that unholy trinity of former Bills’ quarterbacks while listening to caller after caller downgrade and berate the efforts of Ryan Fitzpatrick on the radio post game show.

I thought, don’t they realize that the Bills won 24-14? Furthermore, Fitz had a pretty decent day by anyone’s standards.

Just to recap: the Amish Rifle threw 3 TDs with 0 picks and led the team on a 4th quarter drive for 7 points after the Browns had climbed back into the game. Fitzpatrick also leads the league with 8 TDs after 3 games – which has him on pace to throw a staggering 42 for the season.

The Catch-22 is that Fitz won’t make anyone forget Jim Kelly, but he’s not made of the subpar caliber of the recent QBs that made fans consider yard work as a viable alternative to watching the Bills on Sunday afternoon.

Bills’ Thrills watched the game in big-screen heaven as THE Librarian wondered why the Browns uniforms and helmets are orange. Before I could tell her that I know why the caged bird sings, she’d whipped out her iPhone and was researching the answer with her tiger eyes at a speed that only librarians can approach.

“They switched them because the brown couldn’t be seen well during night games,” she announced as Browns QB Weeden delivered a ball somewhere south of the Tropic of Cancer.

“They might want to switch back,” I deadpanned, “That was then, this is now, but if they keep playing like this the only place you’ll see a Cleveland fan is by looking at the face on the milk carton.”

Nothing feels better after a big win than to give outcome game balls, so let’s see who on the Bills answered the call of the wild with distinction:

RB Tashard Choice

It was a brave new world in the Bills backfield when C.J. Spiller went down early in the game. Choice avoided all of the curses, hexes and spells that have befallen Buffalo’s other backs and slashed the Browns for 91 yards on 20 carries. He also added 2 catches and keep the sticks moving on multiple drives.

Fred Jackson may return for the game against the *Patriots, which is good news because after Choice and Johnny White, Mama Peccararo is next on the team’s RB depth chart.

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick

Fitz gets a game ball for all of the reasons at the top of this column and also because he refuses to embrace the mantra of other QBs when he scrambles – namely, that once a defender gets within 5 yards we all fall down – and instead tries to lay a lick on the defender.

It might be foolhardy, but it’s blue collar Buffalo all the way.

G Andy Levitre

The offensive line was dominate once again and deserves to be recognized as a whole for their efforts. Levitre has sort of become the unsung hero of the group, but truly deserves the view from the cherry tree for this game due to his stellar play.

He opened up a bunch of holes for Choice to waltz through and was down field blocking superbly on many of the screens that the Bills ran throughout the contest.

DE Mario Williams

Super Mario finally lived up to his nickname as he led the team with 1.5 sacks and added 2 more QB hits. If he keeps this up he just may get a line of waffles to go with that cereal of his.

T Kyle Williams

Big Kyle seems pretty intent on scoring another free trip to Hawaii this February. He was a beast again on Sunday as he registered another sack and led the team with 2 tackles for loss.

The front four looked solid all the way around, but Williams is playing like one of the pillars of the Earth.

LS Garrison Sanborn

You know why Sanborn is so good? It’s because he’s Buffalo’s invisible man – you never notice him because he’s so damned good at what he does. The snaps to Brian Moorman are straight at his chest every time. When the Bills try a FG or PAT, Moorman doesn’t have to reach for the ball on his holds – it comes in on a frozen rope time and time again.

Here’s to you Garrison, may you never find reporters crowded around your cubicle following a game.

Pizza and wing report

Bills’ Thrills sampled the offerings from Brio’s in Lewiston with mixed reviews. The pizza crust was a bit too soft, while the sauce was a tad on the sweet side. The pepperoni and green olives were abundant though.

The wing order was split between the usual medium and ones covered in
Teriyaki sauce. Both were received with great gusto and your correspondent’s youngest son devoured them with a ferocity that the Black Widow would admire.

Next week the Cheatriots come to town riding a (can it really be so?) 2 game losing streak. So cross your fingers, spit in your hat and hope that the Bills can send them to their third straight defeat.

The next 7 days mark “Banned Books Week” in America. As you might imagine, there is nothing more that a writer and a librarian hate more than censorship. In honor of our constitutional right to read and write what we want I have placed into this column the names of a baker’s dozen of book titles that were culled from the list of “Most commonly challenged books in the United States.”

I will bestow a Bills’ Thrills No-Prize to the person who can list the most titles in the comment section. Good luck and no Google cheating.

God bless Western New York and God bless free speech!

 

 

[Frank Thomas Croisdale is the former Contributing Editor of the Niagara Falls Reporter and the author of the best-selling Buffalo Soul Lifters.]

 

 

 

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