Surprises. No Surprises.

  Surprises. No surprises. That’s the lede to this week’s blog. 

In the NFC, it came as no big surprise (to me) that the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New York Giants. I had actually thought that the Giants had a chance to upset the top seed, especially with Philadelphia QB Jalen Hurts not fully recovered from his shoulder injury. It is tough to beat a division three times in a season and the Eagles might have had a little rust forming from their bye week. Wrong on all counts.

From the outset, the Eagles were dominant. On both sides of the ball. The Giants had no answers to whatever the Eagles were doing. Highly-touted New York QB Daniel Jones looked harried throughout the game. Running back Saquon Barkley looked human. The vaunted Giants pass rush was virtually non-existent. 

For Giants fans, they should savor how far the team went. Evidently the win in Minnesota took everything out of the Giants. Or simply Philadelphia is really that good.

Eagles fans should be buoyant after this romp. But I know the fans of the Green and White are never secure in their thoughts regarding their beloved team. At least the Eagles don’t have to face another division rival in Dallas. There might have been too much emotion. 

Instead, the San Francisco 49’ers are coming to Lincoln Financial Field to determine which team represents the NFC in the Super Bowl. The Niners had their hands full with Dallas. Dallas further had to contend with the ongoing misfortunes of their kicker, Brett Maher, who had this extra point try blocked—it would have been wide anyway. 

In the end, again not surprisingly, the home team did enough to win, with rookie QB Brock Purdy meeting his stiffest challenge so far. The Niners defense had its moments—just enough to blunt some Cowboys’ forays into their territory. 

If Philadelphia continues to rush the QB with the ferocity it displayed on Saturday night, the Eagles will punch their ticket to Arizona. Should the Niners defense continue to shut down offenses like it did with the Cowboys, then San Francisco will prevail. 

Kansas City fans are praying to whatever deity will work that QB Patrick Mahomes injured ankle won’t be a problem when the Chiefs host the Cincinnati Bengals for the AFC crown. Without Mahomes working his magic, it’s gonna be tough for KC to win. This isn’t like playing upstart Jacksonville, which the Chiefs were supposed to beat.

Did anybody forget that the Cincinnati Bengals are the defending AFC title holders? Did anyone also forget that the Bengals were ahead of Buffalo before Damar Hamlin’s injury ended the contest?

Because the Bengals showed the Bills why they are a force to be reckoned with. If there were any doubts about how good and confident he is, Cincinnati QB Joe Burrow has dissolved those concerns. Burrow, like Mahomes, when healthy, is an elite QB. If he keeps playing like this, reserve room for his bust in Canton. 

Thus it was no surprise that the Bengals were motivated by a slight that if Buffalo made it to the AFC title game versus Kansas City it would be in Atlanta, but that the Bengals, with the same number of games played as Buffalo, were denied that opportunity. It showed how determined an angry team can be.

Moreover, the Bills seemed to be emotionally exhausted. Facing an elite team like the Bengals, who are much better than the Miami Dolphins, which gave Buffalo a mighty test the week before, along with all the baggage which weighed heavily on the team, was simply too much to handle. 

It would not surprise me at all if Cincinnati made it to the Super Bowl again. Will it be a rematch of Super Bowl XVI, where the 13-3 Niners downed the 12-4 Bengals? SF leads that series 13-4. Or will the Eagles face Cincy—the Bengals are ahead in that matchup by a 9-3-2 count.

What if it is SF-KC? The Chiefs downed SF this season by a score of 44-23 on October 23. The teams met in Super Bowl LIV three years ago with KC prevailing by a 32-20 count. History there. 

And if it is the Eagles and Chiefs? Kansas City leads here—5-4-0. The teams last met in 2021, with the Chiefs victorious. 

Before the season began, the Eagles and Cowboys were among the top picks to win it all. What surprised me is how much better the Eagles proved to be. Also, the NFC East, laughingly referred to as the NFC Least because the teams were so bad, had three in the playoffs in the second round. Not too shabby. Who would have thought that?

Last season, the Niners made the NFC title game versus the eventual winner, the Los Angeles Rams.  Losing two quarterbacks and making it to the NFC championship again—a little surprising. 

KC and Cincinnati meeting again? Despite those who believed that Buffalo was the favorite in the AFC, it is not a surprise to see these teams meet again. 

I look at the NBA and NHL standings daily. In the NBA, the Eastern Conference offers little surprise other than the Milwaukee Bucks having the third best record and Miami is only a game ahead of the Knicks for the sixth spot. 

The Western Conference is much different. I didn’t foresee Denver to be as dominant as they are to lead Memphis by 1.5 for the lead. Then again, Nikola Jokic is cementing his chances for a three-peat as the NBA M.V.P. Plus he has a very, very good supporting cast. 

The team in third place surprised me. Sacramento, with former Cleveland and Lakers Head Coach and top assistant to Steve Kerr, Mike Brown in charge, has a 26-19 mark. Casual fans have no idea who is on this team. National TV audiences haven’t been shown the Kings. I had to look up the name of their arena as I didn’t know it (Golden 1 Center). I am rooting for this team and their fan base, which rarely sees winning teams. 

The Pelicans stand in fourth place for now. I see them to be a playoff team—I know that the injury-riddled Phoenix Suns, thought to be a top tier NBA squad—have struggled, as has Minnesota, without Karl Anthony-Towns for a while. 

Then there is the Golden State Warriors. Defending champions who look anything but it. Losses at Boston in OT and the Nets at home, with a win over Cleveland showed the inconsistency of this team. The bench players simply aren’t as good as last year’s and it shows. Surprisingly how much to me. 

Lebron and his Lakers sit at 22-25. They have made up ground after a near-disaster start. Center Anthony Davis is nearing a return from injury. Could they make the play-in tournament? Perhaps It is a surprise to see how much the Lakers have fallen—with Lebron still playing at a high level. 

The success of the Boston Bruins is astonishing. A 37-5-4 record is incredible. They hold a 14 point lead over Toronto, a really good team. Carolina atop their division was expected. 

But the New Jersey Devils trailing the Hurricanes by only two points  and having as many as Maple Leafs and 7 more than the Rangers? Jack Hughes has become the player New Jersey expected him to be and the defense is good with Vitek Vanecek offering solid net minding. Let’s see how they hold up for the remainder of the season. 

Everyone is a surprise in the Western Conference. Dallas and Winnipeg are tied with the most points. Then the two newer teams, Vegas and Seattle are fighting for the Pacific Division lead. Who outside of dreamers in Seattle saw that coming?

Finally, in college hoops, it was not a surprise to see Temple knock off Houston, the number 1 team in the country. The Owls have great defensive metrics, and it showed. 

Kansas lost to #13, Kansas State in OT, then was demolished at home by #14 TCU. The second loss was a big surprise.

As was Gonzaga losing to Loyola Marymount, breaking the Zags long winning streak. LMU was a huge underdog. 

What I am seeing in college basketball is that on any given night, the top teams are vulnerable. Hold onto your hats, for the finish to the 2022-23 campaign is going to be a wild one. Don’t be surprised about that. 

Just remember, pitchers and catchers report in mid-February. 

I Hope I Satiated Some Hoops Fans

  So I had an epidural to alleviate pressure on my neck, shoulders and a nerve near my collarbone. I probably shouldn’t have written a blog last week, but old habits die hard. Thus, I am going to cut down my usual verbosity. 

NFL Wild Card Weekend was exciting. All four games were different. The four teams which won deserved t go to the next round. 

Seattle gave San Francisco a fight—for a half. Then Brock Purdy, Christian Mc Cafferty and company awoke from the rain which enveloped Northern California when the sun shone on Santa Clara. San Francisco played like the powerhouse they have become. Purdy, the last player chosen in his draft, stayed perfect as the QB for the Niners, and has elicited comparison to a previous sixth round draft pick from Michigan, one Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. 

Speaking of Brady, his Buccaneers fell to the Dallas Cowboys, breaking number 12’s personal unbeaten streak versus Dallas. Brady may have gone 35 for 66 in passing, accumulating 351 yards. Tampa Bay was never in it, save for a playoff record four missed extra points by Brett Maher, who has bounced around the NFL and CFL since 2013. 

Dallas goes to the West Coast to play the Niners. Travel might be a factor, as the Cowboys get less rest than their opponent after playing on Monday night while the Niners played on Saturday and flew nowhere. 

The speculation has begun as to whether Brady will retire or find a new team to play for. He has until March to make a decision. Given his previous track record, don’t expect his first answer to be the truth.

Baltimore gave Cincinnati everything it could handle, playing a second string QB who made a case for becoming the main man should the disgruntled Lamar Jackson move on. His list of suitors mirrors Brady’s, or for that matter Aaron Rodgers, who also is playing coy about his future. The game turned when Baltimore’s Tyler Huntley attempted to vault the line of scrimmage to break the plane of the end zone, only to have the ball swatted into the arms of the Bengals’ Sam Hubbard—and the local kid returned the ball 98 yards for a touchdown. 

On Saturday night I was looking forward to the Chargers-Jaguars game. Jacksonville QB Trevor Lawrence was a bit too excited for even me, as he threw four interceptions in the first half, trailing at one point by 27-0. His head coach, Doug Peterson—he led the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl win—talked about calming his young QB down during the halftime intermission. It evidently worked, as the Jags pulled off the third largest comeback in NFL history, winning on a last second field goal. Jacksonville (Lawrence has a perfect Saturday record of 37-0 from HS, college and in the pros) moves on to play top seed Kansas City with Patrick Mahomes, while two Los Angeles offensive assistants were fired on Monday for the team’s inability to score much in the second half. 

Undermanned Miami threw a scare into Buffalo in Orchard Park on Sunday. Josh Allen reverted to his first year difficulties for a while, then righted the ship to stake Buffalo to the win. Emotions run high in Buffalo right now, and they should be even higher when the Bengals come to town to play for keeps after the Damar Hamlin Monday night game was shut down.

Lastly, Daniel Jones played like a champ. Against a Vikings squad which had been ripe for the taking. Now, Giants fans, can the defense hold up against a Philadelphia team which many pick to win it all? And will Jones and Saquan Barkley have another superb game like last Sunday?

Golden State and San Antonio set an NBA record for regular season attendance in the Alamodome, the Spurs former home. It was a fun game to watch—the Warriors romped. I wonder if those in the upper levels could make out who the players were?

Steph Curry and his mates went to the White House to be greeted by President Biden and Vice President Harris (an ardent fan from Oakland). Curry and Head Coach Steve Kerr went to the White House Situation Room on the visit. They must have been experts on situational basketball to have merited that perk. 

Some college basketball for those clamoring that I had forgotten it existed. I just don’t get too into the games until the conference play begins in earnest. 

Rutgers has made an appearance in the AP Top 25, landing at number 23. They might be out of it on Thursday night if they don’t win at Michigan State. RU has never won in the Breslin Center. The Spartans gave #3 Purdue all it could handle before losing in the final seconds on Monday. 

The Big Ten is always noted to be the toughest conference to play in. I think that many conferences are like that this season. 

Entering this week, the entire Big 12 had records above .500. Kansas, Kansas State, Texas and Iowa State are all legitimate Top 25 teams. And on Tuesday night, K-State downed their in-stater tormentors while the Cyclones beat the Longhorns. 

The SEC has a bunch of good and surprising squads. Alabama is the best right now, but their world was rocked by the arrest of one of the team’s players for capital murder. Only South Carolina and  Mississippi have records below .500. Georgia is at a heady 13-4, something perhaps that was unexpected. Kentucky has been muddling along this season, accumulating a 12-6 record. I can see at least seven SEC schools making it into March Madness. 

Pac 12 teams have road trips which are tough. UCLA, one of my favorites to make the Final Four, Arizona State and Arizona are the class of the league. 

Clemson sits atop the ACC. Miami, UVA, Wake Forest, Pitt and Syracuse look pretty good. NC State, North Carolina and Duke sit uncharacteristically in the middle of the pack. It is only mid-January . A lot of basketball is ahead of these teams. Like the SEC, maybe six or seven come from the ACC and another seven to nine from the Big Ten will make the tourney. 

UConn has stumbled since the Big East play started. Danny Hurley travels back to New Jersey to play at his alma mater, albeit in a different arena. He had a rollercoaster ride at the hall, chronicled by his Hall of Fame father, Bob Hurley, Sr., who chastised Seton Hall fans for being fueled by drinking and gambling. 

There are four Pirates currently with DI head coaching jobs. Hurry and Shaheen Holloway, the present Seton Hall coach, are the most prominent. Who knew that Seton Hall was a cradle of college coaching?

Xavier, Marquette, UConn and Providence are the best in the Big East. On any given night, any Big East team can truly beat any other Big East team, with the exception of Georgetown, which continues to flounder under the direction of Knicks legend, Patrick Ewing. 

Seeing Villanova struggling at 8-10 with the departure of its Hall of Fame coach is sad. Won’t you come back, Jay Wright?

Gotta go. My wife is angry enough with my typing. I hope I satiated some hoops fans. 

Football, Football, Football

It was over quickly. Yes, the requisite four quarters were played. But only because the rules require the game to be played to a conclusion and a winner declared. 

For on Monday night in Southern California, a National Champion was crowned. Before a national TV audience and some disbelieving TV announcers. 

Yes, the oddsmakers were right. The undefeated University of Georgia Bulldogs were a heavy favorite against the Cinderella team in the College Football Playoffs, the TCU Horned Frogs (for you herpetology enthusiasts, the Horned Frog is actually the Texas Horned Lizard).

Except that those same oddsmakers gravely underestimated the “aggression,” Head Coach Kirby Smart demanded from his troops when cornered on the sideline before the start of the contest. For after three series, with the score 10-7 in favor of Georgia, the onslaught began. 

Stetson Bennett IV, the heralded Georgia QB who played with a maturity befitting his age of 25, made the game look so easy. He had his hand in six TD’s—four in the air and two he ran in. I still stand by my conclusion that he is the best player in college football for 2022, so much more worthy of the Heisman Trophy he didn’t receive.

The final humiliation for TCU was a loss by a score of 65-7. TCU may have handled undefeated Michigan to get to the finals, but they were as bad as any team which reached the championship round. Meanwhile Georgia, which had survived a last second field goal miss, gook full advantage of its great fortune and left absolutely nothing to chance.  

If there had been a mercy rule, the refs would have invoked it. If a running clock would have sped up the game in the second half, then it would have been used. That’s how overwhelming Georgia’s record-setting performance was. 

Nobody likes to see a mismatch in the early season. It is not what you want in a National Championship game. Yet when the big schools schedule a creampuff from a non-power 5 conference, that is what you get.  

Now do I believe that TCU is as horrible as they played on Monday night? Nope. 

I do not, for one second believe that TCU is the second best team in the country. That is clearly Ohio State. 

Nor do I think that they should be ranked third. That slot belongs to Nick Sabin and his Alabama Crimson Tide; Saban’s bunch could have given the Bulldogs a much better game than TCU. For that matter, I think Alabama would have beaten both TCU and Michigan handily. 

Thus my Top five are as follows:

1. Georgia

2. Ohio State

3. Alabama

4. TCU

5. Michigan

Had there been an expanded CFP as it will be in two years, Alabama may well have gotten past the pretenders above them—possibly including Ohio State. For the Tide, destroying Kansas State may have been a consolation prize. I am sure that Saban, who was seated in chair by ESPN to watch the carnage as an analyst and had to listen to ESPN a commentator and Georgia alum David Pollack crow about how great his alma mater was, found it difficult to be a polite guest. 

Georgia lost a whole lot of top players last year and reloaded. Experts believe that it will happen again and Georgia will rule the roost for an unprecedented third straight time. 

I don’t see it that way. One key ingredient will be gone—Bennett. There is plenty of guessing where he might end up in the NFL. Wherever he goes, despite his diminutive size for the pros, that team will have themselves a gem. And don’t be surprised if he someday becomes a great coach—like Kirby Smart, whose roots go back to—Nick Saban. 

A couple of more football notes. I like some of the rankings in the CBS Sports 131. I think that 6 through 10 is correct: 

6. Tennessee

7. Penn State

8. Washington

9. Tulane

          10. Florida State

I like the Seminoles much better than Utah, which finished tenth in the AP Top 25. That poll also ranked Oregon ahead of Oregon State. Both had the same record and last time I allowed, the Beavers beat the Ducks. 

Finally, kudos to these Jackrabbits. South Dakota State humbled its bitter rival, North Dakota State in the FBS Championship. Don’t you just love it when the team from nowhere beats the established team in that division?

Speaking of the NFL, the regular season is over. With a few surprises in the last weekend. While it is not surprising to me, Jacksonville defeated Tennessee in a winner take all match for the AFC South crown. For their victory, the fourth seeded Jags are rewarded with a home playoff game with the LA Chargers, a team which chose to play its regulars in the season finale, resulting in injuries and a team that may not be at full strength on Saturday night. Do not be surprised if Trevor Lawrence and his guys advance to the next round. 

Saturday’s early game may be played in another Northern California monsoon when Seattle, which won on a FG in overtime then watched Detroit, eliminated from the playoffs, make sure that Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers didn’t go either, takes on pretty hot San Francisco. The NFL would be wise to move the game to a neutral site, but that won’t happen. I don’t have much confidence in the Seahawks winning—SF is too good. I really would have liked to see the Lions playing the Niners. That would have been fun.

Miami made the playoffs by winning a listless game against the Jets. They have to travel to Buffalo, which dismantled New England based on good news on the progress of Damar Hamlin. The Dolphins, already undermanned at QB, now have to face a Bills team buoyed by the fact that Hamlin has recovered so well that he is now convalescing at home. 

Baltimore and Cincinnati reprise their game of last Sunday once more in Cincy. Lamar Jackson still won’t be at the helm for the Ravens. The Bengals are way too good. 

The Giants have a score to settle, They lost at Minnesota in December on a game-ending  long field goal. They believe they are better than the homestanding Vikings. Maybe they are. 

On Monday night, Dallas has the unenviable task of trying to eliminate Tom Brady. Well, Brady and his Bucs, as the Cowboys visit Raymond James Stadium in prime time. The oddsmakers have Dallas as a 2.5 point favorite. That’s not too much support. At least there is another “Manning Cast’ to watch.

Football, football, football. And I intended to talk about college basketball.

Because You Just Have To

  It was a glorious time for college football. The College Football Playoffs (CFP) produced two magnificent games. Alabama routed their opponent, to make a statement. Mississippi State rebounded to honor their late coach Mike Leach, with a win. Tulane, the only non-Group of 5 team ranked high enough for a major bowl game, reeled off 16 points in the last four minutes to stop USC and its Heisman Trophy-winning QB. Penn State bombarded an overmatched Utah squad in the Rose Bowl—a Big Ten versus Pac 12 matchup like it should be. 

Texas Christian University actually has a Hillel on its Fort Worth campus. It also has one heck of a football team that Head Coach Sonny Dykes has constructed. 

TCU took on the vaunted program from the University of Michigan and met the challenge. Whenever the Wolverines made  a move to narrow the score, the Horned Frogs responded in a big way. 

Still, as the clock ticked down to its final minute, Michigan was making a run. Until their top flight center prematurely snapped the ball to the quarterback and chaos ensued. Michigan couldn’t get enough yardage to make a first down after recovering the fumble. Game over. 

The team from the Big 12 moves on to the National Championship game in Los Angeles on January 9. The boys from Ann Arbor returned home defeated, and the fans now have to worry about the future of the team’s Head Coach Jim Harbaugh, who reportedly has met with the Carolina Panthers about becoming their leader. 

Meanwhile, the defending champion Georgia Bulldogs had to muster everything they could, along with a lot of luck, to beat the #4 seed, Ohio State. UGA remained the only unbeaten major college team, but barely. 

As good as the Michigan-TCU game was, the nightcap on New Year’s Eve was even more compelling. So much so that the final play took place on January 1, 2023. Which means Ohio State is winless in the new year. 

Georgia and Ohio State had two of the better defenses in major college football. Except that this Saturday night was a night for offense. With two Heisman Trophy candidate quarterbacks at their respective helms, this was a epic battle that only went Georgia’s way in the final stanza. 

As great as C.J. Stroud was for the Buckeyes, Georgia’s top dog, Stetson Bennett IV showed his pedigree with a miraculous drive to put the ‘Dawgs ahead for good. Yet he left too much time on the clock and OSU had a chance to walk away with the win with a field goal. 

This is one of two instances where coaching won the game for Georgia. Ohio State’s head coach, Ryan Day, had previously stated that he would go for broke if the opportunity arose. Which, Day thought , was to fake a field goal in his team’s territory. 

The play looked like it was executed perfectly. Ohio State would keep the ball and head down the field, giving Georgia no opportunity to strike back. But hold on—Bulldogs Head Coach Kirby Smart was alerted by his aides in the press box that the formation looked different, and he called time out in the nick of time, forcing the Buckeyes to punt. 

Smart acted smartly once more with the game on the line. He called time to “freeze” the OSU kicker. That added bit of pressure worked, as the ball hooked wide left.

Now Georgia seeks to win a second straight championship. The oddsmakers have the Bulldogs as a 13 1/2 point favorite. However, don’t count TCU out. But for a yard or so versus Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship Game, the Horned Frogs would also have been undefeated going into Monday night’s clash had they scored. 

I am biased. I root for Georgia because I was born in that state. I paced and fidgeted through the OSU contest. You know I want the Bulldogs to win. Any prediction I make won’t be objective, even if ultimately accurate. Just know that I will be watching the game on January 9th hoping that another miracle isn’t necessary. 

The Jets fizzled, even with Mike White at the helm. Another desultory season for Gang Green. Tampa Bay and that guy Brady stepped up to win the NFC South. Another old QB, Aaron Rodgers, has Green Bay poised to make the playoffs after pundits all but counted the Packers out. Jacksonville and Tennessee meet on Saturday, the winner to make the playoffs. Even the Pittsburgh Steelers kept their hopes alive, winning in the last minute with their young rising star quarterback, Kenny Pickett, from Ocean Township, NJ and Pitt, leading the charge. And those Giants, who I had pronounced dead for the playoffs, are in as he #6 seed in the NFC. 

I watched the Rutgers-Purdue men’s basketball matchup with my trial partner, his wife and my wife, as we made up for New Year’s Eve when our plans were thwarted by heavy fog in the area. After having our delayed Chines food and some leftover carrot cake for his birthday, we were entranced watching RU lead the top-ranked Boilermakers for most of the contest, then go back and forth with the lead before ultimately sinking a game-winning three pointer for the Scarlet Knights. This was the second time in two seasons that Rutgers knocked off Purdue when they were ranked #1—the only time that this has ever happened, and involving the same two teams.

I was in a great state of mind. Georgia had won. Rutgers had won. I was 13-2 in the FOX News weekly pool—in it to win it if the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills combined for 58 points in their pivotal game on Monday Night Football. 

Every ounce of my euphoria was erased when I changed the channel. The game had been temporarily suspended and I soon learned why. Which quickly became a matter of national attention. For good reason. 

Unless you have been living under a rock, you know what happened to Buffalo defender  Damar Hamlin. His hit on Cincinnati wide receiver Tee Higgins wasn’t extraordinary. In fact, Hamlin bounced up and everything looked okay. For just a moment. 

When Hamlin fell to the turf, his life was in danger. Heroic efforts to resuscitate him on the field and either in the ambulance or at the Level 1 trauma center at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center may have saved his life. Hamlin remains seated and his doctors have seen progress, although it is way too early to offer a prognosis. 

The raw emotion of his fellow players and the coaches for both teams expressed what was being felt. A shaken Josh Allen, the Buffalo QB, was consoled by his counterpart on the Bengals, Joe Burrow. Tears and fears were everywhere. Especially when no news was reported to the players or the fans or the millions now glued to the ESPN coverage. 

Thankfully, the NFL, in conjunction with the NFLPA, suspended the game and it is not being played before the Week 18 games on tap. Prayers for Hamlin’s well-being were ubiquitous and remain so. He is not out of the woods. 

We all know that football is a dangerous game. I thought back to the October 24, 1971 game between Detroit and Chicago at Tiger Stadium, when Detroit player Chuck Hughes died before the end of the game. The only fatality in league history. That wretched thought went through my mind repeatedly. 

The outpouring of support for Hamlin was incredible. A charity he had started, with a modest goal, has surpassed $6 million in donations. People care. 

Yet the games will go on. The Bills (and yes, the Bengals) have important games upcoming on Sunday as they head to the playoffs. Who knows what the NFL will do with Monday night’s game—the Bills have to pick up the pieces of what had been already a troubling year with man murders in upstate New York, massive snow storms crippling the region, being forced to leave for a game rescheduled in Detroit, being stuck in Chicago with the oppressive blizzard and its resulting deaths. And now this horrible accident. 

I may not be a Bills fan. But I am rooting for them like I root for Georgia and RU. Because you just have to.