GOOD TO KNOW McDERMOTT HASN’T MAILED IN THE SEASON
Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott finally saw the light Wednesday and announced that Tyrod Taylor will start at quarterback Sunday at the Kansas City Chiefs.
When Bills beat reporter and historian Sal Maiorana gets around to listing the 10 worst blunders by a head coach in the team’s long and mostly bungling history, McDermott switching QBs from Taylor to raw rookie Nathan Peterman while Buffalo still was alive to break a 17-year playoff drought probably will be very high on the list -- partly because it was a ludicrous move to begin with and partly because Peterman threw five interceptions in the first half of last Sunday’s 54-23 massacre at the Los Angeles Chargers.
George Armstrong Custer had a better chance in his ill-fated afternoon road trip to the Little Big Horn.
I wonder what inspired McDermott to switch back to Taylor. A few possibilities:
He was ridiculed by NFL fans and media from coast-to-coast for the Taylor-to-Peterman switch and the disastrous results and didn’t want to risk further humiliation if Peterman had another horrible outing in Kansas City.
The players on the team’s advisory committee strongly suggested that sticking with Peterman wouldn’t be a real good idea.
He was surprised by the negative reaction – even many of Taylor detractors – to his switch to Peterman and didn’t want to risk further alienating a fan base that has suffered through an astonishing 17-year playoff drought.
In his master plan to win a Super Bowl, he realizes that his Bills probably won’t have a better chance than now to make the playoffs for at least the next few years. Buffalo isn’t a good team but the AFC is very weak this season and a fluke trip to the playoffs is possible. Of course, not quite as possible after the Massacre at Stub Hub Soccer Stadium.
I don’t think many people – including most of you, me or McDermott – expect the Bills to somehow turn things around after three wretched losses and earn a playoff berth. Let’s be realistic.
The Bills have a 5-5 record and are tied with Baltimore for the sixth-best record in the AFC. Here are their remaining schedules:
Baltimore – Houston (4-6 record)...Detroit (6-4)...at Pittsburgh (8-2)...at Cleveland (0-10)...Indianapolis (3-7)...Cincinnati (4-6): Combined record of opponents 25-35 (-10)...Four games home and two games on the road...Probable wins: Houston, at Cleveland and Indianapolis. Probable loss: at Atlanta. Toss-ups: Detroit and Cincinnati.
Buffalo – at Kansas City (6-4)...New England (8-2)...Indianapolis (3-7)...Miami (4-6)...at New England (8-2)...at Miami (4-6): Combined record of opponents: 33-27 +6)...Three games home and three games on the road...Probable wins: Indianapolis, Miami at home. Probable losses: at Kansas City and New England home and away. Toss-up: at Miami.
The Ravens appear to have the significantly easier path. And this is assuming none of the other 4-6 contenders for the second wild-card berth – Cincinnati, Houston, LA Chargers, Miami, New York Jets or Oakland – put a few wins together.
The bottom line: Buffalo’s hopes for a playoff berth aren’t dead but barely breathing beats the alternative. It is good to know that McDermott hasn’t completely given up on this season. He owed it to his players and the long-suffering and frustrated fan base to switch back to Tyrod Taylor – at least until the Bills are eliminated from contention for a playoff berth.
BILLS STOCK ON FOOTBALL STREET HAS TAKEN A PLUNGE
The Buffalo Bills were among the darlings of the NFL when they began this season with an unexpected 5-2 record.
Reality has set in – big time.
Buffalo is 24th in this week’s ESPN NFL Power Rakings, with the notation, “Promising start to disaster.”
Other NFL Power Rankings for the Bills entering Week 12:
CBS Sports 17th
Yahoo! 18th
NFL.com 20th
USA Today Sports 22nd: “Sean McDermott may look back on this season and realize he ciould have ended Buffalo’s playoff drought had he merely stuck with Tyrod Taylor.”
The FiveThirtyEight sports computer, so high on Buffalo’s probabilities to make the playoffs just a few weeks ago, now gives the Bills only a 17 percent chance to make the postseason. It projects the Bills for 7.4 wins, 8.6 losses and a minus-33.9 point differential.
BOB’S NFL WEEK 12 “BEST BETS”
The Bills have been arguably the NFL’s second-worst team over the past three weeks. They rank 25th on offense, 29th on defense, have no pass rush and have plunged from +14 to +5 in turnovers. Plus they’re banged-up and have a quarterback controversy.
The coach seems far more interested in maybe being a really good team in around 2023 than in ending an embarrassing 17-year playoff drought this season.
Other than that, everything is fine.
The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off a horrible 12-9 road loss to the New York Giants and figure to be fired up Sunday at home against the Bills.
The NFL Week 12 “Best Bet: KANSAS CITY (-10) 35, Buffalo 14.
Thursday’s games
(home teams in CAPS)
Minnesota 23, DETROIT (+3) 14 – The Vikings are legitimately solid on defense and QB Case Keenum is playing surprisingly well.
Los Angeles Chargers 24, DALLAS (+1) 20 – The Cowboys aren’t the same team minus suspended star RB Ezekiel Elliott.
WASHINGTON (-7) 28, New York Giants 17 – The Giants aren’t likely to repeat last week’s home upset over Kansas City.
Sunday’s other games
ATLANTA (-8 ½) 30, Tampa Bay – The Falcons appear to be back on track. Not so the Buccaneers.
CINCINNATI (-8 ½) 33, Cleveland 17 – The Bengals aren’t very good but the Browns are legitimately bad.
Tennessee 20, INDIANAPOLIS (+3 1/2) 13 – These two teams are tough to figure but the Titans have more talent.
NEW ENGLAND (-16 ½) 35, Miami 0 – Tom Brady vs. maybe Jay Cutler sort of says it all.
Carolina 27, NEW YORK JETS (+4 ½) 17 – The Panthers aren’t flashy but they’re quietly having a good season.
PHILADELPHIA (-13 1/2) 28, Chicago 10 – Best hope for the Bears is a collective letdown by the Eagles after a big win in Dallas.
Seattle 24, SAN FRANCISCO (+6 1/2) 14 –Key injuries have hurt the Seahawks but they’re still significantly better than the 49ers.
OAKLAND (-5) 31, Denver 20 – The disappointing Raiders are due for a breakout game.
New Orleans 33, LOS ANGELES RAMS (-2 ½) 27 – Should be a high-scoring game. The Saints might have the edge on defense. The Rams will miss injured Robert Woods.
Jacksonville 28, ARIZONA (+4 ½) 20 – The Jaguars are underrated and the Cardinals are hurting.
PITTSBURGH (-14) 30, Green Bay 13 – The Packers minus Aaron Rodgers can’t hang tough for long against the Steelers.
Monday night’s game
BALTIMORE (-7) 27, Houston 14 – The Ravens are tough to figure but the Texans figure to be overmatched.
JUMPING ON THE MIKE MUSSINA HALL OF FAME BANDWAGON
Ballots for baseball’s Hall of Fame Class of 2018 have been distributed and I’m wondering how close pitcher Mike Mussina will come to being elected.
In Mussina’s first four years on the ballot, he has received 20.3 percent, 24.6 percent, 43.0 percent and 51.8 percent of the ballots. 75 percent is required for election.
Of the pitchers on this ballot, Mussina received the third-most votes last year: Trevor Hoffman 327, Roger Clemens 239 and Mussina 229. Curt Schilling was next among pitchers with 199.
Hoffman figures to be elected this time around and I expect Mussina to receive more votes than Clemens.
Here is Mussina’s career Major League Baseball pitching line: 270-153 record (.638 winning percentage); 3.68 earned-run average; 537 games (including 536 starts); 57 complete games; 23 shutouts; 3,562 2./3 innings; 3,460 hits allowed; 785 walks; 2,813 walks; 1.192 WHIP (walk+hits per inning).
More facts for his Cooperstown resume’: 11 seasons in the top 10 in American League ERA; 8 seasons in AL top 10 in innings; 7 seasons AL in top 10 complete games; 7 Gold Gloves for fielding excellence.
He didn’t post a 20-win season until his final year with the New York Yankees in 2008 (20-9 record; 3.37 ERA; led AL with 34 starts at age 38). But he had 19 wins twice, 18 wins three times, 17 wins twice 16 wins once and 15 wins twice. That’s consistency.
He never won a Cy Young Award but he finished in the top six nine times (2nd, 4th, 4th, 5th, 5th, 5th, 6th, 6th, 6th). That’s impressive, too.
There are 74 pitchers in the Hall Fame. Mussina’s 270 victories would be tied for 28th with Burleigh Grimes. His .638 winning percentage would be tied for 14th with Jim Palmer. His 2,813 strikeouts would rank 16th, behind Jim Bunnings’s 2,855.
The major statistical knock on Mussina is his career 3.68 ERA. Only two Hall of Famers had higher ERAs: Hank O’Day 3.74 and Red Ruffing 3.80. But Mussina pitched in the Steroid Era and faced who-knows-how-many hitters who were on the juice?
He pitched for only two MLB teams – both high profile – Baltimore (10 seasons) and the Yankees (seasons). “Moose” was a neat nickname. That stuff can’t hurt his chances.
For the record, Mussina was the International League’s Most Valuable Pitcher in 1991 with the 1991 Red Wings: 10-4 record; 2.87 ERA; 122 1/3 innings; 108 hits allowed; 31 walks; 107 strikeouts.
The top first-time eligible pitchers in the Class of 2018 ballot are Johan Santana, Carlos Zambrana, Jamie Moyer, Chris Carpenter, Livan Hernandez and Kevin Millwood. None can match Mussina for the combination of effectiveness/longevity.
By the way, the active pitchers with the most MLB victories are Bartolo Colon (240), CC Sabathia (237), John Lackey (188), Justin Verlander (188), Zack Greinke (172), Felix Hernandez (160), Jon Lester (159), Ervin Santana (149), Cole Hamels (147) and Adam Wainwright (146)....It could be some time before someone catches Mussina’s 270 wins.
By the way, do you think Mussina which cap would Mussina want on his Hall of Fame plaque – Orioles or Yankees? I hope Baltimore.
SHORT SHOTS
I wish Joe Morgan would stop campaigning against steroid users for baseball’s Hall of Fame. Several probable steroid users already have been elected. I can’t imagine a Hall of Fame without David “Big Papi” Ortiz, among others who might have dabbled in PEDs. And Morgan has campaigned for former teammate Pete Rose to be elected to Cooperstown. Betting on games as a player and/or manager is – in my book – a greater baseball sin than users in the Steroid Era.
This week’s Associated Press college basketball Top 25 had 50 teams receive at least one mention from the nation’s voters. Undefeated Syracuse was not among them. I think Jim Boeheim deserves at least a token of respect. Will anyone be shocked if SU is included in the top 25 before this season ends?
The winningest race horse in North America this year is scheduled to compete Wednesday evening in the fourth race at Batavia Downs. Quicksilvercandy A (“A” for born in Australia) has won 20 races in 2017 and earned $108,694 in 42 starts at Batavia Downs and Buffalo Raceway. She’s 13 years old and still loves to race and is doing it well for owner Larry Stalbaum and trainer Kim Asher.
The Rochester Knighthawks are 2-0 in the National Lacrosse League preseason. They beat the New England Black Wolves 14-7 and the Buffalo Bandits 12-8 last weekend at Iroquois Lacrosse Arena in Ontario. Superstar forward Cody Jamieson hasn’t played yet as he recuperates from reconstructive knee surgery. The season and home opener will be Saturday, Dec. 9, 7:30 p.m., against the Calgary Roughnecks at Blue Cross Arena at the Wear Memorial.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...
Wednesday, November 22
JuJu Smith-Schuster (21)...Vladislav Namestrikov (25)...Giovani Bernard (26)...Brock Osweiler (27)...Drew Pomeranz (29)...Oscar Pistorius (31)...Joe Nathan (43)...Byron Houston (48)...Boris Becker (50)...Eric Allen (52)...Benoit Benjamin (53)...Mark Malone (59)...Greg Luzinski (67)...Billie Jean King (74)...Yvan Cournoyer (74)...Jacques Laperriere (76). Scarlett Johansson (33) and Jamie Lee Curtis (59) are invited to the birthday party.
Thursday, November 23
Ross Stripling (28)...Nicklas Backstrom (30)...Justin Turner (33)...Asafa Powell (35)...Jonathan Papelbon (37)...Adam Eaton (40)...Saku Koivu (43)...Vin Baker (46)...Steve Alford (53)...Anthony Toney (60)...Luis Tiant (77)...Jack McKeon (87). Miley Cyrus (25) and Robin Roberts (57) are invited to the birthday party.
Friday, November 24
LiAngelo Ball (19)...former Red Wing Chris Herrman (30)...Jimmy Graham (31)...Ryan Fitzpatrick (35)...Keith Primeau (46)...Ben McDonald (50)...Scott Hoch (62)...Henry Bibby (68)...Steve Yeager (69)...Rudy Tomjanovich (69)...Dave Bing (74)...Paul Tagliabue (77)...Jim Northrup (78)...Oscar Robertson (79).
Saturday, November 25
Dennis Smith (20)...Nick Swisher (37)...Donovan McNabb (41)...Mark Whiten (51)...Cris Carter (52)...Bernie Kosar (54)...Ray Bentley (57)...Blair Bush (61)...Bucky Dent (66)...Joe Gibbs (77)...Lenny Moore (84). Joe DiMaggio was born on this date 103 years ago (1914) and died in 1999 at age 84.
Sunday, November 26
Former Red Wing Kyle Waldrop (26)...Avery Bradley (27)..Matt Carpenter (32)...Matt Garza (34)...Winky Wright (46)...Shawn Kemp (48)...Chip Kelly (54)...Mario Elie (54)...Chuck Finley (55)...Harry Carson (64)...Roger Wehrli (70)..Richie Hebner (70)....Art Shell (71)...Jan Stenerud (74).
NOTE: This will be my last column until Monday, November 27. Thank you for listening on News Radio WHAMJ 1180, 6 to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, and reading at WHAM1180.com on Monday, Wednesday and Friday (noon post time). Happy Thanksgiving everybody.