Toronto Bills Blog

Bills defensive end Dwan Edards may miss the rest of the season. He suffered a hamstring injury in the Steelers game. Coach Chan Gailey said it is not good. Edwards may be placed on injured reserve. He has 57 tackles this year.

The Steelers defeated the Bills 19 – 16. It was Buffalo’s fourth overtime loss this season. Pittsburgh kicker Shaun Suisham sealed the victory with his fourth field goal of the day with 2:14 remaining in overtime. It came after Stevie Johnson dropped a 40 yard touchdown pass that would have won the game. The Bills had come back from a 13 – 0 deficit late in the third quarter to tie the game. Steeler quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was 20 of 36 for 246 yards. Rashard Mendenhall rushed for 151 yards. Ryan Fitzpatrick went 23 of 45 for 265 yards. Buffalo must rebound from this heartbreaker to prepare for the Vikings.

A banker has floated the idea of issuing Bills Bonds. These would be loans from faithful fans for purchasing the team when Ralph Wilson passes away. The idea derives from the Green Bay Packers, where thousands of fans together own the club. NFL rules have been changed to permit no more than 25 owners of a franchise. Bills Bonds would circumvent this, providing for long-term loans from many parties. Such a grass roots underwriting probably would not work. The team in the small Buffalo market does not generate enough cash flow to cover debt service running into hundreds of millions of dollars. The long-term solution to the Bills ownership dilemma is the eventual sale of the club to Toronto interests capable of paying cash. The team will then be moved to the Rogers Centre for a new era of excellence in Canada’s largest and most affluent city.

The Bills are preparing for the 7 – 3 Steelers. Pittsburgh is coming off a loss to the Patriots. They are 2 – 2 since Ben Roethlisberger returned from a 6 game suspension. Rashard Mendenhall is first in the league among running backs with 202 plays for 811 yards. He faces the worst ranked Buffalo rush defense that has allowed 163 yards per game. Brett Keisel returns to the Steeler defense. The Bills face an uphill battle in looking for a third straight win. The Steelers are 7 point favorites at home.

Bills running back C. J. Spiller practiced with the team yesterday on Thanksgiving. He had been sidelined since suffering a hamstring injury in the Lions game. Coach Chan Gailey said he may play this Sunday against the Steelers. Four players missed practice, including Keith Ellison, Terrence McGee, Eric Wood, and Shawne Merriman.

Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson has been fined by the NFL. The league dunned him $5,000 for his celebration in the Bengals game. After scoring a touchdown, he lifted his jersey, revealing the line “Why so serious?” on his undershirt. This was an allusion to Joker’s quote in the Batman movie “The Dark Knight”. Cincinnati receivers Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens have called themselves Batman and Robin. NFL officials are lacking in holiday cheer to have fined Johnson for his good humored revelry.

The Bills have released right tackle Cornell Green. He had been on injured reserve. The 11 year veteran was signed to a 3 year, $9 million contract this spring. He joined the team as a free agent from the Raiders. Green was injured in the Jaguars game. He was initially replaced by Cordaro Howard and then by Mansfield Wrotto. In other developments, Buffalo signed wide receiver Paul Hubbard to the practice squad.

Bills linebacker Shawne Merriman is unlikely to see action this year. Coach Chan Gailey said he will not practice this week. Merriman is sidelined with an achilles injury. He was signed off waivers from San Diego earlier this month. Buffalo is paying him $1.7 million for the remainder of his contract. This is a costly episode for a player who has seen just 20 minutes of practice time.

The Bills defeated the Bengals 49 – 31. Stevie Johnson had 8 receptions for 137 yards and a career high 3 touchdowns. Buffalo roared back from a 28 – 7 deficit, scoring 35 unanswered points in the second half. Ryan Fitzpatrick had a standout game, throwing for 316 yards and 4 touchdowns. Fred Jackson ran for 116 yards and 2 touchdowns. Buffalo now has 2 consecutive wins and prepares to take on the Steelers.

The Bills are looking for back-to-back wins. They take on the Bengals, who have lost the last 6 games. Cincinnati was competitive in several of those matches, including last week’s 23 – 17 loss to the Colts. Coach Marvin Lewis’ job is on the line. Buffalo quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick faces his old team. He was backup to Carson Palmer but signed with the Bills when his contract was not extended. Palmer has struggled this year after winning the AFC North last season. Kickoff is at 1 P.M. at Paul Brown Stadium.