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"Give the ball to Marshawn"

"Give the ball to Marshawn"

By Thurman Thomas

Questions or comments for Thurman? Send him a note at Thurman@nflcanada.com

Wow, lot’s of close games. It was definitely an exciting NFL Sunday. Field goal kickers were in the fire, poor Sebastian Janikowski, clever Mike Shanahan. I hate to say I told you so (not really) but in my first blog, I mentioned the importance of place kickers at the end of a game. That really showed itself in several games this weekend.

Eight games on Sunday were decided by a touchdown or less. It’s interesting to see at the end of a game, how vitally important three or four plays are to the outcome of the final score, all the hard work and effort in the first fifty minutes seem to disappear as teams try to convert on a fourth down, line up for a last second field goal, or make a huge defensive stop. It’s even more interesting to see how the media treats the game the following day. If the kick is good or the defense makes the big stop, most of the mistakes made during the game are down played or forgotten completely, if not, the worst adjectives to describe those mistakes are in bold letters across the top of the sports page.

On the other end of the spectrum, the blowouts, unfortunately they included my former team, the Buffalo Bills. They played what I call an “ Oh that’s where he is now game”. That’s a game that is so out of reach, that the back up quarterback gets in the game, and you say, “Oh, that’s where he is now. On the bright side of that game was Marshawn Lynch, he is impressive, and needs to get the ball thirty times a game. Injuries have really taken a toll on the Bills, and they face the Patriots on the road this weekend, I couldn’t think of a better time to make Marshawn the workhorse. I also liked Lee Evans outburst at the ref’s near the end of the game, it shows emotion, and hopefully it will be contagious.

Follow up notes from last week:

Keven Everett continues to improve, keep the prayers rolling.

Detroit and Houston impressed with wins over quality opponents. I just sprained my shoulder from patting myself on the back (twice).

My game watching meal was Buffalo chicken wings, big surprise, and steak subs (hoagies)

I am excited to say that I have my tickets for the ICE BOWL, the historic outdoor hockey game between my Buffalo Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins on January first at Ralph Wilson Stadium. It’s no secret that I am a fan of the NHL and a huge fan of the Sabres. I am really looking forward to the game.

I am now living in buffalo full time, and wanted to give a shout out to all former Buffalonians, you need to come back; I love it, and am waiting for some of you to come home. What are you waiting for?

Last, but certainly not least, a former teammate from the Buffalo Bills and friend of mine; Matt Stevens, was paralyzed from the chest down in a traffic accident last spring. Matt is convalescing in a Philadelphia area rehab center. My thoughts and prayers are with Matt.

Thurman Thomas

Buffalo Bills legend Thurman Thomas rushed for 1,000 yards in eight consecutive seasons, was selected to five consecutive Pro Bowls, and was named NFL MVP in 1991. Thomas was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007, and is now an NFL ambassador in Canada and will be making community and charitable appearances on behalf of the league north of the border.