Talking Buffalo

On this episode of Talking Buffalo, Patrick Moran is joined by Matt Warren from SB Nation to discuss several (mostly) Buffalo Bills topics, including a review of a recent two-part series by Joe Marino (Locked on Bills) that focused on counting down the Bills players most critical to the future of the team.

Regarded as one of the premier Bills content creators in the industry by nearly everyone, Marino has been doing a countdown series for the handful of years that focuses on the 10 players most critical to the future of the Bills with a follow-up episode explaining the thinking behind many of the decisions. For the exercise Marino enlists a panel of Bills content creators to vote and chime in as part of the show, a panel that includes Patrick.  The guys go over the list from Locked on Bills and Patrick reveals what his personal countdown consisted of---was his list in line with the majority of the panel?

From there, Matt does his own countdown with some insightful explanations along the way. One thing becomes clear with the more people you talk too ----- Josh Allen reigns supreme but it always gets far more subjective after him.

Also, Matt explains him picking the Bills to win 14 games this season on Buffalo Rumblings. That plus the Bills are favored in every game this season, an awesome Nike ad for golfer Scottie Scheffler and tons more.

You can follow Matt on Twitter @MattRichWarren and be sure to check out Buffalo Rumblingsfor your (really good) daily Bills content.

Major props to Talking Buffalo sponsor, Sonny Red’s at 1841 Abbott Road in Lackawanna, just minutes from Highmark Stadium. We consider them THE most underrated spot for wings, pizza and other great food in Western New York plus it’s a great place to drink and have a great time.

Special thanks to local Buffalo band, Orange Zest for allowing us to use their awesome single, “Old Friends” as the new official intro music for Talking Buffalo. Check out Orange Zest and be sure to support not only them, but local music!

♦♦♦♦♦

Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast 

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Twitter: @PatrickMoranTB

Blue Sky: @PatrickMoranTB.bsky.social

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On this episode of Talking Buffalo, Patrick Moran is joined by Duane Steinel from the 2 Goalies 1 Mic podcast to discuss several topics involving the Buffalo Sabres, including if a big splash move that's surely needed is imminent this offseason.

This is Duane's first appearance on the podcast and Patrick spends a few minutes getting know Duane and his podcast, part of the Built in Buffalo network. Duane first gained popularity in the Sabres fans hockey community after a memorable rant while calling into WGR 550 back in 2020 over his frustration with the organization both on and off the ice.

They get into some current Sabres talk and like nearly everyone else, annoyance with the team mounts as Buffalo just missed the playoffs for a 14th consecutive season, tied with the New York Jets for the longest drought in all four of the major sports. It's clear they need to do something special this summer to get fans to start believing again, and a popular name being brought up is pending Toronto star Mitch Marner who's a noted Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen fan. Patrick asks Duane point blank if there's any chance of Marner wanting to come to Buffalo and what kind of contract it would take for it to even be a consideration. Assuming Marner's off the table (spoiler alert--he almost certainly is) Duane goes over some other potential splash moves Buffalo could make before taking the ice next season.

In fact, is a move imminent?

They also spend some time talking about a number of good Sabres players who are restricted free agents. Also, Alex Tuch is eligible for an extension on July 1st and what's up with the Sabres goaltending situation. That and plenty more.

You can follow Duane on Twitter @DuaneS39 and check out the 2 goalies 1 mic podcast on the Built in Buffalo network.

Major props to Talking Buffalo sponsor, Sonny Red’s at 1841 Abbott Road in Lackawanna, just minutes from Highmark Stadium. We consider them THE most underrated spot for wings, pizza and other great food in Western New York plus it’s a great place to drink and have a great time.

Special thanks to local Buffalo band, Orange Zest for allowing us to use their awesome single, “Old Friends” as the new official intro music for Talking Buffalo. Check out Orange Zest and be sure to support not only them, but local music!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of Talking Buffalo, Patrick Moran is joined by Joe From Queens to discuss several topics, including going through a few potential darkhorse trade candidates for the Buffalo Bills.

You can't expect Bills general manager Brandon Beane to trade a veteran(s) from his roster before the season starts but it wouldn't exactly be shocking if he made a move either. The guys come up with a few candidates Beane could move on from, including Joe making a case for it to be wide receiver Curtis Samuel while Patrick thinks the most likely candidate would be defensive end AJ Epenesa.

Also, with the NFL schedule now fully set with dates and times, Joe goes through the Bills road slate and ranks the road trips he'd like to take to see the team play from least to most desirable.  Cost, ease of travel, opponent, city itself and time of year are all factors.

Former Bills safety Jordan Poyer recently said on a TV interview that returning to Buffalo and retiring as a Bill would be a "fantasy ending" to his career. Do the guys think it's a realistic possibility? They also respond to Poyer throwing a decent amount of shade at the 2024 Dolphins.

The Knicks beating Boston in the NBA playoffs and New York City going crazy is also discussed. That plus a Mt. Flushmore of holidays, the weekly true or false segment, fan comments and much more.

Major props to Talking Buffalo sponsor, Sonny Red’s at 1841 Abbott Road in Lackawanna, just minutes from Highmark Stadium. We consider them THE most underrated spot for wings, pizza and other great food in Western New York plus it’s a great place to drink and have a great time.

Special thanks to local Buffalo band, Orange Zest for allowing us to use their awesome single, “Old Friends” as the new official intro music for Talking Buffalo. Check out Orange Zest and be sure to support not only them, but local music!

♦♦♦♦♦

Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast 

Substack: Patrick Moran’s Substack

Twitter: @PatrickMoranTB

Blue Sky: @PatrickMoranTB.bsky.social

Instagram: @PatrickMoranTB

Facebook: Talking Buffalo Podcast 

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On this episode of Talking Buffalo, it's another edition of The Podbag as Patrick Moran is responding to comments, takes and questions submitted by listeners covering several topics, including an incredibly high ceiling projection for Buffalo Bills safety Cole Bishop going into his second season.

It's no secret Brandon Beane and the Buffalo staff were extremely thrilled to land Bishop in the second round of the draft last year. Unfortunately for everyone Bishop's rookie season didn't go as hoped. He got injured in training camp during the summer to take him out of a three-way competition to start at safety and seemed to play catchup for a lot of the season after returning, especially in his first start in Houston in Week five where he looked lost out there multiple times. Injuries to Damar Hamlin and Taylor Rapp led to Bishop starting late in the season and again in the playoffs and while he struggled some (like everyone else in the secondary) he did show flashes of being a very good player. That leads someone in this week's Podbag to provide a hot (understatement) take that Bishop will be a Pro Bowl or even All Pro safety this year in his sophomore campaign. Patrick discusses that while obviously tempering those kind of expectations.

Also there's a handful of questions and comments about the NFL schedule that was officially released on Wednesday. How does Patrick feel about it and what did he like and dislike the most now that the slate has been revealed?

Also discussed are special teams being overrated, a fair evaluation of Beane, passing on Gabe Davis, some fans of this podcast and someone who's clearly not a fan of Nine Eleven Tavern wings. That and much more.

Major props to Talking Buffalo sponsor, Sonny Red’sat 1841 Abbott Road in Lackawanna, just minutes from Highmark Stadium. We consider them THE most underrated spot for wings, pizza and other great food in Western New York plus it’s a great place to drink and have a great time.

Special thanks to local Buffalo band, Orange Zestfor allowing us to use their awesome single, “Old Friends” as the new official intro music for Talking Buffalo. Check out Orange Zest and be sure to support not only them, but local music!

♦♦♦♦♦

Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast 

Substack: Patrick Moran’s Substack

Twitter: @PatrickMoranTB

Blue Sky: @PatrickMoranTB.bsky.social

Instagram: @PatrickMoranTB

Facebook: Talking Buffalo Podcast 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of Talking Buffalo, Patrick Moran is joined by Joe From Queens and together they have plenty of reactions, perhaps a few of them overeactionary now that the 2025 schedule for the Buffalo Bills and the rest of the NFL has been made official.

If you like prime times game for the Bills, especially early in the season you're definitely in luck. Once again the Bills are playing night games early and often, four times over the first six weeks to be exact and five overall, three of them at all. Patrick has thoughts on the early onslaught of prime time games for a second straight year as well as not playing any international or holiday games, a surprise to many.

The guys outline and discuss some stretches of the season that are most interesting, including four of the first five games being at home but going on a stretch of four road games over five weeks close to the end of the season.

As far as the home stadium tailgaters who like to get it at it early, the Bills only have two with a maximum of three Sunday 1pm home games, including just one before November 16th. Conversely they play three of their expected toughest home games at 4:25 in the second half of the season against Kansas City, Cincinnati and Philadelphia.

Thoughts are also shared on schedule quirks from the around league including both Kansas City and Dallas playing on both holidays. That plus the Chiefs make NFL history and tons more.

Major props to Talking Buffalo sponsor, Sonny Red’s at 1841 Abbott Road in Lackawanna, just minutes from Highmark Stadium. We consider them THE most underrated spot for wings, pizza and other great food in Western New York plus it’s a great place to drink and have a great time.

Special thanks to local Buffalo band, Orange Zest for allowing us to use their awesome single, “Old Friends” as the new official intro music for Talking Buffalo. Check out Orange Zest and be sure to support not only them, but local music!

♦♦♦♦♦

Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast 

Substack: Patrick Moran’s Substack

Twitter: @PatrickMoranTB

Blue Sky: @PatrickMoranTB.bsky.social

Instagram: @PatrickMoranTB

Facebook: Talking Buffalo Podcast 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of Talking Buffalo, Patrick Moran is joined by Matt Warren of SB Nation to discuss several Buffalo Bills and NFL topics, including a look at eight pretty significant talking points about the Buffalo Bills from last season that Patrick feels have mostly flown under the radar.

Josh Allen finally won his first MVP and firmly established himself as one of the faces of the league. The Bills again fell short in their quest for a Super Bowl appearance after losing to Kansas City in the playoffs, again. Brandon Beane spent heavily on the defense and clearly let everyone know he feels about the wide receiver position. These and some others are predominant talking points that've remained as such over the past few months.

But there's some things from season, both good and bad that are still tugging at Patrick a little bit that he wants to discuss with Matt. Among them is an incredible offensive line that played a huge role in Allen getting sacked just 14 times in 17 games. There's also the absolute Buffalo dominance of the AFC east, evidenced by their 24-6 record against the division over their last 30 games. Also, Dorian Williams took a major step in his second year at linebacker, to the point Patrick feels solid about him if he has to start again.

Conversely, Patrick thinks offensive coordinator Joe Brady has been let off the hook a little bit despite his play calling meltdown in the AFC title game. Also, Brandon Beane's offseason defensive line additions crop was generally pretty lousy.

Plus, some NFL schedule news as of this recording, media news surrounding two icons of the football broadcasting industry, audio vs video for podcasting and much more.

You can follow Matt on Twitter @MattRichWarren and be sure to check out Buffalo Rumblingsfor your (really good) daily Bills content.

Major props to Talking Buffalo sponsor, Sonny Red’s at 1841 Abbott Road in Lackawanna, just minutes from Highmark Stadium. We consider them THE most underrated spot for wings, pizza and other great food in Western New York plus it’s a great place to drink and have a great time.

Special thanks to local Buffalo band,  Orange Zestfor allowing us to use their awesome single, “Old Friends” as the new official intro music for Talking Buffalo. Check out Orange Zest and be sure to support not only them, but local music!

♦♦♦♦♦

Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast 

Substack: Patrick Moran’s Substack

Twitter: @PatrickMoranTB

Blue Sky: @PatrickMoranTB.bsky.social

Instagram: @PatrickMoranTB

Facebook: Talking Buffalo Podcast 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Talking Buffalo, Patrick Moran and guest Chris Ostrander discuss the contrasting perceptions of the Buffalo Bills and Sabres, the significance of Rich Eisen's return to ESPN, and the anticipation surrounding the Bills' upcoming schedule. They delve into the future of head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane, as well as the impact of COVID-19 on the Sabres' spending habits. 

The conversation highlights the evolving narrative around McDermott and the differing ownership styles of Terry Pegula in relation to both teams. In this conversation, Patrick Moran and Chris Ostrander discuss the current state of the Buffalo Sabres, focusing on ownership dynamics, financial concerns, team spending, and management issues. They explore the challenges the team faces in retaining players and attracting new talent, as well as the sentiment among fans regarding management accountability. The discussion also touches on new roles within the organization and expectations for the upcoming offseason, highlighting the urgency for change and improvement.

Takeaways

• The Bills and Sabres are perceived differently by fans.
• Rich Eisen's return to ESPN marks a significant shift in sports media.
• The anticipation for the Bills' schedule is high among fans.
• Sean McDermott's job security is tied to team performance this season.
• Terry Pegula's ownership style differs significantly between the Bills and Sabres.
• COVID-19 has impacted the Sabres' spending and operational decisions.
• Fans are eager for more primetime games for the Bills.
• The Bills' success has raised expectations for the team's future.
• The Sabres have struggled to spend to the salary cap effectively.
• The narrative around Sean McDermott is evolving as he engages more with the media. COVID and financial constraints impact team ownership decisions.
• Fans feel ownership is not fulfilling promises.
• The Sabres' spending habits raise concerns about player retention.
• Management's decisions are scrutinized by fans and analysts alike.
• The team's inability to attract talent is a significant issue.
• The Sabres' past trades and acquisitions have often missed the mark.
• Fan sentiment is at a low point regarding management's effectiveness.
• New roles in the organization may not address underlying issues.
• The upcoming offseason is critical for the Sabres' future.
• There is a sense of urgency for management to make impactful changes.

Chapters

00:00Introduction and New Beginnings

03:03Buffalo Sports Landscape: Bills and Sabres

06:06Rich Eisen's Return to ESPN

09:05Anticipating the Buffalo Bills' Schedule

11:45Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane's Future

16:57Terry Pegula: A Tale of Two Owners

23:02The Impact of COVID on Sabres Spending

27:59Financial Concerns and Ownership Dynamics

30:21Team Spending and Player Retention

32:40Challenges in Attracting Talent

35:57Management and Leadership Issues

39:18Fan Sentiment and Management Accountability

41:11New Roles and Organizational Changes

46:53Looking Ahead: Offseason Expectations

Be sure to follow Chris on X at @2ITB_Buffalo and check out the Two in the Box blog in addition to the Instigator Podcast.

Major props to Talking Buffalo sponsor, Sonny Red’sat 1841 Abbott Road in Lackawanna, just minutes from Highmark Stadium. We consider them THE most underrated spot for wings, pizza and other great food in Western New York plus it’s a great place to drink and have a great time.

Special thanks to local Buffalo band, Orange Zestfor allowing us to use their awesome single, “Old Friends” as the new official intro music for Talking Buffalo. Check out Orange Zest and be sure to support not only them, but local music!

♦♦♦♦♦

Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast 

Substack: Patrick Moran’s Substack

Twitter: @PatrickMoranTB

Blue Sky: @PatrickMoranTB.bsky.social

Instagram: @PatrickMoranTB

Facebook: Talking Buffalo Podcast 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of Talking Buffalo, Patrick Moran is joined by Joe From Queens to offer some predictions on the Buffalo Bills 2025 schedule, which will be made official next Wednesday in addition to several other Bills and other topics.

Of course, we already know the Bills 2025 opponents and the wait won't be much longer before we actually find out in what order they'll be, but that doesn't stop the guys from taking a stab at how they think the schedule will be. Will there be any international games? How many times will Buffalo play in prime time? How many Sunday 1pm games will they have?  Will they play on a holiday? Who will they open the season against? The guys try to guess each of these questions.

Also, Patrick brings up a text for discussion that really shines a negative light on Sean McDermott without actually saying that he's done a bad job. Still, it's something that deserves to be talking about.

Meanwhile, Bills rookie camp began and Joe's never cared about anything in his since. Plus Joe's "True or False" segment, Patrick's Mt. Flushmore of lousy TV mothers, comments/questions from listeners and much more.

Major props to Talking Buffalo sponsor, Sonny Red’s at 1841 Abbott Road in Lackawanna, just minutes from Highmark Stadium. We consider them THE most underrated spot for wings, pizza and other great food in Western New York plus it’s a great place to drink and have a great time.

♦♦♦♦♦

Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast 

Substack: Patrick Moran’s Substack

Twitter: @PatrickMoranTB

Blue Sky: @PatrickMoranTB.bsky.social

Instagram: @PatrickMoranTB

Facebook: Talking Buffalo Podcast 

♦♦♦♦♦

Check out "Old Friends" by local Buffalo band Orange Zest, the official intro song for Talking Buffalo!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's another edition of The Podbag on today's episode of Talking Buffalo, as Patrick Moran is responding to questions, comments and takes from listeners on several topics, including being asked what's his single favorite Buffalo Bills transaction move of the offseason.

Regardless of how you feel about the Bills offseason, it's indisputable that it's been a very busy one for general manager Brandon Beane and his staff. They've re-signed several of their own veterans to extensions, added a lot of free agents especially on the defensive side of the ball and added nine prospects via the NFL draft. So, which one is Patrick's personal favorite? He runs down a handful of moves that could be in the top spot before explaining why for him it's ultimately the addition of edge rusher Joey Bosa.

Also, it won't be long before wide receiver Gabe Davis finds a new home after being released by the Jacksonville Jaguars and it's highly unlikely to be with the Buffalo Bills, but at least the possibility is there for right now and fans have plenty to say about that. Patrick has thoughts on people who land on either side of the fence.

Cole Bishop starting at safety, Joe Brady's brain fart at the most inopportune time last year and Dalton Kincaid needing to step up are also topics, as is the NHL playoffs making a fan hate the Buffalo Sabres even more.

That plus a food review on The Hoagie Stop on Clinton Street and much more.

Major props to Talking Buffalo sponsor, Sonny Red’s at 1841 Abbott Road in Lackawanna, just minutes from Highmark Stadium. We consider them THE most underrated spot for wings, pizza and other great food in Western New York plus it’s a great place to drink and have a great time.

Special thanks to local Buffalo band, Orange Zest for allowing us to use their awesome single, “Old Friends” as the new official intro music for Talking Buffalo. Check out Orange Zest and be sure to support not only them, but local music!

♦♦♦♦♦

Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast 

Substack: Patrick Moran’s Substack

Twitter: @PatrickMoranTB

Blue Sky: @PatrickMoranTB.bsky.social

Instagram: @PatrickMoranTB

Facebook: Talking Buffalo Podcast 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of Talking Buffalo, Patrick Moran is joined by PK from the Buffalo Sports Collective for a conversation covering several Buffalo sports topics, including a potential Gabe Davis reunion with the Bills, the Sabres remaining laughable and a Bandits championship preview.

The Jacksonville Jaguars released Davis just one year after signing him to a three-year, $39 million deal. Naturally, talk on social media immediately began to pour in about a potential Davis return to the Bills. The guys discuss it and while so many factors make it feel (highly) unlikely, such as what the room already looks like and Gabe having zero special teams value, it's not something that should be ruled completely out until he signs with another team. Plus, would a Gabe return show a lack of confidence in the player it feels like they drafted to replace him to begin with in Keon Coleman?

Also, the Sabres announced Eric Staal is being hired to be a special assistant to general manager Kevyn Adams, who somehow reportedly is keeping his GM job and will return in the role for a sixth season. That coupled with a few other moves and rumored moves just has the guys laughing and of course, leads to yet another Patrick rant against the organization he considers the worst in all of professional sports. He's probably not alone---is the faith among the fan base quite literally the lowest it's ever been?

Thankfully Buffalo sports fans have the Bandits to root for (if you're not, you should be). PK covers the Bandits brilliantly for Buffalo Sports Collective and has plenty of insight as the team gets ready to try and win their third consecutive NLL championship that begins in Buffalo on Friday May 16th. That and plenty more.

You can follow PK on Twitter @PK_BSC and check out the Buffalo Sports Collective podcast.

Major props to Talking Buffalo sponsor, Sonny Red’s at 1841 Abbott Road in Lackawanna, just minutes from Highmark Stadium. We consider them THE most underrated spot for wings, pizza and other great food in Western New York plus it’s a great place to drink and have a great time.

♦♦♦♦♦

Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast 

Substack: Patrick Moran’s Substack

Twitter: @PatrickMoranTB

Blue Sky: @PatrickMoranTB.bsky.social

Instagram: @PatrickMoranTB

Facebook: Talking Buffalo Podcast 

♦♦♦♦♦

Special thanks to local Buffalo band, Orange Zest for allowing us to use their awesome single, “Old Friends” as the new official intro music for Talking Buffalo. Check out Orange Zest and be sure to support not only them, but local music!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.