They…Might Be Good?

UPL? Levi? Who’s going to fix the Sabres’ goaltending? Turns out — Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis. Ever heard of them? Me neither. But that’s what they’ve done to this point. This season has undoubtedly already had some ups and downs through seven games, but one of the biggest bright spots has been between the pipes. Insert Paul Rudd saying “Look at us. Who would’ve thought? Not me.”

It started off abysmal. I thought I was going to be coming in here to write this first piece, and gritting my teeth through it. As I laid out in the intro to this blog, I’ve fallen out of love with this team. It’s been too much pain. Too much losing. Too many head coaches. Arguably not enough GM’s. But here I am, staring at my notes and thinking, do I really know this team?

It started off the way the seasons have gone for each of the past 14 seasons. 0-3. Getting severely outplayed. Barely looking like they wanted to be there. I looked at the schedule at this point and saw the next two games were against Colorado and Florida. Woof. We’re staring right in the face of an 0-5 start, right? Right?

Wrong. Wouldn’t you know it, we have ourselves a hockey team that showed up. Two extremely impressive wins against a couple of the best teams in the league. Anchored by not only strong goaltending, but strong defense as well. The blue line has been one of the brightest spots on this team, without even having Kesselring in the lineup yet. It’s how they were able to shut down a significantly more talented Florida Panthers team. It’s how they will be able to win games this year.

But, it also could be the reason for losing some games this year. There have been multiple periods, even outside of the first three games, where goal scoring has seemed like a heavy lift. The first period of the Canadiens game on Monday likely cost us the W for that exact reason. The offensive pressure was non-existent and the Habs were skating circles around the team. The second and third periods picked back up, sure, but it wasn’t enough to get them over the hump.

There have been a few standout games, though. The Colorado game seemed as if the team was saving all of the scoring from the first three games for that one. I don’t know if the Sabres will score eight goals in a game again this season. And this weeks Wednesday night game against the Red Wings was the most complete win I’ve seen from this team in years.

This week we get a home and home with the Leafs starting Friday night. That team is in shambles. And then Wednesday against the Blue Jackets. We can only hope for four points out of those three games.

Ultimately, I’m cautiously optimistic about this team moving forward. I think it’ll be a more competitive season than we’ve seen in years. I feel like I’m watching a borderline playoff team at this point in time. I don’t think it’ll be enough to get the entire fan base back, but it’ll certainly perk some people up. Myself included. I may have fallen out of love with this team, but I’m ready to get hurt again.

The Season So Far

Bye weeks are boring. I get the purpose — the players need to rest, reset, whatever. But they’re still boring and should probably be launched into the sun. Obviously, I’m joking (mostly). The only real change is the standings move while you just sit there helpless.

So, in our first week of coverage, we figured we’d recap what we missed through six Bills games. Because, honestly, there’s a lot to unpack.

The Good

There’s honestly been quite a bit. For three and a half of the first four games, the offense looked right. Josh took care of the ball. James Cook has earned every bit of that extension — he’s been electric every time he touches it. The offensive line? Exceptional. Dalton Kincaid? Turning into the Tight End that we thought he would be, right before our eyes.

Defensively, there have been bright spots, even if fewer. Deone Walker has been a fantastic Day 3 find. Shaq Thompson’s quietly been one of the best linebackers on the roster. And rookie Cole Bishop is on the upswing, growing pains and all.

The Ravens and Jets games were statement wins. The team looked unstoppable — and that Ravens game? Easily the best I’ve ever been to. It reestablished the juggernaut identity we’ve grown used to. All three phases worked against the Jets, and the offense looked like it was toying with its food versus the Dolphins and Saints.

But even in those highs, not everything was perfect.

The Bad

Let’s start where it has to start — the safeties. It’s been abysmal. Stomach-turning. Taylor Rapp is a defensive liability on nearly every snap. They need an upgrade here more than anywhere else on the roster. Bishop, though trending upward, has had his share of costly mistakes too.

And the hits don’t stop there. Tre White looks like a shell of his former self — and it hurts to even write that. He’s been one of my favorites for years. The Milano–Bernard duo never found its footing either. Milano, another fan favorite, can’t stay healthy, and when he’s out there, he hasn’t been his usual impact player. Bernard? Outside of that game-sealing INT vs. the Dolphins, he’s looked lost.

On offense, the receivers deserve all the smoke. They can’t get open. Shakir makes it happen sometimes, but beyond that, they’ve mostly been invisible. Keon Coleman has been exactly what I thought he’d be coming out of college — and that’s not a compliment. He can jump out of the stadium, but it only turns into results about twenty percent of the time. Josh Palmer, before the Falcons game, was a non-factor — no matter how much Beane tried to sell it to the WGR guys as an upgrade.

And honestly? Josh Allen hasn’t looked right in the last two games. The Patriots contained him, and the Falcons made him look flat-out lost. He looked gun-shy — and that’s not something we’ve said about him in years.

Coaching hasn’t helped either. I’ve never seen Sean McDermott punt on as many critical fourth downs as he has this year. Joe Brady hasn’t looked ready for teams that adjust to what Buffalo does well. And Bobby Babich? The jury’s still out. To his credit, he’s made mid-game adjustments, but too often this defense looks confused and commits avoidable penalties.

The Outlook

We all know it’s been an up-and-down year. But in a season where the Chiefs started 0–2 and the Ravens 1–5, this was our chance to capitalize. The sky isn’t falling at 4–2, but there are some alarming trends — and we’re now in a dogfight for the AFC East, let alone the one seed.

There is help coming. Hoecht and Ogunjobi will be solid additions, though I don’t think either moves the needle for this defense. Max Hairston will be a welcome addition to the secondary, but he’s still a rookie with limited exposure to the system and NFL speed.

Even so, I think the Bills have to make a trade — preferably two. A week ago, I would’ve said wide receiver (again — I’ve been saying it for years). But now? Safety has to be priority number one. Get that fixed first, then worry about receiver immediately after.

As it stands, I’m not worried about Carolina. We should handle them. The Chiefs, though? That’s different. They look every bit as dangerous as ever, and with this defense as it stands, they could easily put up fifty.

Closing Thoughts

Ultimately, I think we’ll be fine. Not great — just fine. I had dreams of the final game at Highmark Stadium being the one where we hosted the AFC Championship. I’m not as confident in that now, but I could still see this team locking up the two or three seed.

If we somehow lose the division, I don’t see us falling lower than five. I still have hope — real hope — that they figure it out. And as always, we’ll ride it with them, through every high and low.

We Inherited This

Being a Buffalo sports fan doesn’t belong to any one of us – it belongs to all of us. It’s inherited. It’s earned the hard way – through years of hope and heartbreak. It’s family, friends and the stories we’ve been telling for generations. It’s how so many in Western New York have grown up. And I’m no different. I’m Matt Keating – and this is Nickel City Media.

The Family Team

Growing up in Western New York, like so many of you, I learned to be a Bills fan early. My parents were Bills fans. My grandparents were Bills fans. My cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends were Bills fans. It was hard to ignore — and I never tried to.

Like countless WNY families, ours spent fall Sundays huddled around the TV, holding our breath together. For half my life, those games ended in heartbreak. The Music City Miracle set a tone that carried through my teens and into my twenties. That shared heartbreak became part of the fabric that held us together. The Buffalo Bills were the one thing we all agreed on.

We’ve been through it all — Music City, breaking the drought, the Taron Johnson pick-six, 13 seconds. Every one of those moments felt like a chapter we all lived through together.

After the COVID season, we finally pulled the trigger on season tickets. Since then, we’ve built new memories — not just with our immediate family, but with seventy thousand others who feel like extended family every Sunday. And it’s why we keep showing up every Sunday, ready to shout and calling it hope – because that’s what we were raised to do.

The Lost Spark

The Sabres were once right there with the Bills. I remember those Pizza Hut family-four-pack deals — dinner first, then downtown to watch Hasek steal another game. A few years later it was Miller doing the same. Even on spring break, no matter where we were, our family still gathered around the TV for playoff hockey. The vibe was the same, even if the setting changed.

I miss those days. I’ve fallen out of love with my favorite team, and admitting that hurts. I still check the scores, still track every trade, but sitting through games has become tedious. I used to be the bigger hockey fan in the house, but the drought — and especially these last five years — has worn me down, just like it has so many of you.

I want that spark back. I want the city to buzz again in playoff week. I remember the parties in the plaza — The Strictly Hip on stage, strangers hugging after goals, people crowd-surfing under the lights. It was Buffalo at its peak. We’ve felt that electricity before, and I believe we’ll feel it again when this team finally earns it.

The Local Legends

I’ve always kept an eye on the Western New York kids who make it big — the ones who go D-1 or find their way to the pros. There’s never enough coverage of them, and that’s a shame.

One of the coolest moments I’ve seen in person was when the Blue Jays hosted the Rangers at Sahlen Field. Buffalo’s own Jonah Heim was behind the plate, and every time he stepped into the box, the crowd lost its mind.

And now Medina’s Melanie Green has earned her LPGA Tour card after dominating the Epson Tour — Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year in the same season. That’s the kind of story that deserves headlines.

These are the people who remind us what Western New York produces: grit, patience, and a quiet belief that hard work here can still lead anywhere. We should be telling their stories just as loudly as we tell anyone else’s.

Nickel City Media

That is our plan, here at Nickel City. To tell the stories of our teams, our athletes, our families. We’re not going to be the blog that gets hot take-y. Nor will we be extremely buttoned up and analytical. What we will do is give honest thoughts on where our teams are heading.

You will be seeing thoughts and reviews on every Bills game. For the Sabres, you may not see one for every game because nobody needs that kind of negativity in their lives (even after a couple straight impressive wins) -- but we may do a weekly roundup. And you will definitely be seeing us follow and celebrate our local athletes. And, as an avid golfer, you may also see a review of some local courses here and there.

Down the road, we would also like to expand into other areas of WNY living. The culture. The Food. The music. You may see some coverage of local businesses as well. Food is probably going to happen sooner rather than later. Keep an eye out for some tailgate recipes.

This is where Western New York tells its own story. Welcome to Nickel City Media.