Neil Paine

The Week That Was (January 5-9, 2026) A roundup of what I wrote, read, watched, etc. over the past week. In this space on Saturdays, I do a weekly round-up of sorts: Sifting through what I wrote that you might have missed during the week, what I’ve been r... See more

The Bills and Jaguars Are Too Good to Exit the Playoffs This Early But unfortunately, only one can survive what is becoming an increasingly dangerous wild-card round for Super Bowl hopefuls. For years, the Buffalo Bills have waited patiently for their mom... See more

After Decades of the Same Dudes, the Super Bowl Is Due for a New QB (or Two) The 2025-26 NFL playoffs are set up to produce at least one first-time Super Bowl starter — and likely a first-time winner — hinting at a long-awaited changing of the guard. Ther... See more

What Does a Championship Version of Trae Young Look Like? As trade talks swirl, let's look at why Young’s offense-first profile has proven so hard to build around — and what would need to change for him to play a meaningful role on a title team. Trae Youn... See more

Beyond the Streak: What — and Whom — Is Standing Between the Sabres and the End of Their Drought? A 10-game heater made Buffalo relevant again. But ending a 14-year playoff drought will depend on what happens from here. It takes a lot for the Buffalo Sabr... See more