Vikings 38, Bills 14

Time to look ahead to the draft. It seems clear that Stanford's Andrew Luck has broken away from the pack and will go first overall. Although the Carolina Panthers enjoyed an early lead against Seattle yesterday, they folded in the 3rd quarter and still have the inside track on the first pick with a 1-11 record. But with Jimmy Clausen, would they want Luck? Would Detroit want him after drafting Matthew Stafford? These teams could trade the first pick to a team looking for a franchise quarterback. Luck will go first overall but not necessarily to the team with the number one pick. In the event of a tie for worst record, the first pick is determined by way of strength of schedule: the team whose opponents have the worst combined record gets the pick - a sort of a secondary determination of ineptitude.

Would or should the Bills trade to get the right to pick Luck if they don't finish with the first pick? Is quarterback really their biggest need? Ryan Fitzpatrick has shown himself to be capable althought not spectacular. Would they be better off drafting a pass rushing defensive end or a linebacker with their first pick? Or an offensive lineman?

Luck seems like a can't miss pick and the Bills recent history of first round picks does not instill confidence: Whitner in 2006 - a solid safety but has he been worthy of the 8th overall pick? Lynch in 2007 - traded to Seattle earlier this year for a 4th round pick. McKelvin in 2008 - has shown flashes of greatness but has had a number of very poor games - including yesterday. Maybin in 2009 - an absolute and complete bust - what a joke. Spiller in 2010 - this one still mystifies me because they already had Lynch and Fred Jackson so it was fair to expect that he would be electrifying (like Adrian Peterson has been and was yesterday) but he has clearly not been (7 carries for 35 yards yesterday). I say that they should do whatever it takes to get Luck and then build around him.

I had my first ski of the season yesterday. It took 2 hours to get to Keyhole Lake and back as the coverage was sparse - 10 inches in the open areas and much less in the canopied areas and lots of downed brush which I cleared. Highway 400 south of Barrie was in bad shape - full winter driving conditions with many drivers still going the same speed as they do in July. That's what made it dangerous.