Die Hard Bills Fan

The Buffalo Bills played terrible in front of their home fans when the team needed a win most, dropping to the San Francisco 49ers, 10-3.

1st Quarter

On the first drive on the day, the 49ers gamed the ball down the Bills throat. Whether it was running or passing, they moved the ball down the field in ease. A 14 play, 72 yard drive would end with a touchdown as QB Shaun Hill hooked up with veteran Issac Bruce on a 12 yard pass to put the road team up 7-0.

Later in the quarter the Bills tried to counter but they were kept out of the end zone. With a 20 yard field goal attempt, kicker Rian Lindell entered the game to make a kick less than a extra point. He clinked it off the right left upright though, so 49ers still in the lead, 7-0.

2nd Quarter

49ers kicker Joe Nedney made Lindell look like a high school kicker as he blasted a 50 yard field goal up and good to give the 49ers a 10 point lead.

Going into the tunnel at halftime, San Fran leads 10-0.

3rd Quarter

Lindell was able to make a 22 yard field goal in the 3^rd to get the Bills back into a one score game, 10-3.

4th Quarter

No scoring occurred in this quarter despite the numerous chances the Bills had. The defense came to play, stopping the Niners when it mattered most. However, with backup JP Losman in the game, the Bills couldn’t put the ball into the end zone.

Wrap Up

· Trent Edwards left the game at halftime after playing a terrible game. He went 10 of 21 passing for 112 yards. Backup Losman went 11 for 17 for 93 yards. Neither QB threw a touchdown or interception.

· Marshawn Lynch only carries the ball 16 times but made the most of it, gaining 134 yards on the ground.

· Lee Evans caught 7 passes for 80 yards to lead the Bills in receiving. Josh Reed had a solid game, hauling in 5 passes for 58 yards.

· Rian Lindell has looked very shaky since his Monday night wide right miss. He went 1 for 3 on FG attempts this game. Thank goodness he didn’t have to try a PAT.

· Defense ends have been bashed the entire season for the Bills but they stepped it up today. Chris Kelsay had 5 tackles (2 assists) and 1 sack while Ryan Denney had 2 sacks, a forced fumble and 4 tackles.

· It was the first win for a west coast team coming to the east. Previous team were 0-14 (Bills themselves were 3-0).

The NFL.com Game Center: Post Game is attached.

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The Buffalo Bills will continue to fight for their playoff lives this afternoon as they take on the San Francisco 49ers at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Broadcast Info:

Game: San Francisco 49ers (3-8) @ Buffalo Bills (6-5)
TV: FOX (Ron Pitts, Tony Boselli)

Radio: 97 Rock (Buffalo), 103.3 The EDGE (Buffalo), WHAM 1180 AM (Rochester), WNSS 1260 AM (Syracuse), FAN 590 AM (Toronto). Broadcasts are all done by John Murphy, Mark Kelso and Paul Peck on the Bills radio network.
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET

Game Notes:

• Last meeting: The Bills totaled 226 rushing yards, including 102 from Willis McGahee, whose two touchdowns helped the Bills leave San Francisco with a 41-7 win in Week 16 of 2004.
• The Bills have won two of the last three meetings with the 49ers to take a 5-4 series lead.
• Last week, Niners QB Shaun Hill posted a career-high 303 passing yards, yet it was all for naught as his team converted just two of 10 third downs against the Cowboys. The Niners have struggled on third downs all season, converting them at just over a 33 percent clip (27th in the league).
• Rookie corner back Leodis McKelvin had two interceptions Sunday, including a 64-yard return for a touchdown, marking the second consecutive week that he’s seen the end zone. McKelvin’s contributions are not limited to defense. The rookie ranks second behind Seattle’s Josh Wilson with 1,140 kick return yards.
• Last week, Trent Edwards looked more like the QB we saw during Buffalo’s first six games — the one who threw five touchdowns and just two interceptions. Since then, he went through a four-game stretch in which he turned the ball over 10 times. Look for Edwards to build on last week’s error-free performance against San Francisco’s 29th-ranked pass defense.
• The 49ers have 52 plays of 20-plus yards, the most in the NFL
• Frank Gore is one of two players to lead his team in rushing yards (860) and receptions (36).
• Edwards leads the AFC with a 108.6 passer rating in the fourth quarter.
• The Bills are 9-1 when Edwards has 80-plus passer rating.
• NFL west coast teams (San Diego, Arizona, Seattle, Oakland, San Francisco) have a combined record of 0-14 in games played in the eastern time zone this season.
• Buffalo is already responsible for three of those eastern time zone losses having beat Oakland, San Diego and Seattle thus far this season.

Injury Report:

Bills- Out of Game: CB Jabari Greer (knee), LB Teddy Lehman (hamstring), DT John McCargo (back), TE Robert Royal (hamstring), and DE Aaron Schobel (foot). Doubtful: S Donte Whitner (shoulder). Questionable: DE Copeland Bryan (foot), LB Keith Ellison (ankle), and TE Derek Schouman (hamstring).

49ers- Out of Game: CB Dashon Goldson (knee), and CB Allen Rossum (ankle). Questionable: WR Allen Rossum (foot), CB Walt Harris (hamstring), and WR Josh Morgan (groin). Probable: LB Patrick Willis (ankle), and WR Jason Hill (groin).

Quote of the Week:

“With five games in the season left, we want to try to make a run. That is how we have to approach the rest of our games and that’s how we are going to play them. We have an attack mentality, we are going to go out and attack with less mistakes.”

-Bills DT Marcus Stroud

Open Thread:

Please feel free to comment below or in the tag board in the sidebar to chat with Bills fans from around the world.

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The Buffalo Bills are fighting for their playoff lives with their current record of 6-5 as they get ready to take on the San Francisco 49ers in front of their home crowd at Ralph Wilson Stadium Sunday afternoon.

One of the biggest battles of this game is between the Bills #1 wide receiver Lee Evans, matching up against the 49ers #1 corner, Nate Clements.

Now you Buffalo fans out there will remember Clements, the former Bill. He was drafted by the Bills in the 1^st round in 2001 (21^st overall) out of Ohio State and enjoyed many years of success in his stay in Buffalo.

The relationship ended two seasons ago because Clements wanted to go to a winning team. His choice was the 49ers, who he believed were heading in the right direction. Now just in his second year with the team, the storied franchise has gone 8-19 since he arrived, not exactly what he was hoping for. Although an eight-year, $80 million contract might help him through the tough times.

Clements is a strong cornerback who has a unique blend of size and speed and is very physical. He might have met his match though going up against Lee Evans.

Evans is a deep threat at all times during the game. So far this year, Evans has caught 42 passes for 810 yards and 3 touchdowns. That is over 19 yards a catch (19.3)!

Who will win this match up?

If Clements wants to win this battle:

He has to play bump and run against Evans. If he is left out man on man with the wide out he has to play his physical game. He is bigger than Evans (6’0” to 5’10”, 205 lbs. to 197) and should play his style of play that has made him known in the league as one of the most physical corners. If he tries to give Evans some cushion, not to get beat deep, Evans should be able to use his speed and run underneath routes right in front of the corner. If this is to happen, Clements should come up and put a lick on Evans every time he touches the ball. The big corner has forced 17 fumbles in his career which is unheard of coming from the corner position.

If Evans wants to win this battle:

Clements will most likely try to run one on one with Evans due to injuries in the 49ers secondary. Evans has to do what he does best, get open deep using double moves. Clements has a nose for the ball and will try to make the interception if given the chance so look for him to try and jump routes, where the double move is most effective. Clements got a good look at the back of Terrell Owens jersey last week on deep balls, letting up over 200 yards to the Dallas wide out. Now that is not saying that Evans is at the same level with the big and powerful “T.O.” but he can get open deep just as good as anyone in the league. If Clements drops back and gives Evans a little cushion in a zone, he could still try the double move but he should take advantage by running patterns like comebacks and hitches to get the underneath yards.

Final Notes:

· Evans averages 73.6 yards a game this season but when Josh Reed is in the line up for Buffalo, his stats go up even more. With Reed, Evans averages 4.5 receptions and 93.4 yards a game. Good thing for Evans that Reed is back to 100%.

· The 49ers have the 29^th ranked pass defense allowing 243.9 yards through the air a game. They also let up the 29^th most points per game, with 28.2.

Prediction:

Nate Clements should be matched up against his former teammate, Lee Evans most of the game. I believe that Evans will get open a few times deep, the only problem is the ball getting to him. With Trent Edwards having such a good game last weekend, the Bills should try their shots down the field. With one on one coverage, Edwards will give his man Evans a few chances to make a play. I think Evans will catch 5 passes, 70-80 yards and 1 touchdown. Watch out for Clements though. He only has two interceptions this season but he will capitalize on a mistake. Edwards has to make sure the ball can only be caught by his teammates.

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The Buffalo Bills released their injury update today before they take on the 49ers at home Sunday afternoon.

Here it is, from WGR550.com:

Keith Ellison is listed as questionable for the Bills’ match-up against the 49ers Sunday. Teddy Lehman is out. Buffalo could be thin at linebacker. Safety Bryan Scott worked out at linebacker during the week to add some depth, but was back with the secondary Friday.

Safety Donte Whitner was limited during Friday’s workout. Despite working throughout the week, Whitner is doubtful to go against San Fransisco.

CB Jabari Greer, DT John McCargo, TE Robert Royal and DE Aaron Schobel are all officially listed as out.
McCargo has been placed on IR. TE Johnathon Stupar was added to the practice squad.
Derrek Shouman and Copeland Bryan are questionable to play.

Sunday’s forecast is calling for snow and temperatures in the 30’s.

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Former Buffalo Bills Linebacker, Takeo Spikes is returning to his former team on Sunday when the Bills play the 49ers and he is happy to come back.

Nick Mendola of WGR550.com wrote a brilliant article on the subject and was able to get what “TKO” said when he spoke to the Buffalo media yesterday.

Saying he told former teammates he planned to “retire a Buffalo Bill,” and that the area “was the first place to feel like home,” Takeo Spikes reacquainted himself with the Buffalo media during Wednesday’s Media Day at One Bills Drive, saying he loved the city because it’s “genuine.”

Spikes has recorded 69 tackles and three interceptions for the 3-8 San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo’s Week Thirteen opponent, and is ready to come back to the city.

“I’m getting ready to put on a show.” Spikes said. “There’s so much history, lot of good times, and it’s the first place I could really call home.”

During a conference call with the Buffalo media, Spikes said he’s been contemplating how he’ll be received at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

“I thought about it several times,” Spikes said. “I don’t think I left in a bad way, and from time-to-time when I see the games, I see a lot of No. 51 jerseys in the crowd, and I like to think that a lot of those 51 jerseys, no disrespect to Paul… I think I put in enough good work that they kept mind.”

With all the fanfare that accompanied his arrival in Western New York, and his explosion onto the Buffalo playing field, Spikes thought he’d be a Bill for life, and described his love for the city.

“It was just genuine,” Spikes said. ”I think about it from Day One. The last game of the year back in 2002, when I was playing in Cincinnati and the fans were almost like recruiting trip, with the mock jerseys with ‘Spikes’ on the back.’”

Spikes made 126 tackles during 2003, his first season in Buffalo, registered two sacks and picked off two passes. That was just a tip of the iceberg, as he nabbed five interceptions the following year to go with 99 tackles and three sacks.

Injuries marred the rest of his time in Buffalo, as he played just 15 games over his final two seasons in Buffalo. During his career, he racked up 312 tackles, seven sacks, seven interceptions and six fumbles.

“I talk to Mario and Crowell all the time, and even in my third year, I thought that I would’ve retired as a Buffalo Bill, as far as playing the rest of my years out and maybe getting another deal,” Spikes said.

Spikes said he is ”still searching” for his first playoff game, and will be after this year. He holds the longest active streak for regular season action without a playoff game in the National Football League, saying he won’t be known as a “3-8″ player when he’s done with the game.

“People respect you when you play (expletive) to the wall all the time,” Spikes said.

That second season in Buffalo was an incredible performance by any standards. In addition to the aforementioned stats, he defended 17 passes from the linebacker spot, and scored two touchdowns, including a 62-yard interception return against his first team, the Cincinnati Bengals.

Then came the injuries, and while he’s back to being productive, Spikes is certainly not the freak who vowed to come back from a season-ending injury as a “mad dog in a meat house.”

“I’m still searching. I try not to get caught up into ‘Why me?,’ but when is it going to happen to me? And I know that when it’s going to happen, I need to be doing everything I’m supposed to do. That’s why I don’t get lagged down about people having bad conversations about ‘We don’t do this,’ or ‘We don’t do that.’”

“It’s going to happen. It needs to happen soon. Lord knows I’m not the guy who came to Buffalo.  I’m on the back nine now. I just started the back nine.”

On Sunday afternoon, Buffalo will greet him at the turn.

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It’s 9:30 AM and you are being woken up by a blaring alarm clock, something you are not accustomed to on a day off. You take a look outside and see snow falling from the sky, blanketing everything in sight. You then rummage through the drawers of your dresser looking for the warmest cloths possible. It doesn’t matter how stupid it looks, just that it is warm and you can throw your old football jersey over the top.

On the way on the door, your wife thinks you are nuts. There is a house to clean, chores to be done not to mention the dinner that you have to make to feed the 25 plus family and friends entering your home later that night. You put that on hold and leave your cell phone on the kitchen table on your way out the door.

The drive to the local park goes by quickly. You are trying to remember the plays you used to draw up ten to twenty years ago that your opponent still has not figured out how to stop. When you arrive you see the likes of Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, Jim Kelly and Andre Reed all waiting for you. You smile as you get out of the car and realize that on this snowy day in Buffalo, a game is about to begin that will give bragging rights for the next year…

The “Turkey Bowl” is played by friends all over the country on that special day that is Thanksgiving, and it will take place, rain, sleet, snow or hail. This article is a way to salute all you Turkey Bowl MVPs out there and to share your stories of gridiron glory.

Me personally, my games are still not over and I still have some bowl games left in me. From playing in local parks, to hoping the fence to the football field at my high school, the game is really about bring friends closer together, and of course, having those bragging rights for the entire year.

So here’s to you, Turkey Bowl All-stars. Enjoy your various games coming up on Thursday and you will remember it for years to come, or at least until the next morning, when you wake up with aching muscles.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

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The Buffalo Bills got a much needed win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive against the Kansas City Chiefs, 54-31.

To the non-Bills fan, just skimming through box score, you might look at #1 wide receiver Lee Evans numbers, or Trent Edwards big day or possibly even how running back Marshawn Lynch did for your fantasy team but as a fan of the team, one guy stinks out like a sore thumb, and that man is Josh Reed.

Reed was out three straight games after he was injured back in Week 8 against the Miami Dolphins. During his time out, young quarterback Trent Edwards struggled and the offense look off key. Not only that but in Reed’s 3 game absence, Lee Evans caught only 6 passes for 63 yards combined (and that includes a game against the Browns were Evans had zero receptions).

The Bills during that same three game stretch went 0-3.

Now Reed isn’t a flashy wide receiver, he is far from it. What Reed does excel at though is getting open on 3^rd downs. I have never seen a wide receiver on the Bills that just finds a soft spot in a zone and sits there.

Edwards knows with Reed in the lineup, he can look deep down the field to Evans, and still pick up the 1^st down because Reed is somewhere on the field wide open.

Now it is hard to tell that if Reed would’ve played, the Bills would have won those games. All I know is that against the Dolphins, the game he went out, the Bills really could’ve used a guy that could get them down the field. Same goes with the game against the Jets and Patriots when Edwards looked as if he couldn’t find anyone down the field.

And with the Browns dropping 8 back every play, who do you think would have made the difference finding spots in zones? Certainly not tight end Robert Royal who is the man Trent turned to in his time of need.

The only thing you can say about Reed is the Bills play different when he is in the lineup. For starters, Trent Edwards looks a lot sharper and when you have to focus on Reed running precise patterns, it takes a little bit of coverage away from Evans. With Reed in the lineup, Evans averages 4.5 receptions and 93.4 yards a game.

Reed was also off to the best start of his career this season and still has put up some respectable numbers for the number 2 wide out on the team (31 receptions, 338 yards, 1 TD).

One last thing to think about, in games Reed has played from start to finish, Buffalo has gone 6-1.

He is defiantly a guy you want in the lineup when you team’s next games are all must wins on their steep road to the playoffs.

Good thing they have a guy like Reed on their trip, to find the holes in traffic.

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The Buffalo Bills needed a victory to fight for their playoffs lives and they got it, hammering the Kansas City Chiefs 54-31 at Arrowhead Stadium.

1st Quarter

Well this game started off with fireworks and it looked like these teams would go back and forth all afternoon putting up points.

The Chiefs started off the game with a touchdown on their opening drive to take the 7-0 lead on a 36 yard TD pass from Tyler Thigpen to Jamaal Charles.  The Bills would be able to match it on their first drive of the game.  On 4th and Goal from the 1, Buffalo went for it and it paid off.  Marshawn Lynch ended the drive with a TD run, the extra point was good at it was a tied game again.

The score is tied 7-7 heading into the 2nd quarter.

2nd Quarter

33 points were put up in this quarter, although 23 of them went to one team.

Bills kicker Rian Lindell made a 21 yard field goal to give Buffalo a 10-7 lead.  It wouldn’t last long though as Kansas City was able to answer the points right back.  After a huge Larry Johnson run, Thigpen threw his second TD of the game on a play action pass.  The Bills defense fell for the fake and left Tony Gonzalez wide open in the endzone.  Chiefs now up again, 14-10.

Rian Lindell would add another FG in this game to cut the lead to one on a 39 yard attempt.

On the very next series for Kansas City, Thigpen’s pass was picked off by rookie CB Leodis Mckelvin.  Mckelvin took it down the sidelines, showing off his great speed, and tip toeing down the sideline before he dived into the end zone for 6.  The Chiefs then added a 45 yard FG by kicker Connor Barth to keep the game close, 20-17.

Lindell would add another field goal and QB Trent Edwards would scramble 15 yards and dived into the endzone for a touchdown to put the Bills up huge by the half.

Going into the tunnel, Buffalo leads 30-17.

3rd Quarter

Edwards would run for another TD, this one being a little bit closer though as he only had to go 5 yards.  Lindell then added another field goal before Kansas City got on the board again.  Thigpen would hook up with Mark Bradley for a 45 yard TD pass.

It looked like the Chiefs had a little bit of life but Trent Edwards led another great drive and threw an 8 yard TD pass to Josh Reed.  Going into the 4th, Bills up a bunch, 47-24.

4th Quarter

Each team put another TD on the board.  Buffalo’s came first on a 17 yard pass from Edwards to TE Derek Schouman.  Kansas City would put one more up too on a 3 yard pass from Quinn Gray to Dwayne Bowe in garbage time.

Bills win this one, 54-31.

Wrap Up

• QB Trent Edwards improved his game this week.  He went 24 of 32 for 273 yards and 2 TDs (0 INTs).  Edwards also ran the ball 6 times for 38 yards and 2 more TDs.
• Marshawn Lynch had another strong game on the ground.  On 20 carries, Lynch had 79 yards and a touchdown.  He also had 5 catches for 25 yards.
• Lee Evans finally got back into the game plan, catching 5 passes for 110 yards.
• Josh Reed in his first game back from injury, also caught 5 passes, for 50 yards and 1 TD.
• After missing the go ahead kick last week, Rian Lindell went 4 for 4 today on FG chances.
• Not only did Leodis Mckelvin have a pick 6, he also had another INT and returned 2 kickoffs for an average of 33 yards.

The NFL.com Game Center: Post Game is attached.

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Two struggling teams in the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs will face off tomorrow afternoon in a must win game for Buffalo.

Broadcast Info:

Game: Buffalo Bills (5-5) @ Kansas City Chiefs (1-9)
TV: CBS (Ian Eagle, Solomon Wilcots)

Radio: 97 Rock (Buffalo), 103.3 The EDGE (Buffalo), WHAM 1180 AM (Rochester), WNSS 1260 AM (Syracuse), FAN 590 AM (Toronto). Broadcasts are all done by John Murphy, Mark Kelso and Paul Peck on the Bills radio network.
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET

Game Notes:

• The Chiefs have won two of the past three meetings, but Buffalo leads the all-time series, 19-16-1.
• Lynch recorded his first 100-yard rushing game of the season against the Browns last week. Lynch aims for his second consecutive 100-yard performance as the Chiefs are next to last in rushing defense, allowing 165 rushing yards per game.
• Tyler Thigpen started the season third on the depth chart behind Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard. But he has thrown eight touchdown passes and only one interception in his past four games for a passer rating of 96.9.
• The Bills started the season with such promise, racing out to a 4-0 record. But Buffalo has lost four consecutive games to drop to 5-5 and are now playing for its playoff lives.
• Linebacker Kawika Mitchell spent four seasons with Kansas City (2003-06)
• Chiefs running back Larry Johnson averages 93 rushing yards per game at home.
• Chiefs receiver Dwayne Bowe posted a career-high two touchdown receptions last week.
• The home team has won 10 of the last 11 games between the Bills and the Chiefs.
• Roscoe Parrish needs one punt return for a touchdown to take sole possession of first place in franchise history with four in a career.
• Josh Reed needs 25 receiving yards to reach 3,000 in his career.
• Leodis McKelvin needs 133 kick return yards to pass Eric Moulds (1,205) for most kick return yards by a rookie in a season.
• Under Dick Jauron, Buffalo is 11-5 (.688) with a positive turnover margin and 2-15 (.118) with a negative turnover mark.

Injury Report:

Bills- Out of Game: CB Jabari Greer (Knee), DE Aaron Schobel (Foot), S Donte Whitner (Shoulder), and LB Marcus Buggs (Ankle). Questionable: WR Josh Reed (Ankle) and S Bryan Scott (Knee).

Chiefs- Out of Game: LB Donnie Edwards (Hamstring), G Adrian Jones (Ankle), CB Patrick Surtain (Quad), and LB Patrick Thomas (Thigh). Probable: WR Mark Bradley (Calf), CB Brandon Flowers (Thigh), LB Derrick Johnson (Thigh), S Jarrad Page (Groin) and DT Glenn Dorsey (Knee).

Quote of the Week:

“I can speak for everybody in that locker room, we don’t like the slide we are on, so we definitely are going to have to get that confidence and swagger back and believe we can pull a close game out.”

-DT Marcus Stroud

Open Thread:

Please feel free to comment below or in the tag board in the sidebar to chat with Bills fans from around the world.

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How about the other Buffalo Football Team?

The University at Buffalo football team has been through some of the worst seasons in D-1 history since it was brought into D-1 about a decade ago.  Who would have thought that this team was capable of what they did last night.

Under a veteran quarterback, explosive running back and a great coach the UB Bulls have done something that they have never done in their history, winning the MAC East and a bowl game.

It took a huge comeback, coming back from a 20 point deficit in the final 13 minutes to play, but what could you expect after games being decided by hail marys and overtime comebacks, this one was no less.

In the first overtime, UB and Bowling Green went back and forth both scoring passing touchdowns, but it was in the 2^nd overtime though the game would be decided.

The Bulls defense came up with a huge stop on 4^th and goal from their own 1 yard line. Bowling Green ran a screen pass to the left but the UB defenders would not have it. On the next play all UB needed to do was to run the ball to get closer to an easy field goal. Running back James Starks had other ideas.

He took it right up the middle, broke 2 tackles and went 25 yards for a touchdown! The UB Bulls win in double overtime, 40-34.

This is the 1^st time in UB history that the team has won the MAC East Division Title, and only the 2^nd time that they have been invited to a bowl game in school history. The Bulls will play next week at home before heading off to Detroit to take on the MAC West champ in Detroit.

The entire recap of the game can be viewed here.

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