On this episode of the Moran-Alytics Podcast Patrick Moran is joined by Buffalo Bills beat reporter and co-host of The Bills Beat Podcast, Matthew Fairburn.

This interview focuses on Fairburn and  his journey to landing a job at Syracuse.com covering the Buffalo Bills, from growing up in Massachusetts to going away for college at the University of Missouri.  Fairburn speaks of internships and writing gigs he had along the way to prepare him for post graduate life covering the NFL.

Fairburn (@matthewfairburn) discusses how he got his job, other opportunities he was perusing at the time, relocating to Western New York and how he’s built a life around the area, including meeting his fiancé.

He pulls back the curtain a little to disclose what life’s like covering a NFL team on the road and talks on the balance between friendship and competition among media colleagues covering the team’s beat.

We also discuss The Bills Beat Podcast, a show he cohosts with Joe Buscaglia that’s hands down the best Bills podcast and one of the top sports and recreational podcasts overall anywhere. If you don’t believe me, check the Apple Podcast charts.

Of course, I do spend some time talking Bills football with Fairburn and get his take on why he doesn’t think Josh Allen is as much of a “project” as other things.  He also offers insight on Tremaine Edmunds, an improving defense and an outloook where Matthew thinks the Bills may be better in 2018 than most skeptics believe.

Follow Patrick Moran on Twitter @patmorantweets and “like” the Moran-Alytics Facebook page.