By the way you keep arguing but ommitting a very important piece of my argument, the fact that Denver had much better coaching, coaching that understands how to adjust. They also have a system that can run-block well and they use the run to open the pass. Those two factors are huge.

Last year all we really had was Evans. Fine missed a bunch of games but still, the coaching staff should have inserted him as a starter in the final games over Royal, which they did not. The same way they should have played Scuba Steve way sooner. These two are quality players and superior to the starters but the coaching staff is very mediocre for this kind of decision making.

I think that the QB cannot do it alone. Cutler was lucky to have Marshall & Sheffler and his coach/system the same way that Marshall without Cutler might not have been quite the monster that he has become, I fully understand the point that you are making, that cutler makes the guys around him better. I’m just saying that it goes both ways and a good QB cannot make a dud receiver suddenly look great. Lets be honest, Royal sucks, Hardy was very disappointing in his rookie season and the coaching staff took way too long to start inserting Scuba Steve and Reed sucks at wideout. So basically Trent had one real receiver and his backs to throw to, and guess what? He made the best of what he had and still managed a 65.5% Comp rate and a decent QB rating but people are friggin complaining that he checked down too often. Give this guy weapons and he can perform like Cutler, I and certain of it.

We had a great backfield and I never said otherwise. We had an OC who was not patient at establishing the run and always went to the pass, even though we had no real weapons to talk of. I guess he had absolutely no trust in our Oline which was understandable. We used the pass to establish the run all season and the fact that we finished 14th is because of the 65.5% completion rate, teams we dropping and then opening up some holes for Marshawn. There is not one game all year that we came out running the ball, we’d establish the quick passing game and eventually start leaning on the running game. Crap I remember a game where Marshawn got 13 carries!!

IMO Cutler has a bigger arm and is much more of a gunsligher (à la Brett Favre) and Trent Edwards is more the cerebral type (à la Montana). Trent would have done great in Denver, would he have out performed wath Cutler did, frankly I don’t know maybe not? Would Cutler have been has prolific in Buffalo with our OC and our lack of weapons – absolutely not. His cocky attitude would have gotten him in trouble and for sure his INTs would have surpassed his TDs and a lot of our drives would have ended up in punts. We would have played from deeper deficits more often. He’s a cowboy like Favre is and could loose games just as fast as he wins them. You said it yourself that he tends to force things into spots, you call it anticipation and I call it carelessness (if something underneath was open). I prefer the smart cerebral QB that will move the ball securely down the field and control the clock.

These are projections based on the upcoming season and are hardly a reflection of Buffalo’s offensive talent.

Based on last years numbers.. so my point was simply that Reed, Hardy, Johnson (due to lack of playing time), Parrish, Royal, Shouman – played last year and did not make this years projections.

Kaiser you are twisting things again. I was simply answering your objection that the Bills had no talent other than Evans in 2007/2008. Nobody else but Evans cracked the top 80 and Royal who found another starting gig did not crack the top 30. We all know that TO is a playmaker and that was actually the basis for my original post – Now that we have a few playmakers, things will be different.

Let’s you and me agree on one thing. You are not sold on Trent and actually you seem to think that he has not shown that much so far. If Trent does poorly this season and we do not have a winning season, I will gladly write an article to congratulate you and your football analysis abilities and admit that I was a foolish optimist that saw greatness where only an ordinary QB existed. However you must agree to to the same, to admit that you are a pessimist, someone who loves to argue and someone who seems to have a man crush on Cutler.. Let’s both of us put our money where our mouth is!

I know that the QB has some impact here but it is still telling that our #1 guy from last year is only ranked 27th and that none of our other WRs are even ranked. Our starting TE is not even there. Denver on the other hand has Marshall at #13, Royal at #21 and Scheffler at #13. So when you and Kaiser try to compare Cutler and Edwards at par I think you are wrong. Clearly Cutler had more to work with than Edwards, that’s all I was trying to point out. I realize that Fantasy rankings is not the best tool but it’s all I could think of to prove my point. And I’m sorry but I don’t buy that Cutler made those guys look good, I think Trent would have done very well in Denver and Cutler would have struggled probably as much in Buffalo as did Trent.

The way that both you and Kaiser are responding might be why we think that. My post was merely an optimistic view of this season. I am glad to see more weapons around Trent and I believe that he will make good use of them.

I too believe that he needs to do better this year. Unlike you guys however, I like his style and hope that he continues. I like a smart guy that doesn’t try to force things and keeps the ball moving and our defense off the field – Trent is that type of guy. He is not a self-centered guy that thinks he is bigger than life (à la Brett Favre) that forces things into spaces that he shouldn’t.

The QB should probably shoulder more blame than any other player on offense. He is after all the leader of that unit. If you disagree with that, that’s fine, but that’s how I feel about the position. His job is to lead the offense into the endzone, and he hasn’t done it enough. It’s not completely his fault, but he has been part of the problem when we’ve struggled.

I’ve never said that Trent is the reason this offense has stunk. If I have, let me see it because I sure don’t remember it. I’ve discussed before how Schonert has done him no favors, and don’t disagree that the OL and WR’s haven’t helped a whole lot.

All I’ve been trying to say is that he needs to get a whole lot better if this O wants to accomplish anything. I don’t think he’s played all that well throughtout his career, though he’s had his moments, and I’m not of the opinion that him checking down to the RB’s is such a great thing. I’m not ready to say that the addition of TO means Trent will have a good/great year because he has a ways to go after his first two seasons.

Trent does need to get tougher, mature more to become a leader, and get his mojo back this season if we are to have any chance to have the big year that we all have been starving to have.

But as far as him throwing downfield to ‘covered’ receivers versus checking down – isn’t that more of a confidence issue? And not just confidence by Trent in his own abilities, but confidence that if he does gun a riskier throw down the field that his guy is going to go up and get it? In reality, he’s probably battled this on both fronts, but that’s why you put more weapons around him because this confidence should jointly grow through training camp and next season.

When he’s at his best, we will not be stopped with this new offense!