Buffalo Rumblings: FanPosts

Belichick Interview

2009-11-07T14:41:24Z

Here is a great interview by Jason Cole with Bill Belichick. I know he's the enemy, but he also does a great job coaching the enemy. Here's the link: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=jc-belichickqa110609&prov=yhoo&type=lgns.

Here's a couple of quotes I thought were great:

"I think to have a really good team in this league, you have to make a lot, a lot of good decisions. You have to have a lot of good people, players, coaches, whatever. You need a lot of those. Conversely, to not be competitive, you would have to have a lot of bad decisions. One bad decision is not going to do it, one bad player is not going to do it, one bad coach is not going to do it."

"Jimmy (Johnson) probably said the same thing to you that he once said to me: “You’re really only competing with about 10 teams a year. If you just say out of the way, the other 20 teams will screw it up themselves. Whether it’s ownership or personnel or coaching or some combination of factors.”

It almost feels like he could be talking directly about Buffalo in the interview (or Oakland, Kansas City, St. Louis, etc).

Good future draft pick to keep an eye on.

2009-11-07T06:18:22Z

Not sure how many people on here follow the WAC, but there is a good young QB that plays for the Nevada Wolfpack. His name is Colin Kaepernick . I have had the ability to watch him play. He is a big, strong and mobile type of QB that would fit good in Buffalo i think. I also think we could get him in the 3rd or 4th round. Here are some of his stats:

Kaepernick's statistics to date in his 32-game career:
Rushing
Carries Yards Avg. TDs
366 2,528 6.9 32
Passing
Comp. Att. Yards Percentage TDs Ints
460 824 6,495 55.6 54 15

In 2006 (his 2009 numbers in parentheses), Kaepernick weighed 194 pounds (218), ran a 40 in 4.73 seconds (4.58), had a vertical jump of 26 inches (33), squatted 305 pounds (490), benched 190 (280) and had a 240-pound hang clean (360). In three years he improved his strength numbers by at least 50 percent. Not bad for a QB.

What doe you guys think.

To Lighten Up The Mood...

2009-11-05T00:41:31Z

Like many of you, I am already thinking about next year. Like every year since I can remember I admit I will drink the HUGE glass of Kool-Aid and buy into the hype of the 2010 Bills. Every year, I buy my tickets and get my stickers, pamphlets, pins, schedules and other promotional stuff that trys to make me feel like my money is well spent. These include things like "BE THERE", "SOMETHING EXCITING IS GOING TO HAPPEN", "SEASON OF CHAMPIONS" and this years fun around the 50th team.

So I was thinking, what will it be for 2010? I'm thinking something like "Thanks A**hole" or "Let's Be Frustrated Together". How about "2010 Bills: Makes The $8.50 Beers Seem Worth It". Any other ideas?

Bills Coaching Future?

2009-11-04T21:05:04Z

So I had some ideas about what the Bills might look like next year, all completely hypothetical.

If Dick Jauron is asked to leave, I could easily see Mike Shanahan becoming our next coach. Our offense rarely gets results, and perhaps more importantly, they're very boring to watch. Shanahan is a guy people regularly used to refer to as an "offensive genius," and his background in Denver means he's used to coaching games in hostile weather conditions. He's also wears two Superbowl rings. (Also, and this is really out of left field, but Brandon Marshall will be a free agent after this season, and I wouldn't mind seeing Shanahan recruit him to replace T.O.)

Shanahan isn't a great defensive mind, so he would need to hire a defensive counterpart. Eric Mangini anyone. He's not the most popular guy, and it looks like he's on his way out in Cleveland. Why not roll on back into the AFC East? He's a defensive whiz, and would be able to provide valuable insight on two division opponents, the Patriots and the Jets. Personally, I think the Bills have the personnel to make a very successful switch to the 3-4 defense, which Mangini prefers.

In terms of special teams we should probably just keep Bobby April.

I know it would cost a lot to get both these guys, but beyond that I'm wondering what everyone thinks.

The Back of Ralph Wilson’s Football Card

2009-11-04T16:22:10Z

There is an adage always used in baseball that any player over the course of a season becomes the back of his baseball card, In other words your career stats are who you are and cannot be outperformed over any reasonable period of time. I believe this adage can also be applied to football. I started thinking about this when commenting on a fan post and decided to take a more detailed look at H of F owner, Ralph Wilson. The back of his card after the jump.

In his 50 seasons as the owner, the Bills have a record of 365 wins and 404 losses. That is a win percentage of 47.46%. The Bills have been to the playoffs 20 times in 50 years or 40% of the time. 4 of the 20 playoff teams were in the old AFL. The team has had 5 or less wins (a rough equivalent of non competitive) 15 times or 30% of the time. He has had 14 head coaches and 4 have a winning percentage over .500. Marv Levy (1986-1997) has 123 wins or 33.70% of all the franchise wins while coaching 23.67% of the team’s games. Bill Polian (1986-1993) was the GM during most of Levy’s tenure. The Bills’ record while Levy and Polian were together was 91 wins and 52 losses or a win percentage of 63.64%. In their 8 seasons together they went to the playoffs 6 times. Three other coaches have winning percentages over .500 – Lou Saban, Chuck Knox and Wade Phillips.

What have you done for us lately? In the 21st century the Bill have won 63 and lost 89 for a win percentage of 41.45%. There have been no playoff appearances and 4 head coaches. The Bills are one of 15 NFL teams to have never won a Super Bowl.

Ralph paid $25,000 for the franchise in 1960. The latest estimate by Forbes of the value of the Bills is $637,000,000.

Continuity will lead to success with Buffalo

2009-11-04T14:16:25Z

Since the 1998 season, the Buffalo Bills have had four head coaches (1997 being the last year that Marv Levy coached). Essentially, each coach has had three years to try and put this Bills team in the playoffs (and, in far dreamier parts of the plan, win a championship. The lone exception was Mike Mularkey, who only gave himself two seasons. Wade Phillips was the only one of these coaches to get us to the playoffs, and he did it in the first two seasons after Levy retired. Every season since then, this team has not been able to play games past the regular season. This is why I believe that a fifth year of Dick Jauron might be the best thing for this team.

Take a look at Jeff Fisher, a very respected and tenured coach. (I doubt he will be gone after this season, even if his team only wins 3 games.) When he first started coaching the Titans/Oilers in 1994, he was promoted mid-season to head coach. Finishing out the season a very dismal 1-5, the Oilers decided to retain him the following season. He then went on to produce a very Jauron-ish 31-33 record over the next four seasons. The years that followed made Fisher's career. In 1999 - a season that will burn in Bills history forever - Fisher put together the missing pieces and assembled a team that lost the Super Bowl by one yard. Just to make sure it wasn't a fluke season, they went on to finish the next season 13-3 as well.

I understand that Jauron's coaching history is terrible, but so was Bill Belichick's as a head coach before coming to New England. My point is that I feel that this team is a GM and a few players away from getting over that hump. I really believe that Jauron has started to build this team in the right direction. A good draft, and a decent free agent signing or two, and this team will be a serious contender. But all this will be negated by a regime change. We've seen new regimes gut this team before, and it has yet to work. Continuity is a key reason I think that Jauron should come back for another season. It is also one of the reasons Ralph Wilson brought him back in the first place.

Fixing This Team Starts in the Trenches

2009-11-04T05:48:24Z

So I really enjoyed Brian's recent article that dealt with who are the "cornerstone" players of the Bills and began thinking harder while in my tree stand bow hunting this morning. I was thinking, what would be considered the "cornerstone positions," and do the Bills have any of those players and have they addressed any of those positions in the past. After thinking, I came to the conclusion that the offensive and defensive lines are most important followed by the Quarterback position. Over the last 10 dreadful years the Bills have not had any of these three cornerstone positions filled with extreme talent or should I just say solid talent. We have gone through a slew of bad Quarterbacks and spent a lot on under achieving lineman. After the jump I am going to go a little deeper and explain mainly the offensive line woes and touch upon the other two "cornerstone" positions and what I think are the Bills most pressing needs at this point. To this point, I think we can say we are very solid in the defensive backfield; having a lot of young talent and very solid starters for the foreseeable future. Our Running back crew seems to also be solid with Lynch and Jackson. And lastly, in my opinion our wide receiver corps is pretty solid. I think Hardy will soon transition nicely and eventually complement Evans. So that leaves us with pressing needs at the defensive line, Linebackers, Quarterbacks and Tight ends. Three out of those five which are pressing needs are what I consider the cornerstone positions of a franchise and the Bills have been missing those players for some time now.

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Most Pressing Need:

Offensive line: Dick Jauron has officially taken the blame for his decision to go with an extremely young line this year. He traded franchise LT Jason Peters, Cut OG Derrick Dockery and OT Langston Walker, and in my opinion, these cuts/trades will cost him his job this year. For anyone who expected this team to go far this year with this young line was extremely optimistic (My prediction was 4-12 at the beginning of the season by the way). I next want to talk about Levy as the old GM. Many people mocked Levy for what he did and blame him for our present woes. I don't think Marv made the wrong moves (positional wise), I just think he was obtaining players that were considered good that were unfortunately not so great. As we know Marv knows football and he showed it by making big splashes in the free agent period, signing the top rated OG Derrick Dockery for 60+ million and proven starter RT Langston Walker for 25 million. Marv's strategy was right on here; he was trying to rebuild this team through the offensive line, by signing what was thought to be the top lineman of that current year. Unfortunately for Marv, both players turned out to be under achievers and way overpaid. I still think we would love Walker at right tackle now though. Bottom line, Marv tried the right way "logically" to fix this team, he just missed out because the talent wasn't there in the free agent market. I am going to do a brief dissection of the current/future Offensive line and provide future solutions (player wise). I will neglect the draft since I am not 100% familiar with all the current prospects and where they will fall at this point (too early). Therefore, I will look at the free agent pool more.

Left Tackle: D. Bell- Has showed that he can play well at times and bad at others. He can be dominated, but we have seen him play well at times.

Future: D. Bell has showed me that he can be a dependable back-up in this league. He has the athleticism to maybe one day be a solid starter. But as of now, we need an upgrade. For you D. Bell fans out there, I still think this guy could one day be a potential starter. The Bills can develop him behind a proven starter.

Best Free Agent Selection at This Point: Marcus McNeil, San Diego (25 years of age). With McNeil you get a proven starter who is maybe a tad overrated but still a dependable every down starter. He is still very young which is a plus. By the way, the Chargers have almost everyone on their roster to be resigned so you can expect some of them to be free agents. The Chargers have a good front office, and I believe they will probably retain McNeil, probably making top priority over Merriman. At this point McNeil seems to be the best option as of now.

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Left Guard: Andy Levitre- I think Levitre is having a solid rookie season. He isn't great, but he isn't bad. He has shown he can be a dependable guy who's future looks bright.

Future: Levitre looks to be a future starter for this team. I like his demeanor on the field and his smarts. He will develop into a solid starter for years to come.

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Center: Geoff Hangartner- I haven't been entirely impressed with Geoff. He seems to be on and off. Overall he is better than Melvin Fowler and Duke Preston but still isn't a solid starter. This goes to prove how bad the Bills front office is. They make a back-up center their absolute top priority in free agency. They are right on with the position as being a priority, but fail to obtain anyone with solid starting talent.

Future: I believe like Bell, Geoff is just not starting material. He plays alright at times, but he isn't great. I really see Wood being the best option at manning the center position in future years- see next breakdown.

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Right Guard: Eric Wood- Wood is quickly becoming one of my favorite Bills. He plays with a absolute mean streak, he is always fighting until the whistle blows and he often starts confrontations with opposing players simply because he doesn't give up on a play. He hasn't been amazing, but he has shown that he has the ability to be dominant in the future, something his other 1st round choice has failed to do thus far.

Future: Wood will simply be a stud in this league, there is no doubt in my mind. I do see him maybe switching to center if Geoff doesn't pan out. If he does move, the Bills will need to find a new starting guard. Here is a suggestion.

Best Free Agent Selection at This Point: Jahri Evans, Right Guard, New Orleans (age 26)- Evans has been a stud and is regarded as one of the best players at his position. He was drafted in the 4th round of the 2006 draft and has allowed very few sacks. Good lineman, give Q.B's more time to throw and running backs more holes to run through, Hence New Orleans offensive production this year. Evans will probably be retained, but another viable option is Logan Mankins, New England Patriots. 26 years of age.

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Right Tackle: Who ever isn't hurt? This is probably the position that is killing us the most on the offensive line, especially when Chambers enters the game- see the Miami game. All of our options are back-up's in this league. I would honestly love Langston Walker. The guy said he couldn't play Left Tackle, they moved him to left and guess what? He couldn't do it. Walker allowed "NO" sacks (I pretty sure on this so don't quote me, but it wasn't many if he did allow some) last season at right tackle. Why get rid of a solid starting Right tackle? It's because Dick is clueless. He should have realized Walker couldn't play Left Tackle and just kept him at his original position. He was solid, why try to change him?

Best Free Agent Selection at This Point: Maybe Winston Justice, Eagles (24 years of age)? Justice started out pretty poorly when he first entered the league as a second rounder. He is becoming more and more dependable as he plays more. I am not saying he is the absolute best thing out there, but from what I can find, he seems like an alright choice this early in the game.

Well, thats my short breakdown, sorry if you disagree or find this completely crazy in regards to the offensive line. I just really think the Offensive line is where this team needs to start building around if they want to be competitive. Good teams like Eagles and the Patriots prove it every year. Their QB's have all day to throw and their running backs have huge holes.

*T.O side track* since it coincides with my offensive line point-

For all you T.O haters out there who want to run him out of town and are calling him a bust; let me ask you, are you serious? If you have no line, no time to throw, and no Q.B, how is the guy going to flourish? He can't throw himself the ball, or can he? If you're going to hit me with the "drop" thing, you knew that when we got him. You knew he dropped about as many balls as he scored TD's. I would like to see him in B-Lo with a new coach and revamped Offensive line next year. I honestly am starting to feel bad for this guy, he can't do nothing right, even if he keeps his mouth shut.

*Lynch side track* since it coincides with my offensive line point-

For all you Lynch haters out there that say "he dances too much," let me ask you, are you serious? He dances because he has no holes to run through. He is always looking for a small crack to hit. He usually gets to the line, where there is no hole and runs with 8 guys surrounding him and carries them for 2-3 yards and half the time doesn't hit the floor because no one can bring him to the ground. Trust me, my season tickets are in the "rock pile" which is about corner endzone 15 rows up, I can see that there are no holes for Freddy or Lynch to run through, especially when they are backed up against our goaline. If you are going to tell be how come Freddy ran so well the first couple games? it is a simple answer. Somehow this line blocked extremely well then, especially in New England. There was huge holes versus new england, and the play calling was excellent. I don't know whether it was Monday Night Football or what, but thats probably the best you'll see this unit ever block. And for Tampa, well, its Tampa.

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Most Pressing Need:

Quarterback: I skip over the defensive line and address Q.B second because I simply think overall, our Defensive line is better than our Quarterbacks. Unfortunately for Trent, he has not progressed. I really wanted both him and Losman to be good, but the fact is, they're not. I would like to see how Trent finishes the year and then make decision. As of now, there are no solid options at Q.B in free agency in my opinion. Kyle orton will probably be resigned, and I really don't think he is that good anyways. He is more of a game manager than a playmaker. Drafting a Q.B seems to be logical, especially if we have a high, high pick. Unfortunately, I am not thrilled about any Q.B in this draft. My favorite is probably Locker right now out of Washington. This is going to be a tough decision this offseason. Something obviously needs to be done hear, because we haven't had someone since Jim. And, unfortunately for Trent, new coaches usually means new Q.B's. I am not a Trent Fan at all, but would like to see him with a good line and coaching staff before I totally canned him.

Best Free Agent: Kyle Orton

Best in Draft: IMO, Bradford/Locker

Most Pressing Need:

Outside Linebacker: So I just skipped over the D-line again, even though I considered those positions as "cornerstone" positions. Why? because we simply are better at the D-line versus the Linebacker crew. Our defense is sadly last in the NFL in rush yards allowed per game, a horrible achievement. I really think this stems from our linebacking corps more so than our D-line. Poz is the only one worth mentioning as solid. I really like Nic Harris and think he can be a future starter in this league. Ellison is awful and doesn't deserve to start at all ever again. Mitchell is a scary loss since he tore a ligament in his knee at a older age. I believe he is 29 or so, and with that knee injury, you could see the Bills release him or see his production start to fall quick. We desperately need outside linebackers and there are a few solid names out there at the linebacking position.

Best Available Free Agents:

Shawne Merriman, Chargers, age 25. A stud at rushing the passer. His production has dropped since his injury, but knee injuries usually take some time before the person returns to full strength. I believe Merriman will get back to full strength next year. It also helps that he is still so young. The Chargers like I said have a lot of guys to retain, and this is one of their guys I see escaping. Bottom line, he won't cost as much since he endured that knee injury, but his price will still be too steep for Ralph I am sure.

DeMeco Ryans and Karlos Dansby- Both highly regarded ILB. Not sure if they can make a switch, but maybe Poz can since he played outside in college.

Well thats it, hope you enjoyed my little dissection and some future possible free agents that the Bills will never sign. Again, I stress the importance of starting with the offensive line. I think the Bills already made a step forward in investing in both the O-line and D-line from the past draft. The Bills need to provide there playmakers with opportunities. You can have all the playmakers you want at WR and RB, but if you cannot protect the Q.B, you will not be able to throw the ball the your WR's, and if you cannot blow open holes, you will not be able to run the ball. This IS the problem the Bills are having. I believe Owens has said it best. He always mentions the O-line when asked "why is the offense not getting it done." There is a reason for that. He had great O-lines in Phily and Dallas, and knows it is very important for success. He has been saying our line is "young" and "injured" and that makes it hard. He is 100% correct.

Let me know what you think. I also attached a poll to let you decide what you think should be the Bills most pressing need this offseason. Thanks for reading!

Poll

What is the Most Pressing Need in Order to Turn Things Around for the Bills?

Deja Vu All Over Again

2009-11-03T20:26:05Z

Having watched a great deal of Chicago Bears football over the years, I found myself wondering, in light of the Bills continuing offensive struggles; what was the offensive (pun intended) philosophy under Dick Jauron during his Head Coaching stay in the Windy City? Particularly, the Bears' 3rd down conversion percentage. While I couldn't find the 3rd down stats, and after reading the great post about what can, or might change for the Bills during the bye week, I altered my focus a bit. Had a look not at the losing seasons the Bears had under Jauron, but their 13-3 campaign of 01-02, and the home playoff loss to the Eagles. Almost eerie.

The Bears fielded a pretty decent defense, led by Ted Washington, Keith Traylor and Brian Urlacher up the middle. Twice in the first quarter they held Philly to field goals inside the red zone, and trailed only 13-7 at the half.

The Bears closed to within 14-13 early in the 3rd on a Jerry Azumah pick six off Donovan McNabb. Soldier Field is rocking!

The 4th quarter scoring opens with a Bears field goal to make it 20-17 Iggles. And then, guess what happens? Philly rips off 13 unanswered points in a row, and with a late game Bears safety, wins 33-19.

Here are the Chicago Bears stats on offense in the biggest game of Dick Jauron's Head Coaching career:

First downs: 10

Rushing yards: 23 for 111, 47 of which came on one carry, a touchdown tote by Ahmad Merritt in the first half.

Passing yards: 73

Total yards: 184

Chicago did lose the turnover margin 4-1 on three interceptions and a fumble. The Bears only attempted 22 passes and completed 11, and I can't tell from the stats how many were thrown for 5 yards of fewer. The longest completion, though, was 14 yards. The Eagles had 6 penalties for 60 yards, the Bears 1 for 5. From the Chicago Trib stories about the game I've read, the Bears apparently had a great week of practice, and played real hard, and are real good guys that will watch film and do better next week. Wait.....there wasn't a next week for the Bears.

Is there a pony in this pile of doo? Well, no. As a rose colored glasses guy, for two years I've hoped Jauron would at least shuffle his stripes, a la Tom Coughlin toning down his "fine you for being early" deameanor, or Don Shula adapting from his "Csonka/Kiick let Griese throw half a dozen times" to Marino flinging it all over the field strategy.

Good - not even great - coaches adapt. So, as much as I've longed to see it happen, and wish it would, considering that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it - nothing meaningful will change during the bye week, Bills fans, but at least, if the stars align - we won't have to experience such a agonizing offensive display in the playoffs as the Bears did.

Anyone know of any updates on Kevin Everett?

2009-11-03T18:29:23Z

So Im sitting at work today thinking about the unfortunate situation regarding Len Bias (with ESPN's 30 for 30 story on "Without Bias" premiering tonight.)

Truly a sad and unfortunate story. I of course was too young to remember it as I was only 3 1/2 years old when it happened. It got me thinking about the devestating death of Angels Starting Pitcher Nick Adenhart in early April of this year....and the murder of QB Steve McNair.....which in turn reminded me of another tragic incident involving one of our very own Buffalo Bills - TE Kevin Everett.

Its truly one of the most horrible things a sportsfan has to endure, the loss of someone young with so much untapped potential.....most of us live and die with our sports teams (I know I do), luckily KE surived his tragedy and gets to lead on in his life.........however never to play in the NFL again and show us what he would have been capable of.

The purpose of this fanpost was to see if anyone around knows anywhere to find any updates on how KE is doing. I've looked online and cant really find anything.

Also I know its hard during the season to over look the struggles of the team, but its nothing compared to the struggles that KE will have for the rest of his life. We must remember that there are things in life more important than wins and losses and who the head coach or QB will be next week, next year, etc.

I hope with this fanpost everyone here can pause, reflect and share any info they have on one of our very own. Kevin Everett.

Thanks in advance for reading and any info you can provide.

Our best chance is keeping Jauron

2009-11-03T18:26:03Z

I was looking at the standings this morning and realized just how horribly pathetic the NFL is this year. There are so many bottom dwellers this year that it's not even funny. I was trying to see if we had a chance to be picking in the top 3-5 picks in next years draft. The main reason is because we need to get our franchise signal caller in the next draft, pure and simple.

And my favorite candidate right now as we speak is by far Jimmy Clausen. I've made and effort not to miss a game this year and he is really impressive. He is accurate and has a big arm to get the ball downfield. He also can throw darts into tight spots. In recent weeks he's shown how smart and patient he could be. The guy is a very gifted athlete than can also move around the pocket and beat you with his legs when required. IMO he is the complete package. He also has the most experience of the Juniors and can play well outdoors in the cold.

See analysis after the jump...

Unfortunately I doubt he will be there very long because I think he'll finish the season as the top rated QB (assuming he comes out early). There are a lot of bottom dwellers but not all of them would go QB in round 1 (at least I hope not). Here is the picture as of today:

CLE (1-7): Cleveland's problems are not predominantly at the QB position. They're running game really needs an injection and they need help on the Line and at TE. They also need a lot of help on the Defensive side. They have a LT and a center but the rest of their line is average. They're running game is horrible. Lewis averages a pedestrian 3.6y per carry and he gets the bulk of the work during games. Plus they spent a #1 on a QB in 2007, I can't see them using their #1 on a QB but it could happen. CLE is predominantly a power running team with a defensive minded coach, I see them drafting a RB in Round 1.

With their remaining schedule, I think they could pull off a few more wins such @KC and then OAK & Jax at home, which would give them a 4-12 season (and they own the tie breaker over us)

TEN (1-7): The best thing that could happen to us is Vince Young on more than one front. He has something to prove. He sure as hell doesn't want them drafting a QB so I can see him having a bit of success. I think they are going to run all over us in Week 10. I doubt we have a chance to stop Chris Johnson. I also see them winning at home against St-Louis. I think Bud Adams won't draft a QB in Rd1, he wants to give Vince a chance so regardless what happens from now until the end of the year, I doubt they will draft a QB. The other great think about Vince Young is if he does have success, I could see Bud Adams sending Jeff Fisher packing, which could be a great thing for us.

With their remaining schedule, I think they could pull off a few more wins such the Bills & Rams at home, which would bring them to 3-13 (the mirror opposite to last year). I see the new coach coming in having to work with Vince Young for the first year. They need another big run stuffing DT to replace Haynesworth but they need help in their secondary even worse.

OAK (2-6): The Raiders are a mess. I think that as much as I hate the Bills right now its still doesn't compare to the Raiders. If I were a Raiders fan I would have given up already. Any intelligent person would agree that the Raiders should be looking at QB in round 1 next year. Russel is a horrible QB and doesn't deserve to start. The funny thing is I think that Al Davis still likes him so it's anybodies guess at this point.

With their remaining schedule, I think they could pull off a few more wins such the KC & Was at home, which would bring them to 4-12. I see them going with Carlos Dunlap (DE) but they remain a serious risk at QB IMO.

WAS (2-5): Sadly, it's hard to see where they might win another game. It's too bad because I think Campbell is better than his record. I think he's not in the right system. What Snider has done to his coach is despicable and he deserves to lose out on the season. Unfortunately, they will be looking for a QB, I am almost certain of it. The good news is Jason Campbell is probably going to be available on the FA market if he gets cut.

With their remaining schedule and the turmoil in coaching staff and the loss of Cooley, I think they Lose out. They could be picking first overall in the draft at 2-14

RAMS (1-7): Steve Spagnuolo definitely has his work cut out for him. They have not looked good at all this year. They really need help on Defense and I highly doubt that Spag would use the first round selection on anything other than a defensive player. In 3 of their past 4 games, Jackson was the leading rusher of the game and Donnie Avery was the leading receiver. They currently rank 13 in Rushing offense and 24th in passing. They Rank 28th against the run and 25th against the pass. I see them going DT in Round 1.

With their remaining schedule I think they could win at least 1 or two more, games like SEA at home and possibly SF if they are playing the 2nd stringers (assuming they clinch their spot). I project them finishing with a 2-14 record.

SEA (2-5): They need a running game. I also think they are feeling the departure of Holmgrem.

I see them winning 2-3 more games (TB & TEN at home for sure and maybe in St-Louis). I think they finish at 4-12

BUCs have a real chance of going winless and KC will be lucky to finish with better than a 3-13 record. Both teams are set at QB at least for next year that is. I really can't see them taking a QB in round 1.

So this brings me to my title. I gave up on the season after week 3, actually I gave up on this season last December when Mr.Wilson chose to keep Jauron but that's another story... At this point it is crystal clear that we need major changes around here starting with all the management and coaches. We also clearly need to draft a QB in Round 1. It is beyond repair. I would feel more than comfortable with Edwards as our backup or even have him start the year if the rookie is unable to win the start at first. But there is no doubt in my mind that we need to spend our 1st rounder on a QB this year. I know that we need a LT as well but our deficientcies are mainly at the QB level not Oline. Insert any of the top 4-8 QBs in this league (with a real coordinator and offensive system) and we would be top 10 in many categories.

BILLS (3-5): Looking ahead, I cannot see how we can win another game this year. Honestly, we really should be 1-7 because the Jets and Carolina games were totally given to us but that's besides the point. Chris Johnson, MJD, Ronnie Brown & Ricky Williams, Thomas Jones, Arrowhead Stadium, Brady, Micheal Turner and then Peyton Manning. The only games that we remotely have a chance ion are the KC and maybe if Indy are resting their starters. Still at this point the season is a useless loss and our only hope is to lose out and finish 3-13, which would put us within striking distance of Jimmy Clausen. The best way to ensure our continued success is to keep Jauron until the end otherwise we might spark something and we could find ourselves winning a few more games, which would be disastrous because it would bring other potential teams into play.

Mock Draft

#1 TB (0-16) Gerald McCoy (DT)

#2 Was (2-14) Russel Okung (OT)

#3 StL (2-14) Ndamukong Suh (DT)

#4 Buf (3-13) Jimmy Clausen (QB)

#5 KC (3-13) Carlos Dunlap (DE)

#6 Ten (3-13) Taylor Mays (S)

#7 Cle (4-12) **

#8 Oak (4-12) **

Both Cleveland & Oakland could be in the QB market.

This post is about next year and I would prefer not arguing with the cool aid drinkers about the virtues of not giving up on the season. Let's face it, we suck and most of us knew we would last year when Jauron was retained. There really are no good option in FA to find a definite starter. We could maybe find a caretaker or someone else's reject but all in all, our only real hope for next year is to lose out and be in a position to draft the top rated QB.

Jairus Byrd up for Rookie of the Week

2009-11-03T18:20:24Z

This is Buffalo Bills free safety Jairus Byrd's third week as a nominee for NFL Rookie of the Week. Go to this link to vote for him and give us something positive in this otherwise lame, post-loss bye week. Here's his write up:

Byrd recorded five tackles and two interceptions in the Bills' 31-10 loss to the Houston Texans. Byrd is the first rookie and second player since 1960 to have three consecutive multi-pick games and now leads the NFL with seven interceptions.

He's up against Brian Cushing, Percy Harvin, Lardarius Webb, and Sherrod Martin. Vote now, Bills fans!

Realistic changes Bills' offense can make to improve during bye

2009-11-03T16:29:32Z

Brian covered the most obvious changes the Buffalo Bills need to make in his bye-week article, such as improving the O-Line play, but his thoughts got me thinking about some strategic changes we could implement during the bye week to improve our chances on offense.

Now that we've abandoned the no-huddle offense, I don't understand why we're still limiting ourselves to the simplistic play-calling approach that was mandated by that particular scheme. Keeping things simple for the sake of an up-tempo style of play doesn't make sense when you're not playing an up-tempo style. (Are we playing a down-tempo style?) Anyway, here are four things I think we can realistically change during the bye:

1. Put receivers in motion. It seems other teams are constantly jamming our receivers or playing us right up on the line, which makes it difficult for them to get a clean release or separation. Granted, some of that has to do with us not taking shots down field, and some of it has to do with the idea that jamming our receivers is a risk that gives the defense a greater opportunity for a sack (not that they really need any help). Even a small back and forth can help with a clean release and can help to give the QB a better idea of what type of defense (man or zone) is being played; it can sometimes do as much as dictating the defense's play call (see link.) For a nice NFL Films article about how motion helped Matt Ryan throw his first career TD, try this link.

2. Line up Lee Evans or Terrell Owens in the slot. A few times per game. I've seen T.O. there every once in a while, but we haven't gotten him the ball. New England does this all the time to create advantageous match ups for themselves (Moss on Corner = loss for us). While watching the Browns game, I tried to pay special attention to this, and twice I saw T.O. lined up in the slot and being guarded by a linebacker - 32-year-old David Bowens - and both times we ran the ball! That should be something our QB recognizes and he should audible to take advantage of that matchup for us.

3. PLEASE add another formation besides 3WR/1RB/1TE and 2WR/1RB/2TE. How about a few spread plays, or put our receivers on the same side of the field - anything! Part of the reason our offense seems so easy to stop is that it's very predictable. Do other defenses even game plan for us? They probably only need to use about a third of their playbooks - which is fine when we're pushing the tempo and tiring guys out. But now that the no-huddle is gone, some complexity must return to our formations.

4. Let Trent Edwards audible at the line again. The first two games he was like Peyton Manning back there changing the play, then it completely stopped against the Saints. It was working for us, so why did we get away from it? Even if we're not in the no-huddle, it can still be effective (see point 2 above.) Trent's greatest asset is his big ol' Stanford brain, so please let him use it. In a related note, please do not let Ryan Fitzpatrick ever audible again. His sequence of double audible-false start/audible-safety in the Carolina game actually made me laugh.

What do you guys think? Are these things actually possible to implement during the bye? Which one do you think would be most important? Did I miss anything?

Let's talk Poz

2009-11-03T15:17:16Z

No, not poz.

Poz. You know? Paul Posluszny? Mullet, broken arm, heart of a dragon?

Got it? Good.

I don't have the game on tape, so we're going to have to use NFL.com's highlights. Flawed, but effective for this debate.

Our run defense is not all Poz's fault. I'm not that crazy. But he's a big-time factor. He takes bad routes to the ball carrier, takes himself out of plays, and has no hope of shedding a blocker once engaged. The best play he made this week was causing the Slaton fumble, right? Watch the play again (starts at about 0:35). Now, I don't like to be finicky about Poz (because there's plenty of other material), but jeez. He got juked out of his shoes. He barely got a finger on the ball. Forced Fumble is a really generous term for that. Maybe you could argue that Slaton fumbled because Poz was so intimidating that he overdid that move? I don't know, a forced fumble is a forced fumble, but that was not exactly a punishing hit from Poz. It was a lucky missed tackle.

Now watch the Ryan Moats show.

Did it sting for you? It stung for me. 151 total yards. 3 touchdowns. More depressing: even Ian Eagle had 74 yards and a touchdown in garbage time. (You're welcome for that Ian Eagle/ Solomon Wilcotts man love photo, by the way.)

What follows is my brief summary of those 8 plays:

Missed tackle
Ran himself out of the play on screen pass
Got close to the ball… 11 yards down field
Runs himself out of play
Runs right into blocker, can't shed him, Moats goes right past him
No penetration, but 2 yard TD runs happen
Runs way upfield… Moats goes right where he was standing
Never makes it out of the end zone, gets dominated by blocker

Now, I predict the argument that this was a self-fulfilling prophesy, that of course we won't see Poz play well on highlights from another RB. But that's 8 plays, not 1 or 2 plays. 6 are really bad and the other 2 he's a complete non-factor. And trust me, I do this every week. (Call it a depressing obsession.) This is no different from any other week he's played this season.

Anyway, how can you watch these plays and defend him? How can you say he played well?

I don't mean this as condemnation of him as a player forever. I don't think it's impossible for him to become a good LB. I'm not a judge of potential. But I can judge his actual performance, and there's no way, as far as I can tell, that you can argue that he's playing well.

Thanks for reading.

Poll

In your view, how has Poz played this year?

welcome to BYE week Folks!

2009-11-03T04:08:33Z

It seems like yesterday we celebrated oue first win..but here we are at Week 9...time to take a break and regroup...and regroup we must!

We all understand our Oline issues..no need to harp on them.Lets give our Rookes and Vets a hand for doing their best..we're still learning!

Anyway down to the root of why im writting this...its time to say BYE to some faces and HELLO to others if this season ends on the other side of good...

First good bye would be to Dick..and i hope Trent Edwards packs his bags too....

Hello would come in for a New Head Coach QB GM and i dont know folks the O-Coor might see a change(i know we just got him...but Sir something isnt right either its YOU and THEM)

Speaking of Hellos/BYEs i started to think about those on IR and our PS...

(exclude the new talen we'll scout out in try-outs and the trades we'll make) who do u think will stay or go...or fall out of the league..or what team can u see scoping them up?

Current IR List

Marus Buggs

Ledoris McKelvin

Marvin Phillip

Marcus Smith

PUP List

James Hardy

Practice Squad

Bruce Hall

Carry Harris

C.J. Hawthrone

Nick Hennessey

Felton Higgins

Corey MAce

Andre Ramsey

Anthony Waters

I'll post what i think in the comments....

Little league rules

2009-11-03T00:10:35Z

Back when my grand kids played little league they had a forfit rule if you got down by nine runs the game would end. I wonder what the score should be before the bills were released from our misery? You know we are at the bye and our season is over in most ways. There will be no shake up in any parts of the team from top to bottom. I fully expect that Silly Ralph will keep Jauron on and even maybe next year. See he has a secret, Ralph believes we will come in no matter what, He does not care if he sells out before the game because he knows the fans will show on Sunday. and he has all that money coming in from Canada. So he is fine.It is we that are being abused week after week.

Who are your 5 favorite and least favorite Bills players/coaches of all time?

2009-11-02T21:04:09Z

My all time favorite Bills - Steve Tasker, Joe Cribbs, Reggie McKenzie, Don Beebe and Bruce Smith. There are so many to choose from, but these 5 stand out for me.

Coaches Marv, Chuck Knox, Lou Saban, Joe Collier and Walt Corey.

Jairus Byrd is moving up my list! His recent play, ties to the '80s through his dad and ties to my state of Oregon are making him my current favorite. Brian Moorman, Lee Evans, Fred Jackson and Terrence McGee round out my current fave five.

5 least favorite - Rob Johnson, J.P. Losman, O.J. Simpson, Al Cowlings and Mike Williams.

Least favorite Coaches - Dick Jauron, Hank Bullough, John Rauch, Gegg Williams and Wade Phillips.

5 Positives in the Loss

2009-11-02T18:03:26Z

There weren't many positives, but I'll try to identify 5:

1. Nic Harris as LB. He looks like a LB -- has he gained size? He seemed to be all over the place (probably not a good sign for the DL). Perhaps his future at LB is starting as of this game. Certainly more meaningful than Palmer in the first few games.

2. Fred Jackson as K/PR. Really looks like a patient returner. He moves so fluidly in the beginning part of his return to find the right hole. I think it works better than Parrish's freak, juke, twist and mad scramble -- one man show. I am thinking that it helps the special team unit (re: penalities) to know that he is running with the squad and that he will follow their path.

3. Pozluzny. Seemed like he was an island a lot of the time, left to chase and tackle on his own. Speed showed, just need others with him.

4. Florence. Props again for DF. Johnson really didn't do much, and Florance just adds size and close coverage even when they catch. On the same note, McGee didn't look his usual self in tackling -- perhaps his injury still bothers him.

5. Byrd. Of course. His interceptions are mistakes by the other side -- but that is what opportunities are all about. Every time he INTs, I think of Donte cringing and saying he could have done that -- no, Donte, you wouldn't have been looking at the ball, you would have been trying to make a ESPN highlight pounding hit on the receiver (and forego the INT).

Our team is really well managed - proof is in the pudding

2009-11-02T16:29:45Z

Last night I posted something that got pulled this morning because I used a bad word. So I am re-phrasing it because the points that I was making deserve to be published and discussed.

Last week TO said in his interview how he'd like to finish his career in Buffalo because he loves the way Jauron is easy on them and that the practices are easy and then the fact that Jauron give veterans like him days off, like the two past Fridays. Lovely, just lovely. Is it just me that thinks that TO & Fitz needed as many reps to get in synch as possible? Is that not coaching brilliance at its best? your backup QB is in the game and he has not thrown to your two star receivers much so far this year because he gets most of his reps with the 2nd stringers, so why not give your star receiver some time off? It will be way more entertaining to see them learn on the fly, right?

Sidenote: TO is as worthless as it comes. When he did an out and Fitz thought he would be doing a go route, an error totally not related to giving TO some well deserved time off (??), TO saw the interception and turned and walked away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The camera angle showed his lower body pointed at the interception and then quickly turning and walking away. The interceptor actually ran right through the spot freshly vacated by our super hero (the great Terrel Owens). I can deal with a lot of crappy plays but I cannot deal with such a heartless and cowardly act. We should have traded him when we could but now it's time to bench him.

Back to our well managed football team. Our defense once again played an awesome game for us yesterday, they really did. We were down 17-10, absolutely no reason to panic. So we run the ball 3 consecutive times to setup a beautiful Pop Warner"ish" trick punt play, which backfires in our face and we give them back the ball with great field position.

I hate the way I feel about this team right now. I feel like the owner really doesn't care about me, his loyal fan. He seems way more concerned with keeping costs down and hiring guys that he can control. Well Mr. Wilson, I sincerely think that you are our main problem. I mean no disrespect when I say this. I am a loyal fan and I would like to continue to be a loyal fan but I need much more than what you've been giving us the past 5-7 years. You are going to have to trust someone and you are going to have to let go and let them do their job. Any self-respecting GM worth a dime will not accept a position where his authority will constantly be scrutinized by a 90 year old owner. The Bills over their lifetime have not accomplished enough for you to think that you are able to manage them. They had a lucky run during the Polian years but other than that, this team has been less than pedestrian. My grandfather is 89 and my grandmother is 91, god bless both their soles, they are great but they certainly are well beyond the age of being swift enough to run a successful business. Your business is now worth almost $1B and it's due in large part to loyal fans like me. Please take a step back from all of this and realize that we need some serious changes around here, much more than just a new coach or QB, we need to completely reset the structure and mindset. We need another Polian in here. Mr. Wilson, I beg of you to acknowledge that this is beyond repair and requires drastic measures. You need to step down and actually trust your ability to find a great football mind that can shape the next 10-15 years of Buffalo Football. A man that has accomplished as much as you have, a man that has been in the business for so long, a man that knows and is respected by so many people in the business - please use all that knowledge, power & respect to find the right guy to steer this ship back onto a course that will bring prosperity back to Buffalo Nation.

Just some thoughts

2009-11-02T13:39:47Z

I think Jauron is gone at the end of this year. 7-9, even 8-8, isn't going to change that. He'd have to make the playoffs to keep his job, and we aren't making the playoffs. But he is staying until the end of the year. Even if we go 3-13 we're sticking with him until the end. Hate on him all you want, and he does deserve a lot of blame since he's where the buck stops, but it is what it is.

I think we need a quarterback. It's not all their fault. They aren't getting a lot of protection or time. But Fitzgerald is a back-up who can only be counted on to manage a game in perfect conditions. I understand people saying Edwards has to be given a chance to show if he can realize his potential, but from what we've seen that potential seems to be decreasing. Personally I think between the two of them it's six of one and half-dozen of the other. I don't think Edwards could have got more than ten points against Houston. I do think Fitzgerald would have won the Cleveland game, just because of how bad Edwards played. In any event, if you take concussions seriously then Edwards is already a player who may be on the edge of Trent Green territory, and it's not going to be long before he takes some more dingers. I hope he can build some confidence playing terrible teams like Tennessee and K.C., because if not I really don't want to see him around at all next year.

I still think signing T.O. was a good move. Didn't work out, but that's hindsight. We knew he was going to drop some balls and have . . . issues. At least he hasn't blown up. He seems demoralized now and looking like he's thrown in the towel. Sort of like Randy Moss in Oakland. And yeah he's got 6 million reasons to care, and it's poor sportsmanship, but there's a part of me that actually has some sympathy for the guy. He is a fierce competitor and has shown in SF, Philly and Dallas that he'll lay it all on the line if he thinks there's a reason. But obviously he no longer feels there's any reason.

I think it's too early to label Maybin a bust, agree with last week's post, but . . . damn. Getting something out of our investment in him next year is going to have to be a major priority.

I think we are the worst team in our division. Looks like the Pats are, as expected, the class of the field again. Maybe if New York or Miami really implode we could possibly overtake one of them.

I think, and this is sort of where I'm going with this, we have to be really concerned about the future. Enough talk about us rebuilding (what we've been doing for a while now). Other teams are building for their future, too. And they are ahead of us in the process. New England is not only the class of the field again this year, they are managing to do it while they are rebuilding. And they even picked up a first-rounder from Oakland on the way, which probably will translate into a top-3 pick. We know Brady isn't going anywhere for a while, so overtaking them anytime soon looks like a tall order. The Jets have a strong, young, offensive line, an excellent new coach (in my opinion), and a rookie who may turn out to be their franchise quarterback. Miami is in the middle of re-building under Parcells, and we know that guy knows how to build contenders.

So how are we going to become contenders? Not through the draft! Yes, the draft is important. But it's also a crapshoot. And the draft just isn't going to make us competitive against the teams in our division anytime soon (I mean not just next year, but over the next few years). They all draft too. We are going to have to get active signing veteran free agents that can help us now if we want to win. I think that's where our focus has to be going forward, a lot more than on the draft.

So how about replacing the draft scouting report this week with a special on next year's free agency class?

Jauron has changed T.O.

2009-11-02T05:36:55Z

WOW, anybody who thought they had seen it all must be really surprised by T.O.'s transformation. I am amazes at the way T.O. is now admitting his shortcomings and how he defends his teammates in such trying times. And he always comes back to the same lyrics, we practice hard, we play hard we just need to execute better, yadiyadiyada.

Unbelievable, he now sounds like Jauron. This week was the icing on the cake when he said that he'd love to return to Buffalo because Jauron doesn't work his veterans too hard and it's great on his body... Jauron has not only humbled hiim, he's turned T.O. into a wuss!!! He's sucked the competitive edge out of him!

Now the three guys giving interviews all sound the same (Jauron, Edwards & TO)

Simply unbelievable!