San Jose Bills Fan

I'm in that small minority that agrees that Tuel's encouraging performance so far may have played a small part in the decision to release TJax. I don't think it was the primary reason though. By a long shot.

So are you saying I'm lying or just misinformed? Belichick might have become famous in the 1980s for his Super Bowl-winning defenses, but within the New York Giants' offices, he was renowned for spotting plays run by the 49ers and Redskins, tailoring them to New York's personnel and suggesting them to offensive coordinator Ron Erhardt. In his spare time, he put together an offensive playbook, borrowing and tweaking plays from other teams, and inventing his own. "Philosophically, I knew what I wanted to do if I ever got a chance to be a head coach," he said. When that chance arrived, he was ready. At various times as the Cleveland Browns' head coach, Belichick called the offensive plays. And that's the side of the ball with which he's been heavily involved in New England. It's partly due to necessity. Quarterbacks coach Dick Rehbein died in 2001, and then-offensive coordinator Charlie Weis almost died due to gastric bypass surgery complications in 2002. But it's mostly because Belichick knows offense. He's met with his quarterbacks privately at least three times a week for nine years. That's why, after Josh McDaniels left New England to coach the Denver Broncos, Tom Brady said, "As long as we have Belichick, I always think that we're going to be just fine." With assistants constantly leaving the Pats for other teams, Belichick takes it upon himself to sharpen New England's edge. Half of his offensive playbook is different now than when he arrived in 2000. That's why he visits Nick Saban in Alabama once a year to talk defense, then Urban Meyer in Florida to chat offense. Last year, Belichick was eager to learn about the Gators' "empty" pass protections; afterward, he adjusted them to his team. For instance, in a victory over the Miami Dolphins last season, the Patriots ran the shotgun 80 times, using only five blockers on 19 snaps. "He's a defensive mind," Meyer says, "who's adapted the offensive game." http://sports.espn.g...seth&id=4443119 This is one of many stories out there on the subject. Belichick has been the Cheatriots*** OC and play caller for years now. He's designed and installed the offenses New England runs and is solely responsible for the Two Tight End attack which is their base offense and is starting to be emulated league-wide. He's also been the play caller for most of the past 8 years dating to 2005 when Charlie Weiss left the team. In that 2005 season the team hired no replacement for Weis and had no OC by title. The following season Belichick named his protege, Josh McDaniels (who was a DEFENSIVE COACH on the team for 3 seasons) his "Offensive Coordinator." When McDaniels left to become Denver's Head Coach, Belichick didn't bother naming an offensive coordinator for 2009 or for the 2010 season. In 2011 Belichick named Bill O'Brien as his offensive coordinator. In 2012 McDaniels returned to the team and was given the offensive coordinator title. Close followers of the NFL and the Cheatriots know that Belichick is the offensive coordinator for his team and has been for years. I hate the Cheatriots*** as much as the next guy but don't let your hatred get in the way of the truth (good disclaimer though).

Well now I'm confused.

^^^^^^^^^^^^ Interesting theorizing. And they will. As I've said I don't need the gratuitous violence. If the players have to "settle" for playing the game as they did in the 1960's that's perfectly fine with me. I don't for a second agree with the "pussification of the game" takes you often read around here. If reducing kill shots is going to ruin the enjoyment of the game for an individual then that person has issues. You're upset that a 300 pound man can't run 20 mph at a defenseless stationary quarterback and hit him after he releases the ball? Well there's always mixed martial arts for gratuitous violence.

In that regard he was a very good fit.

Belichick was predominantly a defensive coach for the vast majority of his NFL career. It's only been in the last 10 years that he's slowly made the shift towards coaching the offense. I don't think Brady would be Brady without Belichick just as I don't think Montana would have been Montana without Bill Walsh. In both cases there was a synergy between player and coach IMO.

Tom is quite right. In addition, feel free to engage in name calling towards anyone who refutes your claims. Making accusations of "living in your mother's basement" towards doubters is a fairly standard minimum insult.

I'm not sure if Donahoe's downfall was having too much power or Ralph's later meddling (or if the first caused the second) but you're right. Donahoe was the first person named Bills President aside from Ralph himself. Great post, especially the bolded. It hasn't been mentioned in this thread yet (it's been said numerous times of Jason Peters) but it's true. The Bills took a chance on McGahee and showed faith in him during his darkest hours following his catastrophic injury. His form of repayment to the Bills was to not attend voluntary offseason workouts in Buffalo and to quickly become a malcontent. A person of good conscience would have approached things differently than McGahee did.

:lol: Of course. You're a Bills fan. He's probably gonna have the ring inlaid into his personalized brass knuckles.

This is a good take. I like Chandler but I'm apprehensive about the fit too. When you factor in his averageness as a blocker… Still, good coaches find a way to play to their players strengths so there's that too.

There you go again!

While I agree the Cheatriots*** are a perennially strong team in a large media market, these are very good, legit points and part of the reason they are so insufferable. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lNkyS9dBnM

Well I don't deny the popularity of soccer and lacrosse as youth sports. I just don't buy that there's a link between youth participation and acceptance as a professional spectator sport.

Which brings me back to my first point: Flutie went 10-3 in his last 13 starts with the Bills (6-2 in his last 8 starts of '99 and 4-1 in 5 starts in 2000. So Flutie's winning percentage never wavered. With that same great defense, Rob Johnson went 1-1 in '99 and 4-7 in 2000. Why don't people want to give him credit for winning? Flutie was 38 and 28 as a starter in the NFL. In 1988 he went 6-3 in New England and the Cheatriots*** went just 3-4 in the games he didn't play. Was that also because of the Bills defense? Give the guy a little credit. He DESERVES it.

I don't understand your point.

I also don't think the ring was a gift to Putin. My early reaction was what JohnC said about it possibly being a cultural/language misunderstanding. Mostly I think it was a brazen act of larceny by Putin.

I wonder what Kollege Studnet has to say about this?

Check out the link I provided. There's a photo which might be Kraft, the spokesman, and Putin.

I've been saying that. It worked for Flutie, Moon, and Garcia.

I know the feeling. :thumbsup:

More on the story: http://profootballta...uper-bowl-ring/ "What Mr. Kraft is saying now is weird,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “I was standing 20 centimeters away from him and Mr. Putin and saw and heard how Mr. Kraft gave this ring as a gift.” The Russians say the ring is on display with other state gifts at the Kremlin. On one hand, you can't put too much value in the testimony of Putin's spokesman. On the other hand, at least the ring is on display at the Kremlin and not in Putin's "personal collection." I wonder in the wake of this controversy if the ring will make it back to Kraft?

^^^^^^^^^^ As I said, Donahoe outsmarted himself on that one. I wasn't thrilled with the pick although as a Bills homer, I tried to like it and probably talked myself into liking it. I stated the irony of McGahee's career but never suggested that they shouldn't have drafted someone else. Your historical reflections on that draft are right on. The irony of Eric Steinbach is that after passing him over in the draft the Bills could made amends by signing him as a free agent in 2007 but opted to pursue and give a better contract to… Derrick Dockery. :doh:

See? You're admonishing me. Like Jethro Tull said, I just want to make fun of the Patriots. I don't want to have a discussion about it.

Git' er done! Sign em up!

In 2001, Flutie's first season in San Diego (head coach Mike Riley's last season), the team had 4 more wins than they had previous year (5 vs 1) and their offense was much better than it was the previous year when Jim Harbaugh went 0-5 as the starter. Their offense scored more points than their "16th ranked defense" gave up (332 to 321) and they beat the Bills in week 7 to go to 5-2 in a game that Ralph Wilson was quoted as saying that he'd rather win than the Super Bowl, due to all the Bills defections. The Chargers season was crippled by injuries and ineptitude by coach Mike Riley as they lost their last 9 games including a week 17 loss to Seattle in which Flutie threw for 377 yards (his 3rd 300+ yard game that season) and led the team to a tie with 16 seconds left. Typical of the season the Chargers kick coverage allowed a long return and Seattle kicked a long field goal at the end to win as time ran out. I guess we'll agree to disagree about Flutie. He wasn't pretty to watch and he wasn't always effective but even as a 38 year old quarterback on his last legs, he could still keep his team in every game and lead them back at the end.