WhitewalkerInPhilly

I think the big reason for the stink is that Parker is his agent, and the Bills just hired an alternative. The man had a lot of bad luck with all the scheme changes, and I think that his role as a tweener DT/DE is good if Pettine wants to gradually increase the complexity of the offense. I would like to see him back, and competing with Branch for the starting job. I wouldn't overpay him. Fortunately, due to his bumpy ride I don't think he'll get as much money anywhere else.

I hope. And the less leverage Parker has, the better The man doesn't have the sexiest of positions, and if Carrington is ready to go I think its a tough call as to who should be playing, but the man has done a great job as a gap plugger. It also convinces me that we aren't going to try to fill the spot with a draft pick, which is a load off my mind. I would love to see that. He's always had bad luck with system changes, and he was finally in one that looked to suit his unique talents before he got hurt. I would love to see a full, healthy squad and an extra year to get used to the system.

It tells us that we won yesterday. Ok, that's a little tongue in cheek. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled. The defense finally looked like what we were dreaming it to be all last season. I keep telling myself that a big upgrade at Will LB (maybe, MAYBE, at DE where we have Branch and Carrington, in the last year of their contracts) and we could have an elite defensive unit. But as the old saying goes, "The best defense is a good offense" and that most certainly remains up for debate.

If we were actually in the thick of things, I would agree. But I remember Stevie getting benched for a while two years ago because he was a bit over the top on celebrations. Dareus got benched for a quarter yesterday because he was habitually late for team meetings. Using that scale, how do we rate punching someone on the field? Especially for a game where all we're playing for is pride?

Alright, it was stupid. There's no excuse, and if I'm Marrone, I wouldn't be surprised if he gets benched for the final game to send a message. I hope it's not going to be an issue in the future, or that he gets suspended for any time next season.

Honestly, this is a good point for me. His durability is a bit of a concern for me as well, and it really has slowed down his growth. Look, I like EJ. We've seen that he *can* be good. He absolutely shredded the Jets (an elite Defense), played well against Atlanta and showed he could snap back on the round in the game against the Jaguars. But if he is going to be missing half the games each year to injury, I would really like to start developing someone with a bit more of an upside than Thad or Tuel. Best case scenario, we wind up like the Chargers: Drew Brees and Phillip Rivers on the roster. They say that a team with two quarterbacks has none, but tell that to the Packers (who lost Aaron Rodgers, and were in free fall until Flynn came back), the 49'ers (who last year started Alex Smith, and went to the Super Bowl with Kaep), and most importantly, the Eagles. The Eagles are a fantastic case. Vick looked amazing in preseason and to start before the Eagles tanked. Nick Foles went in, and had one of the worst games that could be played against the Cowboys, and now has come back to blossom into a pretty damn good quarterback. When Quarterback in so important a position, I don't see as much as a problem to overload it. Unlike, say, drafting YET ANOTHER pass rusher, as many people keep predicting.

I would. I am comforted by the fact that McShay is so completely wrongheaded most of the time that his prediction is almost assuring that we won't do it. We don't need another tackle. The area we need to improve on the O-line isn't the tackles, it's at guard. You typically want someone shorter and a bit heavier to really power up the middle. And I think we can get solid talent at the position in the second round.

I wouldn't say DROY, but the Bills got immense value for an undrafted free agent.

Yeah, because of the most polished route runners, and one of the best rookie WR's in the league ought to be cut because he *gasp* took off his helmet after getting knocked, which at most would have resulted in a penalty on a kickoff. It's not like Stevie has ever done anything that could have potentially had the same effect.

If EJ sprained his knee, and still lead the game winning touchdown drive...well, I won't complain.

Ehh, I'll take it.

Man, I never expected to see this thread getting dragged up again, two months after I first posted it. I think seeing Byrd coming back in form against Pitt and the Jets quashed any thoughts about trying to replace him. Is he really the best safety in the league? No, I still don't think so. Do I think that having Byrd happily locked up in Buffalo long term puts this defense only a piece or two away from being one of the elite groups in the NFL? Yes. Is it worth paying a bit extra to get that? Now, I think so.

Of course, that win came after the ball literally went through the arms of Detroit's star receiver in the red zone and into the hands of the defender who was completely beat. I'm not saying Tampa didn't earn it (we won by picking off the Ravens five times) or that their recent streak isn't a bit disconcerting (it is) but apart from a flukey win last week, beating Miami or Atlanta doesn't seem all that impressive. I think a big part of their success is Glennon coming in with a "gunslinger mentality". You might recognize the phrase from when it was being used to describe Fitz every week. Some people might remember the 4-2 start Fitz gave the Bills before the heartbreaking crash back to Earth. Carolina will have three weeks of Glennon on tape. My prediction is they Cam Newton puts on a clinic of how to cream Glennon.

The game I'm worried about is Baltimore vs. Pitt. Pitt would have to lose two, preferably three of their remaining games if the Bills want to pull ahead (assuming 8-8 as the playoff minimum) and after this they play Cleveland, the struggling Packers, and the Dolphins. All of those seem like very winnable games. The Hoodie would still want to run up the score...

Is Khalil Mack a WOLB? Because we're pretty good at the Jack/Defensive Specialist role with Mario and Hughes, but if his job would be to take over Bradham I could see why. If not, I would much rather see us take a TE.

I do seem to remember something about the lease with the city being guaranteed for a few more years, and then another heavy penalty if they wanted to relocate. I suppose they could just wait it out, but that's building a stadium maybe a decade in advance for something very uncertain. Reeeallllly hoping for the Jim Kelly group now though.

You know, the more I read, the more I'm seeing this board from the same time last year: Fitz=Geno ("I can't believe we paid that money/took that draft pick for him") Chan=Red ("Our QB isn't good, but they are giving him a pedestrian offense to run that isn't helping") Stevie=Holmes and TJ=Hill ("We have one, pretty good non-elite WR who is playing injured and there is no way the guy we just drafted is an NFL WR) Buddy=Izdik ("I know we want a new quarterback, but we have so many holes, where do we start? Who made all these picks?" Fire the GM!") Just sayin'

Considering the number of "Manuel is a bust" comments I saw, I can't really judge them too harshly. But man, Geno did look dreadful out there yesterday. His play really took a dive the last two weeks, and I'm curious if he can't throw in really windy weather. He was atrocious against the Bills when it was warm but gusting and the Ravens had a lot of wind as well. If so, playing in MetLife Stadium is not going to be easy for him two months out of the year.

Why can't the Patriots put it on the ball on the ground like this when they play us?

I agree that after this week, SD and Pitt both look like the teams to beat. Both have relatively easy schedules (almost as easy as ours) and they'd reasonably have to lose two or more games. The Bills aren't out, but I'm suspecting that they really might have to win out if they hope to make the playoffs.

Well he's shooting first. I sense much fear in you.

In other news, the Pope has been revealed to be a secret Catholic.

Oh, they definitely need to get better. They're not *bad* and they're doing a decent job of pass blocking, but I have to think that Legursky is gone at the end of this year. I would not be surprised if they went shopping during the offseason or spent a high draft pick. Remember, we got Glenn with an early second round pick. Getting a guard in that range doesn't sound like a bad idea.

Alright, I just finished the NFL rewind on the Falcons-Saints game. I'd like to take a look at the All-22, but I had a few thoughts before that comes out: 1) I know this has been hashed to death already, but can the Bills catch a break with the schedule planners? I know they can't account for anything, but after an extremely late bye for the Bills, that's getting mitigated even more. It didn't bother me when I expected the Falcons to steamroll us at the beginning of the year but now... 2) The Falcons are not a bad team. As much as we say that the Bills are better than a 4-7 team, I really have to say that the Falcons are not a 2-9 team. 3) Oddly enough, I kept thinking that the Saints defense looked a lot like ours. They would absolutely maul Matt Ryan and then start giving up big play after big play. 4) The reason the Saints defense held the Falcons to 13 points was, without a doubt, the fact that they batted Matt Ryan around like a pinata and sacks came on extremely inopportune times. 5) Whenever the Saints blitz didn't get there, they got burned with underneath throws. I think Kiko is going to see a lot of pass coverage. 6) I think this might be Spiller's chance to come back. The Falcons gave up a lot on flare patterns and outside runs. If the Bills can get Spiller's confidence and decisiveness back I think he could have a big day. 7) The Falcons did a great job running the ball up the middle in the first half. Not so much in the second. I don't have the exact count, but I thought I saw a lot more passing attempts, which seems odd considering all the blitzing I saw.

This does bring up a good point. I've heard a lot about Kaep regressing this year, and about Washington's woes, yet surprisingly little about the 7-3 Colts and the 9-1 Seahawks. Overall, I think that RGIII is a pretty good quarterback, and I can't deny him that. Is he elite? Ehhh.... Has he been overexposed in the media? Oh, without a doubt. I think these factors are a result of all the scrutiny more than anything.