SageAgainstTheMachine

6 years later, the Dolphins' dream of Ted Ginn beating the Patriots comes true, for the Panthers.

Well, I feel dumb for starting this poll.

I think this will be the story of the upcoming off season for Bills fans. The guy has taken a putrid defense and turned it into a top-10 squad (if you believe Football Outsiders, anyway) with pretty much the same personnel on the field. But is Buffalo merely a stepping stone into a head coaching job? Like most years in the modern NFL, multiple teams will be searching for a new coach. Vikings, Bucs, Titans, Texans, Cowboys in all likelihood. Turning the Bills around has been a great opportunity for Pettine to prove that he wasn't just a stooge for Rex Ryan. On the other hand, it's hard to miss how much the defense has gelled under his tutelage. And it's a reality that not EVERY coordinator desires a HC job. In fact, that promotion has proven time and time again to be a career setback if the first opportunity isn't a good one. Personally I think he stays.

Hands of stone aside, you can tell that Leodis is happier than a pig in **** playing man coverage. He sticks to his opponent like flypaper.

I like Carolina in this game too, but the Pats are resurgent after they looked so pedestrian early on.

What do you mean? Because of Goodwin? Their roles in the offense couldn't be different.

I think that Reed told Byrd a cryptic series of numbers and letters, which will end up sending Byrd on a scavenger hunt in search of a buried treasure.

Yep. Somebody's going to do it and if Buffalo is serious about winning then it should be them. The Bills were able to lock up their "solid-not-flashy" guys for reasonable money. Kyle, Stevie, Woods. Byrd and his 21 career interceptions are a different story entirely because every NFL team wants to sell that to their fans. And every coach wants that big play ability. Think of it this way: Isn't it tough to watch Spiller getting buried at the L.O.S when Levitre used to spring him to the second level so often? Now think of that drop off from Byrd to Searcy from earlier this year.

It was amazing how those kicks cut through the wind. Even one of EJ's passes (the corner route to Hogan) got taken badly, then magiCarp comes on 20 seconds later and drills it without the ball so much as knuckling. The job's his for now.

Same here, but how could it not? 32 year old corners are rarely effective in the first place and now he'll have a leg like Frankenstein's monster. The smart thing is probably retirement, sad to say.

I don't think it's an issue of "can't". And it's not like it doesn't happen: Roscoe Parrish is a pipsqueak compared to Goodwin's frame but suffice it to say a head-to-head race would be interesting, and Roscoe played the slot quite often when he was healthy. I just think it's a waste of a resource. Goodwin's the type of player who can reduce the opposing defense to 9 men just by being on the field.

I honestly think it has to do with being down on the field. This is obviously pure speculation, but up in the booth probably feels like playing a video game. Of course a 3 yard out to Lee Smith will work! I drew it up!

The benefit of having speed outside is that it forces a Catch-22 for how the defense uses their safeties. The faster the guy, the more likely that a safety will have to abandon the area between the hash marks. That's a boon to your running game and your possession receivers. This is also why cornerbacks who can put receivers on an "island" are so valuable. They rarely need the help, which acts as a great boon to the run defense as well.

Agreed. The bird's eye view has its advantages, but put some assistant up there and give him a headset if you need that angle.

You know what impressed me most? After our botched punt that allowed the Jets to close the game to 20-7, I was 100% positive that the Bills would go 3 and out and hand the ball right back. I'd seen this story SO many times before. Instead, EJ throws two consecutive absolute beauties and suddenly it's 27-7. I know the rook has his faults, but how long did we wait for Trent/Fitz/Losman to put their shoe on the opponent's throat like that? Credit to Hackett on this particular occasion too.

I have to give credit on scoring a TD that made him look like a seasoned vet. I just don't think he's a guy that's useful between the hash marks or running a complex route tree.

Teams constantly win without a credible rushing attack. Remember the Packers' Superbowl run? That said, there has to be a better way to use Spiller.

Apologize? No way. Applaud? Sure. Would I sign him? Hell yes. I realize the franchise tag sucks when you don't know if tomorrow is your last game in the NFL, but he wasn't there for his team plain and simple.

And now that I think of it, Dareus had a great game too. He set the tone with that shot to the ribs on Geno, and shut down the middle of the field consistently when they ran. He and Kyle were dynamic.

Wedding's in June and we just moved to NYC together. Good times. By the way, there was something special about seeing the Bills beat the Jests right here in the Big Apple.

Yeah, I met a girl But I'm finally not working Sunday afternoons anymore so I should be around a bit more frequently.

Week 2 - Mario Williams Week 4 - Aaron Williams Week 7 - Mario Williams It's a tough one. Goodwin gave me great hope for this offense going forward, but Byrd had the greatest impact on the game.

I think he's currently our best weapon on offense. WR is one of the most difficult positions to figure out and he's currently ahead of the curve. The blazing speed aside, I saw crisp route running, good hands and great awareness of where the sticks were. As rookie speedsters go, that was a virtuoso performance.

Why value conviction for the sake of conviction? Doesn't it matter what the person is convinced of?