thewildrabbit

Agreed. A mercy removal. This was a huge mistake from the get go. The guy graded an astoundingly bad (-21.4) at St Louis, and was their worst linemen. He was graded as that lines biggest liability in 2013. Why he was signed in the first place was beyond me, as even Legursky never, ever graded that bad. To put it in perspective that is Colin Brown bad territory. Up till the Detroit game RG Erik Pears has graded a (-12.4) in the run game, and his pass block efficiency was ranked 63 out of 69 OG's, and to be honest I can't figure which 6 were playing worse then him. I'd say Williams, Richardson, Urbik are probably 3 of those. Now at LG Cyril Richardson graded (-10.7) , and then considering he was playing against Suh, Fairley he really didn't do to badly. Currently the Buffalo Bills grade as the worst offensive line in the NFL, and are fielding rookies at RT & LG. Sill there is no reason why they continue to play Pears at RG. He is grading as the very worst OG in the NFL, and he is better then Williams.... Just some food for thought here. In 2012 Andy Levitre graded a (+17.3), and graded as the best pass blocking player on that line. So, the Bills let one of their best O lineman leave, and continue to try and replace him with utter garbage. I don't get it.

I can tell you this, knowing Bill Belichick and his propensity for film study. I suspect he has watched every game tape, and every NFL snap Orton has taken...ever! The Patriots currently have the #4 team in total defense in the NFL, and are 5th against the pass. They are 17th against the run. So will pea-brain Hackett come out throwing again like he has the last two games?

Sure, just like Marshawn Lynch couldn't see them either, so they shipped him out. EDIT: What I find incredibly ironic is that Hackett's dream RB would be Lynch up the middle in a cloud of dust carrying 3 defenders on him. These scrub coaches always want someone different, and fail to utilize what they have. Spiller is keyed on and gets tackled in the backfield quite a bit, so exactly how is that his fault? The biggest problem with CJ is he keeps getting compared to Fred Jackson, and not many many RB's can do what Fredex does. In making the first three defenders miss him to make his yards. Spiller gets the hand-off out of the shotgun on a draw play, and is expected to run to daylight... when there is none. Have you seen how poorly the current OG's are blocking? This is all on the Bills OC Nathaniel Hackett who is running a Syracuse JV run game in the NFL. Without a decent run game Kyle Orton is doomed. I'd say the current success in winning games by being incredibly lucky is unsustainable. I doubt the Patriots kicker misses 3 FG's, or they lose the starting 3 RB's and are forced to use the 4th string RB. Lose their best receiver for the game on one play. And to add to Kelly the dog's post above. With a good run game the Bills more then likely beat the Texans just like Dallas did. But unlike Dallas the Bills have two utter garbage at OG, and until that changes it will be difficult to build a decent run game. IMO

I believe he is a hockey guy first as he had Sabres season tickets for a long while when he lived in Buffalo, and not Bills season tickets. He has a passion for hockey, and although not a real "hands on" owner. The man is smart enough to know who to hire. He is a Buffalo fan, and clearly bought the team to keep them in Buffalo. The man clearly wants to bring a championship to Buffalo with both the Sabres & Bills. After watching this Presser I believe that the entire staff is safe this year no matter what the outcome. After the season might be a different story tho.

After listening to Terry Pegula I gotta love him as the new owner of the Buffalo Bills, as he is so humbled by what Ralph Wilson accomplished in his 50+ year reign. Then at the same time I have to think the wife is the real driving force for his success. I dunno, maybe its just me.

I got a different impression as Terry stated his wife would be sitting in with him at owners meetings. Not sure how often that happens with other owners, I'm thinking not often, if never.

I get the impression that Kim is the real power of the two, and she didn't want to upstage her husband. I also gotta think they she is the one the FO needs to worry about.

I honestly don't know how someone could be a true Buffalo Bills fan and not hate the Dolphins, really, really dislike the Jets, and absolutely detest the Patriots. The Jets really haven't ever been the threat of the other two teams, and have been a mostly a joke for a long time. From what I heard he was a Detroit Lions fan, and his children still are.

Nothing will change from what I'm hearing. From listening to this new owner, I'm thinking his wife is more the driving force of the two.

The one thing I noticed about Orton in his first start in Detroit is that he got the ball out very quickly, which negated much of the rush against him. He was only sacked 2x, and those were mostly coverage sacks. Then considering how bad that Bills O line is, I'd say that was a huge accomplishment. So, his ability to read the defense, set protections, and process the play as it develops is as good as Fitz's so far. However, his down field accuracy seems to be far superior. I did notice that Orton was able to change the play at the line, and usually for the better as he saw what defense they were in and countered it. Orton was able to run the 2 min drill well enough to get the Bills in position to win the game. Something that Fitz struggled with his last year under Gailey. Now for the bad. In 2010 Orton had 13 game starts with Denver, and went 3-10. 580 attempts passing vs 398 attempts rushing for the Bronco's that year under HC Josh McDaniel's & OC Mike McCoy. That's some decent offensive coaching, and way, way to much passing. This leads me to think that the Detroit game might just be an aberration in that Orton was undefeated against that team his entire career, and time while he was with Chicago, and he just might have their number. This sort of stuff happens as even Fitz showed in 2010 that he knew how to play against the AFC north from his time at Cincy. Fitz played very well against Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore. I'm kinda wondering what QB we will see against the Patriots. While at Denver, the guy who went 8-7 in 2009 and threw for 3,800 yards, 21 TD's, 12 INT's or the guy who went 3-10 in 2010, 0-4 in 2011. What I do know is that no QB can make a living throwing 40+ times with virtually no run game. That is the way the Bills offense went the last two games.If given a competent run game that can take pressure away from Orton I think he could do very well. If the trend continues in forcing the QB to shoulder the entire offense...well then, I'm not so sure. All we can do is hope he plays well.

When you have billions you can hire the right people to do everything for you, all you need do is sit back and enjoy yourself. I'm kinda hoping that Pegula will hire someone like Bill Polian to run the football side of things, so he builds a team with no holes. Then that guy finds us that elite Franchise QB, like an Andrew Luck - Peyton Manning

The Texans are a good team, but they can be had by a good run game as Dallas showed. Just be glad Buddy Nix is no longer around to trade up for players like TJ Graham

I thinks it is all of the above. Clearly Richardson isn't quite ready for Suh & Fairly, and Pears is simply downright terribad from every aspect. Everyone says this is Marrone in the move with Pears from RT to RG. This is also directly from the Buddy Nix school of thought that you can always move a tackle inside if he doesn't workout outside. Obviously this doesn't always hold true. How often does a 5th round pick work out at becoming a starter for this team? Almost never? So Richardson is probably not the answer at LG, and either is the guy they picked up in free agency who is actually worse then the rookie. This entire philosophy of never wasting a draft pick on a OG in the first round is about the lamest thing I've ever heard. Two of the most successful coaches in Bills history both drafted OG's early. Marv Levy & John Butler did it with Ruben Brown. Chuck Knox did it with Jim Ritcher, and both players played 10+ years in the NFL and both made the pro bowl. This past draft the Cowboys passed on Johnny football to draft an OG in Zack Martin, and the result is the Dallas leading the NFL in rushing AND in first downs by rushing. That Cowboy team is 4-1, #6 in yards, #5 in points. Not only are they protecting Tony Romo better. They are getting back to their roots of what made them a great team, and a SB team. For those that don't remember, it was pounding the rock with Emmitt Smith. Same with those 90's SB Bills, as Thurman Thomas was 75% of that offense, and they usually ran the ball more then they passed it. The San Diego Chargers also drafted an OG with a first round pick and its paying great dividends in both protecting Phillip Rivers, and allowing them to run better. They went from Rivers having his worst season to comeback player of the year with the help of that OG. Back to the OP's question. I doubt this FO makes a move to bring in better quality players at OG, as they just don't value the position enough. Incognito would be about 1000% improvement over Pears, and would help kick start the Bills run game, and protections. Top players at the OG position, and this team makes the playoffs, no question in my mind!!

While I agree that nobody wants to see the Bills win this season more then we do, and I'm sure we both want to see the Bills demolish Tom Brady this Sunday. I just happen to think that the team could easily collapse for the reasons we both agree are problem areas. I get that you don't see it that way. I also think changes might then be forthcoming if the team has another losing season.

The Patriots currently have a the #4 team in total defense, and are #5 against the pass. So when Buffalo comes out throwing like they did the last two games, and it doesn't work...what then? They have no run game. The Bills not having decent OG's is 100% Whaley's fault. The buck stops with him. He signed the waste of space FA Chris Williams who graded a dreadful (-21.8), and was the worst linemen on the Rams last year. Even as bad as Legursky was he didn't grade in negative double digits. Then Pears at RT is a complete fiasco, and a big reason why EJ was benched. Richardson is a rookie at LG so there are going to be growing pains until he proves after some time that he can't get the job done. So, I'll refrain from criticizing him for now. Still, Whaley is directly responsible for the entire teams play. So, whatever Marrone, Hackett do it all falls on the GM. Lastly, its not just all about the D line, as a blitzing safety can end a career. Just ask Trent Edwards. EDIT: Sorry to the OP for derailing the thread. The Bills currently have the #5 defense in points allowed, and are #8 in yards allowed. Which is way better then what Pettine finished with. So, should that continue I can see Schwartz getting many looks. That is if Marrone doesn't fall on his face this year, and Jim takes over.

Yea, the team has a great roster, and Whaley found that kicker, punter, and backup QB. Why can't he find decent OG's or TE's? He had two off seasons to correct those issues, and yet they are even worse now. Pears at RG is about as bad as Colin Brown at LG, and far worse then Legursky was at LG. You can't win games with 40+ passes, and almost no run game. Its what usually kills teams was my point. The way the Bills won at Detroit is unsustainable was also my point. I doubt the Patriots lose their first three RB's, or their kicker misses 3 FG's, or they lose Gronk after one pass.

I don't see this team as strong as you do simply because they have a still horrible O line, and its going on two years now. The absolute worst way to try and develop a rookie QB is behind a bad line. Kyle Orton might just be the savior...or one bad hit because the scrubs at OG can't hold a block and his season could be over. The Bills have virtually no run game, and its like this OC doesn't even try. 40+ passes vs 20 runs is just so unbalanced as you usually see that from losses. The Bills have two very talented RB's and for some reason the Bills OC can't figure out how to build a proper run game. The Bills don't have a superstar at QB, and really need a run game. The Bills were very, very lucky to win at Detroit as the Lions fell victim to a confluence of problems. needing to start the 4th string RB because the first three all went down with injuries. Their starting superhero at WR who had 7 receptions for 164 yards, 2 TDs his first game re-injured his ankle, and only caught one pass. No NFL kicker misses 3 FG's in a game, and yet it happened. Whaley still has a chance before the trade deadline to make some adjustments to make sure the team doesn't collapse. Or perhaps sign a well know head case who is about 1000 times better the current players on the roster. The question is, will he?

I'm so excited about the future of this franchise with new ownership that will forever keep the team in Buffalo. Its a great day to be a Bills fan A win Sunday against the teams biggest rival would be a great way to start the new Pegula era! GO Buffalo!

I was one of the fans who thought Pettine had a good shot at leaving to become a HC, and Schwartz certainly does as well. Nobody really knows what to expect from the Pegula's, and how much rope they will give the current regime. I can tell you that if these new owners know anything about NFL football, and considering the Bills current OG & QB situation. I can 100% say that Marrone & Whaley already have their necks in a noose.

There is nothing like the NFL game day experience in RWS! Being in a stadium with almost 80k delirious fans from a great win. The tailgating, the comradery from fans & friends around where you sit. It helps to have season tickets, and sit in an area with mostly other season ticket holders as they tend to be more family oriented. Try sitting in different areas around the stadium from game to game to find great seats.

I'm just glad he had the meltdown during the Bills game, and not before it so they replaced him with someone decent. They make those 3 FG's, and its a different outcome.

San Diego is hurting themselves on their O line as they picked up Legursky because their starting C and backup were both hurt, and started him last game. He was injured last game, so now the Chargers are looking for a replacement at center. Anyway, I wouldn't hold my breath for Whaley to obtain a decent OG as this regime seems to think they can get by with scrubs. That one position will probably be his undoing. I suspect that one of the current OG's will be cut by week 6 just like last year.

Man 0 Man this game is so important in the grand scheme of things. A win and the alone atop the AFC East at 4-2 with two wins in the division. Marrone beats Belichick, and shows he can win against the best of the division the last 14 years. Heck, even Gailey did it once. Can the Bills stop that Patriots run game that ran the ball on Cincy, and shut down Brady? Will the weakness at the OG area continue to adversely effect the Bills? Will the Bills manage to get their run game working so Orton doesn't need to carry the entire offense again this week? A win against their biggest rival would be a fantastic reward to the Pegula's for investing in the Bills.

It was a confluence of crazy events that led to that win in Detroit. Nobody other then Bills fans thought they had a chance to win that game. Sometimes its better to be lucky. Their kicker having a complete meltdown that cost him his career. He went 0-for 3. The injury to Calvin Johnson that took him out of the game, left Stafford with limited passing options. The lions losing their first 3 RB's, and ended up using a 4th string against Buffalo. Reggie Bush, Joique Bell, Theo Riddick all out injured. George Winn came in and missed a few passes. The one QB that has never lost to the Lions in all those years as the Bears QB is still perfect against Detroit.

That's Freddy! Plus, that stiff arm in Chicago that actually knocked the defender on his butt while Fredex dives into the endzone. Fans get down on Spiller because he can't do what Fred does... the thing is, not very many can do what Fred does!