BillsfaninFl

A most courageous prediction. If only we ended up 7-9 this year we wouldn't have this turmoil among the Bills' staff. It never bothered Ralph being 7-9 in previous years. My predictions for 2010: 1. After the Bills' new coaching staff is in place, thousands of fans will immediately proclaim that the problems will be solved and the team will be competitive again. 2. After acquiring a couple of retreads in free agency, the Bills organization will announce that a number of problems have been solved and the team will be competitive again. 3. After the draft, some "experts" will predict that several of the Bills' problems have been solved and the team will be competitive again. 4. During the season, apologists will point out several times that the fans need to be patient because we have a new coaching staff, a new system on offense and defense, etc. But improvement is right around the corner. By next year the team will be competitive again. 5. After the season ends, the spin will be that we have improved the team in spite of our record, and we will be addressing gaps in our lineup in free agency and the draft. Next year the team will be competitive again. Dream World Predictions: If I found an old Bills cup in the attic and it offered me three wishes (about the Bills). 1. New talent gurus and a coaching staff will be in place that knows what it is doing and there are genuine improvements made in the player personnel by virtue of bringing in free agents and draft choices that actually will contribute right away. 2. The emphasis both before and during the season will be to play an aggressive style of O and D that tries to make plays happen to win, instead of attempting to conservatively hang on and not lose. 3. Wilson was visited by three ghosts at Christmas and now has decided to pay staff and players like most NFL owners do, so that the fans in Buffalo will remember him in a kindly way.

Bringing him in for an interview is not in conflict with the Rooney Rule. If they hire him without interviewing minority candidates, that would be against the rules. With the scheduled interview of Perry Fewell and who knows what others, I don't think there will be anannouncement on Tuesday. At least I hope not. I'm still chafing at the dumb process that was used to find a GM, and that Wilson was stupid enough to admit how he handled it. I hope that careful consideration is given to a number of candidates, with the emphasis on their qualifications/experience, the schemes and plays they would use to counter what the Patriots, Jets and Dolphins do on offense and defense, and their vision of what the Bills image and style should be in the future. Assuming that Buddy Nix will actually be able to make the decision on who he hires, I hope his knowledge of who is a good coach and what works in the NFL is far better than the Ralph and Russ team. If so, there's a chance of a turnaround for this team.

My response: Certainly, it is wise to use a system that maximizes the effectiveness of the players you have. Unfortunately, the Bills have not been very good at this strategy, but that's not the point. IMO, the reasons why the Bills should switch to a 3-4 now are... 1. A 3-4 defensive scheme is better for defending against our opponents in the AFC East, who like to run up the middle and throw screen passes to the outside. A big nose tackle who can clog holes and tie up two guys is required. The four linebackers allow a wider containment zone near the line of scrimage. 2. Regarding using the players we have in a 3-4, keep in mind that a new coaching staff will install a new system anyway. So forget continuity. Most of our defensive front seven players are near retirement (Schobel, Stroud) or not effective in either scheme (McCargo, Kelsay, Denney, Ellison, etc.) I believe Mitchell and Pozluszny would be fine in a 3-4.

You don't think there will be a stampede of big name coaches to join the Bills now that Buddy Nix is in charge? If anything, those who know Wilson's reputation and read his comments about how he decided on Nix as GM will not touch the HC job here with a ten-foot pole. I have the feeling that whomever is hired as HC will be a guy who is desperate and doesn't feel he could get an HC job elsewhere*. * IMO there is one worse HC job: being Davis' puppet on the Oakland Raiders.

LOL - Old Ralph is clueless enough to admit that he doesn't pay much attention to who is out there around the league and further states that Brandon doesn't know either. So because they don't know any of the top people, they consider two guys on the staff and go with one of them. Then Ralph implies that it's all luck anyway. So the bottom line is Nix goes from being retired to returning to scouting to being the GM. I don't know, but I would guess that Nix will be the lowest paid GM in the league. How could the research and hiring process be handled any worse, and what have we learned about the Bills hierarchy regarding being out of touch with the NFL (by their own admission)? Wilson's comments provide insight into why this organization is so screwed up, and you think that significant change is coming? And you also think that there will be a complete reversal of decision-making power, with Nix having the final say on everything? I don't mean to offend you, but you are letting what you wish cloud what has been the closest Wilson will ever come to a confession that he is not really involved that much with the league. Football is just one of his businesses, and obviously not one that he is highly interested in. But he still meddles with the team's decisions and refuses to spend money like most other team owners. The bottom line is our worst fears are manifested in what just happened. Our only hope now is new ownership that has pride in the team and wants to win, instead of it just being a "cash cow" business that is run "close to the vest."

We need to consider the real list: guys over 70 years old. Ralph doesn't trust those who don't remember the Charleston (that's a dance they did in the 1920s).

I agree. Members of this board often say we need a "franchise quarterback." But in today's NFL, the game is even more dependent upon good quarterback play, and few stars are to be had. Most teams do not have a franchise quarterback, and there appears to be a widening gap between the elite QBs and the rest of the group. Of course, there are some great offensive and defensive linemen, but IMO the gap between the great ones and the good ones is not as large. A team has a better chance of building strong lines, if they make it a priority, than finding the next Peyton manning or Tom Brady. That is why drafting (and/or acquiring quality free agent) linemen is so important for the Bills. Losman or Edwards may have worked out fine as starting quarterbacks if our O-line (and coaching) were effective. But we will never know. The emphasis must be to acquire quality linemen.

I don't question Nix's credentials. IMO his success depends more on whether he gets the power to do the job. That includes the financial support needed to bring in quality free agents and having a policy of paying top players what they are worth so they stay with the team. So the question really is... will he be a puppet GM or a real one? A year from now we will know.

Carucci's article was on the point. He called it exactly as it was: a business investment that was successful. Wilson has absolutely no respect for the fans in Buffalo. He thinks we are fools because it takes so little to keep us in line. In reality, we are ardent football fans. Unfortunately, we either must support the Bills or go without an NFL team. Ralph isn't fooling us, but he's holding all the high cards.

I can't agree with you. Never root for your team to lose. You have a right to hope for whatever you want, but the sad thing is based on recent Bills drafting history, they usually draft someone who many football people think does not deserve to be taken that high. So there is a real possibility that they make the same player whether they draft 5th or 12th. Someone who others have listed much lower in value.

Uh... I'm sorry to be the one to break the bad news, but there was a Saturday game on December 19th. The Dallas Cowboys beat the New Orleans Saints 24 to 17. The game was televised on the NFL channel. Then the following week, they didn't have a Saturday game, but they scheduled one on Friday (Christmas Day). This game was also on the NFL channel and showed the San Diego Chargers thrashing the Tennessee Titans 42 to 17.

Oh man, what a bummer. I saw a guy holding up a sign today that said "the world will end on January 14th." Now we'll never know what the big announcement was going to be. But there is an upside to this: any fan who still follows the misfortunes of the Bills when the world ends goes straight to heaven and will be attended by 72 virgins. What? you said the 72 dolphins were all virgins? Man, my hearing is getting worse. Sorry guys. But we still get to go to heaven. And we get to wear a pin that says "I have already paid for my sins: Bills fan."

This board is my therapy. One serious comment, then two lame attempts at humor. And a lot of you guys put in funny ideas that bring a laugh or two. It's a lot better than being in a funk on Mondays. So we speculate and argue and give our opinions about what we see and hear. It's a good thing.

I could never seriously consider what Clayton says. Instead of football guy, he looks more like a Geek Squad employee at Best Buy.

Let's start a rumor that he wears a condom when he plays, just to see if the refs check it out.

You are so right. I have many fond memories of coming to games with my father, then my wife, then my son and having a great time. The tailgating before a game is always super. Lot's of crazies, myself included, wonderful folks to chat with, share food and beverages with and toss things around so much that your arm hurts the next day. When the Bills win, the post-game party is fun, too. But the best tailgating experience was before those night games (Sundays or Mondays). If you show up two hours before the game, the parking lots are more than half full and you missed a lot of fun. It was awesome. It seemed like those who arrived earliest were always among the last ones to enter the stadium. Yeh, I missed the kickoff a couple of times. Great nostalgia.

And... it would be good for Lackawanna's reputation. Help people to forget the terrorists and the Bethlehem steel plant. Just kidding.

I wouldn't be unhappy with Jaws. His evaluation of player performances is astute and generally correct. I respect his opinions more than most of the so-called experts.

You think Cotrell would be interested in coming back to the Bills? After serving on the staff as a strong contributor, then being passed over for the Head Coaching job and dumped?

Snead? Isn't that Captain Hook's assistant?

Out of respect for those who would have us view the positives associated with the Bills, I start this thread with a sincere request for people to list the upside related to our team. IMO, we have as good a punting and placekicking duo as anyone in the league.

Apparently, not all of us read the question carefully enough. It has to do with going after free agents, not taking players in the draft. Of course, we have covered both subjects so often during the last few months, I guess it really doesn't matter. Okay, go ahead, knock yourselves out. Personally, I think we should hire a strength and conditioning coach for the coaches.

You're confused. I asked you for the hysterical game of the week, not historical. The answer is the Bills against Atlanta.

His collection of beer mugs, a family picture with a few of them crossed out, or maybe a video of him running to the same spot in the end zone a dozen times during college games and outleaping a much smaller DB to have a TD. Then he came to the NFL and was told he had to run routes. His response was "WTF are routes?"

The Bills are so bad, I can't lower my expectations enough to be positive about them.