All_Pro_Bills

The Bills are simply a dysfunctional organization and we as fans are stuck supporting this lousy product on the field each Sunday. The fact that most of us are still around is either testimoney of our unwavering devotion to our team or an indiction of our willingness to inflict pain on ourselves and our loved ones. Anyone that has ever tried to change or 're-engineer' a business culture knows that without support and commitment from the top it is impossible to pull off. And here its clear that ownership is not committed, nor has any desire, to any fundamental changes. To change winning needs to be established a a priority of the organization. Winning as its been said is not everything, its the only thing! But who among us really believes that winning is or ever will be a priority of this owner and organization? Sadly and more than that depressing, is the fact that we're stuck with this can't teach an old dog new tricks situation until ownership changes hands which comes with a lot of unknowns at this point. So expect more bad coaches, lousy front office, poor drafting, and losing on the field until that happens.

This seems like a 'good' time for Nix to step down and hand the job over the Whaley. He was brought in from the Pittsburgh organization a few years ago setting up the expectation that he was being groomed to take over the GM job in the future. Well the future is now. But going back and saying you could have picked this guy or that guy instead of the player they did is nothing more than a Monday morning QB routine. I could do that with my fantasy team too year after year! Its a nice exercise but it gets us nowhere closer to solving the problem. I think the problem with the Bills goes way beyond who they draft vs. who they didn't draft. IMO, the problem is one of systemic failure and an environment that perpetuates it. Simply, the Bills just 'feel' depressing and the organization sucks the life out of players and fans alike. At the end of the season, after watching week after week of bumbling and futility, I feel totally spent rather than looking at the season with the sense that it was all worth it and the team made some progress toward the ultimate goal of a championship. You've got to turn that around by starting at the top. How many times have we written or read that it all starts with ownership? For one thing, the front office and the coaching staff need to get younger (the owner is old, the GM is old, the coach is old). I've got nothing against 'old' people, we're all going to be one of them in the future hopefully, but the team lacks the energy and optimism that youth can bring. Promoting Whaley sounds like a good first step to me and letting him make the decision on coaches and pro and college personnel might finally get things going in the right direction.

I hope they re-sign Byrd too but you can't blame him for checking out his options in free agency. The first free agent contract is the last big deal that most players are likely to sign. From a player's perspective what do the Bills have to offer that would 'stand out' relative to what other teams might be able to offer? More money? Perhaps this will be, and is always, the deciding factor regardless of all the talk about intangibles and touchy-feely issues. If he stays that would be great but if he decides to take an offer somewhere else I would not hold it against him at all. Given the rudderless state of the Bills ship this century and lacking any clear vision on a positive direction why would you want to stay here? I'd have a heart to heart sit down with Nix/Whaley and give them an opportunity to 'sell me' on the program but it better be something other than keep on doing what we're doing until it works because that ain't never going to happen.

Some similarities for sure between past and present with a slightly different theme. Gailey is either stubborn, stupid, or incompetent when it comes to utilizing Spiller and designing an offensive scheme that can get the most out of his abilities. My guess is stubborn. What is most puzzling is by not using Spiller he is putting his position as HC in jeopardy given the overall record of the team during his tenure and the expectation that getting Spiller more ‘touches’ will lead to more points on the board for the offense. Why not give yourself the best chance to win? Like one of my old bosses used to say, as a manager you can only be successful if the people in your organization are successful. I always remember that and try to put it into practice. I think it applies to NFL Head Coaches too and Gailey is not putting his people in a position to be successful because of his unwillingness to alter his approach given the specific talents of the players to run the offense. Something that Saban was able to clearly see and do with OJ when he returned.

Possible changes to estate tax law could impact the timing of ownership's decision to sell the Bills. The current 35% tax rate might rise to 45% assuming it's part of the deal struck by the Adminstration and Congressional Republicans. This change would cost a $1 billion estate around $100 million in extra taxes. Is that enough to 'force' a sale via a capital gains route vs. the estate sale approach? Who can know for sure but it could introduce a new wrinkle in the ownership succession issue and produce a decision sooner than the current plan of waiting for a post mortem estate sale. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-11/buffett-joins-soros-in-effort-to-raise-taxes-on-estates.html

The OP's point appears to be an indictment of the coaching staff rather than any slight of Brooks' ability or effort. I liked the pick too and when the LSU HC was on during the broadcast when the Bills made the pick he also stated the Bills got a great player. I believe that given an entire offseason that Brooks, and Gilmore, will raise their level of play significantly above what we've witnessed this season. Given a year under their belt the DB group should become a strength of the defense. The coaching staff on the other hand appears to have no learning curve or chance of improvement. While I don't welcome another new coaching regime next season unless its a clear 'improvement' and move forward I am completely depressed at the hopeless prospect of dealing with another season of Gailey/Wanstadt next year. The only person left on Earth that can't see these guys are clueless is the one person needed to make the decision.

The book of work on Flynn is pretty light given how few games he's played. He parlayed a 'showcase' performance with the Packers into a free agent contract during the offseason but now finds himself on the bench in favor of a rookie 3rd round pick. I would prefer the Bills 'find' their own franchise QB through the draft rather than sift over the scraps that other teams throw out there. Getting a guy that everybody else would want vs. a guy that nobody else wants would be a nice change of pace. IMO, they need to go into the draft next April with the intent and purpose of resolving the lack of production from the QB position and make it a strength rather than a weakness and restraining factor for the team. We've seen enough of this recycled leftovers from other teams routine since the Kelly era ended to know it is not likely to solve the problem here. And this management team has not instilled a lot of confidence in their ability to evaluate pro-level free agent talent on a consistent basis when pursuing and signing free agents or making trades. For example - the T. Jackson trade, while only costing a 7th rounder, made absolutely no sense given the fact the guy has not seen the field at all this season. Probably could have picked him up on waivers or free agency for nothing after March 1st next year if they wanted him so bad while letting him sit on the Seahawks roster for the 2012 season vs. paying him to do nothing.

I am not clear that injuries on special teams plays, specifically kick offs, occur more frequently than other plays. From what I've observed you get most of the injuries with lineman in tight at the line of scrimmage, with runners getting cut low, and receivers being hit hard where a player on either side of the ball might be injured. I think they've done enough to take kick offs out of the game. Many games have no returns regardless of how much scoring there is during the game. My idea would be to put the ball on the 20 on kick offs that get downed in the end zone and on the 30 for kick offs that land past the end line. A ball bouncing out of the back or side of the end zone would be put on the 20.

Statistics are one thing but to judge whether or not a QB is hit 'legally' you've got to make observations by reviewing the plays and using judgment and understanding of the rules to determine if the correct call (or non-call was made). Simply saying a QB draws a roughing penalty x percentage of the time proves nothing about the integrity of the officiating.

The fallacy of anyone arguing the point of better 'teaching' is that teaching can help turn potential into performance but it cannot increase potential ability. For example, I could use a personnal trainer to increase my strength and conditioning but not to a point that exceeds my genetic potential. If a QB is inaccurate with the ball, outside of improving mechanics which was reported in the preseason with QB coach Lee, there is little coaching can do here. The solution is to find/draft a QB that throws with greater accuracy.

You can always look at options to upgrade the O-line but the Bills have one of the highest yards per carry averages in the NFL this season and the pass offense is hampered more by a wildly inaccurate Quarterback and the lack of a legitimate #2 receiver than any offensive line issues. Signing Levitre and getting Wood healthy are key also and adding some veteran depth at the right price would be a good move too.

True, a random coin toss has a 50/50 chance of being heads or tails but someone that has developed, through skill and practice, a high level of proficiency at coin tossing can probably make the coin come out either heads or tails as they desire most of the time. The impact of several fundamental business and football flaws is the reason why the Bills miss the playoffs vs. any random chance. Still you've got to be really good at being bad to pull off swinging and missing for 13 seasons.

Yes, that was a great play, running down the defender, stripping the ball, and then recovering the fumble. The type of play a 'good' team would have taken advantage of to take that game away from the opponent. I also appreciate SJ's refreshing honesty in speaking up about the 'situation'.

The key point of the low probability of missing the playoffs 13 straight seasons is that you've got to really work at it to achieve that level of futility. You're doing things that are so fundamentally in opposition to the factors supporting random chance that they're overriding the laws of statistics. No need to reharsh those 'factors' since we all know pretty much what they are anyway. The only people that don't seem to be aware of them are the decision makers at OBD..

To want to win you've got to have a passion for the game, whether its football or some other venture. A guy like Kahn seems to bring that to the ownership position. Not that passion by itself leads to success you've also got to combine it with business smarts too. I think Ralph has business savy and with regards to the Bills as a business venture it would be easy to call him successful. However, the passion and love of the game just doesn't seem to be there at this point given the circumstances. It would certainly be better for the fan base for ownership to 'reveal' the succession plan, if there is one other than ownership accepting post mortem bids with the estate making the decision on which to accept in accordance with league and legal issues regarding the sale of a franchise. I wish I could feel more optimistic but reality is we're not going to get that so we're stuck in the no-man's land of mediocrity until a change at the top. And then there's the ever present relocation possibility to deal with when it happens.

While Wilson should be lauded for keeping the team in Buffalo when he could have moved it elsewhere that is not something I consider so extraordinary. With the exception of maybe a half-dozen franchises the rest of the teams in the league would benefit financially from a move to let's say the often cited Los Angeles market. So is doing something that about 26 other owners are doing so special? What Bucky fails to say is that winning is not a current priority of ownership and perhaps has never been one. To want to win you've got to be committted to it and have a passion for the game (see Sabres new ownership as an example). I get the sense that Mr. Wilson has a passion for the business of football but not necessarily the game on the field. After all, his in my view, deserved hall of fame induction was based on his contribution to the business end of the game, making the AFL and the merger with the NFL, rather than the success of his team on the field. Unfortunately, Bills fans are stuck with the current situation, which I fear means perpetual mediocrity, until there is a change in ownership which of course will also raise the relocation issue.

If you look at the pro sports the leagues for the most part operate under the priciple of creating 'parity' by utilizing things like the salary cap in order to remove many of the competitive advantages some franchises might have simply through the good fortune of being in a 'better' location than others in the league. Baseball might be a big exception with the Yankees and a couple others spending whatever it takes with a soft cap but not so with football. That is what is so frustrating about the Bills. They defy the rules of statistical probability and chance. To miss the playoffs 13 straight seasons you don't need to be bad and incompetent, you've got to really work at it! It seems almost too simple but just doing the exact opposite of what they've been doing for the past 13 years should be enough to turn things around. Start by drafting some QB's prospects, spend some big money on a good coaching staff, pick a 'system' and stick with it by hiring front office and coaching candidates that 'fit' the system. Look at the successful teams and emulate what they do.

The Bills will not have made the playoffs for 13 straight seasons. The longest streak in the league. IMO that is the most telling stat of how futile things have been for the fan base. I see what you're saying but I don't think Bills fans in their 20's and 30's care much about looking back 40 seasons. It will be 20 years since their last Super Bowl appearance next season. Take away those great 5 or 6 seasons in the 90's and what do we have? Very few consecutive winning seasons to be positive about. Reality is that for fans under 20 those Super Bowl years are about as important to them as the 60's AFL championship teams are for me.

The optimal situation would be to draft a QB and bring in a competent veteran like the Giants did with Manning and Werner and the Titans are attempting to do with Hasselback and Locker just to cite a couple examples. But this looks like a pretty weak QB class unless somebody distingishes themselves at the combine or workouts prior to the draft. I think Nix/Whaley have done a decent job to improve the roster through better drafting and a few free agent signings while working to retain good players rather than let them walk as was the standard procedure prior. I wouldn't be upset if they stay on next season. After some initial optimism the coaching staff has been a real flop. A change is needed but only if it means real improvement. If you're going to fire one second tier coach and staff only to hire another second tier coach and staff it makes no sesne to change anything. Because its not really change. The problem here is that uncertainty with future ownership is going to keep the top candidates away from considering the job. Why would any high caliber candidate leave a secure and steady gig somewhere else to take a job that might see you out on the street in a year if a new owner decides to go in a different direction? Ralph selling the team while he's still alive would solve both the ownership/relocation issue and the problem with attracting top coaching candidates but that isn't going to happen from what is understood at this point.

The situation is so depressing its beyond description. Ownership will likely make a coaching 'change' after the season. Bringing in another 2nd rate head coach with a lousy supporting staff making the promise turning things around. No high caliber coaching candidate is going to take the job at the teams pay scale and with a change in ownership pending at some point. The reset button on the rebuilding project gets hit once more. Then 3 years from now we'll be doing it again. For me after 12, and now 13, years of futility and bungling it's difficult to find reasons to support and follow this dysfunctional franchise.

Don't disagree with you one bit but there has to be a balance between allowing parents to raise their children and protecting them from abuse.

That question raises an interesting issue because it would seem that the bar for what constitutes socially acceptable behavior has been getting lower and lower as we move forward in time. But should we blame the parents? After all, the 'State' has more or less taken away a parents right to disipline their children and what our parents (kids growing up in the 60's and 70's) used to administer for disipline is now considered child abuse. So now these kids grow up thinking they can do and get away with prety much anything they want (because they have 'rights') and the fact is they can and do get away with it. It's one thing for two knuckleheads that want to get into a confrontation to fight it out but when you've got a bunch of drunken idiots running loose bothering fans that want nothing to do with them you've got a problem and a line in the sand needs to be drawn by the law enforcement and security communities at the stadium. The sad fact is that the team obviously feels they have no responsibility for what goes on outside the stadium and for the most part what goes on inside from what I've seen in my last few games there. Some kind of zero tolerance policy is needed with significant jail time and fines for the morons. Locking them away in jail for a month and fining them big bucks might knock some sense into these goofballs.

I had a vigorous argument with my wife on the half ending drive when Spiller was not in the game. She told me that the coaches cannot be that stupid to have their best offensive player out of the game in that situation and he must be hurt or something. I said he looked fine standing on the sidelines. Well we now know which it is. Some of Gailey's calls are too hard to take. The empty backfields on 3rd and 1. Running the wildcat with Choice vs. Smith. On the other hand I thought Powell's punting was great last night and confirmed the teams decision to release Moorman was a wise move. The defense finally showed some signs of what we expected but lets see 2 or 3 such efforts in succession before it can be called a trend. The offenses inability to close out the game at the end is unacceptable. That it took 2 interceptions in the closing minutes to seal the victory is not a good sign. But a wins a win.

The key stat is that any QB for the Bills must put up around 40 points to have a chance of winning. In the NFL that is nearly impossible on a consistent basis. That fact puts you in a completely different mindset vs. knowing you have a defense that has your back. Not saying the QB position can't be upgraded only that the team game is full of interdepedencies and relationships that impact each other and nothing operates in a vacuum. Answer this: if we had a top 10 defense would we even be discussing QB play?

All I'm saying is the defense is the number one problem with this team. I'm also convinced that Fitz is not the 'long term' solution here but to single his play out as the major contributor to the Bills poor showing so far this season is unfair and incorrect. I don't care who the QB is as long as you're giving up an average of 37+ points per game in 6 losses you are not focusing on the biggest problem. Even last weekend against the Pats when he threw the pick I said to myself, 'well there's still time on the clock and they have all 3 timeouts so even if the Bills scored here and took a 38-37 lead they'd probably let Brady move the ball down the field and into scoring position for a FG kick to win the game as time expired'. This group and this coordinator cannot dial up a stop when it matters.