Sisyphean Bills

Well, if they could clone Hangman and line up 5 copies, the line wouldn't be driving a lot of defenses down the field with ease, but it wouldn't have guys running away from the pass rushers yelling "Doh!" and "Olé!" either.

Yes, it is easy to understand and easy to type as well. Trent Edwards can't be trusted to make the plays.

Well, I hardly expected to be accused of giving anyone "a free pass". But, if that's what you took away from what I wrote... FWIW, I am definitely not giving him a free pass. I think Gailey is in over his head, was overly confident and optimistic, and is now grasping at straws as is his buddy Nix. I can't fault Gailey for the condition of the roster Jauron left him though. Nor can I fault him for the lack of significant activity on the part of Nix. As a result, I'm not going to call for his firing and head on a pike after two games: two games I knew they'd lose months ago. Edit: How is it not going to be a long and brutal process? Do you think Gailey will find the right magic with the talent he has? Are any of these QBs going to shine behind this line and with these receivers? (Gailey said himself that he doesn't have the answers.) Meanwhile, Nix is building the team the "old-fashioned way" and that is to say through the draft. He came through the door on day 1 and said exactly what he was going to do and that is what he is doing. Still, on a weak team, his first draft yielded zero starters. Since the current scouting department under Modrak got to Buffalo, the Bills draft record is abysmal and has netted on average little more than 1 mediocre starter a draft. The draft is only 7 rounds (btw, it could be potentially shorter in the future), so if you're grand strategy is a "back to the 1960s" build only through the draft, missing on 5 or 6 picks a draft is nothing short of a guarantee that your franchise will toil away in futility at the bottom, because ultimately football is the ultimate team game and it takes 11 players on offense and defense that can do their jobs to win and win championships. And, that's the point of playing the game in the end: to win a championship. (Though I understand that some folks are happy with mere existence.)

Not cut. Traded. But it looks like they may be late to that dance as well. <sigh> Oh, and good luck to Chad Simpson...

I think I'll take Chan at his word. He's looking to find the right mix of players. It's going to be a long, brutal process, I suspect, because the previous regime left him bare cupboards and his GM didn't deliver much in the way of new groceries. That's sort of the way it goes when you sign up for a "bad job". Edwards is just a bad QB and he deserves to be benched. Chan now knows what Perry Fewell knew last year and what Dicky the Ivy League Jay never could figure out. Sure, it is disheartening that it took even this long to re-discover America on this point. For a franchise that has wallowed in stupid decisions, it isn't endearing to the downtrodden fanbase for a new head coach to start off right out of the gate backtracking on his own first decisions that have amounted to strike outs. However, Chan's process is understandable. As Gailey put it, and I don't think he is highly deceptive or cagey, he is about trying different combinations and tacks to try and win. On the other hand, it's quite likely (as I think he'll discover in the end) with this group of offensive players that there isn't a magic combination. (He hasn't got an NFL QB, the line is too inexperienced and sucks, and he doesn't have enough weapons to keep an NFL defense honest.) Another approach he could take is to realize that these guys are just not good enough and that this throw-away season should be spent on developing an identity for the future, what a coach wants his team to become eventually, and for setting the bar for the few players worth salvaging. Which goes hand in hand with taking a long view, the team dumping anybody of any trade value that isn't going to be around in 3 or 4 seasons for whatever you can get for them. I'd be shocked if Gailey or the F.O. was going to admit/suggest that this season was a throw-away year after 2 games; but, I won't be surprised if there is a yard sale at some point.

Colt McCoy was a "no-brainer" to the talking heads.

Maybe it is just an indictment by the rest of the offense, that they aren't behind Trent. Wasn't it that idiot Sully that wrote something like that not too long ago after talking to Lee Evans?

Maybe we'll get the top overall pick in 2011 and 2012 after the lock-out.

I suspect Hangman calls the protections. He was brought in to Buffalo because of his smarts (not because he is physically dominant). In the first game, I saw times that I think Geoff was the only one that knew the protection he had called though. At least his head was swiveling back and forth like: "What the !@#$ are these guys DOING?!?"

If he really had a sack of balls, he'd have fired his OC and LT experiment before the first game.

True. You could suck at your job and be publicly ridiculed.

Sorry for the confusion. My bad. Wasn't a reference to the Bills game blow-out.

Golf Pro.

I wonder if a monkey throwing darts could find more than 1.3 average players a draft.

I see it all the time. Oh, and sometimes it goes badly and I hear the color man start blasting the QB for making a "bad decision". Like the QB has fly by wire to guide the ball when the receiver has a brain cramp and does the exact opposite of what he was supposed to do...

Because he hasn't been fired (yet). You're right about everything else. There is no question whatsoever that the guy put Maybin's name at/near the top of the Bills list, whether he made the final decision to pull the trigger or not. Just cause McShay or Kiper thinks it is a genius move doesn't mean a scout should.

What's really exciting is that they put all their preparation eggs into the Edwards basket. Then after 2 games, TWO!, they reverse field.

You know it's bad when the Dog is ready to throw in the towel.

It's hard to bounce back from a groin concussion.

Do you mean when he said "We're not that far away" back when he was introduced as GM or last week when he said that the Bills aren't as bad off as the Chargers were when they went to San Diego?

Jauron got his guys to play his Pop Warner Mighty Mite schemes to the best of their ability. They played hard and he had 4 years to bring in the players to suit his systems. That was his oft cited strength as a coach. Unfortunately, that's not what it takes to be good NFL team, a team that can make the playoffs. Having underwhelming talent, guys that "feel the love" and "want to be here" and keeping the continuity can keep a mediocre team mediocre for a few years. But the remedial schemes, lack of in-game adjustments, etc. meant the team was always playing with one arm tied behind its back and the better teams could wipe the floor with the Bills virtually every time.

Well, if you set the bar low enough that a snail can jump it, you're not going to be disappointed.

Good for him.

Seriously though, if they fired Chan today, who's the nut basket that would take the job then?