Sisyphean Bills

I hope the Bills brain trust doesn't even bother talking to Fowler or Preston and lets them just slip on down the chute and out of the league via free agency. The running game got better when Butler got healthier and had 2 working legs to stand on. If Butler hadn't been helping Preston out much of the year, Edwards would've been in a body bag.

Well, it seems like a no-brainer does it not? I mean Tomlin is a Tampa-2 defensive guru trained by Tony Dungy himself and he was replacing Cowher wo was a 3-4 defensive coach. Yet, he didn't come in and "blow it up" in Pittsburgh. He's putting his mark on the team, but he didn't cut every veteran on the roster and bring in new offensive and defensive systems, did he? And the results, as you mention, speak for themselves.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play...tDo00.htm?redir

LeBeau helped coach Jerry Grey and the 46 system when he was here in Buffalo, yet by implication we're supposed to buy that "LeBeau doesn't know" the 46 defense because he has had more success coaching the 3-4? In the post I quoted the word "coordinator" is used ZERO times, so this "it's not the head coach, it's the head coach and coordinator" is nothing but rapid backpedaling.

I don't know wtf you are arguing about then. Like my original post said, they were in 2-man. Fitzgerald crossed, broke free, got depth on the LB (as he ran away from the Taylor), and ripped the middle of the defense for a score. It was a perfect call against that defense and perfectly executed. Taylor was a non-factor by design of the play and proper execution; Fitz simply beat him and he couldn't make the play even with a last ditch dive. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6Ys0iEpz8A

Deferring was all set to work exactly as they wanted. They go down and score to end the half and then come out and get the ball at halftime and, with the momentum, take the lead. But, it all blew up in their face with Harrison taking it back 100 yards for what was ruled a TD. If Warner had thrown it to an open Fitzgerald, it would've been an entirely different game...

What about the tuck and untuck rules?

Rarely. I did see it called a couple years ago, but yeah... Overall, there were a lot of very close plays and the officials were having a rough night and getting too much face time, IMO. Some of that was that the two teams played pretty ragged far too often. While the game was exciting, the skill of the game has really gotten watered down when this is the "best of the best".

Should've told the guy he was worth millions.

Actually, last I knew it is a penalty to have a teammate assist you in getting into the endzone. So, on that play, when Hartwig bear hugged Ben and pulled him into the endzone, it should have been a penalty, so no score.

That's what we do on this board. Actually, I sort of agree that it may be straining to read between the words a bit too much here. On the other hand, it is also ironic that a guy that struggles to make constructive comments is the public face and holds all the trump cards in the front office decision making "inner circle". It's not that hard to compliment Bruce Smith on his own achievements, there were a plethora, without having to inject a twinge of sarcasm into the current sad state of affairs. Well, sure, I don't doubt Wilson can smell the odor or that he finds truly pathetic football less than extremely entertaining. I don't mistake him for a total fool. And, yes, recognizing that there is a problem is the first step. We'll see, but so far the steps to correct the problems and put together a better product have amounted to "keep on keeping on" and next to nothing (and I don't mean just since the end of the 08 season).

Yep. He wanted out. Sounds familiar, too.

Thank goodness for Pittsburgh Steelers fans that Mike Tomlin didn't buy your rot and bring his Tampa-2 system to Pittsburgh and kick Dick LeBeau to the curb.

Ike Taylor wears number 92? Since when?

Actually, what I found curious was how Ralph threw the current team under the bus by saying they don't give the fans much to cheer about. While that is accurate, it strikes me as kind of odd (and ironic given the Bills decisions this off-season) for an owner to say things like that.

The safeties were in a deep cover 2 (the safeties were 25 yards back to prevent a big gain), no question. The play rolled the safeties and corners on both sides out with intermediate outs. Fitzgerald crossed into the middle of the field where he had a LB running up on him, got depth, and exploded right up the middle just as one draws it up on the whiteboard. Perfect call. Except for one thing. The Cardinals defense was gassed and it left too much time on the clock. Oh well.

They both have dark hair as well.

Hate him? Um, no. I give him credit for being the founder of the Buffalo Bills and being one of the pioneers of the game. He deserves to go into the HoF for all the things he has done for the game. I do think he is simply overmatched as his team's President, de facto "GM inner circle" ring leader, and resident "football guy" trying to compete in today's NFL.

How does any business not have any impact on its local economy?!?

Him saying he is not in it for the money doesn't mean he isn't clipping his coupons while he's standing in the check out line. He's not going to screw his family out of hundreds of millions of dollars for your wishes. He's not going to give up the rush of being the head honcho of an NFL team to titillate your assumptive fantasies. How do you know that there is a group out there that is going to buy the team with an iron-clad contract that the team has to remain in Buffalo no matter what? Who are the parties involved in such a contract anyway? Is a contract between a prospective owner and "the fanbase" enforceable? For the amount of money involved, no competent attorney is going to allow his client to sign something that doesn't have reasonable provisos and clauses for resolving disputes. Especially long after one party is dead and the contract may contain clauses that are damaging to the value of the asset. And, a long dead Ralph's wishes might not look so good if the Bills become financially strapped and the NFL has other vastly more viable markets that it wants to explore. But, that's OK. Back in Neverland, all things are possible.

Nobody's been an automatic like this since the 18-0 New England Patriots got their asses crowned going into the Super Bowl against the New York Giants, who were "just damn lucky to even be there", who had already lost to the juggernaut, and stood no chance at all and ... oh wait ... nevermind.

1. Taxes and family. His family will be better off not to pay capital gains AND estate taxes but just the latter. 2. His ownership is the best guarantee that the team stays in Buffalo bar none. He'll never move the team. 3. He can't unilaterally stop franchise relocation. Like he said, he doesn't like it and votes against it, but it happens.

http://www.walterfootball.com/seniorbowl2009.php

Well, yeah. Roy E. Williams was pretty damn useless last season with Detriot and with Dallas. McDonald is a poor man's Josh Reed. Being "buried" behind these guys isn't a mark of greatness. Was it ever. What young guys? Josh Reed, 8 years. Lee Evans, 6 years. Roscoe Parrish, 5 years. OK, Hardy and Johnson are young guys but I'd rather they get on the field and learn in their second year rather than get cut for an average white guy -- roster space is limited and it would be better to upgrade the top than the bottom of the list. What has he done for me lately? Next to zero.

Yes, the downward slope is amazing. And, we know that FAs that come to Buffalo always pick up their games.