tennesseeboy

As I said after last season, before the draft, after the draft, in free agency, while we were watching the waiver wire, when other teams were trading. OUR OFFENSIVE TACKLES SUCK and we are going nowhere in any aspect of the offensive game until we fix the MOST GLARING defect we have. It was the most glaring last year, it was the most glaring the day Nix and Gailey were hired, it is the most glaring now. OJ simpson would have gotten six yards.

This would be a great time to say "I told you so." if I were the kind of guy who would say that. Fortunately, I'm not that kind of guy...so I won't.

If everyone played like the offensive line we'd be on our way to the superbowl. The real problem is that we have very slow receivers who can't get down the field in the one or two seconds the offensive line gives the qb, a qb who can't read all the receivers while dodging the two or linemen in his face and very very poor runing backs. How many yards did that Spiller guy get. No NO NO!! Don't tell me the offensive line had anything to do with it.

We have a few things going for us. Spiller, Lynch Jackson is a pretty intimidating threesome and the o-line is better at run-blocking than pass-blocking. This is important for yardage and scoring reasons, but also for time of possession. Furthermore when the Dolphins throw eight in the box to stop the run or some other defensive maneuvers, the pass game opens up. Trent Edwards looks a LOT better than he did last year, Evans is looking good and Parrish seems to be stepping up. I think our passing game might be more adequate than it is miserable. We need a great tight end and a couple of more receivers to step up. Gailey will have an offense plan and strategy. Two things we sorely missed last season. Defensively I just don't know. I was surprised we didn't pick up an outside linebacker off waivers or in trade given the situation we had, and now without Mitchell, we may have some problems. We'll just have to see what they can do. I love our secondary, but we have a lick and a promise on the front seven. Special teams will probably be fine. Moorman and Lindell, McKelvin, Spiller, Parrish, Mcgee, and a gelling group along with a coach with a good track record should give us the advantage. A big element is the overconfidence of the dolphins. If they buy ANYTHING that the media is saying they'll be thinking this is a walk inthe park. I see us opening up with an extremely long run based drive that chews up clock and lets them know we're gonna be there all afternoon.

I know..I had to put band in quotes for that reason. Still I think that they fooled a lot of kids who thought they were a real band and went to their concerts. From the interviews of those who gave interviews (Mickey Dolenz and the short guy) they didn't even take the band idea seriously. I think the other two were happy because they never even got a chance to show whatever creativity they actually had. I don't know whether either of them had any cuz I never heard from them afte the monkees.

Gpood point...this team at its worst could never even come close to being the worst buffalo team ever. Vern Bullogh's team...Kay Stephenson's teams...Now those were bad football teams. We get nine wins...and I'll bet all those media types will jump right onto the Bills bandwagon.

I should start every day just looking at this video....

This goes back a ways but I have to say the Monkees. They were an artificial band to start with but were manufactured into something with songs others wrote for them and careful advertising and the tv show. I don't think ANY other "band" comes close.

I guess the only way we are going to get respect is to earn it. I don't know why they would think the Buffalo DL is better than Miami's as the line is practically all new and the backers are adjusting to positions. I hope they prove to be better on sunday, but a prediction right now seems weird, unless the Dolphins defensive line is just plain awful. If their d-lin IS awful, I would be very afraid of our running game. QB is okay as a prediction but TE seems to be showing lots of improvement, Evans is an all pro with experience with this qb and Parrish seems to be contributing (we are a little weak in receivers). The O-line is not as bad as many of us thought they were, but not the best going. Special teams...new coach..talented players, very very good kickers...I'm not too worried. Coaching? I think Gailey as a game day coach seems to make the most out of the talent he's got. I'm seeing him finding a strategy to win. Bills 27-Miami 24

ohhhhh.....the feeling I will have if the Bills beat Miami. I guess that would make Miami the worst team they have ever seen?

http://phinfever.com/newsite/ It seems the first writer is saying "be scared" and the second is really dissing us, but raising real question marks on the time regarding offensive line, personnel in place for a 3-4 defense and quarterback doubts. I started preseason close to the second writer, who raises pretty much the concerns I had going in. Some of them are beginning to be assuaged, such as the offensive line beginning to perform better and Trent Edwards beginning to look proficient. Some remain such as the front seven personnel in the the new 3-4. I think he is dead wrong about our defensive secondary which is aggressive and can be physical. The second writer ignores the potential ultimate strength of the Bills, what could be a VERY potent running attack. Prediction: Bills 27-Miami 24.

I think your questions c and d kind of answer question b. The bottom happens when you stop digging. To say we haven't "bottomed out" is saying we still have to continue doing the wrong things or to continue to fail to do the right things. The bills "bottomed out" last year with poor coaching, bizarre coaching changes and injuries...and may have exacerbated ( that has nothing to do with playing with oneself) the situation by some of their personnel moves (getting rid of Reed, Owens, Incognito and failing to get available players in positions of need, failing to draft, trade for or sign free agents to fill needs) but we made some moves that appear to be positive. The quarterback is showing new life and the o-line doesn't seem to as terrible as predicted. Spiller is turning out to be a very good choice and with Lynch and Jackson makes for a nice running game. Parrish has new life. The 3-4 probably lost us Schobel and we'll have to see how that works out....This is a long way of saying that there is no reason this team should think it will have a shot at the number one draft pick. I for one think they could even have a winning season this year. The bottoming out has already happened and I see rapid improvement ahead.

Gotta be the Pats, then the fins, then the jets...Hell I'd like to sweep them all. I think we are in a position that none of them should sweep us either. Things being as they are with luck and all that I suspect there will be some team that sweeps us and that we'll sweep one of the teams. I think the most likely target for us to sweep is Miami since I'm predicting a win on Sunday.

This is our problem in a nutshell from the article: "This is still a team with a lot of problems, and a glaring shortage of talent. They have no established No. 2 receiver, inferior offensive tackles, a weak linebacking corps that will struggle in coverage and in the pass rush. The same defensive linemen who struggled against the run last season will be adjusting to a 3-4." The defense is a work in progress and hopefully the front 7 will improve with each week. I have no doubt that we are deep in high quality and aggressive cornerbacks and safeties. The offensive tackles are an issue but so far they are looking less than awful and we might produce. The lack of a number 2 receiver when we got rid of Owens and Reed out of the box is pretty inexcusable. We'll know a lot more on Monday morning than we do now.

Good point. I find it a little hard to believe the poster would not identify but then would encourage other former bills to identify. Besides..I was cheerleader for the Bills from 67-72 as well and would have stayed but for all the tent-pitching and farting.

Economy. People are spending their money a lot more carefully and looking for value. As to the value part, we've lost a lot of players, have new but not exciting coaches, are not predicted to be doing very well...so I think we should not be surprised. That being said, I think we will pick up on the single game tickets as we win some games. I suspect we'll have more than our share of sell-outs...if we win.

I may be missing something, but the fact that a qb was kept or let go doesn't make the poster who thought x should be cut right or wrong. Its saying that the decision to keep x was the RIGHT decision, which may not be so. Now...if we get nine wins with this team....if TE goes to the probowl...If none of our cuts pan out elsewhere...then we might criticize. Incidentally I was surprised Brown was cut but didn't see much difference in TE, Fitz or Brohm. TE performed the best in the preseason. McNabb performed better before being injured.

What is your source for the major statement that NO other coach wanted to come to Buffalo. Fewell certainly would have taken the job for one. Not that he is better or worse, I'm just saying that there were other options. Shanahan and others took phone calls to discuss the job. I think this "we suck so bad nobody loves us" crap has to stop if we are going to get anywhere in the future. Gailey might be good or he might be bad. Like he says Let's let him show us the baby.

very doable. I'm pulling for nine wins actually, and see us finishing second in the division with that.

I'm supporting him, although I am less than impressed with the personnel moves to date. He is clearly proving me wrong on the CJ Spiller pick from what I'm seeing in the preseason. He can't be worse than the previous crew on game day coaching (and he has a pretty good reputation as a game day coach). Buy into him? Not until he shows me nine wins.

Pitching a tent and farting? Are you sure you weren't a coach during that time?

Winless? that's just silly. This team has a good solid core of capable players and could have had a winning season LAST year but for injuries and the coaching soap opera that went on. If nothing else there is a HUGE improvement in game day coaching. Gailey has a track record as a very good on the field coach. That fact alone will win some games. Spiller is looking like a very very good running back with Lynch and Jackson behind him and a good middle of the offensive line we should be relatively scary at running which opens up passing opportunities. The tackles have to play like hell for us to have a winning season, but I for one am assuming they can. The 3-4? A work in progress, but progress usually means improving as the season goes on.The defensive secondary seems to be pretty darn aggressive resulting in some defensive points off interceptions....The special teams still have Moorman and Lindell and should be good as they develop. We are as likely to go winless as we are to have a perfect season. Let's get real...we are arguing between 5 and 9 wins with a very surprising result if we get less than 5 or more than 9.

I don't think money is the issue at this point. We did sign a tight end and an offensive lineman...good choices. If there is a good 3-4 outside linebacker out there I think we'd be interested. I'm happy with the two moves we made on the waiver wire, and am confident that the FO will pull the trigger and get another player or two if they think they can help us.

I agree on the 2010 predictions as far as the Bills being far better than the media is putting forth and have maintained that nine wins should be the stretch goal from the outset. However I still think that this is a forum in which people can put forth their humble opinions, and not a cheerleading room. Also..why would you ask former Buffalo Bills to post their names when you choose not to do so? Sounds kind of weird to me.

Isn't "trade value" based not only on what we have but also on what the other team needs? Another aspect is whether the player is "tradable" in that we really can do without that player. Bird, Spiller, Evans and others are essential to our playing well this year. Based on all that I would say the highest trade value (one we could lose) for a team with a need would have to be Marshawn Lynch or Fred Jackson. We would still have three excellent running backs, with Spiller as the number one and would have solid replacements, and Lynch can perform well and start for a number of teams in this league.