BillsPhan

Defense wasn't the problem? I don't care how bad your offense is, finishing #31 or 32 against the run is a huge problem, my friend. Fewells' version of the 4-3 - this hybrid thing with smaller players running to specific gaps all day long might work if you have tremendous athletes in every freakin' position, but alas, the salary cap won't allow that. How many games after the Bills allowed yet another 150 - 200 yard rushing against, did we have to listen to both Fewell and his players whine about "not getting into their proper gaps." Poz - "We were lined up perfectly, we just missed our gaps." Excuse me, I may be one of those 3-4 idiot fans, but WTF is Poz talking about? I would laugh out loud when Fewell would say; "I had them in the correct calls, they just didn't play their gaps." Well, did your players practice running to their correct gaps, Perry? Or maybe they were just not talented enough to be able to understand your gaps in the heat of battle, perhaps? Whatever the case was, Fewells' 4-3- defense sucked against the run each year he was the Bills' DC. Even an "idiot" knows to win in the NFL, you must run and stop the run. I wish the Giants well if Perry keeps his same system down there!

That would be a great #9 pick to get Jimmy Clausen. But at this point, I'll take Tebow if Nix wanted to go in that direction. QB is a must this draft in my opinion.

....no thanks, I won't call you a sucker. I prefer to call you a real Buffalo Bills fan. Take a look at what Bill Cowher, Dan Reeves and Herm Edwards say about Chan in articles on this board. Plus I loved the passion in both Chan Gailey and Buddy Nix from yesterdays' press conference. Would I have been happier if Chris Polian was our new GM and Bill Cowher the new coach? Absolutely. But like you say, we are real Bills fans and we are not going to quit on them, until they leave town. Buddy Nix's passion and instinct to defend his team reminded me of a young Bill Polian back in the day, telling us that Marv was our coach and Jim was our QB, and if we didn't like it, get the hell out of town. Granted, Chan's going to have to win an AFC East Championship or two before he deserves to be defended like that and God knows we have no Jim Kelly for fans to get mad at right now, but at least Buddy is standing up for his Buffalo Bills, and I have not seen that since big John Butler (God rest his soul) left town!

Last year I was hoping the bills would draft the best offensive lineman on the board with their #11 pick. After watching Michael Oher start for the playoff Ravens since day one at RT, and Phil Loadholt starting for the still playing Vikings at RT since day one for them, and knowing how Maybin has "worked out", I think I can honestly say with confidence that I was right. This year I may likely be 100% wrong in most fans' opinions, but it is finally time to stop this QB insanity the Bills have put themselves through since February of 1997, the day Jimbo said goodbye. I am in total agreement with you - YES, the Bills should draft Bradford if by some miracle he's available at number 9. I'll go even further then that - they should just out right reach for their best QB on their board at the #9 spot, even if they have him rated much lower. Why? Because the good ones will get picked - there are too many other teams that need "franchise" QB's. If they wait even until the second round, Tebow, MCoy and even Tony Pike may be gone, in my humble opionion. Mel Kiper and his gang can rate those guys as low as they like, when push comes to shove, my guess is that teams will draft them much higher. It's too damn obvious watching freakin' 40 year old Brett Favre throw for 4,000 yards, while 80% of the NFL teams can't find a QB half his age able to throw for half those yards!! That's my take, and I'm sticking to it. Flame away, tell about the great OT's and DT's at number 9, I could care less. Grab the QB first, and then let Buddy and Chan's "200 combined years of experience" or however many, fill in the gaps starting with round 2!

link: http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/story/928310.html# Our guy Jerry Sullivan was out defending his fellow NFL media saints in full force this morning. To ready Sully, you would think those media "experts" were back in the 1960's....you know, when nothing would be reported until the story was actually substantiated with real proof? You want to know why I like Buddy Nixs' rants over Sullivans' sarcastic attack this morning? Because of the incredible story ESPN News (now there's an oxymoron if there ever was one) was running all night yesterday. Tiger Woods is in s sex rehab facitlity today. This report came in from some ex sex rehabbers' blog, who supposedly was only in that same facility to "research his book!" On top of that "source", ESPN then openly admitted that the rehab center would not confirm that Woods was even there, and that ESPN could not substantiate the story at all! They came right out and reported a story like that, and admitted they could not prove that it was even true. And these are the type of lazy "professional gossipers" that Buddy Nix was fired up about yesterday. Sullivan laughs and tells us he's just another Buffalo Bills puppet lying to the intelligent fans. I say I even if Nix was lying about everything he said yesterday, he was just reacting in kind to today's "reporters." I say, good for Buddy. It's nice to see someone from the Bills' organization actually standing up for it for a change!

Were you aware of football and the Bills when you were 17 - 20 years old?? 1990 to 1993. None of the AFC teams and their fans were laughing at the Buffalo Bills then, since the Bills won the AFC Championship all 4 of those consecutive seasons. Sure they lost all 4 SB's, and I suppose there were many idiots around the country who laughed at that fact. But some knowlegable fans have admired the fact those Bills teams went to 4 straight SB's, something no other franchise in SB history has ever done. After those amazing years, when you were 21 to 26 years old, from 1994 to 1999, I don't remember those Bills teams being all that "laughable" either. The Bills made the playoffs in 4 of those 6 seasons, and they were still fun to watch under Wade Phillips' great defenses and crazy Doug Flutie running around getting wins. We can go back farther if you like. Did you understand football and watch the Bills when you were just a kid, from 7 to 10 years old? I did - I remember the Bills all the way back to when I was about 5 or 6 years old. Anyway, if you were a young fan during those 4 seasons, you would have enjoyed Chuck Knox and his number one defense in the NFL win the AFC East in 1980, and then make the playoffs again in 1981. The 1982 season was interrupted by a big strike, and his Bills fell apart after the strike ended to finish out of the playoffs at 4-5-0. But the were still good even that season, and the next season, 1983, they still went 8-8-0 and nobody was "laughing at them" during even that season under Kay Stephenson. So sure, the Bills have had a lot of bad years during your lifetime, but you are conveniently leaving out the good years.

How about the 1919 Chicago "Black Sox"? You are about as much of a legitimate Bills fan as they were legitimate baseball players.

Why not? What if Gailey, with his calm experienced manner, quietly joins Buddy Nix and his 50 years of being a "football guy", and the two of them combine to sign some good free agents, and make some good logical draft picks this April, and the Bills actually look like they have a chance of being an improved team heading into the season ticket renewal date in May? After the 53 or so thousand season ticket holders renewed last season, knowing that DJ was back and the only interesting free agent signing was T.O. of all people, why should they give up their seats now??

I'm not predicting that peaches and cream will fall from the sky along with championships. I'm just predicting that with Nix's years of solid experience in scouting and assisting the GM, he will draft a QB that will have a real chance to start within a year or two, similar to Joe Flacco, and he will draft a starting - caliber OT, and he will find a good strength and conditioning coach to at least do some different things the last one did. As far as Fewell being a better coach in New York? I don't buy it. I hate his 4-3 "gap" schemes, and unless he changes it to a different main defense, the Giants will end up allowing a lot of yards rushing under his watch!

Excellent take. I do have a couple of observations though. With Bill Polian running the show I am amazed that the Colts don't have at least a passable (pun intended) back up for Manning. I know Peyton is an iron-man and never misses a start and all of that, but still, he made sure Frank Reich stayed in Buffalo all those years behind Jimbo, I'm surprised he doesn't have anyone better behind Manning. Secondly, it is ironic that the Jets are back to play Indy with the SB on the line. However, I thought the Colts were well within their rights to rest Manning and the other starters after they had home field advantage sewn up. When the Bills did it, I don't remember any fans complaining 15 - 20 years ago when they were the best team in the AFC. As far as the Indy fans bitching about giving up on the perfect season? Well it sure seemed like they "forgave" the Colts, once that game started against the Ravens in the sold out Lucas Oil Stadium Saturday, didn't it?? Yes sir, they packed the house and screamed loud and long for their heros now that the playoffs had started, and they realized just how stupid the Pats were to have lost Wes Welker during a meaningless game, while all of their starters were as healthy as they could have been.

Mike Florio reminds me of just about every fan posting comments. ASAFP?? This is what a professional writer writes in one of his articles? I'm convinced that other then hiring Jimmy Johnson as his first head coach after taking over the team, Jerry Jones has been nothing more then a younger version of Al Davis and Ralph Wilson, and an older version of Dan Snyder. Now, of course Jimmy brought Jerry and "How 'bout them Cowboys" three SB Championships over 4 years. (The third win may have been coached by that moron from Oklahoma, but it was still Jimmys' team that won it, and of course Neil O'Donnell helped the Cowboys that day as well!) After the moron went riding back to Oklahoma, and Jerry hired his third coach who had to play the guys Jerry Jones was drafting to replace the champions Jimmy brought in that were getting older, reality set in for Jerrys' 'Boys and it has not gotten much better ever since. Even when Jones brought in Bill Parcells, he would not or could not allow the Tuna to finish the job his way, and Parcells left Dallas as the first team he coached that did not make it into at least a conference championship game. Pretty amazing, to think that Parcells never got there with all of Jerrys' money backing him up. Jimmy is simply the richest and most successful businessman of the current group of NFL "control freak owners." He got his billion dollar stadium to play in, and he makes every decision with his son Steven, but he really is no better then the other owners who refuse to just sit back and let the real football men bring him the championships, like his old friend Jimmy did at the very beginning.

Hey the Vikings didn't need to risk unnecessary injuries to Favre and Rice scoring a meaningless TD just to metaphorically give Jerry Jones the finger. Bud Adams invested 250 Thousand to simply stand up and point the finger at Ralph and the Bills earlier this season!!

Got it. But we do have one new guy helping to run things this coming season, and that is Buddy Nix. I predict that Nix will draft a QB that has the ability to play within 1 or 2 seasons, and bring in a different veteran QB to replace Edwards for the 2010 season. I am also confident he will draft an OT that will have the ability to compete immediately for a starting job this season. I am also confident he will bring in a new strength & conditioning coach which will improve the chances for the Bills putting less then 20 freakin' guys on IR in 2010. Finally, I'm confident the new coach will hire a defensive coordinator that will teach his defense to finish better then freakin' 31st against the run for 2010! (Good luck Giants, when Perry installs his "11-Gap Cover-0" scheme featuring lineman weighing less then most linebackers, and linebackers weighing about what most safetys' weigh!). And if those are the only changes Nix makes, I would be willing to bet the Bills will win 8 - 10 games as soon as next season. DJ was a horrible head coach. He had no passion, and seemed to suck the life out of his own team. Wilson should never have given him that stupid extension last season after only 6 games, which was the main reason he brought him back for a 4th season. Well he's finally gone and Nix has 40 years experience in coaching, scouting and assitant GM - ing. Stop all of this crap about how the Bills will never win again. Of course they will, they had a 9-7-0 winning season for their last coach before DJ, and they had an 8-8-0 season under the coach before him. Believe me, blame Jauron for 85% of the three plus seasons of losing, and get optimistic about the future again.

I was not "the guy laughing" when you predicted the Jets to win it all. But I'm still laughing at you now. Why? Because while I may not work for the NFL on the rules committee or anything, I think I can safely say that winning a divisional playoff game does not constitue "winning it all." I guess the obvious question that needs to be asked is: Wouldn't it have made more sense to post this take after the Jets upset Colts next week at Indy, then upset the Saints/Vikings for the SB victory??

Baltimore Ravens fans think Billick is a joke, or Washington Redskins fans? If it's the Ravens' fans, I really don't get that. Before Billick came in, the last time the city of Baltimore celebrated a SB parade was 12 years before the Colts abandoned the city, and they abandoned the city in 1984! Folks, that makes a total of 29 years between SB wins, and the second one was with the re-named stolen Cleveland Browns, for Gods' sake! Come on, we are all Bills' fans out here. If Levy's crew could have somehow won just ONE of those 4 SB's, Marv would be forever considered a Saint in Western New York. If another team thought about hiring him at 90 freakin' years old we would have congratulated them on a wise choice! It seems that the only big problem the Browns...er...I mean Ravens had during Billick's run was QB. Well, didn't the Ravens have scouts and a GM working with Billick? Why was he blamed completely for trying to turn Boller into a real NFL starter? Why didn't Ozzie and his guys draft another QB or two to compete with poor Kyle? Sorry, as much as I enjoyed reading your excellent take on the Bills' coaching search, I cannot see how such a pathetic, lost organization like our beloved Bills can simply ignore a coach who won a SB ring 10 years ago. Look at all the chances Marty Sr, Norv Turner, Wade Phillips & DJ got and keep getting, and those coaches have won squat! I think its' a shame the Bills have not at least invited Billick in for that interview.

Great memories listening to the best ever at game highlights - Boomer & Tommy. (With Joe Theisman - not quite as smooth.) But even Youtube has a sarcastic sense of humor - the next two videos that popped up as "related" themes, contained the "Music City Miraculous Forward Lateral"

You're welcome. And thank you for pointing out to me that there really is no word "stupider." Allow me to correct that by saying that as a man with a law degree, Mike Leach acted quite "stupdly" by allowing himself to get caught up in this incident that included him "locking up one of his players' in a shed", would you not agree, Professor?

o Didn't care if Favre came back or not and still don't care that he had a great season for the Vikings.

I think its' too early to know that answer....even with Jerry Jones. I also think Norv Turner has even more to worry about then ol' Wade. Remember the Chargers showed Shotty Sr. the door after losing their first playoff game at home with the bye after going....14-2-0 in that regular season! The Chargers have got to be sick and tired of these home playoff losses after earning the bye and home playoff game during the long regular season. Norv and Wade could both be golfing together by the end of next week for all we know.

Here's something intelligent to proffer: Shotty Jr. and the Jets had the perfect gameplan to beat the Chargers today (dammit), and now he and the fat man will carry on their unlikely run at least one more week in Indy. As far as your boy Leach, if he has a law degree that makes him even stupider to allow himself to get caught up in being accused of locking a kid up in an equipment shed.

Mike Leach is too busy blaming everyone from Craig James to the Texas Tech mascot in his law suit against the university for firing him. Why would he be interested in coaching the Bills? And why would the Bills be interested in hiring this idiot in the first place? Any college coach that would single out the son of an ESPN announcer for "punishment" in todays' day and age of political correctness and 24 hour media coverage, has got to be too stupid for his own coaching talents, if indeed he has any.

What would have been the big deal for him to take the interview? What could have been the downside for him? None. Zero downside. Just say no if any offer comes in. He takes away the experience of interviewing for a head coaching position, one of only 32 in the world, and he shows the Bills the respect they deserve. I'll let this go after today. I'll never bring Shotty up again. Until that is, he takes the next interview he's offered, and accepts the job if its' offered, by a more "attractive" NFL destination, despite how much "he's happy where he is." Flame away people. I stil hope the Chargers win big today, and I'll enjoy reading the NY papers make him "less happy" if his offensive game plan ends up sucking.

No, but I'm allowed to dream, aren't I??

When asked if he would turn down other head coaching offers Schottenheimer indicated that he would. “I think I would listen and consider them all, but at the end of the day I’m happy,” he said. “I don’t see myself going anywhere.” I have not looked forward to watching a playoff game not involving the Bills as much as I'm looking forward to todays' Chargers-Jets game. Some people have called me psyhchotic in my hatred of Shotty Jr's b.s. explanation of why he would not even respectfully interview with the Bills. He always had the option of turning an offer down. It appears Jimmy Harbaugh had no problem interviewing, receiving and offer, and just saying no to the Bills this past week! So I am a huge Chargers fan today. I hope Shotty-boy gets his ass kicked. I'm rooting for somehow the Chargers shutting down the Jets wonderful running game and forcing Sanchez into 5 ints. Complete blowout. I love it when cocky arrogant people are forced back down to earth with a thud. Go Chargers.

...I'll tell you "WTF" is happening here....Wilson, Brandon & Nix are offering coaching candidates interviews and the head coaching position, and they are being turned down by the best of them. Everyone agrees that Brandon did offer Jason Peters 9 Million dollars a season, and Peters turned it down. Now, if that is really true, why do you doubt Wilson offered Cowher, Shannahan and Harbaugh at least the going rate, if not more then they and their agents would expect? Why would they waste their time, and flying costs, to go to these people and then low ball them? This process may take until after the SB is played. But the Bills will hire a new head coach, and with Buddy Nix's football smarts and experience guiding the new man with player personnel, the Bills should finally start improving next season.