hondo in seattle

What do you think of Marv Levy as a head coach? OP: "Marv Levy was an ORGANIZER! Not a great head coach." Jim Kelly: "He was a great coach. He didn’t scream and yell. He knew how to get the best out of every player. He was intelligent and chose his words wisely with each player. He believed that if he had to motivate you, then you wouldn’t fit. He thought that at that level you shouldn’t need to be motivated to play." http://www.sportshistoryweekly.com/stories/jim-kelly-quarterback-buffalo-bills-nfl-super-bowl-football,801

I strongly disagree. Ask Bruce, Thurman, or Jim if Marv was a great coach or not. They'll disagree with your assessment of him as a mere "organizer" and - no offense - I'll trust their judgment more. And I'm not sure at all that Bills had the best team in the NFL talent wise back then. They did indeed have some stars. But they had a number of pedestrian players, too, especially on defense. Taking over a crap team recently off back-to-back 2-14 seasons and winning the AFC Championship four years in a row is no small feat. The HOF Selection Committee made no mistake when they enshrined Marv. And I don't know how you can leave Lou Saban out of the conversation? Lou led us to two AFL titles with a stifling defense and was twice named UPI AFL "Coach of the Year." I like Knox well enough but he's third on my list. McD - if he delivers a Lombardi - will move up to #1 but in my mind right now he probably ranks #4. Here are the top Bills coaches in terms of win percentage: Levy .615 Phillips .604 Saban .598 McD .545 Knox .507 Amazingly, we've had 20 head coaches and these are the only ones with winning records.

My favorite things about the game (even considering we were just playing the Jets): * Allen throwing underneath. He seems to want to make the big play all the time. He talked earlier this year about instead taking what the D gives him. He started doing that - successfully - against the Jets. * We pressured their QB! And if you want to count W-L stuff, being 5-2 and leading the AFCE is a great thing.

The Patriots aren't in the sh*ttr because of Brady as much as the collapse of their defense. Their defense was ranked #1 last year. They're currently #17. Their offense was #15 last year - pretty mediocre even with Brady under center. This year they're somewhat worse: #24. Their D fell 16 slots while their O fell only 9. The Pats didn't just lose Brady. They lost some FAs and led the league in COVID opt outs. Arguing whether Brady or Belichick is "The Answer" is kind of like arguing which came first, the chicken or the egg. You can make valid arguments for both sides. I personally think it's a little bit of both. Belichick and Brady each contributed to the other's success.

It's interesting to note all the discontent. Last year some fans were raving that Singletary was "special." A lot goes into a running game: scheme, blocking, play-calling, and so on. But Singletary isn't blameless for his humble season totals: 299 yards; 3.8 ypc. It's pretty clear that we need a better offensive line. But I also agree with those who say we need better RBs. I don't know if Daboll is bad at scheming up and calling run plays. But he's not at the Greg Roman level.

An interesting thing about NE: Some folks are using this season's results and proof of Belichick's dependence Brady. But the collapse of the Pats defense is more dramatic than the collapse of the offense. Their defense is currently ranked #17. That's sixteen spots below last season's #1 ranking. Their offense is currently ranked #24. That's nine slots below last year's mediocre #15 ranking. There are a lot of personnel losses - beyond Brady - that are hurting the Pats. And as a Bills fan, it's fun to see. Beating them twice and taking the AFCE crown - both of which seem doable - would make this season epic.

I'm actually impressed with what Belichick did with Cassel. Here's how Wikipedia sums up Cassel's year as Brady's replacement: By the end of the 2008 season, Cassel had become the first quarterback in NFL history to record at least 10 wins, 325 completions, a 63% completion mark, 3,600 passing yards, 20 touchdown passes, 11 or fewer interceptions, and 250 rushing yards in a single season. Cassel didn't reprise that level of excellence with the Bills. Or with any other team he played for. His best year was under Belichick because Belichick is a mastermind. When Charlie Weis was Belichick's OC, people thought he was a genius. I think his post-Belichick record disproves that opinion. As a great head coach, Belichick makes his players and coaches look good - better than they'd be somewhere else.

This is a great example. The thing about accuracy is that it's measured by completion percentage and that metric depends on a lot of variables. I don't think 'aim' can improve much over time. Probably a little - but I think it has a genetic limit. But a QB can improve his footwork and other mechanics. Better biomechanics can lead to better ball placement. And QB "accuracy" is more than just aim and ball placement. Pre- and post-snap reads, for example, are going to impact completion percentage. Obviously, it's far easier to complete a pass to a wide open receiver than one tightly covered. The quality of the protection and the receiving corps will impact completion percentage too. A QB with a clean pocket and receivers who run quick, crisp routes and hang on to the ball is more likely to pile up completions than a QB with a porous OL and stone-handed, lead-footed wideouts. The quality of the coaching staff impacts a QBs performance too with their their pregame preparation, play-calling, and so on. Aim may not get better with time but the other variables can and sometimes do. Some folks have insisted all along that Allen's aim was just fine. When he was in a clean pocket and set his feet properly, his ball placement was good. His ball placement is far more likely to be bad when things go wrong and he doesn't open his hips, etc. Josh seems to be fixing that. I think it's clear that accuracy can get better over time depending on what's making it bad in the first place.

I think the relationship between Brady and Belichick was symbiotic. I think Brady had a lot of innate talent and drive. But I think Belichick and his coaching staff helped Brady develop his full potential. Neither Brady nor Belichick would be as great without the other. You look at HOF coaches and they all had great QBs. Levy had Kelly. Landry had Staubach. Bud Grant had Tarkenton. Jimmy had Aikman. Noll had Bradshaw. Walsh had Montana and Young. It's the which-came-first-the-chicken-or-egg argument. Do great coaches make qbs great? Or do great qbs make coaches great? It's a little of both, I think. .

Agreed. The new king is crowned only when he forcibly takes the crown from the old king. My biggest wish is that the Bills offense plays this week like it did the first four games. Only better - with an effective ground game. And the Bills D plays like it did the previous two years. And Cam plays like he did against the 49ers. And we win by 20+. And this becomes the 'hit heard around the world' like when Stratton broke Lincoln. Farewell to old king. Hail to the new king.

When I first heard Brady was leaving NE, I still believed the Patriots would be competitive because of their strong defense and excellent coaching staff. I only began to doubt them when they led the NFL in COVID opt outs. Belichick is a great coach. But even a great coach can't win without good players and right now the Pats just don't have enough of them. Some people are just conservative by nature. They have trouble believing in change until it happens. I'm a bit that way. I'm not surprised the Bills are leading the AFCE at this point but I am surprised the Pats are in 3rd. I was predicting Bills, Pats, Fins, Jets. It's just hard to imagine - despite contrary predictive evidence - a Pats fall of this magnitude. Even now, I'm not putting next week's game in the win column just yet. Belichick has ruined too many Sundays for me to discount him.

Today's win was great. It's not about style points. Even good teams sometimes struggle against bad team - but still win. It's the "W" that matters. But today I was wearing a sweatshirt that reads, "Just One Before I Die." Few people here in Western Washington knows what it means. But every Bills fan does. I've been a Bills fan for 50 years. Now I have some health problems stemming from my military/combat service. You can call me a "Negative Nancy" or "pathetic" or whatever derogatory you want but I love this team. And with all my heart I want to see them win a Super Bowl before I die. Today I yelled and cheered and laughed with gusto as the Bills staged their comeback and sealed the game with a pick. My grin when time ran out was as big as anyone's. But these last few games have pretty much convinced me it's highly unlikely that this is the year the Bills lift the Lombardi Trophy. Why is it "shameful" to enjoy the win and still harbor doubt about the future? Maybe it's more shameful to cast ad hominem attacks at fellow Bills fans - I don't know, you decide. But, yeah, today we're 5-2 and I as I write this, the Pats are getting trounced by the 9ers. For Bills fans like us, today is a wonderful day.

This is an odd statement. It's the coach's job to do whatever helps his team win. That includes holding effective meetings and practices, building a good culture, intelligent game-planning and play-calling... and firing players up. I get these guys are well payed and should motivate themselves. But listening to players talk over the years (I've been a Bills for 50 years now), it's clear that some players are not good at getting themselves fired up. Incidentally, you should read up on the "Pygmalion Effect." In short, it says that when an authority figure (say a teacher or coach) shows belief in someone, they tend to perform better. McD with his clapping and encouragements keeps sending the message: I believe in you. It's a good message.

I don't know if running is the key. We've won the games that Josh has played well. We've lost the games where he didn't. So I tend to think we'll win if Allen plays well. And I think that means taking what the Pats give him - and doing it decisively & quickly. It would certainly help if the running game produced more. It would also help if the D looked as good against the Pats as it did against the Jets in the second half. And if Bass didn't miss any kicks. Despite the disparity in records, this game worries me. The way I think about it, the Pats own the AFCE crown until some team forcibly takes it away from them. I want to see the Bills win big to send a message. But regardless of who's under center, Belichick always poses a threat.

I played flanker in high school a few decades ago. I recall one particularly productive game. I scored a long TD on a pass play - taking a short slant across the middle to the house. I added 2 more long TDs on end- runs. I even blocked a punt! I was a shining star that game. Too bad it was just a scrimmage against our own woeful JV squad. I never achieved anything like that in a real game. Opposition matters.

I am enjoying this season but the elite of the AFC includes 3 of 4 of the division leaders: KC, Pittsburg and Tennessee. Not the Bills. The problem is that our wins have come entirely from one source: the passing game. Our RBs haven't contributed much. The defense hasn't played well all season - unless you count the second half of today's game against the woeful Jets. The special teams haven't been special. And our one source of victory is fickle. Some games Josh and the wideouts look unstoppable. Other times they look inept. Winning is great. 5-2 in immensely better than 2-5. But unless we get better in other facets of the game, we're not going to do much in the postseason. I know these are dark thoughts for a beautiful day when when we picked up another important "W" and retained our position atop the AFCE. But, for me, the fact we struggled against the hapless Jets takes some luster off the victory.

I hope it's a blow out. I fear an upset. I expect something like Bills 23, Jets 20.

I voted 2-2. I know the Bills are 4-2 overall but after the last two games, I think we're looking pretty average. So I put them at .500. I don't expect to be as bad every game as we were against the Chiefs. But the year long struggles on defense and the recent struggles faced by the offense make me wonder if this team is any better than mediocre. It's perplexing. The D plays really well for 2 years then falls apart this season. The offense looks great for 4 games to start the year and then looks fatally flawed for the past 2. Will the real Buffalo Bills please stand up. Maybe it's just the fate of all Bills fans to suffer.

Yeah. At first I didn't think Fritz was complaining per se because he wasn't overtly critical of anyone. But the more I think about it, the more I think I was giving him a pass because I like the guy. In truth, it was wrong for him to open his mouth. Flores may have been wrong to bench Fitz. But he has. The decision has been made. It's time now to rally around Tua and get ready for the next game. Fitz's comments take away from that. But, you know, what's bad for the Fins is good for the Bills.

My top two * The defensive line isn' t as good as we hoped. Our losses (Shaq, Star, etc) were more significant than I - and others - expected. We can't stop the run. And the lack of pressure is exposing weaknesses in our secondary. * Teamwork. The Bills defense the past two years was greater than the sum of its parts. Few blown assignments. Good gap discipline. Good communication. I think COVID hurt well-coached defenses like the Bills more than it hurt defenses that rely on superior athleticism and skill. The first quarter of the NFL season has been a lot like sandlot football where the best individual athletes shine in an environment where teamwork & discipline suck.

Agreed. The Fins are ahead of the Pats in the standings and Fitz was on pace to throw for 4,000 yards and 30 TDs. Who would have expected any of that? Watching Fitz over the years, I think he's actually gotten better with age. He reads defenses more quickly and understands the game more deeply now. When he was with the Bills, I think he threw a lot of 50-50 long balls to some general area where he hoped Stevie would go get it. It may sound silly to say, but I think he aims more now and worries about ball placement more. Surprised to see him so sad. Up to now, he seemed to take the vagaries of journeyman life in the NFL pretty well. That's true. Crying in public isn't professional and when I first saw the Fitz quotes, I didn't quite believe he really said those things. And as you referenced, he always knew that he was a placeholder in South Florida. I'm an ex- army officer. In a similar situation, we'd be expected to shut up and soldier on. The good news is that I think this hurts the Fins - at least in the short term. Miami is only a game behind the sliding Bills but I think Tua will deliver fewer wins the rest of the season than Fitz would have.

He's not criticizing anyone. He's just expressing his understandable sadness...

I think... Beane (in consultation with McD) decides who to draft, what FAs to sign, who to trade away, and who to trade for. I think McD (in consultation with Beane) decides who to cut and who to keep. And he probably has a lot of say in the trade-away category. I think they deserve roughly equal credit for our 4 wins and equal blame for our 2 losses.

The Pats have always been a well-prepared, well-coached team. Whatever you think of Belichick, he's great at preparing a team for a season and a game. Except this year. No preseason. New QB. New starters at several positions. Covid restrictions. It's hard to prepare for a season like this. With the reduced offseason work, preparation and teamwork become less important and raw individual talent becomes more important. It's not the best coached team that wins, but the most innately talented. I believe that's part of the reason that the Bills D struggles. And both sides in New England.

I don't normally look at standings but today my wife asked me what I was looking at when I was staring at the AFCE win-loss records. I just answered in a voice filled with quiet awe, "Something truly beautiful."