hondo in seattle

Jim Plunkett wasn't a starter. It had been proven for 8 years. Then he led the Raiders to a Super Bowl victory. Some guys get better with age. Some guys finally shine when they get in a system that makes use of their talents and covers up their shortcomings. I don't know if Orton is one of those guys. But right now he's 17th in passer efficiency rating (amongst QBs with at least 100 attempts). At 262 ypg, his productivity is 14th. He's productivity and efficiency statistics are profoundly average for a NFL starter. Orton is what a typical NFL starter looks like. And his stats are earned despite working for an OC who going through an on-the-job learning program. And despite a deficient OL that can't open up running lanes. Like anyone, I would prefer Payton Manning to be the QB of the team. Or I'd love for Whaley to find the 'next Jim Kelly." But Orton isn't bad. He's merely mediocre. Maybe next year with better guards and a smarter OC, he'll be better than mediocre. I don't know how anyone can know. To quote Socrates, "The only true wisdom is knowing you know nothing."

We need 10 more sacks in the last 4 games to beat the Bills all-time sack record of 57 set last year. But let's not forget the 1964 season. Unofficially, we had 50 sacks during that championship season. Teams played only 14 games back then and passed a lot less. So I'd guess the sacks/pass attempt ratio was actually higher in 1964.

Is it my imagination or are the Bills cycling more players through the PS this year than in years past? It seems as if they're using the PS for FA auditions rather than developing young talent.

No QB is on target 100% of the time but Orton is clearly not as consistently accurate as some of the elite QBs. He's an average QB who will have some good days and bad days. Where Whaley can help Orton is by signing some guards that will help create a run game that will take some pressure off him. Where Marrone can help is Orton is by finding a better OC who can design a passing attack that produces more open receivers. Btw, thanks Bocephuz. Good analysis as always.

Funny how Johnny Football's TD against a soft D was the biggest story in the Bills win.

I've been so focused on the difficulty of the Bills remaining games, I failed to notice the challenges that the other 7-5 teams face. Amazingly, they're all facing teams with 7 or more wins. IF the Bills beat Denver, the playoff hunt will be very interesting down the stretch. If we're truly good enough to beat the Broncos, there's a fair chance we'll go 1-1 versus NE and GB and we should beat Oakland, leaving us at 10-6.

That was pretty cool! My hawk loving friends would love it if I did this in Seattle.

I don't think being from Wisconsin will be a huge disadvantage, but not having experiencing recruiting very well could be.

Can I admit reading this thread brought tears to my eyes? I'm proud of the greater Buffalo Bills family.

Prescient post. Good job! Curious that he thought of himself as a QB first and WR second when TE seems to be the ideal position for him.

Even Pettine acknowledges the Bills might have been playing soft because it was the end of the game.

Just a statistical anomaly or a meaningful observation? And if it's true, what does it mean? Do rules now protect QBs better so they enjoy longer careers? Or are defenses so complex now that an QB experience is more important than mere physical skill?

Hmmm.... Our punt, KO, and FG teams look good because we have good kickers, not good coaching. How do our return teams look?

I confess I was a little worried about Schwartz when we first hired him. His defensive rankings fluctuated up and down over the years with the quality of the personnel. I guess you could say that about any coach but it seemed like it might have been more a case of his players making him look good than vice versa. I liked Pettine's aggressive, deceptive scheme and thought Schwatz was too plain jane. He's proving me wrong. We lost both Byrd and Kiko and only got better.

Wilson's Pros * Put an NFL team in Buffalo * Kept it in Buffalo when he had opportunities to move it to a bigger, more lucrative market * Gave millions to charity * Made sure the team stayed in Buffalo after his passing * Was a good and honest man Wilson's Cons * His management style and, perhaps, his lack of football acumen, resulted in a team that lost more games than it won. (We won 46% of our regular season games under Ralph; 48% of our playoff games). On balance, I don't 'love' or 'adore' Ralph Wilson but I do have a healthy sense of appreciation for him and what he's done. Btw, I read large parts of Polian's book and his love of Buffalo and respect & affection for Mr. Wilson are obvious. Given that he was sent packing, I think this is interesting.

I think it's both coaches and players. My offseason priorities if I was Marrone/Whaley would be to find two good guards and an OC. I'd also draft another QB to groom. There are some other shortcomings on the team but I believe just those few changes would get the Bills into the playoffs.

You might be on to something. They do say people turn to the consolation of religion and philosophy when experiencing the 'long dark night of the soul.' My long dark night has been going on for 14 seasons.

I'm part Buddhist and part Stoic and try not to allow people or circumstance affect my thoughts or emotions. Come wintry cold or stormy wind, I typically maintain my equanimity. The one exception I make is the for the Buffalo Bills. Each week during the Fall, I willingly put my mood into their hands. And when we lose, I curse & moan and I'm freaking miserable for the rest of the day! Why do I do this to myself? Why do any of us? P.S. I'm making peace with the idea that the Bills won't make the playoffs this year because they don't deserve to play in the postseason. In this matter, the Football Gods are eminently fair.

Marv Levy's best quotes were great. But if you cherry picked his most mundane or defeatist sound bites, you'd get a different impression. I don't think you can judge Marrone's overall impact as a leader by a couple of short clips.

I have no idea how Williams is behaving in meeting rooms, how he's practicing, how much he's studying, what kind of attitude he's demonstrating, etc., so I have no opinion on whether or not he deserves playing time. Though I do get the concern. This guy's been productive in his past.

The stats and eyeball test tell me the same thing: Orton is pretty good, but isn't great. And given the arc of his career, his play is about what I expected. I have trouble understanding the fans who think he's just awful. Just look around the NFL and I think it's easy to find worse QBs. Orton's certainly not the biggest problem with our offensive production. In any case, he wears Bills colors so I'm a fan.

This is an excellent post but I'd go with Kelly Holcomb. He doesn't have Orton's accuracy problems - KH completed 67% of his passes when he last suited up for us.

Or, "The Bills Inside Run Game is Breaking Down"?

I so disagree. Great organizations celebrate their history. Military organizations do it. Great, established companies (like Mercedes, for example) do it. Great teams should do it too. Teams are more than a collection of players. Traditions matter and foster a sense of unity and commitment. Celebrating heroes of the past helps create a culture of winning. Besides, the Bills of '64 were lions of the gridiron and deserve to be recognized.

Yeah. The Fire-Rex movement could gain some currency if Sanchez plays well. Especially given the frustration with Geno and Vick.