hondo in seattle
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Posts posted by hondo in seattle
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+1000
I would worry about the franchise if they STOPPED playing games in Toronto. Those thinking to the contrary must, I repeat must get their heads out of the sand.
I agree!
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We have to think of the future. Would new owners (whoever they may be) be willing to bet close to $1 billion on a small Buffalo market that's only getting smaller?
But if we redefine the market as Buffalo-Rochester-Toronto, we have a chance of keeping the Bills in Buffalo for the long term.
I'm all in favor of regionalization and playing one game a year in TO. Better that than eventually playing 8 games per year in LA.
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He is just the MLB Coach.
And the Assistant Head Coach (so Edwards boss in that regard) and, presumably, Edwards' older mentor.
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Not to make excuses for Edwards but...
Kyle Williams and Shawne Merriman were supposed to be the veteran stars of this defense. We've learned that both have been playing hurt all year and not as effective as hoped.
Dareus is still learning. McGee has been hurt as well.
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Stop it ... Bell, Lynch, McGahee, Henry. No way. They are all several rungs below our top four of Gilcrest, Simpson, Thurman and Cribbs.
Gilcrest was the best Football Player in the CFL ever, he should have been in the NFL in his prime. He was the best football player in the AFL from 1962 to 1965, making the All Star team every year. He was the best runner, blocker, tackler, kicker, hitter, talker, fighter, mauler, and complainer of all time.
Simpson was a Heisman winner who almost won it twice!. He was voted the best football player of the 70's decade. Period.
Thurman was the best all around running back to play in the modern era.
Cribbs has the least stats of this group, and is a rung or two below the other three. He still is far better than the rest.
Bell, Lynch, McGahee, Henry, Miller, ... they do not get honorable mention. Wayne Carlton, Jim Braxton, Roland Hooks, Kenny Davis, and Freddy Jackson have all contributed more to the Buffalo Bills than the group you are naming, even if they had less talent.
I don't disagree. I wasn't attempting to put the group I named on some equal pedestal. I was just naming a few names to show how fortunate we've been with RBs. We've had some talented backs over the years including those that you mention: Carlton, Hooks, Davis, etc. That's exactly why Bell doesn't stand out.
The other point I was making is that our history of RBs seems stronger than our history of QBs. There's only two I'd place on the good list since I became a fan: Fergie and Kelly. I'd like to add Fitz to that list someday. While I've been reasonably pleased with the gentlemen carrying the ball for the Bills, the guys throwing the ball includes names I'd rather forget: Shaw, Dufek, Ferragamo, Manucci, Mathison, Collins, Johnson....
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QB- Doug Flutie -even with all the hype he covered for a line that wasnt very good
RB- Greg Bell -good back who could catch and run and brought us Bennett - thank you Greg
RB- Robb Riddick -pretty descent all around back, bounced back from a broken leg in year two
WR- Chris Burkett -was a pretty descent performer
WR- Bob Chandler -despite never having a partner to work with pretty good reciever
TE- Ruben Gant -I'd take him today
OT- Joe Devlin -I always thought one of the best we ever had
OT- John Fina -we should have built around him instead we left him by himself
OG- John Davis -the o-line was never as good as when he was in there
OG- Tim Vogler -really solid O-lineman
OC- Will Grant -undersized for even back then
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DE- Sean McNanie -not a great player but he could start on this team
NT- Mike Kadish -one of few solid players at the time
DE- Art Still -we got him too late but was still a good player
LB- Lucious Sanford -active linebacker solid player
LB- Eugene Marve -this poor guy was one hell of a player on some bad teams
LB- Scott Radecic -another blue collar guy I would take today
LB- Sam Rogers -always knew his assignments solid player
CB- Derrick Burroughs -career cut short right at the time he was coming on
CB- Antoine Winfield -have been trying to find his replacement still
SS- Jeff Nixon -knew where to be never a hard hitter but smart
FS- Rod Kush -punishing tackler
P- John Kidd - good punter on some lousy teams
PK- Rian Lindell - he's been a great kicker even though his team hasn't been very good
Radecic is the guy who's been hired to remodel the Ralph
I can't believe no one mentioned Roland Hooks. He was the 'Fred Jackson' of the seventies. Totally under-appreciated and under-utilized. He was played sparingly, but when he played, he averaged over 4 yards per carry. He single-handedly won several games during those pathetic years.
+1
Hooks was my avatar until I switched to this weird medieval thing.
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Funny. I was just looking at the Power Rankings on NFL.com and thinking the same thing: the Bills schedule thus far has been challenging. We've played some good team and beat the team their panel rates at #2 (Pats).
Both our losses came in away games to late 4th quarter FGs. Seems like the Bills can play with anybody. Interesting to see what we will do when playing weaker opponents.
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and if Fitz connects on one of those passes to Stevie for a TD instead of an INT, we win and they both look like geniuses.
You do realize that the other team was a good team and they were actually trying to win the game just like we were?
You are right and I generally like going for the jugular.
However, the strength of the Bills offense is Freddy's running and Fitz's short passes. The weakness of the team is deep throws. We don't have outside speed (although Stevie was open) and Fitz tends to be inaccurate on longer balls. In field goal range late in the 4th, I think we should play to our strengths.
The weakness of the Bills is our porous defense. If we play to our strength (runs, high percentage passes), we keep our weakness off the field. The Giants can't score if they don't have the ball.
Gailey rolled the dice (when he didn't really have to) and lost.
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Lions 0-16 ... 1976 Buccaneers 0-14? Dolphins are bad, but not worst ever
Let's not forget the Tonawanda Kardex who finished the 1921 NFL season with an 0-1 record, losing their only game 45-0.
In 1924, the Rochester Jeffersons finished their NFL season at 0-7. Rochester scored only 7 points all season.
In 1927, the Buffalo Bisons lost all their games, scoring only 8 points all season before folding.
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Actually, I havent read anywhere where anyone was blaming it on lack of arm strenghth. Fitz doesn't have the leagues strongest arm, not even close, but neither of those interceptions were long passes. They were plain and simple poor throws, nothing else. You could say it was mechanics, which is part of throwing, so it was all in all just poor throws.
+1
Lack of arm strength was clearly not the problem on these two passes because Fitz has enough muscle to throw further. But there are obviously other QBs in the league with much stronger arms than Fitz. He has a fair amount of zip on shorter passes but can't throw nearly as far downfield as Big Ben or Vick for example.
I hate to say this but it's not just these two passes. Fitz just isn't as accurate with long balls as, say, JP Losman. He's very accurate on short to medium passes but over the last year plus, we've seen him miss a number of times on his deeper throws. I haven't gone back to look, but I wonder if his mechanics tend to break down on longer passes for some reason.
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Finding competent QBs is hard. Even first rounders fail about half the time - after a team invests maybe 3 or 4 years trying to groom him. The success rate of later round draft picks is even lower. You can find serviceable QBs like Orton in free agency but it's rare to get a top-tier QB like Brees that route.
Fitz is productive in this offense. Instead of dicking around for the next few years, we need to sign him. While he doesn't have a strong arm and doesn't throw a good deep ball, he does put up good numbers in this offense. He should be paid for his production, not his arm strength. His intangibles - leadership, quick decisions, understanding of the offense, etc - all count.
After years of futility, I'd rather ride with Fitz then waste more years looking for the next Kelly.
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more likely comparison - 1987 Bills.
I'd be happy with that. The '87 Bills were the transitional team: post-pathetic and pre-SuperBowl. I hope Nix/Gailey are moving in the same direction as the '87 Bills. It does have a little of that feeling, though I expect the 2011 Bills to have a better record than the 1987 Bills.
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The strengths of the Bills Offense are Jackson's runs and Fitz's short passes.
The weakness of the Bills is the defense.
With the game on the line - and running down the clock a good thing - you play to your strengths. You run. You throw short. You march methodically down the field, eat some clock and take the lead.
Fitz is notoriously inconsistent on long balls. That's the one call you don't make. Too risky - and scoring quick is not to our advantage.
However, Gailey and Fitz have us at 4-2 so life is good and I don't want to be too critical.
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Missing Merriman, Williams and Kelsay didn't help against the Giants. But Edwards is in WAY over his head, has been since he took over as DC, and Gailey's misguided sense of loyalty towards him is troubling.
We have NO bona fide pass rusher. So I would take issue with your first sentence. This is a passing league and if your defense can't dial up some legitimate pressure on an opposing QB, you are eventually going to pay the price. We can't so we do. Stats prove it.
Besides, I don't have any confidence that Edwards would effectively use the aforementioned bona fide pass rusher, so it's a moot point.
Although I'm concerned about the defense, I'm not sure Edwards is in over his head. He's got good mentors. Bob Sanders was the DC for the Packers for three years and has 30+ years coaching experience. Dave Wannstedt has been both a HC and DC in the NFL for many years. I'm sure both are solid advisors who keep Edwards head above water.
Gailey is all about winning. If Edwards truly is the problem, Gailey will ax him. I see no evidence in Gailey's history that he has a misguided sense of loyalty. It would be easy to fire Edwards when Wannstedt is already on staff as a potential replacement.
I wonder if maybe our defensive personnel just aren't as good as you think they are - and the coaches are doing the best with what they've got. Remember, Kyle Williams and Shawne Merriman (our two 'star' players) have both been playing hurt when playing at all. Our best DB has missed some games as well. Dareus is still a rookie and learning how to be effective at this level.
Remember also the Bills have a high scoring offense which forces opponents to open up their own offenses. So predictably, we see opposing teams pass a lot, gain a lot of yards, and turn the ball over as they attempt to keep up with the Bills. We force them to play high-risk, high-reward.
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If we do not find some sort of a consistent pass-rush, we will finish no better than 8-8 with the toughest part of the schedule still to come. New blitz schemes and/or an aquisition/trade must happen and soon!
We're 4-2 right now. So you are predicting we finish 4-6?
While I agree we need a better pass rush, I don't foresee a 4-6 finish.
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Not only does Fitz lack a strong arm, he also struggles with accuracy on deeper passes. That's been evident since last year.
Outside the two picks, Fitz didn't have a bad game. But the second INT was particularly foolish. We had a good drive going that was getting yards and eating up clock. It was probably better if we didn't score quick. And even if you did really want to run that play, it would be better to over-throw the route then under-throw it.
I'm not complaining. I'm happy to be 4-2 and Fitz has played remarkably well. The offense has been scoring a lot of points. But life would have been even better without those picks, especially the 2nd.
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Thanks for the links! Very interesting to revisit how Chan's hiring was met with such pessimism.
Jerry and a lot of us fans have some crow to eat I think. Chan is looking like a legit head coach. Best since Marv.
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Sometimes the Buffalo-bashing is just story telling. It sounds good to talk about the bleakness of Buffalo and the despondency of 10+ years of football futility. This helps to explain the excessive enthusiasm of Buffalo's fans and makes Bills wins all the more sweet.
Other times the Buffalo-bashing is just bashing. For example, I went to Miami in '93 to watch the Bills-Fins playoff game. This was back in the heyday of the rivalry and waitresses would jokingly refuse to serve me when I'd show up in my Bills gear.
But some of the bashing wasn't so good-natured. One of the TV stations did a piece comparing the cities of Buffalo and Miami. Needless to say, they highlighted Miami's beaches and art deco masterpieces at their sunniest best while contrasting them with shots of a gray Buffalo skyline in a winter freeze. There were something like 15,000 or 20,000 Bills with tickets for the game. Reportedly, an additional 20,000 to 60,000 Bills fans would be at South Florida sports bars. In all seriousness (or so it seemed to me), the newscasters explained the massive Bills presence as an escape from the icy industrial ugliness of Buffalo. I didn't like my hometown being portrayed so negatively.
Buffalo was once one of America's great cities. It's not anymore. But I agree that it still has its charms and attractions.
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These dumbass writers talk about what Buffalo is like but have never set foot in the city. It's not New York but how many cities are?
PTR
PTR... I grew up in Cheektowaga and love Buffalo.
Nonetheless, I can't argue with the portrayal in the New Yorker. Having visited most of the NFL cities and lived in a few of them, I must objectively admit Buffalo doesn't live up as a municipality in most regards. Bills fans are incomparable but Buffalo itself is not a first-rate city.
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Just a thread to say "Thanks" to these guys in helping change the atomosphere and general feel to the franchise. Yes Merriman has been off to a little slower pace than expected, Yes Davis is looking his age, BUT the contributions that these two have made to this team are FAR more valuable to whatever contributions they are to make (if any) on the field this year and in future years.
Personally, as a FAN, I would like to say THANK YOU to these two and every other VET that has help spread the positive vibe around Bills Nation. This is as valuable, if not more valuable, than any other aspect of improvment that surrounds a team. They give players the sense of pride and something to play for week in and week out.
Of course I would like to see the Merriman of old. Of course I would love to of had Davis 5-6 years ago, BUT, I am fine with them now as the Bills have future stars in the making with SHEPPARD, BATTEN, MOATS and maybe CARRINGTON and WHITE.
Enough of the dumping on these guys and lets just be appreciative that they are part of a team that have gone from the laughing stock of the league as short as 1-2 years ago to being talked about week in and week out with the 12 man representing strongly in each and every highlight shown.
Booger, I agree 1000%!
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The Bills reach the playoffs 90% of the time when starting a season 5-1 but only 50% of the time when starting 4-2.
Ipso facto, we win this game.
Instead of correcting grammar, try to correct this irrefutable logic.
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If Steve "Rap" Johnson doesn't like the cold, what does it say that he's only getting 4 catches and 29 yards in the biggest game of the season and it's WARM???
This is marshawn 2.0, how long until johnson is arrested? If he wants miami culture, go to miami, we'll keep respectable guys like fitz, wood and chandler.
Huh? In all the interviews I've heard or read, Stevie has never sounded like Marshawn 2.0.
Stevie seems like a good teammate. Not a lot of ego. He seems genuinely happy when Namaan or another receiver makes plays and gets attention.
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My French mom grew up in the suburbs of Paris (Drancy) and met my dad - an American soldier - during WWII. After the war, they married and moved to Buffalo.
Good to see my ancestral homeland is producing Bills fans. I wish you many more babies!
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This will be the first time this year I'll watch the Bills on TV instead of online. Hope we win!
PLEASE VOTE for the BILLS
in The Stadium Wall Archives
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It took a little persistence, but I finally got my vote in for the Bills game.
Glad to help a serviceman!