Livinginthepast

I say keep it it was effective on a few plays. But why the hell use it on that that 4th Q drive in that way?

Well I don’t think we are going to agree on this question, but that is the fun of the discussion. Actually talking about this has rekindled memories of when the Bills actually mattered and has distracted me from the train wreck of the past decade +. I still believe that you are being unduly harsh on Flutie for that fumble in the Dolphins game. I don’t think any QB in football could take such a vicious shot and hold onto the ball! Watching it again you can clearly see that Thurman utterly fails on the block of Armstrong. Thurman pushes Armstrong behind and to the right of Flutie but falls flat on his face in the process. No Qb would ever see a guy in Armstrong’s position in their peripheral vision hence the reason that Flutie gets absolutely drilled by Armstrong. Had Flutie even had an inkling that Armstrong was there he would have done his usual evasion tactics but he probably assumed that Thurman had him. Which in retrospect he had every reason to believe because Thurman was a decent blocker in pass protection. Flutie simply didn’t have the time to throw and if you watch it in real time (not your Youtube clip) it’s only a couple of seconds from the hike to the hit. In regards to the ongoing Flutie Johnson debate, what I have never understood, even 13 years later , is why people continue to defend RJ when he sucked, was clueless and could not take a hit. At the time I remember so many people whining in the call in shows about how Flutie was hurting RJ’s self-esteem with mean comments as if RJ was a sensitive preschooler. I still cannot understand why people were so concerned with protecting a professional athlete’s “fragile psyche” when it was so painfully obvious that he was fraud as an NFL QB. The bottom line is Flutie didn’t ruin RJ’s potential, RJ mystifyingly convinced people he had the tools to be an all-star when it was all a mirage.

As others have pointed out and the video clearly shows. Thurman misses the block on Armstrong. How can anyone pin that play on Flutie? Thurman got tossed aside and fell down. The least he could have done is stayed on his feet to buy his QB some time. As for the Steve McNair question he had a pretty ineffective game against a really good defence It was hardly indicative of the rest of his career. As for the conditions, they were not a factor. The temperature was an above freezing 37F and there was almost no wind. It rained but not a downpour. Conditions were not impact full on the game. RJ had a mediocre game against a mid ranked defence He managed the game enough for us to stay in it and get us ahead through Christie at the end. He could have, and should have done a lot better if he was up to snuff. In the final analysis this game was one of the "better" performances by RJ in his career. A career however that was abysmal.

Ah Billy Joe "I didnt bother to read the playbook, should I have?" Hobart. Now that guy was an athlete!!

http://www.billsdaily.com/articles/1999/nyg.html

Actually that is pretty cool art. Got to give him some props for that.

You're right the defense was immense. But Trent Dilfer proved all you needed was a marginal QB to manage a big game and you could win a SB. Flutie was better than Dilfer. With a couple of breaks we could have won a SB with him.

I was a Flutie fan and I do agree that the end of the 99 season Fluties performances were mediocre. His arm was tiring and teams had figured out ways to defend against his style of QBing.However the team was still winning and was 6-2 in the last 8 games! If it wasnt for the "4th and Stupid" play against the NYG and a craptastic perfomance against the Jets (both winnable games) they would have hosted a playoff game. The playoffs was not the time to change Qbs. Johnson had not proven anything to anybody with his 1 game "allstar" performance even despite Fluties diminishing success. A coach with more backbone would have stood up to Wilson and said I will quit if you meddle in my running of the team. But good ole boy Gomer Philipps just said "Yessum sir" and folded. What a joke. what a great way to instil some "confidence" in the team. Now all that being said, the "statue" did perform admirably in the 2nd half of that game and almost pulled it out. However had Flutie been in the first half (after a week's rest) the Bills might have controlled that game. Remember RJ was sacked 6 times in the first half!! You cannot tell me that Flutie would have done worse in that half than RJ did. RJ only had a week to take the snaps and get into the rhythm of the offence. What kind of idiot would allow him to go into hostile environment like that stadium and start a playoff game? Seriously one of the worst decisions that this franchise has ever made and solid proof that Wade (although a superb defensive coordinator) was not and never will be head coaching material!

Normally speaking I would never cheer if someone got hurt in any sport. There have been 2 exceptions to this rule. 1. Rob Johnson (as I mentioned before) because he was such an overrated wimp and 2. Tom Brady. But only in that game against the Bills of the Jauron era where Bellichick ran up the score with 2 pt converts and keeping Brady in to throw when they were up by 40pts. I have never wanted to see a QB get smashed more than in that game. If Jauron had any balls whatsoever he would have brought every single player on a blitz on every play and have them meet at Brady. I wished that they would have decapitated him that game. Of course Jauron just stood there with the 1000yd stare and just allowed the Pats to completely humiliate us.

Oh Please. Rob Johnson was an absolute embarrassment to this organization and a pain to watch. I was often was glad when he was injured (which was practically every time he started). He was such a woose when he got hit. He literally would get up and say "ouuccchh it hurts". Cassell is a much better QB than the "statue". That being said I can understand the KC fans frustration. Their team sucks like us.

I was wondering the same thing. I couldnt wait for Jerry to rip the team a new one after that ass whooping they took.

Mckelvin was an ok cover guy not great, just ok. Williams looked really bad yesterday. No ball awareness, completely lost!

LOL

yes the management has sucked for more than a decade. Case in point, they drafted Donte.

Excuse me for asking this but I didnt see any of the Bills preseason games. Was Vince Young so absolutely horrible that he could not even make the backup? We dont have any go to guy when Fitz sh$ts the bed. And Fitz has being pretty horrendous in our losses. I mean really what plan B does Chan have when Fitz throws up a stinker like hes been doing. Why didnt they give Young a chance to be backup. How bad was he?

I dont really care about what Tom thinks most of the time, but hey he is right the bills are/were Bitches yesterday. Instead of manning up and playing their asses off to win they just laid down butt up and took it. So much for Boomer's old "Nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills" from NFL primetime. Those guys in the 90s were the Bills I know and love. But thats why I am "living in the past".

You are exactly right it was Clements. I am mixing up my overated Bills who later became 49ers. Its been a long day and my brain has turned to mush. ughh

I will always remember Donte not knocking the ball down against jacksonville? on that last drive in a loss in 2004. Proved to be crucial later when they failed to make the playoffs. Yes its unfair and irrational to base your views on one play in one game but that to me was indicative of Donte overall in Buffalo, he just could not get the job done. Overrated.

This unfortunately is exactly right. Old man Wilson has bad advisors and ends up hiring craptastic people to be managers who of course hire mediocre coaches. Neither the coaches or management can evaluate talent to save their lives, their schemes are old or predictable and they cannot think on their feet to make adjustments. That is why after 12 years we are in a terrible situation with no real hope.

Actually I agree with the OP. That is exactly what the Pats would do to get an advantage over the competition. Buffalo however are a stubborn organization who just dont have what it takes in desire to win. They would never do such a strategic move.

The Bills have been half decent against the 49ers in the past decade but as the Bills have been toiling in mediocrity the 49ers have zoomed to contenders. I think this game might turn out like the 2001 Greg Williams debacle where we got smoked 35-0.

Have we done any blitzes from the secondary? Brady should have been punished today but all he had to do was sidestep and throw down the field to guys who were wide open. If that is the case on a consistent basis and our secondary is incapable of smothering coverage why not bring someone like the safety to blitz. Even if Brady gets rid of it quickly he will take some punishment after the throw (and of course the requisite roughing call because its Brady) but the constant pounding will take its toll. Doesnt that seem a bit like of common sense?

How Mario Williams has been completely neutralized for the first 4 games. He obviously was a monster in Houston, he has the talent and he doesnt appear to be hurt. Are they double teaming him in each game? Shouldnt that free up someone else to get to the QB? Is it the type of D that the Bills are playing, the schemes. Seriously can anyone explain why he has been basically invisible?

This is exactly right. Wanny inherited a defense with great personnel in Dallas because they had a great GM in those years. The second the talents gone, Wanny is exposed for the perpetual clueless loser he is. The Bills have management that doesnt seem to recognize and draft talent. The D was highschoolesque today in their performance and preparation.

Seriously she would get to the QB faster than Mario Williams has so far for a body slamming sack!