Bills1218

I was watching Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back this morning before work (classic flick). As soon as "Bad Medicine" started playing, I swear I had a pavlovian response and shut the movie off. Bon Jovi cut us deep.

As usual, Barnwell posts an interesting read from a stats geek perspective on each team's strength of schedule for 2015. There are some holes in his analysis (looking at last season's performance doesn't reflect offseason changes, Vegas over/unders aren't incredibly accurate), but this strikes me as an innovative way of looking at schedule difficulty (especially with the usual crew of beat writers already latching on to our road trips and predicting 9 wins or fewer). Based on last season's results, Barnwell pins us at only 19th or 20th toughest schedule in the league... And the current Vegas numbers are even better - putting us at the 8th-easiest schedule in the league... This is the easiest I can remember a schedule being for the Bills in recent memory. Of course, all that's irrelevant since we're clearly going 19-0...

Not appreciating what Orton brought to the table is such a classic Bills fan move. The dude has a cannon for an arm, is light years ahead of EJ, and took us to our first winning season in a decade. He's not a franchise QB for the next 10 years, sure. But he's easily the best QB we've had since Bledsoe, and he is way better than any of the options we have on our roster right now, available in the draft, or attainable through a trade/free agency.

Gronk likes to goof off and have fun like anyone his age, but he's hardly a locker room cancer or a me first guy. The average NFL career is 3.5 years. Given his injury history, good for him that he's having fun, putting away some money, and playing for the team that wanted him when he came out of college.

I would really hate this as our QB next year, but Brian Hoyer fits this description.

I know I would. Heck, I'd have seconds. Then polish it off with a tall cool Budweiser.

Virgil

Say what you will about the Son of Bum, but he knows how to win in the regular season (please don't start the 'game's passed him by' nonsense). I wouldn't be upset if they brought him back for Round Two.

Eric Bieniemy is the running backs coach in KC. Obviously this whole process is a favor to Chris Berman so he can bring back his "Eric Sleeping With Bieniemy" line... //Please don't actually interview Charlie Weis.

He's out of the loop because he's gone out of his way this year to vouch for Marrone, 'he changed the culture,' etc. and now he's got egg all over his face.

1) Cowher Power 2) Jon Gruden 3) Reich 4) Schwartz 5) Kiko as player-coach

What makes you think it's boilerplate for coach contracts - can you even think of one analogous situation? Did Singletary have it in SF when York took over? Sparano in Miami when Ross took over? Spagnuolo in SL when Kroenke came over?

Hey bros, see below: While Marrone was negotiating an extension beyond the two years remaining on his four-year, $16 million deal, uncertainty over potential organizational changes influenced his decision, according to sources. [http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/12104824/doug-marrone-opts-contract-buffalo-bills] Now let's finally get rid of Brandon too.

Carucci reported it last night. It also doesn't take a rocket surgeon to realize it's the smart play for Marrone to make right now: However, league sources familiar with the situation said the clause was included when the Bills hired Marrone in 2013 as a safeguard because of the prospect of the team being sold, which happened when Terry and Kim Pegula bought the franchise last October. If Marrone was unhappy with the new ownership, or anything else, he would be free to seek employment elsewhere after his second season at the helm. The chances of that happening seem slim, league sources say. They say the more practical application of the three-day window is for Marrone’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, to talk with the Pegulas about a contract extension for his client and perhaps seek a pay raise and more control over the 53-man roster. http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bills-nfl/marrone-not-expected-to-use-contract-out-20141229

I'll start by admitting that I haven't always been the biggest fan of Coach Marrone's. I love the intensity he brings to his job and his enthusiasm for the game, but sometimes his weakness at managing the play clock and pace of the game goes beyond the pale (see: punting on fourth and one, not calling a timeout when special teams took the field against the Chiefs offense, etc.). That said, it seems he really has the Bills by the horns right now with this opt-out clause. He can use his leverage to demand a contract extension from the new regime - whatever your opinion is of Marrone, I think everyone agrees that you don't get a contract extension for peaking at 9-7 and a game out of the playoffs. Ultimately, the fault for this situation has to lie with Brandon, as he was overseeing the football operations during the final years of Ralph's tenure, and could have held strong on offering a three-year contract that didn't give away the Bills' bargaining power. Whatever ends up happening in the next couple days with Marrone, Whaley, et al, it's now clearer than ever before for me that Pegula needs to completely divorce Brandon from the team's football operations. Let him handle the things he's good at - namely selling tickets and marketing the franchise - but his involvement in the football operations side of things has gone on far too long. Please stop letting him completely undermine the football side of things.