CA OC Bills Fan

Sorry if this was already pointed out, but I read a little under half the replies. In the season opener of 2015, Matt Cassel took the 1st snap as QB. Therefore, 2015 is Cassel (1), Taylor (13), EJ (2)

Just to try to put a stop to this meaningless back and forth... Thurman is saying it doesn't work because he pronounces his name like "fates" not like "feats". Not sure why he just didn't tell you that. Personally, I like the joke even if he doesn't pronounce it that way.

I have a question about preseason games. I just moved back to NY State last Fall and bought season tickets. I've never been to a preseason game before but if I'm going to go to one, I'm happy for it to be against the Packers. What will the atmosphere be like? Will there be "normal" tailgating?

I didn't rewatch the game you posted, but, as I remember it Bruce Smith was unstoppable until he got injured. There was a horrible facemask penalty called on him then he was injured shortly thereafter. Along with all the other "ifs" already mentioned (being at Rich instead of away, TT getting more caries, Norwood...), if Bruce stays in the game, I think the Bills win. And yes, would have been a great SB against SF that I think we could have taken.

Like most others have said, I root for all of the Bills players. I especially want to see some player break out that would end up making the team better because their breakout season makes the team better in an area of need (e.g. Knox). Also, a long shot to make the team, but Olaijah Griffin because he went to the local High School where I live (Mission Viejo High School). When the Bills signed him my son, who's 2 or 3 years younger than him, immediately said he wanted to get his jersey. I told him he may want to wait and see if he makes the team.

Many have said this and I agree. However, from what we've seen of his personality, do you think it would be different anywhere he was drafted? I think any city that got him would love him.

Yes, it was. Supposed to say axx. I normally notice those changes, but was at a bar when I responded. Yes, exactly.

I realize what an axxhole this makes me sound like, but I'll say it anyway. His father was one of the very few players I would have cheered if he got injured. That being said, I absolutely don't blame Jr for his father. But, I also just would have a really hard time rooting for him (unless he played great for the Bills of course).

I can partially buy this as it makes sense. However, I can't think of many QBs who first start to look great in their 30s. Rich Gannon possibly, but that wasn't recent. Rogers was always good since he took over as a starter. I'd agree that his experience has helped him get better. I think you could have always said that was the case that QB's experience after 10 years in the league made them better. The big difference now vs. years ago is more about the rules than the training. Kelly was absolutely killed for most of his career. Part was from early on the Bills didn't have a line. Part was the way he played the game. But a big part was that the rules allowed him to be hit much more and much harder than he would be today.

When I was first thinking about starting this thread, I was going to include Dalton, I just forgot😟 If I knew how to edit the choices, I'd add him on. Personally, I'd like to see him do well but I don't see any chance that he will in Chicago.

I agree that Stafford was a completely different situation than Darnold or Wentz in that he was never the problem in Detroit, he just didn't have a team around him. I just wanted to keep him here since he's another former top pick that switched teams. Actually, I was listening to Sirius XM NFL Radio yesterday (?) and I think it was Ryan Leaf was ranking the QBs in the NFC West. He had Stafford as last saying that until he sees it, he's not buying that changing Goff for Stafford is going to necessarily change much. As for Fitz, yes, he's the odd man out in that he's not a former top pick, he has generally been what he is, a decent stop gap QB or a good backup. Again, I just decided to include him for as much as any reason many of us like to see him succeed when it doesn't adversely affect the Bills. Him being in the NFC, and also being the on the only NFC team that only plays the Bills in our division, I likely will root for him in every game except of course against the Bills. I agree, or at least I kind of hope you're right. I don't really care about Wentz except I like the idea of Reich looking good and him resurrecting Wentz's career will make him look good. Of course, if he does, then the Colts will be competition for the Bills, but that's ok, so long as we beat them in the playoffs. And, I'd much rather the Colts win than the Titans.

A couple of days before the draft I was watching the NFL Network and they were talking about one of the QBs that's now on a new team. I started thinking about there being several former top draft choices that are on new teams and I unexpectedly started to realize that I kind of hope a few of them do well on their new team, for the most part, just to give their old team misery (i.e. especially the Jersey Jerks). Anyway, I was wondering what others thought. I originally was only going to include 1st round QBs that just went to a new team, but I couldn't resist including Fitzpatrick and then I decided to keep Winston on as well even though he was with the Saints last year and isn't yet considered the starter. And no, I had no intention of including Mitch Trubisky since we all hope he only plays after we've wrapped up the #1 seed two weeks before the season ends.

Saw this late last year posted on the San Diego Bills Backers Club Facebook page and thought it's great:

How about double reverse and Andre Reed passes?

Actually, they sold out every game and had the highest attendance in the league for 2 or 3 (or 4?) straight years. You're correct, it was not. But, I think (and someone else already alluded to some of this) there were a few reasons for not selling out: - Up until the week before, we didn't know there would be a game in Buffalo. So, we had something like 4 days to lift the blackout and of course the full 7 days to actually sell out. - Middle of winter although I don't remember this being a very cold day. - Too used to winning. After being the #1 seed the prior two years, now we got in as a wild card made people less enthusiastic of our chances. - We lost the prior week to the same team and left that game beat up, Kelly, Thomas, and Bennett (I may be wrong about Bennett) were injured.

10 straight seasons, not 14. 0 for the 70's, i.e. 20 straight loses. But we won the last game of the 60's and the first of 1980. And, it was Chick Knox who pulled us out of those xxxt times. Levy pulled us out of the next xxxt times that started when Ralph let Knox walk.

I listened to much of MTC yesterday but missed the Bills talk. I did hear Pat K say Josh, Ben R, and I can't remember who else were the only 8s so far. I was curious about the rest of the QB room, seems you're saying Mitch is a 5 which seems fair. I was disappointed they didn't have Josh a 9, what was the reasoning?

I was listening to Sirius XM the other night. I'm pretty sure it was Pat Kirwan who was stating that Chicago is trying to make it "easier" on the players to try to encourage them to show up. With this approach they got 77% to show up. He said that this is pretty crappy and quoted what other teams are getting (I don't remember specifics on the others, but probably more like 90%). His take was making it less stringent is not a good approach, players want to get better, they want to win and they feel getting pushed is going to help them reach those goals. Our 89% (if 75 of 84 ends up being the number), seems in line with the other contenders. Oddly, they didn't mention the teams that have no one attending.

Griffin went to our high school (Mission Viejo). My son came downstairs a little while ago all excited.

Bill, always loved reading your few thoughts and also love reading Virgil's now as well as Shaw's Rockpile review. Have you considered resurrecting even with Virgil still doing his. Can't get too much of these excellent reviews (at least after a win)!

Yup, been thinking the same thing exactly. If delayed, it would be nice if they had a notification posted. This is the first one of these I've been invited to and I remember reading from others about press conferences and other things starting very late, but it's pretty annoying to not know.

Yup. How many 5th round or later QBs not named Brady or Warner have become starters, let alone franchise QBs? They are normally short term backups / practice squad players. The pick wasn't the issue, it's that we had him start, especially to begin the next season when we already had JA on the team.

Completely agree. The instances of firing a coach who consistently gets his team to the playoffs but "can't win the big one" seems to work this way (at least the examples I can think of). Think of every time Marty Shottenheimer was fired; Cleveland, KC, San Diego. For the most part the team went downhill as soon as he left.

You beat me to it, that's what I was going to ask.

Reading this just made my day. That's great news, the whole world must be different for her now!