mjt328

I was willing to give Gilmore a pass when he first came back, because of the club on his hand. But as the weeks go by, it's clear that his wrist injury has virtually nothing to do with the bad play. His problem is not jamming or losing battles physically with opposing receivers. He's simply not covering well. Most plays, he's 5-10 yards away from the guy he's supposed to be on with no chance make a play on the ball. The only time he's close, it's usually because he's holding and/or interfering with the receiver. Teams will always test the weakest link in the secondary. As a rookie, Gilmore was torched early in the season. Then teams started realizing that Aaron Williams was even worse and started picking on him instead. This year, Leodis McKelvin is playing very well on the other side. Nickel Robey is playing very well in the slot. Quarterbacks are testing Gilmore and proving he's just not very good. I guess we could always look on the bright side. We could always move Gilmore to safety (Williams) or wait 5 seasons for him to develop (McKelvin).

Hope for the future? Sorry everybody. There is none. From the 95-year-old-owner, pinching pennies at his mansion way out in Detroit… To the joke of a front office, scheming how to spin another disastrous season into 2014 ticket/merchandise sales… To the lost and confused coaching staff, obviously in WAY over its head… To the multi-millionaires on the field, who can’t make a crunch-time play to save their lives… This pathetic football organization will continue to rot in Western New York, losing in unthinkable ways and disappointing the fan base – until the (soon coming) day the team is sold to the highest bidder (not Jim Kelly) and (surprise) moves out of Buffalo… FINALLY putting us out of our misery. Keep fooling yourself into thinking this team is on the rise. That Brandon, Whaley, Marrone, Manuel, etc. are turning this sinking ship around, and it’s only a matter of time before we catch our break. Go ahead. Blame injuries. Blame inexperience. Blame the refs. Blame the Toronto crowd. Blame the weather. Blame a mystical curse. Yesterday was all the proof you needed; in order to see what direction the Buffalo Bills are really headed. Completely healthy, in a must-win game against a 2-9 team with nothing to play for. Only our delusional fan base could have expected anything other than a complete and utter failure by the bumbling Buffalo Bills. Many of us have been watching this train-wreck for 15 plus years. The faces are different, but the results are the same. Trade/Cut Stevie Johnson and Scott Chandler. Another player will arise to take their place and inexplicably drop/fumble games away. I don’t believe there is an answer. Even when our team was filled with Hall of Famers and superstars in the early 90’s, we couldn’t win it all. Maybe it’s just horrible bad luck. Maybe it’s a losing culture that digs into the psyche of everyone associated with the organization. Maybe Roger Goodell and the NFL is really against us. Maybe Ralph is playing “Major League” and sabotaging us from the inside. Maybe it’s a dying team reflecting a dying city. Maybe a small market team like the Bills just can’t compete in today’s NFL. Either way, I’m thoroughly convinced this team will never amount to anything ever again. I’ve wasted enough of my time and money, hoping for the day things changed. It’s never coming.

While Pettine is much better than Wannstedt, he clearly outcoaches himself a lot. I noticed several times yesterday, where the Bills put THEMSELVES into unfavorable matchups in the secondary. Manny Lawson trying to cover Roddy White in the slot. Ron Brooks trying to handle Tony Gonzalez down the field. Etc.

Blah. Blah. Blah. The Buffalo Bills don't know how to WIN. Period. Another draft, and adding all the talent in the world isn't going to change that. This is a losing organization. It's been a losing organization from the start. It was a losing organization during its best years. And it will always be a losing organization. The best thing that could happen to ALL of us, is for the team to pack up and move to Toronto. We are all basically drug-addicts who refuse to quit. Someone else needs to step in and end the misery.

This team is soft. On paper, they have talent. Probably enough to be a playoff team. But when crunch time hits (4th quarter, big games), EVERY SINGLE ONE of them folds. There wasn't a player on the Buffalo Bills that has any reason to be proud of himself today. Not one player on this team can say he played 4 quarters of great football today. Teams like New England climb out of 10-20 point holes like nothing every single week. They've got no-name scrubs coming out of nowhere to make big plays when it counts. You can blame the refs, fumbles, Toronto... Whatever. It's a bunch of BS. They played against a 2-9 team today. They played against a squad that was experimenting with 3rd and 4th stringers. They played with the knowledge that a loss would end their season. Yet they get up 14-0 and have the nerve to go into cruise control. It's absolutely sickening. This team is undisciplined, unfocused, inconsistent and (somehow at 4-8) TREMENDOUSLY OVERRATED. I'm absolutely disgusted to be a Bills fan.

We've been dominated on both sides of the ball for the last 2 quarters. They will need a lot more than a gift fumble to walk away with this one.

It's not a huge problem. Even if we won every Toronto game since the series started, we would have still missed the playoffs every year. All the excuses are growing old. Injuries. Curses. Toronto. I'm convinced the players on this team are just SOFT. The opposite of clutch. They crumble in big situations.

Because he DIDN'T really play that good last year.

Exactly. This team has enough talent on both sides of the ball to be a legitimate playoff team, but it doesn't mean squat. When push comes to shove, this team will lose in the 4th quarter and collapse in big games. We are a full team of Tony Romos.

Forget being in running for the playoffs. We are looking at being in the running for the #1 Draft Pick. This season is over folks.

If the Bills move after Wilson dies, it could be argued that it makes his "legacy" stronger. He was the only person able to keep the team in Buffalo. The question I keep asking myself is... IF a plan is really in place to keep the Bills in Buffalo, why is nothing ever said about it? Why does Wilson/Brandon and the Bills front office let the media print stories suggesting this team is gone after he dies? How can they let an already depressed fan-base worry, year after year, about the team moving? Why don't they put everyone at ease, and just SAY -- "Mr. Wilson has a plan to keep the Bills in Buffalo." The logical answer is -- there is no plan.

What exactly was "ridiculous" about the taunting penalty against the Jets? From my TV set, I couldn't hear what was said. Maybe your ears are better than mine. Kyle Williams also got a taunting penalty this season. Was it equally as ridiculous? I already mentioned the celebration penalties. Stevie has gotten 2 flags in his whole career for excessive celebration, and both occurred 2 years ago. I think it's fair to say he learned from that mistake. There is absolutely NO evidence to support your accusations about Stevie's injuries. Since his injuries are of the "muscle pull" variety, doctors will say the best cure is rest. AKA sitting out practice. And oh yeah... Stevie caught that pass against the Bengals.

Stevie gets criticized (heavily by some Bills fans) for three things: excessive celebrations in the end zone, dropping passes and injuries. I think all issues are highly overblown. From my recollection (correct me if I'm wrong), Stevie has drawn exactly TWO celebration penalties over his 6 seasons in the NFL. The Plaxico Burress-Gun imitation, and the Happy New Year writing on his t-shirt a few weeks later. Both happened 2 seasons ago, and we haven't seen ANY excessive celebrations since. Meanwhile, Victor Cruz can do a salsa dance practically every week and Gronkowski can imitate a British guard, and get no criticism. The injury criticism is even more ridiculous. Until 2013, Stevie hasn't missed a single start because of injury. He's a very tough player, who guts it out for his team. Fred Jackson does the same thing - gets injured and plays hurt every other week, But he gets praised because of it. Dropped passes? Probably the only legitimate issue with Stevie. But the truth is, everyone drops passes (even Jerry Rice and Calvin Johnson). Stevie has had 2 big ones in his career - Pittsburgh 2010 and New York 2011. It's not like he's got a chronic dropping problem. He's just had the unfortunate luck to lose them at very memorable times.

I've watched Manning/Brady several times this year. Last night was not the first time I noticed the drop off. "Velocity" and "Zip" have just as much to do with a QBs mechanics as physical arm strength. When standing in a clean pocket, both guys still have the footwork and body control to deliver a nice ball. But when they are moving, don't have time to set their feet, or are asked to heave a ball downfield -- that's when you notice the difference (compared to 5-10 years ago). It doesn't make much difference, because even in decline Manning and Brady are better than most of the QBs in the NFL.

Watching the game last night, it was clear that BOTH Manning and Brady have lost quite a bit of arm strength. And despite the Patriots won-loss record, I think the team around Brady is VERY average. In fact, if I was given the opportunity to trade New England's players for Buffalo's (minus Brady) - I would take the Bills in a heartbeat. With that said, it would only take a few breaks at the right time for New England to make a serious Super Bowl run. Look at Baltimore last year. They weren't even close to the best team during the regular season. They barely made the playoffs. But they caught on fire during the postseason and ended up winning the whole thing. Along with Denver, the best teams in the AFC include Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Kansas City. No matter how much they have dropped off, would it be surprising for New England to beat ANY of those teams and go to another Super Bowl?

OK. How many dropped passes does he have in his career then? There are lots of great receivers that drop big ones from time to time. We are watching one tonight (Welker). You don't just boot them off your team. We all remember the Steelers game 4 years ago. I refuse to hold one mistake against a player for his whole career.

How many "celebration" penalties has Stevie had in his career?

Why So Serious? Sorry. I love Stevie Johnson.

What he said. Good news is, there may be 3 tight ends with 1st round potential in this draft. I keep hearing Amaro, Ebron and Jenkins mentioned. No matter where we pick, a good one will likely be available. Chandler is a big target with good hands, but he offers almost no YAC ability. Our offense has good running backs, fast deep threats, and strong possession receivers. A big/athletic target in the middle of the field is the biggest missing piece.

Peyton wasn't needed for the first 40 minutes of the game. He's just heating up.

Maybe it would be best if the Pats just win another Super Bowl. Then Brady/Belichek can retire, and this can finally be over with.

NE almost always gets the calls, but this collapse is all on Denver.

You could see the difference in the Broncos defenders from the 1st play of the 3rd quarter. Less intensity in the pass rush. By the time they "woke up" - the momentum had shifted to the Patriot's side. Now the Broncos defenders are playing unfocused and sloppy, desperate to make a play. I see this crap every week in the NFL. Teams get up by 2-3 scores, then the coaches and/or players decide to lay off.

They fumbled a couple times in Week 1. And Brady threw something like 4 picks last time we beat them.

Probably not much. The trade deadline has passed. The draft isn't for 5 months. The rules forbid me from re-signing Byrd.