mjt328

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I've finally come to that point. If we can't put together a front office committed to winning, I would rather the team just move and get it over with. I've been watching this team for over 30 years. I'm tired of holding out the slim hope that someday we win a Super Bowl, knowing in the back of my mind that it will never happen. I'm tired of watching other "small market" teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers dominate year in and year out, while our front office makes excuses for not aggressively assembling a winner. I'm tired of worrying whether the team will move, knowing that most of the NFL hates Buffalo (including Wilson), coaches don't want to come here, free agents don't want to sign here and our own players don't want to stay. I'm tired of the reaction I get every time someone finds out I'm a Bills fan (I've lived in Philadelphia and St. Louis most of my life). I'm tired of getting absolutely NO enjoyment out of my Sunday afternoon. Even early in the season, I couldn't completely enjoy it...because I knew the collapse was coming. I'm tired of the bad draft picks, the ridiculous ways this team finds to lose games, the terrible coaching decisions, etc.

What star wide receivers will be free agents?

It's hard to say, since we don't know which coaches will be fired when the season is over. Jeff Fisher is still on the unemployment line. He is a great defensive coach, but would probably be looking for a head coaching job first - and I would expect someone to give it to him. Jack Del Rio was recently fired by Jacksonville. He was a crappy head coach, but a lot of guys are better when they only have to focus on one side of the ball. He was pretty successful as a coordinator for the Panthers, and the Jags have always had a pretty good defense. Assuming Steve Spagnulo is fired as head coach of the St. Louis Rams (not a stretch), he could be the hottest name on the list of potential defensive coordinators. He spent several years as an assistant to Jim Johnson in Philadelphia, before taking over as the DC for the New York Giants. During those times, his teams had some of the NFL's strongest defenses.

I don't think people have unrealistic expectations. The problem is that after almost 2 years, they are seeing NO progress in the team. People keep saying things like "he's building the team the right way" by focusing on the draft and basically ignoring free agency. The "right way" is bringing in talent that can help us win. Who has Nix added to make us a better team? The best players on our team were already here when he arrived (Fitzpatrick, Fred Jackson, Steve Johnson, Wood, Levitre, Kyle Williams, George Wilson, Jairus Byrd). The players he drafted are making absolutely no impact. Most can't get on the field for an injury-prone team that finished 4-12 last year and is 5-7 this year.

Great question. I've often looked back over the last 15 years and thought the same thing. Donahoe was VERY AGRESSIVE. I think he made a lot of great decisions, but when his big moves didn't work out - it really set back the franchise. >> The Drew Bledsoe trade should have been a great move. TD cannot be blamed for it not working out. Unfortunately, when Bledsoe started to regress, it took down the whole team. It also gave our rivals in New England a jump on us in the division. >> The offensive line was a huge problem during his tenure here. Part of that was Bledsoe holding the ball. Another part was that TD picks like OT Mike Williams didn't work out. Again, how could he know that a 350 lb+ Top 5 lineman would bust? >> TD built a great defense through free agency (Spikes, Fletcher, Adams, Vincent, Milloy) and through the draft (Clements, Schobel, Crowell). For some reason though, this defense could NEVER get off the field on third down. >> He had two chances and never got it right on hiring the right head coach. Again, Greg Williams was one of the top prospects when TD nabbed him. He just didn't work out. Donahoe's decisions got worse the longer he was here too, which built up the ammunition to finally get rid of him. - Drafting Willis McGahee when there were bigger needs everywhere - Hiring a no-name like Mike Mularky - Letting Winfield and Pat Williams walk in free agency - Drafting JP Losman

I usually record the game, then re-watch it and pay special attention to the things I missed during live action (line play for one). With that said, I think Marcel Dareus has played fairly well throughout the season. Early in the season, when we had Kyle Williams playing next to him, there was a very strong push coming from up the middle and most of it was coming from Dareus. Since KW went out, Dareus is getting the majority of double teams and it's clear that he's overwhelmed. Not surprising for a rookie. The problem is, the rest of the Bills defense is too weak to take advantage of strong play by the tackles. There were many times that I saw Dareus blow his blocker into the backfield, only to watch the running back take an outside angle and find Shawn Merriman or Alex Carrington shoved too far inside to make a play. We need better linebackers.

To be honest, he really doesn't impress me either. I'm no NFL scout, but I like to think that I can spot talent when I see it. Last year, I really liked Dareus, Fairly and Von Miller, and thought all would be good picks for us. I don't think Upshaw looks to be in the same ballpark as any of those guys.

It could be close. The Colts have all but locked up the #1 pick. They are taking Andrew Luck or trading the pick to someone who will. That leaves Matt Barkley, Landry Jones and possibly Robert Griffin (although I've heard a lot of talk of him going back to school another year). Teams with worse/same records than us that won't be taking a quarterback: Minnesota, 2-10: Just drafted Christian Ponder in the first last year St. Louis, 2-10: Just drafted Sam Bradford two years ago Jacksonville, 3-8: Just drafted Blaine Gabbert last year. Carolina, 4-8: Cam Newton San Diego, 4-7: Philip Rivers Philadelphia, 4-8: Michael Vick Tampa Bay, 4-8: Josh Freeman Arizona, 5-7: Kevin Kolb Teams with worse/same records that could take a QB: Miami, 4-8 Cleveland, 4-8 Washington, 4-8 Kansas City, 5-7 Seattle, 5-7

Are you serious? Fitzpatrick played for two other teams (St. Louis and Cincinnati) and this is his third coach on the Buffalo Bills (Dick Jauron and Perry Fewell being the others), not to mention several offensive coordinators during those periods. This is Chandler's fourth NFL team. Jackson, Wood, Levitre, Bell and Johnson have all been Bills for their NFL careers. But like I said, that was under three different coaches and several coordinators. Fitzpatrick's best year: 2010 or 2011 Jackson: 2011 Johnson: 2010 Wood, Levitre and Bell: 2011 Chandler: 2011

Look at it this way. EVERY SINGLE offensive player on the Bills has played better and had more production in the last 2 years under Chan Gailey, than under any other offensive coordinator or head coach in their entire career. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Fred Jackson, Steve Johnson, Scott Chandler, Eric Wood, Andy Levitre, Demetrius Bell, etc.. Every single one. Also consider that most of the players on offense were either drafted in the 7th round or undrafted free agents. And at times this year, the offense has looked explosive and dominant. This tells me that Gailey is getting the ABSOLUTE MOST out of his players on offense. However... It is also painfully clear that Gailey knows NOTHING about the defensive side of the ball (other than how to attack it). The defense under Gailey/George Edwards has been one of the worst Buffalo has ever put on the football field. They can't rush the passer. They can't stop the run. They can't cover recivers. They let up tons of points and tons of yards. And that is despite getting the majority of help from the draft and free agency. Over the last 2 years, Kyle Williams has become a star, but he was already heading in that direction. Meanwhile, guys like Paul Posluszny, Jairus Byrd and Marcus Stroud have seen their production get worse. Promising rookies have failed to develop. It's becoming very clear that Gailey simply needs a TOP DEFENSIVE MIND to handle the other side of the ball. Plenty of successful teams are run that way. Mike McCarthy has Dom Capers. Sean Payton has Greg Williams. Jason Garrett has Rob Ryan. Gary Kubiak now has Wade Phillips (a move that has greatly improved the Texans by the way).

The way the AFC is shaping up, a 5-0 finish might not be enough to make the playoffs. And if we aren't going to make the playoffs (AGAIN), then why not hope for a higher draft pick? We are 3 games behind New England for the division lead. If we win out, the Patriots would still have to lose three more games for us to take the division - including another one against us in Foxboro. New England's remaining schedule is one of the easiest in the NFL (Indianapois, Washington, Denver, Miami, Buffalo). The chances of the Patriots losing the AFC East are slim and none. Which means that we have to focus on getting a wildcard. Also not good odds... Pittsburgh and Baltimore are both 8-3. Cincinnati is 7-4 and holds the tiebreaker over us. That means all three teams are 3 games ahead of us, with only 5 remaining.

http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2011-11-21/matt-moore-making-case-to-be-dolphins-quarterback-of-future This is what the rest of the NFL sees with us and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Not being a Miami homer, I laugh at the idea that the Dolphins would pass an the opportunity this offseason to add a top rookie quarterback (if not Luck, they could have a shot at Barkley, Jones, Griffin, etc). Instead, they might decide to stick with a flawed veteran backup that happens to be on a hot streak right now. We have been waiting since Jim Kelly retired for a decent replacement. They have been waiting since Dan Marino retired.

I like Matt Barkley, Landry Jones and Robert Griffin a lot. If any of them are available, you have to pull the trigger. We can't keep passing on this kind of potential at the quarterback position, even with the big contract we just handed Fitz. This team could also use a massive upgrade at offensive tackle, even though our group has performed a lot better than I expected. Chris Hairston can move to right tackle. Bell and Pears can be depth. The top tackles available are Matt Kalil and Jonathan Martin. The Bills also need an elite talent across the field from Steve Johnson, especially somebody that can stretch the field. You can't get better than Justin Blackmon. He's the total package. A lot of people also like Alshon Jeffery, but he's more of a big red zone target instead of a deep threat. Unfortunately, the 2012 draft class is more loaded on the offensive side of the ball (the opposite of last year). The Bills REALLY need somebody to upgrade the pass rush. They obviously need help at cornerback. A lot of what the Bills do here might depend on whether they fire George Edwards (which they need to do) and revert back to the 4-3 defense (which they also need to do). If they stick with the 3-4, they really need some outside linebackers with speed. If they go back to the 4-3...which better fits the personnel...they would probably look more for a defensive end.

Bills fans always get upset that Ralph is willing to accept losing. But they have NO problem throwing their support behind mediocre quarterbacks...crossing their fingers that we can get by with average talent at the MOST IMPORTANT POSITION in the league. Sure, I believe we can make the playoffs someday with Fitz as quarterback. But it's going to require drafting several more talented offensive linemen and some elite threats at wide reciever (I'm talking Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson caliber). We would also need to field a Top 10 defense that could regularly hold the top teams under 15-20 points. If we managed to draft an elite quarterback, our fortunes would change immediately.

You honestly believe that Ryan Fitzpatrick is almost as good as Aaron Rodgers?????!!!!!!????? Wow... Sometimes I wonder if Bills fans have never seen a football game outside of the 16 played each year by Buffalo. Fitzpatrick is around the "average to above average range" when it comes to starting NFL quarterbacks. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of things to like about Fitzpatrick. But the truth is, he is EXTREMELY inaccurate on throws over about 8-10 yards. That limits his effectiveness to slants, curls and screen passes. And it is exactly the reason that teams have managed to shutdown our offensive production. Watch any Green Bay game and tell me if Rodgers has trouble throwing downfield. Give Fitzpatrick Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson and Jermichael Finley... and he would still have accuracy problems downfield. When it comes to the offensive line, Green Bay isn't known for having the best protection in the world either. But Rodgers is great at rolling out of the pocket, avoiding pressure and still picking apart a defense. Yes, Fitzpatrick also has lots of mobility in the pocket. But it's clear that he struggles finding open receivers when he can't make the quick 1-2 second throws. Watch what happens when Fitz gets pressured. That is when he throws picks and terrible passes into coverage. Fitz isn't even in the same ballpark as Rodgers.

I agree. 9-7 isn't going to cut it. We need to finish at least 10-6. That means finishing 5-2 against: Miami, Jets, Tennessee, San Diego, Miami, Denver and New England

The problem is not running the ball. The problem is that we can't complete a downfield pass to save our lives. This offense is DESIGNED for Fitzpatrick to make quick decisions on short routes. We haven't been FORCED into it by the blitz. What has changed is that teams are jamming our receivers and crowding the line of scrimmage - taking away the run, short slants and screens. The way to combat this is to make some big passes downfield and force the defense to back up. Chan and Fitz KNOW this already, and it's clear by the playcalling that they are trying to make more big pass plays. Unfortunately: 1. Our receivers can't beat 1-on-1 coverage downfield 2. Fitzpatrick is inaccurate on long throws 3. Our offensive line can't hold the pass rush long enough for deep throws to develop

Ralph wants to have a winning team. Unfortunately, there are a few things that he wants more: 1. He wants the team to be as profitable as possible, so that he can pass a large inheritance down to his family when he dies. That's why a guy in his 90's is acting without a sense of urgency in making the team a winner. 2. He wants to remain in complete control of the business he started 50 years ago. This is why he refuses to step back and allow a football guy run the team without interference. Ralph is also a very proud man that cares very deeply about his legacy as an AFL founder and an NFL owner. He wants to be THE GUY who kept a team in Buffalo for 50 years, despite the odds. There is no way he could ever turn over or sell the team during his lifetime, because if the team won without him, it would taint that legacy.

The Bills don't have the talent to significantly change what they are doing on offense. If defenses are keying on the run and trying to stop the short passing game - then you try to beat them downfield. Buffalo has TRIED to do this. The receivers aren't getting open. Fitzpatrick can't hit them. The offensive line can't block long enough.

When a defense jams receivers at the line of scrimmage and plays bump-and-run, they are usually leaving themselves open for big plays down the field. The problem is: 1. None of our receivers are fast enough to consistently cause separation down the field 2. Our offensive line isn't good enough to hold blocks for that extra 1-2 seconds 3. Our quarterback is extremely inaccurate on downfield passes The offense we have been running for 9 games is DESIGNED to mask all these weak points. Now that teams have figured us out, there really isn't much we can do about it - other than add more talent to the team. Defenses are basically DARING us to beat them 1-on-1 downfield and we CAN'T DO IT. This is why I can't blame Chan for the recent offensive downturn. He has the choice to either: a) Run an offense that goes completely against the strengths of his players b) Keep trying what worked for the first 7 games, despite the fact that defenses now know how to counter it If I was the offensive coordinator, I would probably try to run more play-action (like someone else already suggested) with a quarterback roll-out. This might help a little bit with our protection and getting receivers open. But if Fitzpatrick can't be better at long passes, the results are going to be the same.

I've paid extra attention to the offensive line this preseason. Based on what I've seen so far, I think Demetrius Bell has been BY FAR our worst starting lineman during those 5 or so quarters. Everyone has struggled at times. That includes Eric Wood and Andy Levitre.

A couple recent examples: > Peyton Hillis: He was part of the Brady Quinn trade, so he wasn't cut. But the Broncos had him relegated to 3rd-4th string on the depth chart. After his season last year, he is on the Madden cover. > Cedric Benson: As someone already stated... > Brandon Lloyd: Was a bust for a couple teams actually, before having a Pro Bowl season last year. > James Harrison: Was actually cut by the Steelers, signed and cut by the Ravens, then became one of the top defensive players in football. Not too many players that I could think of. I think the moral of the story is... either somebody can play football, or they can't. Changing teams isn't usually going to make a huge difference.

Unfortunately, it doesn't quite work that way. You can't just assume that because we "lost close games" that this year they will somehow fall in our favor. As someone else said... You don't LEARN to win close games. You get better, so that you have the talent to TURN IT ON in the fourth quarter, during close games. We always lost close ones to playoff teams because they often underestimated us early. But by the end of the game, they had the talent to pull it out. To your other points: > The Bills did upgrade the pass rush and run defense. That should help us out a lot. But that also means that teams will have to start testing our secondary, which might not be as good as we think (ask Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn). > Fitzpatrick can definitely do worse. He doesn't have Lee Evans to help stretch the field. He won't take other teams by surprise anymore. And if the offensive line gets him hurt, we could be scary bad.

A year ago, the "experts" said that Tim Tebow was a long-term project that would take YEARS to even get on the field. They said he had to completely re-tool his throwing motion. But he learned enough to end up starting the last three games of the season during his rookie year. In those three games, he had 8 touchdowns and 4 turnovers. The Broncos averaged 25 points a game during that stretch, including those against two of the top passing defenses in the league - San Diego and Oakland. Not bad for a guy that people doubted would ever be good enough to actually PLAY under center his first year. Now was this a spectacular performance. No. But it proved that Tebow was making significant progress during his rookie season. More progress than other first rounders like Jamarcus Russell, Brady Quinn, Matt Leinart, Aaron Rodgers, JP Losman, Jason Campbell, Alex Smith did in their first seasons. A lot more progress than his critics are willing to admit. If Tebow did this for the Bills, he would be the talk of the town. It's no surprise that Kyle Orton give the Broncos the best chance to win now, and of course, the players are going to support the guy who gives them the best chance to win now. Orton had a really good season last year, but fans know that he has likely hit his ceiling. They want to see what Tebow can do.

Full Article: http://buffalobillsstampede.blogspot.com/2011/08/front-office-lacks-urgency.html