R. Rich

The vote was a collective hissy fit 'cause of the way Peyton Maning and, more recently, Brett Favre were ushered out of the postseason w/out the chance to get onto the field. Now there's proof positive that the NFL is a QB driven league. "Our QB didn't get to play and they lost. Waaaaaaaaaaah!!!"

I'm guessing by 'character issues' they're referring to Williams' tag as being inconsistent and not giving full effort all the time. Outside of that, I've not heard of/read any other character concerns in regard to Williams.

This one turned out so good, I just had to post it here. Thanks again to Lori for her outstanding contributions (she did the SB preview and conf. title game reviews). Nice to have ya back! I am proud to present our third annual review of the Two Bills Drive Simulation League Championship game. After missing out on last year's effort, I am also proud to say that TBD's premier sportswriter, Lori, is back in the saddle again! She provided the conference game reviews and the championship game preview, and we truly thank her for her efforts. Enjoy. 3RD TBD SIMULATION LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME LOUISIANA RAGE vs. ERIE ASSASSINS UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX STADIUM GLENDALE, ARIZONA FOX (‘cause ESPN sucks!) / FOX HD: Play-By-Play: Some Smarmy Tool Color ANALyst: Some Loudmouthed Punk DirecTV TBDSL Da Ticket: Channel 557 Radio: Louisiana Rage Network Play-By-Play: Some Cajun Creep Color ANALyst: Some Bead Wearing Dork Sideline Reporter: Some Inebriated Bourbon Street Jerk Erie Assassins Network Play-By-Play: Some Drunken Idiot Color ANALyst: Some Message Board Wannabe Geek Sideline Reporter: Some Cold Weather Loving Loser Sirius Forgettable Friday: Channel 161 (Louisiana Rage feed) / Channel 187 (Erie Assassins feed) Regular-Season Series Record: Assassins Lead 1-0 after a 30-28 win @ Tiger Stadium in Week 8 of the 2008 season. Playoff Record: This is their first meeting in the postseason. Last Meeting: Assassins 30, Rage 28 Will the Erie Assassins' bid for a three-peat succeed, or can the Louisiana Rage finally break the defending champs' death grip on the Tom Sestak Trophy? That question will be answered on Mar. 26 in Glendale, Ariz., when the league's two dominant teams square off in TBD Super Bowl III at the University of Phoenix Stadium. The Rage (17-1) come into the game with the league's top-scoring offense – finishing a single point in front of the Assassins – led by quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (324-595, 4,145 yards, 33 TD, 19 INT) and a bevy of talented receivers. With Roddy White (86-1,379 yards, 8 TD) and Greg Jennings (79-1,229 yards, 9 TD) on the outside, Jerricho Cotchery working out of the slot, and tight end John Carlson also in the mix, small wonder that Hasselbeck completed a league-leading 34 passes of more than 25 yards. DeAngelo Williams (261-1,253 yards, 12 TD) leads the league's third-ranked rushing game. The Louisiana defense is anchored by first-team All-TBD end John Abraham and tackle magnet Karlos Dansby. Behind them, the ballhawking Rage secondary snared a league-best 16 interceptions, and picked off Colorado quarterback Eli Manning four more times in the conference championship game. But wresting the title away from the Assassins (17-1) won't be easy. Gus Frerotte (235-362, 2,982 yards, 22 TD, 13 INT) finished the season with a 95.8 passer rating, then tossed six touchdown passes in two playoff games to lead Erie back to the Super Bowl. The majority of those passes went to tight end Tony Gonzalez (100 receptions-1,182 yards) and wideout Larry Fitzgerald (75-1,216), who tied for the league lead with 14 touchdown catches apiece. Anchored by All-TBD tackle Joe Thomas, the line is stout: Erie quarterbacks hit the deck fewer times than any other team, and Brandon Jacobs (218-1,148 yards, 9 TD) topped 100 yards and scored a touchdown in each of their playoff wins. The Assassins defense lived up to its name, allowing just 10 touchdowns all season and an average of 9.1 points per game. James Harrison notched 18 sacks and forced eight fumbles, earning Defensive Player of the Year honors, while fellow linebacker James Farrior paced the team with 110 tackles to go along with seven sacks of his own. The two teams enter the game with matching records – both began the season 13-0 before suffering their lone loss in Week 14 – but took far different paths through the conference championship games to make it to Arizona: Gilchrist Conference Championship GameMarch 12, 2010 – Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, La. Louisiana Rage 22, Colorado Outlaws 21 Louisiana Rage kicker Jay Feely trotted onto the field with the weight of an entire franchise on his shoulders. Sure, it was only an 18-yard field goal attempt, practically an extra point, and he was already 4-for-4 on the day. But this kick, with the Rage trailing by two and just 0:59 showing on the clock, meant the difference between finally making it to the Super Bowl or suffering a second consecutive loss in the Gilchrist Conference Championship Game – and worse yet, watching the visiting Outlaws raise the Kemp Trophy on his home turf. Feely wasn't about to let that happen. The kick sailed true, giving the Rage the lead. And when Colorado quarterback Eli Manning's last desperate heave nestled in the waiting hands of safety Michael Griffin as the final seconds ticked away – Griffin's second interception of the game, and the team's fourth – it was time to laissez les bon temps rouler. It seemed only fitting that the game should end on a defensive stand, as two of the top offenses in the league combined to produce more turnovers (seven) than touchdowns (three). Louisiana struck quickly to begin the game, starting the scoring with DeAngelo Williams' 3-yard run on their opening drive. But despite Matt Hasselbeck completing 27-of-52 passes for 332 yards, including 164 on eight catches by game MVP Roddy White, the Rage were held to Feely's field goals the rest of the way. The Outlaws tied the game midway through the second quarter, when linebacker Patrick Willis stepped in front of an errant Hasselbeck pass and took it back 66 yards for the touchdown. Feely's 39-yarder made it 10-7 Rage at the half, and three more three-pointers sandwiched around two Manning touchdown passes set the stage for the frenetic finish. NOTES: Louisiana forced 5 turnovers in the contest and Colorado forced two...The Rage held a 31:13 to 28:47 edge in time of possession...Colorado receiver Mark Clayton had 11 catches for 122 yards and a TD...Rage P Brett Kern had 302 yards on 6 punts, put 2 inside the 20 yard line, and had a longest punt of 80 yards Kelly Conference Championship Game March 12, 2010 – Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, N.Y. Erie Assassins 27, Indianapolis Hoosier Daddy? 10 In contrast to the seesaw battle in the Gilchrist Conference game, Erie efficiently dismantled Hoosier Daddy? to win its third consecutive Tasker Trophy. After a quick Indy three-and-out, the crowd had barely had a chance to find their seats when the Assassins struck, with quarterback Gus Frerotte hitting a streaking Larry Fitzgerald for a 64-yard touchdown just 43 seconds into the game. HD? quarterback David Garrard's afternoon got worse on the next play from scrimmage. He fumbled as he dropped back to pass, defensive lineman Will Smith scooped up the loose ball, and Erie was back in business at the Indy 31. Six plays later, Brandon Jacobs' 1-yard dive made the score 14-0 before the frozen visitors had gained a single yard. The Assassins tacked on a Josh Brown field goal to open the second quarter, before Indy finally managed to put some points on the board via Garrard's short touchdown pass to Brent Celek. Trailing 17-7 at the break, Hoosier Daddy? pulled within seven points on John Kasay's 39-yard field goal late in the third quarter, but any thoughts of an Indy comeback were quickly dashed when Frerotte hooked up with tight end Tony Gonzalez for a 17-yard score to restore Erie's two-touchdown lead. From there, the defense shut Garrard down the rest of the way, Brown added another three-pointer, and the countdown was on to another Rich Stadium championship celebration. Frerotte finished the game 15-for-27 for 209 yards and two touchdowns to earn MVP honors, with Jacobs adding 114 yards on 21 carries for the Kelly Conference champs. The defense made life miserable for Garrard, sacking him three times and forcing two turnovers to help secure the victory. NOTES: Both defenses were strong on third downs, as Erie converted just 4 of 12 opportunities and Indianapolis made 4 of 15...Erie held a 31:57 to 28:03 advantage in time of possession in the contest...Indianapolis gained 140 yards rushing on the league's 4th best run defense as RB Kevin Smith ran 11 times for 95 yards and added 3 catches for 17 more yards...Erie's defense was led by LB James Farrior (9 tackles, sack, 2 passes defensed, forced fumble) and DE Chris Canty (6 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 QB pressures) THE TALE OF THE TAPE: Louisiana Rage (17-1, Gilchrist Conference Champions) RAGE 2009 RANKINGS OFFENSE (#3 total yardage, #3 rushing, #8 passing, #1 scoring) DEFENSE (#4 total yardage, #5 rushing, #5 passing, #4 scoring) Players to watch for on offense: QB Matt Hasselbeck (324 of 595 for 4,145 yards, 33TDs, 19 INTs, 81.7 rating) RB DeAngelo Williams (1,253 yards rushing, 12 TDs, 27 receptions, 191 yards receiving) WR Roddy White (86 receptions, 1,379 yards, 8 TDs, 16.0 ypc avg.) WR Greg Jennings (79 receptions, 1,229 yards, 9 TDs, 15.6 ypc avg.) Players to watch for on defense: S Michael Griffin (58 tackles, 14 passes defensed, 1 fumble forced, 6 INTs, 1 TD) DE John Abraham (32 tackles, 17 sacks, 3 stuffs, 40 QB pressures, 6 passes defensed, 3 fumbles recovered, 2 fumbles recovered) CB Darrelle Revis (61 tackles, 6 passes defensed, 2 fumbles forced, 2 fumbles recovered, 3 INTs, 1 TD) Erie Assassins (17-1, Kelly Conference Champions) ASSASSINS 2009 RANKINGS OFFENSE (#1 total yardage, #2 rushing, #7 passing, #2 scoring) DEFENSE (#2 total yardage, #4 rushing, #1 passing, #1 scoring) Players to watch for on offense: RB Brandon Jacobs (1,148 yards rushing, 9 TDs, 4 receptions, 28 yards receiving) QB Gus Frerotte (235 of 362 for 2,982 yards, 22 TDs, 13 INTs, 95.8 rating) WR Larry Fitzgerald (75 receptions, 1,216 yards, 14 TDs, 16.2 ypc avg.) TE Tony Gonzalez (100 receptions, 1,182 yards, 14 TDs, 11.8 ypc avg.) Players to watch for on defense: LB James Harrison (52 tackles, 18 sacks, 3 stuffs, 15 passes defensed, 15 QB pressures, 8 fumbles forced, 2 fumbles recovered, 1 TD) LB James Farrior (110 tackles, 7 sacks, QB pressure, 1 stuff, 11 passes defensed, 5 fumbles forced) LB Chad Greenway (80 tackles, 8 sacks, 7 QB pressures, 7 passes defensed, 5 stuffs, 4 fumbles forced, 3 fumbles recovered, 1 TD) Prediction: Erie Assassins 27, Louisiana Rage 20 (The last couple times I picked against the Assassins, and they proved me wrong. This year, they have the top offense and defense in the league and are healthy @ the right time. Tough game, but Erie three-peats.)

Since there were way too many Tebow threads being started, think of this as the Tebow Thread Repository.

I think it would be a bit of a reach to select Graham w/ the 9th overall pick. The guy's work ethic and toughness are off the charts, and many favorably compare 'em to former Michigan teammate (and current Stiller Pro Bowl LB) LaMarr Woodley. The difference 'tween the two, from what I have seen, is that Woodley is far superior in terms of his quickness and change of direction. Graham has great instincts and really great hands, which will help 'em get off the line of scrimmage and get into the backfield (ask the poor saps who had to try to block 'em in the Senior Bowl), but once the level of competition improves (most of those Senior Bowl OTs that he went up against project either to RT or inside to guard), he may not have his way w/ linemen like he did. If the top OTs (Okung, Bulaga, Williams) and QBs (Clausen, Bradford) are all gone in the first 8 picks, I would hope the Bills would go after a stud NT prospect like Tennessee's Dan Williams who would fill a position of great need up front in the new 3-4 scheme.

While Gilchrist was great, I wouldn't go as far as saying he was the best ever. Jim Brown is easily the best RB ever, and many (myself included) would even say he was the best player ever, regardless of position.

Unless the Bills are going to stop using their indoor practice facility, this means very little.

Not nearly as funny as the performance of the Buffalo Bills' offensieve and defensieve lines. You'd be hard pressed to show me a QB who took a team to a Super Bowl title that had lines comparable to what the Bills have had. Oh yeah, and there's a good chance that if the Bills don't move out of the 9th spot, they won't have a shot @ either of the top 2 QBs in this draft. So, that means move up and lose multiple picks (to get to where they'd need to be for a shot @ one of these guys would take a LOT of compensation). For a team w/ MANY needs and a draft that has pretty good depth @ a few of the key needs (DT, OT), losing valuable draft picks to fill one need seems to be a bad move. But then, we've had this same discussion over and over and over and over and over and over...

Votes are all in and counted and the results of the awards voting has been posted. The Super Bowl III preview should be completed and posted very soon.

...which is why it's way too early to pin that label on JaMarcus Russell.

Steve, those of us who know you and call you a friend are the real lucky ones. See you and "your Lisa" in a few weeks.

Unfortunately, there will be plenty of fans who just need something to complain 'bout that will remain. If the Bills lay low and don't make moves, then they're stupid for "doing nothing". If they make moves, then the moves they make suck and they don't know what they're doing. I call this the Randy Quaid Syndrome, named after Quaid's heckler character from the "Major League" movies. The character wasn't happy when things were going good 'cause he couldn't take center stage w/ his whining and ranting 'bout how bad things were. The wait and see approach (my favorite) is boring and doesn't make for good ol' fashioned division amongst fans, but it works for me.

Which "horses" did the Bills let slip through their fingers? OTs? OLBs? NTs? The pickings appear to be quite slim, especially for a team w/ a ton of needs due to a change in their defensive philosophy. The "horses" out there aren't good for much more than glue.

The Bills have already lost out on the March championship and are in peril of losing the April title as well. Go and sign some free agents, will ya?!!

They don't have a clue. They should be signing as many free agents as they can. This whole "do nothing" approach is what is going to keep the Bills a losing team. Sign free agents! That's how you win in today's NFL.

The winner of the Stanley Cup Finals?

Hahaha!!! Good luck w/ that. "Give him a chance,".....hahahahaha!!!!!

Nah. Just draft a QB. They will make the O line block better. They will also make the LBs bigger and tougher against the run, not to mention they'll create a 3-4 NT stout enough to clog the rush lanes.

Shaq once said Olajuwon had, "5 moves and 4 counter moves". That may have been a conservative estimate. The Dream Shake was one of the most unstoppable moves of all time, much like Kareem's Skyhook. Robinson surely knows this to be true from that 6 game beatdown Olajuwon and the fellas put on 'em that was a joy to watch. Aside from the comeback against the Suns (fueled by Mario Elie's 3 in the final seconds), that's probably my favorite playoff series the Rockets played. Mainly due to the league giving Robinson the MVP trophy and Robinson thanking many of the greats who had won it before him, except for the guy who had just won it the year before. Some guy named Olajuwon. But, Hakeem made sure he'd remember w/ his on-court performance. And, to think, both of those great performances came in the same playoffs, where my Rockets beat FOUR teams w/ @ least 50 wins en route to their 2nd title, a sweep (the first defending champion ever to defend the title w/ a sweep) of Orlando.

Results of the conference championship games and the poll to determine the venue for the league title game are now posted.

Why? It's as funny as most of the comments in this thread.

What a difference a season or two makes. I can recall the numerous threads bashing players in past years for low Wonderlic scores. Now it's irrelevant?

He's been in a 4-3 system for his entire pro career and the Bills are trying to convert to a 3-4. Considering that, plus age and injury concerns, I don't know if he would be right for the Bills.

Yeah. As a mid round pick, I wouldn't mind seeing the Bills take 'em. Like I said, he has good feet and is tough. Way too many penalties, which kinda makes you wonder if he's an Alex Barron waiting to happen, but I do think that he's worth the chance in the mid rounds.

My father lived there for nearly 20 years (North Hills). I grew up just 2.5 hours away in Erie and have made many many trips there for various reasons. My wife and I are trying very hard to move to that area as it puts us equidistant (almost) from our families. I have plenty of family and friends who live in the area and go there often, usually to take Psycho Ward 86 to a Stillers game.