R. Rich

The regular season has begun. Week 1 results are posted in the forum.

If this team drafts another skill player w/ their first round pick instead of using it to fortify their lines or to add a LB w/ size that can make impact plays, don't expect much to change.

I agree. Instead of keeping a stellar vet w/ a good track record in terms of postseason wins, they instead went w/ RJ.

Brutal. That's the best way to decsribe New Orleans Part II. Why that title? Well, both games shared many of the same factors: 1. An offense that was inept and squandered many opportunities given to 'em by... 2. A hard-working defense that busted its tail to come up w/ turnovers and to shut down a red hot QB 3. The customary questionable play calling and head scratching moments brought to you by Dick Jauron and company Fitzpatrick continues to show that he's an answer, not THE answer, for the Bills @ QB. This team lacks a true signal caller. Great. I guess that means we'll get to see our inept management/scouting department go back to work to find a not so suitable guy to be the next QB to be groomed by a subpar coaching staff. The cycle continues. Meanwhile, the lines suffer, allowing very little in terms of pass protection (offense) or pass rushing (defense). Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson did little in this game, but got little in terms of help from the big guys up front. There were a couple times I saw Bell do a decent job in terms of blocking down to clear the way, but since nobody can neutralize an up front guy and then proceed to attack the 2nd level guys, it doesn't matter. Even when they get some kinda push up front, the opposing LBs are there to clean up the mess. Terrell Owens and Lee Evans were barely noticeable in this one. Not many attempts going there way, but w/ a line that is just atrocious in pass protection (their barely adequate as run blockers), this is going to continue to be a problem. Making matters worse is the fact that the "safety valve" position, the tight ends, offer little in the way of safety. On the plus side, I did notice Evans working harder to get open in terms of his route running. That's it from the plus side. Another awful showing from the offensieve line. Bell, as my good friend William would say, appears to be very weak out there. It shows up in his pass protection and on plays where he must drive block the guys in front of 'em. Right tackle also is an issue, as Meredith appears lost many times out there. It's almost as if he's just come here out of the blue w/out the benefit of a full camp to learn the offense and to learn his teammates' tendencies. The interior guys, despite what I read quite a few times on this board, don't offer much more. Eric Wood is NOT a Pro Bowl caliber guard, folks. He's not terrible, but not elite. There is middle ground there, people. Really. Hangartner gets beat up the middle just like Melvin Fowler and Levitre is good to get beat a couple times a game, usually leading to tackles for loss. Where is this much tougher interior O line? Still looking... As for the D line, things are rough. Going back to the Pro Bowl stuff....Marcus Stroud in the Pro Bowl? I wonder if I'm watching the same Bills games as many folks. I see Stroud get single blocked way more than I care to see a Pro Bowl caliber DT. Watch the game film and spotlight Stroud. You'll see him make a couple tackles @ or near the line of scrimmage, but you'll also see him taken out of plays by ONE blocker just as many times. Considering this, and the way teams rack up the rushing yards against the Bills, there is no way I could vote for him to go to the Pro Bowl, even if I gave a damn 'bout the game any more. Oh yeah, just like Josh Reed has been a whipping boy for Bills fans, so has Kyle Williams. Yet, he has been the most consistent of the interior D linemen this season. Yes, including Stroud. If he's as bad as some of the stuff I've read 'bout him here over the years, then why does the run defense for the Bills look worse w/ him out of the lineup? Hmm... Schobel and Kelsay worked hard to put pressure on Schaub. Like I mentioned initially, the Bills did to Schaub what they were able to do to Drew Brees in New Orleans Part I; shut 'em down. I even saw, get this, Schobel BULL RUSH Schaub successfully and force a quick throw! Seriously!! Now, if only the front four could get any semblence of a rush from... The OLBs. Not a stellar performance from these guys. Sure, there were lots of tackles, but not many impact plays. I'd love to see these guys shooting a gap and bursting into the backfield to break up plays, or flying off the edge and coming in there to make a big sack. Instead, we get a bunch of London Fletcher-like tackles for 5 and 6 yard gains. Posluszny did force a fumble in this one, and I did get to see what Nic Harris could do in some extended time (not bad), so it wasn't a total loss. Still, while they had stats, I just wish they had more of the stats you like to see in LBs: sacks, INTs, tackles for loss. I thought the secondary was okay. Now, hold on there, I'm not being hyper-critical of the unit that actually DID come up w/ turnovers in this game. But, I'm looking @ the unit's performance and not just one player. That one player, Jairus Byrd, continues to be the kinda ballhawk the Bills need in the deep middle. Good thing he's there. Hopefully his play will rub off on the rest of 'em. Reggie Corner was adequate, but appeared to get beaten on a deep pass that was big for the Texans late (saw him and Byrd arguing after the completion) and he did get the (BS) late hit call also. He's got to starting working w/ Morpheus on his Matrix-like stopping in midair technique so that he won't get flagged on those plays. George Wilson was solid, but I don't like to see any safety w/ 15 tackles unless 9 of 'em are for losses. I thought McGee was very good in coverage in that game. He didn't come up w/ any big turnovers, but he didn't let things get out of control either. Aside from the one big play where he shook off Drayton Florence and picked up 18 yards, Andre Johnson was a non factor (his other 5 catches were for an average of 9 yards each). Very nice job on arguably the best wideout in the game. The real problem I see w/ the secondary is in run support. They get there late, and they don't arrive w/ any kinda urgency. No pop, no nastiness, just a "bring 'em down gently" attitude more suitable for flag football. That's probably why many RBs, even those who aren't big bruising type guys (see Moats, Ryan) can break tackles and go for big gains. Coaching? Yuck. Let's keep it short and sour (ain't nothing sweet 'bout it). The fourth down fake punt call was putrid. My brother , a Steeler fan who attended the game w/ me, asked me, "what had they done in the first 3 plays to make 'em think they had softened 'em up for a play like that?" K, if you figure it out, let us all know. We've been trying to figure Jauron out for years. I just don't believe it can be done. Nice of Jauron to also keep his string of "games w/ blown timeouts" streak going, too. And, can we try to make defenders look as confused w/ pre-snap shifts as Bills' defenders do? It's almost as if everyone, including the opposing teams, has the Bills figured out pre-snap....and they're right most of the time. Okay, so they're not going into the bye w/ an even record. Oh well. Things are going to be VERY tough for Jauron from here on out. Looking @ the remaining schedule and then realizing the Bills have to play .500 ball (which they couldn't do in the first half of the season) the rest of the way just to get back to Jauron's beloved 7-9, there is a good chance they won't even get to that mark again. Tough times, indeed. But, I will remain ever faithful to the Bills. Yeah, yeah, I realize I may be part of the problem by doing so, but it's a hard habit to break after nearly 30 years.

Results of pre-season Week 2 are posted in the forum.

Yeah.

Does it even matter anymore? Especially w/ the way players nowadays skip out of playing in the game and guys who probably don't deserve the honor get it in their place, what exactly does it mean any more to be a "Pro Bowl player"?

I'm guessing many of these experts work for ESPN? You know, the ones who forgot 'bout guys like Roosevelt Brown, Art Shell, Ron Yary, Jackie Slater, and some guy named Anthony Munoz. While I like Ogden, Pace, and Jones, to say that those 3 are the best ever is to ignore all of the ones I mentioned, which is absurd.

Don't worry. By the time the Pro Bowl happens, he'll either be on the ballot or he'll be one of the 862 alternates voted to the team when someone else is too hurt to play.

Seven games into his career, and we've seen all the evidence to indicate that he'll never amount to anything, eh? Defensive ends don't need a "real NFL coaching staff" to reach their potential, I suppose.

My brother and I will be there.

Results of pre-season Week 1 are posted in the forum.

Two in a row! Are things looking up again, or are we Bills fans being set up for another colossal heartbreak? I dunno, but it's a lot more fun after a win than a loss. Decent effort from Fitzpatrick. There were some bad throws (a lot of 'em late to get to the receivers), but he also made some pretty nice ones, such as the bomb and the short TD pass to Evans. Still, he did overshoot Evans a couple times as well as Owens and Stupar. Well, if he was going to put it together for only a quarter, it sure was nice that it was the fourth quarter. Aside from one cutback run and the TD, Lynch didn't really do much. Same for Jackson. Heck, Fitzpatrick had a better day than Jackson; yikes! Owens had a couple drops in this one, though neither was a very well thrown ball. Still, as a guy who has been in the league as long as he has been, he's gotta come up w/ those. He did make a very nice third down catch w/ someone hanging all over him, so it wasn't all bad. Evans had perhaps his best game of the year; he ran some nice routes (yes...he did!) and worked hard to get open. Continue to build on that. Josh Reed dropped a screen pass that could've been a big gainer. Stupar actually got open a few times, but the timing wasn't there (over/underthrown) and he couldn't come away w/ 'em. I sure hope Nelson can stay healthy the rest of the way so we can see if he'll develop as a receiving TE. Another rough outing from the offensive line. Hangartner got abused on several occasions, as did Levitre. Penalties and poor communication still seem to be issues w/ these guys. Props to Demetrius Bell for a great block on Lynch's TD run. The kid needs some good news w/ the way his season is going. Unfortunately, that was w/out question the highlight of the run blocking for the day. Basically, it was abysmal. When Fred Jackson, who usually can make people miss on the run to get yards (as opposed to Lynch, who hesitates a bit too much hitting the hole), can't even get started, then you know it's bad. Overall, the defensive line did a good job. Spencer Johnson brought some nice pressure in the game, though he needs to be a bit more careful in terms of the blows to the head. Schobel and Kelsay put good pressure on the Delhomme. Yes, I said they put good pressure on Delhomme; it wasn't a typo. Stroud did some good things, including a nice tackle for a loss and another where he went downfield to make a stop. Could've used a bit more collapsing the pocket though (watch how Bills' opponents do it to Buffalo's interior O line), but not too shabby. The linebackers made a lot of tackles in this one, but also gave a lot of ground, too. Sure, they kept DeAngelo Williams and Johnathan Stewart from getting 100 yards, but they did allow Williams to average nearly 6 yards per rush. That is not a ringing endorsement of their play. I think they give a great effort, but bottom line is that this unit is just too small and has trouble hitting the gaps and stuffing the run. They have problems shedding blocks, which means they get to plays late and make those tackles for 4-6 yard gains that we all love. As for the secondary....I have mixed feelings on their performance. On one hand, George Wilson and Jairus Byrd both looked very good out there, but on the other hand, how did Terrence McGee get beaten on a long gain by a tight end??? And how did Delhomme, who actually had to worry 'bout......get this....the Bills' pass rush, actually have time to hit many underneath throws? Maybe a bit of win some, lose some. But, if the "lose some" part is a bunch of short throws while the "win some" part is Byrd's 2 pivotal INTs, Florence's pass breakups, and Wilson getting a great tackle in the backfield plus the game-sealing INT, then I'm okay w/ the final results. As for the special teams....wow! They truly were special in this one! Outstanding coverage (Justin Jenkins was a beast!!), excellent job kicking (Moorman was stellar), and they even came up w/ a badly needed turnover! And, were there any flags on the Bills' coverage units? This is definitely one they'll want to remember. I can't even kick it on Jauron this week. Only 3 penalties, the guys worked their tails off to keep Carolina's running game in check (they had some yards, but didn't take the game over), and even strayed from their conservative ways w/ success (going deep when they were leading late???). Not a great game (offense still is stuck in neutral far too often), but not a debacle, either. So, the Bills get the opportunity to maybe get back to .500 ball on Sunday by beating the Texans. Tall order, to be sure, but this team can do it. Just look @ how everyone is annointing the Saints as this phenomenal team, and they have had a great season to date. Now remember that the Bills did a great job of staying w/ the Saints and actually shut down Drew Brees and may have won that game if their offense had a pulse that day. So, the Bills have shown that they can go toe to toe w/ the big boys and hold their own. Good, as their remaining home games will be tough (Houston, Miami, Jets, New England, Indianapolis), and even though the Titans, Jags, and Chiefs are struggling, those are all tough places to win games and they still have to go to Atlanta, also. In essence, there are no gimmes left on the schedule for the Bills. So, it's time to crack down and make something of the 2009 season.

First off, gotta say it was a great football weekend, since: 1. PENN STATE won 2. "that school" lost 3. UB won (now 3-1 when I attend games!) 4. Bills beat the Jets Can't get much better than that. Throw in a Baltimore loss (here come the excuses from the locals), and it's complete. QB controversy? Hahahaha!!!! Neither guy has shown much this year, but I'd rather see Edwards as the starter than Fitzpatrick. Much like Edwards for most of the season to date, Fitzpatrick was horribly off target on short to medium throws. If there truly is any kind of controversy, then it shows how rough things have gotten. Marshawn Lynch made some decent runs in this win, but I also saw more of the hesitation, juke and stutter step crap from him as well. If he can be more decisive in his running, he would be lethal. Shawn Nelson seems to be coming along as a receiving TE, but he has a long way to go in terms of blocking. Lee Evans ran some solid routes? Is this bizarro world or something? Props to him for not only running a sharp route on the slant, but by actually positioning himself so that the defender couldn't just jump it and either get a pick or break up the pass. Now, if he did that on a more frequent basis, then I'd be ready to believe he's what everyone else thinks he is. Not a very solid job by the O line. Sure, they only gave up one sack, but Edwards was harassed all day before being knocked out of the game and Fitzpatrick had to do a lot while rolling out of the pocket as he was chased 'round. Jenkins was a beast before his ACL tear; Hangartner, Wood, and Levitre were nothing special. Jermon Meredith was okay in there @ RT. I don't think Jonathan Scott will be back in the starting lineup any time soon....unless there's more injuries. Speaking of, maybe it's time to call out the strength and conditioning program? Just sayin'. Guys have been dropping like flies, and it's not just this one game. Remember last year's legendary IR list? And since we're calling people out, how insane is it that there are some who would want Bobby April as an interim coach if Jauron were to be fired? Have you seen the play of the Bills' special teams this year? They're as undisciplined as we've seen 'em in years. Way too many penalties and guys just flat out not knowing their job. Oh yeah, and to those who have blasted Kyle Williams over the past few years; how did you like the interior D line w/ him out of the lineup? The guy may not be an All Pro, but he gives a game effort and this year, he's making some very nice plays. I still see Marcus Stroud being single blocked far too much for my liking. He's a good player in the middle, but I'd like to see him do to interior O linemen what DTs are doing to the Bills' interior guys; throw 'em all over the place and make more negative plays, be it sacks, pass deflections, or tackles for loss. Run defense? What run defense? Again, I see Stroud being single blocked, which allows for guys to get to the 2nd level and get to our undersized LBs and blow them out of the play. Thomas Jones had canyons to run through....yikes! I'm not sure how they can shore it up, other than guys have to step it up (Stroud) and maybe the coaches need to be a bit more creative w/ their personnel, like maybe run blitzing more w/ the LBs and/or the SS? I'm not sure if that's the answer, but can it be any worse than what's going on? The LB unit was awful. Posluszny looked like he needed more time, 'cause he certainly didn't look ready on Sunday. Ellison keeps getting overpowered, which allows for big gains by RBs and London Fletcher-esque tackles by Ellison. Palmer showed some flashes out there, but man would it have been nice to see him make that INT and run it back for a score. Another almost pick, something I bet the Bills would be among the best in the league in were it an official stat. I thought the secondary did more to keep the Bills in the game than any unit. I know, duh! Terrence McGee did his best Don Beebe impresonation not once, but twice in this one. The second one was costly w/ the personal foul, but the effort was first rate. Another injury issue, though. Ugh! Nice job in coverage by Reggie Corner and Drayton Florence. Yeah Sanchez stunk it up, but these guys had something to do w/ that, they did not? Special teams........aaaarrrgh! What's w/ the penalties, fellas? You're killing us! Props to Moorman for having a great day on the road. I'd say props to Fred Jackson, but his good work was killed by the damn penalties! Sorry, but Bobby April's free pass has expired. Clean up this mess, coach. As for coaching? Well, I said to some folks I was watching the game w/ that the Bills were going to have to win this game in spite of their coach. They did. Why, when you had the ball and a timeout, did you not try to get the ball closer for Rian Lindell on the last drive in regulation? It was shades of Marv Levy letting the clock run down after stopping the Giants' last drive in Super Bowl XXV. These kind of decisions, plus the boneheaded mistakes and penalties, show that this team has a lot of the same issues they had before Jauron was hired. So, why does he remain the head coach if they can't do such simple things? Your guess is as good as mine. Bottom line, the Bills won. We fans will take it. That doesn't excuse the mistakes, bad cocahing calls, and other ills that are harming the Bills. Be glad you stole one in New York, and correct the problems. Hey, you stumbled out the gate (again), yet you're just a game below .500, so I guess that's something. There is a chance to get healthy record-wise w/ games coming up against Carolina, Tennessee, and Jacksonville. But, all of those games will be on the road and none of 'em are gimmes. And considering the rest of the home schedule (divison games w/ Miami, New England, and Jets, plus Houston and Indianapolis), there is very little room for error from here on out. Get @ it, and make something of the 2009 season. Go Bills!

I'll buy the team outright.

Langston Walker is a "premier OT"? Must be, 'cause Jason Peters wasn't cut. He was traded.

No you can't.

Naivete, thy name be Lori.

They'd better not do that for the next home game, as I'm still waiting for some of those tasty potatoes. That, plus I have to have my summit meeting w/ the two of you.

True.

I don't blame the Colts one bit for leaving this dump.

Figures you'd miss the point of watching a football game.

I like their chances, too........behind this offensieve line.

Yes.

What's sarcasm?