Rocky Landing

Getting old sucks...

There's a lot of hay being made that "Tyrod will be gone next year, so it doesn't matter..." But, really? With the exception of the bizarre notion that we "need to see what we have in Peterman" notwithstanding, let's assume we that we draft our "QB of the future" in 2018. Then what? Do we start whoever that is right out of the gate? Can we assume that whoever we get is going to be immediately NFL ready? (Like Peterman supposedly was???) Are we going to go out shopping for whatever version of Brian Hoyer might be out there, and start the career backup while out future franchise QB sits like Goff did? Would that be better than Taylor for another season? If we're really building for the future, it would be smart to have Tyrod playing for this team next season, and I have to believe he is pissed as hell. IMO, McD has mismanaged this situation about as badly as he could have. I certainly hope he is in full on damage control mode at this moment. This is the fork in the road, indeed. If McD can't get this thing back on track, I sincerely hope he, and his entire staff is canned at the end of this season, and not the obligatory Bills' two-year-coach tenure. It's hard to trust someone who has screwed things up this badly.

Or the fans who wouldn't mind seeing them win another game before the end of the season.

Well... you go back from that by doing what gives you the best chance to win... ... but I'm no expert...

You have a pretty loose definition of "great." You can't separate the first few minutes of the game from the ensuing meltdown that followed. And, correct me if I'm wrong: No member of the O-line threw an interception. A decent QB-- even a mediocre QB-- needs to be able to handle pressure from a breakdown in pass protection, whether that is taking a sack, escaping the pocket, or throwing the ball away. It's the same O-line Taylor has been playing with. A professional QB also has to have the metal fortitude to rebound from an interception that wasn't his fault.

I feel so bad to say... I agree with every bit of this. How this team must be reeling at this moment. There are so many apologists on this board for Peterman-- and I get it, my knee-jerk reaction for every QB who has stunk up the field in the last decade from Trent to Fitz to EJ to occasionally Tyrod (see there, I did it again!!!), has been to defend them-- but Peterman's play last Sunday was some of the worst NFL play I have ever seen. The interceptions do not tell the full story. He utterly crumbled.

The thing about a roller coaster is, you always finish where you began-- AT THE BOTTOM.

This is a lame excuse, but... It's hard to go all 110% on D when the QB just tosses the ball back as soon as you get the opposing offense off the field. I thought that the defense showed up to play in the first quarter, and were utterly demoralized by the fourth interception. There were exceptions IMO. Hyde played hard every snap until he banged his knee up. But, yeah... the defense... Like, just how the hell did Keenan allen remain wide open the whole damn game???

It's kind of like the tough-love father who teaches his kid how to swim by throwing him into a lake over his head. Except the kid starts drowning, and lives the rest of his life with aquaphobia. Which, metaphorically speaking for Peterman, may have already happened.

Taylor seems kinda used to it, though, doesn't he?

Honest questions to the people who want to start Peterman: Do you NOT want to win more games this season? And, if not: Are you going to bother watching the rest of the season? And, if you DO want to win more games, do you think Peterman will get much better? Better than Taylor?

If I were Taylor, I'd be playing with an eye on landing another team next season. But, from what I think we know about him, he seems like a consummate professional, and I believe that the team trusts him. Certainly, he has an undeniable chemistry with Shady. I'm not too sure that I trust his, or Beane's ability to evaluate talent a this point. It's hard to be happy with their personnel decisions.

I am, and will always be of the opinion that when I watch the Bills play this Sunday, and every Sunday, I want to see them play to win. Period. For three hours on Sunday, I don't care about rebuilding for next year, experimenting to "see what they've got" in a player like Peterman, or anything else not related to winning the next game. For me, the future is this coming Sunday. Play to win-- every game. This is especially true this year. We already have two first, and two second round picks. "Tanking," at this point in the season isn't going to get us much, and it certainly isn't worth destroying what is left of the team's chemistry by enduring Peterman as the starter. We're already a laughing stock for having him out there for a half. And, for those who think we still need to "see what we've got" in Peterman, I have to wonder what game you were watching on Sunday. If Peterman starts again, and is five times the QB he was on Sunday, he will still not give us a good a chance to win as Taylor.

I think there's been a tendency after yesterday to draw a false equivalency between Peterman's performance and Tyrod's ability. This is a mistake. If you only watched the first half of yesterday's game, I could certainly see why one would consider us the worst team in the league. A lot of hay is made of Peterman's five interceptions, but that isn't the entire story. There was no leadership on the field while Peterman was out there, and no real chemistry. That changed significantly when Tyrod came out on the field in the second half. I say this, not in defense of Tyrod, but in defense of the offense. The game was truly lost before the second half began, and everybody knew it, but they at least looked like professionals under Tyrod. The biggest problem with this team at this moment, IMO, is mental. And, I wonder how, or if McD is going to get this team back

I'm not quite to the point where I'm climbing on the "Fire McDermott" bandwagon. But. if I do get on board, part of the reason will be that I am not so sure that I trust McD with all those draft picks, or have much faith in his ability to evaluate talent.

I had this vision of McD locking himself in the bathroom during halftime and staring at himself in the mirror, muttering to himself, and trying to figure out how he could end the game without looking like an idiot. "If I bench Nate, and put in Tyrod, I'll look like a bumbling fool who doesn't trust their own decisions... If I leave him in, I'll look like a stubborn jackass..." I think what it came down to is: "What if I leave Nate in there, and HE KEEPS THROWING INTERCEPTIONS???"

Well, it certainly did seem like garbage time came pretty early. But the Chargers D was definitely looking to play, and didn't let off the pressure on TT. If anything, it was the Chargers offense that went conservative on their play calling. Regardless, the Bills looked absolutely leaderless with Peterman, and the defense looked utterly demoralized. Keenan Allan was open all day. Wide open. Be that as it may, I don't feel like I need to see a larger sample size of Peterman any more than I need to see a larger sample size of Matt Simms. I have zero confidence in him, and I doubt the rest of the team has much confidence in him either.

I was at the game today, and couldn't believe how bad Peterman looked. After the third interception my wife asked me if they would bench him for TT. I said it wouldn't happen. Even though Peterman was struggling, I said that a HC would never bench a QB after the first half of their first start because it would ruin the rookie, and make themselves look like they didn't know what they were doing-- that once they make the decision to switch QBs, they have to ride it out for a bit, or they look like bumbling idiots. Well, by the end of the second half, the Bills didn't even look like an NFL team, and I, and all the other Bills fans around us, all felt like TT would start the second half. And, McDermott would look like an idiot either way. It was just that bad. I have to hand it Tyrod. When he came out for the second half, they weren't great, but they at least looked like an NFL team. He had a few plays where he did the T-mobile thing, left the pocket, made defenders miss, and threw some impressive passes on the run. Usually these plays would be met with cheers-- even from opposing fans, but not today. The Bills fans practically sighed at these plays. In my opinion, Peterman is all but done.

Room for development??? Why do we need to "see if there is some room for development?" How much room could there be?

The venue should be about 1,000% more comfortable than the giant, concrete wok that was the coliseum for the Rams last year. Do you know this? Or just conjecture? Link?

I'll be there. I would expect about 20% Bills fans. Maybe less, honestly. The Rams game last year was about 20% (although equal in volume to the Rams fans). I think the Chargers actually have a more solidified fan base in LA than the Rams did last year. I could be wrong, but I know A LOT more Chargers fans than I do Rams fans. I also think with the smaller, and much nicer venue, there will have been more competition for seats. I lucked out getting mine for cost from a friend who got season tickets. I'm certainly looking forward to it, but I'm not as jacked as I was last year for the Rams game.

Who could have predicted that the Bills would have a really strong start to the season, and have the fan base, and oft-errant pundits shouting, "playoffs!!!," only to have their hopes dashed by a mid-season meltdown? It's uncanny, I say!!!

Sorry KreweDeDrew, but apparently one of our regular posters found a potato chip with an exact likeness of Brees' facial scar, with which he did something nefarious-- although, no one is sure what. Y'all skrewed! WHO DAT!

That's awesome. Love that sort of thing. I have a green Bills hat that my kids got me (had something to do with St Pat's Day, I think), and it confuses the hell out of people.

I think Winston should have received some disciplinary action, as well, as he had walked out onto the field, and put his hands on Lattimore.