Rocky Landing

F**K BUFFALO WILD WINGS.

Meh. It was just a Camry. Show me Darius lifting a Cadillac, or an SUV, or Rex Ryan's ego, or a Pats fan's mouth and I'll be impressed.

Great artwork. Very cool. Thanks, Guffalo, for sharing these with us.

In response to this, and many other threads, I have to ask: is there a difference between an "excuse" and a "reason?" At the beginning of last season, Fitz looked great. He looked like a franchise QB. He got a contract like a franchise QB. He started getting press and people like Jaws and Jon Grudin started singing his praise. Then his play fell off and he was back to being, "average at best," "inconsistent," "Buffalo needs to resolve their QB issues," etc, etc. etc... Even people on these boards are repeating these phrases- people who presumably are paying attention. There seems to be a near obsession with the zero tolerance concept of "no excuses" that causes willful amnesia. OK, I get it. No excuses. Fitz never made excuses. He said all the right things: "it all rests on me...," "I need to elevate my play...," "no excuses...," etc. BUT... as fans (and as amateur analysts), can we not agree that there is a difference between a reason and an excuse? There were reasons for Fitz's play dropping off. They are obvious. They are well documented. And, it's foolish to discount them all for the sake of the phrase, "no excuses." Let's see Brady, Brees, or even Ben Rothlisberger play with cracked ribs and missing key players.

Not from The Onion, but I'll take that as a compliment. Like the rest of us, I'm just getting a little stir crazy and pining for the start of the season.

I thought I’d share some interesting reports that I have recently read out of New Jersey. From: New York Jets Flight Crew Cheerleader Jets Experiment with New Form of Shotgun Position. “Since it is expected that QB Mark Sanchez will be spending much of his time on his back in the season opener against the Bills, HC Rex Ryan has been experimenting with a new form of the shotgun where, instead of Sanchez standing several feet back from center, he actually lies prone on the ground and dumps the ball to the nearest green jersey. In response to the new scheme, Sanchez has been seen at the MetLife Stadium gift shop looking at Jets beach towels.” From: The New Jersey Picayune New Jets Uniforms? “In preparation for the week one opener versus the Bills, Jets management has been adjusting the uniform’s shade of green to better blend in with the exact color of the MetLife Stadium turf. “We feel that the better Mark (Sanchez) can blend in, the better chance he will have of surviving out there,” said General Manager Mike Tannenbaum. “I just hope to God Marcell Dareus isn’t colorblind.”” From: Jersey Sports Beat: Tebow Working on his Passing Game. As part of Tony Sparano’s “collapsing pocket offense,” for week one against the Bills, Tim Tebow has been seen practicing his throw while running backwards at full speed. When asked about Tebow’s progress, Sparano stated optimistically, “they look about the same as all his other throws.”

I'm a life long Bills fan transplanted to Southern California for the last 20 years. And so I've had to endure the Chargers and their bitchy, pouty, whining, "elite" QB Phillip Rivers. And, let me assure you of this: never underestimate the ability of the Chargers to inexplicably lose games.

Great post. It's impossible to not be proud of the Bills! I just can't wait for the season to start so that we can be proud of them during the season!

I'm convinced that muscle memory and proprioception can be improved continually throughout one's life. I've been an avid skier since I was three and I never took lessons. A few years ago, in my mid forties, I went to a three day clinic taught by some world class skiers. My technique improved dramatically and it stuck. I am skiing better now than at any time in my life. Having watched the recent press conference where Fitz talked about working with Lee, and knowing Fitz's character and intelligence, I would be most surprised if his mechanics weren't improved.

I completely disagree with this. But, if, as you say, "his thowing stats tell the story," then look at his throwing stats! Vince Young has consistently thrown around a 60% completion rate, with a career average of 57.9%. His 2011 completion rate with the Eagles was 57.9%. Thigpen has thrown anywhere from the low 30s to the mid 50s. His best season was in '08 with a completion percentage of 54.8%. His completion rate for 2011 was a whopping 37.5%. The thowing stats tell the story indeed!

I believe that you do have to have a med note for that- I remember LaDainian Tomlinson talking about that once. But I don't think it's a hard thing to get. LT just told the doctor that the bright lights hurt his eyes and gave him a headache. Done.

It's only a matter of time before we see them shaped like flames, gnashing teeth, skull and crossbones, etc. Why not? As long as it doesn't affect the game, I couldn't care less. What does bother me are the tinted visors so that you can't see the player's eyes. I've always suspected that gives a player- especially a QB or RB- an unfair advantage.

Thigpen took more than eight snaps last year. He made eight pass attempts with three completions and one interception. It's hard to compare the two based on such a small amount of playing time compared to Young, but Young's completion percentage was much higher. And, if you compare their career stats, Young has had a much more productive career. I'm certainly not a fan of Vince Young. I was highly skeptical when they signed him. But, now that he's here, we have to take the best QB for the job who can step in and be dynamic. Thigpen ain't that guy.

It's not brilliant. It's silly. And, btw, I did in fact read the post. My comment was sarcastic. I simply meant that the thread is a waste of time. Are you actually suggesting that the "veteran leadership on this team" stand up in front of the press and counter the praise we've received in the media? To what end? Maybe you didn't read your post. You wrote: "players like fitz and barnett and wilson and yes now stevie need to be much more vocal about not listening to the hype..." That's hilarious. I can just see Fitz standing in front of a microphone, "hey guys, don't believe the hype, we're not that good!" And, I would love for you to give one example of ANY player saying or doing anything that would qualify as "delusional self adulation." The praise that the Bills have received has been well deserved. To say that "everybody and their mother framing the bills offseason as the best in the nfl," is an exaggeration. There are several other teams that pundits are citing as having the best offseason including the Patriots (Steve Wyche). Many believe that Tampa Bay has had the best offseason, and I would agree. GO BILLS!

I'm sorry, but that post is way too long for me to read.

Is Graham really going to be that much more physical? From the footage I've observed (admittedly limited) I thought he seemed less aggressive- more like a gazelle than a horse. On a couple of the highlights that were shown during the draft, I thought to myself: if Fitz ever hangs him out midfield, it might be the end of his career. That being said, he will certainly be faster than Roscoe.

I'm not exactly sure what you're talking about regarding Anderson. Are you suggesting that Anderson's performance last season should be considered above his baseline? Did he have games with a lot of sacks that you think should be considered outliers? Yours is the first post on here that I've read that doesn't consider him a good acquisition. Pleas explain.

* * * YAWN... * * * zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...............

Lee worked under Sparano in Miami, not the other way around. It is true that Lee used the wildcat quite successfully in Arkansas. But, that was college football. To say that he was responsible for Sparano's limited success in Miami is a stretch.

I'm not going to bet against the Bills! I'm trying to figure out if I should bet heavily at the Las Vegas Hilton with a 5.5 spread! However, if you're going to use the W/L column as a yardstick, where does that put Gailey?!

I'm going to assume that any former head coach in our division moving to OC for another team, also in our division, is going to know an awful lot about every team in our division. I'm not at all worried about our pass rush- especially against the Jets. But, I think it's going to be crucial for us to stop the run this season. I think we were 28th last season? It goes without saying that Sparano knows a lot about us. It's easy to read all of the crazy headlines (and even crazier Rex Ryan ramblings) about the Jets and dismiss them as a dysfunctional mess- they are. But, they also have some talented players, and I suspect, a talented OC. Good point.

I am not so quick to dismiss him. I think you could make the argument (many have) that Brian Schottenheimer is a loser. But, Sparano took over the Phins the season after they went 1-15, and took them to the playoffs with a 11-5 record. That's a pretty quick turnaround. And, in the two seasons afterward, the players were the most vocal in defending him. You're right about the disfunction in NY, but Sparano is most certainly used to dealing with disfunction. I would expect Sparano to solidify a run first offense and have a good idea of how to play to our weaknesses. He will also give Ryan the opportunity to focus more on defense which is, of course, his forte.

It’s just over100 days until the Bills take on the Jets in New Jersey. Personally, I think our improved defense and pass rush is going to lay Sanchez out. But, odds-makers still have us as 5.5 point underdogs in our first game and also have us ranked well behind the Jets overall. This doesn’t worry me so much this early in the off season. My biggest question mark is: Tony Sparano. Most pundits and Jets fans believe that Sparano will be a marked improvement over Brian Schottenheimer, and I would agree. And, as the former HC in Miami, I think it’s safe to say he’s got our number. I have read quite a few informed, inspired, and educated opinions on these forums. (Quite a few stupid ones as well!) I’m curious to read other Bills fan’s take on Tony Sparano as the Jets OC.

I agree with James Walker regarding the Bills standing in the AFCE. But, I'm surprised at how many people disagree. In fact, oddsmakers in Vegas still have the Bills positioned last in the division. The Las Vegas Hilton is even accepting bets for week one of the regular season (the only sports book I know of to take such bets so early) and have the Jets at a 5.5 advantage. And, the consensus is that the Dolphins are slightly favored over the Bills for the conference (18/1 and 22/1, respectively). Personally, considering the sad state of affairs in Miami, and with Rex Ryan saying such preposterous things as, "we will be like two different teams," I don't see how we aren't a better team. But, one thing I have learned is that the odds makers that the Vegas sports books rely on for their numbers are very good at their jobs.

I don't think the OP is a troll. But, how do you equate statements like, "RB ... Freddy Jackson... Another free agent pickup who starts..." or "Vince Young.. Backup QB... Most likely washed up," or "Chan Gailey... A big time loser with the Bills..." as national perception? Show me a serious media outlet that has referred to Gailey as "a big time loser," or has shown Jackson anything but respect. And while some pundits have expressed some wariness regarding Vince Young (a concern that I share), I don't remember anyone saying anything close to "most likely washed up." Come to think of it, maybe this guy is a troll.