Kirby Jackson

I finally pulled the trigger on the tickets this afternoon. My flights and hotel have been booked for a while. You can catch your boy in section 340 row 8. We will probably end up at that party prior (there are a lot of us apparently 20ish). Looking forward to this ride!!!

I think that he’s more “terrible person than bust.” He’s been okay when he got a chance but he broke his femur. Between the armed robbery and the injury it’s a pass. There is certainly some talent there though. Someone else can take their chance at getting him right. We don’t have time for an experiment (KC didn’t either).

In lieu of the Poyer injury (and Hyde getting dinged), does anyone want to change their stance on “the importance of preseason reps?”

I signed up. I used to buy Madden annually. I haven’t in a while but have it from a few years ago (Lamar on the cover). I figured that it makes sense to get the newer version as the Bills are elite.

Standing in line to get an autograph as an adult is embarrassing. I promise you are being judged by those around you and especially by the player. It’s sad. Grown men fighting over matchbox cars is embarrassing as well. It’s just less embarrassing than asking a 25 year-old man to write his name for you on your shirt. That’s way worse but neither is good. Most players don’t like signing at all but it’s because of the adults. There is rarely a situation where it is ONLY children. It may be primarily children looking for a signature but there are almost always a few weirdo adults lurking. They generally are okay with kids. Signing isn’t fun for them though because they will never get to every kid. They’re almost certainly going to leave one disappointed and it’s not because they want to. They have meetings, etc… They REALLY don’t care if some weirdo like that guy that called WGR leaves empty handed. In terms of an online forum, and don’t assume this place is just men, it’s not that weird. We watch games. We watch analysis. We listen to sports talk radio. We discuss the team at the bar. This is just another avenue to do it. People talking football is nowhere near as weird as grown men asking other grown men to write their names on their shirts.

Matchbox cars aren’t adult men writing their name on a football that you bought in the gift shop. If you’re an adult and want an autograph, buy it. The players have a day where they sign hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of items. These go to various charities, auctions, etc… That’s where an adult can get that signed football that they otherwise would have trampled a 7 year-old for. There should NEVER be a situation where an adult feels entitled to a signature from a player. Standing in line screaming “Josh, Josh, Josh” as a full grown man is embarrassing. As many of you know, I worked in pro sports for a long time. Players HATE you more than I do. When we had events with the players and fans we would be assigned to a player. Basically we had to prevent overbearing adults from trying to get autographs/pictures so that the kids could. We were like caddies on the PGA tour telling everyone to put their phones down. The players don’t want to look like jerks but I PROMISE that I’ve never met one that wanted to sign for a healthy adult. If you see Josh and Brittany at dinner don’t interrupt. Send them a drink or dessert. Josh has done enough for you. Feel free to thank him instead of asking for more.

If you’re an adult and seek autographs or feel that you’re entitled to them, I hate you. Grow up

I went the Saints because I think that their defense is elite. They may have the best defense in football. Jameis was great last year before suffering an injury. They added talent on offense and get Thomas back. The loss of Payton will hurt the offense some but I could see like 10-7 or 11-6 winning it. The Saints own the Bucs as well.

I appreciate you being bold enough to try to answer the question that no one else has. So the 1st 8 games of 2002 overshadow the other 83% of games that he played in a Bills uniform? That’s the answer that you gave because the 2nd half of 2002 was terrible (you can see the splits above). I just don’t agree that 17% of his games should matter more than the other 83% (especially because none of that 17% was in the playoffs). Jamarcus Russell had INSANE arm talent. He was awful. To me, I care about what you ACTUALLY did, not what you COULD possibly do. The fact remains that Tyrod averaged more yards, TDs, wins, less turnovers and a higher completion percentage.

But he scored WAY more often than Bledsoe. He averaged more yards than Bledsoe. He was more efficient than Bledsoe. He turned it over WAY less often than Bledsoe. He won significantly more than Bledsoe. Please elaborate on why your perception is that Bledsoe was better? What, specifically, did Bledsoe do better?

It might have had to do with reps. I guess that I’m okay with a little rust in exchange for no risk of injury. Obviously there are injuries and reps in practice but you get the point. There’s no perfect answer. It’s personal preference.

Without the blocked punt, they win the opener. Josh slips in Tennessee or they win. The Jags game, I don’t even know what to say. There were a lot of games that could have went differently for that 1 seed. I guess that the way that I look at it is the risk isn’t there with a team this good. If the starters play a quarter in each game that’s 6 total quarters. If ANY of them go out for 6 or 8 weeks (or whatever) it wasn’t worth the 3 quarters that they got. It doesn’t just have to be Allen. I won’t name names because I don’t want to jinx them but there are a lot of guys that we can’t withstand that type of injury to.

Everything is fine if he comes out completely healthy (and everyone else does as well). If you could GUARANTEE me that every Bills player would exit the preseason, without so much as a scratch, I’d be all for it. Play them the whole game. Health is infinitely more important than scrimmage reps. I’m not willing to risk it for even a small chance of injury to any key guys. This is Super Bowl or bust. Don’t make it any harder on yourself.

But he was plenty healthy/rested at the end of the season when it matters. The last 2 games may have been the best 2 games of his career. Thankfully he didn’t incur an injury in preseason that put him out for a period of time or nagged throughout the year. The Bills were the healthiest team in the NFL last year. Some of that can be attributed to the preseason approach.

It really just blows my mind that so many people have him in their top 3. The guy had as many turnovers as TDs!! He set an NFL record (at the time) with 10 lost fumbles in a season. He lost more than he won despite talent around him. He was sacked 140 times in 4 years!! He only scored 59 TDs in 48 starts including the hot 8 game stretch. Outside of that he was accounting for less than a TD a game and more than 1 turnover per game. Just an awful football player. People thinking that Bledsoe was good is probably my biggest Bills pet peeve. When you show the proof and ask them, “why” you always hear about his arm or those 8 games. The guy played 4 years and set the drought in motion. He was closer to Edwards than to Fitz/Tyrod.

So you preferred: 23-25 59.1% completion 214.3 total ypg (passing and rushing) 59 total TDs 58 turnovers 140 sacks to this: 23-20 62.6% completion 238 total yards per game 65 total TDs 21 turnovers Help me understand what about the top was better than the bottom?

I’m good with it. I don’t care if any of those main guys play. If they sat 12 guys throughout the preseason you won’t hear me complain. The goal is a Super Bowl. This team needs to stay healthy again. Don’t add chances for injury. They’ve been together a while and by all accounts the system isn’t too much different. Additionally, there is a lot of competition for the back of the roster. I’d just assume see those guys get the reps. I’m all for the return of “Club Marv.”

I had Orton next on my list earlier. He wasn’t here long but I tried to look at just their time in a Bills uniform. He would be 3 if you went just drought era instead of post-Kelly.

Yep, that’s all people choose to remember. Those stats that I just posted INCLUDE that stretch (which was less than 17% of his starts). Earlier I posted just how dreadful he was in the other 40 starts. Bledsoe does not belong in the top 3 or in the conversation. I’m not sure that there is even a debate as to the top 3 (if you allow Flutie to be included in the drought era). It’s Flutie, Fitz and Tyrod in whichever order.

Best case: Sweep the division and finish 15-2 Worst case: Lose 2 divisional games and finish 11-6 (still win the division)

That is not the best QB play of the drought era. Why do so many people remember Bledsoe as “good?” 23-25 59.1% completion 214.3 total ypg (passing and rushing) 59 total TDs 58 turnovers 140 sacks Here is Tyrod for comparison (counting the game Rex lined him up a WR for the 1st play): 23-20 62.6% completion 238 total yards per game 65 total TDs 21 turnovers 124 sacks Someone please tell me what it is that Bledsoe did better? Please don’t say “eye test” either because I’ll challenge it with “memory test.” He won less, was less efficient, scored less, turned it over WAY more and put up less yards. He’s literally worse across the board. I used Taylor because they have roughly the same amount of starts.

Again, that factors in the whole year and he had elite receivers. The 2nd half of the year, he accounted for 9 TDs and 14 turnovers!! That’s TERRIBLE. Bledsoe is remembered so fondly (and wrongly) by Bills fans because of an 8 game stretch. When you remove those 8 games he was atrocious.

* the first 8 games of Bledsoe’s first season. After those 8 games he was 3-5, 9 total TDs, 14 turnovers and 24 sacks. He was not great his first year. He played a good 8 games.

I’ll take a crack at ranking them: Doug Flutie Tyrod Taylor Ryan Fitzpatrick Kyle Orton Rob Johnson Drew Bledsoe JP Losman Trent Edwards EJ Manuel Kelly Holcomb Thad Lewis Alex Van Pelt Matt Cassel Todd Collins Jeff Tuel Nathaniel Peterman