Dan

McLovin is trying to single-handedly give the game to the Vikings. Unreal.

I think you're forgetting the cardinal rule for being a Bills fan: when a player from any other team does it; it's gutsy play and trusting your receiver to make a play. When a Bills QB does it; it's a horrible decision followed by an inaccurate throw. (In short - whatever they do is right; whatever we do is wrong.)

Yes, Brohm looks great roaming the sideline. And how do you know that when/if he ever has to step in for an injured Fitz that he won't perform quite capably? He has every chance of stringing 1 or 2 good games together as a backup as anyone. I say he's doing his job well as a backup because he's not creating controversy; he's not trying to get on the field at every opportunity; he's not creating a problem in the locker room; I have seen him and Fitz talking on the sideline so I assume he's helping Fitz out; he's not costing the team a lot of money; and he's hasn't cost the team a high daft pick. How is any of that a bad backup? So, you'd rather use a top 10 draft pick on a QB? So now you have a guy making 10's of millions of dollars, who wants to be on the field, continually looking over the starter's shoulder; just so he can get on the field and maybe play as well as Fitz is playing now? Yes, a RT, DE, LB, etc. could be a bust; but isn't it better to try and draft for what the team actually needs? I'm not saying don't draft a QB because he might be a bust; I'm suggesting don't draft a QB because Fitz is playing well enough to be a starter. That is... we don't need a new QB on the team. Using a top 10 draft pick on a QB, at this point, is the very definition of running in place. We'd use a top 10 pick and (if we're lucky) get the same production for the next couple of years as we're currently getting from Fitz. Why not allow Fitz to maintain his level of play and use that valuable pick on a position that can help stop the run? So, I'm advocating building on what we've already got rather than rebuilding that which is working because we don't think Fitz is the answer; even though all relevant statistics show he is the guy. Yes, maybe this is a flash in the pan year for him. But, at this point, we've all been waiting for Fitz's play to tail off and him to get pummeled by defenses. Well... we're still waiting. I say Fitz has earned the right to be the starter and we should build the other areas of the team that desperately need it until he actually does start failing.

Are you suggesting that all tackles on a RB are made by the NT?

In all fairness, any RB rushing for 200 yards against this defense shouldn't be a surprise nor an indication of collapse.

I completely agree. And I'm guessing/hoping by his later comment that he doesn't want to be known for the wrong reason that he does get that. I suspect or hope that if he does score this week we'll see a little lower key celebration and twitting about it. I do like his energy and passion that he brings to the team, and wouldn't want him to get rid of that part of his personality all together. But a little reeling it in for a while to let his play speak for itself would be refreshing to see.

No idea where to even put this comment; there's so many Stevie threads; but just wanted to say.... I just watched his Wed. press conference and you just can't help but like this guy's attitude and approach to the game. One thing that really stood out was when asked if the subsequent hoopla to his tweeting would change the way he acts in the future (with regard to tweeting and all). And he acknowledges that it probably will, at least for a bit, because he's getting attention for all the wrong reasons. He always thought he'd get noticed for what he did on the field not for this other stuff. I mean... how can you not like this guy? The more I hear him, the more I'm proud to have him on the Bills.

Well.... some of us take a little longer to retain information than others. Don't worry I have faith you'll get it sooner or later. I agree... we'll agree to disagree. And that is what makes America and this board great. But in the end as long as we're all Bills fans and civil... it's all good.

1. I'd like to see some facts backing up the claim that "more often than not" Fitz makes the negative play at the key time. There's plays you or I could point to either way. I think that's his biggest "flaw" at this point - his accuracy or consistency in certain situations. But, I think it's a biased view that can draw the conclusion that more often than not he makes the bad play. Again, until I see some factual data to back that up, I can't buy it. Also, there's no way you can know that if the WRs become more consistent or if the line becomes more consistent that Fitz won't also become more consistent. How many of his bad throws are because he can't step into the throw properly? How many drops have the WRs had? How much of the bad play has been a WR and him not being quite on the same page? Certainly, his inaccuracies are partially to blame; but it's also certainly partially laid at the feet of the other 10 guys on the field. 2. That's exactly my point. A good backup sits on the bench, listens into the head phones, and talks things over with the starter on the sideline helping him decipher the defense. Brohm so far has done quite well in all of those areas. You don't need a Montana as your #2 QB. So why waste a top 10 draft pick on it? If your back up is getting significant playing time... then you need a new #1. Maybe you luck out like the Pats* did with Brady.. .but they wasted a 6th round pick on him. If Nix wants to take a late round pick QB.. I got no problem with it. But, I'm not sure why we need to waste a top 10 pick on a guy because he looks good on the bench and might be a good player in 3 years. 3. I fear you're still biased against Fitz. There's absolutely no reason to say with certainty that he can not be a franchise QB. Also, there's absolutely no guarantee that anyone you draft is going to become a franchise QB. Sure drafting Luck #1 overall may seems like the right thing, but I'm sure the Chargers thought that with Leaf. Hell, I'm sure they thought that with Rivers - how many Super Bowls has he won for them even? Lots of guys get drafted high, but many of them don't become franchise QBs and win Super Bowls. Right now Fitz is performing in top half of pretty well all the QB stats. What more would you like to see from the Bills' QB? Wins? Sure we all would, but the the QB does not single handedly win games. Take the best QB of the last 50 years and have him throw that pass to Stevie and guess what... Stevie still drops it. So, why can't Fitz be our guy? As I said in my post, if you're sure the next Elway, Kelly, Montana is there; yes, draft him. But, if you're not sure, why waste a high pick when you could get a player for a position of true need?

Tragedy, like many things, is in the eye of the beholder. You've never thought something in your life wasn't a great tragic event, just ot realize how silly you were a year later? People ask God for support in a myriad of trivial tasks every day. What's so wrong with questioning his support in response to trivial things. Should players not praise God when they make a game winning catch? Should I not ask God for help guidance in my every day, trivial life? Conversely, should I stop talking to God when things in my life - big and small - don't work out? Who decides what's an actual tragic event? The problem is he's having an open conversation with God and that offends too many people. Not because he's having the conversation, but because it's not a glowing, all is good conversation.

Sorry... guess you didn't get the reference? (Fundamentally I agree with you, but having your team leave town for another and having a 2 hour plus drive to see them isn't something I think any fan of the game should endure. That's all)

Come on, it's Canada. You zip in, you pick up a game, you zip right out again. You're not going to Moscow. It's Canada. It's like going into Wisconsin.

Absolutely ludicrous assumption. If you actually read the full site - articles and message board - you'll find plenty of love for Stevie being thrown out. I'd suggest read more, talk less as a starting point. Really? I'm fairly certain there's quite a few non-Bills fans here. Again read the posts, you'll see plenty of people hoping for losses, wanting to cut some of our best players, hoping the owner passes away, etc. There's easily just as much criticism of the Bills as their is praise around here. Maybe being a fan is more than just praising the positive?? I disagree. There's quite a few fans of other teams that frequent the board. I've always thought they came here out of a respect for the quality of football talk and the honesty of posters here. I've never seen them say this place is pathetic. True, it is. But, we're Bills fans. There can't be good without the bad. We celebrate it all. Being a Bills fan isn't for the faint of heart. It takes inner strength, courage, and a certain resiliency that most people can not appreciate nor do they understand. Go Bills!

Can't that same argument be made for real Bills fans driving to Toronto? We all know that real fans don't want to drive 2 hours to another city to support their team.

I think they can attend team meetings (not sure though), but they can't practice. Unless, of course, if you're the Pats*. As I recall that was one of the many ways that they to cheated. They allowed IR'd players to practice. The advantage being that it gives the established starters rest during the week if you have extra bodies on the scout team, etc.

If you've never questioned the existence or benevolence of God when tragedy or sorrow entered your life; then I would argue you're not a person of faith. His reaction was quite normal. The problem was, in this day of every thought being posted to the internet, he let everyone know of his doubts. But , then again, isn't that why he's on twitter - to let everyone knows his constant stream of thoughts? It's all just blown completely out of proportion.

Unfortunately that's the world we live in. Impossible expectations of perfection with immediate gratification in all things. Players aren't good unless they're headlining SportsCenter every night, have great Madden scores and are in the top of some scrolling fantasy football graphic. Stats and public perception rule the day and be damned if you make a single mistake. I began the year upset that Fitz was #2; thinking it should be Brohm. Because we knew what Fitz was and I hoped Brohm could develop into something more. I was thrilled to see Edwards benched! but still not happy to see Fitz get the nod. I was truly hoping he'd be benched in about 2 weeks as well. Again, we had all seen what Fitz could do - he was a career backup at best. Again, I wanted Brohm in there; not so much because I thought he was good, but more because I thought he offered the promise of better play in the future. However, over the course of the season, Fitz (or maybe it was just his beard!) has completely changed my mind. He's doing everything, everything you want your starting QB to do. He's leading the team, he's making the players around him better, he's throwing the ball all over, dissecting defenses, leading the way on comebacks, throwing blocks, hanging in there against tough defenses (when people keep saying he'll get killed I might add), and most importantly, he appears to be getting better almost every week. Could we do better than Fitz with a top draft pick? Perhaps. But, I'm about tired of the hope and promise of the next, unproven guy. Fitz has shown that he has all the tools needed and there's really isn't any reason to believe that he won't get better next year. The team is not losing because of him. Furthermore, Brohm is doing a great job as the backup, as well. Why draft a QB early just to replace someone that's already doing his job quite well? It makes no sense. We have too many holes and needs, IMO, to waste a pick on a player that in all likelihood won't see the field for 2-3 years. If Nix is absolutely convinced that the next Manning, Elway, Kelly, Montana, Marino are in the draft then I might change my mind. But, I think we all know that's a long shot at best. What's the appropriate expression here??... a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush.

Much agreed. I hope this mean the Bills are about to get the infamous Colbert Bump!

He's no doubt gotten some attention for himself and the team. Let's just hope he has a good game against the Vikings.. imagine the press if we roll Favre's Vikings with Stevie catching a couple of TDs.

then decided it was best to drop God from his fantasy team because it's apparent he's too old to play football anymore. Funny, but man... I really don't get all the hoopla over this tweet. I thought no one followed or cared about the Bills? How is it the whole country has seen Stevie's tweet?

Drugs can be a wonderful thing... but then again.. sometimes not.

Always thought provoking comments, well done. Here's a few of my thoughts: Bell - I think he's' really coming along and will be the LT for years to come. For anyone wishing/hoping we draft the best OT, I think it's time to hitch a new wagon (perhaps we draft a RT this year, but I doubt that will be a 1st rounder). Bell can certainly improve areas of his game. And I think that this full year, followed by a full offseason of conditioning and adding weight and he'll do just that. Funny how the urgent need to find a LT is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Fitz - His play has been nothing short of tremendous, especially in helping the Oline look good. But, the one thing that stands out from yesterday was the number of times he sold out to make blocks for extra yardage. On one handoff to Fred, Troy P. was blitzing from the left and would have closed in on Fred from the backside for little to no gain, but Fitz dove forward and held Troy up just enough so that Fred got through the line for a nice gain. On a different play to Fred, Fitz ran well down field in an effort to throw a block. I believe it was on the play Fred fumbled and Evans recovered. I ask, how often do you see any QB so willing to be involved in every play and truly do everything he can to help get positive yards? What Fitz has done and continues to do is prove that he's the leader of this team. We may draft a QB next spring, but I'd be shocked if Fitz isn't our starter for the foreseeable future. People who were holing out judgment until the Steeler game, what do you have to say now about Fitz? Jackson - He's nothing short of our best offensive player again. My primary problem with Chan is that he doesn't use Fred enough. There's no sound reason to only give the guy 1 carry in overtime. Give the ball to Fred, even out the run to pass ratio, and we'll win more games. I'm certain of it. Stevie - He had a bad game. We all know it; he knows it. But, he's still young and learning to deal with the game. The mental part of the game will catch up to the physical part; or at least I like to think it will. In no way am I concerned about him. He just needs to shrug it off, put it behind him, and practice even harder this week. I think the next game will be a good barometer of the type of player he can be. Edwards - I'm not in any way sold on George Edwards yet. The defense still gives up entirely too many plays. They're still out of position and slow to the ball. Maybe it's the players, maybe it's the scheme. But a decent second half doesn't make me forget about the 24 minutes of TOP for the Steelers in the 1st half or the complete inability to stop the run in overtime. Chan had the offense hitting a stride; but the defense still looks dazed and confused for the most part. IMO, we need an upgrade at DC. The Team's attitude - for the first time since perhaps the early '00s the players actually sound pissed off that they're losing. That's a good thing. They played hard; they thought they would win. They didn't. But, rather than give ho hum lip service; they genuinely sound pissed off, frustrated, and depressed about it. Sooner or later I have to believe they're going to start taking those frustrations out on opposing teams. Gailey, if nothing else, seems to be changing the mindset on the team. And, that, was/is the first order of business and perhaps the hardest part of taking over this team. If there's any positive I can pull from yet another miserable loss; it's that the players finally sound pissed off and want to change it.

I think so. I didn't DVR the game, so I can't confirm. But, from what I recall the defense stunted and Levitre missed Harrison, Bell rode his guy out of the play. So, I'd say Levitre missed the block, not Bell. But, I can't recall if there was a RB that could have picked up the outside guy meaning Bell should have stayed on Harrison more. Even still, if that's the only play in question, I'd say it was a good game against a tough team. How long has it been since we could say that neither the Oline nor the QB are the reason we lost the game (and there's no tougher test than facing the Steelers defense)?

Stevie had a rough game, no question. But, he's a Bill and I'm proud to have him on our team. I'll cheer him week in and week out.

Bill, I'll be interested to read your take on Bell's game. But, from my perspective, he had another solid game. The one sack he may have missed an assignment? He took the outside rusher and Harrison(?) stunted inside to get the sack. Again, not sure that's a miss on Bell, but other than that one play he seemed pretty solid. At this point in the season, I'd say the line is steadily improving. I think they still need to work on their communication. But, all in all, they're looking like an improving unit each week.