Gray Beard

This made me laugh, in an "oh fudge, good point" kind of way. I would trust J Byrd to roll coverage, after that I run out of options. Most fans can think of ways for the offense to work in spite of a weakness, but of course a fan doesn't have to be held accountable if it doesn't go well. For me, and probably for many fans, it is harder to come up with ways for a defense to work in spite of a weakness, and unfortunately it seems as though the Bills have more than one aspect of their defense that could be considered a weakness.

Many people on this forum have said that the Offense has a decent line, good RBs, a QB whose passes are not particularly strong or accurate, and a group of receivers that are small and don't always get open. Therefore the offense should rely on runs ansd screens, and the QB should be a game manager. In other words, choose plays that your offense is suited for. On defense, the front four were pretty good early in the season, but lately they have been questionable. The LBs have always been considered to be below average, and the DBs are average, more or less. Therefore, the defense should run plays that are designed to work with the talent level that is available. Since A. Williams isn't very good in coverage, would it hurt to blitz him occasionally? Aren't there other ideas that would be appropriate to try to get the most out of this group of players? Playing "Fit the Gap" isn't working. Look at your players and figure out what will (or might) work.

It gets better. I live near Utica, another hour past Syracuse from Buffalo. Our CBS station is the one in Syracuse, so when games are blacked out in Syracuse, they are also blacked out in Utica, almost 200 miles from Buffalo. (oops, I guess the post two above me said the same thing)

If players are supposed to be motivated on their own, how can anyone explain the bounty scandal in New Orleans? If guys making millions of dollars will supposedly try harder for an extra few thousand, then there must be factors that can be used to motivate them to play harder. Obviously it shouldn't be bounties, but perhaps some sort of motivation from a coach or well respected player will have an impact. Not everyone has Ray Lewis' motivation, some people need to be pumped up. Even a team warm-up with chants and cheers and jumping up and down would help if the players really got into it and used it to get thier blood pumping.

What's going to happen this off season? Here are three scenarios: 1) The Bills get 9 or 10 wins. Everybody is re-signed. Hell freezes over. Pigs fly. 2) The Bills get 7 or 8 wins. Gailey gets a new contract. Wannstedt gets canned. Fitz stays on as starting QB. Draft priority is LB. 3) The Bills get 5 or 6 wins. Gailey, Wannstedt and most of the coaches go. Fitz gets his contract restructured (nobody else would pay him enough to lure him away). Draft priority is QB and LB.

Did he mention the Bills because he acutally knows something, or did he mention the Bills because he mentioned all the teams that are in disarray? With Gailey in his contract year and some of the big contracts that have been given to underperforming players, I would naturally think it is logical to put the Bills into a list of teams that are going to have changes in management and coaching. However, with the Bills ownership situation it isn't clear that any changes will actually occur.

Dolphins are scary. Jets have given up on this game. No urgency. Short passes and runs up the middle. Crowd is silent.

If the Dolphins beat the Jets then the Jets will be at the bottom of the AFC East!

Gilmore hasn't made any highlight plays, but he is pretty solid. Right before the ball is snapped I look to see which DB is covering which WR, etc. It's getting to the point that I look at who Gilmore is lined up against and I think to myself "that receiver is covered, what about the others?"

Obviously the defense is indefensible, but Fitz seems to have failures that are glaring and critical. To me, personally, just my own judgement, the interception at the end of the Titans game was all on Fitz, and it completely ruined the entire season, in my opinion. I can't see the Bills winning the next few games, and when the record is 3-6 or worse, the season becomes a bunch of meaningless games as we wait to see what happens with the lame duck coaching staff. That game coulda shoulda been a victory, but with that pass Fitz managed to clutch defeat out of the jaws of victory. Again. I know the final drive was also a mess, but at that point I think the entire team was in shock. The Titans smelled blood, and the Bills crumbled as a team. The line couldn't block, the receivers couldn't get open, and Fitz couldn't execute. Is it all Fitz's fault? No. Is Fitz a symbol of the hot mess that the Bills have become? Maybe.

Nix isn't always right, but he's not stupid. No way he goes for Tebow. He's got two wildcat QBs on the roster, and Tebow doesn't play defense, which is obviously the biggest need.

There is a saying about good coaches: "He can take his and beat yours, and he can take yours and beat his" The credit for this saying is not clear, posssibly Don Shula? or maybe Bum Philips (Wade's father)? Or maybe somebody else. The point is: a good coach knows the best way to use the players that he has at any given time, whether it is starters, second stringers, or rejects. Wannstedt doesn't seem to be able to make the most out of the players that he has. I bet Belichick or either of the Ryan brothers, or probably several other coaches around the league could make this defense look pretty good. They would know how to use the players that they have and design schemes and strategies to get results. You can't fit a square peg into a round hole.

I agree 100%. Thanks for writing this. Now I don't have to.

I disagree with this comment for several reason, but I can understand the frustation as well. Bill from NYC is surrounded by fans of the Giants, Jets, Patriots, Eagles and Ravens, just to name teams that are closer in proximity than Buffalo. All of those teams have enjoyed playoff seasons in recent years. To go out with a Bills hat or jacket on would make you an easy target for hecklers. So kudos for Bill from NYC for keeping his fanhood alive in an area that would offer many temptations to jump ship and root for some other team. However, I must also state that since I live near Utica, which should be Bills territory, I can understand that a Bills loss leaves you open for abuse, especially by the Giants bandwagon fans. A good day is when the Bills win and the Giants lose, but that doesn't happen too often. At work, people don't greet my by saying "Hi" but instead they greet my by saying "The Bills Suck." I know that they are just kidding, and many of them actually wish the Bills would win more often, but they enjoy teasing me about my team. My favorite reply from March through October is to say "The Bills are going to win the Superbowl!" and then from November through February, I say "Wait until Next Year!" It's all in good fun, but it gets a little old. Especially after 12 years. In no way do I condone any abuse or personal attacks on this message board (or anywhere else for that matter) but I do understand that people get frustrated knowing that their friends and coworkers are going to start with the heckling every time the Bills lose. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Fixed it

I like this list. (Long passes on third and short have to stop!)

I hate to see a long timer decide to leave. I hope we really haven't seen the last of you.

Thank you for the posts. I have enjoyed reading them for years (I was a lurker for about three years before I signed up.) However, regarding point 7, Gailey as a good OC, I have to disagree. His play calling is a big problem. Was anyone surprised with an interception on a long, low percentage sideline throw to a covered receiver on third and short? They never learn. That play has resulted in many interceptions, and can be blamed for costing the team at least a few games over the past two or three years. He tries to get cute too many times, and doesn't seem to learn that he should stick with what works. The past few games he has finally realized that Fitz is a game manager and the key to success is runs and screens, but that doesn't excuse that play at that point in the game.

Was anyone surprised that the losing play was a long, low percentage sidelone throw to a covered receiver on third and short? When the Fitz and Gailey era is finally, mercifully over, the fact that so many games were lost with that same play is something that I will remember for years to come.

I can go along with this. You have said a few things to qualify your support: - He is the best QB that we have for this season - He knows the offense I believe you are correct with these statements. I was hoping for a developmental QB this year, but the draft didn't offer anyone that the team thought was worthy. Maybe next year the opportunity for a successor will present itself. In the meantime, this it Fitz's team and therefore I will wish him the best. Any attempt to switch out the QB mid season will likely cause more harm than good for team morale and chemistry, especially with the team still in the hunt for a playoff berth. C'mon Fitz! Have a good day today so the torches and pitchforks can go back into the shed for a while.

Are the Bills linebackers a little on the small side? They seem to play like they are. Rather than tackle in a way that would drive a running back to the ground instantly, they tend to hold on and get dragged for a few yards. I can understant how that may happen later in the game when the LB is tired and banged up and just can't muster the energy or desire to take a running back head-on. That was especially true when the Patriots decided to pick on Scott and just keep running at him. I blame Wanny for letting that go on for so long without doing something about it. Scott is a SS playing LB. He can't be expected to take the abuse of trying to catch a running back in his gut over and over again.

I have a Syracuse diploma, and my daughter and her husband both have UConn diplomas. Big East Basketball! (Except that UConn basketball is in the toilet for the foreseeable future, and Syracuse is leaving the Big East} Even though most people would say it doesn't count, I also follow UConn women's basketball. They are a lot of fun to watch, since they beat almost everybody they play by huge margins (except for the two or three other dominant teams in women's bball).

I am confused in an unhappy way that Chan doesn't seem to acknowledge Choice's attempts to pump up the team. Why not give Choice a few extra carries? He's not as quick as Spiller or as slippery as Jackson, but he hits the hole hard, which is a pretty good way to run when you are playing a ball control type of offence. He is also a pretty good blocker.

I don't understand why not Bon Jovi. He is clean, middle of the road, appeals to women, nothing controversial. A little past his prime, but his concerts still are huge. Is he not "cutting edge" enough?

I think it is a benefit for him to play DB only in nickel/dime packages. When he was out there full time it seemed like he got flustered and bad things would compound. By having him out there only part-time he gets a chance to come off the field and get calmed down and mentally ready to go back in. I wonder if another team/coaching staff would be able to work with him to enable him to play full time as a DB, He may not be that valuable if he is only seen as a part-time DB, unless his punt return skills are enough to make him valuable without worrying too much about his DB skills.