Gray Beard

Trying to find things nobody else has mentioned so far: Positive: McIntyre in to block on successful drive in second half. Negative: No adjustment on D to keep a spy on Kolb (even Tasker said they should) PS: my prediction was that Bad Fitz would show up today and the Bills would lose. I was half right.

I wonder if Choice will get a few extra opportunities to carry the ball today. It seems like an easy way for Gailey to acknowledge that Choice was saying what needed to be said.

The idea that Thigpen will come in and energize the team is a stretch. I realize the sentiment is for the team to bottom out so that some major change can occur to turn this thing around, but I don't see it happening. I don't think they will bottom out during this game, and even if they do, I don't think we will see anything major happening mid-season. We all have to ride this out together. The other scenario is that they get their act together and beat a few teams. That may be a more believable scenario than the team completely falling apart and forcing Buddy or Chan into making some major coaching or player switch. Of course an injury to Fitz could mandate a switch, but I absolutely do not want to see that happen.

Depends which Fitz shows up Good Fitz: Bills win 27-24 Bad Fitz: Bills lose 34-13 My Prediction: Bad Fitz

The Visible Panty Line (Except lately they look pretty much Invisible)

I like that he fell down in the last game just as two or three guys were about ready to converge on him. He had already made the first down. By getting to the ground he avoids injury, avoids a fumble, and he wouldn't have made more than an extra yard or two before getting hit anyway. How many times have we seen a WR get the ball stripped because he was trying to get an extra yard as two or three guys worked him over? I'll gladly have Stevie take a dive to avoid that risk.

I'm not trying to be too much of a wiseguy, but I'm surprised nobody has nominated Hopeful for OC. Think Moneyball. Hopeful can provide all the statistical analysis to pick the correct play based on down, distance, time on the clock, wind speed and direction, injuries on both teams, sunspots, phase of the moon, defensive line-up and formation, etc, etc, etc, I bet that would quickly mean the end to long throws to the far sideline on third and short.

The griping among the fans will surely get worse. As it is, battle cries such as "Fire Wannstedt" "Fire Gailey" "Bench Fitz" are practically deafening. I think it is a safe bet that none of those things will happen this season. They aren't going to fire a coach and then be stuck paying him while also paying for the new coach. And where would this mythical new coach come from? They aren't going to bench Fitz because there isn't anybody else to take over. I think we may as well go along for the ride. Who knows, maybe it will be like a roller coaster, and after plunging down for a while it will shoot up again!

You also forgot "Tank the season for Geno"

My son says that watching the Bills is like watching Old Yeller over and over again. You know it is going to end badly,

Well said!

I agree he is not that old, but there are stories about nagging injuries, and he is not playing like he is in his prime. I know that sometimes he gets double teamed, and sometimes he takes the long way around to try to get to the QB. I also know that the Bills gave up on Takeo Spikes after an achilles injury but he ended up having a few more good years elsewhere, It's way too early to be down on Mario, but I wish he could occasionally do something spectacular just to keep impatient people like me from declaring him a waste of money. (Impatient Bills fans is probably an oxymoron.)

Chandler beats Whitner Stevie celebrates at home But it's not enough

Instead of spending $100M on a player that may be past his prime, you should pay big bucks for a coaching staff that is young enough to have new ideas.

Chan won't stick to the running game even if it IS working. And I don't think the defense gave up last week. I think they were beat up. Scott is a good guy, and valuable on special teams, but he is a tweener. Too slow for SS, too small for LB. The offense realized that if they run at him, he will make the tackle after being dragged for five or six yards. Nobody gave up, they were beat up and out coached.

He lost me about halfway through last year when he refused to change anything even though his game plans weren't working.

It's early in the season, but it looks to me like the AFC East is one of the weakest divisions in the NFL. Unless something significant happens to change things, the Patriots will win the division and then lose in their first playoff game.

Then they should be well rested, have fewer nagging little injuries, and be ready to hit somebody!

Is he serious, or is this just a smoke screen? To say that the players couldn't do what he expected of them is just silly. If the players can't do what you want, then CHANGE WHAT YOU WANT! I also want to take this opportunity to repeat what I posted somewhere else: big, tired players will always have the advantage over small, tired players. Nickel and Dime packages in the fourth quarter? That looked like a "prevent" defense. And all a prevent defense does is prevent you from winning.

Thank you for saying this. I have been thinking this for about a year now, but people keep referring to Gailey as a great offensive mind and I just don't see it. People also like to say that Gailey gets the most out of a mediocre QB. Again, I'm not seeing it. Right now, I believe that the team has better than average talent with worse than average coaching. I don't know how to back this up with facts; it is just a gut feel.

Sounds like you might be contradicting yourself. Whitner "never got a fair shot here." That sounds to me like bad coaching. The fans' opinions are meaningless, so if he never got a fair shot, it must have been because of bad coaching. Therefore, coaching is critical, even with a good player. Perhaps you are trying to make a distinction between coaching players on technique, individual skills, etc., versus coaching to design plays and game strategies. If that is the case, then maybe you aren't contradicting yourself. Clearly, the Bills coaches are lacking when it comes to designing plays and game strategies. I don't know enough to judge whether they are any good at coaching players on things like technique and individual skills.

During the second half of last year the game plan didn't seem to change even though the injuries were piling up, Fitz was hurt, other teams realized how to defend against the Bills, and it was obvious that the defensive personnel didn't fit the scheme. Everybody on this forum, all the talking heads on the TV shows, the announcers during the games, the writers for local papers, the writers for ESPN and SI, etc. all could see what was going on. Yet nothing ever changed. I have no reason to believe that suddenly the coaching staff will wake up and start doing things any differently.

This

Bills are 0-1 in the post Brian Moorman era

I know this has been beat to death, but I can't help piling on. When Wanny was named Defensive Coordinator, the Wanstache love on this board was almost embarassing. Now it seems as though things are not looking all that great. In my opinion, Wanstache is a bigger culprit than Fitz when looking to point fingers, Fitz as a mediocre QB is probably number three or four on the list of issues, Play calling on O, play calling on D, weak linebackers, and young cornerbacks are also all contributors to the problem. Everyone knows this, Throw in Mario not living up to expectations, a few injuries and things look even worse. I don't even want to bring up the lack of top notch receivers because Fitz is having trouble hitting Stevie, so having more good receivers won't help. OK all you Fitz haters, I agree he isn't very good, but I don't blame him for everything that is wrong with the team, so flame away!