Gray Beard

According to the Urban Dictionary website... deat 1. Form of expression, showing enthusiam for something. 2. An herbal spread to put on children's toes. 3. (n.) details, goosip. 4. Noun. Internet shorthand for "delete" or "deleted." 5. Some crazy mofo painter. 6. Another name for a penis.

That is a very civil answer to my rather snarky post. Thank you for that. Last year, the team started off poorly and ended strong. The beginning of this season, the strong performances continued, which made people very optimistic. Now with the recent string of bad games, nobody knows what to think. Nobody wants to believe that next season will be yet another disappointment. Injuries and lack of depth are the excuses, which seem valid. Only time will tell. It seems as though the team is on its way to better days, but we have all been burned too many times to be too optimistic. There are people who want to blame Fitz's bad passing skills, blame the poor drafting, blame the loss of Evans and Hangartner, blame the coaches, blame a defense that couldn't stop the run very well even before the injuries, etc. I believe the draft will add depth, most key players will be re-signed (not sure about Stevie), they will find a graceful way to remove Edwards as DC, and next year the Bills will still be relevant at Christmas time. I don't say that just to be blindly optimistic, I think I really believe it.

Interesting article comparing Jax to San Diego. http://business-news.thestreet.com/thestreet/story/nfl-blackout-san-diego-uncertainty-jolts-chargers/11339542

It take guts to tell people to stop living in the past. I have been a Bills fan for about 30 years, so I have been through bad, good, and bad stretches. That was then, this is now. I also think the game has evolved in the past 15 years, so it is getting harder to compare the players of that era to the players of today. Every year at this time I start paying attention to mock drafts, start researching college players that will declare for the draft, and start looking at the Bills roster to see who is worth keeping and who will likely be replaced. I also still watch all the games with my son, because that is what I like to do on Sunday afternoons.

Let me be a little optimistic. I say the Bills will select in the top 10 in this draft, but will be much improved and not pick so soon in the next draft. Therefore, if there is a QB among the top 10 picks with seemingly low risk, then take him now. Doesn't Fitz have a 3 year and $24M scenario in his contract? To me, that is the best way to play this. Pick RG3, let him work his way in slowly, then decide if he is the real deal, and decide whether or not to exercise Fitz's contract extension after the third year. Unless somebody thinks that there is an even better QB choice next year, in which case you get a LB (Upshaw?) with the first pick.

"They" may never be ready to accept that "they" have to pay to get the good Coordinators. That as the issue.

I agree completely. The Dolphins defense smelled blood. It was as if each guy was trying to hit harder than the last guy. They were flying all over the field. Swagger and confidence. And HARD hits. I always wonder why players don't hit hard when they have a chance. I linebacker should make a receiver regret that he ran a slant route 7 yards deep. London Fletcher didn't let up when he hit Fitz. The Redskins were getting creamed, but Fletcher hit him so hard he was barely able to play for the next two games. I don't see that aggressiveness from the Bills. Aggressiveness doesn't have to be only on defense. Richie Incognito is a guard, and he is known as a dirty player. Maybe being known as dirty isn't what we want, but at least be feared and aggressive. I actually think Wood and Levitre have that capability. When Tebow has the ball, he runs over cornerbacks and safeties. He is not unique in that respect, but one reason that he is always in the news is because of that style of play. Why can't every tight end and fullback do that? I see it on other teams, but not on the Bills.

I agree with most of what you are saying. I have a question... Many people go on and on about drafting the "best player available" whereas you are talking about drafting for need. I have never understood the BPA approach. If you need linebackers but the BPA is a waterbug back, some people (cough cough Nix and Gailey) choose the waterbug back. One argument is that you draft somebody higher than they are worth if you draft for need (such as Whitner). In that case, a player who could be a solid depth contributor leaves town because he thinks of himself as elite based on his high draft position and initial contract. Any response would be appreciated.

Right now there are at least three TEs on the team. Smith, Caussin and Chandler. All three caught passes in the Titans game. I don't know if any of them "pass the eyeball test" for being "elite" or having "competitive greatness." However, I would be surprised if TE was considered a need in the near term. Too many other holes to plug. On the other hand, a big, aggressive, fast, mean WR would be a huge upgrade.

I keep wondering why the Bills can't do this with Moats. Last year he was a speed rush guy, this year he isn't. Is it a scheme change? Is it because the Bills coaches don't want to (or don't know how to) use that capability?

The celebration at the Jets game made me shake my head. The non-celebration at the Titans game made me laugh out loud. People watch the game wondering what Stevie is going to do next. Kind of like watching the Superbowl to see the commercials. In terms of actual football game quality, neither the Bills nor the Superbowl seem to offer very much most of the time.

I am glad somebody brought this thread back. I have been thinking about it for the past few days. Earlier in the season, I posted in a few other threads (not this one) that I thought they should use the fullback and tight ends more. I also wondered why the defense sucks given that Wannstedt is on the staff. Those comments were met with ridicule and I was told that Chan is a genius and I am a nobody. I am still a nobody, but it is amazing how perceptions about Chan being a genius have changed in just a few weeks.

I wonder if Spiller will follow the pattern set by Whitner and Poz. Good but not great players, drafted too high, expecting big money on their second contract. In a couple of years will people be saying that Spiller isn't worth the money to re-sign, thus creating another hole in the never ending cycle? Too soon to say, but I will be curious to see how this unfolds.

ARTHUR: Look, you stupid bastard. You've got no arms left. BLACK KNIGHT: Yes, I have. ARTHUR: Look! BLACK KNIGHT: Just a flesh wound.

Corey has seen spot duty as a blocker all season, and for Spiller he is getting used more often. I like the fact that Corey was used as an outlet receiver. He was open a few times, and he caught one pass for four yards. Using tight ends and fullbacks! Maybe Chan has been watching other games and finally realized that other teams actually use those positions.

Unfortunately, cheaping out is the way that this team will go. I believe Edwards will find a new job next season so that he can leave and save face, and Wannstedt will be named DC. And very little will change. I appreciate your thinking and you have put a lot of thought into this, but it is the Bills under Ralph that we are talking about.

I was waiting for that today and they didn't do it! My blood pressure thanks them for that.

I am in total agreement. When you follow this team closely, you start to feel like the players are talented and worthy of playing better than the record indicates. Something is wrong. Something is holding them back. For the past several years, we have witnessed that when players leave this team, they often play far better on some other team. I can bet that many of the players on this team (even McElvin, who is often the brunt of jokes) could be much more effective somewhere else (even Maybin is making a name for himself). I think the Bills have been getting bargain basement coaches for several years, and both play calling and player development has suffered as a result. Even if Edwards is replaced for next year, can we automatically assume that the replacement will be able to get better results from the same players? Not if he is just another bargain basement guy. And I don't think Wennstadt is going to be the savior. He has been there long enough to make his influence be felt, and the defense is not getting any better.

Moats is fast and has made some sacks in the past (Favre, Brett). If the Bills wanted to speed rush a guy from the edge, they could do it with Moats. But they don't. Must be a different scheme, philosophy, or emphasis by the DC.

Roll-out passes the past few games were well done. Fitz is also a threat to run. That is a new wrinkle to the offense that I think is pretty impressive, and it has worked pretty well on several occasions.

#83 and #85 (Caussin and Smith) are TIGHT ENDS!! And they were being used for short gains!! Even though they didn't always make first downs, it was refreshing to see tight ends getting a lot of action. Big targets for short gains. Maybe you can teach an old dog a not-so-new trick.

Ralph is cheap.

It was a Fox game (NFC). I was watching Jets-Redskins on CBS, Broncos-Vikings on Fox, and Bills-Titans on my computer. A very entertaining afternoon!

What's with not rushing in the second half? Rushing works better in the second half when the big guys on the defense get tired. Gailey (or Fitz) gives up on the run and goes pass wacky in the second half. I have noticed this for several games now, and not just when the game is out of hand.

Bastages! When are we going to get to see what Aiken can do?