Gray Beard

I'm worried that Chan will just go five wide and not even bother with a run game. I would like to see if Spiller gets better with more touches, and I would also like to see if Johnny White has any potential. I have always thought that Corey McIntyre should get a chance to be a bigger part of the offense and get a few chances to carry the ball or get a little dump off pass. Now is the time to try it, but I bet it won't happen. I also worry about Spiller and fumbles. He fumbled a few times last year, and last week he carried the ball in one hand in traffic. This week could be interesting. Probably not pretty, but definitely interesting.

Excellent post and I totally agree. A little cruel, though. I don't want to disrespect Stevie, I think he is very good and has been playing hurt. But he is just not in the same class as the other names on your list. The other guys are big, mean, fast, and will fight for every ball. That kind of talent doesn't come along very often.

I believe you are right. I can't imagine that it is not brought up. I just hate the idea of saying that practically every player on the Bills is below average. It is the team I root for, and I don't want to believe that the players that I have been rooting for over the past few years are just plain bad and it can't be fixed. I often wonder if players that are deemed to be below average are actually just not being used/coached/drilled correctly. People on this board scream that Edwards is terrible, and I take that to mean that his player preparation is bad as well as his game plan. Would another set of coaches fix this kind of thing, or is it truly the result of below average players?

They always say they want "game changers" in the HOF. Tasker was a game changer because they invented a role in the pro-bowl for him and they invented a penalty because of him. That certainly seems like he changed the way the game is played.

The film sessions should show that they are not turning around soon enough. PI penalties can sometimes be avoided if the ref thinks the DB is playing the ball. That won't happen if the DB isn't even looking for it. I believe it is a coaches responsibility to point out the trend and try to drill the DBs during the week on turning around and playing the ball. These are non-contact drills that just reinforce the habit. It seems like a very fixable situation if the coaches realize it and decide to make it a priority for even a little while during practice. But I'm probably wrong. I played DB is high school several decades ago, and my perception of the coaches' ability to point out such things to professional players who obviously are excellent at their jobs is likely misguided and naive.

Stevie is so banged up they really should not have played him against Miami. He looked like an 85 year old man out there. His groin and shoulder are clearly bothering him. He couldn't reach over his head for passes that he normally would have caught. I was amazed he got up after some of the hits he took. I hope that with Aiken on the 53 man roster, they use Nelson, Aiken and Roosevelt more and protect Stevie's health for a week or two. Nelson was throwing up behind the bench in Miami, so it's no surprise that he was pretty useless on the field. I assume that whatever was wrong with Nelson will be better by this week's game.

That pop should have been a penalty. Helmet to helmet. My question with Naaman is why does he get so few opportunities? He looks pretty beefy for a WR, and he has great hands. Doesn't get separation is one suggestion. He may also be the third option in many of the plays, and Fitz doesn't often have time to look for the third option. I assume he will get more opportunities in the next few games with Jones out. I hope they don't try to use Smith as a WR. He also doesn't get separation, and he has stone hands. Same with Martin. Let's use Naaman more, and see what Kamar can do. I am kind of psyched to see these guys step up in the next few games. I also hope that Johnny White gets some action soon. Can't hurt. Let's see what he can do!

I said in a different post... too bad Chan doesn't use the tight end or the fullback. The Bills have some good ones.

They may be small, but they're slow.

Rotate the backs. Fred (if he is healthy), Spiller, and White. All with McIntyre leading. And once or twice give it to McIntyre just to see if he can surprise them. I would love that.

Wannstedt is assistant head coach and LB coach (or whatever made up title he has). Maybe Gailey thinks he can delegate the responsibility to his DC (cough cough) and his assistant head coach. On paper it seems like a good idea. In practice, not so much.

Tough choice. QB of the future or monster pass rusher DE/OLB. Decisions, decisions, decisions...

Of all the rankings on this thread, I like this summary best. Roosevelt got clobbered on a head to head hit yesterday that should have been a penalty but he held on. I think McIntyre should be used more, so it is hard to grade him fairly. Receiver ranking to me should be a combination of route running, speed, toughness, good hands and size. Nobody on this team comes close to a Larry Fitzgerald prototype.

Based on one or two touches in garbage time, Johnny White may have more upside than Spiller. If Fred doesn't play much, I hope they give White a chance to see what they've got.

Good point about Hairston. I am so used to the quick release that I may be fooled into thinking that holding a block for more than a few seconds is good enough.

I would give Nelson a pass. We know he has a bad ankle. He also looked like he might have gone over behind the bench to throw up. He might have been in bad shape before the game even started. Spiller's fail on the two yard touchdown did not improve his stock price. Levitre is not a center and is surprisingly small when standing next to other linemen. He may not be great but I can't hate on a guy with as much heart as he has shown. Aaron Williams and Searcy were not terrible for rookies. I want more Johnny White (which may happen, depending on how bad Fred is hurt). Roosevelt caught a pass and then got creamed. He isn't big or fast, but he can catch. Smith is a waste of payroll. And that would be true even if Ralph wasn't cheap. So is Spiller. Hairston is a keeper (I think). Chan doesn't use fullbacks or tight ends. What a shame, the Bills have good ones.

It will be interesting next week to see who plays. They will probably pull Aiken or Toone up from the practice squad at WR. Bell may be back at left tackle. Urbik will probably play center instead of Levitre. White and Spiller will probably get more touches since Fred is hurt (I sure hope not seriously hurt). New players, and I hope new plays.

Do they? Is this sarcasm? High ankle sprain perhaps? We will have to wait a few days for the press release to see how serious it is.

Agreed. Continuity is appropriate. I feel that Gailey is the best coach this team has had in over a decade. He isn't great, but he's pretty good. Kind of like most of the players on the team.

+1

How does a team that is this bad turn it around? Injuries mounting. Lost confidence. Dropped passes. Overmatched coaches. Mediocre talent even when healthy. Soon to be eliminated from any possible playoff scenarios. How do you convince a team to keep trying and look for a spark? Will the rest of the season be losses by 30 points? I am curious to see this season play out. Kind of like a horror movie, you know every kid in that house will be dead and covered with blood before the movie is over, but you keep watching anyway.

I would love to share your optimism. My son will come over, and we will watch this game together just as we have for the past 22 years. I am on the edge of my seat waiting for the long, low percentage pass to a below average receiver in tight coverage on 3rd and short. I will hope for an incomplete rather than an interception. That is the sorry state of my trust based on the last few weeks. And I will not be calm when it happens.

Kyle Williams and Wood are legit losses. The rest are not as severe (some people think Merriman was a big loss, I'm not sure). The team was flat in Dallas, and it was apparent after about five minutes that the game would be ugly. I keep hoping that the play calling will get more innovative, and if they just run the standard two plays against Miami (handoff to Fred, or go five wide and dump off a short pass) I will be seriously disappointed.

Why do the Bills leave the middle of the field open? Why don't they leave a linebacker in the middle and tell him to just stay there to cover the dump off passes? This is so frustrating. The other team should not be able to pass the ball 5 to 10 yards right in the middle of the field EVERY TIME. I have no idea how many times my son and I yell at the TV. He was the middle linebacker in high school and a little in college until he blew out his knee. He gets furious. It's almost scary to be in the room with him. WHY WHY WHY can't the Bills cover short passes in the middle?

I take this to mean that you were not happy when Spiller was drafted. At the time I was telling my friends that I would be disappointed if the Bills drafted anyone that weighed less than 300 pounds, either for offense or defense. I was not at all pleased when Spiller was picked.