bobinaz

Can't argue with that. Unfortunatley, if Bell's struggles continue, then Gailey is going to be forced to keep a TE or RB in to help Bell and that's going to limit the play calling. We've seen it before.

I know this has been discussed in various threads, but more so as a rebutal to the chicken littles, but I watched the first half in which the starters played and had this to say: There were a few positives. The run D looked pretty good. The lineman were able to plug the lanes. When the run did get through to the next level it ususally was for about 3 yards and the LBs stopped it. At times the O-line was able to open some lanes for Spiller and Fred. Fred ran with some intensity, especially on that 20 yard scamper after Jones was leveled. Chandler did ok at times blocking. Pass protection had its moments and Fitz had some time to throw. I thought special teams looked better than last week. The fake punt was nice to see. With Smith, I expect to see more gadget plays during the regular season. As for the negatives. The thing I noticed most that's probably causing so much grief with the O-line is inconsistency. Gailey had Rinehart, Levitre moving around. Granted I know he's trying to see what combination works best, but I'm hoping this week he's seen enough to know who the starters will be in what combination and leave it alone, and let them build cohesiveness. With that said, you should see the pass protection and run blocking improve. As for the run game, I don't see Spiller as the starter. He still stutters and has no patience at times. Gailey shouldn't even entertain this idea. Let's call this game an experiment to see where Spiller was. Chandler needs to learn how to adjust and pick up the blitz. Twice he let a defender run in untouched as his ran downfield. Clearly he should have been held in to help Bell. Bell was overwhelmed at times. The right side was guilty as well. Fitz' timing was off. He had passes that would normally have been on the money on the crossing routes, but they were either low or behind the WR, or they were high. The defense was burned constantly by the screens. Usually it's self critiquing and they adjust, but not tonight. McKelvin was out of position at times. I thought some of the officiating was bad; Broncos offensive holding mostly. All in all, for a second preaseason game we should have seen some improvements, and there were some. Whether it is the lack of game planning, Gailey still finding the right fit along the O-line, the poor training camp this past week and it carried over, or just wanting to get out alive with few injuries, I think we still need to be optimistic and give them a chance. Sure, you have some teams that are tearing it up and some that are just hanging in there that you wouldn't expect, but this is the preseason. Flame away, but it's all base plays and Gailey along with the coaches need to see what they have in the players. Again, no OTAs, no mini-camps. You can't expect them to be in mid-season form after just 3 weeks of camp while trying to fit several OTAs and mini-camps into 1 1/2 months, still audition players, and introduce new plays. That's just too much to ask. Rest assure that Gailey isn't happy. Who in their right mind is going to do a Jim Mora impersonation and publicly air out the dirty laundry. He and Nix know there are weaknesses. I wouldn't be surprised if after the roster cuts begin, they bring in a few tackles and guards to try out. C'mon folks, stay positive. We've been here in this position for 11 years now and yeah it sucks at times, but we all knew that any improvement wasn't going to happen over night. Go BILLS!!!!!

You have to keep in mind there were no OTAs or team practices, etc before training camp. Everyone is going to have some rust. Every other team is in the same boat here. Give it time.

Dead on Kevin. You chicken littles need to get a grip. It's preseason...there were no OTAs, no team workouts, NOTHING but training camp. OMG, the sky is falling. Maybe we should have traded for McNabb, over spent on some has been FAs. There is no other team out there any better than the Bills right now. They're all in the same boat. I for one love what Chan brings to this team. They realized there was dead wood and started throwing it overboard last year. These things take time boys and girls. Yeah I question the Evans trade, but you know what, there are some hungry and talented WRs behind him that will never get the chance as long as Evans was taking a roster spot only becuase he could draw double coverage. Let's all just chill, relax, sit back and enjoy the season.

Dareus fumble recovery after Kyle Williams sacks QB. Dareus takes it into the end zone after a 10 yeard rumble.

Well I have to say after reading all the chicken littles on the wall complaining about the trade, this is a very good take on why the trade may have happened. I will miss Lee, but if the plan is to get them young, groom them and let them grow as a team, then let the games begin. I think Nelson and Rosevelt with blossom. If Roscoe can stay healthy, then he'll pick up where he left off from last season. I'm actually thinking Chandler will be the diamond in the rough; the TE we've been waiting for. I agree with you too JohnC, but let's hope that the boss doesn't get impatient with this building and growing of the team amidst a few more years of losing seasons, and decides to hire someone new again.

Lee still has some play left in the tank. Unfortunately for hime, he's had to play with the carousel of QB's, OC, and coaches in his time at Buffalo. IMHO, I think we should keep him. You can't count on Easley or Roscoe to stay healthy. Buster is a question mark. I think with a full year under Fitz's belt as being the starter, familair with the new system and coaches, I think Lee will be back to his game changing self. I don't think his play is why they would trade him. I think it's more along the lines that Chan is changing up his play book using more screens and mid-field play, which is why he wanted to get Lee in the slot more and that position is crowded. I'd hate to see him go.

I hope you're being sacrcastic....one year my a$$!!! Kyle has been busting butt since he arrived and has improved every year he's been with the team. He deserves a long term contract.

I don't know about items 3 and 4. His tackling wasn't bad; far better than Poz who would let the TE or RB duke him out of his stance. As for the penalties, Florence had a lot more pass interference calls that Donte ever did. You could always count on an interference call against Florence to keep a drive alive.

I liked Stroud. He was a "team player". Unfortunately for him, he didn't adjust very well to the new scheme. Kind of like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Too bad, he was a good player.

Pretty funny!!

I was watching the NFL Channel's Back to Football show this morning and they did the usual who's the team to beat in the AFC, blah, blah blah. Well they then went on to talk about a team to watch for in the AFC and Brain Baldinger mentioned the Bills. He had some good things to say about how the O-line has Wood, Levitre, Hangartner, and with Bell improving. He said they don't have any head cases with egos, how the Bills improved as the 2010 season played on, with being a catch away from beating the Steelers. He talked about how the team and the fans are hungry, so on and so forth. It was nice to finally hear something positive from the media about the Bills. But he had a point. Now I know there are some of you that are whining that Nix and the front office are sitting on their hands and not doing anything in free agency, while the other teams in our division are signing players left and right. But in my opinion, let them sign all these players. I look at it this way, the Bills did a major overhaul last year; new coaches, new play book, new defensive scheme, got rid of some dead wood. We saw as the year went on, they did improve, granted not in the W column, but lost some heartbreakers. This year they can build off of last year, the players know the system, can may some tweeks here and there, add some new wrinkles. The players are familiar with eachother, know what to expect. We have some players who were hurt last year, ie Merriman, that can come in and do what they were signed for. We don't have to worry about all these new players having to adjust and learn a new system. We brought in DW to coach the LBs and quite frankly, probably have a bigger influence on the defense than what's been admitted. Everyone is 0-0 right now. Who's to say that the new players the Jets, Fins, and Pats are signing are even going to have an impact? Yeah, they may all look great on paper, but put them on the field. Colin Cowherd had said something last week about free agency. The FAs that are moving around are doing so becuase they have a flaw, some major, some very minor. They're like the sexy, single blonde at the bar. There's a reason she's single. Look at how many players are being jettisoned from the different teams. Ok so if it's for more money, that's their perogative, but are they really worth it. Poz was mediocre at best despite have led in tackles. Whitner cried too much. Would you have broke the bank to keep Poz? Whitner is still out there, probably deciding which unemployement line to get in to. I want to give Nix and Gailey the benefit of the doubt. They've been in the business a long time and I think they know what they're doing. We all knew it was going to take a few years for the team to get it turned around. Look at the draft picks. Much improved from a few years ago. I truly expect to see better things from the team this year, especially on defense. If the D can stop the run, get off the field, then they'll hold up longer in the end and put the games away. DW was brought in for a reason and I think you'll see the difference. Call me optimistic or having blind faith, but I'm on board with the team and how they're conducting business this year. I'm a BILLS fan, to the core. I'm not a bandwagon fan, I don't hope on board when they start winning. And for those of you who post, "I'm threw with this team", adios amigos. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

I just called and said how I heard the price was going up and didn't know if I could afford it, but really wanted to keep the subscription. At first all they were going to give me was $20 a month off the subscription for the 6 months, but I asked if there was anything else they could do. She then gave me an extra $10 a month for 6 months off my normal monthly rate, plus NFL Ticket to Go for free. So $180 wasn't too shabby, plus the additional $60 for the To Go package.

If the Bills were to build a new stadium, then they should follow the blue print of what was done in Glendale,Az. The stadium where the Cardinals play and the hockey rink for the Coyotes are all on the same grounds, within walking distance to a really nice mall. There are stores and restaurants there for the fans to go to before and after the games. There are hotels within a 1/4 mile. Easy access from the 101 loop that feeds off of I-10. The city manager had the right idea when they relocated the Cardinal's stadium. You want to bring the fans in and have them spend time and money in the area. This is the way to do it. Orchard Park is a nice little town, but I think somewhere closer to Niagra Falls would be nice. The way not to do it, follow the example in Tucson. The ward councilman got the AAA baseball stadium in his ward to please his constituents. Well they built it across the street from a sheriff's dept substation, juvenile detentions center/courts, and a hospital. The closet eating establishment was a Burger King and Subway about a mile down the road. Since then, the Diamondbacks, White Sox and Rockies have their sprind training elsewhere. The city is on it's 2nd AAA team. What a waste.

If this were the case that the players and owners are making progress (according to Goodell and PFT), that would be great news. But after reading what the lawyers pitched in a St. Louis court yesterday, it looks like the lawyers are possibly screwing things up even more. I think the lawyers should be dismissed period. Get rid of them and let the owners and players talk, and get a deal done. There is way too much at stake here, and I'm not talking about the players salary and the owners (ie Jerry Jones and his new shrine) having empty stadiums, but it's the little people (concession sales, event staff, non-player employees) who are taking it in the a$$!!!!

Well the crime rate for players is already up during this offseason. Maybe Ray should open a half-way house for those players in dire need of money so THEY won't be out roaming the city streets at night. Better yet, he could run a charity bingo hall for players in distress.

Yep, they need to get things resolved fast because at the rate things are going, most of the players are going to be in jail for one reason or another. The players need to be on the field practicing, not getting busted for DUI, possession, mistaken identity (see Hines Ward), etc. A question for the audience here, but what in the hell is Goodell's job anyway? He's the commissioner!!! Shouldn't he be more than a bystander during all this? All I can say is crap rolls down hill and Karma is hell. Let's see: No football equals no NFL ticket subscriptions, no ticket sales, no jersey sales, no concession stand sales, just as a start. Money that ordinary people that work the concession stands, pro shops counted on for extra income goes away. I'm really perplexed that these two sides can't reach an agreement!!! When the economy is the way it is, prices going up, employees having to take furlough days, it's just sickening the way both sides are acting. Well come this fall when the players who only get league minimum salary are behind in their mortgages, car payments, and credit card for jewelry stores, they can thank the Jerry Jones, Bob Krafts, Tom Bradys, and Drew Brees. Just like when the baseball strike happened, how many fans walked out on the sport? It'll be interesting to see how many fans support the NFL after this.

Good pick overall. I think we all have forgotten that the Bills acutally have an extra pick this year in the fact that the LB injured last preseason Danny Bratten(sp?) will be back. He was doing very well until he was injured. Plus we have Marcus Easley. So that's two extra picks technically. But a LB in round 3 would be nice.

For some reason, especially after last year's #1 pick, why do I have a feeling the Bill's brain trust will have a brain fart and pick Green? I hate this BPA crap when we have needs with immediate impact players available. The only way I can see this happening is if the Bills are sold on what they have on the D-line improving and Merriman back to his old self, and they figure the draft is deep in DEs and DTs, and they can pick up them up in the later rounds. C'mon Buddy, don't screw the pooch on this one!

I agree with this theory. I really beleive Cam is going to be a head case for whoever drafts him. I think all this publicity has gone to his head and will continue. You've got Warren Moon out there criticizing the media is being racist towards Cam. Too much for someone who has much to prove still. I like the idea of taking Ponder or Kaepernick in later rounds. We need to improve the defense first and foremost. Yeah so what if the draft is deep with DEs and DTs, but the more early on, the better. Granted we have the fear of the McCargo syndrome, but we can't take a chance and miss out on some good defensive players. I'm comfortable with Fitz for the next year or two. Let them groom Levi; why else did they draft him.

Point taken K-9, but if the position coach can't see the mistakes the players are making during game film review, then what good is he. Players have bad habits and they can be corrected if it's pointed out to them and the change is ingrained into them. But to let them do it week in and week out, then the coach sucks just as much.

I don't mind the cheap vets and they produce, just as long as they stop bringing in guys like Green!

It's a step in the right direction to fix what is broken with the run defense. Let's hope the new hire is better and has some credentials. How about Talley?

I have two stories: 1. Four years ago I went to Dallas with a buddy from work to see the Cowboys/Bills game. We stayed at the Omni Hotel. The morning of the game we were in the hotel lobby waiting for our ride to the stadium, and there waiting too was Greg Gumble and Armen Katayian (sp?). I figured what the heck and went up to Gumble and introduced myself. We talked about the game and that he and Simms were going to do the announcing. He no sooner said Simms' name and up came Phil Simms. He's tall...holy crap! Later we found out the Bills had stayed at the hotel we did when we met the grandparents of one of the Bills players. 2. I have lived in Tucson for 17 years and in 1995 we started a Bills Backers Club here. In 1996, John Fina came to one of our meetings since he's from Tucson. Our club started to do some fund raisers for some shelters in town and John helped us out. He and I corresponded over the next few years as he provided the club with some autographed merchandise from various players on the team. In his last few years on the team, he built a house here and it happened to be in a part of town where I work and I had to opportunity to stay in touch with him. He's a pretty cool guy and his family are very nice.

Enough with all the negative waves, Moriarty!