Typical TBD Guy

Good post. I am having serious doubts about JP's ability to handle the mental and emotional aspects of being an NFL QB. It is the reason why I now think he is going to be a bust...and the lack of an OL is only accelerating his demise.

I think it'd be a great idea to play Nall for at least a game or two this season. For one thing, JP has been regressing terribly over the past 5 or so games. It'd be good for him to sit a little while, clear his head, and reflect on why he's struggling. I think a lot of his problems stem from his total lack of confidence in not only his OL, but in himself. He's a bit of a head case. It becomes evident in his inaccuracy and in his tendencies to lock onto Evans whenever the going gets tough. Also, playing Nall will allow us to see whether or not he's the next Kurt Warner-type from NFL Europe. Most likely, not...but it's worth a shot... And finally, changing up the QB may help the coaching staff discern just exactly how much the OL is to blame for the O's woes. I say give JP the start in Houston...a much more manageable opponent than Indy, Chicago, and NE....and depending on how that goes, maybe give Nall the start for the following home game.

Bill, I've posted this thought before but it's worth posting again: I think something is fundamentally wrong with the scouting staff that is evaluating our OL talent. Look at what we've done in the past 11 drafts since the year we took Ruben Brown in the 1st round: 1996, 6th rd: Dusty Zeigler 1997, 4th rd: Jamie Nails 1997, 6th rd: Marcus Spriggs 1998, 3rd rd: Robert Hicks 1998, 7th rd: Victor Allotey 2001, 3rd rd: Jonas Jennings 2001, 5th rd: Marques Sullivan 2002, 1st rd: Mike Williams 2002, 7th rd: Mike Pucillo 2003, 5th rd: Ben Sobieski 2004, 7th rd: Dylan McFarland 2005, 4th rd: Duke Preston 2005, 6th rd: Justin Geisinger 2006, 5th rd: Brad Butler 2006, 7th rd: Terrence Pennington 2006, 7th rd: Aaron Merz Not good! Although, yes, certainly there are other contributing factors that have made the Buffalo Bills OL consistently among the worst in the league in the past decade: 1. We don't draft OL early and often enough 2. Too much coaching turnover on the offensive side of the ball 3. Crappy QB play since Kelly retired I would have also added that our GM's have been terrible in finding free agent OL talent, but I think a large part of that is because most quality linemen don't ever reach free agency...and when they do, their price tag becomes way too much to invest in any 1 player. Also, take note that - perhaps not coincidentally - since 1995 (when Ruben was drafted) the Buffalo Bills offense has been consistently among the bottom 3rd of the league (with the exception of the first 8 games in 2002). 1995 was also the last year the Bills won a division and a playoff game. My conclusion: Levy prides himself in saying that as soon as you start listening to the fans, you end up joining them. But us Bills fans have been crying about this OL problem for the past decade, and maybe this offseason Levy should make this 1 exception to his motto.

Did you guys know that K-Fed has now fathered 4 children in the past 4 years?!

It's looking now like it's not an either/or blame game...both the OL and JP need to be replaced.

Er, let's just say that this song is why I never let females I know walk home alone.

I had figured the switches were made because: 1. Someone needed to replace Reyes at LG due mainly to injury 2. Gandy just flat out sucks at LT, but might be better suited to G where he doesn't have to do as much lateral movement 3. Peters is not only the best T on the team, but oddly enough a more natural pass blocker than run blocker...hence making him more of a LT than RT 4. Pennington was looking good enough in practice to make the moves For the life of me, though, I do not see why we're still bothering to start Villarial. That guy is beyond done. It's time to see what Preston and Merz can do. BTW, where's Butler? I'd like to see him get some snaps in, too. Might as well find out how stinky this OL poop really is. Regardless of how Preston, Pennington, Merz, and Butler turn out, I also think we need to completely overhaul the OL scouts. Maybe bring in Joe D or Hull as consultants?

"The guy is a jerk." Where did that come from? Did TKO impregnate your girl or something? Also, didn't Spikes sign a 5 year deal in 2003? So he only has 1 more year under contract after this one. And it's in the $6.5 mill range, not quite $9 mill. IMO, let him play out his contract. The current Spikes is still better than Haggan, and maybe he'll get better with time as he gets healthier.

True, but what about the scouting staff who evaluates the linemen? Haven't they remained mostly intact since the Butler days? I think a cleaning of house is in order for those dudes.

That really is a sweet first game to choose. HOF'er Favre's last game against the Bills. Hope you enjoy the Battle of the Great Lakers! The Bills will be back on top, eventually. Just look at the Bengals...(um, but avoid looking at the Cardinals).

Well, this is a BUFFALO Bills message board. The Bills aren't just a football team you cheer for; they represent the city of BUFFALO. Anything in support of the city is fair game here, though I agree that maybe it should be on the Off the Wall section.

Take a deep breath there, Tommy D, and relax for a minute. If we do end up in such a situation, why not trade down for a butt load of picks? There are 9 players who start on the OL and DL. We're pretty safe at about 2 of those 9 (Peters, Schobel). That leaves 7 to fill. Given the poor crop of free agent linemen that have been hitting the market lately, we need to turn to the draft. Drafting a 1st round receiver and missing out on the chance for all those extra picks only sets the rebuilding effort back another year or two.

Hahaha! A joke about Ralph's age! Highly original, my vertically challenged friend!

daquixers, you are completely right and I have your back in this argument. Reasons why Clements needs to be re-signed at all costs: 1. We are going to have LOTS of cap space...maybe among the highest amount in the league 2. Not many quality free agents hit the market anymore, anyway...especially linemen...so might as well use our money for our own guys 3. Clements hasn't been the problem with the CB's - McGee has been. If he wasn't a great kick returner, people would be calling for his head like we do with Wire 4. Here's the big one: the problem has more to do with this crappy tampa 2 D than it does with Clements. We don't have the D-line to compete, so the LB's and DB's get exposed way more than they should.

Yes it was. You're supposed to get a pass rush from the DT's in the Tampa 2, and it hasn't been there for most of the season. As for Schobel, Kelsay, Denney - same old story, very overrated. No pressures or hurries on a disgustingly large % of plays. Donahoe's legacy reinforced right here... Larry Tripplett is heading into bust territory.

Are we all finally on board with this one? What took so !@#$ing long? Gandy, Villarial --- OUT. Peters - move to LT RG, RT - add some talent with free agency and/or the first couple rounds of the draft. Not sold on Reyes or Fowler, but 6 games of judgement is too soon.

It is AMAZING to think what JP can become if we give him a decent OL.... On that last TD pass, that pass protection was !@#$ing pathetic (like it has been all game...and season...and century).

I'd recommend hiring a cleaner if you can find a reliable one. May cost you $5-10K, but at least you won't be doing jail time. For a little extra $, they'll give your pedophile culprit "special" treatment.

"Out there I am a simple geologist. But in here I am Valcorn, defender of The Alliance."

Because our OL is total trash and can't get the job done on 3rd/4th and short...more so with Preston in for Villarial now.

Awwww, this Bills-Fins rivalry of ours isn't so bad now, is it?

1. The Vikings are a solid team. Solid defense (with several ex-Bills, too) and a conservative but efficient offense led by BJ (just like the Jets' offense). 2. The Patriots are also a solid team, which is the understatement of the 21st century. Their demise has been predicted after every loss since 2003, and they always come back to prove their doubters wrong. When's the last time they lost 2 consecutive games? Exactly. Plus, BB simply OWNS us. I'll believe the Pats dynasty is over when I see them stop making the playoffs. 3. The Ravens have definitely had a Mickey Mouse schedule to date, but their defense is just too dominating to make that a valid excuse. But they've always had a great defense...just now they replaced their biggest problem - Boller - with McNair. 4. Most important point: the Bills are very young and prone to stupid mistakes (as already mentioned in this thread). Not even the Lions game should be "automatic." The Bills have enough talent to beat ANYONE on their schedule. The Colts, for example - check out their run D. There are ways we could exploit that and squeeze out a victory. However, probably won't happen because of the youth/inexperience thing. Last point to make: under your prediction of 10-6, that would place the Bills at a greater than 95% chance of making the playoffs (historically speaking). You willing to stand by that bold prediction? If not, then stop calling everyone "tards" for their opinions on a message board. This isn't adding up 2 + 2 = 5. This is speculating the outcome of a sport with a stojanload of variables.

WTF????????!!!!!!!!! Are you confusing me with Holcomb's Arm????!!!!! I've NEVER been a JP basher. At worst, I have defended those who are skeptical of JP and want to voice their opinion without being bashed by idiots like you. I'm actually a JP supporter who thinks he has a better than average chance of succeeding in Buffalo, provided the coaches stick with him and we improve the OL at some point in the next 2 years. Uh and yes, I am also not yet convinced he's THE CHOSEN ONE...oh but I guess that makes me a JP hater in the eyes of you and your ilk. Get a !@#$ing grip, JSP. Now that ICE is gone, you're perhaps the most bipolar Bills (and Sabres) fan on this message board. Two more consecutive losses, and it will be back to, "The Bills are the worst. They'll never win a Super Bowl while I'm alive" just like it was a few months ago. Remember those times?

Never? In college, Willis was known as a complete back. And he only just finished his 29th start in the NFL; he's certainly not a true 4th year pro RB. Most RB's are able to make an impact from day 1, but it often takes years before the really good ones are able to master the intricacies of the position with some degree of consistency (example: Marshall Faulk). And I'm not a McGahee "apologist." I'm aware of his flaws. I just think that if you watched more of the top 10 RB's across the league, you'll see many instances where those guys miss blocks or run wrong routes or drop passes. McGahee makes mistakes like every player, but he's not the core problem with this offense (and neither is JP's inexperience, IMO) and shouldn't be run out of town just yet. The real problem is probably the OL, which as a unit simply cannot get the job done on 3rd and short or 4th and short.

Correct, though I wouldn't blame Buffalonians specifically (not really sure if you were). This is probably true for all NFL cities. As late as the 80's when Kelly arrived, everyone recognized that building something great took time. But ever since the salary cap and free agency era in the early 90's, fans have seen teams rise from perennial losers to Super Bowl contenders in 1-2 seasons. So fan patience has naturally diminished across the league. BTW, nice historical perspective, C.Biscuit97. Maybe there's a fine line between a developing QB talent becoming a Kelly and one becoming an RJ? If so, I think this "X factor" could be personal confidence. And of course, it never helps one's own confidence to know that the coaching staff and teammates will turn on you as soon as you make a mistake.