Bob in STL

So all of our wins were lucky and all the loses depict the true reality? We have less talent but we are winning more? The "lose for better draft picks philosophy" really helped the Sabres didn't it? Two years after tanking they are worse than ever. Look at the Cleveland Browns, all those primo draft picks are really lighting it up. Funny the Pats and Steelers seem to do fine without drafting in the best spots? They both have been winners for over a well decade now. In football the draft is not a crap shoot. There are good players throughout the draft. We are not going to draft 6 rookie starters next year so forget this crazy notion. Winning breeds winning.

I re-read your post. I guess Coach Tomlin and the Steelers forget to look at the tape of the Miami game? "Coach we don't need to trust the process, we need to win the game in Foxboro, a game that almost nobody thinks we can win. Maybe, we can't, but part of the problem in winning in the NFL is how do we stop the other guys. We already know how to do that next Sunday, the same way the Fish put it to the Pats Monday night, and that is to take Gronk out of the game, and not let a 40 year old QB with no legs and a tired arm beat you."

Brown is not out there to be a hands guy, he is there to slow down the wave of players trying to recover and to allow our guys to get the ball. The kick-off was so short that Brown actually did the right thing .. he just did not make the play. It is not a mistake to recover it before 10 yards, it happens all the time on a poor kick. Before it travels 10 yards it is not a free ball and the receiving is the only team that can legally touch the ball. So Brown did not do the wrong thing. The just failed to execute. His gaff aside, Brown is a guy I am not very high on. He can't cover and he is not a great run stuffer either. I still am pissed he did not go after Gronk but heck, I'm old school in that department.

They can use more talent in the front 7 but they have been getting the most out of what they have. Hopefully the bad play in that 3 game losing streak is gone.

This is a team sport. The great Bills teams of the SB years were a bunch of Pro Bowlers with potential until they figured out their "process for winning" ... Team first, better practices, more work, more study, be on time, hold yourself accountable - then you can hold others accountable. This is what raises the bar. This is how excellence is achieved. Coach McD is setting the example that doing more and preparing better as a habit, now go and make it the norm. Once it is the norm then go it do more and set a new bar and make that the norm. That is the process. It is not mysterious. When he talks about "earning the right to win" he means this. We finally have a coach that gets results, even with limited talent and depth.

Wow. Bitter response. Cutler under pressure caused the turnovers. The pressure came from the Bills defense. Coach McD had his team ready to play, AGAIN. Deal with it.

That deep pass on the sideline looked like a drop but it was a very good defensive play. I suspect he will work hard in the off season and get a lot better. I recall people thought that Eric Moulds was not very good either. Too early to say, he needs more time.

You armchair QBs are just amazing. To weeks of "wrong" calls and two more wins. Keep up the good work Coach! Not every call is a simple black and white decision. There are thing going on with the team and players that we fans in TV-Land do not know. Hard to believe?

Doing a fine job in a transition year. Looking at the player turnover and the lack of quality depth and pretty impressed to be 7-6 at this time.

True. To clarify. It can get confusing in the workplace. We hire many smart and pretty young girls out of college. I see them acting much more independently than decades ago , dressing a bit "unconventional" for the office. I see things can and do happen. I have three great millennial children so I have experience dealing with all generations. Getting out of the rat race and golfing, playing, and partying full time --- I deserve that!

I am so glad to be a baby boomer getting ready to retire in three years. No subject is safe anymore. Morals are gone, or maybe everything is just exposed?

Are they mentally tough? They are getting there, there are signs that the culture is changing. Getting rid of Prima Donna's like Watkins and Mario Williams helps the locker room, also getting rid of distractions like Dareus will help. Each of these players, while very talented, were not known for leadership. When they start to consistently comeback in the 4th quarter, when they start stomping on teams that they should beat, then they will have taken another step.

^ Worst post of the thread. Even with you laughing face. You know more about coaching football than McDermott AND you what's wrong with America. Wow! I would not bet on winning, I know it's a longshot, but I think it can happen. I want to see how this team responds against Miami first. How will they prepare? Who plays QB ? Maybe this team comes together and finishes 9-7 and squeaks in? Maybe they get to 10-6? I have seen strange things happen in sports all the time. The Miami game and the play of the QB in that game will tell us a lot but realistically I know our chances are not good.

If we are still alive by the Pats* game in New England then YES. I think we can have a shot. First things first, we have to beat Miami at home next week.

What we know today is that a win is better than a tie, and a tie is better than a loss. A tie is undesirable but until all the games are played you cannot say that a tie in this game will hurt you. Seems like it would force you to win out the next three, which may be the case anyway. Another thing, the two questions were asked separately (i.e later) and context is not provided. The only playoff scenario he needs to worry about is his team winning every game and they won the Colts game.

Sure, you can criticize the decision all you want. I am talking about the over the top comments calling for his firing and the nitpicking of every call and every use of a time out. As if there is only possible decision with nothing else to factor in but what we know by watching the TV and reading the newspaper. The guy ended up making he right call. He may be lucky and he may be stupid, I don't think he is either. I think he is a bright and prepared. He is a young coach, going through a learning process. I think he knows the mentality of the team and ability of the players better than any of the fans or writers do. This is not poker and the odds are not so easy as a game with a set number of cards. Your dealing with people, and fatigue, and injury, and severe weather, and real opponents ... not luck of the draw. I heard I guy on the post game show blame McDermott for losing the LB that New England picked up off of our practice squad. That is the extent of the craziness.

Fans and Sports writer have it easy. We have the always safe option of the second guess. Suppose the Bills go for it on that fourth and one situation, and like the previous two fourth downs they fail. The Colts are now about 25-30 yards away from a long FG but with the wind at their backs and veteran clutch kicker ready to try again. The Bills are likely a bit demoralized as the defense trots out there hoping for a stop to save the tie. After giving up a very long drive in the fourth quarter I do not like our chances in this scenario at all. We will never know, and it is pointless to argue, but it is likely that the Colts would have had a shot at winning the game. The punt gives your defense a better chance to succeed but the punt is correct the decision only if your defense holds and you get the ball back in time to win. Both happened and we won. Yet many experts fans, most of whom never played or coached, cannot accept this. They insist on railing on the coach. I love to second guess ... I think that McD should have punted on the 2 fourth downs in regulation and played for the field position when there was more time to do so. I also think he should have gone for 2 points after our first TD. I also think he should have not punted in OT. I would be wrong and he would be correct. I accept that outcome, we won the game and I am happy. I fully realize that I belong on the sofa watching the game with a beer in hand. Why can't most of you do the same? Calling for his firing is just plain ridiculous. Listening to the sports writers and sportscasters is not productive. Great win Coach! Now get us ready for next week!

I was a kid. It was 1964 in the Old Rockpile in Buffalo, NY. I went with my Dad and my Uncle. Crazy fans everywhere. It was October and we beat the Jets. We were undefeated, like 7-0 or something. We won on a 4th quarter comeback by our backup QB, Daryl Lamonica. Jack Kemp went down and fullback Cookie Gilcrest was held in check for the first time all year. We got a big game from rookie half-back bobby Smith. Our flanker Elbert "Golden Wheels" Dubenion had over 200 yards. Lou Saban was our coach. We won the AFL Championship over the favored San Diego Chargers. Back then we really could beat the crap out of teams. We had the best defense in the AFL and they were even better the next season. 10 AFL Pro Bowlers out of 22 were Bills that year. We could have had a few more. It was a different game and different time but yeah, I was hooked.

I am old school and agree with Jimbo but he does not need to speak out on this in the media. Definitely, the Bills of the Jim Kelly era would have answered for that hit right away and there would have been so much shite on the field that Gronko would have been ejected for his own safety - along with a few Bills. Depending on the year Talley, Conlan, Smerlas, Bruce, Biscuit, Leonard Smith, would have all been in there. The scariest dudes on that team were some of the Offensive lineman and the back ups and special teamers. John Davis, Hal Garner, Mitch Ferotte, Jamie Muller and Carwell Garner were all mean bastards on the field. I've been watching Pro Football for 54 years and I can only think of a few times that I saw a deliberate attempt to injure a player after a play. I recall Oakland's Ben Davidson hit Lenny Dawson after a play and that sparked a big on the field brawl. Most of the dirty stuff happens during the play, that what makes this hit so bad, it was on purpose and it was after the play. Listening to Gronk explain himself after he game the conclusion is simple. He is extremely stupid for one. He also has a sense of entitlement. He is a Patriot and a star. He was frustrated because he was getting held. He was not getting the calls. The calls against him were wrong. He was frustrated. So what happens if #27 develops chronic concussion issues from this? Jerry Hughes was upset and should have made his penalty worth the effort by blasting Gronk. Hughes is one of the few guys on this current team that could have even made that roster of Kelly's teams. Preston Brown whined like a the proverbial sissy in the school yard. He is a crappy MLB, he can't shed blocks or tackle worth a dam. I hope he is gone next year. Imagine if Talley was the closest LB to the scene of the crime?

Good thing your not fans of the Sabres. Three straight shutouts against (they just set a franchise record with that feat). Home and home drubbings to the Penguins 4-1 and 5-1. The Bills look fabulous in comparison.

I still find it amazing that Marv Levy drafted Lynch. Talent is there but that guy is not a person you build a team around.

Darby? alexander ? Paup? Really. Late 80's to mid 90's we had 4 NFL Hall of Fame Players in their prime with Kelly, Bruce, Reed, and Thurman, We had a supporting cast of Pro bowlers in Bernett, Talley, Odomes, Hull , Lofton, Wollford, and Tasker ... to name a few. In the mid 60's we had some of the best players to ever play in the AFL with Kemp, Gilchrest, Dubenion, Shaw, Sestack, McDole, Stratton, Bryd and Saimes ... to name a few. We also had OJ Simpson who was the best football of his time, at least for a few years in the 70's.

Not so sure about that. Whaley was erratic. Made a few good moves but made some bad contracts (Dareus, Williams) and made some bad drafts errors (Manual and Watkins). Marrone - I would really like to know why he left. --- No QB? Did not like Whaley? The Pegula's? Maybe just take the money and run to NY? Once he left and Polian shied away we ended up with Rex and more Whaley and just and wasted 2 more years. I think the OP is correct. Bad drafting and too much coaching change.

sorry Coach but I do not want to see the Pegula's leave. I want to see them succeed and I think they will. Neither team had a competent GM and staff running things when they got there and yes, they have made mistakes and made things worse.. At some point they will hire the right people and give them the time to turn it around. I have not given up on McD or Beane yet. They are bright young guys and they need time. I do know I would have done things differently. I would have hired proven experienced leadership right from the start. For the Sabres they have done an even worse job in my opinion. Lots of change, tons of bad contracts on overrated players, tanking which is setting a losing culture. Sadly, this culminated with hiring yet another inexperienced staff (GM/Coach) to run things. Despite this I can only wish them the best and continue to hope these young guns turn into smart hires down the road. When I go to Buffalo to visit, which is quite often, I see revitalization and growth for the first time ever. The Pegula's are part of it and they will someday find the right people to get things turned around.

If true then McD is really in trouble, and so are we.