FLFan
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I agree with the way the TE position is utilized nowadays in the NFL, causing TE's to be drafted higher. However, I'm not sure how much value Hackett's system puts into TE's.
Chandler led the team in receptions, so I would guess Hackett would use an athletic, big TE pretty well if he had one.
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Well deserved.
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Stodgy Old White Guys are entertaining dinosaurs.
You do not need to be a "Stodgy Old White Guy" to recognize a classless punk when you see one.
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The Bills have signed a lot of scrubs since the end of the season. Is this typical for all teams, or is this something sort of unique to the Bills in 2014?
Common practice.
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Losing Pettine at this point would be an absolute disaster. I was really hoping we could get one more year out of him.
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Fair points but I think a huge part of the reason was no one knew how good Fred Jackson was. Lynch made a comment that why did they draft him when they had Jackson. My guess is the plan was to evaluate Lynch and work in Spiller. Jackson, however, was too valuable to keep off the field.
Also, I wonder if they caught wind of Lynch still doing shady things after his suspension and realized he was a ticking time bomb. I have friends who were bartenders and trust me, Lynch was up to no good. Hopefully, he grew up and good for him if he did. But this is one trade I have problem faulting the Bills for.
Agreed. Jackson outplayed Lynch and it was not even close. Lynch did not want to be in Buffalo, was not motivated, and one more stupid mistake from disappearing for a year. They got what he was worth at the time. I doubt many, if any, head coaches besides Peter Carrol were lining up to rehabilitate Lynch. And oh, by the way, his mediocrity continued his first year with the Seahags.
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Byrd wants to get paid and will play anywhere, for any team, that agrees to pay him the most. The Bills will certainly try to negotiate, but given past history with Byrd, and particularly with his agent, I think the expectation should be that no deal will be struck. I do not see the Bills simply ceding to a demand by another party who refuses to negotiate. This is bad business and bad precedent, especially since they own the biggest card - Franchise Tag. They can, and should use the tag again. He will then either negotiate or not. If not, so be it. The Bills still have options at that point with their asset, including keeping him on the roster. This is going to go on for a while, so I am sure this is one of many discussions on the topic this board will have over the next 6 months.
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It's a pretty decent situation. RG3 is as talented as any QB in the NFL. That is a huge selling point. They just need to keep Dan Snyder away.
Keeping Snyder away is an impossibility. This is the worst job in the NFL. The ownership sucks, the media is a constant weight, the team is a divided mess, and the cupboard is bare. Good luck to him.
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You read part of it...now read the rest, the very last sentence.
I read all of it. It still makes no sense.
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I like Marrone and think he generally has this team headed in the right direction, but I just cannot find a decent argument to defend keeping Crossman. The ineptitude is alarming. I hope this does not become his (and the Bills) Achilles Heel.
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luck is playing with zero pro bowlers on offense.
kelly had....thomas, reed, lofton, wilford, richter, hull, ballard
None of whom were pro bowlers if the did not play with Kelly.
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Even after the struggles at LG, I do not believe letting Levitre walk at that ridiculous price was a mistake. The Bills did place to much faith in the players they had for that position, but it doe not mean letting Levitre was a mistake. Far from it. People need to move on from the late, "great" Levitre.
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well said.
+1
http://www.nfl.com/videos (The link is kind of messed up, after you click on the link, scroll down and click on the link that says "Haslam responds to "Three Stooges" question.)
"This team remains an embarrassment, not only to the NFL, but to the fans as well, we deserve better. Who really cares anymore, they have lost their fans trying to outsmart the rest of the league. Totally done with anything Browns, Haslam and his Stooges, Banner and Lombardi, can pack up and get out of Cleveland."
I wish this was directed at Russ Brandon because everything the fan/reporter said to Browns owner, Jimmy Haslam, should be said about the Bills.
I suspect you will get your wish once Ralph passes and the team is sold. Some of us do not share your opinion and wish to enjoy the ride while we can. You can always become of fan of the Patriots I suppose if you are that miserable.
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The Bills can't be in the top 3rd of the league at all positions. People overstate how bad Chandler is. He's not great but he's a decent TE and while I wouldn't mind an upgrade if a good prospect drops in the draft I also don't expect the Bills to make it a priority as they have too many other areas in more dire need of a fix.
They actually were in the top third on TE. Chandler was 13th in catches with 53 and 12 th in yards with 655. That is not bad production at all from the TE. The problem is he was the Bills leading receiver. Chandler has been a very good player for this team. That said, I would not be opposed to moving on given his age and lack of overall athleticism but it will be difficult to replace his production. Given other priorities for top draft picks, I would not be surprised if he was brought back if reasonably priced while they develop the younger more explosive guys on the roster.
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I think Norv is a lot like Wade Phillips. Horrible HC great coordinator. If Hackett gets axed I would certainly be open to Norv.
I would no call his efforts in Cleveland this year rest by any means. He is a dinosaur in the NFL. Time to put him out to pasture.
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Just for TG fans like yourself:
BN's own @ByTimGraham named NFL Team Writer of 2013 by @thebiglead http://thebiglead.co...H.uxfs …
What a joke.
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I like this thread. Did anyone read the Don Banks piece? It's worth reading in light of the topic of analysis here. I suspect Marrone gets three years, and if he turns it around next season he'll be here a while. But if the QB situation is bad and the Bills finish 4-12/5-11, I could see it ending quickly.
That's not being offensive to Marrone, btw - it's simply reflects what Don Banks says: if the QB position fails, you're out.
Also, as Badol points out, Chud lasted one year, but Schiano only lasted two. In both cases, the QB position failed.
I agree with you on the 2 year life theory if Marrone and staff cannot turn around the QB/Offense situation. I do not believe Russ will have patience for a third year after 2 years of losing if that is what happens. This would actually be an interesting discussion. I think the original post is ridiculous. JMO.
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Yolo's thoughts...
Coach of the Year: Donnie Henderson
Most Improved Player: Aaron Williams
MVP, Offense: Fred Jackson
MVP, Defense: Mario Williams (honorable mention to Kyle Williams)
MVP, Special Teams: Dan Carpenter
Rookie of the Year: Kiko Alonso
Most disappointing player: Stevie Johnson
Unsung hero: Cordy Glenn
Most exciting Game of the Year: Carolina, Week 2
Most disappointing Game of the Year: Atlanta, Week 12
Best overall Game of the Year: Jets, Week 10
Worst overall Game of the Year: Tampa, Week 13
Best play: EJ to Stevie for the game-winning TD vs. Carolina, Week 2
Honorable mention: Mario’s strip sack to secure the first win against Miami
Worst play: No-brainer. Jeff Tuel’s 99-yard pick-6 in the endzone vs. KC, Week 9
Honorable mention: Stevie’s fumble on the would-be game winning drive vs. Atlanta, week 12
Best moment: EJ kneeling down at The Ralph and crying at the end of the Carolina game
Worst moment: Matt Bryant’s FG sailing through the uprights to end the Atlanta game… symbolizing another year without playoffs (even though not technically, we all knew)
Defining moment of 2013 season: With the Bills at 2-2 and leading the Browns in the 1st half on the road on TNF, EJ runs for the first down, and instead of going out of bounds, tries to get extra yards and gets hit in the knee by TJ Ward. Misses the rest of the game (loss) plus the next 4 games (3 losses) with sprained LCL, and comes back rusty in Week 9 against the Steelers (loss).
Excellent job! Would not disagree with any of it.
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Yes, tis the season for the "rose colored glasses" vs. "hard bitten realist" nonsense to begin.
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Thanks for doing this Bill. One of the few posts worth reading on a weekly basis.
That said, I think you are off base on EJ vs. Thad. Lewis played descent enough yesterday, but clearly not good enough to win. As others have pointed out, I do not see his indecision in the pocket or occasional lapses in ball security getting much better. His arm is just OK. I think he has shown enough to be a decent backup option. To my eyes, he has done nothing Manuel has not been able to to do, and lacks Manuel's poise, arm strength, and presence. I am frankly not sure how anyone can watch Lewis's performance and think he is a better option, even now. The loss was clearly on the special teams and run defense, not the QB, but there were certainly a number of plays Lewis failed to make, especially in the first half.
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If you cannot see a vast difference in the Bills defense from the past several years you are simply either not paying attention or do not want to see the improvement. It has been a massive turnaround in one year. There have been significant improvements in the play of key players (Mario, Kyle, Dareus, McKelvin to name a few), outstanding secondary play when there key players have been he healthy, and some significant additions who have contributed greatly including Hughes and Lawson. By the way, all this with a rookie middle linebacker. Pettine and staff get credit for this. The run defense needs improvement clearly. Whether this is scheme, players, or a combination needs to be addressed but I am confident they will.
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You should make your avatar a homer simpson pic with a Bills jersey on.
Pointing out that players have something to do with it does not make one a homer any more than a knee jerk reaction makes you rational. I am sure the Bills will fully evaluate all aspects of the team, including special teams. What we see on the surface may not be the entire picture. Special Teams needs to get better without question. I would point out that multiple Bills had opportunities to tackle Blount on those big returns yesterday and failed to do so. This speaks to poor play not scheme. The reason for the poor play is the issue. Better players or better coaching?
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Yeah, realized this after I posted. Rotoworld had Dareus as a FA after the 2014 season. Maybe time to lock him up now? Especially with him being in contention for the pro bowl.
The Bills have an option to exercise for a fifth year which they need to decide on this spring. I would think it is highly unlikely they would not take the option.
I remember that he turned down the Bills first contract offer earlier in the year. It was right before he got hurt.
He did. Typical Parker BS. Carrington will likely regret that decision. I doubt the Bills will offer much, if anything, now that they have locked up that spot with Branch. Perhaps they make him an offer as depth but I suspect they will move on.
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Last night, during Sunday Night Football, I listened to Chris Collinsworth go on and on, ad nauseum, about what a genius Chip Kelly is and how prolific the Eagles offense is. Then, I thought about all of the posters on this board who are calling for Hackett's head. So, I thought I would take a general look at the two and their circumstances this year:
1) Kelly inherited an offensive team that finished 5th or better in 3 of the last four years. Hackett inherited a team that finished 15th or worse in 3 of the last four years.
2) Kelly's quarterbacks this year were Michael Vick (no matter what you think of him - he can still make plays) and Nick Foles - who is a third year player that started 7 games prior to this season. Hackett's quarterbacks were Manuel, Tuel, and Lewis - with a grand total of one start between them prior to this year.
3) In regard to defenses, Yards per Play (Yds/P) tends to be a pretty good guage of those defenses that are tough to move the ball against consistently. In regard to the Eagles, the Yds/P ranking of their opponents (from lowest to highest) were 4, 8, 8, 17, 18, 20, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 28, 30, 31, 32. The defensive Yds/P ranking of the Bills opponents were 3, 5, 7, 9, 9, 10, 11, 11, 12, 14, 16, 16, 17, 20, 22, 29.
4) 6 of the Eagles 15 opponents were top 20 or better (with only 3 in the top 15) while 13 of the Bills 15 opponents were top 20 or better (with 10 in the top 15). Looking at just the top ten defenses, the Eagles faced 3 and the Bills faced 6. Against teams with a top 10 Yds/P ranking, the Eagles averaged 297 ypg and 25 ppg, while the Bills averaged 349 ypg and 25.3 ppg against defenses with a top 10 Yds/P ranking.
I am not saying Hackett is better, the same, or worse than Kelly. Kelly may be the second coming of Don Coryell and Hackett may be out of the NFL in two years - or vice versa. My point? Actually, I have several:
1) Determining the success or failure of a coach requires more than a superficial look at their product.
2) There isn't anyone on this board that can say either coach would have been better or worse than the other if they switched circumstances
3) 15 games as a coach in the NFL is merely a snapshot. I need a greater body of work before I am willing to label someone a genius...or a failure
Thank you for the excellent rational analyis. Often lacking around here. In all of that, the biggest difference is the QB. Despite having a seasoned veteran in Vick to start the season, the offense did not really start to click until Foles came in and began to light it up. People need to remember that as you point out Foles is a veteran, with some starting experience. His starts prior to this year have been mediocre to promising, but his experience is the big difference to Buffalo's situation. We have not seen near what this offense is capable of. Had Manuel been able to stay on the field I firmly believe the Bills offense would be much better than what we are seeing so far, and it has been very decent at times. Patience is what is required here, not a new OC or QB.
DC candidates
in The Stadium Wall Archives
Posted
That would be your guess.
I agree with that. This job will be in demand. What is so discouraging about the situation is the high probability that any new DC will want to bring in a new system and that could seriously damper the progress that has been made.