jahnyc

I think the most of the posts are way too optimistc about the prospects for our o-line. Our o-line is a mess and has played terribly this year. Injuries are only part of the reason. Bell is the most penalized OL in the league and did not show that he is a competent LT at this point of his career. Whether he can develop is an open issue. Levitre seemed to play okay, but I was troubled that the offense was unable to run up the middle when Levitre, Hangartner and Wood were in the lineup. I have no idea whether Hangartner has played well or poorly. Hard to tell when the overall line play is so poor. Wood seemed to play well as a rookie, but he will be coming back from a severe injury and may not be ready for training camp (or at all). Butler seemed okay until he was injured. His ability to come back from a serious injury in time for training camp is also questionnable. Scott and Meredith are not starting caliber NFL players. Scott did not make it with the Lions and Meredith was signed off of the Packers practice squad. The Packers have one of the worst o-lines in the NFL, particularly at tackle, and Meredith could not even make the playing roster. Can he develop? Who knows. Chambers is a poor back-up and has played badly this year. The o-line needs major upgrades at the tackle position. If Wood cannot return to play next season, guard will also be a very large hole.

According to Chris Brown, Wood has a broken tibia and fibula. Surgery in Jacksonville tonight.

Wood's injury is devastating. He seemed to be playing well and was a building block for the future. Can he recover and play after this injury? Early, but it seems to be a legitimate question. How bad were Mitchell's and Butler's injuries? Will they be back for training camp and the pre-season next year? This team will have a lot of holes to fill in the offseason, and the injury situation will make it that much more difficult. I have never seen so many injuries at this point in a season. Very depressing.

1. I find it shocking that the Bills are going into Sunday's game with two healthy DTs (in Jacksonville, Florida). Who are they going to move to DT for the game, Denney? I can't believe that will be enough to get through the game. At linebacker, I assume that Scott will be the starter again in place of Ellison. How can you have an effective defense in these circumstances? What is weird is that they activate a cb from the practice squad to fill Ellison's place (I do understand that Youboty and McGee are injured). On offense, it looks like Levitre will be starting at LT. Seems that management has completely given up on this season by not filling roster spots after injuries with available veterans. How can the current team even compete? 2. As others have stated, seems that management has also given up on Edwards. Releasing Hamden makes sense to me. He was never going to be an adequate #2, and he was not likely to develop any further. I like that the Bills went after a young QB with potential, but none of us should get too excited about this move, since it is unlikely that Brohm will be the answer at QB. Jauron must have been protective of Hamden (or maybe Edwards, or both), so with Jauron gone, others made a move that they probably had wanted to make for some time. Starting over at QB will be painful and have many ramifications, unless a decent veteran QB becomes available, particularly since the only way to potentially find a decent LT will be to use our first round pick in the next draft. Unlike JP, I think Edwards will get a shot with another team, but I can't fault the team for moving on. It may not be all his fault, but big play potential with Edwards was limited, and his injury history would be a big concern for the future. 3. I really hope that Fewell is just an interim coach. I also hope that the next coach hires experienced coordinators on both defense and offense. For the last number of years, we have suffered with coordinators who got their first shot at being a coordinator with the Bills (Schonert, Fewell, Van Pelt, Gray, Fairchild, etc.). We may not have liked them when they were here, but some of the older, more experienced coordinators have done well elsewhere (e.g., Gilbride and Henning). I don't think Chan Gailey would be a bad choice for OC, if he were interested. 4. Seems like there a lot of busts and potential busts in our recent high draft picks, with Maybin at the top of the list. 5. With all of the injuries this year, it will be difficult to figure out who will be healthy for training camp (and the season)next year (with a new offense, defense, and new coach, it will be critical to be healthy enough to participate). Will Butler and Mitchell be ready? Two important players and two important positions. 6. I hope that Bobby April is retained. I know that special teams have been a bit off this year, but we have been spoiled with excellent special teams over the recent past seasons, and I hope this continues under his leadership in the future. I also think that the coach for the defensive backs (Catavolos) has done an excellent job. He has helped develop players like McGee, Greer and Corner.

It is a legitimate worry, based on past history. I don't like reading that Fewell is getting an audition and will be interviewed at the end of the season. Maybe the team needs to say this to make sure that the team and coaches do not fold now, but there is no way that Fewell is the right guy for the head coaching job. The team needs a real football GM, a real coach, new player personnel head and better scouts. Not sure I like Brandon leading the efforts on all of these fronts.

What exactly was Butler's injury? Was is it an ACL? I don't remember seeing any reports specifying the injury. The Bills will need two new starting tackles next year.

1. I almost expected C. Johnson to have more yards and touchdowns today. Scott at LB? Spencer Johnson starting at DT? A rotation at DT that includes McCargo? Which leads to the next point... 2. Cap to cash has killed our depth. I agree with the many other posters that at least 1/3 of our roster could be cut/waived/replaced without making much of a difference. 3. What is with Bell and all of the illegal procedure calls? He has not played well, nothwithstanding that some think he potential. Bills need to acquire two new tackles for next season. A team cannot win with Bell/Scott/Meredith/Chambers at tackle. 4. WR will be a problem next year, unless Stevie Johnson is the real deal. I doubt that TO is back in Buffalo, same with Parrish, Reed is a free agent, and Hardy is a complete unknown. 5. Linebacker and defensive tackle are huge needs next year as well. 6. Why is it looking like Maybin, McKelvin, Ellis, Hardy, Lynch, McCargo and Whitner are all busts to some degree? I think that Maybin is the biggest bust of all, potentially. He has done nothing when he has played. This does not represent good drafting for a team that needs to draft well in order to be competitive (because of cash to cap). 7. Byrd has been a revelation. How does Whitner fit into this team? Will he be the best option at strong safety? 8. I like Edwards, but he is not the guy. I guess it will be QB in the first round next year, which is unfortunate for so many reasons, including all of the needs at other positions (i.e., tackle and linebacker).

Sounds about right to me, except for the use of the word "potentially." The real question will be how does the line get fixed this offseason. I have no hopes that it will. I don't know if there are any quality LTs or RTs availabe this offseason, I doubt that the Bills will spend the money necessary to sign one or two quality tackles. That leaves the draft, and if the Bills believe that they need a qb, then we are looking at using a second or third round pick on a tackle that needs to be a quality starter next year. The chances of that, particluarly for a rookie left tackle, are not promising. Losing Peters, for whatever the reason, has been devastating for this team and will continue to be for at least the next couple of years.

Our tackles are terrible. Worst in the NFL. Who knows if Bell really has the talent to eventually develop, but he is a huge liability right now. Our RT tackle position is a revolving door of players with little or no talent since Butler was injured. It was insane for the front office to go into the season with this group of o-lineman, and it is not only the offense that is suffering, but the defense as well. I believe some of the injuries on defense are a direct result of exhausted defenders who are on the field for 2/3 of the game.

I remember when some thought that Pennington and Hicks were going to be great tackles. The play of the o-line has been horrible. We will need significant upgrades at one or both tackles next year to have an effective offense.

This is actually a serious question. If this concussion is as bad as the one last year, assuming he recovers, it may be that one more serious concussion could end his career.

Unbelievable number of injuries. Any word on how serious? Whitner has no luck. Williams, Freddie and McGee were playing really well. Maybe my three favorite players along with Stroud and Poz.

I watched the game at a sports bar without the sound. I thought I heard that Williams hurt a shoulder. I noticed Corner playing at cb. Did he replace an injured player? I saw Wilson playing, did he replace Whitner? Is Whitner injured again or did they pull him out of the game? Looked like Freddie hurt his ankle at the end of the game. Any update? I thought that the defensive players purposefully twisted TE's head and neck on the play he was injured. Should have been a penalty and should be sent to the League office.

Agreed, but can't we please enjoy a victory against a favored AFC East rival?

1. Trent Edwards has not shown the ability to play well in poor weather. Today will be a good test. I really do think that a qb with an above average arm is a necessity in Buffalo. 2. Is the Tampa 2 defense a good poor weather defense? Seems to me that because of the weather in Buffalo, the team would want to have a run stuffing type defense, rather than the Tampa 2. I hope that the next head coach has a different defensive philosophy. 3. Not to state the obvious, but the o-line is in shambles. How could the front office believe that the team could have any success this season with this group? Bell is not the answer at LT, and I doubt the Bills will sign free agents at the tackle position because of cost. That means we will be going into next years draft needing a LT and a RT. Good luck fixing this problem soon. It can take years to find an above average LT. 4. If this were DJ's first season coaching the Bills, he would be getting a pass. The o-line is the worst in the NFL and the team has a poor group of LBs and TEs, plus little or no depth. DJ will be gone at the end of the season, but it is the front office that deserves much of the blame for this season. 5. I am starting to wonder if there are a lot of busts in our group of recent high draft picks, specifically Maybin, McKelvin, Ellis, and Hardy. Combine this with the injury problems of Whitner and Poz, and the play of McCargo (who is a bust), and there are enough reasons to clean house in the college football player evaulation department.

I think the near term issue will be what happens after RW. The Bills currently are profitable, but one of the reasons is that the team has little or no debt to service. If the Bills are sold, any purchaser will need to borrow hundreds of millions of dollars, and paying that debt service will make the Bills unprofitable with their current economics in terms of ticket sales, luxury boxes and other sources of income.

Tim, Is there any sense from your other sources (i.e., the NFL office) that RW may hire a real football GM after the end of the season (and, of course, a new head coach)? Do you think that the NFL office has any dialogue with RW about these things? If there is a team that could use an outside consultant, such as Ron Wolff, this is the team. Thanks for your insights.

The most important thing right now is for RW to start speaking to people outside of the organization about the possibilities for GM (and maybe head coach). Fresh perspectives are needed. What would make the most sense is for RW to hire a consultant, such as Ron Wolff, now, so that decisions can be made quickly at the end of the season.

1. Okay it was a terrible game, but I thought the defense played well. They may have given up too many rushing yards, but they made stops on third down and kept the Bills in the game. Considering all of the injuries on defense before and during the game, it was a good performance. 2. About the injuries, interesting how the two weakest positions overall (o-line and linebacker) have suffered the most in the way of injuries. How the front office went into the season with the current depth at both positions is unfathomable to me, and now we are paying the price. Is this a byproduct of cash to cap (the team can't afford to pay veterans to be back-ups)? 3. Edwards has regressed and cannot be salvaged. Sorry, he does not have it, and his play will get worse (if possible) as the weather gets worse. He does not function well in bad weather. 4. Jauron is paying the price for his choices at OC. Maybe this is not fair, because RW may have not have been willing to pay real money for an experienced OC. In any event, hiring two coordinators on offense with really no prior experience is a recipe for disaster. 5. I thought recently over the last number of years that the team's drafting was average. I was wrong. It really has been pretty bad. Maybin has made no contribution and he seems like a possible bust (I know this is not fair). I have doubts about McKelvin, Hardy and Ellis. Whitner has been okay, but instead of Ngata? Poz has injury issues and Lynch has had off field issues. 6. Finally, the thing that is most frustrating to me is that the experts (and fans) have been generally right about most things (and the front office wrong). The Peters fiasco, Whitner over Ngata, signing TO, cutting Walker, signing Dockery, letting Pat Williams and Winfield go (I know I am going back a little far), hiring Schonert, firing Schonert on the eve of the season, starting an inexperienced group of linemen, and the list goes on and on.

It really is the cumulative effect of 10 years without reaching the playoffs and watching other teams sucessfully rebuild within a relatively short period of time (sometimes more than once) during this period.

1. The obvious: Chambers and Scott should not be playing, and probably would not be playing for any other NFL team. Same with Buggs, Wilson and Ellison. 2. DJ has had years to improve the defense, and he has not. Sorry, but Gregg Williams has turned around a below average NO defense in one year. Even in DJ's area of expertise (the defense), he has not been able to make his mark with the Bills. 3. Why did the Bills draft Maybin? Sorry, I know this is unfair and premature, but I think he will be a bust. Bills should have used their first pick on an OT. To be really unfair, I also think McKelvin is a bust. I was not impressed with his play at corner before his injury. I hope I am wrong about both, because missing twice at this point in the draft will hurt the team for years. For the trifecta, I predict that Hardy will be a bust as well. 4. Why was McGee the only guy making tackles (10 years downfield)? I think I agree with those who believe that some of our injuries on defense at linebacker, safety and cornerback involve offensive players coming at them untouched and at full speed many yards downfield. 5. I think the Bills will draft a qb in the first round next year. 6. Why are our special teams playing poorly? 7. Freddy looks good. He made something out of nothing more than a few times. 8. Add DT to our needs. A run stuffing DT. 9. Injuries suck, but the front office's inability to find any depth at key positions is inexcusable. 10. The Bills should trade TO if they can. The team is going nowhere and TO will become more of a distraction as the season goes on.

Still not sure who is to blame for what happened with Peters, but it was extremely poor judgment by the front office to go into the season with this o-line. Two rookies playing new positions, a center who was a back-up for another team last year, a LT who had never started and had back problems before the season began, and a RT who had not played that position since college. Realizing every team experiences injuries, how could the front office expect the o-line to have success this year?

How can they explain trading Peters and going into the season with the current tackles on the roster (and this o-line in general)? I understand that there have been injuries, but Chambers and Scott are awful. Chambers barely made the Bills, and Scott was cut by the Lions last year. I have no idea if Bell can play, but he had a bad back going into the regular season and the Bills still cut Walker. Of course Walker was not a great player. but he would be an upgrade over any other offensive tackle on the roster (particularly at right tackle). If this was the plan, why didn't they draft a tackle in the draft? Maybin may turn out to be a good pick, but he will do nothing this year, and the Bills needed immediate help from their top picks. I don't think that Edwards will prove to be the answer at QB, but this o-line is a disaster, and that is on the front office. We all saw it coming. They all must go. Too many years with this group. A real GM with experience is needed. Badly.

Great post. Our OTs (Scott and Chambers), LBs (Buggs and Ellison) and Safeties (Byrd and Wendling/Wilson) for this weekend's game could be the worst starters at those positions in the NFL.

This team needed every break and opportunity to have any kind of success this season. I don't mean to sound too pessimistic, but the losses from injuries suffered so far this season are enough to sink the ship when combined with the o-line and coaching.