ChasBB

I hear ya. I wish Jauron had the fire Jim Mora showed in that clip!

Only 2 previous Super Bowl champions ever lost 3 CONSECUTIVE games during the season -- the 2000 Baltimore Ravens and the 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers. In fact, the Ravens were 5-1, lost 3 straight to go 5-4, but won out the remainder of the season. So, it can be done, but history certainly does not favor this scenario. Since the Super Bowl started, MOST Super Bowl Champion teams had ZERO occurrences of CONSECUTIVE losses while another good chunk had no more than 2 CONSECUTIVE losses. Here's the breakdown for the 42 Super Bowl Champion teams: 24 Super Bowl Champions had NO consecutive losses 2 Super Bowl Champions had maximum of 1 1/2 consecutive losses (includes a tie & a loss together) 14 Super Bowl Champions had maximum of 2 consecutive losses 2 Super Bowl Champions had maximum of 3 consecutive losses Here's the history (maximum CONSECUTIVE losses in parentheses): 1966 Green Bay Packers (1) 1967 Green Bay Packers (2) 1968 New York Jets (1) 1969 Kansas City Chiefs (1) 1970 Baltimore Colts (1 1/2 -- a tie followed by a loss) 1971 Dallas Cowboys (1) 1972 Miami Dolphins (0) 1973 Miami Dolphins (1) 1974 Pittsburgh Steelers (1 1/2 -- a tie followed by a loss) 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers (1) 1976 Oakland Raiders (1) 1977 Dallas Cowboys (2) 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers (1) 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers (1) 1980 Oakland Raiders (2) 1981 San Francisco 49ers (1) 1982 Washington Redskins (1) 1983 Los Angeles Raiders (1) 1984 San Francisco 49ers (1) 1985 Chicago Bears (1) 1986 New York Giants (1) 1987 Washington Redskins (1) 1988 San Francisco 49ers (2) 1989 San Francisco 49ers (1) 1990 New York Giants (2) 1991 Washington Redskins (1) 1992 Dallas Cowboys (1) 1993 Dallas Cowboys (2) 1994 San Francisco 49ers (1) 1995 Dallas Cowboys (2) 1996 Green Bay Packers (2) 1997 Denver Broncos (2) 1998 Denver Broncos (2) 1999 St. Louis Rams (2) 2000 Baltimore Ravens (3) 2001 New England Patriots (2) 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1) 2003 New England Patriots (1) 2004 New England Patriots (1) 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers (3) 2006 Indianapolis Colts (2) 2007 New York Giants (2) Lindy Ruff always preaches to his team to bounce back and not allow another loss to follow a loss. He KNOWS what he is talking about because teams that drop multiple consecutive games are not championship-worthy (as evidenced by the statistics above). Here's hoping the Bills can turn this thing around immediately. They'll need to in order to have any post-season success.

YEP -- 100% agree -- a strong pass-rushing DE is top need right now

Yes, we wouldn't want Royal to feel so lonely in the dropped-ball department. Seriously, if he drops a lot of passes, leave him be -- just can't afford to have guys like that. Reed has certainly worked out, but it was sort of a lengthy project. Need a guy who can step right in, but those kinds of guys are just not available this time of year.

I think the calling out of House Ballard happened in 1988 while the "Bickering Bills" were a 1989 thing, but I do understand your point. As I said, I'm generally against this, but what's the answer to get these players to play to their potential? Or, do we just accept that they already are playing to their potential? I think they can play better. I don't know what the answer is, but Kelly did lead his team to 4 Super Bowls, so maybe his methods (at least for a very short time anyhow), had a place.

During the post-game interview, Trent said "I'm not going to call anyone out by any means -- that's not what I do". Well, I'm generally in agreement with this as I don't think it's very helpful to be constantly critical of teammates, but maybe there has to be just a little calling out going on. Jim Kelly called out House Ballard and a few others on offense. Maybe a few players need to be called out. And, of course, Trent is correct in that he has his own mistakes to correct, but I just think someone needs to light a fire under a few of these guys.

When everyone knows exactly what is going to happen and the Bills STILL run it down their throats for a 1st down -- THAT'S when we know the running game is back -- the Bills are not there yet. It shouldn't matter if the defense knows what we are going to do when it comes down to gaining 1 yard. That's when you just have to play smash mouth and get the yard. Our guys gotta get a little meaning or something in there because that's just not happening consistently enough at key moments.

Excellent point! A lot of those guys are not playing in the NFL today. Nevertheless, he just looks so much more hesitant out there. He didn't get slower. I'm sure he's facing tougher players on the field during returns, but it's almost as though he has lost the confidence he had in the preseason. He's still capable of being a GREAT returner and he can STILL burn the other guys on the field today.

McKelvin looked GREAT in preseason on kickoff returns. The only reason I can think of as to why he's not doing so well now is MAYBE he is being "over-coached". Maybe they should just put him back there and say "Go -- run wild". Maybe he's getting overwhelmed with waiting for the blockers to get aligned or something -- I don't know -- he's just looking hesitant. The guy has raw talent and the coaches just need to let him run with it.

... and why he had sign-toting fans hauled away like common criminals.

Good and needed moves for sure. I just wished they had addressed the need for a true pass-rushing DE.

I still think we need a legitimate pass-rushing threat from the DE position -- someone like a Bruce Smith. I think a dominating (not just good or adequate, but really dominating) DE is a cornerstone to very solid defense and we just don't seem to have that right now.

You make good and interesting points. What would be your suggestions on what the Bills could/should do differently?

Agree with original post. Fewell is coaching scared. Even when Greer made that pick and took it back for a TD, anyone notice how ridiculously deep he was when he caught that errant pass?! I think the talent base is there, but the coaching is still lacking. Doesn't matter if it's offense or defense, when you coach "not to lose", that's what happens -- especially during the BIG games. The fact that the Bills are 5-2 is more a statement of the quality of their players I think (and the intelligence of Edwards) than it is a statement about the quality of the coaching.

I know that the conventional wisdom is to take the 3 points on the road instead of trying to punch it into the endzone on 4th down, but I still wish they had tried. While risky, had it been successful, it could have deflated the crowd early.

A cold, wet ball in November, December, & January won't be so easy to hold like that.

Anyone else concerned about the way Edwards holds the ball like a loaf of bread when he is scrambling? He didn't fumble on the play that he nearly scored on and was ultimately called back due to penalty, but he cannot run holding the ball like that or it will get knocked away. He also did this last week on a 3rd-down conversion. So far, he's getting away with it, but this will bite him if he keeps it up.

30:49

Of all the heart-breaking losses the Bills have suffered through the years, this one ranks right up there for me at the top with the Super Bowl loss to the Giants. I remember hating the tie-breaker system. We beat them head-to-head and finished with identical records, yet WE had to go THERE for the playoff game because other tie-breakers took precedence. The other loss that still stings is the loss to Cleveland in the playoffs. There are many others, but I always remember these 3 as games we SHOULD HAVE won.

Excellent point! I don't support either of those idiots, but I *still* fell into the trap of thinking that the question was narrowed down to the two clowns. I *would* forgo a Bills Super Bowl victory *if* it meant that my candidate (Ron Paul) would be elected president. However, doesn’t look like that is happening, so I’ll take the Super Bowl victory for now.

Excellent post! Well said.

I would sacrifice on the altar to the Gods both McCain *and* Obama if it meant a Bills Super Bowl victory. Hell, I'd sacrifice them to the Gods for a six-pack. Actually, just take them, please -- no consideration needed. Well, I'll waste my vote with a Ron Paul write-in, but at least I can say I voted my conscience.

Absolutely! "At the close of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on September 18, 1787, a Mrs. Powel anxiously awaited the results and as Benjamin Franklin emerged from the long task now finished asked him directly, `Well, Doctor, what have we got? A republic or a monarchy?' `A republic, if you can keep it,' responded Franklin. " (several links avail to confirm this) Franklin knew (as did many of our other founding fathers) that it would be no easy task to keep a republic and that it could easily deviate into a democracy and/or into tyranny (which indeed seems to be what is happening).

Let's see -- a choice between two bowls of sh-- or a Super Bowl victory. I'll take the Super Bowl, thank you very much!!

NFL adopted the 2-point conversion in 1994.