RuntheDamnBall

I can't believe I am reneging on my promise, but I want to put this out there. If the Chiefs didn't lose five guys including Jamaal Charles, I don't think we would be talking about Da'Rick Rogers quite so much. Playoff wins draw attention. That said, if the Indy D plays like that next week, they are toast.

Well shucks. Because I posted in the wee small hours of the morning, I sort of forgot to add what turned out to be a bigger point for me - continuity. Four of the five same starters are there for all of the SB seasons. Look outside those SB years and Hull and Ritcher are there in the playoff seasons leading up to them. A healthy Wood and Glenn could be our pair like that. It seems unavoidable to add more talent that will help take this unit to another level. Like Bill in NYC, I think Pears can play well. He can be upgraded upon, but he can play well. Urbik is a bit of a wild card for me. He could really go either way into oblivion or into a resurgence phase. I still think that at least one interior lineman and one tackle are needed to upgrade. Adding three guys better than our starters would really be like a kind of Christmas and seems unlikely.

For three of those years they had two first rounders (Wolford and Jim Ritcher, who had been around since 1980 and was there for all 4). Hull was a UDFA and came up thru the USFL. Davis and Ballard were 11th rounders. Equivalent to UDFAs today. That's 3 UDFAs and 2 first rounders, one of them a 10 year veteran. Sort of wild by today's standards. I think with Glenn and Wood they have two terrific pieces. Pears can be solid for awhile, but needs backup and we need to know if Hairston can play again or not. Urbik turned himself into a question mark this year, and we all know that what we had at LG this season didn't cut it. It has to be addressed. The good thing is that we know you can find interior OL talent in a lot of places. They need to figure out what kind of player they need and bring in two of them to compete with Unga, Urbik and Asper. Legursky can be in the mix but should never be a starter again.

Of course not. But if we were not to discuss anything that we have zero ability to change, I think this would be a pretty lonely place. I'm not upset to the point that I'm kicking the family dog or anything, just frustrated that a coach preaching accountability can't seem to exercise it with a guy whose record screams failure, and has lived up to that promise here thus far. I'll be pleased beyond belief if things change; I just think it unlikely.

It's too specific to worry about. It's just as possible that they could be the 10-6 team getting shafted while a lesser division winner gets in. That is hard to believe given their recent history, but I'm just putting that out there. More playoff slots means fewer chances that good teams don't make it.

That is a sterling and logical defense of one Danny Crossman. I stand corrected and he has the special teams on the precipice of playoff-caliber. If only the QB was not holding back every other unit on the team from greatness.

You're right. And the addition by subtraction of getting rid of Sheppard. Great trade.

Crossman's critics: "His units have been terrible everywhere he's gone." "Why don't they practice onside kicks?" "They have top-rated returners, yet a terrible average and no home runs" "Their coverage teams look completely out of place, they commit penalties and they aren't staying in their lanes" Crossman's defenders: "That's just like, your opinion, man."

Well, this won't be a popular thread, but it's a good idea. Among others: 1) Hiring Pettine as DC. He has transformed a D with a lot of the same personnel. Still work to be done on run D, but a lot of promise. 2) Goes with #1 - improved pass rush 3) Signing (and re-signing) Branch 4) Signing Lawson 5) Extending Wood (see what I just did there) 6) Not trading Byrd 7) Drafting Goodwin (looks like a keeper) 8) Trading down in the draft to net an extra pick --> Kiko, while still getting the QB prospect they wanted. 9) Turning a camp cutdown player into Thad Lewis, a potential long-term backup or #3. The big problem, as I see it, is that not enough of these improvements are on offense. Hopefully we see some more of them coming to fruition in 2014. It'll have so much to do with EJ's development.

Nice scenario could be trading down 1-5 picks and having at least a couple of these guys still available, and picking up another 2nd.

I would take Steve McNair any day of the week over what the Bills have had at QB the last 18 years.

Or people who watched the games and have followed the Lions and have seen similar performances, but why not enjoy the comfort of a blanket statement?

It's hard to judge them harshly on it. That shoulder injury was also viewed as potentially career-ending, and even the Dolphins' medical staff agreed after it seemed that they had come to terms on a contract. But one thing - this was after a few years of Brees' career, not just one. I think it looks a lot more like bailing on EJ to select another top QB after one season. A QB at #9 for the Bills really has to be bar none the BPA -- because a great WR, LB, TE or DL would really help this team, too.

I should take these thoughts with me to my next job interview -- PLEASE, pay no attention to the last ten years of my work! PS - Marrone apparently thought a year was enough to quit on Ike Hilliard.

That strategy works if the QB is by far the better player than anyone else on the board. FWIW, San Diego's decision-making process has led to a 4-4 record in the playoffs under Rivers, while Brees has gone 6-3 in the playoffs with a title in hand since leaving the Chargers. You can say the Chargers played it safely - which they did - and came out competitive, but I think they'd give it all up if they knew they would have Brees playing like this + their first ever title.

Besides firing Danny Crossman. But we all know how that went!

Case in point: BB turned Mike Glennon into a lesbian.

I am not sure whether to be alarmed that Crossman's results haven't gotten him fired, or that Crossman's philosophy, whatever it is, seems to align with Marrone's. Right. You can look at a year of data and say "that's not enough to go on." I don't know how you can look at this record and explain it away. A QB or a RB doesn't get away with ten years of averaging 23rd best. They don't even get 4 seasons of that kind of production.

I generally can't fault him for that, but in this case, said coach has a pretty sizable record of futility to lean on. He has shown improvement in one of his 10 seasons, and regression in six of them.

We better see some frickin' DRASTIC improvement in year 2 from this clown's unit. I am beyond skeptical.

Maybe the one 9-7 year. Would have to run the numbers...

Coaches help players prepare. The Bills STs looked woefully unprepared for anything. ST players are pretty equivalent from team to team. Coaching matters.

Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.

!@#$!

I think the age of the fairweather fan accusation should die gracefully, especially as regards NFL where the league has put most of its eggs into the TV basket for growing fanbases. Sports events are expensive, bordering on the cost of a vacation in some situations. The notion that a team cares about growing a fanbase from cradle to grave is secondary and antiquated. They want your dollar, so it's one of many entertainment possibilities to choose from. News flash: if it ain't entertaining, you don't get the gate.