MRW

If this is true, why do you watch the games? Seems like it would be time to stop devoting your time and energy to following the sport.

In fairness, we like the punter better than most of the other players on the team.

In fact that's partly my point. A team like the Pats can benefit greatly from an additional back to take some of the pressure off their main guy and maybe supplant him at some point soon. But teams that aren't as stacked and/or well coached as the Pats may suffer from sending picks after a position where they already have an adequate performer. What does it matter if you're set at running back if your OL can't consistently get a push or your defense is giving up game-consuming drives? Like I said, 3rd round pick? Fine. First two rounds, no way. If necessary we can do that next year.

I won't cry, but I'll be peeved if the Bills devote a significant amount of resources this offseason to chasing after a replacement for him. Draft a back no earlier than round 3, let WM play out his contract, and make a decision next year. The team will not improve if it creates additional holes for itself to fill.

Maybe we can steer clear of calling out other fans' bonafides, especially on the basis of their reaction to a single quote by an admittedly not-too-sharp football player.

I concur with what several others have said, a B is appropriate given the wretched state the team was in after last year. I also agree that the bar is higher for next year, need to improve on some gameday decisions, handle ends of halves better, etc.

I would be shocked to discover that Saban lied to cover his ass.

Hey, I have an idea! Let's run one of our starting players out of town when we have no one on the roster ready to step in and fill that position! It's not like we have any other needs to fill. I swear, people are so committed to seeing the negative that they lose all sense. WM is under contract for another year, let's stop trying to look for reasons to bash him.

I think the coaching staff did well overall and earned another season to continue shaping things. On offense, while the offense was not very good, after the bye they really did improve a great deal. The slow development of Losman seems to have paid off and we saw what they were able to do with only one playmaker on that side of the ball. The defense was mediocre to poor, but for a team that was at one point starting as many as four rookies, I thought it exceeded expectations based on talent. Heavy investment will still be needed to improve the talent to a point where it will be a good defense, but the coaching was very good. The players rarely looked lost out there and when they were beaten it was usually due to physical limitations. Special teams, what is there to say about that? Man am I glad we have April.

I doubt that. We're not the Pats and we have too many other needs. Thinking of drafting a first round RB this year is crazy.

True, but I don't think Chicago wins a playoff game. I think Dallas or Seattle goes in there next week and knocks them off. All bets are off if the Giants somehow manage to upset Dallas, though. I think Chicago would beat the Giants. EDIT: Dur, just realized, it's Giants/Eagles this weekend. Still, I'm sticking by my central point.

How would you determine who wins that bet?

"No comment"? That at least has the virtue of not being a complete falsehood. If he wanted to dodge, duck, and weave around the issue, fine. Don't flat-out deny it then turn around and take the job.

Although I think it would be the wise move, I think Lovie is not going to make the change. I think it's a mistake, though. It's pretty sad when your starting QB is completely outplayed by a guy who goes 5/15, 1 td/2 int.

Wow. Does he think he's untouchable or something? If Peyton Manning coasted for a meaningless game at the end of the season and performed poorly it wouldn't affect him too much, but doesn't Grossman realize he's under heavy scrutiny?

Yep, I think you let McGahee play out his contract and then evaluate your options. I would be completely unsurprised to see an early RB pick next year, but not this year.

How can you argue with any of that? Issuing flat denials (which no one believed) and then taking the Alabama job displayed a complete lack of class. I know Saban's not the only guy out there doing this sort of thing, but it's pretty repugnant.

I'd have to go all Bill in NYC on you if they used a first or second rounder on an RB. Trying to improve on an adequate starter at one position while ignoring the glaring needs of the team at several others is a recipe for continued mediocrity.

That's not my recollection. As I recall it, we hadn't seen much out of McGee and signed Vincent to be the replacement for Winfield. Fortunately McGee was able to step in and perform adequately when Vincent was hurt, but I don't think the plan ever involved him as Winfield's replacement.

I definitely wouldn't argue that, Gore is looking like an elite back. The problem I have is that it seems like some people want to toss McGahee aside because they think it will be easy for us to get a back who can put up Gore-type numbers. If I'm reading too much into what people are saying then I apologize. But if that is what is being argued then it seems ludicrous to me. I wouldn't be opposed to a late first day or early second day RB pick, but why go creating holes in the team where we don't need to?

I think they should make Nate the top-paid corner in the league. I don't think anything less would keep him around, and while I don't think it will ever be considered a "bargain", in a year or two with the cap increasing it will be eclipsed by new contracts. I don't know about anyone else, but potentially going into next season with McGee and Thomas/Youboty as our starting corners scares the crap out of me.

I gotta say this is a case where the stats are misleading. Tennessee's defense was much improved for their stretch run, it carried them to the Super Bowl, and next year they were the #1 D in the league. So I think just looking at their overall season stats does not really tell the story.

When I saw the RB proposing to his girlfriend, I suddenly realized that I was watching a feel-good sports movie unfold live before my very eyes. I was expecting the coach or one of the players to dedicate the game to a dying child.

Move McGee to nickel? That's a problem I'd love to have.

That doesn't mean you throw common sense out the window. You call the plays that you think will help you win the game, not plays that you think will impress fans and commentators with your "boldness".