finknottle

The key point of being a qb on a bad team is that he shows you something. Maybe he throws 3 picks, but he does it putting up a few hundred yards in the air. Maybe he looks like a young undisciplined gunslinging Jake Plummer or Jim Kelly. JP's supporters say they've seen the potential. I havn't, but I havn't been able to see all the games. The real problem is that the more you gameplan to have a young qb play it safe, the less opportunity you have to see what he's got. IMO these 4th quarter comeback attempts are about the only opportunity we have to see if he has the spark to lead the team anywhere, and so far I'm not impressed with the numbers.

ok, so JH gets sacked a little less. Isn't that an argument for him being better? Or does that only apply to the JP-Bledsoe debate? Actually, JH's sacks per game in the last two years - 60 in 28 games - are basically the same as JP's numbers, 46 in 19 games. Yet JH was sacked only 17 times in his first 30 games, which suggests to me that the blame in '04 and '05 lay with the offensive line, an all too familiar excuse around here. So why shouldn't he get the same slack?

Just curious - if we're always playing catchup then why are McGahee's ypc numbers so bad? They should actually be up because of draw plays, as long as there is a minimum of success passing.

My point is that the logical conclusion of open-ended excuses for JP leads you to JH. JH looks like JP with two more seasons, slightly better numbers, and the same excuses.

And? It's not fair to expect anything out of his rookie season, which he only had 12 starts, and then they kept switching coaches and not drafting linemen, and the pulling the rug out from under him... Why don't the same excuses apply?

Harrington got jerked around by his coaching staff last season, benching him at a crucial time in his emotional development. He'll be the answer if you give him time to develop. You are expecting too much of him too quickly. Harrington = JP.

I think the year of the bickering Bills was crucial in their development. If Kelly hadn't gotten on their cases and made individual accountability - including his - a public issue, I don't think they would have stepped up.

??? We must be following a different team if you think the Jets, Titans, and Packers should be wins. I'd call them tossups at best. And I think the Jags will maul us defensively.

Warrior is the key word. It wasn't the number of yards, as impressive as they were. He showed incredible toughness at crunch time, especially the last drive of the fourth quarter when they started on their own 20 with 5 minutes left and nursing a 3 point lead. The Redskins keyed on him and he continually willed himself forward on second effort to keep the chains moving. Basically, he won that game, with a lot of help from the defense which did a great job.

On another note, Travis Henry is really showing up against the Redskins! Any chance of trading for him?

Based on what I've read of the nuances of Keynesian models this is correct (but a much more detailed history than I can attest to).

Yes, it was PM. One of my favorite football memories. For the record, I also remember that he started boldly asserting that they wouldn't win another game when they were around 7-1. So three weeks or so of his sticking with that psoition in the face of their wins made it all the bigger when they did turn the corner and crumble.

lol, I was about to start one anyway... I'm not a Bledsoe basher, but I'm watching the game and just saw the strip-from-behind play to end the half. I'm struck by how he looks when he is hit - an absolutely pained expression comes on his face which makes him look even older and less mobile than he actually is (if possible).

Just surprised, that's all.

yes.

Solid big league Not even solid average, after only four games. Reason to be excited and optimistic? Yes. But the dust-bin of the league is full of qb's who played well the first four games of a season, only to melt down later. And we are only 2-2 after all.

Just learning. After last years numerous impotent offensive performances, it finally seems believable that we can actually drive and score. That is a HUGE change. I like that the coaching staff is *occasionally* going for the jugular, but not regularly. When we start putting people away - great. And until then, we are not blowing it by trying to be too cute too often. Give us a full season with a respectable offense to gain confidence and then you can start worring about our killer instinct.

Yeah, but brown dogs also bark. And anybody who doesn't know what I'm refering to is a wank too.

To quote Kramer, "Poise counts!"

Wow - good find.

I don't think you can pass judgement on RJ since he never started a full season with the Bills.

Related question: Certain AM stations boost their power after sunset - legacy civil defense thing. The upshot is that you can pick up stations from all over. Does anybody know if there is a Bills-talk station that does this? I remember that I used to be able to pick one up in MD/VA, but can't remember what it was...

Not just his his development - I think a statement drive will go a long way in solidifying the teams confidence in both him and themselves. When this team believes it can come back in crunch time is when we have turned the corner. Until then, we have nothing more than an improved version of the TD era teams: 50-50 at hanging on when we jump out to a quick first quarter lead, and horrible when we start off in a hole.

The opportunity hasn't presented itself? I must have been watching a different franchise the past two years, because I remember a game or two where we were behind in the fourth quarter. What about the NE game - wouldn't it have been nice to see a long drive then? All the poster is asking for is for that first decisive fourth quarter drive for JP, a "statement" drive. Doing it once does not require you be a top 10 qb.

By playing in the NFC? They were 0-4 against the AFC...