Casey D

No it shows that the situation in the NFL is quite fluid this year, and "things people know" one week become discredited quickly, e.g., the Patriots are done meme in early October. It is not close games played by bad teams, but supposedly superior teams losing to the same teams the Bills played well against consistently that evidences that the Bills may be close to breaking through next year. I don't know why it always has to be there are "realists" and "Kool-Aid" drinkers. I'm neither. A moderate I suppose. Just trying to figure out the best way forward. Blowing things up has a high price too, a guaranteed 1-2 years of more mediocrity in all likelihood while a new system takes hold. Then we throw it all out again. I just want to believe that blowing it all up is the only choice before doing it. And it should be done after sober and careful analysis, not because we are pi*sed at some losses.

That's funny-- "brutal realism." I agree with the brutal part. What makes the great great is talent, hard work, and a deep seated hatred of losing, not brutality. If the pain of losing is intolerable, you will strive as hard as you can to avoid the pain. It's really quite simple.

OK. so you believe it. It's like A Few Good Men. "I object. Overruled. I strenuously object." Repeating the same thing does not make it any more persuasive. Period.

Not at all. You have lots of assumptions in your views. I really don't know that the talent on this team is so great that we are losing to teams we have "no business losing to." Like who-- New England, San Diego, splitting with the Fins, KC? The defense is overall quite good, but melts down at times in key spots. The offense is below average in terms of talent overall on the line and QB. Watkins is a very good receiver, but the rest seem mediocre. Running back... average. Maybe you are right that all these guys at these positions would be better with different coaches. At this point that is unknowable-- at least based on my ability to evaluate the situation. That's why I think the idea of an outside evaluator coming in and determining where the fault primarily lies is a great idea. If I was Pegula, I would find someone who is smart and skilled and I could trust to provide me with expert eyes, and go from there. I don't think the team is all that far away, and I'd like to know where to make the right changes-- not change for change's sake-- to improve the team as much as possible for next year. Bang for the buck and all that.

And they won games late against Chicago, Minnesota and Detroit. You can't say we lost 3 games we "should have" won and ignore the 3 games we "should have" lost and call yourself a realist. Realism is the word people use when they are angry, and the substance of your comments show that. That's OK, but those who don't agree with you are not being unrealistic simply because you label yourself a realist.

I don't know the answer to the QB question. I can't imagine the team is thrilled with the current QB options. But it is simply BS to say, let's get our franchise guy and roll with it. No one seems to know who will be a franchise guy and who won't. That is the case for literally every team. That's the effing problem. And there is no solution, unless you just get flat out lucky like Indy-- twice! Perhaps a couple of guards and one kickass OC will do the trick. Easier said than done, but easier than picking up the franchise QB on your next visit to Wegman's. And for this year at least, the new mediocre in the AFC is 6-4. We are atrocious in comparison at a lowly 5-5...

No question-- they defy the point of the salary cap every bit as much as the Patriots. Makes me want to puke.

I went to far with that. Just seeing Denver, Cleveland and Indy obliterated yesterday just made me realize just how unpredictable the NFL is week to week, and strange things happen. That's fair. I think Marrone has brought the team into the 21st century in terms of attitude and discipline, and it has been a welcome change. I give him another year to see if he can do the rest of the job necessary. As to OC, I do know the offense is not good. What aspects of the QB, OC and line issues are the true problem is impossible for me to know. I'm guessing it is a little of all three. If Hackett had a quality QB, the O might be fine. If we had a great line the O might be fine. If we had a world class OC, Orton/manuel might be fine. I don't know. I think Pegula needs someone a lot more skilled and knowledgable to evaluate and come up with an evaluation. I do know that improving the line and finding a better OC is a lot easier than finding a great QB.

Why do you make straw man arguments like that? I did not say mediocre is great. But to move forward you have to honestly assess where you are and figure out the best path forward. To me, this team is much better than the past 3-5 years, not good enough but better. i understand and feel the current unhappiness after the last two games, but I'd like to reach happiness. I just don't think "blowing it all up" yet again is the right answer. Staying the course and tweaking some things may be the better approach. I don't have optimism, I'm simply trying to discern the difference between reality and pessimism. The Bills should have beat a very good KC team, and about 6 things had to go wrong for them to lose at the end and they did. Unfortunate, absolutely. The team flat out stinks, not so much. Same with the Dolphins, leading 9-3 with 20 minutes to play. Tough loss, yes. Losing on the road to a solid team on a short week means the team stinks, not so much. I am trying to think this through like the Pegulas will have to do. Anger and hysteria are not great foundations for improving any organization, IMO.

Cool. It is just that we think so many other teams are all that great, when they are not. I watch lots of supposedly good teams yesterday do the same stupid things that people here seem to think is the exclusive domain of the Bills. Every team that beat the Bills are .500 or better. It's not like the losses-- with the possible exception of Houston-- were bad teams. And wins against Detroit and Miami were quite good. And the Bills are in all the games, which is a far cry from 2 or 3 years ago when the games were over after one quarter. Another knee-jerk post. And not even true.

So easy to be dismissive. But if you are going to give management advice, you need to look at the situation carefully. So easy to be angry and say fire everyone. A little closer analysis is warranted.

New England pummels Indianapolis, Houston routes Cleveland on the road, and KC beats the world champion Seahawks. What does that teach us? The Bills may not be that far off after all. The Bills have been competitive against teams that supposedly superior teams-- like Indy, Cleveland and Seattle-- have not done very well against. 5-5 against difficult competition, with few easy opponents, while not good enough is not horrible. Seems to me it shows the team is getting better, and may not be as far off as many think. Perhaps it is not the "same old Bills," but an improving team with a little ways to go. Certainly, directionally, good enough to stay the current path (with tweaks) and not "blow the thing up." I think the next two weeks will illuminate this point. If the Bills can get to 7-5, who knows? Denver got beat bad the last two weeks, and New England may be playing for nothing as it looks right now. Lose one or both of the next two games, and maybe it is the same old Bills, but I'm willing to reserve judgment for now.

"My biological clock is... stomp stomp stomp... ticking..." My Cousin Vinny

Ahh, but if something is too good to be true, it probably is.

Wow, money pouring in on the Bills. Line has dropped to 4-4.5 points.

I'll be watching from my chair at the insane asylum, where all good Bills fans should be. Hoping that I don't have an untoward outburst and they medicate me so I can't see the finish. Then again.....

A big one apparently. The line back down to 5.5-6.

Line now up to 6-6.5. I guess the public does not read this board and how we are going to crush the Fins.

Given the story and the new insight, I felt this warranted a fresh look.

So Matthew Fairburn has a story as to why Hackett called the plays he did with the ball at the KC 15 late in the game. KC stacked the box, daring the Bills to throw. So Hackett did, and got two wide open looks that Orton missed on the throw. So does that make Hackett "criminally" inept? Should he have run anyway? Would the Hackett haters say he was an idiot for running with a stacked box, too conservative just like the Jets game? Bueller ? Anyone?

Or more accurately, the market. The market-- the public-- perceives the Dolphins as better. Like a Ruth's steak as opposed to Outback is perceived as better and costs more. Here, it costs your more-- in say a money line-- to make the same amount of money betting on the Dolphins as opposed to the Bills. As with all markets, it is at bottom just opinion, but the opinion more people hold. Of course they mean something. They reflect the perceived quality of each team as dictated in a real market where people are putting up real money to back their opinions and where big bettors are doing serious research to form those opinions. All simple supply and demand, which in turn puts the world in equilibrium. Capitalism at its finest. The performance was hardly pathetic. The outcome certainly.

Dolphins are viewed as the better team, not the Bills. My bad for any confusion.

Yes indeed. About right-- line says they are 2-3 points better on a neutral field.

I think we all agree this one is almost as "must-win" as WW II-- to steal from Marv Levy. Can the boys bounce back from a horrendous defeat yesterday? Only three days to find out.

Ungrateful little sh&t...