gobillsinytown

Our group talked about it, but we decided to stay and not break our tradition of never leaving a game early. I noticed a lot of people who left the game at halftime and stayed in the parking lot to "drown their sorrows".......and then started climbing the fences to get back in. After a while, stadium security opened the gates, which was the smart thing to do. it was the greatest sporting event I've ever been to, although to this day I'm baffled as to why the Oilers' DC almost completely changed the defensive scheme that was working so well in the first half. The DB's went from playing tight coverage to lining up at least 10 yards off the Bills' receivers. Giving Andre Reed a couple of extra seconds to decide how he's going to juke the DB out of his pants is never a good idea. Don Beebe took advantage of it too. Once the crowd got into it, you could feel the momentum change. At the end of the game it was so loud that my friends and I were shouting and we still couldn't hear each other!

I can totally understand why some fans want to see the team move on from Tyrod, but the question is: Who's his replacement? I don't see anybody in free agency except maybe Romo who would be an improvement. And even if Romo wanted to come here, he's a huge risk. He was having a hard time staying healthy behind the Cowboys line, and they're one of the best if not the best line in the league. Huge price tag also. And the QB's coming out for the draft will not be ready to start for a quite a while, if they make it at all. Cardale is a project that they could build on, but he's going to struggle if they try to start him next year. I think they're going to go with Tyrod because he's the best available.

By way of perspective, the Jacksonville situation looks fun: Marrone HC Coughlin as "Executive VP" ....and the existing GM is still there. Not exactly a match made in heaven I would think.

I think this is a very good article and paints a more accurate picture of the Pegulas. They seem to be genuinely interested in Western New York, and committed to its future. That's the good part. The hard part for them is learning to be patient with the two teams, and in hiring people that you honestly believe in and letting them do the work for you. Of course the Globe is going to use the Patriots as the model example, but they should. We can hate them all we want, but Kraft has made the right decisions and it's paid off. I also agree with the article's take that the Pegulas have taken some risks financially in owning these teams. I don't think they're toys at all. I think that they're seriously invested in both of them and so it's natural that they want to be involved. Let's hope that they're realizing that just because they've been successful in business doesn't automatically make them good at running sports businesses. Look at how long it took Jerry Jones to finally let go (at least a little), and let the football people run the team. I'm hoping that the Pegulas can learn from their mistakes, especially in the area of media relations. I'm sure it's a thorn in their side, but I think they would benefit from getting some consultant help in this area. Jim Kelly learned this the hard way when he was playing, until he realized that he had to "play the game" and stay with the script. Once the media realizes that they're not going to get anything but scripted responses, they move on to something else.

Ah, OK. You never know how these kids will pan out though. Urban seems to get his share of kids, so I'm sure he's not too upset.

Sorry I'm coming in late..............osu as in Ohio State?

YSU fan here. It doesn't look like the 'Guins will be able to pull it off, but it's been a fantastic season. Nobody expected them to even get close to the championship, so no complaints. I have a feeling that Bo's going to have the team in the playoffs for as long as he's coaching here. As an old Bills fan, I learned to appreciate the good times back in the 90's, and YSU's four national championships then too. That was a good decade!

I seem to remember a similar reaction when Marv Levy was hired. Most reporters were calling him washed up. They also couldn't believe how someone as intellectual as Marv could relate to football players. After all, his college degree was in History! How was he going to turn the Bills into winners?! So much for predictions.

As a fan, I think he should retire. The injuries that he's accumulated to his neck over the years make that area very unstable. One good hit, intentional or not, and he might not walk again. This is a great example of how much desire and dedication it takes to make it in the NFL. Even though he's aware of the risks, he still has the passion for it. This makes it all that much harder to walk away. But realistically he probably should.

All NFL teams have to worry about venomous media, and public funding for stadiums will be contentious from this point forward, with the possible exception of Texas.

Tyrod may or may not be the starting QB next year, but he's not stupid. The worst thing he could do at this point would be to make any sort of comment whatsoever. Especially if a potential legal issue is building over clauses in his contract. If I were in his position I would do exactly the same thing.

If Rex took this stance then he deserves to be fired. Kind of reminds me when he decided to play Sanchez in pre season when he was with the Jets. At that time, Sanchez was the only viable option for them. I believe that was the year when the Jets went in the tank.

And let's not forget Joe Dufek at QB. Those were great days.

Didn't see much here other than the usual. Obviously the owner is disappointed and Whaley's comments reflect that. I think everybody knows that they're coaching, managing and playing for their jobs. If they go 9-7, the hardest decision is going to rest with Pegula: Is the team 9-7 and a few players away from being a playoff team, or is the team peaking at 9-7 and next year starts the downhill slide? 7-9 or 8-8 and the decision becomes easier.

Personally I was thinking 9-7 realistically or 10-6 optimistically at the beginning of the season, for the same reasons. I like TT but I just don't think he's a franchise guy. There are exceptions but the top teams in the league have their franchise guy in place. And of course the last time the Bills were consistently in the playoffs was with a HOF QB. So at this point it looks like the team has a decent roster but not the QB. Where do we find one?

Bills fan in Ohio here.........I guess it depends on perspective. Most Browns fans here knew this was going to be an awful year for them. So while they're obviously not happy, they're looking for players on the roster that the team can build around. In other words, expectations were low. For Bills fans, expectations were high. Most fans were expecting playoffs or at least competitive until the very end. So now that our expectations are shot, what do we feel should happen next? Looked at from a more neutral perspective, the team has failed to live up to expectations not only from the fans' perspective but also from the organization's perspective. As opposed to the Browns, there is clearly some good talent on the team. So do you tweak or blow it up? Looking at how NFL teams operate, I don't see a house cleaning.

This is the problem with unsubstantiated stuff. You don't know the motivations of the sources. If Lacanfora has a source inside the organization, what's their motivation for talking? I'm not dismissing it either but this has to be treated for what it is. Of course the atmosphere is toxic at OBD. They've lost two in a row in poor fashion. They're out of the playoffs. Reputations and jobs are on line. People get emotional when that happens. I'm not defending the front office, the coaches or the players, because they're not getting the job done. That being said, I don't think it's because they're not giving it everything they have. Unfortunately they just don't have the right combination of talent/football intelligence/luck that's needed. That's everyone from the players, coaches and front office. Of course, this can all be rectified by winning and getting into the playoffs.

"Continuity" is the watchword right now in NFL ownership circles. I'll be surprised if the Pegulas fire him. You might see some changes to coaching staff, which is considered acceptable in coaching circles if it means saving someone else's job. That said, the Pegulas are new owners faced with a serious problem so it's ultimately up to them. I think the other lesson that can be learned here is that talent is relative. All players benefit from the people around them. A great example of that is Chris Hogan.

Great article. i'll add that there is always going to be a disconnect between ownership and fans. I've been a fan of the team for a long time. When the Bills lost to the Redskins in the second Super Bowl, fans were screaming for a complete shakeup: Fire Levy, fire Polian, trade Bruce Smith for 10 players because he didn't sack Mark Rypien, etc etc etc. The first loss to the Cowboys? Fans were calling on Ralph to sell the team to someone "who could win". The fans of this team aren't any different from any other franchise. When the team wins, everybody's happy. When the team loses...........

I like Gronk. Seems to be decent kid who wants to enjoy his time in the league. Unfortunately the playing style that makes him so good is contributing to his injuries and they can pile up pretty quickly. I would think that with his salary and endorsements, party trips, etc, he could probably retire without too much trouble. At some point I think he'll consider if it's worth it to play one more year. The Patriots aren't sentimental at all and he'll get traded next year if it comes down to money.

I don't think it's "either/or". It's probably a little bit of both. Elite QB's have the arm strength and accuracy to help make up for deficiencies in their WRs, and elite WRs can get open when others can't. I like Tyrod a lot but unfortunately he's not an elite QB, and the team doesn't really have any true elite WRs.

The Bills really need every WR with some experience that they can get their hands on at the moment. I think Percy really wants to play, but unfortunately his body isn't going to cooperate. Migraines are brutal and can be really difficult to treat. If he's getting migraines after almost a year off, it's time to call it a career.

I'm not all that optimistic about this game, but it's winnable. On paper things don't look great but the Bills have the "intangible" in that if they lose this game their playoff chances are over. Also, as much as I like Mack, he can be tempted to over pursuit. If the Bills design their blocking schemes specifically for him, then it will be up to his teammates to take advantage of the 1 on 1 matchups that will be created. If they don't then there's an advantage to Buffalo. If this season has been anything, it's been unpredictable. Maybe Carr's finger swells up or something.............

I think Romo should retire. He's had some major injuries to his spine and I think the risk rises the longer he plays. I'm looking at it from more of the "person" perspective. He's a very good (but not great) quarterback and I just don't think he elevates Bills enough for the amount of money it's going to take. By all accounts he's a genuinely good guy and I think the longer he plays, the more he's going to pay the price down the line. Arthritis in the spine is not fun and can be very debilitating.

IMO the two best special teams players in the 90's were Steve Tasker and Reyna Thompson (Giants). There were other return specialists who could score and of course that can make a big difference in a game. But there's a lot more to special teams play than that and I think Tasker had a bigger "play to play" impact than anyone else in that era.