gobillsinytown

"Most rookies are simply dealing with the fact that their opponents are a significantly faster and significantly more athletic assemblage opponents than they have ever faced. Essentially all NFL players comment on how much faster the players are in the NFL than the college game because essentially it is is like the took the best athlete in your high school conference (not just your school but the entire conference) xeroxed him 11 times and put him out on the field for you too face." Pyrite Gal: You hit the nail on the head. My father had a friend who briefly played for the Houston Oilers as an outside linebacker, when most NFL teams were playing the 3-4. He said it took him almost two full weeks to really get used to the speed and power of the players lined up against him. He played for SMU when they were a nationally ranked team. By comparison, he said NFL practices were harder than some of his games, especially during camp when everyone is competing for a job. If you think about it, there are typically no more than 4 players on any college team that will make it to the NFL. NFL playbooks are significantly more complicated than college playbooks, because at the NFL level it's a full time job with high compensation, and it's expected of them to absorb the information. Film study is also something that players are expected to do, which is not emphasized as much in college. So the difference between college and pro ball is like the difference between what you learned about your profession in college, and what your profession actually turned out to be like on a daily basis. That is: night and day

Good. I love it! It shows how many people have a passion for this team. I think all the jokes from the ESPN personalities about Ralph being senile have given Bills fan a "bunker" mentality. Especially now, since it turned out that Ralph was right about the CBA and that he was the only owner who had the stones to speak out. I sent a few emails myself to the two a$$clowns on their morning show, after about two days of "Ralph is senile" jokes every 15 minutes.

Right on the money. With "cover 2" meaning each safety gets half of the field, that's a lot of ground to cover. So the MLB has to be athletic enough to help in coverage, but most importantly smart enough to be in the right place on each play, either run or pass. That being said, I still think the basic principle of any defense is still true: It all starts up front, so what happens at the line of scrimmage is still the most important. If a defense can't control the line of scrimmage, it won't be successful no matter what scheme is used.

Interesting. Your understanding of the game comes from first-hand experience? At the coaching level or player level? If you're a fan, like me, who watches the games on TV or at the stadium, you don't have a detailed understanding about the game. Trust me. People who make careers out of this have a very different view. Not that they are above criticism, they make mistakes like everyone. But the idea these three signings are a waste of money is way too premature. You claim to understand the game you watch. Obviously you haven't kept up with the history of the sport. There are far too many examples of players who have had their careers revived with different teams. Look at our own division. The Patriots are a prime example.

I take it you're a line coach in the league? The Bills are paying the going rate for free agents. Obviously they think the line is a priority. Just because Steinbach is the "name" free agent this year doesn't mean he'll work out. I would think that anyone who's a fan of this game would know by now not to judge a signing until after they hit the field. There are just way too many examples of so-called "cheap" free agents turning out to be great additions, and "marquee" free agents turning out to be busts.

We have a lot of die-hard Steelers fans here in Youngstown, OH. None of them seem particularly upset at Porter leaving. Of course, they're all experts like we are , but I think Porter was able to flourish in a system designed for linebackers in the 3-4. Not sure if he would do as well in our system.

Can't blame the guy for that kind of money. And don't forget medical expenses for retired players after a career in the NFL are pretty high. When you're one play away from ending a career, you take everything you can get.

Thank you. If I recall correctly, the draft "experts" were roasting Marv for not taking Michael Huff, who went to the Raiders. These same experts were also saying the Raiders would be a dark horse candidate for the Super Bowl. This shows exactly what these people really know, and more importantly shows the futility of trying to predict what's going to happen in the world's most complicated team sport.

I think the mid season adjustment shows good flexibility on the part of the coaching staff, in that they're willing to modify the scheme to fit the particular abilities of their players. One thing that's been forgotten in this discussion: The linebackers need to be able to cover in this defense as well, particularly the MLB. I think the decision on Nate is purely financial, and it makes sense. If Nate's going to be the top FA this year, he's going to get a lot of $$ from some owner who doesn't know any better. Not that Nate's a bad corner, but I don't think he's another Champ Bailey. Until they work out the specifics of revenue sharing (if they ever do), Ralph's going to stick with "cash to the cap". I think it can be done. Aquiring FA's for the sake of it doesn't work. Here in Youngstown, OH there is constant talk about how all of the Browns' big name aquisitions have been busts. They always stimulate a lot of excitement during the off-season but don't translate to success on the field. They seem to sacrifice other aspects of their organization for big-splash FA's. Recently it was discovered that their medical facilities were infected with some type of staph bacteria. There's also been a lot of criticism of the strength and conditioning people. Every year they seem to lose a lot of players to injury in training camp, and some think it's because of improper hydration and stretching before practice, or a bad playing surface. It may or may not be true, but the Browns are a prime example of poor free agent spending.

I heard this on ESPN radio this morning and I agree with the coach, although I think he was being a little dramatic. But then again, the Buffaloes were awful last year and it's his job to turn things around. Whiney complaint letters from parents complaining about their kidstime off would irritate me too. These kids are on Division I full scholarships and they were recruited to make the team better. So they're complaining about losing a week? Maybe they should transfer out.

I would think any player at this level would have to have the ability to learn pretty quickly. The difference between a college playbook and a pro playbook is night and day. So I would think that being "coachable" is probably what separates the really good players from the guys with all the strength and speed but can't put it together on the field. I'm not for Willis one way or the other, but I think the Senior Bowl is more about basic playing ability since I don't think the coaches bother with putting any real playbook together for one game. Seems to me like a glorified Combine.

Interesting discussion. But don't forget, the DT's dont' have to do it all against the run. The Cover 2 also calls for the MLB to be active in run support, yet fast enough to cover the middle. So in some ways I think the most pressure is on the MLB and the safeties to help out against the run as well. I'm no expert on this defense, but it seems like there's a very heavy reliance on chemistry between the players, particularly on the D linemen to be aggressive, yet maintaining their responsibilities. Am I right? Anyone have experience with this "D"

Why are you here? I believe that this is a board about Buffalo Bills football. I'm glad you're an "avid Bills fan", but I get the feeling you're more like an "avid troll". I think this discussion would be better placed in an off-topic category. Please?

As you can see from previous posters, it's simply not accurate to compare to two cities. Another thing I might add: The federal government, Louisianna state government, private and public relief agencies have been, and continue to, pour money into that region. I'm not saying that the money is being wasted, it's more that Katrina was such a regional disaster that no amount of money is going to be able to immediately restore the region. However, there are jobs and people with at least some extra money to spend. And since the Saints have been such a rallying point, why not support them?

I'm wondering if Donahoe has pictures of Mort in a compromising position. If Donahoe was such a great GM, why is his name no longer even mentioned on anyone's GM candidate list?

If Marv and the scouting staff still have the ability to find linebacker gems in the later rounds (remember a lot of really good LB's in the earlier Marv era came from the lower rounds), then I think they go for DL or OL in the first round

Watching this game on TV.......having to listen to Phil Simms is like having my teeth pulled out one by one by a redneck dentist from Arkansas or Texas or wherever Phil gets that half-a$$ southern drawl.

Love it love it love it! Especially when he said: "It's still real to me, dammit!"

We'll see how long Eli stays upright once Gilbride's got his wideouts running those patented 8 second slant/curl/button/post/fly routes on every passing down.

Like I said....time to draft one I realize Kevin got hurt so he should get some more time to develop, but unfortunately I don't think he's the answer either. I hope I'm wrong.

Steve Tasker wasn't a great special teams player. He was probably one of the top five special teams players to ever play the game. And his loyalty as a player was unquestioned. As far as his announcer skills.....you don't know how he was asked to call the game. He may have specifically been asked to remain neutral or even pro Tennessee. The broadcast producer makes the calls there. Besides, it's not his job to root for the Bills, no matter how much he may want to. It's his job to call the game the way the producer wants, and if he doesn't, he won't have a job for long.

He may be a nice guy, but I just don't think he's the answer. We haven't had much luck with TE's lately, so I think maybe it's time to draft one and invest in grooming him. In fact, I can't think of a single TE that's been consistent over the last five years. Time to draft one.

The "Tampa 2" or "Cover 2" defense can be very effective, but it relies a lot on teamwork and chemistry. The DL position in this scheme must be smart, quick and most importantly, experienced. It takes time to develop into an effective defense, but once it does, it can be very good for a long time. The problem with the traditional 34 or 43 is that you must have at least one fat guy in the middle to clog the run. This creates problems on passing downs, because unless that guy is big and fast enough to rush the passer, he has to come out. The "Tampa 2" system relies on smaller, quicker guys that can be rotated without losing run stopping power. All that being said, schemes don't really matter in the long run, it's how well a defense plays as a unit. IMHO, the team with the best defense at the end of the year wins it all. One thing I think everybody has missed so far in this thread: The Bills need at least a consistent TE in a big way.

Sad to say it, but small market teams are not going to get the attention of the larger market ones. At this point I think the only reason Green Bay gets any mention at all is because of Brett Farve. However, the old cliche is still true: Winning cures everything. If the Bills can consistently go 10-6, they'll start getting the attention they used to get.