gobillsinytown

We all love Fitzy. Obviously very smart and by all accounts is truly a regular guy. His teammates seem to like him, even his opponents. He's never going to say anything obviously stupid in front of a microphone. He would be the perfect face of a franchise. But in the long run, under big game pressure, he's not a franchise quarterback. I think it would be better to be a backup somewhere if he really still has the itch to play. If not, he should walk away now and go into business or whatever he's got planned for the future. I think it would be terrible to see him hanging on, moving from team to team, getting hurt, etc. I hope it works out well for him.

Makes sense.........obviously they're moving on from EJ (first round money) to Cardale (4th round money). Seems like it's almost a pseudo cap move. I would expect EJ will be released is they can save any money by doing so.

I don't think you can assess how Lawson is going to perform in the NFL based on his college career, especially in Rex's defense. Plus I don't think that scouts evaluate college players that way. They're looking for potential, even in the first round. Everybody is big, strong and fast in the NFL. What separates players is their ability to adapt to the complexity and speed of the game. It's the same with this guy. If he can adapt to the speed of the game, he'll be fine. His head is going to be spinning for a while, but it he can understand the defense and what they want him to do in it, we should have a pretty good player.

You're right! But then again as some other people on the board have mentioned, Brady could still find a way to delay his suspension again. I looks like he could still appeal the ruling one more time. Maybe we all should learn some voodoo curses? Lol

Am I the only one that feels a little nervous about this? Wouldn't this be the perfect motivation? Plus, he's 38 years old. So now, he gets an extra rest from game conditions. If they can go 3-1 or even 2-2 over this period, they get a rested, probably maniacally-obsessed-with-winning Brady back for game 5 on. I would expect Bellicheck to use this to motivate his team also.

So the Broncos are interested in Tyrod Taylor. I'm sure they're interested in Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Tom Brady also. I also seem to remember that Tyrod's agent is unhappy with the negotiations so far? That was reported a few days ago. Hmmmmmm..........

I wouldn't have a problem with Mario if he were a more team oriented player. By all accounts that I've read, he seems to be quite aloof in the locker room and that's not what this team needs. The Bills don't have the talent to overcome that in one of their top players. Besides, very few contracts of this size ever make it to the final year because the cap hit is so large. As far as Mario complaining that he shouldn't have to drop into coverage..................Bruce Smith dropped into coverage a few times during most games. Instead of complaining about it, he worked to get better at it and was pretty good for a guy his size. The reason for having D Linemen dropping into coverage is to throw a wrinkle at the QB and the O-Line. Having a QB like Brady knowing where the D linemen are going to be on every play isn't a good idea.

"PAY ATTENTION TO ME! I'M DEPRESSED"

I seem to remember some reports about Jerrah expressing some negatives about his new wonderland. Specifically his debt service, which he didn't have before. While I'm sure that he's happy overall, there are always downsides to a massive project involving many entities. Given the complexities and cost involved in essentially shoving a new stadium into the downtown area, I think Terry's being smart in taking a measured approach to it. I haven't lived in Buffalo since 1988, but even with my limited knowledge of the changes happening downtown, I can just imagine the traffic snarls that an influx of 50 or 60 thousand people would cause.

Stage IV means it's going to be an uphill battle. He'll be getting chemotherapy and radiation to try to save his life. By all accounts he's a genuinely good guy, so let's hope he bounces back from it.

I love Fitzy, but he's not consistent enough to take a team to the playoffs and win. Just saw it today. He makes bad decisions under pressure. The picks he threw today were pretty much on him. He's a good guy, but just doesn't have the intangibles.

I'm most likely one of the old guys on this board, so I'm not sympathetic to Mario's complaints. I remember another 3-4 DE who dropped into pass coverage when he was asked to.........that was Bruce Smith. Instead of complaining about it to reporters, he worked on trying to improve his coverage skills and actually got pretty good at it for a 6-4 273 pound guy. That's why Bruce is in the Hall Of Fame and why Mario won't be. I also seem to remember that Mario was not on good terms with Houston before the Bills signed him, and was pretty vocal about it. Anytime there's a coaching change on an NFL team, the new staff is going to implement the system that they think provides the best chance to win. If that means that designated pass rushers have to occasionally drop into coverage to confuse an opposing offense, then I don't see what the problem is. The way Mario is talking, you would think that they were asking him to play DB. Dropping D-linemen into coverage is a pretty common practice. It's done to confuse quarterbacks who would otherwise know exactly where a particular D-lineman is going to be on every play. I'm sure the truth is somewhere in the middle, but I'm having a hard time understanding Mario's point of view. Rex has his faults, but ignoring players on defense isn't one of them. I think Mario can be replaced without too much difficulty, so it's time to let him go. I hope that he's successful with his next team so long as it isn't in our division.

The report that I read (sorry don't have link) was that he was having some sort of chronic problem with his hip, which was affecting his stride and cutting ability. He left the team to consult with a hip specialist. If his hip is bothering him that much, then I think it's probably going to end up forcing him to retire.

I love Fitzy, but he laughs like a girl. Decker just jumped on his back during the post game interview and he did a weird squeal type thing. Still love him though.........

It's always fun to riff on this guy for some of the stuff he does. That being said, he wouldn't be doing it if he wasn't walking away with a boatload of money.

I live about an hour from Cleveland, and there seems to be at least a spike in interest among already-depressed Browns fans. They're thinking the same thing we are though......the season's over, so why not? That being said, I think he's going to get hurt behind that line. They have no running game at all and defenses plan accordingly. So when it's time for Johnny to pass, they're really going to get after him. The only way that I think it might work is if they keep things very simple for him, and try to take advantage of his mobility with some designed rollouts so he can get in space. The downside would be that if he doesn't learn to slide, he won't make it through the rest of the season. I feel bad for Pettine. Their front office is a dumpster fire and the owner has no idea of what he's doing.

I love Fitzy. He's a good guy, smart, tough and will never do anything to distract from his team. But unfortunately he doesn't have the consistent arm strength or the ability to make the correct throws under pressure. He's a good example as to how hard it is to find a true franchise quarterback. He's got everything but the arm strength and intangibles that are required.

I'm showing my age, but Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed all had run-ins with fans in the 1990's. In 1989 the nickname for the team was "The Bickering Bills", because the players were sniping at each other so much. The difference today is instant communication, and Sammy's still young and needs to learn his lessons. But I can understand why he was angry because some of the comments directed at him were truly nasty. I think he realizes that he has to tune it out. He seems like he's a pretty bright guy so I doubt this will happen again. I don't think that the comments that were spewed at him represent most fans. It doesn't always seem this way, but most fans are able to keep things in perspective. They love the team, but they don't let it take over their lives to the point where they're actually taking the time to hassle a player when things don't go well. When I was getting ready to start my career, I was lucky to have a mentor who gave me some great advice: Anyone who is very successful at what they do isn't stupid. Regardless of how well or how poorly they talk, or how good or bad their grammar is, if they're successful at a high level, they're not stupid. This advice has never failed me in the 24 years since. Sammy's not stupid. To make it at the NFL level requires a great deal of mental discipline and determination, and I would bet that he could succeed in another profession if he really put his mind to it.

I was listening to the CBS morning radio show last week and If I remember correctly they had mentioned that the number of penalties so far this season is at a record level. They interviewed one of the heads of league officiating and his explanation was that "the players are trying to figure out what they can and can't get away with", almost like it's some kind of negotiating process. That's seems to me to be a pretty bizarre way to manage a pretty important aspect of the game. I think it's time to make all officials full time. The game is too fast and too complex now.

A win is a win.......it's a cliche but it's true. It's good that they took advantage of Tyrod's running talents, but that can't keep going back to that every game. I didn't get the game here where I live, but just from the highlights I could see that he took a beating. He won't last the season if he keeps doing that. It doesn't help that the offense is missing so much talent due to injury. I think this team can make the playoffs so long as there aren't any more injuries. This isn't a team that has the depth to keep an even keel while losing a lot of starters. At some point, the Pats* are going to cool off, although I don't think it will last long. I think we can tuck under them at 10-6 or even 9-7, depending on how the other AFC divisions shake out, but it's going to be a struggle.

It also helps to have a first-ballot Hall Of Fame QB who can analyze defenses with two or three glances down the field. I hate the Pats* just like any other self respecting Bills fan, but until they're knocked off the AFC East perch there's not much we can say.

I read an article a few days ago that indicates that this year has one of highest injury occurrences in NFL history. It seems like with the length of the season, they key is about preserving as many players as possible, for as long as possible. Some theories are that because of the limits that the collective bargaining agreement puts on practice time, players aren't really in "football shape" until 4 or 5 games into the season. Another theory is that lack of practice reps is hurting offensive line play. I think in Sammy's case, they decided to hold him out since the game was under control. Maybe in a tighter game he would have come back in later. I would expect that the players and the league are going to have to come to some sort of agreement. Maybe eliminating two preseason games in favor of more practice time?

I remember watching the play that Kevin Everett got injured on........it didn't look like it was that bad initially. The spine can be very resilient yet very fragile at the same time. I'm glad the trainers took all the precautions today. When I had season tickets in the 1990's, I remember a player from the other team being injured in the same way. Frank Reich led a prayer out on the field for both teams. It got very quiet after that. Fortunately the injury wasn't serious and he was back playing in a few weeks. It's good for all of us to remember that these are world class athletes playing a very violent game

I'm not sure if "Sam" has a lot of trade value right now since he didn't have any catches last week. I think we should wait until after a game where he has 9 catches for 172 yards and 3 TDs. Then his trade value skyrockets and that's when we hit up Dallas!

it's to confuse Brady. Apparently Dreamboat was watching the game so maybe he'll get so confused that he'll throw 9 pics.