CircleTheWagons

Good moves at the right time in the season. Watching Parcells bench Bledsoe last night had me thinking that sometimes the game is simpler than most people want to make it. All the sacks weren't Bledsoe's fault, but the team was desperate, so switch the QB and see what happens. The Bills are desperate - not because I think they have a chance of getting to the playoffs, but desperate simply to start making progress again. A big change in the OL is a sign that the staff can be creative with its personnel. I'm also hoping that if the offense continues to struggle for a couple of more games, we see Nall take some snaps, even if it's not completely Losman's fault, so we can find out if we need 2 or 3 QBs next off-season. I want Losman to do well, but I'm tired of everyone talking about his confidence and the "harm" that was done to him last year. I know it has only been half a season in a new system for him, but if the staff views him as a weakness, we need to evaluate Nall in game situations. If benching Losman for a half when he's struggling is going to damage his confidence, then I don't want him as our long-term solution anyway. Changing this team around is going to take players with mental toughness and leadership. If Losman going to be Captain of the ship, it's time he does it.

I completely agree - and I think Polian's current team has been delivering for Colt fans for the last few years. Of course I want the Bills to win a SB but what I really want is to watch football in late November and December that actually matters. My football season seems to last about 9 weeks before it's apparent that the Bills just aren't there yet and I start watching "meaningless" games and figuring out when the draft is. Even a couple of years ago, before the Pittsburgh game, the season wasn't great - I gave up early and then didn't think we had a chance until the last couple of weeks when I started to get excited again. Comeback seasons, like comeback games, are great stories but they're rarely entertaining - usually it's two lopsided games combined. Give me the see-saw battle, back and forth switching leads all day, over a comeback game. Now it's October 22nd and I know in my heart the season is on the line today. If we win, I'll hate waiting 2 weeks until the next game. If we lose, I won't care about the bye week and I'll go find out when the 2007 draft happens All I want for Christmas this year, is meaningful Bills games against the Titans and Ravens. It needs to start today. Just start winning.

Glad I convinced you

Please. Both these lines are so over the top they had me reaching for my ignore button.

I think I missed the meeting when tag became a contact sport. Actually when did it even become a sport? Of course, it's not like it used to be - I played tag with my boys last weekend and they used something called "T" - apparently they get to call a timeout while playing tag at school. I banned "T" in the house rules and then proceeded to tell them how soft they have it these days

I think these are the two we disagree on. You're willing to give our TEs the benefit of the doubt, I'm more in the "show me" mood these days. Having the fastest WRs in the league doesn't impress me. We have one very good receiver and several average to below average receivers. For all of their speed, our receivers don't seem to get separation except on fly routes. They are too easy to jam at the line and are completely ineffective in the run game - probably one of the reasons McGahee never breaks long runs.

I think you need to look harder, or explain why we ar not weak at: TE, DT, LT, LG, WR, FB. I would add QB because I currently view it as a weakness but I believe Losman will get better. I don't have the same faith with the positions I listed above. I'm not a negative guy, and I know what you're saying about units, but the team needs a solid infusion of talent.

McNally is starting to remind me of Wyche - both were supposedly big signings for the Bills that were indications we were going to address key weaknesses, but both seem to have made little impact and disappeared.

Leinart seems to me like the QB flavor of the week. Hopefully he turns into a good pro - Arizona needs good stories as much as we do. Fortunately, Leinart's success or failure has nothing to do with how good Losman can become. Losman is only 25 years old and still has "potential." I think he deserves the opportunity to complete this season before we write him off as average. I'm hoping Losman stays healthy enough to start and somehow the line comes together enough to allow a healthy mix of run / pass. If the left side of the line continues to play down to its current level, Losman may be happy to leave the Bills. The question is, who would want to come in?

Fair enough - I'm not willing to annoint him yet, but I'm also not willing to give up on him based on his performance to date. In fact, I will go so far as to say I feel sorry for Losman and the disaster that has been his pro career to date. Since Phillips left, the Bills have been a team that players go to disappear - rotating schemes, coordinators, head coaches and GMs make it almost impossible to be successful. If Losman appears like a top 20 QB at the end of the year then I'm willing to fix the other parts of the team before addressing the QB and allowing Losman another year. If Losman doesn't continue to improve over the season then I'm not willing to give him another year.

Although I am still on the fence about Losman, I'm happy to see he's still standing after 6 games and we should know what we have by the end of the year if he keeps playing. Looking at his stats, he seems to be roughly the 20th best QB in the league, his completion% is above 60 and his rating is above 80 (both barely). If you had asked me at the beginning of the season if I would be happy with his current stats after 6 games I would definitely have said yes. His YPA is low but ahead of Brady, Favre, Leinart and Plummer. I am personally approving the Losman experiment for the remainder of the season. Losman has 4 or 5 more games in my opinion before I wipe the slate clean and he starts his audition for next year. I firmly believe that the last quarter of the season will determine his future in Buffalo.

I would say that both Modrak and McNally are still with the Bills because both are considered at least "average". Marv had so much housecleaning of "below-average" people this off-season that there wasn't time to properly review, evaluate and replace the simply average staff and players. In the next off-season I think both Modrak and McNally will be evaluated more thoroughly by Marv. If they are still on the staff in '07 then I would view it as an endorsement of their performance by Levy.

Andy, not picking on you specifically, but anyone who thinks this way should at least read the wikipedia blurb about the gambler's fallacy

My head agrees with you, but when I see the fish, my gut says they must lose. It's the same when somebody suggests we need to lose a game to get a better draft pick. It might make sense but I can't cheer against the Bills.

Arrrgh...can't...cheer...for...the...fish.. Something deep inside won't let me cheer for the fish to win.

Man, I hope not. Line up and play the game. If we're not good enough yet, lets find out who is holding us back. We are not going to outsmart the Bears and I don't want the team spending time in practise this week working on trick plays. Personally, I believe Lindell and Moorman are going to earn their money this week and we have a chance to pull out a low-scoring win playing field-position football.

Even without winning this team can show the rebuilding project is ahead of schedule. I'm not talking about a "moral victory," but simply a hard fought loss where the team executes and keeps working for 60 minutes. In the past few years this is the type of game that we fall apart. Simply not falling apart is a BIG step ahead in my mind.

Where would you rather be than right here, right now?

Rocky this year, Rambo next year - I can't believe it but I'm pumped for both. Please just don't suck. Stallone's going old school. Maybe Shwarzagovernor will come out with another Conan in 2008.

A few years ago he was a position coach (I think) in the CFL and he came up to Calgary - I had the exact same feeling. It's amazing how seeing someone like that can make you feel like you were a kid again. Of course last weekend Ricky Williams was in town and the Stampeders destroyed him and his team. Not the same feeling, but it also felt pretty good

Definitely - but not the FAs I would sign I'm not really advocating getting rid of the draft, just pointing out that it's not as fun for me to watch young players mature when there is a good chance they will be wearing another teams jersey in a couple of years.

Don't simply blame the fans. All of the pro sports are being filled with rent-a-players. Why should fans have patience and enjoy watching the development of young players that may not be with the same team in a couple of years? If I was a GM, I would be tempted to skip the first 3 rounds of the draft and spend the money in free agency.

I agree. Everything I've read points to this guy being the worst of the bunch and he personally benefited the most. He's probably giggling today

Not enough Lauvale with your coffee this morning?

Consultants defending consultants, there's a surprise I quoted the line above because I know a couple of staff that would have punched me if I used that on a contract Back on topic, I respect TV, and I appreciate that he may be vital to the development of our defense - but I would never spend $100 for his jersey.