Rubes

I still can't figure this one out. So the call is a QB bootleg to the left. Leaving the utter hilarity of the call aside for a moment, I noticed four things: 1. The right guard (Villarial), who was situated right over the blitzing Bruschi, pulled immediately to the right. 2. The center (Tucker) blocked down to the left. 3. The right tackle (Williams) just kind of did his usual thing with the defensive end in front of him, whatever that usually is. 4. Henry immediately ran to the left. Now, one thing I am not sure of is if Henry ran to the left in order to block someone, because one of the Buff News stories today (Gaughan?) mentioned that someone was coming in on the left of Bledsoe, who would have disrupted the play anyway. I certainly would have expected Henry to take the blitzing gentleman directly in front of him, but maybe that's just me. The other thing I'm not sure of is why Villarial was pulling out to the RIGHT. What is that all about? Was this designed, or a screw up on someone's part? So this is a play that is, by design, leaving a gaping hole between the center and right tackle, a hole which must have appeared dangerous to anyone lining up before the snap, since there was a linebacker ready to sprint his ass right into that hole. And this is on a designed QB bootleg which, undoubtedly, is going to take an eternity to run given the primary ball carrier. So who blew it? Who knows. Probably Henry, but I'm getting the impression that there were at least three or four guys out there who really didn't know what the play was supposed to be. I put this one completely on the coaches. After all, when you take a timeout to think things over, and the game is clearly on the line, and you not only come up with an incredibly boneheaded play call, but one that clearly shows the lack of preparation and discipline on the part of the players, then I blame the guys who were calling the shots. Does anyone here doubt that if Bledsoe were still the Pats QB, that Belichick would have even considered calling that play? And if he did somehow have a stroke right before the play and told his team to run it, that they would have been completely unprepared to run it or execute it? Or to recognize that a big ol' blitz was coming that was gonna wreak havoc on it? I don't.

True, but I think you need a little better defense than what we have. They've done a pretty good job, but not championship good. If the defense could have held Brady and the girls under 24 points we might have had a chance.

What in God's name is this about???

Didn't he recover a key fumble? Or was that Kelsay? I can't tell them apart.

The offense can continue to improve all they want but if they continue to keep scoring 10 points they can improve themselves right to the bench for all I care.

Your favorite and mine, Coy boy, I believe. What the hell is a "bit fart up"??

God I hope so. That would mean 4 grand for me!

Okay, this is my last rant because I can't take myself anymore. The playcalling at the end of the 1st half was killing me. KILLING me. Bills have the ball with over a minute left, Pats just tied it and kicked off out of bounds, giving us great field position to maybe get a FG before the half. 1st down, and what do the Pats show us? Just what we always wanted to see: two down linemen and a crapload of linebackers and DBs. I'm yelling: RUN THE F'IN BALL YOU MORONS. You have timeouts and five big fat guys ready to beat the living crap out of the smaller guys. No go. 2nd down. Same defense. Two down linemen and a bunch of smaller gus standing up waiting for it. RUN THE BALL FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. Nope. 3 and out, including a penalty that could have given the Pats decent field position for a FG. Luckily, the Pats made a big personal foul on the punt and moved it back. Argh. Okay, I'm done. Back to my happy place!

Everyone did seem to be going left, but we will never know what that play was designed to do. If Tucker really did go the wrong way, which I hadn't considered (I mean, really), then he should be dragged out of the stadium and flogged with a large wet trout.

I was terribly disappointed in the play calling in that game. I kept begging the Bills to stick with the run, which was working. I begged them. They refused.

I disagree that it was the offensive line's fault. This was anyone's fault but the offensive line. The 4th down call was absolutelyl awful, and on top of that, it was this QB's inability to recognize the blitz and react appropriately that killed us. Look at the play. The man blocking the blitzing linebacker (the right guard) is designed to pull outside to the right on the play. The center is designed to block down to the left. The right tackle has his own man to worry about. That play, BY DESIGN, is leaving a huge gaping hole between the center and tackle. And there is a linebacker ready to blitz right in that gap. Not a great call to begin with, but this is the kind of crap that Bledsoe should be seeing and saying to himself "hmm...I know this play is designed to leave a HUGE GAPING HOLE over right guard, and there won't be anybody there to block him, so MAYBE THIS ISN"T A GREAT CALL and I should take a timeout. Or switch plays. Or something. I have said it before and I will say it again: The problem with this team is their inability to recognize and react to blitzes. I mean, at the end of the game, how many times did they have to see Rodney blitzing right over the right guard (unblocked) before they decided to do something about it? Bledsoe is partly to blame, the coaches are as well.

Maybe you'd better PM me if you need help with that!

If we keep making little mistakes and losing every week by 3 points to end up 0-16, will things still not be as bad as they seem?

Not as much as if we went 4-12 and beat Miami and New England twice

Finally rented "Kill Bill 2" to see the conclusion, and I'm ready! Hopefully tomorrow every man on this team will be saying "I am gonna KILL BILL" I know I will... you know, Belichick....get it? Never mind

How do you people find these things?

Wow.

That was a really interesting post, thanks. My belief is not that Bledsoe is to blame for the sacks, or the offensive line is to blame for the sacks, or whoever. The real reason for all the sacks? We just have a bunch of guys on offense that, after all these years of playing football, still can't recognize a blitz and react appropriately, whatever position you're talking about (OL, RB, QB, WR,...)

No, although here in Utah everybody knows a whole lot about her now. And about her husband. Very odd story. I know Mark Hacking's brother a little, we work in the same hospital. Very sad.

How is a rooster-a-roach named Edjuardo actually Irish?

I'd go for the 0-16 myself, too. Problem is, if we manage to win this Pats game, then we'd only be one game out of first if the Jets lose to the Fins. Ah, big deal. 0-16 is much better.

1. A Bills win. 2. Another helmet-dislodging hit on Brady by Clements.

27 years ago today it was a Saturday and I was waiting anxiously for the next day's Bills game. The previous year was disappointing and we finished with a 10-game losing streak, in which we scored only 15 points per game. We ended the season with a sound thumping in the final game on the road at the hands of a hated AFC East opponent. We were then 0-2 after losing to two AFC teams and about to play that same AFC East opponent that creamed us in the final game the previous season. They had a strong, young QB who was tearing up the opposition. We had a new coach who we all hoped would turn things around, but it didn't look good. But it was still the Bills and I loved them regardless. 27 years later and things don't seem to have changed much, have they! We ended up losing by 3. (It was Baltimore, by the way. We ended up 3-11 that year. Ugh!)

I might think that's the case if the Pats didn't have two weeks to prepare for this one...

You could have said the exact same thing about Buffalo last year after week 2. Seattle may be the best in the league after week 3 this year, but that may have nothing to do with the way they finish.