JohnC

He took the offer for a job that was available. Waiting for a better offer doesn't necessarily mean that it he would get another GM offer, let alone a better offer. He's actually not set up for a job to fail because he took a job where there is a lot of good young talent and he knew that he would be in a position to select the best qb prospect available in a qb rich class. So he waits another year and hires his own HC. Although it isn't a perfect situation it is a good situation. There's a saying: Don't let perfect be the enemy of the good.

The owner is the boss. That's how the real world works.

The new GM wanted to fire him when he took over. The owner said no. He'll probably will be gone by next year, if not sooner.

Who are you? I don't remember you ever refusing to brag.

Peterman didn't even play in that deluge of a game yesterday and your spleen is bursting. Just let it go Kirby, just let it go. Back and forth, and back and forth. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=baby+funny+videos&&view=detail&mid=99156D1733D99E84759999156D1733D99E847599&&FORM=VDRVRV

With utmost confidence I know you are wrong. The owner knows what is going on and is on board. That's why he hired McDermott. He knew what he was getting into and agreed to the plan when the contract was offered to the wrestling coach.

This franchise being humiliated is nothing new. What do you call the fiasco in Indy, Baltimore etc. etc. etc.

The mistake that McBeane made was that they brought in McCarron instead of maybe inducing Derek or another qb as a more suitable mentor to Allen. You may think that the qb situation is disastrous but there is a blessing in disguise because Allen got some playing time earlier than expected. Although he is being battered and befuddled on the field, hopefully, it will accelerate his development for next year. Trust me, I'm not downplaying or overstating Peterson's role because I consider it to be inconsequential in the grand scheme of things that is facing this troubled franchise. For me hyperbolic responses to a player who isn't even playing for a team facing a number of major deficits makes little sense to me. I rather deal with important issues than deal with what should be a minuscule distraction.

We've been through this issue before so I'll keep it brief. If you honestly believe that the owner wasn't aware of McDermott's strategy to rebuild the roster before he hired him then you believe the billionaire owner is a stupendous fool. You think that immediately after hiring him and empowering him over the then current (now former) GM that the owner was surprised at his full throttle rebuild then you are naive. The reason why McDermott got hired was because he was presented the owner with his plan as to how he was going to manage the operation if hired. And you can be sure that his plan had nothing to do with incremental change. If you disagree with McBean'es strategy to rebuild I can understand that position. But your take that what McDermott is doing is not related to what he had originally planned upon assumption of the job makes little sense because it is being implemented right in front of our faces. My point is that what has gone on should not be surprising to you and others as it is not surprising to the owner/s who hired him.

Kirby, A substitute player who doesn't play has little to do with the sinking Titanic. It's an inconsequential issue for a team with a surplus of inconsequential issues to deal with. It's like a ship is sinking and your worried about the dance band that is playing out of tune. You need to focus your attention on the major wound and not worry about the insect sting.

When the organization makes a decision to rebuild you are going to be subjected to plenty of tribulations. This regime decided on a strategy to mostly clear the roster and change the cap structure and replace them with their own players and contracts. I understand why many people can disagree with that approach. But that won't alter the fact that the turbulence was not only foreseen but was an unavoidable part of the process. The backup qb who isn't playing is one of the least important issues that needs addressing. My modest recommendation is not to be be sidetracked on diversionary issues that have little to do with resolutions.

There are bigger problems than a player who is not playing. How about channeling more of your energy toward the deficient players who are actually playing on the OL and the receiving corps? Your angst is of your own creation. You are like the emergency room doctor who when examining the patient who just had a massive heart attack focuses his attention on the wart of his left hand instead of dealing with the real problem that the dying patient is confronting. Let's get real here.

The wrestling coach did practice what he preached. Do you need to be reminded that Peterman was benched for the unprepared rookie and then for the pedestrian vagabond qb who left his vacation to make some extra coin? If the player who is not playing bothers you so much then you are the culprit who is creating your own self-induced misery. In other words that is a problem of your own making,

He played well in this game.

Kirby, You and Gunner reflexively go crazy when Peterman is mentioned for any reason. Let it freaking go! The reality is that it doesn't matter whether Peterman, McCarron or Anderson are taking the snaps because the caliber of play is at an unacceptable level. The substantive issues for this team don't revolve around those flaccid qbs. The meaningful issues relate to Josh's development, the OL, the receiver corps and continuing to add to talent to the defense and throughout the roster. My point is don't waste your energy on things that have little to do with making the Bills a serious team in the not too distant future. Just let it go!

You are entitled to gloat but with a qualification to your braggadocio behavior. What changed the dynamic for Skinner is when the coach put him on the Jack line i.e. the scoring line. This impotent team desperately needed finishers and scorers. He is a finisher and scorer! He's also a feisty bastaard. Good to have him on your team and a player to be scorned if on another team.

What impressed me about Jack in this game is his back checking and gritty defensive play. He sets the tone. When he plays loose and floats on the defensive side of the game he sets the tone for the rest of the team. When he gets involved it seems to inspire the other players to mix it up. What is going to make Jack an elite player is his play on the defensive end. Offense comes natural to him. Defense is effort. When he does it seems every else does it.

What was a refreshing change was that their style of energized and tough play didn't change even when they were down in the score. That was a major change for a team that has been fragile for years. Usually, when the other teams get the lead and things are not going well they become deflated. As you noted from the beginning to the end the Sabres played a tight checking game all the way through. It was close to playing a playoff brand of hockey. This game gave me a lot of encouragement.

Mittlestadt isn't scoring but he certainly doesn't look out of place. What's really impressive about him is that he has good hockey sense. In that realm he is like Reinhart only that he is a better skater. The Ducks are a good team. The Sabres were the better hockey team on the ice. I thought the Sabres played a simplified game and won a lot of battles on the boards against a good sized team. I thought Bogo played well. I hope he can stay healthy. He is our muscle but uses it judiciously. He could have beaten one of the Ducks but he held back and let the fight end with no one getting hurt. Again, good goaltending was instrumental in the win.

Because your response to him didn't make sense. But that's okay. Don't bother responding because I'm off to watch the hockey game.

I don't want to into a wasteful semantic argument over the word hamstrung. But it is a fact that when you take a major cap hit in one year instead of stretching it out you are limiting your options in acquiring talent in the near term. That was his point. I'm sure this regime knew the implication of absorbing the cap hit because it would be an obvious outcome.

What you are say is essentially what he is saying. They by design took the hit in bulk for a payoff not in the next season but in the not too distant future past this year. You are not disagreeing with him so much as agreeing with him.

You are exactly right that they by design created the gargantuan cap space. They made a decision to take a major cap hit all at once instead of stretching it out. That's the point that Steptide was making. Go back and look at what all the pro prognosticators/analysts were making about the Bills prior to the season. There was an overwhelming consensus that at best the Bills were a six win team, and most were saying the record would be worse. The obvious reason was that the organization was shedding talent and contracts and bringing in short term contracts for this year. And if you factor in our flimsy qb situation that included the least ready rookie prospect then the carnage you are seeing so far was predictable and should have been expected. Again, that's the point that Steptide was clearly making.

No, Yolo, no. Any receiver they get this year in a deal will have little utility for this year. We are nearly at the half way point so any acquisition is going to take at least another few weeks before they not only absorb the play book but also establish a relationship with the qb. The Bills are a bottom feeding team and will probably be when the season is concluded. Entering the offseason we have a significant cap to work with and a full complement of picks. That's when the additions should be made. Even if we are not able to get a #1 caliber receiver that doesn't mean that we still can't upgrade the unit. I'm not against adding talent to the roster. I'm just not going to pay the price for additional talent until the qb situation is stabilized. If we can get a bargain deal I would be receptive. I just don't see that happening not only from our end but from the team willing to deal away the player.

Let's not jump the gun. Be patient and keep the picks and start planning to smartly use the bulk cap space on next year's roster. I'm not against getting a player such as Thomas but you won't get much utility out of him this year because our qb situation is still very unsettled with a struggling rookie and a very pedestrian backup qb. The Bills have a road map and they don't need to deviate from it.