JohnC

The Kings looked horrible. Slow, sluggish and lackluster. The fans should ask for their money back. Housely's shakeup payed dividends. Ullmark looked really good. His style is very calm and he is usually under control. I don't remember many pucks being in play after he made the initial stop. I thought Bogo played well for a person who hasn't played too much for the past year or so. We sure could use good play from him. If the Sabres can win tomorrow the outlook on this road trip will be so positive. This is all tough task. It's not surprising that in all our wins the goaltending has been superb. You are mercurial as am I. The roller coaster ride can be gut wrenching.

Never apologize to Celtic fans for a critical comment. Rejoice in taking a shot when given an opportunity. They are immune from criticisms because they are too absorbed with their own blather from their fading memories of the Russell and Havelicheck days. The old school chowder heads were insufferable. Do you know where I would have liked to have shoved Red Auerbach's cigar when he lit up on the bench? Hint: It's a lower aperture that is smelly.

Don't get too comfortable with the Pelican star. It's going to be interesting to see how he and the Greek Freak in Milwaukee respond when their contracts are up. The big city and more media central teams such as LA (both teams), NY (both teams) and Boston compete for their talents. It is undeniable that both players' profiles and outside earnings would go up if they moved to these more economically prominent cities. http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/25029093/milwaukee-bucks-open-new-arena-win-see-contenders-east I wouldn't be surprised if Kevin Durant shopped the market now that he has some championships under his belt.

Right now who is the option to him? I'm not saying that he is the right coach for this team but making a change right now could even more destabilize an unstable team. This is a mentally fragile team. I don't see who on the roster can internally impose some order. I'm not sure Jack at this point has the ability to be the authoritative voice in the room.

I expect Guhle will be called up in the not too distant future. Defensemen are at a premium and not easily attainable on the market. I agree with you that Risto is more suited as a second pairing defenseman. But on this team with a dearth of talent back there he is playing extraordinary minutes that would usually go to a premium backliner, which he is not. Usually, when you don't have the requisite talent you can't hide it. It catches up to you. On our roster we have too many players who are playing on higher lines and defensive pairings than they should be playing. I'm not as critical of Housley as you are. In my estimation what this franchise doesn't need is another coaching time, at least right now. Could you imagine if a Torterella or Babcock was coaching this team? The sparks would be flying and players would be held more accountable via playing time. Housley may not be the right coach but if the source of the malaise is the roster then the mix needs to be changed. My fear is that this franchise has gone through too many coaching changes that don't ultimately change the course of the team. My belief is that although this team has added talent from the low baseline of the prior years more talent still needs to be added to get to be a seriously competing team. We're just not there yet.

Coaches can't play for the players. But what they can control is who plays and who sits. Something is amiss when the problems are the same, over and over. I didn't watch the Shark game but I did see the first period of the Vegas game. You don't have to know much about hockey to recognize that the opposing team was much more tenacious and played with urgency. This is the big league. When you have a defensive lapse you are going to pay for it. And most of their lapses are glaring mistakes that shouldn't be tolerated. Hockey is a fast paced sport. There are going to be mistakes. But you have to respond and continue on. It just seems that this team is incapable of reacting when things are not going well. What I have noticed is if the first period is going well that it indicates how the game is going to unfold for the rest of the game. There is a sameness to this team that makes it understandable why fans are steadily peeling off.

There isn't any curse. When all is said and done it comes down to who has the most talent. When you have a deficit of it and you are not the hardest working team on the ice then the outcome is predictable. When your effort is lackluster game after game then something is systemically wrong. The worst indictment that someone can make about a sports team is that they are a bore. And that's exactly what they are as a team and a franchise. It's just the same shiiit over and over.

I'm disappointed that I couldn't bring up the link. I'm sure I know what the take is if it has anything to do with Peterson. And I'm confident that the writing was clear and sharp. Although I'm confident that it was well stated I still disagree with it.

These dam self-absorbed millennials with their freaking devices get on my nerves. Although they are incapable of holding a conversation but can type texts like demons on their new expensive cell phones. If I see any of them on my lawn I'm getting the shot gun out!

Gunner, The juices of resentment and hostility are eating your innards. There are more substantive issues that should command your attention Let it go. https://www.bing.com/search?q=song+let+it+go&form=EDGHPT&qs=PF&cvid=275ed76a86754d0c8e577ea7d4ffb922&cc=US&setlang=en-US&PC=HCTS

If he doesn't want to be here then so be it. Get his asss out. He certainly wasn't a special talent. What makes this qb issue more complicated than issues at other positions is that he wasn't interested in being a mentor to the young qb. That was probably the most important factor for dealing him. What wasn't needed was a frosty relationship among the qbs, especially as it related to Allen. You can scoff at Peterman all you want but he beat out McCarron while each was competing at camp. As I said on other numerous posting the mistake was bringing in McCarron instead of another pedestrian veteran. According to Peter King in a WGR interview McCarron made it clear that he wasn't interested in being a backup and a mentor to anyone. There was the mistake. Bringing him in. As bad as you think Peterman is what does it say about McCarron when he can't outshine the qb that is universally loathed by Bills' fans?

When you compete you compete. The winner prevails. That's life in the NFL.

His momma should sternly tell him to comb his unruly hair.

In the grand scheme of things the more important issue is the rookie qb and not the backup. As I have said on numerous occasions the mistake this regime made was bringing in McCarron who was outplayed by Peterman when they were competing for rankings. They should brought in another qb such as Moore from Miami.

With respect to the Dareus situation let's put it in perspective. The new HC comes in and wants to change the culture where work ethic and dedication to one's profession are instilled. I'm not talking about only having choir boys on the roster; I'm talking about players who are serious about their jobs, and that certainly includes offseason preparation. Dareus was out of shape and had a history of laziness. That is well known. He probably did more sleeping in the film room than he did in his bed. So getting rid of him for what the market would offer (fifth/six) picks is what he took. If a coach is going to talk the talk then I'm not complaining when he walks the walk with actually taking action to accomplish what he is espousing. Is Dareus more talented than Star? Absolutely. But being more talented doesn't mean that your talent is actualized on the field. Star is fulfilling his role and acting professionally. Dareus wasn't steadily fulfilling his role and wasn't acting professionally, both on and off the field. In summary, not only do I have not have a problem with what transpired I applaud it. Check the stats.Our defense is doing fine without the man/child who plays in Jacksnonville.

Gunner, Get over your Peterman trauma. It is haunting you because you yourself are fixating on it. He's a backup who is now replaced by a pedestrian grizzly veteran. The problem/issue that you deliberately miss is that the real mistake was bringing in McCarron instead of another mediocre backup. What you fail to note is that Peterman, the qb that you loathe, beat out McCarron when they were competing. My advice to you is to change your focus (debilitating fixation) to the OL and receiving corps. Those are bigger issues.

I respectfully but strenuously disagree with you on what the new regime intended to do from the start. And it is my firm belief that the ownership was on board with the wrestling coach's strategy. In fact, I'll even go farther that it was McDermott selling his approach to the job is what got him hired. As soon as McDermott was hired he was empowered and Whaley was neutered. And as soon as the contracts ran out Whaley's scouting department was summarily dispatched. It was the owner who immediately gave McDermott unfettered authority. To believe that the owner didn't know what McDermott had in mind makes no sense. People get upset when they hear the word rebuild because as you noted they believe that it is a long term period of being lost in the woods. But in this case that isn't true. Do you need to be reminded that the Bills (surprisingly and unexpectedly) made the playoffs in McDermott's first year. And to make that achievement even more impressive is that it was done with a stripped down team. And do you need to be reminded that after more than a full generation has gone by in only one year this regime made a commitment to draft a legitimate franchise qb. And that's exactly what was done. Rebuilding isn't an instantaneous process. Our defense is now very good while our offense is very hollow. No one is arguing otherwise. But entering next year we have a lot of cap space and picks to upgrade that lagging unit. If you want to get upset with the timetable then direct your aggravation at the owner's stupendously stupid hire of Rex. His two year stint was not only a waste but it set this franchise back forcing the new regime to take more time and resources to clean up his mess. While other wallow in their self-induced misery I am confident that this franchise is following a rational plan of rebuilding.. You don't have to agree on everything but in general there is a coherency and rationality to what is being done. It was never going to be easy and be without stumbles. But in general if one stands back and puts things in perspective there is progress.

There is a fixation on Peterman that is disproportionate to his role. He was a backup. And now, when Allen is healthy, will either be replaced or sent further down the ladder. The more substantive issues for this team in the future is the OL and the receiver corps. Buttressing those units as opposed to being insanely absorbed with who the backup are more important issues.

The mistake that was made was getting McCarron. As it turned out Peterman out-played McCarron in camp. Does that make him a better qb? No. But based on performance he earned a spot ahead of McCarron. Go back and listen to the WGR interview with Peter King. He pointed out that McCarron wasn't interested in tutoring a rookie qb. He came to Buffalo to start. So when he didn't start he wanted out, and he was accommodated. The mistake that this regime made was getting McCarron instead of getting another vet placeholder. Next offseason the Bills are going to have a large amount of cap to work with and a full complement of draft picks. Assuming those assets are wisely utilized I'm hoping the roster will be significantly bolstered. The bottom line for this strategy to work is how Josh Allen develops. That's the primary issue that will determine success or failure.

You state your position very well. However, I respectfully and strenuously disagree with your stance. This regime could have easily improved their roster from last year. That would have been done by not cutting players and absorbing a large cap hit this year in a lump sum. Instead, they decided to take the cap hit in one large package instead of stringing it out over more years. That was the plan. You can disagree with the strategy but it is what they by design decided to do. With respect to the OL there were unexpected things that happened that diminished the OL. Who knew in advance that Eric Woods would not be able to continue on with his career because of an injury? Incognito was arguably our best blocker. But there were well documented mental health issues exhibited by his erratic behavior that certainly were a factor in moving on from him. As much as I liked Cordy Glenn and would have wanted to keep him I'm not going to criticize this outfit for a trade deal that moved us up the board to get our future (hopefully) qb. The size of his contract certainly was also a factor in moving on from him. The players that this regime got to fill those holes were basically cheap one year rentals. That tells you that they weren't going to spend heavily this year to buttress the line because they were more interested in a temporary patch and were more serious in addressing that line void more meaningfully in the future. I strenuously disagree with Badol where the Bills were as a team and what the strategy was for this new regime when they took over. This is an in your face rebuild. There is no subtlety to it. It is an explicit strategy of significantly restructuring the roster and the cap structure. You can disagree with the strategy but you can't fairly not acknowledge what they are obviously doing. Next year the Bills will have a sizable cap amount to work with and they will have a full complement of draft picks. That was the plan and it is being executed.

Perceived rebuild? Are you blind? If this isn't a near total rebuild then I don't know what one is. The roster has been shredded. A decision was made to take a major cap hit this year to clear the decks from a lot of baggage contracts. The scouting department under the Whaley group was summarily dismissed. A lot of maneuvering and dealing of picks was done to draft a qb in the last draft. If that isn't a sign of rebuilding then you are oblivious to what is going on. Whenever a lot of transactions are made it is not surprising that some of them aren't going to work out. You may be prescient but the common person doesn't have talent that you possess. I don't agree with everything that has been done by McBeane. It is fair to say that the qb situation has been bungled this year. But on the flip side this is a regime that took it seriously that there was a need to find a qb. In my opinion they did. That's something that hasn't happened to this historically bumbling franchise for a quarter-century. Last year's team was an overachieving team. So the expectations were higher than they should have been for this year's team. Both the offense and defense were not going to be rebuilt in two years. It's not surprising that a defensive coach made a decision to rebuild the defense before the offense. I may be in the minority but although I don't agree with everything that has been done I do understand what it is being done. You may not see the rationality behind most of the decisions but I do. This regime is invested in their highly drafted qb, Josh Allen. Just as the Browns are invested in Mayfield, and the Jets in Darnold and the Cardinals are in Rosen. That's the nature of the business.

Your expectations are stretched out beyond reality. Anderson is not going to salvage the season because he is incapable of doing it. He was a pedestrian qb a decade ago and he is a shadow of that now. When your option is the least worst option you take the least worst option.

The mistake that was made was bringing in McCarron. As it turned out Peterman beat out McCarron in camp. And then McCarron made it clear that he didn't want to be a backup and play a mentoring role for Josh Allen. (hear the Peter King interview with Murphy on WGR). Gunner, let the Peterman issue go. You are letting it plague you more than it should. In the grand scheme of things there are bigger issues.

Usually, I mostly agree with your take but I have a different perspective on this issue. When McDermott took over it was his intention to rebuild the roster and also the organization. He wasn't going to follow the incremental approach that Whaley took. He not only was going to tear the roster apart but also the organization. This was an intended nearly complete rebuild. With that as a backdrop it wasn't going to be a one or two year restructuring. This was going to be a four year task that was going to inevitably be painful, at least in the short run. The mistake that many people make is over-rating this team because it made the playoffs last year. That was not a playoff team! Making the playoffs with last year's stripped down roster was an astonishing accomplishment. Did McBeane fumble the qb issue? Probably so. What sidetracked the strategy was that Peterman outperformed McCarron in camp. In addition, what was learned from the King interview was that McCarron had no interest in mentoring a rookie. He came here to start. So he wanted out and was accommodated. The mistake that was made was that they shouldn't have brought McCarron in when there were other veteran qbs available who would have been more receptive to the mentoring role. Our offense is dreadful. That's as obvious as saying that it is dark at night. There was simply no way that a team that was jettisoning players for future cap relief was going to address the many holes on the offense. I don't care how adroit management is that when you are going through a major rebuild you can't do it in two years. I'm just more optimistic than you are. I see a direction and a plan that is being implemented. It's certainly a painful process to go through. But it's my view that doing it upfront instead of stringing it out is the right approach to take.

Your impulsiveness was predictable. That's what provocateurs do. Please stop. You might accidentally arouse the natives who are already riled up and ready to storm the barricades.