JohnC

Lehner has looked good---except in shootouts. But was he worth a first round pick in a trade when the team that was dealing him didn't particularly want him? Is Lehner demonstrably better than Chad Johnson or Nilsson? I would say no.

There were two sides to the coin in this interview. Casserly thought highly of Lynn and seemed contemptuous of Rex. His primary point is that it wouldn't be fair to have Lynn tarnished because of his association with the blustery former coach. I'm not against the hiring of Lynn. However, I think it would be a big mistake to quickly make a coaching decision without considering a wide array of candidates. On the flip side I can see Whaley making a relatively quick decision on Lynn for the sake of continuity because he believes that the roster he has assembled is better than the outcome that the former HC had. The only interesting aspect of this game is the possibility of catching of glimpse of Cardale Jones on the field. Meaningless games where one team doesn't care offers little insight about your team for next year.

Without even considering the score it was obvious that Boston played with more urgency (except for the first period) in this game. If a team that hasn't played many meaningful games in years can't play with consistent intensity in an important game then something is wrong with the makeup of this team. I don't want to get on players such as Carrier and DeLauriers because they are high effort players. But it is abundantly clear that they lack the potential to score. Moulson in the offensive zone can handle the stick and can score. But watching him skate and trying to keep up when the game is played up and down the ice is painful to watch. In my view he should be on the ice only when we are on the power play. I still don't understand why a player with scoring and skating ability is languishing in Rochester while non-productive players not only are playing with the big club but are also getting playing time on the top two lines. Makes no sense to me.

What's your opinion of North Carolina's qb, Mitch Trubiskey? One contributor here compared him to Andy Dalton. Which would be fine with me.

Excellent post. Rex was not in touch with the NFL of today. He was old school and never adjusted his coaching philosophy to the current spread passing game of the NFL. His approach was an ill-fit from both an offensive and defensive standpoint. The irony is that his inability to stop the run with his self-described bully defense demonstrated how ill-equipped his approach to defense was. One of the biggest problems that led to his downfall here was that he was going to channel his efforts into getting the team to adjust to what he wanted to do instead of adjusting to the strengths and weaknesses of the roster he was working with. The more he stubbornly tried to prove to everyone that his way was the superior way the more he proved that his resistance to change was the more foolish way to approach the game. Let's not get carried away and give Rex all the blame for how this team played. This was a flawed roster with gaping holes on both side of the line of scrimmage. All you can expect of your HC is to get the max out of the roster he has to work with. He didn't. His departure shouldn't come as a surprise because it was inevitable.

Whenever there is a lot of losing or failure in any organization in any field of endeavor the rumors are going to be swirling. Finger pointing and blame shifting in such a scenario is part of the organizational landscape. It's unavoidable and it is simply human nature.

When the Bills hired Rex they got the authentic Rex. Discipline and attention to detail were never words associated with a Rex coached team. So what is surprising about how this story played out? Is Marrone a better coach than Rex? I would say so. But that isn't much of a compliment. He certainly is more of a disciplinarian than the lenient Rex. Marrone wouldn't have tolereated Mario's insubordination and his quitting on the field. If the stubborn Mario would have behaved in the same seditious manner he wouldn't have been dressed or even on a bench under Marrone. In my condemnation of RR I don't want to get carried away and glorify Marrone. He had an unappealing authoritarian and rigid style that usually has a short life's span in any organization in any field of endeavor. If you can't professionally interact with people above and below you you will end up losing the support of your cohorts (above and below) and ultimately sabotage yourself in the workplace. The worst mistake that the GM can make is rush to judgment in hiring a new HC. It seems to me that is what happened with the two previous coaching hires. If Lynn is quickly hired without examining the other potential candidates it would be a mistake. There are no guarantees but your chances of success increase when the process is more thoughtful and comprehensive.

Whether there were leaks or not does anyone doubt that there wouldn't be a wave of speculation over the tenuous nature of Rex's job status after the lackluster performance of his team even if this organization was tightly lipped? How can there not be speculation that he was going to be fired after the defensive meltdowns in the second half of the Raider game, the Steelers spanking our defense like it was a bratty child and the Dolphins repeatedly gashing our defense. The defensive minded coach couldn't even get his defensive unit lined up with the appropriate number of players at a critical juncture in overtime. Absolutely ridiculous! There was plenty of speculation before the season started by outside sources that Rex needed to turn the situation around, especially when a draft, free agent acquisitions and additional coaching staff were dedicated to bolster the defense. What was the result? A spiraling descent into more chaos and miscommunication on the defensive side of the ball. The same side of the ball that the self-anointed defensive guru boisterously declared that it was his domain. He stated with confidence that he was going to right the ship, the same ship that was already sinking while he was at the helm. No one sabotaged this blubbering fool other than he did himself by his own chaotic and inept performance. Were there whispers about Rex coming from the organization? How could there not be from every cubicle in the building?

You are missing the point. In a meaningless game in which the opposing team simply quits you can't judge performance or take anything way from a performance (good or bad) in that type of miserable game.

Playing against a team that quits doesn't show anything. The smartest thing to do is to keep the clock running and more quickly go home.

Throwing the ball in the fourth quarter when up 41-0 would have been foolish. This meaningless game when the other team quit would not have been a showcase situation. Mop up duty is simply mop up duty. That's all there is to that.

You are over-analyzing the situation. This was a meaningless game in which it was evident that he was going to be fired after the season. Rex and his job status would have been the central story-line during this weeks. By taking him out of this lame-duck situation it allowed to leave him with some dignity instead of constantly answering questions this week about his status, a status that everyone knew exactly what the outcome was. Rex announced that TT was going to be the starting qb. For obvious reasons the organization ordered that he not play. (I agree with their position.) Last week Carr and Mariota suffered serious injuries that if it occurred to TT in a meaningless game would have been a reckless financial and business decision. The bottom line is that Rex was not simply a bad hire but he was a peculiar hire. He was fired from his previous job in which he had a losing record with a concluding season that ended with four wins. It's obvious why the Pegulas' were enamored with him. They were inclined to hire this personality to give their faceless and very much irrelevant franchise some cachet and relevance. Well as in most cases when you are attracted to style over substance the outcome is predictable. Getting rid of Rex and his sloppy brother doesn't fix the many problems that this team (roster) has. But just because you can't fix all your problems at once doesn't mean that you shouldn't fix what can be fixed. Don't feel sorry for Rex. He is cashing in. More power to him. My take on this situation is that if Rex would have stayed this organization would have had to eventually address the deficiency in the coaching staff. The Rex we hired is the Rex we got. Sooner is better than later!

My view on EJ is that he can have a lengthy career as a backup in this league. Jason Campbell comes to mind who was never good enough to be a franchise qb but was good enough to stay in the league a long time as a backup and make a lot of money. The intriguing question is what do coaching candidates think of TT as a starter, even if it is only as a bridge qb until a more long-term solution is found. He has intermittently shown that he can be a reasonable starting qb who can give you a chance to win. Whoever is interviewed for the HC job, even if it is an offensive minded candidate, needs to have some good thoughts on how to fix the defense and how to staff the defense when making their presentation in order to get the job.

The biggest mistake that Whaley can make is to make a quick judgment on the HC. Even if he currently favors Lynn he should wait until the season ends (including the playoffs) so he can interview a wider range of candidates. Is Lynn a serious candidate for other jobs? I doubt it, even though that notion has been promoted. I disagree with your assessment that Whaley's opinion on TT is already made. There is no doubt that Whaley is aware of TT's limitations but he is not foolish enough to prematurely ditch his best option at qb right now. The TT sit down in this meaningless last game is a smart business decision that is simply a money decision. The owner ate a lot of money under Rex's nonsensical contract. Whaley and the owner certainly don't want to risk a situation where TT gets hurt, like Carr and Marriota, and then might result in a mountain of money being handed over just because of an injury.

Drinking in the morning is not a recipe for sober thought. Stop sneaking vodka in your morning OJ and concentrate more on your bran muffin. It will have a good cleansing effect for you and start your day out on a positive note.

Takeaways from this game: Since Kane has joined Larsson and Gionta he has hovered around the net and has started to score. The exquisite pass from Gionta to Kane streaking towards the goal was textbook. I don't like Kulikov playing with Risto. There is better communication and cohesion when McCabe plays with Risto. The trade of Pysyk for the Russian was definitely a net loss for a team with a thin blue line. The Sabres struggled to get the puck out of their zone. Exit passes were repeatedly intercepted with the defense scrambling to recover. Lehner played a solid game. His biggest asset is his size. He can't really move too well. That is demonstrated when he is the goalie in a shootout. Why isn't Baptiste brought up? He can score and he is fast. Makes no sense. I hate to say it but this Sabre team is not a playoff team. Would love to be proven wrong!

The people at OBD don't have to be worried about being hit by stray bullets from the crazy at the door. Rather the people at Canalside should be ducking and hiding behind concrete barriers from the bullets coming from the south.

Murph is slick. He pulls this hustle maneuver all the time when he goes to a fast food joint. While the kid employee is counting the money the gorging Murph quickly gobbles some fries and then complains how he is shortchanged. McDonald franchises are aware of his fast munching tactic and have a reminder posted at all their western NY establishments to be on the lookout for this sneak. Eventually the Wendy franchises will catch on to this hustle and refuse him service. Then he will start the hustle at Taco Bell until they catch on!

No. This is the massage therapist. Appointments need to be scheduled in advance and credit card must have a large credit limit before service is rendered. Recommendations can be seen on the free advertisers given out at the subway entrance. Satisfaction is guaranteed but a no money back policy is in effect.

Beerball has kept the secret that he is really Gorgeous George. He retired from his wrestling career because of the constant bruising of his once pretty face and then went into a career of moderating a bunch of quarrelsome bloggers. He then got tired of the incessant bitchiiing and retired from that endeavor. http://search.aol.com/aol/video?q=gorgeous+george&s_it=video-ans&sfVid=true&videoId=32CAD7B1EA35060788C832CAD7B1EA35060788C8&v_t=wscreen50-bb-ac

Who is the poster who repeatedly texts you after nine?

I'm one of the harshest critics of Rex on this board. I have been since it was announced that he was hired. But even being someone who has a jaundiced view of him as a coach I give Rex credit for always going to the podium after a game and conducting himself in an uncomfortable situation with dignity and class. The HC doesn't usually make the substitution when a player is hurt on a particular unit. That's the position coach's responsibility. If a CB is hurt the position coach determines who is going to replace him. It's impossible for Rex to assess the nature of a particular player's injury and tract the injured player because he is too busy managing the game. When Rex says he is ultimately responsible for not replacing an injured player he shouldn't be criticized for it. He should be given credit for being a stand up guy and not singling out the coach or player who failed to fulfill their responsibility. Anyone who watched this game witnessed some glaring pass interference plays that weren't called against Miami. They were major referee miscues that did have a bearing on the outcome. Rex mentioned them but he didn't dwell on them. Again, not making excuses when justifiably he could have done so is a behavior that should be extolled and not criticized. Rex is not a good coach. That is evident. He knew after the game and prior to taking to the podium that he was a dead duck as the coach for this team. He maintained his composure at the podium and without rancor answered tough questions. Let's at least give him credit for how he conducted himself after the game.

Odds are that the Bills will lock up Taylor especially after his Miami's performance. Whaley is not going to allow a rookie qb to start next year even if a rookie was taken in the first round because he believes that the roster he has assembled is a playoff roster. He said it last year and said it with even more conviction this year prior to the season. There is no doubt that he believes that his loquacious and vacuous HC botched this team and even placed his own job security in jeopardy. I'm far from being an anti-TT proponent. His style of play is certainly not a conventional style of play. That doesn't mean that he is a better or worse qb because of his unique skill set. The issue I wrestle with on this issue is whether the team would be better off in the long run with a qb such as Kirk Cousins who can more accurately throw the ball utilizing the whole field and is more adept at making reads and going through progressions. In our situation it is not a question of what style of play one would prefer but what type of qb is presently available. TT is what we have and he is the qb we are working with. Granted that's the reality we are living with but that doesn't alter the fact that I continue to be queasy about the situation. As I said in a prior posting just because the qb situation is not the main problem for this bedraggled franchise that doesn't mean that it can't be addressed and, if needed/opportunity presents itself, upgraded. Using the argument that there is a more pressing issue to contend with is a weak argument when discussing the possibility of upgrading another position. It's been well chronicled that people can walk and chew at the same time!

Committing to him for three years would not be a bad way to go, especially if the organization drafts a qb with a high pick (1 or 2 rd). If Cardale Jones shows potential buying him more time to develop would also be a prudent approach to take. In this case with TT the issue isn't only what you want to ideally do but the real world issue is what position are you in when making a decision. For me I am not locked in any position. This organization can exercise a number of options, even if I disagree with, and still make a reasonable decision.

There is nothing unreasonable about someone being skeptical about TT's prospects as a long term franchise qb. Clearly TT had an outstanding game against the Phins. But he has also been inconsistent this season with legitimate questions over his accuracy and ability to read defenses. Is he the best qb the Bills have had since Bledsoe? He probably is even better than the end of the line Bledsoe that played for us, but that doesn't mean that it is assured that he is the long-term answer for us. There is an argument made that TT and the qb position isn't the most pressing issue for the Bills because the defense is the biggest area of concern. That is true. But accepting that premise doesn't mean that the qb issue can't also be addressed. Right now my position on TT is that I just don't know for sure whether he is the long sought answer or not as our qb. So I don't find it troubling that people have different views on this issue. I don't think the issue is as conclusive as some people think.