JohnC

Does Vegas give odds for making the playoffs? If so, what is it for the Sabres?

The difference in the look of the offense has more to do with the quicker pace of the offensive. When Roman was making the calls there was too much delaying with getting the calls in to the qb and to a lesser extent not allowing the qb to make the adjustments or changing the calls due to the play clock running out. There is a noticeably difference with Lynn making the calls. The plays are the same but the ball is being spread around more. In addition, there are more north/south runs and less wide sweep runs under Lynn. With McCoy there is less dancing and more decisive moves to take the play forward instead of wider. It's still early to make conclusive judgments but the nuanced changes are making a difference.

It has to remembered that he played against one of the best and smartest defenses in the league. TT is not a natural pocket passer and will never be exceptional at that type of play. He certainly has room to grow in that part of his game. Where he excels is when he is moving and throws. What he does really well is keep his eyes downfield and then hit the receiver. TT is not a precision passer and probably will never be. That is not to suggest that he can't be more accurate the more he plays. When he is moving he makes the defense hesitate. That is the best style for him. It seems since Roman was dispatched the play of TT and the offense is noticeably crisper. There is less outsmarting oneself and confusion. More often than not simpler is better. It was evident that spraying the ball around more and getting the ball to Woods and Clay opens up the field for the other receivers and runners.

In response to the highlighted area my response is if someone else would have selected him ahead of else because we weren't willing to draft him higher than where he actually ranked then so be it. Let it be someone else's mistake and not ours. In general, as you noted, we are in accord that the EJ syndrome is a symptom reflecting a multi-year failure by the organization to address the premium qb position. My frustration with the organization is that it lacked the resoluteness to address the critical qb issue at the level of its importance. If things didn't pan out in a particular qb quest it should have been continued with even more determination. I am not a Whaley detractor. As I stated in prior posts I don't categorize him as a top tier GM but I do consider him to be a competent to good GM. Without going into the HC issue what hinders this organization the most is its qb play. Until that position is elevated this franchise will continue to be a middling franchise especially with a Belichick team in the division. I'm not giving up on Taylor as a franchise qb. I don't believe that he will be an elite qb but I do believe that he can be a competent starter in this league.

The drafting of EJ in the first round was a mistake. The problem with feeling compelled to draft a player to fill a desperate need when that player doesn't fill the talent requirement is an act of futility. You are right that there were opportunities to draft good prospects in prior year that weren't taken, but you don't resolve the problem by reaching with your draft selections in subsequent drafts. The end result is that you don't successfully address the position need and you lose an opportunity to address another need.

Whaley did a good job in ranking the qbs in that draft year.But the problem, as you indicated, is that the failing was to over value EJ relative to where he was drafted. The other lesser ranked qbs were drafted by their respective teams in the range where they should have been. That wasn't the case with the Manuel selection. None of us know what grade Whaley placed on EJ and whether Whaley agreed and encouraged Nix to take him in the first round. If he did then DW gave bad advice, and if not, then he acted properly as a subordinate to the boss.

I disagree with your position on the EJ pick. My problem with the EJ selection is not that he was selected that year but that he was taken in the first round instead of the third round where his talent level indicated where he should have been drafted. If other teams would have taken him in a higher round then so be it. That draft class for qbs was poor. Reaching for him in the first round was the problem with that selection. But to be fair that selection could have have been Nix's pick. Whaley properly ranked the qbs that year but taking him in the first round was a mistake. The irony is that as much criticism EJ has absorbed he might end up having a long and prosperous career as a good backup in this league. In general, I believe that Whaley is a solid GM. Is he a top tier GM? I would say no but I do believe that he is a good GM. The attribute that makes him a good GM is the same attribute that makes him a questionable GM: Not afraid to take chances to improve the roster. The Watkins selection and giving up picks to move up falls in that category of being aggressive in addressing the roster. In this league what elevates a GM, fairly or not, is having a good franchise qb taking the snaps. With a high end qb you can make mistakes and have holes in your roster and still be successful. In my view one of the main systemic problems that he has had to contend with is the lackluster HCs he has had to work with. Both Marrone and Rex were/are not in sync with him. I don't believe that neither coach was his preferred choice. Overall, I am glad he is our GM. He has upgraded the front office staff and modernized the operation. I very much hope that he isn't victimized by losing his job because of the caliber of the current loquacious coach.

Second round picks are going to have more leeway than late round picks. If Kujo would have been a sixth round selection he would have been cut by now. The problem I have with Kujo is that it appears that he lacks versatility. As it stands he hasn't been used as a backup swing guard, and at RT he is a befuddled player. Mills is definitely better than Kujo is as a RT. Mills is far from being an elite lineman but he is a sound player Kujo's best position is at LT. It seems that position is a more natural fit for him. However, when Glenn gets healthy enough he certainly is better than Kujo on the left side. Maybe a solution to this staffing puzzle is to keep Kujo at LT and move Glenn to RT, a move that I'm not sure that Glenn would be happy with? In hindsight I would say that Kujo was not a good pick as a high second round selection. Although that doesn't mean that he is a bust. The knee concern that kept him off of some teams' draft board has affected him as a player and diminished his value as a high round pick.

There were plenty of good play by the units on offense and defense that made the difference in this game. I thought the defensive backfield as a unit rose to the occasion. Their coverage was generally good but what stood out was the defensive backs were contesting and attacking the ball when it was up for grabs, something they didn't do well with the taller Jet receivers. Gilmore was the best of the backs but as a unit they played very well. The difference in this game compared to the prior two games is that the backs, most notably McCoy and also Gillensee, were decisively running north and south instead of dancing around and bouncing outside. The main cautionary tale I had was that I was very disappointed in Tyrod's passing. He didn't pass much in the middle of the field where there were open receivers. He is never going to be a prolific passer, which I'm okay with, but unless he can use the whole field he will be inadequate. Rex Ryan is incapable of getting in any coaches' head because no one pays attention to this blustering character. He is a tiresome act that no one pays attention to. The substantive issue isn't how he affects other teams-- it is how he coaches his own team. Every thing else is simply bullshiiit!

Thanks for the info. I'll sign up for the package. Looking forward to the season.

I'm not a fan of Rex and don't think much of him as a HC. When he was hired I thought that not only was he a bad hire but he was a perplexing hire. But in this instance I don't understand the raucous over an aside comment he made. If people want to be hypercritical of mouthy Rex there are plenty of things to critique. This was simply an innocuous comment made right after a needed win. As others have stated, in the pro ranks the effect of bulletin material (which in this case doesn't rise to that level) is zilch. One of problems I have with Rex is that he relishes having the spotlight on him through his inane commentary. When he loses, which is more often than when he wins, those comments make him look even more silly. The Rex that was hired is the Rex that we got. He's not a quiet man and never will be.

I am considering getting the NHL Ice package from DirecTV. Would it be necessary if most of the Sabre games are on MSG? I live in Maryland so hopefully local blackouts shouldn't apply to me???

Homeboy for home team. http://www.tmz.com/2016/09/22/mark-wahlberg-new-england-patriots-nfl/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl9%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D944963509_htmlws-main-bb

Even when speaking in cliches there is an articulate and coherent manner in which to express oneself. It's my opinion that hockey players express themselves much better than the players in the other sports. In an interview setting there are limitations to what can be said. Without a doubt it is a very restricted setting. But that doesn't mean that it isn't obvious that the hockey players are much more adept at verbalizing their thoughts than do players in other sports.

The below link is an interview with Dan Bylsma from Sabres.com. Bylsma is a very thoughtful coach who is straightforward in the way he answers questions. He understands the process of putting together the components of a roster in order to build a team. He and the GM seem to be in sync and both give the Sabres a credible staff to compete against the rest of the league. Just an observation: Hockey players are the most articulate and give the best interviews in professional sports. Pro basketball and football players are tongue tied cliche riddled dullards compared to the men on skates. https://www.nhl.com/sabres/video/dan-bylsma-on-training-camp/t-277437090/c-44830203

Clearly you closely followed this case more than I did. I watched only a segment on A&E yesterday so you are better schooled on the details. On the segment that I watched the experts debunked the train track theory and favored the taser theory. The segment that I saw had the experts state that the width of the probes on the tracks did not correspond to the marks on the victim's face. As it stands the prosecutor's office felt that the evidence was not solid enough to rise to the level of a probable cause arrest and then rise to the level of beyond a reasonable doubt if taken to court. As it stands for me I can not say for sure what happened and who committed the crime. Sure there are suspicions but the evidence wasn't solid enough to bring the case to trial.

In reference to the highlighted area the brother was not a typical child. I suspect that he is on the autistic spectrum, maybe in the asperger category. He is highly intelligent and works from home because his interpersonal skills are inadequate to be comfortable around a workplace setting. He reminds me of the Sheldon Cooper character in the Big Bang Theory Show on TV. A brilliant individual who is lacking on the interpersonal and emotional side of living. As I stated in my first post the detective who had no experience interviewing children thought there were suspicions surrounding him. However, child psychologists who separately interviewed the brother found no issues with him and the family situation. On this point I would lean toward the experts over the police authorities. I have a very different take on the parents taking a tough legal stance in order to protect themselves. From the beginning the authorities focused on the family which is not unusual in this type of case. But it was apparent right from the beginning that the police developed a theory on this case and were relentless in proving their theory without much room for alternative interpretations. That was the source of the conflict between the police and the prosecutor's office. The parents with separate attorneys not only protected their rights and interests but also the family's interest. The family had enough resources and sophistication to not allow themselves to be steamrolled by the zealous police department that had a lot of public pressure on them to solve this sensational case. You brought up the point that one theory is that the parents staged the scene after the fact to cover up the killing by the brother. I have problems with the ability of desperate and traumatized parents to stage the scene without any contradictions to the scene to the point that it befuddles a police department. For me that is a tough sell. Again, according to the A&E segment that I watched world renowned forensic experts examined the evidence and gave scathing responses to what they thought of the police's interpretation of the evidence. This is still an open case. And it should be.

I saw part of the story on A&E. My impression is that no one in the family was involved in the murder. What stuck out to me is that the detectives quickly came to a theory and then stuck to it even when the evidence indicated that it was problematic. What I found very disturbing is that the police department and the prosecuting attorney's office were in constant conflict and spent more time and effort battling one another instead of attempting to resolve their differences. Clearly these two hostile units created an environment not conducive for a positive working environment to solve the case. The overall lack of professionalism in this case was stark. Especially the police. they seemed to be responding more to the public pressure of the case than objectively scrutinizing the evidence. From the parts that I watched it seemed that every time an outside authority (some of the best forensic experts in the world) reviewed the evidence they determined that the theory that the homicide division was promoting was wrong. A crime was committed with the murder of the little girl. And another crime was committed to the Ramsey family members by the way they were treated.

The Pats were playing with their third qb who was a rookie. What sets the Pats apart from all teams is that they are one of the most adaptable teams in the NFL. Their game plans change to the opponents they play and they modify how they play to their changing situations such as injuries and suspensions. The Pats lost draft picks because of the Goodell fiasco. So what do they do to compensate to get them through this year? They sign a number of quality veteran players who fit in on short term deals to get them through this season. The Pats are a smart and nimble franchise. The Bills are a plodding and unimaginative organization that lacks foresight and an abilty to strategically plan. We are competing with Rex Ryan trying to match wits with Bill B. The outcome is preordained.

There is a maturity and intelligence to the way the Pats run their operation. Just a snippet to illustrate my point:. At the end of the first half the Pats had the ball and an opportunity to try to score. The Pats played it cautiously and let the clock run out recognizing that they didn't want to expose the rookie qb and give Houston the ball back at the end of the half. The Pats defense was dominating the Houston offense so there was no need to get greedy and risk the turnover that could have changed the dynamic of the game. When you watch the Bills play you see a Rex Ryan team that is undisciplined and that takes outlandish penalties because they can't play under control. With a Rex Ryan coach team there is always a lot of talk/commotion/distracting issues that have nothing to do with preparing for the game. There are two distinct cultures that emanate for the respective head coaches: With Buffalo it is buffoonery and with the Pats it is seriousness. I'll repeat what I have said before: Any gullible organization that would hire Rex Ryan as a head coach forfeits its right to be taken seriously. It's ridiculous and it is embarrassing.

The best model to follow in rebuilding a team is to get a franchise qb. I'm not giving up on TT as a starter but he has limitations that can not be overcome i.e. making reads and good accuracy in the short and middle game.

I didn't proof read my post. I meant that Buffalo was on an upward trajectory prior to Rex's arrival and now we are on a downward trajectory under his stewardship.

I can understand why a parent could lose his/her composure. It happens. You had the self-awareness and maturity to examine and reflect on the "incident". In the case that I linked I get a sense that the parent is too stubborn and incapable of reflecting on how he behaved. I have no doubt that the hardasss parent loves his daughter and believes he is doing the right thing. Usually the perpetrator was raised in a physical manner and is passing on that brutal method because that is all he knows. I just hope that this parent doesn't damage this child to the extent that it will negatively affect her for the rest of her life. I wonder how this stern and misguided man treats his wife???? I salute the woman who intervened in the store and called the police. She is very brave and compassionate. I also contend that the policeman who responded should have gotten the man's name and address and notified the child welfare department so that they could make a house call and do an assessment.

When I see stories like this I get really angry. This father is beyond being simply ignorant. He is being a bully to this defenseless child and acting like a coward. The woman who called the police did the right thing. The officer who responded should have gotten the thug parent's name and address and then notified the child welfare department to look into how the household functions. http://www.aol.com/article/news/2016/09/21/photos-of-a-man-allegedly-dragging-a-girl-by-her-hair-through-wa/21476446/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl3%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D-873070127_htmlws-main-bb

It's not necessary to analyze in detail what happened in NY. What is evident there is that there is an order and a mature environment that exists there. Now Rex has moved his noisy act to Buffalo. What is apparent to me is that this franchise that was on an upward trajectory is not on a downward trajectory. Rex is not known for his discipline and intelligence. It is reflected in the team he directs.