JohnC

TT is by far our best qb on the roster.. The only advantage EJ has over TT is height. TT is immensely better than EJ as a passer in that he is significantly more accurate and polished as a passer. In addition, TT is more accomplished than EJ in keeping his eyes down the field while he is on the move and can throw more accurately while moving. You are correct that TT didn't have an especially good day yesterday. But he salvaged the game with his feet. From an offensive standpoint he was the the primary reason why we won yesterday. When evaluating TT it must not be forgotten that although he has been in the league for four years he is a novice as a starter. So as with any other inexperienced qb he is going to have his struggles and he is going to be inconsistent. This isn't a static game. Coaches evaluate tape on players and devise strategies to neutralize the assets of players. Opponents are forcing TT to stay in the pocket more by coming in wide. So instead of getting outside of the pocket where he is very effective he is being forced to make throws from the pocket where his view is obstructed. The more he plays the better he will get at finding and moving to the throwing lanes. Only through experience will he get better at that. What is going to make TT even more effective is getting his weapons back on the field. Not having Watkins, McCoy and especially Karlos Williams on the field limited what he could do. I'm not making excuses but it is a reality that impacted his performance. The Bills have gone through a generation of qb duds. In my mind we have a quality qb who has talent. Patience is required to see the talent translated to on field production.

Usually when you make a point it is clear whether one agrees with it is altogether another issue. But I still don't understand your position that the CBA would allow for a player to be fined for repeated bonehead plays when it has never occurred. If you go back for half a decade and can't cite one example where it has occurred then it is strong evidence (to me) that it is not allowable under the CBA. In your post #89 you cited clause # 3 to support your position. My interpretation of that clause is that it doesn't apply to your position. So I can say with above average confidence that you are wrong on your take on this issue. Not that it is a big deal. Condider this low level quibbling.

Herron was our best back at hitting the hole. Even though there wasn't much room there still was a tight lane to hit. Not having Karlos Williams for this game was a major loss. As you noted our defense played well. It had to account for a rookie qb who gives their offense an added threat of making big run plays. Considering that our offense couldn't get first downs requiring the defense to stay on the field I thougt the unit played very well. It had little time to recover on the sidelines on a warm day because they were on the field so much. The. unit showed a lot of heart In my mind Gilmore was our best player on defense on a unit that had many players stand out. Henderson was brutal in this game. It is not unusual for defensive players to win the one on one battles with their counterparts on the offensive line. But too often with Henderson he whiffs with providing little resistance to the pathway to the qb. Having physical skills doesn't mean that you are good player. It's how you play. He has been dreadful so far this season. Kujo not being able to earn much playing time considering the play of Henderson is a clear indication of how bad a second round pick he was. On the play that many people are criticizing Hughes for not making the tackle they need to go back and review that play. He ran down the play from the backside and it appeared that he was going to make a good ankle tackle. He seemed to have a good grasp but the runner to his credit was running hard and simply broke the tackle. This wasn't a bad play for Hughes---it was a hard run by a back who was running forward with full steam. Give the back the credit for making the play. Hughes should be given credit for getting to the play that few other players in his position could have gotten to.

I did come in late but I still haven't found a case where a team financially penalized a player for poor play. Without a doubt players have been financially penalized for poor conduct and reporting issues but I have not found a case where a player has been finded for committing too many penalties or poor play on the field. If you can cite an example on this issue I would appreciate it. If I'm not responding to the issue then I would appreciate it if you would bring it to my attention that I am out of touch with central issue of this discussion. It doesn't take much to befuddle me!

Bill N.Y. C., Gilmore an Dareus were studs on defense. TT was the MVP on offense. Henderson was horrible. Simply overmatched and too often befuddled. Kujo not brought in as a replacement says a lot about what the coaches think of Kujo. TT made some scintillating runs that were the most important plays on offense. He is playing on a bad ankle and will be a likely casualty the more he runs. Our OL played poorly but what made their run blocking look ineffective is that our running backs were not able to quickly hit the holes. Slow and sluggish runners will never be effective runners for us or any team. The debate of keeping Da'Rick Rodgers over Hogan should be forever put to rest. Having utility players who can come in and contribute have an important role on teams. TT was under duress and he made a number of poor passes. I'm still a boisterous supporter of him. I believe in him and I'm confident that he will get better. Still worry about his durability so those advocating for him to run more (Gotham Bill) control yourselves. In my opinion Mariota is going to be a very good qb in this league in the not too distant future. Dick LeBeau is an ageless wonder. He looks marvelous and is still sharp.

Name a case where a team has fined or suspended a player for penalties or poor play? As far as I know a team is not able to fine a player for hurting his team with undisciplined play! A team could sit the player or may make the player inactive. A team can cut a player but contract obligations will still have to be met. But a team can not fine a player for poor play. If there is an example in which you can cite supporting your position I will acknowledge that I am wrong. The below quote is a clause in the standard player contract. The recourse to a non-contributing player or a player whose performance is detrimental to the team is releasing the player, not fining the player. You can fine a player for not showing up or being late to report but there is nothing in the contract that allows the organization to fine a player for inadequate play. "11. SKILL, PERFORMANCE AND CONDUCT. Player understands that he is competing with other players for a position on Club’s roster within the applicable player limits. If at any time, in the sole judgement of Club, Player’s skill or performance has been unsatisfactory as compared with that of other players competing for positions on Club’s roster, or if Player has engaged in personal conduct reasonably judged by Club to adversely affect or reflect on Club, then Club may terminate this contract. In addition, during the period any salary cap is legally in effect, this contract may be terminated if, in Club’s opinion, Player is anticipated to make less of a contribution to Club’s ability to compete on the playing field than another player or players who Club intends to sign or attempts to sign, or another player or players who is or are already on Club’s roster, and for whom Club needs room."

What school did Al Bemiller coach wrestling at? What I remember about him is that although he would be considered small by today's standards he moved very well on the basketball court for a man of his size. As you stated he was a very nice man and was well grounded. Having to work outside of their game allowed them to be more in touch with the real world and not become aloof from the realities of life others were subjected to. Joe Delamilleure believed that wrestllng was one of the best preparations for being an offensive lineman. He explained that it taught athletes how to use leverage and good footwork in matchups against the opposition..On WGR he said that he didn't think that Kujo had the necessary skills of good feet and adequate athleticism to be a success. .

Al Bemiller the center for the Bills worked at the Boys Club on the West Side (Butler Michell Boys Club) during the offseason. I was teasing him one time when he had enough and picked me up. He carried me to the showers with my clothes on and turned the water on. He jokingly said something to the effect that this will cool you off. He was a good natured guy who even the neighborhood toughs liked him and wouldn't dare mess with him. If I recall correctly long after his career was over he was involved with providing security at the stadium during game day.

Henderson has been overwhelmed quite a bit. But I consider him to be a better prospect than Kujo because he is more athletic. Kujo has slow feet and isn't quick enough to handle quick DEs. The one area that I consider Whaley to have faltered is in putting together a quality OL. That unit needs to be a priority in next year's draft and free agency market.

Can't you get it straight? I'm not old----I'm excessively mature!!! OJ is the best runner the Bills have had. But Cookie Gilchrist was one of the best runners during his short era. He was a freight train as a runner and a great blocker. During that era NFL teams were regionally shown on TV. Buffalo got the Cleveland games. I watched a lot of Jim Brown's extraordinary perfromances I consider Jim Brown to be the best player in the history of the game. He was unbelievable! I put OJ right behind him as a back. The stupidest (irrational) coaching blunder I have witnessed is the HC, John Roach, using OJ as a decoy. When Lou Saban took over the first thing he did was upgrade the OL and highlight OJ as a runner. I'm glad Lou Saban was belatedly put on the Wall of Fame and his family was able to witness the induction.. (I'm not criticizing Ralph Wilson because I understand why he didn't want him on the Wall while he was alive. Lou quit on him twice. Ralph knew that Saban would be voted in after he passed. So he wasn't against the eventual induction. The owner was old school with respect to the issue of loyalty so his position was very understandable and to be respected.)

The best of the best was Tom Sestak. I don't consider myself old while others do. I consider myself excessively mature from an age standpoint!

Excellent response and analysis! As you pointed out with your comments regarding the Pirates.whatever challenges Pittsburgh has to endure are the same challenges that similar sized markets have to face. Understanding your market and adapting to it is required to survive. The worst approach to take for these smaller markets is to siphon off the revenue for immediate owner enrichment at the expense of investing in the organization in order to remain competitive. Without a doubt small market teams lack the resources to pursue star talent in the free agent market and lack the financial wherewithal to keep all their star players when their contracts are up. The best approach to handle their limitations is to invest in the scouting system and the farm system so there is a constant pipeline of good young cheaper players to fill rosters when the inevitable player movement occurs. The organization with the worst facilities and one of the worst fan support because of the wretched facilities is the Oakland A's. They can't pay to keep their star players when their contracts are up so their business/franchise model is to scout well and trade players for good prospects. In most years (not all) they field a competitive team. Most often in the sports business success is more predicated on being entreprising and creative than on unwisely spending the most amount of money. That status was recently changed. It was a symbolic gesture with little consequence. http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/04/why-the-nfl-decided-to-start-paying-taxes/391742/

You bring up an interesting issue with the Pirates. Many people categorized Pittsburgh as simply being a football town and not a baseball town. But that was an unfair characterization. The Pirates had a rich baseball history.Their owner for a very long time was using the shared MLB money to buy down his debt and increase his equity instead of investing in the franchise. The fan base withered because the owner allowed the team to become non-competitive due to selfish financial reasons. That same dynamic of fiscal driven management was also happening during the last decade of the Wilson era with the Bills. Once the Pirate franchise started to be operated in a serious manner the team correspondingly became a more talented team. Clearly the fan base has positively responded. The attendance has taken a tremendous jump upwards with many capacity crowds and the region has supported the team with great enthusiasm. If ownership acts responsibly and demonstrates its loyalty to the customers by presenting a quality product the fans will respond in kind. The Pirates are a good example of that and the Bills under the Pegulas are another obvious example of that.

I don't see a team being moved to Toronto primarily because it doesn't have an adequate stadium. Canada and the local authorities are different from the US and its political environment because they are less likely to give significant subsidies to build a facility. I'm not saying it won't happen but the local and national governments are less amenable to use taxpayer $$$ for a private venture owned by a billionaire. When the bidding got in the billion $$$ plus range for the auction for the Bills the Rogers/Bon Jovi group understood that the financial numbers did not add up to allow for a viable business venture.For them the calculation not only needed to include the cost of the franchise but also the major cost of a new facility covered by them. .

I'm just so relieved that western NY doesn't have to go through the stress of the constant speculation that one's team is a candidate to be moved. We had that threat overhanging for so long. That threat seemed to become more imminent and serious as the owner got older. The Toronto series made that issue even more real. I'm so thankful that the Pegulas not only bought the franchise but that they also got involved in the community. Their ownership enlivened the fan base and brought hope that the team would be operated in such a way that it would become a serious team in the league. Squabbling over the team is so much more enjoyable than worrying over the survivability of the franchise in the region.

The games are getting to be difficult to watch. The excessive number of penalties kills the continuity and the flow of the game. The referees can call holding on every play if they wanted to. The holding penalty on Urbik was technically the right call. But it was a marginal call that didn't affect the play (my opinion). Calls are frequently made against CBs when jockeying for position with the receivers. How can the defensive player not have some conduct? I have no problem going to the video to get the call right. But if you add the stoppages for reviewing plays and for the increasing number of penalties then the game is so fractured that it is less enjoyable to watch. I don't understand some of the rules regarding formations. What is the advantage if a TE being 6" back of the line of scrimmage? I realize that it's difficult to legislate judgment and have the same standard league-wise. But there are so many stoppages that the game is chopped up into so many pieces that the totality of the game is diminished. I don't like where this over-officious trend is going. It is smothering the enjoyment of watching the game.

He has been associated with the Seahawks and 49ers and did well in each location. He had drinking problems that set him back. So far he has the authority to make the football decisions with the organization. If given time and authority he should do well---assuming that he can control his addiction issues and his troublesome wife.

Whaley has talked about his search for qbs in the draft. He stated that the challenge he is encountering is that elite prospects such as Winston and Mariota are usually taken at near the top of the draft. He expects the Bills to be drafting from the second half of the draft where the odds for finding a good prospect diminish. EJ was taken in the middle of the first round. In my opinion the organization reached in selecting him. From what I have seen from TT I am very encouraged about his prospects. If TT stumbles and it is apparent that he is not the long-term answer then we are in the standard bind of not drafting high enough to get the quality of prospect that we need for a solution for that critical position. From the clips I have seen of Goff he will be drafted near the top of the draft. Will Connonr Cook slide or will Hackenberg be a better pro prospect than he is an actual college player? The new GM of the Redskins has stated that his approach to building a roster is to not reach in the draft for a qb but instead build your roster up and then when you find a qb from the draft or free agency that qb is in a better position to succeed. If the Bills can bulk up the OL the qb, possibly TT, is more likely to have success. From where the Bills are expected to draft this year we will be in good position to add talent to that unit with their top two draft picks.

The Moral Majority are looking for a lynching. Can I say that or need I be sent to detention after a public whipping? Geesh!

I remember when he first got the job with the Eagles. He went on the Philly radio and TV shows and he talked trash. He was a riot. He was the toast of the town and the fans embraced his roughneck attitude. But in the end his mouth couldn't match his performance and he was sent packing. When he was the DC for the star studded Bear defense the players on his unit loved him. Not Ditka, the HC, who had to be held back from kicking his fat ass in. Buddy had no reservatiions in having his unit mug players on offense in practice. He didn't care if the players on offense got hurt because they weren't on his unit. Buddy was a neanderthal, and he was proud of it. Buddy and Rex are more noted for exercising their mouths than they are for exercising their brains. The word cerebral is not in their dictionary. I have to give Buddy credit for being smart enough to hustle the owners into giving him a five year contract. Not bad for someone who is not known for his intellect!

There should be a low not allowing white people to dance in public. No rhytm!

What I find very troubling is that Rex's behavior that is on display is who he is. That's how he has acted as a DC with the Ravens and a HC with the Jets. He's being authentic, not being a phony with his comical bravado. The bluster and bully persona are ingrained traits that follow the family line, starting with his father. The old school thuggish behavior endorsed by his father when he was a coach is outdated in today's NFL. I'm not referring to hard nosed football; i'm referring to the extra curricula activity that is no longer tolerated. Very often organizations go in the opposite direction with respect to personality in selecting leadership after a problematic departure. Doug Marrone was a stern and arrogant person who was very unlikeable. It's not a pleasure to work with that type of unpleasant personality. So it was understandable why the organization went in the opposite direction when searching for a replacement. Where Marrone was taciturn--Rex was exuberant. Where Marrone was unapproachable---Rex was engaging. Where Marrone challenged and questioned the decisions of his bosses and acting as if he was in authority---Rex knows how to better work with his bosses and is more dexterious working within the lines of authority. It's not surprising that when Rex was fired by the Jets they hired Tod Bowles who is a much more serious type of person and who is more of a disciplinarian than the dispatched HC. Many people within the organization believed he lost control of his team. The same type of dynamic happened with the 49ers and Harbaugh. Harbaugh was a terrific HC but from within the organizatiion he was both challenging and exhausting to work with. So his replacement was the opposite type of person. My fear is that the same type of dynamic happened with the Bills and the Pegulas with their new hire. Let's hope Rex is more adaptable and adjusts his approach to the situation for the betterment of the team and his own self-interest.

The margin between winning and losing is small. Plays are always there to be made and are not made. That applies to both teams on the field. That's the nature of the sport. But that is not the central point most of the commentators are making. One can debate whether a particular PF penalty affected the game or not but even that isn't the issue. What is apparent is that this team is not playing smartly and not playing with sufficent discipline. If you don't believe that is an issue then you are in the minority. Even the loud and brash HC who when asked about the penalties made the dumb comments about how he was proud of his team's efforts has recognized how ridiculous those comments were. He backtracked on those silly comments and acknowledged that the team needs to play with more discipline. I strongly believe that from a talent standpoint that the Bills were the better team. The winning margin for the Giants is that they played smarter and with more discipline. That is a function of coaching and leadership. The Bills are a fringe wildcard playoff team. They are not good enough to overcome self-destructive behavior on the field. The margin of error between being a playoff tam and not is smaller than you think.

Consider 6-3-5-6-8-8-7, If you win I want half.

The concern is not over the team's record. It is over the undisciplined and unintelligent way it is playing. The difference in the Giant game was not talent; it was coaching.