JohnC

What made him such an appealing HCing candidate? His long record was far from being distinguished. He was certainly not a hot upcoming young coordinator who was worth taking a risk on because he was an intriguing candiate. He represented the standard retread hire by an unimaginative old guard GM. At least with the Marrone hire you got someone who brings a little more energy and personality to the job. Whether he succeeds or not at least this crusty organization took a more imaginative and expansive approach in their hiring search. When you are stuck at the bottom why continue doing what you have normally done?

In this game when the head official reviewed the calls he got them right. I thought he officiated a well called game. His explanations were succinct and clear. The holding calls against Wood were damaging. When the plays were replayed it was clear that he held. One holding call was blatant and the other a little less so. The best you can ask for from the officials is to use good judgment and be consistent. I thought they were in this game.

What has hurt this team more than one can imagine is the loss of Levitre. I'm sure you have noticed that the majority of run plays were run to the right side. There have been few screen or swing passes because the replacement guard isn't mobile enough to kick out to either side of a swing pass to the back. The player hurt the most by his departure is Spiller.The departure of Levitre not only resulted with a lesser player taking his line position but it had a dramatic effect on the most dynamic player on offense. You are familiar my my position on Levitre and his contract situation. My issue wasn't letting him go because of his high salary stance. It was this front office not responding with a reasonable backup plan to replace him with a crebile player. The repercussions from his departure set the OL as a unit and the offense in general back more than people think. If the organization would have similarly reacted to the Levitre contract situation to the way it handled the Wood contract situation maybe the outcome would have been different. Once the player gets to the point that he is close to being a free agent then the incentive is for the player to test the market.

There were three players who I have previously criticized but yesterday played very well. Next to Kiko Aaron Williams was the best defensive player in the game. He was responding to the ball as well as any Bills' DB I have seen in a long time. Not only was he covering well but he was plastering players all over the field. The knock on him was that he was too stiff of a player to play the corner position. That wasn't the case yesterday. He was quickly reacting to the play and was making adjustments on the fly. The second player who up to this point has been a disappointment but yesterday played to a very high level was Dareus. On pass plays he was pushing the pile forward making the pocket passer move out of the pocket. He was also a stone wall against the run. If he can duplicate that type of forceful play instead of his too often lackluster play he would be the anchor player on the line. Colin Brown has been without a doubt the worst starter on the team, that includes Rogers's CB play. Yesterday, he was far from being a standout player but he wasn't overwhelmed as he has been in the prior games. He didn't seem to be getting much push and creating seams but he did for the most part play the defensive player he was going against to a standoff. Maybe he wasn't a big asset on the line but he certainly wasn't a major liability in this game. His level of play was dramatically higher than in previous games. Entering the season the record wasn't going to be the most important issue for this team. The critical issue is having your team, and especially the younger core players, improve as the season advances. Where a player such as Aaron Williams was faltering with the prior coaching staff he seems to be energized with this new coaching staff. Coaching does matter!

Byrd stated that he followed the rehab protocol as instructed. As you noted it is a tough injury to deal with. Byrd and the training staff all are very aware of how tricky the injury is. If you get ahead of yourself and get too aggressive in your training you could end up aggravating the injury and then again have to start the rehab from the beginning point. As I stated in a prior post Russ Brandon was asked about Byrd's status. He said that Byrd was being diligent with his rehabbing and doing everything he could to get back on the field. He expressed no indication that Byrd was deliberatedly delaying his return as an expression of his contract disappointment. It's not in Byrd's interest to prematurely return to the field. It is also not in the organization's interest for him to prematurely return to action. If he reinjures himself to the point that he is damaged goods then how does the team next year value him from a contract standpoint? No one comes out ahead with him playing hurt.

The jury in the Casey Anthony case made a reasonable decision in determining that Casey Anthony was not guilty of murder. The prosecution over-charged in that case. The fundamental issue for the jury in that case wasn't believing whether she killed her daughter; the issue is whether there was enough evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that proved that she was guilty. There is a distinction. Although this jury was in general vilified their verdict demonstrated a courage on their part to base their verdict on the facts and the law. The prosecution couldn't prove how she died and when she died. Thinking someone killed someone and proving it are not the same thing. In the George Zimmerman case the prosecution again over-charged. They should have charged him with the lesser manslaughter charge instead of the murder charge. In this case the jury had the ability to find him guilty of the lesser manslaughter charge but the trial mostly focused on the murder charge. In my opinion he was guilty of the manslaugher charge. If the manslaughter charge would have been the primary charge I believe the jury would have found him guilty.

His PF was serious. He took shots last year to play with the pain. What is telling, if not ominous, is that he wasn't fully healed after an offseason of treatment and rest. If Byrd has to take shots in order to play that is a clear sign that he is still plagued with the condition. Masking a health problem is not healing a health problem. It's ironic that a lot of people on the outside are more than insinuating that Byrd is faking his feet problems while Brandon was explicit in a WGR interview that Byrd is doing everything he needs to do to treat the problem and get back on the field. RB stated that he was confident that Byrd was doing everything he could to get back on the field. The majority of sentiment from the fans is that he is screwing the franchise because he is unhappy with his contract situation. There is no doubt that he is unhappy with how his contract negotions unfolded, but not being on the field is not helping his bargaining status, whether he stays with this franchise or not. The best course of action for him and this franchise is to play when he is healthy enough to play. His type of injury is one in which if you prematurely return to action you can end up reinjuring yourself and placing yourself back to square one on another lengthy rehabilitation journey. Any player who is injured and is willing to risk his career by prematurely returning to the field because he feels fan or organizational pressure is a fool. It's a business. Carrington was carted off the field in the last game and his season was finished. Do you think that the organization is going to reward him with a new rich contract because of his loyalty? The injury Carrington sustained is going to result in a lesser contract than if he didn't get hurt. If you don't look out for yourself then who is going to look out for you?

When you have your captaincy status taken away it is not an affirmation of your leadership skills. Whether Schiano is a good HC or not is not my central point. (I'm not a fan of his rigid style of leadership.) Sometimes people are placed in very difficult work environments. It is how you react to the challenging environment that is most telling about the character of a person. You got it. The cycle of futility. I'm hoping that it has changed.

There is an irony in a Buffalo Bill fan lecturing other organizations on bad asset management and poorly considered hires. I'm not trying to be mean-spirited and I hope you don't take my response in that way. But how many times have we (Bills' fans) said the same thing about the Bills' organization and what the hell are they doing and thinking? You make an excellent point that when you make a bad critical hire it has negative reverberations all down the line. Instead of moving the organization forward you have to go back and address the same issue again, and again, and again.

I'm not a Schiano fan. I like strong HCs but I don't like rigid coaches. My sense is that Schiano falls into that latter category. New HCs are hired and fired all the time. There is nothing novel with that scenario. The inherited players have little say as to who their new HC is going to be. A change in the environment and systems are part of the business. Clearly there is a bad vibe between the coach and the qb. One radio report I heard today was that Freeman's agent asked the organization to trade him this offseason. The drafting of Glennon was a sign that Freeman's status as the franchise qb was tenuous at best. When the captaincy of a player is taken away it is a clear sign that the player through his actions and attitude is not showing much leadership Dealing with a task master and micro managing boss can be very exasperating for any employee. Tough! Sometimes when people get thrust into difficult situations that is the best time to make a judgment on that person. When you miss meetings and through your behavior and attitude express the sentiment that you don't want to be there then that is the right time for people in authority to make a change.

When you bring a Schiano type coach to the franchise you get what you get. He is a hard nosed control freak who prefers black and white colors over blended colors. If you hire a task master you get a task master. Sometimes it isn't an issue of right or wrong as much as it is the particular fit. Peyton Manning is not going to work well with a Schiano type coach because he is his own coach on the field. He is running the show. That is not going to work with a micro-manager type coach who has this compulsion to manage everything. You asked if I am giving Schiano the benefit of the doubt. The answer is yes. When there is a change in management the employee has to adjust. Some people can make the adjustment and some can't. If Freeman can't work well in with that more demanding style of coaching then it is better that he moves on becausing Schiano is not likely to change. It isn't a question of who is right or wrong; it is a question of is this player suitable for this more pressurized environment. Evidently it isn't for Freeman. Sometimes being too cool isn't a good thing when your coach preferes someone who is more hot. It's about the fit.

I didn't mean to suggest that you are challenging EJ. That is not the case. The problem isn't so much that we are lacking a credible backup if he gets hurt (we are) but the problem arises when our rookie qb struggles. That is now happening and will continue to happen this year. It is an unavoidable part of the developmental process. Freeman is still a young qb who is not going to want to play behind another young qb that the franchise drafted in the first round. It's not going to work here for EJ or Freeman. My point is that it is more about the situation than it is about the talent.

When you look at qbs such as Brady, Peyton and Brees what distinguishes them is not their physical tools (although they have them) but it is their passion for the game that is exhibited by their incredible work ethic in their preparation for the game. That passion for the game is a self-centered drive that can't be induced by outside influences. You either have it or you don't. There is no doubt that Freeman has the physical tools. That has never been an issue. The concern is whether he has the desire to do what is necessary to be great. Physical abilities are easy to measure. Leadership abilities are less tangible and less receptive to being measured. There are a variety of leadership styles and personality traits that can successfully work. But if you don't have the inner drive that comes from one's core then in the long run you will falter. Tampa's HC is challenging Freeman and coaching him hard. Freeman isn't responding to well to that style of coaching. The source of the conflict stems from Freeman's makeup more than it does the coach. Schiano whats a certain type of person leading his team. It's not Freeman. I'm not on the fence that you are straddling. Absolutely not! We got a qb that can be developed. He has the physical tools and the right mental makeup. In this case it is much better to ride the horse you are on. Early on its not unusual to have a bumpy ride but eventually the ride will smooth out.

Illegitime non carborundum! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegitimi_non_carborundum Buck it up and stop feeling sorry for yourself! You may be too caught up in your frustration with this formerly hollowed out organization. Instead of looking backwards at the foolishness of this very cartoonishly inept organization look forward and witness things moving in the right direction. Your vision may be too clouded with historical gloom; but if you step back you will realize that there is a glimmer of hope. For a change the trajectory is pointing up. No one can accuse me of being an apologist for this bedraggled franchise. This draft had a different feel to it. Not only did this franchise draft a qb in the first round but they traded down and ended up with an extra second round pick that was used for Kiko. When was the last time that this nifty maneuver happened with this stolid organization? At this point focus on the journey and not the end of the destination. That in itself can be very interesting. Allowing this team to make you go crazy is an act of self-flagellation. Be cool and have a brew. It is a state of mind. LOL

I don't want to be cynical or come off being pessimistic. What I am not going to be is an organizational apologist that refuses to acknowledge where this franchise stands relative to the rest of the league. We are at the starting gate while most of the rest of the league are much further down the lane. So be it. I'm not as discouraged as you might think I am. I do strongly believe that Brandon taking over for the owner was a watershed moment for this backwater organization. The selection of Marrone as the HC and the elevation of Whaley were not stunning selectiions that wowed anyone. What they signified is that this franchise is finally entering the world of NORMAL as opposed to the prior Wilson world of being PECULIAR. For this franchise there is no quick fix. There simply is too much ground to make up. The Levy/Brandon(GM)/Nix terms represent six years of wasted effort. That is a crying shame. A good organization should be able to have two rebuilds during that same period of time. As I stated in the prior post anyone who truly believes that this team is going to make a serious run is deluding themself. They are not. If we come out of this season knowing that EJ is a capable qb, then this season is a success. In addition, if this crop of rookies show that they will be contributing players then that is another postive step to the road of respectability. What I find discouraging is that this organization lacks foresight. They too often have no plan B when it is apparent that plan B is going to be called on. The Levitre saga illustrates this organizational weakness. They knew that Levitre was going to hit the market and they knew that they weren't going to pay him at the level he was seeking. They could have addressed this issue in the draft or free agency. There was simply no excuse for this team with so much cap room not to go out and find a reliable short term solution. If they thought that Colin Brown was the solution then they badly miscalculated. They repeated the same stupid cycle of cutting expensive players (Dockery, Langston Walker and Hangartner) without having a credible alternative. I agree with you that we were out coached in this game. What I find very troubling is the resorting to gimmicks to compensate for weaknesses attributed to a lack of talent. The quick paced offense's major liability has more to do with the affect on its own defense than it does with its own offense. Our defense has major vulnerabilities when it is rested. When it is worn down by being on the field for too long those vulnerabilities become even more apparent. Sometimes when you try to outsmart the opposition you end up outsmarting yourself.

Let's be brutally frank here and describe where the Bills were before the season even started. The Bills were little better than an expansion team starting a rookie qb. This organization is starting over after the butchering done by Levy/Brandon/Nix regimes. There is no quick fix for an organization that prides itself in winning the battle of the contracts over the battles fought on the field. If you expected a dramatic turn around from an organization that is $20 M under the cap then you are not being realistic. Not only are the Bills grossly under the cap but they are rolling some of their cap money into next year. You may be asking what is my point? My point is that the Bills are working under the same business model that they have worked under for the past generation. That type of confining structure can be overcome with a lot of organizational savvy and exceptional talent evaluations. Right now our organization isn't at that lofty level. And to make the challenge even more imposing we are catching up on a lot of lost ground caused by the prior decisnon-makers. The Bills are on a three year rebuilding project. It is going to be done primarily with draft picks. Pointing out our team's weaknesses is not much of a challenge. DBs, DL and OL etc. Some of the players starting for us not only shouldn't be starters but they shouldn't be in this league. In other words there is a dearth of talent on the roster. The primary issue this season is determining whether EJ is a legitimate franchise qb. Everything else is secondary. EJ is a much rawer qb than Luck/RGIII/Wilson. Yesterday he was dreadful. How many balls did he throw out of bounds without giving his receivers a chance to catch it? But that happens when you have a rookie qb on a bad team with an OL that can be overwhelmed. EJ is going to have uneven performances. That's simply part of the developmental process that can't be avoided. Another thing to watch this year is how our rookie crop does. The won/lost record shouldn't be the central focus for the loyal fans because at this point we are not a serious team. So it really doesn't matter. It is mostly about player development. Bill, you have this view that number one picks shouldn't be used on CBs in the draft. Yesterday was a clear demonstration why it is a high priority position. How many big plays did the Jets have on Rogers's side? You may be enamored with Searcy but I'm not. He can't cover. He may be good in the box but because he can't cover he is a liability for us. Marcel Dareus is a solid takcle. But when Branch plays his spot there isn't much of a difference in play. Dareus was a very high selection who was taken over players such as AJ Green and Peterson. The value of that high pick has been squandered, as has most of Nix's picks have been wasted. You and others enjoy blasting Spiller. What was most outrageous about Spiller's play was not his performance but the way he was utilized. Continuously running him up the gut was an absurdity. If the OC is going to poorly use his talents then why not go all the way and be the dumbest you can be by making him a blocking back? Where is the common sense? It's crazy! The point of my post is that the road is going to be long and painful. Anyone who expected otherwise is being unrealistic. This year is going to be the same as the past dozen years where when we get to the halfway point we will be talking about the draft more than the games. That is the price one pays for accumulated ineptitude.

It's not entrapment. Not close to being entrapment. Entrapment is when the authorities use a technique to get someone who is not inclined to commit a criminal act to commit a criminal act. An undercover office wearing an opponent's jersey is not enticing a drunken thug to harrass anyone. The thug is simply harrassing someone in a jersey who he/she was already inclined to harrass.

It's surprising the number of people who believe that it is acceptable behavior to get rip roaring drunk at a public event. It's not. I don't want to sit near or be near a foul mouth and alcoholic reeking slob at a sporting event. Harrassing people who are wearing attire associated with the other team is not acceptable behavior. There is a segment of the fan base that attend the games for the expressed purpose of getting insanely drunk. Those fools are ruining it for everyone else. They are a menace. There are those people who argue that you don't have the resources to deal with all the bad actors at the game. Maybe that is true. But that isn't a good argument not to do anything to make idiots accountable. You do your best within your limitations to deal with a problem. Eventually the message will be heard that certain types of behavior are not going to be tolerated at this particular venue. The tough security approach isn't for the 3% of the shiiitheads who are creating problems; it is for the 97% of the responsible people who paid their money to watch a game.

The undercover officer doesn't always have to make an arrest. What they can do is get the misbehaving fool under control and have him/her escorted out of the stadium. The undercover officer can then move to another location. If the person acts in a way that warrants an arrest then an arrest should be made. The more people see that unacceptable behavior is not going to be tolerated then that will serve as a deterrent.

Buffalo Police have no authority in Orchard Park. It is outside of their jurisdiction. Thus none of the city's money will be spent at the games to deal with the drunken miscreants.

Did anyone ever tell you that you look like Aaron Hernandez? Are you inked up like him? Does the fireman still attend Jets games and lead the cheer for J-E-T-S Jets Jets? Or did he stop going to the games because he got so frustrated with the organization? Just my opinion regarding your rookie qb: He is talented but mentally fragile. I'm not sure NY with its tough critics is the best region for him to play. I do wish him well.

How can it be cold? I'm a warm hearted guy! Simply looking for an explanation to hooliganism. Mistaken identity seems to be a plausible explanation.

He thought you were eball!

This topic was discussed on WGR with Joe Buscaglia. He agreed with your perspective. He emphasized that when you have a qb as big as Cam and as effective at running the ball as this monster sized qb is then the odds are overwhelmingly in your favor to gain the first down and win the game . It is understandable in not wanting your qb to run too often but at that crucial point in the game you have to use your assets or let them go to waste.

I didn't take your comments as criticizing him. It was a keen observation. Stevie J has a lean built. The accumulation of unnecessary hits is going to take a toll on him more than it would of a receiver with a thicker build. I would definitely prefer seeing Stevie J and Spiller error on the side of avoiding a hit than taking a hit.