JohnC

His style of running routes wouldn't make Tom Brady too happy. Brady and his passing offense are predicated on precise routes. That is not what SJ consistently does well, But if he is playing in a system where a lot of the passing plays are extended plays then his imprecise route running style becomes a major asset, especially for a qb who can move around and extend the plays.

He does have a tendency to run out of bounds or avoid the big hit. I consider it playing smart. Why take an unnecessary hit when the additional yardage is usually inconsequential? Spiller did the same thing a couple of times yesterday. Again, I give him credit for being smart and judicious about taking unnecessary hits. I don't consider Stevie J. an elite receiver. But what he does as well as any receiver is get open. He has an uncanny ability to get open even when it is apparent to the defense that he is the primary receiver. SJ is a high strung player who is going to display his emotions on the field. He's been in the league long enough to recognize that what you see is what you get. He is a high volumne receiver who will occasionally drop a pass at a crucial time. Overall, he is a big asset.

If McKelvin scares you then some of his DB mates must have you mortified. Robey is a good slot DB. He has an excellent feel for the game. If he was three or four inches taller he would be a starting corner.

The Aaron Williams penalty was not only stupid but it was a selfish and irresponsible play. The hitting rules have changed in the NFL. DBs have to be aware that when the receiver is out of bounds or the receiver's momentum is carrying him beyond the sideline that you can't hit the vulnerable receiver. As Kelly noted the defensive player has to be aware that it was a third and long situation. What made AW look even more foolish was his dancing and prancing after his stupid hit. Doing something stupid is one thing but celebrating after a damaging play to his team is moronic. Overall, I thought he played well. But this play demonstrated a lack of maturity and discipline on his part. Although it is very early in the season the staff needs to get TJ Graham off the field. Replace him with Easley. There are some people who believe that Nix did a good job as a GM. I'm not one of them. The pick Nix used to draft TJ Graham is a vivid demonstration of Buddy's drafting futility. There were so many other quality prospects that could have been taken at that draft spot. Moving up to take him was nonsensical. What Stevie Johnson does as well as any receiver in the league is get open. Defenses know that he is gong to get the brunt of the passes, and he still gets open. I said it last week and I'll repeat it agTain: Woods reminds me of Reggie Wayne. He is not an explosive receiver but he runs superp routes and he catches the ball. The defensive MVP in this game was obviously Mario. The next best defensive player was McKelvin. Without LM this defense would be very vulnerable. Those incessant Spiller critics look foolish. He not only makes plays but the defense has to always account for him. If it wasn't for that holding penalty on his 38 yard run his numbers would have been top shelf. The coaches are working the Fred Jackson and Spiller tandem very smartly. Where I strenuously disagree with NYC Bill is that I don't want EJ to run unless there is no other choice. Manuel had a knee procedure not too long ago. He needs to stay safe and healthy. The worst thing that can happen to this franchise is for EJ to get hurt and lose valuable playing time. This year is not about the record so much as having your prospect qb staying on the field and accelerating his learning process.

Someone writes the standard pedestrian column of the Bills' sordid history and record. Do you honestly believe that what is written has an affect on how the team performs? The Bills succeed and fail on their own actions. It has nothing to do with what is written about them. Why do you get so unhinged over something that is so inconsequential? What's next? Blaming the fans for mounting losses? Let's face it in its recent history the Bills are more noted for failures than they are for its successes. Do you expect the commentary to be glowing when the team has had losing seasons in nine out of the past ten seasons? Do you expect the commentary to be radiantly positive for a team that has gone 13 consecutive years and still counting out of the playoffs? Do you expect warranted media skepticism to immediately vanish after a loss in the opening game of the season? You can make the argument that this year is separate and different from the prior years. That may be true to a certain extent but the context for the column dealing with franchise and fan mind-set is much wider. Whether you like it or not there is a historical record that does influence perception. If you want to change the perception then win more. The issue isn't about the outsiders; it is about the performers.

Thank you for your assessment. When I watched the game and focused on him it seemed as if he was playing with disinterest. I made that observation on another topic and got responses from others that were the opposite of what I felt. I get the sense when watching him that he has little passion for the game. There are sporadic bursts of high effort plays interspersed with too many plays where he is simply invisible to the action. I find this very troubling. If Pettine and Marrone are tough coaches there will be some conflicts arising with him.

Russ Brandon was diplomatic and respectful toward the departing GM. RB handled the departure with class and dignity. That is the way it should be done. What did you want him to say?: You stupid hillbilly redneck old geezer you screwed this franchise up! The arrangement for Nix's exit was already arranged. The former GM was not involved with the selection of the HC. The draft board was set up by Whaley. What is wrong with being kind and generous toward this good man at his exiting press conference? Don't get hung up on the generous comments coming out of a retiring bon voyage press conference. That is the standard decorum at that type of event. Brandon wasn't trying to hustle the battered fan base. He publicly admitted that the franchise was a tarnished product. I have had plenty of criticisms for this organizatiion. But I give Brandon a lot of credit for establishing a credible staff with his elevation of Whaley and the hiring of Marrone who seemed to hired a quality staff. Now let's just wait and see how things develop. Then we can make a fairer judgment on how this staff is doing.

The Buddy Nix tenure was not a success. The 16-32 record surely doesn't indicate a success (as you indicated) and the roster he assembled needs to be bolstered. When I say it is going to take time my time frame is three years. The roster needs to be reworked. The primary way to rebuild the roster is through the draft. That is how all teams that have had sustained success build a successful team. The Russ Brandon praise of Nix was pro forma politeness. What did you expect him to do? Publicly crucify him? The real message was thanks for your services and he then directed him toward exit door. What was meaningful was Whaley assuming full authority as a GM, not as a subordinate. Where I strenuously disagree with you and Tasker is your assumption that Whaley is an extension of Nix. You believe that he is; I don't. When he took over the GM position he brought in his own head of college and pro scouting. Only time will tell whether those selections will translate into an upgrade in personnel decisions. Of course no one likes the "it takes time speech". Sometimes the truth is unpalatable, but if it is true then it is true. What do you want him to say? I offer you instant success because I am magically endowed. If you inherit a limited roster you are not going to rework it in one year to the point that your weakling roster becomes a muscular roster. It doesn't work that way. What this franchise doesn't need is to act out of desperation by making short term immediate upgrades at the expense of long term sustained success. It may not sound sexey, especially to a frustrated fan base, but if a team drafts well and makes sound personnel decisions (mid-tier free agent pickups) in three years the sluggish franchise can be back into being a serious franchise. The one thing that accelerates the rebuilding process is acquiring a high quality franchise qb. If EJ falls into that category of a player then the prospects for this franchise are good. If he isn't the right qb, then you continue on with the search.

What you are suggesting is the same thing you are criticizing. You want this newly installed staff to be jettissoned just when they started. Criticizing Marrone, Gibbons, Whaley etc because they come from a particular regiion is nonsensical. What made this franchise parochial was the owner and his utter incompetence. He is now out of the picture. Marrone just started as a HC and presided over one game. You now want to get rid of him. That is ridiculous! You repeatedly say that Whaley was associated with the prior regime as if he is contaminated beyond repair. How about judging him on his performance as a boss, and not as a subordinate? The Bills recent history is a disaster. No one can dispute that. But if we carry out your logic then there will be no future success because there has been a past history of failures. That's nonsensical. I'm not someone who has a history of giving a reflexive optimistic response. I'm not one of the lunatics who blames the troubles of this franchise on the media and its battered fans. The Bills are rebuilding and will be going through the struggles all rebuilding teams go through. It's going to take time whether you like it or not. If EJ turns out to be a legitimate franchise qb then the prospects for success are more assured. If not, then back to the drawing board. My criticism of your position is that you are making your judments on the past apply to the present. That is unfair. If you don't like this draft then criticize this draft and don't merge it with the mediocrity of the prior Nix drafts. If you don't collectively like the free agent pickups this year, don''t skew your judgment with the prior free agent pickups. If you want an instant turn-around you are being naive. It doesn't work that way. The roster is being turned over. It takes time. There is no other way around it. Replacing the staff, as you suggest, will set this bedraggled franchise back further, not advance it.

Bill, I don't understand your reasoning. You are implicitedly saying that Spiller hasn't made much of a difference in winning more games. What you don't say is that the Bills, with him and before drafting him, were in general a very bad team. Even with him on the roster the qb situation was abysmal. The defense was in shambles. The roster in general, before his acquisition and after, were less than mediocre. No back, no matter how good, is going to make a deficient roster a winning roster. The bottom line is that last year Spiller was the best player on the roster. Furthermore, last year Spiller was not only one of the most productive and explosive players on the team but also in the league. What more do you want out of that draft pick? Bulaga? How much of a difference maker would Bulaga have been compared to Spiller last year? What would be the most influential factor in allowing Spiller to play for a more winning team? Playing on a team that has an upgraded roster and playing on a team that has a legitimate franchise qb. Hopefully, the Bills are moving in on the right direction that will allow him to play for a more successful team. In Nix's first three drafts he selected a lot of duds. The Spiller selection was a resounding success.

I usually enjoy reading your analysis on games and players. But with respect to Spiller you are leaping to unwarranted conclusions based on one game. As far as his intelligence what does it have to do with his running ability. Jamal Lewis ran for 2000 yards when he played with the Ravens a number of years ago. Not intending to be unkind but he wasn't the brightest light bulb in the room. OJ is a HOF runner. Next to Jim Brown he is the second best runner in the history of the game (my opinion), When he gets out of jail I'm very confident that he won't be attending any MENSA conferences. Spiller isn't a good pass blocker not because he isn't smart but because he simply isn't a good blocker. There are a lot of good receivers who can't block. But that certainly doesn't mean that they are dumb. Your reasoning regarding his intelligence and limitations have me very mystified. What happens if he has a breakout game next week or the week after? Are his brain cells then mysteriously fired up? You may be right that the offense changing from a horizontal passing to a more verticle passing offense could affect the running space for Spiller. But the problem with that notion is that in the first game most of the passes weren't downfield, they were short and quick passes. My central point and criticism is that you are making a judgment based on inadequate data. You are drawing a conclusion based on one game with a rookie qb and a defense geared to stop the best player on offense i.e. Spiller. If you want to make a fair judgment on Spiller then look what he did last year over a full season. He was one of the best running backs in the league (second to AP) and he had a remarkable number of big plays when the defenses were geared to stop him knowing that Fitz was an erratic passer.

Thanks for the info.

If the Bills carried over $9.8 cap money into this year then how much did they actually spend on salaries this year? Are they below their cash to cap salary model this year? It's gotten to the point that I don't particular care how the Bills or any team handles their cap strategy. Different franchises have different economic realities to contend with. For me it is not how the Bills or any other team maneuver within the cap structure but the bottom line is the product on the field. Just an observation but from a contract vs value relationship the Mario Williams contract is a really bad deal. When you don''t draft well you sometimes out of desperation have to fill a critical need at a premium price from the free agent market. I'm glad that he is on the team but his production is not near his contract cost. The Oakland A's have mastered the art of maximizing their limited resources better than any organization in professional sports. They have mastered the art of linking scouting to player production. A lot of organizatiions in the pro ranks talk about analytics but they have utilized that method better than anyone else. Without a doubt baseball is more conducive for statistical analysis than football. But if you look at their payroll and compare it to teams such as the Yankees, Blue Jays and Phillies their results are very impressive. The caliber of management usually trumps money spent.

For anyone who has the rewind ability could you go back and focus on Mario? From what I saw I thought he was a non-factor. Others who watched the game came away with a more favorable view of his game. A number of posters noted that he was regularly double teamed, allowing his line-mates more space to work in. There was a report that he was playing with a foot issue (plantar). I would appreciate a different set of eyes in making an assessment in his performance.

There was a play in which EJ locked onto a receiver to draw the coverage toward the receiver. It was a bluff. He smoothly transitioned to put himself in position to throw to the other side. You can't teach that. The play was replayed on TV and the analyst made reference to it. That was the type of subtle eye fake that a veteran makes, not a rookie. There was another play in which the defense was collapsing on him. He reacted by rolling away from the pressure and completing the pass. There was no jittery feet or frantic responses by him when he was under duress. The level of poise was uncanny for someone who didn't even play much in preseason. There was another play in which EJ flicked the ball over a safety towards Chandler who had a CB behind him. He slightly over threw the pass. It would have gone for a big gain. What was remarkable was the ease with which he threw the pass and the impeccable touch. Another trait that belies his inexperience is that he is not afraid to throw to a spot before the receiver makes his move. Most young qbs are hesitant to make that anticipatory throw. Regardless of the score the play of the young qb was encouraging. I came away from that game having more positive feelings than I have had for a long time. You don't have to be too knowledgeable about football to recognize a qb with talent compared to what preceeded him at the position.

The issue regarding the cap gets tiresome. The Bills have their business model and they stick to it. Is it unique to the rest of the league or is a standard approach that a segment of the teams also abide by? I suspect they do what some others do with a little more stringency. You can look for conspiracies and fiscal manipulations all you want: They simply do what they usually do with respect to finances and managing their cash flow. You don't have to be a forensic accountant to observe how they manage their money. There is nothing new here. Don't be distracted by a side issue that has for a long time been ingrained in how this franchise is run. If you make the mistake of getting sucked into that realm of business instead of the realm of football your focus will be distracted from the fun part of the business i.e. the product on the field. There are people here who act as if it is a crowning achievement when the franchise spends a certain amount of money. For them they find it acceptable that they are allowed to participate in the NFL. It is like a little brother being allowed to play in a game with his big brother, even though he is on the sidelines carrying the water bucket. My point is don't get stuck in the muck of how the business is being run unless you want to get involved in an activity that is going to frustrate you. Put more attention on the football operation. From that standpoint I see some good things happening. EJ is a player and plays the position that is the foundation for success in this league. Brandon was play acting as a GM but as President of the franchise he has put together a quality football team to manage the football side of the business. Whaley, Marrone and his staff are qualitatively better than the prior retread and whacky hires. I don't want to get too carried away but for me this organization has gone from being an odd-duck organization to being normal. For this aberrant organization that is a great leap forward. In other words don't get too immersed with the $$$$ numbers----- just watch the games. It's about having fun---not getting aggravated.

I'm not harranguing on Mario, especially if he has an injured foot. I read a column by Chuck Pollack from the Olean Times Hearld. He made the same observation that I did. His quote from the column: "BY THE way, if you thought defensive end Mario Williams was inactive Sunday, you clearly missed his one tackle and single assist." MW is an important player for the defense. If he is impaired and not playing at a high level it is going to have a major negative impact on the defense. Just something to keep an eye on.

I'll keep an open mind on this issue. Maybe I wasn't accounting for the double teaming as much as I should have?

I hope I'm wrong but something is amiss with him. There was a report that he was having plantar issues. There was a number of plays where I focused on him. From what I saw he often got stoned by the OT. It bears watching. With respect to stats associated with Mario he has a tendency to garner his sacks in bunches against weaker offensive linemen. When he faces upper tier linemen he becomes a very quiet player. I'm glad we have him but Mario is not really Super Mario. I also keyed on Hughes. He is very fast but he doesn't seem to have much of a repertoire of moves. More often then not he was guided to the outside with the qb stepping inside of the pocket to neutralize him. Regardless, the trading of Sheppard for him was a steal.

I'm not lamenting the fact that the Bills lost another frustrating game. The reason is that the better team with the HOF qb won. For those of you complainng that the Bills turnovers caused them to lose you are forgetting that the Bills got 21 points from the Pats' turnovers. The Pats ran 89 plays to our 61 plays. So from that standpoint they were in more control of the game than we were. What I take out of this game is that I learned that EJ is a legitimate franchise qb prospect. I never got the sense at any time during the game that he wasn't in control. With young qbs sometimes we focus too much on the good plays when what is a better indicator of ability is how the qb handles failure. There were a few critical drops and a few missed plays. I never saw EJ lose his poise. I didn't see him react negatively to a mishap. He has a tremendous amount of poise. His body language exudes confidence. EJ Manuel has tremendous pocket awareness. There were a few occasions when defensive pressure was closing in on him and he reacted by casually and instinctively moving away from it to keep the play alive. You can't teach that. Also, isn't it refreshing to have a qb who has a strong enough arm to effortlessly fling the ball down field? The pass to Woods was beautiful. In my estimation the Bills are going to lose more games than they win this season. But the best approach to take is focus on this year's draft class with special attention given to how the qb plays. Kiko is going to be a dam good football player. Because he is a rookie he is going to be suckered a lot into making the wrong reads but in general he is a smart and tough player. Compare him to the invisible Sheppard? Observations: McKelvin was the best defensive player in the game. He got away with a few clutching of the receivers but his coverage was superb. Mario Williams was a shell of himself. He got stoned all day long by the OT he went against. His plantar foot issue has taken away his game. That is troubling. With his tough running Jackson kept the Bills in the game. I thought the inside running plays called for Spiller was dumb. I have no problem with the fast paced offense. However, how about showing some coaching intelligence and slowing it down at the end of the game! Chandler is a decent player, nothing more. It would sure be nice to have a high octane TE to spice up the offense. It is still early but the TJ Graham selection appears to be another wasted pick. Woods is a smooth receiver who reminds me of Reggie Wayne. Not explosive but very polished and mature player. Stevie Johnson is what he is. He is a high volume receiver who has a tendency to have drops. That's what he is. So just accpet it; and don't go crazy over it. This is a three year rebuild process. The front office needs to string two more consecutive good drafts together before they become a serious team. This year's draft (so far), especially with the selection of a qb, is the foundation for moving forward.

Let's put the Patriot record in perspective. Correct me if I'm wrong (not willing to do the research) but over the past dozen years don't they have the best record in the NFL? In the same period don't they have more SB trophies than any other franchise? You are suggesting that just because they don't at the end of a football season raise the SB trophy against the field of the 31 other teams that they have not lived up to one's expectation? I have problems with that logic As you know the system is designed for parity. If a team cumulatively has the best record in a dozen years I will tip my hat to that accomplishment, even if it doesn't result in a gatorade dumping display. (That tired tradition needs to stop.I remember in one of the confernce championship games played in freezing weather gatorade was dumped on BB and his elderly father. It put the elderly man in a bad health situation. Sometimes my curmudgeon persona gets the best of me. ) There is an issue relative to the Pats and teams in general. Because of the cap rarely is there a team, good or bad, that has a complete team. All teams have liabilities. I remember when the Packers won a SB and they had an atrocious defense. They also didn't have a respectable defense. What good teams are able to do is to accentuate there strengths and mask their liabilities. That is where good coaching comes into play. You brought up an interesting point regarding that many teams don't have franchise qbs. If having a franchise qb is such a critical ingredient toward success then why didn't the Bills make it a priority a long time ago to find one? Not having a prospect or a free agent qb not work out is no excuse not to make it a continuing priority. What elevates a team more is the addition of a good qb----even for a team that has numerous needs. Another way of looking at the issue is that you can have a very flawed team yet still be competitive if you find your qb. With respect to your ranking of qbs I also consider Aaron Rodgers to be the best qb in the game. If you asked me to select one qb in the league that I would most want on my team it would be Andrew Luck. He is a more athletic and mobile Peyton Manning. I consider John Elway to be the best qb in the history of the game. He elevated a lot of mediocre Denver teams.

I'm sure you are aware that the stadium that Jerry built would not have been built without public expenditures and subsidies. I respect him for putting in a lot of his own cash but the project doesn't happen without the taxpayers' support. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-05/in-stadium-building-spree-u-s-taxpayers-lose-4-billion.html

There are plenty of military installations in Texas that are built and staffed with taxpayer dollars. Because of that there are also plenty of civilian jobs that materialized because of that investment. Recently after the tragic chemical explosion in a Texas town a lot of federal funds flowed into that area to help with the rebuild. It is a fact that a lot of federal funds flowed into the Gulf area after Katrina. I don't recall that area screaming that I don't need federal assistance. But when it came to helping the east coast after Hurricane Sandy a lot of the Texas and southern delegations voted against federal aid for that devastated region. The oil industry is a very big and important industry in Texas. They get a lot of special tax breaks which in reality is a public subsidy.Agriculture is also a big industry in Texas. You don't think that they don't receive subsidies? When there is a major drought the devastated farm industry clamors as much as any other region for federal help. Texans may think they are an independent breed but they have their hands out just like most others. When it comes to helping people in need I'm all for it. When it comes to investing in infrastructure I find it to be a wise investment. Just a friendly response to a very engaging southern bell.

There is nothing wrong with using some public money to entice private investments. You get much more in return than what you originally invested in. Leveraging tax dollars to attract outside private money is a smart way to spend public money. As indicated in the Edmonde article the irony is that the catalyst for the acceleration of the waterfront development was when the Bass Pro project finally collapsed. It forced the locals to realize that there was no outside savior that was going to come in and save the day. It forced the local entities to come up with a blueprint and a theme for the land. Ever since they have steadily (not dramatically) added pieces to the point where they have reached the critical mass of action that gives momentum to future action along the water front. As you noted Higgins has done a tremendous job dealing with the complexity of the overlapping and entrenched governances and interests. It took a lot of fortitude and stamina to contend with that scummy muck. It's like trying to run in quick sand. No matter what your political affiliations are you have to respect Higgins for acting in the true meaning of the concept as a public servant. One thing that Higgins is working on and has been for quite awhile is tearing down the Skyway and opening up that land for development. Once that happens it will link the outer and inner harbor. Progress is being made and and as days go by it becomes more visible.

I remember an interview in which Donahoe discussed the Bledsoe trade. He stated that he was well aware of where Bledsoe was at his stage of his career and he was very aware that this trade was a short term remedy. What TD said he was trying to do was inject some instant credibility and enliven a very weary fan base. The problem that became quickly evident was that he had an immobile qb who had a very elongated release that took a lot of time to get passes off and a brutal OL. That is not a recipe for success. The problem with TD was that he was the type of guy who needed to demonstrate to others how smart he was. Instead of making the obvious move he had to make the surprise move to show others how imaginative he was. I had very high expectations when he was first hired. His first draft, including his trade down maneuvers, was a superb draft. One move that he made that really got me off of his bandwagon was when he gratuitiously let Pat Williams go. That was a dumb and damaging move. There is a number of reasons why he had a troubled tenure with the Bills. His biggest liability was himself. He was an arrogant/pompous/insufferable/assss. What he didn't realize is that the more people that you alienate within the company are the same people who will not act on your behalf when you are in trouble. One time TD made a highly critical comment about the intelligence of the fan base. The owner forced him to publicly apologize for his comments. Ralph is not an easy boss to work for. But when he calls you on the phone you don't put him on hold or leave a message that he will be called at a later time more convenient to the egotistical GM. Ralph may be old but when he is being treated disrespectfully he can squeeze the nuts as hard as anyone. There is no perfect franchise. The system is designed for parity. What is up is supposed to come down. What is down is supposed to go up. What the Pats have done exceptionally well is expand the life span of the cycle. That is a remarkable accomplishment. No one should be awed by any other franchise. You can only control what you do. After Donahoe left the owner had a string of dismal hires to run the football operation. Levy/Brandon/Nix represent six wasted years. Now going into the seventh year post TD the franchise is starting another rebuild. It's infuriating.