Dr. K

Amen to all this. This high risk/high potential for disaster defensive mode has never appealed to me. Adams may be quick and huge, but he's penetrating himself out of the play half the time. Same with all the stunts, etc. Play more vanilla and cover the receivers.

I'm always worried. That's how I got this line between my eyes.

....who laid the great block on the defensive back that enabled Moulds to reach the end zone pylon on his touchdown? Whoever it was should get as much credit for the score as Moulds does. A wide receiver who can block downfield is a huge plus.

Just happened to run across this post I put up last Feb in a thread asking who the next fan scapegoat would be after Drew Bledsoe was gone. If you've been around here very long it's not hard to predict these things, but here it is: "Great post--you know there WILL be a new whipping boy, at the earliest possible moment. "Too bad Travis Henry's likely to be gone, because he's the next obvious scapegoat. Reed has already been in the crosshairs, but I expect him to take a lot more fire. Mike Williams could be it. Certainly Tom Donahoe will be a high profile target whenever anything at all goes wrong--if, for instance, McGahee has a serious injury or Losman flounders. "I give Losman about three bad games before the screams become deafeniing. I hope he doesn't have any bad games, but that's wishful thinking."

I think this defensive philosophy is asking for trouble. This is a high-risk, high-reward, high-disaster defense, depending on the blitz to get heat on the QB, and on generating turnovers to compensate for giving up big plays. It worked fine in the second half of last season, but it's not working consistently this season. In the second half yesterday, Gray was blitzing big time on second and third down to try to get heat on Ferrotte, and it did not work, giving up big pass plays and big running plays too. If not for the turnovers we lose this game big time. I was screaming for them to stop blitzing in the fourth quarter. The only two sacks the Bills got were on the last two plays of the game, when they only rushed four and sent everyone else back to pass defend. I would rather see them improve the run defense and be a lot more choosy about when to blitz.

I stand cowwected.

The Bills I know and expect are the team that went 22 YEARS without sweeping the Fish in a season series, TEN of those years without a singe win against the Dolphins. The Super Bowl years were great and painful, but they will always seem like the aberration.

No, No! Wlease Woderick!

Sorry about the typos. I drank a little too much wine with dinner.

There is not rational reason why they defense should be playing so much worse than it did last season. The loss of Pat Williams, and even of Spikes, does not explain it. Yes, lasst year's defensive performance may ahve been exaggerated by the Bills playing weak teams in the second half, but that is not enough to make the difference. There is perhaps more reason to think the offense would not play as well, but not enough to make a total collapse inevitable or necessary. My point is, yes the performance so far has been a huge disappointment, and yes, there are real weaknesses in personnel and shcemes. But I am convinced there is no reason why this team, given the players that it has, cannot play at least .500 ball. I persist in thinking that they can turn this around. It is a real test of the coaching and of the character of the players. And they proved last season that they have the capability of a turnaround in them. Whether they will do it this time I don't know.

Of course we get tired of losing. But given the fact that you have just been called out on your predicton of what was possible and impossible last season, wouldn't just a little more humility on your part be in order? You could easily be right. But you could also be wrong. I don't expect you to change your attitude toward Donohoe and the Bills. But you've made your point (repeatedly) and to keep banging that same drum gets tiresome.

I picked New Orleans to win in the pool, and reason tells me they win, but I also feel like this could be a breakout game for the Bills. There are a lot of frustrated, pretty good players and coaches on the Bills, and if they are all on the same page this could be a blowout.

Me too, Kelly.

Absolutely not. Ask me again after the season, but I'm still not looking to fire him then.

Just for old-timer's sake, Paul Maguire was an absolute MASTER at the coffin-corner kick. The best I ever have seen.

So, have we gotten around to eating our own hearts yet? The post-loss discussions on the board remind me of this Stephen Crane poem: In th desert I saw a creature, naked, bestial, Who, squatting upon the ground, Held his heart in his hands, And at of it. I said: "Is it good, friend?" "It is bitter--bitter," he answered; "But I like it Because it is bitter, And because it is my heart" And because Losman sucks.

I've given up on the current administration, but not on the Bills. Save those razor blades for later.

....fire Mularkey blah blah blah Donohoe's ego is too large blah blah blah the offensive line sucks blah blah blah blah worst performance ever blah blah blah defense can't stop blah blah playcalling blah blah refs were from new England blah blah blah why did we let Pat Williams Mike Williams Ted Williams Hot Rod Williams Tennessee Williams blah blah blah blah season is over blah blah blah start Holcomb blah blah blah start Parish blah blah blah no third down defense blah blah Moulds is finished blah blah throw long blah blah commit to the running game blah blah learn to tackle blah blah blah play action pass blah blah roll out blah blah blah screen passes where's the pride blah blah blah blah max protext blah blah ....... We're DOOMED! Wake me up on Wednesday.

I think this is the key--get Losman into the game early, have him complete some passes--they don't have to be game breakers--to establish that they can pass the ball. Screens or short slants or dump-offs to the tight end would be okay with me.

You speak for me as well, my friend.

Way cool! You probably do know more about him than I do. I wrote two stories based on Sturges: "The Miracle of ivar Avenue" and CORRUPTING DR. NICE. I love his movies, especially The Lady Eve and The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, but they are all fascinating. What is your thesis about? You can write me separately if you like.

I know more about: written science fiction the films of Preston Sturges

This explains everything. Isaac Asimov has been dead since 1992.

Good post.

Might not be a bad idea, if they can avoid going 3-and-out. Unfortunately, if you go 3-and-out while in the no-huddle, the defense quickly gets exhausted.