Dr. K

Everything you say is true except that Warner, at this point in his career, is a WORSE QB than Bledsoe. I don't want to cut Bledsoe to replace him with Warner, and I would bet my pension plan that in no way would Danahoe or Mularkey jump from the Bledsoe frying pan to the Warner fire.

Very rational analysis. I agree with most of it, but I think we may have our TE on the squad already, among all the injured guys. Campbell was coming on when he got hurt, and Euhus and Peters show promise. I also agree that the O-line is coming around. Maybe draft a guard. Try to resign Jennings or else draft or otherwise pick up a tackle. I expect another year under McNally and this O-line will be strong. As you say, need to get some young guys backing up the aging talent. Are the backup safeties we have good enough?

I second that strongly. I think we've got the right coach now.

Pleeeeeese? I never liked it.

My sentiments exactly. I had the sick feeling that they were going to manage to lose this game all week, and that the Jets or Denver would lose and leave us gasping and bitter. Surprise.

Kurt Warner is just Drew B. in a clever plastic disguise. Same liabilities exactly.

San Diego. I used to sort of like the Pats. But their fans have gotten so insufferable over the last three years that it's hard to like them. I do tend to like the AFC, especialy any of the old AFL teams (except Miami) over the NFC. I want the Bills to win a few super bowls so other teams can think our fans are insufferable (and I have not doubt we will be).

I respect your caution, and I think that you are probably right that, on the practice field and in pre-season games, Bledsoe will outperform Losman. But that's the point, to me--Bledsoe always looks better when there's not much riding on it. I just think his probability of getting it done in clutch situations is decreasing rather than increasing. The skills that he has are NOT the skills of a game-managing style QB. We need a Rich Gannon or a Trent Green, or, yes, maybe a JP Losman--if he can show competence that will be enough. I will trust Mularkey, Wyche and Clements to figure this out. I just don't think they are going to settle on Bledsoe for any long-term potential with the Bills. About Bledsoe I'd say what Marlene Dietrich said to Orson Welles in TOUCH OF EVIL: "Your future is all used up." I don' t think this is merey bitterness in reaction to this disheartening loss (to which many other Bills' players contributed). We'll see how it looks in a couple of weeks or months. But I don't expect this to change.

Cut him. If he stays on the team,he becomes a cancer like Doug Flutie even if he accepts being on the bench. Too many fans and the press will second guess every time Losman or Matthews makes a mistake.

If you look at Bledsoe's play, as I expect Mularkey and Wyche and Clements will, play by play, snap by snap over the course of this game, and over the course of this season, I think you will find plenty of evidence to suggest he can't win consistently. Too many bad throws, too many bad decisions, and even on successful plays, the risk of imminent disaster. Ask youself how many games didthe Billswin this year that they would not have won with just and AVERAGE QB. I might say the Miami gam--but I can't think of any other. Even inthe Seattle game, which the Bills won handily, he threw three picks. We're asking him to make handoffs, to make short throws, to occasionally throw it down field. The only area where he might be considered ablve average is in downfield throws. But his deficits in other areas more than detract from that. Anyway, that's what I feel now. I want to see what Losman can do, but he doesn't haveto be Peyton Manning for the Bills to continue to play as well as they have in the second half of this season. Donohoe and Mularkey have built a team that requires workmanlike competence at QB. Bledsoe cannot be counted on to provide that consistently.

You did not see the same game I did. the Bills frequently blitzed in 3rd and long, but Maddox got the ball off to receivers underneath. It wasn't a lack of taking chances that got us beat, it was an ineffectual offense (1 for 10 in third downs!) and turnovers. The defense kept us in in this game, when we should have been blown out, forcing the Steelers to kick FIVE field goals from short range when they could have had touchdowns because the Bills kept turning it over of giving the Steelers the short field. The Steelers scored at least half their points on turnovers; the Bills D scored a touchdown and set up another.

We need a QB who can MANAGE A GAME, not somebody who has a golden arm and performs miracles. We don't need Peyton Manning, we need Ben Rothleisberger or the equivalent. We need an accurate thrower who doesn't make mistakes. Now that's asking quite a bit, and to be fair, for the second half of the season Bledsoe was able for the most part to play that lesser role. He had a couple of very good games (Miami, for instance) when he was much more than a caretaker. But he also had a number of terrible games (New England, Baltimore) where he was enough all by himself to lose the game. He also made many mistakes, and even when he didn't throw picks was amazingly inaccurate on short passes (against the Browns, against the Bengals) , has no touch on screen passes (Willis's injury pass). IN the first half of this Pittsburgh game he was TERRIBLE. He held the ball much too long and avoided disaster many times by dropped interceptions and the slimmest of margins. I'm not saying get rid of him, but I don't see us winning crucial games aginst good opponents with him under center. Pretty soon if not now it's going to be time to bite the bullet and go in another direction. I will bet that Mularkey and Clements and Wyche will see that.

When the important matter was always and only beating the Steelers. I just hope none of the the players fell into the trap of thinking about the playoffs. It was all about beating the Steelers, and the Bills came out flat and just did not play their "A" game. If anything good comes out of this game, it will be understanding they have to play only the team on the field in front of them. I expect a few personnel changes, and a good chance Bledsoe does not start next season. There's going to be a lot of opportunity for change, but also for staying the course. I respect this coaching staff's ability to make necessary changes without panicking. I don't want to see them go into next season with Lindell kicking FG.

I agree compoletely. Too many mistakes. The obviosu ones like Bledsoe's fumble and Clements fumbling the punt, but also many others like the holding that kept them from having a first and ten inside the Steelers' ten yard line, the many botched third down plays, etc. The upside is that the Bills are a much better team than they were at this time last year. They are close to being a very good team. I, too, am not comfortable with Bledsoe. He's okay if he doesn'tahve to win the game, but when there's pressure on him to make plays, he's as likely to screw up as do something good. Likewise with Lindell, whom I have never trusted to make a clutch field goal, and who proved me right today. I don'[t know if playing Losman would cause them to start slowly next year--I hope not. I'm willing to trust Mularkey's judgment on this, though like all of us I will be watching and judging. A bittersweet season at least it feels that way now. I think in a couple of days we'll alll be able to see this team more clearly and make judgments. This reminds me of the Bills losing to Cleveland in that late 1980s playoff where Kelly was intercepted inside the 10-yard line. That was the setup for the super bowl years. Thanks, Bills, for keeping me interested all season. Let's hope this is the start of successful years to come instead of just a lost opportunity.

Ah, those dreaded hamstring-sternum injuries.

Of course we can lose. But we can win, too. Go Buffalo!

You guys seem to be assuming the Bills are going to beat the Steelers, no problem. I certainly hope they do, but this is going to be a harder test than any game they've had since they lost to New England. Too much woofing going on.

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Bills need to avoid mistakes, turnovers. ("Thanks, Dr. K, that was deep....") They have a lot narrower margin for error in this game. I wonder if they could be too high coming into the game, overpursue on defense and screw up. I expect them to take a series or two to settle down.

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Your new backup change-of-pace back, and a dangerous ballcarrier: Shaud Williams. Just thought I'd bump up my post from the beginning of last week predicting Shaud would do well. Not that the Niners are very good, but I still think Shaud's got bright future. Boy, it's fun to watch the Bills right now. Here's hoping for next week.

Cowbell = RJ

Merry Christmas! Wrapping paper and music at our home.

Game Time Decision=Mularkey does not want the Niners to assume McGahee will NOT be playing Sunday--but he probably will not start, and won't play unless absolutely necessary. IMHO