BillsVet

A fine and the rule book aren't going to compensate the Bills if the player gets hit hard extending for one of those errant throws. Just huge to have guys like Woods, Williams, and Watkins who can make plays.

Maybe not like Jack Tatum used to, but those receivers were unprotected skying for those passes. Liked the run game gashing Chicago multiple times. They're going to need that all season.

I got worried seeing some passes sailing and requiring those receivers to expose themselves. No doubt they can do it, but NFL DB's are going to knock someone out if that continues. I hope that those throws are more on target. Winning on the road in the NFL is difficult and Chicago isn't a pushover by any stretch. Good win. I think EJ was used appropriately...not having to chuck it 30 times and meshing that with a solid ground game to hit at Chicago's weakness. Defense was bend but don't break, and that's ok when you force 3 turnovers.

I suspect upper management is distancing themselves from Marrone. And by upper management, I look at everyone in the front office including Brandon and Whaley.

Connecting the dots with stories like this is impossible for those seeking to defend all things Bills. If people can't see that current management at OBD are posturing to get a favorable opinion from the new owner, they're ostriches.

I would love for Pegula (let's presume he's the next owner) to do this. I believe people within the league know how dysfunctional this franchise has become, and an experienced senior level football person like Wolf would know the root cause for continued failure is the team's organization. We can only hope Pegula cleans that front office entirely.

Jauron yes, Marrone no. If we can't judge a QB after 1 season, shouldn't that stand for a HC heading into his second season? Yep. Except Brandon (and perhaps Whaley) hired DM, expecting him to toe the company line. And DM isn't doing so at this point, because his career is at stake. Brandon will skate off to the NFL offices, wherever, and all will be well. But DM is in the prime of his coaching career and isn't about to let OBD lifers prevent him from doing what he needs to do to win. Dude may be arrogant, but most successful people have that trait.

I should have said the front office asked Parcells to say something about hiring DM. BP refused because he'd never had him on staff. It was clearly a PR maneuver to gin up support for the hiring. My point is, the Bills got a guy, who like Parcells, doesn't hold back. Bills coaches in recent years have toed the company line more often than not when the team struggled on the field. DM isn't.

Well, Brandon went to lengths to say they'd hired someone from the Parcells coaching line even though Marrone never worked for the Tuna. But maybe, in an indirect way, they did get a more short-tempered, less proven version. The report about the coaches wanting to to fire the training staff in February make more sense now. This has been boiling for months and isn't anything new.

CB97, we can always count on you to exemplify this song:

Oh yeah. Fisher, Joeckel, and Johnson have struggled from what I can see. I would expect a top 5 OT to be a dominant player and while not all can be Walter Jones or Orlando Pace, you have expectations they'll start right away. I think the position is also changing somewhat in that agility is more in demand on the OL. You can't just be big because defenses are attacking and it's LT's and RT's who need to be able to pass block alone. Some high picks aren't as adept but there's time.

So we can define down Buffalo picking a guy who probably won't contribute by highlighting that because it happened before Buffalo isn't so bad? Sure. I don't get the Greg Robinson thing, but Jonathan Cooper was picked last year 7th overall, IR'd for the season, and actually plays guard, not tackle. That doesn't change that him not playing is good. I think most reasonable people here figured Kouandjio would challenge Pears for the starting job. Heck, I think the scouts and coaches figured that as well, because, as we've seen, Pears isn't cutting it at OT. He's kicked inside presumably because Urbik has struggled. A lot of people used to highlight that Buffalo's first round picks weren't busts to indicate that their drafting prowess was fine. Well, second round picks (you can't call them busts or success) should be contributing sooner rather than later in today's NFL. CK was a disaster in camp, so it ain't looking good, but it's not made better because other teams have the same problem. So-so drafting teams will never get ahead.

I can't imagine a writer leaving Buffalo and ending up working for the Browns. What kind of guy changes his media outlet like that? And now he comes back and expects us to welcome him? Clearly a turncoat. kidding Glad he's back.

I must say that the comparison of changing your favorite NFL team to a veteran "turn(ing) your back when things get tough" takes the cake. If that isn't the height of arrogance and sophistry then I'm not sure what is. Same can be said for those who invoke the name Judas in a serious manner to draw the same type parallel. This isn't war. This isn't religion. It's a freaking football team. Now we've got people preaching what "loyalty" is based on which team you follow in a sport played by people most of us don't even know. And it's worth noting that several good posters no longer come to this board because this is the type of in-fighting we see when people can't just agree to disagree. I guess this is the "new" civility. And I could give a damn that someone ignores me. I don't really care.

Because banning things is how we solve issues and debate in modern society. How about actually debating someone rather than taking the easy route of suppressing their argument through force? Or is that too difficult? There's a lot of intolerance of others opinions around here. As Patton once said, "if everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking." I frankly don't care who you ignore because it's clear that you can't tolerate anyone who thinks differently. If you accept failure in the name of fan-hood, more power to you. I don't and if that's worthy of your bluster here, so be it.

Thanks Trooth, been a long time. Good post. Everyone's entitled to an opinion, specifically those they can back up. I wonder if the discussion between Marrone and Whaley on the practice field last week had to do with the front office debating paying Orton given the uncertain QB situation. Who knows, but Marrone could not have been excited about Manuel after his pre-season performance. DM also doesn't seem like the kind of guy who plays soldier when he's fighting a losing battle and made it known he was not pleased.

If he channels his inner Sonny Jurgensen as much on the field as he does off, it, well, we're gonna be OK.

And I think, by signing Orton, that they admit EJ hasn't developed as quickly as they'd like. So many factors are contributing to the decision to sign Orton, namely the idea they must win this year. There are no excuses left with Sammy on board combined with the other offensive weapons. It's a good sign, albeit late, that they acknowledge the QB position wasn't appropriately addressed. I'm guessing that's why Marrone and Whaley were at odds on the field while Trusst Brandon looked on.

Does that idea make one an "EJ hater"?

Not until it became painfully obvious that the options (now released) weren't suitable. And after the starter struggled as well.

Why stop there? Whaley and company should get credit for signing Kolb to be their starter in 2013 and deciding he should start over a 1st round pick And, when Kolb inexplicably was injured they recovered and brought in Thad Lewis, he of 1 NFL start in 3 NFL seasons to backup Manuel. This is a completely different front office, despite having many of the same senior management, personnel directors, and scouts, They're changing the culture. If only they'd been in place since 2010.

729 touches from scrimmage in 4 seasons, producing 17 TD's and 4,091 yards. I suspect they'll let him walk given that he'll be 28 when the 2015 season begins, hasn't produced, and is frequently nicked up.

I'm glad this organization has dedicated itself to winning and is finally getting down to business after the last 14 seasons.

You mean the same guy who it took more than a year to get a backup QB?

Marrone obviously agrees.