BillsVet

How many times must it be noted that ownership, i.e. management, is directly responsible for this failure? The culture at OBD is a reflection of the owner, who while elderly, remains ultimately responsible. Unfortunately, I don't think any of RW's handlers have the nerve to tell him that firing anyone will make for an interesting employee search. And who's going to lead it? Brandon again? The other 31 teams have to laugh when Brandon gets involved on matters like that.

Organizationally, the GM has waffled on decisions and used resources to cover up his bad decisions. Going from a cover 2 4-3 to a 3-4 and back to a 4-3 under scheme eats up a lot of resources. They tried to accelerate the defensive scheme change and inevitable growing pains by going after UFA's Williams and Anderson. That hasn't worked either. An organization that commits to something as mammoth as a defensive change (or a QB) that fails will always be on the treadmill to nowhere. It's why the Buddy Nix rebuild has failed already: he himself set it back with horrible decisions he needed to get right. And people wonder why real HC's don't want to come to Buffalo.

They can (supposedly) even spending among the 32 NFL franchises with a salary cap. But they'll never be able to evenly distribute talent across the league for owners, GM's, and coaching staffs. If the latter was possible, Buffalo would remain below the minimum for going on the millennium now. Ironic given that Polian was on put on the Wall of Fame yesterday.

Nix's tenure with the Bills has essentially been a reverse Midas touch to a football team. Going with the 3-4, saying Fitz can be their guy, the 2010 draft minus the first round pick, now perhaps the 2011 draft, going to the 4-3, signing Merriman, cutting Moorman, signing Mario and Anderson, trading for Tarvaris Jackson to sit him. Goodness, I could go on and on, but the trend continues this season. BTW, Donahoe was 31-49 or .388 in 5 seasons, Marv/DJ/Brandon from 06-09 were 27-37 or .422 in 4 seasons. Gailey and Nix 39 games are 13-26 for a .333 winning percentage. They've gone from mediocre to bad and this rebuild has failed.

I guess the coaching search in 2010 has been quickly forgotten. When Brian Schottenheimer, Ron Rivera, Russ Grimm, and John Harbaugh decline to interview, what makes anyone think the Bills could attract a proven type? And just why would guys who want to be HC's not accept an interview? There is something catastrophically wrong with this franchise and most fans cannot see it until it becomes as obvious as the sun.

1) When you average 220 yards per in your last 15, what can you say in a league dominated by passing. He's not good enough and the scheme is organized to limit his weaknesses. 2) Bringing down Russell Wilson to prop up Fitzpatrick. It's a common tactic employed on TBD to lessen our own team's problems. Of course, Wilson is a rookie who, in his 6th career game, topped Belichick and Brady. Not to say it's a one-man effort, but that's impressive. The Bills with Fitz couldn't do it until their fifth try against NE. Bear in mind Seattle and Buffalo both began rebuilds at the same time, in 2010. 3) There won't be a monster performance in all likelihood. Attack if you must, but offensively the Bills are not doing anything that confuses opponents. Most all of Fitz's throws are down the sideline inaccurate or within 10 yards. Predictability is something they've excelled at. 4) It's debatable, but this is a team and SJ's comments about going back to his old ways make me wonder. Could he be frustrated with this scheme? I saw him chuck his helmet after a missed pass in the NE game and he slammed the bench not long after. I don't expect them to be pals, but WR's need to get the ball and Fitz can't do it enough.

It'll be interesting to see if Nix can or will sign Levitre now and perhaps Wood when his deal expires after 2013. From a value perspective a good LG is worth more than a C, but guards are getting ridiculous contracts in UFA (see Carl Nicks).

You gotta love bloggers looking to draw attention to their articles.

Not quite. Aaron Rodgers was a Ted Thompson pick in 2005 (his first draft) and as he'd planned, took the job over when he felt they could improve on the then-starter, Favre.

They purchased a spare, but it's not ready to use, but they hope in a few thousand miles it'll be good. This is utter sophistry to ask what should the team do now. Even you have to know transactions are made in the off-season and this team has now had 3 to acquire a QB yet failed. And Fitzpatrick has 4 years of starting play to demonstrate he either has it or doesn't, yet the Bills brain trust stubbornly decided to keep things status quo. How many seasons of tape do you need to realize a veteran can't start and play the position? Teams draft college kids into the NFL in the first rounds with less tape. And so the next question you'll ask is who they should have drafted so you can drop the whole hindsight is 20/20 BS. Before you do that, tell me how many franchises rebuild without improving the QB position and going with the previous regime's backup? SF is the only example, and they've got superior coaching and defense. And does a team without an average or above level QB truly rebuild? No, they don't/haven't. This franchise is and has been behind the curve. They make bad decisions at QB and defensive scheme and then spend huge resources covering over them, QB being the most glaring example.

Ieatcrayonz-esque.

Three blowout losses aren't erased from collective fans' minds with 1 three point win over Arizona. It'll take more than that, meaning wins against Tennessee and either NE or Houston.

Gailey lost major points when he did a complete 180 and benched Edwards after committing to him for 2010. Teams being run correctly don't put themselves into position to redirect from the anointed starter. The only other example I can think of is Cleveland, and they're not exactly world-class there. I don't buy that he had less to lose. When you become a HC, the clock is ticking. Fitz is not suddenly going to get hot anymore. Since Week 4 of 2011, he's thrown for more than 300 yards 3 times and Buffalo lost every game. The Chan offense isn't surprising anyone anymore and frankly, teams have figured out that they can't extend the field because Fitz is wildly inaccurate. So they gear up to stop the short pass that Chan calls about 25 times per game.

Gailey benched Trent Edwards after the GB week 2 loss in 2010 and proceeded to start Fitz the next week at NE with presumably less than adequate first team reps. Why is it that outrageous that TJack, after being on the roster for 7 weeks can't play?

LOUD NOISES!

Can he pick up Wannstedt's playbook or will he need the entire season to digest it? Guy said after being cut he wanted to play for a 3-4 team because that scheme fits him best. This makes no sense, because he's simply not a 40 front DE, left or right. Knowing Buddy he gave him guaranteed money too.

It's a great decision by the Bills. Eliminate a QB controversy by taking the leading replacement candidate out of the field. Thigpen is horrible and no sane Bills fan would suggest him to replace Fitz. So, deal for a guy they tell us can't possibly understand the playbook and pay him to do nothing. In no way is TJack some sort of answer, but if anyone thinks that Fitz performance yesterday will win games against better and average teams, look out. No team flubs up the QB position as badly as Buffalo. So it appears in Year 4 of their rebuild (2013) they'll finally search for a real QB.

Because a win over the Cardinals automatically removes blowout losses in three of their first 6, including 2 division rivals. I want to see this team against Houston and New England before anyone declares them improved or on the path to the playoffs.

Chan shoulda been tested when he all but declared and subsequently went with Trent Edwards as his starting QB two years ago. His bad decisions aren't reserved for only he field.

It helps that Arizona's QB's throw INT's before Fitzpatrick could.

Fire Curtis Modkins immediately!

If you take away those two games and the blowout loss to NYJ, they're 2-0. People are panicking because they've given up 1,200 yards in the last two weeks like it hasn't happened in 60 years. It's only 6 quarters they've played poorly in the past 2 weeks.

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/search/Schobel-questions-lack-of-direction The current issues are reminiscent of the situation 3 years ago in the final days of DJ. One wonders if contractually the players aren't permitted to criticize the team. For a franchise with 12 straight non-playoff seasons, dubious HC hires, GM searches restricted to inside the organization, an elderly owner, and what looks like another bad season on the horizon it's time someone did what Schobel did 3 years ago.

I don't know why the Bills locker room has always been quiet. No one's asking for crazy outbursts, but Tashard Choice should be one of the last guys to get up and say something. Where's Kelsay, Kyle Williams, and a few others? IIRC, Aaron Schobel said something about the team after the Tennessee loss in 2009, which was DJ's final game. I'm not demanding the HC go right now, but I believe a veteran speaking up could get people out of their comfort zones. Problem is, Gailey seems in shock right now over what's transpired.

6 RW decisions for which Brandon cannot get around that have destroyed the reputation of this franchise since 2000: 1. Ordering Wade Phillips to start Rob Johnson in the 1999 WC game against Tennessee 2. Firing John Butler after a low-ball offer. 3. Suing Phillips by claiming the former HC had quit 4. Hiring Marv Levy 5. Promoting Russ Brandon 6. Hiring Buddy Nix Brandon, no matter how much he talks, cannot deny the franchise could not find veritable candidates for the GM and HC jobs. And the reason remains his boss who runs this team like it was 1970. I just wonder if Brandon has the guts to tell RW that no one wants to work for the organization and that picking Nix and Gailey were emergency hires that predictably have not worked either. Brandon does a solid job of marketing a perennial loser, but it's not getting easier. 44k ST sold even with the biggest signing of team history suggest people aren't buying tickets until this team begins winning again. At the rate they're going it's anyone's guess when that'll happen. Imagine what league personnel types were thinking at the 2008 combine when Smithers was sitting in the stands watching prospects. Little wonder that draft became one of the worst, if not the worst in team history.