BillsVet

It's been said ad nauseam, but the tackle statistic ranks with passer rating as the most useless number. Tell me how many are TFL's or within the first 2 yards of the LOS.

Every game they seem to retreat from the run sooner and sooner.

The hype for 2011 begins January 3rd.

It's not if, but when with this team. As in, when do they turn it over.

There's been plenty of recent praise for the OL, and while not allowing as many sacks (Fitz helps A LOT there) they still don't get a push against good defensive fronts. Leading up to and after the draft some around here were ridiculed for suggesting a RB doesn't make the OL better, and that's precisely what's happening now. Fitz is the QB in 2011, but LT and RT aren't set by any means. That is, unless they take a CB and tell us they're the most exciting player available.

SF re-signed Vernon Davis to a long term contract in September. Not to be a grinch, but I don't see the Bills wading deeply into free agency again this year. Provided a CBA is in place when the new league year begins on 3/1, Buffalo probably looks for the low end guys in free agency. Since spending wildly on Dockery and Walker in 07, Buffalo has done the following in UFA the past 3 years: 2008 Stroud (trade), Spencer Johnson, K. Mitchell 2009 Fitzpatrick, Hangartner, Florence, TO 2010 D. Edwards, A. Davis, C. Green They're not going to get into a bidding war and spend big dollars, so the marquee names will be out.

I don't think it's a poor reflection at all. Just means that people aren't interested in the team to sell out a the home finale. I would bet Christmas has something to do with it, but come on, they're 4-10, have no marketable stars, and are about to go without a playoff appearance for 11 consecutive seasons. This is more a case of apathy than anything else. Had Mr. Salvatore not purchased the tickets, this would have been the 4th blackout of the season out of 7 true home games. The fans are tired and disinterested because what they see on the field is mediocre. As for the OP, RW is a businessman and he does not need to pay for those tickets, even though the team can buy them back for 34 cents on the dollar. No one should call RW a scrooge or evil for not ponying up all that money to buy those tickets and produce a televised game. OTOH, he must make this team better with financial support or risk losing more ST holders in 2011, provided there's a season.

No, most fans don't expect every rookie to tear in up their first year. But 9th overall picks playing the easiest position to transition into the NFL should deliver more than 351 yards from scrimmage in 12 games. He may well become an excellent back, but this season is almost a wash.

The NFL is a cut throat business plain and simple. You don't pay for performance as much as you do for potential if it's done right and teams don't re-sign players because they're locker room leaders. It's about production and whether the player brings value to the team and if they can help the team win. Kelsay is a liability in the 34 and average on a good day as a base end in a 43. Only the Bills would throw that kind of cash at a guy for being a locker room leader who can't get to the QB and can't play in their new defensive scheme. And people wonder why no one wants to coach or be the GM in Buffalo.

As someone wonderfully put it, he leads the NFL in hits delivered after TD catches. No one questions the work ethic, but he's not the type to get a pay raise over his rookie contract. I think the Bills know they'll have a high pick come April and are preparing for it.

Every year the Bills have beaten teams that were bad to mediocre. Winning 7, 7, 7, and 6 games the past 4 seasons got some fans excited that they'd finally turned the corner. It turned out they ran into another wall. Now they've started the process again and people want to feel good. They need a signature win, say against a division rival like NE, to demonstrate something. Not all opponents are created equal.

I think he's getting a good deal out of a low talent roster with issues all over the field. But then again, so did DJ in that 2006 season when Buffalo went 7-9 in the first year of that rebuild. Looking at their wins, it's home to DET, at CIN, home CLE, and now at MIA. CIN, CLE, and even MIA may be making changes at HC. DET is horrendous on the road. It sure looks like they're just getting to play teams with similar talent like Fewell did last season. Chan needs help from the people upstairs to get this team back to respectability. If that doesn't happen this off-season, provided there's no labor issues, then I don't know what more he can do with middling talent scraped from the late rounds, UDFAs, and street free agents. You win games by having superior talent and with a dose of smart solid coaching.

Gailey on Spiller "Great backs do make your line better," Bills head coach Chan Gailey said. "I don't tell this to the offensive line, and you're going to write it... but I'll deny I said it. But that's what happens... You saw tonight why we drafted C.J." Shall we debate what the word "is" really means now?

Can I ask Chan if he still thinks Spiller makes the OL better?

To say Spiller wasn't expected to make an impact his rookie season is absurd. Why would you select a RB top 10 and then not expect them to get major touches? Tennessee didn't take Chris Johnson with the thought of him being a 3rd down back who played some special teams. Spiller doesn't have and won't approach 1,500 yards from scrimmage in 2010. He's at 351 in 12 games right now who's been an a better PR than a KR. I don't remember when KR and PR yardage was included in the yards from scrimmage statistic. Besides, I might argue the OL that took the field this year was better than last year's, given the lack of injuries and experience the younger guys now have. To cite the rushing yard per carry average as proof that the OL is the cause for FJ and CJ not being as good is ridiculous.

Woodhead undoubtedly benefits in his 3rd down role from playing behind a good OL. Problem is, Spiller's a 9th round pick that can't get on the field and was, according to Gailey, supposed to make the OL better. That's not happening, and even though he'll be around for awhile, he's behind in his transition to the pro game. They needed an immediate impact from their first round pick and haven't gotten it, OL or not.

You're conflating the argument by really comparing the Eagles to the Bills? They shouldn't even be in the same sentence, and as flawed as a team can be, Philly is atop the NFCE. You can't deny that some here revel in moral victories for a team not expected to win. It's been happening since 2006 but the problem remains that in their previous 2 rebuilds this decade the franchise never got over the hump and started winning those games. It's why I need to see it first before anointing them as a developing team. They're a long way away from being that.

Modrak did nothing. He just compiled information and never advocated a certain player who would become a bust. After all, he wanted Cutler over Whitner, wanted Cushing over Maybin, and probably would have taken Revis over Lynch . That guy is teflon around here and it's partly due to him covering his tracks by leaking information to his buddies like Pasquarelli. How does anyone know what goes on at OBD? Overdorf is the VP of Football Operations, which seems like a fairly lofty title. And with no cap this season, what precisely does he do? Nix is the GM sure, but it doesn't mean he's the decider.

They did, just not in the form of an INT or fumble. Not a good series.

It's times like this you have to wonder when, not if the turnover happens.

Hey...it's Bill Macatee and Rich Gannon. And there was much rejoicing.

I always found it amazing that Lombardi said after losing the 1960 NFL Championship to Philadelphia that his team would never lose another playoff game...and they never did. He went 9-0 in the post-season thereafter. One thing most fans do not know is that Lombardi had a guy working in the front office, akin to a modern day player personnel director named Jack Vainisi who died in 1960. As great as Lombardi was coaching, Vainisi acquired many of those players Lombardi made into stars. Without that, I'm not sure the greatest HC in NFL history gets there. JMO.

That about sums it up right there. How many other teams can do these things and still get the fan support the Bills do? Of course, they're looking at failing to sell out 4 of 7 real home games this season. How soon before they begin saying the fans don't support the team? Only thing I'd add to this list is Overdorf and Modrak remaining in the front office as long as they have.

Reading between the lines has become a lost art. Tom Condon want big money for his client? No way, I need a source! Would not surprise me if DW wants 6-7M per and Buffalo is countering with 3-4M per. He's going to find out his value the hard way.

You could make the case the Bills are cutting payroll, although in fairness many teams across the NFL are doing that in anticipation of the union decertifying. This is a cost over replacement argument, not necessarily about whether to re-sign the guy. He's not an impact player, but it sounds on the surface like he wants to be paid like one. If the team thinks they can get similar production at less cost, they'll do it and save the money in the long and short term. Buffalo's roster is stocked with predominantly lower to mid range paid players. It wouldn't shock me to see payroll cut even further, given that I don't see the team playing in UFA should the. That is, provided the CBA is worked out.