BillsVet

My opinion of DJ would not change based on this one game, especially when you consider the debilitating losses over the past 3+ seasons. Bills fans are experiencing the same nauseating type of losses as Bears fans did from 99-03, save for the miracle 01 season. No one should expect anything different from the HC, because his track record is too long to believe he'll ever change. I anticipate seeing the same conservative play not to lose game-plan DJ is famous for. And given that DJ has missed the playoffs in 7 of 8 years, I won't even consider the post-season. At a minimum, Buffalo needs to go 9-2 in their final 11 to even think of a playoff berth.

When all else fails for some TBD'ers, fall back on how they are in pro football and individual posters aren't. It's a woeful attempt at argument suppression in the face of facts and logic. When you begin a rebuild project in 2006 and aren't on track to make the playoffs in 2009, it's called failure. Nothing less than absolute failure. Levy is a big part of it.

And would it surprise anyone that Brandon remains the GM after this season is over? I guess they like continuity without accountability. When was the last time a LT in his prime was traded? Leave it to the Bills to be the first ones because they seem to know better than the other 31 teams in the NFL.

Well, the past two seasons the Bills haven't played well when the temperature drops, which obviously isn't relevant this season. They plain stink when the weather is good, which I didn't explain well. They need a physical football team that out-muscles opponents, and they don't have it. IIRC, Jim Schwartz and Tony Sparano are two coaches who insisted (the latter with Parcells input) that off-season workouts feature heavy weight lifting and less on other stuff. I know the Cover 2 can work, but it absolutely must have the right personnel to run it. The Bills don't have those players and consistently wear down. I'm thinking the next first round pick for the Bills is either a OT or DL. And yet we used 3 top picks on OL and DL this past season, though Maybin was a project and not big enough.

I also remember RB saying the Bills had offered Peters the largest contract in team history. That's somewhat misleading, as NFL deals aren't guaranteed. But I don't think it'd be out of the question to say the contract was 6 yrs and 9M per. At 54M total, it's less (in total dollars) than what Peters received in Philadelphia but more than Schobel received 2 years ago. Peters may not singlehandedly win games for his new team, but he's a far cry from losing them. Even factoring the cost, his being on this team would mean the line wouldn't change like it did, and the need to draft a LT (Bell is nowhere near ready) wouldn't be there either.

I'm tired of hearing how the defense played well, but broke down in the fourth quarter of games. This has been a major problem of DJ era teams, particularly when the weather turns bad, as you've indicated repeatedly. The Bills show 3 DLineman who are under contract for 2010 that will be 30 or older. There's still much to do there. Meanwhile, the OT's are collectively very poor and lacking talent. Again, this team will need to go big early, and I wouldn't mind seeing seeing a DT or LT. Buffalo needs to win when the temps dip. They haven't done that against quality competition (remember the home Giants game in 07) in a long time.

Bill, the joke is that people think this team is competing for the playoffs. Anyone with half a brain knew when the Bills retained their HC and dismantled the OL that it was not going anywhere. I've only been a season ticket holder for three seasons now since I got off active duty. Short of revamping the front office and hiring a proven HC (there is no requirement they need one of the name coaches) I can't see myself dealing with the same stuff we've witnessed since TD was fired. If the first pick in next years draft isn't an OT, something's dreadfully wrong. Not that you didn't know already.

You cannot be serious. McCargo with the Ravens coaching and their scheme (even if they needed a 3 technique DT, which they don't use) would fail. Haloti Ngata is one of the league's best DT's, and he can play in a 4-3 or 3-4. Coaching cannot inspire unmotivated players, and cannot make up for a lack of talent. McCargo can't get on the field in an average DT rotation, while Ngata is dominating. Marv's coaching resume pales in comparison to his time as GM, or consensus-maker. Either way, he led an organization that failed twice on draft day 06, UFA 06-07, and his HC. That's why this team is in the doldrums.

Marv was set up to fail when he came aboard as quasi-GM. And he predictably did for a number of reasons. He and RW hired the wrong HC who convinced them to build this team with small players and inferior lineman. And they spent valuable resources chasing bad UFA's in 06-07. At the same time, Marv's failures as a GM demonstrate beyond belief that Bill Polian had more to do with the glory years successes. For the record, I did not expect him to admit his failures on WGR yesterday, but it's obvious he's in complete denial. Or he doesn't want to speak badly about his friend Wilson's team and lose whatever position he has with the team. He is not an impartial commentator on the sorry state of the Buffalo Bills.

JH and the organization he works for are in a class by themselves. The fact they've allegedly got a HC who hit an assistant makes the Bills look minor league. Nine (going on 10) seasons without the playoffs, DJ's mere presence, Toronto, and the owner refusing to talk about the team spells fan discontent. I still say this could get worse than TD's final year in Buffalo. I agree, their response to controversy has been amateurish. The Ring ceremony last week, questions about no-huddle, Schonert's firing, Jason Peters, et al. It all shows that the Bills are getting desperate to avoid answering all the legitimate questions about what's going on as they crash and burn in 2009.

Is John Herrera from the Raiders advising the Bills PR folks? I think it's funny all the different PR miscues which happened in just the past week.

Don't forget his two Chicago OC's: Gary Crowton and John Shoop who are not in the NFL anymore. 5 OC's in 9 seasons and four of them do not cash a NFL paycheck.

I suppose if there's a collection of say, Polian, Butler, and AJ Smith then consensus isn't bad. But with Marv, Brandon, Guy, and Modrak, it's not a coincidence they've struggled to build a roster. Either way, they'll need to revamp the front office to have a chance next season. It's going to take a rebuild, which no one wants to admit. There's a certain degree of cooperation required between the GM, personnel guys, and head coach. So there ought to be some coordination in UFA and on draft day. But when all is said and done, I expect a strong GM to make the final decision and not hope to satisfy everyone by taking the safe route. But this is Ralphie's team, and the only strong decision maker is him, and it's a pipe dream to think he'll allow anyone to do this.

Consensus is not how teams are built. All it does is attempt to appease multiple opinions and personalities and gets you average type players. From what I've read, Bill Polian fought hard to make the trade for Cornelius Bennett, while Marv Levy wasn't crazy about it at first. If consensus was used, perhaps Bennett does not wind up in Buffalo. I'm sure guys like Jerry Reese (NYG) Polian, Tom Dimitroff (ATL), and AJ Smith aren't worried about building consensus. They're too busy running the personnel for a NFL team. A leader takes the recommendations from their advisors and makes the best decision for the team. Donahoe may not have worked, but it's no reason to avoid finding someone who knows what they're doing for fear they could alienate others in the front office. It's not a popularity contest, it's the NFL.

The breaking point between fans and the team is a lot closer, IMO, than most people think. Keeping Dick Jauron, trading Peters, firing Schonert just before the season (he did need to go), not firing DJ after the recent games, and the owner postponing his HOF ring ceremony are examples of the dysfunction. One or two of these moves might not be enough, but these things happened in one off-season. It'll only get worse as this debacle of a season continues. The franchise is being exposed with each passing day as amateurish, insecure, and ultimately avoiding the truth. Fans are seeing that the team is not being honest and aren't interested in having a winner, unless of course they happen to luck into one. In order to get this team back on track, the team needs to start making long term decisions. But with a 91 year old owner, moves like hiring a real GM, hiring a proven HC, and building for the long haul probably aren't going to happen. Nice post.

And people wonder why DJ's teams don't fare all that well on offense. In DJ's defense, the roster he has is extremely thin, and the weakness on OL hurts him.

If that's the case, why does Brandon attend the scouting combine? Is that his annual vacation? Guy and Modrak advise. Brandon is now the GM, even though he's not qualified for the job and Dick Jauron has some say on draft weekend.

Frankly, there's nothing more to say about the franchise, owner, coach, and players. Nothing. I sit in 123 and Sunday's game was brutal, as I'm sure most fans would agree who witnessed that football debacle. I admit returning in 2009 to see TO, but the product seems to worsen each season. That said, I've got to re-evaluate how much I'm going to commit if the team is using gimmicks and keeping the same failed crew. Each fan has a threshold for how much they're willing to take. I'm 30, and between the decade of losing and owner's advanced age, there's very little to keep watching in person for. Unless of course they hire some people who know what they're doing. Personally, I doubt it but who knows with RW.

I posted the article because he specifically mentioned the Bills. Not because I necessarily agree with it. For the record, I don't think Whitner is a journeyman, nor is just Bannan a fine player. It is Wilson's fault, and Brandon's masquerading as a GM is a result.

Funny but sad stuff: "McCargo is a bust who has never started a game; Whitner is a journeyman-level performer, McKelvin and Posluszny are perennially injured. Meanwhile, Leonhard, Greer and Haggan are playing like stars for the Jets, Saints and Broncos, while Bannan is often on the field for the Ravens. Had Buffalo simply kept Leonhard, Greer, Haggan and Bannan and used the draft choices and money on other players, it might now be a real team. Time to recognize that Buffalo general manager Russ Brandon is Matt Millen: The Sequel." TMQ 10/13/09

For me, nothing short of a complete rebuild of the front office and a new HC will get me to come back. Even if DJ is fired at some point (I won't believe it until it happens) a new HC without reorganization of the front office probably won't change anything.

This is what happens when owners think they can build a winner. Owners may know a little, but not enough to build a winning football team. Wilson, Snyder, Mike Smith, Al Davis, and Jerry Jones have all failed trying to build good teams. I wish RW would humble himself and hire someone from the outside who will be held responsible. But that won't happen because TD failed, making RW fall back on people he knows. Besides, RW is a stubborn man who will keep doing things wrong so he doesn't have to do what people outside his group recommend. This is Ralph's team now. It's not Brandon's, Jauron's, or anyone else's. He is hurting whatever legacy he think he's got by being this bad at hiring coaches and signing players. Only the fans will tell him the truth.

Something's going on at OBD that probably wouldn't sit well with fans. The fact is, there's very little available in street free agency or practice squads going to help this team now. They made their bed with razor thin depth and players who just aren't good. The Bills are not in the business of making long term moves anymore. Or, if they sign a UFA to a 3-4 year contract, it's for little to moderate money. I feel much of this has been decided in light of the owner's advanced age.

Do you remember the ST unit which took the field in 07 and went out the door in 08? Guys like Haggan (who admittedly was suspended and not re-signed) along with Coy Wire and Josh Stamer. April did well with last year's ST'ers, but this year he doesn't have the guys. Guys like Nic Harris just aren't all that great, at least not yet. I'm tired of excuses. Wendling, although not capable of being a defensive starter, is pretty good. As is Justin Jenkins and Corto. McIntyre made a nice tackle as well.

I felt sorry for my grandfather when he was in his mid to late 80s and his friends were gone. All the people he hunted with at a camp in the southern tier had passed, leaving him as the final one. I'm sure RW is like that with his friends from the early days. At this point, I can't see RW okaying a complete rebuild from GM through HC. I completely agree he's in that comfort zone, because 91 year old men do not make long term plans. Besides, why would he make huge financial commitments to players and coaches when the team could got up for sale? RW's insistence on remaining the owner is holding back the future of this team. The irony is his presence may be holding the team here. It's nice that he was recognized for his leadership in the heady days of the AFL, but IMO, he's hurting his legacy with this recent 10 year stretch of inept management. Ever since he called for Johnson to start over Flutie, this franchise has gotten almost everything wrong.