BillsVet

DJ has to be involved, AVP looked good on MNF and now this.

I can't help but remember how Edwards wanted DJ back when the season ended last December. It almost seemed ridiculous that the starting QB wanted what we hoped to be a lame duck HC back. As time goes by, I can't help but agree with this post because Edwards has become DJ personified on the field: a no risk, no reward type of decision maker. Edwards has made some deeper throws, and I believe he can be a good QB. But the question must be asked: Does DJ destroy QB's? His game-plans surprise no one, and the QB has been clearly trained to dump it down. Is the QB given some leeway to make decisions on the field? I don't think so, especially when you consider DJ's hired 3 OC's in 4 seasons.

(EDIT: But) Russ Brandon knows exactly what he's doing, and Ralph never interferes with football decisions. No one can assume DJ is going anywhere, not matter how poorly the team finishes in 2009. And even if he is mercifully kicked to the curb, why would anyone think he'll be replaced with a name coach? I could see RW hiring April, because he'll come at a fraction of the price Holmgren, Gruden, Cowher, or anyone with a good track record will demand. RW his hired one name coach since the merger, and that was when he was a young 60 back in 1978. He isn't spending 5M+ on a coach at 91. No way.

Bell won't dress today, but you may hear a lot of "Holding, #79 offense" and "Holding #73 offense"

Why should DJ be expected to out-coach Sparano? He couldn't beat the guy twice last season, and now the Bills have serious problems at OT. I expect Miami to bring a lot of rushers from outside against TE. DJ and AVP couldn't figure it out last week, and DJ has never been a coach who adapts in-game all that well. This is an early must win game.

DJ coached teams have typically not committed many penalties. This season, a number of Bills are being flagged, particularly their rookies. According to a Tim Graham article Demetrius Bell, Jairus Byrd, Eric Wood, Shawn Nelson, and Nic Harris have combined for 14 penalties for 94 yards in three games. Bills fans have been inundated with talk that DJ is a good teaching coach. For a team that was disciplined a few years ago, this is a big step in the wrong direction. The penalty issue also underscores another point: that the Bills are getting younger and not really more experienced each year. Maybin, Wood, Byrd, Levitre, Nelson, and Bell are 6 guys who have never before started in the NFL, but are being counted on in 2009. It shouldn't surprise anyone that they've been whistled significantly. I would expect after four off-seasons of rebuilding the Bills would be better than this. For the record, MIA is one of the least flagged teams in the AFCE. Penalties will be a issue tomorrow as well, with Byrd, Levitre, Wood, and Nelson probably getting a lot of playing time.

I'm not challenging your fanhood by saying this, but being at the game gives a whole new vantage point as opposed to watching at home. That said, Owens and Evans were getting open, and you don't have to get behind the coverage to do this. The greatest skill a WR can have is the ability to get separation from the defender. This requires solid route running and a good understanding of when the ball will be thrown. I'm not saying Evans and Owens are the best route runners, but they were open, and Edwards elected to throw short. Protection wasn't terrible, but Edwards has been holding onto the ball longer than he should. It's almost as if he doesn't trust himself, the receivers, or both.

Walker was set up to fail, although we'll never know for sure if it was intentional. The man had never played LT for more than 2 games in his career, and that was as a stop-gap. The team was telling him to play a position which he wasn't cut out for. I don't think they let him go to give him the short end of the stick. The staff probably saw he had regressed considerably and would not hold up at LT. So they cut him, rather than shift the guy back to RT, and thus make huge changes to an already flipped OL. But I'm sure his contract made it easier, simply because he'd count against their cap, but it wouldn't be much spent. IIRC, his contract was front loaded. But the bonus money is spread over the length of the deal.

Oher and Williams are completely different players. The former is a 320 pound LT who is very nimble and athletic. Mike Williams was a RT weighing about 375. The skill set for RT's versus LT's is very different, as a LT is valued for their ability to pass block, whereas the RT should be adept at run blocking. Generally, opposing pass rushers line up opposite the LT. That said, there is a premium placed on good LT's. I count 14 LT's (who will or are expected to play the position) taken in the first round from 05-09: Jammal Brown, D. Ferguson, Joe Thomas, Joe Staley, Jake Long, Duane Brown, Ryan Clady, Branden Albert, Chris Williams, Sam Baker, Oher, Eugene Monroe, Andre Smith, and Jason Smith. The Bills entered the season with an offensive line held together with duct tape and baling wire. It wasn't all that solid in 08, but they insisted that everything was fine when it wasn't. Who precisely evaluates pro and amateur talent that they didn't see a definite problem with having Walker, Butler, and Bell as their OT's? Because that is and will continue to haunt the team this season. Fans may continue to malign Jason Peters, but it's clear that despite a poor 2008, he'd be a lot better as a veteran that what the team has now at OT. The key was, RW and company didn't have to pay his salary. And that's what mattered most.

One of the teams tied for the biggest drop in wins from one season to the next? None other than the 2002 Bears, who went frm 13-3 to 4-12. Good thing no one had the sense to hire (EDIT the guy who coached that team.)

How many safeties in the NFL do you think run a 4.85 40? Because that's what Harris ran at the combine. You cannot be that slow and play in the secondary in the NFL. Perhaps in HS, not in the pros. Teams cannot flip players around and expect that guy to excel at multiple positions. Safety to LB back to safety. The game is too complex for rookies to know how to play vastly different positions. If the Bills is such a safety talent, why was he immediately moved to LB upon being drafted?

This is your standard response anytime facts are interjected into the argument. It's weak, uninspired, and ridiculous. I, like most posters on this board enjoy the Bills. But both myself and many others cannot stand to see the team continue to make bad personnel moves, retain a bad head coach, and lose games in the most painful fashion. People come to this board to discuss the team, and when they're not winning, they're going to talk about it. Keep defending the team like you did last year when they imploded down the stretch. And then we'll get to your favorite part of the year: the off-season. From January through July you can wax prophetic about how the team will be better next season.

And Walker isn't even on the team anymore!

They also use high picks to replace departed free agents. Whitner replaced Milloy, Lynch replaced McGahee, Posluszy replaced Fletcher, McKelvin replaced Clements, et al. How can a team ever improve if they're getting younger each season? The Bills have not traded down in a draft in years, and instead of invoking the Parcells mindset, get rid of picks to move up when they're in need all over the place. The OT and LB depth is razor thin, and yes, they do over-draft DB's which shouldn't come as any surprise. When you spend precious resources on DB's, not surprisingly they're thin at places like OL and DT. It's been amateur hour at OBD since Marv took over. The act has changed, but the result remains the same:mediocrity.

No one has signed Jon Runyan, which speak volumes about his ability to hold up. But the OT's are among the poorest in the NFL. Bell was a 2 year project when drafted, Chambers was recently released, Scott was cut from Detroit, and Meredith couldn't make the team for OT starved Green Bay. I guess saving money by not paying Peters was worth it. Things could really ugly, especially if one of the guards goes down.

DE's becoming TE's? College S's moving to LB in the NFL, only to move back to S weeks later. A converted WR becoming a S. Rookies occupying 3 OL positions. UDFA's forming the backup LB corps. The list never stops. At this point, it wouldn't surprise me if DJ activated himself and played safety. We are hitting rock bottom.

And he'll punt at his 29 down 10 points with 7:41 remaining in the game. You actually defend this guy? Hasn't Cynical demonstrated ad nauseam how bad DJ is over his career? Do you think it's a coincidence that 8 out of 9 seasons he's had a losing team?

Three weeks in and we're resorting to street FA's already? Those first two names, Schweigert and Todd Johnson were cut from two of the worst teams in the NFL. This season is eerily reminiscent of what occurred in 2007 when a whole bunch of guys no longer in the NFL (Leon Joe, anyone?) had to play when injuries inevitably started.

A lot of people figured DJ would change after narrowly keeping his job last December 30th. He never had any intention of doing anything different. He plays it safe, hoping to eke out a win at the last moment. DJ does not regularly put his players in a position to win. I'll yield that Edwards needs to make some throws, but it's still no coincidence that he's become a lot like his HC. It is my sincere hope that TE starts going against what DJ calls up, because I think he has a lot of sway over the offensive game plan.

And you were one of those fans not concerned last year when the team was 5-2 after the Jets loss. It's probably easier not to worry, even though there's a train worth of pain coming down the tracks. You cannot deny it's been this way for a long time now. But don't stop making excuses.

I would think that after rebuilding the team since 2006 that Buffalo could feature slightly better depth and contend for a division title. But there are enough fans happy to have a team and not really interested in having being good. And why are we supposed to accept that DJ is good enough in December, when the coaching axe is coming down across the league. Too many Bills fans accept mediocrity and explain it away with wimpy excuses. Indy and Pittsburgh are small markets.

Dallas MNF in 07 should have been the end. Finishing 2-8 in 08 should have been the end. The list goes on and on. You've raised a subjective issue that astute fans notice. As important as players have to make plays, coaches need to put their players into position to make those plays. When DJ devises no-guts play-calling and bend but don't break defenses, it's indeed hard to win. But far be it from uneducated casual fans to see that coaches, while not obvious, make decisions which can kill a team or help it win. There's a reason why DJ has had teams with a losing record in 8 of 9 complete seasons and is 20+ games under .500.

There's a reason Harris was moved to LB in the pros. And it's got nothing to do with his size, but rather his lack of speed. Harris as safety at combine He ran a 4.85 40 at the combine. I don't know of many DB's that run that slow and play the position, even if they're in the box. Harris may play close to the LOS, but he's an absolute liability in coverage.

No NFL roster will ever have the talent some of those Bills teams had in the late eighties/early nineties. But looking at the Bills roster right now, it's amazing how thin the Bills are, especially at LB and OT. Even in the age of parity, the Bills are woefully short at a few positions. The backup LB's consist of former UDFA's Marcus Buggs, Ashlee Palmer, Jon Corto, and 5th round converted S Nic Harris. It's no wonder the team cannot sustain even one injury at the position before they're desperate. And in true DJ fashion, none of those LB's weigh more than 240 pounds. At OT, the team decided against signing Peters, who they said could be replaced by Walker. LW was eventually cut, paving the way for a project player taken in the 7th round of 2008, Demetrius Bell. When he went down Sunday, it was former cut Kirk Chambers playing LT of all positions. Now we hear that Jonathan Scott, a cut from Detroit may get some PT there this week. Then again, protecting the QB who is supposed to throw to those high priced receivers isn't all that important, is it? The Bills are depending on 5 rookies to either start or be primary backups who get plenty of playing time: Maybin, Wood, Byrd, Levitre, and Nelson. Injuries cannot be an excuse when the roster is stocked with so little talent and having TO doesn't make up for thinning the roster of decent talent. Whoever actually builds this team has absolutely no idea what they're doing. Converting Nic Harris back to safety is another indication they're throwing stuff at a wall thinking it'll stick.

As long as DJ is the HC, the offense will struggle. He's on his 3rd OC in four seasons with Buffalo and 5th in nine seasons as a HC. I'll grant that Trent is really struggling right now, primarily because he cannot trust himself or his WR's not named Josh Reed. I personally saw Owens and Evans get open consistently from my seat in 123. The game-plan worked for three quarters, but once again the defense wilted in the fourth quarter when they were on the field far too much. The C2 is beaten when an opponent runs the ball down your throat. And how often have we seen teams do just that to Buffalo? Cleveland and the Giants in 07, and NO on Sunday. I realize the game plan was to limit the Saints, but NO capitalized and adapted to what DJ wanted to do: they ran the ball effectively and DJ nor Fewell had no answer. On offense, AVP couldn't find a way to neutralize the Saints' pressure. How about some slants or bubble screens.