VirginiaMike

I see many folks posting who are bailing or have bailed on the Bills this year because of this losing streak and them no longer in the playoff hunt. The disappointment runs high after posting 5-2 start to finish this way - understood. It could be said that it's a case of bait and switch. Here's the beautiful sports car after 7 games, and now are 13 games here is the clunker. It raises the disappointment level and therefore enjoyment of watching greatly. A better way to look at it is to measure where the Bills are now based upon what you expected before the season started. Only the rooster-eyed optimists thought the Bills were a playoff team at the start of the season. I consider myself an optimist, but to be honest I expected nothing better than 7-9 or 8-8 this season. We can still get there, but the way we've played it's unlikely. What I'm saying is that I never expected the playoffs at season start so why am I now disappointed that the Bills are out of the playoffs. Measure your reaction to this season based against your expectations at the beginning of the year and you'll be less disappointed and better able to watch these last 3 games and root for the Bills. Just my opinion!

I think of the last game of the season when we played Pittsburg needed a win to make it to the playoffs (not sure of the date, but it was the Bledsoe era)). Pittsburg had clinched it's position so they played many, many back-ups and we still got whipped. That really hurt!

Wishing Wade all the best. He got the short end of the stick here in Buffalo. Hope this is not serious or life threatening.

I was in San Diego when the Bills whooped up on the eagles and watched the game with the Bills backers in PB Ale House. They were a great hosts. I'm sure they had a great time celebrating the Bills visiting San Diego, at least till the game started.

Sorry, but Wilson is NOT a top 5 safety. He's maybe the top half of the league, but certainly not top 5. Moorman is past his prime so I'm not sure he's top 5 anymore. To his defense our coverage teams are not good now, which makes his job harder. Williams had one great year, but I'm not sure that makes him top 5 overall. I do buy Eric Woods as a top 5 center and Jackson as a top 5 RB.

I disagree -- look at the most prolific pass offenses in the league -- Green Bay, New Orleans, and New England. None of them have wideouts taken in the top half of the draft. I'm not sure any of the receivers were taken in the first round. Of course they have the 3 best QB's in the league. So -- is it the wideouts or is it the QB's. I think it's the QB that can make a decent wodeoout very good and a poor QB can make a great wideout average. I want defense -- pass rushing OLB, and a cornerback. I'd also like to be in a 4-3, but that's a different thread.

I'm guessing the elite posts are not comming from elite posters

I agree - our two best D-Lineman are both D-Tackles in a 4-3 and we have guys who can play a 4-3 D-End. We have NOBODY who can play the 3-4 OLB, but we do have linebackers who can play a 4-3 OLB. I don't think we have a great choice as a 4-3 MLB so that would be a need. In either case, the scheme (3-4 or 4-3) needs to fit the players you have. Our great talent finders havn't found the talent for a 3-4 in 2 years. The Deadskins moved to a 3-4 at the same time we did and they've found their front 7 package whereas we have not.

Not buying it. If your defense can't get off the field, all you have is an offense that looks good sitting on the bench. As others have said, you don't need the #1 defense in the league (although that NEVER hurts), but you do need to make some stops and be able to give your offense a chance to score. When the Bills defense was getting turnovers and putting the team in positions to score, the Bills were winning. They made stops with turnovers, but did not necessarily force alot of punts. Now, we don't make stops via either turnovers or forcing punts so you see -- we don't win. Give me some more defense (and better yet a D coordinator what can help put the players in a position to make stops) and I'll be a happy guy. That's dead last in sacks while getting 10 in one game vs the Deadskins -- I think a total of 7 in the other 10 games. That's pathetic!

I agree -- the Deadskins are in as bad a shape. They do have an owner who will spend money, but the problem there is that he's an "impulse" buyer and doesn't spend it wisely. I agree with you on overrated coach -- i would not take Shanahan over Gailey, but there are a number I would take over either one.

It was a bad choice for the Bills - period. They obviously needed soooo much at a number of positions that taking someone at a position in which they were pretty much set is STUPID. If they were a better team then they could affort this luxury (yes, I said luxury). The Spiller pick was a waste, just like so many of the Bills recent #1 picks. Some were bad because the player was not first round talent, others. like Spiller, we bad because they did not fulfill a need. Spiller is a good player, but not worthy of a #9 pick by the Bills.

I really like my Sunday Ticket and the info you've gotten here is good. One additional piece of info -- If the game is on local TV in your area and blacked out, although you won't see it on the Ticket, you can see pieces of it on the RedZone channel when a team is moving to score. You can't really watch the game that way, but you can see the scoring plays.

We only need a 3-4 specialist if we stay with the 3-4. I'm not sure we should. The weakest area of our defense is at the LB position. Our strongest area is at D Tackle (Williams & Dareus) Let's pay a defense where both of those guys get on the field at the same time in positions that enable them to excell. We have some players playing OLB (Kelsay, s Johnson) who would be served as DEnds. They won't be stars there, but they could be passable. Neither is a star pass rusher, which is a problem. We do need pass rushers. I say we need a coordinator who will play a 4-3, not a 3-4.

Wide receiver is a need, but WE NEED DEFENSE! We will never be a contender in this league until the Bills D learns how to get off the field. The only game in which we looked good on defense was against the hopeless Deadskins.

I have to agree with this assessment, especially the 3rd one. There are examples around the league of players that, for a little money, would still be very productive Bills. Do you think we could use J. Greer as cornerback? Jim Leonard at safety? London Fletcher at LB? Jason Peters at L Tackle.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, CSBill I am hoping the Bills come out of this funk. I think they were not as good as we thought based upon early in the year results, but i don't think they are this bad. I am hoping we beat the Jets this weekend -- GOD I HATE THE JETS!

I could not agree more. Spiller was a terrible choice, not because he can't play (that was the Maybin pick), but because he doesn't fit a role this team needed. The old "best player available" vs. "draft for need" wages on. The problem is that Spiller was neither the "best player available" nor "needed". Terrible, terrible choice. This is a disturbing pattern. I still cringe in the fact that we could have had Nick mangold, but we took John McCargo. Geesh

Too early to say for 2010, but I think we will prove out well there. 2009 is like many of our recent baths, very unsatisfying.

The Spiller pick was bad not because of Spllier's talent level, but it was bad because RB was not even close to a need for the Bills. The picks of Maybin and McKelvin were picks in need positions. The poblem there is the picker could not find talented players. The question is: 1. Do you want someone who can judge talent, but doesn't know what area to draft or ... 2. Someone who can't judge talent? For me, I'll take someone who can judge talent. Just my opinion

Tough to argue with what he says, with one exception. It is possible for the Bills to come back and look Ok. I'm not sure the Bills are a playoff team, but I can see them finishing at .500. That is an improvement over the past few years. Injuries have also hurt the Bills offense. Before I get jumped on for that comment, yes, I know injuries are part of the game. In the case of a team just trying to turn the corner, they do not have the luxury of being deep, especially with the poor drafting of the past 4 years. That comes with time. That said -- the defense needs alot of work. We do have some talent, but re not in position to make stops. We are out coached. I know we shut out the Deadskins, but they are still trying to score a touchdown since the Bills game so I discount that performance. We need to be put in better schemes to make stops. Edwards needs to go. I don't know if Wannstadt will do any better as I'm not sure how much freedom he has now. I'd give him a shot the rest of this season. Can't get much worse on defense.

That's a classic!

This is a real concern. We've finally put together an O-line that is performing. We need to resign both tackles and at least one of the guards.

The Bills will have had the top network announce team do their game this Sunday. If memory serves me correctly, this is the 3rd week in a row that has occurred. As a life long Bills fan and one who is excited about this team, I have to admit that I never would have expected to have the Bills be the #1 game on the netowrk 3 weeks in a row. I can see a Sunday or Monday night game in our future next season!

I can never root for the Jets. They are a bunch of loud mouthed, arrogant jerks with fans equally as obnoxious. Although the Patriots winning sickens me as well, I can't root for the Jets.

I hate to agree with Sullivan, but in this case he is not wrong. Spiller was another of the poor high round draft choices made by the Bills the last 5 years. That is now water under the bridge -- can't go back in time. My question is that I now see the Bills split Jackson out as a wide out in many of their 5 wide packages. I gotta think that Spiller and his 4.35 speed is a better choice. At least he would give the Bills a deep threat, even if he isn't Jerry Rice. I don't want to limit Jackson's carries - tot he contrary I'd like to see 20 a game, but I also want Spiller to get his hands on the ball more. If that means on KO returns or via passes as a wide out or selected runs, make it happen. Heck, maybe Spiller could play cornerback, god knows the Bills need help there.