A Few Thoughts About The Game

[BillsVet]

It's not normal and an indictment of the management structure that this team fields and plays more late round picks, former practice squad guys, and street free agents. Draft, J. Scott, Simmons, Chambers, Stupar, B. Scott, and many more. These guys are starting or logging serious time. And, you've got former DBs playing LB (Coy Wire where are you?)

 

Go back to 2007, and the same thing happened. Injuries were rampant then, as they are now and Buffalo was forced to comb the waiver wire for help. I would like for anyone who thinks Marv/DJ/Brandon rebuilt this team to tell me what this team is on the way up.

 

IMO, there are no more than 15 players on this team who are worth keeping. You're welcome Toronto.

[Gordio]

I never said that the Bills don't need to improve their lines. I actually think that if Butler and Wood come back healthy next year and they draft a decent LT in the first couple of rounds (think Marcus McNeill), they'll be OK. But if they deal with the QB spot, they're going nowhere.

 

I forgot to add that NO's starting LT was a special teamer last year. It's all about their QB.

 

From ESPN:

 

"The Saints thought they got their left tackle for a generation when they used the 13th overall pick in 2005 to take Jammal Brown out of Oklahoma. That move was working out just fine as Brown made the Pro Bowl in the 2006 and ’08 seasons.

 

But trouble surfaced in the preseason when Brown had to have surgeries for a hip injury and a sports hernia. Initially, the Saints thought he could return around midseason, but his recovery was slow and New Orleans decided to place Brown on injured reserve.

 

Brown’s injuries have given rise to one of the NFL’s biggest surprises. That’s Jermon Bushrod, who was thrust into the starting lineup after spending his first two seasons on the bench. A fourth-round pick out of Towson State, Bushrod suddenly was placed in charge of protecting Drew Brees’ back.

 

The amazing thing is Bushrod has done just fine. Give him lots of credit for that, but don’t go thinking he’s a Pro Bowler and the Saints should try to trade Brown in the offseason. Bushrod is not Brown. He has limitations and the Saints know it. If you watch their offense, they’ve done a lot to help Bushrod. They give him blocking help with their tight ends, fullback and running backs and it also helps that Brees has a quick release and doesn’t take many deep drops."

 

Like I said, it's all about the QB in NO. Feel free to say that he's one of the best in the league -- he clearly is. I for one want to aim high with regard to that position. Why can't the Bills get one of those players?

 

 

Yep & the same with manning. His fuggin LT decided to retire a week or 2 before TC a few years ago, that offense did not miss a beat. Now I know they plugged in a high draft pick to replace glenn but still, dont you think it is odd over the last 10 years no matter who indy or NE plugg in on the line, their offense keeps chugging along. It is all about who is under center. Get a fuggin Qb in here, not a game manager or guy that is not going to lose you the game, get a difference maker under center & the line will take care of itself. I am sick of watching this shiit.

[macaroni]

IMHO .... the O-line WAS a big problem for the team at the beginning of the season. Since the injuries started to mount up, and they started shuffling people around .... and suffered more injuries ..... and shuffled more people around .... and suffered more injuries and started the back ups to the back ups ..... and then combed the waiver wire for fat guys still able to walk and started them ..... the O-line has left the relm of a "problem" and has entered the relm of insurmountable void.

[BillsVet]

I never said that the Bills don't need to improve their lines. I actually think that if Butler and Wood come back healthy next year and they draft a decent LT in the first couple of rounds (think Marcus McNeill), they'll be OK. But if they deal with the QB spot, they're going nowhere.

 

I forgot to add that NO's starting LT was a special teamer last year. It's all about their QB.

 

The example of Bushrod does not demonstrate that it's easy to find a solid LT. When more than half the teams in the league have spent a day 1 (1st or 2nd round) pick on an OT, particularly LT's this decade, that's a trend.

 

Outstanding LT's are not found in the bargain basement bin. They don't normally come off the street, via UDFA, or even UFA, usually through the draft. You've outlined an exception (Peters being another) that is far outweighed by the amount of first round guys.

 

They have not addressed the OT position since the Mike Williams debacle. Butler has been injured each season he's been in the NFL, which is another trend not lending itself to success at RT.

 

Bottom line is, they've allocated more resources to an area of the team with less effect on the success or failure of the team. I know Bill will answer this way, but why build up a secondary when you don't have a pass rush? And why acquire WRs, RBs, and TE's, when you don't have an adequate OL?

[Bill from NYC]

I never said that the Bills don't need to improve their lines. I actually think that if Butler and Wood come back healthy next year and they draft a decent LT in the first couple of rounds (think Marcus McNeill), they'll be OK. But if they deal with the QB spot, they're going nowhere.

 

I forgot to add that NO's starting LT was a special teamer last year. It's all about their QB.

 

From ESPN:

 

"The Saints thought they got their left tackle for a generation when they used the 13th overall pick in 2005 to take Jammal Brown out of Oklahoma. That move was working out just fine as Brown made the Pro Bowl in the 2006 and ’08 seasons.

 

But trouble surfaced in the preseason when Brown had to have surgeries for a hip injury and a sports hernia. Initially, the Saints thought he could return around midseason, but his recovery was slow and New Orleans decided to place Brown on injured reserve.

 

Brown’s injuries have given rise to one of the NFL’s biggest surprises. That’s Jermon Bushrod, who was thrust into the starting lineup after spending his first two seasons on the bench. A fourth-round pick out of Towson State, Bushrod suddenly was placed in charge of protecting Drew Brees’ back.

 

The amazing thing is Bushrod has done just fine. Give him lots of credit for that, but don’t go thinking he’s a Pro Bowler and the Saints should try to trade Brown in the offseason. Bushrod is not Brown. He has limitations and the Saints know it. If you watch their offense, they’ve done a lot to help Bushrod. They give him blocking help with their tight ends, fullback and running backs and it also helps that Brees has a quick release and doesn’t take many deep drops."

 

Like I said, it's all about the QB in NO. Feel free to say that he's one of the best in the league -- he clearly is. I for one want to aim high with regard to that position. Why can't the Bills get one of those players?

 

First of all, thanks for the great dialogue.

 

That article is interesting to be sure. The bolded however does say a lot. Yes lol, Brees is one of the best and he also plays in a dome. This isn't to say we don't need a top quarterback because we do. I just think that in the elements, monster lines matter far more because sometimes passing isn't a realistic possibility in Orchard Park. I have seen passes by Drew Bledsoe get lost in the wind and love him or hate him, he had a better arm than Brees, Manning or for that matter Kelly (I'n ONLY talking about arm strength).

 

Would you be satisfied with dominating lines and a qb around the level of Flacco? He aint Peytpn Manning but imo he's the type of player we need at qb.

[nemhoff]

Playing in Toronto kills us, no momentum, no noise, no passion. Sounded like a preseason game. That is a killer to give up a home game for that.

[dave mcbride]

First of all, thanks for the great dialogue.

 

That article is interesting to be sure. The bolded however does say a lot. Yes lol, Brees is one of the best and he also plays in a dome. This isn't to say we don't need a top quarterback because we do. I just think that in the elements, monster lines matter far more because sometimes passing isn't a realistic possibility in Orchard Park. I have seen passes by Drew Bledsoe get lost in the wind and love him or hate him, he had a better arm than Brees, Manning or for that matter Kelly (I'n ONLY talking about arm strength).

 

Would you be satisfied with dominating lines and a qb around the level of Flacco? He aint Peytpn Manning but imo he's the type of player we need at qb.

I'd be very happy with Flacco - he's a good player with a ton of potential, similar to Roethlisberger. I expect him to win a super bowl before he's done (barring injury, of course). That said, I do think he's better than "good." He strikes me as a potentially elite QB -- the kind of player that the Bills need. Need I mention that the Bills could have drafted him instead of McKelvin?

[Sisyphean Bills]

Crazy about a RB who averaged less than 2.5 yds per carry tonight? Not me. Jackson has shown some flashes, but not enough consistency to make me think he is much better than Lynch.

The running game requires some sort of blocking to be consistent enough to yield a high average. The Bills OL is, simply put, crap.

[Bill from NYC]

I'd be very happy with Flacco - he's a good player with a ton of potential, similar to Roethlisberger. I expect him to win a super bowl before he's done (barring injury, of course). That said, I do think he's a potentially elite QB -- the kind of player that the Bills need. Need I mention that the Bills could have drafted him instead of McKelvin?

 

The Ravens continue to draft at the positions that WE need. And in 2002, when the roles were reversed, we took an OT at #4 (Mike Williams) and they got Ed Reed at 24. It really is sad.

 

Ouch!

[Sisyphean Bills]

3) This is by no means in defense of Donte Whitner as a player, because I am nowhere near a fan, but why the hell were they having him matched up one-on-one with Jerrico Cotchery so often last night? Particularly in the 2nd half when he kept getting burned. Cotchery is their #1 receiver, not Braylon Edwards or anyone else, and Whitner simply cannot handle that assignment as a cover guy at this point. We have about 4 cornerbacks and a safety (Byrd) who are more suited to be doing that type of job. Really frustrating that they still expect Whitner to be able to do that.

I get the sense that they are just auditioning "Mr. Versatility" in various roles to see if he can succeed in any sort of secondary position on this team. He's 3rd on the depth chart at SS behind Scott, a street FA, and Wilson, a converted WR. They aren't going to bench Byrd and his ball hawking instincts at FS unless they are insane. He's more of a CB/S tweener, but his lack of instincts and speed mean he's not really suited to CB or covering the slot as other guys on the team. Whitner is playing out his string and is almost certainly going to be trade bait this off-season. Dick Levy's first draft class is panning out to be nothing but silt in the pan.

[dave mcbride]

I get the sense that they are just auditioning "Mr. Versatility" in various roles to see if he can succeed in any sort of secondary position on this team. He's 3rd on the depth chart at SS behind Scott, a street FA, and Wilson, a converted WR. They aren't going to bench Byrd and his ball hawking instincts at FS unless they are insane. He's more of a CB/S tweener, but his lack of instincts and speed mean he's not really suited to CB or covering the slot as other guys on the team. Whitner is playing out his string and is almost certainly going to be trade bait this off-season. Dick Levy's first draft class is panning out to be nothing but silt in the pan.

What has happened to his speed? He was fast coming out of OSU: http://recruiting.scout.com/a.z?s=73&p...&nid=225154 . 4.43 is excellent. Is it his ankle? The various bumps and bruises over the years?

[Dan]

Key problem in this game (and most all season for that matter): 3rd down.

 

Our defense cannot get off the field, and our offense cannot stay on the field. Why can we never stop a team that is facing 3rd and 10 or more? If there was ever a reson to change our defense, there it is.

 

Toronto crowd sucks. If the NFL (Goodell) can't see that moving games to international destinations is wrong and bad, then they're idiots. 2nd year in a row of watching boring football. Even when a good play is play, the crowd reacts with golf claps. Or at least that's how it comes across on TV. It's a bad viewing experience. One last thing, please, please stop scheduling division games there.

 

Fewell may be better than Jauron. But, can we all come back to reality a little?

[Sisyphean Bills]

What has happened to his speed? He was fast coming out of OSU: http://recruiting.scout.com/a.z?s=73&p...&nid=225154 . 4.43 is excellent. Is it his ankle? The various bumps and bruises over the years?

Yes, I know about the "40 times" and pre-draft data. I watch him on the field though. Guys with worse 40 times run right by him.

[dave mcbride]

Yes, I know about the "40 times" and pre-draft data. I watch him on the field though. Guys with worse 40 times run right by him.

Yes, I know. But he did really look a lot faster his first season.

[CodeMonkey]

If the NFL (Goodell) can't see that moving games to international destinations is wrong and bad, then they're idiots.

The NFL wants to expand it's market outside of North America for additional revenue generation. But there is no hope. Just no interest, pure and simple. The only realistic hope left for them is trying to get more money spending fans in Canada. I'm doubtful that will work either, but at least they have a shot there.

[BillsVet]

I get the sense that they are just auditioning "Mr. Versatility" in various roles to see if he can succeed in any sort of secondary position on this team. He's 3rd on the depth chart at SS behind Scott, a street FA, and Wilson, a converted WR. They aren't going to bench Byrd and his ball hawking instincts at FS unless they are insane. He's more of a CB/S tweener, but his lack of instincts and speed mean he's not really suited to CB or covering the slot as other guys on the team. Whitner is playing out his string and is almost certainly going to be trade bait this off-season. Dick Levy's first draft class is panning out to be nothing but silt in the pan.

 

The 07 and 08 draft classes aren't looking that good either. From those two years, you've only got three starters: Lynch, Poslsuzny, and McKelvin. Not good enough for any team, let alone a spend-less small market franchise.

 

What has happened to his speed? He was fast coming out of OSU: http://recruiting.scout.com/a.z?s=73&p...&nid=225154 . 4.43 is excellent. Is it his ankle? The various bumps and bruises over the years?

 

In-line straight speed is one thing. For DB's, especially CB's it's being able to turn and run. Whitner doesn't do this as well, hence his playing S.

[Astrojanitor]

5) Demetrius Bell will never be an adequate player. I know he didn't play tonight but I am posting this to annoy that guy who told the moderators that I am on a crusade against him. My daughters even asked me what was up with that lol.

 

Ha!!

[Sisyphean Bills]

The 07 and 08 draft classes aren't looking that good either. From those two years, you've only got three starters: Lynch, Poslsuzny, and McKelvin. Not good enough for any team, let alone a spend-less small market franchise.

It's time to grade the 06 draft as this class is now in the "prime" of their careers.

 

Whitner - now serving as a backup and dime player

McCargo - bust

Youboty - minimal contributor, plagued by injury

Simpson - traded, injured again

Williams - a good value find

Butler - plagued by injury

Ellison - a role player pressed to start

Pennington - gone

Merz - hasta la vista, baby

 

That draft class is looking pretty threadbare.

[tecmobowlbills]

its probably been mentioned before but why did the bills after Lynch had a good first half only give him the ball ONCE in the 2nd half? Jackson was doing nothing, Lynch seemed to have the hot hand and they don't use him.

 

Makes me scratch my head

[Adam]

We don't have a QB, offensive line or defensive line. Thankfully we gave money to a declining WR instead of Jason Peters. I hope to see more moves like that, just so April can be more exciting