We've all heard the stories

[Logical Reasoning]

If you have been a Bills fan for the past five to seven years, you have heard of defensive players from the Jets, Pats and Dolphins note that the Bills offense was fairly predictable. I almost recall Bruschi saying that he knew exactly where the Bills were going and the play they called.

 

If Gailey is the slightest bit more clever than the other coordinators, which I believe he is, we should be much better off than we have been. It is way too early to make predictions but the Bills are some 'slight improvements' away from a playoff spot.

 

To those of you who say that this post is typical foreshadowed optimism, you have hit the nail on the head, but two or three reversed plays that go with the Bills, some healthy players and seven and nine can become nine and seven and then you have to arguably win one more to be in.

[Dennis in NC]

minicamp

 

What’s also helping to prepare them for Sunday game days in the fall is the very varied and multiple offense of head coach Chan Gailey. With numerous pre-snap shifts, motions and formations it forces Buffalo’s defense to make a lot of pre-snap checks.

 

“We’re getting so many different looks from the offense that come game time in the fall we should have every single check down pat and know it like the back of our hands because we’ve seen it already,” said Scott. “So every day at practice it’s great that the offense keeps throwing different wrinkles at us because that way when Sundays come it’ll be a piece of cake.”

 

Wow, shifts and motion! Plus the ability to use guys like Roscoe and Spiller in creative ways.

 

It should be a very interesting season.

[Ramius]

minicamp

 

 

 

Wow, shifts and motion! Plus the ability to use guys like Roscoe and Spiller in creative ways.

 

It should be a very interesting season.

 

We used motion under dickie j...except it was only used to motion Josh Reed from left to right followed by a run to the right.

[Hossage]

80% of the runs from singleback, tight end right were stretch runs.

[Dan]

We used motion under dickie j...except it was only used to motion Josh Reed from left to right followed by a run to the right.

That's not entirely fair. I seem to recall several occasions where Josh Reed would motion from right to left followed by a run to the left. See, so they changed it up from time to time.

[mpl6876]

You guys need a reality check and I am the one to give it to you. The Bills are going to "SUCK" this year. Be objective and not "subjective" and you cannot come up with another other conclusion. The following are indisputeable facts.

 

(1) Our OL is very young and unproven. We are very weak at LT and RT. Average at center. The is the foundation of an offense. Our foundation is "cracked" and "slippery" at best.

 

(2) Our QB situation is "pathetic." We have "caption checkdown," Fitz a career backup who is very inaccurate, and Brohm who couldn't even beat out Flynn last year for the 3rd string QB. Levi Brown who is as raw as "sushi."

 

(3) A team with a very weak receivers. Lee Evans and that's it.

 

Bottom line below average OL , below average QB , below average WR equals losing not "w's"....I like Chan but he can't work mircles guys...Come on guys smell the coffee. Don't believe your own lies! STOP LIVING IN FANTASYLAND.

 

Teams are going to stack the box and take away our running game. Run blitz and force us to beat them will the pass. Its not going to happen.

 

Next the defensive side of the ball.

 

New defensive scheme means great learning curves wwhich means lots of mistakes. Without a doubt, the transition will be difficult and painful. No team in the history of the NFL has made a super smooth transition from the 4-3 to 3-4. What makes you think the Bills with "medicore" players are going too.

 

LB core is average at best.

 

Bills still can't rush the opposing QB or stop the run. What makes you think they will be able to this year? Troup is young and Schobel is likely to be gone.

 

The secondary is excellent and thats about our only bright spot.

 

Now, I do believe I have proven without a "shadow of a doubt" the Bills are going "SUCK" this year. Oh well there is always next year. I have been saying that for ten years and its getting old.

[ConradDobler]

Teams are going to stack the box and take away our running game. Run blitz and force us to beat them will the pass. Its not going to happen.

 

If I was a defensive coordinator that is exactly what I'd do. I'm interested in seeing if they have a counter to this game plan.

[mpl6876]

If I was a defensive coodinator that is exactly what I'd do. I'm interested in seeing if they have a counter to this game plan.

 

I don't think they have the players to be effective to counter this defensive game plan. Chan is an offensive upgrade but he can't work miracles. Last time I knew "you can't make SHI T smell like Ice Cream."

[nucci]

I don't think they have the players to be effective to counter this defensive game plan. Chan is an offensive upgrade but he can't work miracles. Last time I knew "you can't make SHI T smell like Ice Cream."

The off-season is a time for optimism. Hopefully a better coached team gives some of us something to look forward to. If you want to be miserable year round that's fine but most are hopeful for a better team. Don't be surprised if many don't want to read your stuff.

[Logical Reasoning]

Your points are not invalid, but my point is that the Bills have not gotten worse this past offseason as far as talent and their coaching is better and coaching has relevance. Gailey tells it like it is and there is a genuine separation between him and the players and he gets the Xs and Os and is willing to be accountable at least offensively. And your captain checkdown stuff is bologna and frankly quite old. We have three fair quarterbacks and a rookie who will not get cut which means that doing things the coaches don't want you to do will get you cut and quickly.

 

Also, so what if the defensive schemes are different. The scheme should fit the players and not vice versa.

 

Our offensive line and receivers are not strong and I'll give you that one, but how many teams are completely set in all phases of their team. Accept some weaknesses and hopefully the coaches can hide them somewhat and I would suggest seeing someone for your depression.

[mpl6876]

The off-season is a time for optimism. Hopefully a better coached team gives some of us something to look forward to. If you want to be miserable year round that's fine but most are hopeful for a better team. Don't be surprised if many don't want to read your stuff.

 

Thanks for your response. I have to correct you an a few things. I will be optimistic when I feel we have a team that can compete for a playoff birth. I think most even the most optimistic fan would say we don't have a realistic shot at making the playoffs. Secondly, you are assuming I am miserable which I am not. Negative postings don't indicate someone is miserble. Thirdly, you might be surprised at how many fans reluctantly agree with what I post.

[mpl6876]

Your points are not invalid, but my point is that the Bills have not gotten worse this past offseason as far as talent and their coaching is better and coaching has relevance. Gailey tells it like it is and there is a genuine separation between him and the players and he gets the Xs and Os and is willing to be accountable at least offensively. And your captain checkdown stuff is bologna and frankly quite old. We have three fair quarterbacks and a rookie who will not get cut which means that doing things the coaches don't want you to do will get you cut and quickly.

 

Also, so what if the defensive schemes are different. The scheme should fit the players and not vice versa.

 

Our offensive line and receivers are not strong and I'll give you that one, but how many teams are completely set in all phases of their team. Accept some weaknesses and hopefully the coaches can hide them somewhat and I would suggest seeing someone for your depression.

 

Its only football and I am not really too depressed. I disagree with most of your post but I respect your opinion.

[Doc]

If the no one steps-up at #2 WR, things could be very ugly offensively as teams stack the box. I'm not so worried about the OL, since a lot of what happened last year was unusual (Walker getting cut just before the season and the inexperienced/unprepared Bell getting the start with up to 3 other true rookies starting, Butler going down in week 2, all the injuries, bad coaching) and the coaching and schemes should be better. The QB's are the same and should improve with Gailey working with them. But if the running game gets shut down, it's all over.

[Thurman#1]

If you have been a Bills fan for the past five to seven years, you have heard of defensive players from the Jets, Pats and Dolphins note that the Bills offense was fairly predictable. I almost recall Bruschi saying that he knew exactly where the Bills were going and the play they called.

 

If Gailey is the slightest bit more clever than the other coordinators, which I believe he is, we should be much better off than we have been. It is way too early to make predictions but the Bills are some 'slight improvements' away from a playoff spot.

 

To those of you who say that this post is typical foreshadowed optimism, you have hit the nail on the head, but two or three reversed plays that go with the Bills, some healthy players and seven and nine can become nine and seven and then you have to arguably win one more to be in.

 

 

 

Two or three reversed plays the other way and we're 3 - 13. That crap means nothing. The reason we lost those games was that we weren't good enough.

 

Not every team uses a lot of misdirection. Some teams simply dare you to stop what they do best. The Super Bowl Bills were an example. They weren't tricky. Neither were the teams that beat them.

 

Trickiness is fine, but it's not something without which you can't win. If out of certain formations the other team knows you are probably going to run a draw, an up-the-gut run or a short pass, that doesn't help them all that much, particularly if you're damn good at running draws, up-the-gut runs and short passes.

[John Cocktosten]

If you have been a Bills fan for the past five to seven years, you have heard of defensive players from the Jets, Pats and Dolphins note that the Bills offense was fairly predictable. I almost recall Bruschi saying that he knew exactly where the Bills were going and the play they called.

 

If Gailey is the slightest bit more clever than the other coordinators, which I believe he is, we should be much better off than we have been. It is way too early to make predictions but the Bills are some 'slight improvements' away from a playoff spot.

 

To those of you who say that this post is typical foreshadowed optimism, you have hit the nail on the head, but two or three reversed plays that go with the Bills, some healthy players and seven and nine can become nine and seven and then you have to arguably win one more to be in.

You do realize that fumbles, int's, bad plays, bad calls and injuries are part of the game right? Do you think the Bills were the only teams who had bad OC's?

Trent wasn't the only terrible QB, Roscoe and Leodis aren't the only players who fumble and Butler and Wood weren't the only players who were injured.

Those things are all part of the game and the bills benefited from other teams misfortunes as well.

Using your logic, maybe if the Bills opponents didn't make those same mistakes last year the Bills would have won 3 games last year.

[Thurman#1]

Your points are not invalid, but my point is that the Bills have not gotten worse this past offseason as far as talent and their coaching is better and coaching has relevance. Gailey tells it like it is and there is a genuine separation between him and the players and he gets the Xs and Os and is willing to be accountable at least offensively. And your captain checkdown stuff is bologna and frankly quite old. We have three fair quarterbacks and a rookie who will not get cut which means that doing things the coaches don't want you to do will get you cut and quickly.

 

The Bills haven't got worse? Yes, they have. Kyle Williams was a damn good DT, but won't be a damn good NT. Marcus Stroud has never played DE. T.O. is gone. Incognito is gone and our best offensive lineman, Butler, retired. Our LBs are mostly DEs. Our best defensive player, Schobel, isn't coming back. Schobel and so many people switching positions definitely makes us worse.

 

Three fair QBs? You know, if you look at the QB stats and ratings and productivity, that observation just doesn't hold up. What we have is three below-average QBs and a rookie.

 

 

 

Also, so what if the defensive schemes are different. The scheme should fit the players and not vice versa.

 

 

You're boggling my mind. Are you somehow saying that switching to a 3 - 4 was in response to the players we had on the roster, despite the obvious fact that they had all been drafted for the 4 - 3, that their body types don't fit the 3 - 4, and that the two most important positions in the 3 - 4 defense are nose tackle and ROLB, the pass rushing demon, and that we had to draft an NT (and that NTs traditionally have a very hard time their first year) and still have no idea whatsoever who will be our ROLB or whether he'll be any good? Seriously?

 

 

 

 

Our offensive line and receivers are not strong and I'll give you that one, but how many teams are completely set in all phases of their team. Accept some weaknesses and hopefully the coaches can hide them somewhat and I would suggest seeing someone for your depression.

 

 

You're right, very few teams are completely set in all phases. However, the good teams are not weak at QB, OL, DL, LB, and WR all at the same time. Covering up for one or two mediocre dudes is very possible, particularly if you're sensational elsewhere. More than half the team being huge question marks is just not a good sign. And if he needs to see someone for depression, maybe you could use some downers for the manic phase of your manic depression.

[mpl6876]

If the no one steps-up at #2 WR, things could be very ugly offensively as teams stack the box. I'm not so worried about the OL, since a lot of what happened last year was unusual (Walker getting cut just before the season and the inexperienced/unprepared Bell getting the start with up to 3 other true rookies starting, Butler going down in week 2, all the injuries, bad coaching) and the coaching and schemes should be better. The QB's are the same and should improve with Gailey working with them. But if the running game gets shut down, it's all over.

 

 

Good points but how can you say "I'm not so worried about the OL." Are you trying to say that you think they will be good? Or are you saying that you're ok with them being medicore at best? Strange comment.

[bowery4]

Right now this teams greatest weakness is also it's strength, youth. They may be very good they are young and will make mistakes and take time to learn. Last year was really year one of the rebuild IMO, they picked some good ones in the draft (for a change) and I am hoping they did well this year as well. I also hope that this has to do with Buddy being around. in my opinion it was his picks last year that got him the job.

 

All that being said the beggining of the season is going to be hard for this club, it does take time for players to adjust to new scheems and I hope they start to pick it up by week 6 or so.

If we have many or key injuries again though, watch out we could be celler dwellers.

In general I try to stay optimistic about it but ................................we will see when the baby is delivered.

[Malazan]

Incognito is gone and our best offensive lineman, Butler, retired.

 

wow

[Doc]

Good points but how can you say "I'm not so worried about the OL." Are you trying to say that you think they will be good? Or are you saying that you're ok with them being medicore at best? Strange comment.

What makes you so sure that they're "mediocre at best?"