Do your see a pattern here?

[SouthGeorgiaBillsFan]

If only the preseason could last forever.

 

I don't think anyone is saying "OMG Superbowl", we're just *encouraged* by what we are seeing vs what we have seen in the past. There is a grey area between the blacks and whites, after all.

 

I was encouraged when we stomped the Seahawks on opening day a two years ago, and that was against a starting NFL regular season roster. But I became discouraged when we went 7-9 and missed the playoffs again. No - preseason football is not encouraging.

Edited August 29, 2010 by SouthGeorgiaBillsFan

[Bleed Bills Blue]

After the third preseason game last year, even the most optimistic among us would have admitted that things looked bleak. No prancing unicorns here, but it feels like a new day, I think the worst is behind us. The players are buying into what Chan and Buddy are selling, and so am I. What's the worst that could happen, I get my heart torn out for the 1000th time?

[purple haze]

I would agree that the offense is getting better but the defense still needs significant work. The Bills offense is still far too unproven to get into shootouts with teams. I believe the D will come along but it has a ways to go. LB'ing may be the weakest unit on this team - even worse than the o-line.

 

Stop holding on to the past negativity about the O-Line. They have taken a few lumps this preseason, but by and large they have performed fairly well. Much improved from a year ago along the starting front. No deluge of holds and false start penalties. I think they've given up two sacks from the starting O-line. There is a lot of improvement there so far. Not perfect, but much better. Good enough for the offense to sustain drives and score points. Not something that occurred with any regularity last season. So all of those are reasons for positivity. Hopefully, they continue to improve and take that into the regular season.

 

As far as the Defense until we see how they incorporate blitz packages and stunts we won't know how their pass rush will be. It could very well be a strength. Problem is we won't know until we know. Just like the Special Teams.

 

After the third preseason game last year, even the most optimistic among us would have admitted that things looked bleak. No prancing unicorns here, but it feels like a new day, I think the worst is behind us. The players are buying into what Chan and Buddy are selling, and so am I. What's the worst that could happen, I get my heart torn out for the 1000th time?

 

Coaching can cause vast improvement or drastic regression. It was good for Nix to get an offensive minded head coach who had a track record of success at coaching a variety of offenses in a variety of capacities. Gailey wasn't the sexy pick, but barring Shanahan or Cowher, was a good choice.

Edited August 29, 2010 by purple haze

[sharper802]

We're actually getting better with each game this preseason. How many agonizing years have we heard "We need to go back, watch the tape and learn from our mistakes", only to have to endure the same grinding mediocrity the following week? This ship hasn't been fully righted yet, but at least it's not sailing in circles any longer.

 

Bring on the opening day ROUT !!

Best thing we have going for us is I doubt Chan has called a single play that will be called against Miami. They might have better luck looking at KC tape than ours.

[folz]

There have been some posters who say we need to go back to go forward, hit rock bottom first.

 

But what they fail to realize is that last year WAS Rock Bottom...even though it didn't secure us the

number 1 pick or anything (it did get us C.J. though)...but just listen to what the players had to say about last year.

Last year was as bad and as painful as any 2-14 season (fired coaches, QB carousel, pathetic losses, injuries) .

 

I don't think anyone is looking at the preseason and thinking we are going to all of a sudden tear up the league

but it does seem like we are witnessing a team pulling itself up off the carpet and finally taking some

forward steps rather than running on the sub-mediocre treadmill. And that is cause to get excited despite

what our final record will be this year.

 

If nothing else, this team will be more fun to watch...if I had to live through another 3-6 loss to Cleveland when

their QB wins the game having completed like 1 of 17 passes or whatever it was...I might have had to shoot myself.

[Wayne Cubed]

I heard an interesting stat about the pre season from Bob Matthews a couple weeks ago. He had researched and found that over the past 10 years teams that went to the playoffs had a preseason record of(i might be off on the numbers) 39-36 and teams that didn't make the playoffs were 34-41. Basically saying teams for the most part that go to the playoffs have a winning or .500 record in preseason and teams that are below .500 don't make the playoffs. He did point out the 2 exceptions, which were tampa bay(0-4 in preseason) who went to the super bowl and detroit(4-0 in preseason) who then went 0-16 in the regular season. That being said i wouldn't say the preseason means nothing, but looking at it under a microscope and scrutinizing every little thing doesn't make a whole lot of sense either.

[Fan in Chicago]

If only the preseason could last forever.

 

 

It did the last few years.

[BuffOrange]

For once I agree with Promo. I haven't gone back and looked at the last decade, but it seemed like during the Jauron years at least, we did better in the 1st and last games (when future gas pumpers are playing most of the game) and looked horrible in the middle 2 games where starters actually play. People always tried to downplay it and say we were playing vanilla or whatever, but I never thought it was a good sign that our starters were obviously physically inferior. I still think anyone is crazy to think this isn't a sub .500 team, but perhaps they could at least be mildly entertaining.

Edited August 29, 2010 by BuffOrange

[crazyDingo]

Well, everything else being equal, its better to look good in preseason than bad.