A dozen things I think I think

[Beerball]

1. That Evans kid has great hands and even better speed.

2. We do finally have coaches and players who make significant half time adjustments.

3. Bobby April seems to know how to coach special teams (players doing their part too).

4. Drew Bledsoe had his best game in the past year today. For the first time in forever I think he made the positive difference in a Bills win. He was no worse than tied for the best offensive performance by a Bill today.

5. We do not have a kicker you can rely on.

6. Joe Burns can't be our third down back.

7. Trey Teague did not hold on the screen pass.

8. Not one person on the Bills appeared to panic today.

9. Love to see MM smile after a nice play.

10. Willis made some very nice blitz pick-ups today.

11. I almost broke my TV when Clements tried to scoop up the fumble along the sidelines. I really really wish he was better at playing situational football.

12. The season rides on the Cincy game.

 

Baker's dozen

13. McGee will be in Hawaii this February.

[Simon]

I almost broke my TV when Clements tried to scoop up the fumble along the sidelines. I really really wish he was better at playing situational football.

 

I must have been fetching a beverage because I missed that play.

That being said, I hope Nate does everything in his power to get teh ball in his hands as often as he possibly can. Every time he does, it's a potential TD.

Cya

[34-78-83]

1.  That Evans kid has great hands and even better speed.

2.  We do finally have coaches and players who make significant half time adjustments.

3.  Bobby April seems to know how to coach special teams (players doing their part too).

4.  Drew Bledsoe had his best game in the past year today.  For the first time in forever I think he made the positive difference in a Bills win.  He was no worse than tied for the best offensive performance by a Bill today.

5.  We do not have a kicker you can rely on.

6.  Joe Burns can't be our third down back.

7.  Trey Teague did not hold on the screen pass.

8.  Not one person on the Bills appeared to panic today.

9.  Love to see MM smile after a nice play.

10. Willis made some very nice blitz pick-ups today.

11. I almost broke my TV when Clements tried to scoop up the fumble along the sidelines.  I really really wish he was better at playing situational football.

12. The season rides on the Cincy game.

 

Baker's dozen

13. McGee will be in Hawaii this February.

147670[/snapback]

 

 

I'd buy every one of those. Interestingly, we are seeing some tendancies we haven't seen since the early nineties...

[Kelly the Dog]

I must have been fetching a beverage because I missed that play.

That being said, I hope Nate does everything in his power to get teh ball in his hands as often as he possibly can. Every time he does, it's a potential TD.

Cya

147678[/snapback]

Apparently, you miss all his terrible plays. That was abysmal. He has played pretty well lately, though, especially his tackling, although his INT was completely negated by that blown fumble. The ball was on the ground. There was no one near it but Nate. There was all kinds of time. And instead of just falling on the fumble he tried to pick it up going full speed and knocked it out of bounds.

[Simon]

The ball was on the ground. There was no one near it but Nate. There was all kinds of time. And instead of just falling on the fumble he tried to pick it up going full speed and knocked it out of bounds.

 

 

Actually I would hope that he would try to pick it up if nobody else is near.

Sounds more like a physical mistake than a mental one.

Cya

[34-78-83]

 

Actually I would hope that he would try to pick it up if nobody else is near.

Sounds more like a physical mistake than a mental one.

Cya

147689[/snapback]

 

It was close enough as to where it would have been the right thing to do just to fall on it. Nate has a "gunslinger's mentality", and while that frustrates us from time to time he makes plays because of it too...

[Kelly the Dog]

 

Actually I would hope that he would try to pick it up if nobody else is near.

Sounds more like a physical mistake than a mental one.

Cya

147689[/snapback]

You still secure the ball before you run. He just hotdogged it, or tried to make the highlight play rather than the right play, as usual, IMO.

[CosmicBills]

1.  That Evans kid has great hands and even better speed.

2.  We do finally have coaches and players who make significant half time adjustments.

3.  Bobby April seems to know how to coach special teams (players doing their part too).

4.  Drew Bledsoe had his best game in the past year today.  For the first time in forever I think he made the positive difference in a Bills win.  He was no worse than tied for the best offensive performance by a Bill today.

5.  We do not have a kicker you can rely on.

6.  Joe Burns can't be our third down back.

7.  Trey Teague did not hold on the screen pass.

8.  Not one person on the Bills appeared to panic today.

9.  Love to see MM smile after a nice play.

10. Willis made some very nice blitz pick-ups today.

11. I almost broke my TV when Clements tried to scoop up the fumble along the sidelines.  I really really wish he was better at playing situational football.

12. The season rides on the Cincy game.

 

Baker's dozen

13. McGee will be in Hawaii this February.

147670[/snapback]

 

Great list! Here's my attempt:

 

1. Forget worrying about the playoffs. The scenarios will drive you nuts. Focus on going 10-6. If 10-6 isn't enough for the playoffs, so be it. But finishing 10-6 after starting 0-4 will have the Bills heading into 05 with a full head of steam.

 

2. T. McGee gets better at CB every game. I have no doubt this kid can be a solid No.2 corner in the future.

 

2a. Same with Baker. He will be a good FS in the upcoming years.

 

3. Perhaps the most undervalued player on the Bills roster is M.Price. This guy is maybe the best backup OL in the league. He steps in and does his job without any praise.

 

4. Tim Anderson finally played and was in on a tackle. It was nice to see the 3rd round pick get some snaps.

 

5. Jason Taylor's strip on W.McGahee was one of the most heads up defensive plays I've seen all year. Even though I can't stand Taylor, he is as smart a player as there is in the league.

 

6. Perhaps MM's best decision all season came when he first took the job and decided to retain Jerry Gray as DC. This was the first sign that we had a good coach, he was willign to put ego aside and stay with Gray instead of trying to pick his "own" coach like most new Head coaches do.

 

7. The Dolphins played HARD today, but they are still a bad football team.

 

8. Lindell is overpaid.

 

9. Drew Bledsoe will be the starter in 05. MM will say all the right things in preseason ("It's Drew's job to lose,") but in reality he will chose Drew because he has gotten more comforatable in MM's system each week.

 

9a. JP will be the Bills opening day starter in '06.

 

10. It's so nice to see the Bills playing winning football again.

[Simon]

He just hotdogged it, or tried to make the highlight play rather than the right play, as usual,

 

Or maybe he just tried to score one of them thar touchdown thingies for his team?

 

It is unfounded blanket statements like this that are leading me to believe your dislike of Nate as a person is greatly affecting your opinion of his game.

Cya

[DC Tom]

You still secure the ball before you run. He just hotdogged it, or tried to make the highlight play rather than the right play, as usual, IMO.

147693[/snapback]

 

Clements picks that ball up, he goes all the way for the TD and he's a hero.

 

But he booted it...so he's the goat.

 

That's really what it amounts to, isn't it?

[Kelly the Dog]

 

Or maybe he just tried to score one of them thar touchdown thingies for his team?

 

It is unfounded blanket statements like this that are leading me to believe your dislike of Nate as a person is greatly affecting your opinion of his game.

Cya

147697[/snapback]

Actually, I like him as a person. Everything I have read about him (which isn't all that much) is that he is a good guy, very funny, well liked by his teammates, etc. I think he is terrifickly talented but I think he makes terrible decisions more than great decisions, and his bonehead plays outweigh his great plays. For all his playmaking ability, he doesn't make a helluva lot of great plays. And he gives up a lot of big plays for the other team, more than he prevents, IMO. I do not forgive him for the houston game last year or the Jax game this year because his head cost the team the game. I think he is a very good punt returner, and just this side of a young Terrell Buckley as a CB, with potential to be an all-pro but not close to the production necessary. Lately, I have been very impressed with his tackling, however, which has improved.

[CosmicBills]

Clements picks that ball up, he goes all the way for the TD and he's a hero.

 

But he booted it...so he's the goat. 

 

That's really what it amounts to, isn't it?

147711[/snapback]

 

Exactly.

[Beerball]

That being said, I hope Nate does everything in his power to get teh ball in his hands as often as he possibly can. Every time he does, it's a potential TD.

Cya

147678[/snapback]

You typed Nate, but you mean Phat don't you?

[Kelly the Dog]

Clements picks that ball up, he goes all the way for the TD and he's a hero.

 

But he booted it...so he's the goat. 

 

That's really what it amounts to, isn't it?

147711[/snapback]

He is not a goat, he just blew the play. That play, the way it came about. I think any coach in that position would tell his player grab the ball then run, do not run full speed and try to grab it on your way to the endzone. I don't think the coaches watching the film are going to say, "Oh well, Nate, next time you'll grab it going full speed and score a TD, you made the right play because it could have been a TD". Most players in that situation reach down and grab the ball if they do not fall on it.

[Campy]

You still secure the ball before you run. He just hotdogged it, or tried to make the highlight play rather than the right play, as usual, IMO.

147693[/snapback]

Had he picked it up and run in for a TD, would you still think that?

[AKC]

It was close enough as to where it would have been the right thing to do just to fall on it. Nate has a "gunslinger's mentality", and while that frustrates us from time to time he makes plays because of it too...

147692[/snapback]

 

I agree completely- I remember how frequently the ball gets loose during fumble drills in football practice and the actual odds of his getting two (proven very good) hands on the sides of the ball and taking off versus securing it by diving on it might not be that far apart in probability. While there are many on the field whose hand reliability makes the dive and tuck the better play, with Nate his choice on this one looked like a decent decision. Had he taken the nose dive and knocked it OB I'll bet we'd be reading about what a poor choice was made for not just picking up the easy ball and running it in for a TD!

[Guest Eric]

Clements obviously isn't the smartest player in the league, but I don't see him get beaten very often. I think he's about as close as you get to a shutdown corner in the league. He's not in the same class as a healthy Ty Law, but I think he's right in that group of corners after him- in there with Bailey, McAlister, and Surtain...

[Kelly the Dog]

Had he picked it up and run in for a TD, would you still think that?

147723[/snapback]

It would have been a good play, yes. All unnecessary risks, IF you make them, are great plays. Betting on a longshot if it comes in is a great bet everytime. But Nate didn't make the play. Just like he didn't make the right, simple play in the Jax game.

[Kelly the Dog]

I agree completely- I remember how frequently the ball gets loose during fumble drills in football practice and the actual odds of his getting two (proven very good) hands on the sides of the ball and taking off versus securing it by diving on it might not be that far apart in probability. While there are many on the field whose hand reliability makes the dive and tuck the better play, with Nate his choice on this one looked like a decent decision. Had he taken the nose dive and knocked it OB I'll bet we'd be reading about what a poor choice was made for not just picking up the easy ball and running it in for a TD!

147725[/snapback]

I didnt mind him trying to pick it up. I minded him trying to make the easy, lazy, highlight play. He could or should have picked it up as easily as just fallen on it, as far as I was concerned. It seemed to me he just did the lazy man's grab for it without stopping or making sure he had it, not unlike a receiver running before he catches a pass and just dropping it. Only this was a turnover in Miami's territory if I recall.

[AKC]

I didnt mind him trying to pick it up. I minded him trying to make the easy, lazy, highlight play. He could or should have picked it up as easily as just fallen on it, as far as I was concerned. It seemed to me he just did the lazy man's grab for it without stopping or making sure he had it, not unlike a receiver running before he catches a pass and just dropping it. Only this was a turnover in Miami's territory if I recall.

147737[/snapback]

 

I'll have to watch it again- I seem to recall his inertia was carrying him as much as any acceleration on his part and his body was a little high to get the scoop without falling over. I didn't really think on the first look that he was even in a great position to fall on it.