PromoTheRobot Posted November 30, 2010 Posted November 30, 2010 The Bills went 4-12. Jim Kelly's rookie year. Levy joins the Bills as coach halfway through the season. 1987 they went 7-9. 1988 they go to the AFC championship. Chan has been here from the start of the season and Fitz isn't a rookie but the Bills might be on a similar track. Let's hope. PTR
Guffalo Posted November 30, 2010 Posted November 30, 2010 The Bills went 4-12. Jim Kelly's rookie year. Levy joins the Bills as coach halfway through the season. 1987 they went 7-9. 1988 they go to the AFC championship. Chan has been here from the start of the season and Fitz isn't a rookie but the Bills might be on a similar track. Let's hope. PTR In those formative years we were also losing games at the end, losing games by a touchdown or less. We turned the corner when we started to win the 1-3 point games, Marv and the Bills (and the fans) made Orchard park a miserable place to play for an opposing team. I am far from a Mr. Sunshine, but I do see some similarities with the mid to late 80's teams (with the exception of a big name QB signing and being escorted through the city like an arriving head of state).
The Senator Posted November 30, 2010 Posted November 30, 2010 (edited) I wouldn't quite call Kelly a ' bona fide ' rookie back then. Even though it was his first year in the NFL, he had prior 2 years in the USFL and threw for 5200 yards in '84- surpassing Marino's NFL record 5084 in the same season. But the similarities between the advent of Kelly/Levy and that of FitzGailey are eerily pleasant to ponder. GO BILLSSS!!!! Reverse the Curse!!!!! . Edited November 30, 2010 by The Senator
PromoTheRobot Posted November 30, 2010 Author Posted November 30, 2010 I wouldn't quite call Kelly a ' bona fide ' rookie back then. Even though it was his first year in the NFL, he had prior 2 years in the USFL and threw for 5200 yards in '84- surpassing Marino's NFL record 5084 in the same season. But the similarities between the advent of Kelly/Levy and that of FitzGailey are eerily pleasant to ponder. GO BILLSSS!!!! Reverse the Curse!!!!! . Quite true about Kelly. He'd already shown himself to be quite capable of playing pro ball by the time he landed in Buffalo. PTR
PearlHowardman Posted November 30, 2010 Posted November 30, 2010 yes, yes it is No, not it's not. Fitz will never lead this or any team to a SB championship. Chan is no Marv. We need a better GM.
Realist Posted November 30, 2010 Posted November 30, 2010 No, not it's not. Fitz will never lead this or any team to a SB championship. Chan is no Marv. We need a better GM. Hate to break this to you, but Marv was really never a "Great" head coach. He had very talented players and delegated responsiblities like no one I've seen in football do before. He was very good at getting very egotistical players to play as a team and believe in each other. That was his major talent as head coach. Kelly and Marchibroda pretty much ran the offense and Corey the defense. As far as GM goes, give Nix a chance, he just started. Whether you believe in Chan as a head coach or not, he is getting this team to play well together. The difference from the beginning of the season to now is night and day. I believe Chan is a major factor in Fitz playing so well.
Jobu Posted November 30, 2010 Posted November 30, 2010 No, not it's not. Fitz will never lead this or any team to a SB championship. Chan is no Marv. We need a better GM. Why even bother posting or being a Bills fan for that matter? If you are not up on this team--you are broken.
Chandemonium Posted November 30, 2010 Posted November 30, 2010 No, not it's not. Fitz will never lead this or any team to a SB championship. Chan is no Marv. We need a better GM. Neither did Kelly.
1B4IDie Posted November 30, 2010 Posted November 30, 2010 (edited) I think the biggest difference is you can see the potential for wins in the system that Chan is putting in place. After Trent Edwards we were in every game until the 4th QTR & OT. They play hard and there is room to get better. Under the Dick the team had no direction on offense or defense and played "not to lose." Chan is playing to win, he is in it to win it and right now he is coming up short in the end. If you add a few more components to the team, like LBs that can tackle at the point of impact as well as make plays behind the line of scrimmage and improve the RT position, you can see how instead of coming up short the team can come out with a win. DJ's teams never had potential like this. I do NOT think the Kelly/Levy/Polian Fitz/Chan/Nix comparison is fair to either group. This team is different than 1986 in personal however it is no different in that this season is an opportunity for the new coaches and players to learn how to play to win instead of play to "not lose." Its Nix job to give Chan the players he needs to win. Maybe Fitz is the right player for the long term maybe not, but 1 thing is for sure, QB is not a dire position of need for 2011 anymore. Edited November 30, 2010 by Why So Serious?
PearlHowardman Posted November 30, 2010 Posted November 30, 2010 And who is the Thurman Thomas on the 2010 squad?
Chandemonium Posted November 30, 2010 Posted November 30, 2010 And who is the Thurman Thomas on the 2010 squad? Thurman wasn't on the squad in '86. He was drafted in '88.
JÂy RÛßeÒ Posted November 30, 2010 Posted November 30, 2010 And who is the Thurman Thomas on the 2010 squad? Wasn't drafted til 88...
wardigital Posted November 30, 2010 Posted November 30, 2010 These comparisons are always so silly. You can just as easily draw comparisons to the 2000 or 2001 Bills, for instance. This year's team is the 2010 team all over again, and next year they will be the 2011 team all over again. To heap this sort of praise on current guys is also unfair to them. We are in a salary capped era now, where assembling that sort of talent on a team is incredibly difficult if not impossible. As long as the system stays the way it is, there will NEVER be another team that can replicate the sort of success that Bills of the late 80's and early 90's had on a position-to-position basis. There will always be weak spots.
1billsfan Posted November 30, 2010 Posted November 30, 2010 (edited) No, not it's not. Fitz will never lead this or any team to a SB championship. Chan is no Marv. We need a better GM. If Eli Manning could do it, so to can Ryan Fitzpatrick. Give him a few pass rushers and a TE and this team can win it all. Fitzpatrick looks like a cross between Drew Brees (short, but very smart and quick on where to go with the ball) and Eli Manning (passes don't always look pretty, but he gets the job done). Now all Fitzpatrick needs is a pass rushing defense built and couple of players on offense so that a dream playoff run like the Giants did a few years back can become a reality. I can totally see the Bills winning it all with Fitzpatrick. Edited November 30, 2010 by 1billsfan
cage Posted November 30, 2010 Posted November 30, 2010 No, not it's not. Fitz will never lead this or any team to a SB championship. Chan is no Marv. We need a better GM. Fitz,... I have no idea how you can conclude what you're saying. One of the things that drives me nuts on this board is how dismissive people are of a player's ability to grow, learn, adjust and improve. I don't have a clue where Fitz's limits are and neither does anyone else on this board. However, he's clearly a very smart guy with a an excellent offensive coach with some growing, learning and improving OL, RB and WRs around him. He has fast release, quick decision making and is fearless, all critical traits to an upper level QB. Let's keep moving forward with what we see rather than make definitive conclusions bases on sporadic play in previous years'. Chan,... Not a fair comparison at this time. Marv had plenty of issues. Lets see where we are in 2 year's time. Marv came into Buffalo as a failed HC, with zero excitement around his being hired, just like Gailey. Way too soon to say on this. Nix,... I kind of agree on this one. Don't like Cornell Green sign/waive. Don't like Kelsay extension. They're doing better mainly with players from the previous regime, who are reaching their potential. We have to see him make some good moves to tell.
billsfreak Posted November 30, 2010 Posted November 30, 2010 The Bills went 4-12. Jim Kelly's rookie year. Levy joins the Bills as coach halfway through the season. 1987 they went 7-9. 1988 they go to the AFC championship. Chan has been here from the start of the season and Fitz isn't a rookie but the Bills might be on a similar track. Let's hope. PTR Wake up, Wake up! We are not in Kansas anymore! Actually just wanted to chime in on a post started by the person who criticizes everyone on here that posts something.
PromoTheRobot Posted November 30, 2010 Author Posted November 30, 2010 Wake up, Wake up! We are not in Kansas anymore! Actually just wanted to chime in on a post started by the person who criticizes everyone on here that posts something. Touche. PTR
BillsFanM.D. Posted November 30, 2010 Posted November 30, 2010 (edited) The Bills went 4-12. Jim Kelly's rookie year. Levy joins the Bills as coach halfway through the season. 1987 they went 7-9. 1988 they go to the AFC championship. Chan has been here from the start of the season and Fitz isn't a rookie but the Bills might be on a similar track. Let's hope. PTR we can dream. I hope you're right but I'd then prefer to avoid the Derrick Burrough's penalty against Cincy, Harmon's drop, the Bickering Bills and the Super Bowl failures. Having said all that it was a heck of a good run. Edited November 30, 2010 by BillsFanM.D.
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