Charlie Robinson's winners and losers this week

[PromoTheRobot]

WINNERS!

 

Buffalo Bills

 

This team isn’t nearly as bad as the 3-10 record indicates. It’s encouraging that the Bills are 3-2 in their last five and continuing to fight for Chan Gailey. Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller will complement each other perfectly when all of the offensive pieces are healthy and playing together. Look at the scores this season: The Bills have lost four games by three points each. They lost another game by five, and another by eight. That’s six games that were all winnable in the fourth quarter. This team deserves as much credit as the Lions in terms of future optimism.

 

The media love keeps on coming. By the way, how are Shanny's Redskins doing?

 

Remember when we used to call Mike Shanahan an offensive genius?....Considering all the drama and failed expectations, this 5-8 team is already more disappointing than anything from last season.

 

PTR

Edited December 14, 2010 by PromoTheRobot

[FluffHead]

better than our record, blah blah blah, excuses are for losers, we're 3-10. I do agree that the team plays hard for Chan. Although I think that says more about the players we have than Chan because the guys played hard for Dick J too.

[evilbuffalobob]

better than our record, blah blah blah, excuses are for losers, we're 3-10. I do agree that the team plays hard for Chan. Although I think that says more about the players we have than Chan because the guys played hard for Dick J too.

 

Hmmm... that's funny... I rarely, if ever saw this team play hard for Limp Dick Mauron... and I have many, many past posts to prove it- mentioning the teams' lack of enthusiam.

 

They did pay fairly hard for Perry Fuel. Get your head outta the fluff.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

better than our record, blah blah blah, excuses are for losers, we're 3-10. I do agree that the team plays hard for Chan. Although I think that says more about the players we have than Chan because the guys played hard for Dick J too.

You're missing one thing.

 

Yes, the players did play hard for Jauron. But there was always a sense of hopelessness and despair surrounding their efforts…like they knew they were heroic losers, never able to get over the hump. They played as if they knew that in the end, they would find a way to lose.

 

Gailey's team is playing hard because he seems to have instilled in them a belief that they can win. Jauron's teams went down with a wimper. Gailey's team has gone down swinging.

 

I think anyone who is honest and perceptive about this team would say that this specific difference between Jauron and Gailey is obvious.

[The Dean]

better than our record, blah blah blah, excuses are for losers, we're 3-10.

 

 

Actually people who see the world in black and white are the biggest losers, IMO.

[Magox]

Actually people who see the world in black and white are the biggest losers, IMO.

I completely agree with that... There are many shades of grey in between those rigid black and white lines.

[FluffHead]

Actually people who see the world in black and white are the biggest losers, IMO.

 

Sorry if I'm not satisfied with just playing better or playing hard. I'm not gonna get all excited because some writers think we're loveable losers. Look, I see some positives with this team's play, but the bottom line is we continue to come up short in the moments when it matters the most. The fact that fans are excited just because keep games close is sad.

[The Dean]

The fact that fans are excited just because keep games close is sad.

 

I'd agree if I thought that was the reason Bills fans have hope. But I don't think it is simply because the games are close. That was Robonson's way of illustrating The Bills are probably better than their record, this year.

 

I think most of the Bills fans who are showing some excitement and optimism for the future, are basing it on how the team is playing, not the closeness of the score.

[bowery4]

better than our record, blah blah blah, excuses are for losers, we're 3-10. I do agree that the team plays hard for Chan. Although I think that says more about the players we have than Chan because the guys played hard for Dick J too.

 

This team would beat a Jauron coached team. The way it would happen would be an 8 minute 87 yard drive against the bend but don't break D who kept it close but that was to small, tired and playing prevent by the end of the 4th to stop them.

[Sabre Bill]

Being realistic about the dismal present and being optimistic and excited about the (now hopefully nearer) future don't have to be mutually exclusive.

3-10 sucks, we all get that. But, if you aren't feeling good about how the team is playing and the direction the organization is moving, you're trying too hard to be sad and Grinchy.

Edited December 14, 2010 by Sabre Bill

[Vinny4sum]

Yes 3-10 is not very good, but this team is transitioning, unlike it has done over the past 8 years. Players removed, players added and the more time guys like Carrington and Moates get the better they play.

 

This organization is at the bottom of the staircase, same place they have been for several seasons. The difference is the staircase is in better shape and has less steps to the top. I feel like I can see the top of the stairs for the first time in a while.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Look, I see some positives with this team's play, but the bottom line is we continue to come up short in the moments when it matters the most. The fact that fans are excited just because keep games close is sad.

Correct me if I'm wrong but the Bills have won 3 of their last 5 games.

Edited December 14, 2010 by San Jose Bills Fan

[tennesseeboy]

I like this team since the break and a lot of the credit (most of the credit?) has to go to Chan Gailey. I felt he had the obligation to be at LEAST as good as last year's record, but his actions since the break have me more and more optimistic about his plans, about the team's confidence in him, and about the way this team plays even when there is no playoff chance in the picture. Gutsy bunch.

[Ramius]

It takes a special brand of jackassery to not be excited about how this team has looked over the past handful of weeks. Merely claiming that we are 3-10 and that we suck is disingenius, since we are 3-2 after an 0-8 start.

 

Things aren't black and white.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

I like this team since the break and a lot of the credit (most of the credit?) has to go to Chan Gailey. I felt he had the obligation to be at LEAST as good as last year's record, but his actions since the break have me more and more optimistic about his plans, about the team's confidence in him, and about the way this team plays even when there is no playoff chance in the picture. Gutsy bunch.

I remember you stating several times before the season that Gailey had to go 9-7 or you weren't in favor of him coming back for a 2nd season. Kudos to you for owning up and seeing the forest for the trees.

 

I knew you were smart and that's why I couldn't understand why you were putting a number on the thing.

[Albany,n.y.]

It takes a special brand of jackassery to not be excited about how this team has looked over the past handful of weeks. Merely claiming that we are 3-10 and that we suck is disingenius, since we are 3-2 after an 0-8 start.

 

Things aren't black and white.

Detroit with their injured backup QB at home in OP.

Cincinnati team that hasn't beaten the Bills in over 20 years & is in total freefall.

Cleveland with backup, washed up Delhomme at home in OP.

 

You're right. Things aren't black and white. In horse racing if a horse is an also ran against allowance horses in NY & you drop him into cheap claimers at Finger Lakes, he might just win a few races at Finger Lakes. The Bills have experienced a drop in class. It's a lot easier to go 3-2 after 0-8 when the dregs of the NFL suddenly show up on your schedule. If the Bills had Carolina on the schedule during this 3-2 run, it would have been 4-1.

 

The Bills have yet to show they are anything other than tier 2 bad. They're not tier 1 bad like Carolina & Cincinnati, who are both being coached by lame ducks, but they really haven't proven anything by winning 3 of their last 5 other than they're not the lowest of the low. Let's see them win 2 of the last 3 and then we might have something to be excited about.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Albany, your points are well taken.

 

But it's not only the 3-2 record which has caused optimism.

 

It's also how close they came to beating Baltimore and Kansas City on the road, and the close losses to Chicago and Pittsburgh. Four losses by a total of 12 points against playoff caliber teams. All games which the Bills arguable should have won.

 

I don't know how many tiers you have in your model. I agree that the Bills are not the dregs.

 

The way I see it is that there are 3-4 really bad teams in the NFL and that there are no elite teams. I would say there's about 10-12 "good" teams and then there's about 16-18 or so "middle class" teams which are all pretty much even. I put the Bills in this middle group.

[JPicc2114]

You are what your record says you are.

[Realist]

You are what your record says you are.

Ask yourself this question. Would you rather have last year's team or this year's team?

 

Personally, I'll take the 2010 Buffalo Bills over any of the previous 6 or 7 years teams, maybe even longer than that.

[GaryPinC]

You are what your record says you are.

 

Very true. 0-8 as the players try to learn the new schemes and the coaches try and adjust the schemes to the players on hand. 3-2 since the players have become comfortable with the schemes.