VirginiaMike Posted January 3, 2011 Posted January 3, 2011 So the Bills finish 4-12. What conclusions can be drawn from this fact? One has to determine if this represents progress or lack of progress. I think it is fair to compare their record to last year’s record. The Bills finished 6-10 in 2009 so let’s call their performance difference a minus 2 since they were two games worse than last year. I get the feeling that the fans are satisfied with Gailey and Nix as coach and GM. Since this is a results oriented business I don’t understand the high approval ratings. I feel a more interesting way to look at the Bills progress or lack of progress is to see how other teams who finished worse than Buffalo last year fared this year. In 2009 Cleveland finished with exactly the same record 5-11, but at least they crushed New England during the season (net score 0). In 2009 Oakland was 5-11, but they improved to 8-8 and won all their division games (net score +3) In 2009 Seattle was 5-11, but they improved to 7-9 and won their division (net score +2) In 2009 Kansas City was 4-12, but they improved to 10-6 and won their division (net score +6) In 2009 Washington was 4-12, but they improved to 6-10 (net score +2) In 2009 Tampa Bay was 3-13, but they improved to 10-6 and maybe deserved to make the playoffs (net score +7) In 2009 Detroit was 2-14, but they improved to 6-10 (net score +4) In 2009 St. Louis was 1-15, but they improved to 7-9 (net score +6) In 2009 Buffalo was 6-10, but their record worsened to 4-12 and they didn't beat any teams with a winning record for the season (net score -2) The nine bottom teams in the NFL last year and only the Bills had a worse record!!! How is that for progress? Among the 8 teams at the bottom last year (excl. Buffalo) the average improvement was +3.75 wins per team. So these bad teams from 2009 improved almost 4 wins per team for the 2010 season and yet Buffalo got two games worse. This record of failure is terrible and I am amazed by the fans who seem satisfied with the way the organization is run from owner on down to the players and coaches. The numbers don’t lie. Unfortunately, what we got from the Bills was what I expected this year. The Offense played better than I expected (which tells you how little I expected). The Bills defense really regressed this year - I blame that partially on a move to a 3-4 when we had no 3-4 personnel. I hope that we replace our d-coordinator. As far as Niox & Gailey, I am split. Nix did little to find us top talent - Spiller for one was a waste. He may have found some FAs that looked good, but you really have to hit on the top picks to have leaders -- we have not done that in many, many years. Gailey had the team playing hard all year -- with the exception of the 2nd Jets game -- no one looked good there.
BuffaloBillsMagic1 Posted January 3, 2011 Posted January 3, 2011 Our defense is worst I can rememeber in years. We need a def coordinator to go along with talent influx. We make every RB and TE look like all world every week,.
Sisyphean Bills Posted January 3, 2011 Posted January 3, 2011 Of the 3 teams that had coaching/regime changes this year, 2 of them improved record wise. Seattle was very aggressive in turning over their roster and made the most roster moves of any team in the NFL. Washington was less aggressive, but did make a big move to try and secure a "franchise QB" (albeit heading into the twilight of his career). Buffalo was the team that regressed in terms of record and they made no big moves at all to their roster during the off-season. 2010 in Buffalo was not a rebuilding year. It was a year of demolition and re-evaluation of the scraps and crumbs left over from the previous failed regime. If there is not a lockout in 2011, hopefully the season will be one where the new Bills regime brings in and plays their own players that fit their systems, especially on defense. The defense was bad in 2010, and there is a ton of work to do on that side on the ball. Jobs are going to be lost and an overhaul is coming. On the offensive side, there are still issues at OT. The RT position was a disaster throughout 2010. The consistency in the running game simply wasn't there and Gailey mentioned this often in his PCs. The Bills still need to find an NFL TE who can produce in the passing game, otherwise their passing game will continue to sputter at times. Gailey will be looking to have a bigger more physical passing game than the previous coach. As Gailey said: Stevie Johnson did some very good things, but he'll never be considered a real #1 if he can't hang onto the ball. Then there is the question at QB: Fitzpatrick surpassed all expectations and played very well in 2010, but he can still be erratic and may not be the long-term solution at QB. Ralph Wilson's public statement that he wanted a new QB after Trent Edwards failed may or may not still be his mindset. Bottom line, though, the Bills have got to do a U-turn with respect to their abysmal drafting. With the third pick in the 2011 draft, now would be a terrific time to start.
Billsguy Posted January 3, 2011 Author Posted January 3, 2011 They took over a team with next to nothing for talent. This team has drafted terribly for ten years, has no playmakers and no identity. They made headway this seasona and it's ridiculous to think they would turn it around in a year. So grow up and gut it out. How do you justify the statement that the Bills made headway this year? The offense got slightly better, the defense got worse and the special teams got worse and the record got worse! Who drafted Spiller? Who named Trent Edwards the starter and then cut him? Who re-signed Kelsay to a big extension? Who spent $1.7 million on a broken down waived linebacker who hasn't played in 3 years? Is that what you call making headway? It's like finding a shiny dime in a pile of dog crap.
thewildrabbit Posted January 4, 2011 Posted January 4, 2011 There are a few differences between the 09 team and 10 team that explain the change in attitude. One very important distinction is that 2009 was supposed to be a win now year. We got T.O. and had our dual threat with the wide-outs, TE and Lynch were supposed to be young up and coming stars who were coming into their own, and it was going to be the year we got over the hump. Going into 2010 everyone knew we were in rebuild mode. This year we watched a team, that after two weeks was billed as the worst team ever, evolve and improve with no name players stepping up and making big plays, while the Bills started taking playoff teams deep into OT losing by heartbreakingly narrow margins. As bad as the losses sucked there was no denying the teams progress. Another reason is because for the first time in almost a decade we have a legit QB who gives us a chance to win every time he steps on the field and an offense that can put points on the board and come back from a deficit. I mean really, by the end of 09 if the Bills were down 10 at the half did you think they had a chance to come back? And as far as comparing teams, we won games against some pretty sorry competition in 2009. The schedule in 2010 was much tougher and we put up a fight against some good ones. Get a pass rusher, a run stuffer, and an NFL DC to complement our new found offense and I think most fans are confident that we'll have a decent team. Add a solid RT and another good lineman for the interior and we could dominate. That's two offseasons, so put the rest of the league on notice, in 2012 Buffalo's kicking ass and taking names. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. In 09 the Bills had dickhead Jauron who was so clueless about the offense he hired some guys who had no business even trying to be NFL offensive coordinators. Jauron had the Idea that the QB was supposed to lead the team to wins every game regardless of the circumstances of his team or opposing teams. This new head coach is almost the same way, take this last week for example. He brings in a new QB who has been holding a clipboard all year and not taking many snaps and throws him into the fire expecting him to be as good as fitz,...pass, pass, pass The best player on the team, both offense and defense is Fred Jackson. Instead of utilizing him like Bill Belichick would and pounding the ball and throwing only when he has to, he tries to make the new inexperienced QB win the game, like Jauron would. Dude, grab a clue....the Bills won games against bad teams in 2010-Detroit-Cincy -Cleveland-Miami- and that last game against the Jets showed you how bad the Bills would be every week if Fitz gets a serious injury. This current head coach is a good guy, and is kinda smart in setting up a passing offense, but only if he has the right QB. This team needs a "brilliant" head coach to compete with the Patriots, who have their brilliant head coach. You seem to forget that the GM stated he wasn't the smartest guy in the room when he was hired, he proved himself right this year with his giving RT Cornell Green 3 mill and drafting no help for the O line after he had stated that the O line was a priority in the draft. The 7th round pick was cut in pre season and the 5th rounder didn't see make the starting lineup. Looking at the history of the free agents and players drafted over the last 8-10 years I have no faith this team will suddenly change and start bringing in top players. This franchise follows the owners expectations, he tolerates losing as long as the stadium is filled. Don't expect this team to make the playoffs and compete for a super bowl berth with Gailey as HC, Nix as GM and RW as president.....don't even try and smoke that shi...stuff .
birdog1960 Posted January 4, 2011 Posted January 4, 2011 This franchise follows the owners expectations, he tolerates losing as long as the stadium is filled. Don't expect this team to make the playoffs and compete for a super bowl berth with Gailey as HC, Nix as GM and RW as president.....don't even try and smoke that shi...stuff . this....the numbers DON'T lie as the op said. wilson's career record means one of two things or both: his priority is not winning or he is an abysmal failure. one question no one seems to have asked is: how did brian brohm even have a roster spot? wouldn't culpepper, losman or several other potentially signable qb's (vick?) been better options? doesn't this strike anybody as defeatist and counterintuitive?
thewildrabbit Posted January 4, 2011 Posted January 4, 2011 this....the numbers DON'T lie as the op said. wilson's career record means one of two things or both: his priority is not winning or he is an abysmal failure. one question no one seems to have asked is: how did brian brohm even have a roster spot? wouldn't culpepper, losman or several other potentially signable qb's (vick?) been better options? doesn't this strike anybody as defeatist and counterintuitive? We all saw what Brohm could do against Atlanta last season, he wasn't very good in that game either, But at least he had a somewhat cohesive O line and protections in that game.He still stunk, most likely that is the reason as to why the Packers out right cut him and then put him on their practice squad. Anyway, to answer your query. Chan Gailey showed the world that he can't evaluate talent by simply watching game tapes, OTA's, mini camp or pre-season like most NFL OC's / HC's do, he needs actual games to call plays in, and watch what happens. That whole deal with Trent Edwards was so lame its not funny, first he defends the guy,and then out right cuts him. Fitz wasn't that bad last season considering he had no real offensive coordinator setting up game plans and calling plays, the QB coach took over those responsibilities two weeks before the season started...remember? The Bills missed an opportunity when they let Perry Fewell go, should have hired Fewell as HC, Fitz would have started the year and this seasons draft and outcome would have been very different, JMO
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