The optimism has been erased

[cage]

The week before the Miami game, I started a topic stating that the next three games will be critical to either validating or dismissing the optimism about the team and about Fitzpatrick as our long term starter.

 

Those games have now come and gone and I'll say that the optimism is gone. Leo Roth's 2nd comment on this piece says it all:

 

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20110104/SPORTS03/101040314/tbd

 

This team still has an awful long way to go. We need to find a bonafide long-term starter somewhere or we'll continue to flounder and it will be impossible to build a contending team. We cannot afford to trade up to get Luck, it will cost too much for a team that can't afford to give anything and has too many needs.

 

Our skill position big three Fitz, Fred and Stevie are closer to Frank Reich, Kenneth Davis and Don Beebe than they are to Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed. Hardly the players that an ascending future can be built around...

 

... massively depressed!

[Mike in Syracuse]

In the last 3 games the Bills defense gave up about a trillion yards yet the roller coasters can't seem to get past their Luck lust.

 

Fitz has shown me enough this season that I'm willing to give him another year. Have we forgotten that this was yet another year of OL injury carousel? We actually played guys we signed a week earlier!

 

Perhaps if we're not hemorrhaging points next year the offense will actually get more touches and look even better. Our time of possession differential was atrocious this year and we still managed to win some games.

 

Ask Ditka how sacrificing your draft for one player works out.

Edited January 4, 2011 by Mike in Syracuse

[HARCO186]

You know I for one feel Buffalo will go after a true defensive stud and not take Luck in the 1st round. Fitz put up numbers that are decent enough that a team that has good character and good chemistry can do just fine. I also feel that Chan the Man will have the offensive line playing much better next year because even if they draft Luck, with no good line he would be toast. Everyone keeps praising Luck, and I also feel he is the real McCoy and will improve any team, but also feel that the Bills by drafting #2 and getting a true defensive work horse who demand attention like a Bruce Smith did will change the atmosphere of the team as well. What everyone around this board is looking for and not really paying attention to is what Chan and Buddy have been saying. It is a team effort that they want the chemistry along with the numbers. Chan has stated even Monday that he wants Fitz and will work with him for next year. These comments alone tell me Buffalo is going after a true defensive player who can change the game and set the tone for the defense. Chan also said he is not sure what they are going to do on the d as far as a 3-4 or 4-3, but they must get better against the run! If the Bills get better against the run, and solidify the o-line, then we have a better chance than just looking at one position. I think this is what the management will be doing. Only time will tell though.

[CodeMonkey]

This is not news. Anyone who has watched this season objectively knew this already. Even most people watching the season through red and blue colored glasses saw it in the last 2 games at least. Before this season began Nix and Gailey were talking about how it will be a long process and not to expect miracles overnight. I know that a lot of people were thinking/hoping lightning might strike. But it took more than 10 years of neglect to get this bad, it will take at least a few years of doing the right things to see real improvement.

 

Unfortunately, in my opinion anyway, this years first pick was not a wise choice given the state of the team. So this was year 0 of the 3-4 season rebuild. I am hopeful Nix and company will do a considerably better job this time around. We will see.

[cage]

In the last 3 games the Bills defense gave up about a trillion yards yet the roller coasters can't seem to get past their Luck lust.

 

Fitz has shown me enough this season that I'm willing to give him another year. Have we forgotten that this was yet another year of OL injury carousel? We actually played guys we signed a week earlier!

 

Perhaps if we're not hemorrhaging points next year the offense will actually get more touches and look even better. Our time of possession differential was atrocious this year and we still managed to win some games.

 

Ask Ditka how sacrificing your draft for one player works out.

 

I'm absolutely NOT advocating trading up to get Luck. We cannot afford the price on any such idea.

[VirginiaMike]

I think a good draft and especially a quuality 1st round pick will start to bring the optimism back to the Buffalo faithful. The fans have seen poor team for many years and then wasted 1st round picks that do not improve the team. What do you think is the last good 1st round pick the Bills made? Maybe lee Evans in 2004 or Nate Clements in 2001. That's a long time to be flubbing up your top picks. If we had hit on only 1/2 of our first round picks -- and that's a low bar to reach for -- we would be much better off. Worse yet, we traded up twice for flops, giving up valuable later picks.

Until we improve our 1st 3 rounds selection in the draft we will continue to be a disappointing team.

[bills_fan_in_raleigh]

You know I for one feel Buffalo will go after a true defensive stud and not take Luck in the 1st round. Fitz put up numbers that are decent enough that a team that has good character and good chemistry can do just fine. I also feel that Chan the Man will have the offensive line playing much better next year because even if they draft Luck, with no good line he would be toast. Everyone keeps praising Luck, and I also feel he is the real McCoy and will improve any team, but also feel that the Bills by drafting #2 and getting a true defensive work horse who demand attention like a Bruce Smith did will change the atmosphere of the team as well. What everyone around this board is looking for and not really paying attention to is what Chan and Buddy have been saying. It is a team effort that they want the chemistry along with the numbers. Chan has stated even Monday that he wants Fitz and will work with him for next year. These comments alone tell me Buffalo is going after a true defensive player who can change the game and set the tone for the defense. Chan also said he is not sure what they are going to do on the d as far as a 3-4 or 4-3, but they must get better against the run! If the Bills get better against the run, and solidify the o-line, then we have a better chance than just looking at one position. I think this is what the management will be doing. Only time will tell though.

I want to believe that Chan and Buddy will fix the D with studs however I fear that our owner will again push for a QB, do not forget that he stated earlier last year that we would be drafting a franchise QB in 2011.

[mattsox]

The week before the Miami game, I started a topic stating that the next three games will be critical to either validating or dismissing the optimism about the team and about Fitzpatrick as our long term starter.

 

Those games have now come and gone and I'll say that the optimism is gone. Leo Roth's 2nd comment on this piece says it all:

 

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20110104/SPORTS03/101040314/tbd

 

This team still has an awful long way to go. We need to find a bonafide long-term starter somewhere or we'll continue to flounder and it will be impossible to build a contending team. We cannot afford to trade up to get Luck, it will cost too much for a team that can't afford to give anything and has too many needs.

 

Our skill position big three Fitz, Fred and Stevie are closer to Frank Reich, Kenneth Davis and Don Beebe than they are to Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed. Hardly the players that an ascending future can be built around...

 

... massively depressed!

 

It's a bad football team. This year is make or break for me as a fan until a new owner comes. Reason being. Nix and Gailey had a whole season now to evaluate what they got. Last offseason, they signed marginal talent and evaluated poorly in the preseason. They thought they were better then they actually were. Well, obviously they crapped out.

 

This past season should be a reality check. It's now up to them to make good decisions. They must draft impact players. Sign highly touted FAs and get this train back on the tracks. If I see a repeat of last offseason, I know I'll be wasting my time watching the Bills in 2011. Because they will be the same team or worse, and that means we'll keep treading water until a new owner comes and rebuilds the whole organization.

[K Gun Special]

In the last 3 games the Bills defense gave up about a trillion yards yet the roller coasters can't seem to get past their Luck lust.

 

Fitz has shown me enough this season that I'm willing to give him another year. Have we forgotten that this was yet another year of OL injury carousel? We actually played guys we signed a week earlier!

 

Perhaps if we're not hemorrhaging points next year the offense will actually get more touches and look even better. Our time of possession differential was atrocious this year and we still managed to win some games.

 

Ask Ditka how sacrificing your draft for one player works out.

 

 

The bills had the ball about one minute less than the Pats and Colts this year. Its not about touches, its about making something with them.

 

You know Fitz was one of the least sacked qb's in the league too.

 

OL is a factor but so is a poor run game, which in part has to due with average RBs.

 

People are big on luck because its a QB league where the best thrive and the average go home. we have an average QB on a bad team.

[cage]

I want to believe that Chan and Buddy will fix the D with studs however I fear that our owner will again push for a QB, do not forget that he stated earlier last year that we would be drafting a franchise QB in 2011.

 

The truth is that both sides of the ball need a lot more help than we all thought a few weeks ago. Three weeks ago, there was a lot more conviction that Fitz could be a solution, the OL had played well, receivers were emerging. We just needed a real Tight End. I think the last 2 weeks have blown that up a bit.

 

Defensive side of the ball, we need more help than we can list...

 

My position would be that this organization cannot afford to trade up to get anybody. Trading up has contributed to our problems, in addition to the misses w/ first round picks that has been discussed, the trade-ups for Losman, McCargo and Ryan Denney all cost us additional second round picks, so they've been very costly.

 

The best draft move we've made all decade was trading back 3 slots, selecting Nate Clements, gaining a 2nd round pick and using it on Travis Henry way back in 2001.

[Gugny]

This is not news. Anyone who has watched this season objectively knew this already. Even most people watching the season through red and blue colored glasses saw it in the last 2 games at least. Before this season began Nix and Gailey were talking about how it will be a long process and not to expect miracles overnight. I know that a lot of people were thinking/hoping lightning might strike. But it took more than 10 years of neglect to get this bad, it will take at least a few years of doing the right things to see real improvement.

 

Unfortunately, in my opinion anyway, this years first pick was not a wise choice given the state of the team. So this was year 0 of the 3-4 season rebuild. I am hopeful Nix and company will do a considerably better job this time around. We will see.

I'm glad to see someone with a realistic view about the state of this team. While I think it's asinine to draft a RB in the first round of any draft, no matter what team you are, the Spiller pick could end up being a really good long-term investment. I've always said that this was about a 3-year plan when Nix/Gailey took the reigns. Spiller has the potential to be a top-tier running back. He got a little taste this year, and now sees the massive differences between college and the NFL. Over the next couple years, if we can add a franchise QB and get a d-line that can stop the run, I think the pieces are in place to make the Bills competetive. The o-linemen we have now are young; they can continue to jell over the next couple years and maybe via draft or FA, we can plug one or two guys in to make it that much stronger ... making Spiller that much more of a threat. A better QB (sorry Fitz lovers ... I love him, too, but he ain't bringing anyone to the promised land) can take advantage of Spiller's ability to catch passes out of the backfield. Maybe a Cam Newton/C.J. Spiller combo could be the next Donovan McNabb/Brian Westbrook combo of the NFL .. who knows?

[CodeMonkey]

I'm glad to see someone with a realistic view about the state of this team. While I think it's asinine to draft a RB in the first round of any draft, no matter what team you are, the Spiller pick could end up being a really good long-term investment. I've always said that this was about a 3-year plan when Nix/Gailey took the reigns. Spiller has the potential to be a top-tier running back. He got a little taste this year, and now sees the massive differences between college and the NFL. Over the next couple years, if we can add a franchise QB and get a d-line that can stop the run, I think the pieces are in place to make the Bills competetive. The o-linemen we have now are young; they can continue to jell over the next couple years and maybe via draft or FA, we can plug one or two guys in to make it that much stronger ... making Spiller that much more of a threat. A better QB (sorry Fitz lovers ... I love him, too, but he ain't bringing anyone to the promised land) can take advantage of Spiller's ability to catch passes out of the backfield. Maybe a Cam Newton/C.J. Spiller combo could be the next Donovan McNabb/Brian Westbrook combo of the NFL .. who knows?

Excellent points. I just don't see Spiller as a impact running back in the NFL. Catching short passes is a great idea for him because he can clearly do some damage when he gets some open space. Maybe a slot receiver? Overall I think we are more than a couple of players away from being competitive. 3-4 seasons if the current regime doesn't !@#$ up.

[PromoTheRobot]

Overreact much? All it takes is one or two bad games to erase all memory of what went right this year.

 

What's worse is people don't take into account the injuries that occur. This last game with Brohm should not even matter. Can anyone even name who our WRs were in that game?

 

Sometimes I feel like we all prefer failure and go looking for it in the good. Its the worst part of being a Bills fan.

 

PTR

[JohnC]

Ask Ditka how sacrificing your draft for one player works out.

 

I would not favor sacrificing a draft for one player, even if it is Luck. The Ditka maneuver of giving up a draft for an eccentric back was ouright insane. However, there are reasonable arguments to be made for giving up a lot of draft picks to be in position to take Luck if the franchise was willing to make some additional free agent acquisition to compensate for the loss of selections. Is Cam Newton the caliber of qb who would make it worthwhile to stay in your draft position and grab the consolation franchise qb in this draft? Absolutely!

[CardinalScotts]

It's a bad football team. This year is make or break for me as a fan until a new owner comes. Reason being. Nix and Gailey had a whole season now to evaluate what they got. Last offseason, they signed marginal talent and evaluated poorly in the preseason. They thought they were better then they actually were. Well, obviously they crapped out.

 

This past season should be a reality check. It's now up to them to make good decisions. They must draft impact players. Sign highly touted FAs and get this train back on the tracks. If I see a repeat of last offseason, I know I'll be wasting my time watching the Bills in 2011. Because they will be the same team or worse, and that means we'll keep treading water until a new owner comes and rebuilds the whole organization.

 

How do you pick this year - year one of a new coach and new GM to be make or break? We finally have football people in the right positions. They are cleaning this team of guys who can't play and finding the ones who can. Wrong time to jump off but you can get back on later.

Edited January 4, 2011 by CardinalScotts

[Erik]

The truth is that both sides of the ball need a lot more help than we all thought a few weeks ago. Three weeks ago, there was a lot more conviction that Fitz could be a solution, the OL had played well, receivers were emerging. We just needed a real Tight End. I think the last 2 weeks have blown that up a bit.

 

Isn't this part of the issue the last few weeks? We lost our receivers. That affects the QB. I think people are over-reacting because of this. We're fine with Evans, SJ, Parrish, Nelson plus we have Easley, Jones, and Naaman in reserve. We definitely need offensive lineman, there is no doubt about that, particularly road graters, but is blowing up the offense and starting over really necesarry because of the past two games?

[cage]

Overreact much? All it takes is one or two bad games to erase all memory of what went right this year.

 

What's worse is people don't take into account the injuries that occur. This last game with Brohm should not even matter. Can anyone even name who our WRs were in that game?

 

Sometimes I feel like we all prefer failure and go looking for it in the good. Its the worst part of being a Bills fan.

 

PTR

 

I don't think I'm overreacting at all. Every team deals with injuries by year-end, plus the Jets were resting starters (Sanchez, Revis,...)

 

A month ago this was thought to be a team on the rise. There were strong feelings that Fitz might be the answer at QB, that the run game had improved, that Stevie could be a upper-end receiver and that the defense had started playing much better in both shutting down the run and getting turnovers.

 

An improving team has to show improvement to the end if we're to believe in that. They finished the last 5 games at 2-3, with all three losses (Vikings, Pats and Jets) looking horrible. The 2 wins against Cleveland and Miami, we generally unconvincing. The OT losses to the Ravens and Steelers made you feel better about the team's potential than the those two wins.

 

We finished very poorly and a lot has to be looked at... we're farther away than we thought a month ago!

[RkFast]

Overreact much? All it takes is one or two bad games to erase all memory of what went right this year.

 

What's worse is people don't take into account the injuries that occur. This last game with Brohm should not even matter. Can anyone even name who our WRs were in that game?

 

Sometimes I feel like we all prefer failure and go looking for it in the good. Its the worst part of being a Bills fan.

 

PTR

 

+100000000000000000000

 

Massively depressed becuase they got blown out by the class of the league in one game and playing the second string in a meanlingless exhibition? Get over yourself.

 

I see lots of good with this team. Fitz proved he can play, while not the stuff of coaching legend Gailey did a nice job and put a good program in place, and some players emerged as bona fide NFL-level producers.

 

The team has got MILES to go before being a competitor, but for the first time in years, Im feeling good going into the offseason. Theres some forward momentum and traction. Something on which to build.

 

Massively optimistic.

Edited January 4, 2011 by RkFast

[Erik]

I don't think I'm overreacting at all. Every team deals with injuries by year-end, plus the Jets were resting starters (Sanchez, Revis,...)

 

A month ago this was thought to be a team on the rise. There were strong feelings that Fitz might be the answer at QB, that the run game had improved, that Stevie could be a upper-end receiver and that the defense had started playing much better in both shutting down the run and getting turnovers.

 

An improving team has to show improvement to the end if we're to believe in that. They finished the last 5 games at 2-3, with all three losses (Vikings, Pats and Jets) looking horrible. The 2 wins against Cleveland and Miami, we generally unconvincing. The OT losses to the Ravens and Steelers made you feel better about the team's potential than the those two wins.

 

We finished very poorly and a lot has to be looked at... we're farther away than we thought a month ago!

 

You're definitely over-reacting and we can only hope that the front office is not doing the same. If the last two games (and the Minnesota game for that matter) proved anything it's that we need to go defense, early and often, all offseason long. You're talking about QB's, RB's, and WR's. We shouldn't be focused on anything but defensive front 7 and offensive line for at least the first three rounds of the draft.

[JohnC]

Overreact much? All it takes is one or two bad games to erase all memory of what went right this year.

 

What's worse is people don't take into account the injuries that occur. This last game with Brohm should not even matter. Can anyone even name who our WRs were in that game? PTR

 

Prior to the season every NFL analyst predicted the Bills would be near the bottom of the team rankings. They were right. The Bills this year did not beat one team with a winning record. Their defensive rankings were at the bottom. The offensive rankings were mediocre.

 

Using the excuse of injuries for the team's 4-12 record is laughable. All teams have injuries in this brutal collision sport. The Bills consistently lose for the simple fact that they lack talent. You can delude yourself into believing whatever you want to believe about the Bills. For people like you a generation of excuses is not enough. As Parcells has wisely stated: You are what your record is. Excuses are for losers.

 

Sometimes I feel like we all prefer failure and go looking for it in the good. Its the worst part of being a Bills fan.

 

The above quote is another example of your peculiar perspective on the Bills. No one prefers failure; they are lamenting it. Just because you are one of the many "true believing" clones doesn't mean that you can alter the reality of the product.