A Few Thoughts About The Game

[HeHateMe]

there is an amazing lack of offensive talent, combine that with a scrub O line with your best guy out and your 2nd best guy playing out of position and bingo.

[BADOLBILZ]

2. Our defense is by far the worst defense I have seen in a long, long, looooooong time. I know our offense has been horrible the past 3 games, but when you see a stat that our defense has given up something like 8td's in teh last 9 offensive possessions by the opposing team, one can't help but vomit..which in turn brings us to:

 

That's my feeling too. I believe when the dust settles on this season this will go down as the worst defense in team history. Worse than last year.

 

In the past two weeks, while the outcome of the game was still in doubt, the Bills gave up a touchdown on every single drive. You have a feeling if the Cowboys or Dolphins needed to score 7-8 straight TD's they could have. We aren't talking about the 18-1 Pats who put up 8 straight TD's against the Bills in Buffalo, Dallas and Miami are not exceptional teams.

 

The injury to Kyle Williams was unexpected and that hurts, but what it comes down to is that the coaching is terrible and the organization did not make an honest effort to improve the talent on this team. I know they drafted Dareus, but every team gets to draft. When you've got holes to fill you can't stick your head in the sand.

[bouds]

11) Chandler is a football player. I like this guy more week after week. They should call up his agent tonight and offer him a long term contract.

 

I thought he was a golfer, thanks for the reminder!

 

All kidding aside, I thought Searcy had a very good game for a rookie in his first start. Also thought Troup played well at PoA.

Edited November 21, 2011 by bouds

[Willyville Guy]

I expect that Spiller bracing for a hit on the goal line will be the lasting image of his time in Buffalo. Kind of like McGahee eating a turkey sandwich on the sideline while the Steelers' backups beat us out of a spot in the playoffs.

[CSBill]

 

Spiller was a wasted pick but I also fault Chan for not finding a way to utilize him

 

 

Was it Chan's fault when he slowed up at the goal line? - that play right there says all you need to know about CJ Spiller, that play pretty much sums up his short career in Buffalo. He is soft, not very smart (as a player) , and plays with tentativeness and fear.

 

1. first drive of the game was excellent..right up to the point where Fitz overthrew a wide open Stevie..that play set the tone for the entire game.

 

2. Our defense is by far the worst defense I have seen in a long, long, looooooong time. I know our offense has been horrible the past 3 games, but when you see a stat that our defense has given up something like 8td's in teh last 9 offensive possessions by the opposing team, one can't help but vomit..which in turn brings us to:

 

3. being down 21-3 after a quarter and a half prevents us from utilizing our best offensive weapon: freddie.

 

4. this team is seriously lacking confidence right now and quite honestly, i have no idea if this downward trend is correctible at this point due to all the key injuries that are piling up.

 

5. our offensive line was a major strength at the beginning of the season and a large contributing factor to our early success; there's definitely a correlation between our subpar o-line play the last 3 weeks and our ****ty offensive play.

 

6. fitz needs to be a bit more accurate and our WR's need to make some plays; i saw a stat today that we had something like 10 dropped passes.

 

7. spiller truly sucks

 

8. our coaching staff has clearly been outcoached the past 3 weeks; when you lose games in the manner that we have lost games the past 3 weeks, that's not just the players fault. our team is simply not prepared mentally and/or physically..the coaches need to get their !@#$ing heads out of their asses and start gameplanning better.

 

9. brad smith..i was excited when we signed him. what a let down. this guy can't catch, can't return kicks, and can't gain a yard in the wildcat.

 

 

I thought we hit our low point last week against the cowboys..today was worse. Our playoffs start next week vs. the Jets. Despite being an optimist, I see no way we can beat the Jets next week. It seems like this team is physically and even worse, mentally, finished...this league is all about having mojo, and right now we have none of that.

 

Sorry Bill, this outline is much more reasoned and more accurate than your rant above.

[Corp000085]

 

Maybe I should take acid to explain the Bills and this opening sequence...

[Kipers Hair]

1) Hey David Nelson, would you mind taking your head out of your ass? We understand that you have a hot girlfriend and we are all impressed. Today however, your game sucked, and it would be great if you worked on it.

 

2) Please, spare me the complaints about Levitre, OK? Thanks so much. He had no business at OC. Period.

 

3) A football team that starts Spencer Johnson at linebacker is not a football team. Lets stop kidding ourselves, shall we?

 

4) Not too impressed with Pears today. Never mind..... he flat out sucked. And to those of you who are ready to annoint Hairston as the next Orlando Pace, do watch the replay. Raise your hand if you were happy with his play.

 

5) Sheppard is perhaps a breath of life to this football team. That safety was mint.

 

6) Let me guess: The third quarter punt return by Spiller is going to justify the selection of this absolute waste of #9.

Am I right?

 

7) Aaron Williams had a tough game. He wasnt getting beat per se but he was getting schooled like the rookie that he is. I don't have so much of a problem with that believe it or not.

 

8) The wheel is turning and you can't slow down

You can't let go and you can't hold on

You can't go back and you can't stand still

If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will

 

9) Horrible, inexcusable drop by Smith in the second quarter. The thing is he should be utilized more like Tebow. Does anybody disagree?

 

10) Spiller sucks. Yes, he flat out sucks and I wish he wasnt even on this football team but maybe we will get lucky and get off of a conditional seventh round pick, which would be steal for this loser.

 

11) Chandler is a football player. I like this guy more week after week. They should call up his agent tonight and offer him a long term contract.

 

12) Ok, Fitz didn't look great today but balls were bouncing off the hands of his receivers. There is no excuse for this.

 

13) Ultimately, it doesn't matter. Win or lose we still are the greatest fans of any team in any sport. Yeah, I have a knot in my stomach and I'll probably toss and turn tonight. Tomorrow I'll be pissed, and then I'm gonna shake it off because I love the Buffalo Bills football team. Right now Im asking for a pass rush and help at OT. But I suppose this is all I've ever been asking for.

 

14) GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You had me until the "Go Bills" part....like you said, the sting will go away, but what we saw today...and last week for that matter, was so bad, maybe the worst 2 week span of football I have seen this team play in a couple of years...it's going to take a long while to get excited about them again....

[thewildrabbit]

there is an amazing lack of offensive talent, combine that with a scrub O line with your best guy out and your 2nd best guy playing out of position and bingo.

 

Now think what the O line and offense would be like if the Bills would have invested some some EARLY draft picks for that line instead of Spiller and trying to build for the defense.

 

 

""2) Please, spare me the complaints about Levitre, OK? Thanks so much. He had no business at OC. Period.""

 

You can't fault the guy for trying to do what he is asked to do by his coaches, is it his fault Nix and Gailey refuse to use the draft to build the line.

 

 

 

 

 

Change is coming....again!

[BRH]

I expect that Spiller bracing for a hit on the goal line will be the lasting image of his time in Buffalo. Kind of like McGahee eating a turkey sandwich on the sideline while the Steelers' backups beat us out of a spot in the playoffs.

Except I don't think he was bracing. I think he thought he was walking in.

[sllib olaffub]

I think smith wishes he were still a jet. His heart is just not into being a bill. After the jets game he was smiling and shaking hands with all the jets players. Bills jersey on him looked totally out of place.

 

I totally agree!!! I don't think that aspect of the NFL is talked about enough - but, he did look very much like a player not happy with where he's at. I think Buffalo lured him here (lured, or just implied) by saying he'd be utilized in this way and that - as if he'd be a sizeable part of the offense. I mean, his contract suggested he'd be. And then, either because he plain sucks, or becuase Fitz and Fred played so good to begin the season, he's looked like a guy who is depressed because he only gets to play a few snaps a game. And then, when he is given the chance, he stinks.

 

Spiller, at least, hasn't stopped trying and has the right attitude. You'd think he would be the one acting like Smith, considering his high hopes and being stuck behind Jackson. But he's a kid with integrity. Smith...

[NewEra]

<br />1) Hey David Nelson, would you mind taking your head out of your ass? We understand that you have a hot girlfriend and we are all impressed. Today however, your game sucked, and it would be great if you worked on it.<br /><br />2) Please, spare me the complaints about Levitre, OK? Thanks so much. He had no business at OC. Period.<br /><br />3) A football team that starts Spencer Johnson at linebacker is not a football team. Lets stop kidding ourselves, shall we?<br /><br />4) Not too impressed with Pears today. Never mind..... he flat out sucked. And to those of you who are ready to annoint Hairston as the next Orlando Pace, do watch the replay. Raise your hand if you were happy with his play.<br /><br />5) Sheppard is perhaps a breath of life to this football team. That safety was mint. <br /><br />6) Let me guess: The third quarter punt return by Spiller is going to justify the selection of this absolute waste of #9. <br />Am I right?<br /><br />7) Aaron Williams had a tough game. He wasnt getting beat per se but he was getting schooled like the rookie that he is. I don't have so much of a problem with that believe it or not.      <br /><br />8) The wheel is turning and you can't slow down<br />You can't let go and you can't hold on<br />You can't go back and you can't stand still<br />If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will<br /><br />9) Horrible, inexcusable drop by Smith in the second quarter. The thing is he should be utilized more like Tebow. Does anybody disagree?<br /><br />10) Spiller sucks. Yes, he flat out sucks and I wish he wasnt even on this football team but maybe we will get lucky and get off of a conditional seventh round pick, which would be steal for this loser. <br /><br />11) Chandler is a football player. I like this guy more week after week. They should call up his agent tonight and offer him a long term contract. <br /><br />12) Ok, Fitz didn't look great today but balls were bouncing off the hands of his receivers. There is no excuse for this.<br /><br />13) Ultimately, it doesn't matter. Win or lose we still are the greatest fans of any team in any sport. Yeah, I have a knot in my stomach and I'll probably toss and turn tonight. Tomorrow I'll be pissed, and then I'm gonna shake it off because I love the Buffalo Bills football team. Right now Im asking for a pass rush and help at OT. But I suppose this is all I've ever been asking for.<br /><br />14) GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br />

13) all I've ever asked for is a QB. The search continues, minus 6 years 60 mill

[Orton's Arm]

talk about jamming WRs

 

There were many plays where the Dolphins had their entire defense within 3 yards of the Line, including both safeties

 

 

There is zero fear that the Bills can beat them past 5 yards.

 

Fitz can't throw accurately deep, the line can't block for more time needed to throw 5 yards, and the WRs can't catch anyway.

 

The result is those short passes are stuffed as well as the running game since there are so many defenders at the line of scrimmage

You've hit the nail on the head. Fitz's production is dwindling this season for the same reason Flutie's production dwindled in '99. When there is no reason whatever for defenses to fear anything except the short stuff, they can crowd the line of scrimmage to take away the short stuff.

 

Next season, the return of injured offensive linemen and WRs should mitigate the problems you've described. The Bills' offense would also benefit from draft picks used on offensive linemen and receivers. But what the Bills' offense needs most of all is a franchise quarterback.

 

I also agree with whomever said that this Bills' defense is among the worst in team history. I'm not familiar enough with that team history to know if it's the worst. But how much worse than this could any other defense in team history possibly be? Is there some random defense from the '70s or '60s that would have allowed Moore and Romo to engineer a TD literally every drive? Because that's basically what a defense would have to do (or fail to do) to be significantly worse than the one we have now.

[billsfan714]

The thing about this years defense is you can beat them anyway you want. Ground and pound or through the air. They're on their heels, never attacking.

[Sisyphean Bills]

You had me until the "Go Bills" part....like you said, the sting will go away, but what we saw today...and last week for that matter, was so bad, maybe the worst 2 week span of football I have seen this team play in a couple of years...it's going to take a long while to get excited about them again....

Going backwards is still going...

 

just sayin'.

[truth on hold]

Now think what the O line and offense would be like if the Bills would have invested some some EARLY draft picks for that line instead of Spiller and trying to build for the defense.

 

 

""2) Please, spare me the complaints about Levitre, OK? Thanks so much. He had no business at OC. Period.""

 

You can't fault the guy for trying to do what he is asked to do by his coaches, is it his fault Nix and Gailey refuse to use the draft to build the line.

 

 

 

 

 

Change is coming....again!

Yeap that's it. Ill conceived conversion to 3-4 has exhausted most of our high draft picks and FA acquisitions, the defense is now worse and the offense has an extreme talent deficit.

 

What this team needed was fewell as DC running his 4-3, gailey as OC running whatever and a solid HC on top of them making both stayed away from the other's turf.

Edited November 21, 2011 by Joe_the_6_pack

[Koufax]

We understand you don't like Spiller. We get it. I'm sure you would rather have Bulaga starting at tackle, and right about now I would too. But Spiller opened with a nice play at WR, not his position, as well as an important punt return. He is not going to get a lot of touches in the backfield with Freddie playing above EVERYBODY's expectations, but that won't be forever, and injuries happen. Like Whitner at #8, he is never going to live up to his draft position in the eyes of many, but I think he is going to be a good football player, and am glad he is on our team.

 

The first month of the season was lots of fun, especially beating New England, and the last month has been pathetic. But we are a rebuilding football team without depth, and 5-5 is not the end of the world. We just have to find a way to make it 8-8 or 9-7 and not 5-11 or 6-10, and that isn't going to be easy how we are playing.

 

We are a young team without depth, and we have lost our best DL, our best OL, our best LB for the season. Injuries happen to everybody, but the bottom of our roster is too weak to pick us up.

 

Clearly our D has also been a wreck at a coaching level, and I think Edwards leaving and Wanny taking over as soon as possible, with a possibly return to the 4-3, would be a good thing. I like Sheppard and Williams and Dareus, but we are just not that talented and not playing that well, and I don't see us getting it fixed in the next six.

 

Our offense needs to be able to adjust much better, and I've been very disappointed with Chan and Fitz not being able to find a way to get more done the last few weeks. But I think they will, and we will get back to scoring points.

 

I said before the season that this is an 8-8 team, and good breaks could take that to 10-6 and bad breaks to 6-10, and we have had good breaks early and bad breaks lately, and are right on track for that. I really wanted this 8-8 team to find a way to 10-6, and I'm now concerned we won't get to 8-8 and will underachieve for the season as a whole, but we are an 8-8 team at our essence, and to let a few good games make us think we are a 13-3 team or a few bad weeks have us feeling like a 3-13 team is pretty silly.

 

Go Bills.

[ColdBlueNorth]

1) Hey David Nelson, would you mind taking your head out of your ass? We understand that you have a hot girlfriend and we are all impressed. Today however, your game sucked, and it would be great if you worked on it.

 

2) Please, spare me the complaints about Levitre, OK? Thanks so much. He had no business at OC. Period.

 

3) A football team that starts Spencer Johnson at linebacker is not a football team. Lets stop kidding ourselves, shall we?

 

4) Not too impressed with Pears today. Never mind..... he flat out sucked. And to those of you who are ready to annoint Hairston as the next Orlando Pace, do watch the replay. Raise your hand if you were happy with his play.

 

5) Sheppard is perhaps a breath of life to this football team. That safety was mint.

 

6) Let me guess: The third quarter punt return by Spiller is going to justify the selection of this absolute waste of #9.

Am I right?

 

7) Aaron Williams had a tough game. He wasnt getting beat per se but he was getting schooled like the rookie that he is. I don't have so much of a problem with that believe it or not.

 

8) The wheel is turning and you can't slow down

You can't let go and you can't hold on

You can't go back and you can't stand still

If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will

 

9) Horrible, inexcusable drop by Smith in the second quarter. The thing is he should be utilized more like Tebow. Does anybody disagree?

 

10) Spiller sucks. Yes, he flat out sucks and I wish he wasnt even on this football team but maybe we will get lucky and get off of a conditional seventh round pick, which would be steal for this loser.

 

11) Chandler is a football player. I like this guy more week after week. They should call up his agent tonight and offer him a long term contract.

 

12) Ok, Fitz didn't look great today but balls were bouncing off the hands of his receivers. There is no excuse for this.

 

13) Ultimately, it doesn't matter. Win or lose we still are the greatest fans of any team in any sport. Yeah, I have a knot in my stomach and I'll probably toss and turn tonight. Tomorrow I'll be pissed, and then I'm gonna shake it off because I love the Buffalo Bills football team. Right now Im asking for a pass rush and help at OT. But I suppose this is all I've ever been asking for.

 

14) GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Thanks Bill - needed that.

 

I don't think that Spiller is all that bad - just not all that good to justify where he was picked. He may end up being a great insurance policy if Freddie can't go next week.

 

Our defense is horrible, but there are some signs of life. Darius, Sheppard, Searcy, Bryd, and hopefully Williams may make up a decent foundation for a solid defense if we can get a few more pieces (another impact d-tackle, OLB, some better DBs) and hire a coordinator who can game plan. Too bad Troup has been a waste of oxygen this year - totally blows our d-line rotation. You are right that Spencer and some of the other scrubs we have just don't get any push. Is our secondary that bad, or do we just have a terrible coach? I think it was a mistake to retain George Catavolos as a defensive secondary coach - he was years coaching a Tampa-2 zone, and now they ask him to coach up our DBs and safeties to play more bump and run man coverage. At the very least, he needs to go as a matter of principle because the amount of blown coverages each and every week. It's inexcusable, he should resign and hand in his last few checks.

 

Chan and Wanne should look at trying to lure the defensive back coach from either the Texans, or the Browns who both have pretty good secondaries. The Texans nabbed a young coach from the 49ers Vance Joseph who did a great job turning around a 49ers defensive secondary (a position he held for 5 years) - he's a younger guy who may relate better to the youth movement we are going to need at DB soon and he just sounds like a better direction to me than sticking with George. Last year's pass defense ranking was just a mirage; any of us could have told folks on the outside that teams did not pass on us because they could run through us. This year our line does a better job of stopping the run so teams are going through the air and our secondary makes just about every scrub and rookie QB look like a all star. The one pass defensed against Marshall was another blown coverage and Marshall just failed to put the ball away.

 

 

Hairston looked bad out there today and Pears not much better - our O-line is in shambles and they should have kept Hangartner around for depth at center and guard, but Ralph and the Bills FO was too cheap. Levitre tried his best, but is not a center; Chan will move Urbik inside and we will all get to see how that goes. One thing that has really bothered me is that some of the line did not play to the whistle. True, Fitz held the ball for a long time on some plays, but a freakin 3-man rush should never get to your QB... pathetic watching a 37 year old DE outwork a young rookie and guard.

 

Stevie Johnson has played hurt all year and it shows; the rest of our WRs with the exception of Chandler did not show up today. We need some better, bigger receivers next year to run this spread, and a burner with hands would not hurt to stretch the field. I had such high hopes for Easley. Donald Jones is not an NFL calibre receiver, I would rather see them get Naaman more involved; at least he doesn't alligator arm his catches even if he knows he is going to take a shot.

 

Brad Smith almost single-handedly killed this game... I know he made some catches, but he also let that guy run right by him on the blocked punt and didn't even bother blocking anyone. From his interviews and effort on the field he just doesn't look like he is into playing for the Bills and he is a wasted roster spot and who knows how he affects the locker room. He is also slow on kickoff returns so I would much rather see McKelvin and Spiller back there.

 

Quality depth is definately a problem on this team and we are seeing the result of that. Too bad about Wood, at least there I felt like the team had found that anchor for the line for years to come.

 

Fitz was not very good today, but his receivers didn't help much. Stevie is a shell of his normal self, and Jones tipping the ball was a killer. I think Jones has done that before so I am not in a hurry to see him back.

 

 

I really felt that Chan excelled at getting guys in a position where they could succeed and game planning for an opponent. He has lost his mojo and is going to have to work some miracles to get it back. The defense giving up TDs in just about every 1st half possession does not help, you can tell it affects the psyche of the offense and they start to press because they know those guys cannot stop the other team from marching down the field.

 

We need a lot of help on this team still, but I saw an offense that laid down today... interesting to see if they have the character in the locker room to find the grit and heart to play tough after these last 3 beat downs.

[maddenboy]

A huge problem is that we dont DICTATE anything to anyone. On either side of the ball.

 

We dont have a single unit that keeps opposing co-ordinators up at night. Or, a single player, for that matter, except maybe freddie and Kyle Williams.

 

So I say, devote the next draft to ONE UNIT. Try your damnedest to make one unit that will strike fear in the other team. I say draft Linebackers 1, 2, 3. You can never ever have enough linebackers. We have about 1.5 of them.

 

Improve that unit, and the D-line will have an easier time. And they'll be more motivated to do the grunt work for some really good guys behind them. I sure wouldnt want to bust my ass on the line, so that Andra Davis or Moats can be clean to do . . . nothing much.

 

Improve that unit, and your dbs look better, due to the increased pressure, and increased 3rd and longs, and increased ability of linebackers to actually help in coverage.

 

I know other units need work. But if you wanna run an excellent 3-4, you need about 7 linebackers. Just ask the Steelers.

[cantankerous]

The only player that seemed to give a damn was Brian Moorman. That speaks volumes.

 

Spiller is terrible, and so are the coaches for allowing him to continue to return punts. He runs sideways every time, like the goal is to make it out of bounds before anyone touches him.

 

The season is lost. What a pathetic way to go out.

[MikeSpeed]

Fitz hasn't been the same QB since he took the shot in the ribs. He doesn't step into the throw and he hasn't been setting his feet. He was throwing the deep (15-20 yards)crossing patterns early in the year and looked good doing it. I think he has Trent Edward’s syndrome.