A Few Scattered Thoughts, on a bye week.....

[vincec]

Do you not watch the defensive alignments? It's the same play over and over. You could call an offensive gameplan against wannstedts play calling. So could Stevie wonder. He's that bad. Do you think he's a good DC vincec?

Wanny is blitzing more than he ever has to try and help the pass rush. He is playing more varied coverages than he ever has to try and help the DBs. Last week he moved Williams all over the defensive line to try and help him get pressure. He benched Moats two weeks ago to bring in Bradham to try and get better LB play. He's trying a lot, but he doesn't have many tools to work with.

 

The reason that the games are historic blowouts instead of just losses is because many players have quit on the season and give up the minute things go wrong in a game. I put the blame for that evenly on the players and coaching staff's shoulders. The players don't care and the coaching staff doesn't seem to either. In fact the only ones who seem to care are Kelsay, with his comments about the team not playing hard, and Wannstedt, who sounded like he was ready to get into a fight with someone during Tim Graham's interview. Everyone else just seems to make excuses.

 

Stop looking for a scapegoat.

Edited October 28, 2012 by vincec

[Uncle Joe]

I think the Kent Hull lines were better. I like this group, and think they have the potential to draw comparisons to, or even surpass, their early 90's counterparts; but I need to see more longevity, more consistency, and more durability first.

 

I agree. That line was better and when someone went down we had a replacement. I liked our overall depth in the SB days before free agency. Kent Hull - RIP.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Bill!

 

How could you?

 

Okay, I'll do this weeks:

 

I told Althea that I'm a roving sign

 

that I was born to be a bachelor

 

Althea told me, okay that's fine

 

So now I'm out trying to catch her

[Bill from NYC]

Bill!

 

How could you?

 

Okay, I'll do this weeks:

 

I told Althea that I'm a roving sign

 

that I was born to be a bachelor

 

Althea told me, okay that's fine

 

So now I'm out trying to catch her

 

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Actually, I was thinking about it, but the mood was so somber that I was lookong at, "Row Jimmy Row."

Althea is in my top 5 favorites. I'm gonna PM you a version, and I won't let it happen again!

[JohnC]

1) I am unable to figure out what is happening wrt Dareus and Mario. Dareus, despite his stats, was a key player in our victory over Arizona. I know what I was seeing. He was out-muscling his opponent, and played a key role in the safety. Last week he was sub-pedestrian. Why? Mario too was on fire vs. the Cards. How can you go from THAT good to THAT bad? I am not shy about offering opinions, but I can't figure this out.

 

2) Spiller deserves heaps of praise. Last week he made yards on his own. blocked pass rushers, and held the ball. This in addition to doing what he was drafted to do.

 

3) This OL is probably the best, and definitely the deepest in the history of the franchise. They have at least 7, and perhaps 8 men who can play. It is a pleasure to see them perform so well.

 

4) Wanny is the worst DC that I have ever had the displeasure to watch. Kyle Williams in coverage? Wanny is absolutely killing this team.

 

5) Nothing new to say about Fitz. He is just too limited and inconsistent. That said, I wish he would run it himself more often.

 

6) The wildcat does NOT suck. It provides us with first downs, and puts the football in the hands of Smith.

 

7) Props to McKelvin. He is actually thrilling to watch on returns.

 

8) I hope that Gilmore starts making plays. He has the tools, but a game changing play isn't much to ask from a kid who was drafted as high as he was.

 

9) Pay attention if you will to AJ McCarron tonight if you get a chance. He is starting to remind me of Fitz, but with less mistakes and a somewhat better, and more accurate arm.

 

10) The worst thing about this season imo is the dejection of the fanbase, not that I blame anyone or am exempt. If we could have just held on last week, a freak win over Houston or NE would have kept us in the picture. It's a longshot for sure, but I am holding out against hope for a win vs. the Texans.

 

11) Go Bills!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Bill, I usually agree with you on 80%---90%. But in the general tenor of your post I "severely" disagree with you. For the sake of brevity I won't get into all the areas so I will only deal with some of your cateogories. Your insistence that our defensive woes are more attributable to the coaching issues as opposed to the player issues makes little sense to me. Our DL has been shredded. Our LBing corps is the worst in the league. Is Wanny an upper tier DC? Of course not. But every few years a large faction of fans want to run out coaches for the team's lack of performances on both sides of the ball. Why is it that Edwards coaches well when he is with the Giants and he is considered ineffective when he is a DC with the Bills? The issue is the talent level. That is the substance of the problem. In the unmerciful NFL if a team has a weakness it is going to be exploited, over and over again. When you then try to compensate for a weakness you then create other weaknesses that will then be exploited. Don't fall into the trap of having a "fall guy" mentality. It is about the talent level in a highly competitive business that is driven by the talent level.

 

With respect to your fascination with the Alabama qb please don't go there or I will explode and go crazy on you. Isn't it about time that the Bills acquire a qb who has the necessary level of physical tools (arm strength and accuracy)? McCarron is a good college qb. Not a franchise qb prospect ! McElroy, another Alabama qb, is a similar type qb. An excellent backup caliber of qb. The Bills need a legitimate franchise qb talent that can be developed. Not a prospect that in the long run is not going to get you anywhere other than a lot of good press clippings extolling his academic record and personal qualities.

 

The problem with this franchise has little to do with the team on the field and individual player issues. It has more to do with the caliber of ownership and the second-rate organization that he has established. Don't look at this season in isolation. Look at how this franchise has performed over the past generation. What ever happened to the NFL concept of parity? It gets lost in the muck of inept ownership. Having a 94 yr old owner is an obsurdity in itself. Until there is an ownership change you will continue to sing the same maudlin song of WTF happened!!!!!

[Bill from NYC]

Arizona has one of the worst o-lines in football so it's pretty obvious why the Bills d-line looked good in only that game.

 

Gilmore is a solid but unspectacular corner. I really hate this teams fascination with drafting corners early in the draft

 

I know about Arizona's OTs. And while they truly are bad, it's still hard to understand going from dominance to the toilet in a week. Especially wrt Dareus, who plays inside.

As fior the drafting corners thing, I don't want to get started, but here's one for ya.....how many corners have we drafted and/or signed as UFAs since Winfield left? Painful, ya know?

Edited October 28, 2012 by Bill from NYC

[Bill from NYC]

Bill, I usually agree with you on 80%---90%. But in the general tenor of your post I "severely" disagree with you. For the sake of brevity I won't get into all the areas so I will only deal with some of your cateogories. Your insistence that our defensive woes are more attributable to the coaching issues as opposed to the player issues makes little sense to me. Our DL has been shredded. Our LBing corps is the worst in the league. Is Wanny an upper tier DC? Of course not. But every few years a large faction of fans want to run out coaches for the team's lack of performances on both sides of the ball. Why is it that Edwards coaches well when he is with the Giants and he is considered ineffective when he is a DC with the Bills? The issue is the talent level. That is the substance of the problem. In the unmerciful NFL if a team has a weakness it is going to be exploited, over and over again. When you then try to compensate for a weakness you then create other weaknesses that will then be exploited. Don't fall into the trap of having a "fall guy" mentality. It is about the talent level in a highly competitive business that is driven by the talent level.

 

OK, my friend. Now, allow me to take YOU to task if you will.....

 

Notice the bolded? As you surely recall, I wanted the Bills to trade down and select Hightower, who NE traded UP to draft. Instead, we drafted a corner in the top 10. You, as I remember, liked this pick. Our secondary boasts 2 early first rounders, and two very early second rounders. How's it looking these days?

 

As per the ownership, I agree, and always have. Count me as one who thinks that 2006 was the last straw. TD had messed up. He had drafted a fat RT with a chronic ankle injury at #4 (Williams), and traded up for a 1st round qb who couldn't play (Losman). How did we right the ship in 2006? By bringing in 2 incompetent football men (Levy/Jauron) who nobody else wanted. Forget about not drafting Ngata. Seriously, that entire draft was absolutely stacked. Our first 4 picks consisted of 3 DBs who ranged from OK to garbage, and a DT who sucked. And we traded away an early 3rd round pick to accomplish this.

The above is ALL on Ralph.

 

This season, Ralph actually dug DEEP into his pocket and again, Nix used a top 10 pick on a player who was popular here in April, all to play defense. So what happened? Jauron Part Deux. Kyle Williams is alone in coverage, standing still 15 yards downfield on 3rd and 9. A penetrating DT, trying to cover the middle. Yeah, OK. And it's been posted that Kelsay too is out on coverage. Great!

Couple the above with bizarre clock management before the half, week after week, odds plays at inopportune times, etc. Much of this is the fault of the coaching staff, or so I see it.

[mead107]

Bring back JP. He could throw the long ball.

[Mr. WEO]

I have always argued that bringing in Wanny was a predictably bad, typical Bills dumpster diving hire. But where is the evidence that this D is "more talented" than last year"s??

 

They are historically bad. Wanny's ineptitude can only explain so much. They either have no

pride nor no talent.

Edited October 28, 2012 by Mr. WEO

[JohnC]

OK, my friend. Now, allow me to take YOU to task if you will.....

 

Notice the bolded? As you surely recall, I wanted the Bills to trade down and select Hightower, who NE traded UP to draft. Instead, we drafted a corner in the top 10. You, as I remember, liked this pick. Our secondary boasts 2 early first rounders, and two very early second rounders. How's it looking these days?

 

As per the ownership, I agree, and always have. Count me as one who thinks that 2006 was the last straw. TD had messed up. He had drafted a fat RT with a chronic ankle injury at #4 (Williams), and traded up for a 1st round qb who couldn't play (Losman). How did we right the ship in 2006? By bringing in 2 incompetent football men (Levy/Jauron) who nobody else wanted. Forget about not drafting Ngata. Seriously, that entire draft was absolutely stacked. Our first 4 picks consisted of 3 DBs who ranged from OK to garbage, and a DT who sucked. And we traded away an early 3rd round pick to accomplish this.

The above is ALL on Ralph.

 

This season, Ralph actually dug DEEP into his pocket and again, Nix used a top 10 pick on a player who was popular here in April, all to play defense. So what happened? Jauron Part Deux. Kyle Williams is alone in coverage, standing still 15 yards downfield on 3rd and 9. A penetrating DT, trying to cover the middle. Yeah, OK. And it's been posted that Kelsay too is out on coverage. Great!

Couple the above with bizarre clock management before the half, week after week, odds plays at inopportune times, etc. Much of this is the fault of the coaching staff, or so I see it.

 

Are you aware that you are buttressing my point? The issue isn't about any particular player transaction or the lack of draft maneuvers. The issue isn't about and particular scheme or coaching decision. The central issue is not having the caliber of a front office and coaching staff to make the numerous drafting and personnel decisions. The owner selected someone he knew. He disregarded anyone he didn't know. Our owner is in his 90s. He is to be kind out of touch. He was the one making the critical staffing selections. The outcomes are very predictable.

 

For the most part Buddy Nix doesn't maneuver around in the draft. That is his philosophy. The issue comes down to a retrograde owner who didn't bring in a variety of GM candidates who might be more creative in building a roster. With Buddy you get Buddy. How many teams would have even allowed Buddy to interview for a GM position? No one else. How many people would have allowed a befuddled Marv Levy who was out of football for a number of years to take over the football operation of a struggling franchise? No one else would. Who would have allowed his marketing guru to be allowed in a serious way involvement with the football operation? No one else.

 

Just as I thought that Spiller was going to be an impactful player for us when he was drafted I also am very comfortable in saying that Gilmore is going to be a good player for us. So I have no problem with that pick. But looking back and reviewing particular picks isn't as meaningful as questioning the general philosophy of how to build a roster.

 

As I have stated ad nauseum the problem with this very mediocre francise is the caliber of those running the operation. In my view Buddy is a credible scout but he is not sopisticated enough in building a roster. Chan Gailey is a decent OC. As a HC he is average at best. The issue really isn't about Chan's qualifications to be a HC. It is why was he selected to be the HC. The decision making process and the caliber of people of those making the decisions is what I am focusing on as the central issue.

 

Buddy Nix is a good checkers player in a business that calls for chess players. You can only be who you are. When you are out of your depth you are simply out of your depth. That is the central problem.

 

I have always argued that bringing in Wanny was a predictably bad, typical Bills dumpster diving hire. But where is the evidence that this D is "more talented" than last year"s??

 

They are historically bad. Wanny's ineptitude can only explain so much. They either have no

pride nor no talent.

 

People are always looking for the easy scapegoat. As you smartly noted it is about the talent level.

Edited October 28, 2012 by JohnC

[Orton's Arm]

1) I am unable to figure out what is happening wrt Dareus and Mario. Dareus, despite his stats, was a key player in our victory over Arizona. I know what I was seeing. He was out-muscling his opponent, and played a key role in the safety. Last week he was sub-pedestrian. Why? Mario too was on fire vs. the Cards. How can you go from THAT good to THAT bad? I am not shy about offering opinions, but I can't figure this out.

 

2) Spiller deserves heaps of praise. Last week he made yards on his own. blocked pass rushers, and held the ball. This in addition to doing what he was drafted to do.

 

3) This OL is probably the best, and definitely the deepest in the history of the franchise. They have at least 7, and perhaps 8 men who can play. It is a pleasure to see them perform so well.

 

4) Wanny is the worst DC that I have ever had the displeasure to watch. Kyle Williams in coverage? Wanny is absolutely killing this team.

 

5) Nothing new to say about Fitz. He is just too limited and inconsistent. That said, I wish he would run it himself more often.

 

6) The wildcat does NOT suck. It provides us with first downs, and puts the football in the hands of Smith.

 

7) Props to McKelvin. He is actually thrilling to watch on returns.

 

8) I hope that Gilmore starts making plays. He has the tools, but a game changing play isn't much to ask from a kid who was drafted as high as he was.

 

9) Pay attention if you will to AJ McCarron tonight if you get a chance. He is starting to remind me of Fitz, but with less mistakes and a somewhat better, and more accurate arm.

 

10) The worst thing about this season imo is the dejection of the fanbase, not that I blame anyone or am exempt. If we could have just held on last week, a freak win over Houston or NE would have kept us in the picture. It's a longshot for sure, but I am holding out against hope for a win vs. the Texans.

 

11) Go Bills!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Good post!

 

> 3) This OL is probably the best, and definitely the deepest in the history of the franchise. They have at least 7, and perhaps 8 men who can play. It is a pleasure to see them perform so well.

 

I wish we had a time machine, so that we could see how this offensive line would do against the Jimmy Johnson Cowboys' defensive lines. It would be an interesting battle, and there's a chance this OL would do better than the '90s Bills' OL did.

 

> 4) Wanny is the worst DC that I have ever had the displeasure to watch.

 

Last year people said that about Edwards. This year they're saying it about Wanny. Next year they'll be saying it about _______ ?

 

> 8) I hope that Gilmore starts making plays. He has the tools, but a game changing play isn't much to ask from a kid who was drafted as high as he was.

 

The problem with being really good in coverage, on a team where others are poor at coverage, is that the guy you're covering tends not to get too many balls thrown his way.

 

> 9) Pay attention if you will to AJ McCarron tonight if you get a chance. He is starting to remind me of Fitz, but with less mistakes and a somewhat better, and more accurate arm.

 

Perfect! Fitz would actually be a good quarterback, if his arm was a bit stronger, and above all if he could throw the ball accurately. If you've found a guy who's strong in the same areas as Fitz, and who's accurate to boot, that would be ideal.

 

> 10) The worst thing about this season imo is the dejection of the fanbase, not that I blame anyone or am exempt. If we could have just held on last week, a freak win over Houston or NE would have kept us in the picture.

 

Watching the Bills play the Patriots was like watching a middle school team play a high school team. The two teams had no business being on the same field. A trip to the playoffs would be rather pointless when you know--not think, but know--that in the postseason the Bills would get destroyed by the first real team they faced. In order to change that equation, the Bills should tank the rest of the season, and draft the best possible QB they can lay their hands on. If that means trading up, so be it. Any remaining draft picks could be used to improve the defense.

[CardinalScotts]

Arizona's offensive line is the worst in the league. They've allowed the most sacks do far this year. That's why Buffalo did so well against them.

then why didn't New England, Seattle, Miami or Philly eat them up ?

 

 

 

 

"Watching the Bills play the Patriots was like watching a middle school team play a high school team. The two teams had no business being on the same field. A trip to the playoffs would be rather pointless when you know--not think, but know--that in the postseason the Bills would get destroyed by the first real team they faced. In order to change that equation, the Bills should tank the rest of the season, and draft the best possible QB they can lay their hands on. If that means trading up, so be it. Any remaining draft picks could be used to improve the defense. "

 

and yet New England didnt take the lead until 11 minutes were left in the game

Edited October 28, 2012 by CardinalScotts

[Since 1972]

then why didn't New England, Seattle, Miami or Philly eat them up ?

 

 

 

 

"Watching the Bills play the Patriots was like watching a middle school team play a high school team. The two teams had no business being on the same field. A trip to the playoffs would be rather pointless when you know--not think, but know--that in the postseason the Bills would get destroyed by the first real team they faced. In order to change that equation, the Bills should tank the rest of the season, and draft the best possible QB they can lay their hands on. If that means trading up, so be it. Any remaining draft picks could be used to improve the defense. "

 

and yet New England didnt take the lead until 11 minutes were left in the game

 

If only games were 49 minutes long...Damn.

[ganesh]

Bring back JP. He could throw the long ball.

And nothing else.

 

then why didn't New England, Seattle, Miami or Philly eat them up ?

 

 

 

 

"Watching the Bills play the Patriots was like watching a middle school team play a high school team. The two teams had no business being on the same field. A trip to the playoffs would be rather pointless when you know--not think, but know--that in the postseason the Bills would get destroyed by the first real team they faced. In order to change that equation, the Bills should tank the rest of the season, and draft the best possible QB they can lay their hands on. If that means trading up, so be it. Any remaining draft picks could be used to improve the defense. "

 

and yet New England didnt take the lead until 11 minutes were left in the game

 

And yet we were a yard away from taking a 21-7 lead over them...

[Haven Moses]

I think they fooled themselves with how good they thought this DL would be. They thought 4 man rush was all they needed.

 

MAybe Dareus has a bad wrist too. Or he needs a fridge in his locker.

[CodeMonkey]

I think they fooled themselves with how good they thought this DL would be. They thought 4 man rush was all they needed.

I firmly believe this was/is Wannys mindset. And he is wholly unprepared for it not to be true, that is to say he has no plan B.

[JohnC]

The below attached link is a 10 minute WGR interview with Jason Cole from Yahoo. He talks about the known record of incompetence of Wanstadt before he was hired. Wherever he has gone he has left a record of mediocrity. The majority of people blame him for the dysfunction of our defense. I don't. My isssue doesn't focus on the particular incompetent so much as concentrating on an organization that would hire such an inept person.

 

Year after year the process of chaos continues. It is a cycle of futility. Until there is an owner who is able to break out of his limited known circle this franchise will continue to flounder. The outcome of hiring incompetents is very predictable. The issue with the hiring of Nix isn't the real problem. The main problem was that there was not a real serious search process to get the best available candidates to consider. Hiring the best GM one can get to lead your organization is the most important element in turning around a perennial failing franchise. Because of the backward owner the process was amateurish. The cycle continues. It is so tiresome!

 

http://www.wgr550.co...audioId=6099205

Edited October 29, 2012 by JohnC