Reasons to be optimistic about the season

[BuffaloWings]

7. RBs. We're better here, too. Willis for the entire year barring injury makes us a completely better team. Who knows what happens with Travis and who cares, unless Willis goes down but we're simply in better shape as a unit because Willis is a stud and will be healthy and start the season FAR better off than we were when we went 0-4. Shelton has a year in the system and no reason to think he won't play as well.

321605[/snapback]

I think the RB spot is the most to be concerned with. If Donahoe does make a deal for Henry without signing someone like Anthony Thomas and Willis gets hurt, the Bills are in big trouble. McGahee's attitude and shoulder chip is the biggest part of his game. I don't see Shaud Williams being anything close to McGahee as far as the running goes. Let's hope Willis' knee is durable enough....and let's especially hope that Drew Rosenhaus doesn't fill his head with thoughts of money and South Beach....

 

8. QB. Most here, myself included, think we're better off here, too, if only for addition by subtraction. I expect JP to be very Flutie-esque: Gain a lot of first downs with his smarts and his feet, have trouble throwing touchdowns in the red zone, make some bonehead plays and bad throws at inopportune times, but OVERALL provide better quarterbacking than we had. And he doesn't have the noodle arm that Flutie dd, so he can get the ball deep to Evans and Moulds and Parrish enough to keep the defense honest. Teams will not be able to blitz us as much in all likelihood. We will be able to do so many more things and get the ball to our playmakers because of his mobility and because of the way MM and TC and SW will use him when they couldn't get Drew to do it. I don't predict greatness or even good stats, but I expect production and moving the ball and scoring some points. I think we will get better quarterbacking than we had last year.

321605[/snapback]

We need to be patient with JP. He's going to make some boneheaded plays that might lose a game or two, but at the same time, he can make plays that get the Bills in a position to win a game. But I agree...at the very least, he'll make defensive coordinators around the league have to play the Bills differently, which is to Buffalo's advantage. I think only Mularkey, Clements, and Wyche know what they really have with him.

[BuffaloWings]

One concern I have and it may not be popular is McGahee. I worry that he was out to prove something last year and having done that he may be a little cocky and over-confident ending up with a serious sophomore slump or worse an injury. He won't have Henry pushing him this year. Just a thought. 

322522[/snapback]

I'm not worried about his attitude so much as him getting hurt. He's probably the biggest reason the Bills were in any sort of playoff contention a year ago, so if he's lost, I'm worried.

 

Besides, he worked his a$$ off to get back into shape just to play, so he better not sit back and relax now that he's where he wanted to be.

[MartyBall4Buffalo]

One concern I have and it may not be popular is McGahee. I worry that he was out to prove something last year and having done that he may be a little cocky and over-confident ending up with a serious sophomore slump or worse an injury. He won't have Henry pushing him this year. Just a thought. 

322522[/snapback]

 

Thats a legit concern that becomes even more founded when you take into account nfl coaches at this time have zero respect for losman. That could change over time when JP becomes more adapted to the nfl game. However, for the time being, until JP gains more experience. Mcgahee will be keyed on. We're going to see plenty of 8 in the box more so than last season. Which could lead to a slump and a plethora of offensive woes. However athletes from the U train hard and at this time I have no reason to doubt Mcghaee. I don't think he's even gotten started trying to prove all the doubters wrong.

[IDBillzFan]

You are obviously a TD salami-chugger who knows nothing about football.

 

(Seriously..good post.)

[BuckeyeBill]

I predict anywhere from 6-10 to 11-5 based on Losmans play.

321642[/snapback]

 

Holy crap... now there's a jump.

 

6-10 a complete failure of a year. TD is out of here and MM's job is on the line.

 

11-5 a complete success. Definitely a playoff spot and TD and MM are sitting tight for at least a few more tyears.

 

I think you give too much credit to Losman personally. I don't think that he will have that big of an influence, because are strength was NEVER our quarterback, but rather our defense and special teams.

[BuckeyeBill]

First, it's much more fun and healthy than to be pessimistic, and because no one has any idea how it is going to turn out, I choose to look at what could be. There are reasons to be pessimistic, too, and I'm sure we can get Dee Ray or d Rag to provide them. But here is the state of the Bills, unit by unit.

 

1. Coaching. We really should be improved with Mularkey and Clements having a year under their belt, and the players (mainly Losman) with the skills they can use to their advantage, meaning creativity on offense. We didn't lose anyone as a coach and I find it hard to believe that our coaching will not improve.

 

2. DBs. We didn't have Vincent at safety until the last couple games and immediately he made an impact. Having him the whole year plus a training camp to learn the position should make us better back there. McGee was forced into a starting position a little before he was ready and it showed but he also should be much better than last year. He's a ballplayer and a playmaker. Thomas and Greer with an extra year, along with Baker as a reserve, should all make this a better unit overall, and it was pretty good to start with. Nate should excel as he came into his prime, is in contract year, and has Vincent behind him.

 

3. LBs. I see no reason to think this unit will perform at any different level than they did last year. They will, however, probably make a few more tackles 4 yards back instead of 2 because of the loss of Phat Pat, but there is no reason for any worry about one of the better units in the league. This unit stays the same as last year, when they were strong.

 

4. DL. Phat Pat may indeed be a big loss. That said, we should gain a little in the pass rush from Edwards. If Tim Anderson can stuff adequately we shouldn't lose much. I do see a gain, however, in Kelsay's play after a year as a starter and there is no reason to believe that Schobel will not be as good or slightly better coming into his prime. This is a small but not crucial loss on the line because of Pat...

 

But overall the defense should be as good as it was last year. A little less stout against the run and a little more efficient against the pass. The base unit is coming into their third year together and Jerry Gray proved his mettle last year as its coach.

 

5. WRs. We should be significantly better here this year simply because it took Evans about half the season to get up to speed, which is burning. Adding more speed with Parrish can create mismatches. We didn't lose anyone, we gained a half year of Evans at his best and we gained speed and play-making. This is a better unit than last.

 

6. TEs. All depends on injuries and how Campbell and Euhus return from them but we are being told they will be 100% by training camp and again, we simply should be a better unit with Everrett replacing Neufeld and with Jason Peters jumping in at the end of the line in double TE formations. Plus we only had TEs in our offense for 3/4 of the season because we lost both in the same 12th game. Losing Neufeld and gaining Everett who can run, as well as Euhus coming on after starting slow but showing promise makes this a better unit than last year.

 

7. RBs. We're better here, too. Willis for the entire year barring injury makes us a completely better team. Who knows what happens with Travis and who cares, unless Willis goes down but we're simply in better shape as a unit because Willis is a stud and will be healthy and start the season FAR better off than we were when we went 0-4. Shelton has a year in the system and no reason to think he won't play as well.

 

8. QB. Most here, myself included, think we're better off here, too, if only for addition by subtraction. I expect JP to be very Flutie-esque: Gain a lot of first downs with his smarts and his feet, have trouble throwing touchdowns in the red zone, make some bonehead plays and bad throws at inopportune times, but OVERALL provide better quarterbacking than we had. And he doesn't have the noodle arm that Flutie dd, so he can get the ball deep to Evans and Moulds and Parrish enough to keep the defense honest. Teams will not be able to blitz us as much in all likelihood. We will be able to do so many more things and get the ball to our playmakers because of his mobility and because of the way MM and TC and SW will use him when they couldn't get Drew to do it. I don't predict greatness or even good stats, but I expect production and moving the ball and scoring some points. I think we will get better quarterbacking than we had last year.

 

9. OL. We took a blow not replacing perhaps our best lineman which isn't saying much. We should be able to run the ball slightly better, however, with Willis healthy and Bennie Anderson and with most of them having a year under McNally's guidance. Teague improved significantly as did Big Mike. If our LT doesn't kill us, which is possible, we should be as good as we were last year based on three things: less skill because of JJ, a little better run blocking because of Anderson and McNally and Williams getting better, and mostly, because Willis's running threat and Losman's legs will mask some deep problems (like Flutie used to) that other teams used to be able to take great advantage of.

 

We should have better coaching on offense now that they have been here a year and know the players. We should be able to run a little better with a healthy Willis the whole year. We should get better QBing. We have more playmakers, more firepower, more weapons and better ways to use them than last year.

 

11. Special teams. There is simply no way that we are as good on special teams as we were last year but we can be close. It would be hard to believe we will get 5-6 touchdowns like we did last year but mostly it all comes back intact so we won't lose much. Parrish could be exciting and dangerous. Moorman and Lindell will likely be the same, one excellent and one dangerously inconsistent. Our coverage teams should do well. This is basically a wash or slight downgrade simply because it will be hard to match, not because we lost any talent.

 

Granted, this isn't counting injuries and things could completely fall apart, at any of these units, but we were a whisker from the playoffs last year, kept away by a bad start, a bonehead play by Nate, a bad slip by Travis, a bad call on a TH touchdown, some bad calls by the coaches and bad quarterbacking. And yet still should have been in the playoffs in the toughest division in football.

 

We're in good shape, we're better than last year, and this is going to be fun. Go ahead, bash away.

321605[/snapback]

 

Is there a reason why Lawyer Milloy and Eric Moulds are not disussed anywhere in your post (talking about the entire team)? Do you think they aren't important, or do you think that excellence is a given for both? I'll agree with the latter, but I'm carefull to assume anything.

[Mark VI]

26-38

3-13

1-15

No Monday Night Games, meaning the NFL hates us.

A Mayflower moving van spotted within a 1/4 mile of the Ralph

A first year QB on the verge of paralysis

No 1st round draft pick for Henry

No All-Pro's drafted in Rounds 5-7

Not signing 12 Vet Free Agents to "Market Value" contracts

A GM who is the living definition of Satan

Rosenhaus will become eveyones agent and hold out the entire team

Our Draft was graded an F. Everyone else in our division... A+

Too many people at TSW drinking Kool-Aid

 

 

How can you ignore these " facts " ? Get with the program !

[Kelly the Dog]

Is there a reason why Lawyer Milloy and Eric Moulds are not disussed anywhere in your post (talking about the entire team)?  Do you think they aren't important, or do you think that excellence is a given for both?  I'll agree with the latter, but I'm carefull to assume anything.

322575[/snapback]

My reasoning is that I think they are very good and play at a high level and figure they will play equal to last season. So in a post of comparing the last year to this year, their units going up or down have little to do with them if they play the same. I definitely do not think that Milloy gets enough credit from Bills fans for his play, and I think that Moulds gets a little too much. He drops too many catchable and easy balls to be as highly rated as he is.

[boomerjamhead]

Good read.

[stuckincincy]

Get with the program !

322577[/snapback]

What program? - we beat 2 teams with a final winning record last year - the Mighty Jets on the road who finished 9-7 and the killer conference NFC West Seahawks at home who were 10-6 .

[MadBuffaloDisease]

What program?    - we beat 2 teams with a final winning record last year - the Mighty Jets on the road who finished 9-7 and the killer conference NFC West Seahawks at home who were 10-6 .

True. It would have been better for the Bills to lose to the losing teams on their schedule than to barely squeak by them like they did. Oh, wait a minute...

[Sound_n_Fury]

Fun with numbers:

 

Here are combine workout numbers for Duke Preston vs. Chris Spencer, the top center in this year's draft class taken at pick #26 by Seattle:

 

 

40-Yard Dash

 

Spencer-----5.21

Preston------5.34

 

Winner: Spencer

 

 

20-Yard Dash

 

Spencer-----3.01

Preston------3.10

 

Winner: Spencer

 

 

10-Yard Dash (IMO, the most important distance measure for a Center)

 

Spencer-----1.80

Preston------1.81

 

Winner: Push

 

 

20-Yard Shuttle (another key C requirement)

 

Spencer-----4.59

Preston------4.45

 

Winner: Preston

 

 

3-Cone (another good short-area mobility measure)

 

Spencer-----8.06

Preston------7.57

 

Winner: Preston ...{note: David Baas' time was 7.50}

 

 

Vertical Jump

 

Spencer-----32"

Preston------32"

 

Winner: Push

 

 

Broad Jump

 

Spencer-----8'9"

Preston------8'0"

 

Winner: Spencer

 

 

225 pound lift

 

Spencer-----25

Preston------21

 

Winner: Spenser

 

 

Wonderlic (critical for a Center, with all the line calls to be made)

 

Spencer-----19

Preston------33

 

Winner: Preston [note: Duke's 33 ranked 3rd among the 12 Centers tested]

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Bottom line: Preston's short-area measurables are, in most cases, better than Spencer's. Combined with his high Wonderlic score and McNally's TLC, this kid could be our starter sooner than we think.

 

The big thing he has to do is get in the weight room and start building up his strength!

[bobblehead]

I don't see this post as "slamming" the new QB

322504[/snapback]

 

Did I say I was talking about... oh forget it, the phone's ringing.

[NotStuckonStupid]

here is two other thought -One- the teams will not have tape and if JP playes in the system we will be in the promise land within 3yrs. or sooner you heard it here frist