BuffaloRebound Posted August 8, 2005 Posted August 8, 2005 Apparently, the 2003 Ravens are a much better predictor of the 2005 Bills record than the 2004 Bills. Makes perfect sense.
Sound_n_Fury Posted August 8, 2005 Posted August 8, 2005 If he plays better than Bledsoe, what do you think our record will be? 402029[/snapback] Who the hell knows. He could have a 100+ QB rating and the Bills could still lose (or win) more games due to some other facet of the team breaking down. These "predict the record" threads are silly mental masterbation, especially after one scrimage where JP threw only 11 times....
AKC Posted August 8, 2005 Posted August 8, 2005 i'm a pat kirwan fan and enjoy his analysis on sirius NFL radio. i've heard him discuss the bills and he does not dislike them at all. i believe he respects TD and MM. i think he is just unwilling to put a lot of faith in a first-year starter. nobody thinks another team can follow the "big ben" model to a playoff season. 401992[/snapback] I've always been indifferent as far as Kirwan's work is concerned, but his linked article seems well reasoned. While it's for slightly different reasons I also think a prediction of 8-8 for our 2005 team is the most objective conclusion one might reach considering our current roster and schedule.
jad1 Posted August 8, 2005 Posted August 8, 2005 Face it, fans of any team dislike when any writer predicts mediocrity or less of their team. 401990[/snapback] Those who focus on Losman as the key of the Bills offense are missing the point. The Bills are going to rely on the running game and defense to win this year, not the QB. McGahee will carry the offense. The defense will keep opponents in check. The special teams will keep field position in the Bills favor. Losman will be asked to make only a couple of plays each game (to strong players such as Moulds and Evans), and to avoid mistakes. That makes the Bills closer to the Panthers (2 years ago) and Steelers (last year) than the Bengals, who needed their Palmer-led offense to score 50 points to beat the Browns last season. Mularkey proved last year that he could use scheme to protect the cement-footed Bledsoe in his offense. He should have no problem protecting Losman.
Hollywood Donahoe Posted August 8, 2005 Posted August 8, 2005 Those who focus on Losman as the key of the Bills offense are missing the point. The Bills are going to rely on the running game and defense to win this year, not the QB. I think what worries people is that having a one-dimensional offense makes it harder to win.
Ralonzo Posted August 8, 2005 Posted August 8, 2005 the offense will be better as Losman's scrabbling ability 401921[/snapback] Can we get triple word score on a touchdown now?
BuffaloRebound Posted August 8, 2005 Posted August 8, 2005 JP is known to pass his time admiring men in short shorts doing yard work and playing scrabble. I would categorize last year's Bills offense as one dimensional which is why they were terrible on 3rd down conversions.
Bill from NYC Posted August 8, 2005 Posted August 8, 2005 Those who focus on Losman as the key of the Bills offense are missing the point. The Bills are going to rely on the running game and defense to win this year, not the QB. McGahee will carry the offense. The defense will keep opponents in check. The special teams will keep field position in the Bills favor. Losman will be asked to make only a couple of plays each game (to strong players such as Moulds and Evans), and to avoid mistakes. That makes the Bills closer to the Panthers (2 years ago) and Steelers (last year) than the Bengals, who needed their Palmer-led offense to score 50 points to beat the Browns last season. Mularkey proved last year that he could use scheme to protect the cement-footed Bledsoe in his offense. He should have no problem protecting Losman. 402144[/snapback] I see your point. The thing is, if JP is good, the team can win lots of games. The bad news is.....this is anything but a given. I agree with AKC (what a surprise ). 8-8 is a safe prediction because ANYTHING can happen. The team is very talented, but they have an untested QB and very likely a shaky LT. It is impossible to predict how this team will finish, but it is fun to do so. Personally, I would be ecstatic with any playoff spot.
eball Posted August 8, 2005 Posted August 8, 2005 Personally, I would be ecstatic with any playoff spot. 402177[/snapback] as would we all, brother...
jad1 Posted August 8, 2005 Posted August 8, 2005 I see your point. The thing is, if JP is good, the team can win lots of games. The bad news is.....this is anything but a given. I agree with AKC (what a surprise ). 8-8 is a safe prediction because ANYTHING can happen. The team is very talented, but they have an untested QB and very likely a shaky LT. It is impossible to predict how this team will finish, but it is fun to do so. Personally, I would be ecstatic with any playoff spot. 402177[/snapback] And if the plan was to have Losman throw the ball 25-30 times a game, I'd agree with you. If they had Antowain Smith or Travis Henry at RB, I'd also agree. But they don't. Now if they suffer massive injuries like the Panthers did last year, they're sunk, but let's worry about that if and when it happens. Losman is young, but McGahee and the defense present the ideal situations for him to begin his career. His ability to roll out and make plays on the run, make it unnecessary for him to drop 5-7 steps back into the pocket play after play, like his predecessor. That makes Gandy's job a hell of a lot easier. I think it's a mistake to discount the playoffs just because of Losman. Delhomme, Brady, and Roethlisberger all made the playoffs the first year they started, and the Bills seem to be following the same formula that led to those player's success.
flomoe Posted August 8, 2005 Posted August 8, 2005 I'm just curious but do these same prognosticators also suggest that Pittsburgh will probably be an 8-8 team because they have a 2nd year guy at quarterback? Sure, BR looked okay last year for Pitt but Pitt, for the most part, let the defense and the running game determine most of their outcomes. BR was coddled through the year and he did a great job in that role. He was never called on to carry that team on his shoulders and the team responded by winning almost every game. These writers need to look at that fact when they try and figure out how the Bills will do, but the last time I checked, the Bills have a pretty good defense, pretty good special teams and a fairly decent running game.
PhillyGirl Posted August 8, 2005 Posted August 8, 2005 just my .02....its hard to just say that JP will come in and perform like a stud immediately. Last year, no one predicted that Pittsburgh would be oh so good because of Big Ben. Best bet is to just ignore any predictions.
Realist Posted August 8, 2005 Posted August 8, 2005 Best bet is to just ignore any predictions. 402208[/snapback] Although logical, easier said than done. People on this board will take everything personally and run with it, whether good or bad. But that is what makes this board so much fun.
Justice Posted August 8, 2005 Posted August 8, 2005 Sometimes i completely fail to see the inner logic of these sportswriters. Many of them have said the same thing: It's like what Cincinnati did last year with Carson Palmer, which allowed them to have the same record as the year before. But then they say the Bills situation is better than the Bengals. They acknowledge that the Bills have a top 2-3 defense, and the top special teams, and a stud running back, and very good receivers, and Sam Wyche as the perfect mentor, and they like the Bills coaching staff. Then they end their analysis by saying that the Bills will finish worse than last year. So, to re-iterate: They see the Bills in the same situation as the Bengals, who equalled the year before, and they like Losman, and think the Bills are a better team than the Bengals, but the Bills are going to backtrack. It makes no sense. 401913[/snapback] It makes sense if the guy saying it is implying that Palmer is better than Losman.
MadBuffaloDisease Posted August 8, 2005 Posted August 8, 2005 I think what worries people is that having a one-dimensional offense makes it harder to win. It will be about as dimensional as the Pats' offense in 2001. You know, great defense, ST's, running game, and short, safe passes, with the occasional play-action bomb. Not saying the Bills are SB bound. just that they won't be 1-dimensional.
/dev/null Posted August 8, 2005 Posted August 8, 2005 if a writer says we'll struggle with JP why bother playing the season? i mean they're sports writers, so they gotta be right lets just save ourselves the anguish and forfeit all 16 games at halftime.
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