2006 Bills = 1987 Bills?

[Zona]

This team reminds me of the '87 team. Young QB and a lot of young pieces to the future SuperBowl puzzle. Missed the playoffs, and played good games followed by stinkers.

 

I think this team has alot of the same characteristics. They have some holes, yes They will lose some games, yes. The signs are there that the team is getting better, yes. They will excite you at times, only to let you down...Yes! There is even an early season Blowout in there.

 

Lets hope that Marv and Co. will continue to turn this franchise around. I am not going to let a bad game at the Bears turn me negative. We all said in the preseason that there would be good games and there would be schitty games as well. Well, so far so good. things are as we expected.

 

Keep the faith Bills fans. Maybe next year we go 12-4 just like they did in '88. But for the record, I dont think this year is over. I still say this team has a chance at making a run. The young kids are learning how to win. Hopefully they are learning how to be Champions as well.

 

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/buf1987.htm

 

Hope the link works....

[ConradDobler]

Yes! There is even an early season Blowout in there.

 

Games 3, 4, & 5 were played by replacement players (strike year) which includes the Indy 47 - 6 blowout.

 

I was at Joe Robbie for game 6 (34 - 31 comeback victory). That was sweet. They were down 21 - 3 at the half.

[JÂy RÛßeÒ]

This team reminds me of the '87 team. Young QB and a lot of young pieces to the future SuperBowl puzzle. Missed the playoffs, and played good games followed by stinkers.

 

I think this team has alot of the same characteristics. They have some holes, yes They will lose some games, yes. The signs are there that the team is getting better, yes. They will excite you at times, only to let you down...Yes! There is even an early season Blowout in there.

 

Lets hope that Marv and Co. will continue to turn this franchise around. I am not going to let a bad game at the Bears turn me negative. We all said in the preseason that there would be good games and there would be schitty games as well. Well, so far so good. things are as we expected.

 

Keep the faith Bills fans. Maybe next year we go 12-4 just like they did in '88. But for the record, I dont think this year is over. I still say this team has a chance at making a run. The young kids are learning how to win. Hopefully they are learning how to be Champions as well.

 

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/buf1987.htm

 

Hope the link works....

801371[/snapback]

I was looking at very similar stuff after having the exact same thought. Here's the site I was looking at:

http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/results.nsf/Teams/1987-buf

We went 6-6 in non-replacement games, the next year we went 12-4 and lost the AFC Championship. We beat division winners Indy & Denver, but lost to cellar-dwelling Jets & Raiders.

Some of the rookies/young players on that team:

Cornelius Bennett - Rookie

Ray Bentley - 2nd year

Derrick Burroughs - 3rd year

Shane Conlan - rookie

Ronnie Harmon - 2nd year

Kent Hull - 4th year (2nd NFL)

Jim Kelly - 4th year (2nd NFL)

Mark Kelso - 2nd year

Nate Odomes - rookie

Andre Reed - 3rd year

Leon Seals - rookie

Bruce Smith - 3rd year

Steve Tasker - 3rd year

Will Wolford - 2nd year

 

If we have another good draft and few key FA losses I can see this kind of thing happening again.

[Zona]

Like I said, this team reminds me of them in a big way. I really think we are going to look back in time and say, "this is where the foundations were laid for our championships"

 

Nothing like a little unbridled optimism.

 

Go Bills!

[plenzmd1]

Games 3, 4, & 5 were played by replacement players (strike year) which includes the Indy 47 - 6 blowout.

 

I was at Joe Robbie for game 6 (34 - 31 comeback victory). That was sweet. They were down 21 - 3 at the half.

801380[/snapback]

 

One of the most fun games I have ever been to was that 6-3 classic agaisn't the Gints. LT crossed the picket line, and I am pretty sure he played EVERY freaking down in the game, on O he played TE and RB. Plus, it was a 4.00pm start, left a bar in south buffalo at 3.30, in our seats at 4.00pm

 

The game was like a great grade B movie, so freakin bad it was actually GREAT!!!!

 

Could not have been more than 12,000 there. Go to get a beer on first down, be back at your seat by third down. I think I sat in at least 10 differant sections that day.

 

And yes, this team does remind me of them. Do not forget this was Jimbos 4th year in pro ball, and he was making mistakes just like JP is now in his third year.

[bills_fan]

I like unbridled optimism!! I see the similarities and hope that you're right!!

[D_House]

i hope so.

[MattyT]

Getting Conlon and Bennett (and Odomes in retrospect) that year was HUGE! We haven't made any maneuvers of that magnitude to justify a significant swing in performance comparable to that team's.

 

It's a nice thought though.

[GhostsOfTheRockpile]

While its a nice thought, there's one monstrous, glaring difference:

 

JP Losman < Jim Kelly

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

While its a nice thought, there's one monstrous, glaring difference:

 

JP Losman < Jim Kelly

801718[/snapback]

 

you think.

[GhostsOfTheRockpile]

you think.

801725[/snapback]

 

My point was merely that THAT difference was brushed aside... "young QB"... and is a significant factor why this team in no way resembles '87. Watching Kelly play before '88 you KNEW he was headed for great things. I don't think anyone can say the same for JP.

 

Don't get me wrong, I think he's improved immensely this season and he could very well turn out to be a solid NFL QB, but he's nowhere in the same league as Kelly was in '87. Time will tell.

[DE Bills Fan]

This team reminds me of the '87 team. Young QB and a lot of young pieces to the future SuperBowl puzzle. Missed the playoffs, and played good games followed by stinkers.

 

I think this team has alot of the same characteristics. They have some holes, yes They will lose some games, yes. The signs are there that the team is getting better, yes. They will excite you at times, only to let you down...Yes! There is even an early season Blowout in there.

 

Lets hope that Marv and Co. will continue to turn this franchise around. I am not going to let a bad game at the Bears turn me negative. We all said in the preseason that there would be good games and there would be schitty games as well. Well, so far so good. things are as we expected.

 

Keep the faith Bills fans. Maybe next year we go 12-4 just like they did in '88. But for the record, I dont think this year is over. I still say this team has a chance at making a run. The young kids are learning how to win. Hopefully they are learning how to be Champions as well.

 

I want some of what you are smoking. That is a colassal insult to compare this rg-tag team to the 1987 Bills. There were many great players on that team that went on to play in many plafoff and Super bowls. This team will be luckly to avoid 10 loss seasons.

 

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/buf1987.htm

 

Hope the link works....

801371[/snapback]

[Albany,n.y.]

One of the most fun games I have ever been to was that 6-3 classic agaisn't the Gints. LT crossed the picket line, and I am pretty sure he played EVERY freaking down in the game, on O he played TE and RB. Plus, it was a 4.00pm start, left a bar in south buffalo at 3.30, in our seats at 4.00pm

 

The game was like a great grade B movie, so freakin bad it was actually GREAT!!!!

 

Could not have been more than 12,000 there. Go to get a beer on first down, be back at your seat by third down. I think I sat in at least 10 differant sections that day.

 

And yes, this team does remind me of them. Do not forget this was Jimbos 4th year in pro ball, and he was making mistakes just like JP is now in his third year.

801631[/snapback]

I have that game on tape somewhere in a drawer. Funny thing was I had it on 4 hr mode with pregame, the game went into overtime & I had rewind and tape the ending over the pregame show.

The best sign there was "Play like you'll never play again" since it was already announced this was the last strike game.

[My Friends Call Me Tebucky]

This is really a nice thought.

 

But it's ludicrous.

 

Of the players listed:

 

Cornelius Bennett - Rookie (Bills have no linebackers among their corps with half of the natural talent of Bennett. Spikes does, but he's on the downside now, and by the time they're good, especially if this is a 2 or 3 year process, he won't be close to the player he was 3 years ago)

 

Ray Bentley - 2nd year (The only player the Bills have who's comprable is London Fletcher. While Fletcher is better than Bentley ever was, he won't be around that much longer. Again, he's getting up there in years)

 

Derrick Burroughs - 3rd year (I guess comparing him with McGee is fair. Burroughs was a decent #2 CB for a while, and McGee is as well. But that's pretty much McGee's ceiling I think)

 

Shane Conlan - rookie (Umm..no answer here. I remember a lot of people comparing Brandon Spoon to him the last time the Bills were this obviously rebuilding- and we know how that worked out. Raion Hill was going to be the next Leonard Smith too, according to the ultraoptimists)

 

Ronnie Harmon - 2nd year (Granted he wasn't a part of Buffalo's championship run, but he played a big role in turning the team from decent to pretty good. No player on the roster does or can do what Harmon did out of the backfield)

 

Kent Hull - 4th year (2nd NFL) (Ha- mediocre journeyman Melvin Fowler or borderline Hall of Famer?)

 

Jim Kelly - 4th year (2nd NFL) (Not even going to respond to this one)

 

Mark Kelso - 2nd year (Kelso wasn't that good. Was great at keeping everything in front of him and great at picking off overthrown passes in center field. No run support or physical presence. Ko Simpson can be better, he's one of the few solid building blocks we have)

 

Nate Odomes - rookie (Their #1 corner for 6 or 7 years. Clements can play, but he won't be in Buffalo next year. I hope you're not talking about Jabari Greer or Yobouty here)

 

Andre Reed - 3rd year (Evans is the only player on the team that I could even in my wildest dreams see in the Hall of Fame, so, ok)

 

Leon Seals - rookie (He was a journeyman type player, same as Denney and Kelsay appear to be turning into- decent, nothing special)

 

Bruce Smith - 3rd year (I like Schobel, but I wouldn't feel comfortable comparing him to the best defensive lineman the NFL saw since Deacon Jones)

 

Steve Tasker - 3rd year (Coy Wire, right? Nope)

Will Wolford - 2nd year (Pro Bowl caliber left tackle? Don't see one on Buffalo's roster)

 

 

And that's not to mention quality players like Howard Ballard, Pete Metzelaars, Keith McKeller, Thurman Thomas, Jim Ritcher, and Darryl Talley that were already with the team or about to join it.

 

 

In terms of long term building blocks, I see this team as having somewhere around a dozen:

QB- Losman

RB- None (I don't McGahee's that special, I also don't think he'll be here long)

WR- Evans

TE- None (has Everett shown ANYTHING?)

OL- Peters

DL- Schobel, K. Williams (haven't seen enough from McCargo to bother including him, and Kyle Williams is a building block as a rotational player, not a starter)

LB- Crowell

Secondary: Simpson, Whittner, McGee

Special Teams: Moorman, Lindell, Parrish

 

This is a mediocre core to have, especially consider some of them have reached their potential and aren't going to get better (Schobel, Moorman, Lindell).

 

I know the comparison was initially meant as a source of optimism, but let's face the reality of it people, we'll never have an assemblage of young talent like we did in the late 80's on one team again. The Bills need Losman get better, and a couple of very good drafts (both lines) to be a playoff team.

[bills_fan]

I know the comparison was initially meant as a source of optimism, but let's face the reality of it people, we'll never have an assemblage of young talent like we did in the late 80's on one team again. The Bills need Losman get better, and a couple of very good drafts (both lines) to be a playoff team.

 

I would consider Whitner and Simpson as solid building blocks. Perhaps McCargo and Williams as part of a DL rotation. Give Marv another draft or two as good as this one and we may be onto something.

[Tcali]

This team reminds me of the '87 team. Young QB and a lot of young pieces to the future SuperBowl puzzle. Missed the playoffs, and played good games followed by stinkers.

 

I think this team has alot of the same characteristics. They have some holes, yes They will lose some games, yes. The signs are there that the team is getting better, yes. They will excite you at times, only to let you down...Yes! There is even an early season Blowout in there.

 

Lets hope that Marv and Co. will continue to turn this franchise around. I am not going to let a bad game at the Bears turn me negative. We all said in the preseason that there would be good games and there would be schitty games as well. Well, so far so good. things are as we expected.

 

Keep the faith Bills fans. Maybe next year we go 12-4 just like they did in '88. But for the record, I dont think this year is over. I still say this team has a chance at making a run. The young kids are learning how to win. Hopefully they are learning how to be Champions as well.

 

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/buf1987.htm

 

Hope the link works....

801371[/snapback]

I cant think of a team this team is LESS like than 1987. 1987 was loaded with great D talent--and was crushing teams.Smerlas,Smith etc.-That team beat the crap out of people and had Jim Kelly.No one wanted to play the Bills.Most piucked them to go far that next year.No one is gonna pick this team to contend next year.

[TigerJ]

I've been saying I think the 2007 Bills will do some major damage/kick some major butt. That would have the Bills follow the same pattern as the '87 and '88 Bills.