Random observations

[Kelly the Dog]

Have been traveling, plus without power and wireless when in Buffalo so I havent posted much, but here goes... I'm sure a lot of this, if not all, has been discussed.

 

1] Before the season, at best we were looking at an 8-8 team. New coaches, new systems, half a new team, four rookies on defense, inexperienced QB, very questionable lines on both sides of the ball. Anything more than 8-8 was really hoping or stretching it. Right now they are 2-5 after four road games and three home. After Chicago and two Patriots games. A reasonable outlook would have been 3-4 at this point coming into a home game against GB after a bye. In my thinking, we are really only one full game behind what I expected, even though we stink throughout.

 

2] This team stinks. And the problem is the same problem as in the Donohoe years. There is one player on each play who secretly says to himself, this is the play I let my teammates down. The line finally gives Losman time and he stares down a reciever and lofts a ball into the CB's hands. Losman decides to finally throw a strike in the endzone and Evans decides to drop the TD. The defense finally makes a stop and Fletcher and Kelsay BOTH decide they need to make a stupid play and bury a player who sat down so they get credit for the sack. Every !@#$ing play someone blows it and that's why they truly suck. McGee decided he would !@#$ up every other play. He was just horrible.

 

The coaching, the O line, Losman, the DBs, the receivers, the backers, just about everyone with the exception of Willis and Schobel just sucked. That was one of the more infuriating games (and this stretch of three is one of the more infuriating stretches) I can recall. Granted, I didn't expect them to be any better than 3-4 at this point but still. They should play better. Fairchild and Fewell have been horrible the last few games. Losman has been horrible. The receivers just do not get open. The line cannot pick up a blitz. The defense cannot tackle by wrapping their arounds around the legs or waist. The CBs play off the ball and the man. The safeties miss tackles they must make. Even Moorman is making mistakes. This team stinks right now.

 

3] This is a repost of something I said in another thread but Losman deserves the criticism because he has played poorly lately. Three straight games of playing poorly. Yes, there are reasons for it. Yes, his teammates have let him down just as much as he has let them down. Yes, the coaching has been as bad as he has. Yes, when he finally does make a play and TD pass it is dropped in the endzone. But the fact remains regardless of how his teammates are playing that he has played badly too. I can live with the mistakes he's making if he's making plays that get us in the endzone but he is not. He needs to make more plays. He needs to make less mistakes even when guys come in on him untouched. He needs to be a leader a little more and he's just not doing it.

 

The whole team stinks right now though. I doubt a lot of other quarterbacks would be doing much better in the exact same situation. But that doesn't excuse poor play. He is playing lousy right now whether he has help or not. So there are clear reasons, there are clear and legitimate excuses, but there is also the clear fact that he deserves the criticism.

 

4] Players get better. Systems are learned. Winning breeds confidence just as losing does, so there is hope. We do have some talent. So I am not giving up hope. We better friggin' win against the Packers though. I do expect a lot of improvement in the second half of the season, but it's hard to count on it.

 

5] Fairchild has really disappointed me more than the other three so far. Mostly because I thought he was going to be the best of the three and I think he started out well. I was thoroughly pissed when they didnt try to hurry up the game late in the third quarter when it was still within reach. That was playing to lose and inexcusable. He dosen't let Losman do what he does well. I understand trying to keep him in the pocket but he is wasting his wheels. We need him to run when he can pick up a first on 3rd and 3.

 

6] McGee has just sucked. I don't know the reason for it. Mostly I think that the coaching has left him in Clements in no man's land. They want to help the young safeties so much that they keep the CBs too far off the WRs and then the CBs can't do either thing they're supposed to, stop the short stuff or stop the longer stuff. It's backfired terribly but Mcgee is just lost right now.

 

7] I have no reason whatsoever for not throwing the ball to Royal more and not throwing the ball to Willis down the field against an LB. McGahee really showed his speed yesterday on that shuttle pass.

 

8] Willis really had a great game yesterday, another in a series of games where stats don't show what happened. He struggled for every one of those 59 yards and had some tremendous three yard runs. He worked his ass off. He, Shobel, Lindell and perhaps Royal were the only ones that showed up. Even Moorman was bad. Everett has caught more jerseys than passes in his career.

 

9] The fans were awful at the game yesterday. Yes, the team gives us little to cheer about but that was a pathetic showing by the fans.

 

10] Our receivers were simply not getting open at ALL yesterday. Every time I watched them closely we were getting nothing. Then the few plays they finally do, like Davis getting deep, Losman misfires. It was putrid. I still don't know why they don't stretch the field more however. And I can't recall a play-action pass. The one time they rolled Losman out to throw on the run it was a completion, so they Mukarkeyed it for the rest of the game.

[Reed83HOF]

Kelly the Fair and Balanced Dog,Oct 23 2006, 09:53 AM]

 

5] Fairchild has really disappointed me more than the other three so far. Mostly because I thought he was going to be the best of the three and I think he started out well. I was thoroughly pissed when they didnt try to hurry up the game late in the third quarter when it was still within reach. That was playing to lose and inexcusable. He dosen't let Losman do what he does well. I understand trying to keep him in the pocket but he is wasting his wheels. We need him to run when he can pick up a first on 3rd and 3.

 

I thought he would be a great pick-up, but he part of GW's staff here with that Great Offense we had....I am having flashbacks off Killdrive, TC and MM...a direct snap to JR...come on

 

6] McGee has just sucked. I don't know the reason for it. Mostly I think that the coaching has left him in Clements in no man's land. They want to help the young safeties so much that they keep the CBs too far off the WRs and then the CBs can't do either thing they're supposed to, stop the short stuff or stop the longer stuff. It's backfired terribly but Mcgee is just lost right now.

 

I really think its that they are not suited for the Cover no one...I mean Cover 2 Defense...

 

10] Our receivers were simply not getting open at ALL yesterday. Every time I watched them closely we were getting nothing. Then the few plays they finally do, like Davis getting deep, Losman misfires. It was putrid. I still don't know why they don't stretch the field more however. And I can't recall a play-action pass. The one time they rolled Losman out to throw on the run it was a completion, so they Mukarkeyed it for the rest of the game.

 

I said this on a few posts last week...it seems like every game...there are no open WRs...there have been no PA passes, we use 5 step drops with a crappy line...they should run the ball and use the PA pass to setp up their passing game...they should use 3 step drops with quick slants over the middle...that should give JP the time to throw before getting killed and at least attempt to use some of our WR speed...and they should roll JP out of the pocket...he seems to play better on the move...

[ajzepp]

I can live with the mistakes he's making if he's making plays that get us in the endzone but he is not. He needs to make more plays. He needs to make less mistakes even when guys come in on him untouched. He needs to be a leader a little more and he's just not doing it.

 

 

814031[/snapback]

 

 

Bingo.....I've tried really hard to stick to my resolution of not getting worried or excited until at least the half way point, but since there's a bye week next Sunday I think I may have to begin to allow myself a little bit of an opinion on JP. The very thing you stated above is my one big worry with him, too. The mistakes would be much more tolerable if he was in fact throwing more TD passes and just plain making things happen. After the Jets game I figured he was going to be putting up big numbers from that point forward, which would offset the growing pains. Well, I'm officially worried now. JP has GOT to get the damn ball in the endzone....

[apuszczalowski]

I wouldn't say all the WR's looked bad. Reed looked like he showed up to play and he played well

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

6] McGee has just sucked. I don't know the reason for it. Mostly I think that the coaching has left him in Clements in no man's land. They want to help the young safeties so much that they keep the CBs too far off the WRs and then the CBs can't do either thing they're supposed to, stop the short stuff or stop the longer stuff. It's backfired terribly but Mcgee is just lost right now.

 

814031[/snapback]

 

A lot of it is now mental with McGee. You have to watch it with these CB's. A few bad games, then they lose confidence, and then they're out of the league. The staff needs to put McGee in position to re-gain his confidence first and then the rest will follow (e.g., give him help over the top, shift him around to the slot, etc.).

[apuszczalowski]

I believe McGee was benched sometime in the second half due to his play, I read that somewhere this morning

[Fan in San Diego]

Good observations Kelly. This team is unwatchable right now. After that 3rd qttr. fumble I turned off the game and went outside to enjoy the sun in the afternoon.

 

Marv really blew it by not getting the McFarland trade done as well. This team has alot of issues to solve at the half way point.

 

Good luck Bills we will be watching ! And by the way Buffalo Bills since you don't care what we say on the outside, don't look for any praise either if you ever right the ship and get it going. You cant have it both ways !