Some Perspective

[Dawgg]

1. Dick Jauron's failure to challenge the Wes Welker catch in the first quarter is absolutely inexcusable. Big mistake on his part. That said, he did not cost the Bills the game at New England. While the knee-jerk reaction after a 3 game losing streak is to call for the coach's head, such calls are not warranted. Coach Jauron simply doesn't have the benefit of superior personnel at the offensive and defensive lines. Perhaps he's a part of these personnel decisions. But last I checked, we have a personnel department...

 

2. The last 3 games have clearly illustrated the fatal flaw in the Bills' rebuilding plan. Ignoring the offensive line in the draft and fixing the lines by overspending on marginal free agents is not the answer. Derrick Dockery was paid in the same league as Steve Hutchinson and Eric Steinbach. It was the richest contract in Buffalo sports history at the time. Problem is, he's nowhere near that type of player. Langston Walker is a decent pass blocker but the fact that he needs tight end help on running plays to the right side is a bit concerning. Both these gentlemen signed contracts for a combined value nearing $100M. The fact that this small-market team devoted such heavy financial resources to two marginal players is not only sad, it's a disservice to the fans who pay their salaries.

 

3. Yesterday should end all debates regarding Donte Whitner vs. Haloti Ngata. Whitner is a decent player and a nice leader. Ngata is an absolutely dominating force in just his 3rd year in the league. Passing on Ngata was a major miscalculation on the part of the front office and one that will be a source of regret for quite some time. The real question is this: Who was the "genius" behind this boneheaded move? Modrak? Levy? Jauron? All 3?

 

4. Terrance McGee is a gamer. He had some nice plays on Randy Moss and has bounced back well since being torched by the Dolphins coming off an injury. Here's hoping the Bills re-sign him and keep him around for a few more years.

 

5. Lee Evans caught his first pass with 8:00 left in the THIRD QUARTER. There is absolutely no excuse for this, Turk. Involve him in a screen, a reverse, a direct snap for all I care... the Bills are a better team when Lee touches the ball early and often. Certainly, the team didn't invest $37M in this player for him to be a decoy.

 

6. The lack of running game is concerning. While the line is littered with problems, Marshawn Lynch is simply is not doing the job expected of him as a first-round back. Jaws and Hodge showed on tape why Marshawn has had little success this year: his vision is poor, he doesn't hit the right holes even when they're available, and he jukes around too much. That's not to say he's not a good player. These issues can all be fixed with good coaching. Is Eric Studesville doing his job? I've got my doubts.

 

7. Last but not least, Trent Edwards has shown enough this season to show that he is the QB of the future here in Buffalo. Yes he has regressed. And yes, he made some poor throws yesterday. But the kid has absolutely no running game to rely upon. Look no further than Atlanta, Baltimore and Washington to see how a solid running game can help a young quarterback. All 3 teams are averaging 150 yards a game and all 3 are winning with young QBs. Make no mistake, the lack of a reliable running game is catching up to this team, and it's stunting the development of our young quarterback.

[TheChimp]

And absolutely NONE of your great points will be addressed so long as the old idiot Ralph Wilson lives and breathes.

[Guest three3]

if we had john gruden or bill cowher or mike tomlin instead of jauron,we would be 7-2 or possibly 8-1 right now

[zow2]

Your points 3-7 are excellent and i agree. Good job. Would love to have Ngata instead of Whitner. Evans should be getting a dozen touches per game...put him in the wildcat or something. Lynch is not as good as people here think he is. He has moments of greatness but so do Green-Ellis or whatever his name is. A real quality RB can make something out of nothing, Marshawn isn't doing that.

[Dan]

Your points 3-7 are excellent and i agree. Good job. Would love to have Ngata instead of Whitner. Evans should be getting a dozen touches per game...put him in the wildcat or something. Lynch is not as good as people here think he is. He has moments of greatness but so do Green-Ellis or whatever his name is. A real quality RB can make something out of nothing, Marshawn isn't doing that.

Have you seen any of Lynch's runs? He does that every single time he touches the ball. The number of times he's turned a 2-3 yard loss into a 3-4 yard game is unbelievable.

[bizell]

*steve hutchinson

[DDD]

Dawgg, you hit the nail on the head and that was the best post of the day. I only disagree on M. Lynch. Dude has absolutely no where to run. I actually feel sorry for the guy.

[Dan]

1. Dick Jauron's failure to challenge the Wes Welker catch in the first quarter is absolutely inexcusable. Big mistake on his part. That said, he did not cost the Bills the game at New England. While the knee-jerk reaction after a 3 game losing streak is to call for the coach's head, such calls are not warranted. Coach Jauron simply doesn't have the benefit of superior personnel at the offensive and defensive lines. Perhaps he's a part of these personnel decisions. But last I checked, we have a personnel department...

 

2. The last 3 games have clearly illustrated the fatal flaw in the Bills' rebuilding plan. Ignoring the offensive line in the draft and fixing the lines by overspending on marginal free agents is not the answer. Derrick Dockery was paid in the same league as Chad Hutchinson and Eric Steinbach. It was the richest contract in Buffalo sports history at the time. Problem is, he's nowhere near that type of player. Langston Walker is a decent pass blocker but the fact that he needs tight end help on running plays to the right side is a bit concerning. Both these gentlemen signed contracts for a combined value nearing $100M. The fact that this small-market team devoted such heavy financial resources to two marginal players is not only sad, it's a disservice to the fans who pay their salaries.

 

3. Yesterday should end all debates regarding Donte Whitner vs. Haloti Ngata. Whitner is a decent player and a nice leader. Ngata is an absolutely dominating force in just his 3rd year in the league. Passing on Ngata was a major miscalculation on the part of the front office and one that will be a source of regret for quite some time. The real question is this: Who was the "genius" behind this boneheaded move? Modrak? Levy? Jauron? All 3?

 

4. Terrance McGee is a gamer. He had some nice plays on Randy Moss and has bounced back well since being torched by the Dolphins coming off an injury. Here's hoping the Bills re-sign him and keep him around for a few more years.

 

5. Lee Evans caught his first pass with 8:00 left in the THIRD QUARTER. There is absolutely no excuse for this, Turk. Involve him in a screen, a reverse, a direct snap for all I care... the Bills are a better team when Lee touches the ball early and often. Certainly, the team didn't invest $37M in this player for him to be a decoy.

 

6. The lack of running game is concerning. While the line is littered with problems, Marshawn Lynch is simply is not doing the job expected of him as a first-round back. Jaws and Hodge showed on tape why Marshawn has had little success this year: his vision is poor, he doesn't hit the right holes even when they're available, and he jukes around too much. That's not to say he's not a good player. These issues can all be fixed with good coaching. Is Eric Studesville doing his job? I've got my doubts.

 

7. Last but not least, Trent Edwards has shown enough this season to show that he is the QB of the future here in Buffalo. Yes he has regressed. And yes, he made some poor throws yesterday. But the kid has absolutely no running game to rely upon. Look no further than Atlanta, Baltimore and Washington to see how a solid running game can help a young quarterback. All 3 teams are averaging 150 yards a game and all 3 are winning with young QBs. Make no mistake, the lack of a reliable running game is catching up to this team, and it's stunting the development of our young quarterback.

Love that you pick a game that Whitner doesn't play and the defense has one it's worst games of the season, allowing higher than average running and passing, to use as the evidence to declare him bust.

 

Also, love that you bash Lynch a second year player for not playing well, but give Trent a pass given that this was one of Trent's worst performances of his career.

 

Good analysis.

[zow2]

Have you seen any of Lynch's runs? He does that every single time he touches the ball. The number of times he's turned a 2-3 yard loss into a 3-4 yard game is unbelievable.

 

Dude, i agree 100% that he carries guys and keeps his legs churning. I'm tired of having to explain what he lacks right now. It's all about vision, running style, etc... he's not doing it right now nor is Trent nor is the O-line.

[Dan]

Dude, i agree 100% that he carries guys and keeps his legs churning. I'm tired of having to explain what he lacks right now. It's all about vision, running style, etc... he's not doing it right now nor is Trent nor is the O-line.

I would agree he doesn't have the vision of a seasoned back yet. But, that's because he's not a seasoned back. Give him time and I think you'll see his vision and decisions making ability increase - similar to Trent. I think sometimes people forget how many 2nd and 3rd year players we have.

[Dr. Fong]

3. Yesterday should end all debates regarding Donte Whitner vs. Haloti Ngata. Whitner is a decent player and a nice leader. Ngata is an absolutely dominating force in just his 3rd year in the league. Passing on Ngata was a major miscalculation on the part of the front office and one that will be a source of regret for quite some time. The real question is this: Who was the "genius" behind this boneheaded move? Modrak? Levy? Jauron? All 3?

 

 

But but but he's fat and he doesn't fit our scheme.

 

Arrgh stuff like this just frustrates the sh-- out of me.

[berndogg]

last I checked, we have a personnel department...

But no official GM

[Big Turk]

the biggest problem on offense after re-watching the game yesterday, is our C and RG positions on the Oline. They are just getting beaten badly practically every other play, and it completely neutralizes any prayer of running the ball. I don't care how good you are, you cannot succeed when on 12 plays, 5 times defenders are in the backfield before you get the ball. Twice they beat Preston, 3 times Chambers(he attempted to help Preston on a double team block with Wilfork, and they both got beaten so badly it was almost comical to watch them attempt to stop him---all three players ended up landing on Lynch 3 or 4 yards in the backfield), and once they beat Peters. Add into this a sixth play where Lynch ran left and there were 4 untouched Pats players waiting for him at the LOS, and this is half of the runs where there are unblocked players waiting for your RB at or behind the LOS. There is no succeeding with this disaster of a line being manhandled at 2 interior positions every game, especially since it is impossible to run away from it....at least if the left or right tackle was being beaten, you could neutralize it by running away from that side...you can't run away from the middle, because those players are still able to get to the ballcarrier before he can make it outside. The defense has no respect for our run game because of this, and they know they can drop everyone in pass coverage because they can rush 4 DL's and know 2 of them will be in the backfield on any given play to disrupt any runs....

 

If you get a chance, and have the game taped---go back and rewatch just how badly Preston and Chambers are getting beaten----it looks like something you see in college when good teams are playing cupcake teams on their schedule with huge talent differences---Preston and Chambers are just not very good at all...the sooner we can get them out of the lineup(not for Fowler or Whittle---not sure about how Butler does), the better we will be---IMHO, this alone will add at least .5 YPC to Lynch's average...

[keepthefaith]

1. Dick Jauron's failure to challenge the Wes Welker catch in the first quarter is absolutely inexcusable. Big mistake on his part. That said, he did not cost the Bills the game at New England. While the knee-jerk reaction after a 3 game losing streak is to call for the coach's head, such calls are not warranted. Coach Jauron simply doesn't have the benefit of superior personnel at the offensive and defensive lines. Perhaps he's a part of these personnel decisions. But last I checked, we have a personnel department...

 

2. The last 3 games have clearly illustrated the fatal flaw in the Bills' rebuilding plan. Ignoring the offensive line in the draft and fixing the lines by overspending on marginal free agents is not the answer. Derrick Dockery was paid in the same league as Chad Hutchinson and Eric Steinbach. It was the richest contract in Buffalo sports history at the time. Problem is, he's nowhere near that type of player. Langston Walker is a decent pass blocker but the fact that he needs tight end help on running plays to the right side is a bit concerning. Both these gentlemen signed contracts for a combined value nearing $100M. The fact that this small-market team devoted such heavy financial resources to two marginal players is not only sad, it's a disservice to the fans who pay their salaries.

 

3. Yesterday should end all debates regarding Donte Whitner vs. Haloti Ngata. Whitner is a decent player and a nice leader. Ngata is an absolutely dominating force in just his 3rd year in the league. Passing on Ngata was a major miscalculation on the part of the front office and one that will be a source of regret for quite some time. The real question is this: Who was the "genius" behind this boneheaded move? Modrak? Levy? Jauron? All 3?

 

4. Terrance McGee is a gamer. He had some nice plays on Randy Moss and has bounced back well since being torched by the Dolphins coming off an injury. Here's hoping the Bills re-sign him and keep him around for a few more years.

 

5. Lee Evans caught his first pass with 8:00 left in the THIRD QUARTER. There is absolutely no excuse for this, Turk. Involve him in a screen, a reverse, a direct snap for all I care... the Bills are a better team when Lee touches the ball early and often. Certainly, the team didn't invest $37M in this player for him to be a decoy.

 

6. The lack of running game is concerning. While the line is littered with problems, Marshawn Lynch is simply is not doing the job expected of him as a first-round back. Jaws and Hodge showed on tape why Marshawn has had little success this year: his vision is poor, he doesn't hit the right holes even when they're available, and he jukes around too much. That's not to say he's not a good player. These issues can all be fixed with good coaching. Is Eric Studesville doing his job? I've got my doubts.

 

7. Last but not least, Trent Edwards has shown enough this season to show that he is the QB of the future here in Buffalo. Yes he has regressed. And yes, he made some poor throws yesterday. But the kid has absolutely no running game to rely upon. Look no further than Atlanta, Baltimore and Washington to see how a solid running game can help a young quarterback. All 3 teams are averaging 150 yards a game and all 3 are winning with young QBs. Make no mistake, the lack of a reliable running game is catching up to this team, and it's stunting the development of our young quarterback.

 

 

One important point to add. The Bills offense is so predictable, even a casual observer can figure if they are going to run or pass on most plays. As posted yesterday, I guessed run or pass before every offensive snap yesterday and was only wrong on 3 plays. 3! You think real players and coaches can do at least that well? The opposition knows what's coming. You can't win doing that unless you are much superior in talent. The Bills aren't. A few weeks into the season, every opponent has film and the Bills are just to darned easy to game plan and defend. Dickie ball doesn't win in the NFL.

[Dawgg]

Love that you pick a game that Whitner doesn't play and the defense has one it's worst games of the season, allowing higher than average running and passing, to use as the evidence to declare him bust.

 

I never once said he's a bust. I simply said that passing on Ngata was a big, big mistake. Watch how he has been playing this season and you will see why.

 

Reading comprehension... sharpen those skills, Dan!

 

Also, love that you bash Lynch a second year player for not playing well, but give Trent a pass given that this was one of Trent's worst performances of his career.

 

I also didn't bash Lynch. I did say that he's not getting the job done, but feel that he's a good player and his problems can be fixed with good coaching. As for Trent, give me a young QB who was able to win games without any semblance of a running game.

 

Again... reading comprehension... sharpen those skills, Dan!

[Dawgg]

Dawgg, you hit the nail on the head and that was the best post of the day. I only disagree on M. Lynch. Dude has absolutely no where to run. I actually feel sorry for the guy.

 

I think Marshawn has shown flashes, but if you get a chance, watch the Edge NFL Matchup with Jaworski and Hodge. They broke down the tape and showed that Lynch just doesn't have the vision yet. Sometimes he cuts back when there's a wide open hole right in front of him, while other times he jukes a little bit too much rather than head straight into the hole. He has attributes that just can't be taught: in terms of raw power and athleticism he is in the upper echelon of backs in the NFL... I just question whether this running backs coach (who was recently promoted to "Running Game Coordinator), Eric Studesville, is the right guy for the job.

[Dawgg]

*steve hutchinson

 

My bad!

[MartyBall4Buffalo]

I think Marshawn has shown flashes, but if you get a chance, watch the Edge NFL Matchup with Jaworski and Hodge. They broke down the tape and showed that Lynch just doesn't have the vision yet. Sometimes he cuts back when there's a wide open hole right in front of him, while other times he jukes a little bit too much rather than head straight into the hole. He has attributes that just can't be taught: in terms of raw power and athleticism he is in the upper echelon of backs in the NFL... I just question whether this running backs coach (who was recently promoted to "Running Game Coordinator), Eric Studesville, is the right guy for the job.

 

 

Studesville probably isn't. I've wondered about this guy for awhile Since we hired him. I was mildly aware of him during his tenure with the NY Giants. Where all I remember is Tiki Barber fumbled the ball. A lot a real lot. Where Ron Dayne never could be a spell back, and their run game kinda struggled. Mcgahee/Henry/Lynch. Studesville may need to go. That's not really in Jauron's approach though. Either the talent will have to get better, or this coaching staff will flame out.

[Dan]

I never once said he's a bust. I simply said that passing on Ngata was a big, big mistake. Watch how he has been playing this season and you will see why.

 

Reading comprehension... sharpen those skills, Dan!

 

 

 

I also didn't bash Lynch. I did say that he's not getting the job done, but feel that he's a good player and his problems can be fixed with good coaching. As for Trent, give me a young QB who was able to win games without any semblance of a running game.

 

Again... reading comprehension... sharpen those skills, Dan!

In my defense, that was a long post with a lot of reading. Someone with ADD may only read every other sentence. *workin on skills*

[Guest three3]

believe you me, this whole coaching staff is going to go down in flames, it is only a matter of time. if not this year then next. clean house except for a few assistants. the coordinators and HC must go