Someone please make a play

[Buftex]

Trent was awful tonight. It may sound like excuse making, but I really think his head is not right from that concussion. If he was just having bad results, I wouldn't say that. But it is the way he has been playing for the last couple of weeks. He looks frozen out there. It could be that defenses have caught up to him, but his reactions are so slow, it is pretty uncharacteristic of the way he has played...even last season, when he wasn't great at times, holding on to the ball forever, and not seeing open guys were not his problems...

 

I have never trusted Rian Lindell. He was not very good when he came to Buffalo, and eventually, it seems, the coaches protected him, and rarely put him in pressure situations. He has made a few pressure kicks, and missed a few...but he really hasn't had to kick a lot of them. Tonights miss was no gimmie, granted, but great kickers don't miss that kick.

 

Finally, I think Ko Simpson is a liability. The guy doesn't react fast enough, and is a poor tackler. What am I missing on this guy? Why do people think he is good? Even when we were winning this year, week in week out, Simpson was terrible...I give him an A for effort on the near int, but down for down, he is not very good...

[ieatcrayonz]

Trent was awful tonight. It may sound like excuse making, but I really think his head is not right from that concussion. If he was just having bad results, I wouldn't say that. But it is the way he has been playing for the last couple of weeks. He looks frozen out there. It could be that defenses have caught up to him, but his reactions are so slow, it is pretty uncharacteristic of the way he has played...even last season, when he wasn't great at times, holding on to the ball forever, and not seeing open guys were not his problems...

 

I have never trusted Rian Lindell. He was not very good when he came to Buffalo, and eventually, it seems, the coaches protected him, and rarely put him in pressure situations. He has made a few pressure kicks, and missed a few...but he really hasn't had to kick a lot of them. Tonights miss was no gimmie, granted, but great kickers don't miss that kick.

 

Finally, I think Ko Simpson is a liability. The guy doesn't react fast enough, and is a poor tackler. What am I missing on this guy? Why do people think he is good? Even when we were winning this year, week in week out, Simpson was terrible...I give him an A for effort on the near int, but down for down, he is not very good...

Let me see if I can summarize.

 

Trent sucks in every aspect of the game. It must be a tackle that happened 6 weeks ago. Lindell and Ko are to blame for the loss.

[bowery4]

Let me see if I can summarize.

 

Trent sucks in every aspect of the game. It must be a tackle that happened 6 weeks ago. Lindell and Ko are to blame for the loss.

Crayonz, You forgot Corner

[Cynical]

First of all, are you under the impression that the players decided to blitz? Are you actually unwilling to credit the coaching staff for their own schemes?

 

I am not under the impression the players decided to blitz. But I am also not under the impression the players refused to blitz in 3-4 previous games.

 

The coaching staff did create a better game plan for this ONE game. That does release them from the responsibility of the poor game plans from the previous games, the same games you tried to pin the blame of loss on the players.

 

Secondly, I don't think Jauron is the greatest coach in the world. I think we don't know what he is yet, and we won't until he has the personnel he needs to run his system. He needs quality interior offensive linemen, and the Cover 2 must have a defensive line that can generate rush on its own. Indy had Freeney, Mathis and Booger when they won it all. When Tampa was dominant, they had Booger, Simeon Rice and Warren Sapp. Jauron's 13-3 Bears got 19.5 sacks combined between two players. The Bills d-line just doesn't match up, and thats why their record doesn't match up either.

 

This is a BS argument, and you are grasping at straws. Jauron is ONE person. He is not a modular "robot" where you can remove and replace certain parts.

There is no such thng as "Jauron the GM"

or "Jauron the HC"

or "Jauron the game planner"

or "Jauron the player prep"

or "Jauron the delegator"

or etc ...

 

Those are his responsibilities. And when he is such epic failure at one of those aspects that it interferes with the rest of his responsibilities, then Dick Jauron is a failure. Any attempt to separate one aspect of him from another is nothing more than a weak attempt to "cloud" the issue.

 

So when you note he does not have the personnel to run his system, he is at fault for that. That is one of his responsibilities. And he has had 3 off-seasons to do that.

 

And to push the discussion further, if he does not have the personnel to run it the way he wants, he needs to flexible enough to adapt his schemes to work with what he has.

[2003Contenders]

Boone, I know what you are getting at. In a game that was literally decided by inches and seconds, if any SINGLE play had gone the other way, then the outcome would have been much different. Earlier in the year, when the team was 4-0, it looked like they had finally turned the corner and "learned how to win". This improbable loss last night, shows that this is clearly not the case. In the old days, you could always count on a Bruce or a Talley to make a game saving play. Last night, there were clearly opportunities for players to do that -- and they didn't. (I discount the Simpson near-interception, because the Browns wound up punting the ball away anyway -- which was followed by the Bills' go-ahead TD. In retrospect, his not coming up with that ball played no role in the final outcome.) Also, I get that you are not singling any of these guys out but just saying that if any one of those plays had gone differently, the outcome would have been different.

 

Still, when it is all said and done, the reason -- the REAL REASON -- that we we lost the game is because Trent had the worst game of his career. The 3 interceptions were bad, but the collateral damage was just a 6-0 deficit. Where Trent REALLY failed was in his inability to get the bad plays out of his head, his inability to pull the trigger at times, and his over-reliance on the check-down. He missed several open receivers last night. That drive at the end of the first half that resulted in a FG absolutely should have been a TD if Trent had had the confidence to throw the football. As it was he almost let the clock run out on him on the play before the field goal.

[DaGimp]

Ya this is a huge point. That team can not make game changing plays. I believe that comes from the "play not to lose coaching." No one wants to risk making that big play when it could possible cost them there starting spot.

[dave mcbride]

Look, I'm sorry, but you're being an idiot. OK. just an idiot. McKelvin had a kickoff return for a TD at exactly the time when we needed it the most to stay in the game. He made great plays as the CB when Greer got injured. Not to mention all the really good kick off returns to near mid field. And, this is the guy you chose to talk about needing to make a play??? Come on. There's plenty of idiots on this board. Don't be one.

 

We lost this game for one reason Trent played scared and the coaches became afraid of him in return. To suggest that someone else should have made a play is completely ignoring that huge elephant over there named Trent.

I think you have to look at the overall context - they've forced one turnover in four games, and it was on a vulture sack of Cassell when the outcome wasn't really in doubt. No one is making game-changing plays on D, yet the opportunities have been there. You're simply not going to win in the NFL if you can't force turnovers.

[Buftex]

Let me see if I can summarize.

 

Trent sucks in every aspect of the game. It must be a tackle that happened 6 weeks ago. Lindell and Ko are to blame for the loss.

 

 

No, that is not what I said...I said Edwards was awful tonight, did you miss that? His play was the biggest contributer, in my estimation, for the Bills loss. I gave my theory as to why, it doesn't take away from the fact that he was awful.

 

In sticking with the topic of the thread (something you have a hard time doing) I also mentioned Lindell and Simpson as guys that are not stepping up and making plays...can you read at all? I think you really enjoy the Bills losing. You are in rare form today, even by your incredibly high standards...

[2020 Our Year For Sure]

This is a BS argument, and you are grasping at straws. Jauron is ONE person. He is not a modular "robot" where you can remove and replace certain parts.

There is no such thng as "Jauron the GM"

or "Jauron the HC"

or "Jauron the game planner"

or "Jauron the player prep"

or "Jauron the delegator"

or etc ...

 

Those are his responsibilities. And when he is such epic failure at one of those aspects that it interferes with the rest of his responsibilities, then Dick Jauron is a failure. Any attempt to separate one aspect of him from another is nothing more than a weak attempt to "cloud" the issue.

 

So when you note he does not have the personnel to run his system, he is at fault for that. That is one of his responsibilities. And he has had 3 off-seasons to do that.

 

And to push the discussion further, if he does not have the personnel to run it the way he wants, he needs to flexible enough to adapt his schemes to work with what he has.

I finally understand what you're getting at...and every word of the above is completely wrong.

 

Its very easy to seperate Jauron the Coach from Jauron the GM: hire a real General Manager.

[2020 Our Year For Sure]

Also, I get that you are not singling any of these guys out but just saying that if any one of those plays had gone differently, the outcome would have been different.

Thank heavens. I thought for a moment that I was losing my mind. You still reading, Dan?

 

 

Great post, '03. I agree with every word. This loss was a result of poor quarterback play, and individual players just not stepping up when they had reasonable chances to put the game away. To quote Ben Stiller, endo-story.

[Dibs]

Ya this is a huge point. That team can not make game changing plays. I believe that comes from the "play not to lose coaching." No one wants to risk making that big play when it could possible cost them there starting spot.

How many game changing big plays do you want in a game?

The answer is at least one more than is needed.

We had one less than was needed......this does not mean that there were no game changing big plays to be had.....just that there were not enough.

[Bob K]

First of all, are you under the impression that the players decided to blitz? Are you actually unwilling to credit the coaching staff for their own schemes?

 

Secondly, I don't think Jauron is the greatest coach in the world. I think we don't know what he is yet, and we won't until he has the personnel he needs to run his system. He needs quality interior offensive linemen, and the Cover 2 must have a defensive line that can generate rush on its own. Indy had Freeney, Mathis and Booger when they won it all. When Tampa was dominant, they had Booger, Simeon Rice and Warren Sapp. Jauron's 13-3 Bears got 19.5 sacks combined between two players. The Bills d-line just doesn't match up, and thats why their record doesn't match up either.

Players play the game and if they miss a tackle of fumble or any of the other mistakes that happened last night, then its all on them, you can coach them till the cows come home but if they don't do the job then its all on them

[Brand J]

Also, when was the last time that Kelsay made a play?

 

Who is this "Kelsay" that you speak of?? Does he play for the Bills?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seriously though, if his contract is not reworked at the end of this season, then he just needs to be cut. The contract that he signed in the first place should've been largely performance based. This team needs big, bad, mean, DEs in the worst way! Not $6-$7,000,000/year DEs who are light weight and generate little to no pressure.

[DaGimp]

Also, when was the last time that Kelsay made a play?

 

 

Who is this "Kelsay" that you speak of?? Does he play for the Bills?

 

Other than Stroud that line is a sad joke.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seriously though, if his contract is not reworked at the end of this season, then he just needs to be cut. The contract that he signed in the first place should've been largely performance based. This team needs big, bad, mean, DEs in the worst way! Not $6-$7,000,000/year DEs who are light weight and generate little to no pressure.

[Fan in San Diego]

When is the last time this team got a turnover?

[Ramius]

Trent was awful tonight. It may sound like excuse making, but I really think his head is not right from that concussion. If he was just having bad results, I wouldn't say that. But it is the way he has been playing for the last couple of weeks. He looks frozen out there. It could be that defenses have caught up to him, but his reactions are so slow, it is pretty uncharacteristic of the way he has played...even last season, when he wasn't great at times, holding on to the ball forever, and not seeing open guys were not his problems...

 

I have never trusted Rian Lindell. He was not very good when he came to Buffalo, and eventually, it seems, the coaches protected him, and rarely put him in pressure situations. He has made a few pressure kicks, and missed a few...but he really hasn't had to kick a lot of them. Tonights miss was no gimmie, granted, but great kickers don't miss that kick.

 

Finally, I think Ko Simpson is a liability. The guy doesn't react fast enough, and is a poor tackler. What am I missing on this guy? Why do people think he is good? Even when we were winning this year, week in week out, Simpson was terrible...I give him an A for effort on the near int, but down for down, he is not very good...

 

Washington, Oakland, Jacksonville...those are games in the last few years where lindell has come through for this team. In fact, just prior to this miss, ESPN showed the stat that Lindell was 12-13 on FGs to win or tie in the final 2 minutes.

[chicot]

I admit readily that the playcalling at the end was the one major error from the coaching staff. Why in the world would you rely on a 45-yarder, against a wind that was a major factor in special teams play all night long? They had plenty of time and two timeouts, and Edwards finally looked confident on the pass to Royal. There's no defending their decision to set up a tough kick from Lindell, rather than trying to make it a chip shot.

 

Still, that call never would have existed if Trent played better, or Jackson didn't fumble, or McKelvin or Simpson stepped up, or Corner connected on the sack. This team was put in a position to win the football game, and the players repeatedly allowed this game to slip through their fingers.

 

And ya know what? Yes, the field goal may have been shorter, and the outcome of the game may have been different, if the playcalling at the end was more aggressive. But that doesn't change the fact that Lindell is perfectly capable of making that kick. One more example of players failing to make the plays this team needed to win.

 

Lindell is certainly capable of making that kick but to rely on him to make it when you have every chance to make it shorter is just plain stupid. A 47 yard kick is never a certainty, far less so when it's into the wind and the game decider. Yes, Trent had had a terrible game but he'd just completed his best pass of the night to put them in range. He's shown he can win the game in the 4th quarter in the past and he should have at least been given the opportunity to do so again. If Jauron doesn't trust him in that situation then he should have been pulled - there's no point in leaving him out there if you're not going to let him throw the ball.

[chicot]

Trent was awful tonight. It may sound like excuse making, but I really think his head is not right from that concussion. If he was just having bad results, I wouldn't say that. But it is the way he has been playing for the last couple of weeks. He looks frozen out there. It could be that defenses have caught up to him, but his reactions are so slow, it is pretty uncharacteristic of the way he has played...even last season, when he wasn't great at times, holding on to the ball forever, and not seeing open guys were not his problems...

 

I have never trusted Rian Lindell. He was not very good when he came to Buffalo, and eventually, it seems, the coaches protected him, and rarely put him in pressure situations. He has made a few pressure kicks, and missed a few...but he really hasn't had to kick a lot of them. Tonights miss was no gimmie, granted, but great kickers don't miss that kick.

 

Finally, I think Ko Simpson is a liability. The guy doesn't react fast enough, and is a poor tackler. What am I missing on this guy? Why do people think he is good? Even when we were winning this year, week in week out, Simpson was terrible...I give him an A for effort on the near int, but down for down, he is not very good...

 

Bah. I can remember Steve Christie missing game deciding field goals. Would you not consider him a great kicker?

[Philly McButterpants]

Corner's miss on that sack was the biggest play of the game.

 

How the HELL did he miss that???

[DaGimp]

How the HELL did he miss that???

He needs to learn how to turn the corner at the right angle