An Optimist's View

[billsguy512]

I understand last game was just terrible from every aspect of football (coaching, offense, special teams and defense in the 4th quarter), but it really may not be as bad as we all think. Besides, not very many people on this board thought that we'd give Saints much of a challenge anyway.

 

Here's what we have to have a positive outlook on:

 

1. Marshawn is coming back this week. Even if he isn't 100%, Miami will have to scheme for him AND Fred this week. This will help our run game out behind a very shaky offensive line.

 

2. The Bills have the Phins and the Browns the next two weeks so we "should" be 3-2 after the week 5 is over.

 

3. AVP and TE still hasn't figured out how to incorporate both Lee and TO into the offense, which will only come with time. Once they can start taking advantage of the talent we have at WR, they will be much more explosive.

 

4. Shawn Nelson should be coming back soon, which is a huge upgrade over D. Fine.

 

I realize being a Bills fan is miserable, but just once in a while, we need to have some kind of optimism.

[Reed83HOF]

I understand last game was just terrible from every aspect of football (coaching, offense, special teams and defense in the 4th quarter), but it really may not be as bad as we all think. Besides, not very many people on this board thought that we'd give Saints much of a challenge anyway.

 

Here's what we have to have a positive outlook on:

 

1. Marshawn is coming back this week. Even if he isn't 100%, Miami will have to scheme for him AND Fred this week. This will help our run game out behind a very shaky offensive line.

 

2. The Bills have the Phins and the Browns the next two weeks so we "should" be 3-2 after the week 5 is over.

 

3. AVP and TE still hasn't figured out how to incorporate both Lee and TO into the offense, which will only come with time. Once they can start taking advantage of the talent we have at WR, they will be much more explosive.

 

4. Shawn Nelson should be coming back soon, which is a huge upgrade over D. Fine.

 

I realize being a Bills fan is miserable, but just once in a while, we need to have some kind of optimism.

 

Up until this past game, you might have suckered me back in. It has been a decade of optimism and crap results. Early on in the Greggo years when things had to be blown up due to the salary cap and older players, ok I can accept that, but since what 2001 we have been a mediocre team that just doesnt draft that well and doesnt do to well in free agnecy. Our decisions on coaches since Wade have been horrendous...Dropping our OC who sucked 10 days before the season opener - sorry he should have been jettisoned right after last season. Walker, the coaches knew what they had in him, but yet we wasted all that time trying to make him be the LT. Butler gets injured every season, we knew we had no depth behind him, so we sign a rookie off of the Packers PS...After McKelvin's fumble at NE, Parrish fumbles against the Saints...should holding on to the ball not have been drilled in everyones head...punting on 4th and 1 down by 10 with 7 mins left...I am seriously down on this team and I have never ever been down on them before..I am not a fair weather fan or anything, but just taking a step back and looking at this team this decade and where we are now...It's just not good

[Chandler#81]

Up until this past game, you might have suckered me back in. It has been a decade of optimism and crap results. Early on in the Greggo years when things had to be blown up due to the salary cap and older players, ok I can accept that, but since what 2001 we have been a mediocre team that just doesnt draft that well and doesnt do to well in free agnecy. Our decisions on coaches since Wade have been horrendous...Dropping our OC who sucked 10 days before the season opener - sorry he should have been jettisoned right after last season. Walker, the coaches knew what they had in him, but yet we wasted all that time trying to make him be the LT. Butler gets injured every season, we knew we had no depth behind him, so we sign a rookie off of the Packers PS...After McKelvin's fumble at NE, Parrish fumbles against the Saints...should holding on to the ball not have been drilled in everyones head...punting on 4th and 1 down by 10 with 7 mins left...I am seriously down on this team and I have never ever been down on them before..I am not a fair weather fan or anything, but just taking a step back and looking at this team this decade and where we are now...It's just not good

 

I thought this was supposed to be an optimistic thread..

 

I'm gonna keep my optimism up for awhile. I think we have great talent at many positions, but weak depth that we're having to go to through injury. I've been impressed with our D-Line play all 3 games and we haven't seen a breakout performance yet from our 1st pick. This was the biggest issue from last season and it appears corrected. Our VERY young OL got schooled last game, but the second best aspect of them, after toughness, is football intelligence. I expect to see 'lessons learned' from them if they stay healthy. Trent is very good with the ball. Most teams wish their QB was that protective of the rock. The only frustrating thing that still remains, IMO, is the unprepared actions in critical situations. ie: the 2 minute drive before the half. 23 seconds ran off the clock from the time the ball was set after a 15 yd. gain. THEN we call T-O, after running around like a Chinese fire drill... YEEESH! Result? No points..

Wait, that's pessimistc..

[Wooderson]

Before the season, looking at the schedule, I would've thought we'd be at 1-2 throughout these first three weeks. So going by that I can still be optimistic, but the way our offense played was quite disappointing.

[Reed83HOF]

I thought this was supposed to be an optimistic thread..

 

I'm gonna keep my optimism up for awhile. I think we have great talent at many positions, but weak depth that we're having to go to through injury. I've been impressed with our D-Line play all 3 games and we haven't seen a breakout performance yet from our 1st pick. This was the biggest issue from last season and it appears corrected. Our VERY young OL got schooled last game, but the second best aspect of them, after toughness, is football intelligence. I expect to see 'lessons learned' from them if they stay healthy. Trent is very good with the ball. Most teams wish their QB was that protective of the rock. The only frustrating thing that still remains, IMO, is the unprepared actions in critical situations. ie: the 2 minute drive before the half. 23 seconds ran off the clock from the time the ball was set after a 15 yd. gain. THEN we call T-O, after running around like a Chinese fire drill... YEEESH! Result? No points..

Wait, that's pessimistc..

 

Ha Ha Ha...is very easy to be pessimistic...and I do agree with your post, I really do...

 

I am just trying to be slightly realistic. I think we are in the best shape we have been in this decade, we do have good talent in many positions and the Defense has been a pleasant surprise. special teams are leaving a lot to be desired right now, but I am wondering how much of that has to do with the rule changes for this year and the players we have lost or let go. The offense is pretty offensive as it has been for a long while now. I think we have gone a long way to rebuilding the OL, but we still have a ways to go, the depth is very suspect and we need at least 1 more starting caliber Tackle. I think Butler is a helluva player, but he misses time every season due to an injury - the jury is still out on Bell...

 

Aside from that, I think that Trent is a good QB; he is not a great QB and I'm not sure he ever will be. One cirtical aspect of a playoff quality offense is it's ability to impose it's will on the defense. We haven't done that...in well...a long ass time. I know what I want to see out of a starting qb is the moxy and confidence to lead the offense and dictate to the defense.Trent just takes what the defense gives him, hence the checkdowns all the damn time. The real question is how much of this is coaching and the staff's insistence on limiting mistakes and how much of this is Trent being who he is as a qb. DJ always says the offense did a great job of taking what the defense gives us. The defense is not going to give you enough of anything to win the game. The question I have is can Trent dictate what the offense is going to do and be successful. I hate to use a Jim Kelly comparison, but because he is my all-time fav qb, I'm going to (you can substitute any great QB). JK knew if he was going to toss the ball to Reed or Lofton or Beebe or Tasker. He had the ability instead of going through pregressions to look the saftey off and make the play to the WR he wanted to go to. To be succesful in this league you need to do that. Trent doesn't do this, the questions are (1) is it because of our coaching? (2) Trent is not capable of doing this? or (3) combination of both...I feel that if the offense is able to dictate what it wants and the QB is able to make plays (not based on check downs), we are a playoff caliber team, who are a few impact players away from being a strong team...