VOR

My biggest fault with the coaches the past 4 weeks has been their refusal to make changes, like replacing McGee with McKelvin against the Dols or bench Trent in the Jets, Pats, or Browns game. As I said, the plays are there and Trent has been missing them.

Definitely. Not that giving the ball back to the offense would have made a difference.

I disagree. The big plays are there. It was expected that Trent would take a step forward this year and start looking downfield more. He hasn't.

The 49'ers were 22nd in 2007 and are 25th this year. It's more than just Clements. I'd say that Schobel's decline/absence has more to do with it.

I'm torn. I want the Bills to finish strong and make the playoffs. But by doing so, Jauron likely gets kept, which means little chance of reaching, much less winning, the SB.

If it didn't happen the past 2 games, it ain't happening today.

Does anyone really think that any top-tier coaches are itching to make their mark in Buffalo, NY? For less than say a 20% premium? As it stands, the Bills have to overpay players to sign/re-sign them.

What's amazing WRT the Sabres is they were playing great at the beginning of the season, with a good number of injuries. Now that they're completely healthy, they're horrible. That really makes no sense to me, other than the chemistry they developed with that original group was destroyed. And maybe they need to go back to that?

McKelvin, Hardy, Fine, Corner, and Johnson have all shown flashes of ability. Bell looks like a good developmental prospect. Omon is largely unknown and Bowen got injured. I'd say that only Ellis has been a disappointment.

Well that's hardly a revelation. Businesses are there to make money, so they're always looking for ways to cut costs. And in the beginning when there weren't unions, workers got screwed. But as I said, since that time, unions have mostly served to increase costs and decrease quality.

You're comparing a non-service job with a service one. Auto workers don't get tips. And while unions had their place in the past, they've served mostly to drive-up costs and drive down quality. To the point where you have what we're seeing now.

Yes, neither has been that successful. But the only thing the Lions "figured out" was how to replace an average coach with a terrible one. And "Millen was trying to build a winner?" Yeah, who isn't?

It's called perspective and hindsight, chief. I'm sure that if the Lions knew that they'd either be 10-32 with Marinelli right now or 19-23 with Jauron, they'd have stuck with Jauron.

Yes, open receivers. As per people who were at the game.

They've figured-out that the QB can't hit open receivers?

Yes and again, things looked good in Buffalo, NY, and Miami with those guys I mentioned. And TD was a guy who reportedly built the Steelers and hired Cowher. I'll wait to see the longer-term results, myself.

What, exactly, did Detroit "figure out?" They'd have loved to have kept Jauron, given their dismal failure since.

With any new regime, you need to wait a few years. What looks like a great start to a new regime can quickly turn sour. Look at the Jets with Mangini, the Dols with Saban, and the Bills with Mularkey in their first years, and then the next year.

Trent's excuse still doesn't explain missing wide open receivers. You see a guy open, regardless of what defense you EXPECTED to see, and you throw it to him. How are the coaches supposed to prepare you for that?

The only other realistic choice for the Bills was Limas Sweed, and he's done even less than Hardy. Royal and Jackson weren't going to be drafted by the Bills, and Royal's production has been a complete surprise. In relation to the WR draft class and what the Bills were looking for, you can't say Hardy was a bad pick (or you could say they all were bad picks outside of Royal, Jackson, Nelson and Avery, with the latter 2 going after the Bills picked), especially considering he's tied for 2nd in TD's among rookies with 2, and has 1 less TD than Evans. But I've become tired of the coaching staff these past 4 weeks, in combination with what I saw last year. They are slow/unable to recognize talent on their own team unless injuries force their hands. They aren't good at halftime adjustments, much less on-the-fly adjustments. And they seem loathe to change. Despite Trent's poor play the past 4 weeks, at any time they could have inserted JP as a spark. They could and should have replaced McGee with McKelvin in the Miami game. There should be better game and clock management. Better challenges. Maybe a more fiery guy (behind closed doors) who will put fear into players. I don't know, but I'm praying that Jauron didn't get the extension and he's shown the door at the end of the year, unless the Bills make the playoffs, which seems remote (although I don't expect them to go far in them if they do).

It has little to do with the front offices. Both teams started out great and inexplicably have started to tank. And it seemingly starts with the most important players: the QB and goalie.

You're definitely in the "friend" category.

Bingo. If the offense could sustain drives and, god forbid, score points, the defense would look great. Especially if it gets healthy again.

The defense has played well considering the tough spots the offense has put it in for most of the season, and that includes the wins. The fact that the defense has suffered numerous injuries is even more impressive.

What troubles me is that Trent's excuse is that the Bills practiced for a different defense than what they saw. And exactly what does that have to do with NOT throwing the ball to wide open receivers, when you're getting tons of time to throw the ball?