Never NEVER Give-up

This is where we fans lose perspective. He wants a Luck or RG3, he didn't want to get a guy who's the equivalent of Fitz &/or would need to sit for 3 years. He wants impact players and the QBs he passed on were not sure things (though I agree many have panned out so far). Buddy's been 'buying the groceries' for 3 years now. He has a plan. It wasn't to get the best QB right off the bat and get him killed with the inferior talent around him and he's told us as much. The first 2 years was to get good drafts. Remember how we all whined that he didn't get any FA's (of value) the first 2 years? Then in year 3 we had a collective off-season orgasism (sp) when he signed Mario. Then he signs Anderson - we were beside ourselves. He almost had WR Meachem too. He said at the time they didn't want to get the FA's the 1st 2 years because that would be wasting money (earrings on a pig, so to speak). They'd be getting paid while everyone around them looks like JV back-ups. But once he had a couple of decent drafts and the team was looking like it could start to challenge, he went after those big fish. What I really like about Buddy is that he doesn't talk down to us. He tells us if he can't tell us something and he has told us what his plan is and he's stuck to it. Two things have happened to make the plans look worse than expected. Fitz hasn't improved nor played consistently above average and the defense hasn't panned out as hoped (yet). But he's really done everything he said he was gonna do. I believe (I do not know this) that he didn't go after Manning because he wants a young guy, not a guy ready to retire when the rest of the team is ready to make a run. (Although it would have been sweet to have Manning here. My only hope is that Manning makes Denver forget about Elway. I never liked him for what he did to Baltimore.) But I digress. I think the QB and LB's are the next targets while holding to his mantras - draft well, keep/re-sign your good guys (Levitre, Byrd, etc) and look to improve your roster at all positions - if there's an upgrade out there - you go & get it,

Thanks Marcellosaurus!! I hear what you're saying, BUT it cuts both ways! You can't just look at it the lucky plays where Fitz avoided picks - that's too one-sided. What about Stevie Johnson's drops against PitT & the Jets - there 2 wins down the drain right there. I won't try and research other plays, but I am sure there just as many bad luck plays where we dropped passes, dropped picks, fumbled and made penalties - and of course had the Refs go against us (LOL).

. . . and we're only going to see 2 of those games (Seahawks & Fish)

The reason they don't replace Fitz now is the belief he CAN do better AND there are no available alternatives right now. They also won't just stick Jackson out there because if he isn't ready (and we have no reason to believe he is), then Gailey would be screwing the rest of the team by playing a guy that doesn't give the team the best chance to win the game!

Look, there's 2 ways to look at the Bills - year thirteen or year three. Most FANS look at the former and while OBD understands this, they are looking at it as year three - only. (And WE should understand that too. But as a collective bunch, we tend to be too emotional.) Buddy has been straight with us since day 1 and while that has always been refreshing, it hasn't always been comforting. He has explained that in year 1 there were so many guys who shouldn't even be on a football team. In year 2, they added more depth/draft choices and year 3, he added FA's. EVERYONE's expectation was that the players would perform better than they have thus far - if anyone says they believed differently, I would try to find a nice way of saying you're lying. The hope was Fitz would play like he did in wks 1-7 last year, the defense would be vastly improved and ther rest of the younger players would continue to get better, rounding out the team and seeing it excel in all 3 phases of the game. That's why Chan says he sees improvement but is frustrated they haven't been able to put it all together week over week. At the beginning of the year we could score, but the D was horrendous, now the D is better and we can't score. And Special Teams - one week good, the next bad. Up & down performances across the board. This is why we are all frustrated. This is why Chan & Buddy are frustrated too. (I also listened to the whole GR55 interview this morning.) Buddy said more than a few interesting things (paraphrased): On Fitz - There's an old saying in scouting, if you've seen a guy do it once, he can do it again. (This is why they believe in Fitz.) On Fitz & Chan's jobs: After Howard (3x) & Jeremy (1x) asked him the question 4 times (!!!) - Buddy said if you want to keep asking the same question we can just "let this thing go dead" (because he's got nothing else to say on the subject). He had already said moments before that he addressed that question 3-4 weeks ago and nothing has changed (so he sees no need to address it further). On a new QB: He's also addressed this many times before - they are always looking to improve all positions, QB too. He wants to be sure there is a long term guy at the QB position before he retires. Read that any way you want - if there is an upgrade ouy there - they'll pursue him - trade, FA or draft. On Rolando McClain - he couldn't say because he belongs to the Raiders. Then Jeremy thought he was smart and asked if he's looking to upgrade LB - that is when Buddy said they're always looking to upgrade all positions. (Way to go Jeremy!) I wish they had asked what was Buddy's scouting report on McClain coming out of college and if they were interested in him back then. Look, I hate to be an apologist for the Bills because I am also sickened by what I've seen this year. It's inexplicable what has transpired. I believed like most, that we were going to have a good year. It's hard to understand why they haven't been able to put it all together. I think the reason they are preaching 'stay the course' to the players is that they DO beliveve they can do better collectively and they believe it will come. But being 4-7, it obviously hasn't come as soon as anyone had hoped/wanted. Lastly, I think Chan and Fitz need to calm down - they are over-compensating. Chan's dialing down the offense, playing it to safe (because Fitz's confidence is shaken and his penchant for interceptions). They need to wing it and have fun. IF Fitz can be as good as he played in wks 1-7 last year and Buddy is correct when he says that if a guy did it once he can do it again - I believe it will come if they relax and let it happen. Chan also needs to turn Fitz loose, stop with the kid gloves already (4 yds per attempt? really?). Let him wing it. It's better to go down swinging. We know they will pursue improvements in the position anyway, so why do we need to endure this crap along the way. Turn it loose!!!

Sunday's forecast - Rain & 53 degrees. I think I read somewhere that a Russ Salvatore or Channel 4 can purchase all the remaining tickets for $.34 on the dollar (visitor's share of gate). If 15,000 remaining tickets cost an average of $45, that would equal approximately $230,000. I'm not sure if that's accurate, but if it is the question for Ch 4 would be - what is their ad revenue for a football game vs an infomercial? If the Bills are blacked out, we would NOT see a football game in that time slot on Ch 4.

Ditto!! I couldn't believe he came away with that ball and managed to land in-bounds! A pick, a fumble recovery and on Mckelvin' PR-TD, he gets knocked down, gets up and gets THE key block to spring McKelvin by pushing his man OOB. He has an incredible nose for the ball. He is the heir apparent to Ed Reed & Troy P (Pitt) as the games best safety. He MUST be a re-signing priority for Buddy. Knowing Buddy's mantra about keeping the good guys you have, I am sure they will do whatever it takes to keep him in Bflo.

It will be very interesting to see what CJ can do with a whole game. 90% of the snaps, getting into the flow of the game, etc

Bring back Naaman - he never drops the ball. Actually I saw him do it once!

I pretty much feel the same way. So what are our choices - I say we make the best of it and pray the NHL Lockout ends soon! (kidding) Seriously. Looking at our schedule this year, we expected to be 4-4 today, right? The only loss we "should have won" was Tennesee. So instead we're 3-5 and facing the Pats. Now don't laugh, but I really believe they can beat the Pats IF they get their heads out of their arses, play with some heart (like they did early last year) and avoid playing NOT TO LOSE! Remember the days when 'they' said Fitz was a 'gun slinger'? When was the last time anyone thought that, much less uttered the words? I really believe that our pre-season beliefs are true and the Bills are on the right path, but for some reason we've become afraid to win. Which intuitively makes no sense at all. (See the movie "The Replacements", Keanu Reeves called it 'quicksand'.) But with this team, we've seen it so much over the last 10 years. Whenever they approach being good (remember last year when Gaily said we need to see how the players deal with success after the Raiders/Pats victories), we collapse. Someone at one Bills Drive needs to raise hell. Buddy said damn last week! Not what I have in mind, but maybe he'll get a little madder! Soooooooooooooooooooooooooo many of the players are underperforming. There is no real leadership. Fitz is a great guy, but until he throws the ball more than 6 yds on average, no one can take him seriously as a leader. Fred - OK, but other than Walter Payton, there really haven't been many RB's that come to mind as effective leaders, and now, most feel he should be 2nd string. Special Team leaders are not team leaders. On Defense who do we have? Dareus has disappeared. We love him and feel for his brother/family but (did you know) he is the only top five pick from last year's draft that wasn't named to a pro bowl squad!!!! Mario is (1) too new and (2) walks softly and doesn't carry a stick or a right arm evidently (though we did see signs of life in Houston, I hope it wasn't his best or a payback effort - he needs to build on that game). Kelsy IS a leader, but he's not good enough to be followed. Kyle Williams needs to kick his linemates in the arse and get more vocal, he has the cache to do it, but hasn't. Barnett, please, I like him as the 3rd best LB IF we had 2 other NFL caliber LB's. And DB's? Byrd maybe the X-Factor - he IS very good, but I don't know much about how opinionated he is and whether he has leadership potential. A dearth of leadership. Until someone speaks up, holds himself and fellow players accountable, until the coaches do the same and play to win, we'll continue to see this meandering product. (We need the Godfather (Brando) to grab them by the shirt collars and tell them to "act like a man!") Buddy, I mean YOU need to do this!!! Someone has to get mad as hell and start smacking opponents around - get more physical - it's contagious. Coaches need to sit those who under perform - they sat McKelvin, but not Williams who kept getting burned. Sit Dareus, and let him spell Carrington - I don't think it would take him too long to get ticked and elevate his play. This team isn't good enough to have any untouchable players - sit the underperformers. We all know we can lose a lopsided game just as easily with 2nd stringers!! But time is running short, we can deal with 3-6 after this Sunday, but after that there is no margin for error, the gimme schedule has disappeared (because those 'bad' teams are improved now) and the Bills will need to elevate their play. I believe our Offensive and Defensive Lines need to impose their wills on the team. I'm talking Wood/Levitre on Offense and Kyle Williams/Mario and Kelsay on Defense. If nothing else, they're bigger than their teammates, so maybe they'll listen and follow. It's our only hope. Winning is the only thing to cure our current situation. We actually have some good players and coaches - but you'd never know it by how they're playing now. Start competing, don't be afraid to lose, get mad and things will turn around. Ralph's patience will be rewarded and we won't need another coaching staff for the next 3 years. We can B word and moan all we want, but the fact remains - nothing will change here until the CURRENT GROUP get's its act together. Before the season started, we all billieved. Now that the 1st Half is over, its time to become a 2nd Half team. Frankly, there's nothing to lose. We don't expect to win more than 5-6 games, so they should just go out and let it all hang out - it could snowball into something good.

Look - Wanny's not that stupid. Watch the games, the 4 man rush is not effective and his defense is predicated on the front four winning the 1:1 battles - they're not and the LB's aren't making plays. The DB's are making 48% of the tackles - that's right check the team tackles and you'll see. Almost 50% of the tackles coming from the 4-5 smallest guys! No wonder they get burned later in the games - they've been steamrolled for 3 quarters!!

Each Week One announcing the inactives One reminding us of the loss One announcing promotions to the 53 man roster One announcing players signed to the practice squad Got one yesterday about the wrist that's killing our pass rush Thousands - no way - money grab with no legs to stand on!!

The Bills at 14 - HA! Way too low - probably top 5 (again). And Cleveland, if they have #1 overall - they will take Barkley.

We're not communicating. The year Cassel played for the Pats, they still had a decent defense (and we continued to suck). NOW-2012, THE only reason the Pats are so good is because of Brady & when he retires, they will be just another team. Belichick is a very good coach - wish we had him, but Brady is the reason the Pats are as good as they are. Though, let's not forget the Pats cheated to get their edge, and had been for years until they were caught and fined. The only reason a bigger deal wasn't made of it was because it would have disgraced the league and it would have killed the golden goose. Give a listen . . . http://www.trendingb...r-bryan-oleary/ -

Oh come on!! I hate him as much as anyone else who's a fan of an AFC East Team, BUT, he is an excellent QB and THE reason the Pats are so successful. I am longing for the day he retires because we won't need to worry about the Pats anymore - they'll be just another team.

Fitz is OK. As Bills14 said, let's judge him with a top-15 defense - not the bottom-scrapers we currently have. Did you notice, when the defense played relatively well - we won? Not a coincidence! As for Orton, I agree with several posters - he's not bad. I just feel as though he never got a chance anywhere. I liked him in college. He's been through more coaching changes than Imelda Marcos went thru shoes. I'm for adding him - at the very least he'll push Fitz - not like Thigpen who holds Chan's clipboard for 60 minutes each Sunday.

How? By staying OFF the field? The defense is pathetic. No heart! Fraile-minded! Weak, weak, weak! Kelsay even said some guys aren't giving 100%. Fitz got'em 27, and special teams chipped in for 7 more. The defense was putrid.

I only have 2 days on the weekend. Days get shorter this time of year too. I get angry with myself if I waste a whole afternoon watching them stink-up the joint. I get furious if I watch them lose like they did against the Jets-Pats-Niners. Didya ever feel as though YOU care more about the Bills winning than the Bills themselves do?!?! So now I record each game. If I'm working around the house, I'll have it on and admittedly, I usually get sucked in until they start playing like crap - then I'll turn it off. I'll check to see if they win/lose and decide if I want to watch the plays (30-second fast-forward button on DVR lets me watch a whole game in about 1:15). I must confess - I did not watch the 2nd halves of the Jets- Pats games, though I did reply the 2nd half of the Pats game because I couldn't understand how the Pats just kept scoring, and scoring, and scoring!! Like a fire, a car wreck or a carny freak - something so strange you can't take your eyes off of it. I watched a few minutes of the 9ers game and between seeing that I cared more about the game than the Bills did and knowing I'd have to suffer through the overly smug Harbaugh - I turned it off. I was lucky enough to be an adult (30) in 1990 - the Bills heydey! It was an incredible ride - the Super Bowl actually felt like a birth right after the 2nd one! I suffered thru the 70's - (we never beat the fish from 1970-79, 0-20!!) and we were worse than we are now (believe it or not). We had the running back OJ (not the murderer), and he was a diversion. I actually remember feeling (as a kid I must remind you) that as long as OJ got his yards and some exciting runs, it didn't matter that we lost - because that would normally get us on MNF Halftime Hi-lites with Howard Cosell!!! It was a huge deal back then. But there's no way I watch as much as I used to - I refuse to make the time committment until I see the team make a committment to trying to win (note I say trying, not actually winning). The talent is there - but they are not producing. Kelsay revealed a few cracks in the team chemistry (which is needed to add some bite to the complacency). We need some bickering Bills before ths team turns a corner!

I posted this to another thread, but it applies here. . . . . I just did a quick analysis of the Bills Tackling Stats: % of TOTAL TACKLES: LB-32 DB-48, DL-20 % of SOLO TACKLES: LB-31 DB-50 DL-19 What does it mean? The analysis is incomplete because we need to realize DB's make a high %age of tackles on passing plays, thus padding their #'s, BUT, the raw #'s above DO suggest that the LB's are making too few plays. So I said to myself, "Myself, what if you compared our D to the #1 D (we want to become), what do their #'s look like". Number 1 right now is SF 49'ers, here are their numbers % of TOTAL TACKLES LB-40 DB-38 DL-22 % of SOLO TACKLES LB-42 DB-36 DL-22 The analysis is still incomplete, but you can derive that the Bill's secondary is being called on to make too many plays AND it make sense that as the game goes on those guys may get more worn out, hence succeptable to big plays later in the game. Also, the Bills have 438 total tackles to SF's 377 or 16% more - we're on the field way too much (but we all already knew THAT !) Another interesting thing about the numbers - the Niner LB's made 42% of the solo stops and were in on 40% of all tackles. The Bills' LB's only made 31% of the stops and were in on 32% of all tackles. This tells me the Niner LB's made plays 42% of the time on their own with no help (assists). The Bills' LB's should be embarrassed. Looking at our DB's - theyre being asked to make SOLO stops (no help from LB/DL) on almost 50% (48%) of the plays - UN-Billeveable!!! We need to cut them some slack, buy them some Ben-gay and tell them we will draft LB's and maybe find some in Free Agency!!! Our DL makes slighly fewer tackles as a %age of total plays, than the Niners DL - 20% vs 22%. But it's not as glaring as the LB/DB numbers, but intuitively, we all know the DL should be doing better.

AND we lost 2 Super Bowls to back-ups Jeff Hostetler and Mark Rypien (tho Ryp was the starter that year, he was starter for a very short time).

I just did a quick analysis of the Bills Tackling Stats: % of TOTAL TACKLES: LB-32 DB-48, DL-20 % of SOLO TACKLES: LB-31 DB-50 DL-19 What does it mean? The analysis is incomplete because we need to realize DB's make a high %age of tackles on passing plays, thus padding their #'s, BUT, the raw #'s above DO suggest that the LB's are making too few plays. So I said to myself, "Myself, what if you compared our D to the #1 D (we want to become), what do their #'s look like". Number 1 right now is SF 49'ers, here are their numbers % of TOTAL TACKLES LB-40 DB-38 DL-22 % of SOLO TACKLES LB-42 DB-36 DL-22 The analysis is still incomplete, but you can derive that the Bill's secondary is being called on to make too many plays AND it make sense that as the game goes on those guys may get more worn out, hence succeptable to big plays later in the game. Also, the Bills have 438 total tackles to SF's 377 or 16% more - we're on the field way too much (but we all already knew THAT !) Another interesting thing about the numbers - the Niner LB's made 42% of the solo stops and were in on 40% of all tackles. The Bills' LB's only made 31% of the stops and were in on 32% of all tackles. This tells me the Niner LB's made plays 42% of the time on their own with no help (assists). The Bills' LB's should be embarrassed. Looking at our DB's - theyre being asked to make SOLO stops (no help from LB/DL) on almost 50% (48%) of the plays - UN-Billeveable!!! We need to cut them some slack, buy them some Ben-gay and tell them we will draft LB's and maybe find some in Free Agency!!! Our DL makes slighly fewer tackles as a %age of total plays, than the Niners DL - 20% vs 22%. But it's not as glaring as the LB/DB numbers, but intuitively, we all know the DL should be doing better.

If they trade Byrd, I'd be ticked. Buddy has said many, many times, you draft your own, you develop them, you keep your own and add in FA's occasionally as they don't always pan out (see M. Williams!! (thus far)). Byrd is a high character player who in year one showed us he had a nose for the ball but couldn't tackle. He worked on that and has shown he is a very good all around safety, still a ballhawk and now a great tackler and supports run defense too - approaching pro bowler level. I have no idea what the problem is on the defense, it's definitely NOT one guy. If I hear one more guy say the problem with the run-D is our "FITS" . . . I'll scream. These guys are missing their assignments on so many plays to the point this defense will go down in NFL history as the worst ever????? UnBilleveable! With players like our front 4 and the DB's (who I believe are pretty good) - I just don't understand. I do believe our LB's suck. If I understand Wanny's D at all, the DL are supposed to pressure the QB (though they do not do so consistently) and the LB's are supposed to make the tackles - and they aren't, they are falling to the DB's. We need some serious LB's, Barnett is a #3, yet the Bills act like he's a #1, he may be better - but it would require a couple of other studs out there with them.

Right! Perfect for our offense!!! Seriously - he IS raw, but is definitely talented. When is he due to come out - be drafted??

Tackling, once learned, is about desire and "want to" - at least that's what NFL Coaches say. That's why missed tackles are considered unacceptable and prompt screams from coaches.