Punch

That's a shame... I thought Marv and Boomer were the only MNF team on Westwood One, but maybe that was quite a few years ago... or maybe I'm misremembering. Regardless, I love the Marv/Boomer team. I'd prefer they do a simulcast for TV.

Like Dan said, I'd have liked to see him get as much playing time as possible to see if he gets it... it's possible they've already seen enough to know he can't or won't. In that case, it's definitely not worth wasting the snaps on a scrub. Especially when Arthur Moats could use them.

It's really sad.. the strange thing is, he had 2 sacks against the starting offenses of the Lions and Steelers in preseason last year. Against the Lions he just ran right around the 1st team LT and took down Stafford... and against Pittsburgh he used a spin move inside and busted between the LG and LT to sack Roethlisberger. That was the 1st (and possibly last) time I thought he might actually make it. I have no idea how he made those plays.

What happened to Boomer Esiason?

I had hoped, in a rebuilding year like this, that Maybin would just be left out there to learn. He couldn't be that much worse than the low grade OLBs they're already lining up week to week. But, maybe there's no amount of learning that can help in his case. Sometimes the game needs to slow down for guys, and sometimes it's something they really can't learn. FWIW, I think Stevie Johnson just never got his chance under Jauron. If they didn't draft Hardy in '08 or bring in TO last year I think he might've already gotten his chance. BUT, Maybin is young enough that, had he stayed in college, he'd only be a senior this year. And men are still adding bulk at his age--- so, it's possible it'll click for him, but I'm not optimistic.

Apparently, no "football sense." He doesn't appear to have a feel for the game. Tremendous athlete, but maybe not a football player.

Every single one of these sentences sound as if they were culled from completely different yet equally angry paragraphs. I'm not really sure what you're trying to say here, but it does sound like the Bills are making you fairly miserable. I hear Sudoku is pretty relaxing. Come on, we're all Bills fans here and we all want the same thing! Let's chill out already!

I guarantee people on this board do not dislike you because you can count. It's because you're a miserable condescending siphon. You apparently won't be happy until you've brought everyone here down to your level of Bills hatred. The few times where I agree with you are not worth the endless negativity you leave behind in every single thread.

I clearly said that in observing him in college and the preseason he obviously has natural football instincts... I'm not referring to his athleticism. And yes, I acknowledged he's struggled here and there in making reads with the football, but that's natural for a rookie with limited touches. I don't think it's endemic of some fatal flaw, it's something that will work itself out as he becomes more involved and his experience level grows. Of course, his development needs monitoring, and I think each of the reasons I've given in this thread regarding how Gailey is bringing him along are directly related to just that. If he's still averaging 4 or 5 rushing attempts per game at the end of the season, then I'll be really disappointed. The O-line play and overall offensive rhythm have improved to the point that Gailey should feel more comfortable letting him loose. Hopefully, that's what happens.

Any cursory observation of his college career or preseason work shows he has uncanny natural instincts. On some of his carries in the regular season so far I think he's hesitating a bit and picking the wrong hole, but he's shown plenty of flashes that indicates there isn't a major issue. I'm not really sure what devastating evidence you've uncovered to the contrary.

If the Bills won it would be mentioned, that's really all there is to it. What do you need exactly, a hug from Stuart Scott?

If he were getting more opportunities he'd undoubtedly break more than a few of those ones where he's now close--- the time will come, sooner than later, when he gets them. I don't know what the big rush is; runningback play would not alter the outcome of the first 6 games of 2010, and would definitely not be the difference in earning a playoff berth this year. But Spiller will be a more well rounded back by season's end than if he were just thrown to the wolves.

I understand what you're saying, but Spiller is not in the same career situation that Maybin finds himself in--- Spiller has made plays as a runner, receiver, blocker, and returner. He's averaging 4.3 yards per carry on his admittedly few number of attempts. If he were given 20 touches per game I think there's no question he'd produce very good results. When I say deliberately, I mean that he's being taught to focus on the finer points of being an all around NFL runningback--- blitz pickups being one major example of an area where he struggled. He's in the games in crucial situations, and is being asked to pick up blockers in the red zone and on 3rd downs. I said earlier in this thread, the combination of teaching him the finer points, having Fred Jackson, and also not wanting to burn him out on an 0-6 team that was struggling offensively are part and parcel why he's limited behind Fred. I'd assume his touches and involvement will increase steadily over the course of the year. Chris Johnson was struggling this year due to overuse in the previous few seasons. And Aaron Maybin has shown nothing yet that suggests he belongs on an NFL roster. There's simply no comparison.

Bledsoe was 8-8 but Flutie was something like 10-2 or 9-3 in '98 (including the Colt game which he did not start).

I don't think number of carries necessarily equates to the quality of the back, do they? Especially in this situation? "Developing" is something that every NFL player does, and the way Gailey is doing it is fine. Sorry it's not to your taste, but your stats kind of prove nothing.

That's what happened in 1986... Marv Levy was the midseason replacement after Hank Bullough was fired. That's all I meant. Not that Cowher will ever come to Buffalo for anything other than one of his daughter's collegiate basketball games.

Archie Manning was not only a Pro Bowler but also NFC Offensive Player of the Year in 1978 on a 7-9 Saints team. True, the Bills probably won't hit 7-9, but it's still another losing season for a miserable franchise (at that point).

Does this mean Chan is going to get fired midseason and then Marv is going to be brought back... again?

Promo wasn't insulting you, though, he was disagreeing with your assertions and questioning why your opinions are more valuable than those belonging to others. If you want to debate that's fine, but there's a lot of negativity being focused toward some of the posters you're going back and forth with... it doesn't come across as a debate at all, just you telling everyone else why they're wrong. I don't really see how Promo earned the "ol' f you."

You admonish posters in another thread and then you turn right around and hypocritically start flinging insults (not the first time for you, either)... for what, because Promo disagrees with you? Come on man, I agree with some of the points you make but you seem to be sitting around the corner with a sniper rifle taking shots at any potentially optimistic Bills fan in every single thread. Try and relax, you don't win a prize for bludgeoning everyone until they agree with you.

They were still laughing at Whitner, though--- all the way to the endzone.

Spiller obviously has those instincts... he can, and likely will, learn to trust them more. That's a normal problem for rookie runningbacks to have, and why so many people in this thread and elsewhere are in such a hurry to label him as either a bust or luxury pick or whatever nonsense is simply beyond reason. He's a dynamic offensive talent and his contribution to this team will grow as his experience increases. The fact that Gailey is developing him deliberately rather than hurriedly is an indictment of nothing more than solid coaching.

Like others noted, he prefers Stevie, as in "Stevie Styles", which from what I understand is a sort of tongue in cheek rap name. He does some humorous raps. That sentence sounds like the most white bread thing anyone has ever posted on the internet. Apparently he also enjoys sensible slacks.

So, basically you have nothing to do during the day? Unless shitting on cautiously optimistic Bills fans is your dayjob.

Homer said it to Chief Wiggum in the Springfield chili cook off episode--- the funny part being that he addressed him as Chief Wiggum. Johnny Cash was the coyote spirit guide during Homer's hallucination. Although, I'll admit I didn't think of it as a Simpsons' reference until you specifically mentioned it!