Punch

Looking at box scores on pro-football-reference.com, it looks like there should be approximately 5 or so occurrences of 3rd & 3 or less in a full game--- which means it would take something like 20 games to get to 110, which is basically impossible. It's entirely likely the stat became inflated due to emotion and time, but I think it may also have been one of those watered down situational stats: 3rd & 3 or less, in the 2nd half at home or somesuch. Thinking about that season, and particularly Greggo and Gilbride, gets my blood boiling and I have to admit, I'm a little disappointed that one of my favorite hate-stats for that year is misremembered. But thanks, Buftex--- I'm glad someone at the very least shares a recollection of it.

It's not quite like a preseason game--- I don't think there are typically kickoffs/punts or returns(?), for instance. The two teams recreate game conditions and situations, but if I'm not mistaken they also run goal line and redzone drills. Whether or not they run joint drills may have come from specific agreements with other teams, I guess. I think the Bills have scrimmaged against the Browns, Jets and Steelers at different times in the past 25 or so years.

There's no link, aside from poring through play by play transcriptions. It was an onscreen graphic during that Houston game following Henry's run, and the type of unbelievable stat that is not possible to forget. I'm not misremembering it--- it was discussed on WGR the following week. Whether or not he deserved to be released is one thing--- like I said, it was a stupid thing to do. But suggesting it was an expression of him quitting on the team is illogical. The coaches quit on the team much earlier and the season was long over by that point. If he had done something that stupid abd received a team mandated suspension while there was more at stake than limping though the final game of a miserable year, then it could be construed as selfish; but I bet there were a lot of players on that team that felt the same way. That is my least favorite season in all my time as a Bills fan, and it wasn't because of Ruben Brown.

What behavior and how did he quit on the team? He literally reached across the meeting room table and attempted to grab Gilbride out of frustration--- now, if that's the "unprofessional behavior" to which you're referring, I get it. But it wasn't because he quit on the team. On the contrary, he acted out due to a promising season being pissed away by inept coaching. Does anyone remember the stat where Gilbride called a passing play on 110 consecutive instances of 3rd down and 3 or less? By contrast, the Patriots ran the ball 60% of the time in those situations. The running play that actually broke the streak was against Houston, and Travis Henry busted throught the line for a 64 yard run. The crowd erupted in (to my mind) mock standing ovation. I don't blame Ruben for going after Gilbride, even if it was a stupid thing to do. Gregg Williams had no control over Gilbride and the offense tanked because of it. The man was literally in tears--- openly sobbing--- on WGR with Brad Riter when he said goodbye to Bills' fans. That wasn't a guy that quit on his team, it was a guy that had a meltdown out of his desire to win.

Watching that was like getting a swift kick in the nuts... but in the best possible way. It was fun, and it's nice to see the NFL put something together where it isn't taking itself too seriously.

That's utterly remarkable. It's so incredibly sad to think about what was going on behind the scenes for our Bills just a few short years ago--- but it makes the current upsurge in optimism and hope so much more satisfying.

Honestly, didn't Gailey infer multiple times prior to the trade that Evans wasn'y exactly buying in?

It may be somewhat unfair, but by no means is it a big leap. Which other WR would be the position leader in 2010? While it's definitely making an assumption at thinking it's Evans, it's also 100% logical. The fact that Evans was then traded that offseason certainly doesn't hurt the case. I agree Nelson doesn't seem like the kind of guy to throw a teammate under the bus, and by not specifically naming one he didn't. He spoke his mind as a young leader on this team without allowing it to devolve into mudslinging.

I wouldn't be surprised if Fred turns up on the ticket for the Toronto game. He's an established Buffalo Bill of several years and was an MVP candidate amongst the leaders in Pro Bowl voting before his injury--- by that I mean it makes sense to include such a marquee Bill for the Toronto series promotion.

It's wholly refreshing that the assumption in the media is now "GM Buddy Nix is too smart to give away cornerbacks who can still cover" rather than second guessing the Bills' front office incompetence--- whether or not this was truly the correct decision remains to be seen, but regardless, it's still refreshing.

Hopefully he doesn't choose #68--- seeing M. Williams, #68 out there will bring back too many bad memories.

I'm a big fan of NFL Films' Greg Cosell (Howard's nephew)--- he does a ton of film work and gives in-depth evaluations which I followed religiously over the past month leading up to the draft. The Toronto Sun spoke with Cosell about Vince Young and he has some interesting observations on how Young doesn't exactly fit in with Chan's offense. Is it possible that as the #2 QB he'll be viewed as a specialty player with packages devoted to him under center? Sort of a not-quite-WildCat? So just how good, or bad, is Young? We asked Greg Cosell, who with NFL Films has been evaluating college and NFL talent for more than 20 years, and whose incisive assessments are widely respected. "I think that Vince Young is a quarterback that is limited in the kind of offence he can run," Cosell said Tuesday. "He needs to run an offence whose foundation is the run, so you give him the play-action pass game, because that limits your reads, and defines your reads. "If you put him in the shotgun, he's not very good at seeing things before the snap, which is a very, very critical part of playing quarterback in today's NFL -- particularly if you're in the shotgun in a spread, because it's always up to the quarterback in the spread to figure out who potentially is blitzing." The Bills, of course, often utilize the shotgun spread. And a spread QB who struggles in this "pre-snap phase," as Cosell calls it, is a drive-killer because defences will overload their blitzes to one side if they know the QB won't make accommodations for it. "So what happens is (Young) becomes an improvisational, random player," Cosell said. "And because he's got a lot of physical ability, every once in a while he'll make some spectacular plays." http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/NFL/2012/05/01/19704586.html?twobillsdrive

Ryan Denney also switched from 90 to 92 the year Kelsay arrived.

This quote from the above article made me laugh: "When Buddy Nix was named GM in Buffalo a few years ago there were many that questioned the hire because of his age," wrote former Chicago Bears college scouting chief Greg Gabriel on the National Football Post. "For some reason in the NFL, the people who do the hiring around the league don't look at experience as a strong point. In any other business it's a prerequisite. Buddy has been a life-long football guy and he has done an outstanding job since taking over in Buffalo." Greg Gabriel was one of the vocal writers questioning the Bills for hiring Nix because he was old and inexperienced! In fact, he suggested they hire Doug Whaley, who was an up and coming Front Office talent in the Steelers' organization--- of course, the Bills did hire Whaley about a week later to be Nix's Assistant GM. I wonder if Gabriel remembers criticizing the Nix hire or if he's being ironical?

Thanks so much for this recap--- the players we've targeted in the draft and in FA for the most part have leadership qualities and great character. Chan Gailey fits that same profile and I absolutely beam with pride that he's our guy. You're right, Chan should've refused to do the interview and instead spent his time petitioning the league to start the season early.

Whomever Chan is referring to when he responded with an emphatic yes doesn't need to be anything splashy for me--- a veteran backup QB or LB would be perfect. As much as I'm intrigued by Easley I also wouldn't mind a WR but I have no idea who's out there in FA. I haven't felt this good about a Bills' roster heading into the season since 2003, and that team had nowhere the cohesiveness and coaching competence in place now.

Prior to the injury, he was the starter at USC over Matt Barkley. He transferred to Richmond after his recovery, once Barkley had taken over in his absence. Intriguing.

It's possible his issues with accuracy and deep throws are with his mechanics and can be corrected. That can be said about a lot of QBs that never make it, though. Questionable leadership traits is probably the polar opposite of anything I've ever read about the guy. "Takes command of every room he enters" is common analysis plus he's exceptionally smart. He sounds like the kind of player Nix/Gailey covet, but that's not to say he's anything more than a poor man's Fitz.

FWIW, Scouts, Inc. had Graham rated as the 80th best prospect in this year's draft--- taking him at 69 is not outrageous. NFL Films Greg Cosell says that although he's raw he is the most "vertically explosive WR" in the draft and has "dynamic speed".

Very interesting stuff, thanks--- not that they're similar WRs in general, but the bolded part sounds like our own Stevie Johnson. He creates space and gets open by working the DB, not speed.

I do understand that, but Buddy and Chan both still like Troup quite a bit. I don't think that pick was a case of Modrak infecting the draft analysis in any way.

That's true, but if that's how they view it, then a 3rd or 4th round pick is definitely more valuable than a 3rd string QB. It would be a move in line with New England's MO. Even if they think Mallett has potential and they pick another this year, it's not typical to have two understudies learning as the heir apparent at QB. If the Pats want to put all of their eggs in one developmental basket they may just not like the Mallett basket as much as someone else.

This could be the answer as to why Belichick is willing to trade Mallett: perhaps they see someone in this year's draft class that they prefer developing over Ryan Mallett. Having said that, I'd agree with The Senator that I prefer Nick Foles as a developmental QB, and in fact, Foles may very well be the guy Belichick is targeting this year--- if they are indeed looking at someone this year.

Would this not likely be the success/fail rate for almost any pick in the 1st round? Not to mention, just because Jerrod Mayo was taken by New England at 10 in 2008 doesn't mean a different team with a different need and a different draft board would have picked that same player or that the talent level is the same in each individual year. But thanks for the cold water, now we all know how we should feel and why we should expect certain defeat.

Still up at 2:30 so here are a few more details before my wife slaps the iPad out of my hands: Biron was the only NHL player wearing #00 at the time, which is actually how the bug was discovered. He only appeared in 3 games that year, which was the last year in the Aud, before being sent back to Juniors in Quebec because... well, he wasn't quite an NHL caliber goaltender at 18. He didn't get called back to the Sabres for 3 years and he chose #43 in honor of Matt Darby, which he wears to this day. Ok, the Darby part is not true... as far as I know.