All_Pro_Bills

The key point of the low probability of missing the playoffs 13 straight seasons is that you've got to really work at it to achieve that level of futility. You're doing things that are so fundamentally in opposition to the factors supporting random chance that they're overriding the laws of statistics. No need to reharsh those 'factors' since we all know pretty much what they are anyway. The only people that don't seem to be aware of them are the decision makers at OBD..

To want to win you've got to have a passion for the game, whether its football or some other venture. A guy like Kahn seems to bring that to the ownership position. Not that passion by itself leads to success you've also got to combine it with business smarts too. I think Ralph has business savy and with regards to the Bills as a business venture it would be easy to call him successful. However, the passion and love of the game just doesn't seem to be there at this point given the circumstances. It would certainly be better for the fan base for ownership to 'reveal' the succession plan, if there is one other than ownership accepting post mortem bids with the estate making the decision on which to accept in accordance with league and legal issues regarding the sale of a franchise. I wish I could feel more optimistic but reality is we're not going to get that so we're stuck in the no-man's land of mediocrity until a change at the top. And then there's the ever present relocation possibility to deal with when it happens.

While Wilson should be lauded for keeping the team in Buffalo when he could have moved it elsewhere that is not something I consider so extraordinary. With the exception of maybe a half-dozen franchises the rest of the teams in the league would benefit financially from a move to let's say the often cited Los Angeles market. So is doing something that about 26 other owners are doing so special? What Bucky fails to say is that winning is not a current priority of ownership and perhaps has never been one. To want to win you've got to be committted to it and have a passion for the game (see Sabres new ownership as an example). I get the sense that Mr. Wilson has a passion for the business of football but not necessarily the game on the field. After all, his in my view, deserved hall of fame induction was based on his contribution to the business end of the game, making the AFL and the merger with the NFL, rather than the success of his team on the field. Unfortunately, Bills fans are stuck with the current situation, which I fear means perpetual mediocrity, until there is a change in ownership which of course will also raise the relocation issue.

If you look at the pro sports the leagues for the most part operate under the priciple of creating 'parity' by utilizing things like the salary cap in order to remove many of the competitive advantages some franchises might have simply through the good fortune of being in a 'better' location than others in the league. Baseball might be a big exception with the Yankees and a couple others spending whatever it takes with a soft cap but not so with football. That is what is so frustrating about the Bills. They defy the rules of statistical probability and chance. To miss the playoffs 13 straight seasons you don't need to be bad and incompetent, you've got to really work at it! It seems almost too simple but just doing the exact opposite of what they've been doing for the past 13 years should be enough to turn things around. Start by drafting some QB's prospects, spend some big money on a good coaching staff, pick a 'system' and stick with it by hiring front office and coaching candidates that 'fit' the system. Look at the successful teams and emulate what they do.

The Bills will not have made the playoffs for 13 straight seasons. The longest streak in the league. IMO that is the most telling stat of how futile things have been for the fan base. I see what you're saying but I don't think Bills fans in their 20's and 30's care much about looking back 40 seasons. It will be 20 years since their last Super Bowl appearance next season. Take away those great 5 or 6 seasons in the 90's and what do we have? Very few consecutive winning seasons to be positive about. Reality is that for fans under 20 those Super Bowl years are about as important to them as the 60's AFL championship teams are for me.

The optimal situation would be to draft a QB and bring in a competent veteran like the Giants did with Manning and Werner and the Titans are attempting to do with Hasselback and Locker just to cite a couple examples. But this looks like a pretty weak QB class unless somebody distingishes themselves at the combine or workouts prior to the draft. I think Nix/Whaley have done a decent job to improve the roster through better drafting and a few free agent signings while working to retain good players rather than let them walk as was the standard procedure prior. I wouldn't be upset if they stay on next season. After some initial optimism the coaching staff has been a real flop. A change is needed but only if it means real improvement. If you're going to fire one second tier coach and staff only to hire another second tier coach and staff it makes no sesne to change anything. Because its not really change. The problem here is that uncertainty with future ownership is going to keep the top candidates away from considering the job. Why would any high caliber candidate leave a secure and steady gig somewhere else to take a job that might see you out on the street in a year if a new owner decides to go in a different direction? Ralph selling the team while he's still alive would solve both the ownership/relocation issue and the problem with attracting top coaching candidates but that isn't going to happen from what is understood at this point.

The situation is so depressing its beyond description. Ownership will likely make a coaching 'change' after the season. Bringing in another 2nd rate head coach with a lousy supporting staff making the promise turning things around. No high caliber coaching candidate is going to take the job at the teams pay scale and with a change in ownership pending at some point. The reset button on the rebuilding project gets hit once more. Then 3 years from now we'll be doing it again. For me after 12, and now 13, years of futility and bungling it's difficult to find reasons to support and follow this dysfunctional franchise.

Don't disagree with you one bit but there has to be a balance between allowing parents to raise their children and protecting them from abuse.

That question raises an interesting issue because it would seem that the bar for what constitutes socially acceptable behavior has been getting lower and lower as we move forward in time. But should we blame the parents? After all, the 'State' has more or less taken away a parents right to disipline their children and what our parents (kids growing up in the 60's and 70's) used to administer for disipline is now considered child abuse. So now these kids grow up thinking they can do and get away with prety much anything they want (because they have 'rights') and the fact is they can and do get away with it. It's one thing for two knuckleheads that want to get into a confrontation to fight it out but when you've got a bunch of drunken idiots running loose bothering fans that want nothing to do with them you've got a problem and a line in the sand needs to be drawn by the law enforcement and security communities at the stadium. The sad fact is that the team obviously feels they have no responsibility for what goes on outside the stadium and for the most part what goes on inside from what I've seen in my last few games there. Some kind of zero tolerance policy is needed with significant jail time and fines for the morons. Locking them away in jail for a month and fining them big bucks might knock some sense into these goofballs.

I had a vigorous argument with my wife on the half ending drive when Spiller was not in the game. She told me that the coaches cannot be that stupid to have their best offensive player out of the game in that situation and he must be hurt or something. I said he looked fine standing on the sidelines. Well we now know which it is. Some of Gailey's calls are too hard to take. The empty backfields on 3rd and 1. Running the wildcat with Choice vs. Smith. On the other hand I thought Powell's punting was great last night and confirmed the teams decision to release Moorman was a wise move. The defense finally showed some signs of what we expected but lets see 2 or 3 such efforts in succession before it can be called a trend. The offenses inability to close out the game at the end is unacceptable. That it took 2 interceptions in the closing minutes to seal the victory is not a good sign. But a wins a win.

The key stat is that any QB for the Bills must put up around 40 points to have a chance of winning. In the NFL that is nearly impossible on a consistent basis. That fact puts you in a completely different mindset vs. knowing you have a defense that has your back. Not saying the QB position can't be upgraded only that the team game is full of interdepedencies and relationships that impact each other and nothing operates in a vacuum. Answer this: if we had a top 10 defense would we even be discussing QB play?

All I'm saying is the defense is the number one problem with this team. I'm also convinced that Fitz is not the 'long term' solution here but to single his play out as the major contributor to the Bills poor showing so far this season is unfair and incorrect. I don't care who the QB is as long as you're giving up an average of 37+ points per game in 6 losses you are not focusing on the biggest problem. Even last weekend against the Pats when he threw the pick I said to myself, 'well there's still time on the clock and they have all 3 timeouts so even if the Bills scored here and took a 38-37 lead they'd probably let Brady move the ball down the field and into scoring position for a FG kick to win the game as time expired'. This group and this coordinator cannot dial up a stop when it matters.

Based on QB rating stats on ESPN.com Fitz is ranked 15th with a rating of 87.5. Whether anybody wants to admit it or not, this team is not losing because of the play from the QB position. Fitz will never be a top 5 QB but I see a lot of his mistakes as being situational, the result of being put in circumstances that require taking some outsized risks. And he doesn't have the talent or ability to pull it off most times. So sure, a QB upgrade would be nice but the discussion takes the focus off the number one problem, the defense is awful. Maybe the worst in team histrory. 31st in yards allowed per game, 32nd in rushing yards allowed per game, 21st in passing yards allowed per game. 31st in points allowed Responsibility for this resides with the coaching staff, specifically the defensive coordinator and the head coach. Unfortunately there is no accountability here since the right thing to do here would be to have fired Wandstadt at the bye and promote on of the position coaches to the coordinator role. I can't imagine anyone doing any worse than Dave has to this point in the season.

The defense has given up 30+ in 5 of 9 games. Its been so bad that I felt that giving up 37 to the Patriots was a 'pretty good' performance. Need an upgrade on the field and in DC role.

I don't question the play call although it would have been preferable to leave absolutely no time on the clock for the Pats offense if the Bills took the lead. Fitz had perfect protection on the play so there was no need to force a throw into that spot. And the receiver admited he should have run a route underneath the defender vs. behind him. If it was up to me I would have run something to get the ball into the hands of my playmakers either Johnson or Spiller but all that right now is just Monday morning QB and 2nd guessing on my part. The biggest disappointment was a comeback win here could have been a defining moment and turning point for this group. Much like when the Kelly led Bills beat Miami with Jimbos QB sneak into the end zone as the game ended many years ago at the beginning of the 90's Bills run of dominance. At the end of the day it was only another in the string of heartbreaking losses for the 21st century version of the Bills and the Bills fan nation.

That PI call against Gilmore on a ball that sailed out of bounds way beyond the endline was a terrible call. Worst case he was hand-fighting with the receiver but the ball was clearly uncatchable. Several other bad calls with many of the offensive holding calls being ticky tack marginal at best, That said, the Bills could have and should have won the game but as has been typical they could not finish. That's the real problem, not the ref's (although they sucked).

Or drug the gatorade supply in their locker room before the game with qualudes and replace the oxygen tanks on the sideline with nitrous oxide! That would give the Bills a good chance of winning the game.

This is the problem. 'Changes' are made with the expection that improvement is being addressed but in reality its just another version of the same product. The current Bills are never, ever going to put out 'market' rate pay for a top coach and general manager. I don't have the figures but I suspect the Bills front office and coaching payroll ranks near the bottom of the league. Chuck Knox might be the last 'big name' coach Ralph hired. Spending doesn't always get you success but it does get you a better chance at it. As stated many times in many threads, don't expect any drastic improvement off or on the field until there is a transition of ownership. And then we'll have to face the posibility of relocation. The loss to the Titans was a big blow to their playoff chances. They'd be 4-5, assuming a loss next week, but in a position with several more home games and a weaker schedule to make a run. But at this point in time they look like the 4th best team in the division. Best case, IMO, they go 2-4 in division games and that doesn't get a sniff of the playoffs.

It's hard to believe those Steeler throwback uniforms were considered stylish during an era.

I think most fans in general are completely frustrated by what has been perpetual mediocrity for the past 13 seasons and different people have different ways of dealing with the situation. That's why you see statements like you quote above. Some will tune out, some will voice disapproval, some anger and frustration, some will continue to believe. I have my own way of dealing with it and at one time or another have acted out in the 4 ways I noted (there are more for sure). The fact is we all want to see a competitive and winning Bills team. What makes this most difficult is being emotionally invested in the result but having no ability to influence the outcome. Unfortunately, the only people that can act to rectify the problems with the product do not appear to be listening. Watching and analyzing the games leads you to the conclusion that something is fundamentally wrong with how this teams ownership/management/coaches approach the game, generates some credibile solutions and suggestions for improvement, but yet nothing is changed either year to year or week to week.

I recall the Bengals under Sam Wyche ran some no huddle prior to the Bills fine-tuning the approach.

If given the opportunity he might turn out to be a great NFL head coach but when you're talking about the Bills bringing in such a candidate for the HC position the arugument is nothing more than hypothetical because it's never going to happen under the current ownership structure. The Bills modus operandi (hope I spelled it right) is to sign up 'B' level head coaches and coordinators for less than average salaries to work in less than optimal working conditions.. There are a many reasons for this, and they've been pretty well discussed elsewhere. Realistic expectations need to be set or else disappointment is sure to follow. Don't expect the Bills to ever show up at the dance with the prettiest girl in school. It ain't going to happen.

Too bad the league isn't as committed to playing as Pegula has said he is to winning. Bettman and a hardcore group of owners were intent on closing down the league and using the lockout as their primary bargaining tool. The lockout coming within days of teams signing big dollar long term contracts with free agents and then moaning about salaries. IMO, they've shown utter contempt for the fanbase of the sport. I for one will not be back when play resumes having decided to take back 80 or so nights to do something else with my time and money. It would be a pleasant surprise to me if more fans took my approach and decided to hold a strike of their own when the league finally decides to resume play.

To take your analogy one step further - everybody needs to be on the same page. Teams that are successful in sports and business, generally have some form of management system in place that serves as the foundation for how the organization operates and behaves. All employees are expected to embrace the system and work within its rules and parameters to assist the organization in meeting its goals. There are many examples, the Patriots, Steelers in football, the Red Wings in hockey, Walmart, UPS, and Apple in business. Just to name a few. They all started with a single vision of the leader whether an owner or a top manager inside the organization. The Bills do not have this leader or visionary in charge since its leader is a 94 year old owner of failing health that needs to be concerned about his own well-being at present vs. the needs of the organization. You can't blame him for that. In many situations such as this it would be prudent to step aside and turn over control to somebody more capable of focusing on the challenges ahead but that is not happening here for reasons undisclosed. So it would appear the Bills are not playing from the same sheet of music. If you asked everyone from the owner on down to the cashier at the consession stand what the Bills 'system' was you'd probably get a 100 different answers, or maybe a rather insightful and honest answer that they do not have one. If you did this in Pittsburgh I suspect you'd get a handful which would more or less be descriptive of the same thing.

You look at the Pats and Jets in our division and see what happens when ownership changes. The Patriots recent success coincides with Bob Kraft taking over. And while Jets fans would probably say Leon Hess was a great guy the team has recently changed course with Woody Johnson. Although the jury is out with this rendition of the team and whether you like them or not they did go to 2 consecutive AFC title games. Other exampes, the Falcons with Blank, change of the guard with the Colts and Cardinals. The steady hand and system of the Rooney's in Pittsburgh.