vincec

Actually, I thought the article was spot on and captures how most fan bases must feel when playing the Bills. "When the Bucs were 0-8, you probably started doing the math in your head, wondering how many games, if any, this team could win down the stretch. Maybe you came up with three or four: I bet you circled the Bills as a win. In some cases, that might have been the only game you circled. The problem: In western New York, I bet there were a lot of people who circled the Bucs. The only difference is they were probably wearing mittens when they made their circle. ... Lose to the Bills … You don’t lose to the Bills. You just got crushed at Carolina. You got crushed, and you can’t get crushed again. And losing to the Bills would be twice as bad as losing to the Panthers." I'm not sure about the "wearing gloves" in mid October part but the rest is certainly true. No fan base in the NFL expects to lose to Buffalo, including one from another losing franchise. No one expects to go 0-16 and if you have the Bills on your schedule and can't at least beat them then you can you beat. It just shows how low the view of team has fallen around the NFL.

Same with me. Probably watch the NFL the way I watch the NBA now.

My thoughts as well. If you think a franchise QB is on the board when you are drafting, and you don't clearly have one already, you take him. Always.

I think you're being overly generous in your list. I agree with the teams you listed in the first group except for Tennessee. They also have a rookie they're high on and have been getting much better veteran play in his absence than the Bills are getting right now. In the second group however I'd say that the Bills are equivalent to Tampa Bay and Arizona but behind everyone else. Overall, they are still in the bottom 1/3 of the league regarding QB play so that's not great. Hopefully it will get better.

Chandler, like David Nelson, Donald Jones and Stevie Johnson are basically products of Chan Gailey's system, IMO. Now that Chan is gone those guys won't be far behind. Obviously Nelson and Jones are already out. I suspect that Chandler and Johnson will both be replaced within a couple of years, max.

I have to say that to this point I am not that impressed with Marrone. The reasons have been stated in this thread: undisciplined team with lots of penalties, poor game management (challenges, clock management) and an underachieving team. Gailey was a strong OC but he lacked what it took to be a good head coach. He didn't give a rats ass about defense and it showed on the field, plus the team quit on him multiple times last season which doesn't speak well for him. Gailey as OC, Pettine as DC would be strong but I still don't know who the HC would be. The Bills haven't had a good HC since Marv, IMO.

I agree with this assessment. The only thing I question is grouping Nix and Whaley together. Up until now it's been Nix, including the current draft class. We'll see what Whaley can do this coming off season.

Would honestly not surprise me if it were true. I'll bet that insider information on what other teams are practicing is a lot more common than is generally known.

Except that I don't think anyone would want to be in a stadium where the relative humidity was 0%, if that's even possible.

This would have been a lot more fun if he lowered his shoulder into the player or stuck his foot out or something.

No but it was a clear penalty. Coach can't be standing in the field of play during the game, especially when the play is heading right at him.

I predict he'll be fine for the game. Unless he totally threw it out it will improve substantially in two days, not to mention that they can treat it. I's not something that is likely to get worse with game action. This is coming from my anecdotal experience as someone with chronic back problems.

I would strongly doubt the legality of such a claim. Just because he has a non-binding "handshake" agreement in place that doesn't mean that he's legally agreed to sell the team. I think that wishful thinking plays a part in this sounding logical.

Honestly, I would rather see the Bills move to LA than to Toronto. It'd be like your next door neighbor stealing your wife and having her move in with him. Of course, she's already having an affair with him and she told you to deal with it because it's the only way she'll stay with you at all. Nice wife.

To be honest, if Manuel was putting up the kind of stats and performances that Smith is right now I think that this board would be a lot more vitriolic. Fortunately, that's not the case.

I think you make valid points, but if the head coach isn't going to be in charge of calling plays or managing game strategy, then what is he doing? Managing the game is one of the few direct responsibilities of the head coach on game day.

Vince Wilfork. He is (was?) a monster.

Has he punted any better than Powell? Honest question. Is his net average any better? Higher percentage of punts inside the 20?

Can't disagree. QB sneak should always be an option in short yardage. Especially when you have a big QB and a good center.

It's only fair because Buddy Nix got the benefit of the same effect when he became GM. Good players were a sign of Buddy's influence in the front office, bad players were the work of Jauron. For a long time I called Buddy the teflon GM.

It's sad how the Bills never seem to have a good offense and a good defense at the same time. Ever since the Super Bowl years, it's just a see-saw.

If you don't think you're going to be a starter again would you give back a large portion of the only contract for starter money you will every have? Can't blame him at all honestly. The Bills should've kept him anyway until his contract was up, IMO. They paid him regardless so why not keep him?

The odds makers are dispassionate and usually fairly accurate so maybe it's a pick 'em game, but I see a Jets team that has the slight edge in every single position except running back and has the more proven coaching staff as well. Honestly I felt more confident in beating the Chiefs than in winning this game.

Lol. Well that would be some crack work there. Kind of like developing an analysis that demonstrated conclusively that water is wet.

As you say yourself, you can't compare Manuel with Luck or Kaepernick because they have accomplished much more and their bad games at this point can be written off as anomalies. Not so with Manuel. You also say that young QBs have their ups and downs which I agree with, but I want to see a few more "ups" from Manuel to make me confident in his future. He really hasn't played a game yet that makes you say "wow, this guy can really be good". Maybe the last drive vs Carolina was the closest, but it was really just the one drive in that game.