vincec

Come on, let's not get carried away by a Bills puff piece. The Jags rushed 40 times for 216 yds (5.4 ypr) and Garrard (who is no Manning) threw for 3 tds. They scored 36 points. It's easy to cherry pick three or four plays out of a game and say that a given player or the whole defense did well on those plays, but what about the rest of the game? I like Davis. He will be a valuable contributor but let's not pretend that these segments objectively mean anything.

This problem will be solved when players stop using their head as a weapon. The old technique of leading with your face mask or the crown of your helmet when tackling or blocking has to go. Football equipment is there to protect the players not enable them to do things that they wouldn't do otherwise. Consider this from an article I read: "Football can learn some valuable lessons from rugby. In that sport, hits to the head, and even those using the shoulder, are illegal. You essentially must tackle with your arms, and players are drilled on a technique in which the defender moves his head to the side of an opponent's body to avoid head-on collisions. It's not such a stretch to think an NFL player could adjust to these kinds of rules and become a defensive stalwart by bear-hugging players to the ground rather than launching himself like a heat-seeking missile. It wouldn't make for such jarring highlights on SportsCenter each Sunday night, but it could save lives." Now rugby still has its share of concussions, but I'll bet if players don't lead with the head or shoulder AND are wearing helmets concussions would essentially disappear.

Gailey seems like a better game day coach to me than Jauron. He has a better feeling of when to challenge calls, when to go for it, etc. He's a better OC than anyone Jauron hired. He has better offensive game plans and he seems to get more out of the offensive personnel, at least for now. I don't think that he is as popular with the players as Jauron was, which won't be a problem if they start winning soon. However, if they have double digit losses again next season he may have some trouble and I could see him losing the team. Also, he obviously hasn't gotten anywhere near the production from his defense as Jauron did and that is his doing (he picked the DC, he agreed to switch schemes) To me the jury is out. Next season is critical as I really to feel he will lose the confidence of the team if the Bills don't go at least 8-8. A lot of it is in Buddy Nix's hands too since his draft picks last season are probably going to decide things one way or another.

Yeah, NE. I think the major differences between NE and SD are that NE was more balanced (they had a solid D to go with their offense) and NE had more of a ball control offense to help keep pressure off their defense. But, fluke or no, the three highest scoring teams in NFL history (2007 NE, 1998 Minnesota and 1983 Washington) could not win a championship.

I think back to the SD Chargers of the early 1980s: Dan Fouts, Charlie Joiner, John Jefferson, Wes Chandler, Kellen Winslow (plus Chuck Muncie and James Brooks). One heck of a fun team to watch, but 0 championships.

QB RDE MLB (4-3) DT (4-3) CB or QB ROLB (3-4) NT (3-4) CB LT

I don't see any surprises here. Johnson Evans Parrish Nelson

But the question that has emerged over the last several seasons is why. Is it because these guys are overmatched (Bill Parcell's theory on chronic injury problems), because they are unlucky or because the league has become so physical that every team will have to deal with multiple injuries every year?

Maybe when our NT makes it to #1 we'll be able to stop teams from running the ball right down our throats.

Wow. Dominating a team like that is amazing considering how bad the Bills have been over much of that span.

If you've been following this board for any length of time you know that the prevailing opinion is that owners who spend top dollar on high profile free agents (e.g. Dan Snyder) are fools who constantly get screwed and don't realize that this will never produce a championship team.

I suspect that these two items are related...

Wow. The Oilers are rolling. No way they can blow this one...

Didn't the Bills have almost all the same players from the team that had a 61.1 rating? Is it really the players?

I see. All these threads regarding the draft blend together after a while. Thanks.

This has always been my thinking too. It's really an archaic rule.

How can anybody sign any free agents during the lockout?

It's really all about Bell, IMO. If he can step up and become a solid LT the Bills line will be a very strong group within another year.

I'm really just questioning the 3-1 TD/INT ratio as a metric for accuracy, decision making and success. Why don't you look up some QBs and find me some with a 3-1 ratio? Joe Montana achieved it ONCE in his entire career and he was pretty accurate, a good decision maker and a winner I think

Most of this goes without saying. I do question the 3-1 TD to INT ratio however. I appreciate what the writer is saying but that's not the kind of QB that Fitz is. He is more of a gunslinger and he will NEVER reach 3-1. That doesn't mean that he can't win. Neither Aaron Rogers (the Super Bowl champ) nor Peyton Manning (the best QB in the NFL, IMO) achieved a 3-1 ratio last season.

Where does face to face communication fit it?

Can Brohm use this as an excuse too?

I'm trying to understand why the Bills would be looking for someone who stinks as a third QB. Losman? Gradkowski? Maybe the Bills should be looking for someone who is actually good. Either a young player with potential or a veteran that can compete and be a solid starter. Looking for someone who won't mind spending his career as a backup to Fitzpatrick is not setting a very high standard.

The rumors that I heard were that Nix didn't want Shottenheimer, not Wilson. I know that they worked together before. Supposedly, that was part of the problem...

Maybe they aren't open.