HankBulloughMellencamp

I agree, PTR. It's so easy to criticize a punter for a poor performance in gale force winds. I know, I know, he's a pro-FESSIONAL. Most people who do this, I would venture, have never had to punt the ball for a team, much less for a living. I'd bet many could not even punt a football across their street in those windy conditions. In high winds, it is extremely difficult to hit the ball solidly when the wind is moving the ball during your drop. And much like a badly sliced golf ball into the wind ... a mis-hit football gets embarrasingly magnified by the winds. I punted in college, and I excuse Moorman for both the Pittsburgh game and the Jets games with no hesitation. He's not the only one who struggled ... McBriar had a bad shank at the beginning of the Pitt game ... but was called upon far fewer times than Moorman.

Dead-nuts accurate, I think ... Marrone knows full well that Howard is just the old jovial guy & Jeremy is the wanna-be. I do not dislike what White brings to the show, but he does act like he knows a lot more about football than he truly does (by virtue of his snarkiness and his "all-22" film breakdowns, etc).

Well said … EJ definitely HAS the arm, and from the waist-up, his motion is beautiful. It seems like the shotgun work and/or knee injuries have enabled some laziness to creep into EJ's footwork. Especially in that Steelers game, he was hanging back in the pocket … waiting for someone to open up … staring guys down … and (most importantly) NOT STRIDING forward into his throws. It’s as though his shoelaces are tied on every throw. All arm motion, no base. The ball tends to sail away when you do this, and it does not always get to that specific destination one may have had in mind. He looks tentative on the knee, quite similar to what we saw from RGIII in week one. Perhaps he is still a guy who may fear an impact to a tender knee as he transfers his weight forward. Two knee injuries in half a year? … that would be understandable. Perhaps forcing him to drop back from under center, away from the LOS, then have to set his feet and drive the ball forward would help him. Picture Jimbo stepping into a throw … you just knew Reed was going to be hit IN STRIDE over the middle whenever Jim did that.

He had me at hello ... I frickin' love the guy. His first order of business was recruiting Pettine, whose defenses have owned us and others for years. Not long after, he/they jettisoned ILB Kelvin Sheppard. At that moment, I was like Megatron Nowitzki and pushed all of my chips in to the center of the table. Remember when the conversation surrounding both Gailey and Jauron was ... when is someone going to light a fire under these guys? "But you can't be a motivator at this level ... this is not college" ... blah blah baloney. Good coaches get the best out of their players. I think Marrone has shown several examples of this quality, starting with none other than Mario. He pushes ALL of these guys, and has high expectations. He commands respect. Top three Marrone quotes, thus far: 3. "I can't wait to get in there and smell the breath of my players" ... (when he took the job) 2. "I'm not going to sit up here and say everything is fine and dandy" ... (when EJ hurt his knee and Kolb was knocked out) 1. "I'm pissed, I am going home, not going to talk to anyone, not even going to pet the dog." People who demand the baby after 13 years of ineptitude, and want better gametime decisions on challenges ... get off your high horse. We can win with this guy, and we will win with this guy. You can see why players love playing for a leader like this. It's just a matter of time now.

Thank you ... what we have in #24 is a gifted young shutdown corner-in-the-making who is very savvy when the ball is in the air, and who competes on every single ball. Pettine will make him a star before long. But where we have evolved on these TBD pages is the land of unrealistic expectations ... coupled with, in some cases, a lack of understanding on how pass defense is played. It seems as though people want to keep Gilmore's performance simple in their mind ... they put Gilmore on Bowe, so therefore, any catch by Bowe is a failure by Gilmore Incorrect assumption. Without seeing the all-22 or knowing the coverage they were in, it's hard to tell who screwed up on any given play. Anytime we are in a zone-type coverage, Gilmore may have only truly had Bowe to his deep third, and may have protected it well enough that Bowe cut the route off and took what was available underneath. I am not saying all of Bowe's catches were on underneath zone stuff. What I am saying is this: no one but Pettine and the players know for sure what the defensive design was. And it does not have to mean we played zone across the board ... as crazy as Pettine has been with bringing overload pressure, it could be man to one side, zone to the other, or something crazy like that. Bowe made a few catches, but did not do much damage. To deduce that Gilmore is overrated on his 3rd game back from a significant injury is asinine

Late to the thread, but thank you for posting this. I have a good buddy who battled/battles depression and anxiety - he did many irrational things growing up that were not quite normal, and no one could understand. Just got up and walked out of school, walked home (a long way) and went to bed, missed football practice, did not tell anyone including his g/f anything ... that kind of thing. Over time as we grew up, we got more into trying to help him rather than just telling stories of his irrationality (as young kids are wont to do). Your description of what it all feels like is almost exactly how I remember him describing it to us. Smart, funny, great looking guy ... (women literally fawn over him) ... none of it ever made any sense to us ... people who are lucky enough to be without a chemical imbalance. I certainly hope Jonathan Martin can get the help he needs.

This is such a great post/observation that I felt compelled to acknowedge it. If you have not yet seen "The Brady 6" documentary from ESPN (via Netflix?) that chronicles Brady and the 6 QBs taken before him, you should really do that. Especially if you think he is overrated. One of the best documentaries I have ever seen. It's hard for some Bills fans to admit ... but how can you not have the utmost respect for Tom? And I agree that his arm has improved tremendously over time. A rough start this year notwithstanding, it is the best combination of mustard and accuracy as you could ever need, yet it wasn't always that way when he came out of Michigan. A pro, and leader, in every sense.

This ^^^^ and The Big Cat's addendum x 1 million.

Without knowing specifics, Matt Flynn is the definiton of cheap. King's ransom contract paid by former club ... veteran minimum from us, I presume. Even a penny pinching squad owned by cheapskate Ralph should be prepared to pony up the veteran minimum if they want to sign a veteran, no?

Thank you sir, and that silly little movie is easily one of the funniest of the last decade, and probably in my top dozen comedies overall.

Once Flynn learns the playbook and terminology, Tuel time will be over in Buffalo. The not-ready-for-prime-time performance in Cleveland began the proceedings, and once the staff chose the practice squad QB to leapfrog him, the die have now been cast. And based on Lewis's performance vs. Cincy, he is etched as our #2 from here on out (at worst). I am sure Lewis had also dropped some nice deep balls down the chimney in practice vs. our #1 defense to help them make the decision to go with him over Tuel. If Lewis went down vs. Cincy, and Tuel time came in only to again flash that JV arm on the way to another ineffective performance, this staff would have been grilled to the Nth degree from all angles. I give them credit for acting on what they saw, just as they did with Colin Brown and Shawn Powell ... and they now brought a guy in here (Flynn) who can at least play the position at this level. My feeling is that Flynn would not all but eliminate our chance to win a game by stepping onto the field ... and I can not say that about Tuel. Not a high bar, but I guarantee that Flynn stays here longer than Tuel. I also think the Bills will keep Dixon on as the practice squad QB over Tuel. Tuel's arm might be weaker than Matt Leinart's, and that is saying a lot ... so what is really there to develop in him? DBs can not truly be kept honest if your only hope is to float one out there to a spot with anticipation and WR precision. For this reason, Tuel will not give our starting defense as good a look running the scout team as Dixon will. You do not have to be Uncle Rico, but you do have to actually be able to throw the ball with some sort of mustard on it in the NFL. The only reason he made the roster in the first place is because Kolb got knocked silly, and he was the only one left who knew the playbook. The week before opening day is about the very worst time to shop for QBs who can help you. We did about as well as you could in finding Thad Lewis under a Detroit rock.

Be careful how you spell Marrone, or some of the 'half-empties' on here might accuse you of making their point for them based on your spelling error ... in much the way that this Dan Carpenter-esque Cards fan did.

With all of the change at OBD since last year, any analysis after six games is not unlike politics - you choose to see that which you want to see. One can easily nitpick any specific coaching decision, clock-management-wise or personnel-wise, to suppport your glass is half full or half empty argument. In judging Marrone, wins are what will ultimately matter, but I am much more of the half-full mindset at this point. His young team showed guts coming back in the 4th quarter on a playoff team, and took them to OT. Other than a bad day in the Meadowlands, we have played very tough and we have certainly had more than our share of injuries to overcome. The biggest change, from what I see, is that (as a team) we are no longer satisfied with any moral victories when digesting the sting of a defeat. That is a pretty big change from what we have watched here since Wade. No coach is perfect, but Marrone has espoused not confusing effort with results. I like that Marrone is not too proud to act on what he sees on gamedays --- for example: Colin Brown continues to struggle? Get Legursky going in there once healthy. Dan Carpenter looks clutch? IR the greenhorn, and keep our mullet-man in there & show confidence in him. Justin Rogers looks awful in coverage? Bench/deactivate him the first chance you get. Tuel shows off a JV arm and looks like deer in the headlights as a #2? OK, we've seen enough of that, let's see what the practice guy can do. There was lots of bashing/demanding answers for Marrone's perceived lack of foresight at the QB spot before the game, not so much now. And we are also kicking the tires on Flynn (which must have been set up before yesterday's game based on his flight time into Buf) - so if he's a better option than Tuel, and how could he not be, I want him to be a Bill. Dennis Dixon will also certainly give our 1st team defense a better look than Tuel, so I'd predict it'll soon be adios for #7 if they sign Flynn.

I have the Second String DVD but have not been bored enough to unwrap it yet ... is it worth watching? I mean ... Jon Voight as the Bills HC has to be either super awesome or "cheesy/bad, but in a good way"

Powell is being scapegoated for sure ... but they are valued at about a dime a dozen, and quite easily replaced. He made a hell of a play to save a sure TD, which in the end saved us 4 points. The second one that did go for a TD was a bit of a liner, but nicely placed only a few yards from the sideline. There is no excuse for letting the return man cross the width of the field when he was hemmed in like that. The coverage team did not maintain their spacing/lanes, started getting walled off, and it was off to the races. Powell should bear as much blame for the loss as maybe Fred Jackson, Garrison Sanborn or Randy Ribbeck. Which is to say, none at all.

I hear you, I am just not sure the Big Legursky was ever totally healthy for us just yet. They signed him, so they must like what he brings/think we could use him.

An NFL punting job does not come open very often. There are 10+ capable guys waiting in the wings at any given moment. But being able to punt at an NFL level, and actually doing it consistently on Sundays are sometimes two different things. They will obviously sign someone quickly, since he has to get working with Sanborn/Carpenter on the placekick holds. If not the Stahovich guy they had in camp, they might want to try Kluwe or McBriar (veterans) or the big young lefty Brad Wing out of LSU.

Great post(s). Two things to add: 5) I have little doubt that Legursky will be given a chance at LG, possibly even for the Cincy game. 9) Powell sure has been a whipping boy on here, and perhaps it's because Moorman was such a good dude. He has mishit a few balls in semi-clutch situations. But to say he has been a disaster is stretching the truth. I remember the last few years of Moorman's tenure, when he frequently mishit "clutch" balls (and immediately spun and gestured w/ head down in disgust). Which is why he is no longer here/in the league. Powell's leg is 2x as strong. But I agree with your point that Easley has made some incredible tackles that have kept Powell's net average up there. On the 1st long punt return, he made a hell of a play to save a sure TD, which in the end saved us 4 points. The second one that did go for a TD was a bit of a liner, but nicely placed only a few yards from the sideline. There is no excuse for letting the return man cross the width of the field when he was hemmed in like that. The coverage team did not maintain their spacing/lanes, started getting walled off, and it was off to the races. Powell should bear as much blame for the loss as maybe Fred Jackson, Garrison Sanborn or Randy Ribbeck. Which is to say, none at all. EDIT: I see they just cut Powell, so I guess you dudes were right on the money!

Great points; a reporter asked Marrone if he was wowed by Mario's performance sunday, and he said "Well, we have very high expectations for our players here ... and it usually takes an awful lot to wow me" ... great stuff that indicates he does not put players on pedestals. They are all fortunate to make such a living, and they all need to put the work in to get better whether they are 57th on the roster or 1st. Mario is an interesting case study, and right now, Marrone is coming up aces. The yahoo clip of Marrone wired up vs Carolina shows just how hands-on he is with Mario (and everyone else he is in contact with) during the game ... much different than what we have seen here in the recent past. If you have not seen it yet, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

Way to get it back on the rails ... I am proud of this staff. They really seem like they will go balls out each week to try to get the W. As opposed to mid-last year, when I felt like Chan was just in too deep over his head, and he wouldn't think to talk defense with Dave because, after all, Dave hired him on as his OC in Miami, so that's the breaks ...

I have had sort of a man-crush on Coach Marrone since shortly after he was hired, and I heard him excitedly say "I can't wait to get out there and smell the breath of my players." This video only cements my enthusiasm for what he has brought to the Bills that has been lacking for a long time. Good coaching and leadership. I loved to hear that he was Polian's #1 'coach-in-waiting' before Irsay put the ixnay on Bill's time in Indy, and I heard all of the Marrone comparisons to his NFL mentors such as Peyton/Parcells etc ... they all seem pretty much right on the money after watching this clip. Even with guys like Super Mario, who some in the WNY media would have us all believe is a headcase/team-killer/primma donna ... Marrone is right in his earhole, coaching him up every step of the way. It's hard to argue with the rather obviously high levels of buy-in and positive results we have seen so far. I would have loved to play for a guy like him. I am too old to be seen wearing a player jersey, but I might soon be sporting an authentic Marrone coach/golf shirt.

While we are having fun with of all of the positive vibrations we see with EJ thus far, a point that deserves mentioning is to note how open Stevie and Robert Woods were on their TDs. To the naked eye, EJ made the obvious read, and it's not super-impressive. But these "easy" ones are not solely the result of blown coverages. They happen due to a combination of reasons, and are often generated by the QB in all of the salesmanship that he executed before the ball left his hand. From film analysis, to the breaking of the the huddle, to his pre-snap field scan, to the direction of his eyes/shoulders/feet early in the play, to the ball finally getting airborne ... nice work, EJ. I am in a frickin 3-point stance for this Gets game, and my "up" arm is cocked way back like a sprinter out of the blocks!!!

Excellent point about JP/Trentative/Fitz in terms of their lack of a winning college experience. You could probably lump RoJo in with them, as I don't believe USC was up too high near the top when he called signals for them. All of these guys could throw the ball quite well versus 'air' or a limited pass rush in practice, but none of them really effused the will to win (or ultimately inspired much of it in others). That's the "it" factor we all hope EJ has. What also helped EJ to this point is that he got very good coaching from his FSU HC and offensive taskmaster Jimbo Fisher every step of the way. And EJ came through in the clutch many times in big games, including 3 bowl victories. I do remember Buddy Nix summing EJ up by saying "This guy ... is a winner." (I do miss his southern drawl ... Chan's? not so much) I know we are all itching to anoint the next guy, but this winning experience does bode well for the Bills, especially after what we all witnessed in the last few minutes vs. Carolina. The guy looks cool as a cat back there.

x3 During the Carolina game, shortly after Mario registered his 4th sack of the day, Jerry was quick to offer via twitter that "FWIW, Byron Bell is considered one of the worst tackles in the league." Proves to me that he quite enjoys being a douchebag ... and the subtweet responses he got via twitter from Bills fans were quite amusing. One tame article won't Sully my disdain for his lazy writing and glass half-empty, hindsight-based opinions. Members of the chain crew know more about football than he does.

Good points ... tough to single out O-line play from the sideline views we get on TV, but those 5 guys definitely deserve some positive chatter. Some people on here have been uber-critical of Colin Brown after one game, perhaps just because he is not as experienced nor as wealthy as Levitre. But with the limited amounts of hits and general duress EJ has had to withstand thus far, I am not sure why. And Erik Pears is a mountain of a man and a far better tackle than many Bills fans recognize. Plus Glenn-Wood-Urbik are playing about as solidly as you can, if not at all-league levels. And going double tight with Lee Smith is like having 6 OL's out there.