HankBulloughMellencamp

3. Manny Lawson - looks like him and Mario are having fun reliving their college days a bit ... I like his awareness & bad intentions out there. 2. Kiko Alonso - amazing start for a rookie ... athletic ability and instincts are off the charts. You could say the exact same thing about Manuel and/or Woods. 1. Leodis McKelvin - OK he badly judged a punt vs. NE, but he has played CB as good as you possibly can - and when it is most needed.

Pretty much exactly where I am at as a Bills fan. I don't want them to suck balls again, but I also have to see a few games so these guys can at least get their feet wet. I like what I see from our rookies, and if/when Byrd/Gilmore start playing ball, we should start winning some games instead of finding ways to lose.

Me too. The polar opposite of EJ's demeanor and leadership thus far. Geno thinks he can get by just as he has all along thus far - just by winging it. He looks and acts like a petulant child ... not the type of guy who seems willing to put the hard detail work in ... and I doubt it will ultimately win over a locker room of grown men. I could be wrong, but this 'crybaby' sort of stigma seems so appropriate for him. And I am really only going by his act during the window of time from the draft until now. He was out there last night wearing a sour puss on the field during the damn game. I know, I know ... Carolina first, and they are no slouch. But man, I hope we crush these G-E-T-S come week 3 in the Meadowlands!

PTR, I am one who completely agrees with your point about the timing of this article. More and more, Gleason really seems like Sully's impressionable protege' ... and I really wonder what these idiots are going to write about when the Bills actually start winning? Puff pieces aplenty, I presume. Or maybe more of this nonsense in the form of "OK, but they just couldn't win the big one." And I agree 100% that a negative mindset will all but guarantee a failed result. Consistently achieving success is hardly an accident, and rarely arrived at if one is wired with a pervasively negative outlook. As in golf, if you keep thinking of negative outcomes such as "OK, don't hit it into the water on the right" just before you pull the trigger, you are quite likely to steer a wayward Titleist in that exact direction. No surprise, then, that a hack writer like Sully is also a hack on the golf course!

I recall having a fine time at the Crazy Horse last fall ... it is right downtown and not far from anything bar/restaurant-wise. Ladies were all quite young (collegiate) and impressionable, not high-mileage vets who are all about having the meter running. Bouncer dudes seemed like they could care less what the girls were up to ... not very protective or pimp-like. Tell your friend I highly recommend giving it a try.

This is my central issue with him in a nutshell. He is always looking backwards, using stats or nebulous generalizations to support his outrage with what has occurred. Don't know that he has ever stuck his neck out there in a column. I won't miss him.

The OP needs to be taken off the board until a concussion protocol is completed. Leodis McKelvin played superbly at corner. Punt return gaffe not withstanding, I don't expect a lot more posters wondering why we spend ~5M/yr to have him to stick around now. Kiko is not (yet) as beefy and Herculean as a Clay Matthews, but he sure looks like he could be the answer to our prayers at MLB. The way he almost tipped away that first Brady TD pass to Edelman speaks to how aware and athletic he is in the middle. An incredible performance by a rookie MLB in my opinion. And his goal line stop was heard throughout the Ralph as well as living rooms of WNY & NE proper. I had not seen much from #25's years as an understudy, but I have to say Da'Norris Searcy was bringing the lumber and really looked like a capable S like I had always hoped he'd be. And Manny Lawson is long, lean, and was forcing a lot of plays back to his help - he looked very solid compared to what good ol' Jerry Sullivan prepared us for with his bitchslap of an article.

Could not agree more. Always defer. The chance for two consecutive possessions is a huge point. The most important possession of the game is the first possession of the 3rd quarter - it sets the tone for the rest of the game. Having the ability to control the ball (or at least punt it and flip field position) is why deferring is always worth it. Football's version of "last ups"

What an excellent thread/question ... this subject has so much buzz these days. It's almost as if RGIII, Wilson and Kaepernick have already re-invented the QB position. But I am not buying it. The read-option is very hard to defend, to be sure. It requires a lot of discipline (and defensive prep time) to be handled and/or minimized effectively. But I believe this will be another fad that fades right out just as the wildcat has, with the possible exception of an offense run by a young, agile lummox such as a Newton or a Kaepernick. And even then, time will catch up to them. The reason is simple: over the last 40+ years of NFL history, very few mobile QBs have stood the test of time. They eventually: a) had to adapt to become more of a pocket-passer to stick around ... or b) were beaten into submission/obliivon by the unlimited cavalcade of mean NFL defensive players. Cunningham, Young, Vick, Culpepper ... even Elway all adapted into more of what has proven to work year after year - quick-read pocket passing. Not unlike young flamethrowers in baseball who rely on fastball/curve initially, but evolve into savvy veteran hurlers. It may have been fun imagining the possibilities while it lasted, but time on the job eventually forced the change. Look at what has happened to RGIII in only one season - he was concussed trying to run one in, and suffered two significant injuries to the same knee (OK so maybe the 2nd was avoidable). There is just no way he runs as many designed options and/or QB keepers from this day forward. And Russell Wilson is like a new Porsche right now, but if they run him too much, he WILL be in the shop. The only QB protoype that has stood the test of time, year after year, is the quick-release, "take what they give you and don't take extra hits" style of guys like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, Joe Montana etc. And these guys are now doing more than ever at the line of scrimmage, audibilizing and taking advantage of matchups to dictate the pace of the game to their advantage. Take what's there, and live to play another down. Guys who depend on the scramble seem to eventually get scrambled. Looking forward to enjoying the new season! Cheers, football enthusiasts!

This is an excellent point ... or is that + Brad Smith's skills as a special teams coverage unit guy what might help justify keeping him around?

I used to have a red vinyl Hemispheres album, bought at Twin Fair for $4.99. Like an idiot, I traded it in or sold it to some smart individual when I went full force into CDs ... still sick about it. Everyone had a bad play or two, but I liked what saw from Spiller, Lawson, Kiko, Chris White, Robert Woods, & most members of the O-line. Even Searcy looked decent/was laying the lumber before he went out w/ an injury. Tuel looked OK, but has a Jason Garrett arm.

Thanks for the compliments on the previous post - Sheppard was an enigma to me ... and Searcy is filling the vacancy more and more. So, you got all snippy earlier in the thread when I tried to put words in your mouth by quoting you. And yet you now decide to speak for me, out of left field, by concluding that my backing of the Fitz deal (at the time) equates to me also being sold on the logic of the Dick Jauron extension at that time? Nice reach, but they are apples and oranges. I have equated the Jauron extension more with the one that my alma-mater, UB, gave Jeff Quinn at the tail end of a theretofore unprecedented three-game win streak. And after which they were promptly crushed by a Bowling Green team coached by Dave Clawson, a former UB assistant back in my days there. Coach Quinn's teams have often been out-executed, poorly prepared, and other than giving Georgia a fight for a half, have laid a lot of eggs in his three years. People I know who are familiar with the program have characterized him as basically a blowhard who has ridden Brian Kelly's coattails. Remember how well the Bearcats played in the 2010 Sugar Bowl he coached when Kelly had already jumped to ND? Cincinnati barely registered a pulse in that game against Florida; Tebow shredded them in Urb's final contest before re-evaluating things. Licata may save his arse, but there are no more excuses after this year. So to me, a premature extension of a coach going nowhere is much different than paying your declared starting QB essentially market value for the position. And none of this has a whole lot to do with the merits of Kelvin Sheppard as an NFL linebacker. By the way, speaking of declared starting QBs, Vick may have the Philly gig for now, but we all know his ribs will be bruised by week 3. And I will guarantee that Chip finds justification to somehow take a look-see at what either Foles or Barkley can do for his offense when regular season bullets are a-flying.

In my opinion, to say or imply that Kelvin Sheppard is a capable/decent MLB is to basically say "I really never focused on him." With a lot of NFL work now on tape, the guy has made almost no plays of significance. Last sunday, I watched the replay of the Bills-Vikes tilt. In just a few plays, I came away quite impressed with what I saw out of Arthur Moats, who was filling in for Kiko. He took on and shed blockers, he sniffed out and disrupted a screen play, and looked quick flowing to the plays that went toward the sideline. So low and behold, Sunday Night Football brought us the Colts visiting the Giants. And for a time, I keyed in on #52 Sheppard, who saw some early snaps with the 1's. He was as plodding and as invisible as he ever looked for the 1.5 years he started for our beloved Bills. One play in particular sums him up ... a sweep to the defense's right, Sheppard, playing basically LILB, flows over unblocked, and is able to meet the RB Wilson about three yards upfield, but does not wrap/bring him down, and Wilson squirts loose for about five more yards. Remember when Poz took the money and went down to play in Jax, and lots of people rationalized his loss by saying "aah, he made the majority of his tackes after ~7 yard gains anyways"? Well, I think it is fair to say that Paul Poszluzny was/is fifty times the NFL linebacker that Sheppard has proven to be. If #52 starts for the Colts for any length of time, I will be shocked, but I doubt he will produce much. And if he gets Maybin-ed on cut-down day, I will not be very surprised at all. And regardless of what he does for Indy, any play that Jerry Hughes makes for Buffalo in 2013 will be a bonus, because getting Shepp off our roster is a perfect example of addition by subtraction. The move really gave me hope that Marrone and Pettine might actually know what the hell they are doing.

Exactly which scheme does he work well in? Three teams, across multiple schemes and positions, including two that gave him the benefit of the doubt for ~two years apiece. Eric Wood was not off base - Maybin is not a legitimate NFL defender, let alone one worthy of a first round selection. Aaron parlayed one good collegiate year into a huge windfall, and fizzled out soon thereafter. Not enough desire to be good (enough). It happens. Then, you see python-like former UDFA James Harrison getting treatments and outworking the rookie LBs who have yet to even make the team, and you see the other side of the coin.

I, too, was right there with you at that draft party thing in the Jim Kelly suite area ... and my buddy and I (and everyone in there, it seemed) were so excited when it was clear that Orakpo would be on the board for the taking. And I, too, remember the huge groan and associated wtf's that were muttered when they announced the Maybin pick. He is neck and neck with E. Flowers in the recent annals of Bills draft busts.

Excellent post/observations ... and what I totally agree with is re-quoted above. I thought Arthur Moats looked really good out there flowing around and making plays at ILB. Alonzo is a stud and freak athlete, but it's good to see we have some depth with #52 and the others you mentioned. Searcy is in the Kelvin Sheppard category for me ... by now, he has put a fair amount of work on tape, and I really do not remember him making any real good plays at all. Aaron Williams looks like much more of a playmaking safety after only two preseason games. Will not be surprised or concerned if #25 is shown the door in favor of Williams/Meeks/whomever else. Fred is a great handcuff, and looks more like an older Curtis Martin/Thurman/Emmitt out there. Blazing speed into the hole was never his game, but I love watching him run patiently behind his blockers. He is so good at setting up defenders one way, then slash through another way for 7 extra downhill yds. He rarely makes mistakes, and maximizes every run. #22 has been a workhorse when needed. He is the perfect handcuff for CJ, and I can only hope to secure their services in fantasy ball this fall.

Loved the analysis, even if from a future fantasy perspective by a Jets fan. Being faster at WR is only going to open up more downfield lanes for CJ Spiller, who we all know is wickedly fast and dangerous in the open field. Think of a well sold draw play, and now the WRs have taken their coverage deep(er) than what we have seen. CJ is going to have that much more real estate to choose from, and those safeties better take good angles and be good open-field tacklers or it's bye bye!!! Not to mention, you just can't coach speed. And these guys seem like real ballplayers, not Renaldo Nehemiahs.

OK, OK ... I know it's only pennies a serving, but put down the pitcher of Kool-Aid immediately. I am quite glad Tuel looked very good, in that it does at least help explain why they jettisoned Tarvaris so quickly after resigning him. But as the season approaches, I really think we'd be best served keeping Kolb around these parts (and away from slippery floor mats). I think he should be our Hasselbeck-like #2, who can help our greenhorn QB out on the sidelines when the games really count and the defensive looks are confusing him. This will surely be the case at some point, and Kolb's contract will be money well spent to help shorten EJs learning curve in these situations. I saw lots of good things yesterday, far more than I expected or could even mention, so I'll offer this simple haiku ... splendid game with new regime in Marrone I trust watch those fast boys run and hit ... 'tsgoBUFFALO!!!

What a great post, Cash. We all can plainly see that Rog just wants to make more $$$, and it might be the only way he can try to do a public-support end-around on the NFLPA. This whole exploration of change to increase the quality of the preseason is just his red herring for the ultimate goal: the pursuit of an increased regular season schedule. The players are the ones who are sacrificing their motor skills and mental capacities in their golden years, and they seem to want no part of it - and who could really blame them? But you can bet your life if Goodell is successful in adding just one more actual regular season game, his owners will bask in the green glow of an extra week of full-boat pricing for all of the associated broadcast rights, advertising fees, tickets, parking, concessions, and every other thing you can think of. But if they do somehow add a game to the schedule, would the owners then be forking over another 1/16th of every player contract as well? Or would they try to just divide those huge game checks up into 17 easy installments? And how could that possibly tie into Rog's genuine (see: legal) concern for player safety ... of what real benefiit is even one more week of live bullets to the players? I mean, I like watching the games, but isn't it bad enough for the players that almost every NFL team now faces the prospect of playing a second head-cruncher of a contest about 100 HOURS after their last one (if you assume a 1:00pm Sunday game followed up with a Thursday-night affair). Look, I won't argue that Goodell hasn't been a very good commissioner for NFL owners, as he has essentially been looking under every unturned stone to print money for them. We now have weekly Thursday and Sunday night games, the NFL draft is stretched out from one to three days (w/two prime-time broadcasts), the NFL network is reaching out across cable and mobile outlets and tying in NFL.com as a fantasy hub ... the list goes on and on. Rog almost makes Russ Brandon look like junior varsity material. But I do not like him as a commissioner. I do not like the heavy-handed way he metes out his random justice for flagrant hits, etc. And I do not like the nebulous rule changes that have been ushered in (and are sure to exasperate fans with an increasing frequency this fall). Those won't be that bad, you say? Stop and think for a second. Running backs can no longer lower their heads - in the interest of player safety, of course. Let's see how well the refs handle that can of worms the first time it matters. Nevermind that Rog's replacement refs could not even decipher a touchdown vs. an interception - even with the benefit of instant replay. And who remembers when his "real" refs wiped out an obvious-to-the-naked-eye game-winning TD catch by Calvin Johnson against the 49ers just because he didn't "complete his football move" ... whatever that means. And let's not even get into the latest crackdown on celebration gestures. A top priority ... and it may have even elicited a few "it's about time" responses from some old codgers ... but you codgers just wait until we all start breaking down replays of a guy's post-TD celebration to see if it was really directed at someone or just a "legit" solo expressive celebration. Maybe teams will be able to use a challenge if necessary? The thought of this all just makes me want to puke. But I will still watch. And 16 games with two byes is Rog's only means to an end that will ever fly.

How convenient that GG not only breaks the case open on the alleged Scott Bertchtold puppeteering of one Les Carpenter, but staunchly defends all of the petulant News writers whose reputations are "on the line"/regularly being damaged here at TBD. As if the criticism is totally unwarranted and people's opinions expressed in a fan forum are the equivalent of TBN job performance reviews ... (some of us could only wish there exists such a connection!) And finally, GG can not resist pissing on all of the "pollyannas" who have expressed optimism and support for the latest changes made to the organization/roster by slamming Buddy Nix one last time about the quality of the roster today versus what he walked into back in 2010. Laughable. At this point, one can only surmise that GG is likely: (a) a hard-wired conspiracy theorist (b) a quite miserable curmudgeon who only feels better by venting their frustrations and/or getting a rise out of people who are not nearly as miserable © affliliated with or beholden to those at the News whose reputations are "on the line" (d) living in the past, and having a lot of trouble seeing the forest through all those trees (e) all of the above, and then some My vote is obviously for (e).

Damn, I am having a hard time swallowing the hook, line & sinker from lunch yesterday ... hold on a second, I need to go cancel an order I placed for an extremely rare coin which is most likely really going to be worth something someday. But I have to commend Russ Brandon, the bait on that hook tasted pretty good. This spoon-fed interest piece can certainly be seen as a blurring of the lines journalistically, but it is hardly anything new. And the tone of the article basically echoes what Peter King and Pat Kirwan have already written about the 2013 Bills in their own "insider" way. It doesn't change Marrone's coaching ability one iota, nor does it change how well C.J. is going to run, or even how well EJ Manuel might play this year. And I also simply prefer to view the glass as half-full with this new staff, if only based on all of the changes they have made since we were last led on the field by No We Chan't. Marrone and Co. had me at "Kelvin, you've been traded."

I am also quite glad to see this article ... some real nice tidbits about the coaching search and how we got Pettine to come here. Funny that this very interesting article comes to most of us by way of Yahoo from a guy that I was previously unfamiliar with (but will now be sure to follow on twitter). All we get from the mostly boxed-out TBN crew (except beat guy Mark Gaughan, with whom I have no issue) is another rehash of Mario and the 'drama' he has created. Keen observers of Sully's tactics also surely noticed that he was careful to add in the convenient little hedge to his bet by slipping in a line to the effect of "he might even produce double digit sacks again" ... but whine, whine, whine. And Mario is the drama queen? This is why I have grown to love twitter ... customize your feed, find guys like Les Carpenter, and filter out or ignore the nonsense with no problem whatsoever. If you are active on twitter, and don't follow at least three of four hundred interesting accounts, I think you are squandering one of the most powerful tools of the 21st century - an instant source of worldwide news information. It is also probably TBN's worst nightmare going forward, especially since it seems like many of their ace writers enjoy acting like total douchebags on it.

Good point, I am certainly not against a tear being shed during perhaps a hidden gem like Fiddler's Green, or a simliarly stirring, live Neil Young or Gordon Lightfoot performance ... but I just know this wasn't the one. Downie was making jokes about the nature of Rod Stewart's alleged emergency room visits around this time of the show. MOFO, that avatar will always bring a smile to my face. And wait a sec, metzelaars_lives, when is Langlois NOT smoking a cigarette?

Fully Completely in agreement with you on this point. The Tragically Hip played Wheat Kings basically to kill some time as they tried to sort out some equipment troubles with the deluge of rain. I highly doubt even the most ardent Hip fan thought of that particular rendition as such an "emotional touchstone" that it brought them to tears. Perhaps Sully cried because he was tasked with writing a TBN-promoted article about a soon-to-be-cancelled concert instead of anything Buffalo sports. Perhaps it all has something to do with the popular perception that his access to local inside information is all but cut off these days. And I appreciate the sentiments about ignoring/not posting about him, but I just HAVE to call out bullsh*t when I see it. Especially when, as evidenced by his concert review and his Manny Lawson article, it is done in such a smug fashion. He has essentially turned into the print version of Skip Bayless.

Bingo. It's his first camp, and I believe that Marrone knew exactly what he was doing with this whole Wawrow exchange. It sets the tone with the press as much as anything. The fact that it happened sort of organically with JW, the Joe Friday/AP straight-shooter, tells me that Marrone wants to cut the b.s. and set those fringe idiots straight right from the get-go. And as far as this display of "thin skin" as some have called it ... I have news for (some) of you ... good coaches who get the best out of their players do not typically have very "thick skin". Marrone sure seems more in the mold of a Parcells/Peyton/Coughlin rather than a Jauron/Gailey/Dungy. And I do think this coach is going to be a very good hire for this long-suffering franchise, but things won't be so easy for the petulant local press corps members like Sully, Graham, Maiorana, etc. who won't have much else to write about. A previous poster mentioned how much he now misses Felser, Kelley, & Carucci --- in my best Hulk Hogan voice, "Amen brother!"