Sisyphean Bills

Hope some posters step up to the plate and rip him a new bunghole for it.

6.5 sacks means he was tied for 37th with 5 other guys. The Bills as a team were 29th best in sacks.

Yep, I know. Given how bad the offense was, it doesn't really add up that the "sweeping changes", summed up as the promotion of a journeyman QB coach and the drafting of Hardy, is going to instantly propel the leaky quirt gun offense into the upper echelons of the NFL. As far as TS and his talk, SF was saying all the right things less than a year ago as well. JPL was continuing to improve; the ball never hit the grass in practice; Lynch was a great receiving threat and might even be used at WR ala Marshall Faulk; the offense was going to be opened up a lot because the players had really taken to it and got it... Having a TO ratio like that is, I think, a big reason why the Bills went 7-9. They were not a good team, but they were able to hang around in games by not turning the ball over and putting themselves behind the 8-ball. In other words, they played not to lose games well enough that they pulled out a 7-9 record. As a corollary, if they had "opened it up" as Steve Fairchild was promising to do less than a year ago, they'd have been taking more chances and with chances come both higher rewards (scoring) and bigger risks (more turnovers). Do they open it up for real in 2008? How will that affect the turnover margin? Are the Bills good enough in 2008 to lose the turnover margin and still beat teams, like Dallas did to them in 2007? Then there is the argument, since the Bills were in playoff contention right into the beginning of the last month of the season then it follows that the Bills are on the verge of being a playoff team or even greatness. The only problem is that 30 NFL teams can say the exact same thing -- only the Jets and Dolphins (over half of the Bills victories there) were eliminated from the playoffs earlier.

Everybody in the NFL is an athlete and most were elite players at the college level. Just being a physical specimen isn't going to strike fear into DC's hearts. Hardy will have to prove he can make big plays in order for defenses to fear him. Why is it "likely"? Hardy hasn't even been to training camp, seen 1 snap in 1 pre-season scrimmage yet. Seems a tad early to be declaring anything about his game and how it will change defensive game plans. Actually, the coverage isn't going to change unless Hardy can prove he is a more capable WR threat than Josh Reed (or Peerless Price & Roscoe Parrish) were last year. Josh Reed may not be a great WR, but he did catch 51 passes last year in the NFL. Again, why "clearly"? Clearly there is some wishful thinking, but there is nothing more than subjective evidence based on hopes. And all of this fixates on Hardy. What if the Bills passing game continues to have the firepower of a leaky squirt gun? Will people post all the reasons Hardy is a bust and why he is the sole reason the passing game sucks? Would that be fair? I don't think so. There is a lot more to an NFL offense in the passing game than not taking sacks and running the ball and throwing dump offs in order to minimize interceptions. I mean the objectives of an offense at any level of football should really be to execute a variety of plays, possess the ball, move the chains to put drives together, keep the opponent on the long end of the field, and score some points. The Bills as an offensive unit (Hardy or no) haven't really shown they can do any of that on a consistent enough basis. That's why they were one of the worst offenses in the NFL in 2007 and the worst Bills offense ever.

I guess Billy's look as an toddler's overgrown fuzzy blue stuffed animal isn't really fooling anyone into believing he's "fierce." Goofy, yes. Scary? Yawn.

Well, sure, the team has plenty of problems. But so do a lot of other teams. You asked It might be difficult, because of the lack of overall talent; but, there are many, many QBs in the history of the game that would be considered major upgrades to what we got out of JPL/TE last year. Would that be enough? Who knows? However, the Bills are coached to play it close to the vest and hang around until the 4th quarter, which translates into less pressure on a QB to carry the team and that just managing the game consistently is enough to stay in games. A couple of plays go different against Denver or Dallas and making the playoffs is not really a "resounding NO!" (Heck, if we had Mike Brown race a few interceptions back for touchdowns in the closing minutes of several games, DJ might've been up for another CotY award.) Any sort of offense at all against Cleveland or Philadelphia would've made those games interesting as well. Just making the playoffs by the skin of their teeth isn't impossible. But that's not quite the same thing as saying this team is a serious Super Bowl contender and going to blow out the Patriots and dominate Billy B's boys for the next 5-6 years.

I'll say. Heck, if he makes the team and is a capable special teams player, I'd be satisfied.

Well, there is something to that. If the first 2 lines of defense are bad and the offense is 3-and-out prone, then your safeties are going to be on the field all day making tons of tackles. As they are safeties, they aren't huge guys, so they'll eventually get blown up and you'll have to have 8 or 9 of them, maybe even bringing in street free agents by the end of the year to fill in the holes.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=...amp;btnG=Search I can't find anything of the sort. I did find a page from 2006 where Marv Levy denied interest in moving Losman.

Here is one. http://www.rototimes.com/nfl/news.php?tqid...2&nid=37644 Note: I said this is just a rumor. Don't get your hopes up. Here's one from the Gazette. http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/p.../1989/frontpage And here is a link to the Chiefs and Dolphins rumor prior to the draft. http://www.nflgridirongab.com/2008/02/25/d...ills-qb-losman/

Link? Have you heard the rumors that the Packers were calling about Losman? Last I heard the Packers were still an NFL team. Other rumors were the Chiefs were interested and the Dolphins, who are interested in everybody. At any rate, I can't see the Buffalo Bills organization being stupid enough to hold a press conference to announce officially that no team has any interest whatsoever in their former starting QB.

Link?

Good post, K-dog. There was a thread a while back that got wiped in the server crash (I think) about JPL's phugtarded development process and how that reads like a textbook for what not to do to develop a young, project QB. I think other teams aren't interested in JPL, at least in trading for him, because of a number of factors, some of which have been touched on. 1) He's going into the last year of his current contract, so to get value in such a trade the team would have to be willing to extend him. He hasn't shown enough to get such an extension. What is his market value? Is he ever going to blossom into a starter or will he continue to lay eggs and struggle? He hasn't shown he can take a starting QB job and hold onto it. 2) Other personnel people, like Bill Parcells, most likely see some of the same bad habits as Bills fans do. JPL just seems to lose focus of what he is doing out on the field at times, not working his way through the progression but big-time pressing and trying to make something happen instantly. Then his mechanics can go to carp and he launches a worm burner or a watermelon. (By the way, JPL has a career completion percentage of a hair under 59.1% (even with the '05 egg laying), which is excellent and exactly what a coach wants to see. It's much better than Eli Manning, who clearly is surrounded by a much better football team. It is also ahead of Drew Bledsoe at a similar point in their careers.) The very next series he'll stand in the pocket and deliver a strike down the sidelines. If these habits were slowly fading, that'd be one thing; but, they seem to continue to pop up like weeds. 3) The NFL markets superstars and it needs high-profile guys like 1st round QBs to come in early on and deliver, almost straight out of the gate. That's a tall order and it should come as no surprise that JPL, along with most QBs, has struggled in that. He was a college QB that got by on moxie and pure athleticism at a small school. To demand that he materialize into an NFL starter in '05 was sheer arrogance by Donahoe, Mularkey and Clements. Even so, bringing in a guy like JPL in a trade as a probable starter and with that 1st rounder label, could cost a front office guy his job if it gets ugly. Why take a chance on that? Heck, Daunte Culpepper has proven he can play in the NFL and GMs aren't interested in him and they have to trade nothing at all. This will be JPL's 5th season and his 3rd offense. By contrast, Peyton Manning has been in the same offense for 10 years. Continuity would've been nice; maybe Trent will have some. 4) What offense suits JPL's strengths? For that matter, what are his strengths? How does a coach make him comfortable out there and let the play come to him? He was Tom Donahoe's 1st rounder, so who's really going to stick their neck out for an extended time to give JPL every possible chance as an unquestioned starter? If Coach Conservative isn't willing to go more than a season and a handful of games, who is? 5) Who knows what the Bills want in compensation? The Bills may be of the opinion still that JPL has more talent and upside and is worth more than others are willing to pony up. Indeed, it is not inconceivable that they are hedging their bets with TE, who is not a proven commodity at this point and could go down to injury at any time. JPL was a QB who might have had a chance if he had gone to a team with an established veteran QB (like Favre, Peyton, etc.) and he could've rode the pine and learned the NFL game for a few years. He might still surprise and pull it out of the dive he's in now; who knows? With the success his draft class is having, I wouldn't be totally shocked. No, it just wouldn't be very shocking to see JPL blossom after he leaves Buffalo.

The front line has to improve both against the run and the pass or this defense is going to struggle yet again. Stroud could be a great addition, but that is far from guaranteed. He hasn't yet come back fully from nagging injuries; he's one failed drug test away from suspension; and, it is uncertain how effectively he'll be utilized in the Buffalo Bills scheme. Mitchell played well for the Giants last year, but he had a great DL in front of him and was playing in a very different system than he will be here. How that translates is anybody's guess. I do believe that TS is going to try to overhaul the passing game. (He has no choice, really.) Again it's anybody's guess if his attempts to re-inflate the "smurf attack" (with Stilt Hardy) pan out. The Bills didn't do much on that side of the ball other than Hardy, which is somewhat alarming since they were record-setting terrible last year.

His name is Charles Ali.

Yes!

What are you talking about, my make believe world? I never said he had a great season or other teams were willing to trade anything of value for a 1-year contract on a guy with a lot to prove and improve. You have me confused with someone else.

How about Daunte Culpepper or Byron Leftwich?

I sense "statistics lie" and "JP is an idiot" posts coming.

OK. But, seriously, doesn't this cover the vast majority of NFL players? Well, maybe. What's to say the pre-snap read isn't to confuse him into throwing a check-down pass and then swarm the WR under instantly? Bledsoe was a serious stud in the pocket; defensive lineman used to bounce off of him. I'm not sure he was the sort to panic back there. He also had a huge cannon and the desire to use it. He gets a bum rap because the kid that replaced him in New England is phenomenal. That doesn't mean Bledsoe never did anything well. Or they won't. He is a very bright guy that reportedly has other interests and pursuits outside of football. He's being thrown to the wolves early in his career and his coach has issued the "playoffs or bust" ultimatum. But, yeah, it could be worse.

What do you make of the comment that Edwards said he had a lot of room to improve in going through his progressions rather than just the pre-snap read?

Can't really agree with that. It suggests that the team has some strengths. Other than special teams, I don't see them. The offense was terrible. The defense couldn't stop anybody, couldn't get off the field, and wore down and got busted up. Ranking down in the 30s isn't a strength. I think you are right. I fully expect DJ to be around a couple more years. BTW, my signature line is a quote from Dick Jauron on Cade McNown about midway through the Chicago Bears season when DJ was being the stand up guy and going to bat for his player. Unfortunately, McNown was despised by his teammates and was thoroughly unprofessional -- he was asked in front of the entire team to run through the script for a game and didn't know a single play on the script. The kid "most ready for the NFL game" was a mental midget, had no respect for the game or his teammates, and ended up one of the all-time biggest busts. Despite arbitrary denials, DJ was a part of the brain trust that brought McNown in to be the future of the Bears. DJ also kept Henry Burris on his team as a favor to someone in the front office; Burris ended up starting a game and throwing 5 interceptions in that game. http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BurrHe00.htm I know it can all be blamed on fate, but it is these sorts of decisions that DJ has been at least some part of -- if only to be asleep in the pilot house -- that don't instill absolute confidence in him.

Jauron has his strengths and weaknesses just like anybody else. I certainly don't think he is a great coach, like others. I don't think he's the worst coach I've ever seen either. But, I don't see him getting this team to the playoffs or winning a playoff game. I'd like to be wrong, but I see no evidence he can accomplish that. The Bills won 6 games against 4 futile teams, some barely, and I'm not going to confuse that with playoff caliber football in the AFC, which is stacked with most of the elite teams in the NFL today. Can he get his players to like him and want to play for him? Sure. Everybody in the NFL talks about Dick as a cool guy and how he's a gentleman who'll do anything to help a guy out. When they start awarding points based on popularity polls, the Bills will be among the elite.

Having absolute garbage around him at Stanford, he was well ahead of the curve in dumping off the ball as a survival instinct. Unfortunately, throwing dump-offs is not a substitute for a productive passing game.

Clearly, it was weather aided.