starrymessenger

I also saw him knock the snot out of some running backs this preseason.

I remember Andy Reid during a playoff game last year when his kicker, I guess Akers, missed an easy field goal. As he made his way to the sidelines Akers, head down & tail between his legs, went for the end of the bench farthest from where Reid was standing. Not so fast. Reid walked down the sidelines towards him saying things that were I suspect very uncomplimentary. Could'nt hear the words but I got a good look at his face. I have never seen a face so full of hate. It was a thing of beauty. Why? Because thats football, and thats just the way its supposed to be. Call it a game if you like, but it is also a hypercompetitive field of human endeavour where the dream is nothing less than greatness. Then I thought of Dick, standing on the sidelines looking like he does'nt know where he is, or even that he should be somewhere.

Right. I look at TO on Sundays sitting on the bench after another three and out. He looks exactly like a powderkeg with a lit fuse. I wish he would blow. But, as you say, he can't. Just another perspective on the twilight zone we inhabit as Bills fans.

Prediction: Ashlee Palmer will start for the rest of the year, even after Poz returns.

Disagree. Not the same player since hes off the roids.

Well... er...actually I see where you are coming from. Marvin probably ran better patterns than Lee does and at the end of the day Lee's stats are clearly not what they should be. Still I'd love to see what Lee could do in the right scheme and with someone who could deliver the ball as well as Peyton can or JK could. I really feel his development is held back. And I think he is a true competitor, like Randy Moss and TO, and therefore its a shame. Guys like that really get down when things are bad with no sign of improvement. An disillusioned unmotivated Moss was garbage in Oakland. Some professional football people thought and said he was done and yet the same player was even then maybe the best ever after Jerry Rice (no offence to TO).

Then why is neither of them happy?

Not for mine. Marvin Harrison is not a big guy and he did'nt make his HOF career in the middle of the field or going for jump balls. And Evans is not just a "better variant" of Peerless Price. Evans has in fact never had a QB who could get him the ball in stride. The fact that all JP could do is crank it up and let her fly does'nt mean he was a good passer, even if Lee was able to run under a few of those. And by the way Jake falling apart has made Steve Smith look like something less than the receiver we all know him to be. Unfortunately we have never seen (and may never see) just how good Lee can be.

With very few exceptions (for example Adrian Peterson, Patrick Willis) no one should annoint rookies as premier players three or four games into their careers. But neither can you disregard the importance of the draft in building championship teams, and all that that brings with it. Michael Oher thought he was the best offensive tackle in the draft and while that in itself means nothing add to it the fact that he is playing with a huge chip on his shoulders and feels he has something to prove and that suggests to me that he has the physchological attributes you love to see in a young player. Also the Ravens did not hesitate and I have a lot of time for that FO when it comes to the draft. I don't want to get into the JP controversy. That question is not one that I am comfortable with simply because I don't have all of the material facts, and the technical football knowledge, needed to come to a reliable conclusion. For what its worth I think JP is indeed a very superior talent, from what I've seen in Philly this year he has been good especially in run blocking, and especially downfield. Last year he was very inconsistent, and at times looked bad, but he could still also look great from time to time, which was frustrating because only a very talented player can ever do those things at all. Its clear from his presser when his signing was announced, as well as from interviews he did afterwards that he was concerned about meeting expectations, which of course are very high in Philly, but not because he doubted his ability but only to caution people that he would be going up against some of the best pass rushing DEs in the game and to remind them that no one is 100% unbeatable, including him. He also said that if he got beat he would get right back up and in the guy's face. In other words he would get better. All of this makes sense to me and connotes a positive attitude. I think only time will tell whether he is a selfish lazy bum with a lousy attitude or a great left tackle. For what its worth (probably not much) I think more probably the latter than the former.

But the undead can live forever (or at least for another three years). Seriously, I respect the man for his evident human qualities but unfortunately these do not qualify him to be a NFL HC.

I think I just wet myself laughing.

Exactly. A great OL in the making. Even if a healthy Bell could have nailed down the LT spot, Oher can (and is) playing RT for the Ravens too. Oher is a nasty young man who is incented to play with attitude and by all accounts is doing a great job. As for a pass rushing DE, they should never have let Cam Wake leave town. I understand that they were system/compatibility issues involved in his decision but extra bucks would have likely resolved this. Anyway, as a 3-4 linebacker CW is not (yet) great in space or dropping back into coverage. But I watched him for two years in BC and believe me he will eat QBs all day long, which is what we needed him to do. He will certainly not dominate the NFL as he did the CFL, but you know what, he stands a good chance of being a dominant pass rusher nevertheless. The Fins have found themselves a younger Jason Taylor. Nothing against A. Maybin. I think he is a great kid, probably not too small to play DE, needs to get stronger and develop inside moves, as everyone knows. Just saying that the scenario I would have preferred would have gotten us to a better place much faster.

Fins could quite possibly beat Jets this week. That is because they are a much beter team than their record currently indicates. Disagree about Sanchez. Sure he will make some rookie mistakes. IMO he will also quickly develop into a very good starting QB.

Yeah we all stick up for the underdog overachiever.

No kidding. What an embarassment. The organization owes TO an apology. Its pretty easy to get him the ball at least once. Sure its a team sport and not about individual stats, but was'nt Brett Favre happy to beat Dan Marino's record? Great players naturally take pride in their achievements. Just shows what a total jerk Trent is and how clueless the organization is these days.

Agreed. The periodic suggestions that he is another Welker or Santana Moss waiting to be discovered are completely ridiculous. Wes Welker is absolutely tough as nails, breaks tackles, runs great routes, finds the open zones. SM is not just fast, he knows how to run patterns (one mistake and the DB is dead meat) position his body in space, etc... It makes no sense to compare a gadget player/punt returner with great receivers. Nothing against RP. Its not his fault he is not someone else.

When someone says something like this, regardless of his intention, or when someone deliberately cleans your QB's clock ala VW or AW, you either come with "violence and lots of it" as Bruce used to say (and do), if you are man enough, or you shut up and shave your kitty. Do you think SP would have said this about the Ravens when two years ago they were a losing team with no offence to speak of.

...and Steve Breaston who was on the same team as MM...as if the Cardinals needed more talent at WR. Even harder to swallow is the fact that Ngata and Oher play in Baltimore.

Seriously, I have it on good authority that he used to checkdown in high school.

I think thats about right. Russ Brandon is a very good "business manager" but certainly needs help in evaluating talent (I am sure Buddy Nix had a lot to do with the last draft). I think Brandon is quite capable however of recognizing a major problem (a completely ineffective HC) but lacks the power to do anything about it. I'm sure RW has his place in history, but I doubt that at 90+ he should be determining strategic direction including personnel decisions. Thats a recipe for disaster, as we have discovered. People say that DJ is a stand up guy even if he has no business on the sidelines on Sunday afternoons. But there is a vicious repetitive culture at work here - coach publicly takes all the blame and is indulgent of certain players (TE) who profess to love him and who swear that their shortcomings are not his fault. Its like being gamed by hardened and cynical recidivists. RW inking DJ a new 9MM K seals the deal and makes all this incredible mess possible.

Those dollars came from a hall of fame career. Value for value. No one owes anybody anything. I don't think Thurman was necessarily being disrespecful.

Right. Which is why so many of us wanted, expected, and should have had Ngata.

I live in Toronto and want no part of the Bills there. The Bills in Buffalo are an original historic franchise that is part of and belongs in WNY. Even when they lose or play badly, the individual stories, the reactions of commentators in and outside Buffalo, the situation of the team, prospects for the future, the players, the coaching staff and the FO always remain interesting, even fascinating. Granted its a lot more fun if you can also win. Losing a team though is much worse than losing a game or writing off a season. Lets hope that never happens. The Bills are an important presence for Buffalo on the national stage. Someday they will reward their very deserving fans.

Based on ability, Lee is absolutely one of the best wideouts in the game. In the best case, he is capable of having a Marvin Harrison type of career. Problem is that he does not have Peyton Manning throwing him the ball. The fact that he (and TO) look average is the most telling indictment of this offence (and the same goes for Fred and Marshawn).

Exactly. They are a much better team than the Bills. On either side of the ball they are superior, their linebackers are better, their running game is better. They were beaten by a hall of fame quarterback (just like us) and had some bad breaks. If their starting QB had not gone down, I would have expected them to compete in the AFC East even after a lousy start.