OldTimer1960

This game is not hel ping Mack's draft status. UB is getting completely b*tch slapped by lowly SD State and it is highlighting UB's lower-tier athletic ability. To be sure, it is not all Mack's fault and if he shows well at the combine, he could still go high, but this game is exposing the MAC competition... For the QB debate, I think that we can all agree that Steve Young was an OUTSTANDING NFL QB, right? In Young's first two NFL Seasons (after playing in the USFL), he threw 11 TDs and 21 INTS f with about a 53% completion rate or a Tampa Bay team at about the same level of this year's Bills. I will definitely grant that defenses were allowed more latitude then, but Young also had at least a year of pro experience in the USFL before these two seasons. As much as some here don't want to believe it, it DOES take some time for college QBs to come up to speed in the NFL. I don't know how EJ Manuel will turn out, but I've seen enough to think he warrants AT LEAST one more year before deciding whether he "has it".

Hardy was considered a good WR prospect coming out of school. He wasn't considered a "reach" at the time. In his 3 yrs in the Big 10 he had 186 catches, 2690 yards and 36 TDs. That' very productive against a high level of competition. People need to realize that right around 50% of 2nd round picks don't make much impact in the NFL. That is league-wide, not just "the dumb old Bills".

I think that you are over-estimating Lewis. He did better than we might have expected, but I don't see a mad rush for any other team to sign him to a big backup contract. Do t get me wrong, I was pleasantly surprised with his play, but he is unlikely (IMO) to get top $

I am generally optimistic about Manuel's prospects. I think he has shown some ability to lead late in games that I didn't expect from an inexperienced rookie. I am a bit concerned with his overall accuracy, but that seems to improve when he gets in a groove - so I think he can be good there. I think a true top WR and a better TE (while keeping Chandler too) would help Manuel a lot. Among the Bills' current WRs, only Robert Woods makes the kind of catches that make a QB look good. Chandler is good at the routine catches and the rest of the group are not particularly consistent catchers, let alone able to make great catches.

Where he goes will also depend on how he performs at the combine (IMHO). Even though he stood out against the Bulls best opponents, including Ohio State, teams will want to see outstanding measurables because UB generally plays at a lower level of competition.

Do you mean like Dan Snyder in Washington? How about Jerry Jones in Dallas? Both of those guys are poster boys for "excited committed ownerers who spend a ton of money". I don't think either has had any great success in a long time. There is no conspiracy by Mr. Wilson and his folks to "dupe" the fans into buying an inferior product. The problem lies in poor decisions on players, bad luck and an inability to find a good/great QB. I can't think of any case where spending even a lot more would have solved their QB problem - unless someone thinks that they had any real shot at signing Peyton Manning...

Really, you'd take his $8M/year contract? All things being equal, I'd love to have Levitre on the Bills' O-line, but $8M for an OG is blasphemous no matter how good he is. For $8M/year at OG, he'd better be a HOFer. Before anyone jumps on me with "they still have lots of cap space", you have to understand that there is a difference between having cap space and having actual money to pay people. The Bills are one of the lowest revenue teams in the leage. Their ticket prices are near the bottom of the league and they get next to nothing in luxury box/personal seat license revenue compared to the very big markets. I know that none of us has a "cap" on what we can spend on a house - and most of our wives would like us to spend a lot more - but we all seem to know that it is prudent to only spend a certain percentage of our income on housing. The same is true for NFL teams. Not all teams have the revenue to spend to the cap and given that, they have to apportion the amount of $ that they can afford to the positions that they deem most important.

1. No question that Rogers has talent, but he clearly wasn't productive in the preseason and there were suggestions that he was not working hard in camp. A new coach who is try to instill a strong work ethic on his new team really could not keep Rogers around and send the message that it's ok not to try or not to be productive if you have talent. That would undermine what he is trying to build into the team 2. Rogers has had exactly 1 very good game in the NFL, not enough to say he now "gets it" 3. Even if Rogers goes on to have a good career, who is to say that he would have done so if he had not been humbled by being cut. 4. Even his college team deemed Rogers too big a headache to keep around and he WAS productive there. 5. Every team in the NFL knew of Rogers' talent, yet not one thought he was worth even a 7th round gamble Yes, it is possible that Rogers will go on to have a good career, but that doesn't necessarily mean that Marrone was wrong to cut him.

It was not meant to suggest that they should cut anyone in particular, rather to illustrate that there is precedence from another team moving on from a talented player who didn't mesh with what the coaching staff wanted. I believe that Freeman was cut more for his attitude and effort than for poor play. (I believe) if Freeman had been working hard and doing what the coaches asked, he would still be in Tampa - they'd have ridden out his poor play because he clearly has a lot of talent. To the Bills, I don't know if there are players who haven't bought in to the program, but if so, I could support trading/releasing them

After an disasterous start, EJ played pretty well today. I think he started 0-4 with an INT and finished 17-24 2TDs and 1 INT. After the start, EJ was 17-20 with 2 TDs. Robert Woods is fast becoming his favorite WR and Chandler (whom I think is a decent player, but not great). Stevie Johnson wasn't able to help much and I'm not sure why TJ Graham continues to start. My takeaway, EJ is a rookie who struggles at times and has shown glimpes of being good. He is playing kind of with one-hand tied behind his back with no big WR, Johnson not helping much and TJ Graham just taking up space on the field.

Why didn't they roll EJ out with instructions to run unless there was a wide open pass? They put the game back in the hands of a defense that has been gashed all day.

Mike Pettine for head coach!!!!

That was an impressive and encouraging drive by EJ.

Who are the comedians who keep worrying that the Bills will lose Pettine to a head coaching job? This defense continues to make pedestrian backups look like Pro Bowl players. They are absolutely abysmal against the run and give up huge plays consistently.

What happened to the poise that we saw from Manuel early this year? He looks like a completely different and much worse player.

I respectfully suggest that Tampa's team got a lot better after they released Josh Freeman. Check their record before and after that move.

Mario Williams is having an outstanding season and I have never seen him look like he wasn't trying. I know he is paid a lot of $, but everyone knew that the Bills would need to overpay to get a big name free agent. He is playing very well, from what I can see.

That would help a lot - still need at least 1 very good WR and a better TE to help manue or whomever plays QB. I know that Brady (maybe the best QB ever) can make do with nobodies, but you can't expect many other QBs, including very good veterans, to do the same. I think Woods can be a very good WR and I think Goodwin will be a nice 3rd WR, but I think SJ13 is working his way out of Buffalo - not that he doesn't try hard or isn't pretty good, but for his pay his production and "clutch ness" is too low. The cupboard is bare otherwise. How can TJ graham be starting with only 18 catches after 13 games? There are l4th and 5th string WRs who have more catches.

He also needs better protection than he got last game and some better/more experienced WRs and TEs. Ask Andrew Luck and Colin Kaepernick if success is harder to come by without Reggie Wayne and Michael Crabtree - note that Luck still has a pretty good pair of weapons in TY Hilton and Coby Fleener and Kaepernick still has Vernon Davis...

Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jefferies don't qualify as legit wideouts? They are making Josh Mcown look really good when his entire career says otherwise.

EJ does have to improve his accuracy, but when two of your receivers are SJ an TJ and the others are rookies, I think it is very hard. SJ is really crumbling. That INT earlier was completely on him - following on the woeful fumble from last week. How is it that TJ Graham has only 18 catches so far this season - yet he still is on the field most of the time? They have to have someone who can do better than that. The defense is a real shame. I am appalled that they are so bad.

There are teams lining up to hire Pettine as their HC! Funny that people were actually worried about that a little earlier in the season.

Now we have them where we want them! Why can't this team EVER stop the stinking run?

I am with you. I can't believe the argument is even being made that weapons don't matter. A very few truly Hall of Fame QBs can still excel with lesser weapons, but those QBs are RARE and they would be even better with very good receivers.

And even in 82, Schliester had gambling problems so he had to be replaced - and it was for HOFer Elway