tennesseeboy

I like the way he's thinking. You can learn a lot from a game like that. Figure out what didn't work and correct it. I hope the team and coaching staff are looking at the defeat in this light as well.

I didn't think TT was all that bad, but there were a few factors to consider: First and foremost the offensive line was awful yesterday. Too many penalties and too little blocking. On the good side I don't think the line is as bad as they seemed on Sunday, given their improvement in pre-season and game one. They definitely lost focus and showed very little discipline. The offensive line coach should maybe slap them around like he did the teenage boys in Florida and get them lean, mean and disciplined. Second he did throw for three touchdowns and run for one, and playing come from behind. Third we should have run the ball more. The first drive was a work of art and keeping Brady on the bench would have been a smart game plan. Fourth, maybe subliminally we are comparing him to Brady....I hate Brady....but he is one hell of a quarterback. I was talking with colleagues this morning and we posited the theory that he was a second string qb at Michigan and made a deal with the devil. I want to give that more thought...but it would explain a lot. No human is that good Fifth, Ryan got outcoached this time. He's got to get back to the drawing board and back on track. Conclusion...TT wasn't all that bad and we should expect him to get better.

Seems like we have to evaluate how the player will do in his new team, and what we have replaced the player with (what kind of hole, if any, is left to the Bills). That being the case I have to go with Kiko. Fred will be missed because we liked him and he probably has one or two good years and he is reliable, but we have McCoy and some good backs. Chandler will play well in New England, but we have five very good tight ends. I think the issue. I'm not sure about the linebackers at this point and if pressed I'd have to go with Kiko. I'm beginning to lean toward none of the above...but maybe I'm too much of an optimist about this year's team.

I see the Bills having a strong season. Soft spots in the defensive backfield may be because of Darby's development and I suspect Ryan is game planning to give him help. McCoy's injury seems quite nagging, and I still don't have a clue as to Karlos' "medical procedure" and how long that will hold him out, so I'm not all that sure of our "ground and pound" at least for the first few games. My prediction would be an average first third of the season, a good second third and a full force show of strength the final 5 games with Tyrod getting comfortable, the receivers in full force and McCoy back in pro bowl form. The defense will start good and get magnificent as the season goes on.

Darby is probably working night and day on preparing for the Colts game and playing on Thursday would not be of any particular benefit. I agree with everyone on the learning curve issue and we are going to have to give the guy space. I suspect there is defensive game planning going on to give him some help against Indianapolis. We've been through this with every rookie cornerback since Winfield and clements so let's root for him and watch him grow into the job.

I can't believe that Whaley would be able to make a decision such as this without it being something that Pegula and Ryan were okay with. The reaction of the fans and the fact that he is a viable number 2 back and veteran make it unlikely Whaley would have acted on his own. I think it was not the best decision as I don't feel any of the younger backs are proven and the road to the Superbowl for us calls for a playoff run this year and I think Jackson would have been on on the field running, blocking and passing back who would have been a proven alternative if the injured McCoy has problems. That being said, Whaley, Pegula and especially Ryan have seen a lot more of the situation than I have and I'll have to go with their judgment. Wishing Freddie the best on and off the field.

I kind of got the impression he was pressing Cassell for the job and doing a very good job of it...but not that the job was his or that he displaced Cassell in any way. I think he COULD make a challenge for the job on Thursday and overtake Cassell with a good to great performance. If he doesn't the hunt goes on. If TT blows it I suspect Ryan will commit to Cassell as it is getting toward time in the preseason where the one and two should be identified. I'm kind of hoping for Taylor, but it is too early to say he is ahead of Cassell. EJ on the other hand is pretty clearly odd man out--at least as far as the #1 and #2 slots go.

Tough business, but it appears that at least now Cassell is in a fight for number one with TT and that will eat up first team snaps, and then the snaps will be geared for acclimating number one and number two for the season. EJ gets third QB, or cut. EJ may find a place elsewhere, Ryan has seen all three do plenty of work in the last few months, and it is certainly time to get ready for the regular season.

I was hopeful for EJ this year to show up as a good starter. The way things appear (from this board and news reports) he isn't in the running as a starter and it may be time to cut the cord. I guess I would let him perhaps start the second preseason game and unless he shows a hell of a lot in that time I'd cut him after the game and start giving all the work to Cassell and TT. As it is Cassell is getting reps as if he were the starter and I'm not hearing ANY assertion that TT or EJ are pressing him. If you're keeping a third qb and the choice is expensive EJ or cheap Matt Sims I suspect they will go with Sims.

You figure woerld war II had one of the highest, if not the highest Civilian to military kill ratios in history with 70 million dead and a ratio of around 67%. More disturbing is it validates (as the war progressed) the bombing of purely or primarily civilian targets such as Dresden and for that matter Tokyo as well as Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I'm not sure what we (or the Chinese or the Russians) are targeting but I'm assuming that a great number of the targets are heavilty populated cities. Given that we did chose the first targets for nuclear attack as primarily civilian targets we pretty much set the stage for WW III. I just got back from six months in the Baltics and after a previous stint in Ukraine, I'm not convinced the Russians are all that opposed to pushing the envelope even when it comes to possible use of nuclear weapons.

It seems to be pointing to Cassell from what I'm reading on this board and in various articles. Tyrod or EJ had to make a move to get the spot and it appears they haven't to date. Cassell might be an improvement over Orton, and if we have to go with one of the three I'd take the guy least likely to lose the game with dumb moves. I wish we had other choices, but Cassell is looking like the guy...at least for now.

that and punching the kid in the face and threatening to kill his family. The guy embarrassed the team at a time it needed stability. I expect the bills to finish the investigation and if it appears the allegations are true to dump the guy

I hope I'm wrong...but I suspect Ryan is less than impressed with the three qbs we have right now and he is still looking. Nobody seems to be raving about any of the three we have, even on this board...I don't think bringing Matt Simms is in a good sign.

Interesting and I hope Taylor gets a chance to show his stuff here in Buffalo. I don't understand the reporter saying no one has stepped in after an injury and had a productive season. Kurt Warner and (gag!) Tom Brady stepped in and won superbowls and Matt Cassell had a great season when Brady went down early. I don't think its all THAT rare.

Now THAT's the way we treat our vets...lets cut the flyover crap.

Jesus heals....Models heel.

As a Viet Nam vet and with a son in law serving in the Middle East right now I think the govt might be a little more "honoring" if they would give active duty combat soldiers the R and R we got in Nam, better paychecks, GI Bill education benefits....the "honoring" at football games is bull ****.

I have to consider performance at playoff and championships as well as regular season. I think the list for me would be::::Brady (gag!), Montana, Bradshaw, Otto Graham and Sammy Baugh.

Well Doug...there is always the Arena league....Couldn't possibly happen to a nicer guy. Maybe teams are reluctant to hire a poor recruiter, lackluster play-caller, back-stabbing, self-centered egomaniac....but hey someone might actually like those qualities..

If Marrone actually objected to the signing of Manuel and trade for Watkins my opinion of him would rise to his being a mediocre coach as opposed to a crummy coach and poor judge of talent. If he didn't have any responsibility for the moves they should fire whoever did. We could have stayed pat and gotten Odell Beckham, Ebron or Tyler Lewan and still had a first round pick in this year's draft. Marrone is not a stand up guy and I suspect he is just trying to weasel out of a collective set of bad decisions.

Will the new coach be WAY worse than Marrone. In the first instance I'm not convinced Marrone was all that good to begin with, and he made a raft of bad decisions.I suspect there are a number of coaches we are interviewing who would be good head coaching choices and who definitely wouldn't be WAY worse than Marrone. Reich, Schwartz, and others are pretty close to a sure thing to be at least a good coach. There are some headscratchers bing interviewed (Ryan for one) but I'm hopeful.

I have less and less respect for Marrone. We vastly overpaid for Watkins in a draft full of excellent wide receivers who would have been available. The group made a decision to give up this year's first round choice to get a guy who is great but maybe not even as great as others who were available. Couple that with the "group" decision to go for EJ and Marrone's overly conservative offense play and now his unprofessional (and apparently ongoing) badmouthing of his former employer and I just don't understand why he is such a hot coaching prospect. Schwarz, if anyone on the coaching staff, is the guy who most teams should consider over Marrone. Maybe I'm missing something but I don't understand all this Marrone love.

I've been a fan since 1960...have bad times...have good times....They're still my bills. Giving up on the board occasionally? yup...but never on the bills.

I am not at all optimistic about EJ but this is a nothing game and Orton is a nothing qb so we might see if EJ has learned anything. Jim Plunkett was a mess in New England and never became a hall of fame qb until he sat on the bench in Oakland for a year. Nothing to lose in seeing if EJ learned anything. My assessment of him so far is pretty much the same as yours and if we were still in the hunt I'd want Orton to start.

I wanted to draft Baluga years ago. Might as well get him now. Iupati would be aHUGE upgrade. I'd draft another guard as well. Quarterback? I just don't know what will be available in rounds 2 and 3. I'm not all that confident in Mallett but what the hell...he may be all that is available.