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Well put! I run into a problem here, sometimes, when I post about the need for Buffalo to do whatever it takes to draft the next good QB - and I've said, if the Bills don't stand a chance at competing for a SuperBowl, I'd rather see them tank for a year, get the good draft pick, and get the QB! So many fans, though, get angry with that sentiment, thinking it's the equivalent of throwing out the season, or wishing losses on the Bills. On the Contrary, though - I love the Bills, and I wish they'd do great every week. I just fear that it will come down to this: the Bills find ways to win enough games to get close to the playoffs, or in, and then lose - all the while Fitz has played as he has - terribly. After the season Gailey supports Fitz, saying he had a lot of touchdowns, he just needs to limit his mistakes, it's all fixable. I fear they'll use marginal success as an excuse to keep Fitz - and he WILL keep us from ever winning a championship. I would trade this "marginal" success for a season that sees us lose more games than we win, as long as the byproduct of this season is the aggressive pursuit of a new QB! I just want the Bills to be legitimate - to be truly capable of competing week in and out - and, so long as Fitz is our QB, it isn't really possible.

I didn't exclude Cam Newton on purpose. I express my opinions here about this Buffalo Bills team - but they're only my opinions. It is my opinion that even if Buffalo's defense turns into a very good unit, and if we're healthy and make the playoffs, we'll NEVER get to where we want to be with Fitzpatrick as our QB. HE IS JUST TOO LIMITED IN WHAT HE'S CAPABLE OF DOING! Other teams know how to play him, and it is only on account of Gailey's creative play calling and Spiller's will-power that Buffalo has won any games this year at all. I believe Tarvaris Jackson would play better than Fitz. I believe Dalton, Skelton, McCoy - many QB's would be capable of outperforming him, given the right amount of preparation in the system. Fitz is what is keeping this team down MORE THAN ANY OTHER PLAYER (coaching and ownership is another story), and QB is the most important position in the NFL! Face it - you can't be a great team without a very good QB, and you aren't going to find one in the later rounds unless you're exceptionally lucky - it can happen once in a blue moon - or, in FA, again, except once in maybe 4-5 years one comes available. Buffalo has tried to throw anyone in there - has tried to get away with NOT going aggressively after a top, 1st round QB, and it has caught up to them. That is my opinion.

You never say no to aquiring excellent players - unless they're such cancers in the locker room that they do more harm than good - but, the first question that comes to my mind in reading this speculation is: what difference will another WR make when the guy throwing the ball cannot throw it accurately more than 15 yards? If there's money and maneuverability after such a trade to aggresively go after a good QB, then I say I'm all in on it. However, if such a trade were to limit Buffalo's financial ability to get a QB, then the answer should be NO. QB should be Buffalo's only priority - in other words, until Buffalo gets a QB, nothing else they do will matter, and considering they've neglected the position for years, it is time to isolate that priority and commit all resources to the answer. After all - how well would Bowe deal with it when he's being under/over thrown 3 or 4 times a game, and then seeing Stevie getting 50% or more of the passes thrown his way... I just think it would be potentially a bad move, unless they explain to him a new QB is on the way after this year, and to spend this year just learning the system.

I'd go farther and say Fitz negatively effected our losing games - even on the defensive side. A defense has to believe if they go out there and shut down a team, get a 3 and out, that the offense is going to take advantage of the stop, go and put some points up, give the defense a little rest, and also an edge, in the form of a lead. However, when a defense plays well, and the offense goes out and turns it over, or goes 3 and out, it negates what the defense did. Sure, some great defenses carried a team in the past, but I believe our players aren't nearly there yet, and if our offense isn't scoring, it demoralizes the defense. This can in no way be proven, of course, but I think had we had a much better QB, our defense would have played better, too - it wouldn't have been on the field for so long, and it would have had something to play for. We all saw the game - the Jets, the 49ers, the Patriots last half - our defense KNEW even if they stopped the opposition, our offense wasn't going to score. That is on Fitzpatrick, Gailey, and Nix - Fitzpatrick is so awful the offense has to play to his only strengths, which good defenses can take away. On Gailey and Nix, well, they should have known better. I will say, though, that given the right coaching and a good young QB, this team looks like its right on the cusp of being a serious team for quite a while. The future isn't lost - only our hopes as long as Fitz is the active QB.

I've been a Bills fan my ENTIRE life - as far back as 6 years old I remember watching games on a small 19" black and white tv. I've lamented the fact the Bills, this past decade plus, have been the most average, mundane franchise in the NFL - but never bad enough to get a chance at a real franchise QB. Never good enough, and never bad enough. As far as this season goes, I feel the same as ever - if you're not going to be a serious contender, then spend the year developing talent that is too young to otherwise get a shot. See what you have. Especially as poorly as our team has done in evaluating talent, they need the game footage to know, for instance, as an example, that Spiller is better than Jackson... When it comes to keeping Fitz in, I thought for the better part of a year that it was stubbornness, on Gailey's part. Now, though, these past two weeks, I've begun to suspect there is a rule in Buffalo: if a player is paid top dollars, that player is not riding the bench - unless he cannot play (meaning, minor injuries are no excuse for not playing). It would explain Mario Williams and Fitzpatrick's playing DESPITE continually TELLING reporters they're HURT!!! I don't know - it's really the only excuse that, for me, makes Gailey's performance acceptable. If he CANT make those kinds of decisions, then it only further justifies why some more prominent HC's won't entertain the idea of coming to Buffalo. That kind of thing, really - and, I mean the intervention in H.C.'s job by ownership - makes it really hard to control and coach a team. Look at the history in Dallas of late. Washington before Shannahan. Bills - some of the head scratching moves they've made - how many of them, behind closed doors, were on account of Ralph or Overdorf, or some of the top men? I recall recently Marcelus Wiley said something to that effect - that Wilson intervened and made the coaches play Rob Johnson in the playoff game instead of Flutie.

I do not agree that a QB would take 2 years or so to ready for the NFL. I could easily see Gailey SAYING he needs time, but look no further than Miami - I know, people wrote them off early, but good organizations are made by good coaches, and Miami has one from Green Bay, now, that Green Bay is missing - their rookie QB was not supposed to be able to play for a year or two, productively, at least. Look at Seattle. A 3rd rounder. Luck. Griffin. It doesn't need to take that long anymore. Especially with a QB "Guru" laden team, like Buffalo (Gailey and Lee) - I mean, is anyone here willing to admit they don't think a rookie QB worth a pick, even in the seventh round, couldn't make all the throws Fitz is making? I happen to think the only thing that will buy Gailey time, and could save his chance at a positive legacy, is going all in on a highly rated rookie QB next year. Nothing else, to me, could save him.

It may be the case that most coaches do not survive a failed Franchise QB - but, this is no normal NFL franchise. All things considered - unless Ralph were to hand down the order himself, that Gailey be held accountable for that contract - I think if Fitz were dropped after this season, they could say they paid an NFL average for an average NFL QB these last 2 years, and go get a rookie sensation (he'd have to be highly touted, say, one of the top 3 coming out), then Gailey could go into next season with a relatively fresh team. A new QB after this year would give Gailey a new lease on his tenure. Nix, on the other hand, has more to change to get off the hot seat. He's got to worry about the QB, about Mario Williams production, about Dave Wannstedt's defense, and about Gailey's ability to lead a winning team. Nix has a lot more factors involved, a lot more IF's to figure to keep his job safe.

I really think the Buffalo Bills staff needs to answer some questions, at the least after this season, and figure out who is making decisions, and who needs to take responsibility for decisions. Some things that need accounting for: Fitzpatrick played more than half of last year "hurt" - which was the excuse for his poor play. Yet, he was never replaced on the field. Fitzpatrick, going into this season, had no major upgrade behind him, and his play has gotten worse, IMO - and still, no replacement on the field. It is my belief his contract has made it necessary for Nix or Gailey or both to make him play - to earn the money (probably an edict handed down by Ralph or Overdorf). Nevertheless, roster spots are being wasted - and money - on players who never were intended to see the field. It's just bad, bad management. We are seeing Spiller light up the NFL. His play is on pace to break records. It is OBVIOUS that without him Fitz wouldn't have had 75% of his touchdowns, as Spiller moved the ball and took pressure of Fitz. Freddy is hurt - still admitting to not being 100%, and even at 100% he doesn't give the Bills what Spiller does - and still, Freddy is getting the majority of carries when both are healthy. Who is going to get Spiller to stay in Buffalo when his contract is up - in what, 2 years? - when Buffalo let him waste the better part of his first 2 seasons here, and then made him split - unevenly - his carries when he really hit his stride? Spiller needs to be given the attention and the chance to take his game wherever it is going to go - or we might see Spiller eager to get out from under a shadow he never should have been forced to stay too long under. (no disrespecting Fred - he's a great runner, and would be a great chance of pace back, but Spiller needs to have the lead role) We have Mario Williams - also just handed an enormous contract - play pitifully for the first 5 games, claiming that he's injured. Yet, it doesn't show up on the injury report, and he is put out on the field every game. If he is injured to the point where he isn't making an impact, why not sit him for a week and let him heal? Let him go into the game when he's "healthy" enough to play WITHOUT an excuse? Again, I get the impression he's going to be playing no matter what, unless his legs are broken. We're going to end up with no clear impression of his real value. There are countless more examples of a staff that is run enigmatically and erratically, and if big changes - especially a new QB - aren't made after this season, I for one, will not be spending any more time on an organization that seems more intent on keeping itself down than getting out of its own way.

I don't know why everyone is simply writing off Tarvaris Jackson. He's had more legitimate success in an NFL offense than Fitz has. Anyone who watches these games this year has to admit - Fitz doesn't look like an NFL QB. He simply cannot pass accurately enough to make throws a QB SHOULD NEVER MISS! And he misses throws like that often! Tarvaris Jackson might not have as good a grasp, pre-snap, of the offense, as Fitz has, but he's definitely going to be more accurate, and he'll immediately give our offense the possibility of passes in the 10-25 yard range - a range currently not taken seriously by our opposition. I believe, at this time, that had we kept that Youtube sensation, and had we played him all along, that he'd be making better throws and having much better games by now than Fitz. Tanney? It's also my growing suspicion that BECAUSE the contract Fitz got, Ralph has made it clear (or Nix) that he's playing, to earn that money, unless his arm is falling off! We need a new QB. Give Tarvaris a chance until we can go get a real QB. Nix should be held accountable for not having a legitimate option on this roster for 2 years, now.

In my opinion - and, I've said it so many times - it's the coaches MORE than the players. Coaches envision a scheme, a type of offense or defense they believe can be great, and then they find the right types of players to fill the roster with; or, they see who they have, and then they figure out a scheme that will make those players successful. Either way, it starts with a decision on the part of the coach to assemble the players in a certain way - I call it IDENTITY. Use, as an example, the decision by Seattle to go with 3 DT's and a DE in the run downs. That is what I call creative, or innovative, play calling. It is functional. You've got 11 guys who can be mixed in a wide range of combinations to achieve what you want - why, especially in today's age of brilliant QB's - give the offense PREDICTABLE formations and plays? That is Buffalo's problem. One of many, I should add. Our defense is PREDICTABLE. Our coaches seem SCARED. They behave like they're afraid to go out on a limb. We have the personnel on both sided to be a successful team. However, until we get the coaches who are doing something other than following the curve of the NFL, we'll be stuck with the mediocrity we've had (as a note, Gailey's offensive play calling is not altogether orthodox or normal, however, he is PREDICTABLE because of the limitations Fitzpatrick puts on them).

Thanks for the post! I agree with much of what you're saying. The problems are numerous. Why not begin with coaching? I've said it before - don't spend hundreds of millions of dollars on players until you've spent what you need to to get a great coach. Great coaches can do more for a team than 10 good players. That applies to our coaches - they're not getting the job done. They appear to be getting outcoached. As for talent - well, it's been obvious to almost all of us fans for more than two years now - Fitz isn't going to get us to the playoffs, and certainly not to a SuperBowl. When you have to make special gameplans to accomodate a QB's weaknesses - as we always have to do - then it is no wonder every defense looks great against us. They know exactly what Fitz cannot do, and they know what he likes to do. That is a recipe for disaster. You NEED to have a QB who can get the ball to any place on the field with a good degree of consistency. Really - with the right coaches, we only need a legitimate QB, another big, speedy WR, and a superstar LB. If the right people were running this organization, we'd trade up next year and get the QB in the draft. Then we'd do whatever we had to to either trade for, pick up in FA, or draft the other 2 needs. It is within reach of one offseason. Unfortunately for us, this organization is so blunderingly terrible that we'll probably see someone in the coaching staff get canned, another scheme change, and another multiple year prognosis for getting better. All of which will only add fuel to the perception that the Bills are ready to be moved. If I could see this team's future unwind as I would like, it would happen like this: We'd get an owner or ownership group here in Buffalo that would keep the team here - maybe build a stadium near Niagra Falls (seems like a no-brainer, especially with the Canadian fanbase). Then he'd go out and get a very good GM - maybe someone like Parcells - who would get us the right coaches to turn this thing around. First thing they do - get that QB in the draft. WV's QB would be a nice way to bring in a new era in Buffalo, no? It can be done in one year. It should be. That's why it's so hard to continue to be an active Bills fan - we, the fans, are capable of making better decisions than the ownership.

If you had to, and the scouts believed he'd be as good in the pro's, then YES. There is just WAY TOO MUCH emphasis put on a draft - one draft, or, rather, the idea of one draft being traded for one player, as being a terrible move that would set a team back for years. I'll tell you this: if Geno Smith turned out as good as Griffin III, then it would be worth it. What do we end up with with our drafts, usually, anyway? Look at Nix's first draft - Spiller, Carrington, Troupe, Moats, White... my point is, other than Spiller, I'd take a star QB over any and all of the guys we drafted that year. Because, if we need to aquire, say, a LB and a WR as well as a QB next year - we could get the QB with the draft, go get FA WR and LB, and go into camp with a team that still would have many 2nd and 3rd year players. We'd probably be instantly a top 12 team with a better LB and a good QB. (if our D-Coordinator figures things out) My point is this - even an entire draft for the right QB, who will be here playing great for a decade would end up adding more wins, more strength to this team than that same draft without the QB, and a bunch of Troups, Carringtons, Moats, etc. I'm not suggesting that extreme trade policy for just any player or situation. Ours is unique. We are never bad enough to have the QB land at our spot, and we never trade up, so we just never end up with a QB - and, you cannot win in this league without one (the exceptions to that rule require Genius coaching and a superstar defense - again, which would take as much to aquire as a draft for a QB).

I couldn't agree more - that our biggest problem has been, these past 10+ years, that we've been just good enough to remain average. That has prevented us from having a real, franchise caliber QB fall to us in the draft. It has not - however - prevented us from trading up to get one. As for Fitz, I think he is horrendous. I think he is a very big part of the defenses problem, too. I know a lot of people would balk at at that, but my reasoning is this: I think the defense is so demoralized by the knowledge that if they stop someone, the offense is only going to turn it right back over again. A defense plays much, much better when it believes a stop will give the offense a chance to score, instead of a stop merely briefly postponing more needed stops to come. And, besided the defense, the offense cannot function professionally with Fitz at the QB spot - his limitations neccessitate Gailey's game plans also be limited, and the opposing defenses know this. Unless Fitz can miraculously begin to be able to pass accurately for more than 15 yards, he is done. I'm all for the Bills winning. However, I won't watch another season after this one with Fitz as the Qb. He should never have been handed the job without at least having serious competition, and a young understudy. If the Bills win enough to make it interesting at the end of the year, the Bills had better also do whatever it takes to move up in the draft next year to get that QB they desperately need, because without a good one this team will forever be mediocre, at best.

I have to agree - the problem seems to be the coaching staff. I'm not blaming Nix to the point where I'd like to see him gone; I think he's done a good job in the player department. I think he's done a poor job managing the hiring of coaches. And, of course, if Nix is responsible for Fitzpatrick - because I always thought it was Gailey who pushed for Fitz to stay - then I think that is a monumental blunder. However, other than QB, I think Nix has done what he set out to do with players. There's no doubt in my mind that other coaches - some four or five - could have come in here and we'd be seeing a winning team, a strong team, a tough team. The players are going to be forced to adapt to the style a coach wants to see. If our coaches do not find it important enough to make the players play with grit, toughness, relentless nastiness - then the players aren't going to. I'd like to see some changes to the staff, I think. I'd be willing to let Gailey stick with a new QB for one year, see how that pans out. But, this defense is a real conundrum. I can't blame anyone but Wannstedt. If it doesn't shape up - quite a bit - then I think we'll have to see another new DC.

As I see it, we desperately need that rookie sensation QB - someone like Luck or Griffin - to make Buffalo relevent again. We'll need to win, as that is the whole point, but a superstar rookie QB who could be entrenched as a Buffalo Bill for 10+ years, a face for this franchise that is constantly being sneered at and ridiculed by the media, is what we need. If we have to trade 3 1st round picks to get him - the way I see it, as I've said before, is our other 1st round picks don't end up making a difference without the QB, it seems, and they end up fading out or being let go. I'm not just regurgitating what I previously said. It occured to me that because the Bills are in danger of being moved - however much that might be a reality - that should make trading those future picks that much more a potential. Worse case scenario we're not here in a few years anyway. Best case scenario, the kid is dynamite, the Bills are back on top and important again, and we get a buyer here in WNY. It just seems like the only way to go, IMO. Go get that QB no matter what. If there is anything we can do - anything we can do, we should do it, to finally have the QB position settled.