uncle flap

so why the delay in the state of the bills address? now i think nix is gonna announce hes stepping back and letting whaley run the show

are the bills really a train wreck? there's gotta be talented coaches out there who think they can work with a team still young enough (as a whole) to mold them as he sees fit. just came across this SI article highlighting potential candidates. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/don_banks/12/29/black.monday.primer/2.html however, as stated in the article: ""I've never seen such a dearth of candidates,'' a long-time league observer told me. "There have been so many firings for so long now that the body bags have started to stack up. It's getting harder to find quality candidates.'' do you think any of these guys mentioned would be a good fit?

hopefully, nix is taking the time to see which coaches are being canned in the hopes he can lure somebody and their staff. or perhaps he's been in talks with the likes of cowher or gruden or some other big name, but hasnt finalized a deal (or hasnt been definitively rejected) the article mentioned nix is meeting with ralph. we can all assume nix needs ralph's blessing on any major overhauls. please let nix tell us he's stepping back to promote whaley and that whether or not chan stays or goes, there will be a new OC and DC. if anything, i think it's safe to assume there's some sort of major announcement. why else would you delay the presser?

offense: bell should be gone or at least not penciled in as the starter. pick up or draft a tackle for competition. maybe with a full offseason, hairston can emerge as a serviceable starter. keep stevie, sign a vet WR that can stretch the field or at least take attention away from stevie. we may have a legit wr in brad smith with a full offseason. chandler can stay or go, as long as the bills have TWO versatile tight ends. spread offense doesnt mean you cant run the ball. but without a deep threat, the defense can cheat towards the line of scrimmage. even if its donald jones send him deep regularly. they dont have to throw it to him often, but at least it takes away a DB or two from run support and underneath coverage. restructure fred's contract - big bonus, but the rest should be incentive based. considering his age and latest injury, it would be prudent to reward him for the past few years of him performing on the cheap but also keep the door ajar so they arent on the hook if he cant regain his "pro bowl" caliber performance. fitz is not the answer, and he's shown it. however, it doesnt look like there's a worthwhile alternative. take a flyer on a 3rd or 4th rd qb, or just sit tight and hope we can draft a 1st rounder in 2013. defense: i love scott but no need to resign him with searcy in the wings. i know the D needs to generate pass rush, but they need all around OLB talent. guys who can cover as well. TEs murder the bills. whats the point of hurrying the QB when he can just hot read to a TE that spencer johnson or kelsay is trying to cover. dwan edwards, kyle williams, and dareus are always down line men. essentially i think they should run a "hybrid" where moats/kelsay/merriman or "pass rusher to be acquired" has a hand on the ground and plays as a DE. the other three LBs are barnett, sheppard, and the other LB acquired this offseason. draft or sign a corner too. _____________________________________________ so draft 2 OLBS, 1 OT, 1 CB, maybe a QB, maybe a TE, maybe a WR not in that order, but those are the needs as i see them. what you dont draft, you go after in FA. im not in love with the coaching, but ill wait another year to see if they can right the ship. except george edwards. if i was gm i wouldve already fired him.

that's scary. instead of man on man coverage, what i hope/think the bills do is run like a cover 2 sink, so the middle is crowded w dbs and lbs - kinda like what DCs were doing to the bills to counter the short passing games. clog up the middle of the field which hopefully neutralizes gronk hernandez and welker. make them throw deep if they want to pass. sure, theyll be able to get some modest gains on the ground, but i dont think its in belichik's/brady's mindset to give up on passing and commit to a run-first philosophy. bills had a lot of success playing a read and react defense last week. i know denver and new england arent even on the same planet, but the idea of lots of bodies in the passing lanes might get some tipped balls and picks like the first time around. most importantly, RUN CJ AND KEEP THE PATS* OFFENSE OFF THE FIELD!!!

wow some of you guys are some mr. softie pansy pussycats. "oh no, some secondhand smoke is wafting in my personal hygiene zone!!!" i bet you wear spf 150 indoors and have your mom check under your bed in your parents basement for monsters before you go to sleep. you're probably the same schmucks that ask people to sit down and not cheer so loudly. seriously tho, what was the problem with the smoking areas hidden by the gates? bills got rid of smoking for a publicity bump and prob got a grant or tax break from ny or the county. and to all those baffled about not being able to not smoke for 3-4 hours: it's not about the time, its the environment. for example, i go without smoking during a full day's work. but when i'm having a good time drinking and pigging out in a party atmosphere, i'd like to be able to smoke to complement the experience. so overpriced beer/concessions, invasive security procedures, asinine parking/traffic rules, occasional competitive football, and foul-mouthed rowdy drunks are okay, but someone's DESIRE to smoke in a designated area is offensive? lots of people dont ENJOY secondhand smoke. but i doubt exposure outdoors for a few minutes here and there is enough to cause serious detriment to your health. ill leave it to someone else to find some statistics, but i'm sure it's marginal when coupled with the exhaust fumes from tens of thousands of cars. or do you guys wear surgical masks walking thru the parking lots?

what i noticed/suspected during the game - and was subsequently confirmed by a few of the players in post game comments - was that the defense was playing sand lot football. they were lining up in man and playing a read and react scheme. which is to say there was no "scheme" per se, you just get on the field and stop the offense. why it was successful is that denver's option running game is also read and react. i wont argue that the bills' DBs are elite by any means, but denver's receivers aren't all that good, and when you couple that with tebow's arm, well, you see the results. on almost every single play the bills were in a man cover one with one safety deep. it was the perfect recipe to shut them down. an mlb - usually sheppard - was basically playing qb spy. i'm surprised that denver's staff couldnt see this and just start throwing swing passes to the flat. i mean, even my drunk ass had it pegged from the rockpile. as far as a statement game for edwards: he's either to be commended for basically getting out of the players way and letting them play (i think the players were actually free to call the plays and make their choice of pre play adjustments), or he's been exposed bc the d played their best with minimal instructions.

maybe i'm mistaken, but i dont remember ralph and the FO asking for patience in the way they have been during this current regime. the optimist in me wants to believe that the team is not interested in going balls to the wall in free agency to try to make a run at the title the way a lot of posters are clamoring for. yes it is possible to turn a team around in 2-3 years. but it isnt easy or likely. there is not a magic formula. say the bills sign a bunch of overpriced or even fairly priced albeit expensive veteran free agents. that will have to be at the expense of guys the team has drafted and ideally wants to develop. so then youve made this huge commitment to winning now. maybe the bills get hot at the right time and even *gasp* win a playoff game or two. hell, maybe they win a championship. but then those vets start getting old and ineffective. and youre back we were 2 years ago. a bunch of young inexperienced guys. instead, what i hope we've been witnessing is the beginnings of a team that is built for the long haul with a solid base of talent and an identity. the patience angle isnt exciting, and i certainly wont be surprised if the bills mess it up anyway, i just think/hope that they're building a team the right way. if the patience pays off and weve got a team that is a perennial contender, i'd be happier watching years of back to back competitive football than i would watching one or maybe two years of competitive football and going back to the 3 yr coaching FO personnel carousel.

instead of writing an essay about how much we dont know about what goes on behind the scenes, i'm just going to say that so far, i dont have any major problems with what nix has done. i dont totally agree with everything, but nobody is perfect, and it's not like he's got an easy job. at this point, i'll give him a B, mostly because i think his actions have generally improved the team for the long haul. that's not to say there isnt more he couldve or shouldve done in addtion to, or instead of, what he has done. because we dont know to what extent nix is free to run the football dept as he sees fit, i dont think its totally fair to criticize him (personally) for not signing so and so, or drafting this guy over this guy, etc. of course my patience has worn thin after so much futility, but i also realize building a winner takes time. for those of you giving poor grades- what would it take for nix to have earned an A or B in your minds? i dont mean to be combative, i'm just curious. I think it's too early to label him a failure or even substandard. it may be another 3 or 4 years (or more) til you see to fruits of his recent actions. i dont think i need to remind anyone that nix inherited a team in shambles.

over the years, i've found this site to be pretty reliable. they do their homework and update often. walter football bad news, in my opinion: it has the bills drafting ND WR michael floyd in the first round. i'm sure that will change as the draft order shakes out. if you click on the Mock Drafts button on the left side, you'll see they do a pretty good job of aggregating mock drafts around the web. EDIT: nevermind that doesnt seem to work - here's the page with all the mocks: http://walterfootball.com/draftdata.php i think bills should go QB first round. prob not drafting high enough to get RG III but i'd try to trade up. if he's unavailable, i go OLB. and the OLB cant be just a pass rusher, bills need a good all around olb that can cover also. can we draft a defensive coordinator????

i've thought about this too. but then i realized that even if ralph et al were found guilty, it wouldnt change the last decade of futility. and what happens after that? bills fans and buffalonians are at best pitied by the rest of the nation, at worst (and more likely) we are just further ridiculed. also, what's worse - thinking your team is mismanaged, or knowing your team has been intentionally ran into the ground? are we more stupid/pathetic for rooting for a perennial loser, or for falling for a scam? ralph's and his estate's money are certainly a factor in decisions from the top down - i'm just hopeful it isnt the only factor. next year will be interesting. i expect the downward trend in ticket sales will continue. even if the org's plan is solely to make money, they still need to sell tickets. let's see what they do.

as previously mentioned a stud OLB is precisely what the dr ordered. 3-4 or 4-3, that is the glaring hole. i dont want just a pass rush specialist - they have merriman and moats and kelsay - they need a good all arould olb that can cover but just having that stud doesnt solve everything. the schemes are terrible. you have to work with what you have and design schemes and call plays to maximize your talent, not minimize your weaknesses!

i agree with most of that. draft priority should be qb, then olb - not just a pass rusher - a good all around olb that can cover. moats should be able to handle being a situational pass rusher with the right coaching (i hope). the rest of the draft should be bpa. the starting lineup before the injuries was not all that bad. they need depth and competition. a left tackle would be nice, but i dont want to count on picking a starting lt in round 3. re: free agency - talented veteran WR. and let's see if brad smith can make a conversion to full time WR. they should also be in the market for a corner. then look for players at any position with the "intangibles." be they guys that come from winning teams, guys that are vocal, guys that can school the younger prospects, whatever. an attitude adjustment can go a long way. and edwards has to go. the defense has no identity, and edwards's schemes neutralize the talent thats there.

wasn't whaley supposed to be a young up-and-coming GM? bet he regrets his decision to come to buffalo career suicide

it's "whoever," not whomever in that case. nice try, tho

this. there IS talent but it's overshadowed by the inept Edwards and the guys who suck REALLY suck. im soooooo tired of rebuilding and re-rebuilding and so on. i know teams cant completely rebuild in 3 years, but shouldnt we see some progress? REAL progress?

i dont remember what those other teams' schedules were like going down the stretch but even with the injuries GB has now, it seems very likely to me that they'll win out the regular season. of course, you know, "any given sunday," but raiders, chiefs, bears, lions? oak and kc basically suck. detroit and chicago look like theyre falling apart, and certainly dont have any of the momentum they each had earlier in the season. is that what we're talking about? or win out thru the super bowl?

i know that he isn't, but even if fitz was an elite QB would we recognize it? while the D has some promising young guys lining up with a couple studs, they are overall terrible. the O is also lacking in talent and depth. again, a couple young guys might be able to turn the corner and become decent starters or quality depth. my point is the odds are stacked against fitz to succeed on the current roster. anyone can argue that an elite QB would overcome these deficiencies and win despite the lack of surrounding talent. but look at the aforementioned indisputable "elite" QBs - they have support. sure every team has their weak spots, but aside from the colts, there is enough talent in other areas (including the coaching staff) to limit the impact of their weaknesses. i mean look at carolina - cam newton seems to be an elite qb in the making. what is their record again? and to all those saying, "well if fitz just made this throw or that throw, we wouldve won the game," i counter by saying he wouldnt've had to make that ONE throw if the defense had made a stop, or the coaches didnt get too cute with their play calling, or________ etc, etc there is no one single biggest problem, just like there is no one single solution. yeah, i want an elite QB, but they arent growing on trees, and right now i think the bills have bigger fish to fry. i see fitz as a solution, not a problem. he's a solid starter. im much more concerned that if he went down, there's tyler thigpen coming off the bench.

bowe AND stevie.

me too. but if you told me the last 3 Ls were straight shellackings that they didnt bother to show up for, i'd be pissed. it's awful hard to imagine winning when your team has essentially had 3 games to show that their hot streak at the beginning of the season was not a fluke and they still fail to instill ANY fear in the opposition. the last two were over in the 1st quarter - not necessarily by insurmountable leads but by a team that visibly lacks confidence. did anyone see any coaches or players trying to fire one another up on the bench? does anyone here think there's an NFL team out there scared to play the bills?

i mean, smith is the worst, but they gave ehrhoff a TON of $

right now ehrhoff but its a tight race. i think smith wins in the end

sorry for the ad hominem criticism... i just took offense feeling that i was personally being labeled as some type of bipolar fan. you are correct - and i agree- that, when viewed as a whole, the board certainly overreacts to the ebb and flow of the team's performance. however, i think i asked a valid question - is it possible that chan thinks the simple solution to the team's recent woes is a matter of proper execution? could it be possible that there is another problem? an underlying problem related to coaching? maybe. maybe not. we dont know, but we sure can wonder. and wonder out loud here on the internet. i think there was quite a thoughtful discussion here. i was entertained, and full from food for thought. john - reread my OP and tell me again where I am suffering from kneejerkitis. actually, don't bother because i know you weren't referring to me even though you quoted my thread title. we are all fans here. i realize you are sometimes in a difficult position here due to your line of work. sorry i called your profession out. i'm a teacher - so feel free to poke fun at that if you wish. go bills, and here's to hoping you're covering our favorite team at lucas oil stadium in a few months!

What you're saying about lack of talent means we won because of Kyle Williams and the other players who are out now and weren't before. Therefore, they won despite gaileys coaching?

this is such a weak point of view and terrible rhetoric. chan appeared to be a genius the first few weeks, now, i'm not so sure. why? because the bills were playing well and winning, now they aren't. it's not some baseless wild mood swing - it's a reaction to results. must be nice to be a journalist and live in an emotional vacuum. sheesh. my BETTER IDEA is to keep a safety deep so Romo thinks twice about launching it down the field. on that play, bills showed blitz. romo audibled, and bills didnt adjust to his adjustment. The real answer begins with, "It depends..." But... i'm sure you noticed in my OP that i admit the players aren't executing or playing with a fire in their bellies. fixing that helps a lot. in the dallas game: i would've called more running plays early. keeps the defense fresh and the cowboys offense off of the field. or maybe with the 5 wide sets, send EVERYONE deep and let fitz run some qb draws. I'm not a coach, i just play madden. but i know if your opponent knows what youre going to do before you do it, youre in trouble. maybe i didnt articulate it well enough in the OP, but my problem is that chan and the players are saying, "we just need to execute better." while that's true, the unsaid message that accompanies that idea is that the play calling and scheming are just fine. maybe chan doesnt want to show his cards, but since we havent seen any changes in the play calling or game plans, i'm worried chan is unable to see that he has to throw some more wrinkles in to keep defense honest, and stop them from sitting on the 5-10 yard routes. THE OFFENSE IS TOO PREDICTABLE AND CHAN SAYS IT'S A MATTER OF EXECUTION. i just don't think it's that simple.