hondo in seattle

I have a different recollection of OJ's yards. OJ was the Bills in those days. Sure Fergie was a decent QB and we had some decent wideouts. But teams understood that if they stopped OJ - or even slowed him down - they would win the game. So all the game-planning against the Bills was about OJ. Sometimes ProBowl LBs would be told to spy on OJ. Their only job was to go where OJ was and make sure he didn't get a big play. Despite every effort to stop him, OJ averaged 143 yards per game in '73 and 6 yards per carry.

I think you're probably pretty accurate. I'm noticing some debatable predictions though: You cut Maybin and McCargo. You kept Mt. Jasper on the 53 man squad despite his rawness. You put Roosevelt on the Practice Squad despite the fine camp he's having. Not saying you're wrong. I'm just noticing.

One the positive side, we were 4-4 in the 2nd half of the season last year. But there are lots of question marks. On the offensive side, I'm hoping each of the starting 5 Off. Linemen plays better than they've played before. The optimist in me says it's possible. The realist says that's a lot to ask. On the defensive side, we're looking at a very different front seven. That's good because our run defense was horrible last year. But it remains to be seen if this front seven is better. How will Dareus fare as a rookie? Is Merriman healthy? I'm hoping for 10-6, expecting 8-8, and wouldn't be shocked by 6-10. But it won't be worse than that.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/6907909/page/2/ 2. O.J. Simpson (1969-79) Before he became accused of more sinister actions, “The Juice” was an electrifying runner with unequaled explosiveness at the line of scrimmage that allowed him to use his world-class sprinter’s speed far downfield. His spectacular runs made the Buffalo Bills’ franchise so popular, the city built huge stadium in the suburb of Orchard Park. Simpson’s accomplishments – he retired No. 2 on the all-time list behind Jim Brown and has an NFL-best six 200-yard games – are more remarkable when you realize that he played mostly on poor teams. The Bills made the playoffs only once in his nine seasons and were 43-81-2. Former NFL coach George Allen said Simpson “was the best late-game running back I ever saw, even better than Brown. No one ever took a beating better.” He was hardly touched, however, early when he was – incredulously – used as a receiver, kick returner and “decoy” in his first three seasons. Simpson didn’t have a 1,000-yard season until Lou Saban took over in 1972. He barely totaled 1,000 yards in his final two injury-riddled seasons in San Francisco. Noteworthy stat: In 1973, “The Juice” gained an NFL record 2,003 yards in 14 games, including 200 yards in the snow at Shea Stadium against the Jets in the season finale. NBC Sports rates OJ the 2nd best running back of all time. We all know OJ isn't a good person and I think that hurts him on these types of lists sometimes. I'm happy the guy's in jail. But back in the day, he was awesome to behold. For you youngsters out there, things were different in those days. Of course, the season was only 14 games long. And rule changes since OJ's time have all been designed to help the offense (more offense = better ratings). When OJ rushed for 2,000 yards, only 4 other backs ran for over 1,000. The best of those had 1144 - only 57% of OJ's total. Never in modern NFL history has a running back finished so far ahead of his peers (which included the likes of Floyd Little, Mercury Morris, Calvin Hill, Larry Csonka, Chuck Foreman, Franco Harris and other talented backs). I despise OJ the killer. I admired OJ the runner. He wasn't just about speed. He had tremendous vision, incredible elusiveness and was surprisingly strong.

Sunday: Buffalo Bills, Pittsford, N.Y Three quick practice observations on the Bills 1: Lots of teams can say when they spread the field that they're going to be difficult to handle. I saw it with my own eyes late Sunday afternoon. When the Bills line up in a five-wide formation, with Ryan Fitzpatrick in a shotgun, they go with Lee Evans and Stevie Johnson outside, David Nelson (second-year surprise from Florida), Roscoe Parrish and the heretofore unknown Donald Jones inside. (Jones, you can tell by being here, is a favorite of the coaches and the quarterback.) The reason this formation could be a major threat is because of the speed of Evans and Parrish, the over-the-top catching ability of Johnson and the physical nature of Jones and Nelson. Sometimes the Bills might use C.J. Spiller as one of the slot guys and they might line up Brad Smith in the shotgun instead of Fitzpatrick. Whatever they do, there are enough young weapons here to make the AFC East take notice. 2. Top draft pick Marcell Dareus might be one of the widest people ever to put on an NFL uniform. I was amazed to watch him from behind, next to one of my All-Pro defensive tackles from 2010, Kyle Williams. Williams, from the back, looks like 60 percent of Dareus, even though the weight difference is only about 50 pounds. So far the two men whom the Bills hope will be playing alongside each other for the next six to eight years are getting along great. "I don't like guys who talk a lot before they do anything," Williams told me. "Marcell has come in with a great work ethic and hasn't asked for anything to be handed to him. Everybody here is really impressed with him. Plus, he's going to be very, very hard to move." 3. It looked to me like the Bills might be preparing to use Brad Smith more than the Jets did, if that's possible. Early on, the Bills have been highly impressed with the strength and accuracy of Smith's arm. "I don't know if he'll touch the ball four times in a game or 14," Chan Gailey told me. "All I know is he's going to get it a bunch." Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/peter_king/08/08/tour/index.html#ixzz1URgzInCr

The Pats may very well be the best club in the NFL right now - best head coach and best FO. But that doesn't mean they are infallible. And it seems they are rolling the dice a bit on these moves. Sorry if my opinion is different than yours. As someone else pointed out, the Pats were 14-2 last year. So maybe the can afford to gamble. But when you have a good thing going, why bring in guys like Haynesworth and Ochocinco for potential short-term benefit when they threaten team chemistry? The Pats may prove my concerns wrong. They certainly have a track record of success. Nonetheless, I think the concerns are legitimate. So I agreed with the previous poster who labeled the signings as "strange." Even the Boston Globe (I think their beat reporters do watch the Pats) question the signings. Maybe you don't read much so here are quotes and links: "The Patriots were among the biggest newsmakers in the league coming out of the lockout, agreeing to trades for Ochocinco and Redskins defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth shortly after the NFL reopened for business. What's most unusual: Neither player is what's thought of as the usual type for Belichick, who prefers the quiet and businesslike to the guys who make headlines off the field. http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2011/07/30/ochocinco_says_he_can_change_to_patriots_way/ And in an article called "Patriot's Bad Call," a Globe Pats reporter questions the Haynesworth singing, "Is the team missing Myra Kraft's moral compass?" http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2011/08/02/patriots_bad_call/

This is one of the things that's slowing down the rebuilding process. The Bills aren't simply switching from a base 4-3 to a base 3-4. They are also trying to build a bigger defense with players who can shed blocks and bring guys down.

He'll miss the second half of the AFC championship game with a strained ankle but will be back in the starting lineup for Super Bowl XLVI.

We'll see if the Pats know what they are doing as the season unfolds. But their off season is "strange" because they've gone after some players who weren't especially in high demand and not necessarily good fits in NE. Ochocinco. Over the hill? Big mouth. Likes attention. Pouts when he doesn't get the ball. Odd choice because the Pats like players to shut up, forget individual stats and win as a team. Haynesworth. Over the hill? Takes plays off. Not a team guy. Locker room poison. Ellis. Over the hill? Even if the three of them turn out to have a little gas left in the tank this year, they certainly won't help the Pats for many seasons. NE will have to readdress these same needs next year.

+1 When TE was QB, he was clearly afraid of 5 and 7 step drops (maybe rightly so) and would immediately look for a checkdown. Lee's numbers suffered because of this. But unlike a lot of prima donna receivers out there, Lee never complains. He hasn't complained about having to work with 4 different head coaches or 6 different starting QBs during his Bills career. He hasn't complained about the woeful offense lines that couldn't block long enough for him to get open deep. Think of all the Ochocinco's and TO's and Randy Moss's who would be in the papers all the time explaining exactly why they aren't posting Pro Bowl numbers if they had been wearing Lee's shoes. Or who pout and take plays off when they feel the QB or coach isn't focusing on them enough. Lots of WRs these days are whiny babies. Not Lee.

I wish Fitz was more accurate (and maybe he will be this year with more familiarity) but he's never been afraid to go after the big play. Evans has speed. Spiller, Parish and Smith make plays in space. Johnson last year just plain made plays. Gailey likes to run an unpredictable offense. It could all add up to explosiveness. It would be more explosive and better sustain drives if the right side of the line was better.

I agree! It seems to a certain extent Lee's productions rises and falls with the QB. Lee is a deep threat but not great underneath. He does best with QBs who can throw deep (like Bledsoe and JP) and isn't as productive with QBs who don't throw the long ball particularly well (Edwards, Fitz). If you pay attention to Chan, he says some interesting things. He's said in the past that Fitz needs to get more accurate on his deep throws. He's also said that Lee has to do a better job getting open on shorter routes. Both comments relate directly to Lee's productivity. Still, Lee stretches defenses like no one else on the squad and he's a great locker room guy.

I'm glad they have camaraderie. That helps. But I still worry about the right side of the line.

Thanks for posting - interesting reading.

The Bills had too many problems to be fixed in two drafts. Buddy did acquire some play-makers (we had more-or-less none) and shored up the defense. He hasn't solved all our needs yet, but he's getting closer.

AJ, I think you are are right. I think the Bills are more confident in some of their young players - especially on the line - than we fans may be. Would you rather hitch your wagon to a 22 year old coming up or a 30 year old going down? At some point their trajectories intersect.

How many games do you think we would have won if we had hired Bill Polian to be our GM? I agree wholeheartedly. I think Nix is doing a good job so far. And I think it's still early to judge him BUT I am frustrated we haven't signed some linemen, especially a RT.

Here's what they say about the QBR: "All QB plays are scored based on how much they contribute to a win." Football is a team sport and QBs are expected to not to win games by themselves but to contribute. Some stat nerds and ex-players apparently got together and figured out a system to measure that contribution, rather than 'passing efficiency.'

Thanks for the support and, yep, I'm comparing the fans. Fans everywhere want to see a big splash in free agency. But some GMs - including some good ones (see Green Bay) - just don't play that way. They build through the draft and remain relatively quiet during free agency. So we fans complain when big name FAs sign elsewhere. It's too early to judge, but let's hope our new front office turns out to be as successful as Green Bay's.

If the cap is irrelevant, why are teams cutting players to make cap space? Obviously, it was a relevant consideration for them.

Obviously the Bills are a better team if they have a better TE. But great TEs cost great money. Since Chan's intended scheme doesn't rely a lot on the TE, it would be foolish to tie up a lot of salary cap space on a TE. That's my guess of what they are thinking at OBD.

I've already posted my reasons for being optimistic (10 Reasons Why the Bills Won't Suck) but I still have doubts when I allow myself to think rationally. Besides OL, the Defensive front seven is still a concern. Although there have been meaningful changes to last year's squad, the Bills were #32 against the run in 2010. I'll feel better when they actually shut down someone's rushing attack.

I thought a few of Greg Rosenthal's quotes about free agency were interesting: "Green Bay: It was comical to hear some Packers fans gripe about G.M. Ted Thompson staying quiet in free agency. What did you expect? Thompson’s discipline to rely on drafting and developing works." (reminds me of people griping about Nix) "Trouble spots. 1. Miami quarterback: The Dolphins said all offseason they wanted true competition for quarterback Chad Henne. Instead, they got Matt Moore. Miami didn’t go all in on Kyle Orton trade talks, betting Henne would be enough." (not my style to root against anybody but it's good to see AFCE opponents with their own problems) "Shaky Strategies. 1. Jacksonville: The Jaguars gave $37 million guaranteed and $99.5 million overall to pick up three defensive starters: linebacker Paul Poslusnzy, linebacker Clint Session, and safety Dawan Landry. The Jaguars overpaid because it’s “go time” in their three-year rebuilding process. G.M. Gene Smith has drafted well, but paying big signing bonuses to middling starters rarely pays off. The three players above will never make a Pro Bowl and they are all getting paid like stars." (I liked Poz and hoped we'd resign him. But his new salary is ridiculous).

Miller ran for 1,000 yards his rookie season as the starting RB. No way that he was worse than Maybin who doesn't even suit up a lot of Sundays. Miller would have been a good pick if he hadn't developed some weird medical condition that took away his peripheral vision. And Patulski, while not great, did at least crack the starting lineup. Maybin hardly gets on the field as a reserve.

Yep, lots of assumptions. I am a fan, after all. Hopefully most of the assumption prove true.