WickedGame

Maybe 11-3 is the new defensive front we plan to run...

+1

"What do you mean you'd trade me for a 6th round pick?" "Turn it off, or YOU'LL be Mr. Irrelevant." "Why do they keep showing an old guy sleeping in the Bills room?"

I sincerely doubt you need a smokescreen to get EJ Manuel at #8. The point of a smokescreen is to Jedi Mind Trick teams ahead of you into passing on a player so he'll fall to you. Who exactly do we need to Obi-Wan at #8? And I doubt we're setting up a smokescreen in preparation for a trade down. First we'd need a trading partner. A pre-emptive smokescreen would be thinking, like, two moves ahead. Did we graduate to the draft big leagues when I wasn't looking?

This thread isn't for mock drafts or who you WANT the Bills to pick. Let's see who you PREDICT the Bills will pick. Based on all the interviews and analysis, all the scouting visits and intelligence gathering, who do you think the Bills go with at eight? I'm going on the record: I predict they pick Keenan Allen, WR, Cal.

Saw this quote from an "AFC college scouting director" in an NFL.com article about Barkley: "Based on his junior tape, he was a second-rounder for us anyway. That's his talent. Coming back, you could argue that, with less quarterbacks this year, he should've rose to the top," the scouting director told Breer Anyone else think that could be Nix talking? Sure sounds like his Southern-speak. Pure speculation on my part, but I wouldn't put it past them to downtalk Barkley in hopes of getting him past Oakland or Arizona, or in hopes he falls to us in the second. They did the same thing with Cordy Glenn last year. http://m.nfl.com/news/0ap1000000156398/uscs-barkley-is-a-backup-qb-says-afc-scout/

All those...words.

I agree with all those points, but if you watch the New England game (pick one) or the San Francisco game, you'll come away with a lot less optimism. What did we give up, about 2,700 yards and 183 points in those two games? We had games last year we could have one. We had games where we looked worse than a Pee Wee football team. I hope the housecleaning is the start of something new.

Safety: the guy who tackles the running back after the front 7 have failed. This team needs all the safeties it can get.

Chris Kelsay is cheap.

When will people learn: Bleacher Report doesn't "name" anything. Bleacher Report didn't decide, as a publishing company, that this game was #1. This particular author did. One writer. On a site with lots of writers, lots of content, lots of opinions, and very little expertise.

I'm not trying to sound like a harbinger of doom here, but the analysis sounds eerily similar to Chan and Fitz: > When the ball is snapped, it moves fast: That's was one of Fitz's strengths (i.e., quick decisions, quick throws) > Doesn't rely on bigger, faster personnel: Sounds like our offense of the last three years -- waterbugs and WRs who weren't physically imposing > Bunch formations: Used pretty extensively by Chan in years 1 and 2, less so in year 3 > Limited use of the TE: Classic Chan Gailey > A lot of shotgun: Yep. Hey, at least Marrone keeps a back in there... > Get the ball out fast to compensate for protection issues: Typical Fitz/Chan offense. It wasn't until this year that our O-Line came together and Fitz didn't have to compensate for their weakness > Struggles inside the red zone: Yeah. Obviously the key differences are no empty sets, well executed, and well coached. Heck, even Chan's game plan could have been effective if it were well executed and well coached. The Nassib-Fitz comparisons scare me a little, too: > Gets the ball out really quick: That was Fitz's M.O. > Tries to force it into places it doesn't belong: Another Fitz trait. > Accurate on 15-20 yard passes: Sound familiar? Although, Fitz was more of a 10-15 guy (which was better than Two Yard Trent...) > Throws with a lot of zip; doesn't push it downfield: Fitz fired bullets on short passes, couldn't throw the long ball to save his life. Now, I'm not saying they're EXACTLY alike, but there are some definite similarities. In fact, even before I read the OP's analysis, I had watched a few S.U. game reels and felt Nassib looked a lot like Fitz in a lot of cases. Not always, but enough to make me wonder how much of an upgrade he'd really be. All that being said, I think Marrone's offense will be better than Chan's, not because it's more innovative or cutting edge, but because it's more balanced, better executed, and better coached. He needs a good QB, but unlike Chan, he'll lean on other talented players rather than being sunk by an average or below average QB.

Doesn't matter in 2nd round. Bills trade back into the first to grab their QB this year. After they grab Te'o.

Have stats on how many big plays the Bills currently give up? I'd bet we're up there... Any stats on how many first downs the Bills give up on 3rd and long? It's probably stomach-turning. I'm willing to give up a few long plays (nothing new here) if it means a 70% increase in stops on 3rd down.

It's true. We only have 4 wins! Too make matters worse, at one point this season we only had ONE win. Unbelievable. Ralph is cheap.

Missed extra point? Fire Lindell!

I think this only reinforces the point. If the shortage of QBs in round 2 is because teams reach for second round talent in Round 1, I'd argue there's an even MORE convincing case to be made that second round QBs aren't franchise guys. Heck, half of the round one QBs aren't franchise guys -- and shouldn't have been taken in round 1. A Matthew Stafford, Matt Ryan or Eli Manning at the VERY top of the draft is a franchise QB. A stretch that sneaks into the first round is not. It seems to me there are three choices: 1) Hit a homerun with a Top 5 pick QB, 2) Draft a developmental QB in round 3-7 and hope you strike gold and find Tom Brady, or 3) Draft a backup QB in round 2. We have plenty of backup QBs in Buffalo.

Since most fans agree we need to find a franchise QB somewhere in the draft -- and since the consensus is the QB talent this year isn't elite -- I wanted to see how second round quarterbacks have fared through the years. How many emerged as a starters? How many became "franchise QBs"? How many are Pro Bowl-caliber players? Not good. This article from draft season earlier this year makes it pretty obvious: Looking for our next franchise QB in the second round isn't likely to work out: http://miami.cbslocal.com/2012/04/19/second-round-qbs-carry-a-major-risk/ Dating back to 2006, only Andy Dalton emerged from Round 2 as a legit starter. Everyone else is a back-up or worse. Could we take a LB in round 1 and strike gold with a QB in round 2? Maybe. But don't get your hopes up that our savior will be there for us on the second day.

I was thinking the same thing when I saw this. Not just the safest pick...he was an UNQUESTIONABLE safe pick. Then again, we've heard the pundits rave about Glenn Dorsey, Brady Quinn, Jamarcus Russell, Vince Young, Mike Williams, Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart and many more. Moral of the story: Pundits whiff.

The Bengals didn't draft an elite WR and a Pro Bowl QB. They drafted a college receiver and a QB with question marks. I married a good looking girl with smarts, financial savvy, and a good head on her shoulders. It didn't work out. Sometimes you miss on a pick, dude. Sometimes the other guy's pick works out great. Learn to be at peace with it.

Yep, agree with other posters: D was solid all night. Slipped toward the end, and too many penalties, but a strong performance and made plays at the end of the game to seal the win.

Joe-the-Sixpack, Spiller's rushing was far from pedestrian. He was averaging 5 yards a carry until the 4th quarter. His average ypc decreased after some clock-eating runs, but prior to that he was ripping off 5-, 7-, and 10-yard runs. He was dynamic all night long. I liked the offensive and defensive performances. The play calling, as always, was flat out stupid at times. 3rd and a short 1 inside Miami's 30 and you throw from an empty backfield? C'mon, Chan, put your thinking cap on!

I was in lot 3 last night. I agree...it was embarrassing. The trash was an absolute disgusting representation of what Bills fan are. The hostility was a disgrace, too. There was a fistfight right in front of us that crashed into our truck. The Miami fan was the belligerent one, but the Bills fans were barely better. I'm glad I didn't have my young son with me. Although, even at 5 years old, he's mature enough to know that's not the way you should behave. In other news, glad the Bills hung on. They dominated the game, but trouble finishing was frustrating.

Buffalo is installing the "Flickering Lights D": Lights Out, Lights On, Lights Out, Lights On.

The *Pats offense isn't as good as it was last year. The *Pats defense, which was awful last year, isn't as improved as you'd think. The Bills beat them after being on a HUGE hole in the first game last year, then jumped out to a 21 point lead in the second game before benching our #1 receiver. The Bills o-line is much improved, our d-line is mind-blowingly better, and our DBs are finally done playing 10 yards off. I think we can run with 'em.