john

I think 95% of the posts I've read on this message board this summer have been negative and down right depressing. I'm not going to call someone out for their opinion or bash someone for not having a good feeling about the season. I know the last nine years have been rough and of course there is obvious reason to lose heart and to stop believing in our Buffalo Bills. It really has become a sad franchise and we have become a sad bunch of 'yesteryear' fans in the process. That said, I personally choose not to be pessimistic at this point in time. Now is the time of year when we have a right to be optimistic and make bold predictions and dream about making the playoffs and shocking the world! I know there are a lot of questions surrounding this team right now, namely the young/reshuffled offensive line and the question marks on the defensive line/line backing group. However, I'm going to put on my rose colored glasses, will the question marks to turn into a positive and a strength for the team, and I'm going to scream my head off every Sunday win, lose, or draw until the season is over with. And until the Bills are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, I'm still punching my ticket to the Super Bowl and I hope some of you will join me. This is OUR time and this is OUR year. Dream it, believe it, enjoy it. We ARE going to surprise everyone this year and bounce back with a vengeance. Why not? Each season one or more teams rise out of the ashes and shock the world. We are more than overdue and I say our time is NOW!! GO BUFFALO!!!! Don't give up though some have given up on you. See you in the playoffs boys!!!!!!! John in NC

Also, I was thinking about this today. I've heard it mentioned on a few occasions that there are certain parallels that exist between the first two years of Drew Brees's carreer and that of Edward's. - Both were labeled as having weak arms and being 'check down' quarter backs. Has any one else heard or thought about this before? Anyone think that is a good/fair comparison between the two? I know that Edwards was rumored to have worked out with Brees sometime during the offseason. I wonder what kind advice Drew gave Edwards? I hope it pays off. We all know how well Brees panned out....

I agree with both assessments. Both make a lot of sense. I realize a lot is involved with making a passing game work and that there are a ton of variables that have to be factored into the equation. One thing though that I would like to see more of this season is Trent being a bit more aggressive at times with where he goes with the football. I’m not saying I want him to hold on to the ball for 5 seconds ala JP and get sacked and fumble the ball twice per game. But it would be nice to see him take that extra half a second on a few occasions and not be afraid to try to put the ball in a tight space. Everyone always talks about his accuracy and how good it is. Let’s see him have a bit more confidence in himself this season. Don’t get me wrong, I like the guy and I am behind him 100%. I think I would 2nd guess myself too if I was playing behind a young/patchwork of an offensive line. But at some point you just have to gut it out and sling the ball around.

The one thing I keep hoping for, year after year after year, is that our offense will look more like the rest of the teams I watch on tv. We look so vanilla with our routes sometimes that it is just plain boring to watch and I have no doubt that we have become far too predictable and easy to cover. All our receivers seem to run are the 5-10 yard curls and outs, along with the dump off to the running backs (personal favorite of Trent’s last season) and the occasional (very rare last season) fly route mixed in. Am I the only one here who thinks our passing game fits the terms ‘generic’ and ‘boring’ and that it’s been like this for the last 5-6 years? I realize the Bills have struggled with two young QB’s during that time span with Losman first and now Edwards and that young quarterbacks are often the reason for simple routes while they are learning. I just don’t get why it’s so hard to sprinkle in a few different looks that every team in the NFL seems to run with the exception of ours. I’m referring to the quick slant, crossing patterns over the middle, and the 10-20 yard seem routes over the middle. I remember 2 or 3 seasons ago JP hit Roscoe on a quick slant against the Jets that ended up going over 50 yards for a touchdown. Once he caught the ball and got by the cheating safety he was gone. That’s the last time I remember us doing something like that and it was very effective. Anyone have thoughts as to why our passing game is so plain and why we don’t run a variety of routes? Or perhaps it’s that we do run these routes and our quarterbacks are just afraid to throw the ball to a receiver who isn’t ‘wide open’? Anyways, I know this post is all over the place and I apologize for that. I just hope that the passing game is fun and exciting to watch this season and that it if nothing else, we won’t be as boring and predictable. The last time I remember actually enjoying our offense and not cringing every time the QB dropped back to pass was when Moulds and Price both topped 1,000 yards in the same season. Man that was fun to watch!

not saying that the media and 'experts' know more about football then we do (not like they have insider information or playing experience or anything) but did you catch Cower and Boomer talking about Edwards before the start of the Jets/Dolphins game? Cower says Trent threw the ball with zip into the wind and looked more comfortable out there in those conditions then he did late last season and Boomer said that Edwards has shown more then enough in only his 2nd season and that adding maybe one more playmaker along with better coaching/game plan and he wouldn't be surprised if he is one of the best young qb's in a season or two. just for what it's worth...

I am more comfortable with Trent as the starter then with JP. Trent still deserves more time to show what he can do. JP has had more then enough time and has not gotten better, but has stayed the same or perhaps regressed as he has gotten more playing time. Your issue with durability is warrented I think but if we address the O.line (center, gaurd) I do believe you will see Trent taking a lot fewer hits.

Great post Dan. Agree 100%! I was starting to think logicial thought wasn't allowed on this site.

hmmm...considering the fact that I never even mentioned JP in this conversation, and your use of him here clearly shows that you don't understand my counter point to your initial point, makes me wonder if I need to clarify myself a bit more for you. I do understand your point 100% but in this game, the QB was not even given the chance to score points. It was all dictated by terrible play calling, especially in the 3rd quarter. I'm still waiting for you to asses for me who is more at fault here for the team not scoring today, Trent or the coaching staff..... this has nothing to do with JP or any other game.

You must be related to VOR in that you seem to use the same logic. The score put up by one team does not always tell the story. If you think the goose egg here is more to do with the QBacking as opposed to the play calling I question if you are just a stat geek like most of the people who post on this site...

again all I can do is scratch my head and wonder where the logic is in your reasoning. Trent didn't keep the Bills from winning today. The coaching staff dialing up the conservative game in the 3rd quarter while the Bills had the damn wind is the biggest reason the bills failed to score points today. Do you honestly think any other quarterback running the same damn play calls today from our little league coaches could have won this game? WOW

hahah, lmao. i love posts like this where you don't comment on your sarcasm. tell me what about today you didn't like? the guy takes a million hits, maybe two of them are his fault, keeps getting back up and throws some damn good passes into the wind that even the announcers see and heap the praise on him. just curious for your feedback. I mean it's been so spot on today and so logical that I hope you can keep it comin!!!!!

actually, consisdering the wind he was throwing into in the 4th quarter, he made some very good passes with a lot of zip on his balls. thats two good games in a row in terrible weather. I was on the fence with him, still am to be honest, but today did not bring him down in my eyes what so ever. what about today did you not like? the sack/fumble that he had 1.8 seconds to decide to throw the ball away?

no question it will be tough in that division, but as much as people think the Panthers live and die with the running game, if Delhome goes down they will not be the same and the Falcons and Saints can both be scored on at will. If the Bucs can win some shootouts, they will be very competive next season.

If they retain Gruden and consentrate on Defense in the draft, I happen to think they can be a playoff contender again next season. Their D is old, which also conicides with Kiffin leaving. They had to rebuild it at some point, regardless of who is coaching.

hahha, yeah that was sh-------, but I'd take that over posting a fat goose egg at home in a game where all we had to do was muster a little pride in our attempt to knock the Patriots out of the damn playoffs. Wow, maybe the most disgracful game I have ever had the pleasure of watching.

the last time I checked the Bills and their wonderful fans are in no position to talk trash about another team. I only wish we had that luxury. There might be 3 or 4 teams that are in worse shape right now then the Bills. (including coaching staff, GM, and players)

uhhh, yeah, but their still a better team by far then the Bills. At least they had a shot at the playoffs today. We have been out of it for two months...yeah, not mathmatically, but I think you know what I mean..

Thank the Lord I live in Charlotte and still have the Panthers to pull for. Buffalo makes me want to PUKE!!

now that was a 'JP'!!!

Very good post Dean. I'm glad someone on this damn board can use reason and logic.

I'm still on the middle of the fence on his performances. If performances only counted for the first two seasons of a qb's carrer, guys like Drew Brees and Eli Manning would be out of jobs right now. I do agree with you about the inability to stay healthy though but look at how many hits he has taken when someone comes off the line untouched. You put any QB in that situation game in and game out and I don't think most of them would remain upright for long. Thats why the O.Line, in my opnion, HAS to be a priority this offseason...

I hope you are right and I love your enthusiasm but unfortunatly it doesn't look like Lynch will play today and with wind gusts above 30mph I don't think either QB will throw for 300 yards. But I'll take a win anyone we can get one!

Sure, why wouldn't they count? Trent showed a lot of moxie in those come from behind victories. So did the rest of the offense and coaching staff, they all deserve credit in those comebackers. However, I'd be a fool not to throw in the fact that one was at home against the hapless Raiders and the other one was on the road against one of the worst teams in football this season, the Rams. If Trent could have shown that same moxie against just one team in the AFC East this season, that would have been fantastic. Maybe next season will be his year to shine? I hope so...

No, not at all. I'll stand by the quarterback of this team for all eternity if the coaching staff wants to stick with a guy that long. That said, just because I stick by a guy doesn't mean that I agree that he is the right man for the job or that he is even a good quarterback. I think Trent has potential but much like JP he has yet to step up big when it matters the most and that is very concerning, even if he has only been in the league for two seasons. You took what I had to say totally out of context. I'll support Trent all the way but that doesn't mean I believe him to be a good player or even the right man for the job.

are most of you guys watching the game today with NFL Sunday ticket?