Just in Atlanta

There are plenty of unnecessary abuses by the government in this country in the guise of "security." This is by no means one of them. Completely common sense to have sniper protection at such a high-profile event. It sucks, but it's a fact of life... On another note, Billicheat would love to have the scope on that rifle.

No, apparently the moderators are in your camp. They posted last month here and here that the site will be banned on this board starting Sept. 6, the first game of the season. So, we have a few more months of juvenileness left.

We all can agree Brady, Rodgers, P. Manning and Brees are the best of the best of the best. But was Eli "elite" before he won two Superbowls? Or did he become elite because he won? Same question could be asked of Kurt Warner or even Big Ben. Would Big Ben be elite if he played for the Bills? I'm on the fence on that one. The point is, with very few exceptions, you have to have a team that is Superbowl quality to win Superbowls. The Bills are not Superbowl quality and would not even make the Superbowl with any of the quarterbacks who have won in recent years. Let's see how Fitz does with a (hopefully) good team around him next season. He has the potential, IMO.

Cool stat, thanks for sharing. I also like the non AFC East teams we're facing. I think we all know we also have to figure a way to sweep at least one AFC East opponent and to avoid being swept by any. But a favorable schedule always helps.

Garrison Sanborn is the bedrock of this team.

The OP is right, no question. I've thought the same thing for months. Jackson is this team's No. 1 asset. "Ad nauseum?" Wow. Utter nonsense. Brady's wife gets more play here than he does. That's nauseating. We have a superstar here, and few on this board, or OBD publicly, talk about it.

At the very least, it needs to be occur weeks, or months, after the Superbowl when we're all missing football and when we'd settle for half-ass play. It's just plain stupid to have this game without the players playing in the Superbowl. The format it's in is utterly pointless and unwatchable.

This season's programming, at least in the Atlanta market, is the worst I've ever seen. I got one televised Buffalo game all season--the December Pats one in which they gave up 40 unanswered points. Having said that, I think we deserve more. The new Bills, with exception of that horrible stretch after the Washington game, are fun to watch--more fun than I can remember. It shouldn't be all about wins. The Ravens win a lot, but they're the most boring offense in the league, IMO. They, along with the crappy Colts and Dolphins, had at least five primetime games here. And the Steelers this year seemed to be on almost every week, even though their games were like 12-9 slugfests. I know they're good, but c'mon--every week? Buffalo and Detroit--one apiece--and Detroit plays on Thanksgiving. I don't even remember seeing a SF game on the tube all year until the playoffs. Mindless programming.

Yeah, four 4th and 5th round picks are exciting. We rarely get it right with the 1st and 2nd rounds. How the hell do the Pats, who almost always win the division, keep on getting multiple 1st round picks while we, who almost always lose the division, keep on getting multiple deep-round backups and ne'er-do-wells? Still can't believe all Evans got us was a 4th rounder.

I'm curious as to what regions in your mind have culture. +1

Nothing wrong with praying for Tommy. Here goes... Bill Belichick is my shepherd, I shall not want. He placeseth me on Lucas Field. He leadeth me to Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck. With brutal hits, he breaketh my bones. He maketh me lie twitching on the backboard. He converteth me to G men fodder.

This kind of reaction is why too many players and coaches say "one day at a time" and it was a "team effort" in every interview. Everything gets blown out of proportion in a 24-hour-news-cycle. Let's leave the complaining to the hoteliers and tourism board. We should embrace Buffalo as a blue-collar, small-market town. Buffalo is what it is. A high-end tourism destination it is not. A great football town with great hard-working people it is. Brady's comment was about his dad. The hotel comment was secondary, and more than likely unintentional. Complaining makes us look like wannabes. Go Giants.

That's all I have to say about that response.

My 9-and-a-half-step plan: 1. Draft a powerhouse DE in the first round to improve our anemic pass rush. There shouldn't even be debate over this. 2. Sign a legitimate deep WR threat from Free Agency*. It appears OBD is going to do this. 3. Sign a LB who can cover TEs*. Our second-biggest weakness after pass rush. 4. For Fitz to work this offseason on mechanics and developing his deep pass. If he doesn't improve, then we need to draft the best QB available in 2013. 5. Draft a top-notch TE in the second round, as it seems two TE sets are impossible to stop. Two TEs would seem to fit in with Gailey's innovative horizontal-spread offense, or whatever you want to call it. 6. Make sure Fred Jackson, Stevie Johnson and Scott Chandler stay in Buffalo*. 7. Sign a proven OT from Free Agency*. We don't need a project; we need someone who can give Fitz more time on Day 1. 8. Work more on conditioning during the offseason. It's logical to assume that lack of conditioning was a factor in our higher-than-average injury rate. 9. Figure a way to better work in Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller together as well as using the under-utilized (and high-priced) Brad Smith. *Ralph must make a statement this offseason and outbid other teams on proven free agents and pay our most talented players. I'm pessimistic, given his history, but hopeful.

One of these days. One of these days. Repeat after me... Can't believe he was born a month after the Music City Miracle Deception. Makes me feel old.

I don't think any Bills fan should get their hopes up next season of us drafting a QB in the first three rounds unless Luck is miraculously available. Fitz, the Bills have said, time and time again, is our guy. He has yet to have a full season, with a full offseason, as the starter. Let's give the guy one more year to see if the first half of this season was a fluke or if the second half was one. The Bills have glaring needs at pass rush, O line and receiver. Those are our needs, not QB. If we evaluate talent right, those three missing pieces will likely put us in contention next season for a playoff run. This fan is sick of rebuilding. I want to be watching the Bills once again taking the field in January 2013. Spending a first-round pick at No. 10 on a QB will more than likely make this dream impossible.

I respect your opinion on Fitz' ability, while I believe he needs one more year for us to determine whether he's good or not. But... Once every 250 years? How was that stat developed, and by whom? The Super Bowl has been in existence for only 40 years. I can think of several QBs in recent years who I wouldn't consider "franchised" having won the Big Game--Hostetler, Rypien and Dilfer. Fitz is a franchise QB. He was given a six-year extension. The average tenure of an NFL QB is 4.44 years, according to the NFL. So, I'd say he is a franchise QB. Whether or not he's a good one is up for debate.

Yeah, but is he better than this one?

They're like Tyrannasourus rexes.

Well the hell is that quarterback tree anyway?

C'mon CodeMonkey. Fans like you ought to be demanding more. Twelve years is too long. We've been rebuilding and rebuilding and rebuilding. Next season it has to be.

A couple more drafts is unacceptable. It's been 12 years--next season the Bills MUST make the playoffs. A couple more drafts maybe for an AFC championship but not playoffs.

Bottom line, it's too difficult to tell. As one poster said, Fitz has never had a full training camp as the starter. He needs one more year, and healthy playmakers around him. Let him develop this offseason. I think he has what it takes, despite his mediocre stats, to be an above average QB. If he's still mediocre next season, then we can pounce. He looked damn good the first seven games, IMO.

Depressing stats. However, it's all centered on a lack of a pass rush. Fix that and you'll more than likely see the other numbers improve substantially. We have serviceable CBs and damn fine safeties. I'd like to see first four rounds of the draft focused on OLB (we need two), offensive line and TE. Pick up a star WR, and maybe a CB in FA.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jUBbCgMWmE