QCity

I saw a punt from the 36 yd line in the 4th quarter down by 14. Ouch Doug, ouch.

E.J. Edwards

This will be a tougher game to win than the Chiefs last week.

Scouts measure arm strength on how well a QB can throw the deep out (15-20 yds) from standing still in the pocket. They clock the time from the set position (right before he begins his motion) to the time when the ball reaches his target. This means both the throwing motion (or release) is combined with velocity to estimate arm strength. Most fans erroneously associate arm strength with how far a QB can throw the bomb (Hey man I seen Fitz throw the ball 50+ yards!!), but every NFL QB can unload a 50+ yd Hail Mary if they rear back and step into it. For reference, a 15-20 yd sideline out will have to travel ~35 yds if thrown from the pocket, and it typically has to come in at a low trajectory i.e. "on a rope." Not an easy throw to make, and on the rare attempts by Fitz, you were left holding your breath as that ball hung in the air for what felt like hours. Marino was probably the best I've ever seen at throwing the deep out, and he made it look as effortless as snapping his fingers. One of the reasons the Jets have our number is because Rex Ryan knows we can't make that throw. They completely take away the middle of the field and sit back and dare us to throw the middle and deep outs into man coverage.

Best comment - "And to think we almost voted this Alonso guy into office yesterday"

This team needs a QB (can't say if EJ is our guy yet because he is not on the field). I'm not talking about a superstar top 5 QB like Peyton Manning or Drew Brees, just a guy that's slightly above average who doesn't turn the ball over. If we had a guy like Alex Smith, we would be 6-3 right now (maybe even 7-2) and poised for an exciting playoff run down the stretch. The general suckiness of our QBs over the last decade and the QB injuries this year have been maddening,

This loss was Jim Kelly's fault.

I hate to see everyone pile on the rookie, but Tuel did cost us 2 games this year. We could have came out after halftime with no QB on the field and just ran CJ out of the wildcat for the entire half - and probably would have won the game.

There's no such thing as a "culture of losing" in the NFL. There are teams with good quarterbacks, and teams with bad quarterbacks. We are a team that has had bad quarterbacks for about 13 years.

I think what makes this game so frustrating is that the consensus of all the fans, coaches and players was that we couldn't lose the turnover battle. That was the theme I heard all week. And we went out there and promptly lost the turnover battle in spectacular fashion.

So true. I am not of fan of Hackett thus far, but I'll be the first to say he did a heck of a job today. This game was lost on a incredibly moronic play by Tuel, dropped passes, and TJ Graham fumbling the ball. Still have no idea why Graham starts over Goodwin.

As someone who isn't exactly enamored with Hackett, I have to admit he called a heck of a game in the first half. Love the screen to Freddie and the WR screen to SJ out of the read option.

Our OL was absolutely fantastic in pass protection that half.

Slightly OT: Are people still getting notifications like this through the Bills app or is my phone borked? Last Bills notification I got was 13 days ago hmmm

http://youtu.be/5lk-wWUQKBg

Wow. You are going to pull a back muscle with a stretch like that. GM's are replaced immediately after the season ends. Let me rephrase that so you don't argue the semantics of the "offseason." There are no lame duck GMs from January to August. You either have a guy in place running your team or you replace him immediately. No, I do not think Ralph was involved with this team at all in the past year. However, if Buddy was fired in January, it probably would have came from Ralph. The term "lame duck" entails more than just knowing someone is on the way out. We've know (or had a high suspicion) that Whaley was his successor for more than 2 years now. Was Nix a lame duck for the past 3 years? Of course not. Lame duck implies that the person is also powerless, which is clearly not the case here. This is where you make zero sense. Nix was never told he wasn't going to be the GM after the draft lol. Are you insane? Can you picture an organization telling a GM "we're going to fire you 5 months from now in May, but in the meantime stick around and act like you are still the GM. When you do your pre-draft interviews make everyone believe you are running the show." Nix controlled his own fate, he could still be running the show right now if he wanted to. It's not a stretch to believe that he wanted to transition to Whaley over the Summer after the draft, and it's not a sign of a dysfunctional front office. The man is in his 70's and wanted to leave the organization with a QB (I truly hope he got the right one). It's not just the GM title and not just him "on the phone." Nix drafted Kiko Alonso. Get over it and just be happy.

First of all, I think you need to stop throwing the "lame duck" term around until you understand what it means. Most people saw Whaley as the successor to NIx for the last 3 years. You can use that term to describe a coach or GM in November or December, but you cannot call a GM a lame duck in the offseason. If Ralph wanted Nix out he would have been gone in January. Secondly, of course Marrone knew Nix was stepping down. That's probably one of the first things discussed before Nix hired him. Anyone that's ever worked in a high managerial position could tell you that you don't hire someone to work long-term under you, then unexpectedly bail on them. It goes beyond professional courtesy. Thirdly, there isn't a single piece of evidence that supports the contention that Whaley ran the draft. Nix bears the title of General Manager, Brandon has stated that Nix has complete control over the team's decision making, every major media outlet has quoted Nix as their official source of draft information both before and after the draft, and Nix was front and center in the draft room. The evidence for Whaley? Some forum posters who claim "that don't feel like a Nix pick to me," and maybe a few that have their brother-in-law's third cousin's high school friend who works for the Bills say so. To get back on topic, yes it's too early. Rule of thumb is 3 years.

I agree with you, Pegula definitely wants to win and we know he's willing to spend the money. His loyalty to Regier (and Black) is just too strong. Hope he sees the light and we see a real rebuild, starting with those at the top. He's signed through the 2015 season and per the CBA they can't negotiate an extension until July 1, 2014. Blackhawks' GM: 'Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane will be here forever' Kane to the Sabres is a pipe-dream IMO.

I hear if you click your heels together 3 times and chant "This was Whaley's draft!" it just might come true!! I get it though, after 13 years of no playoffs I don't expect most fans to be grounded in reality. It's much more fun to use your imagination at this stage.

ROFL here we go! /popcorn

Nooo, that game was in early October and it was dry and like 50 degrees. Derek Anderson completed 2 passes the entire game. 2 passes for 23 yards. And won.

That had potential to crash my TV screen. Thank God Tannehill missed.

F*** THAT!