2003Contenders

Maybe I can say this because it's Ralph's money and not mine, but maybe, just maybe this guy does deserve to be one of the highest paid corners in the league. Let's just assume that he and his agent do demand a $20 M signing bonus. Well, if the contract is done properly with representative back-loaded money and over, say 6-7 years, then the cap hit for this year could be as little as $3-4 M. That's just a small piece of the large cap space that it appears that we have headed into this season -- and it does give us plenty of room to extend the contracts of Lee Evans (and even JP) if the front office so decides. Thus, I am not sure why it is a forgone conclusion that Nate is a goner for money reasons. If I'm Marv I'd start by asking the question: "How much do you want?" and go from there. It's best NOT to ever let him even hit free agency.

The reality is that the Bills' pass defense finished #7 in the league. Thus, we were doing pretty well with the guys we had in there -- and the coaches did not feel that there was a need to make a switch, especially toward a player who had missed virtually all of training camp. I know that many will respond, "What about McGee? He was awful!" While McGee did struggle at times, his spot on the Active list was assured because of his KR abilities. (Even guys like Greer saw playing time because of their prowess on Special teams.) There are only so many players who can be on the active list each week, and AY lost out to the numbers game. Given the coaches' understanding that the running game was so suspect, extra LBs, DL, and players who were tabbed for run support were probably more at a premium than another CB. With that said, AY obviously turned some of the coaches heads, because he was active for the last few games. I wouldn't read too much into anything about the amount of playing time (or lack thereof) that AY had last season. As it was, we already had two rookies playing in the secondary -- more out of necessity than design. As there was never a great necessity to rush AY onto the field, he was one rookie that did what most rookies do -- watched and learned. Given that both Nate and Thomas are free agents, I suspect that AY will be afforded plenty of opportunities to reward the coaching staff's initial faith in him, when they drafted him on Day 1 in the April draft. I for one hope that he is not a bust, as we have other holes to fill than just CB. Recall that 3 of our first 4 picks last year were DBs -- and we can't afford to draft heavy for the secondary again. If Nate AND Thomas leave, then AY will surely have to step it up -- AND we will probably still need to bring in another CB to boot. In the best of all possible worlds, Nate stays, AY competes with McGee for the other starting spot -- and the loser of that contest takes the role (likely) vacated by Thomas.

The line is far from being set, but I am more encouraged heading into the off-season than I have been, really, since the early 90s. We all know that LT is by far the hardest position on the line to fill. That spot has mercifully been filled by Jason Peters, who performed even better than I hoped he would. He's only going to get better -- and I think he borders on Pro Bowl quality now. After LT, I'd say that the next most important line position to fill is Center. Fowler may not be an elite Center, but has developed a strong re pore with JP -- and by all accounts is highly intelligent. Thus, 2 of the most important 3 spots are in very good shape. We could conceivably use an upgrade at any of the remaining 3 positions -- and the good news is that those positions are easy enough to find in the middle rounds of the draft -- and usually in free agency. Thus, for the first time in a lo-o-o-ong time I actually would NOT advocate drafting an OL in the first round -- and maybe not even in the second round, unless the value was just too much to pass up. I'd much rather focus on DL and LB early in the draft, pending whatever happens with Nate.

He seems to wear out his welcome after about 3 years...

Alas, there is not much of a market for RBs in terms of trades in the NFL.

Given our 3-1 record against him -- and the one loss was almost a fluke that only MM could have presided over -- I'd almost rather that he stay. With that said, I have a feeling that if he does leave, then Taylor, Thomas and others are probably gone.

I agree with much of what you have to say here. Note also that Willis played hurt most of the season. I think the guy is pretty tough, despite the perception that he plays with little or no fire. Also, after the Jets debacle, he proved to be pretty good in pass protection, which is something that everyone forgets was always a problem for Travis. To me, the gamble that Marv needs to make is this: Right now Willis is coming off a pretty lousy season stat-wise, yet he and his agent are asking for a contract extension. We know that Rosenhouse is sure to ask for way more than Willis is worth -- but we also know that he and Willis have very little in the way of bargaining chips. Thus, this could be an opportunity for the Bills to buy low. Conversely, 2007 becomes a contract year for Willis -- and he will be highly motivated for a big payday. That could mean a great 2007 season -- and it could also mean that he prices himself out of Buffalo. Maybe I am naive, but part of what made the Kelly/Thurman/Reed trio so great for me was that they were home-grown, so to speak. I'd always advocate re-signing our own, provided that they warrant it. And if nothing else, it sounds like Willis really does want to be here, despite detractors who have suggested that he'd rather be in Miami.

Note that K Thomas only signed a one-year deal, and the word I am hearing is that he wants to move further South. Thus, even if Nate stays, AY will need to fill the nickel position likely to be vacated by Thomas.

I still think one of the main reasons we went with Whitner was that he was a consensus pick amongst the front office and coaches. That is, he was a pick that everyone could live with. As far as the notion that Ngata did not fit well into our scheme, I have never really bought that. For one thing, the Bills went hard after Ryan Pickett, a very similar big NT type. While the Cover-2 places emphasis on smaller, quicker linemen, that does NOT mean that there is no need whatsoever for big run stuffers. I have always suspected that there was just this sort of argument going on in the war room at the time of the draft with some coaches calling for Ngata, others calling for Bunkley -- and still others calling for players of other positions. With Bunkley's character issues, it's doubtful that he was ever a serious consideration by the real decision makers (Marv and Jauron). So, like Whitner or not, I do feel that there was some diplomacy in the pick -- which was a far cry from how TD used to do things. Thus, even back in April, you could sense that the mind-set of the organization was changing from a "My way or the highway" approach to more of a "We are family" approach. Getting back to Ngata, since it could be argued that he may have been the better pick... Remember also that the knocks on Ngata coming out of school were: 1. He was a 2-down player AND 2. He took too many plays off, even when he was on the field. The first point is a valid one, and explains why perhaps the Bills felt that #8 was indeed too high of a selection for a player slotted to appear on a rotational basis governed by down and distance. Thus, Whitner -- a true, every-down player -- was viewed as more of a "bargain" -- and one that the coaches truly viewed as an excellent fit for their system. As for the perception that Ngata was lazy... I think that with so many leaders on that Ravens defense, it was hard for Ngata to EVER take plays off. From that perspective, I'm not so sure that he would have performed as well here without guys like Ray Lewis and Ed Reed (amongst others) getting in his face as needed. I have personally never been unhappy with the Whitner pick. If there is any criticism I have, it is more for the fact that Marv was so enamored with taking him, that he didn't entertain serious offers to trade down. There was some speculation that Denver had offered their #15 and second rounder to move up. Since the front office was convinced that Whitner would be gone by then, I wonder if they should have risked NOT getting him for that extra second round pick. Oh, well. You know what they say about a bird in the hand...

Actually I thought Whitner had one of his best games on Sunday. He was very stout in run support, made some BIG hits (including at least one that lodged a completed pass loose), and -- as he has been all year -- played well in space to prevent giving up any over-the-top receptions. No, he didn't look like a Pro Bowler, but how many rookies do? The kid was taken 8th overall, which seems to be everyone's beef. Well, how much of an impact did the 7 players taken ahead of him make? I would say Whitner had a better season than either Williams or Huff, the safety that was taken by the Raiders one spot ahead of Whitner. I'd say his contribution was on a par with the Jets' D'Brick and the Packers' Hawk. The guy pretty much started from day one, despite a holdout in traing camp, so I'm not sure what At the end of last year, we worried about BOTH of our safety positions. This year, I think we can rest well with Simpson and Whitner, knowing that both will get better. In fact, if we can get some more beef up front, look for both safeties to make bigger plays moving forward.

I was actually at the game -- and here were my impressions... 1. For all of the love I am hearing about McNair, I don't think he played any better than JP. I don't believe he completed a single down-field pass. He was content to dump it off to the backs all game -- and look Heap's way when necessary. What if JP had a reliable TE like that? McNair also operated in a situation where it didn't seem like our defense could lay a hand on him, while JP was under duress on most plays. Don't forget also that McNair failed to punch the ball into the endzone -- and like JP he threw one more interception than he did TD passes. 2. While JP's accuracy has improved with leaps and bounds, he still throws to many passes that make you ask the question, "What was that?" There were a number of those yesterday. It was raning off-and-on, so I do not know how much that affected his accuracy. There was at least one pass that came out of his hand in a downward spiral. That's probably what happened on a number of the low-thrown balls. 2. Both INTs that JP threw were bad no doubt. I thought the first one was more a great play by McAllister than necessarily a bad decision by JP. I agree with some of the other posters that the fault was as much Price's as it was JP's. I am not as liable to lay blame on Evans on the second INT, as that is a ball that clearly should not have been thrown. Still, 1st and goal from the 4, I didn't like the play call. 3. Maybe the most impressive play that JP made ALL SEASON came on that second interception, when he chased down Rolle for the tackle. He really laid him out! No real big impact on the outcome of the game, I know. But that kind of commitment and fire will win him some props in the locker room. Obviously, I wish he hadn't thrown the pick, but if his last play of the season came down to a smack-down like that... Well, that is positively Kelly-ish.

There is PLENTY to play for. 1. The opportunity to finish the season with a .500 record. 2. To see how we respond after last week's heart breaker. 3. To see how we measure up against an elite team like Baltimore on the road. 4. For the integrity of the sport. The Ravens are playing for playoff seeding -- and it is only right and fair that we put forth a noble effort. Imagine what kind of confidence this could build (especially after last week) to have the Bills go into Baltimore and upset the Ravens! Of course, I will be at that game, so I also want to see something other than an embarrassment. I do agree that it may be worthwhile to see what Youboty has, which is more of an idcitment of McGee at CB than anything else... That is, I'd be curious about this even if we were still playing for something!

Actually, the more that I look at that play, if it weren't for the pass interference, then Reed almost certainly would have come up with that ball. Thus, I don't even think it was a wing and a prayer (i.e. a Hail Mary) so to speak. It certainly was not an attempt to draw a flag -- but a valid attempt at making a big play. It's all moot now, but I really think the Bills got hosed there.

Obviously both Fisher and Jauron share the same philosophy -- that is, to take the wind rather than to defer.

Seriously... we all know that everyone outside of Western New York would much rather see Vince Young and the Titans in the playoffs than the Titans... It sure seemed like every time that Young scrambled he got what he needed... And the defense didn't even "try" to get him... Maybe I'm just being overly emotional. But there was just something about this game that REALLY smelled today.

I'm not exactly sure I understand your point. 2005 was a contract year for Nate, right? If he had an extra incentive to play well wouldn't it have been during that season -- the same one in which you indicated that you felt he played poorly? (For the record, Nate was not locked up on Chambers. He gave up a few catches here and there, but so did McGee and Greer!) As it turns out, Marv elected to franchise him this year -- and promised not to do the same next season. Thus, this season is now a contract year for him. I don't know whether or not he is the top CB in the NFL, but he is certainly one of the best. What's more, he will undoubtedly be the top one on the market, which is what REALLY matters. Suffice to say that if he ever does hit the market, he will receive many enticing offers, and it will be hard to woo him back. I'm not sure why the team has this philosophy about not negotiating during the regular season. I can appreciate the fact that it may cause a distraction -- but it can also serve to secure guys for the long haul. I still miss Big Pat...

There is some truth to this, but we saw first hand on Sunday how ineffective "quality" QBs like Brady and Pennington looked when there was pressure in their face.

The GOOD... The Comeback Game still brings tears to my eyes. NFL Films did a wonderful recount of that game, and they still play it on ESPN Classic and the NFL Network from time to time. I'll never forget how surreal that game seemed as we started mounting the comeback. For the Peter Kings of the world out there who want to deny Andre Hall of Fame enshrinement, I point to this game as Exhibit A. The victory over Miami in 1987 with 0:00 seconds left. That single game not only brought about a swing in our fortunes over Miami, but it also led to our own domination for the next decade. 1990 AFC Championship Game: 50-3 over Oakland. I don't need to say anything that everyone else hasn't already said. My login ID stems from the 2003 season opener against New England. When we squashed them 31-0, I really thought that the season was going to be special. Remember how awful Brady looked that day? The new defense seemed like it would be such a perfect compliment to what seemed like a fine offense guided by a Bledsoe that we knew and loved back then. My, how things would change in just a few short weeks! The No-Punt Game in 1992. That was just an all time classic, which no one talks much about. Everyone was anointing the 49ers as the best team in the NFL, and we went into their house and won a shootout in which both Kelly AND Young passed for over 400 yards. Oh, the memories... Honorable Mention: Hearing Jimmy Johnson exclaim, "They beat the hell out of us!" after a 1999 victory over the Fish. The BAD... On a purely personal level, Super Bowl XXVI was the worst, since I live in the Washington area. I had to hear it for days on end from the local "fans". I still hear it! I also hate to say that scores and everything else aside, I have always felt that that was the one game where the team was simply outclassed. I believe if they had won one of the first two, they probably would have found a way to beat the Cowboys. As much as the Wide Right game hurt, it's more of the rippling effect in hind-sight that it caused than the miss itself. That is, as bad as I felt at the time, I had the impression that the team would make it back -- and that I was at least happy to have seen them in the Big Game and acquit themselves rather well. Of course, if I knew then... Homerun Throw Forward... To be honest I've never been able to tell whether that ball was a legal lateral or not. It was very close either way. The sad thing is that it didn't matter -- because whether it was forward or behind by an inch, the net outcome would have been the same. That is, the Titans caught our Special Teams napping, which is unforgivable. Like the Wide Right kick, I think the significance of that one play had a rippling effect that even superseded it's own action. Remember, Wade made DeHaven the scapegoat for the loss, hired his buddy Ronnie, refused to fire his buddy Ronnie -- which led to his own firing. Uggg. The loss to Jacksonville in the first round of the 1996 playoffs. It was our first loss at home in the playoffs -- and we really SHOULD have handled that team. Especially sad was watching Kelly being carted off the field, murmuring "I'm Batman!" It would be his last game ever, which makes it even sadder. The 2004 season finale. I was actually buying into the whole "Billieve" thing. Then saw our "playoff bound" team lose at home to the Steelers' backups. Dishonorable Mention: The 1998 playoff loss to Miami, when Flutie fumbled just as we were getting ready to score the game tying TD. JJ then led his team in a stomping party of the Flutie Flakes cereal.

Please send my well wishes to your friend and his wife -- and if God wills it -- their child. Suffice to say that I know from personal experience what they are going through and pray that if this pregnancy does indeed come to sad end that they will be richly blessed in the future.

We'll see what he does against Taylor this week...

One good thing about Harrington is that -- even dating back to his days with the Lions -- he's never taken many sacks. He gets rid of the ball very quickly -- sometimes NOT to his advantage. It will be interesting to see how Fewell and Jauron decide to defend him. Remember that both have seen plenty of him both with Chicago -- and don't forget that Jauron coached for Detroit...

On one hand, I remember the glory years when Ralph had no problem with the Bills being among the league leaders in team salary. So I have always believed that it was unfair to call him a cheapskate... On the other hand, he was really the only owner who was vocally against the CBA extension. (Mike Brown also voted it down, but he' remained somewhat quiet on the subject.) Thus, Ralph has been crying poverty with the latest revenue sharing rules -- and it may hurt his cause to shell out top money for the likes of Clements/Fletcher. Let's just hope that Marv can talk some sense into him about the importance of continuity...

I also thought it was a catch, but given that it was not a change of possession or scoring play, I can understand why Jauron chose to play it safe and NOT challenge it. I respectfully disagree, but I understand.

Clearly you've just occupied yourself with reading the stat lines on Monday morning -- and not actually watching the games. Last week against the Chargers, JP HAD to throw the ball because Willis wasn't getting it done on the ground. The weather was pretty bad -- and JP passed for more yards than Rivers. I'm sure if you account for the pass to Cieslak that was ruled a "sack" -- and the non-push-out on Peerless, you'll come up with a number in the 250-yard range you seem to be craving...

Pennington will be looking for his number on every play.