vegas55

In fairness to Gailey, Chandler "does not even see the field" only because he is injured.

I still believe Chan is a quality head coach, but there are some troubling signs, including his ability to evaluate NFL caliber talent. Certainly his evaluation of Fitz played a huge part in contract extension. But it was the same Chan Gailey who just a year ago, with an entire offseason to evaluate, came to the conclusion that Edwards, not Fitz, should be the starter. He was very very wrong on that call. Evaluation and utilization of Maybin is a sore point as well. Game management remains an issue. It was interesting that with 12 minutes to go and down by two scores in yesterday's game, Bills went to no huddle. In our last meaningful game of the season, against Titans, Chan received well deserved criticism for not running the no huddle in a very similiar situation. His decision to run it yesterday in a meaningless game makes it clear what a brain dead decision it was not to run it against Titans, a game where the Bills just ran out of time. Each of the last 3 weeks the Bills have faced a 3rd and long from opponents 42 yard line. This should be two down territory, picking up some yardage on third down, go for it on 4th. Instead, on each occasion, Fitz throws a low percentage long pass on third, and the Bills end up punting from 42 on 4th. Seven times this year Gailey chose to punt on 4th down from the approximate 42 yard line. Only once did his defense prevent the opposing from quickly advancing it past the 40. He just continued to employ a strategy that did not work, and that is very troubling.

What's with the nitwits at Buffalo CBS affiliate channel 4 ? I thought the whole idea for a tv station is to maximize viewing audience. Instead the geniuses there are televising the New Jersey Jets v Eagles game instead of Pats v Tebow. Which game would draw the largest viewing audience - answer - not the one Channel 4 chooses to broadcast. I note that the CBS affiliate in Rochester made the switch.

Bada Bing on Chippewa - 100 yards from your hotel - sports type bar

Absolutely Ralph needs to pay and retain his talented players. Absolutely no excuse not to. But any reasonable football executive would pause before giving Stevie big money. He learned absolutely nothing from his antics and subsequent Steelers drop last year. He dreamed up this whole childish routine for the Jets game, knowing it would draw a penalty. And this is his contract year!! Can you imagine how out of control this clown will be after he signs a big contract with all that guaranteed money?

In the immortal words of the most overrated coach in NFL history, Marv Levy, schemes don't mean anything. That from Marv, who was handed one of the most talented rosters in NFL history, and got out schemed in every Superbowl. Just one example, he had one of the greatest offensive machines in NFL history, and chose to play a bend but don't break defense, with his 270 pound nose tackle, a defensive philosophy likely to keep that great offense on the bench. The current Bills suffer from this as well. Can't design a blitz that comes even close to fooling anybody. Edwards and "Wanny" can't figure out a creative blitz, and could not find a way to use Maybin. So they cut that high draft pick, because they are not creative enough to use his talents. But Rex Ryan sure could. Maybin wrecked havoc on the field today, and has 5, count them 5, sacks this year. Which current Bills player has that many sacks this year? In the modern NFL, schemes mean everything.

Let's again hear from the Stevie lovers - he is a loser with a capital L.

Good old Stevie up to his idiotic, selfish crap, catches a 3 yard pass thrown right in is gut and celebrates like a school girl, costs the team 7. How do you commit big money to a complete clown

Pull him for who? Thigpen was horrible in preseason and could not complete a pass against a dolphins defense that was playing prevent at that point in the game. On top of every other problem the Bills have, they have one of the worst backup QBs in the NFL.

Take any mediocre NFL team, a team likely to have a top ten or thereabouts draft pick. Then I tell you that team has to forfeit their first round pick for the next 3 years. The chances of that team consistently competing for a playoff spot is virtually nil. And that's the Buffalo Bills. McKelvin (benched), Maybin (cut) and Spiller (limbo) are just about the equivalent of three forfeited high draft picks. Cannot compete with those kind of drafts. The defense in particular could be good but lacks just two players - a pass rusher (maybin) and a shut down corner (McKelvin) And that's how important the draft is for an NFL team.

Okay Chan you were in on the decision to use the number 9 pick in the draft on CJ. So down by 30 plus points in the game today you still will not play him? Great decision, play Fred till the end and watch him get beat up and fumble. How do you give up so easily on such a high pick? Aaron Maybin and his 3 sacks and 4 forced turnovers says hello. Nice defensive game plan today Wanny.

It's your understanding that Ralph was prepared to pay for high price coaches ? No he wasn't , and I don't know where you got that (wrong) information. His history is to under pay for coaches, general managers, scouts etc. Levy never made big bucks. John Butler left for San Diego as his Buffalo salary was 250,000.00 Ralph underpaid Polian and later fired him, a future hall of gamer. When you look at the entire history of the Bills, the majority of seasons are losing and pathetic teams. Ralph is one of the worst owners in NFL history, and the fact that he is in the hall of fame is a joke.

There is a huge tendency to overreact to individual games. Miami 31 to 3 win yesterday does not mean they they are a great team, or that KC is terrible. Same with the Bills game yesterday. But there some consistent trouble spots. As soon as McKelvin is on the field, the offense attacks him, and usually very successfully. I think Chan is a great coach. I hate when the Bills punt from the their opponents 40+ yard line. Treat it like 4 down territory. We punt and generally get a net gain of 20 yards. For all of Chans talk of avoiding 3rd and long, we have multiple situation of 3rd and short, and can't pick up the first down. Why pay Brad Smith 15 million and not use him at all in a big division game, especially when those third and short situations scream out for the wild cat. Jets made a concerted defensive effort to take away the short passes, but Fitz continued to attempt to force the short passing game, with predictable results. That type of defense needs to be challenged with speed and longer passing routes. Spiller and his speed needs to have a bigger role when facing that type of scheme, which we will be seeing plenty more of.

Sullivan is an idiot who knows zero about professional football and even worse has been too lazy to develop any sources who do have knowledge of the game, who actually watch game film and have been employed at some point in the NFL. And his Merriman take is a joke - he assumes that the money given to Merriman is money that should have gone to Fitz or Jackson or some potential free agent. There is plenty of money for taking a shot with Merriman and paying those other guys - the Bills are way under the cap. Ralph Wilson has made, when you include franchise appreciation and yearly operating profits well over one billion dollars in profit. He can well afford to let his front office take a shot at a pure pass rusher while paying the other players the money they deserve. They certainly deserve it more than he does. Forget the cap to cash games, pay your players and take a shot with a guy like merriman who did not cost us a draft choice, just some of Ralphs money And why is Sullivan so worried about Ralphs bank roll. All the merriman deal cost this team was a relatively small amount (in NFL terms) of money, and Ralph has plenty of that. Given the billion + he has already made off this franchise, he can afford a year or two where his annual profits dip a bit below 30 million.

Of course, IMO, Marv has no business in the Hall of Fame. Blessed with the most prolific offense ( the very new at that time no huddle offense) genius Marv decides to employ a bend don't break defense, the very worst decision imaginable. An aggressive defense, even if it gave up a few quick scores, was the obvious choice, as it only got that prolific Bills offense back on the field that much sooner. And thats exactly how the Giants beat us in the Super Bowl that we should have won. And consistent fool that he is, Marv dissed the Bills right before the beginning of the 2011 season, for the moves they made. I love the 2011 Bills.

In the immortal words of the most overrated coach in NFL history, Marv Levy, schemes don't mean anything and it's all about getting the players to play. Of course, that philosophy works when you have a team full of hall of famers, like Marv did. The offensive schemes of Chan Gailey have made a huge difference. And Maybin and his 3 sacks demonstrate just how important schemes and coaching are.

I thought it was a coaching mistake to not run the ball and some clock with 4 minutes to go, especially in light of the fact that on two occasions earlier in the game, in 4 down territory we chose to (unsuccessfully) run the ball into the teeth of the defense on third down. And it was a disappointing to have Fitz misfire on two big throws. But please. Jerry Sullivan on the radio today states that this is just a further demonstration that Fitz can't make the big throws. Are you kidding, even the best qbs come up short on occasion. And Gaileys coaching decisions, while questionable, were nowhere near as bad the coaching decisions by the Cowboys yesterday which basically handed the game to the Pats. The big picture is that Fitz ended up with an 88 qb rating, and led the Gailey designed offense to 24 points, on the road, with an injury depleted offense. Less than 2 years ago we would have killed for an offensive performance like that, and the vast majority of teams would be happy with that. Just some perspective.

Wow - yet another insightful football take

Well corrected - it is Fitzpatrick - now do you have an actual football take or are you too stupid to discuss football versus spelling.

There is no question the play was there. I can't fathom the low IQ of someone who would think that scoring a quick TD and giving the ball back to the giants rather than killing time and scoring with little time left was the proper strategy. But low IQ response are the norm for this board.

Don't mind the passing there? The last thing the Bills needed there was a quick score ( see New England game ). There was not one reason at all to throw for a quick score. What the heck are you thinking - worse - what was Fitz or Gailey thinking ?

I love Chan and Fitzgerald but this was a horrific coaching job. Several occasions on third and one we run the ball right into the teeth of an eight man line. With the game under control, 4 minutes to go, ball in Giant territory, first down, with even the most unsophisticated fan knowing that you control the ball and score with minimum time left for the giants to respond, the choice is to throw to the end zone, risk the the interception. Even if the play was successful, it gave the Giants all kinds of time to respond Just a terrible coaching job today. Run the ball unsuccessfully on third and one, throw the ball on first down at the end of the game when you absolutely needed to run the ball and kill the clock.

Spiller has improved 1000 percent in his patience and reading of the blocking in front of him. If he was starting he would be posting some great numbers. But Fred is just having an unbelievable year, and the touches are limited.

Of course the replies to the original post, as usual, completely miss the point. Talk about the rabid, single minded fan. It was a catch, I agree, but that misses the point. And I am sure a Bengals fan would be just as adamant if the call had been overturned by the replay. The point was that your hero, Stevie, made the huge blunder of using one arm to brace his fall instead of securing the ball with both arms, thereby giving the refs that opportunity to make that call. Horrible mistake on his part, just like is drop against the Steelers. But none of the low iq responses even touch the main point, that is why Stevie needs to brace his fall more than secure the ball. Explain that I did not say he should not be re signed, I just pointed out his disturbing habit of making bone head mistakes in big situations should give anyone pause in deciding to hand out huge dollars to him rather than a potential free agent. He has done some great things as a receiver, I agree. But I cannot imagine a Wes Welker bumbling away a ball in either of those situations.

Before committing huge money to Johnson some consideration has to be given to disturbing signs of him coming up "small" at huge moments. The Pittsburg drop is an obvious one, but the "drop" on Sunday is just as disturbing. Regardless what you think of refs call, if that's a catch, Bills win. They could have at least killed enough time to not allow a Bengals final drive. But the situation was the Bills needed just one yard to pick up the first down. As Johnson receives the ball he easily has the first down He then makes the horrendous decision to secure the ball with one arm/hand while using the other arm to brace his fall!! Look at the play closely. Why in the world is he not wrapping the ball up with two hands/arms, and what is the need to use your other arm to brace your fall to the turf. Terrible play, in many ways worse than the Pittsburg drop. A three yard pass to win the game, and our Stevie decides to one arm it and give the refs the chance to call it the wrong way. Coming up small in the biggest moments makes the a commitment of big money an iffy proposition.