R. Rich

Well, the game didn't end the way we would've liked, but I did enjoy the week off and my trip back home to visit w/ family and friends. As for the game itself, I was pleasantly surprised. I expected this Stiller game to be more along the lines of the '04 Stiller game: a game where the Bills were exposed as being less ready for prime time than we all thought. But, they showed the same heart and fire that they had in other recent games. Props to the Bills for giving the fans another solid effort. Ryan Fitzpatrick had an okay game. Sure, he got hot in the second half and put up some yards and a TD. But, as I say each week, there was another appearance from the "Terrible Trio": overthrown passes, underthrown passes, passes that shouldn't have been thrown that can (and often times do) get picked off. In one sequence in the first half, he did these things back to back to back. Every game I watch and every game he does these three things. You'd think that someone would improve w/ more playing time, but these are constant behaviors from Fitz. The news isn't all bad, though: I loved his attempt to block Troy Polamalu on a nice run by Fred Jackson (we'll get to that in a bit). I love the guy's heart, but he is limited. This is why I feel he is a good backup to have, but the Bills need to get a good young prospect if they truly intend on becoming a contender of any kind in this league. Fred Jackson had a nice overall game. The 65 yard TD catch n' run was inspiring. He also gutted out some very nice runs in this game. The one where Fitz threw the chip block on Polamalu also featured nice blocks by Geoff Hangartner (on James Farrior) and Kraig Urbik (on Ziggy Hood). That play went for 9 yards. He had another 6 yard run late in the second quarter that may have gone for more w/ a better block (we'll get to that). I would've loved to see more crushing blocks from Corey McIntire in this one. Still, Jackson did well w/ his limited (12) carries. Quinton Ganther also got a few reps but provided little. This game was all 'bout Jackson's toughness, as none of what he got came easy. Considering they were playing the best run defense in the game, I'd expect nothing less. There's no getting 'round it, this was a horrible outing from the wideouts. Be it Lee Evans' costly drop in the third quarter or the rough go that Steve Johnson had (nearly as many drops as catches, including the potential game winner in OT), there was little to celebrate. I will give David Nelson props for making a few big catches late in the game (he's becoming quite a decent option, particularly on third downs), but that's 'bout it. The tight ends were missing in action again. The Bills HAVE to do something 'bout this once the season is over. Whether they attempt to sign a free agent, draft a good young prospect, or even pull off a trade, they need to bring in a quality receiving option to further stretch defenses who can also aid in the running game (David Martin's blocking is abysmal). Back to Johnson. No, I won't bash 'em for being the goat this week. I'm sure plenty of others will. I will say that while he seems to have a wealth of potential, he does need to work on focusing more on his craft @ times. His route running is good, and he doesn't shy away from running the tough routes, but man does he have those lapses where he can't seem to catch anything. More attention to detail will probably correct this. He seemed to understand that by his comments after the game. We'll see if there's a noticeable difference from here on out. How many of you all figured Fitzpatrick would be torn apart by the vaunted Stiller pass rush? I was one who definitely was concerned 'bout this. I know how he sometimes struggles when being pressured and I thought the Stillers would exploit this. But, I have to say, the O line did a pretty good job of protecting their QB this week. I thought Demetrius Bell and Mansfield Wrotto held their own for the most part. Considering they had to take on the best pair of pass rushing linebackers in the league, I'd say that's high praise. The interior guys also did well in not allowing Pittsburgh to run amok w/ their pass rush. Props to Kraig Urbik for another pretty good game. It wasn't perfect, as he did miss a block on Jackson's 6 yard run in the second quarter that may have prevented the play from going for a lot more. But, he had a great block on Jackson's big 65 yard TD catch 'n run and also made a terrific block on a 9 yard run by Jackson in the third quarter. Wrotto got beat by Farrior on a short pass play to Quinton Ganther and picked up a false start penalty. Hangartner had the aforementioned good block on Jackson's 9 yard run (took Farrior right outta the play). Andy Levitre did miss his block (badly) on a third quarter sack by James Harrison, but overall had an okay performance. Not many of his impressive lead blocks on traps this time, but you can't show off like that all the time. Speaking of showing off, Pittsburgh rookie center Maurkice Pouncey looked absolutely brilliant in the first half, in particular the first quarter. It's scary to think that he's playing as well as any center in the game-Nick Mangold included-only 12 games into his career! I look forward to seeing his progress in years to come. The defensive line was very good in this one! Kyle Williams had a slow start (I see he went from lining up over Pouncey to lining up over guard Chris Kemoeatu), but once he found his rhythm, he was all over the place. Particularly sweet was a play w/ 5 minutes to go, when Williams got the sack by shooting straight up the A gap and splitting a double team from Kemoeatu and Pouncey (shedded the rook w/ a nice arm rip!). Marcus Stroud also had a good performance; maybe his best of the season? He did get blown off the ball once in the third (on a 5 yard run by Rashard Mendenhall), but he also was in on a pair of sacks and really helped to pressure Ben Roethlisberger from the interior all game. A pleasant surprise was the play of Alex Carrington. Wow! I've been touting getting this guy more reps, and he showed some of the potential he has. He had a great shed of a block by Stiller tight end David Johnson (that guy may be as poor a blocker as David Martin is for the Bills) in the first quarter, got pressure by beating Kemoeatu on a play in the second quarter that allowed Stroud to get credit for a sack (on a play where Pouncey originally neutralized 'em but Stroud kept @ it), and got past former Bill and current Stiller starter Jonathan Scott, forcing Scott to hold 'em and negating a big pass play in the second quarter. Hopefully there's a lot more that on the horizon from Carrington. The linebackers actually didn't have a horrible game; more of a so-so game. Akin Ayodele just flat out blew it on Mendenhall's first quarter TD run by forgetting to fill his gap and, instead, overpursuing and allowing a huge hole for Mendenhall to jog in through, virtually untouched. Needing more of the same, Ayodele did the same thing again 'bout halfway through the third quarter and allowed Mendenhall to get 10 yards right after the Evans fumble. The big one, though, was the third quarter pass from Roethlisberger to Hines Ward, a 24 yard gain. On that play, the Bills gave a zone look in coverage, but someone let Ward all alone! Ayodele and Stroud (?) covered Heath Miller and Paul Posluszny followed Mike Wallace. Uh, anyone want to cover the Stillers' all time leading receiver? Chris Kelsay had an up and down game: he had a nice play early in the first quarter where he...get this...actually stayed home (!) on a misdirection play and forced the action to the other side. That said, he also overshot Roethlisberger on the big fourth quarter scramble to convert a key third down and again looked lost in coverage. He clearly looks better coming off the line out of his three point stance than trying to play the edge @ OLB. Paul Posluszny did have 8 tackles, but didn't have any impact plays. There was a play midway through the first quarter where he just couldn't get to the action on a third and short play. Had he shed the block (Haha!! Yeah, right) and got to the action, he could've prevented the conversion. I see this a lot from Poz. He just seems to get caught in the traffic too often and boy does he struggle coming off blocks. Antonio Coleman got in there and did very little, other than being called offsides and giving the Stiller yet another third down conversion. I'd like to see more of him and Arthur Moats. We gotta see if these guys can provide something for this group. They need all the something they can get. The secondary got in the mix when it came to run support. How 'bout Jairus Byrd forcing that fumble (aka stealing the ball) from Mendenhall, huh? I didn't realize 'til looking @ the stat sheet that he had 11 tackles. Leodis McKelvin did a decent job in coverage as well as run support. Drayton Florence, the most consistent performer for the secondary this year in my (meaningless) opinion, held up well in coverage w/ the exception of being beat twice in the middle of the field for third down coversions. Donte Whitner had a bunch of tackles (18) and many of 'em weren't the "hold onto the guy and get dragged for 7 yards" types of tackles that others on the team have become so good @ coming up w/ on a regular basis. Reggie Corner, Bryan Scott, and George Wilson had off games this week. Wilson, who was so prominent in the Cincy game, was nearly the invisible man this week. The special teams did a good job, too. Rian Lindell connected on all 3 of his FG tries, including the 49 yarder to send the game to overtime. Welcome back, Rian.....we hope. Brian Moorman had a shaky game from a yard average standpoint (29.4 yards per as a net?), but man did he come through w/ the coffin corner that went out @ the 4 yard line in overtime, a big factor in what would become the second of the Three Failed Opportunities in just over 4 minutes of overtime (more later). The coverage units didn't embarrASS themselves this week and didn't allow the typical momentum-killing returns after scores that the Bills have turned into an art form in recent years. Now, on to coaching. I give props to Chan Gailey for righting the ship in the second half, but there were some head scratchers in this one. Here's a few: 1. Why, in the first quarter in a 3rd down situation for the defense, did the Bills not blitz or rush ANYONE up the A gap? I saw Pouncey snap the ball, and then spend the rest of the play looking for someone to block. Really? Man, I wish the Bills' opponents were similarly as generous w/ their lack of creating pressure right up the middle of the field. 2. Why, in antother first quarter play toward the end of the quarter, were there FOUR Bills receivers w/in 10 yards of each other in their pass routes? The thing to do w/ a defense like the Stillers is to spread 'em out and attack 'em w/ the pass. That's what the Patriots did so well in a Monday night game years ago and what both the Pats and the Saints did in wins over Pittsburgh this year. So, why do the Bills want to pack all the receiving options into such a small space when the Stillers have shown weakness @ the cornerback position? 3. Back to the third quarter play w/ 6:58 to go. Ward beats the zone coverage for a 24 yard gain. Why was Ayodle and Stroud covering a tight end, leaving Poz to cover the fastest wideout on the field (and the one w/ the most yards per in the NFL), and leaving Ward, notorious for finding the open spots of zones in his career, all alone? Was that really the way it was designed, George Edwards? And now, for the Three Failed Opportunities. In a span of 4 and a half minutes, there were three chances for the Bills to take the Stillers out and get a win: 1. McKelvin's kick return, where he ran into Moats instead of being patient enough to set up that block and either run into FG range or score the game winner (remember when the Jets did that to us in '02?). 2. The Moorman coffin corner, that the defense turned into a three and out (nice sack and near fumble recovery by Kelsay). Had McKelvin not fumbled away 20 plus yards of field position, the Bills could've used the short passing game or the running game to get into Lindell's range (remember, he was on target in this one-big time!) or score the game winning TD. 3. The world famous drop by Johnson. Fitz threw a terrific deep ball (right over the shoulder where only the receiver had a play on it; sweet!), Johnson ran under it beautifully......and then let it slip through his hands. Literally. So, how do the Bills respond? Well, they have a tough one coming up against the Vikings on the road. This team can play defense (their front seven is good; the secondary is beat up but serviceable) and Leslie Frazier (my Bills coach in Madden 10 and 11) is going back to using Adrian Peterson more. The Bills struggle to stop anyone from running the ball, so this could be a serious issue to overcome. But, overcoming serious issues is what must be on the menu for this team from here on out. Bon apetit! Sorry this is late, folks. We were out of town 'til Tuesday evening, then I had to work and also try to get my wife's birthday present (tickets to the Stillers @ Ravens game) all set up. Mission accomplished, but not w/out the usual stress and strife. Anyhoo, I will post my report for Week 13 tomorrow. 'Til then, let me know what 'cha think of this one. I appreciate all comments, good and bad.

Have a fantastic day, which you will since you're still on vacation.

As things start to return to normalcy in my household (reason why I was MIA for Week 10), I am glad to see the Bills embark on a 2 game winning streak to begin the second half of the season. It certainly was a positive in a week that was chock full of negatives for me. Way to go, Bills! Ryan Fitzpatrick had another game full of monster numbers (over 300 yards, 4 TDs). Props to him, especially for bouncing back from what was an absolute disastrous first half. Problem is, as I have mentioned before, I still see the same things out of Fitzpatrick every game: poorly overthrown passes, poorly underthrown passes, and passes that never should've been thrown in the first place (usually into heavy coverage). These are things that should be corrected w/ more playing time, yet they are a constant. His throws on the out patterns are to the inside shoulder, where the defense can break on it and either break it up or pick it off. He has not adjusted and put those throws to the outside, where it is usually either incomplete or a catch. Weird thing is, it's not that Fitzpatrick is totally inaccurate. He had several really nice throws to Steve Johnson in the third and fourth quarter (some for first down conversions and TDs) and the read that he and Johnson had on the third TD hookup was something you hope for in a starting QB/WR combo. But, for whatever reason, he has those lapses in his game where he completes his "Terrible Trio" (overthrows, underthrows, poor throws into coverage that usually is picked off). This happens weekly, which is a big concern and the reason why I still believe the Bills need to acquire a quality QB to lead the team in the future. Luckily, he and the team were able to bounce back, but how much of that was due to the level of competiton? Could this comeback have happened against the Jets, Patriots, or the next opponent (later)? I'd rather not see the Bills in the position where they'd have to find out. Fred Jackson found tough going early in the game, but was there when the Bills needed 'em late. It was reminiscient of last year, when the Saints needed to close the deal on the Bills and relied on Pierre Thomas to get it done. His 30 yarder was the final nail in Cincy's coffin. Jackson also ran tough in this one. He had a particularly impressive 26 yard run late in the fourth quarter where he fought hard to get past the sticks and to keep getting extra yards after contact. Quinton Ganther got some minutes and had a really nice 9 yard run (great block by Kraig Urbik on that one; more later). Corey McIntire gave a solid lead block on an 8 yard Jackson run early in the third quarter. The receivers were okay as a unit, but this game was really all 'bout Steve Johnson. He had several plays where he came up w/ catches to continue drives (one in the early fourth quarter was on a pass that was beautifully thrown by Fitzpatrick) and, of course, on his scores. The one he had in the early part of the third quarter was a work of art. It was a nice throw from Fitpatrick, he made an excellent open field move to break free and get the score, and Andy Levitre made a great block to give Fitzpatrick a pocket to throw in. Donald Jones made a couple really nice third down catches and was impressive on his 28 yard TD catch. Lee Evans didn't have a ton of yards and only made a pair of catches, but one was a 54 yarder and the other was a terrific catch he made IN TRAFFIC! Very nice, as I've always been critical of any route by Evans that wasn't a "9" or "go" route (deep fly pattern). Still not much in the passing game out of the tight ends. Shawn Nelson made one catch and David Martin still has major issues when it comes to blocking. The offensive line, like the quarterback, got off to a slow start, but boy did they get it together later on. Props to young Kraig Urbik, who filled in for the injured Eric Wood and actually performed better. Wood got juked badly by Bengal DT Pat Sims on a play that wound up a sack for Sims. He still also does not show that fire and toughness off the snap that we had all hoped for. Too many times, I see the ball snapped and see Wood standing straight up w/ no leverage. Fire out and knock your guy off the ball, man. Urbik, though, made some very nice plays. On Ganther's 9 yard run, it was Urbik who cleared the path and he also showed good awareness in pass protection. He did miss a key block on a running play that appeared to be well designed (nice misdirection play that worked earlier in the game) and allowed Sims to break through to bust it up for a loss. Still, the kid came in and held his own. Geoff Hangartner had a terrific backside seal block on Jackson's 26 yard run in the fourth quarter. Levitre had another impressive lead block on an early Jackson run and made a terrific block to neutralize the interior rush on Johnson's 36 yard score in the third quarter. I thought the tackles also held their own. Demetrius Bell had his hands full w/ Michael Johnson on the left side, but forced 'em into a couple early penalties and did a solid job of keeping Fitzpatrick clean. Mansfield Wrotto backed the team up w/ a false start penalty in the red zone and also had a bad whiff of a block early on that allowed Domata Peko to get in the backfield to disrupt a play. That said, he still held up well in this game. Considering how well Peko has played over the past year or so, the fact that he was nearly a non-factor in this game speaks volumes for how well these guys help up in pass protection. Defensive line play was a bit spotty, as there were holes for most of the game that Cedric Benson exploited. Kyle Williams had a great game though. He was able to get into the backfield almost @ will and was responsible for a pair of great stops on Cincy's late first half drive down by the goal line. Marcus Stroud was also very good. On Cincy's last rush attempt on that drive, it was Stroud who clogged the run @ the point of attack, allowing Williams to knife in to make the tackle. Stroud also had a knockdown of a 3rd and short pass attempt by Carson Palmer and forced a key fumble right after the Bills' first TD of the second half that was turned into another TD. I saw a couple times where Bills D linemen were downfield making plays, too: one by Torell Troup, who made a tackle of Benson downfield after being blocked initially and another by Dwan Edwards. Alex Carrington and Kyle Williams combined to get pressure on Cincy's TD throw to Terrell Owens late, and it was this pressure that forced Andrew Whitworth to hold (take down) Williams and negate what was an excellent catch by Owens. On that stunt, Carrington looked good going 'cross the face of Whitworth to get inside. Sure wish they'd give him more reps. The linebackers were actually decent against the run in this game. Really. They still, as a unit, need to do better in shedding blocks, Paul Posluszny in particular. Too many times I saw someone engage Pos on a play, then remove 'em from the point of attack. He also still has coverage issues. Brian Leonard beat him for a third down conversion and he was clearly caught off guard on the pass interference call. To his credit, though, he was able to chase plays all over, including one where he came from the backside to run down Benson and limit the play to a 2 yard gain where it could've gone for much more. Reggie Torbor also has issues shedding blocks, but did a decent job of roaming from sideline to sideline and not letting things get too crazy. Props to this unit for doing one thing: maintaining the edge. There were a few breakdowns, including one where Torbor got caught going down the line and allowed Jermaine Gresham to get open for a big catch, but overall, they did a good job of not allowing big plays to the outside. Chris Kelsay blew a sack of Palmer late in the third quarter, but did get his brother down later on and had other plays where he broke through to force early throws. I saw some good things also from Arthur Moats and Antonio Coleman in limited action. These guys need more reps for sure. Continuing the trend of bouncing back, props to the secondary for putting the clamps on things in the second half. They did give up a couple long drives, but they were able to respond w/ big plays to shut down the drives. Terrence McGee did get beat on a third down pass, but seems to be rounding into form. Bryan Scott had his issues in coverage (Jordan Shipley beat 'em bad on the big throw @ the end of the first half that got Cincy into the red zone), but he also provided pressure on the QB (got a sack). Reggie Corner had the tough task of trying to stay w/ Shipley and got beaten a few times for first downs. Corner also had one pass interference call that probably shouldn't have been made and another earlier one that the refs clearly missed. Drayton Florence got beat a couple times, but overall covered well and had a terrific fumble return for a TD. Donte Whitner laid a terrific, clean hit on Shipley late in the game that forced an incompletion. Not a great game for either Leodis McKelvin or Jairus Byrd. McKelvin was victimized early on by Palmer, especially on Cincy's late first quarter drive where he gave up a 50 yard catch and was beaten for the TD. Byrd didn't react quickly enough to get into position on Owens' TD and looked a step slow to react for most of the game. Props to George Wilson for making what I felt was the play of the game: his INT in the end zone, which he returned 56 yards. Talk 'bout a swing of momentum! Cincy was looking to regain control of the game and ended up losing their lead for good. Wilson also had a great breakup of a pass to Owens early in the fourth quarter. Special teams? Not really. I think Coleman's two special teams tackles (one highlighted by an impressive hit) was the best part. The return game wasn't much as there were only 3 kicks returned for a less than 20 yard average and no punts were returned (one fair catch). Rian Lindell missed a kick inside of 40 yards. What's up w/ him lately? The coverage units did a decent job but did give up a late 34 yard kick return. Coaching wise, Chan Gailey adapted to Cincy's rush by doing more bootleg and misdirection plays to get Fitzpatrick out of the pocket so that he wasn't a sitting duck. It worked. They also focused on Cincy's backup defensive backs and exploited 'em. Defensively, there's still some issues (Shipley worked 'em to death w/ those quck outs, middle of the D line got pressure but gave up big yards early on), but there is also progress (defensive backs got turnovers and kept Owens and Chad in check for the most part). Ah, progress. Been a while. And so, our beloved Bills are on a two game winning streak! Woo hoo!! Hey, seriously; it's a good thing. The next opponent cannot say the same. Then again, the next opponent is... Pittsburgh. Time for Civil War in the R. Rich household. Psycho Ward 86, along w/ R. Rich's Mother and brother, all are a part of the Stiller Nation, so I will be badly outgunned when I go home this wekeend to visit w/ family before going to RICH to see the game. Ah well; I wouldn't have it any other way. Our team is on a roll and there looks to be some real improvement from these guys. I hope for more improvement and maybe, just maybe, the Bills can surprise some folks w/ some upsets. Sunday is as good a time to start as any.

Close, but not quite. Looks like this is becoming a theme for the 2010 Buffalo Bills. They showed heart, but once again could not come up w/ the win. This was another one of those "up for grabs" games that Chicago just grabbed. Keep workin', fellas. You're getting close. Ryan Fitzpatrick? Well, he did look sharp on the late 2nd quarter TD drive (the TD throw to Roscoe Parrish was sweet), and he also made a great read on the long pass to Steve Johnson in the 3rd quarter. Unfortunately, he had more of those poorly under (pass to David Nelson in the 4th) and over (1st quarter pass to Lee Evans; 4th quarter pass to Parrish) throws that seem to be a weekly staple. He also had a reallly bad throw into 'bout 4 defenders late in the first quarter and the two awful INT throws in the 4th quarter. Neither of those passes should've been thrown, as the receivers were blanketed. I love the toughness (looking to throw a block...nice!) and the spirit, but he is just limited in certain areas. He has not improved on his accuracy and he still makes some just flat out awful decisions, which usually are turnovers. I still think he's a good backup, but the Bills should work to find a starter that can get them to a level where they can not only play w/ teams and make games close, but come out on the winning end more often than not. Fred Jackson had a very rough outing. Some of it was directly attributed to his play (the dropped flare pass in the 3rd quarter; half a** rush attempt and fumble, also in 3rd quarter) and for some of it, the line played a part in it (run blocking was brutal for most of the game). The guy who really had a rough one was C.J. Spiller. He would end up w/ just 20 yards on 7 carries, but before you're quick to label Spiller as the goat (William), here's a few things to ponder: 1. In the 2nd quarter, TE David Martin whiffed on a block that allowed Spiller to get dropped for a 4 yard loss by Julius Peppers. 2. In the third quarter, Martin missed another block (on Brian Urlacher) and Spiller got dropped again. 3. In the fourth quarter, Spiller got 5 yards on a play that may have been a big gainer had he not been caught from behind by Bears DL Israel Idonije. The guy who "blocked" Idonije on that play? You guessed it: Martin. 4. Spiller gained 75% of his rushing total on one play, a 15 yard run off the right side w/ solid blocks by Andy Levitre and Corey McIntire. They ran this play in the 2nd quarter, and Urlacher ate it up (beat a block by Mansfield Wrotto). Note: they ran this play to the opposite side of Martin. So, maybe Spiller isn't so horrible after all. I do know that his blocking sure was. Also, props to McIntire for a solid game of lead blocking and for getting the TD. Nice to see a team let the blocking back run one in after putting in the work to help get a team down there in the first place. What a great game from Parrish and Steve Johnson! Roscoe made some excellent catches (the 2nd down catch in the first quarter and the TD catch were both really nice) and works to make grabs that guys much bigger than he is (James Hardy?) wouldn't. He's come a long way as a wideout. Johnson was very good @ finding the open spots on the field and that catch and run he had in the third quarter was outstanding. David Nelson had a nice third down conversion and would've had an even nicer catch in the fourth had Fitzpatrick delivered the ball to 'em. Lee Evans didn't have a very good game. He missed one late in the first half on the TD drive and only caught 3 for the game. Then again, Fitzpatrick badly missed a throw to Evans @ 'bout the halfway point in the quarter. As for the tight ends....not much. Props to Jonathan Stupar for a good lead block on McIntire's TD run, but Martin's woes (see RB breakdown above) were just too often and glaring. The O line didn't let Fitzpatrick get killed, but they weren't stellar either. Geoff Hangartner was okay in pass protection, but had a few plays where he looked weak in run blocking. He also let Anthony Adams blow up a screen play in the beginning of the fourth quarter that may have gotten Jackson going. Cordaro Howard? Didn't see much good from 'em: a typical penalty to make a third down play longer, but he didn't really distinguish himself. Wrotto did a little more...just a little. He did get beat bad by Idonije on an incomplete pass play where Fitzpatrick got drilled. He also, as mentioned earlier, missed a block that would've helped to spring Spiller. Eric Wood? Yeah, I guess he was out there. Again, not much to report. Demetrius Bell? He took his lumps a few times, but he was going against some guy named Peppers (two plays in a row in the first quarter were especially tough), and I hear that guy is pretty good. No excuse for the penalty on the fourth down try though. I really thought Levitre had a nice outing. Watching that guy get out on blocks is impressive. He's almost Steeler-like in his ability to pull and lead down the line. Gotta get more stout in pass protection, but he's the best lineman the Bills have in run blocking in my (meaningless) opinion. The D line had a so-so game. Kyle Williams put in some work, didn't he? Gotta love the effort. I didn't see much this time from Torell Troup in the 4 man packages. Same w/ Dwan Edwards who made one tackle and was nearly invisible. Spencer Johnson had a sack, forced a fumble, and recovered a fumble in this one. Nice impact. He did get blown off the ball on Chester Taylor's TD run though. Once he was taken out, that play was over and Taylor walked in. Didn't see much from Marcus Stroud either. There was one play where he helped string it out to the sideline, but the play broke down once it got there (not his fault, was it LBs?). There was some good stuff from the linebackers, but also some awful stuff. I liked the play in the beginning of the second quarter where Moats sniffed out the screen play and ran it down. Too bad his moment was crushed by a defensive holding call on Reggie Corner. Chris Kelsay still has problems containing plays. One led to a big scramble by Jay Cutler. When he charges down the line, the play goes 'round 'em. When he bursts upfield, the play goes inside of 'em. I dunno what it will take to fix it. He also needs better depth on his dropbacks. One in particular was the Cutler to Knox completion that went for 24 yards. Kelsay dropped back, but still gave too much of a cushion and Cutler was able to get the ball in to Knox. Paul Posluszny made a really nice tackle early on to stuff a third down play and finished w/ 10, but really wasn't a difference maker. Akin Ayodele's best play was probably the big hit he had covering a punt. That leaves the guy I tried to spotlight this week: Reggie Torbor. Sure, he made some tackles (6) and he had a great, diving pass breakup in the fourth quarter. That said, here's some of the things I saw that I didn't like: 1. He missed Matt Forte on a running play in the first quarter. Had 'em in the backfield, but let 'em spin away. So, the potential loss of 4 turned out to be a gain of 1. 2. He missed Chester Taylor in the backfield in a similar fashion, also in the first quarter. 3. This one ins't as bad. He made a tackle on Forte after a 6 yard gain, but watching the play, I just feel he could've arrived there earlier (he kinda hesitated after the throw) and w/ more urgency (go THROUGH the ballcarrier, don't just drag 'em down!!). 4. He got sucked in on a misdirection run in the third quarter instead of setting the edge and containing the play. Less than a minute later, he again could not contain a play to the outside and Forte bounced it his way, got to the edge, and ran for 22 yards. He doesn't suck, as evidenced by the great pass breakup in the fourth and the fact that he continued to chase plays down all game. He just needs to be more aggressive and decisive. Considering the lack of sacks in this game (really, no good pressure on Jay Cutler????), I think the defensive backs held their own for the most part. There were some bad points though. Leodis McKelvin did blow an open field tackle attempt on Taylor in the second and should've kept to the outside and let Donte Whitner take the inside on Earl Bennett's fourth quarter score. Drayton Florence did not miss a chance to make a big tackle, as he cut Devin Hester down on an end 'round for a small loss. Whitner had the big pass interference call in the fourth quarter and it sucked. But honestly, I could've seen that one called either way. Not gonna whine and complain 'bout that one. More damaging were the TWO missed chances for INTs by Bryan Scott: one in the second quarter and the other (and more damning) one in the fourth. Jairus Byrd made plenty of tackles, but I would've loved to see 'em get to the Bennett completion in the first quarter earlier (hesitated too much once Cutler dropped back). Special teams? Not so special. Rian Lindell missed his first career PAT (it was blocked by...who else?....Idonije), Brian Moorman kept the Bears pinned inside the 20 but had less than 30 yards on average, and the return game was nonexistent. Props to the coverage unit for not allowing Hester to explode on 'em. I guess that's a huge plus for 'em. Otherwise, it was a fair effort overall. Coaching wise, one of the problems I had w/ this was why they put no pressure on Cutler on the third down conversion late in the game? He was given 6.39 seconds to throw the ball!!! Unless you have Deion Sanders, Rod Woodson, Mel Blount, Michael Haynes, and Night Train Lane as your secondary, you're in trouble allowing ANY signal caller that much time to throw. Also, there was a series in the first quarter where the Bills ran that bubble screen to Parrish twice in a row. Really? And no LB to shadow the QB on the keeper in the second quarter? Cutler just ran wild and picked up the first down. To be fair, the coaches deserve props for a bold fourth down call late in the first half on the first TD drive. And so we can adjust the counter to 8, as in 0-8 now. The halfway point, if you're so inclined to root for a perfect(ly sorry) record. Still, the team is able to move the ball and put up points, so that's improvement. They also play w/ heart. There are some things to remain positive 'bout. That said, we are still talking 'bout a winless team and a team that could go winless all year. This Detroit team the Bills are preparing to face is much like the Bills: they play hard and they can give teams a run for their money also. This will be an interesting game to see how they fare. They can win this one, but they have to find a way to come up on the right end of these situations they can't seem to overcome. Considering how hard each team plays and the fact that both teams have come up short so often this season, it would be fitting for the Bills to get their first win this week. I sure hope that's what happens.

All I can say is, when a wideout has 74 catches, 1,211 yards (a 16.4 per average), and 17 touchdowns in a season, it is impressive no matter when they do it. But, then think of having those kinda numbers in 1942, and it's beyond impressive. It's all relative. Guys like Baugh and Hutson were terrific athletes (as shown by their all round play; Baugh as a punter, Hutson as a defensive back) and, if they played in this era, would train THE SAME WAY TODAY'S ATHLETES TRAIN. People always blast these guys for not going up against the kinda size/speed that today's athlete does. Well, for their era, that's exactly what they did. You think that if Jim Brown had access to the kinda training advances of today that he wouldn't be even better? That's scary, considering the guy won EIGHT rushing titles in his nine year career. Conversely, the athletes of today would not only be w/out the current training advances, but would also be privy to the same rules (leg whipping, practically beating up receivers ALL THE WAY DOWN THE FIELD, etc.) were they to have played back in those days. It's really tough to say what would happen if we took the athletes out of one era and put 'em into another.

Oh, I get it. Twelve months ago, Jim Brown was the best player of all time. I guess Jerry made a nice late push. But Kenneth, I guess we do have to give 'em credit for a few things: 1. Including Hein on the list. I was sure he'd be a victim of Generation ESPN. 2. Putting Hutson in the Top 10. We are in agreement on his merits. 3. Having Unitas and Graham in the Top 20, though we both know they should be higher (no, we won't go there...) than where they ended up. That's 'bout all I can come up w/ in terms of things to credit 'em for. Should we begin the laundry list of bad moves?

I guess, in your anger, you failed to see the thread titled, "NFL's Top 100 Players". Had you seen/opened it, you would've seen that it was discussing this very topic.

Yup. It's garbage.

Ozzie Newsome

The Colts re-acquired John Unitas?

Another overtime loss. Wow. As Don Johnson's character said to Kevin Costner's character in the movie Tin Cup: "I gotta hand it to you. When you go down, you go down in flames." This very well could be the one thing the Bills are the best in the league @ doing: finding ways to lose games. First off, Ryan Fitzpatrick. Sure, he did a good job of leading the Bills down the field to tie the game up. Good job on that. Still, there were the typical overthrows (the Spiller play comes to mind; how's that for a Halloween scare?) and the customary, "Why the **#! did I throw that pass?" interception. Okay, that one did slip out of his hand Garo Ypremian-style. Still, there were others that were boneheaded throws that the Chiefs failed to come up w/ but were thrown right to 'em. Those cannot be blamed on a "slip." He has to show better judgment when looking down the field. He also needs to be more composed in the face of a rush. This, folks, was the difference 'tween the Ravens' strategy last week and the Chiefs' strategy this week. While Baltimore, for some stupid reason, chose not to pressure Fitzpatrick, the Chiefs let 'em have it. And Fitz failed to handle the situation w/ composure. It's as I have been saying; the guy has tons of heart and is a good backup, but the Bills need to have more from the QB position in terms of a starter. Fred Jackson ran hard 2 times, but also ran not-so-smart other times (overshot his blockers on a play to the left side that appeared to have been one where they would've had a nice gain). All he needs is just a little patience (that sounds nice; I should write a song w/ those lyrics) in those circumstances and let the big guys do their job. C.J. Spiller had limited action (again; uh, Chan?) and did little. I would love to see him used more w/ Jackson as a flanker type ala Reggie Bush. This could create those mismatches that the Bills could benefit from, especially w/ the production they are getting from the wideouts of late. If this guy has the ability to create the sort of offensive spark that the Bills organization said he could when they drafted 'em, then it's up to these guys to put him in position to do more. What they're getting from Spiller is simply not cutting it. Let's put the plan in motion, coaches. The receivers didn't play as well as they had against the Ravens, but w/ the constant pressure the Chiefs were bringing, it was tough for any passing game to get established. David Nelson made some nice catches as the Bills attempted to get the passing game going late by spreading the Chiefs out to neutralize the rush. Steve Johnson, last week's big hero of this unit, did make a TD catch, but was kept in check for most of the game otherwise. Same w/ Lee Evans, who did make some noise on the game tying drive and in OT. The guy I was impressed w/ was Roscoe Parrish, who has really done a good job of coming up w/ tough catches and finding ways to get open to sustain drives. Still nothing from the tight end position. This has got to be addressed this offseason. Whether they go after a franchise QB in the draft or stick w/ Fitzpatrick, a dependable receiving option and capable blocker @ the tight end position should be a high priority for the Bills. Looks like a big step back for the offensieve line. Cordaro Howard looked every bit as bad this week as he looked promising last week. Three sacks given up? Yikes. The motion penalty sucked, but this was a nip 'n tuck game being played @ Arrowhead, so I can see where it may get loud enough for someone to screw up the snap count. But his run blocking also looked bad. Andy Studebaker looked like Clay Matthews coming off the left side! Ugh. Howard and Demetrius Bell got handled by Tamba Hali, who was just disruptive all game long. The Bills had no answer for the guy. His constant pressure allowed the Chiefs front seven to keep the pressure on Fitzpatrick all game long. The middle of the line, in terms of pass protection, didn't look quite as horrible as Howard, but wasn't stellar either. Geoff Hangartner had his hands full w/ Ron Edwards (yes, the same Ron Edwards the Bills jettisoned years ago) while Wallace Gilberry had his way w/ Bell and Eric Wood. Oh yeah, Gilberry was making his FIRST career start on Sunday. Wow. Wood has looked pretty timid for a guy who was drafted to give this O line the kind of fiesty bada** they have lacked in recent years. He's certainly no John Davis, that's for sure. Talk 'bout a bada** guard coming back from a major injury! I sure miss those days. The defensive line wasn't great, but they had their moments. What do I mean? Well, there was one play in the 2nd quarter where Dwan Edwards was left hanging. I'll explain: it was a running play to the left side. Edwards strung the blocker out wide, forcing the action back to the inside, where the linebackers were playing the gaps (instead of being wider than the DE, they lined up inside of the DE). That should've meant a bone crushing tackle once the cutback was made, right? Uh....no. The linebacker was nowhere to be found, as he was engulfed by a block that was far from impressive. It was a waste of a great effort by Edwards to neutralize the play. Kyle Williams may need surgery, as he seemed to play his guts out all over the field. As I've said numerous times; he's all heart. Imagine his tenacity coupled w/ Albert Haynesworth's talent......scary! Williams came up w/ a sack and worked to make plays @ or behind the line of scrimmage, something I had thought was a lost art w/ the Bills' front seven. Props for a great game. Marcus Stroud actually had a decent game too. Not nearly as many of those, "blast 'em off the line and out of the play" type plays from Stroud this week. Torell Troup got some time in but didn't really do much damage. I still would love to see more reps from Troup to develop 'em into a lane clogging NT. Considering the huge rush total the Chiefs had, it's easy to say these guys just flat out sucked. Looking more into it, though, that's not entirely the case. They need so much more in terms of support from... Again, the linebackers were putrid. Remember the play I mentioned where Edwards strung the play out but the linebacker couldn't close it? The linebacker in question was one Reggie Torbor. On that play, he looked confused off the snap, took off to the inside, realized it was going outside, and then ran right into a timid block....that he couldn't shed!!!! Paul Posluszny, a TBD whipping boy, was the top performer of this group, but that's not a ringing endorsement these days. Still, he did look a bit better in his pursuit and did help shut down a third and short play. He also was better in his pass coverage. Really, he was! As for the rest of 'em.....awful. Akin Ayodele, Andra Davis, Torbor, and Chris Kelsay in particular were non factors in defending the run. Did you see the gigantic rush lanes to the outside? They also came up short in defending the short pass (again). Especially in overtime, when rookie Chiefs TE Tony Moeaki was able to get open and make the defense pay. He had 15 yards per catch and really impressed me as a blocker too. He looks to be a good one. I think this is going to be the case 'til the Bills upgrade the talent in the LB unit. We have 9 more games of, "same as it ever was" to look forward to outta these guys, it seems. The secondary represented a bit better this week. Thank goodness. Leodis McKelvin looked better in run support (didn't he, Matt Cassel?) and also held his own in coverage. Donte Whitner, another TBD whipping boy, was okay. Still no splash plays, but this guy isn't Troy Polamalu or even Eric Berry, who looks to be a star on the rise. He's solid but not spectacular, as he was on Sunday. George Wilson got some run and missed a pick six. Drayton Florence got beat for another score (when Bowe caught the one yarder), but was okay in coverage for the most part. Bryan Scott and Jairus Byrd also helped keep things in check coverage wise. Byrd is improving in run support, but still has plenty of room to improve. The kicking game was okay overall. Brian Moorman's punt were short for most of the day, but he was mostly going to pin the Chiefs inside the 20. I thought the decision to punt toward the sideline and not let the Chiefs return it in overtime was a good decision, but a bad punt (a 26 yarder). Rian Lindell's second attempt @ the game winner was oh so close, but no good. As bad as that wind was kicking up, the fact that he got a pair of 53 yard kicks up and had the accuracy too was impressive. Parrish's return late looked to be just what the doctor ordered (and what has victimized the Bills in games past): a great start to set the Bills up w/ good field position. But, Fitzpatrick threw the pick to Berry and that squashed it. Spiller couldn't find any room to get clear on kick returns. Something for Bruce DeHaven to work on? Hey Chan, could you please find a way to get Spiller on the field more? Please?! Also, you may have wanted to run the ball a bit more. Could've taken pressure off of Fitzpatrick, who had Tamba Hali draped all over 'em, and the O line. And what's w/ the defensive flip flopping? If the 3-4 isn't working, stick w/ the 4-3. If you think you can get something done w/ the 3-4, then work to put the guys in the right spots for this to happen. But make a decision either way. And so, the Bills are now 0-7. I want to believe they won't go winless, but I am waiting for the scenario to take place where they can get a win. Other team playing poorly while you're playing well? Nah, didn't work last week. Get a bunch of turnovers early? Uh uh; blew the Jacksonville game that started just that way. Play well enough to be in a close game late to where you can make a few plays and come up w/ a win? Well, that was this week, and they couldn't do it. I will remain ever so faithful that the Bills will figure it out. But if they don't...

Hightower in the fourth round??????

Agreed.

Not bad, but I wouldn't put Montana ahead of Unitas and I'd probably put Joe Greene in there instead of Lott. Greene is arguably the best defensive lineman of all time (though I admit I am biased as he is my favorite football player of all time). I have missed these shows so far (always intend to watch 'em, but never do), but if the top player isn't Jim Brown, then this list is garbage.

I'd like to see the Bills run the football a bit more, but the key to developing offense is balance, not being either run or pass-heavy. 'Til the Bills have balance to the point where defenses need to focus on both the passing game and the running game, the offense will struggle to find continuity. So, who would you like to see the Bills draft in the first round? I wish you'd just say it and not be so vague.

The hiatus is over and free agency will resume on Monday for the special teams and a general clean up round. Also, the schedule of when the games will be simmed has been released and can be found in the "Schedule of Events" thread in the league forum.

First off, the tailgate was a tremendous success. Considering the 0-5 start to the season, I expected maybe 40 or so @ the most. Turned out we had 60 pay for the buffet in our private 2nd floor "party room" w/ another 30 or 40 who enjoyed the drink specials outside. Way to represent, Bills fans! A huge thanks goes out to the hard working staff @ Sliders, who did a great job of making Bills fans feel @ home. Considering we've done four of these tailgates there, and each has had near/over 100 people, we have an open invitation @ Sliders whenever the Bills show up. Nice. It was also nice to see so many folks come in from out of town. Tony (Mr. Info) and his family (I'll get the photos to you shortly-PM me an email address or Facebook info or some other way to send 'em), Rande (mead), Helen (Mrs. mead), Matt (son of mead), TJ (friend of son of mead: looking forward to the home brew), Paul and his wife (friends of mead: Sunday was the wife's birthday!), Jay Rosen/Rubeo/Site Crasher, Pinto Kenny and crew, and Beerball (thanks for the drinks on Sunday; Psycho Ward 86 thanks you as well). It sure was great to see you all and all the other folks I had a chance to meet and chat w/. It really was a great time. On to the game itself. Certainly was a lot closer than I and many others thought it would be, eh? Taking the Ravens to overtime? Gotta give the guys props for gutting out a tough performance. They showed us all that there is some fight in 'em and that they're not just mailing this season in. Good. Ryan Fitzpatrick had a very solid effort! He still makes the boneheaded throws @ times (throwing to the deep middle when Ed Reed is in the vicinity is bad, so is throwing short when there's over/under coverage w/ Ray Lewis and Reed), and still has some accuracy issues (over/underthrowing guys who are open), but overall the guy showed the toughness to hang in there and make big throws and the intelligence to know when to tuck 'n run. Way to give us Bills fans some hope. The way he kept his head and drove the team down for the game tying FG was superb. Props to Fitz for having the first 300 yard passing game for a Bills QB in nearly 4 years (!), though it is sad that such a stat exists in the first place. I like a lot of what I saw from Fred Jackson in the running game. He ran patient and fought for what he earned. One thing though: when you get the handoff deep in your own territory, make sure you take off as soon as you get the ball. When playing teams like the Ravens, know this: pursuit from the backside is going to come QUICKLY, as it did when Lewis dropped Jackson for a small loss on a play where Jackson didn't really accelerate from the snap. Outside of that, I thought he ran well and really helped the Bills control the clock and move the ball on one of the toughest defensive fronts to move the ball on. C.J. Spiller had one pretty nice gain, but again, was used sparingly (huh?) and didn't really establish anything on the ground. What a day for the Bills' receivers, huh? Tremendous job. Lee Evans made plenty of big grabs in this one and did a good job of finding the open areas. He did drop one late that could've gone for a huge gain, but still did a great job. Roscoe Parrish has shown a lot of heart lately. He makes tough catches, even in traffic. The first Reed pick was a play that Fitzpatrick tried to force into Roscoe, but that one had much to do w/ a great play by Lewis and not anything Roscoe did wrong. The story of the day for these guys was.....Steve Johnson! Really?!! A 158 yard, one TD day for Steve Johnson??!! The one catch where he made a nice move and got free to gain more yards was outstanding. Again....that was Steve Johnson?! Not much out of the TEs again, outside of Shawn Nelson's catch and fumble (more on that later). Still, you gotta love what the Bills got from Evans, Parrish, and......Steve Johnson!!!!! Props to the offensive line also! I was watching one guy in particular: Geoff Hangartner. Outside of the boneheaded penalty in overtime, he had a good showing. His pass blocking was strong, as there weren't many times where Fitzpatrick had a rush right up in his face to either force the quick throw or bring 'em down. As stout as I've seen Hangartner all season. Yeah yeah, I know, they didn't blitz often. Still, teams have been able to pressure Bills QBs w/ just a 3 to 4 man rush for years. Not on Sunday. Eric Wood wasn't all that special, but also didn't really hurt the team either. Cordaro Howard had a very good game, I thought. Much better than what we've seen @ the RT spot to date this season. I still saw a few plays where he got pushed back and allowed penetration, but overall he was MUCH better than what Cornell Green has been able to do. I also thought both Andy Levitre and Demetrius Bell had good outings. Bell looked stronger in the running game and also didn't get overwhelmed in pass protection. Levitre has, in my (meaningless) opinion, been the Bills' most consistent blocker this year. He looks good in pulling to lead on running plays to the outside, and his pass protection has come a long way from that horrid debut in the preseason game against the Titans in Canton last season. The defensive line kept things under control for the most part. They were helped by a peculiar decision by the Ravens not to pound the ball w/ Ray Rice (or Willis McGahee, who really did damage in limited carries) more than they did (thanks), but these guys did show up. Spencer Johnson and Dwan Edwards were quick to get off blocks and chase after plays (props to Edwards on the sack). Torell Troup continues to show that he's got the raw materials to be a good one. The kid is country strong! More technique work will only help Troup get better. Marcus Stroud didn't do much to help, but also didn't do anything to hurt the Bills. Kyle Williams came up w/ a few tackles while playing on a bum ankle. Good job overall, fellas. Another unimpressive showing by the linebackers. Paul Posluszny looked slow in coverage (again) and took some poor tackling angles (Rice abused 'em on one play). Outside of a sack and pass knockdown by Chris Kelsay, this unit didn't do that much on the day. Andra Davis and Reggie Torbor were nearly invisible. Arthur Moats got in and had a tackle assist. These guys still have major issues in coverage, as evidenced by FB La'Ron McClain's 35 yards on 2 catches (a 16 yarder and a 19 yarder) and Todd Heap's 56 yard, 2 TD day (though the safeties blew it w/ Heap also: more later). The run support still isn't that great also, but thanks to Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron's love affiar w/ the pass, that didn't hurt the Bills that much on Sunday. Hey Cam, did ya know the Bills were ranked DEAD LAST in the league vs the run? Just wondering. Not the best moment for the secondary either. Drayton Florence had his moments in coverage, but also got beat a couple times by Anquan Boldin and gave up a very costly pass interference penalty. Leodis McKelvin had Derrick Mason pretty much in check, 'til he gave up a 36 yarder late in the fourth quarter. Reggie Corner nearly pulled off a nice grab in the back of the end zone to squash a Ravens drive after a Bills turnover, but he was called out of bounds. The guys who really didn't help the cause for the secondary were safeties Jairus Byrd and Donte Whitner. Both were horrendous in run support. Byrd took a terrible angle on a running play where the Ravens were backed up inside the red zone, chasing the play to the inside and allowing McGahee to get outside for a big run. Hey Jairus, you're the free safety. If you get sucked inside, there's no defender playing deeper to bail the defense out. Stay home. Whitner got sucked inside on the flea flicker for a TD, but also dropped a sure INT (and maybe a pick 6) and was abused by Heap on a TD play. Byrd went for the pick on the first Heap TD instead of going for the knockdown, and it cost the Bills. Big. This was a rough outing for these guys. As for special teams, man did Brian Moorman earn his keep yet again! That bomb that put the Ravens in poor field position (only to have Byrd screw up and allow McGahee to get the Ravens out of field position jail) was nice! And the FG that Rian Lindell hit to send the game into overtime was not only spot on and dead center, it was good by a mile. Great kick! Good thing the angry mob didn't get their way way back when and have the Bills jettison this guy for stud placekicker Mike Nugent. Hmm....Jon Corto returns to the lineup, and the Bills' coverage units shut the Ravens down to 22 yards on kicks and zero on punts? Nah, I know it ain't that simple. These guys have had games like this already this year, but it was nice to see it again. Then there was the Bills' kick returns...uh boy. Spiller did do a bit better w/ 25 yards per return, but also had the very costly fumble that allowed the Ravens to rally late in the first half. Yikes. Coaching wise, it was a decent effort for Chan and the guys. They had that extra week to prepare and it appears that they worked to prepare instead of just going through the motions. They did a good job of attacking the very weak Ravens cornerbacks, the achilles heel of that defense. I would've liked to see both Jackson and Spiller carry the ball more, but what do I know? I also would've liked to see the defense come up w/ a way to contain McGahee and Rice, but that is something we've waited to see all year and probably won't see 'til the Bills add more talent to their front seven. So, what did we learn from this one? Again, this is just my (meaningless) opinion, but I know what I didn't learn. I didn't learn any of the following: a. The Bills are set @ QB and do not need to draft one of the top guys early if they're available b. The Bills have gone over the hump schedule-wise and will win out over weaker competition the rest of the way c. The Bills are only a few maneuvers and a couple players away from contention As for the first one, hey I loved the game Fitzpatrick had Sunday. He showed heart, made some nice plays, and put the Bills in position to win. But, he also still throws ill advised passes into coverage and kills drives and still constantly over/underthrows wide open players. I think the guy is a very good backup QB to have, but I still believe that if the Bills want to go from a doormat to a competitive team, they need more from the QB position. I'm taking Fitz' game for what it was: a welcomed reminder of what good offense is like. Thanks for reminding us all, Fitz. "B" is the one I kinda figured I'd see/hear after leaving M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday. "We almost beat a good team, so we're better than the other teams and blah blah blah.." I tend to look @ it from a different perspective. Everything was set up for the Bills to win: they played way over their heads while the Ravens played down to the Bills. Given that, the Bills still lost. So, I'm sorry, but I don't look @ teams like Detroit, Chicago, Kansas City, and Cincinnati as "wins in the bank". Maybe they will win one/some/all of those games, but I need to see it to believe it. "C" All I need to do is watch the linebacker play to know that the Bills are @ least 3 quality linebackers away from being decent @ just that position. They also probably need a quality right tackle prospect (we'll see if Howard develops), a QB that can lead the franchise for years to come, and a difference maker in both the secondary (maybe Byrd if he gets coached up on run support and taking better angles while playing centerfield?) and the defensive line (I think it could be Troup w/ more playing time and coaching). That's seven players right there, and there may be even more than that. I also wanted to address the officiating. I think it wasn't clear cut as to the forward progress of Nelson due to his own linemen coming from behind to push the pile. Now maybe once he left his feet, the ref should've blown the whistle. Maybe not. Again, I think an argument could be made either way, which means it isn't clear cut. Sucks, but that's how it goes, I 'spose. As for Corner's near INT, same thing. I could see arguments being made for him being in and for being out. I guess if I were officiating, I'd go w/ whatever the call on the field was for those. As for the other plays that were reviewed, I think they did a good job of making the right call. I know this won't endear me to fans who want to believe the fix is always in and that the Bills will continue to be screwed by the evil powers that be who don't like the Bills because......because.....well, they just don't like 'em, but that's just what I think. So, it's 0-6. But, there's a lot to be positive 'bout. Maybe they will continue to build on that and the team will continue to progress. What's this? Bills fans may have some hope after all? We've come a long way from............Thursday.

This topic is rapidly approaching the "need for one giant Coulda Shoulda Woulda thread" status.

Pay @ the door. There is no prepay.

If the coverage doesn't improve, it won't be just Baltimore having a field day. The Bills still have teams like Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Minnesota and a second helping of the Jets and Pats to contend w/. All of those teams have tight ends that can destroy the Bills.

I imagine you will be able to say that 'bout this team.....whatever their name will be and whatever city they will call home by then. (Sure hope it doesn't change!)

I think McKelvin is playing well, William. Probably not who I would've drafted in '08, but the guy is playing well. I guess in hindsight, I would love to see Ryan Clady or Branden Albert or even Joe Flacco, but we could post all week 'bout all the coulda shoulda woulda moves/non-moves the Bills have made in drafts prior. In fact, someone is doing it as we speak (it's kinda like how I Love Lucy or The Flinstones is always showing somewhere on Earth).

I must respectfully disagree w/ your take on McKelvin, billsfan 34. Like Metz said, he has been pretty solid in coverage this season w/ the exception of getting beat on the out and up by Edwards. Here's my take on his play from Week 1:

Agreed.

Yeah, yeah. Sure ya do.