R. Rich

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.

I hear ya. The Pats know when to get rid of players and still get compensation for 'em. Shrewd. I could roll w/ either scenario: staying put (if the pick is high enough) and taking a QB like Luck or Mallet or trading down and acquiring additional picks. Like you said, the Bills are way more than a player away from contention. As long as they hit the mark more than they miss it w/ additional picks, they could really go a long way toward building for their future.

Then again, people whine 'bout how the Bills never take what trade offers they do receive (allegedly). Damned if they do, damned if they don't.

Fine. Get outta here, then.

Given the choice, I'd hope it would be an OT. I know Bruuuuce was a standout, but the truth is that he was the exception as a pass rushing DE in a 3-4, NOT the rule. The rush should come from the OLBs, so if they intend on upgrading the pass rush, I'd hope the Bills would look to grab a good edge rusher maybe in the 2nd round, kinda like what Pittsburgh did in taking LaMarr Woodley.

Maybe it has more to do w/ the folks who evaluate talent and less to do w/ some sorta "guilt by school choice" issue.

Doubtful, but I guess on any given Sunday...

Mike Williams?

I resemble that remark.