R. Rich

And so, another season is finished. Mercifully. Another year that started out w/ plenty of high hopes and finished w/ plenty of frustration. That makes it an even ten years now. Woo hoo! As for the game? Well, they won....I guess that counts for something. Sure, they blew the opportunity to draft a few spots higher, but 'til we see what the front office is going to look like, that may not even be an issue. If the Bills turn out to be, "more of the same", then it wouldn't matter if they had the chance to draft Ndamukong Suh, they'd still find a way for it to turn sour. Ryan Fitzpatrick had a really good game vs the Colts, so props to him. W/ the weather being as poor as it was, it was that much more impressive to see the throws he made (that TD to Lee Evans was a work of art, and the bomb to Terrell Owens wasn't so shabby, either), even the ones that were misfires (the "shoulda been TD" to TE Joel Klopfenstein was another terrific throw). Even though there were some miscues (more missed passes, including a few to Owens that could've gone for TDs and clock management snafus), this very well could have been Fitzpatrick's best game as a Bill. How timely, as everyone was playing for their 2010 jobs and/or positions on the depth chart. The running game took center stage on Sunday, which is to say Fred Jackson took center stage. Fred seems to like center stage....a lot!! He run w/ a sense of purpose, making people miss (excellent footing, considering the weather conditions) and, when necessary, plowing (pun intended) ahead to get tough yards. His performance, as well as the "performance" of Marshawn Lynch, just goes to show that Jackson is the lead back while Lynch isn't much more than the backup for the Bills. A 200 yard game for a Bills RB? Nice. Been a while since we've seen those. Overall, this was a good game for the receivers. Evans and Owens both had TD catches, and TEs Jonathan Stupar, Shawn Nelson, and Klopfenstein each got involved w/ a catch. I even saw Evans go downfield and make a nice block for Jackson! Seriously. Of course, there were a few plays where they did nothing away from the play (one in particular, in the red zone, where Evans, on the left side, took 3 steps, turned 'round, and did nothing else as the play was a run to the right side; Owens' run blocking left a lot to be desired for the most part), but these guys produced when given the chance. Good job. The true stars of this game were the offensive line. These guys made public their desire to get Jackson the yardage needed to get to 1,000 yards (needed 150 going into the game) and they delivered, as Jackson finished w/ 212. The left side, yes, the LEFT side, was very strong as tackle Jermon Meredith and guard Andy Levitre did a tremendous job of knocking guys off the line and allowing Jackson to get to the second level all day. The one guy I really would like to commend though is beleagured (certainly by me this season) center Geoff Hangartner. On more than a few plays Sunday, I saw Hangartner go and lead the way for Jackson on runs to the outside and he made nice blocks past the line of scrimmage. There was one play where he made his block on the line, released to lead block, and then took out the LB on a play that went for big yards in the red zone. Outstanding run blocking and, seeing as though Fitzpatrick wasn't sacked @ all, they were solid in pass protection as well. The defensive line had a workman like day, as everyone did their part for the common good. Aaron Schobel brought the pressure and showed that he still has plenty in the tank for a guy who talked 'bout retirement earlier. Chris Kelsay and Ryan Denney were soild in terms of run defense, forcing action back inside and letting the pursuit clean up. Speaking of, Kyle Williams had another good game, pressuring the QB and coming up w/ a sack while also finishing w/ 7 tackles and being tough vs the run. Spencer Johnson was a bit more stout than usual, as I didn't observe him being knocked 8 yards off the ball in this one. Same for Marcus Stroud, who did okay coming off blocks and actually was double teamed a few times in the first half. There was even another Aaron Maybin sighting, though he really didn't do a whole heck of a lot. I can only hope that the more reps he gets, the more he'll develop the skills needed to be productive. Right now, he's just far too raw to step in and be a dominant player. Much like the D line, the linebackers had a nice overall game. Though they weren't much of a factor in rushing the passer, they did neutralize the Colts' running game as they finished w/ 25 yards total. Paul Posluszny and John Corto both had plenty of tackles and did a good job of getting to the play and making stops, something we haven't seen much of out of Bills linebackers all season. Chris Draft didn't have quite as productive a game as the other two, but I did see him make a play or two in coverage. A bit more size to help stuff the run better, and a bit more speed off the edge to get to the QB and force hurried throws or come up w/ sacks and turnovers, and this unit will really scare people. The secondary probably were the only ones who appreciated the lovely weather conditions @ RICH on Sunday, as it certainly helped their cause. Case in point: the first INT by Cary Harris, a pass by Peyton Manning that got hung up a tiny bit, plus the receiver slipped, allowing Harris to dive for the pick. Manning did recover to make some nice throws, including a really nice Manning-led TD drive. But, when they went to backup Curtis Painter, it was not so pretty. He could not make the kind of throws that Manning and Fitzpatrick did, and he looked lost out there. That, plus the terrific run defense the Bills played (no, that's not a typo!) made for a great outing for the secondary. Reggie Corner had to be happy that he was playing @ home on Sunday and not in the ATL, as there was no Roddy White there. He had a solid game, breaking up a deep throw and stopping a bubble screen that he diagnosed right from the snap. Drayton Florence was strong in run support and also was reliable in coverage, as he has been for most of the season. George Wilson was in on some nice stops in run support also, which is his forte. Overall, they were there to help lock down the running game and didn't let the Colts get into any kind of rhythm in the passing game. Great job. Overall, I thought the special teams were solid but not spectacular. Rian Lindell came through w/ 3 field goals, but they were all makeable (each below 40 yards). Brian Moorman didn't have any booming kicks, but also didn't hurt the team in terms of field position. The return units left a bit to be desired as Roscoe Parrish didn't even get to 5 yards per punt return and Jackson had just one kick return for 14 yards. The kick coverage units fared a bit better, keeping the Colts in long field position and not being victimized for any momentum changing, heartbreaking big returns. Coaching wise, I think this game showed why they need to look outside the organization for a new head coach. Perry Fewell had a few of those Dick Jauron type moments (a delay of game AFTER a timeout and a punt call on 4th and 2 in the Colts' end of the field???) that we hope not to see any more. Was Alex Van Pelt's game plan genius, or was it just "run the ball more as the weather sucks and we can't effectively throw it all day"? I give 'em credit for not blowing things and for not letting any momentum slip @ any time in the game, but I do think it's time to look elsewhere for leadership. Thanks for the ride, Perry, and best of luck to you in your future endeavors. Okay, so it's on to the offseason. I think it's time for me to work up a few scenarios, something I haven't done here in a few years, but it's always so fun for me to try. Also, it's time to see what direction the new GM, Buddy Nix, will take the Bills. There is hope, as he kinda hinted to the fact that the Tampa 2 may be a thing of the past and that the Bills may bring in some big guys on BOTH lines (YES!!!). I hope he also wants to add size to the LB corps and wants to develop an overall tougher, more aggressive Bills team. Maybe they'll start practicing more outdoors...like daily! Time for the Bills to be a bit more nasty and tough. No more babying these guys; they need to toughen up. Good luck to Mr Nix. As a season ticket holder, I will be watching to see what happens in the next few months, and it may make a difference in whether I remain a season ticket holder. I won't jump the gun 'til I have some kind of idea what direction the Bills are heading in. If I feel it's more of the "same old Bills", then I may just give up my season tickets and go back to buying individual seats. But if I get the feeling that things are going to change, I'll be more than happy to re-up. Even though I could use the extra cash that would come from not renewing, I am certainly hoping to be spending my cash on the Bills yet again.

To each his own. La Nova isn't bad @ all. I also tried the Bar Bill tavern's wings and they're pretty good. Basically, it's pretty easy to get good wings in the Buffalo area.

I disagree. I think Duffs wings are very good.

...w/ vodka to help ease the pain.

Seriously? Where'd you hear that?

Maybe so.

I never root for an athlete to get injured, no matter how much I dislike the athlete, his/her team, or anything else.

Is it too late to beg for Jauron to come back?

They shouldn't.

If time and schedule permits, I'll be heading to Lambeau and to Arrowhead next season.

I'm not too thrilled w/ that 3-4 lineup. Johnson as a DE? He does do a better job of getting upfield, but as a 3-4 DE, he's going to be responsible for stopping the run a lot more than rushing the passer as he'll see way more double teams (see just 'bout any game this year to see how well Johnson does vs double teams on runnning plays). Hampton is an aging veteran, but still one who can get things done, so that isn't an altogether bad idea. Stroud? Again, he's had his issues just going against single blocks; now, you want him to take on double teams on a frequent basis? Not a great idea. The LBs? Schobel might do okay, but he's had very limited exposure to dropping back in coverage, something he'll do far more frequently as an OLB in the 3-4. He's also a sucker for counter plays, so if he goes for that, that leaves you w/ nobody on the edge to stop plays heading to the outside. Same w/ Maybin. Now, w/ him, I think he just needs more experience to know how to handle misdirection plays, but it would be a disaster to leave him out there now and hope he could contain (it's not just "rush the QB all day" as a 3-4 OLB). Foote has been a solid 3-4 middle 'backer for some time and appears to have plenty left, but I think Posluszny would be horribly miscast in that role. You need a guy like the Jets' David Harris in there: a big guy who can shed the blocks of guards (many of whom tend to be in the 310 lb and up range) on a regular basis to chase plays from sideline to sideline and who can deliver quite a hit when they arrive. As for the secondary, I'd like to have better press corners if I'm going to run a 3-4 (especially if, in your scenario, it's a Cowher/LeBeau type 3-4). I think the safeties could be okay, as I really like Wilson and his knack for making things happen (tackles for loss, INTs), not to mention Byrd and his ballhawking skills.

Which QB in Round 1 and which LT and RT in Rounds 2 and 3? It has to be more than just grab a certain position. You take the best talent for the pick. Well, the teams that consistently win do that. If you go after a position w/ a certain pick, you end up settling for players instead of getting the best player available.

Yep.

Still gotta go w/ the lack of cohesion from ownership to management to coaching to players on this one. Good teams have it; the rest...

This has seemingly been the mantra for the Bills' front office since the late 90s, which is 'round the time when they stopped being a competitive team.

Now that would be interesting.

Stop drinking Budweiser.

What a tragedy.

Why?

Aside from the highlighted typo (I'm sure you meant to say something else), it's like being in a time warp. Just don't put it in overdrive this time.

And now for the late edition. Sorry, but I DVR'd the game and didn't watch it 'til this morning. Maybe I should've just deleted it, huh? Anyway... Brian Brohm, come on down! You're the next QB to get grilled by the good folks of TBD. Welcome. Did you enjoy your first taste of the bitter substance we call Bills football? Probably not, and who could blame you? Well, you did make a few decent throws where you stood in there and, even knowing you'd get blasted, made throws down the field. Then again, you also had you share of Trent-esque checkdown throws, too. I also liked the bootleg action on early downs to the fullback as a way to catch the defense off guard. All in all, I'd say you were decent. Unfortunately, this team needs better than decent quarterbacking to turn their fortunes 'round. Maybe more reps will improve things; we'll see. If the new regime wants to retain your services, that is. Marshawn Lynch did something other than drop a pass that was put right in his hands: he ran for a yard a carry (3 catches for 3 yards). The Bills got considerably more offense from fullback Corey McIntire (4 for 28). Now hold on a minute; that doesn't mean McIntire is all that. As a lead blocker, he does virtually nothing to clear the path for the RBs and doesn't do much more as a ballcarrier. As for Fred Jackson, not a very good showing. I did like the blitz pickup on a third down play late in the 2nd quarter, but he couldn't really get it going on running plays (39 yards on 13 carries), wasn't a factor in terms of the passing game (2 catches, 14 yards), and let rookie Lawrence Sidbury just rip the ball out of his hands and return it for a score (was that knee down on the return?) that basically ended the game. Lee Evans led the way for the receivers. Yay; 5 catches, 43 yards. He also missed a block on a short yardage run late in the 2nd quarter (he went down the line to pick up one of the pursuing LBs and blocked nobody as Jackson got clobbered for a loss). Terrell Owens got to his 1,000 catch milestone (yay Owens!) and had a total of 4 catches for 39 yards. It would've been nice to, as Steve Buerlein pointed out, see Owens either fight to come up w/ the pass on the bomb that was intercepted or @ least break it up to where it was just an incompletion. Ah well; next time, I guess. There was a James Hardy sighting too, as he made one catch for 9 yards. No catches from TEs Shawn Nelson or Jonathan Stupar. I know, I know; next time. What more can we say 'bout the offensieve line? Ugh. You think things can't get worse, and then Jonathan Scott goes down w/ yet another injury and is replaced by Andre Ramsey. He distinguished himself by getting an illegal formation penalty by not lining up on that thing they call the line of scrimmage. Considering his red zone gaffe from the week prior, was anyone surprised? On the other side, there was Kirk Chambers, who was good for a false start penalty (shocking, isn't it?) and a hands to the face penalty where he decided to just rip Falcon DE/kicker Kory Biermann's helmet off his head. Maybe he was trying to get a personal foul called on Biermann for taking his helmet off? I dunno. In the middle, Geoff Hangartner had his share of trouble anchoring on passing downs and also in getting out on runs to the outside. But @ least he would try to hit someone, which could not always be said for Mr Bad Temper Aggression himself, RICHie Incognito. There was a short yardage play 'round the 2 minute mark of the 2nd quarter that featured Incognito getting beat right off the snap, w/ his guy making the tackle and w/ Incognito looking guilty as ever as he stood over the fallen Fred Jackson. Andy Levitre actually stayed on his feet a good while in this game, as he usually lands on the turf due to leverage issues (too much lunging instead of being in proper position w/ good balance). Maybe there's hope yet. Aside from the workmanlike performance from Aaron Schobel, the D line did nothing in this one. Again, I see Marcus Stroud being handled by a single blocker way too often. Now, he did come off a few blocks to disrupt things on a few occasions, so it isn't totally bleak. Kyle Williams must have hit the wall, 'cause he wasn't hitting much else in this game. Well, maybe the turf on a few solid blocks, but that's it. Spencer Johnson may have had the most impact of the interior DL for the Bills and that's mainly due to him blocking the FG attempt. On the side opposite Schobel...??? If there was another DE out there, I didn't see 'em. There was one play that Schobel wasn't too stellar on, though. On a 3rd and short play w/ 1:10 to go in the first half, Schobel and Williams were easily blocked down and the LB (we'll get to that in a sec) missed an initial tackle attempt, but did make the tackle.....after the runner had gotten the first down. The linebackers were maybe a step better than the DEs minus Schobel. I mean, I did see those guys out there. Paul Posluszny and Chris Draft made a few tackles, but nothing special. Draft's neutral zone infraction kept an Atlanta drive going (and yes, he did line up in the neutral zone). Nic Harris did a decent job of dropping back in coverage, but man, does he have issues in run support. It was Harris who whiffed on the above mentioned third and short play, going for the back's out move, then watching him go up and forward for the first down before he hung on for dear life to make the tackle. This game illustrates the point that I've made several times 'bout this unit clearly: they are too small. They cannot shed blocks and neutralize any plays going to the edge. The only way they can be in on negative or zero yardage plays is by playing the gaps, thereby leaving the edge unprotected since the DEs are usually rushing upfield (to the OT's outside shoulder, usually). Good thing the secondary guys are decent in run support. If not, this run defense would be legendary in how bad they'd be. Speaking of the secondary and run support, props to both Donte Whitner and to George Wilson for making plays in running plays to the outside. Whitner smacked the runner down and shut down a play to the right while Wilson made a shoestring tackle that saved a likely touchdown. As I said, were it not for efforts like this from the secondary, the Bills' run defense would set a record no one would likely touch in terms of yards surrendered and one which they would never be able to live down. In terms of coverage, I thought Drayton Florence won more battles than he lost, even though he gave up a few big plays and a late TD. Reggie Corner seems to be the goat of the week, but I caution those of you sharpening up your pitchforks. Corner does okay covering the slot, but if you put him on the island outside vs any kind of good receiver, you're going to pay for it. The Bills chose to do that very thing against the guy who has more receiving yards in the past few years than any other wideout in the league outside of Larry Fitzgerald in Roddy White. Nice strategy, huh? I will say this: he had a really nice pass breakup in the latter stages of the first half, so it's not like he has zero ability. Ashton Youboty also struggled mightily. On one third down completion, he looked 'round as if he was lost. What do I mean, "as if"? He WAS lost! Whitner also did little to stop anyone in terms of coverage. So, to sum it up, they're not bad in run support, but they have issues in terms of coverage. Special teams were hardly special, either. Brian Moorman had some booming punts, then drilled a line drive to Atlanta that became a big return. In the return game, not much from Roscoe Parrish or from Fred Jackson. Jackson averaged 18 yards per kick return while Parrish had 3 fair catches and a return negated by a penalty. The true highlight for this unit was Spencer Johnson's block that nearly became a George Wilson TD were it not for Reggie Corner's knee hitting the turf before he lateralled it backward. That one could've been a momentum swinger, as it would've made it a 10-7 score @ the half. Then again, w/ the Bills offensive woes, there may have been no stopping what happened in the second half, even w/ that TD. As for the coaching, what was up w/ running the reverse play w/ Owens instead of Parrish or Evans? Why not use more play action and mixing things up to give Brohm a fighting chance instead of setting him up to fail by putting 'em in predictable situation after predictable situation? Why punt the damn ball on 4th and 3 when you were only 37 yards away from the end zone? No going for it; why? Were you afraid of losing your playoff positioning? Heck, you could've even tried kicking it from there. Lindell has a strong enough leg, especially in an INDOOR facility! A very Jauron-like effort from this group. Okay, so on to the finale vs Indy. The Colts have plenty of their own drama this week, as the angry mob has turned on St. Polian for wasting a shot @ an undefeated season. I'm sure if Colts fans weren't blinded by their ridiculous rage, they'd see how spoiled and childish they seem w/ this. Not quite Steeler fan-like, but close. Your team gets 10-12 wins yearly. You're in the playoffs yet again. You win your division almost as a rite of winter. Get over yourselves! One last note: props to rookie Jairus Byrd for his selection to the Pro Bowl. W/ the way selectees opt out of playing recently, and alternates galore get the nod, it hasn't really meant much lately to be a Pro Bowl player. But Jairus, you definitely deserve to be mentioned as one of the top safeties for the 2009 season. Congrats, and Go Bills!

WTF??? The Story of the 2009 Buffalo Bills

Proof positive.

By throwing for 475 yards and 5 TDs per game while constantly on the run, of course. Duh.

Hahaha!!!