The Dean

"Bajc added, “We don’t know why or what is being covered up, but something is being covered up."

The quality of the class has NO bearing on this. Only the quality of the individual QB. So far, this year, EJ looks quite a bit better than Geno. Who knows who will develop to be the better QB? And what makes you think you have the crystal ball to know that? All most of us ask is to recognize the progress he has made. Checks down all the time? Nope. Doesn't' throw downfield? He's done it quite a bit, actually. Locks onto one WR? I believe he has looked the safety/LB a number of times already this year. Complain about some passes that weren't perfect, if you like, But at least when you do, point out the PERFECT pass to Watkins that was a would-be TD had he held on. Yes, there is work to do? Of course. I think he's showing the ability to do whatever is asked of him--admittedly that hasn't be a lot so far. We'll see where his ceiling is. But when he gets time to throw, so far, so good. Some here have simply refused to mention the progress--are you one of those posters? I believe in praise tempered with reality and criticism balanced with praise, if any has been earned. So far, EJ has earned some praise, but in reality has much more to show.

Never been married so never had any in-laws. But i generally got along quite well with my girlfriends' parents. I treat their daughters very well, I'm relatively articulate and actually very nice in person. Since I had a couple certifiably crazy exes (but damn were they pretty) their parents saw me as a stabilizing influence. The only girlfriend I remember having any parent issues with, was a very sweet and beautiful Polish girl from Kenmore. To this day, she remains my favorite girlfriend ever. She was quite a bit taller than me, and i was Italian---not the ideal guy for their daughter. (My father, noticing the extreme difference in our heights said, "When your nose-to-nose your toes are in it. And when you're toe-to-toe your nose is in it. My father was funny.) But I eventually won them over just by being very good to their daughter. When her father died, I was with her, and her mother, helping in any and every way I could. I was pretty young, mid-20s, but I knew it was important to be as supportive as possible. She got married and I think her husband may have been the trainer for, or worked in some capacity with, the Washington Redskins. I'm not positive though. I should shoot her an email.

Well as a stats guy, I freely admit they don't tell the full story. And two games is an awfully small sample size. That's based on ONE game. I don't know if that is a good metric, or not. But no metric is perfect with a sample of one or two games. As we all know, Fitz is perfectly capable of paying a good game or two. Or has it been too long for some to remember that?

I was thinking the same thing. That beard is doing him no favors (and I'm an old man with a beard). This looks like precisely what I thought it was when it was announced Golisano would submit a bid. (This isn't an "I told you so thread" because I was simply speculating.) Tom G simply was there in case there was a threat to move the Bills. He said that from the get-go. Good for him. Perhaps he hung around a bit, at least in the mix from speculators, simply to maintain an alternative if Pegula wasn't ready to step up and make this happen. When it was clear Pegula was VERY serious, Tom stepped aside. Much respect for a class move.

Agreed. There are things we need to find out about EJ and things he needs to do better. But let's not simply ignore the clear progress he has displayed because he hasn't had to become a perfect QB yet.

I don't disagree those QBs have more experience, and have proven over time to be more reliable than EJ. Some of that has to do with the fact that EJ has yet to play one full season of games and none of us know what he will become. So one would likely give the Bills a better chance to win games these years if one of those QBs ((with the possible exception of Cutler) than with EJ. That's just Football 101. But that doesn't mean the Bills would be better, and actually win more games with one of those QBs. With some of those QBs, the game plan is probably completely different. Typically with a star QB the game revolves around that player,. The Bills likely run less. Pass more. More chances for INTs and sacks. Just some examples of course. Perhaps the team is actually a better team with EJ at the QB position. And not just for the short term, but in the long term. I'm very excited to see this group of players develop together.

You can keep Cutler. I'll stay with EJ. Looking toward the future, Manning, Brady, Brees and perhaps even Rivers might be great for the short term. But the Bills would be on the lookout for their future QB ASAP. Notice ANY 2nd year QBs on that list? Didn't think so. I believe I would have put Luck in that list in his 2nd year (maybe his rookie year). Same with Wilson. Very rare for a QB to demonstrate elite skills in the NFL this early in his career. To a degree we think every high QB pick should be able to do this now, because we've been fortunate enough to see a couple do it recently. Keep that in perspective. It is a very rare occurrence.

I'm not as wrapped up in the unis as some. But I have to admit, they looked damn fine in the all whites, yesterday. And the key is the standing Buffalo helmet. I have never been a fan of the buffalo "wearing a ribbon". Those are supposed to show speed? I know some 5 year olds who can make better, more convincing, motion lines.

All in on the Brownies? Who knows?

I'm in contact with him, telephonically and via email. He is doing pretty well, after going through some serious medical issues. He and a few other friends are expected down here for a visit, sometime in the fall. I'm shocked he hasn't posted lately.

Van is the King, IMO. Nobody better.

Good, They should feel that way---for now. I hope the "experts" continue to underestimate the Bills. Sometimes it's good to fly below the radar.

Well in the words of Little Feat: Truth is, you, me, any one person, can only see so much of the field. We get confused as to how open a guy looked, how good/bad the throw was. We also have out own particular preconceptions and biases. Of course just using stats, and not seeing for yourself is crazy. But, IMO, only using your eyes to judge is nearly as flawed a method of analysis.

Those places must have rocked yesterday. Not chill at all.

Given the high standard many demand from a "top QB" or even a "good QB" I will be quite surprised if there are 10 that qualify for the "top 10".

But is is sufficiently "chill"? Just kidding. Hope you had a good crowd. With any luck I'll be in downstate NY for a game or two. I'll stop by and chill.

Torture numbers long enough, and they'll admit to anything. In truth, some stats are a bit more predictive than others. And stats can only be evaluated in context. Stats aren't useless. But empty stats don't reveal all that much.

No, the completion percentage is clearly labeled. I'm curios in what wCP means. As some figures are over 100, we know that it can't be straight completion percentae. Thank you!

Did you ever get an answer for this?

Probably that it is better to start 2-0 than to start 0-2. But I'm just guessing here.

Clearly you are correct. But it's an attempt to exaggerate the cost, IMO. As the semantic discussion was hard for you to continue to read, the odd characterization of the cost was hard for me to read. But yes, the true cost of the pick, and Sammy's true value to the team, will be revealed over time. And that is far more important than what words are chosen to describe it. While it's far too early to tell, the 2015 first round pick might not be very high after all. no jinx!

The obligatory link: I'm as happy as the next guy. Let's just hold off on the playoff talk, for now.

Maybe in Australia the subtleties are a bit different. Here it would be very odd to hear someone say the Bills "gave up" their first round pick for Sammy, had the Bills originally owned the third pick in the draft. They would say they "used" their first round pick. We wouldn't say I "gave up" a dollar for an item that costs exactly one dollar. That really isn't how we tend to use that expression here. Gave up tends to imply surrender, of a sort, and not a fair one-for-one exchange. If you want to get hyper picky (which you clearly do not) I'd say the following is a good way to describe the trade. In order to acquire #3 pick in the first round of the 2014 draft, the Bills exchanged their less valuable #9 pick and gave up their first round pick in the 2015 draft. But you are probably right, this isn't worth a ton of forum space. But it's usually fairly obvious, by the way the poster uses those terms, those who say "gave up two first round picks, aren't happy with the price paid--they think the Bills overspent their draft picks. And they are making their point, again, but using that terminology,