KeisterHollow

Yes! The Bills need to be on the front edge of forward thinking, as opposed to copying other team's successes when the rest of the league has already begun to move on. There are other men out there who are as capable as the Harbaugh brothers - but, it's on Nix to be able to properly assess the coaches talent. Frankly, that has been my biggest complaint with Nix/Gailey - they've shown a real inability to properly assess talent at certain positions. Now, don't get me wrong - I like Nix, and I think with the right coach he'd be more successful; I often wonder who had more say in keeping Fitz, Gailey or Nix - anyway, they passed on guys like Kaepernick (when even an armchair GM like myself saw he was the closest thing to a Cam Newton ever to play in the NFL, and thought Gailey, if he loved Newton so much, could have easily settled for Kaepernick), Dalton, Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins - all the while seriously NEEDING a QB! To add salt to the wound, Gailey goes and prepares for the Seahawks as if Marshawn Lynch were the only guy needing to be stopped, totally failing to acknowledge Wilson's ability. All in all, the awful talent assessment of QB's needs to be addressed. We Bills fans, to get back to the post I quoted, need to understand coaches like Harbaugh are out there, and good NFL men know who has the talent. It's another question as to whether we have good NFL men, or if we could attract a good coach, or if Wilson and Nix would be willing to do whatever it takes to get one. As far as I'm concerned, it is time for the whole organization to prove it prioritizes winning more than anything. If San Diego can fire Schottenheimer after a 14-2 regular season, if Baltimore can fire their O.C. with like the 10th scoring offense in the NFL, with a 9-4 record, sitting atop their division, then the Bills should need no prompting to get rid of an embarrassing coach who's best effort with the team, after 3 years, is a 6 win season. No more excuses - go get the coaches, and go get the QB.

Either one would be great! Although I think Bowe is a better talent, and would allow us to use Stevie as a 2nd WR to match up on opponents, I think Findley would have an equal impact, just because of the 2 TE sets we'd be able to use, with Findley totally transforming our middle-of-the-field pass game, and the prevalence of 2 TE sets would open up our run game, as well (i.e. New England).

I think we can all agree, strict statistics don't tell the story accurately. There were a bunch of times this season when Spiller would be averaging like 8 yards a carry in a game, albeit only having been given a handful or more runs, and the Bills would find themselves in a 3rd and 3, or even 3rd and 2, in the opponents territory, and Chan would call a pass play, often out of a no back spread formation. That is the frustrating part! Chan's actions are saying this: I don't believe we can get a few yards on a run IF the opponent expects a run. That is what is so frustrating. Spiller doesn't have to carry the ball 20 plus times a game. But, the Bills do have a good O-line. And, the Bills do have perhaps the best 1-2 RB tandem in the NFL. Combine that with having one of the least physically talented QB's in the game, and what do you get? A pass happy, spread offense! Bam! That is what is so frustrating, and that is what the OP meant. We should have been running more, forcing our will on opponents, and using Fitz to control games, not carry them. As has been the case before - now that Fred is hurt it just so happens that the O-line is banged up, too. If Spiller gets 20 or more carries in these next few games and doesn't light it up, it doesn't mean it's because he is incapable; I want to see him get the touches when the offense is healthy and playing well. As for the future - I've always believed Spiller was chosen not so much to have an immediate impact, but to be a force for the team once they had all the pieces in place. I do fear it might have taken one season too long for that plan to have been perfect, but IF we get a stud QB in next year's draft, and IF our O-line stays together - and IF we manage to get another good WR to compliment Stevie, THEN I could see Spiller being a real national superstar, and as critical to this team as Marshall Faulk was to the Rams, or Thurman was to our Bills. Nix just has to get moving on putting the pieces together, while we still have Spiller under contract.

Hey now - let's not assume this QB class is weak. Furthermore, that stat about QB's from 2005-2009, and only 3 of 24 QB's taken between picks 20-100 having high ceilings, does not apply as much now as it did then. In just the last few years we've seen Cam Newton, Dalton, Locker, Ponder, Luck, Griffin III, Weeden, Wilson, Tannehill, and Cousins - that's 10 QB's in the last couple of years who are capable starters. Although I think 2012 was the QB class of the decade, this coming draft will provide the NFL with a group of good QB's, too. It might prove fortunate for Buffalo that it is viewed as a weaker class, and that less teams are QB needy this year. These are some QB's who might come out this year who I like, and think will end up being starters in the NFL: Geno Smith, Matt Barkley, Tyler Wilson, Tyler Bray, Landry Jones, Tahj Boyd, Ryan Nassib, Mike Glennon, E.J. Manuel, and even Logan Thomas has physical skills, if he ever "gets it". Now, I listed 10 QB's who might come out in 2013. Even if only half end up being good starters, that is still 5 QB's to come out of a draft, which is good. I'm not particularly high on them all, but I think each has potential. I would personally be happy if the Bills ended up with any of the following, and would consider each a "promising, potential Franchise QB", in order of potential: Geno Smith, Tyler Bray, Tyler Wilson, Mike Glennon, and Landry Jones. Nassib and Manuel might make nice later round, project QB's. Now, even if the Bills get lucky and land that star LB in round 1, they could still pick up, either in the 2nd round, or by trading back up, with Bray, Glennon, or Landry Jones. Wilson and Smith are likely gone by mid-first round. So, it is not too late for Buffalo. And, if Nix is really serious about QB and has the ability and daring to trade up into the 1st round for Geno Smith, I think that kid would be an ideal for Gailey, and could prove to be as talented as Griffin III or Cam Newton. My point - all hope is not lost, but Nix must get it done this coming draft. It is on him to figure out which QB has greatness in him, and on Nix to go and get him.

We can only judge Nix on what he has done. There are a lot of moves I like that Nix has made - not least of which being hiring Whaley to replace him. That alone speaks volumes about Nix's intent - if he were ego driven, and saw this job as a means of making money and promoting his interests at the expense of the Franchise, he would NOT have gone out and grabbed one of THE most capable young GM candidates in the league. Having Whaley there means the Bills are in very good hands for the long haul - something Nix has said, time and again, he is trying to do. Secondly, he came in and, whether we see it clearly or not, he fixed our Defensive and Offensive lines. In fact, if I were to make a list of the best O and D lines in the NFL - I mean factoring both in together - then the Bills are right up there with the top 5 in the NFL. Our lines are very good, and mostly YOUNG. That is a good move by a GM. His drafting, I think, has been very good, too. A lot of people cited Carrington, Troupe, Spiller, and A. Williams as examples of bad drafting. I've always been high on Carrington, and now he's showing what he can be. Spiller is unarguably a great player, and one we'll be elated to have when we're ready to go for a Super Bowl run. Troupe cannot be fairly evaluated due to injury, but if he is a better player than Carrington, then I'd argue he'd be a good starter. Lastly, Williams might not prove to be a great CB - but I believe if he fails there he will make a very good Safety. And, Nix has come up with some very good late round and undrafted picks. Now, my critisism of Nix is his handling of trades - I do think Nix is too loose lipped and honest when it comes to trades in general. He has not gotten good value out of some of the trades he's made, and, furthermore, I think he could have made trades which he didn't. In that area I think he is weak; but, that does not make him a bad GM - there are only 3 or 4 GM's in the NFL that are beyond reproach, and some of those were not seen as such a few years ago. Nix's coaching decisions are also questionable - especially Gailey. However, I think Gailey might have fooled other GM's, as well. And, we know Nix would have chosen other men before Gailey had he been able to. So, in that regard we have to hope that either Gailey improves, or Nix finds a better replacement. Lastly, on judging Nix on the QB situation. I think Gailey has influenced Nix's decision to pass on certain QB prospects, because I believe Gailey has been telling Nix he can win with Fitz. However, it would not displease me if Nix has been thinking all along that he wants to leave Buffalo set up for a high level of sustainable success, and that he doesn't want to just get a good QB in here, but he wants to get the BEST QB that Buffalo has ever had. Now, that would excite me. I mean, if he's been thinking he had to strengthen the lines, upgrade the peripheral roster, and then get the QB, all the while knowing he would not just grab any QB, but that when the time was right he would go get a potentially great QB, then I would be on board with that all the way. I mean, I've criticized Nix for passing on Russell Wilson, however, if drafting Wilson last year would have prevented Nix from getting, say, Geno Smith this year, then I would say PASS ON WILSON!!! So - in conclusion, I like Nix, and although he has some weaknesses as a GM, we are only a few players away from being a roster that might go down as the best roster ever to play in Buffalo. All it will take is a Super Bowl win. As long as Nix has greatness as his vision, as his goal, then I will accept waiting a year or two longer than I would have liked, as long as we get there. This draft will make all difference when it comes to his legacy here.

I think we can all agree - we're one Andrew Luck away from being an 11-5 team this year. Three years ago, that would not have been true. Other than a clear cut upgrade at QB, our current roster is good enough to be a playoff team right now, with the right kind of coaching. What is clear is that Gailey has not utilized this roster to it's maximum. What is frustrating is that when he took over, arguably, Gailey DID maximize the offense, as much as anyone could have hoped. Is it his fault he hasn't got an upgrade at QB? I think what makes it frustrating for the fans is that it seems like Gailey MIGHT be so confident in his skill as an offensive coordinator that he is INSISTING that he can win with Fitzpatrick - like he is telling Nix he doesn't need more help at QB! On the other hand, Wannstedt took over this defense and it seemed like he was not maximizing the talent, by a long shot. However, just when Gailey seems to be slipping on offense, Wannstedt is pulling his unit together and they're playing very good! Would we all look at the team differently if we knew that Gailey had been quietly, behind the scenes, pushing to get a high round QB for the last few years, and only after NOT getting his guy does he turn around and tell everyone he is happy with his current QB? I, for one, would look at Gailey A LOT differently if I knew he really wanted to upgrade the QB position and is planning on doing so. What makes me more frustrated than anything is the idea that Gailey might be so convinced of his superior coaching abilities that he would pass on a good QB - when it is so obvious to all of us that the league has caught up to his schemes and that he needs a more capable QB, and he needs to go deep more often, and run more, too.

For the record - I don't want M. Vick. I want a rookie QB with potential. I was merely envisioning things the Bills might do - and going after M. Vick seems like the kind of thing the Bills would do to sell tickets. I would like to see a high round drafted QB come in and get every chance to start.

I just read the ProFootballTalk article about Nix conceding that he'd move up, if need be, to get a QB in this coming draft. I'm pretty good at discerning what people are really saying, and it seemed very clear to me after reading that article that Nix is going to give Gailey at least one more year. He mentions the Bengals as a team whose success he'd like to emulate (makes me shudder to say that). The article focuses on the QB/Wr tandem that was drafted 1,2 and that sparked their recent playoff run. However, he also mentioned the many years that Marvin Lewis had coached them, without success, prior to that draft. I know he was using that scenario as justification for keeping Chan - saying, in effect, Lewis had failed for almost 10 years before getting what he needed (the right QB) to be successful. That train of thought is at once valid and frustrating, because he's making an excuse for Gailey. Anyway, because I do believe we'll have the same coaches in place next year, this is what I envision happening: I think we take a LB with our first pick, unless we're somehow capable of getting Geno Smith - who is a QB, I think, they'd compare to Cam Newton and Robert Griffin III, and who I think would be ideal for Gailey's system. If they take a LB with their first pick, they take a QB with their second. Either way, we go into next year with a rookie QB with potential, 2 new LBer's (either draft, or F.A. - probably both), and a new WR. I could see Buffalo making a run for Michael Vick, as well. Imagine if we drafted a promising young QB, brought in Vick, had new LB'ers and another WR as a weapon. I can't help but think the fanbase would once again be telling themselves, "This is the Year!". Vick would seemingly fit Gailey's system, and would certainly sell tickets and make Buffalo relevent to the media, but I don't think Gailey would be too excited about losing Fitzpatrick and his intelligence. That is the scary thing about Gailey and this offense - why is it so many QB's have struggled to be successful in it since he came here? I would hope Gailey would be flexible enough to cater to a more talented QB, if it came to choosing his system or the talent. I also think next year is Nix's last year as GM. I believe he'll hand over the reigns to Whaley after the 2013 season. After all, Whaley must have been led to believe he would have a shot at GM within a few years - I can't imagine him leaving Pittsburgh to be indefinitely under Nix. I'm thinking Nix gets the QB, the WR, and the LB'ers this offseason, sees a team that is complete enough, talent wise, to compete with anyone, and says, "My job is done".

Thank You! We should all be concerned about the Bills ability to evaluate talent. It is one of their top 2 problems. I've said it before...and here I go again - the most detrimental problem with Buffalo is their lack of an Identity. Identity is simply a vision of what you want your team to look like on the field. An example or two would be the Pittsburgh Steelers - the way they are always able to find the next great LB; it's not that they have the best LB evaluators, but rather, they know how they want their linebackers to play, and what they want their linebackers to look like. So, come draft day, they can look at the college guys and pick out probably 3-5 linebackers in every draft that are capable of filling that role. Same thing with the Patriots. They know what they want their players to look like, so they can easily spot the qualities in the draft, and they are consequently able to seemingly "plug in" anyone and get the job done. Buffalo, on the other hand, has had no Identity in a long, long time. It's evident in their flip flopping of defensive schemes. One contrast here, to that point, is how Wannstedt came in and said, "I need this kind of guy". Wannstedt knows exactly what type of defense he wants, and that is why we went out and got Mario and Anderson. The question with our defense isn't about identity, but rather about whether or not Dave's defense is good enough to match up against the better offenses in the NFL. Identity takes a few years to install/instill. Look at San Fran - their defense wasn't considered imposing until they got Harbaugh in there. Now, after this second year, everyone knows what San Fran is all about. It is a team with a tough, hard hitting Defense that will run the ball on you, and use the run to set up the pass. That is their Identity, and they'll draft guys who fit that mold. Buffalo finally has a "mold" on defense. But, what is our offensive Identity? We know what Gailey likes to do offensively, but do we know what Gailey's ideal team would look like? Might Gailey's offense be better if he could hand pick a QB? Whatever the problem is - if he doesn't figure out how to make it better, and consistently, then he is in trouble. I, for one, wouldn't even wait - I'd get rid of him. However, I believe because Nix has used his previous drafts to mostly reinforce the Defense, that he'll give Gailey the benefit of a draft, that he'll get Gailey a QB and another WR, and probably a backup Center. In fact, my prediction for Buffalo's offseason is this: We'll go out and Draft a LB in the first round, a QB in the second, and either through F.A. or the draft add yet another LB, and a bigger WR. I think that is what Nix sees as our weaknesses, and that he'll go into next year as his prove it year, saying he's set the team up for success, has built the team, and will hand over the reigns to Whaley after next year.

Thank You!!! Someone needs to relate that to Chan. I mean, most of us agree that we have not had as favorable a schedule in a long time. So, not only do we have a more talented roster (I think quite a bit more) but we also have an easier schedule. And the result? A worse record! I think Chan needs to be held accountable.

Could be Mario and the defensive end position was not what was wrong with the team to begin with. Sure, we needed an upgrade there, but we Bills fans - myself included - got a bit too excited when Mario signed, thinking that finally we'd be the Bills team we've all been hoping for for over a decade now. The reality was our Coordinators were not performing at a high level, and our LB position was not addressed, nor was our QB position - and we can see, now, that just adding Mario to last year's team (Anderson and Gilmore, not to mention Wannstedt) wasn't enough to jettison us into the playoffs. I think Mario is earning his money - after all, he's performing, statistically, better than he's ever done; we got what we paid for there. What we should take from all this is that success starts at the top, in football. Each side of the ball - offense, defense, special teams - is only going to be as good as the coordinator is capable of making them. The coordinator needs to know how to use the players he has. If we had a really dominant ILB, and maybe a better OLB, and a healthy defense, we would probably be a top 5 defense - if Wanny can match wits with the better offensive minds as he has against the poorer offenses these past 5 weeks. Now it is time to get the offensive equivalent of the DE - the QB. And, its time Gailey opens things up, or moves on. I'm glad Mario is on our team, though (despite the fact that that 100 million would have been better spent on a top QB/coach tandem - if it is Mario or nothing, I'd gladly take him).

I have issues with Gailey as both H.C. and O.C. - whether or not he could improve his H.C.'ing ability by relinquishing his O.C. duties is anyone's guess. I just think he is way too predictable. He sends that offense out onto the field running the exact offense that everyone knows he is going to run, and regardless of whether or not the offense is actually working, he is inflexable when it comes to changing it. A H.C.'s first commitment should be to winning. Gailey has sacrificed every player on this team's season because he is too stubborn and ignorant to change. Everyone can see - fans, announcers, media - that Gailey is misusing this team. So, if such a thing is overlooked by Nix, and if nothing is done about it, then it merely reflects on the F.O.'s lack of commitment to winning, as well - or, it is just another example of ineptitude. I don't now about everyone else - but I want to see a coach who can outsmart his opponents. Please!

If Wannstedt is retained as D.C., and I were Nix, I would put it to him like this: "Dave, last year you coached the worst defense in the NFL through the first half of the season. Things turned around and they played much better during the second half. Nevertheless, it's the same story for the team - we simply cannot have "moral" victories as our standard, we cannot underperform, or win only some of the time; not anymore. If you're going to continue coaching then you have to have this defense performing at a very high level from the beginning. No excuses. If you start off slow again, or begin hot and then get worse, you will be fired. It's all or nothing, now." Frankly, if I were Nix and I kept Gailey and Wannstedt both, I'd give Gailey the same ultimatem. Win now - no excuses. The rebuild is over. Show Me The Baby!

I applaud your comments. I sometimes fear the majority of people don't see the same things I see. I see a coach who has been out-coached a lot over the past 2 seasons. I see a team that is undisciplined, young, and struggling to gauge their own abilities. Sure, they defend their coach, and they say the right things, but you can tell by their body language that they're frustrated, and you can see they don't believe they're capable of beating the big teams. Even if these comments were only true for a few players - that is just about the worst scenario for a team. The only remedy for the situation is a new Head Coach, or a new Offensive Coordinator - at the least, but I think you've got to go all the way with it - we've seen enough to know what Chan has to offer. And - let's remember, Nix believed, before the season, that this team was talented enough to win at least 10 games. So, his expectations were playoffs, and competing with the Patriots for the AFC East. We'll see what he does about it.

Can't agree more. This pathetic staff had better not all of a sudden find a way to WIN the last three MEANINGLESS games, when they know darn well we have guys who need to be evaluated in real games, and they know we need as good a draft position as possible. It's what a good coach would do.

Yesterday, while contemplating some of the threads here, I remembered something I'd heard Nix say when he first was hired, and I saw it under a new light, so to speak. When Nix was first hired he had a press conference, and I recall, while at the podium, he said something like, "Bills fans need to be patient. I'm going to build this team the right way, through the draft. It's gonna take some time - although, I think we're better than some people give us credit for". I'm sure many of you can remember him saying this. What I see clearly now, although it slipped by me then, is what Nix was saying between the lines. What Nix was saying was that the Bills were not as talented as many teams, that they needed to be injected with talent, via the draft - but that Nix was not going to try to build a team by F.A. - that he would be patient, build through the draft, and be competitive within like 3 years. He didn't come out and say 3 years, or any specific number of years, but he implied it would take a little while. That makes sense to a lot of people; the Bills were considered an ill run team, with many holes. The problem, though, is this: Do you think Harbaugh in San Francisco told his players, that first year as coach, that they needed to build, that it would take time, but they'd do it right? What that is saying is that YOU EXPECT to LOSE!!!! You expect to lose, because you don't think you're good enough now to compete. Nix thought he could build a winner in a few years, but how do you discern a winner from a loser? By winning! So, until the Bills actually win, they'll still be "getting closer". The problem with Nix from the start was that he gave himself and his whole staff an extended EXCUSE for losing! After this season he can go in front of the cameras and tell his fanbase - we knew it would take time, we asked that you be patient, and we still ask it, we're almost there! The appropriate MENTALITY that this team NEEDS, and we need it desperately in a new coach or GM, is this: He should have thought, we might not be as talented, but we can scheme, and play our hearts out, and be more disciplined, and WILL ourselves to win. He could have had his players out there fighting for their lives, playing above their game. If you don't EXPECT to win NOW, then you don't have the right mentality for the NFL, then you're giving yourself an out. The outcome that happens in life is the outcome you are prepared for, usually. This team doesn't see itself as good enough. They've been conditioned - as we've seen over these past 15 years - to look at themselves differently than other teams. They have a different standard here, and it isn't expecting to win. The Bills need a leader who demands greatness from everyone around himself, and who can prepare the players to WIN. Our players aren't prepared to win. We're outcoached half the time. It's pretty bad when an NFL team, for almost a generation now, believes they are in a lesser class than the rest of the league. Whoever takes over next better not talk about rebuilding; we need to hear and see the EXPECTATION to win NOW. Until our staff has this mentality, our players will not be successful.

Bottom line - a good coach could have won 10 games this year with this team, or more. There are good coaches out there who would take this job. It is a matter of whether Nix and Ralph (or Ralph's puppet masters) are willing to shell out the money, or hand over the necessary control, to lure such a candidate. If we have the same staff in place next year it will be because the Bills top decision makers aren't as concerned about winning as they are about just riding out the stadium lease with as little friction as possible. I, personally, don't think it is all about money with Ralph. I think he'd spend the money. I think it comes down to control and trust. If Ralph is even making decisions anymore - it might be guys like Overdorf who are reluctant to give up Their control - but, anyway, if Nix wanted to bring in a guy like Marty Schottenheimer, for instance, I think he could. Fans need to remember, and stop accepting as a rule that a new H.C. automatically means a rebuild. The right H.C. could walk in here and produce a winning team in one offseason. As long as we have it in our heads that firing Chan would automatically set us back a few years, no one wants to do that, even though keeping Chan is almost more certain to ensure losing! Bringing in the right H.C. this offseason COULD put us in contention for the AFC East title! That is really the mindset we need to have.

I'm glad you ask. What should Buddy do? I'm not here to say he should fire Gailey now, but I am here to say that Gailey has underperformed, and in contrast to Baltimore, we SHOULD fire him and try someone else. However, as Fans of the Bills, we are sitting here and saying, what can our franchise do? We know a lot of big name coaches WONT take the job. Yet, we know that alone doesn't mean a coach can't win in Buffalo - it just means the conditions aren't as favorable for winning here as elsewhere. I will put a name out there, though - Marty Schottenheimer. I bet he'd take the job. Why was he overlooked when Nix hired Gailey? I wonder if Marty would insist on having GM power? That would undermine Nix and it would potentially threaten Wilson. Now, if Wilson won't allow a guy who could rocket us into the playoffs because he doesn't want to have to hand over his control, well, then that is something we Fans should STOP supporting. My argument isn't so much an argument - I'm merely putting it out there that when this season is over, if Gailey and Wanny go into next year still intact it isn't because there was no BETTER option, but rather because WINNING SuperBowls is NOT the top priority around here - and once again, we as Fans have only one way to combat that - stop supporting the team, or pay and shut up.

I'd like to go out on a limb here and say that Nix is no idiot - he is surely aware of Gailey's mis-management of the team, just as surely as he was aware of Wannstedt's mis-management of the defense during the first half of the year. The question is, will he do anything about it? I am certain Nix is by now aware that Gailey is NOT the BEST option available to coach this team. Yet, as someone else here mentioned - it is like Gailey has another agenda that has nothing to do with winning, and listening to him talk after games is like listening to a politician who is doing their best to BS the public - there seems to be something going on behind the scenes; whether it is that Nix and Gailey know the show is almost over, that the team is approaching an uncertain sale, or perhaps Nix has given them some ultimatem? Nevertheless, if Nix keeps Gailey after this year and talks about how the need for consistency is greater than the need for change, we should all know it for what it is - this Franchise is done. They will merely be trying to milk out a few more years of good sales before the big Sale. Look no further than Baltimore for a reality check. The Ravens have the 9th ranked offense, are 9-4 and FIRE their O.C. because they want more consistency. You see, they expect EXCELLENCE - that is the consistent result they expect - and when they don't get it where they deem it should be, they try again. The Bills, on the other hand, would be giving that same O.C. a parade and a key to the city. Buffalo has different standards - and those standards don't lead to a Super Bowl. They lead to constant mediocrity. If we are upset as Fans - we should remember, we accept it by supporting it. As painful as that is - we'd rather have a losing franchise than no franchise at all. And, BTW - Nix expected 10 wins this year. He looked at the team he assembled - I remember him saying it in an interview - he thought AT LEAST 10 wins was expected, and he believed we'd be competing with New England for the AFC East title. Now, either Nix was B.S.'ing everyone, or he has been let down by his H.C. - and not only his H.C., though. I mean, if you're Nix, you're trying to lay the blame for this season, I would be very frustrated! Obviously Wannstedt's defense was on the hook for at least 4 or 5 of our losses. So, if he wanted to fire the Defensive Coordinator after the season as a scapegoat, to appease the public, well, now that the defense has been playing very good for the last quarter season, it looks like he will have to hang the other 4 or so losses on Gailey. As I previously said, if this were a Franchise whose only goal was consistently winning a Super Bowl, we'd see a new coaching staff after this year, a new QB, and we'd all be psyched again. However, either Nix and Ralph don't think they can find a better coach willing to take the job (why bother having a Franchise, as far as Fans are concerned, if THAT is the truth?), or, they aren't willing to try again, swallow Gailey's remaining pay, and roll the dice. One thing that just kills me - they will spend 100 million on a DE who isn't even the best at this position, but they won't spend whatever it would take to get a coach who could win - OR, and perhaps this is worse, they DON'T know how to evaluate a coach enough to say who is capable. Does anyone here really think, though, that Marty Schottenheimer wouldn't coach the Bills if he were offered like 7 million a year or so? I mean, he has as many wins as Bellicheck, practically, and his last season was a 14-2 year!!!! We Fans deserve better!

There are reasons why teams win in the NFL with consistency - and one of those reasons, and a critical ability of any team, is to be able to discern talent. Now, I've been "banging this drum" for almost two years now, but I'll say it again, because I think it is really a critical point: If a team has no identity, they will be very limited in their ability to scout, and bring in, talent. The whole magic to drafting is being able to see players whose skills "FIT" perfectly with a "NEED" on a team. I will use the Patriots as a prime example; their motto is something like, "Do your job". They preach that each person needs only be responsible for their role. And, the coaches know exactly what they want their offense and defense to look like. That is why guys like Edelman can thrive in New England, where they would probably not have jobs otherwise. The Bills don't have an IDENTITY. Who knows, really, what the Bills are SUPPOSED to look like? Who knows the vision that Buddy, or Chan, or Ralph has for this team? No one. And, that is one of THE problems here. That is why the Bills need to get that coach, or that GM, who has a vision of what he wants the Bills to be. Then the players will be found, the consistency will begin, and we'll see growth, and development, from year to year. How can Moats be successful when he's been used in 4 different positions over the last 3 years? It would be hard. Likewise for Carrington, and even guys like Dareus. They're getting used to "roles" that were different just last year. That is why Patience - as asked for by Nix - is hard for Bills fans, because we feel, although we all can't exrpess it, that might not be a "VISION", or any one Identity that this team is moving towards, and therefore Patience, in that instance, means nothing, and leads to what we've seen these past 15 years - mediocrity at best.

First - I'm really pleased with the replies we've had to this post. As for the post quoted above - I agree, as well. You can build a championship team in more than one way. If the Bills decided their blueprint for a championship was building the toughest defense in the NFL and having a great running game, and a game-managing QB, I'd be thrilled with that. But I look at our team - and the reason I used Washington as a comparison is this: Gruden, the whole night, was raving about the creative offense of the Redskins, and how nobody wanted to play them right now because of that offense, and the Pistol alignment. I immediately thought, "We run the Pistol offense, and our O-line is BETTER than theirs, and our RB's are better than theirs, and our WR's are similar in talent." So... why are the Bills considered an afterthought? Gailey goes out every game and has us playing as if we had Tom Brady at QB. He doesn't play to our strengths. And, add to that fact we have Wannstedt who seems hell bent on playing defense ONE way - his way, and if it doesn't work, instead of adapting, we get BLOWN away. It's one thing to say, there are other ways to build a championship team, but when the coaching staff puts the game in the hands of the QB - perhaps the least talented offensive player we have - week in and out, I say we need that QB then! But, honestly, if Wannstedt, or whoever is coaching this defense next year, gets some more key players, and turns us into a monster defense, I'd be just as happy with that. I just want to see a real, true, defined objective direction. I want to know what the identity of this Bills team is supposed to be. Who are we? I mean, we know who the Steelers are, the Patriots, the Ravens, the 49'ers - those teams go out and beat people by playing THEIR game - they play their way, to their strengths - you know what you're going to get; it's a matter of lining up and trying to stop them. With us - it seems like every week we're trying to outsmart the opponent, trying to trick our way into a victory. We simply don't seem to have that identity which goes a very long way in helping to build a team, because it lets you know what type of players you need to go after.

Yeah - I really like Nix, however, I feel like he is very old fashioned when it comes to drafting. I love his talent evaluation. I'm pleased with his drafts - I think the Bills have more talent now than they've had in a long time, they're just lacking specific talent at the QB, LB, and Coordinator positions. He is a good player evaluator, but the NFL has changed a TON in the past 10 years. If Nix has been in the league for what - 30 years or so? - and he had tried and true methods which he'd aquired over those years, learning from great GM's, I can see how it might be hard for him to adapt to what the NFL is now, and especially the new value on QB's and creative coaching. I'd be curious to know what input Whaley has had over the last few years, and who he would have chosen on draft day had he been able. I like knowing that he is in place to take over the reigns when Nix retires, because Whaley is young and has pedigree, and was highly thought of around the league when we were looking to find the GM which Nix ended up getting. It was wise of him to secure the young talent in Whaley when he did. Lets hope he's got his A game on this time around and lands us a talented starting caliber QB and LB, with perhaps a complimentary WR, too.

The only way this could effect us, I think, is if Phillip Rivers somehow became accessible to trade. Despite the fact that new coaches and GM's usually look to select a new QB, new schemes, etc., Rivers might be too good to fall into that trend. However, if he were available, he'd give us an excellent QB for another 4 or 5 years. If Nix isn't going to go all in on getting a truly elite college QB, then I'd be happy with a move like that - just get us a talented QB!

I really thought during the first half of the year that Mario just didn't seem to have the intensity, the real 100% go all out, every play, intensity that makes the great defenders in the NFL great. He has the tools - but I just don't think he brings it all the time. I think his recent improvement in play is more a matter of image control - he didn't want to look like he was not really trying; granted, he was injured - but still, the people who knew him in Houston said he played down for stretches, and played up during the big stage games. I think he is good. I don't think he's worth the money we paid him. I think there will be a draftable player in this years, and next years (clowney) draft who would be much better, and I think that 100 million would have been better invested in a few players, or maybe a top notch QB, but it is what it is - he is a good player. I just think if his passion were greater he'd help raise the level of play around him more - like Ray Lewis does in Baltimore.