Buftex

I got no problem with Chris Hogan, but I would really like to see Williams get a chance. I almost feel, in preseason, they just decided that Chris Hogan was going to get every possible chance to succeed. I don't buy that Robert Woods was dogging it in practice, or anything else. I think it was all about Chris Hogan. Earlier in the summer, when Marrone was supposedly shouting down people in the front office, and daring Russ to fire him, there were rumors that part of the friction between coach and management was Marrones' seeming unwillingness to work with certain players. Can't remember where I read it/heard it, but apparently, Whaley was po'd that Marrone was not really giving guys like Kouandjio much of a chance, even in training camp, and seemed uninterested in working with them. The Mike Williams situation seems similar. If he was really such a dog in practice, or a pain in the ass to work with, why keep him around? All those wondering why Tampa Bay was so willing to trade him, should keep in mind that the Bucs gave him a pretty nice raise just the previous season, based on his production.

Yes, the PPP...where ignorance has a home.

Yeah. You got a good matchup for Kaepernick against the Raiders. I can understand that game in Seattle looking a little ominous. If the 49ers have anything in them, though, they should at least give the Hawks a good game after being embarassed by them a few weeks ago. Kaepernick has had a rough season, but if they just resign themselves to the fact that he has to run the ball to be effective, he could pay off, like he did early in the season.

I am in almost the same boat. First week bye, and have started Cutler every week (except his bye). He was great early in the season, but has cooled off some down the stretch..the first 5 or 6 weeks of the season, he was getting me 25-30 pts a week...now it is more in the 18-21 range. I had Andy Dalton as my backup, but after his disastrerous Thursday night game, I got rid of him, and picked up Orton, who, I thought, was going to be a solid backup..dumbest move I made this season...Orton has cooled off quite a bit (averaging about 10-12 pts a week)...I picked up Drew Stanton...yuck. Not may great options in my league. I don't like Cutlers schedule for as my playoff QB...he's got the Saints next week (not bad), but if I win, and make it to the Championship game, he plays the Lions on championship week (week 16). But, like you, I don't have any better option. If Orton was playing at home, or even on the east coast, I might think of gambling and starting him over Cutler week 16. However, he is playing in Oakland...don't want to be pessimistic, and I know the Raiders suck and all, but if the Bills lose to either Denver or Green Bay, their thin playoff hopes pretty much trashed, I could see the Bills playing a very flat game on the west coast, against a team that has known their season was over for months..Sunday before Christmas...don't feel good about that. Long story short, I think you gotta stick with Kaepernick, unless a much better option falls in your lap. One of those other guys might get hot that particular week, But wouldn't you kick yourself if you started Zack Mettenberg and he gets you 10 points, while Kaep goes off and gets 30? We know Kaepernick can do that from time to time, and the 49ers are going to likely be desperate down the stretch.

I'm with you. I don't think any of those teams are better than us, right now..but they all have QB's that are (precieved at least) better than our QB's, with the exeception of, perhaps, the Browns. That is about as far as analysis of the Bills normally goes, with the national guys.

And how do you come to that conclusion?

Well, at least he isn't running for office.

True...but you have been around. Do you really think this is the best defense the team has ever had? Or just the best they had in about 15 years? They have been very dominant at times, but then (say like the first half of this past Sunday's game) they look pretty pedestrian, against a pretty mediocre-bad offense. Nothing wrong with that, most teams have their ups and downs, but to say they are the "best ever" in team history(as the op is saying), or one of the very elite in league history seems to be over-stating things a little. They have been mostly great... True. Sometimes I watch a game nowadays, and I hear about how dominant a secondary is, and I see them getting torched every few plays...it is truly a quarterbacks' game now, like never before.

Gosh...if the Kelly Super Bowl teams just had the defense that they had in 1988, they would have won or ring or two. Unfortunately, the offense wasn't up to their speed...then, once the offense was top notch, the defense took a little step back...perhaps it was the "no-huddle" that hurt them. Also, lets not forget the 1979-81 defense. 1980 in particular...they were pretty bad-ass.

Love they way they play, but I don't think it is the best defense in Bills history, let alone in recent NFL history. Of course, part of that is becasue the rules have changed so much in recent years, that defending the pass is almost impossible... while they are certainly very, very good, not sure they are as good as the Ravens defenses from their Super Bowl seasons. They certainly can turn it on when they want to..but to be one of the very best of all-time, in my book, they would have to eliminate some of the lapses they have game in game out. Every team has them, true...I would say the only game they dominated this season, from start to finish, was the Jets game in Detroit.

I think I read somewhere, something that Bruce Smith touched on in one of the early articles (maybe it was even the Tim Graham article?)... as much as we all love Talley, and want nothing but the best for him, the Pegula's, even with all their money, can't be expected to pony up for every ex-player that has health or financial concerns. Just an arbitrary example, say they do give Talley a job, and then, down the road, say Don Beebe has similar issues...now, we can debate who was the more important figure in Bills history (Talley or Beebe) but it is it fair, just because they have money, to make the Pegulas' responsible for deciding who they will help, and who they won't? It is kind of a slippery slope. Not saying they won't do anything, or that I wouldn't be happy if they did, but I don't think it is entirely fair to them (the Pegulas) to put them in that position. How the Pegulas' could make a bigger impact on the game, and all ex-NFL'ers, is concentrating their efforts on making the game safer. That may be a pipe dream, and perhaps nobody wants to watch an NFL that is as watered down as it is perceived to be at the present time...but until then, unfortunately, stories like DT's are going to keep appearing. The owners, as a collective, should do more to take care of players... something that I think will only happen by legislation and through the courts. Pegula has owned the team for a minute...

True that Special K!

I think Kirby is talking about the first game that Losman ever played in, as opposed to his first start. He came off the bench to relieve Bledsoe, during a Sunday night game in New England, as I recall...he got beat up pretty good. Rumour was that Sam Wyche (the QB coach at the time) was not happy with Losmans' study habits..he asked Mularkey to put him in, even though he knew the Pats were likely going to tee-off on him...he wanted to teach JP a lesson about being prepared...

This season started out prmomising enough. I thought last season (the first half anyways) was the best yet...and this current "half season" was just back to the same old lameness...I think I am not watchig this show anymore....it has been far too rare, as far as I am concerned, that it has lived up to its' hype. For some reason, this whole episode looked really poorly filmed, or edited..I can't put my finger on it, but it just looked very low budget...

And I am guessing then, since you seem to have formed an opnion, you feel that you have heard all the facts? BTW- I am in no way condoning, or in favor of looting and burning that went on in Ferguson. I understand where it comes from...the point you chose to argue with me over was really just a point I was making to another poster about the testimony being exaggerated by a witness. I was just pointing out that the defendant was prone to exaggeration as well... you have to ask yourself why that is so valid in Wilsons' case...he felt threatened, and Brown was big. Even if you believe for a second Wilsons narrative of what went down, was he really a "5 year old fighting the Incredible Hulk"? He was just a scared man. Why is that so easy to accept, without any question, yet it is fine to dismiss the testimony (which the person I was responding to, did) of a witness who characterized Wilsons' demeanor with Brown as being less than respectful? A small scared white man, in fear of a large black man...reasonable. Why isn't it so reasonable that a large black man would feel threatened by a white cop, when, frankly, that rarely turns out with someone like him on the ">" side of the equaiton? So maybe that is how "hey fellas, you mind walking on the sidewalk?" turns into "get outta the !@#$ing street". Why does Wilsons' fear trump Browns' fear? Because one has a gun and a badge, the other doesn't? Or maybe that is how a large black man turns into the Incredible Hulk, and a police officer turns into a shrieking violet. If you read Wilson's testimony, and visualize what he is saying, it sounds rediculous. Call that being cavalier if you want, but things just don't add up with his testimony. The fact that the prosecuter in this case had, seemingly, no intrerest in really doing his job, I think there is plenty of reason for people to be pissed off.

Spoken like somebody whose narrative was re-inforced perfectly.

Gotta be George Jones...or Francis Albert... One of Sinatra's greatest, little known songs..."Monday Morning Quarterback"

Actually, I had the opposite reaction. I am glad he included that comment, and, if anybody read the whole article (getting the impression that isn't the case), Talley did backtrack on the comment. Graham included it, because he painting a portrait of Talley, and part of that portrait is pride...Talley's comments about suicide/cowards was very prideful...but the fact that he is admitting he has those thoughts just shows you how rough this situation is. Why does everyone need to interject BS into everything?

Was Wilson exaggerating a little too? Was he really fending off the Incredible Hulk?

Not for nothing, but I heard Eric Wood on the Murphy show the other night...he said that he and Donte were "buddies". What town do you live in? Whitner got as much, if not more **** as any player I can remember around here, even when he was wearing a Bills uniform.

Yeah, Moore has been pretty critical of Obama over the last few years.

Not sure what there is to expalin.

Yes, we would have heard about it. Are you doubting that? Honestly, I wasn't even questioning the cops in this Cleveland case...just think the whole situation is sad. My father was a police officer. My grandfather too...killed as result of injuries sustained on the job, before i was born. He was pushed out of a window while trying to break up a domestic squable, early 60's. Died a few weeks later. I am not one of those who always thinks cops are in the wrong...but I do remember my father, an old guy, often saying that a lot of the "younger cops" (he was saying this in the 90's, mind you) had no business being cops. It's a thankless job...but it takes a certain tempermant. Maybe that temperment doesn't exist anymore.

stupid world. all the way around.

I wouldn't be wouldn't be surprised if Marrone wasn't a little miffed with the way Pettine left the Bills. Perhaps that is why Pettine is assuming some bad blood...but I think most fans liked him, if they didn't love him as our DC. Maybe my memory is hazy, though. Didn't some Bills fans get into a "war of tweets" with Pettines daughter? Or was that just Jim Kellys' daughter?