Dan

I agree. I think the sooner we dispell the illusion that we're a playoff team the better. Lets just face it. We don't have the primary tools here to compete with the average teams in the league let alone the top teams. Put JP in, tell all the whining vets that want to win now, they can be traded, and finally bring in some quality personel for the offensive and defensive lines. Just write this year (what's left of it) and next year off as rebuilding and get the right people in here to have a solid young team with a future. I'm sick of not rebuilding, but not getting better, but not preparing for the future. Taking it one game at a time and going in circles is all we've been doing for years. And I'm tired of my football season being over in November.

I think what we're seeing here is definitely the right and wrong way to bring up a future QB. After seeing bunches of "top" QBs come into the league over the years, I'm more and more certain that the real difference is the coaching and the way they're handled in their first year or 2 as a starter. Of course, there are exceptions. But in general, QBs that come in and are supported and coached properly and are left in through the ups and downs - turn out to be goo, solid Qbs. The ones that are continually pulled and moved around tend to bust. This may have as much to do with the perception other players have in their ability as they have in themselves. That I don't know. But, you can definitely see that trend when you look at QBs and their careers. How good can any player be when he is judged on an almost play to play basis. The pressure is enough, but then when you add they pressure of having to be perfect on every play - it seems to ruin players. Now I'm not saying JP or any QB should not be benched. All I'm saying is that you're walking down a very risky and slippery road when you do it too much. JP may not be the answer, but you'll never know with him on the side line. Furthermore, if JP is not the answer who is? How often does a team get a free agent seasoned QB that immediately wins with a new team. It happens, but not often. My point is that sooner or later you have to invest some time in the QB and let him develop or not. To expect immediate results (aka Big Ben or Tom Brady) is to expect something that is rare and not likely to happen. So, in my opinion, get JP in there after the bye. Simplify the offense for him. (simplify the defense too for that matter). And just let him develop for a season. It may mean we lose 1 season, but I'm thinking about not losing the next 10 seasons - which is pretty much what we've lost now. We've had about 10 years of losing when you think about it. Why? Because we continually bring players, coaches and staff in looking for that quick fix. Think long term and win long term.

I could almost buy into this arguement except for one thing... when has our O-line ever displayed the ability to be good for an antire game, let alone 2 or more games in a row? So saying they're all injured doesn't buy them more time, if anything it points to one of the problems. MW may be the greatest lineman ever, but we'll never know because he can't seem to stay healthy. Good players not only play good, but they also have to play. That;s how I see it, it's been years since we had a good line, because they're always injured and then the few games they're actually all playing they're pretty lousy to watch.

About the last time we had an O-line. Too long. Although Campbell seems like he wants to be average. So, I'm still hoping he can do something, anything.

I already would have benched the entire O-line and started the 2nd stringers. Just to make the point. Sometimes, you have to take one step back to take 2 steps forward.

On first down, I'd line up in the short yardage package, I-formation. Give it to Willis and see if he can get it in. If not, then on 2nd down, I'd line up te exact same way. Fake the hand off to Willis and look for the TE or receiver slanting to the pylon in the endzone. Possibly with the QB rolling out in the same direction (that of course depends on who the qb is). If the reciever is not open, throw it over his head and out of the endzone. Then on 3rd down, I'd line up in a 4 or 5 wide reciever spread set and do a QB draw up the middle. If you make it to 4th down FG, unless of course time is running out and you really need the touchdown. Then take it on 4th down and run Willis out off tackle. A little power mixed in with a little deception, but not that cute, gimicky deception that gets you in trouble.

First of all.. love the pop gun offense. I'm definitely going to start using that. But this game, as almost always, comes down to stopping the run and establishing the run. I see Martin having a big game against us. I know he hasn't done much all season, but he hasn't played us yet has he. If that happens, its likely to be a long day. I'm hopeful we can squeek out another win however. I say despite all the running Curtis does, we get a few key turnovers and somehow manage to win the game. I also predict our first second half touchdown.

Weren't our 2 sacks last week on the last 2 plays of the game? Probably the only 2 plays that everyone went into coverage and only the line rushed the QB. Interesting to say the least.

I have to admit... KH played well enough to let us win the game. However, he still showed me why he's a backup qb and not a starter somewhere. I do think the replacement had a trickle down effect on the rest of the team, because the D and the recievers definitely came out playing better. So if for nothing else, it was good for that. JP (or someone else) is definitely the future though. Give it 2 maybe 3 weeks tops and KH will look miserable in my opinion. Thanks mostly to an Oline that couldn't stop anyone for anything,

Cross is definitely up there with the worst annoucers in the league. It pains me to have to listen to him drone on continuously and continually being wrong about almost everything that comes out of his mouth. Although watching the Denver game, I heard an even worse guy. I didn't catch his name, but he was absolutely horrendous. I had to switch the channel a few times just to keep myself from throwing something.

Tell me about it. I really wonder sometimes why I pay so much to watch every pitiful snap of the game each week. Although my wife doesn't complain. She gave up on that years ago.

It does raise the point. What would anyone do that worked their tail off for their job, only to get screwed by managment? Its definitely hard to keep a positive attitude.

And therein lies the problem.... how can we possibly pass on such a great quarterback? All the while failing to see that no quarterback is great when he plays behind a facade of an offensive line. We've run every QB from Kelly.. to. well now to Kelly (not yet but it'll be coming) out of Buffalo because of piss poor offensive lines. I wonder if we'll ever wake up to that reality.

And I totally agree. Sometimes you get what you wished for. I was actually very much against the move to JP this season, for exactly this reason. But at some point this summer, I bought into it and decided that it may be for the best. If he has a decent year and we somehow manage to be 8-8. Then next year we're a playoff team. And that's what's sucking... is now we may never know if JP could have developed this year.

A false assumption. I was actually in favor of keeping Bledsoe here another year. But then again I thoguht Flutie was unfairly benched too. So I'm oblviously lower class citizenry.

I think (whether anyone ever admits it or not) the QB is the most finicky position in sports. What separates a good one from a bad one is very often an extremely fine line. And all too often, it just has to do with mental state and the intangible "leadership" quality. It seems that all too often, pulling a guy screws up both of those. So if KH fails and JP goes back in.. why does anyone have confidence in him to lead the team when the coaches already showed their lack of confidence? Ofcourse, that may not happen, but the odds are greater in my opinion that you screw with a young guys head. I could argue the biggest difference between Manning and Leaf was the situation they were put in and not their actual ability. Putting in KH upsets me so for several reasons. First, I don't see him as the answer to moving our team forward. Perhaps a game or 2 here and there, but certainly not in any great measure. Second, I think too much blame is being put on JP's shoulders when everyone said he shouldn't have to carry the team. So, now we're using him as an example to wake the other guys up? I absolutely hate that style of management. And finally, it shows a complete lack of understanding by our coaching staff as to what the real problems on this team are. And that, for me, is perhaps the most upsetting of all. I really hope we win with KH. But, I'm not at all convinced we will for more than a few weeks. Then what?

Precisely. And now the Coaching staff puts the team's poor performance squarely on the shoulders of the one guy they said wouldn't have to shoulder it!

That depends. We may win Sunday or every Sunday, but for me to be proven that MM made the right decision, it'll have to be on the arm of KH not the legs of WM. Otherwise, its an invalid comparison. If it is on the arm of KH, then I will gladly admit I was wrong. I've done that before and would love to do it again.

I agree and that's exactly why I'm so upset about this move. I'll still hope they win. But deep down, I'm not at all convinced this is for the long-term betterment of the team.

What I don't understand in looking at that list is why Edgerrin James has so many attempts when he plays with one of the best Qbs in the game. Or why Rudi Johnson does, when Palmer is so hot right now. And so forth. It seems puzzling to me that these teams are running the ball so much when they have such great quarterbacks. Maybe if we ran the ball more, we'd have a better quarterback...... nah. I'm really stupid.

Yes but with an inexperienced QB, he should have the 1st or 2nd most carries.

Losman shouldn't be benched because he's not solely responsible for his stats and our loses. If you bench Losman for poor performance, then bench half the team. We'll be playing all back ups and practice squad players but at least you'll be putting the blame where it should be. Yes, the play calling is partly to blame. The Saints even said the Bills offense was predictable. So, I can be upset about the coaches and the play calling. JP looked pretty good on the first drive last week. But then we got away from the formula on that drive (run first, pass second) and look how it ended up. I've actually seen sparks in JP. Of course, the stats don't always bear that out. So I guess it doesn't matter because we all know how important stats are.

Apparently, we've fallen so low we don't even care about making the Superbowl. I'm not even sure that we even care about making te playoffs. Everyone just wants us to be contending for a playoff spot. So let's do all we can to pretend we have a shot at the playoffs and ignore the obvious.

I don't understand. If KH was such a great player, why was he here as a backup? Why has he never led a team to the playoffs? Why all of a sudden does he become the best QB option out there? I'm afraid anyone that thinks KH will get us into the playoffs this year is closing their eyes on reality. He's not done it elsewhere. Why is today and this team any different?

That's what I was thinking.