jad1

And there a good number of posters here who blindly believe that the only position of value on an NFL team is the QB. They ignore the fact that the defense can't generate a pass rush, can't stop the running game, and can't cover TEs. They also ignore the value of a QB who can throw under pressure, can convert 3rd downs, and can acutally read a defense (something that has been lacking in Buffalo QBs since Jim Kelly). Give an honest answer, if Cutler had to face the pressure that Fitz faced in this game, do the Bears win?

He showed up to this game to pick up the game check. Tomorrow he goes to his bank in Detroit.

No doubt the offense looks good, but the defense's inability to hold opponents under 35 points a game is epically bad. The offense has made some good adjustments, but there looks to be little hope of the defense being able to turn it around in a similar way.

Don't you know? There's only one way to build a franchise, and geniuses like the OP have got it all figured out. And if you're not with him, you're against him, which means you are against the Bills, because he knows exactly what the Bills need to do to win the Super Bowl.

Really, what's your point here? You think the Bills are competing for a playoff spot? A .500 record? More wins than last season? This is a massive rebuilding year for the Bills. The defense in its current state is probably unfixable. Wins at this point take a back seat to finding the handful of players who are worth building around. Focusing on the players who continue to develop is what this season is now about. And, if somewhere along the way, the defense is lucky to hold an opposing team to under 100 yards rushing, the team and fans will be able to celebrate a win or two.

No doubt, and a big part of the curse is trading away 1st round picks for nothing in return like McCargo and Losman, which started with the trade for Rob Johnson. So I guess you could name it the "RJ Curse." RJ Curse > Flutie Curse

If Buffalo is sorry enough to be cursed by a third-rate CFL QB, then this town is really in serious trouble.

Yeah, I think that's the problem that fans have with Whitner. There were elite players available when the Bills drafted him. It was a reach to take him in the top ten. In the end, it's not his fault that he was drafted where he was, but he represents a huge missed opportunity. The same thing goes with Maybin. He might turn out to be a worthwhile project, but the Bills chose a project over guys like Oher or Okapo. Not his fault, but he represents more ineptness from the Bills front office. Spiller has a lot of promise. He could turn out to be the next Chris Johnson, or he could be the next Felix Jones. That's the risk; if he's the next Chris Johnson, he's well worth the pick. If he turns out to be the next Felix Jones, he becomes the next Whitner or Maybin, representing another missed opportunity to draft talent that could do more to help the Bills rebuild.

I would argue that if the Bills made some better decisions while going 7-8 (McKinney over Williams, Schaub over Losman, Witten over McGahee, Ngata over Whitner, Anybody over McCargo, Okapo over Maybin), they wouldn't be in the situation they are in now. None of this is Nix's fault, of course, unless he shows the same inability to match good picks against the Bills needs. Spiller will be a star? Let's hope so, because the Bills are going to set the league record for rushing yards against while Gailey is trying to figure out if Spiller can be an every-down back or not.

I get that, but I'm kind of getting tired of the excuse that these highly-regarded players are unable to rise above the level of their teammates. Elite players are supposed to make their teammates better. It might not show up right away in the win column, but you would expect that some of these highly drafted players should be able to make big plays now and then that make us believe in the rebuilding effort.

The Bills defense gave up over 200 yards rushing today. It's hard to give out game balls to the LBs considering that performance.

Right, and at the same time the Bills defense is giving up over 175 rushing yards a game. A few missed passes or giving up 175+ rushing yards per game...hmmmm what should be the priority here?

I had season tickets during the good years, and I can tell you that it was awesome. I can't believe it was 20 years ago.

Smith has turned it around in this game. The 49ers have a chance to win the game.

In '87, Polian already had Talley and Smith on the roster, and then used the 8th pick in the draft on Conlan. He then traded for Bennett, who was drafted 2nd overall by Indy and was holding out. So Polian used two top 10 picks in the same draft to rebuild the Bills linebacking corps. Oh, and he drafted Thurman Thomas in '88, in the 2nd round.

Can't say I agree with your assessment. As bad as the Bills offenses have been over the last few years, both Lynch and Jackson were 1,000 yard backs. Jackson is the more versitle back, but Lynch could be effective when used properly. Gailey's offense isn't awful. It hasn't looked all that bad when it's being run by a QB with half a clue. The problem isn't the offense, it's the defense, and specifically it's the DTs and the LBs. No doubt Nix can't make up for 10 years of bad drafting, which Whitner represents and is the reason he's "hated." The problem is that Nix can't start fixing these problems if he's blowing his drafts in the same way that the other lousy GMs did. If you had the hindsight of these first 5 games last April, would you pick a 3rd down back with the 9th pick? Or would you pick a LB to take Kelsay's place? Sure hind-sight is 20/20, but after watching a SS play LB for the Bills in a 4-3 last season on the 30th ranked run defense, I find it hard to believe that Nix didn't recognize this as an immediate area of improvement. I'll be a Bills fan long after Nix, Wilson, and Gailey are gone. I'm a fan for life, but believe me, the Bills haven't 'given me what I wanted' for the last ten years.

Lynch was the 1st rounder, Jackson was the MVP from last year (remember the whole 2,000 total yards thing?). And it's debatable if Spiller will ever be an every down back. I don't think that Gailey intends Spiller to be an every-down back. And I would argue that spending a top 10 pick on a 3rd down back is as questionable as spending a top ten pick on a safety with no game-changing ability. Reed and Polamalu have that ability, Whitner doesn't. And Nix did not draft Maybin, Williams or Flowers, but his draft stategy of ignoring obvious needs with his high-round picks seems to fall in line with the whole Donahoe, Levy/Jauron strategy of drafting. As for the bad experience at games, how about winning? That would improve the overall experience at the Ralph.

Alienate the fan base? Yeah, maybe they should draft a scat-back RB with a top ten pick, to replace their other 1st round and MVP RBs. Maybe they should trade a bunch of picks to get back into the first round to draft an undersized DT that nobody has ever heard of. Or maybe, when they decide they need a LT, they should spend a top five pick on a fat, lazy RT, instead of picking the universally-recognized stud LT. Or maybe they should draft a RB in the first round with a wrecked knee. How about trading their pro-bowl LT, and replacing him with an out-of-shape RT and a 7th round project? And maybe they should extend the contract of a mediocre DE who is playing out of position at OLB. And finally, maybe they should use a top 10 pick to reach for a safety, one with nowhere near the talent of an Ed Reed or Troy Polamalu. I agree, the problem with the Bills front office the last 10 years is that they haven't had the cajones to alienate the fan base.

Before this season started, how would have rated the talent on the Chief's defense vs. the Bills defense? It probably would have been the same. But the Chiefs have hired a first rate coaching staff and are now in a fight to stay undefeated. The Chiefs will probably fade as the season goes on, but they're a good example of the impact that quality coaching can have on a roster.

Considering the insular way the Bills brain trust operates, I don't find this hard to believe.

It's both. This defense is monumentally bad. You don't get that bad if you didn't have a combination of inept coaches and talentless players.

Kmart coaching staff.

The problem is that a top ten pick shouldn't be part of a package. If Spiller turns out to be more like Felix Jones than Chris Johnson, then there are legitimate questions about Nix's ability to build a football team.

The current Texas line has the benefit of playing in front of a real NFL QB, that's the accounts for much of their improvement. Johnson has had two career years with Schaub, and is a much better player with him at QB. Evans would also be a perennial pro bowl receiver if he didn't have a bunch of sub-par QBs throwing to him. It's pretty bad when the play of Edwards makes your best receiver long for JP Losman. Too bad you didn't see the Texans game today. You would have seen how a QB can improve the play of their offensive line. McNabb did the same thing for the Reskins.

I don't believe that Edwards has shown nearly enough this year, or in his career for that matter, to be the unquestioned starter this season. The world doesn't end for this team if they decide to see what Brohm or Fitz can do in Gailey's offense in a game situation. In fact, considering how the season is probably going to turn out, the front office needs to have a clear understanding of how the 3 QBs perform when it counts.