Nihilarian

Jebus...perfect deep throw

Dunno why the FO wants to see Lynn as HC... a running team with a running QB opens the series with a pass

This IS good news to me. Jones starting the last three games with losses to Cleveland, Miami, and the Jets could also seal Whaley's fate too. If the team doesn't pick up Taylor's contract I expect the team to really bottom out next year so perhaps a real franchise QB is on the horizon for 2018.

3 n out...

Sacked...

Nice tackling...

He did say with a big lopsided loss. Perhaps the Bills FO wants to give Lynn a shot at HC and see what Cardale or EJ can do. I can see getting rid of Ryan & Co because his defense stinks. I think it's kinda lame to judge Tyrod against the Raiders with no Clay, no Woods 2x and Sammy still hurting.

In one article Sully has a point about the defense. On your main point, I do believe Ryan's defense has been exposed. It worked with the Jets when he had superior talent and elite cornerbacks. But offense evolves in the NFL. Coaches have caught up to his exotic blitzes. Teams play faster to hinder defensive substitutions. Quarterbacks get rid of the ball too quickly, as Rex is quick to remind us. Ryan had more talent at his disposal last season, but insisted on shoving his system down the players' throats. I felt the defense was likely to slip, anyway. This year, despite Ryan's assertions that the defense would get better in the second year with more of his hand-picked coaches to spread the gospel, it actually got worse. They're allowing 22.8 points a game, up from 22.4 a year ago. It's fortunate that they got to play against such quarterbacks as Jacoby Brissett, Case Keenum and Colin Kaepernick. None of the Bills' six wins have come against a quarterback currently rated 16th or higher. Ryan didn't beat a QB who finished in the top half of the QB ratings last year, either. In their six losses, the Bills are allowing 31.3 points a game. A lot of those points have come in streaks, when Ryan's defense unraveled in the face of adversity. In each of their last four losses (at Miami, vs. Pats, at Seattle, at Raiders), they have given up 21 or more points in a brief, demoralizing flurry. Here's an amazing fact: In those four games, they allowed 103 points in four opposing scoring streaks that lasted a combined 59:06 of playing time. Yes, 103 points in a shade less than the equivalent of one complete game. You can blame some of it on injuries, personnel and a lack of depth. But it also shows a clear inability by the coaches to adjust and guide a staggering defense through a crisis. http://buffalonews.com/2016/12/09/rex-sliding-back-toward-hot-seat/ says it all...

Okay, the first issue with the hiring of a czar. First off he would have more power than the GM as he would be equivalent to a team president of football operations. Bill Polian would have been that czar had he not turned down the job after Marrone walked away and Kyle Orton retired as he said the job went from a light task to heavy lifting at 72 years old. Bill Polian has stated he loves the Buffalo Bills as they gave him his first shot at GM would like to see them regain some glory. Another possible problem was that Marrone on his way out the door slammed the status quo in Buffalo by telling Polian the old guard was trash talking him and probably in fear of losing their jobs. Polian had said one of the first things he would do was to hire ex-Charger GM AJ Smith and between those two they could have really straightened out the entire football side. Trainers, scouts, doctors etc. While so many fans are enamored with current GM Doug Whaley the simple fact is he was a rookie GM as was Buddy Nix, Marv Levy and he made his share of mistakes in his time as GM. Plus, he keeps making them by not upgrading that RT, S, FS and WR positions in the last offseason, among other things. Tyrod Taylor and Richie Incognito were not his choice but rather Rex Ryan asking the team to bring them in....otherwise the team would still be looking for a solid LG and starting QB. Russ Brandon. Some known Bills insiders have stated the man was the GM after Marv Levy retired and has since made many football decisions that a few fans here say he hasn't. Either way, the fact remains that he is still advising these new owners just like he did with the late owner. He was the one who gave these new owners the idea that they had the necessary football acumen to choose their own head coach as he told them "they would know who to hire after interviewing all the candidates". Meet the new boss, same as the old boss! The very last thing this fan base needed was the new owner getting started in meddling with the football decisions like the last owner. What's nex for Pegula that as he sits in the draft room he will make the choices on certain players like Ralph Wilson used to do? The Org chart reads Rex Ryan, Doug Whaley, Russ Brandon all report to terry Pegula. When it should be that on the football side of the team everyone reports to the GM and he reports to the owner. Lastly, it's completely foolish to think that a franchise QB is what's going to fix everything that's wrong with this team. I give you the 2013 Atlanta Falcons who had a franchise in QB Matt Ryan who played 16 games and 4-12. Besides, Tyrod Taylor isn't as bad as so many make him out to be. This team needs better offensive scouts to find that elusive franchise QB, WR, linemen! The team needs better trainers so the players stay healthy the entire season more often, better doctors who won't put their approval on injury prone or injured players, a better GM and an experienced man at the top to tie it all together. Nothing really changes until the owner comprehends he doesn't have the needed knowledge as to who to hire as his GM, HC no matter if there is a baseball / marketing guy assisting him.

You're right! When this new owner first took over there was so much talk of the team hiring a football czar, there were phone calls to Bill Polian in hopes of his returning. There was also talk of the team hiring a senior NFL adviser (even the NFL suggested to Terry Pegula that he hire an adviser) and yet none of that happened and instead that smooth snake oil salesman talked himself into a promotion and keeping the status quo intact. Bills fans that think because this team might end up between 6-10 or 8-8 simply don't understand that this owner is so much under the control of Russ Brandon that after the Raider game Terry Pegula was making the same excuses you might hear from Rex Ryan, Brandon or Whaley about why the team lost. Nothing changes until this team take's a real dumpster dive like Ryan had in his final year with the Jets.

This is hilarious! Even better! It really was crazy to read fans complaining only about the QB, Bills offense when the team was up 24-9 midway through the third quarter and lost by 14 in a 38-24 beatdown. I honestly would really like to see the Bills sweep the next four games and finish 10-6 even if they don't make the playoffs. Mostly because this owner seems to be enthralled by Rex Ryan, Doug Whaley, and Russ Brandon. After the Raider game, Terry was giving a multitude of excuses as to why the Bill lost to the Raiders just like one of the three amigos. I don't see change coming anyway after this season so might as well embrace the suckitude that will be in Buffalo for a few more years as we are stuck with the current status quo. Firing them now would mean the owner would have to admit he made a mistake. Should the Bills win out they will pay and keep Tyrod Taylor as he may eventually develop into a better thrower! Should the Bills lose out he might end up developing into a better pocket passer for the NY Jets! The only way Ryan gets fired is if the team bottoms out to a 4-12 like he did in NY and as bad as his defense is that isn't likely to happen with a QB like Taylor who isn't a turnover machine. Kinda makes you now think about the reason his 2014 NY Jets team went 4-12 with his defense that was 6th in yards allowed and 24th in points allowed.

This is accurate as Ryan drafted for the defense with first round picks ever year from 2010 through 2014 and made some bad choices. CB Kyle Wilson 2010 DT Muhammad Wilkerson 2011 DE Quinton Couples 2012 CB Dee Milliner 2013 DB Calvin Prior 2014 Is there any doubt as to why Rex Ryan's defense didn't improve from his first year with the Jets. I think he would suck as GM.

Jeez, the guy took a 9-7 team that every Bills fan thought was a playoff team and went 8-8. Now this year it looks like another 8-8 year and some fans want him as GM? While the man did ask to bring in Tyrod Taylor, Richie Incognito and did chase, wine, and dine Cowboys OG La"el Collins before he became a Dallas player. Rex Ryan built a very precarious team the past two years with a defense doesn't work if the offensive run game gets shut down and the offense doesn't work either if the run game gets shut down. One can easily see why Ryan would want a running QB and to build a much more solid offensive line and yet the run game still gets shut down at times and both the QB and defense flounder because of it. This also should the ineptitude of Doug Whaley in spending two first round draft picks on a glass WR when the team still needed their franchise QB. So meanwhile the team passes on Teddy Bridgewater and Derek Carr and doesn't see the talent in Dak Prescott. Yes, this team needs a new HC, new GM, just not Rex Ryan.

Doug Marrone wanted to change the culture in Buffalo and he almost succeeded even with his poor choice for OC. That 9-7 record was the best since 2004 and just like in that year the Bills were one game away from the playoffs. It was that Marrone couldn't get anything done past the old guard still with the team! To those fans that believe that Russ Brandon has had no involvement in any "football" decisions during his time in Buffalo need to remember that it was Brandon and Whaley that flew to NYC to hire Mike Pettine. Who hired Doug Marrone, a four-man team led by Brandon? Who gave Marrone that walk away clause in his contract? When Doug Whaley wanted to trade two first round draft picks to move up to draft Sammy Watkins, who told him to be bold? When the Pegula's were thinking of hiring Rex Ryan who told them to not let Rex leave the room. Who is the one that advised these new owners that they had the needed NFL experience, football acumen to hire the next HC? Russ Brandon wanted to keep the status quo under the late owner. Why is the team's president / marketing guy sitting in the teams cut meetings on the phone to free agent players? The team president doesn't have better things to do than something the coaching assistants or GM should be doing? Seems to me like this man has been heavily involved in every football decision. Even if you fully believe that Brandon had no direct involvement in the football decisions even when he was the team's GM after Marv Levy retired and before Buddy Nix. (2007-2010) His presence as managing partner / team president is keeping this franchise from hiring a senior NFL "football" adviser like Bill Polian that the team desperatly needs. "As Tim Graham reported, Marrone ripped the Bills to Polian as he walked out the door, telling the former Bills GM that people inside the building were trashing Polian because they felt threatened by his possible return." Nothing in this franchise will change until the old guard gets swept out or moved over to the non-football side and the new owners decide that they are not qualified to hire the next HC or GM.This team needs to hire an experienced "winning" senior adviser to enable the owners to hire that team president of football operations and then stand back and allow him to do all the football hiring. This man will also be held accountable for the wins, losses.

Rex Ryan's defense only works with a strong run game that can be effective moving the ball all game and the offense only works with a strong defense that can hold the opposing team from scoring so the offense doesn't need to pass to win. Both the current offense and defense are built on schemes that rely on the other far too much. Jim Schwartz's defense worked with an offense that had almost no run game and the passing game was always going three and out, yet was #4 overall. Now imagine if that year's defense had this year's offense. The 2016 Bills would be 10-2 as they would have feasibly beaten the Jets, Dolphins, Seahawks, and Ravens. I say blow up the entire thing up and hire a team president of football operations so it takes the owner and Russ Brandon out of the football decision process.

Sure, bring in Kirk Cousins ...if you also fire this joke of a coaching staff and hire Kirk Cousins OC to be the next Bills HC Then find a way to bring back Jim Schwartz as DC.

It isn't just the QB. The Raiders also have an O-line that has allowed 22 sacks which is about the lowest sack total in the league. They also have some really good receivers and running backs. While the Raider defense might not be in the top 15 stats wise and they are currently ranked 30th. They get the turnovers, stops on third down when needed against even the good teams which is something Buffalo fails to do against good teams. Kinda why the Bills didn't sack Derek Carr. The Raiders have a linebacker that might have been worth two first round picks over a glass WR who can't stay healthy.

The season isn't over.... it's not time to evaluate a player who throws a pass so far out of bounds it hits reporters 40 yards away... What it is time for is to give Tyrod four more chances to show what he can do and should he get hurt than show what EJ can do before he is gone forever.

This is accurate as he is just like the team and that is middling. Bills fans deserve better. I don't put all the blame to the losing on Whaley as he didn't make the decision to hire Rex Ryan. Although it was his on EJ as he went and scouted him and gave his nod of approval to draft him. Then he made the precarious decision to trade two first rounders for an injury prone WR when there are other players that actually would have been worth those two first rounders in Khalil Mack, Mike Evans who is 6'5'' 231 and currently #3 in the NFL in receiving yards. I can recall right after drafting Sammy Watkins word came from the FO that the team still needed that big, tall red zone receiver. The decisions for Tyrod Taylor and Richie Incognito weren't Whaley's and the team would still be looking for a quality LG just like they are still looking for a quality RT. Plus, even most of the fan base was clamoring for a decent replacement for losing Chris Hogan to the Patriots when Watkins needed surgery for his foot this offseason. Not to mention the need for better players at the safety position. This team is 6-6 and the GM should share in the wins and losses. Rex Ryan hired off a 9-7 season should have made the team better and instead, it took a step backward mostly because of HIS defense. If Doug Whaley had even the slightest clue on which college QB to draft he would have drafted Derek Carr or even Dak Prescott. He doesn't and this team needs to find a guy that does.

We all saw this same look on Rex Ryan's face in 2014 2x on the NY Jets sideline as the Bills blew them out. He looked lost then and he looked lost against the Raiders as his team gets blown out after having a 15 point lead. 24-9 and his defensive did a nose dive into the turf by playing a prevent defense for the remainder of the game. The offense suddenly stopped running and forced a running QB to make plays with his arm in the pocket. The worst part of the offense was calling a pass play on first and ten from the Bills own four-yard line. I mean who the eff calls that crap? Any other NFL team no matter how bad they are at least attempts to run it three times to give both the QB or punter room to breathe. If you read the article the owners are "all in" on the excuse train and they just aren't football savvy enough to see that the whole thing needs to be blown up. From the trainers, scouts, doctors, GM and HC. Nothing changes if the owners keep making the choice for the HC.

Vic did nail it! The now 10-2 Oakland Raiders that were 3-13 in 2014! and they weren't afraid to change coaching staffs along the way with 6 different HCes until they finally found a good one in Jack Del Rio who was hired by Oakland the day after Buffalo hired Rex Ryan. The Bills defense held that vaunted Raiders offense to just 3 FG's in the first half and then went into a prevent shell half way through the third quarter and the same with the offense. Buffalo was out coached and out played in that Raiders game pure and simple. This game should be a wake-up call for the owners. It looks like they jumped on the excuse bandwagon, though.

It all starts at the very top of the org in that this team is in desperate need of a team president of football operations. Someone that has enough NFL football acumen to know who to hire as GM, as HC, as trainers and a decent doctor This new owner is more than rich enough to hire the very best NFL advisers / headhunters to advise him as to who to hire as team president of football operations. Then the owner should stand back and let the man fix this franchise! Even if this team traded for one of the elite franchise QB's it isn't going to change the ineptitude of the GM not bringing in equal or better players when the team loses a player. Example, It took three years to replace LG Andy Levitre and even then it was because the new HC vouched for a previously suspended player. Rex Ryan also chased OG La'el Collins who now plays for the Cowboys and that would be a huge upgrade for the line. Another example is losing WR Chris Hogan to the Patriots who already had a very solid receiving corps. Speaking of the Patriots they also traded for star TE Martellus Bennett from the Bears. Plus they drafted a WR in the 4th round who is starting to make an impact. Obtaining an elite franchise QB isn't going to fix the defense or find scouts that can actually properly evaluate college, NFL talent to find those quality draft picks and FA players. A new QB isn't going to fix the injury problems or the team doctors giving the okay to draft injured players.

It was placed in context as to what QB's the Bills had beaten in 2014. There is no question that Schwartz's scheme held the team that went to the SB that year and Tom Brady the second time around to three FG's while beating them in New England! My take is old Bill pulled Brady in that second half so he wouldn't get injured as that vaunted Patriots offense wasn't doing much anyway. Oh, wait! The 2016 Buffalo Bills beat the Patriots in New England too...only they didn't face either Brady or Garoppolo. They faced an injured rookie, 3rd string QB who went on IR after that game. The point remains. Rex Ryan's defense isn't very good and now can't even slow down the better QB's with a winning record. So far this year the only teams the Buffalo Bills have beaten are the bad teams or a good team with an injured rookie QB. Ryan's defensive scheme is outdated and no longer works against a quality opponent. Looks like Rex will be fired after this season unless he pulls off a miracle and manages to beat the Steelers and Dolphins.

Speaking of that 2014 Buffalo Bills Jim Schwartz defense while considering all the freaking excuses for Rex Ryan's defense. Let's look at two factors. That 2014 defense managed to be #4 overall in the NFL with virtually NO RUN GAME for the majority of the season! (579 passing attempts vs 402 rushing attempts) The Bills started with a good run game in the first two weeks of that 2014 season and then went pass happy nearly every game by asking the QB to throw almost 40 times a game. Now imagine if that year the Bills had an effective ground game that could control the clock and keep the opposing defense off balance. It would more than likely have been far better than #4 overall. The next fact to consider is what QB's the Bills faced and beaten the last two years versus that 2014 season. Beaten, Jay Cutler 5-10, Ryan Tannehill 8-8, Matthew Stafford 11-5, Teddy Bridgewater 6-6, Mike Vick 1-2, Geno Smith 3-10 2x, Brian Hoyer 7-6, Aaron Rodgers 12-4, (Rodgers also won the MVP this season passing for 38 TD's with 5 INT's) Buffalo held Rodgers to 17 of 42 for 185 yards, NO TD's, 2 INT's! a 34.3 rate! wow! The Bills lost to the Broncos, but Peyton Manning 12-4 (Manning also threw for 4727 yards and 39 TD's this year) Buffalo held him to 14 of 20 for 173 yards,NO TD's 2 INTs, a 56.9 rate!! The 2014 Buffalo Bills also beat New England in the last game of the season limiting Patriots QB Tom Brady 8 of 16 for 80 yards, no TD's, no INT's in the first half a 64.6 rating! and he was pulled for Garoppolo who went 10 of 17 for 90 yards, no TD's, no INT's. Bottom line here is that Schwartz's defense beat some great QB's and did it with almost no run game,and he did it with McKelvin at CB! Which is something that Ryan's defense can't win without having a strong, effective run game. Ryan's defense also hasn't beaten a QB with a winning record in two years in Buffalo, save Brian Hoyer. Ryan's defense has yet to win a game this year against a QB with a winning record.

Blake Bortles W, Derek Carr, L, so now 6-6. Still awaiting this year's defense to beat a team that has a QB with a winning record. To those that keep wailing on about how one lost to safety to IR in week 7 that ruined the entire defense this year needs to remember what happened in week two this season. That Buffalo Bills defense was dominated by a what we now know is a very crappy 3-9 NY Jets offense to the tune of 493 yards given up. Jets QB Ryan Fitzpasspick threw for an astonishing 374 yards with one TD and no INT's and he was only sacked once. Jets RB Mate Forte rushed for 100 yards and had 3 rushing TD's. To any that claim it was all the Bills offenses fault need to recall that Bills QB's threw for 307 yards, and 3 passing TD's this game. The Bills offense scored 31 points this game. The NY Jets scored on their first four possessions of the game. Granted the team didn't run the ball well in this game and the OC was fired after the game because of it. Now the entire world knows that if the Bills can't run the ball successfully it slows their offense and the defense isn't nearly as effective too. A one-dimensional offense and a one-dimensional defense that if you stop one aspect of the team it holds back the entire team's chances of winning. So, everything is dependent on the run game being effective and then at times the team stops running the ball while calling more passing plays and everyone wonders why the team lost the game. I'd say this style of coaching philosophy isn't working very well...or even very smart.