Dawgg

You better believe Wade and DF would have this team playing better! The Bills were bumbling out of the gates at 0-3 under Rob Johnson. Enter Doug Flutie. The team finishes 10-3 the rest of the way. You do the math.

29-19 as a head coach. 60%

Wade wasn't exactly the smoothest of talkers and certainly didn't "look" like a head coach. But I think he did an excellent job. A few important things he did: 1. When Rob Johnson got injured and Flutie took over after an 0-3 start, he let Flutie keep the job. Many head coaches would have put RJ back in there. That was the sole reason the Bills became the first team to start 0-3 and make the playoffs. 2. Inserted Eric Moulds into the starting lineup. Moulds was in Levy's doghouse for years and rarely got on the field unless it was for receiving punts. Wade immediately saw his potential and declared him the #1 receiver on the team from the get-go. 3. Brought Ted Washington to Buffalo. Enough said. 4. Made something out of scrubs like Keion Carpenter, Raion Hill, Kenny Irvin, Jon Holacek, and Gabe Northern.

Nope he didn't have to trade. He could have passed on Lee Evans, signed a veteran free agent liek Stokely for MUCH less, and drafted Losman at 13. Or even trade down and draft Losman. Donahoe wasted next year's pick.

When has he ever complained about us running too much? Never. He was simiply saying they should stick to their identity. If the Bills got to the red zone by running to set up the pass, they should score in the same way. In 14 red zone plays, here's the breakdown: 3 runs 11 passes Not going to work, especially with Drew at QB.

Because the Bills were a combined 29-10 with Flutie in there. Not a whole lot went wrong

I thoght he took it well. There are a lot of players in this league that would whine about their playing time and be a distraction to their team: READ JERRY RICE. Travis took the high road, didn't get baited by the media, and simply said his focus is on helping the team. Pretty mature way to handle it if you ask me.

Risking injury is a fair point. But saying he couldn't catch him is a bunch of, well... stevestojan.

He showed Bledsoe's final interception in the endzone and highlighted Willis. WM started running after the guy, but then after about 20 yards, just stopped and gave up when he could have made the tackle with some extra effort. He then showed Moulds running through 4 blocks to make the play.

This sheep-like follower mentality is one that need not exist, particularly when you are a paying customer. Just what makes you think Donahoe knows more about football than you? You have been watching the game since 1960, right? Have a little more faith in yourself, my friend.

Precisely. More than just moving a few steps to the right and left, it's about pocket presence. The ability to sense when the rush is coming, react quickly, and get rid of the ball and send it to the proper place. Kurt Warner? You betcha. He HAS that pocket presence. Did you watch last week's game against Detroit? I sure did. And it was quite evident that he knew when and where to put the ball for the most part (this despite the fact that they lost). Trent Dilfer? There's a reason he's a Super Bowl QB who no longer plays in NFL games and is nearing retirement. Drew Bledsoe ought to do the same.

And that is why those who say Moulds will cost too much are just plain ridiculous. Moulds is the one playmaker and consumate professional the team has. He is the only remaining link to Marv Levy and should be kept.

Perhaps. But to make a more apples to apples comparison, I would rather have TWO low first round prospects than a veteran like Takeo Spikes. Both those players can be had for about what Spikes makes now (probably much less) and they can become solid contributors, if not stars. Case in point, Philadelphia traded up in the first round to nab guard Shane Andrews. Not only have they plugged him in as a starter right off the bat, he has held is own and played great on a contending team. Getting a veteran guard of similar quality would cost millions. Ask the Lions and Bills what they paid Damien Woody and Ruben Brown at the prime of their careers.

It was a $ issue. Dallas couldn't really afford a first round pick because Henson counts against their rookie cap.

I was just pointing out the number of first rounders we have used to address the QB position, so in that sense, I do count the one we used to select a QB. But I'm not saying the team was wrong in selecting JP with a first rounder. I'm simply saying why not do it without morgaging our future. If that means passing up on Lee Evans, so be it.

I agree with this assertion. Where I find fault with this strategy is the idea that this team was in absolute need of 2 first round picks, thereby mortaging the future because of it. If a franchise QB is truly as hard to come by as you say, then the front office could (and should) have moved down from 13 to the low 20's, drafted Losman, and acquired some extra picks and addressed the WR position later. In the event that a trading partner could not be found, simply take Losman at 13. In their search for a quaterback since Jim Kelly's retirement, the Bills have spent FOUR first round picks. 1 went to the Jags for Rob Johnson (and became Fred Taylor) 1 went to the Pats for Drew Bledsoe (and became Ty Warren) 1 went to the Bills to select Losman 1 went to the Cowboys for 2005 Pretty ridiculous if you ask me.

First things first. I definitely think there are trading partners willing to move up to the Top 5. It happens every year and most teams, if they really covet one player in particular would give up their first and second to move into the top 5 in a heartbeat. That said, I think having first rounders in the late teens to early 20's has great value because you are essentially signing potential starters and major contributors for what amounts to peanuts under the cap. Take Antoine Winfield and Nate Clements, for example. The team was able to draft them for cheap and got a solid 5-6 years out of them. I'm doing this from the top of my head so this might not be exactly right, but NE does have a few solid first round players on their D. Willie McGinnest - Top 4. Richard Seymour - Top 5 Ty Warren - Top 20 Ty Law - Top 20 Willfork - Top 20

I disagree with that notion. While you're right that the draft is a crapshoot, a Top 5 pick is a Top 5 pick. You can look at it in one of two ways: a great can't-miss player or a bargaining chip to throw on other teams. I'd much rather have that bargaining chip than not. A few years ago, The Jets gave Arizona two mid-round 1st rounders (#13 and 22) for the right to pick at #4 and take Dewayne Robertson. The Falcons gave the Chargers a bunch of productive NFL players for the right to take Mike Vick. The Saints gave up their whole draft to move up to #5 and take Ricky Williams In any case, suppose we took that pick and traded down for some low first and/or high second rounders. We can get quality players with little risk from a salary cap standpoint.

Are you Donahoe's son?

Here's where you are wrong: We will not get a first rounder for Travis Henry. In fact, we probably won't even get a second rounder. Only one team (ONE) was willing to pay a 2nd for Corey Dillon and that was the Patriots, who had an excess of 1st and 2nd rounders. Travis is a few notches below Dillon in terms of value, plain and simple. Expect to get a decent third rounder for him. Because of Donahoe's draft day idiocity, we have no first rounder next year. He clearly misjudged this team and felt that next year's first rounder would be a low pick, thereby making worth the trade and send it over to Dallas. Instead of trading down and drafting Losman, he jumped on Lee Evans and now, we will miss out on a top 10 pick next year. Add to that the fact that we won't be picking until the second round.

I have seen it happen in the open field where a WR is tackled mid-route and the QB throws the ball over his head. That way, it lands in a place where nobody else can touch the ball. In a crowded end zone... not so sure that it is a wise strategy.

No they dont

Bledsoe said a bad call was directly responsible for Chad Williams' end zone interception, which Williams returned 93 yards. "It was an unbelievably poor call," Bledsoe said. "Ray Lewis just grabbed a hold of Lee Evans around the waist, basically tackled him. When I saw him grab him, I said, "OK, I'll throw this ball at Lee and we'll get the call and it'll be first-and-goal at the 1.' Instead, they don't throw the flag, the ball gets tipped and goes back in the other direction." =================================================== Great. So Drew was basically playing for the officials to bail him out. To me, that is an assenine excuse. You simply don't put the outcome of the game in the officials' hands.... and for Drew to not take blame for that interception is just not fair to his team or the fans.

The New England Patriots opened their season with the heralded Drew Bledsoe as their starting quarterback. He recently signed a $100 million contract extension that was expected to make him a Patriot for life. He was, in essence, "Mr. Patriot." The fans had grown to love Drew. He was a heckuva guy. They accepted his faults, knowing full well that he could pick a defense apart when given the time. Week 1 To open the season, the team went on the road to face the lowly Cincinnati Bengals. In a penalty-marred game full of mistakes and missed opportunities, the Patriots fell 23-17. Week 2 The following week, at their home opener, the team lost to the New York Jets 10-3. Again, this was a penalty-fest, with plenty of mistakes and missed opportunities. At their home opener, the offense, led by Drew Bledsoe, mustered a mere 3 points. Bledsoe was sacked and thrown around like a ragdoll all day. Then, a funny thing happened. Tom Brady took over as the full-time starter. He didn't exactly light it up. He completed 60% of his passes, had a decent, but not spectacular QB rating. And all of a sudden, everyone on the team started to play better. The once suspect offensive line no longer looked like swiss cheese. The washed-up Antowain Smith looked like an all-pro. The defense started making plays at opportune times. So did the offense! Why oh why did this happen? Tom Brady doesn't play offensive line. He doesn't play defense. He doesnt play special teams. Yet all of a sudden, the entire team started playing better -- so much so, that they almost overachieved. Why?? How??????? Tom Brady provided the team with a spark. He provided the Patriots with something intangible, that can't be measured in the stat books. Something that Drew, as great a guy as he is, never possessed. For those of you who feel that making a switch at QB will not fix our problems, think again. Similar things can happen in Buffalo. It *is* possible for a Quarterback to make the entire team better, to inspire his teammates and provide those intangibles. Don't lose the faith...

What game were you watching, pal??? He's right.