Dawgg

Nate's wife wants out and we can no longer use the franchise tag. Give up hope now.

After the Jax win, Willis asked me what the Bills' record was. You be the judge.

You are so wrong on this it's not even funny. I can't cout how many times Willis, instead of hitting the hole in front of him to pick up a significant gain, dances around and waits for the hole to close. It's maddening. This is the NFL... holes, when they are there, close up relatively quickly and it's up to the running back to hit them and hit them hard. Are you telling me that the run blocking was good when Travis was here? PLEASE. The line was in shambles back then, arguably worse than it is now... but Travis managed to get positive yardage and even broke out for 5-8 yard gains from time to time. Not hitting the holes has a far reaching effect. Drives are much shorter. More pressure is put on the QBs with 3rd and long situations and most importantly, it dictates the playcalling.

Unfortunately, NOTHING can fix that!

I'll add an additional angle... perhaps it's time to take a hard look at the running backs coach Eric Studesville. He has been here for most of Willis' tenure and has presided over very inconsistent play. Perhaps Willis has the tools but needs better coaching?

Quotes from Marv in today's D&C... "From a coaching point, I'd say he has to blast it into the line a little more, rather than trying to do the jiggle step and find the opening," said Levy. "He can't think every play is going to break the big one; the big one will come if you keep slamming it in, slamming it in." "Blast it in there and take your three yards, four yards, and all of a sudden he'll explode into the open," Levy said.

With Crowell out early, Spikes had some third down opportunities and had a few key tackles on LT and deflected a third down pass. After all the talk and speculation of him never returning to form, this game gives me hope that maybe he's on his way...

You would be correct. I met her at the game last week.

Couldn't agree more. Hard not to root for the guy.

Solid against the pass. Elite? Going a bit too far. And I have not seen much in the way of run defense. He misses an awful lot of tackles. He does, however hit hard and make some game changing plays. Agreed, but not going to be easy. Nate will have his choice of teams and my feeling is that Buffalo is not on his list.

Last year SD had a ridiculously hard schedule, having to play 5 teams coming of bye weeks.

I disagree. Keeping LT on the sidelines is an absolute MUST. You say the "light has turned on" for JP and the offense -- maybe true. But the light bulb is busted for the run defense and LT will eat them up for lunch. I'd say a repeat of the Indy gameplan is in order with the hopes that this time around, the goal line offense is actually productive.

Nah, Vick gets by only because he is black... remember?

Who were his QBs? ... that's what I thought.

I really don't know where you're getting that from... especially from watching him this year, he has been pretty damn accurate with the football. Maybe in years past... but it is what it is, and perceptions are hard to break.

So-So passes that hit his receivers in the numbers and fall to the ground!

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/stor...greg&id=2672149

e) Does this "white" qb play on a squad that LEADS THE LEAGUE in dropped passees? (according to Steve Young on ESPN) Biscuit -- couldn't have said it better myself. I didn't want to touch that question with a 10-foot pole, but you managed to hit the nail on the head. Nice work.

The Lions spent first round picks on Mike Williams and Charles Rogers. DOESN'T MEAN THEY ARE GOOD. Regardless of where they were drafted, none of those guys in your list is a capable #1 receiver.

Excatly. Vick flicked them off because one fan said something particularly inappropriate. Not that it excuses his behavior...

1 or 2 dropped balls in a game? Normal. It happens to every QB. The Falcons dropped 5, 2 of which were TDs, the other 3 were easy first downs but instead stopped the drive. When the drive is stalled because of these dropped passes, it's difficult to (as you say) "play through it." He was perfectly accurate on those 5 dropped balls. Nobody offered a first rounder for Schaub. Only the Bills are stupid enough to send a first rounder for an unproven backup (Rob Johnson).

From TMQ... who knows his football IMO: Jim Mora Decried as "Quarterback Killer": Two weeks ago TMQ noted that Atlanta coach Mora the Younger made a puzzling decision at the end of the first half against Cleveland, ordering an onside kick with nine seconds remaining and the Falcons holding but one timeout. The Browns recovered in position for a Hail Mary, but suppose Atlanta had recovered -- what would have been accomplished? Atlanta went on to lose. Now it's Sunday and the reeling Falcons are at home against the United States Saints. The Saints lead 14-6 and hold the ball at midfield with seven seconds remaining in the first half. The clock is stopped owing to an incompletion, but Mora calls timeout, allowing New Orleans extra time to set up a Hail Mary play. Touchdown, and suddenly the Falcons are in deep trouble with the score 21-6 at the half. Note: I don't wish to alarm you, but New Orleans now has the NFL's No. 1 passing attack. As the Falcons have dropped four straight, everyone's focusing on criticizing Michael Vick. What about all the odd coaching decisions made by Mora and his assistants? Vick wasn't the one who ordered himself to take seven-step drops on passes against New Orleans -- something he's never been good at, and which plays away from his strength, the sprint-out pass. (Sprint-outs keep Vick closer to the line and also simplify the field, requiring him to look at only half the coverage, not the entire coverage as in a deep dropback.) Trailing 14-3, Atlanta had third-and-goal on the Saints' 2, on a day the Falcons would rush for 281 yards and average 6.2 yards per rush. Just run the ball! It wasn't Vick who not only called a passing play but a seven-step drop play that required him to run backward to the New Orleans 10; sack, and Atlanta settles for a field goal. You're on the 2, why are you instructing your quarterback to run backward to the 10? Last season's incident in which Mora the Younger did not know that a tie would keep Atlanta alive for the playoffs, and was screaming into a cell phone on the sidelines as he sent in the wrong decisions knocking the Falcons out of the postseason, is hardly the only weird coaching by Mora. Plus, a good coach focuses the criticism on himself, away from his players, a la Bear Bryant. Time to look away from Vick and toward the Atlanta sideline.

Great player? Absolutely. Lock for Canton? Come on now...

The answer is no. Nobody watched the game, they just look at his stats and throw them out there and assume he's to blame. For those that DID see the game, you would know that there were many to blame for that loss and Vick certainly isn't one of them.

Nate used to live in Columbus, OH but moved to Houston during last offseason and plans to settle there permanently.