Mikie2times

Good post. If it keeps us off the hook for next years cap then it makes complete sense.

When an opposing fan is very cocky, and very arrogant, and gives us no respect, does it piss you off? For most it does. If that’s how it makes fans feel how you do think the players feel? How do you think they feel when the media has written articles about how bad they suck for 7 straight days, and how they have no chance of winning this weekend. This is a very emotional and physical sport. A light boost in aggression or motivation can make a big difference. When a team starts to lose and has yet to win a game pressure mounts in the media and fan base. Players feel desperation. You haven't notice it but that desperation could be seen in the Lions performance the last few weeks. It just hasn't translated into a win because they can't close out games. If you still don't believe it how do you explain the winless Titans going into Indianapolis last week as 18 point underdogs, and nearly winning outright? That extra 5% exists in the human spirit.

Look what it's done for screech

Jon Kyl called online gambling the crack cocaine of this century. It's a complete witch hunt, backed by two very influential groups. How hard would it really be to regulate? The casinos and sportsbook desperately want to do business with the US. It's where 80% of their business comes from. If we dialed them up and allowed them to do business with American customers they would release the names of American customers. The clients themselves would have to agree, but as an online gambler myself I would gladly, especially if it meant my money was secure. They could even run the casino's themselves but I suspect that was never considered as Vegas would freak. The biggest mistake they made was banning online poker. They could have just targeted sports betting which is still more of a niche thing. Poker is huge, and many influential people like to play online.

Congress missed the boat big time with this. Jon Kyl ® Arizona took an issue that the majority of the country wanted legalized, and with the backing of Vegas and Christian groups did the complete oposite. This new landscape is begging for more bookies to surface, more money laundering, and more undeclared winnings. This country spends billions of dollars a year online gambling. We could regulate and bring in more tax dollars. Instead we decide to ban it. Good job A-Hole

Almost instantly after we placed Vincent on Minor-IR writers started to bash us. When Vincent recovered we would have to release him and still be on the hook for his contract this year. It sounds like we messed up big time. But when you look at it a bit more, atleast the possibility exists that it wasn't a mistake at all. If the press can be on top of this error that quickly how incompetent would the Bills need to be to not be aware of the rules? Another possible explanation could be us improving our player PR now to look better for the future. This wasn't a normal move, and if done intentionally it was about the classiest way a team could handle this situation.

Everybody does to a degree. I used to obsessively think about the past when I was younger. Decisions that probably weren't the best. I've learned to not let those thoughts enter my mind anymore. You should learn from mistakes but the second you harp on them it has a negative impact. You learn to be the master of your destiny, that any sense of entitlement will do nothing for you. Above all I try and stay as positive as I can. It's cliche, but attitude is the number when thing that influences overall well being and happiness.

Hi playoffs, see ya in 2020

I still respect New England as a team that can make the playoffs. If a team can do that anything can happen. I just think your reaching on a lot of these points. -Anything short of a National Championship this year is failing to live up to expectations for Weiss after last season. Still a long way to go, they still play USC. -The two DC's have marginal talent to work with, and are off bad years. The Jets even overachieved at times this season. I will agree that out of all your points this has the most merit, but not because the DC's are incompetent, it’s because of BB. - AV being hurt doesn't discredit him. Players get hurt. Few times can we say with certainty that if a team lost a player outside QB they wouldn't have won the SB. That feeling you'll have when New England attempts it's first game winning kick is AV mattering. - Branch didn't play at the start of the year, and is now transitioning to a new system, on a team who' shortly after trading for him had a bye. Who's throwing to Givens again?

Dude, stop comparing us with the Bucs and Bears. The only similarity is the type of defense we run. The difference in the front 7 is not something you just happen to make up. They had/have dominating DT's, DE's, OLB's, and MLB's. Not good, Dominating, in the prime of their careers. Tim Anderson is a flat out bad football player. Triplett is a situational pash rusher coming from a team that got killed verse the run. McCargo proved absolutely nothing before breaking his foot. Williams is a huge pick up, and should develop. But even then paired with Denney/Kelsey, Schobel, and whoever else we go with were still not close to TB or Chicago. Trust me, it should scare me. Especially if we get complacent. We shouldn't consider going after a run stopping DT extreme.

Here ya go. This is a list of rushing yards, and rushing avg rankings from teams I know were Cover 2 in those years. If you notice the team Larry Triplett played for has been among the worst in football the last 5 years. Now factoring in that, with Tim Anderson, Williams, and McCargo who do we resemble more Tampa Bay and Chicago, or Indianapolis? Years Team Yards AVG 2001 Rams 6 17 2002 Rams 16 14 2003 Rams 21 30 2004 Bears 24 16 2005 Bears 11 8 2006 Bears 6 18 1996 Bucs 22 27 1997 Bucs 7 12 1998 Bucs 6 9 1999 Bucs 4 10 2000 Bucs 11 16 2001 Bucs 16 19 2002 Bucs 3 5 2003 Bucs 14 11 2004 Bucs 19 15 2005 Bucs 5 1 2006 Bucs 30 31 2002 Colts 22 21 2003 Colts 20 27 2004 Colts 26 31 2005 Colts 15 26 2006 Colts 31 32 2006 Bills 19 21

You’re dead on. Plus when you exclude some of the great all around defenses in Chicago and Tampa Bay, the Cover 2 has been known to be weak inside. Dibs is arguing our about our talent developing, even with great results will do our DT's compare to those two great Cover 2 defenses? I mean this is a weakness strong enough to stifle the Colts last year, who had one of the great regular seasons of all time.

Corey Simon is twice the run stopper Triplett was in Indianapolis, and as people have mentioned he’s probably more of a pass rusher. What's that say? It’s convenient that you completely left out his absence from your findings. If we sign Darnell Dockett we can end this debate all together. I just don't want to get complacent and limited. We can't afford to wait on Run Stoppers to develop. The Cover 2 is a notoriously soft run defense, and it will put a ceiling on this team unless it gets much better.

Pshh...Your post is so last Monday

If we signed Dockett it will be the first time in my life a man gave me an orgasim. That is if you don't count self inflicted man orgasims. Now would be a good time to shut up.

What evidence do you have that he's not doing well? He starts for the 3rd best run defense in the NFL. Like PW he's not the type of player that will rack up a ton of stats either. Even if you watched a lot of Ravens games it's hard to tell. Remember how few realized the importance PW? That's the same role Ngata has in Baltimore. I have no evidence to say he's great either, but with the 3rd ranked run defense I would probably lean in the direction of thinking he's ok.

3. I like Williams a lot, he has more then enough speed for us to sit a anchor type next to him. As for who else we have Tripplett never made a difference in run stopping for Indianpolis, and he won't here. It's not his game, and never was. McCargo is just another draft pick, may or may not pan out. Sorry if his presence gives me little faith our run defense will turn around next year. Tom Brady was late draft choice, Jason Peters was undrafted, Antonio Gates etc. Difference makers can be found at every level, but it's more improbable to get one of these types then probable. I'm preaching a proactive stance, that gives us options, look what waiting for development has done for our offensive line. 4. 3-4 requires 1 DT, and usually teams will make the switch because they already have that player, and LB's to spare. Most teams don't restrict themselves to needing specific players as long as you don't make it as extreme as you are. Running off extreme examples of players not fitting a system like Moss or Montana has no relevance to this conversation. Your talking about gross exaggerations of putting players in the wrong system. The cover 2 refers to the type of coverage you have, not who you must use at DT. It's up to each team to decide that. I promise this system will not fall apart if we get a DT that demands two blockers, instead of having a high motor and a good first step. For the rest of your comments show me. Show me why we should believe we will turn the corner at run defense with Anderson, Tripplett, McCargo, and Williams. The only player in that group who even remotely resembles a run stopping DT is Williams. Look at the Colts run defense in the same system, with Tripplett. Look at the Bills run defense with Anderson. Now look at the run defense now. It's more of a leap to expect them to turn it around, then continue to struggle.

1. I'm not arguing size as much as style 3. I noticed the 5th, 6th, 10th, and 11th teams. I wonder how many of the others fit this trend. Probably few, but for arguments sake lets say that’s not the case. The teams you mentioned have way more penetrating talent then we do. Maybe next year we get lucky and one of these types falls in our lap. 4. You assumed meant weight, what I meant was ability and performance. It just so happens that generally speaking, the DT's that I'm talking about are heavier. 5. Who said anything about a 3-4? You sound a bit like Gregg Williams in your philosophies, but systems don't win championships, players do. I don't mind staying within the restraints of a system if I had any confidence we could get a difference maker within the next couple years. I just don’t. I also love having Whitner, this has nothing to do with who we drafted. I just think stopping the run is just about the most important thing in football.

I took the comment about Lidle not being able to hit the plate, or a runway as mocking. Trust me, I'm far from the moral police. I was just a little suprised. I mean the guy just died a few hours before that.

Well clearly Williams was the reason for our run defense in 03 and 04. That played out pretty decisively last year. I figured Adams release did have something to do with attitude, contract, or some outside variable. I use him as an example only because he's a body that's probably better then some of the other body's we have. It was a poor example to use. What I was trying to say was I believe Jauron really loves the Cover 2, and will stick to the principles of the system. I also think he's made it clear in his own words that he likes a certain type of DT. My concern is that type of DT is not the type I see turning our run defense around. Generally speaking, you need big bucks, or a high draft pick to get an elite penetrating tackle that will shut down the run. Not exactly a common player. What if a P.Williams run stuffer is available, but he doesn't fit the type of DT for our system. I like a coach that has direction because players can follow. But with our run defense we really shouldn't be limiting ourselves.

Here's the recap. 1. Buffalo is not good at run defense. 2. Buffalo likes penetrating DT's. 3. The best run defenses usually have a P. Williams type anchor 4. That type of player is not a penetrating DT 5. Buffalo should not restrict themselves with who they go after at DT because of the system.

Well the past influences now in terms of drafting and Free Agency. That said I’m more worried about the future. I didn’t expect a ton from the Bills this year, but I do expect them to compete next year. Jauron has said several times what his philosophy is. We also let Adams go, signed Tripplett and didn’t give a thought to Ngata. My opinion is based off Jauron saying he's going to do something and doing it.

Adams would have fit just fine in this system. He was lightning off the snap when he wanted to be. I also think he was let go more for attitude, age, and contract. It's just not about being big though, it's the type of DT. The type that isn't going to jump off the line, or have a high motor, but he will demand two defenders and make it hell running inside. Since just about everybody else is looking for this guy, and since Buffalo isn't. He's not just going to fall into our lap. Those are the guys that shut down running games, ala P. Williams.

I know that’s the point. I also know they won't restrict just based on a players weight. But by your own definition, which is in line with Cover 2 coaches, a player like Pat Williams wouldn't be a good fit. That's just crap, especially in running situations. Perhaps our biggest need this past draft was DT, that is before we switched to this defense. Ngata was on the board but clearly didn't fit this system. Regardless of how he turns out I hate the fact that we wouldn't even consider him at such a critical need.

Again my point. How can we be in any position to get this specific at DT right now? If a guy dominates the line of scrimmage, and is a little on the heavy side how can we say oh well he doesn't have a great first step. It's stupid to be so married to a system that it restricts yourself from getting good players in a scarce position, at a critical need.