Bob in STL
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Great post Rubes.
What's all the quibbling with the B-/C+ thing?
I was always under the impression that they were basically the same thing.
IMO....assuming your B- or C+ is correct....you picked the right one with B-. The offence has been improving, therefore B- fits. If the offence was regressing, C+ would suit better.....i.e. using the difference between a B- & a C+ as a trend indicator rather than an ability difference.
My father would have disagreed. B- looked better on the card, every time.
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I was at the game Sunday, sitting on the Bills side at about the 50-yard line, about 28 rows up. Right in the middle of the "old-time" season ticket holders, the so-called "diehards" who support the franchise.
As soon as the game starts, this guy who had to be at least 65 starts with a running diatribe that criticizes EVERY FREAKING PLAY that doesn't either result in a loss for Minnesota's offense or a huge gain for Buffalo's.
After a particularly good play on 3rd down, I turned around and said to the guy, "was THAT play good enough for you?" He said, "well it's about time." I responded, "you do know they're trying out there," and this idiot had the nerve to say "no they're not."
I'm sure that moron has been sitting in War Memorial, Rich, and now the Ralph for 30+ years, but he sucks. I'll never understand that mentality, and I hope to hell I never get that way. What a miserable existence.
The only thing worse than the old and jaded is the young and jaded.
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So true. This board has many extremist and you hit it exaclty right.
A. I think that TD overall did a poor job. His record and coaching selection speak for itself. I don't buy into the Wilson "tied his hands" theory, TD ran the show. That said, TD was exciting and made some high risk/ high potential moves (Bledsoe, McGahee, Milloy, Losman). He brought some good players to town, and some bad ones.
B. That whole "everyones against us" Buffalo mentality is just crazy. I visit the city 3 times a year on average. The inferiority complex seems to be growing and that is a big part of the problem there. It is a great little town with lots to offer. Too much emphasis is placed on the success and failures of the sports teams. For every Sportscaster that bashes them there is another on their band wagon. Mort hates the Bills but loves TD ... that makes no sense. We all know that Berman is a Bills fan and he is overt about. Then there is Russert. But that kind off partisanship is is ok, right?
C. Levy - I admit guilt to the this one. I am a fan of his. He inspires me and I think he can succeed as a GM.
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Bills' Grades at the Quarter Pole: Offense
I've always believed a team needs four regular season games under its belt before you can start to assess how it's doing in a given season. So with the Bills in second place in the AFC East at 2-2 a quarter of the way through the season, here is my assessment of the offense, with apologies to Pyrite Gal for posting something even longer than he does. For the record, my grading system is: A = Excellent; B = Above Average; C = Average; D = Poor; F = Really F'ing Lousy.
Offensive Line
Of all the units, I believe the offensive line is at the greatest disadvantage starting off a season, given how much time it takes for the unit to find its comfort zone. That's particularly true for this group, given that two of its five starters are new this year and a third is still raw. The offensive line has been the Achilles' heel of this team for some time now, and expectations coming into this season were not high. That said, my assessment of their performance thus far is guardedly optimistic. Right now I would say that the offensive line, as a whole, is average -- which is still a lot better than previous years. Against defensive fronts that are below-average (Jets) they performed reasonably well; however, against those that are average to above-average (Patriots, Dolphins, Vikings), they have had both successes and failures. Run blocking has been mostly solid, with the team averaging 3.9 yards per carry and 117 yards per game, the latter good enough for 5th in the AFC and 9th in the NFL (back in the heydey of the early '90s, the Bills, one of the best rushing teams in the league, were averaging about 130-135 yards per game). They still have difficulty run blocking against the stronger defensive fronts, like that of the Vikings, but I am optimistic that this will improve as the year goes on. Pass blocking has been a bit more erratic, however, as we have been used to seeing. Gandy and Peters have done reasonably well in this regard, but the interior of the line still appears susceptible at times to stunts, blitzes, and power rushes. Although sacks allowed are certainly not all attributable to the offensive line, the Bills have allowed 11 sacks, which is in the bottom third of the NFL. That said, it's hard to argue that they appear more capable this year than last year, and their improvement over the first four games is tangible, with Losman clearly having more of a pocket to work with lately. This unit needs a few more games together to become comfortable with each other and with the others (RBs, TEs) that provide blitz and stunt support. The loss of Villarial stings but was not entirely unexpected; Preston will need to be solid for this unit to reach its potential, which I believe is in the above-average range. We have yet to see their performance against a clearly superior defensive front (Bears), which should be a good gauge of their progress. Grade: C+
Tight Ends
I think most of us weren't sure what to expect from our tight ends this year. In the past, coaches have talked about incorporating them more into the passing game, although this never seemed to materialize. It would seem to be the ideal approach for a learning QB, particularly on a team without an established #1 WR threat at the start of the year. Royals received rave reviews in the offseason for his blocking skills (and was called the "best blocking TE" in football by TMQ), but it sounded as if Jauron and Fairchild were planning on getting him more involved as a receiver. So far, that hasn't happened. After 4 games, Royal has 4 catches and Everett has 1, combining for 7% of Losman's completions. Run blocking has been solid, particularly for Royal. It would be nice to see these guys more involved in the short to medium passing game, particularly against teams that are able to generate pressure on Losman with blitzes. Grade: C-
Wide Receivers
The thought coming into this year was that the loss of Moulds would be palpable, given the uncertainty of Evans as a #1 WR and the questionable depth behind him. I think the jury is still out on Evans as a #1 WR, although the early returns are encouraging. He leads the team with 19 receptions (almost 5 per game) and averages almost 13 yards per catch, but he has not yet caught a touchdown pass this year. He was effectively taken out of games early in the season, catching only 4 total balls against New England and Miami, but the last two games he has emerged with 8 and 7 catches. He and Losman appear to be adjusting to the double-teams and blitzes, but it will be a few more games until we know if this is a trend or a blip. Reed has been suprisingly consistent and reliable this year, and appears to be much more comfortable in this offense. Price started slow but has also emerged as a reliable and dangerous option for Losman, which is another pleasant surprise. Parrish has shown flashes and can be a serious threat whenever he gets the ball, but it might be some time before we see more offensive plays installed that utilize him. Overall, it is good to see that we have four receivers that have all caught 10 or more passes, which would seem to indicate that Losman is confident in all of them. Aiken and Davis have yet to catch a pass this year. Grade: B-
Running Backs
We came into the season expecting McGahee to be the workhorse back, and so far Fairchild has kept to this plan. He is averaging almost 25 carries per game and 3.9 yards per carry, and he leads the league with 389 yards (though he is 4th overall with 97.2 yards per game). At this pace, he is on track for a 1500+ yard season, which is exactly what this young offense needs. He has run with power and determination, particularly against the better defensive fronts, and has done a solid job in helping the Bills reach 7th in the NFL in time of possession (31:49). Although he has had a 32-yard run this year, everyone is still hoping for a real breakout run like in the preseason. On the downside, he only has 1 touchdown so far, and the Bills need to find a way to get him into the endzone, particulary when they reach the red zone. Thomas showed some flashes in the New England game but not much since, and Shelton so far has been a disappointment, being noticed more for missed blocks and penalties than anything else. Grade: B+
Quarterback
Losman was probably the biggest question mark for this team coming into this season, and it would be hard to find someone who is not impressed with his progress to this point. Fairchild, Schonert, and the rest of the staff have done a great job so far tutoring Losman and keeping the offense fairly simple and concise. In the first two road games, they didn't ask him to do too much and he played with quiet efficiency; at home, they loosened the reins a bit and he responded with 550 passing yards, including the first 300-yard passing day by a Bills QB in years. More importantly, in the last couple of games Losman has looked very comfortable in the pocket and making decisions, and his cannon arm has handled the RWS winds easily. It is also remarkable that he has thrown only 1 interception after 4 games, which I think is testament to the solid gameplanning and preparation by Fairchild. At the beginning of the season, anyone who thought his QB rating at the quarter pole would be greater than 90 (90.6, good for 7th in the AFC and 13th in the NFL) would have been a liar. Nevertheless, we all knew going into the season that Losman would have his ups and downs, and this has been true. His sack for a safety against New England and his 3 turnovers against the Jets are significant reasons the Bills have 2 losses so far, although I personally feel that Losman is only partly to blame for those miscues. We also have yet to see if Losman has any 4th quarter comebacks in him (0-for-1 so far), and sooner or later we'll have to find out. He will certainly struggle in some games this year and perform well in others; it is up to Jauron and Fairchild to be patient and keep things simple for him to build his confidence. So far, they've done a commendable job -- and I, for one, am pleasantly surprised. Grade: B
Offensive Summary
I don't think anyone had any idea what to expect from the Bills offense this year. Expectations were generally low, owing mostly to uncertainty regarding the offensive line, Losman, the wide receivers, and a new offensive coordinator. So far, the returns are encouraging. Fairchild has done what many before him have failed to do; stick to the game plan, pound the ball with McGahee, and keep things simple for Losman. The Bills still need to figure out how to score touchdowns; Buffalo is 19th in scoring with 17.5 points per game, and the big three on offense -- Losman, McGahee, and Evans -- have a grand total of 5 touchdowns between them. That's going to have to improve if the Bills want to win more than they lose. They also have to figure out how to close out games by eating up more clock (and scoring) in the fourth quarter; this was a big reason they lost to New England and almost let wins against Miami and Minnesota get away. I expect these things will improve as the season wears on and the offense becomes more comfortable with themselves and with Fairchild's system. They just need to avoid the injury bug, especially on the offensive line, because the margin for error now is dangerously thin. Overall grade: B-
Comments! (if you're still awake)
Well done post.
I give the RBs a B instead of B+. So far it is all McGahee (and he has been good), with just a flash of A-Train in the NE game. We are getting zilch from the FB postion.
I would change the overall grade to C+ but we are splitting hairs at this point.
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What has happened here is that you've been backed into a corner with your (incorrect) opinion, and you are trying to justify it. Poorly. It's a much more satisfying feeling to admit you are wrong instead of trying to argue a point that is completely wrong.
You might want to reverse your path before you sound like more of an idiot.
Did you ever see this guys posts on the Sabres board? He will argue about the time of day.
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DTs were terrific today - all of them. When you're getting the respect of seeing TWO Pro Bowlers on virtually every snap, you're doing your job. Kyle Williams was good today. Look at Minnesota's YPC if you don't believe it. There's a reason London/Ellison/Crow were so clean to make plays.
You save me from posting this. The DT's did a good job keeping blockers off of the LB's. McCargo and Williams are only goling to get better.
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makes me want to puke. Why are we so obsessed with JP managing a game. God forbid a buffalo bills QB does more than manage a football game. Everyone on this board is obsessed with this concept. manage this and magane that. I cant take it. With this team, we arent going to make the playoffs with a QB that can manage a game.
Well our D is good. Yeah they're good. When they get a 3 and out. When they dont they bend over and let teams march right down the field for 7. They still havent come up with the big stop when we needed it. In the pats game in the 4th. In the jets game. We let that poor excuse of an NFL running back on the Jets (im too lazy and tired to look up his name) look like E. Smith mid 90s on their final drive in the 4th.
Our last game against the Jets was this Bills team in microcosm. They have talent and potential. But they choke on the most crucial of plays.
Someone wants to lock London long term again. Are you kidding me?!?! All we need is another blitzing LB to get stood up at the line by some scrub fullback.
Sorry for being so pissed off. Ive seen my Bills talk the talk but not walk the walk in the past 5-6 years or so. Until they prove me wrong, this will be my *managable* opinion.
Flame away.
-tornado
Take two Prozac and call your doctor in the morning.
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I agree, and what ever happened to Butch Rolle?
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Wow! Please, tell me your joking.
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By his 11th game Brees had already shown signs of being an NFL QB. JP has done nothing.
I disagree ... If so then why did San Diego end up with Rivers? Nice try.
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The Bills recievers were wide open on the first two series of the game. It looked likes the Jets way over stacking for the run and Losman was going to feast on this. The Jets staff made some great adjustments to improve their coverage. These adjustments did allow us to run the ball as witnessed by McGahee's 150 yards. We just did not convert in the red zone.
Coming away with 0 points on the 2nd drive took away some momentum. Once we fell behind it got much more difficult to throw. Overall I was impressed on the time that Losman had, he often had time to look off the 1st and 2nd receivers. I thought that the WRs did a poor job of getting opened once their routes were finnished. It looked to me like the WRs would stop and leave JP hanging. JP had opportunities to run himself and elected to pass. He decision making often shows his lack of experience. I attribute some this to a lack of chemistry between the WRs and JP.
On the last drive it was so hard to say who was open and for how long. No one was wide open that I could see. It sure seemed like throwing downfield was a better option than 4 passes sideways. The rain and wind were major obstacles, I don't think that came out on TV. I saw the middle of the field wide open at times. It looked like we wanted to hit sideline passes to stop the clock and reduce the turnover opportunities. The Jets played that very well. With one minute and one timeout left, I think we could have sent the WRs deep and to the sidelines and then tried to split the seam over the middle with Royal or Everett but heck ... I'm just a fan.
Again, the Jets staff made some excellent adjustments and deserve credit, and the weather got very bad right after the on-sides kick.
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ESPN has aired a highlight tribute on Joe Ferguson's career. it is very interesting to hear what the other great plays from the 70's and early 80's said about Joe. Buck Buchanon, a HoF DT for the Chiefs, said that you had to always worry about Joe making a great pass to beat you. He has considered one of the toughest players in the game. He took a pounding anfd kept coming back.
I still believe that the only thing that stopped that 80's team from making the Super Bowl was injuries. In the San Diego Playoff game Jeff Nixon, our safety, fell down and Dan Fouts hit what amounted to their 5th string wideout for a long TD. One mistake decided the game. Simpson would not have even been playing had not Jeff Nixon, and then Rod Kush, both been injured during the season. Nixon was having a pro Bowl year. Kush was an up and coming player too. Simpson was a veteran at the twilight of his careeer, brought in by Coach Knox to plug a hole. It was very unfortunate. Fergy played the game on one leg and the san Diego defensive linemen we teeing off, trying to knock him out of the game. Joe never backed down.
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Joe Ferguson during the pre-game stuff? I'm 34 yrs old, and grew up in Pittsburgh. I've had season tix for 6 years now and have been going to Bills games since the early 90's. I went to a few in the 80's with my parents.
Growing up, I loved Fergy. I could hardly wait to get trading cards to see if I landed a Fergy card. Not seeing him play much but knowing he was the Bills QB made him my hero as a kid. I have a signed Joe F throwback helmet.
So, for the first time, I saw Fergy in person at the Ralph on Sunday. Even though it wasn't Fergy playing, it gave me goose bumps.
Here's hoping Joe's illness is long gone, and he goes on to be another great Bills alum.
As an adult, I was giddy on Sunday. Loved every minute of it.
I was there and seeing Joe was one of my favorite parts of the game. He looked great and hopefully he beat the cancer.
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Did he just commit a crime?
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I still can't figure out why McGahee tried so hard to catch that -3 yard pass when he had no chance of turning it into a gain and it also cost us our last timeout.
Then, on 3rd down and 13, Losman finds Parrish for a 10 yard gain. So now we're 4th and 3 when in reality, if McGahee just knocked that negative pass play down to the ground.............we could have just made a first down AND then use our final time out. We could have still pulled out that game with 1:00 left on the clock and a first down at our own 45. I know alot of wishful thinking but it was definitely possible. What do you think?
Yes, your right he should have deliberately not tried to catch it {sacasm intended}
If it was 3rd and 10, rather than 3rd and 13, the defense would not have given the receiver a 10 yead cushion, so you don't know.
I was there ... The winds were very high and the rain was coming down hard. The Jets were in a prevent and all Losman could find were guys behind the line of scrimmage. The entire offense did not have it together at that point in the game. Maybe someday soon the offense will pull one out.
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I had a great time tailgating with my Brothers and their kids. Next season my two sons will be back ---- just couldn't swing it this year.
The wind and rain were a good change for me, better than dome ball any day.
I really enjoyed seeing the players fom the 60's, 70's and 80's. The part when Fergy was introduced gave me chills. Bravo to the Bills organization for doing things like this.
Onto the game --- We played good enough to win and bad enough to lose. The difference was the turnovers.
Most of my insights are about JP. He is trying hard and improving. He is still very raw and needs experience; hopefully that will clean up his game.
If we do not score early and often we will probably lose. Note to coaches: stop all the crazy 4th down calls, stick to the basics, take all the points you can get, play the percentages.
The OL is improved but still not very strong. The red zone problems and the 3rd and short problems are an indication of that fact. They simply do not move the line of scrimmage. Most of the big runs came from the 3 wideout spread formation. The Bills actually used the pass to set up the run.
The Jets coaching staff made adjustments throughout the game and their QB played error free. That was the difference.
It was really windy!!! When we recovered the onside kick I was one of the 15,000 people still in the stadium. What happens next? The wind picks up and the rain starts coming down hard. At that time I felt that God really must not be a Bills fan.
I'll be back next year!
cheers!
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I've been a season ticket holder for years & have always loved the Ralph but after yesterday's observations & comments that were made from out of town Bills fans in my group I have to wonder if it truly is becoming a dump.
Here are some of my observations:
-Bathroom walls were painted only 1/2 way up the wall, which really doesn't matter but it just looks so ghetto.
-Several bathrooms had same door being used for entrance & exit so you have to push everyone out of the way on your way out.
-You completely lose the game in the bathroom, they don't even pump the sound through in most of them like they used to.
-There we're stretches of concession stands without tv's to follow the game & the ones that did have tv's were 20" tv's that looked like they were at least 20 years old.
-The row numbers used to be painted on the steps, they have since worn off & not been repainted.
Now don't get me wrong I've always loved the Ralph but I think it could use some updates, mostly to the bathrooms & tv's in the hallways.
I know were in a small market but it's a market that is selling out almost everygame after missing the playoffs year after year, they have to have some $$ to put into that place.
There were some people talking yesterday about the $20 Million that is supposed to be going to improvements but I couldn't find an article on that, does anyone have a link to it?
Does anyone have any suggestions about the Ralph or am I just being to critical of it?
The upper level needs some paint and TLC --- yes. Restroonm are always a bit rough up there.
The stadium is old and does not have enough the restroom and concessions capability to faciliate 74.000 people. Never did. The design was always lacking in this area and has been improved a little bit.
The old place has character and is not a dump.
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I have seen many unselfish acts by Bills fans over the past 40 years of attending Bills games. This past Sunday one Bills fan went out of their way to show great respect to a fellow Bills fan.
After moving to Central Ohio in the early 90's I was able to get a personalized license plate to celebrate my favorite team in the heart of Browns, Bengals, and Steelers country. It was great to get a big thumbs up from fellow fans.
Well, that is until Sunday when that warmness of a fellow Bills fan was felt.
Upon returning to my car after the game I noticed that my license plate holder was lying on the ground. Glancing up at my rear bumper I saw,well, ....nothing. Someone had liberated my plate from the confines of its holder. What made me feel especially warm was that those in adjoining tailgates somehow were awaiting my reaction.
What this thoughtful fan probably kept in mind was that in Ohio the registration sticker is affixed to the rear plate. Driving without this plate would be well, technically illegal. Explaning to a State trooper that my plate was liberated by a fellow fan would put shed a positive light on all Bills fans.
I am sure that Bills fan also knew and kept in mind that in Ohio plates that are stolen can not be reissued.
So, thank you Bills Fan. I hope you enjoy that plate as it hangs in you garage or basement. I hope you tell you grandchilden the entire story of how you made great sacrifices to obtain it. You are an inspiration to us all.
I understand that it is a small faction of Bills fans that as so willing to show such respect, and support those involved in such thoughtful activities. To all of them... I hope karma jumps up and bites you in the nut sack.
Sorry to hear that. I was at the game. There are always a few A@@holes out there that ruin things. Too bad the tailgaters near you didn't stop the culprit. I would have.
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I was listening to the Joe Dellamiellure (sp?) segment from today, archived on the WGR55 web site. As the Bills honored the 1980 Bills team yesterday, many of the old players were at yesterdays' game for the festivities at half-time. Joe D said that, during the game, Joe Ferguson made the observation that JP was locking on his first reciever too much. He said that even when JP was running around to buy time, it was mostly to allow time for his first receiver time to get open, as opposed to scanning the field. Joe D made the comment that you will rarely see his head turn...
I wasn't at the game, only saw it on tv. You can't always see everything like that on the tube. There were a few times, particularly late in the game, where I thouhgt Losman had McGahee and Peerless open for good yardage out in the flat, but opted to keep looking far down field...the results were mostly negative.
I was at the game and the difference was the quaterbacking. Penningtom was smart, error free, and efficient. Losman had the better whells and the better arm .. he just needs time to learn.
At times JP did lock on, other times he looked at other recievers and made the plan. I did not notice a trend of locking on to one reciever.
On many plays the OL gave Losman a lot of time (I was surprised) and he could not find a reciever. Many times there were 4 in the pattern and no one was open. What I think they need to work on is getting open when the intial routes are over. I think the Bills recievers did a very poor job of coming back to the line of scrimage to help him out. Many times they stood out there covered. Call it chemistry or whatever but Coles and Pennington were always on the same page.
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QUOTE
Mangini prepared his team for the noise at Ralph Wilson Stadium with a medley of Buffalo-themed songs blaring over the sound system at the start of practice yesterday.
The set list: "Ladies Nite in Buffalo?" by David Lee Roth; "Shout" by The Isley Brothers mixed with some radio calls of Bills' touchdowns; a song created by the Buffalo Chamber of Commerce in the late 1970s called "Talking Proud;" and Bob Marley's "Buffalo Soldier." The DJ then dialed up Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again."
END QUOTE
They blew it on "Shout". They should have used the Otis Day and the Knights version.
Typical rookie coach.
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It is also wrong for people to sit here guessing about it and naming names.
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That Marv is surely too old to make good decisions on draft day
The old codgers at the Ralph suck...
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