jahnyc

What I should have added was that each of these items listed represent miscalculations of a sort. I am not sure how anyone could have concluded that you start the season with a qb with no starting experience behind this kind of an o-line.

1. Unsucessfully replacing P. Williams, Tucker and J. Jennings with R. Edwards, B. Anderson and Gandy. 2. Believing that JP was ready to start. 3. Believing that M. Williams and the o-line had talent and would improve. 4. No impact free agents (see #1 above). 5. No impact draft picks (at least this year). 6. Inability to win on the road or against quality teams. 7. A coach and OC in over their heads. Much to fix.

Initially I thought it was the injury issue as well, but some of the statements by McNally and the other stuff that is out there seems to suggest otherwise (i.e., rumours MW will be cut, Bills want him to take a pay cut, etc.). Seems that someone in the Bills organization is talking to the media about MW, and it is not positive.

I don't blame for drafting M. Williams or trading a number one pick for Drew. I thought that M. Williams was the right pick and many agreed. Same for the trade for Drew. What I don't like is the misinformation that comes from OBD. Strong support for players and their performance suddenly evapporates and they become the scapegoats. Based on what OBD has said about M. Williams, I really thought he was coming along. I had my doubts, but it is shocking now to see him as a back-up behind B. Anderson. Any why did OBD feel the need to put out information about the poor play of B. McKinnie (I think some of the sports columnists noted this)? I know some of the stuff from OBD is to prop up the egos of the players and to sell tickets, but some realistic statements/evaluations would be appreciated. I am particularly tired of hearing how the o-line is not the problem or how much talent there is on the o-line.

I don't see a Bannan/Anderson combo being particularly effective. I would like to see how Peters performs tomorrow. I hope he plays well so that there is at least some optimism about the future of one of our o-line starters.

Thank you sactobillsfan, you are correct.

Sorry. For many reasons, I hope that we don't draft in the top 5 this year, including the crazy compensation/bonuses paid to unproven players (e.g., Mike Williams).

Good, we will have two third round picks in the top 5.

It is about wins, losses and making the playoffs. I don't like or dislike the guy, I just want the team to play well and make the playoffs. That is the measure of sucess from the perspective of a fan. From the perspective of an owner, the analysis is more complex. But I am a fan, and this is what I care about. Making the playoffs is not an unreasonable expectation after five years (or least to make the playoffs once during that period).

I think the Bills were misguided in relying on Edwards to replace P. Williams. Even in the beginning of the year, with Spikes in the line-up, the defense was having trouble stopping the run. I believe that Edwards started his rookie year, and teams ran well against the Bills that year. The Bills signed Adams, and the entire defense improved, particularly in stopping the run. So now people are concluding that Adams is the problem. I don't think that is the case, just like I don't think Pat Williams was the problem when Edwards started and the Bills could not stop the run.

TD has not used any high draft picks on DTs. I believe Anderson was a 3rd round pick and Edwards was a 3rd or 4th. Anderson has not yet developed (and probably will not develop) and Edwards seemed more suited as part of a DT rotation on passing downs. After five drafts, one would think that a 1st or 2nd round pick would be used on a DT, particularly if you only sign one free agent (Adams) during the period. This is a position that needs to be addressed in the offseason. If Adams becomes the scapegoat, we will need two new quality starters. That seems a tall order when the Bills did not adequately replace Williams this year. At DE, we have used three 2nd round picks. Kelsay seems to have regressed and Denney seems like a decent back-up. I know that all teams have holes, but I am tired of TD claiming that it is not the personnel. We have talent deficiencies at DT and on the OL. I wish he would acknowledge the problems.

Can we afford McGee's new deal and a top market deal for Clements? I hope so, but I have my doubts that the team will do it. I have a feeling the plan is to trade Clements (if franchised) and try to pick up a cb in the draft with one of our early picks. I believe that the salary cap will be significantly higher next year, but I doubt that will matter in this situation.

We do need to be concerned about the age of these players because we have no talent ready to replace them, particularly at dt and on the oline. The oline situation frustrates me to no end. For years the coaching was blamed (and we had a carousel of coaches). McNally is a very good coach, and it is now clear that it is the players that are the problem, something most of us thought for years.

Is McGee injured? I thought he started the second half (after getting injured in the second quarter), but then it appeared he left the game. What happened? Odd that we could not make big plays passing against the Raiders. They lost Woodson and Gibson during the game.

Going into the season, I thought we had enough talent to be competitive. What is the problem? 1. I have my doubts about the coaching. I don't see MM as a brilliant strategist or master motivator. Our defense, even with the loss of Spike and Williams, should be playing better with the overall level of talent. Are guys such as Vincent, Milloy, Fletcher and Adams over the hill? Is that part of the problem? 2. I like KH, but he can't seem to throw a pass for more than 15 yards. I guess JP will get to play later in the season, but is he the answer? I don't want to waste next year trying to figure that out. 3. Why didn't we sign any significant free agents in the off-season? Our o-line and d-line have played poorly. Does the defense miss Pat Williams that much, or is something else going on? 4. We need to hold on to Clements and McGee. They are young and talented. They also play a key position. A bad game today, but they have both been very good overall during the season and on special teams. Can't continue to let talent leave, particularly if the team is not going to sign any free agents. 5. We all knew the weaknesses going into the season (dt, oline, qb). They were obvious and have been exploited.

Yes, there has been much improvement since the Phillips and Jones show. April has really elevated their play.

TD definitely deserves credit for finding/assembling a talented group of speical teams players. We have execellent returners for kick-offs and punts. McGee is unreal and Jonathan Smith and Clements have looked good on punt returns. Our coverage units have been strong. In years past, I would wait for a big return against our kick-off and punt units. It always seemed inevitable. Not now. It is interesting how TD has done well finding cb talent, but not offensive line and dt talent. I believe scouts cover specific areas and schools, not specific positions. If so, I wonder what makes the difference between a good pick and a bad pick (i.e., who has input in the decision).

Not optimistic. Schedule looks much tougher than last year, where we had a stretch against average and below average teams. Still hoping for the best. I also hope that we do not have a top 10 pick in the draft. I can't believe how much the Bills are paying Mike Williams. Another contract like that would be a killer.

Thank you CP. How much room do we have left for 2005? When is the deadline for using this years cap dollars for new contacts and/or extensions? It would be a shame not to use every available dollar this year so as to provide more cap flexibility next year.

Happy about the win, but offense still needs some work. The poor play of the oline makes it difficult to figure out if there are problems with the play calling. Holcomb seemed to have a good feel for the game. Special teams have been solid all year and the defense is capable of playing well. I think the defense misses P. Williams, we are giving up too many rushing yards.

I saw Preston playing today. Was he in for Chris V.? Was Chris V. injured or was he benched?

I think we are limited in the number of changes that can be made during the season. We also have injuries. If we continue to lose, I would not be surprised to see Preston and Peters get some starts on the o-line. I don't see many other positions where there are talented back-ups that could be inserted into the starting line-up.

Management and the coaches want to see if the team can bounce back and win some games. The AFC East appears weaker than last year and each team, other than the Dolphins, has experienced significant injuries. What is the down side? If we start winning some games, maybe we will be in the hunt for a playoff spot. If we continue to lose (or if KH plays poorly or gets hurt), than JP will again become the starter. I don't think JP's confidence should be affected by this. It is not his fault. The team needs to fix the o-line. He has experienced valuable playing time this year, and whether or not he plays during the remainder of the season (which he will), he will be better for it next year. This is not JP v. KH. JP will not be cut in the offseason. This is a different situation than the siutations some other qbs were in (i.e., Aikman). This is a team with some talent and veterans that has the potential to win now. This was not supposed to be a rebuilding year and the roster does not reflect that kind of situation. It is up to the coaches and the players. Let's see what happens this weekend.

No and No. I am more concerned about MM. There is talent on the team, but I am not sure that MM is a difference maker as a coach.

I don't think you can blame all of our woes on JP, but I do think there is a link between the mediocre to poor play of our defense and starting JP as our quarterback. Specifically, football is a game of emotion, confidence and momentum. If the team does not have confidence in the abilities of JP, it will affect their play. I think, to a certain degree, that is what is going on with the defense and the offense. For example, while the defense played pretty well overall against NO, they were demoralized by the end of the game and it showed in their performance. They also were tired, since they had been on the field for most of the game. If the team is very talented and you believe that Holcomb can be a solid starter, then I think you have to play him for a couple of games. You can't give up on a season after four games and begin thinking about next year and all of the valuable experience that JP is getting for next year. Who knows about next year? On the other hand, if it is clear that Holcomb is not the answer, then you must stick with JP for the balance of the season. Only the coaches can make this determination.