jahnyc

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.

Sorry if already posted, but Gregg Easterbrook (Tuesday morning QB at NFL.com) points out the following: 1. Only 3 points scored in the second half (all year!); 2. MM's questionnable decision to punt late in the game instead of going for it on 4th down when the Bills were losing by more than a touchdown; and 3. Last but not least, the poor play of our o-line, the lack of high draft picks devoted to the o-line and how the problems we are having on offense, including our failures to convert on 4th down, are directly attributable to our failure to address the o-line.

You can't blame JP alone for the three losses. You can blame certain people for putting him in this situation (poor o-line, questionnable coaching, unrealistic expectations). Moving on from that, I am not sure of the way to proceed with JP. I suppose he gets the remainder of the season to learn and play, particularly if one thinks that Holcomb would not be an improvement because of his overall talent or the poor o-line. If JP struggles for the rest of the year, what do you do next year? I really don't think we should be throwing away this year at this stage, but, at a minimum, the team needs hope for next year. Eli Manning looked horrible last year and has looked very good so far this year. Can JP make the leap either during this year or next year? Can the team wait for him to develop? There are many considerations here. How will the business side of things be affected by being patient with JP? Can we get quality free agents to come to Buffalo if JP has a poor season? Can we retain our own players? Thoughts?

Is it the talent or the coaching (or both)? TD had a second chance to get his guy. This time it was MM, and I have doubts about his abilities. Poor play callling and too many penalties. I think we have some talent, and I think an excellent head coach could be successful with this team. There are obvious flaws and problems with this team in terms of talent, but MM and T. Clements do not inspire confidence and we are stuck, at best, with mediocre coaching. What to do? Well, TD can't fire MM if the team flops this season. He is in the second year of a five year deal and this was TD's choice after another long and exhaustive search. It would be equally as difficult to fire T. Clements. After all, TD complained bitterly that GW should have hired Clements instead of Gilbride. TD is stuck and so are we.

I think Charlie was the guy. I was really disappointed when we did not wait and sign him as our hc. He has turned around the ND offense in one season. Maybe coaching at the college level is less of a challenge, but I doubt it. He is a difference maker. We will see about MM. He may have the intangibles, but I can't say his offensive scheme is innovative.

By the fifth year (even the fourth year) of TD's reign, the Bills should be in the playoffs. If not, criticism is more than justified. You can't argue that the guy is a great gm until we start making the playoffs on a consistent basis.

I don't think TD is going anywhere because RW gave him an extension and I am not sure he has the energy or desire to find a new gm and coach. We look crummy so far and I have strong sense of how the rest of the season will go, but we do have 13 games to play. I think the real problem will be if JP looks bad in the remaining games. Next year will not be very promising in that case. At a minimum, we need to see JP make some progress. As far as TD, he is responsible for bringing in the players and choosing the head coach. The buck stops with him. No execuses about injuries, players not performing or the salary cap. He drafted the players, signed the free agents and chose the head coaches (so far). It is a bad situation when fans are thinking about next season after three games.

After four years, I am troubled that: 1. our o-line needs to be fixed 2. few late round draft picks have contributed 3. the jury is out on the second hc selected by TD after the first one failed 4. we may not have a quarterback for the future 5. we have not made the playoffs (while other teams have rebuilt and made the playoffs) 6. we may have large holes to fill this offseason (o-line and DT) 7. we may lose Clements, creating another large hole 8. our senior management shows such questionnable judgment (thinking that JP could come in a play effectively and consistently and that PW would not be missed) Clearly, TD has made great moves, such as trading PP to Atlanta. But I feel that we are treading water and not making progress. It is early, and I hope my sense of the situation proves wrong in every way.

Management did a poor job of filling holes in the offseason. We needed upgrades on the o-line and we lost Jennings, who at least was consistent in his play. We signed a couple of guys who would have provided decent depth but are instead starters. We lost P. Williams and did not find a replacement. I would hate to go into this off-season trying to fix the o-line and DT and then lose Clements. That would be a lot to accomplish in one off-season.

Do we know the length of the extension? I thought I read (or it was speculated) that it was an additional one or two years. Whether you like or hate TD, we should all be able to agree that it has been too long since we made the playoffs. The failure to build the o-line defies explanation.

I agree strongly with your second and third points. I don't understand the reluctance to invest in either high draft picks or free agents to improve our o-line. We have all recognized the weaknesses, and opposing teams have consistently exploited these weaknesses. It is not about coaching. It is about talent, or the lack thereof. As to your second thought, many teams have successfully been "rebuilt" in relatively short periods of time. TD has had five years, two coaches and enough resources.

We are three games into the season and some seem to think that it is okay to play JP win or lose for the rest of the season. We need to win now, not next year. This season should not be about preparing for next season. The coaches should do what they need to do. If it means playing Holcomb, play him. If JP improves, fine. We haven't played any of our AFC East divisional rivals. The season is still full of possibilities.

The Bills gave up more than 170 yards rushing (not including rush yards from Vick) and had no sacks. JP threw for 75 yards and has led the team to two tds in three games. This was a home game. The defense misses Pat Williams and JP is not ready to lead the offense. He likely will struggle more on the road. Put in Holcomb if JP has problems next week. The Bills need to win next week. JP will have plenty of time to play this season if the team continues to struggle. For now, use Holcomb if he can provide a spark and consistent play. It is too early to give up on the season and chalk it up to a learning experience for JP. That is not fair to the team or the fans.