Ed_Formerly_of_Roch

Wow, you really look smart pointing that out now! The Cat's point was they signed a number of other guys in which on his list worked out well. So they expected similar results here. How many of the players on that list last April were expected to do even half as well as they ended up doing? Hughes was so bad the Colts traded a #1 away as they expected nothing from him. But we got ten sacks from him. So as likely as Hughes had ten sacks either Brown or Legursky could have played just as well. As far as QB goes, they used A #1 draft pick on one, signed a guy who two years ago everyone was talking about as an up and coming star and a free agent who many people in August on the board were arguing he should be the starter. I'm sure much of the thought process that went into who the Bill's did sign at QB was also that since they just invested a #1 pick on a QB you also don't want to have too much of a distraction either with regards to who should start.

Yes but while he said he did like Lewis he touched his left cheek with his index finger at the same time as he patted his right knee twice immediately after crossing his legs. That's the standard single that everyone here knows he really didn't mean any of that. It's amazing how many followers here don't understand all that is written and spoken between the lines to be able to see the true negative meaning of what was just stated. It doesn't matter what it was stated, if you re-read it enough times or listen with your head tilted just the correct way, you can see/hear the negative in it.

Compete with who?? The likelihood that a QB taken in rounds 2 through 4 would look better than EJ with a year under his belt is low, I'd be surprised if he even looked better than Lewis or Tuell. As soon as we bring in another QB to complete you're now taking time/snaps away from EJ's development. He may end up being a flop, know one know, quite frankly the odds favor him failing just because there's typically about ten failures for every successful franchise QB out there today. But until you know that it makes little sense to use another valuable high draft choice to have a competition. If you use a low draft pick, then he likely will just be another Trent Edwards type, someone who shos flashes of looking good, but never quite gets there. I'd rather see them bring in a Cutler or Shaurb as a backup, if EJ gets hurt or regresses, then play the other guy. But you want someone who's clearly an improvement. Else I'd rather let Lewis or Tuell play.

It's an easy argument to make and look real smart. I could start 32 threads and state that X QB on Y team is a bust and two years from now could pull up all those threads and I'd be right on around 70% of them. That's the problem in the NFL, there are 32 teams and around a dozen really good elite QB's; another dozen or more you're hoping become great, in the end of those dozen maybe 2 or 3 will move up to next level. The QB's on the remaining teams are the 8 or 9 whom never move up to the next level go to a new team, sometime with a new offense, new personal around look better for awhile i.e. Fitz, then regress. Teams bring in new people and hope they are lucky. I really don't blame any of the front offices or praise the teams with the ten or so great ones as most with the exception of the two Manning s and Phillip Rivers weren't taken near the top. So more a case of luck than skill by those teams in drafting. RG3 and Luck may become the next couple of great ones taken at the top, I think Luck may be that guy, am wondering though about RG3 I'd be less surprised if he becomes the next Ryan Leaf. I really think this notion of drafting another QB is crazy. Unless you're going to use a 1str round pick and make him the new starter, it's unlikely you'll get anyone much better than either Tuell or Lewis, and a Tuell or Lewis with one less year experience. You want to sign a guy like Shaub or Cutler if they become available, I'd be OK with that. If you don't see improvement from EJ go with the vet, but unless you feel there's a guy whop's head and shoulders better than EJ, why bother drafting him. And highly unlikely that guy would still be around at #9.

On Fox pregame they also had a list of potential coaches and Pettine's name was listed. However he was ranked as the #4 Def coord, alos listed 4 offense coord and 4 either x coaches or collage coaches likely to get interviews and/or jobs. So likely that would rank him overall someplace betwen #9 and 12. They also had only one college coach listed, OBrian from Penn Stat and only two ex-coaches. Likely by the time everything is said and done there will be a couple more suprising names showing up on lists. Considering the team was 6-10, defense looked very good at times, but awful other times, I'd put the likelihood of Pettine going anywhere else as low.

I just saw a replay of it around a month ago. On the show A football Life, one week the subject was Cunningham and they showed that play and parts of that game.

Where I work the hours are 8 to 5. Many people regularly show up at 8:30. or 9:00 or even 9:30 on a regular basis. But they are also there until 7:00 at night, so not much of an issue unless there was an 8:00 meeting you were supposed to be at. That person can just as easily be doing what he needs to be doing at 7:00 at night as he could hat 8:00 in the morning. Football isn't exactly like that however, there are many things you need to be together for as a team so being late makes it tougher for everyone to get on the same page. Can a player do weight lifting after everyone is gone, sure, but meetings and on field drills need to be done with all present.

There were other non playoff black outs in the early 90 years. I recall going to bars to watch various games. There was a shoot out with Philly Kelly against Cunningham. Cunningham threw like a 98 yard completion right before the half, was it to a guy named Barnett?? There was an early Nov game against Az played in like 50 MPH winds, I believe Buffalo won something like 10-7, if I recall Kenneth Davis made some type of big play in the game?? I believe there was a Monday night game against Denver that also didn't sell out. I know I watched it in a bar so assume it wasn't on local TV. Those are three I can recall, but there may have been some others too?

I'd pretty much agree with you other than I'd hope they do decide to re-sign Byrd and I do think you could get something for Johnson in a trade so would show him the door via a trade.

I meant jockeying in that either San Fran, Seattle, or even Car can get the #1 overall Car can also drop to #5 But not many teams still alive other than the six that are currently in with the exception of possibly Az. OK so then can all move around, but doesn't appear to be as many still alive for wild cards as other years.

I'm not sure I'd agree it's to save face as much as drafting another will stunt either or both of their growths. There aren't enough snaps in training camp and OTA's particularly in today's new off season schedule to develop. I recall one Sunday night game Chris C commenting how backup QB's get less than five snaps a week with the #1 offense. That's OK with a vet backup but not a rookie. So unless the Bill's feel there's someone they could draft that is clearly better than EJ, I doubt it would help either having a QB competition. You'll just slow down both. And before someone points out Cousins in Washington, lets see what happens if he gets traded to another team and does become the starter. Every team in the league could have a Hall of Fame QB if guys who looked great as backups then get traded/sign with another team play even half as well as they did as a backup! We could headline that list with Rob Johnson. A couple of more recent names that come to mind, Matt Flynn, Matt Schaub, Matt Casell (I think there's a pattern forming here) Kevin Kolb and likely am forgetting some others.

Kind of strange in that neither conference has the #1 seed locked up going into the final week, but on the other end usually there are more teams left in play for wild cards. In many other years a game like Philly vs Dallas might be for the division, but the loser still would have a shot at the wild card unless say a Detroit, Az,and Tampa all win, then base on tie breakers they are out. In this case two NFC games are win or go home, and other four NFC playoff teams are set, just jockeying for position. Kind of the same in AFC, three division winners are set, have one division where winners today determine division vs wild card and one wild card spot still up for grabs. So part of me would argue there's less intrigue this year as less teams still in play for a playoff spot, but the other side of it is within the teams left, nothing with the exception I believe Indy is the #4 seed regardless of what happens, all other positions and some teams are up for grabs. So would agree it is a rather strange last day different than most seasons.

I think Jeff Irland may be gone, then if a new GM comes in often he wants his own HC. It may be whomever takes GM job in Miami agrees to keep Philbin at least one more year as I think he's done a good enough job to not be fired. The problem is the talent brought in by the GM. If he does get fired, I'll predict one of the other teams looking for a new coach will sign him

For the first time in a long time I watched the game on an SD TV, whenever there was a punt, the punter would be off the screen, and couldn't see half the graphics in the bottom corners.

So when can the Bill's begin to negotiate with Byrd?? After Sunday? Begin of NFL year, around early March?? Other??

$300 for the Max is right at full price, but as has been mentioned, DTV is alot easier to negotiate with than cable. Not sure though with a gift subscription, may not be as easy. While I say they are easier, it also took me more than one call and probably over 1/2 hour on the phone. So can she get it cheaper, yes likely by threatening not to re-up, but probably will cost her over an hour of her time. Since she's not really the viewer, probably less likely she'd want to put in the effort to get the lower price. I will keep fighting with them because I read how others are getting better deals so I want it too. But if she's not seeing or hearing about the deals, then no reason for her to bother complaining.

I did do a double take thinking two players had on different colored helmets, but I thought they looked kind of cool.

Joe Buck made the comment at the end of the game, "This has got to be one of the worst all time losses ever by the Cowboys". My thought was it even the worst of this month??

So if it's not based on statistics then what does it have to do with? Do tell??

I recall years ago listening one time to a Bob Matthews show and he was ripping some team, think it was the Bill's for not going for the TD on 4th down from the 3 yard line instead they kicked a field goal. His argument was from the 3 yard line a team easily would have a half dozen or so plays they could call that have better than a 50/50 shot at scoring the TD. Well if from the 3 yard line a team had better than 50/50 of scoring a TD, no team out there would ever kick a PAT, they'd go for two every time and be well ahead.

LOL, Explain how exactly he's a baseball guy. Yes I'm aware he worked for the Red Wings and was it also the Florida Marlins. But I'd imagine by now he's spent more years in football than baseball. It's not like he played in the majors or minors, or even college baseball. Love him or hate him calling him a baseball guy is laughable but don't let facts get in the way of a good argument. And BTW I must be much more qualified to answer this question as you are as by your criteria you're talking to a newspaper guy here as my first job ever was delivering the newspaper.

Why was it all Brandon? Explain to me what evidence there is of that? Was Brandon a good GM, no but as president he's done fine. I've read comments on here that RB just hired his college buddy. Brandon went to Fisher, Marrone went to SU, but hey no reason to let facts get in the way of a good argument. Wasn't Whaley rumored to be in the running for one of the GM positions last Jan, (prior to when Buffalo named him GM) If what you're stating is true, wouldn't he at the least interviewed for some of these openings? The fact that he didn't tells me he's happy being the Buffalo GM and doubt he'd be happy if Brandon was over ruling him and really calling the shots. The comments here about how we missed on hiring Gus Bradley, he may turn out to be the better choice but looking at their bio's they both have very similar years in college, Bradley a few more, but at a smaller profile school, both were NFL position coaches and coordinators on opposite sides of the ball. Biggest difference between the two was Marrone was a college head coach for 4 years, took a morbid program and made it better than respectful. Hindsight is great, but even there, no way can argue that Bradley is a better choice based on body of work to date.

LOL. If you think that's the high road, you better find a better map.

Buddy has aged quite a bit, Not looking/sounding too well for 83 YO

The biggest problem was how much he alienated fan's, the press and others. As was mentioned no signs, his rants. Seems I recall initally he was fine but some incident happened that he took alot of heat for in the press and after that things went downhill. I seem to recall early on he even went out of his way to be well liked, had these off the record lunches with the press, he'd give his famious "stay tuned" quote and was very accessable the first couple of years. He was often seen around town, NCAA 1st round basketball at HSBC, Sabres games, etc. Around year 3 or 4 was went things went south in the area of "getting along" and communications.