Ed_Formerly_of_Roch

Part of Hardy's problem has been Reed is just better than he is at this point and as a backup Hardy doesn't get a whole lot of reps. Everyone is knocking the Bills 2008 draft class, but part of the problem is the teams is better with more depth than past years, so we didn't need our picks playing as much right away. So they've sat, and when we did need them, unfortunately they hadn't played that much to be ready. Here's his chance to shine.

Yeah but the Bledsoe move made Buffalo appear to be a team to be reckoned with. Made us attractive to free agents, etc. Agree 100% regarding Spikes, until the injury looked like a great pick by TD. Here's a question I always wondered about Bledsoe. The first ten weeks he was here played like an All-Pro, then NE comes to town and BB exposes all his weaknesses for the world to see. The next few games he did OK, but not nearly as good as the first 10 as I think teams copied some of what NE had done. But they were a bit nervious in doing it all game as probably thought it can't be that easy to rattle this guy. He's an ex all pro! Then the last game of the season, we play NE again, BB does the same thing and destroys Bledsoe. Now teams saw NE do it twice and starting the following season everyone we would play would just blitz the hell out of Bledsoe and make him look like garbage. Prior to us playing NE, Drew had never looked so bad. The one other team at the time that was interested in signing Bledsoe was the Bungles. But Drew told them he wasn't at all interested in going there. Had he gone there, the way the schedule worked out, NE didn't play Cinnci for the next three seasons. There were some good receivers there. Would Bledsoe have looked great there as his weaknesses hadn't been exposed like they were by BB?

I don't know, did all these people prepare in games where they were the back up just in case they came in?? Do you personaly know they did prepare better than JP did in games that they never played in?? You mention Kelly getting hurt in 93. Well he got hurt in last regular season game and Reich came in and finished the game. 93 was along time ago, but from what I recall of that last regular season game, he did even less than JP did. There's a big difference between preparing each week on the small chance you may get to play as the backup, vs knowing, OK the starting QB got hurt in todays game. So now all week I need to get ready to start next game as I'm now #1. Do NFL teams help the backup stay motivated?? Well from everything you hear and read, the back up gets very little action all week with the first string, so it doesn't appear they help the situation much. Personally I think JP played very well as a backup. Name me 32 better back up QB's than JP? More importantly, name me a free agent QB that the Bills could pick up today that's definitely better than JP? The problem is, with a few exceptions, JP hasn't played much better as a starter when he had chances than he did in that game as a backup. The people who feel JP is going to a new team next year and become a starter and a star again, I think will be in for a sad and disapointing season. And BTW, I am in no way a JP supporter. I'm happy with TE being the starter, but also just try to be fair on negative side.

Kind of funny too as I recall in TD's first year there were a couple of articles mentioning how TD didn't want an article about himself in the media guide. Described him as very private, un-assuming, had no ego. In reality, those were the things that seemed to have done him in. It was no secret he left Pitt as a result of a power struggle, but I don't recall anyone ever reading about him having ego issues in Pitt. Just more lost a power struggle. So what happened to him?? What changed?? There's been alot of talk how his coaches were chosen specifically to make sure neither person could ever become a bigger personality than him and he be forced out again. Could the opposite have happened, that by choosing a low key, person with no rep, all the attention fell on him and every mistake was disected?? In Pitt he had Cowler to run interference for him, here he was on his own. Was he trying to keep everything secret to not be "outed" for mistakes? He even went out of his way to have these "off the record" sessions with the media intially. Entire thing is rather hard to figure out what changed??

Actually No I wouldn't have taken it better. With regards to the other three picks you mention; Parish, Losman, and McGahee, I wouldn't argue your point. But in Williams case, there was no clear concensious to take McKinnie. Maybe you felt they should have, but media, posters, etc were pretty split. McKinnie also had the history of the "U" behind him and certainly came off as having a bit of an attitude. Would he have been happy playing in Buffalo? I doubt it. Not that that's a reason not to draft him, but I'd be shocked if he were still playing here. Williams on the other hand came across as a good kid, bad player, but a good person which does matter. McKinnie certainly hasn't lived up to #4 draft status either in his career. Granted has been better than Williams, but not done enough to justify the #4 pick either. I don't recall, has he made any pro bowl yet? I believe two years ago he did for the first time?? The other names you mention, I'll give you the benefit on calling them arrogant picks, but picking Williams was a case of picking a player who's heart couldn't be measured. At the time very few people faulted the pick, in fact most called it a good choice and/or felt either pick would have been a smart pick. Though as was mentioned, maybe Losman was more a case of Sam W convincing TD that JP was the next great QB and he went with his recommendation. Will never know that one. If he had lived up to his build, the amount of picks they gave up for a good QB would have been worth it. In hindsight certainly was bad. But easy to say in hindsight as typically more bad picks than good ones.

Well yeah, but no player is ever going to come out and say I suck (well hadly any) Everyone is always great. But what does he and his agent privately discuss of his play. Does his agent tell him, unless he turns it around he'd be better off not signing an extension in the coming off season?? What's he really think? Something we will likely never know.

Cotrell has also bee nfired in his last three jobs, so you cna't blame it all on being a scapegoat for the Chargers. You mention it's not his fault they lost their best defensive player to injury. When he looked great for Bills they had Bruice Smith, Ted Washington, Paulp, etc. So maybe Ted is nothing more than an average coach who can look pretty good whe nhe has great players around him. Bringing him back would not likely be a positive step.

I noticed it was online from 97Rock and was surprised. I thought they weren't allowed to carry it online as Sirius has a national contract to carry all the games. I know WHAM doesn't carry it online.

Will be interesting to see how the Peters deal plays out. Will JP still try to claim he's worth top $$, will he take less, or will he be willing to go the final year of his contract, hopeing he does regain his form, if he does then ask for out of this world money and if the Bills don't agree, the nhe only would have ot wait out one year to become a free agent. I wonder if he realizes his valsue has decreased or is he blind to that??

Calling that an act of arrogance it totally absurd and a great way to look like a genius in hindsight. I'm certainly not going to go back and look up 5 year old posts and for all I know maybe you stated that prior to the pick. But there was clearly no consensus at the time to pick McKinnie over Williams. In fact from what I recall reading at time more people and media preferred Williams. McKinnie certainly hasn't done a whole lot to justify the #4 pick either as he would have been if picked by the Bill's. Certainly he's done much better than Williams, but he still would have been labeled a bust and I'd be shocked if he had been picked by the Bills, if he were still with the team. As has been pointed out, the draft is a crap shoot in many ways. Actually if you want to look real smart, just right a post that every pick taken in the draft was a mistake and you'll be right more than you'll be wrong. Not trying to defend TD as he certainly didn't do a great job, but calling the pick of Williams arrogant is totally off base and typical of the behavior that Mort is calling Bill's fan out for. Not that I'm defending Mort either, but by calling the pick of Williams arrogant, he is correct in stating that many Bill's fans comments about TD are totally vindictive. This comment just proves his point!

You're probably right as we haven't seen enough of him to say for certain. Likely the reasonn we haven't seen much of him is: a: he's not ready b: They have someone esle in Reed who is better Well b is eliminated for a few weeks, so lets see what he can do. You don't know for certain, forcing him to practice with the starters, etc, he may come on quickly. Regardless I certainly wouldn't draft another one to become the potential starter. Cetainly, they need a TE, personally rather than get a DE, I'd rather se them pick up on OLB who is a pass rushing star, like a Bryce Paup when he was here. In addition, an interior lineman, either a center or guard.

They have him, his name is James Hardy. Granted so far he's done very little, besides having the winning catch in the Jax game, but you can't panic and keep giving up on people after one or two years and use more draft picks. If the Bills need to use a high draft pick next year for that purpose, you just wated a pick the prior year. Hardy could turn out to be a bust, but no one knows for at least two year plus years. It's easy to say a certain player is a bust, in fact if you claim every player drafted is a bust, you'd look pretty smart as the success rate is probably less than 50/50. When teams keep drafting replacements for other recent picks, they never get ahead, look at Detroit, and to a lesser degree, the Bill's over the past number of years.

You only go for two when the game is dwindling and the point changes the number of scoring opportunities. I can recall a number of times teams going for two early and it coming back to bite them. It's not easy to get the two points, it's less than 50/50, so two TD's and a PAT, you're further ahead than taking a chance on going for two. That early there's still a high likelihood they will score another TD in the game. Therefore two PAT's have higher odds of success.

I recall in the early 90's when he was on the air in Rochester, there was talk that he would soon be on ESPN, or some other national level. 17 years later, that never happened. Don't forget his arrogance also comes from him belonging to Menza, and having an attorney for a wife. Those things also help make him superior to every one else! (at least in his own eyes.) PS I wonder if he reads this site and what does he really think of that fact that pretty much everyone thinks he sucks? Probably that we're even dumber than he's already given us credit for!

Why is everything around here a conspiracy? Good God!! I'm a skeptic by nature, but this is ridiculous.

Maybe that's their problem. At a certain point, bigger isn't always better! Smaller quicker players blow right by them.

I wouldn't say he made bad decisions, other than holding the ball out trying to get the first, but there wasn't much consistancy all game. He's show moments of the TE play of earlier weeks, then throw at a guys feet like he was doing last year particually early in the game. Often like the pass to Hardy that was out of bounds, his throws were off a bit. Is that a bad decision, no, but just wasn't very sharp. All in all I agree with Anthony, he wasn't moving the ball up and down the field. And even when he did get them moving somewhat, he couldn't get them in the end zone like ealier weeks and instead had to take a field goal.

In a somewhat strange way this injury could be a longterm blessing. Everyone here is up in arms about the little production we've seen from both Hardy and Mckevin (or whatever his name is) One post stated he's already labeled a bust. Well I think this is the first year in awhile that the Bills have decent enough players that our draft picks aren't needed to play much right away. And if you don't play and start, you don't practice much either as the starters get the bulk of the reps all week. So it makes it tougher to get better quickly. With this injury, it will force Hardy into the lineup and should help him come up the learning curve quicker. I'll make a wild prediction here, if Reed is out more than four weeks, Hardy may just keep the starting spot even when Reed is ready to come back. As bad as both of the mahve looked, it usually doesn't take too much for the light bulb to all of a sudden come on and shine bright.

Intersting how during the game they showed that stat about the Bills having the tallest line in the NFL. Maybe there's a connection between that and getting low!

Suggestion to you, why don't you find some other message board to post on where people won't all think you're a total moron. Not sure where that might be, hear they're booking flights to Mars these days. Maybe that will work.

No not at all. Yes we should be them if you truely believe we're an elite team as the 5-1 record indicates. Do I think we are we better than the Dophins, yes, but I'm not sold on the Bills truely being the 2nd best team in the AFC as their record indicates. So do you also think we should beat the Jets and NE. I assume if you think we should have beat Miami in Miami, then for certain we should beat the at home. So then who should we lose to. What should their final record be? 15-1? Legit I'd estimate someplace between 10-6 and maybe 12-4, so where are the loses going to come from? Games like this.

Yes they are better, but the gap isn't that great so that they can overcome "turnovers, penalties, and more turnovers" and still win

The Bills are 5-2. Could they be 2-5, yes, but they are 5-2. And they are what they are as they say!! However if you're going to make this argument that Miami sucks, isn't even close to a .500 team, etc. as some here are stating, then it's valid to challange if the Bills really are as good as their record! Bottom line Miami is a much better team than many people give them credit for and the game was played in Miami. Yes good teams need to win on the road. The Bills did win in Jax and StL, So they are 3-0 at home, and 2-2 on the road. Still not bad. Teams also tend to play better at home after getting beat bad on the road as Miami did and the Bills did last week. And BTW When Marv stated good teams need to win on the road. He stated that way before free agency was around. Today, there aren't many totally dominant teams. Everyone loses at some points. If we were going to lose one of the upcoming three games, today was the best one to lose. Win next wek and in NE, still in very good shape.

Well there are no stats as every play is different.But looking at the play, there's no way you can claim it was a bad call. Sorry you can back yourself up with stats to prove you're smarter than everyone else!

I'm not really knocking TE for the play. It's a sign of his inexperience. I't's just comical listening to these people claiming it was trerrible call by the refs. Take off your Bills colored glasses!