Buffalove

The #s... Possesions: 15/14 (NE), 1st downs: 26/15 (NE), Net Off Yds: 431/286 (NE), 3rd down conv: 11-20/4-13 (NE), penalties: 4-36yds/10-75yds (NE), plays: 89/61 (NE), TOP: 38min/22min (NE), red zone eff:2-5/2-2 (BUF), turnovers: 2/3 (BUF) A couple of observations... -New England might lack some home run ability. 89 plays and 20 3rd downs either means they aren't very explosive or struggle in the red zone or both. 3 runs and 3 completions of 20+ yards against the Bills makes it look like the latter. -Antagonists argue the quick-snap offensive was stupid to run with the lead and took a toll on the defense. Proponents of the offensive pace say it gave the Bills the best chance to get 1st downs or score. Either way, the Bills did not execute very well offensively and the Pats got to run 28 more plays (145% of Bills total). 31 of the New England plays came in the 4th quarter. -Turnovers matter. The first 4 touchdowns of the game came off of turnovers.

When I said a QB DIRECTLY responsible for 2 losses, I meant name me another QB who has DIRECTLY put points on the opponents' board via defensive scores, which by the end of the game were the difference in the final score (i.e. a saftey, a fumble/int. return for a TD, etc.) None of the QBs you guys mentioned have committed this kind of team suicide. Losman is the only starter in this category and he's done it 2 of 3 times. We lost to NE by 2 points b/c of his safey and as it turned out against NYJ we lost by a TD which was the direct result of his 2nd fumble returned for a TD. No QB has twice put the winning points on the opponents board like Losman - not Warner (1 time if you count his fumble which prevented a game-winning FGA last week), not Rothlisberger (0), not Simms (0), not Favre (0), and not even Aaron Brooks (0). He's our limitation and he's horrible.

Losman will never be good. If you can't tell our offense is handcuffed b/c we have to playcall AROUND our QB, then you're not paying attention. Besides Aaron Brooks, name another starting QB that has committed turnovers/mistakes which directly lead to loses in 2 of their team's 3 games? This team could've had Leinhart and traded up to get Whitner instead of McCargo and we would be 3-0 right now.

Aside from the fact that VABills doesn't know what he's talking about, Lionel Gates will make this team. As a Louisville fan, I watched him progress during his college career in spite of heavy competition from 2 other NFL-caliber backs. Bobby Petrino (who could've outcoach Mularkey's in his sleep) used Gates as the team's best short-yardage runner, best pass protection back, and one of its best receivers. In fact, the article in this week's D&C talks about his physical ability, understanding of protection, and good hands. Honestly, I think he'll be our #2 back once A-train flames out (again) and Williams gets pounded for a 3-yard loss on 3 and 2 for the 15th time.

He looked slimmed-down on the show. That's good. Maybe, he'll get some explosion back. This guy will show up this season. Barring injury, he's the last thing I'm worried about on our offense.

Lights out beeeeatch! I like that nickname. He could help restore Juice's good name. Afterall, Juice did run for 2003 yds. on 332 carries in '72. Thus, he's entitled to one "get-out-of-jail-free" card.

save yourself the trouble and find a new team...really. its too late for all of us but you still have hope. if you're smart you'll turn around now and act like you never found this site. just forget this ever happened and pick a new team.

didn't Red in Shawshank Redemption say something about a man in the hole only needing time and pressure before he cracked?

two sample questions were given in the article: 1. When rope is selling for $0.10 a foot, how many feet can you buy for sixty cents? 2. RESENT RESERVE: Do these words: 1) have similar meanings; 2) have contradictory meanings; 3) mean neither the same nor opposite

Not so sure about that: Bledsoe scored a 37, placing him on par with society's "mental elite" according to Wonderlic spokesmen. Eli Manning scored a 39 - highest among NFL starters sampled. Actually, it appears O-line test scores have a big correlation with play on the field. The Bucs o-line averages 30 and its guards average 34 - 4 pts. higher than the average attorney. Their team is 2nd in the league in rushing.

There's an article in today's WSJ grading all 32 teams in the NFL on their average Wonderlic test score, given to all draft prospects over the past seven years. The Bills were 11th in the league - tied with the Patriots. The average score of the general public is 21. The Bills average is 21.6; the defense averaged 21; Losman had a 31. The smartest four teams - the Rams, Raiders, Titans, & Bucs (in that order) - have all made the Super Bowl in the past five seasons. The winless Packers were the "dumbest" team - 19.1.

i'd switch with them. better coaches, players, and futures for both. fact: we suck and have sucked for the past 7 years = no playoffs.

We'll find out this Sunday how much he learned in the preseason. Eball, 5 years is more than enough time to turn it around and make the playoffs. Most NFL coaches/administrators don't get much more than that to prove they're worth it. Also, nobody is asking them to come out and see "playoffs or bust", but to say the opposite "I'm not prepared to say if we don't make the playoffs then its a bad year" is absurd. Don't patronize the fans. We know it and he knows it - that if this team doesn't make a serious run at the playoffs, then next year could be it for his regime. Eball, we can just agree to disagree.

Let's clear this up right now. It is a bad year if you don't make the playoffs. Every team in the NFL should be thinking that way. Do you think Marv Levy or Kelly thought it was a good season or even an okay one if they didn't make the playoffs? Mediocrity is for suckers. If by their actions, management is saying Bledsoe was one the main reason we didn't make the playoffs last year, then what's the excuse when he's no longer on the team and you still don't make the playoffs? Wilson won't stand for it and he's made that pretty clear by giving TD such a lame extension.

sorry. how about this? we're going to shock the world and win the super bowl. chippewa will be pandemonium.

Better to kill yourself now and get it over with rather than sit through Losman running around the field like its a flag football game. That is until he gets his head taken off for being tuff stuff and too cool to slide. While I realize Losman is essentially a rookie, you can tell he hasn't really done much to inspire confidence or production into the offense. I agree with taking pressure off the quarterback heading into the season, but this kid's going to have to face the fact at some point that this team is expected to go to the playoffs now. I'm not panicking. I'm just being a football realist. You are what you are and right now although we're 0-0 we have a penalty problem and an offense problem heading into the season. All I'm saying is Donahoe is once again mortgaging the present for the future's sake and its a gamble that may keep us from making the playoffs...again. Finally, I definitely think there are first and second rounders who have played better than Kelsay, Williams, Denney, and Reed. If you disagree, go back and look at the guys we passed on to get them. That's a seperate issue all together.

Is it just me or are Donahoe, Mularkey, and Co. already making excuses before we've even played our first game? Donahoe stating that the upcoming season can be a success regardless of whether or not we make the playoffs is ridiculous. I think he sees the writing on the wall. Between the young quarterback who has struggled most of the preseason and can't seem to take control of the offense; the team's continued undisciplined penalty habits; and the underperforming high draft picks (i.e. Williams, Kelsay, Denny, Reed, Losman?) I think we're getting set up for a big meltdown. Even if they're not saying it, 5-11 to 7-9 is written all over their faces. They better be willing to taste some humble pie and play Holcomb before we get off to another 0-3 start, which would basically exclude is from the playoffs before we're even half way through October.

Saw a report on Fox News from the Superdome. First of all, the roof is made of concrete and the structure was built to withstand roughly Cat 3 type winds. From the pictures on TV, it really looks like only a small portion of one of the roof's sides has been ripped open. From all appearances, the weather people are overhyping the damage just like they overhype the snowfall in Buffalo. I would suspect the Bills will be playing there by the first weekend in Oct. The Superdome is vital to the cities tourism and convention business and right now they're losing something like $1 B a day b/c of this storm. Consequently, it will be one of the first public facilities repaired.

I grew up in Louisville and have just moved back here from South Bend, IN after completing grad school. I would say South Bend is as close to Buffalo as you can get weather wise, and Louisville's weather is much nicer than that. Actually, the weather here is exactly like St. Louis' weather. Also, its actually a very Catholic town b/c of all the french traders that settled here (hence the name after King Louis XIII of France). Catholic schools (much like St. Louis) are prolifereated around town and ususally very good compared to public options. Outside of Louisville its not so catholic. One of the greatest college sports town in the country. The people here are crazy about UL & UK. Also, I can guarantee the pace of work will be much slower for you here than in CT and you'll spend much less time commuting as well. The town here is very easy to get around (15-30 mins. from one side of town to the other). Finally, i've never lived in Buffalo at all, but my parents (both from there) have bred a love of all things Buffalo into me. I recognize that Beef on Weck is the world's greatest sandwich and that the Batavia endzone party blows the Cleveland dogpound out of the water. In Louisville, I've identifed the few (2-3) wing places in town here which I think could even remotely compare to authentic Buffalo wings like you'd get at Duff's, Anchor Bar, Barbill in Elma, etc. My point is just b/c you may live in Louisville, you don't have to miss Bills games and if you look you can find little pieces of Buffalo all around.

On Lefors, he went 7-7 for 124 yds. and 2 TDs in the Panthers scrimmage last weekend, so it safe to say he's off to a pretty good start. Gates is diesel and I'm confident his play will speak for itself this weekend in Indy.

Read the bb.com article today on Lionel Gates, and after watching this kid for 3 years in college I get the feeling he will make this team and contribute. We're not talking about Derrick Holmes here. This guy ran for about 125 at Miami last year. Eric Shelton (Panthers 2nd round pick who will backup Foster and may even start midseason) would not have seen the field were it not for Gates' injury. This guy can run inside and outside, pass protects well, catches the ball, and can deliver a blow. Based upon what I saw in the scrimmage, I thought he was our most impressive ball carrier besides McGahee.

I've had enough. This team is at the bottom of the barrel, and shows no signs of getting better. We haven't made the playoffs in 6 freakin' years. Now, we have given the Cowboys potentially the first pick of the 2005 NFL Draft in exchange for J.P. Losman. Butler put us in salary cap hell while Donahoe has put us in talent hell. Our players are stealing checks because they sure don't earn them. Although I've been a lifelong fan, I'm nearly done with this team. Like last year, watching them play is a terrible way to spend a Sunday.