Shamrock

...except in '06. Wasn't Sam benched in 2005? ...but i get your point.

I'm Simpson, play for the Buffalo Bills. Not THAT Simpson.

I've been to training camp quite a few times. Even turned up after a 3-13 season with Greggo. It's always about hope. Hope that they get good guys from FA and draft well. Hope that that giant amongst men- lineman, standing around, cracking jokes and appearing to be laughing all the time, not training too much was worth a pick 5 afterall. Hope that the coach gets the team right, this is his 4th go at getting "my team" in the right direction. I'm hopeful too, that this continuity that they speak of, (How's Brandon marketing this again- renew your season tickets- For Continuity's sake) this length of coaching service means he surely now has "his guys" for his team, that the team comes out in week 1 to week 4 in preseason and light it up- moves the ball with purpose and stops the ball with purpose. No stumbling, no bumbling. Like Fred Jackson says, they just have to spend the off-season watching a few plays because there will be continuity yada yada yada. Of course i don't care if they win preseason, that's not what it's about. I'll be reading with interest how they go about their business. This is year 4 of DJ training camp. The players love the coach- how about they put that same love into the colors that we all love as much... I hate that i'm spending January hoping about the draft and preseason already! Is expecting nothing but a winning season from 2009 too much to hope for?

Pat Williams and Ted only played a couple of seasons together, with the base being 3-4 and Pat as the reserve nose and a long shot (undrafted from memory?)? 4-3 became the line in the later of those couple of seasons before Ted moved to Chicago and Pat played alongside notables as Ron Edwards. We've been searching for a 2 DT punch for some time in the base 4-3. Classically had a great combo, then let Ted walk after taking the time to bring along a raw Pat who got time to add bulk. Couldn't get a replacement other than journeymen. Sign a decent replacement in Adams. Let a good one go in Pat who, though old, doesn't have great mileage in his legs yet. Adams got older quicker with those seasons with Kennedy in Seattle and the Goose in Baltimore and has to go and lo-and-behold we've had seasons of searching for a 2 DT combo for years, through draft and trade...Anderson, McCargo, Edwards, Robertson, Sape, Bannan, Williams, Tripplet... We could have the same discussion about end it appears.

...so does this mean that the mistakes and ugly football we see in pre-season games each and every year will now end as this will be the 4th year with continuity. Or will we read again and again," hey relax, it's just the preseason." I hope that continuity brings success, for my sanity, but will we ride out a further 2 more seasons in hope if it doesn't next year. Surely, by the 4th season, this team has THE PLAYERS that they want in THE SYSTEM and that old excuse of they don't have their guys will be dead and buried. It's a New Year tomorrow and hopefully this time next year (fingers crossed- why am i having to cross my fingers for professional success...) we'll have a team still playing!!!!!!!!!! Go Bills in 2009-20010! Happy New Year all.

Seriously, the reason for a corner was that we haven't had a top tier corner since Clements? We haven't had a top tier center since Hull, a top tier Guard since Brown, a top tier tackle until Peters of the year before, a top tier QB since Kelly, a top tier TE since....

...can I stop hoping that this will happen... Or do I need someone to gather some ponderous list of stats to show how many starters this coach has inherited and how many starters he's inserted into the lineup as the factor as to why he can't coach a W (hell, i'll take a TD- 3 games without a TD brings back memories of 2001!).

I'm using this one today. Australia is at risk of losing the cricket to South Africa, potential for a first time 3-0 series white wash. The team has been bad (some players have done their bit, but the TEAM has been bad). With luck, it will rain and "wash-out" the play creating a draw. Questions surround the future of almost 1/2 the team. How to answer these difficult questions, "Obviously, a really interesting day weather-wise."

More in the Casey Hampton= Joel Steed type of drafting search. "Where do they keep finding Lbers?" kind of question. You get the picture.

Maybe the same can be said for corners... do we bring back Ken Irvin now?

I'm just glad now that Richmond Webb got outsted...phew, who saw that coming

They draft a particular type of player, with a focus on the lines and defense. Bingo They refuse to overpay aging stars. they simply draft a "clone" player that fits their system. Bingo They rely on their scouting and drafting and occasionally supplement via free agency. Bingo They are always in a cycle of changing their defensive scheme every few years so they often have a "square peg round hole" situation with players. Bingo ...I endorse this post...

Kelsay has a decent enough first step, it's more he engages and can't disengage to get by. Also he has too few moves to unsettle a tackle. They drop back a step or so and lock on. Schobel is quick, has a nice lean and rip to the outside, but can't square off that edge enough to be more productive as strength is needed to do this- hard at 110kg, the tackles lean him around. But he is or was quick and does get low on that edge. Denney's 6'7", can get into the passing lane and stick up a mit. Terrific. I'm not sure why someone's teaching him the spin move when it's employed to the outside, how much longer can it take to get to the QB when you take the longest route possible. He's not fast enough when he gets going. I'd say coaching is really lacking here. Denney should be a 3rd down left end- period. If you don't get there, stick your hand up. Move him into DT if you like, but stick your hand up. Really obvious passing downs too. Actually, don't employ a 3 point stance, just stand there with your hands up and wave a lot... Kelsay needs some moves away from the tackle not straight into him. Has no real lean like Schobel. Once he gets going it's too late! Sit down in the off season and show him Bruce Smith's highlight reel... it's long and should take him to training camp! Schobel needs more lower body strength- shorten that corner. A few more counters- how many years has that been a request? He can beat a slow tackle to that corner, lean and get there, but if he gets caught, it's a long ride ticket to the outside. ...strength training's an issue- is that taking us back to Rusty Jones again. Damn. Can we sign BS as a defensive pass rush coach. Wasn't Jim Jeffcoat around here awhile back in some sort of coaching matter after playing... or was that elsewhere I'm thinking. The attention to detail to the pass rush looks to an outsider as just- bad. I remember watching Derrick Thomas under Schotenheimer and how Marty was coaching him on setting up the tackles with different techniques. I watch some of the rushes and am confused as to what the intent was. Maybe the offense scores too quickly for that to occur... d'oh. I went there!

Australian Rules Footballer blew out his knee in preseason and returned to the field and played at the same level, 6months later. New technique, less trauma, quicker and stronger healing. ACL reattached with artificial material rather than part of the hamstring (semitendinosus) tendon. Wonder which technique Bills will use? Hopefully not the same medical team in charge of making decisions about Schobel's foot, but the ones involved with KE injury.

We need a friggin' Demarcus Ware.

Peerless

Add that to the Falcons of a few years ago. Brady Smith, Patrick Kerney, Shane Dronett and Travis Hall.

The Cards from memory have been in a pretty consistently tough division with Giants, Eagles, Dallas and Washington for a number of years... Some Superbowls have come from here, must be like 8-10 and nearly 20 times as suited up opponents. Wonder what other divisions rate?

My bad, i've always thought Chris Collinsworth both as a receiver and then as a NFL retired professional commentator were the dumbest things in the history of the NFL.

A scuffle? They guy tried pulling his team mates head off. It was pretty ugly. He was bending his head back deliberately. I'm glad someone stood up for a team-mate. One in- all in. ...the helmet throw only went 5 or so yards and that was funny- he was so mad he couldn't throw a helmet, he had every right to be mad.

NONE. Absolutely none.

That's a lot of players to add in 1 year that will be quality and a contribution. We also have to figure in that some of "our" guys are getting to that point of natural atrition in skills set- speed particularly and accumulation of injuries and will need additional replacements. I get your point though of having a coach want to install a system. What i don't get though, is that a coach can't be flexible within that system to utilise available skill sets and take advantage of what he's got. It's like a perfect storm, balancing FA, draft and retirement of players that you ultimately get the perfect guys for your perfect system... you just gotta be more flexible and creative than that.

It still amazes me how someone like Parrish who runs a 4.37s 40-yard dash, recorded a 36-inch can't get either open or a ball and a guy like Ricky Proehl (a very good reciever...) for example looks HoF. Can you still motion in the NFL? Hardy at 6'6" 200 can't get a ball- here's a guy who can run a 4.47 40 yard dash, 18 reps on the bench press at the NFL Combine, jump 37 inch vertical leap, blah, blah, blah but can't buy a reception. Just can't. Can you run a slant from the slot in the NFL? Is it these guys or is the coaches who can't sit down and come up with a game plane to get the balls to receivers?

Wow, does Duke get blown up on that run play and nice lie down blocking- nice. Seeing so much single coverage, why were not more passes completed... d'oh ...again, do we have play action. Can we audible out of plays! Some pics i guessed the play before seeing the pic following... wasn't that hard and no- i didn't see the game. Nice touch on the pass to Evans, what was it, 10 or 15yards short of making the corner, ouch. It's very late... Great Pics.

He gets upfield ok, but can he do anymore than lock one-one with the Tackle, then square up the hips to the tackle and try pushing him back to the QB. Watch Joey Porter's sack against Peters and see him gets his hips outside of Peters and beat then beat him outside- switch step style. Watch Kelsay fire upfield, lean in, lock up, square up and get pushed around the play... Does Kelsay have an inside technique- perhaps if he didn't always have the outside rush he'd do better with a hard inside play. But is there more, is there an outside technique for that matter... or another trick... something (in all seriousness). Is it him or line coaching? I've seen Denney do some strange rush techniques from time to time as well. For that matter, why was a 6'7" Denney covering Brown out of the flat?