Bill from NYC

The above is a perfect post. Thank you. Many don't understand just how much the 06 draft hurt us. It wasn't only Ngata we missed on. Remember Davin Joseph, Nick Mangold and much more. As for Houston.....Wade Phillips is a defensive genius. Period.

Dave, what was the Aaron Williams selection? Nix said that they spurned trade down numerous trade down offers and took him. Does he count, or must we continue to waste all of our best resources on defensive backs? And btw, imo, Whitner was an even worse pick than McKelvin. Trust me, I was absolutely sick to my stomach when they took McKelvin. But wrt Whitner, Levy said on Sirius that he turned down offers to trade down, and one of them involved more than just another 2nd round pick. The 2006 draft was stacked, and Dick Levy screwed it up to the point that the damage is only just starting to go away.

Agreed Dave. They can however make things right by going after Donta Hightower from Alabama. He will be, and probably is already a better ILB that either of them. Courtney Upshaw, Hightower and Nico Johnson are as good as any set of LBs in college that I have ever seen in my life. If we get at least 1 of them (I'll take 2 thanks very much), our defense will be bigger, stronger and faster the minute they hit the field.

NOT to be a wise guy, but what SHOULD he be telling them? That they are a group of non blue chip, over-achievers? Have you ever wondered why the Bills have so many udfas and 7th round picks who contribute? It's because we can almost be counted on to tank with early picks, the latest fiasco being Spiller. Gailey had these guys performing and believing in themselves. Now they are beaten down by injuries, the OL, and pass rush. Nothing new here. But, they topped last years number of wins, and they are in a good position to correct their problems. If the go after a first round RB or DB, just tell yourself that things will never change. Nah.....Gailey isn't the problem.

Pears looks OK from what I can see. He is big enough, and I view him as a pure RT. In other words, I don't think he is agile enough ala Jennings/Peters to ever man the left side. That's fine with me btw. When the weather changes, passing will be less of an option. We have to see what we have in Hairston, and make a decision on Bell. Either way, Pears is a player to keep in the roster imo. I am not a doctor but as a Bills fan, I get spooked when I read the word "achilles." We lost 2 absolutely great LBs (Paup and Spikes) to that word.

Who knows if KW will ever come back 100%? Did Paup? Did Takeo? The defense needs pass rush desperately. When we had Bruce and Bryce, they required so much attention that Phil Hansen was making huge plays. This could perhaps work for a guy like Carrington. The Bills should look for Courtney Upshaw in April. If he was on the team today he would be our best pass rusher.

Kenneth Davis played behind Thurman Thomas and saw the field because he was good. Spiller sits because he can't play.

1) I know it shouldn't bother me. In fact, I should praise the man for being such a gentleman. That said, I wish that Nick Barnett would stop helping opposing players up while we are getting our asses handed to us. 2) Troup? On the very next play after his stupid, costly defensive holding penalty he was tossed aside like a used condom as the cowboys walked in for a TD. My patience (admittedly not that great) is wearing oh so thin with him. OK....I'll say it. He is a flat out bust. 3) McKelvin gets smoked even when he has his receiver covered. Good Lord he is a freaking mess. 4) Will just ONE supporter of the Spiller selection come forward and tell me that he is a bust. Yes, a 100%, total, complete bust. It's OK to admit it. Look, I thought that Rob Johnson was going to be a great quarterback. Just step up if you will. Or, defend him some more. 5) This should have been thought #1. We have NO pass rush. News Flash: Romo and Sanchez are so-so qbs at best. Neither is as good as Fitz. They really are not, but 2 weeks in a row these guys were laughing on the sidelines. There is absolutely NO pressure at all. 6) Speaking of defense, we suddenly suck against the run. 7) See here how everything, Lead up to this day. And it's just like every other day that's, Ever been. 8) Is Jauron in the house? On 3rd and 2 with 3 min. and change left in the half, Dareus left the line of scrimage and went running backward into the flat. Who the f*&k calls formations like this? The kid weighs 340!!! 9) I finally figured out what Spiller does best. Sorry for the delay. He looks very stylish on kickoffs when he signals Brad Smith to down the ball. I hope an opposing GM offers us a conditional 7th round pick for him. That would be a steal. 10) Fitz was not as bad as his stats. Fred Jackson is great and actually improving, and David Nelson can flat out play. 11) Levitre was over-matched at LT. We still need OTs people, like it or not. 12) OK, so the "party" would appear to be over. Hopefully a player such as Sheppard, Carrington, or A. Williams will develop. This team is still hurting from Levy/Jauron, as well as the putrid 2010 draft. But is does appear that there are some bright spots to build upon. 13) GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not true. The flu is a horror show. When Bruce Smith couldn't play in a playoff game in Pittsburgh many years ago, I was calling him a p*&^y up and down. 3 weeks later I caught the same flu. I had all the symptoms, lost 12 pounds, and the fever was so bad I hallucinated bright colored cartoons on my wall. On the 4th day I had a piece of toast with no butter and a few sips of black tea and figured that I wouldn't die. Wow, did I feel like a horses ass. I wanted him to go out in 20 degree weather and play professional football. Since then, I get a flu shot every year and hassle the hell out of my daughters to do the same.

Even if you are right, why waste so much time thinking about it? Seriously, we have endured quite a bit of frustration and people are going to react in different ways. Btw, thanks to Jauron for keeping me alive in the Survivor Pool. A. Johnson was out and he still kept the defense SO far back that they gave up well over 200 yards rushing. Anyone who thinks that they might need to see a bright side can always count their blessings that Levy/Jauron have been purged from Buffalo.

And I see your point. Now, if you think that much of Hairston, a stud LT would endable the staff to place Hairston at RT. Either way, I hope they don't screw it up in a "Spilleresque" manner.

Tough question but I'll try. 1) I want to see more of Pears, but he seems to be holding his position rather well. He is certainly worth keeping on the team. 2) Urbik looks as if he has potential. He seems to play well in this systems and has thrown nice blocks that I noticed on runs. He too is a keeper imo. 3) Wood, for the first time, is living up to the accolades he was getting on this board. I have no issues at all with him at Center. 4) Levitre is a very good player. Perhaps not the crushing beast one might want, but he is good at all phases of his position and will probably even get better. Btw, the year he was drafted, I would have been fine with him at #28. They got him in round 2, but they moved up to get him, am I right? 5) Bell? Wow. He plays pretty well when he is in there, but he seems to be almost always out or playing injured. A smaller, poor man's Jonas Jennings if you will. I don't know when his contract is up nor how much I would commit to him if it was. 6) Hairston is VERY interesting. We have absolutely not seen enough of him to know how he will play, but it was obvious early on that we were not looking at Terrance Pennington or poor Greg Jerman. I don't think anbody knows for sure what he brings, but I do wish he was in there now getting snaps. Looking at his frame, I see a RT but again, it's way too early to say. Would I like a first round LT. Yes, if the scouts think that he could play on the level of Tarik Glenn. He wouldn't have to be an all time great such as Pace. If they thought there was a very good LT in round 2, I hope they go for someone like Courtney Upshaw. And, I also think they would do well to get better at ILB. An extra DT would help a lot as well. Corner? Let's see more of Aaron Williams, OK?

Thanks so much E.A.!!! I am never against drafting a qb but I will tell you, the Bills are not going to go after a first round qb after guaranteeing Fitz 24 million dollars or so. My friend, let's be honest with ourselves. It ain't happening. I am going to spend the offseason the way I usually do.....looking at OTs and pass rushers, and hoping that they don't draft another db or rb in round 1. As previously stated, I really do believe that the Bills are very close to being serious contenders if they avoid stupid mistakes of the past. One thing I can tell you is that the Bills would not be 5-3 without Dareus. Imagine how good he could be with a Bryce Paup type pass rushing OLB to take a guard away from him in the middle. Or how much of a difference a monster OT would mske to the entire offense. I also want another ILB, and Alabama has 2 stars (Hightower and Johnson). In all, I can't complain so much. This team got very lucky with players such as S. Johnson, Nelson, Chandler, and maybe even Urbik. Let's just hope we can keep it going.

Pooj if you can, check out Furthur. I am going to see them Thursday at the Garden. Their guitarist, John Kadlecik, is amazing. I was at this concert and they were amazing!

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I even started a thread last week that they should try his speed up the middle. But as you infered, Gailey is a great offensive mind, and he just doesn't appear to want him in there. And, if Fitz wanted to use him more, it would happen imo. It's been a full season and 1/2 since we made the drastic error of drafting Spiller at #9. He has little trade value so we are pretty much stuck with him. All we can do is hope that he wins us a game at some point.

OK, but we just used the 2nd pick in round 2 on a corner. Should we wait to see if he can play, or just continue down that road? This while we lack pass rush, which would make life much easier for the secondary. And yes, as other posters have stated, we need help at OT as well.

I think that the Bills secondary is probably average. If A. Williams can play, he will make a difference too. What they lack is a pure pass rusher up front. Sanchez can be exploited if he is pressured and sacked. A strong pass rusher would be able to force plays and take pressure off of the secondary, as well as create more opportunities for other linemen. Another solid linebacker would help us out too. Again, we are probably not so far away from serious contention.

I agree that they are beatable but I think that they are better than you suggest. They are a well built team. We can get there with a free agent or 2 and a solid, sane draft. There were probably 10 players in the Alabama/LSU game last night that could improve our team immediately. I hope they grab one of the Alabama linebackers.

1) I was ready to rip McKelvin a new a-hole after the long catch by Burress with 8 minutes and change left in the 3rd Qtr. Then I saw the replay and noticed that Burress shoved him away, as he did on most of his receptions today. Of course, there was no call. I cannot think of a way that the refs didn't see this; it was just so clear. 2) He was not as consistent as I am hoping for, but Alex Carrington played his best game as a professional football player today. I always had more hope for him than Troup, and now the bar has been raised in terms of what I think that he is capable of doing. 3) The 4th Qtr. challenge by Gailey was dumb. Very dumb. 4) OK, time to rip McKelvin. On the very next play after the non-call he gave up a touchdown, despite having his man covered. He has NO football instincts. He plays at about the level of a decent 4th round pick. Nice work Dick Levy! 5) Dareus is on his way to being an actually, literal, GREAT player. He more than held his own with Mangold, who imo has a big chance to be in the Hall of Fame. This as a rookie. The sky is the limit for this kid!!!!!! 6) The move that Stevie Johnson put on Revis on that 52 yard reception was one I don't recall ever seeing. He made these motions with his feet and actually froze the best NFL cornerback since Mel Blount. His fantasy numbers aside, he reached a new plateau today. He caught passes from and drew penalties on Revis. The need to extend his contract RIGHT NOW!!!!!! If they lose him, they will be chasing his replacement which will not be easy to find. We did this at db and wound up with Whitner/McKelvin. We did this at RB and wound up with Spiller. PLEASE sign him now. PLEASE!!!!!! 7) On the day that I was born, Daddy sat down and cried. I had the mark just as plain as day, Could not, be denied. 8) The first pick by Fitz at the end of the half was simply inexcuseable. He had a month to throw; there was NO reason to force the pass. We are not good enough to come back from bad plays like this. 9) This was Gaileys worst game as our coach. Its not as if I am hating on the guy, but he has led us to expect more. 10) I STILL think that they should have sent Spiller between the tackles, especially after FJ was hurt. There was some room too. The hardest position to watch on TV is Right Guard. Its as if the cameras don't go there. That said, I am starting to like Urbik more and more. 11) Hey, how funny was that "leap" by Keller in the 2nd Qtr? And he was out of bounds to boot. It was nice to see him get smashed. 12) Blast away, but the truth is that the Jets are stacked. Sanchez is shaky, but they are a very, very talented team and are much better than their record indicates. Therefore, I am not as pissed as I would normally be after a loss. But, we have to correct dumb mistakes. At this point, we are just not good enough to compensate for bad calls, questionable coaching decisions and ill advised plays. The good news is that imo we are only a few players away from being serious contenders. GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great post as usual. Let's hope that Nix goes right back to Bama next April. I am hoping that Upshaw, Hightower, N. Johnson and company steal the show tonight.

I like your optimism! Spiller, as we all know was a #9 selection as a running back. Fans, because of this, are way more patient with him than they are with Smith, who picks up drive sustaining first downs week after week. As you may know, I never expected much from Spiller. NOW is the time for him to prove that he is more than a marginal gadget player. I want to praise him in my weekly "Thoughts" for taking over and winning this perhaps monumental game for the Buffalo Bills football team. This game is a golden opportunity for him to show us what he has imo. GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am not calling for them to abandon FJ. My thing is that the jets will be coming at us, and Spiller has enough speed to rush past blitzing lbs and take it to the house. Ryan will be a bit desperate and put his defense on the full attack mode. Think about it.....NE should have no problems with the Giants at home. If we win this football game the jets will be hurting in the division, or so it would appear. We need to pull out the stops and beat this team at home. FJ will get his carries and passes. He IS too good to sit, you are correct. That said, for the first time since he was drafted I am feeling like Spiller should really be put to the test. Just a hunch.

for him to step up!!!!!! It is far from a secret to regulars here how I felt about this draft selection. Well, the jets are a very physical team that plays a sophisticated defense. They are a hard team to overpower, and they will be blitzing. I can't think of a better opportunity for Spiller to run between the tackles and past blitzing linebackers (who are very good). We used a #9 on him. 24 games into his career, I would like to see some real dividends. If Spiller and yes Smith can confuse the jets defense, we can put the rest of what we do into effect and win this football game. The jets are good but I don't think that they can win a shootout with us at home. C'mon CJ, prove me wrong! Take over a football game and win it for the Buffalo Bills and us fans!!!!! GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To add to this, the OP referred to the first downs as "crucial." He has kept drives going that have resulted in points and killing the clock. Smith has been nothing but an asset to this team.