Casey D

I have not looked at the complete stats, but Losman got about the same amount of experience this year as Manning did last year. If Losman is improving--and I think he is-- and he is any good at all, he will be in same position as Manning.

They were 9-7 last year. This year has been horrible. But the team seems to have a reasonable level of talent--the Bengals game seems to indicate at least that much. The team clearly needs help on both lines. They especially must finally focus time effort and money on putting together at least a B quality line. But they have some cap room and all their draft choices plus the Henry pick and maybe some comp picks in which to do this. On the O-line, say you start with Peters, Preston and Gandy(at guard). They need to find at least two quality lineman(3 would be great but I'm at least trying to be somewhat realistic), a tackle and a guard. On defense, they need interior lineman--get some. Spikes will be back, hopefully fine by all forecasts. Crowell takes over for Posey. They tag Clements, they tweak the rest of the D, say replace Vincent. You do that, plus get Everett in as TE, why can't this team get a lot better faster. I know they have to make some good personnel decisions, and I know that mistakes might be made in that regard in the past, but maybe this isn't so hopeless after all. I mean, look at how teams like the Giants turned it around quickly.

The individual club seats--not the suites--sold out last spring. I think there is a waiting list. With the PSL, they start at just over $1000 seat, and go up from there as you move towards mid-field. The seats are great, much more comfortable than the rest of the stadium.

More than a little irony last night, with the Sabres showing everyone the kind of team we'd like the Bills to be. Up 4-1 after a period--sound familiar--the Sabres let the Aves roar back in Denver to tie it up 4-4 in the third. Did they curl up in the fetal position like the Bills did yesterday? Nope, they score late and win on the road 6-4 for the 6th straight time. That is all anyone wants in a team--some grit, effort and a little bit of success to enjoy. It's what we should get from the Bills if they had a clue on what they need to do. Seeing the Sabres do that last night was like a breath of fresh air after that game in Miami yesterday... CD

It really is. I am quite forgiving of this team because I love the Bills. But it is just embarassing to root for a team that lacks talent, and lacks guts, heart and brains. I have never been so sick of being a fan of this team, it's worse than 1985 in a lot of ways...CD

No kidding... 1st and goal at the two midway thorugh the 3rd quarter, Bills up 23-3. FG makes it likely a 4 possession game. So run three times, get a TD, it's over. If you don't, kick the FG, it's over. But Nooooooooooooooooo, let's throw and risk a pick--nice. Then Schobel makes a beautiful pick with 2 minutes left. Defense is reeling but we got the ball, we got the lead still, one first down and we win. What does MM do? Curls up into a fetal position and runs 3 times-- even on third and 10. Now's the time to throw A-ho*&, not on 1st and two on the goal line. I live in Maryland. I have two club seats to support this team. I cannot, and will not watch this anymore. It's is f%$#@!* nuts to waste time like this. I'd rather get my tooth drilled each Sunday than do something like this over and over and over and over. Since the pre-Kelly era, this is just the worst, the absolute worst... Bye

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH... I agree

Playmakers don't mean very much when you can't block...CD

Agreed, but the point was made in response to the observation that the loss was the Os fault, because the D only gave up 13 points. Both sides of the ball are bad, mostly because they have no offensive or defensive lines. It's pretty simple I think, that when you can't tackle at the point of attack or block at that same point, it's hard to be very successful...CD

Those are pretty good excuses, but they are excuses. Plain and simple this defense can't force a punt. Either the other teams scores or we get a turnover, otherwise they stay on the field. The 3rd down conversion rate against the defense must be astronomically high--and nothing is more demoralizing than continued 3rd down conversions by the other team.

I know the O-line stinks and is the major reason the offense is no good, but this #2 defense from the past two years has crashed and burned. I don't care if it only gave up 13 points, there is more to what happened than that. Not only did the D cave when it counted, it only gave the offense 8 drive starts and let Carolina hold the ball for 36 minutes. The O is obviously not that good to only get 8 chances if we expect it to score 14-24 points, especially with a first year QB. Unless they get a turnover, the D can't get off the field. They was to supposed to carry us like Chicago's defense does. This defense has taken us right to the lumber yard...CD

Actually, under this scenario, we would win the conference record tiebreaker. We would be 8-4 in the AFC to NE's 7-5. They already have two wins v. NFC(Atl and NO), the most we will get is one against Carolina. Also, if NE beats Tampa but loses one of the other three games to divisional rivals, under your scenario Bills would be 5-1 in Division to 4-2 for NE, so they would get that tiebreaker. For all practical purposes, NE has to lose to KC this week, and to Buffalo to get them to 6 loses and then hope for a loss to anyone else. Buffalo has to win its next four games. Otherwise, it is literally over.

I think it is the coaching, and a work ethic and ethos that a certain type of player brings to the table. NE seems good at finding these kinds of guys. We have some, but not nearly enough up and down the roster.

Thanks. And yeah, just to be in the playoffs again would be great. It's so much fun to be in the post-season dance, just to hope. 6 years in a row w/ no playoffs--and not much hope as this team is not progressing--is just dismal. It's not much fun to be a Bills fan right now.

Over the past few years. Because yesterday it became painfully clear that after 5 years under Donahoe, the QB issue is a relatively small one for this team. After 5 years, we have a team with horrible offensive and defensive lines. I've tried to be hopeful and give them the benefit of the doubt because I love this team, but the reality is that at the fundamentals--the trench play--this team is well below the NFL average. Losman will be fine, but it's really clear now that the problems with Bledsoe were 25% Drew and 75% the fact that the line can't block. No one can play QB when you have about 1 second to set up. At least Losman can move, but no one can play QB well under these circumstances. Bledsoe was a scapegoat--and I am happy he has moved on because I think Losman will be better-- for an offensive line which is consistently dreadful. At the end of the day, this team was built with a few big splashes in free agency, draft or trade-- Bledsoe, Milloy, Spikes, Fletcher, Vincent, M. Williams, Losman-- which gives the common fan hope because the guys have names. But the team lacks enough players who are willing to stick their nose in it and get dirty, without fanfare. When you see New England at 6-4 with half the roster comprised of street players because of injury, you can't help but conclude that our front office is totally outclassed at finding 52 guys who can play decently and consistently with a high degree of effort. This pains me to no end, because I truly like Wilson, Donahoe and Mularkey. But at this point, 5 years after Butler and Wadeo left, the team has spun its wheels and accomplished absolutely nothing. I really don't know what there is to do, it's just terribly frustrating that the management lacks competence to put at least an above average product on the field after all this time... CD

I think that is about right. Unless the Bills win a game they plainly should not--like on the road against SD or Cin-- then there is no getting those easier games back. The Bills need to pull a surprise or two to really get in this-- or for NE to lose a game or two you would not expect...

Looking at the schedule, I'd rank the difficulty of opponents of the Bills as follows, taking into account venue: 1.San Diego 2.Cincinnati 3/4. Carolina/Denver(about the same) 5.Miami 6.New England 7.NY Jets For New England: 1/2. KC/Buffalo(these are must lose if Bills are to have a chance) 3. Tampa 4. at NYJ 5. Miami 6. New Orleans 7. NYJ If the Bills win their 3 divisional games, they need to split the other 4 to get to 9-7. New England almost certainly will not lose at home to NO, Miami or NYJ, so the margin of error for the Bills is extremely small. It seems to me even if Buffalo can go 5-2 down the stretch--a big if-- we are going to need some unlikely help for New England to lose 3 more. The win for them at Miami on Sunday was pretty big, looking at their remaining schedule...CD

These guys have been on top for so long, and accomplished so much, do you think with the beating they took last night--and the realization that they won't win it all this year--that they might be too mentally spent simply to strive for an AFC East title? It seems possible that they could be like the Bills in 1994 and end up at 7-9, even with a relatively easy schedule. They probably will be back next year to some extent, but I just wonder how fired up they can be to just get a 4 seed in the playoffs. Just a thought, but I really think this thing is more wide open than ever.

I think we will need 9 wins. Seems unlikely, but Bills must win against KC and Pats at home, and beat Miami and Jets on road to get enough wins and tiebreaker advantage. Then they need to find 2 wins(or 1 if you think 8-8 makes it with TB) against SD, Cin, Carolina and Denver. But at least they have a chance given the Pats fall, and winning the AFC East and hosting a home playoff game in January would be fun for a franchise not in the playoffs since 1999, even though they certainly will get bounced from the playoffs in the first or second round... CD

Sullivan is a sour puss, but that line about handing off to a lineman or the equipment guy was very funny...CD

It's really true. Even Mike Vick looked like a great pocket passer--because he was always throwing to someone who was open by 3-5 yards. Don't need to be too accurate when the receivers are that wide open.

I mean, they just got their ass@s kicked by a 1-4 team. That second half was ugly, the Bills were physically manhandled. This is 2003 all over again. But this time it is the defense that is fugly beyond words. It is amazing to see how bad they are compared to the last two years. And if I have to see one more two yard pass, I'll puke. If Holcomb can't, or won't, throw the ball more than 10 yard, get him out. Bring back JP and let him take his lumps. This team is done, and 2006 will be another retooling year. We won't be sniffing the playoffs for years at the current rate of progress...CD

Agreed. As I wrote to start, especially having lost on the road to NO already, this week is a must win road game if the Bills are to realistically have a playoff chance. Starting 0-3 on the road, with remaining road games at NE, SD, Cincy, Miami and NYJ, means it is really over, in my opinion. If they go 3-5 into the break, Losman should be starting the rest of the year.

I get your point, I think it's interesting to think about it this way, but you have the Bills going 6-2 on the road, and only 4-4 at home on your list. If you are to make the playoffs at 10-6, it's got to be the other way around, 6-2 at home, .500 on the road. I think Tampa on the road is much harder than Carolina at home, so I'd switch those. Same with KC at home v. Cincinnati on the road, those should be switched in my opinion. I think NO on the road was a game we should have had, along with Oakland, NYJ and some other road game. So I'd say we are 1 behind right now, not 2. If we were 4-2 right now, I'd say we were having a good year so far. 3-3 is much more precarious...CD

Three games the Bills must have to stay in the playoff chase. The first is next week against Oakland. Oakland is no pushover, but if they can't beat a team like Oakland on the road right now, it's over. They must, of course, get some road wins. Next must win is at home against NE in December--must have a split against NE and the Bills almost certainly won't win in NE given the history, NE's bye, etc. Last game against the Jets on the road on 1/1. Jets should be running for the bus, they've got to sweep against at least one team in East. If the Bills can win these three games, they have a shot. They would need to win 2 of 3 against KC, Carolina and Denver at home(which won't be easy, but possible), and another road game against either NE(very unlikely)SD(equally unlikely) Cincinnati(possible late in season) Miami(best chance as game is in December and Miami may be reeling by then--also the best game to win from a TB standpoint). Any of these scenarios could be mixed and matched, so long as they get at least 3 wins from these 7 games. This scenario gets the Bills to 9-7, with a good chance to hold the tiebreakers against all other AFC East teams--could be enough to win the division. One more win to get to 10 almost certainly will be enough. But w/o the win this week--assuming no miracle in NE--I think the Bills' realistic chances are over. So unless they win this week, I will continue to limit my expectations for this team--and I am by no means sanguine they will win this week given what I have seen the last two weeks...CD