4BillsintheBurgh

I like the picks too, I just don't want us to reach for need in the first round and it doesn't seem like we did. And I hope Nix sticks with the same plan as he had last year, which seemed to me BPA in the first and BPA at a need position the rest of the way. The only thing I'll say is in this draft scenario I hope we get someone who can really rush the passer at ANY lb spot, preferably at least two spots. Our run defense was pretty bad, although we have the most attempts against but at least we don't have the worst yards per attempt. I don't know where to lay the blame for the run d, dl or lb or both. I lean more toward the lbs because they seem to have miles to go. Nix has invested a 2 and 3 in the DL so far, so I don't see another DE/DT being taken after the first unless he's some type of small school 3-4 NT in the 4th round or later. I did want to point this out, year to date Buf has 5 sacks from their lb's, Pit has 26.5 from theirs. Now if we're going to play a hybrid 3-4/4-3 d or whatever to cover the lack of pass rush talent at lb maybe it can work without getting a top notch lb, but I don't see how. So I think/hope with this draft above we can get one FA lb that will help us rush the passer and/or be able to cover a TE and that player doesn't include Merriman. If Merriman resigns and can play that would be a bonus, and I think we have plenty of room on the roster for him. There's probably a 1% chance of that happening.

I thought Kelsey could have helped more if he span back around to the outside of his blocker instead of going inside of him. He took himself out of the play by going back inside, although I'm guessing taking the shortest route to the ball carrier is probably what he did as a DE. Doesn't work so well in space when you're not that fast. I thought Poz did fine on that play. I guess he could have reacted to run a little quicker, but he maintained his outside leverage and still could have helped if AP just went straight into the line instead of cutting it back. I don't think there's many ilb's that are going to solo tackle AP in that scenario. I agree with you on McKelvin, something's lacking. Don't know if he's afraid of making a mistake or what. I thought Whitner took a pretty bad angle considering where Poz was. And Byrd has had some problems taking bad angles sinces he's been here, I guess from playing mainly cb in school? Some credit has to go to AP, but between McKelvin and Kelsey there was a big enough cutback lane there for him to exploit.

Even fully healthy, I don't think we're there. Bell may or may not be the answer, starting RT is a question mark (at a minimum) and you need adequate depth. I'm talking being able to compete in the playoffs though, not just getting there.

He's a tremendous athlete that makes a lot of plays by freelancing. I don't know if many d-coordinators would allow that in their system. Troy has actually been a little saddled this year, the steelers have been trying to get Timmons into more of the free lance role. With the last couple of games, I think they have given that back to Troy, and rightfully so. Troy P is a fine example of moving up to draft an impact player, and that move being well worth it.

And Ben turns one around too. No doubt he's talented - he just looks a little funnier now. You know, Bills fans are so fatalistic - bad things happen to every team. If the team is good enough they overcome. We haven't been good enough to overcome since the early nineties. Hopefully we're starting down that road again.

Just a couple. He also has a lot of talented helpers - as Troy makes a play.

Don't be sad lil' hypnotoad. At least our qb isn't trapping drunk girls in a bathroom (that we know of).

My wife said, what happened to Ben, his nose looks worse than usual?

I'm sure Harrison's like wtf?!?!!?

I'm thinking Chan learned today that he needs more talent on the oline before any qb can perform well.

So should we cut Moats immediately or wait until the offseason?

You can't block K-Will, you can't even contain him!

Sure these are factors, but I think the biggest contributor is the expectations of the coaches in the second year. Many coaches will not open the entire playbook for a young or first year player because there is just too much material there for the qb to know everything and execute well. This is also where a strong running game helps the young qb. In the second year, the coaches feel the qb needs to run the entire playbook and with that make more defensive reads because of your #2. I think that leads to the qb thinking too much and not executing well. In the third year, the qb usually can leverage lessons learned in the 3nd and make a strong move forward. With Fitz, it doesn't seem to me that Chan is holding anything in the playbook back and I think Fitz has been in the league long enough to understand defenses. So no, I don't think there will be a sophomore slump here.

It's always good to have goals.

I am calling your throwing in the towel with two minutes+ remaining in the game loser thinking. You may want to say Bell sucks, whoever was playing RT sucked, Fitz was erratic, Jackson didn't have his normal stuff, our LB's couldn't tackle their way out of a paper bag, etc that's fine. Don't throw the towel in before the end of the game. How about if I just say that was very Trent Edwards of you. Does that help? I get plenty of heat being a Bills fan in Pittsburgh for around 30 years, believe me. The only quip I have is that if Cowher could have won a home playoff game against a wildcard team with a backup qb, I could have been spared another SB defeat (a game which I was lucky enough to attend and enjoyed immensely regardless). The highlights are few and far between for me, and I have to endure a lot of winning football here while my team has floundered for years. That doesn't mean I'm conceding the game on the 28th though, and I hope to be able to rub some noses in it on Monday. But I don't like quitting on the team. Criticize, sure, be my guest, just don't quit.

I guess I should just think like a loser, then it will be all clear for me huh? Thanks, but no. I'll still think that our offense is good enough to get down the field in a short period of time this year. They didn't do it here.

At the time it was unknown. It seems like the team aren't the only ones that need to work through their culture of losing.

Hmm... Let me count...no, I think it's closer to 2000 weeks, thanks.

How is this a loss already?

We need a RT who can at least slow a pass rusher down regularly.

I think he was so dominant in college he could get away with not following his blockers and that jump cut etc. probably the reason we don't see him on the field that much.

Someone needs to show him how to run in the NFL, because he has no clue how to do it.

Martz is really working George Edwards, that's for sure. he has the Bills wandering around the field looking for their assignments.

Here's a question: How many of the linebackers currently on our roster would make it on the Steelers? They of course would have to play special teams well since none of them would start. Maybe Poz could make it? That's a huge chasm of talent between the teams, and while no one is wetting their diapers, it stands to reason that when a team like the steelers so deep at lb, and playing a 3-4, has to drop someone because of injuries, you would like to see us pick that person up. There has to be a roster spot somewhere on this team for him. It makes a lot more sense to me than picking up Merriman or Moss who will only be here for a year. It's the same reasoning that brought in Brohm last year, he's got more talent or potenial than this player, so let's go for it.

Wow, really? How about Fitz missing Spiller in the endzone? Things Rich talked about above, getting Spiller on a LB split out, a matchup Chan sets up and Spiller wins, and Fitz can't put the what, 30-40 yard throw, somewhere close enough to Splller to even TOUCH, and you want to blame a kicker from 53 yards? Okay, whatever. It's a team game dude, and there is plenty of blame to go around. I for one would like to see what Chan can do with a bona fide starting qb. Fitz is nice as a backup, but his technique breaks down when there's pressure (and sometimes without any pressure). I can see them taking a chance on a qb this year even if Luck doesn't come out, maybe taking one in the 2nd or 3rd round.