folz

I think the key is when he said they need to get to a point where Buddy comes in at 9 AM and says this is what we need to do and can leave at 5 PM and leave things in Doug's hands. Buddy isn't getting any younger, so traveling the entire college circuit or pulling long days or all nighters probably won't work in the long run. So Whaley is being groomed to basically be in complete tandem with Buddy and take the more time consuming tasks and traveling that are easier for a younger man. Be Buddy's eyes and ears and maybe eventually take over completely when Buddy is ready to retire. I like that Whaley is humble and knows that there is still a lot for him to learn. GM has to be a pretty complicated job. But at the same time, he is one of the up and coming execs in the league and I am glad that we have him. Taking over the college scouting (while keeping his Asst GM title and also overseeing pro personal) is just another step in his process of learning the job fully. It isn't a demotion as others suggested.

Signing Stevie is a must in my opinion. And I'm still excited about Easley (provided he's healthy), but what killed us last year was not having backup plans when things didn't go best case scenario, like Merriman being injured again, no one to push Donald Jones, no backup center, etc. We need to have at least a plan B for as many spots as possible next season. Let's hope Easley becomes a player, but let's not count on it. We counted on too many things to go our way last year and in the end, they didn't. So, I agree with Johnny H, once Stevie officially resigns, we should target a mid-tier FA WR and draft at least one WR. The coaches need options if someone gets injured or to change things if someone isn't working out and not just be stuck with it.

Screw the Jets! I was talking to a co-worker who is a New England fan today and found myself saying, "Yeah, maybe we just don't match up well with the Jets." Later I thought about what Chan would say to his team after a game like that or before the next matchup with the Jets and he sure as hell wouldn't tell them we just don't match up well with that team. He would say "They didn't beat us, we beat ourselves" and then "Expect to Win, gentleman!" The Jets were coming off of a bye and a crazy, but good defensive coach had an extra week to watch film and prepare. Fitz didn't look like his normal self, maybe the ribs and finger injuries bothered him. We could all give a ton of reasons (or excuses) for the loss. But it doesn't matter. Our team played flat, awful. Every team can have a bad day, it doesn't mean the team is now terrible. Or that the Jets are unstoppable. The crazy thing is that for as bad as the Bills played, they were still in that game late into the 2nd half. But, after the game, it was like that old doubt, that "and here's where it all goes downhill" feeling was trying to take over again...but it's time to exorcise those demons once and for all and Expect to Win. These are your new and improved Buffalo Bills. We once rallied around Marvisms, "When it's too tough for them, it's just right for us." Time to rally around a Chanism and "Expect to Win". We know these guys too well now...they aren't going to give up. Chan will have a plan and our guys will play their guts out. Let's not let the Jets, who we WILL beat the next time around, make us question our team...they're offense doesn't scare me one bit and I'm sure Chan will figure out a way to attack their defense next time around. The tide is still turning and the crest of the wave is this upcoming 3 game win streak on the road. "Dallas is a deadman....Miami dead...Jets dead...Nedemeier..." Go Bills! P.S. Sorry for the unbridled enthusiasm/optimism. Gameday must be getting nearer and last week's loss fading.

I'll bite...in a positive way: Cudos to Curtis! Yes, it's Gailey's offense and Gailey calls the plays, but Modkins has been his right hand man for years now. Gailey brought Modkins with him from Dallas to Georgia Tech to Kansas City to Buffalo as RBs/DBs coach and now offensive coordinator. The guy obviously has the running game working well and brings a lot of value to Chan's offense. He is at least Chan's sounding board for offensive schemes and I would guess he brings a lot to the table in that department as well for Chan to have brought him everywhere he goes. Ok, the guy doesn't have the traditional responsibilities of an offensive coordinator, but he isn't a joke. I bet if you asked Chan, he could tell you how important Modkins is to the team, so he deserves his credit like everyone else. Good on ya Curtis...and no I'm not his mother.

1. Didn't Brady and Vick both have 4 Int games against us just this year? Even great QBs have bad days. 2. People bring up the hall of fame QBs (Brady, Manning, Brees, Rodgers?). How many teams at any given time have a HOF QB (maybe 3 or 4). That leaves 28-29 teams without a QB like that. We've been looking to get another one since Kelly retired in '96. People act like it is easy to go out a get a future HOFer. It's not. 3. The Bills have said they we're going to draft Newton if Carolina didn't (even though I was against the idea at the time---guess I was wrong). 4. Fitzpatrick has brought more hope, fun, and exciting play of any QB in Buffalo since Flutie and before that Kelly. Does he have his weaknesses? Sure. But his strengths outweigh his weaknesses on most days, he's a great leader who has his team behind him, the team is winning games, they're fun to watch, and when they're down they're not necessarily out anymore. 5. We were playing with a backup rookie left tackle in only his second game, and then when he went out we had our guard playing left tackle and his back-up in at guard against one of the best pass rushing defenses in the league. 6. Our WR core was depleted from injuries. 7. The defense was without Kyle Williams and Shawne Merriman and didn't do their part in shutting the Giants down to make the picks not hurt us. 8. We were playing a team that just got embarrassed at home last week back at their house (on the road for us). I'm disappointed in the loss too and I'm really not trying to make excuses for it; I'm just saying its not time to panic and abandon ship on anyone. Despite Fitz's (and the defense's) bad day, we only lost by 3 on the road to a decent team. I mean, what is the point of calling for a Franchise (especially when you really mean HOF type) QB when it isn't easy to find one and the FO obviously wouldn't pass one up if the opportunity arose. Until that day...I am so glad that Fitz is our QB and I'm behind him 100%. Keep some perspective, give the guy a break, and keep rooting for him.

Of course I have no proof, but I really think Cowher wanted the Bills job but just couldn't take it due to his wife's illness (as the Dr. stated) and then he recommended Chan and has been in the Bills corner ever since. Can't hate on Cowher...we should be thanking him instead. And Chan is the man. We finally have a coach who creates game plans around his team's strengths and the other team's weaknesses, rather than forcing some "philosophy or technique" on every game (as if every game were the same). Listen to all of the players comments from last week, they were saying things like "the coaches knew this would work, we saw them doing this, we knew we could be successful doing this, we added this just for this week because we thought they would be vulnerable to it." We finally have a coach who can make adjustments and is good at game management (see the end of the Patriots and Eagles games). We finally have a coach who plays to win, rather than playing not to lose. A guy who is all about hard work, accountability, TEAM, etc. A guy who gets the most out of his players, has his whole team prepared (see Roosevelt and Hairston most recently), is a straight shooter, and someone who the players like and will fight for. After a long drought, we've finally got ourselves a real football coach boys.

Kelly, I was just about to post the same thing: AFC East Team W L T Pct PF PA NetPts TD Home Buffalo Bills 4 1 0 .800 164 120 44 20 3-0 New England Patriots 4 1 0 .800 165 119 46 20 2-0

I think Dan hit it on the head. I really felt the same way, that they were going to go for it, which is what actually made Philly jump. They were going to hard count a few times to see if they could get them to jump and if they didn't (knowing Philly would be in freeze mode), surprise them by actually hiking the ball and running the QB sneak. I really think that's what would have happened had Philly not jumped.

Not to pile on on Leodis, but I noticed on quite a few Eagles running plays that the wide receivers were handling him quite easily on their down field blocks. There were at least three times that a running play was coming right at him and the WR knocked him on the ground, successfully pushed him away from the play, etc. Gotta get tougher against the run Leodis. And I like Reggie Corner, but boy did he look slow covering the slot today. He seemed to be consistently running behind the offensive player by about 3 or 4 steps (granted, the Eagles have a lot of speed on their team).. But all in all a great team victory today to hold on for the win. It's crazy that WR and CB both went from positions of strength to severely lacking depth due to injuries.

Point taken...should have said accuracy/completion percentage (meaning both). His completion percentage is up 7.1% thus far from last year, some didn't think he could improve that much. And I think his accuracy has been great too. How many times are his passes behind the receiver, or sailing too high over the middle, etc. Very rarely. He's hitting guys in the hands or the numbers, putting it out in front of them so they can run after the catch.

Honestly, I'm not trying to rub it in to those on the opposite side of the off-season Fitz accuracy debate (I'm glad we're all on this ride together, it's been a long time coming for all of us), but those discussions crossed my mind as I looked at Fitz's stats (especially the people who were so sure that Fitz could never better his, at the time, career 58%). Sure it's only 3 games so far, but Fitz is completing 64.9% of his passes (and that's with a bunch of drops too---Jones, Martin, Smith, that I can remember). Go Fitzaccurate!

That field goal going through and Moorman jumping onto Lindell's shoulders (two guys that have been here for a lot of those loses to the Pats) So many great plays, but three that stood out for me because they totally changed the momentum of the game: 1. The David Nelson catch down the left sideline where he lost his helmet and came up yelling, pumping up the crowd. 2. The George Wilson pick (stopping the Pats when it looked like another easy TD coming) 3. The Scott interception (same reason as #2) Post-game: 1. Freddy Jackson and another Bill (didn't see who it was) running up and down the field with the Bills flags waving. 2. Fitz and Freddy pushing and shoving each other screaming. 3. David Nelson jumping into the stands where the chefs sit and celebrating with the crowd. 4. Nelson's post game tweet "That was for YOU Buffalo. You deserve it." Pre-game: I read somewhere that before the game, Jim Kelly was standing near the tunnel waving the Bills flag... wish I was there to see that.

That's awesome! So glad teams passed him over in the draft and he chose Buffalo over NE as an UDFA. Gotta love this kid! Keep it up David!

After Mangini gives the Bills 40% chance to win, Rob Parker responds: "0% chance (the Bills will win)...NO WAY NO HOW!" Eat some crow Rob Parker (whoever you are)

Apparently, not only is Kyle Williams a defensive stud, but he miraculously caught a touchdown pass in week 2 against the Cowboys, a game he wasn't even playing in. I wonder if he walks on water too? Forget the Pro Bowl, just enshrine the guy in the Hall of Fame now! http://fantasynews.cbssports.com/fantasyfootball/story/15617525/week-3-start-em-and-sit-em Wide receiver Start 'Em Santana Moss (at DAL): In five games with Grossman as his starting quarterback, Moss has 33 catches for 368 yards and three touchdowns. Included in those outings is last year at Dallas when Moss had eight catches for 72 yards and two touchdowns. The Cowboys secondary remains a work in progress, and they have allowed two touchdowns to wide receivers this year with Plaxico Burress in Week 1 and Kyle Williams last week. Moss might not score this week, but he's averaging seven catches for 74 yards with Grossman. He's almost a lock for at least seven Fantasy points in a standard league. [if you click "Kyle Williams" in the article on the site, it is linked to our Kyle---not the young SF receiver]

Nice catch Kzoo...sweet play by Wood. Nice to see our guys being the aggressors.

Outside of Brady, who never seems to throw picks, a lot of the best QBs have been high risk/high reward guys... look at Kelly, Favre, etc. they might throw 2 or 3 picks in a game, but you also knew they could bring their team back to win the game. Compare that to a Trent Edwards or Rob Johnson...whose interception percentage was spectacular, but if the team got down was there any chance they would lead a big comeback? My heart was definitely in my throat on a few of those passes (TD to Chandler, near INT in endzone that Jones swatted away), but this offense is starting to have that 90s Bills swagger, where you never count them out and that's due to Fitz taking those risks. I'll take that any day over a guy who's afraid to let it fly, so we go three and out more often than not.

I almost posted about Fit's "girl scream" after I first heard it on mic'd up last night (lol)... But, ya know what, it just makes me love him that much more...Levitre said it best... "sounds like a little kid on the playground"...he's having fun (and playing great). When did it ever look like Trent was having fun? What a breath of fresh air. Scream all you want Fitz!

In the WGR article about Drayton Florence this morning (http://wgr550.com/Bills-Florence-has-no-regrets/10744503) the writer says: "According to some at One Bills Drive morale is the lowest it's been there in years. Employees mope around hoping things will finally get better. " I know morale is low at Two Bills Drive right now, but really? Morale is the lowest it's been in years at One Bills Drive? Employees moping around? I'm thinking this is just a reporter talking out of his ass based on Florence's tweets, or whatever. That's a pretty bold statement if he's just guessing or just taking one person's word for it. What do you guys think? Could One Bills Drive be as down as Two Bills Drive right now? I hope not. But how is this guy to judge the morale of an entire organization? Of course even if it were, a good showing tonight could change that. Go Bills!

I agree with the OP and "Loyal" I wrote a fairly long post about this (with the quotes from Gailey) in the other Lee Evans thread if you care to read it... http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/132896-evans-traded-to-baltimore/page__st__440

Look guys...I've always liked Lee and I still think he is a good receiver and I'm sad to see him go. And yes, I was hoping we might get a player for him rather than a draft pick...but nobody was going to give us their starting right tackle for him and considering it was just a draft pick (and also considering recent history) a 4th rounder was pretty good value for a receiver his age who had a couple of down years. But this trade has NOTHING to do with Ralph and Overdorf being cheap, or Buddy being stupid and old or any of that. We have a pretty straight shooting coach, who isn't afraid to cut bait (see Trent Edwards) if someone isn't working out the way he wants them to in his offense. It doesn't mean Lee sucks or is over the hill, he just isn't the right type of receiver for Gailey's offense. Here's what Gailey has said about Lee recently... August 2nd: Reporter: "What's it going to take to make Lee the weapon that he could/should be?" Chan: "We've gotta get him to become a better underneath receiver. We gotta give him things that he can do and let him work on those things that will make him better as a short receiver...we know he's got the deep threat he's always had that and we gotta help him get better in the intermediate and short areas." August 10th: Reporter: "What does Lee mean to your offense?" Chan: " Lee has made a bunch of big plays here through the years...and...um...he still made some big plays for us last year. As I said earlier, we gotta do a better job of getting him more effective in the short and intermediate area. We know what he can do deep. We gotta do a better job of helping him get better there." Most coaches asked about their #1 receiver who their team can't live without would be hurling every superlative they could think of at the press. But that doesn't sound like what Gailey had to say. There is no way this trade goes down just to save some money if Gailey thought it would severely hurt the team. I think as others have said, he wants to give the young guys who fit his system better and will be around for the long haul a chance. And anyone watching the games last year could see Evans and Fitz didn't have great chemistry or something. Stevie will be fine. Sure he'll get doubled more early in the season at least, but that opens the door for one of the other guys to excel. Nelson really proved something to me last year. roscoe was on fire before getting hurt. Jones and Naaman seem to be coming on and played well last year when given the opportunity. And then there is Easley and Buster who I admit are still question marks. If Roscoe or Nelson or Jones, or whoever, is running wild because they're doubling Stevie, then defenses will have to switch it up and then Stevie will get his. There was also what Wandstedt said about Gailey's offense in Miami when they didn't have the best O-line, that Chan went with a short passing game (see that they are practicing screens alot this camp) to compensate. I think short and intermediate is the key for this year. Get the ball out quick to fast, elusive guys (Roscoe, Spiller, Smith, etc.) and let them make something happen, make guys miss and pick up the yards that way, rather than bombs to the endzone. And Lee doesn't fit that scheme well. As to Drayton's twitters, it sounds like he and Lee were probably good friends and it sucks to lose a friend...but, you don't think all of the young guys on the offense aren't excited about the opportunity (Smith, Nelson, Spiller, Jones, Roosevelt, Easley, etc.)? And if they start producing, Lee the friend will still be missed, but Lee the player won't be so much. There might be some short term anxiety in the locker room due to this trade. But I don't think it will linger for more than a week or two. I'll miss Lee and I wish him nothing but the best...but I'll trust the coach on this one until proven otherwise. The sky is not falling.

Look, I'm not some big Donte supporter. At the start of last season, I thought G. Wilson should have been starting instead of him. I don't expect the team will retain him and I wouldn't either with the kind of money he wants, but I've said this before in another Donte thread a while back... I think some fans were maybe watching Donte with biased eyes last year...ok, he isn't the greatest coverage saftey around and everyone remembers the 2 or 3 big plays last year where it appears that he was the one who blew the coverage (which he may have been)...but honestly guys, he had 140 tackles last year (96 solo) with 7 passes defended, 1 sack, 1 Int, and 1 FF. And if you go back and watch the games, his tackles weren't him getting dragged 5 yards like some posters say, he was really popping guys. He was one of the only guys (with maybe Kyle) who actually made opposing players pay last year. Seriously, go back and watch the games. He had a really solid year last year, not elite, but solid. Obviously it looks like we'll be turning the page on Donte and no, he never did live up to his draft pick...not that its his fault that the Bills reached for him. But the guy didn't suck last year like a lot of people post...he is no where near elite status, but he actually had a really solid season last year on a bad defense. Ok, let me have it...

I'm going to have fun this year watching you guys come around to Fitz the way I did last year. For those of you still saying he's no better than a backup in this league, have you looked at a list of the current starting QBs recently? Can you really say that all 31 other QBs and at least one backup somewhere are all better than Fitz? After watching last season, I can't fathom that. Seriously, would you trade him straight up for Sanchez or Henne? And that's just in our division. Franchise guys are REALLY hard to come by...and sometimes a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Flame on... A little perspective: There are 23 Hall of Fame QBs from the modern era (1945 til now). 23 over 66 years... add in Favre, Brady, and Peyton who are locks and we have 26 over 66 years. Figuring a 10 year career avg., that means at any given time there are maybe 4 Hall of Famers playing (and 28 teams without a HOFer). We were lucky to have one. I hope we eventually get another, but 13 franchises have never had a hall of famer at QB. Sometimes it seems like posters think there are a few of them in each draft...if that were the case, then there would be like 132 to 198 Hall of Fame QBs instead of 23. Just because a guy isn't Brady or Manning doesn't mean that he sucks.

What the pundits don't know... They thought they saw old, uninspired hires, but Nix is the fix and Chan is the Man <We finally got some real football guys to run things> Unlike us fans who saw the day to day of the last dreadful decade, the Pundits aren't aware yet about the change in culture that is happening at One Bills Drive (the tougher, stronger, hard work, chip on their shoulder players being brought in; and the us against the world, loyalty, camaraderie, chemistry that is building not just among the players but throughout the entire organization, thanks to Chan and Buddy). And the Pundits still don't know that Fitzmagic is no illusion!

Couldn't be happier with this pick...Go Bills! I guess the team is serious about the hybrid too, think about it: Dareus-Williams-Edwards Dareus-Troup-Williams Dareus-Troup-Williams-Edwards Williams-Dareus-Troup-Edwards Carrington-Dareus-Williams-Edwards etc. And throw Kelsey and Johnson into the mix and all of a sudden the coaches have a ton of options, for every scenario, and to keep offenses guessing. If Troup and Carrington come on in their second year, we could have quite a D-line. And I Love that we got a guy who's mean, aggressive, and nasty--on the field, but not off. Welcome to Buffalo Big Man! This was definitely best case scenario for the Bills. Now let's kill the rest of the draft. Get 'er done Buddy!