MDH

This is key. I've talked to a lot of people in London (where we moved 10 months ago) and when American football is brought up they almost all universally say, "how can you watch that with all the commercials?" and I can't say I disagree with them. I'm leaning towards believing it's arrogance, plain and simple. We like to believe we're better than the rest of the world and that includes ridiculing the sport the rest of the world loves. Granted, it goes both ways.

I'm not giving him a mulligan this season. I'll cut him some slack on the 1st half of the season due to injuries and the QB situation but there's no reason to give him a mulligan on the 2nd half. I want to see some improvement and more consistency from all units. I want to see more than 3 wins. The team is healthy and the schedule is relatively easy - let's see some wins. Go 4-3 in the last 7 with most/all the games being well played/competitive and I'll say it's a season to build on - particularly if EJ shows improvement. Personnel problems are now Marrone's fault? Nobody knows how much input he has so laying that at his feet is a bit unfair.

"McCarthy used a “marital aid” to sexually batter the woman, the report states. She gotten beaten by a dildo. That's gotta hurt your pride almost as much as your body.

I'm still trying to figure out why Peyton Manning didn't play the entire 2011 season. He did the team zero good on the sideline.

I'm guessing it'll be Thad but I'd rather see Tuel. Tuel had a sense for the rush and got the ball out of his hands quickly. Sensing the rush is something that really can't be taught. Sure he was erratic on some of his throws but so is Lewis and Thad is a nightmare in the pocket and tries to do too much and it ends up costing the Bills in both turnovers and negative plays. One of the reasons the offense was more successful yesterday was that they were able to get out of 3rd and long situations by avoiding sacks and holding penalties (which are caused, many times, by the QB holding the ball too long.) Don't let Tuel throw 39 times and you'll see a more effective offense that doesn't turn the ball over too often.

I think the real question is why aren't they more versatile at the goal line even when running the ball. They pretty much go with old school student body right and student body left. They never do QB sneaks, never use misdirection and go wide, never hand it off to the fullback in a two back set, never have the QB bootleg. They pretty much never do anything other than stuff it in there between the tackles. Now, I'm all for stuffing it up between the tackles but if the D knows that it's all you do, it makes it much easier to stop. They simply crash the line and don't both defending the rest of the field. The Bills need to force them to defend the entire field and once they do that the middle will also open up.

What's a catch? Hold onto the ball the entire way through and don't let it touch the ground at any point. Do that and you're guaranteed a catch. Anything else and it's going to be a judgement call. Fans aren't going to always like those judgement calls but that's life.

It's all window dressing until the W's start coming in. There are plenty fiery, competitive guys who ended up not cutting it as a HC.

The Bills have been making critical mistakes at important moments to lose games for over a decade. This franchise has mastered the art of pulling defeat out of the jaws of victory. This isn't new and it isn't likely to end until we get consistently good play out of the QB position.

It was a bad decision but I doubt it cost the Bills a chance at the playoffs. This team wasn't getting to the post season this year though I'd hoped that they'd be farther along than 9 games before I abandoned hope.

I love the hate for Gilmore still. The Chiefs could sustain nothing on offense because they couldn't push the ball down field and couldn't consistently pick up 3rd downs. Gilmore allowed 5-6 catches, all short, all in front of him where he moved forward and made the tackle easily. Bowe averaged less than 10 yards per reception with a long of 12 yards. You give up those types of receptions all day and make Alex Smith make 10+ plays to beat you. Gilmore, and the D, did a great job. It boggles my mind that you continue your crusade against certain players but I expect it from you. It's like you expect the guy to never give up receptions and when he does you're right there to jump on him as if he sucks.

I'm curious which QBs, in the history of the NFL, proved that they were hands down the future at the position for their team after 4.5 games? If the Bills want to pick up a QB in the mid rounds next year I'm all for it but they most certainly shouldn't blow a high round pick on one until EJ has a chance to improve and get a feel for the pro game. What's the point of drafting EJ if you're not going to give him the playing time to develop? The front office knew the QBs that were coming out this year and still pulled the trigger on EJ. If they have any confidence in their own abilities as talent evaporators (and I'm sure they do) they won't be selecting a QB early next year. More than anything I want to see a veteran brought in to shore up the backup spot and be someone EJ can rely on in the film room and the sideline.

The deep ball is the easiest read to make. You read the safety and if you've got man on the go route you throw it up. It's one of the reasons they went back to it time and time again - it's an easy read with a low percentage chance of a pick as long as the WR fights for the ball. At the goal line it's a matter of risk vs. reward. You play it safe and put the game in the hands of your OL and Freddie. With a young QB, particularly one like Tuel, you minimize his impact on the game. You take the ball out of his hands at key moments because he can't be trusted to make quality plays/reads.

That's why you don't do it with a rookie QB in his first game starting. It obviously wasn't the right call because their young QB wasn't able to make the correct read.

He Then he'd see a co-worker going to the correct house and he'd get in his way preventing him from making the delivery.

I'm of the opinion that you still run it 3 times unless you have a QB back there that you really trust. If you're going to throw it with a young QB you match up your big WR on the outside and throw a fade on 1st or 2nd down. Unfortunately the Bills don't have a big WR so just run the damn ball.

Why does this team never run a QB sneak? I don't think I've ever seen a QB injured on a QB sneak before so "protecting the QB" goes out the window as one of the reasons.

Yep, those types of numbers are how you play with a young QB and win (well, unless you have Andrew Luck or Griffin.) It's all about minimizing mistakes. You don't let a guy drop back and throw i 39 times like they did with Tuel today. They were within one score all the way up until the end, it's not like they were playing catch up.

Look at Geno's numbers. 8/19 for 115 yards no TDs no INTs. That's how you protect a young QB and come out on the other side with wins. Tuel put it up 39 times and Bills fans are blaming him for the loss. The guy is an undrafted FA QB, you simply can not have him throw it 39 times and expect him to not have some dumb, game changing mistakes.

That's what every team says but the Chiefs don't turn it over and cause turnovers every game. It's a recipe for winning in the NFL if you can do it with consistency. The problem will come in the playoffs when they have a game where they don't force the turnovers.

I like the call if you're going to kick the FG if you get enough yards. Why they called it then went for it on 4th down is beyond me.

Not sure why you don't kick the 52 yard FG there.

Not many teams can run for 220+ yards, out gain your opponent by over 200 yards and lose by 2 scores. It takes a special dysfunctional franchise to do something like that.

D has played outstanding today but they can't allow this drive at this time. They come up small at the end of games all the time (Miami being the exception.)

It won't be overturned but it's a good challenge. It's worth taking a flyer on.