MDH

The end of the last game is one of the things that was most concerning. When the O needed the D to get the stop they allowed the Panthers to run off 6 minutes of the clock and gouge them for decent gain after decent gain. They ground the D down. It was only Rivera's decision to kick the FG instead of going for it on 4th and 1 that saved the day for the D. It was actually reminiscent of the week before when the D allowed big late runs by the Pats that allowed them to get close enough for a short FG to win the game. Hey, I'm happy with the progress the D has made overall but they have to fix the run D and fast. It's a big problem in general and is exacerbated when you have a hurry up offense who doesn't stay on the field long. It means the Bills D is out there getting ground down forever and eventually they break down at the end of games because they're so tired.

True but the Jets' O goes against a D in practice that is very much like the Bills'. I'm not so sure Geno will be so surprised and rattled as most think. The X-factor here is how Manuel does in his first NFL road game. Winning on the road with a young team is hard as hell, even against bad teams. Unlike some posters I don't want Manuel to push the ball down field, I want him to play it safe and avoid the big turnover. If he does the Bills win.

The D played well most of the game but let's not forget that the O bailed out the D at the end of the game. That's the way it should be. Each side picks the other up when they falter. Nice to see for a change.

Yeah, let's hope EJ gets hit out of bounds late to set up a FG...

This game - and last week's - make me hate the Pats all the more. Somehow they can play horribly for pretty much the entire game yet come away with a win. Hell, even when the Bills play well they lose.

The Jets are filming that Patriots' practices?

You don't try and drain the clock with 5 minutes left in a 1 point game. You try to pick up first downs which means you have to throw the ball. I agree they should have nixed the hurry-up but the team would be getting even more flack if they just ran three times and punted.

How can you have nothing to complain about? They allowed the game winning drive. I agree that overall they looked better than the O but there are plenty of things they can improve upon - getting off the field on 3rd down would be a good start.

Who ever said he was "elite?" He's too inconsistent to be elite. He's a solid #1WR and that's about it.

The worst time of year usually occurs around mid-season, not opening day. By mid-season we all realize that the Bills suck and people start looking forward to the draft. This year will be a little different though. As long as EJ progresses and looks good it will give the fans hope that this thing is finally turning around.

Is there really a "whatever happened to..." post before a guy has even had a chance to play in his first regular season game? Give the guy a chance for crying out loud.

Parker wants Byrd to be paid like the best safety in the league. I'd imagine the best safety in the league is worth a mid-first round pick. Otherwise make Byrd play out his franchise deal. I don't see how Parker and Byrd think they're going to get a trade when Byrd has a lingering injury which is going to plague him all year. Who is going to trade for a player that they're not sure is going to suit up. Get on the field and play well and there might be trade options. Sit on the sidelines and complain and there will be none.

Actually, I think it is too bad. I'd rather him spend the rest of his life locked in a small room being used by the other inmates however they pleased. This is an easy out for him.

Nicely done.

This is pretty much my motto. I don't go out of my way to cook stuff my family doesn't like but I don't avoid the stuff either. Don't like it - tough. I've never made a separate meal for my (now) 9 year old either and consequently he's learned to eat all kinds of different foods instead of just chicken nuggets, pizza and burgers like many of the other kids his age. He eats pretty much anything and enjoys a nice meal (out or cooked at home) as much as anybody I know. How can anybody stomach liver of any kind I don't know. My Grandma used to make fried chicken livers all the time and while they are the singularly best smelling food in the entire world unfortunately they taste like ****

The Patriots D, even in the past few years, has been good enough to get the job done. If I'm not mistaken they've ranked in the top 10 in yards in the NFL the past 3 years and been close to that in points allowed as well. With Brady on O all they need is a respectable D to get the job done. So while not dominant they're good enough given what their O generally does. Had the Bills D ranked in the top 10 last year they might have made the playoffs.

The Bills have 10+ years of tape on Brady. So I guess that gives us the QB advantage?

I expect him to struggle plenty this year, all rookie QBs do. I also expect countless posters after he struggles to suggest he's a bust.

I hate the "looking back at last season" type of rational. It's not like any of these teams are the same as last year. Look at the Ravens. Who knows how good their D will be with more than half of them new starters. Their O was never very dynamic and Flacco is only lights out in the post season. I'm not impressed with the Ravens chances of getting back to the playoffs. As for Carolina it all depends on which Cam shows up. If its the bad Cam the Bills have a decent shot. The Pats? Even though they've lost a lot of weapons I don't think there's a chance in hell the Bills win unless Brady has a 5int day - and even then it would be a nail biter.

Not really. In order to break stories you have to have an inside source. To have an inside source you have to be only friendly terms with the source. The local guys have covered this team for 13 years of futility and consistently rip into the team for their failures. It's hard to cultivate sources for inside info when nobody likes you because you're ripping the team a new one.

This team needs 2 more CBs, a S to replace Byrd (unless he resigns next year), an OLB, and a G. Just as important as all that they need Manuel to get some seasoning and, well, prove the Bills right by drafting him in the 1st. Hell, if just that last thing happens the Bills will be in playoff contention next year. This year, I just don't see it. It's going to be a very rough start to the season but the second half should be a marked improvement as the young guys start to get a feel for things and Gilmore comes back.

The real issue here isn't the question of whether he's faking or not. That's just manufactured garbage people come up with in order to create a debate. The real issue is that he's not going to be able to practice. After missing all of training camp the only way for Byrd to get up to speed on the new D is in practice. If he can't practice I don't see any way of him being able to play in games - at least not effectively. It's not like he's spent his entire career in this D, knows it well and practice isn't that important to him. He needs all the reps he can get and he's not going to get them.

True, but what we do know is that the Bills are $23M under the cap this year. Personally, if they're that far under the cap I don't care if they slightly overpay a very good player in order to ensure that he doesn't get away or this type of distraction takes place. Now, if the Bills were utilizing the entire cap then I'd be all for the hardball approach but it would appear - based on their unwillingness to utilize the entire cap that they are allowed to - that they are simply being frugal. I'm not sure why fans give a rats-a$$ about "overpaying" a player when they're not anywhere near the cap and it's not the fans' money. I just want the quality players to be re-signed and in order to do that in Buffalo they're going to have to overpay.

Well, I haven't been at all the practices to evaluate the WRs but the coaching staff has. And in the pre-season they have Easley playing in the 4th quarter while Graham lined up across from Stevie in the starting lineup against Washington. To me that's a pretty good indication of what the coaching staff thinks of the guy. Whether he keeps that place remains to be seen but right now Graham appears to be much higher on the depth chart than Easley.