MDH

Great players produce. I won't argue that those guys were all talented as hell but only a few of them really produced: Bruce, Talley, Henry and Odomes. I loved Biscuit but his hype was bigger than his game and the same goes for Conlan (even more so). That’s not to say that they were bad, just not as good as advertised. Sam Cowart, during his time in Buffalo, was better than any of those LBs (including Talley) and it's not even close. Granted, Cowart's time in Buffalo was short due to his injury but that doesn't lessen the impact he had on the games he played. Before his injury Cowart was on his way to becoming a dominant LB (alla Ray Lewis). He was that good. Hanson was a guy that was pretty good against the run but people have built him into a much better player than he actually was. The guy had one of the all time great DEs on the opposite side of him which guaranteed that he'd never see a double team and he still couldn't get the pressure or sacks that Schobel wracks up. Schobel isn’t quite as good as Hanson against the run but he’s not bad either. I'm sure there are guys from the pre-80s days (which is really as far back as my knowledge extends) who were better than many of those players as well.

Based on how many defensive players that people list from the so called "glory years" one would think that D would have been dominant. If that D was dominant the Bills would have a few SB titles under their belts. I think that a few people have romanticized that team a little bit.

To me, this is akin to saying that you liked a book when you only read the reviews. Sure, you'll be informed about the book and will know the story and some of the themeatic value, but that doesn't mean that you would have agreed with the reviewer's opinion of the book (or perhaps gotten something else entirely out of it.) There are things you just can't get from reading someone else's opinion about a subject. That first hand experience is essential in formulating your own, informed, opinion.

That's not what I'm saying at all. Obviously, everybody who watches the games doesn't see the same thing and doesn't form the same opinion. In addition, everybody who watches the games also has a different knowledge base from which to form these opinions. Forming an opinion that I would consider as valid requires two things: A solid base of football knowledge and careful analysis (or in the casual fans case, careful viewing) of the football game. Obviously the degree in which these two things occur determines how much I value an opinion. If someone like Jaws breaks down game footage I’ll value his opinion more than someone who has watched football all his life and watches all the games a single time (although the latter could certainly still have a valid opinion). If someone doesn’t have much knowledge or doesn’t see the game I’ll just throw their opinion in the garbage.

I don't root for another team so much as for certain players that play for those teams. Players that, for one reason or another, I've taken to liking. For instance, I've been an LT fan for years. I just love watching the guy play and think he's a class act on top of it. I don't have any love for the Chargers but if the Bills weren't in the playoffs I'd likely root for the Chargers in any games they played.

Anybody who reads the paper, reads these boards and watches highlights can safely claim the above. But it doesn't substitute for actually watching the kid play and then forming an opinion. Hell, my wife, who hasn’t watched a down of football this year could say the same thing just based off what she overhears me say from the other room. Would her opinion really be a valid one on this matter?

You're not telling me anything new here, like many here I played football and have watched it my entire life. But take a look at all the stuff above. Guess what, it's all visual. It can't be gleaned from stats, play by play on NFL.com or by listening to the radio (which I don't think you do anyway). This is exactly why your opinion on the mater really isn't valid (even if I do happen to agree with it). I’m not trying to bash you. I think you’re a bright enough guy but your opinion on all things pertaining to what happens on the field when the Buffalo Bills play means exactly zero to me. Watch the games, formulate an opinion based off of first hand analysis and then I’ll be more than happy to think your opinion is a valid one.

Everybody likes to tell these guys to go to hell when they criticize the Bills, I'll go ahead and do it when they're complimentary. FU Mort.

Again, without having seen the Bills play even once this year how are you getting a "feeling for the flow of the contest." I must be missing something here because this makes no sense, whatsoever, to me.

Once you actually see a Buffalo Bills football game I'll start listening to your opinion concerning the Bills and their players. You've seen, what, 2-3 games in the past 2 seasons and none this year? How exactly do you formulate these opinions?

Why don't all those other average DEs pad their sack totals too? I mean, if it's so easy to do they should just go ahead and do it. And while we're on it, why don't the good/great DEs pad their sack totals? Man, this padding your sack total seems so easy. If Merriman would just do it he'd break the single season record.

Which is why I said "at this point". His last two games were pretty good but having two good games in a season doesn't give me a lot of hope. Let's see how he finishes the season.

Take another look at the game yesterday. Pennington threw a few nice 15-20 yard outs, one to Coles that was just beautiful. Pennington's struggles yesterday had nothing to do with his arm. I was expecting it to be much, much worse.

Spikes is not a quality LB at this point and Crowell is borderline. Everybody wants to point to the DTs as the reason that the run D has struggled but it has been the LBs fault as well. Ellison is great in coverage but I'm not willing to put all our eggs in his basket and hope he's a legit NFL starter (though I do like what I've seen from him). I wouldn't mind the Bills taking a run at Briggs this offseason. The Bills have to sign Fletcher and Clements. If they let both go they'll be starting almost from scratch on the D again and you'll see another 6 player defensive draft with minimal results next year. You can't lose 2 of your best 3 D players and expect to field a solid unit the following year.

This is what as know, class, as "irony."

You better fix "resigned" pronto before the Nazis jump all over you. You'll get more grief for this than thinking the Bills have a shot at the playoffs.

You have to find a QB rating calculator and do it yourself. You can find loads of 'em by using a certain search engine...

LT is just a god out there. I don't think I've ever seen a better RB in my lifetime.

He's slightly above average.

Thy didn't single team him. They had a back helping Ferguson on almost every pass play.

I don't think you have a clue what an "average" DE looks like if you think Schobel is slightly above average.

I've noticed that every time the D plays well this year that Ellison is on the field. He's, by far, the best LB in coverage and seems to always been around the ball, even when he's not in on a tackle. The Bills need to find a way to get him on the field more next year.

I don't predict the future I'm just commenting on what I saw today.

Yeah, his first sack didn't have any impact on the game. Schobel has played very well today, from start to finish. Actually, he's played well all season long. The guy is a very good DE, I have no clue why people want to hate on him.

Actually I came away with just the opposite opinion today. Pennington thew a few 15-20 yard outs strongly today. His arm is in much better condition that I thought. It's not strong by NFL standards but he can make all the throws, which is all you need.