Got_Wood

I guess it's not official, but it was inferred in this article on Rumblings... http://www.buffalorumblings.com/2010/11/17/1820008/bills-vs-bengals-c-j-spiller-shawne-merriman-wont-play

If he lights it up out there, I'm going to question George Edwards talent evaluation abilities more than I already do. I just have a feeling this kid is going to crack some heads out there.

I agree that this group is a scrappy bunch. But these guys still don't know how to close out games, and bury opponents. They almost let that one slip away against the Lions in the final seconds of the game. The defense fights hard, but they're still lost at crucial points in the game. Opposing offenses know where are weaknesses are and exploit them. In my opinion, we're lacking a few of the important pieces we need to become winners. As you can see in the NFL this year, any team has a chance to win on any given week. And it's those few playmakers that make the difference in a close game. (Santonio Holmes has carried the Jets to close wins, Troy Palamalu has made big plays on defense to get the Steelers a couple wins, Mike Vick has been a major catalyst in Philly, Hakeem Nicks has made some impossible grabs to carry the Giants to wins, etc etc.) The positions that stand out the most to me are DE/OLB (we need 2 effective pass rushers), another run stopping MLB/ILB, Right Offensive tackle, and Tight End. I would say QB, because Fitz is a fringe player, teetering on dependable and unreliable. His accuracy suffers because he has to put more effort into throwing the ball with velocity. And he suffers mental lapses at times. But he is a fierce competitor, and gives it his all on every play. Not to mention his ability to run with the ball. I like him a lot, and I'm proud to call him a Bill. But his ceiling is below that of the elite players in this league (Brady, Manning, Ryan, Roethlisberger, Rodgers, Brees, Rivers, etc.) because of his athleticism and arm strength. I still think we need to take the BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE in next years draft. Not just some QB we think will be the next great franchise guy. There may be a lineman there like Da'Quan Bowers or Marcell Dareus that will bring much more to the table in the grand scheme of things. Fitz has the ability to lead this offense over the next couple years if we let him. Looking forward to watching this team grow over the next couple years

Yeah, and if you add a youtube link it embeds the video in the thread also. Pretty nice.

I call BS on that as well. I've been to this stadium, and it's just fine. If it were to host a Super Bowl, they could do some improvements to the existing structure. The more Roger Goodell talks, the more he sounds like he's leading the game in the wrong direction.

New stadiums are not the answer to increased profits for the NFL. Taxpayers don't want it and can't afford it, the difference in revenue is minimal considering they don't sell out all of the new luxury boxes they end up building into the new designs, and most franchises can't produce the $1 billion plus price tag that Indy, NYC, and Dallas put together and the debt that comes along with it. Current stadiums can be remodeled and expanded to get whatever outcome the team needs. All of this talk of expansion is ridiculous. Goodell will be lucky to keep the 32 teams he has right now afloat in these current economic conditions. They need to stop worrying about growth, and start worrying about the current product they're putting out on the field.

I would love to see Spiller and Nelson (both Nelson's for that matter) have a huge game this weekend. I actually think Spiller IS one of the fastest guys on the field. But the gap between him and the next fastest guy isn't as big as it was in college. As we saw in Spiller's buddy and former teammate Jacoby Ford, these guys can burn people in the pros too. All it takes is a couple guys missing tackles, and Spiller is GONE. We'll always have the threat of a home run when CJ is on the field. I hope to see it this weekend!

I hope this game gets CJ pumped up a little. And I also hope that Chan gives him the opportunity to showcase himself a little more than usual. I thought he looked pretty good between the tackles last week in the limited time he got out there. This could be one of those games that gets young Spiller over the hump.

Now that Davis is out for the season, this changes things a bit. First of all, let's activate Maybin. Ok George?? It's time to get this guy back on the field and see what he's worth. Try a lineup like this and see what we can do... LOLB: Maybin LILB: Moats RILB: Poz ROLB: Merriman Athletic group, quick, and may actually be able to keep outside contain. I'm tired of Kelsay's disappearing act, Torbor can't shed a block, and Ayodele is just a good special teams guy. Time to move on.

Yeah, I think fans should be careful in thinking that all of this teams players are garbage when the team is 0-8. There are some very good pieces in place on this team. And there is no reason to throw these players away and continue to build from the ground up.

Sorry man, Poz is too good of a piece to let go. He's not a star, but the guy is productive. The OLB's are making Poz look a lot worse than he is. Poz needs to be locked up long term, and we need to cut our losses with Kelsay after this season. It's hard to admit a mistake, but these guys NEED to let Kelsay go.

I agree, that if a guy like Luck is there for us, we have to take him. But I'm not sure it would be best to take anyone else that high. Mallett and Cam Newton look like intriguing options. But not in the top 5 picks. Fitzpatrick can win us some games with a better O-line, and a defense that can generate some turnovers.

1. Recognize where the talent is on this team and lock it up long term. That includes these players: - Paul Posluszny - Steve Johnson - David Nelson - Roscoe Parrish - Kyle Williams - Demetrius Bell (sign him for a modest contract now while he's still modest. could be the RT of the future) 2. Look to the future, and purge the past from this team. That includes these players: - Chris Kelsay (sorry, admit the mistake and move on this offseason) - John McCargo (not sure why he's still on the team if he's not getting opportunities) - John Corto (love that he's from the area, but we need productive guys with versatility. Wilson fills this role for us) - Keith Ellison (he's been here too long for his production level) 3. Give our young guys some playing time. - Aaron Maybin - not sure what we're learning from watching him rot on the bench. He needs time on the field. No more trying to salvage games with guys like Ayodele and Torbor. - Alex Carrington - another mysterious scratch considering the run defense is so bad right now. - Alternate Moats & Maybin in Kelsay's spot. Once again, I can't stand to watch this guy run around on the field for the Bills any longer. Kelsay may be a stand up guy that has earned the respect of the players and coaches, but you have to PRODUCE on the field to stay here for this long. 4. Start looking at Defensive Coaches today. George Edwards is not the man for this job. Players consistently look confused in their assignments, we're not getting pressure on the QB, we're not getting INT's or forced fumbles, and we're not stopping the run. We need a true leader, a general for this defense. Someone who knows what they want out of their defensive unit, and demands it of his players. 5. Non-football related... We keep hearing about Kelly's ownership group over and over again. Ralph needs to step up to the plate here and make a bold move. If he truly is committed to the future of football in Buffalo, he would at least open up the conversation of a minority ownership group. Get these guys involved now, and the chances of football staying in Western New York go up exponentially. And the truth of the matter is, the Western New York market is just as big as the majority of NFL markets. If you include Rochester, Niagara, Syracuse (should be included), and southern Ontario/Toronto, this football market is massive. Just as the Patriots don't just cover Boston, MA, but the entire "New England" area. That may end up being the answer to all of this franchise's problems in the future. Regionalize the team, and call them "Western New York" or something related. Locations could include Buffalo, Niagara, Batavia, or even Rochester. Not to alarm anyone here, but the future of the team may involve a big move like this. There are no "guarantees" in this dog-eat-dog NFL landscape. Even a city as big as Boston plays their games in Foxborough (I urge you to read this brief excerpt on the recent history of the Patriots and their near move to Hartford, CT. Click here and read the "History" section). Whatever it takes to keep the team here, I think they have to at least look at it as a possibility.

I agree about this play. I was really pissed off to see Cutler basically standing outside the pocket on the left and just waiting until someone got open. You can't play it safe on 3rd and 10 when the game's on the line. Pressure the QB, and trust that your DB's will make the play if the QB gets the ball off. And I agree with you on Edwards. The way he's using our players is really confusing. And his inability to get creative in blitz packages is really frustrating. Jay Cutler is an erratic QB when under pressure, and tends to throw lots of interceptions. We didn't do our job defensively in making that happen.

You should look up Da'Quan Bowers, Marcell Dareus, Nick Fairley, and Adrian Clayborn. Big time prospects on the defensive side of the ball, and they would help this team out in a BIG way.

Here is why I think Edwards isn't pulling his weight. Take a look at the Packers. They were in a VERY similar situation to the Bills two seasons ago. They switched from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense and hired a new defensive coordinator in Dom Capers. In addition, they lost their best pass rusher in Aaron Kampman, and drafted a big NT in Raji. You could say the Bills pulled almost identical moves in hiring a new DC in George Edwards, letting go of Aaron Schobel, and drafting a big NT in Troup (although Raji was a more highly touted prospect). Anyway, take a look at what their defense did in ONE season. 2008 (before switch to 3-4 defense): 23rd in the league 2009 (after switch to 3-4 defense): 7th in the league I know this isn't an apples to apples comparison, but it's close enough. Sorry, but George Edwards isn't getting the job done. We've gotten worse against the run AND the pass. We can't create turnovers, players consistently look like they don't know their assignments, and we can't decide on what formation to run. He's got to improve by a lot, or he's a goner. As Jerry Glanville once said, the NFL stands for "Not For Long".

Well done

One of my favorite commercials of all time... ... oddly enough, he's playing in snow for part of the commercial.

I agree with you somewhat. At least get Carrington in the rotation to get him game experience. I'd like to see us at least try a lineup like this in a 3-4 for part of a game: Carrington - Troup - Williams Moats - Davis - Poz - Merriman That would peak my interest.

This has been a long time coming. The topic of conversation has been burned out among Chargers fans. Shawn still thinks he's a franchise player, but his injuries (and lack of steroids) have brought him down to earth. He lost a bit a speed and strength, and that has turned him into a marginally good player. He also strikes me as a player that wants to play in a big city like New York, Miami, Dallas, etc. He seems to enjoy his own celebrity. On the Bills, he could likely be a big boost though. At this point he has something to prove. People think he's past his prime and burned out. But I think in the right situation, he could be a good player again. The problem is, does George Edwards know what to do with him? We haven't been running a 3-4, so do we switch back to that formation? I haven't been impressed with what Edwards has shown thus far...

I don't see him being that much different than Justin Smith: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5451 He's a little shorter and stouter, but just as athletic. He's got the best pass rushing ability on the team, and he's probably our most athletic lineman. I'll ask you this... what the hell do we have to lose here?

It's almost like they're doing it on purpose...

Exactly. What is the downside of this formation? It can't get any worse. I actually think that Carrington and Williams will be better at holding the edge than Kelsay and Edwards. The front four I listed are the most talented lineman we have in my opinion. Would love to see them all out there at once.

I hear Chan still prefers faxes

We have ONE interception this year. That's unbelievably pathetic. And the only reason we're ranked higher in passing yards against is because teams run it down our throat for the majority of the game. And we're ranked in the bottom 2 teams with 15 passing TD's against this year. Only the Jaguars have a worse number. So to answer your question, YES we are one of the worst defenses in the league against the run AND against the pass.