Peter King ranks the Bills

[Beerball]

#31, beating out the Rams.

 

Also, some Lane Kiffin lameness...

Kiffin also defended his itinerant self with Kramer, who said to him: "When you came into Knoxville, the first thing that you preached was loyalty and togetherness. Now you're leaving a year later and there's no loyalty.'' Sounds familiar -- if you read this column. Said Kiffin: "I never once told any of those players I would be there forever. I never made the statement, 'I'm coming here, this is my dream job, I'm never leaving.' I never made those statements ... It's part of the business. You know, and as they get older they understand.''

POS

 

Good Merriman stuff on page 4

 

The New England Patriots have drafted five Gators since 2006, the first offseason Urban Meyer would have been able to give good advice to NFL coaches about his Florida players after taking over the job in 2005.

 

9. I think it's sad to report the death of 37-year-old Norman Hand, the defensive tackle who, 10 years ago, was a Haloti Ngata type, an athletic pile-pusher for the Saints and led a resurgence of the New Orleans D. Hand died of undisclosed causes the other day, and those who played with him will tell you he never minded doing the dirty work.

I wasn't aware...RIP

[BillsGuyInMalta]

I wasn't aware...RIP

Holy crap! I actually got to meet him at Giants camp back in 2004, we did an interview for a website I was working for at the time.

 

He was an incredibly nice guy, used to give away his gloves and cleats to the fans after every practice which apparently infuriated the Giants equipment crew.

 

That's so sad. May he rest in peace.

[LABills08]

Call me a perennial optimist, but I think King is way off.

 

For all intents and purposes, the Bills have improved from last year. Not much, but incrementally better. Shoot, by just replacing Jauron with someone else they already have won 1-2 more games in my book.

 

I agree with King, they have no one to throw the football. And unless a WR emerges outside of Evans, there won't be many options for the QB to throw the football to. But, so long as the transition to the 3-4 goes reasonably well, I can't imagine the Bills will have a worse record than last year.

[Hey Hey]

Call me a perennial optimist, but I think King is way off.

 

For all intents and purposes, the Bills have improved from last year. Not much, but incrementally better. Shoot, by just replacing Jauron with someone else they already have won 1-2 more games in my book.

 

I agree with King, they have no one to throw the football. And unless a WR emerges outside of Evans, there won't be many options for the QB to throw the football to. But, so long as the transition to the 3-4 goes reasonably well, I can't imagine the Bills will have a worse record than last year.

Yeah were not going to win the Superbowl but were not 31st either. F&$# King.

[Steely Dan]

#31, beating out the Rams.

 

Also, some Lane Kiffin lameness...

 

POS

 

Good Merriman stuff on page 4

 

 

 

 

I wasn't aware...RIP

 

I love the Lane Kiffin stuff. How about being there for at least the length of your contract?

[metzelaars_lives]

Just read his rankings. It's almost as if he picked names out of a hat. He has Carolina 8th and the Redskins 20th? Not sure about that. Green Bay 1? Their defense was a sieve in the playoff game last year and they allowed the most sacks in the league. Listen, they're better than the Bills, but 1st overall? Ahead of the Saints and the Colts? I liked Peter King so much more about 5-10 years ago, I'm not sure what happened to him. I put zero stock in stuff like this. In fact, my brother and I were talkin yesterday about the fact that we're certain the Bills WILL NOT bottom out and they will go 6-10 again. Which isn't good, but they are NOT a bottom 5 team in the league.

[Green Lightning]

Whatever.

 

Yet another reason why this board hates Peter King. His research is superficial and he writes whatever everyone else is saying. I don't take him seriously, but frankly I like where he has us. He's wrong and it will be a fun ride to see where we finish.

[erynthered]

#31, beating out the Rams.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wasn't aware...RIP

 

Hand died May 14, 2010 from heart disease, after collapsing at his house in Walterboro.

 

Wow. Heart diease at 37, how sad.

[grelit]

I disagree with King, I think we should be ranked #32.

[Gugny]

Eh .. who cares what skunk stripe thinks? It's easy to pick on the Bills. I don't think they're a bottom 5 team, and I do think they're going to be better than recent years. That said, the Jets, Pats and Fins are, too. Buffalo is officially in the toughest division in football, hands down. I think it's unfair for idiots like King to beat up on them; but it's fair to say that their record probably won't be great, having to play in the AFC East. But they play the games for a reason, and you never know. I am confident that the Bills will be a much more respectable team, and a much more formidable opponent on Sundays. And to me, that's forward progress and will define "success." Go Bills.

[Nostradamus]

If history is any indicator, we are closer to 21 than 31. However, I'd rather have us finish 2-14 than 6-10. Rock bottom might be a necessary condition for the franchise to turn things around. And that may be what Nix and Gailey were thinking when not adding why a QB or left tackle this season.

[Pitta]

If history is any indicator, we are closer to 21 than 31. However, I'd rather have us finish 2-14 than 6-10. Rock bottom might be a necessary condition for the franchise to turn things around. And that may be what Nix and Gailey were thinking when not adding why a QB or left tackle this season.

 

Why so we can get our franchise QB? That doesn't guarantee anything. I think you are wrong with Nix's and Gailey's mindset. Listen to Gailey talk, he wants to win. If we kept Jauron one more year I would agree but they are in win mode right now.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

From reading the foregoing posts, I'm thinking I now have the 2010 Buffalo Bills Motto: "We're Not a Bottom-Five Team."

[PS 56]

Call me a perennial optimist, but I think King is way off.

 

For all intents and purposes, the Bills have improved from last year. Not much, but incrementally better. Shoot, by just replacing Jauron with someone else they already have won 1-2 more games in my book.

 

I agree with King, they have no one to throw the football. And unless a WR emerges outside of Evans, there won't be many options for the QB to throw the football to. But, so long as the transition to the 3-4 goes reasonably well, I can't imagine the Bills will have a worse record than last year.

 

I'll join the optimists club. Its way more fun than predicting doom and gloom.

[metzelaars_lives]

From reading the foregoing posts, I'm thinking I now have the 2010 Buffalo Bills Motto: "We're Not a Bottom-Five Team."

 

Pretty much yeah.

[PromoTheRobot]

Call me a perennial optimist, but I think King is way off.

 

For all intents and purposes, the Bills have improved from last year. Not much, but incrementally better. Shoot, by just replacing Jauron with someone else they already have won 1-2 more games in my book.

 

I agree with King, they have no one to throw the football. And unless a WR emerges outside of Evans, there won't be many options for the QB to throw the football to. But, so long as the transition to the 3-4 goes reasonably well, I can't imagine the Bills will have a worse record than last year.

 

Agreed. Our draft rank makes us 9 from the bottom and we didn't get worse.

 

PTR

[John Cocktosten]

It's to bad Kiffen acts like a child because the guy is a really good coach. Look at what Jamarcus did with him and after he left. Jonathan Crompton was terrible QB for 3 years and Kiffen had him for a season and made him into a very solid QB who got drafted. He goes to USC and turns out the #1 recruting class including the #1 prospect in the country who had his bags packed for the U until Lane got there. I think USC wins the title in the next 2 years no doubt.

 

As far as the Bills being ranked #31....sounds about right to me. No QB, no LT, no WRs and no pass rushers....god the Rams must really suck.

[MattM]

Pats* fans are going to go absolutely nuts with him ranking them 14. Even I'd rank them more in the 11-12 range myself. He's usually such a Pats* homer that he must be trying to even things out somehow.....

[sllib olaffub]

If history is any indicator, we are closer to 21 than 31. However, I'd rather have us finish 2-14 than 6-10. Rock bottom might be a necessary condition for the franchise to turn things around. And that may be what Nix and Gailey were thinking when not adding why a QB or left tackle this season.

 

And this is a tough one that I've struggled with. Sure, if we don't stand a chance at winning the SuperBowl, then why not just finish last so we can get the QB we're lacking? It makes the most sense from a purely intellectual standpoint. However, this team is more than just numbers. Football is as much about heart as it is about points. We, as fans, want to see a team that plays to win, plays their #$^@'s off; we want to see a tough team, a team that opponents aren't going to want to face again. We want our team to be the one the rest of the AFC East dreads having to face twice... and to get to that place of identity and respectability again, I think it is important for this squad to go out this year and play hard, play with heart, like it is about being a team, winning despite the odds, etc., and if we finish 6-10 or 9-7 and miss the playoffs by a game, then we trade what we have to in order to get our QB next year. That's what I think - like the Jets did a few years back - if there is a guy we covet, then trade whatever we need to get that QB in here who we can build around.

[yungmack]

Let's see:

 

Last year, Jauron was head coach, your O-Coordinator is fired right before the season begins along with your starting LT, you're starting two rookies on the O-line at guard and an almost-rookie at LT, your line gets so beaten up that you wind up starting eleven different guys there, your receivers are the same underachieving group as always plus an AARP addition, the injury bug tears into your D at a frightening rate and your QB position is in turmoil all season long. And yet you win 6 and have at least 4 more in your hands.

 

This year: New GM, new HC and staff, including Bruce De Haven and what looks like a serious commitment in the strength department, your rookie linemen are a year older, you've drafted CJ Spiller, your HC has a well-deserved rep as a QB guru, your off-season FA signings seem, if not blockbusters then at least well-targeted and an upgrade, your defense is overhauled while returning some of your best D players, your draft (in my opinion) is one of the best you've ever had, and you just might have some very good receivers.

 

Sure, there are lots and lots of unknowns. But how in the world can a supposedly knowledgeable guy like King compare the execrable Bills of last season with the Bills of 2010 and think that they will be so much worse? To finish 31st would mean winning no more than 2 or 3 games. Really? The only way that happens is if Gailey and the players who make the roster are incredibly bad, that this whole change-of-regime is one of the worst mistakes in the history of the NFL, that every negative thing said about Nixley is true (and every positive thing is wrong).

 

Somehow, I don't think that's the case. 10-6, easy.