Bob Matthews: How The 2010 Bills Can Make The Playoffs

[Thurman#1]

Pretty good stuff.

 

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/articl...ke-the-playoffs

 

All sounds so possible. ;0)

[dwight in philly]

Pretty good stuff.

 

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/articl...ke-the-playoffs

 

All sounds so possible. ;0)

why not?, sure i am aware of the realities, but i like to watch every game as if there was hope. as much as i was optimistic during the jauron era, i have to admit that most games were unwatchable. i have been in on the bills since the inception, always view the "glass as half-full" , so as the season approaches i like to hear optimism and the afore-mentioned was nice to read.

[tennesseeboy]

Pie in the sky, but at least some of the predictions could come true. Gailey's game day coaching, the 3-4 working (coupled with a bunch of injured defensive players making a good recovery). The offensive line situation makes the qb stepping up, the #2 receiver panning out, and the creation of an awesome running game (despite great running back talent) a lot harder to predict. Special teams should be better with the change from April to Dehaven,( although I still think April is a very good special teams coach. Don't know what the hell happened last yearz0 A change is due.

 

I'm not too optimistic about the playoffs, but I'm holding to my nine game win stretch goal for this team this year.

[Ronin]

Saying that Gailey should be a better gameday coach than Jauron is like saying he'd be a better gameday coach than the autopilot in the movie Airplane.

 

It doesn't really shed a lot of light on things.

[Mr. WEO]

I was with ol' Bob after #1, but stoppeed reading after 2,3,4--figuring I had already read his punchline.

[DarthICE]

Brian Brohm will make the Green Bay Packers look dumb for letting him get away

 

That is the only way the QB situation gets resolved

[Ronin]

Brian Brohm will make the Green Bay Packers look dumb for letting him get away

 

That is the only way the QB situation gets resolved

Let's hope so. I definitely think he's the best on the team. If not, well, that would be pretty sad.

[tennesseeboy]

I think it is a crazy optimism on Matthews part, but its nice to see. And maybe some of it will come true.

[PromoTheRobot]

All ten things don't have to happen. I still don't see how this team is any worse than last years.

 

PTR

[Roc Bronson]

5—The offensive line will surprise and make critics eat their words. Demetrius Bell will be a better left tackle for the Bills than Jason Peters ever was.

 

Tho I hate the Eagles I watch them because of Peters, and if anyone else on this board have seen him play in Philly then you would agree his game is not that great. I have hope for Bell but I don't see this happenin'....

[billsfan in n.h]

i would be happy if a couple of those things happen and we end up with a winning record playoffs or not GO BILLS

[Numark]

2 & 5 are they key

[The Avenger]

I started reading that and realized he could have said the same thing about winning Powerball:

 

#1 - Pick a number between 1 and 60 - it could happen, right?

#2 - Pick a number between 1 and 60 - really - there's a chance it could happen

#3 - Pick a number.......

 

Know what almost always happens? You get 1, maybe 2 numbers and that gets you (drumroll pleae)....a big steaming bowl of SQUAT..........

[JÂy RÛßeÒ]

So you're sayin' there's a chance...

[HansLanda]

God, that's a lot of stuff that has to go right. Teams that are truly close usually need one or two, not upwards of a dozen.

 

The only thing I will say is if this team is bad, it won't be for too long given Chan's track record. In many respects he's the anti-Jauron when it comes to winning and losing.

[QB Bills]

So you're sayin' there's a chance...

Husband?!?! Wait a minute. What was all that one in a million talk?

[FLFan]

All ten things don't have to happen. I still don't see how this team is any worse than last years.

 

PTR

 

Agreed on both points. All the wish list items in this somewhat snarky piece do not have to come to pass for the Bills to be competitive. Its starts with coaching and they will be much better there - both player preperation and game planning. Staying relatively healthy is the next most important, especially on the lines where they are thinnest. After that, even average play from the O-Line and this team will surpirse people. I do not think any of the QB's are pro- bowl caliber, but I am hoping Brohm shows enough to win the job as I think he has the most potential.

[FLFan]

Brian Brohm will make the Green Bay Packers look dumb for letting him get away

 

That is the only way the QB situation gets resolved

 

Agreed. I do think this is entirely possible. People have been very quick to write him off because of his first two training camps with Green Bay, but this kid has loads of potential and it just mat be he needed time to get his head right and a fresh start. If he does not beat out Edwards for the job, I would be very disappointed. Trent simply does not have "it". Been true all the way through college and now his pro career. Not a winner, lacks leadership ability and mental toughness. Perhaps Gailey can make him serviceable, but he is not the answer.

[CodeMonkey]

All ten things don't have to happen. I still don't see how this team is any worse than last years.

 

PTR

Actually it is easy to see how there is a possibility for this team to have a worse record than last years.

1) More difficult schedule.

2) Almost completely new coaching staff.

3) New defensive scheme.

4) No starting caliber QB

5) Lost 2 starting receivers

6) Only addition of note is a rookie skatback.

 

There is no doubt that this team, on paper anyway, is marginally worse than last years.

The question is, can the new coaching staff, most notably the head coach, take essentially the same team that Jauron had and manage to do more with it. It won't be too long before we will begin to see if Jauron was as big of a problem as a lot of people thought, or not.

[The Dean]

I'm no fan of Bob Matthews. I figure he probably watches about 2 games a year, and is likely drunk before halftime. I have NO knowledge of this, and I'm strictly talking out of my ass. But I'm basing it on his total lack of insight into the game, and the ridiculous stuff he tends to write (both positive and negative) about the Bills.

 

Of course this is clearly NOT an optimistic article. Bob is basically saying Hell has to freeze over AND the stars all need to be properly realigned for the Bills to make the playoffs.

[Last Guy on the Bench]

All ten things don't have to happen. I still don't see how this team is any worse than last years.

 

PTR

 

I'm with you. I'm not exactly raging with optimism, but this team has won 7, 7, 7, and 6 games the last four years, and it's hard for me to see why this year they would be any worse than the scrappy semi-losers we've come to "love." The last few years they've been devastated by injuries, had questionable coaching, etc., and still have managed to win almost half their games. I doubt they'll make the playoffs, but I don't get all of these 2-4 win predictions. What amazing players did we lose?

[FLFan]

Actually it is easy to see how there is a possibility for this team to have a worse record than last years.

1) More difficult schedule.

2) Almost completely new coaching staff.

3) New defensive scheme.

4) No starting caliber QB

5) Lost 2 starting receivers

6) Only addition of note is a rookie skatback.

 

There is no doubt that this team, on paper anyway, is marginally worse than last years.

The question is, can the new coaching staff, most notably the head coach, take essentially the same team that Jauron had and manage to do more with it. It won't be too long before we will begin to see if Jauron was as big of a problem as a lot of people thought, or not.

 

You state these assertions as if they were fact when they are far from it.

 

Schedule - difficulty of schedule cannot be predicated on last years performance of any team. This is proven every year in the NFL.

New coaching staff - yes they must learn a new system, but this is entirly positive in my opinion given given the horrible job done by the last regime.

new defensice scheme - Yes, learning going on. On the other hand, Buffalo's soft defense under Jauron and Fewell was maddening to say the least. A question mark.

No starting caliber QB - Biggest question mark. Can Brohm thrive with increased maturity and solid coaching? Can Edwards be made seviceable by better coaching and game planning? far from a definitive answer at this point, despite the questions.

Lost 2 starting receivers - We lost two mediocre starting receivers. TO is past his prime and not the right answer here. Josh Reed has never been better than average as a slot receiver. Time to see what the younger guys can do.

Only addition of note ... - According to who? Can you predict how the Bills draft choices will play? They made a couple of solid veteran FA additions at LB and DL for the new scheme. Spiller is more than a scatback.

 

This team has question marks but it is far from fact that they are "marginally worse on paper". I like the direction and think there is no way this team is worse than last year. Playoffs - unlikely. Competitive and entertaining - very likley. We will soon see.

[GR8PRKN]

Love to see it happen... Lightening in a bottle, Chan metion what Miami was able to do 1-15 to AFC EAST champs ........ and he feels he can do it as well... I hope he is right....

[PromoTheRobot]

I'm no fan of Bob Matthews. I figure he probably watches about 2 games a year, and is likely drunk before halftime. I have NO knowledge of this, and I'm strictly talking out of my ass. But I'm basing it on his total lack of insight into the game, and the ridiculous stuff he tends to write (both positive and negative) about the Bills.

 

Of course this is clearly NOT an optimistic article. Bob is basically saying Hell has to freeze over AND the stars all need to be properly realigned for the Bills to make the playoffs.

I called Bob on his show today and challenged him to defend how the Bills could be considered the worst team in the NFL yet still win 6-7 games. He honestly does not see the contradiction. I think Bob equates fame with talent, too. Because there are no superstars on the Bills, that makes us the worst, in his opinion.

 

PTR

[Wing Man]

This team could be 6-10 again this year and still be a better team than last year. If they hit on six out of ten of these, they could win 7.

[BillsPhan]

Saying that Gailey should be a better gameday coach than Jauron is like saying he'd be a better gameday coach than the autopilot in the movie Airplane.

 

It doesn't really shed a lot of light on things.

 

Actually, the autopilot in Airplane smiled more then DJ, and was more "pumped up" in his job.

[Orton's Arm]

All ten things don't have to happen. I still don't see how this team is any worse than last years.

 

PTR

Below is a list of the ways in which this year's team will be worse than last year's.

 

1) The retirement of Aaron Schobel. He was the leading pass rusher on last year's defense--a defense which didn't always generate much pass rush other than him.

 

2) The loss of Terrell Owens. Last year, the Jets put Darrell Revis on TO. In their eyes at least, he was the best/most dangerous WR on the Bills' roster.

 

3) The retirement of Brad Butler. Admittedly he wasn't healthy for large portions of last season anyway. But a healthy Brad Butler has got to be better than an aging Cornell Greene.

 

4) The loss of Josh Reed. While last season wasn't Reed's best, previous years had seen him be very reliable in the slot.

 

5) The NT situation. Success in the 3-4 begins with the NT spot. Our two current players there are a rookie and a guy playing out of position.

 

6) The aging of guys like Stroud, Mitchell, etc.

 

7) Marshawn Lynch might be a disappointment this season. In time Spiller should pick up any slack that Lynch leaves. But rookie RBs are often questionable at blitz pickup and catching passes out of the backfield.

 

8) Jairus Byrd is unlikely to intercept quite as many passes as he did as a rookie. There were times when his turnovers made the difference between us winning and losing.

 

9) The Bills may not be handed easy wins this season, as they were against the Colts' backups last year.

 

Granted, there have been positive things to happen to this team to offset the negatives. My point here is that it's far from certain that the positives outweigh the negatives. Add in what appears to be a significantly tougher schedule, and upgraded division rivals, and it's far from clear that this year's Bills team will surpass the record of last year's team.

[thewildrabbit]

Calling Bob Mathews a moron is an insult to the morons of the world, he makes Dick Jauron look like a genius.

 

 

The Vegas odds for the Bills to win the super bowl this year are 100+ to 1, some are saying that it should be more like 250 to 1 because they aren't sure if the Bills will be in Buffalo or Toronto in two years.

 

20 to 1 to win the division this season, some think they won't win two games in the division.