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Our Best Season in a Decade - some final thoughts


Big C

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Despite a lot of head-shaking moments and devastating losses, we finish the season 9-7. A season of coulda-shoulda, perhaps, but unquestionably our best season in a decade.

 

I can't imagine the Dougs going anywhere, and I think they earned another season. Hackett up for debate. Don't see Schwartz as a HC candidate this year.

 

Some final thoughts:

 

Offense:

-Spiller is good as gone. Where was he in the second half? I still can't figure out who's at fault here, but I eagerly await what happens with his next team.

-Freddy is still shifty as ever, but next year will likely be his last. Are we content with Boobie and Bryce as his backups/successors? I like both, and feel an upgrade to OL will open things up for Brown in particular.

-I have no idea what the plan is at QB going into next year.

-Disappointed we couldn't get Sammy his 1000, but I love the kid and I can't wait to see him and Woods grow together over the coming years. OBJ has been a menace, but we were never going to draft him and I think in the end Sammy will be everything we expected of him when we traded up for him.

-Hogan was fun to bag on in the preseason, but I am pleasantly surprised with how he came into his own this year. He is a legitimate slot receiver.

-MarQuies Gray looks pretty good. A FB who can catch out of the backfield, a la Bruce Miller. Good pick up by Whaley. I don't miss Summers at all.

-OG and QB are clearly the biggest needs on this team. I thought Urbik at OG was going to be fine - thought he was good last year - whoops! I assume Chris Williams gets another shot (no idea what the contract dictates, but I think we plan to keep him on board). Cyril Richardson didn't seem to suck in his short time out there today, but he probably is just going to be a depth guy for us. Several great starting OGs have gone in the second and third the past few years and I hope Whaley hits on one.

-I won't give Whaley too much crap for Cyrus. Give him another offseason and see if we have anything at all there. Sammy, Preston and Seantrel were productive starters and outside of QB the roster was already solid.

 

Defense:

-Really hoping we bring Hughes back, and I think we will. His motor just keeps running.

-Run defense was much better today despite not have Dareus. Wynn was surprisingly good inside and I like his depth; he can be re-signed for cheap and I expect it.

-Stefan Charles will replace KW when his time comes (hopefully not for another 2-3 years). I like him a lot.

-Gilmore is always a late bloomer. Every year he seems to start slow and then lockdown (granted he was hurt at the beginning of last season). I really hope next year he is hot from the start.

-Searcy and Duke are both good safeties to keep around. Searcy will be inexpensive, Duke still working on his rookie contract of course. After that terrible PI, Duke really grew as a player. He is especially good against the run.

-AW was not particularly great this year, but I still like him better than Byrd. He is a little too aggressive pursuing runners in the open field, resulting in a lot of missed tackles, but outside of that I like his phyical play and leadership.

-Corey Graham had a career year. Wonder what the plan is with a healthy trio next year. They gave the nod to Leo, but I think Graham earned a starting spot. Nothing wrong with great depth.

-Brooks is a great gunner. Good for a 4th CB, big hitter and sure tackler. Lots of people giving him crap today, undeserved. He is our 4th string CB (not including Robey as they slot guy) and I'll take it.

-Robey is a fantastic slot corner. Not a lot of eye-popping plays like last year, but quietly reliable all season.

 

Special Teams:

-The "core special team players" thing was really true, wasn't it? We got much better this year.

-Congrats to Carpenter on setting a new franchise single season FG record. Dude is money.

-I don't mind having a kickoff specialist, but a kickoff specialist needs to be better than Gay was this year. His directional kicks and onside kicks were garbage. Why don't we just use Schmidt for kickoffs?

Edited by Big C
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Spiller missed two blocks on Jamie Collins - TWO - on the sack/fumble, and didn't see the field again as far as I know.

 

Worse, he missed the second because he gave up on the play. If you try but fail because you suck, fine, but if you stop trying? Unacceptable.

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Accurate. That's why he was benched.

 

That said, Orton is such a kitty cat. I've never seen a QB look backwards like that before.

 

Looking to see where the pressure was coming from or if he was going to get blasted? Yeah, that's a bad play. Sorry but any QB playing with CJ in pass protection and behind this line, as far I as I am concerned, has every right and responsibility to "look out" for where he's getting killed from. It's PTSD... post traumatic sack disorder.

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If the Bills bring back Marrone then we can expect the same boring type of offense, we need to improve the running back position.We need a play making running back and Fred Jackson (great guy) just father time has caught up with this guy, look at how long it takes him to get to the line of scrimmage.The guy is slow and beat down, keep him for another year as a role player only and bring another option in as your feature back.

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If the Bills bring back Marrone then we can expect the same boring type of offense, we need to improve the running back position.We need a play making running back and Fred Jackson (great guy) just father time has caught up with this guy, look at how long it takes him to get to the line of scrimmage.The guy is slow and beat down, keep him for another year as a role player only and bring another option in as your feature back.

 

I stll think they are looking for Bryce to be that guy. Spiller was given one more year to show us what he's got and he didn't show much. Granted, Bryce didn't look great either, but I still like his upside.

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Accurate. That's why he was benched.

 

That said, Orton is such a kitty cat. I've never seen a QB look backwards like that before.

 

If CJ makes himself available Orton simply pitches him the ball thats simply football and awareness on CJs part considering the defender was on the ground at that time

 

Ugh. I really hope they have another plan

 

Considering Orton was at 3000 yards at the 12 games mark 18 tds and 64% completion mark and was not even in training camp minicamp with us .We had Oline issues and no running game and youth and inexperience at the wideout spots .

 

Shouldnt you be going ughh if that plan wasnt at least considered now something better might come along but it has to be considered

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If CJ makes himself available Orton simply pitches him the ball thats simply football and awareness on CJs part considering the defender was on the ground at that time

Yep, Orton wasn't "disoriented", he was looking for CJ to dump the ball to him.

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Accurate. That's why he was benched.

 

That said, Orton is such a kitty cat. I've never seen a QB look backwards like that before.

 

BACKWARDS! WTF?!? Likewise never seen anything like that. Not even Pop Warner. Why? Because the options are UPFIELD!

Bad enough his footwork is worse than a toddler, BACKWARDS???

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BACKWARDS! WTF?!? Likewise never seen anything like that. Not even Pop Warner. Why? Because the options are UPFIELD!

Bad enough his footwork is worse than a toddler, BACKWARDS???

 

this is the epitome of silliness

 

If Orton is slipping the tackle of defender who should be blocked by CJ when he rights himself hes looking for CJ because a simple flip or shuffle pass to his right side was the simplest pass to make . The problem was CJ had already given up on the play .

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Ugh. I really hope they have another plan

 

Look at available QBs landscape, it's filled with with nobody better if ask me. There's no one in UFA I could argue is better than Orton and in terms of trades, I doubt Bradford will be available as the Rams don't have anyone better and guys like RGIII and Cutler being available don't thrill me. One name that intrigues me that could be is Nick Foles as think Sanchez will get a 2-3 year deal as he was brought in by Kelly and performed well. Yet the question is what would it take to get Foles from Philly? If it was for EJ (since it was rumored the Eagles liked him on draft day) and a low (see 5th, 6th or 7th rounder). I'd do it or maybe we could package Spiller to them as was also rumor they linked him this past preseason too. Yet Spiller is under an option year so no guaranteeing he accepts it as he could chose not to and run for greener pastures or some place where he could be the guy (see Indy).

Edited by The Jokeman
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Going into next year, RB and offensive line are the two biggest needs on offense.

If everything is correct salary cap-wise, Mike Williams' release and the assumed release of pears, we should have quite a bit of money to play with. Once officially allowed to play, I'd love to get Adrian Peterson! I think he will be next years comeback player of the year. Get a couple linemen in the draft and maybe a Clint Bolings, bring in additional offensive coaching help...we shouldn't be thinking wild card we should be thinking AFC east champs

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