[OT] Bills discussion

[Corp000085]

With the Bills 3 and 0 we have decided to try a pinned bills discussion thread over here. It is OT, and we don't have an OT forum at the moment, so keep the bills chatter here.

 

 

Let me be the first to comment here on Edwards. Are you friggin kidding me? He is as clutch as clutch can be. The bills looked absolutely horrible for the first 3 quarters. The d looked far worse than it had in the first two games, but it kept the team in the game. Those last 5 minutes were simply unreal to watch. Absolutely ridiculous.

 

 

By the way, we'll keep this thread pinned for as long as it gets activity. If the bills talk dies down here, we'll unpin it, for as great as the bills are right now, this is a hockey forum first. GO BILLS!

[JujuFish]

I am now beginning to Billieve that we have found our successor to Jim Kelly. This kid is just plain unreal right now.

[JohnRobertEichel]

I am now beginning to Billieve that we have found our successor to Jim Kelly. This kid is just plain unreal right now.

 

KELLY...Collins, Flutie, Johnson, Bledsoe, Losman...EDWARDS

 

Is the search finally over? I think so!

[PASabreFan]

You gotta wonder if the Leon Lett performance by the Raider who scored their final TD just pissed off the Bills enough to not throw in the towel.

 

I'm not crazy about the decision to defer when winning the toss. It definitely backfired today. With the Bills' return game, you're more often than not going to get good field position and a good chance to take an early lead. A little overcoaching there, if you ask me.

 

Anyone else reminded of the 06-07 Sabres? No business winning a game.

[SabresFan526]

I was quite skeptical of Edwards going into the season, but he's totally proven me wrong. He's the real deal. And, he does actually have the arm strength to complete deep throws, and unlike Losman gets rid of the ball and always makes smart decisions with the football. The Bills defense kept them in the game, and the Raiders defense decided not to show up and play defense in the fourth quarter. Big win for Buffalo. Another comeback. I love it!

[carpandean]

I said to my girlfriend even before they took the lead that as good as their performance has looked is for the prospects of this season, Trent Edwards' performance means even more for the future of the team. The kid is 24 and in his first starting season, but looks like a veteran when the chips are down late in the game. I've always been jealous when other teams got that kind of quarterback and finally it has happened for the Bills. They now have a QB to build around again. I am far more of Sabres fan than a Bills fan (even if the Bills end the Buffalo drought, I won't be happy until the Sabres win the Cup), but it's still good to know that they may have a good team for several years.

[darksabre]

Anyone else reminded of the 06-07 Sabres? No business winning a game.

 

This was the first thought I had as soon as the game ended. That's two fourth quarter comebacks in 3 games. As long as we don't have the best record in the league come the playoffs I'm okay with it. :rolleyes:

 

It definitely kept me awake on my drive back to Rochester from Binghamton. Freakin Bills, tryin to give me a damn heart attack! :censored: :beer:

[wjag]

The Raiders were pushing the O-line around and the D-line around all the first half. The Bills missed a FG, and fumbled on good drives... No way they should win that football game. You got to wonder why the Raiders got out of their game plan in the second. They let the Bills back into the game. The season is young, but the Bills have had two long, long drives for TDs.

 

One wonders if McFadden has two good feet whether he runs us out of that game.

 

Bills have been catching breaks so far:

 

Seattle: No receivers

Jax: No O-line

Oakland: McFadden on a bad wheel and Fargas out.

 

Not complaining, just saying..

 

Just estatic to be 3-0...

[JujuFish]

The Raiders were pushing the O-line around and the D-line around all the first half. The Bills missed a FG, and fumbled on good drives... No way they should win that football game. You got to wonder why the Raiders got out of their game plan in the second. They let the Bills back into the game. The season is young, but the Bills have had two long, long drives for TDs.

 

One wonders if McFadden has two good feet whether he runs us out of that game.

 

Bills have been catching breaks so far:

 

Seattle: No receivers

Jax: No O-line

Oakland: McFadden on a bad wheel and Fargas out.

 

Not complaining, just saying..

 

Just estatic to be 3-0...

Jacksonville and their "no o-line" just rushed for 236 yards.

[Bmwolf21]

Jacksonville and their "no o-line" just rushed for 236 yards.

To be fair it did come against Indy, who was giving up an average of 181 rushing yards/game over their first two games.

[BetweenThePipes00]

The Bills had no business winning the game the way they played for 3+ quarters, and I don't mean to excuse the bonehead mistakes that were made. But this had trap game written all over it ... a very physical game in the heat at Jax last week, a team that is easy to overlook but plays good defense and loves to pound the ball on the ground ... they showed me something by pulling it out, mostly that maybe they finally have a quarterback that can win them a game when they (himself included for some of it) play like crap.

As for downplaying the wins because of other teams having injuries, I seem to remember Dallas' win in Buffalo last season counting the same as all their other wins, and that was also a game they had no business winning against an injury-ravaged club. Maybe Indy's run defense does suck and maybe McFadden was nicked, but there was nothing wrong with Seattle or Oakland's O-lines ... Seattle has averaged more than 200 yards rushing in their other games ... Oakland like 180 ... the Bills held them all under 100 yards. Yeah, KC and SF and STL and INDY all suck at stopping the run. You know who else used to suck at it? The Bills. Nothing to apologize for there as far as I am concerned, they are MUCH improved. (Although I think Kyle Williams is on 'roids. Just sayin'.)

Again, not excusing the turnovers or the dumb penalties or catching a punt at the goal line or the Pro Bowl LT looking like he skipped 4 months of practice, those things will get you beat against a better team. But those things are also correctable and out of character for this group and really not shocking in a trap game they were expected to win ... it happens to a lot of good teams. But if you can't stop the run (like they never could before) and you can't occasionally have your QB pull one out of his ass with a big 4th quarter (like they have not had since 1996), you can't fix it. You die a slow and painful death.

I was really slow to the Edwards bandwagon ... I hated the idea of trying to win with a "game manager" ... it's too hard. But now I think he is more than that ... they don't have to force 4 turnovers and score on special teams and have him not screw it up. They can ask him to bring something to the table and he steps up. In fact, if they had lost 23-21 today, I still would have felt good about that.

[Guest Sloth]

The Bills had no business winning the game the way they played for 3+ quarters, and I don't mean to excuse the bonehead mistakes that were made. But this had trap game written all over it ... a very physical game in the heat at Jax last week, a team that is easy to overlook but plays good defense and loves to pound the ball on the ground ... they showed me something by pulling it out, mostly that maybe they finally have a quarterback that can win them a game when they (himself included for some of it) play like crap.

As for downplaying the wins because of other teams having injuries, I seem to remember Dallas' win in Buffalo last season counting the same as all their other wins, and that was also a game they had no business winning against an injury-ravaged club. Maybe Indy's run defense does suck and maybe McFadden was nicked, but there was nothing wrong with Seattle or Oakland's O-lines ... Seattle has averaged more than 200 yards rushing in their other games ... Oakland like 180 ... the Bills held them all under 100 yards. Yeah, KC and SF and STL and INDY all suck at stopping the run. You know who else used to suck at it? The Bills. Nothing to apologize for there as far as I am concerned, they are MUCH improved. (Although I think Kyle Williams is on 'roids. Just sayin'.)

Again, not excusing the turnovers or the dumb penalties or catching a punt at the goal line or the Pro Bowl LT looking like he skipped 4 months of practice, those things will get you beat against a better team. But those things are also correctable and out of character for this group and really not shocking in a trap game they were expected to win ... it happens to a lot of good teams. But if you can't stop the run (like they never could before) and you can't occasionally have your QB pull one out of his ass with a big 4th quarter (like they have not had since 1996), you can't fix it. You die a slow and painful death.

I was really slow to the Edwards bandwagon ... I hated the idea of trying to win with a "game manager" ... it's too hard. But now I think he is more than that ... they don't have to force 4 turnovers and score on special teams and have him not screw it up. They can ask him to bring something to the table and he steps up. In fact, if they had lost 23-21 today, I still would have felt good about that.

 

 

You posted the best Bills post on this board. I, too, would've still felt good if they Bills had lost 23-21. They displayed an "it ain't over till it's over" number. Back to back games Edwards performed two dramatic comebacks w/ some INCREDIBLE throws. This man is showing he is clutch. You guys know Chris Berman has to be just as excited as all of us our. He's thinking the same thing most of us our, which is it looks like Buffalo finally found the heir to Kelly's throne.

[LabattBlue]

Great comeback yesterday. In a game where the Bills couldn't get out of their own way, they got hot at the end and despite a "kick in the nuts" long TD by the Raiders, Edwards and crew came back and won.

 

Other thoughts...

 

- Peters needs to shed the rust in a big way.

 

- Lynch needs to watch the film of Freddie Jackson picking up the blitz. Other than that, he had a really good game. Ran hard, made a couple of catches and most importantly found his way into the endzone twice.

 

- The defense did a damn good job on Bush and McFadden...97 yards combined. Except for the safeties brain fart on the Higgins TD, the defense only gave up 160 yards or so.

 

- Edwards and Schonert have to find a way to get the ball more to the receivers, especially Evans.

 

- Glad to see Parrish involved in the passing game. He had 1 catch for 12 yards in game 2 and only had 3 for 6 in game 1. Get the man downfield in open space more often!

 

- This OL still has some work to do in terms of run blocking, but that was a great push into the endzone on Lynch's 2nd TD.

 

- Kelsay with a couple of nice plays!!

[inkman]

The unbridled optimism that engulfs Bills fans after a win is really unparrelled. I find weird. I guess I'm just too much of a pessimist.

[mercury]

KELLY...Collins, Flutie, Johnson, Bledsoe, Losman...EDWARDS

 

Well, he's certainly no Billy Joe Hobert.

[BetweenThePipes00]

Hey, ink, not saying they are Super Bowl bound or anything ... just happy they don't have to play a perfect game and score on special teams and run for 200 yards to keep the other teams offense off the field and hide a crappy defense that gets pushed all over the field. It's a refreshing change.

[inkman]

It's a refreshing change.

 

I've been heartbroken by this team too many times to really get excited about anything the Bills do. I was devastated by the 03 (?) season ending loss to the Steelers third stringers. I wanted to never root for them again following that day. Of course, starting the following seaon I jumped back on but my feelings were different. I was more numb to the team, as if they weren't my team but just a team I followed. I've come to embrace the Bills once again but it may take a SuperBowl victory for me to really put the past behind me.

[Guest Sloth]

I've been heartbroken by this team too many times to really get excited about anything the Bills do. I was devastated by the 03 (?) season ending loss to the Steelers third stringers. I wanted to never root for them again following that day. Of course, starting the following seaon I jumped back on but my feelings were different. I was more numb to the team, as if they weren't my team but just a team I followed. I've come to embrace the Bills once again but it may take a SuperBowl victory for me to really put the past behind me.

 

I've yet to lose my passion for the Bills and the only way I will is if the franchise comes to end by either moving to another city or simply collapsing. I could never pull for another team the way I do for the Bills. How many Bills fans can? I hope the majority of Bills fans feel the same way I do...

[deluca67]

3-0 overall, 2-0 in Conference. Great start.

 

Another huge positive that came out of the game yesterday is that the coaches have a ton of mistakes to point out during meetings to keep this team from getting too high on themselves. They have a chance to go 4-0 against a really bad team. Keep focused and we should be talking 4-0 next week.

 

I admit when I am wrong and I have to say I was wrong about drafting Whitner so high. I hated the pick. He showed he is a true leader.

 

I will also take credit for having one of the first seats on the Edwards band wagon. The kid has poise beyond his years. I wouldn't be surprised if in a few seasons he is one the top QB's in the league and we are watching 'where are they now' specials about Vince Young, Alex Smith and JP Losman.

[wjag]

If anyone deserves to be fired in Oakland, it has to be the defensive coordinator. He changed their style in the second and it killed them. I think every Bills fan realized the game was changing on the Lynch TD run. It seemed the entire offense was in the endzone. Oakland had been pushing the Bills around until that drive. I'm pretty sure even Josh Reed threw a block knocking his block backward into the endzone.

 

I was thrilled to see the game plan work yesterday. But I'd sure like to see a few more shots down the field. And I'd like to see Marshawn break one.

 

You could just tell the Bills were in for a long day when they deferred selection of the opening kickoff and Oakland had the long return.

 

I'd like to take exception to all the writers who somehow have amnesia about the Kelly-Levy-Thomas-Smith-Reed-Bennett era. Those 90-93 teams played a lot of games like yesterday. They too found a way to win. I remember Kelly and company getting blown out in KC and PITT and other places. They had their share of stumbling, bumbling games too. Every game is a tough game. Ask the Giants about those Bungles yesterday.

 

And from what I can tell, the best part of yesterday is that we seem to only have minor injuries. I only remember Jackson and Ellison. Jackson came back and I don't remember what happened with Ellison.

[Buffalo Fan]

3-0 overall, 2-0 in Conference. Great start.

 

Another huge positive that came out of the game yesterday is that the coaches have a ton of mistakes to point out during meetings to keep this team from getting too high on themselves. They have a chance to go 4-0 against a really bad team. Keep focused and we should be talking 4-0 next week.

 

I admit when I am wrong and I have to say I was wrong about drafting Whitner so high. I hated the pick. He showed he is a true leader.

I will also take credit for having one of the first seats on the Edwards band wagon. The kid has poise beyond his years. I wouldn't be surprised if in a few seasons he is one the top QB's in the league and we are watching 'where are they now' specials about Vince Young, Alex Smith and JP Losman.

 

Even though it was a penalty, I commend him for his late tackle on the touchdown pass. It reminded me of when Emmit Smith blasted TO when he ran all the way to the 50 yard line and made is "TO" symbol. Sometimes you have to stick up for yourself. I thought the behavior of both the QB and WR from the Raiders was a little bit pompis for a team that hasn't done anything in a long time.

[wjag]

Even though it was a penalty, I commend him for his late tackle on the touchdown pass. It reminded me of when Emmit Smith blasted TO when he ran all the way to the 50 yard line and made is "TO" symbol. Sometimes you have to stick up for yourself. I thought the behavior of both the QB and WR from the Raiders was a little bit pompis for a team that hasn't done anything in a long time.

I guess I'll take the contrarian point of view. There is a thread on TSW with many folks saying they liked the play. I didn't. Buffalo/Whitner was lucky that an offsetting penalty was called. That tackle was blatantly late. I would have had no issue if he was thrown out of the game for unsportsman-like behavior. They got beat. He was taunted, deservedly so. Get even with your play on the field, but don't take a blatant penalty when the games on the line. Many folks point out how that fired up the Bills. Where is the evidence of that? The Bills were playing pretty inspired before that play.

 

Okay off the sopabox... Great win... St Louis scares the beejeebies out of me...

[deluca67]

Even though it was a penalty, I commend him for his late tackle on the touchdown pass. It reminded me of when Emmit Smith blasted TO when he ran all the way to the 50 yard line and made is "TO" symbol. Sometimes you have to stick up for yourself. I thought the behavior of both the QB and WR from the Raiders was a little bit pompis for a team that hasn't done anything in a long time.

I would like to see some of the Sabres react the way Whitner did. When chances present themselves to stick up for teammates show true leadership you don't have time to look at the scoreboard. Leaders are into the moment, when they see their team being disrespected they act. When I see the Sabres not reacting and then having to hear it explained that "it wasn't the time or place" or "the game was too close". When I hear that I hear a lack of leadership and an unwillingness to take that lead. When Miller gets run on opening night, and he will because he gets run every night, I want to see 5 guys in Sabres uniform react like Donte Whitner. You do it once you send a message around the league and other teams will think twice.

[deluca67]

I guess I'll take the contrarian point of view. There is a thread on TSW with many folks saying they liked the play. I didn't. Buffalo/Whitner was lucky that an offsetting penalty was called. That tackle was blatantly late. I would have had no issue if he was thrown out of the game for unsportsman-like behavior. They got beat. He was taunted, deservedly so. Get even with your play on the field, but don't take a blatant penalty when the games on the line. Many folks point out how that fired up the Bills. Where is the evidence of that? The Bills were playing pretty inspired before that play.

 

Okay off the sopabox... Great win... St Louis scares the beejeebies out of me...

Which made it a great play and sent a clear message. Not here, not on our field. With the play Whitner took a huge step forward as the leader of this team.

[inkman]

He was taunted, deservedly so.

 

:wallbash: