SB Nation - Drew Bledsoe

Ten worst Buffalo Bills draft picks of the decade

Brian Galliford — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:10:28 -0000

More photos » by David Duprey - AP

Yesterday, we talked about the ten best draft picks that the Buffalo Bills have made over the past decade. In order to complete our "[descriptive adjective] of the decade" series here, we've got to knock off the worst picks, too. This list can also be known as "why the Bills have sucked for a decade," but we're also hoping that one last vent session over these missed picks will be therapeutic as the franchise turns a new leaf - and a new decade - next month.

On to the list. Hope you can stomach it.

10. Josh Reed, WR, LSU (2002, Round 2, No. 36 overall)
Tom Donahoe's first draft as GM of the Bills, in 2001, netted some really good players. Nate Clements, Aaron Schobel and Travis Henry all made our "best of" list yesterday, and the Bills even got quality years and production out of third-round pick Jonas Jennings. 2002, however, was an epic flop, and Reed, the Bills' second-round pick (fourth overall in that round), was part of the reason why.

Drafted well ahead of his talent level thanks to a huge bowl game as a senior, the converted running back had a solid rookie season playing between Eric Moulds and Peerless Price on a very prolific Bills offense led by Drew Bledsoe. Then Price was shipped out of town, Reed became the starter, and his career has been incredibly average since then. This was the first in a long line of high-round luxury picks made by Donahoe that did not pan out, and obviously eventually cost Donahoe his job.

9. Chris Ellis, DE, Virginia Tech (2008, Round 3, No. 72 overall)
It's tough to put a player in his second year on this list (and we'll do it again soon), but Ellis is the poster child of several "good idea, bad philosophy/wrong player" picks that the Bills have made this decade. Picked when the Bills had a need to boost their pass rush, Ellis has seen extremely minimal playing time and barely made the roster in his second season. Unlike former second-round picks Schobel, Ryan Denney and Chris Kelsay, Ellis has not found any way to contribute to the team - and though it might still be too early to write him off, the Bills picked a project player with attitude issues in a season when they needed their high-round picks to produce.

8. Donte Whitner, S, Ohio State (2006, Round 1, No. 8 overall)
I suspect that most of you will want to see Whitner higher on this list, simply because the Bills passed on a dominant defensive lineman (Haloti Ngata) to get him. Philosophically, the pick makes at least some degree of sense; look at most of today's elite NFL teams, and you'll find an elite safety on the back end of the defense. Whitner, however, has failed to produce to the standards of a No. 8 overall pick thanks to his being shuffled from position-to-position and his own lack of elite playmaking ability. Whitner is a good player, which is why this pick doesn't rank much higher on the list. Philosophically, however, Buffalo erred here, and thus got the Dick Jauron era off to a not-so-hot start.

7. James Hardy, WR, Indiana (2008, Round 2, No. 41 overall)
Much like Ellis, I'm hesitant to put a second-year player on this list, particularly at the wide receiver position. I still very much believe that Hardy has what it takes to be a poor man's Plaxico Burress-type threat in this league, particularly in the red zone. He won't get the reps to do it any time soon, however.

This pick makes the list because philosophically, it was perhaps the worst team-building move the Bills made in the last half of the decade. Buffalo knew entering the '08 off-season that they needed a threat to complement Lee Evans and help develop young quarterback Trent Edwards. They courted veteran free agents like Bryant Johnson, but that didn't pan out, so they went to the draft and came away with... a tall receiver in need of an incredible amount of polish. Everyone knows that the bigger a rookie receiver, the longer it'll take to develop them. (Unless their surname is Fitzgerald or Johnson.) Hardy couldn't nail down a starting job, Edwards went into a shell thanks to a lack of weapons that he'd never re-emerge from, and the rest is history. Buffalo fixed the situation a year too late with the Terrell Owens signing.

6. Travares Tillman, S, Georgia Tech (2000, Round 2, No. 58 overall)
Tillman played in the NFL for quite a while. He made a nice living as a journeyman safety with some range and athletic ability, and he even picked off 3 passes with Miami in 2005. But you generally would like your second-round picks to spend more than two seasons with your team, which is exactly what Tillman did. He did not survive the regime change from Wade Phillips to Gregg Williams, and that's an indictment on the efforts of former GM John Butler in his last Bills draft class.

5. Roscoe Parrish, WR, Miami, FL (2005, Round 2, No. 55 overall)
Yikes. Without a first-round pick thanks to an epic draft-day blunder of a trade that we'll discuss a bit higher on this list, Donahoe, in his last draft as a Bills GM, chose the gadget player to rule all gadget players with Parrish as his top selection on the season. Parrish has had his moments with this team, and for a while, he was the NFL's best punt returner, setting career average records and putting the Bills in position to win a few games thanks to timely big returns. But Parrish was drafted to be much more than a punt returner; unfortunately, that's all the Bills have gotten.

4. John McCargo, DT, North Carolina State (2006, Round 1, No. 26 overall)
It'd be difficult for most teams to find a bigger first-round flop than McCargo in the past decade; unfortunately for the Bills, they have three bigger flops. Again, this was a case of the Bills taking a player far higher than his talent level indicated; the Bills desperately needed a starting defensive tackle that season, and the fact that they lucked into Kyle Williams four rounds later doesn't make this pick any less of a reach. Since this pick, McCargo has dealt with several small injuries, one major injury (a bulging disc in his back), been traded, had the trade negated, and toiled at the bottom of the Bills' depth chart. Not exactly what you'd like out of a first-round pick.

3. Erik Flowers, DE, Arizona State (2000, Round 1, No. 26 overall)
Butler's last draft featured Flowers as its centerpiece. Bruce Smith had left the team, and the Bills were searching for their next great pass rusher. Flowers didn't stick in Buffalo because Gregg Williams brought in a 4-3 defense that Flowers, a 3-4 pass rusher, did not fit into. But the four sacks that Flowers picked up in two seasons with Buffalo represent 80% of his career total of five, which he picked up in five NFL seasons.

2. J.P. Losman, QB, Tulane (2004, Round 1, No. 22 overall)
This, my friends, was Epic Fail No. 2. Drew Bledsoe had something left in the tank, and the Bills were pushing toward a playoff berth. They did, however, need a quarterback of the future, and then-head coach Mike Mularkey fell in love with the deep ball of a cocky kid from Tulane. Mularkey loved that deep ball so much that the Bills traded multiple picks to Dallas to move back into the first round to get their cocky kid quarterback. Two years later, Mularkey was gone, Losman had a flash-in-the-pan season under Dick Jauron, and then a Losman knee injury began the memorable Trent Edwards era. Now, Losman is attempting to get back into the NFL after leading the Las Vegas Locomotives to a UFL championship.

1. Mike Williams, OT, Texas (2002, Round 1, No. 4 overall)
It's tough to top Losman, but Williams found a way to do it. Williams is the poster child for terrible Bills drafting, and the centerpiece of the plethora of issues that got Donahoe fired. At the time, Williams was given the richest contract in franchise history, but to say that he never lived up to his potential would be a severe understatement. He spent four highly mediocre seasons as Buffalo's right tackle before lazy-ing himself out of the sport entirely; one of the very first actions Marv Levy took on this roster as GM was to cut Williams. Big Mike made a not-so-dramatic return to NFL football this season with Washington, and is now toiling in anonymity on one of the league's worst units that features another former Bill, Derrick Dockery.

Just click his name and take a gander at his picture to see just how far Williams' star has fallen.

Opponent History: Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs

sireric — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:00:22 -0000

Buffalo Bills (4-8) at Kansas City Chiefs (3-9)
Sunday, December 13, 2009 at 1:00 PM EST
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO

Two long-time rivals get re-acquainted this week when the Buffalo Bills travel to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the Kansas City Chiefs. This will be the 41st all-time meeting between these two storied franchises, dating all the way back to November 6, 1960, when the Bills lost to the Dallas Texans 45-28 in their first-ever meeting. The Bills hold the all-time series lead 22-18, even with this being the sixth time in the last seven meetings that the Bills have had to travel to Kansas City. Recaps of the last five meetings between these two teams are after the jump.

November 19, 2000: Bills 21, Chiefs 17
Elvis Grbac and Tony Gonzalez beat up on the Bills' defense in this one. Grbac finished with 341 yards and two touchdowns, and those two touchdowns were both hauled in by Gonzalez, who had nine total catches for 76 yards and the two scores. The Bills countered with Rob Johnson. Yes, you read that correctly. Johnson only had 196 yards passing, but he did throw two touchdowns - one each to Jay Riemersma and Eric Moulds - and he was the leading rusher with 42 yards, including a score of his own. The rushing score came with under three minutes to play and gave the Bills the win. If you can believe this, Grbac was sacked more than Johnson, too. The Bills had five sacks - two each by Sam Rogers and Marcellus Wiley, and one by Keith Newman. Chris Mohr even hit Daryl Porter for a 44-yard gain on a fake punt.

November 17, 2002: Chiefs 17, Bills 16
Almost exactly two years to the day after their last meeting, the Chiefs again scored 17 points against the Bills; this time, however, their defense holds the Bills' offense to only 16 points in victory. In the battle of the running backs, Travis Henry got the better of Priest Holmes. Henry finished with 126 yards on 24 carries and added another 38 yards on four catches. It is a safe bet that he went out and fathered another child to celebrate his good day. Holmes finished with 104 yards on 31 carries and added 23 yards on three catches. Holmes, however, put the ball into the end zone, while Henry did not. Mike Hollis hit three field goals and Moulds brought in a nine-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe for a score, but it was a nine-yard scramble by the ever fleet-footed Trent Green that proved to be the decisive score. Chidi Ahanotu recorded the only Bills sack.

October 26, 2003: Chiefs 38, Bills 5
The Bills started the game by blocking a punt out of the end zone for a safety; it was pretty much all downhill from there. Three straight Kansas City touchdowns - two by Priest Holmes - would provide all the scoring Chiefs needed. After Rian Lindell hit a meaningless field goal, Gonzalez and that Holmes guy each scored to put the game away. Holmes was again out-rushed by Henry, 83 to 124 respectively, but again it was Holmes who put it in the end zone. Henry again fathered a child after the game as per his post-game ritual.

November 13, 2005: Bills 14, Chiefs 3
After Lawrence Tynes opened the scoring with a field goal for Kansas City, the Chiefs' offense went and hid. The Bills didn't do much better, and were in fact out-gained on the day 316-209. The Bills, however, benefited from two J.P. Losman-to-Lee Evans touchdown passes to get the win. The Bills sacked Green six times, with Aaron Schobel (2.0), Justin Bannan, Angelo Crowell, London Fletcher and Ryan Denney doing the honors.

November 23, 2008: Bills 54, Chiefs 31
Turnovers were the story of this game. The Chiefs had five turnovers and the Bills had none. Neither defense could stop the other offense, but Leodis McKelvin's two interceptions, one of which he took back 64 yards for a touchdown, helped put the Bills over the top. The Bills kicked the ball off eleven times. Think about that - when was the last time the Bills kicked the ball off ten or more times in a game? I also have to throw some love Trent Edwards' way. He had his best day as a pro in this game, completing 24 of 32 passes for 273 yards and two touchdown passes. He also scrambled for 38 yards and two more scores.

Opponent History: Buffalo Bills vs Miami Dolphins

sireric — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:00:15 -0000

Buffalo Bills (3-7) vs Miami Dolphins (5-5)
Sunday, November 29, 2009 at 1:00 PM EST
Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, NY

The Buffalo Bills have begun to play division opponents for the second time. The first meeting this year had the Bills heading into Miami with high hopes for the season, while the Miami Dolphins had just lost Chad Pennington for the year and were still without a win. We all know how that match-up ended.

Chad Henne, he of the too-small helmet and scrunched up forehead, leads the Dolphins into Buffalo this week. The last five meetings at the Ralph after the jump.

Sunday, October 17, 2004: Bills 20, Dolphins 13
Drew Bledsoe. Jay Fiedler. Need I say more about the suck involved in this game? Both sides got a touchdown and two field goals out of their offenses, but the difference was a Takeo Spikes pick-six. The Bills' D came to play in this game, recording five sacks along the way. Aaron Schobel (2.5), Ron Edwards (2.0) and Pat Williams (0.5) did the honors. Other than that, there isn't a whole lot to tell.

Sunday, October 9, 2005: Bills 20, Dolphins 14
The score and date looks eerily similar to the year before. This time, the Bills jumped out to a 17-0 lead on the strength of a Willis McGahee one-yard touchdown run, an Eric Moulds touchdown from Kelly Holcomb, and a Rian Lindell 24-yard field goal. Gus Frerotte led the Dolphins back by hitting Will Heller and Randy McMicheal for scores to bring the Fish back to within three points. Lindell would hit his second field goal of the day to cap the scoring and help preserve the win for Buffalo. Chris Kelsay and Ryan Denney each had a sack in this game.

Sunday, December 17, 2006: Bills 21, Dolphins 0
J.P. Losman tossed three touchdown passes, one each to Robert Royal, Josh Reed, and Lee Evans. That was more then enough scoring, as the Bills' defense shout out the Cleo Lemon/Joey Harrington lead Dolphins offense. Schobel and Kelsay proved yet again that they are only effective against the Dolphins by getting another half-sack each.

Sunday, December 9, 2007: Bills 38, Dolphins 17
The Bills jumped out to a 21-0 lead thanks to a George Wilson fumble return for a touchdown and not one but two Trent Edwards-to-Robert Royal touchdown passes. Samkon Gado put the ball in the endzone for the Dolphins twice, but those scores sandwiched a Lindell field goal and an Evans touchdown catch. Evans would catch one more to continue his dominance over the Dolphins. Both Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch rushed for over 100 yards in this game. Being that Cleo Lemon was at QB for the Dolphins, this was of course a good day for the Bills' D numbers-wise. Four sacks and two interceptions (one each by Donte Whitner and Terrence McGee) added to the eight fumbles by the Dolphins. Of course, the Bills were only able to recover 3 of those 8.

Notice a pattern? The first two games had the Bills playing the Dolphins almost a year apart to the day and winning by almost identical scores. The second two have the Bills winning by identical margins (21) almost a year to the day apart. The dates are also the same - 17 and 9. Weird.

Sunday, December 7, 2008: Dolphins 16, Bills 3
The Bills' first-ever regular season game played in Toronto gave the Canadian fans quite the show. The Bills had almost nothing on offense that day, gaining only 163 total yards. J.P. Losman was the Bills leading rusher with 53 yards. Of course Losman offset his rushing prowess by getting sacked 4 times...

New England Patriots @ New Orleans Saints: Game Preview

Saintsational — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:00:36 -0000

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (7-3) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (10-0)

SERIES

	PATRIOTS	SAINTS
SERIES LEADER	8-3
STREAKS	Past 3
COACHES VS. OPP.	Belichick: 3-0	Payton: 0-0
LAST WEEK	W 31-14 vs. Jets	W 38-7 at Buccaneers
LAST GAME	11/20/05: Saints 17 at Patriots 24. New England QB Tom Brady passes for 3 TDs & Patriots S Eugene Wilson intercepts pass in end zone as time expires to preserve win.
LAST GAME AT SITE	10/4/98: Patriots 30, Saints 27. New England K Adam Vinatieri kicks game-winning 27-yard FG with 3 seconds remaining & Patriots QB Drew Bledsoe throws for 317 yards & 1 TD.
BROADCAST	ESPN (7:30 PM CT): Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden. Westwood One Radio: Kevin Harlan, Boomer Esiason, Mark Malone (Field reporter). SIRIUS: 124 (WW1), 126 (NE), 125 (NO). XM: 124 (WW1), 103 (NE), 102 (NO).

STATS

PASSING	Brady: 261-393-3,049 (2L)-20 (2C)-6-100.4 (2C)	Brees: 218-320-2,746 (2C)-22 (1L)-9-105.8 (2L)
RUSHING	Maroney: 116-455-3.9-6	P. Thomas: 105-584-5.6-5
RECEIVING	Welker: 79 (1L)-854-10.8-4	Colston: 44-687-15.6-6
OFFENSE	416.1 (1C)	420.5 (1L)
TAKE/GIVE	+12 (1C)	+10 (3L)
DEFENSE	296.7 (3C)	330.6
SACKS	Banta-Cain: 5	Smith: 8.5 (T3C)
INTs	Bodden: 5 (T3L)	Sharper: 7 (1C)
PUNTING	Hanson: 39.7	Morstead (R): 43.6
KICKING	Gostkowski: 90 (1C) (30/30 PAT; 20/24 FG)	Carney: 81 (45/47 PAT; 12/15 FG)

NOTES

PATRIOTS: Aim for 7th consecutive win on MNF...Club has won 17 consecutive regular-season games vs. NFC, longest winning streak vs. opposite conference since 1970 merger...Team will make 1st visit to Superdome since SB XXXVI victory (2/3/02). Pats are 5-0 all-time at Superdome, incl. SB win...QB TOM BRADY (29,495) needs 163 passing yards to surpass DREW BLEDSOE (29,657) for most in NE history. Brady is 2-0 vs. NO & has 7 TDs vs. 0 INTs & 129.5 passer rating. Has posted 5 consecutive 300-yard passing games (career-long)...RB LAURENCE MARONEY aims for 6th game in row w/rush TD & needs 1 to surpass career-high (6 in '06 & '07)...WR RANDY MOSS aims for 4th consecutive game w/TD vs. NO. WR WES WELKER had career-high 15 rec. last week & aims for 6th consecutive game w/9 or more rec....CB LEIGH BODDEN tied Pats record w/3 INTs last week, incl. 53-yard INT-TD return...

SAINTS: Are 10-0 for 1st time in team history. Average 36.9 points per game, most in NFL...QB DREW BREES is 2-0 in career vs. NE with 118.4 rating. Aims for 5th in row on MNF with 300+ yards. Has 1,289 yards (322.3 yards per game) with 10 TDs vs. 3 INTs for 109.6 rating in past 4 on MNF. Since joining NO in 2006, leads NFL with 16,656 pass yards...RB-PR REGGIE BUSH has 5 TDs (3 rush, 2 PR) in 4 games on MNF. RB MIKE BELL rushed for 2 TDs last week. RB PIERRE THOMAS has 4 TDs (3 rush, 1 rec.) in past 2 MNF games...WR MARQUES COLSTON aims for 4th MNF game in row with TD (4 TDs). WR ROBERT MEACHEM aims for 4th in row with TD. Has 4 TDs in past 3...DE WILL SMITH has 6 sacks in past 4 & aims for 5th in row with sack. Had 1.5 sacks & FF in last meeting. S DARREN SHARPER had INT in last game vs. NE. Has 3 INTs (2 INT-TDs) in past 2 vs. AFC. LB JONATHAN VILMA had INT last week & has INT in all 6 NFL seasons.

Opponent History: Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars

sireric — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:50:01 -0000

Buffalo Bills (3-6) at Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4)
Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 1:00 PM EST
Jacksonville Municipal Stadium - Jacksonville, FL

This is a little later than we normally start to look at next week's opponent, but after the events of the past two days, it seemed appropriate to push it back a little bit. This will be the tenth meeting between the Bills and the Jaguars, including their first ever meeting in the 1996 AFC Wild Card playoff game. The Bills hold a 5-4 lead in the all-time series. This is also the fifth ever meeting to take place in Jacksonville, where the Bills hold a 3-1 victory edge. With the exception of two contests, these have been very close games, with the average margin of victory being a little over a touchdown. Recaps of last five meetings are after the jump.

Sunday, September 14, 2003: Bills 38, Jaguars 17
Completely unable to run the football, Drew Bledsoe and the Bills went to the air. Bledsoe passed for 314 yards and two touchdowns, while Travis Henry proved to be useful in the red zone by pushing in three goal line touchdowns to pace to Bills' offense. Alex Van Pelt even got into the game late and completed one pass for 14 yards. Eric Moulds had a nice day, with 7 catches for 133 yards and a touchdown.

Sunday, September 12, 2004: Jaguars 13, Bills 10
This was another good day for Moulds, but his 8 catches for 75 yards and a touchdown weren't enough. The Bills had a 10-6 lead in the closing seconds of the game, but Byron Leftwich hit Ernest Wilford in the back of the end zone as time expired to give the Jags the win. I remember that I couldn't watch this game, but I was watching a different game looking for updates. The scroll on CBS kept saying that the game was over and the Bills had won, so I was happy. When they showed the game break, I got really pissed.

Sunday, November 26, 2006: Bills 27, Jaguars 24
This time it was the Bills scoring as time expired to get the win. The Bills jumped out to a 17-7 lead on the strength of two Willis McGahee touchdown runs and a Rian Lindell field goal. The Jags pulled closer by adding a David Garrard-to-Marcedes Lewis touchdown pass to the Maurice Jones-Drew TD run they already had to make the score 17-14 at the half. After a Roscoe Parrish punt return for a touchdown and a Josh Scobee field goal, Garrard hit Matt Jones with 28 seconds left to tie the game up. But the Bills got into filed goal range in just 28 seconds, and Lindell hit a 42-yarder to give the Bills the win as the clock hit zeroes.

Sunday, November 25, 2007: Jaguars 36, Bills 14
This game was never really close. Fred Taylor and Jones-Drew combined for 124 yards and two touchdowns, and Josh Scobee hit five field goals as the Jags rolled over the Bills. Anthony Thomas and Roscoe Parrish found the end zone for the Bills as lone bright spots.

Sunday, September 14, 2008: Bills 20, Jags 16
This was probably the one game that I blame the high expectations from the previous year on the most. The Bills headed into heavily favored Jacksonville and pulled out a win. With the Jags leading 16-10 late in the fourth quarter, Trent Edwards hit James Hardy in the back of the end zone on a beautiful fade pass to give the Bills a 17-16 lead. Lindell added an insurance field goal to help seal it for the Bills. Buffalo would win their next two game to move to 4-0 on the season before starting a downward spiral that would crush all of our hearts.

Pour Some Sugar On Me - Roger Goodell Establishes What the Fine Will Be If Dan Snyder Does Not Fire Vinny Cerrato

Sugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:45:10 -0000

In case you missed it, the Tennessee Titans owner was filmed giving Buffalo Bills fans the ol' bird from his perch on Sunday. If you aren't a Bills player, fan or employee--or Roger Goodell--you probably laughed your ass off. Goodell dropped a $250,000 fine on Bud Adams today...which leads me to my headline...because if Snyder does not fire Cerrato, he will be essentially flipping the entire Redskins fanbase the middle finger, and should be fined at least the same $250,000 amount.

Ten Yard Fight - 10 Chances To Make One Good Point

It's Dallas Week, so this week, instead of covering the league, I got 10 great memories of involving the hated Cowgirls. This is not an exhaustive list, nor is it any particular order. Feel free to add to this collection in the comments section below.

1) Darryl Grant's catch of a Dexter Manley tipped ball and subsequent touchdown in the NFC Championship game in 1982. It is one of my earliest memories of watching the Redskins period. I was barely 5 years old. The win over the despicable Cowgirls put us in the Super Bowl and the television images of RFK rocking are burned into my brain. Box score here.

2) Lavar Arrington tracking down Troy Aikman and sending him to the broadcasting booth. I admit this is kind of a macabre memory to love, but this one is great for multiple reasons. First, after so many Sundays of getting burned by Aikman over the years, it was satisfying (and fitting) that it be the Redskins that ended his career. Guys like him would and could play forever but they usually get knocked out of the league. Troy made the right decision to retire and as it turns out, he is one hell of a television broadcaster. He is generally fair and even-handed when he calls Redskins games, though since he is on the "A" team for Fox, we have rarely gotten him over the years.

3) Darrell Green's last game as a Redskin. The miserable Cowgirls were in complete disarray that week. Dave Campo's job was in question and the players on his sideline had completely phoned it in. We probably had no business beating that team but they were so obviously out of sorts it was hardly a contest. Both teams finished with losing records that year, but the going away present everyone wanted to give Darrell was a home victory over the pitiful Cowgirls. Box score here.

4) Brunell to Moss twice in the 4th quarter on Monday Night Football. I sat in stunned silence as the seconds ticked away in a loss that most likely was going to cost us the season. I was at a bar in Bethesda and as some of my buddies were ready to roll, I told them I kind of had to watch the end of this one. I had to witness the final whistle on my hopes for the season. The first touchdown to Moss was fun, but that feeling in my stomach that it was too little, too late was impossible to ignore. Then...no way...a seconddeep ball to Moss? With the lead in hand now, I was left to ponder the sick joke being played on us all that night: we come all the way back in the last minute only to lose to a field goal at the last second. The ensuing defensive stop was awesome, and everyone went crazy. Every car on the street was honking and every passerby was high-fiving. Box score here.

5) I would like to take this moment to remember a few moments from the pathetic Cowgirls' history that did not involve the Skins. Both were playoff games, and both put BIG smiles on my face. The first was back in 1998, in a playoff game against the Cardinals. Jake "The Snake" Plummer led the Cards to a huge win over Dallas. I might be mistaken, but it could have been their first playoff victory. Have the Cowgirls won a playoff game since then? Maybe they have, but I am not so sure. The second moment was more recent. When the Cowgirls had the game in hand against the Seahawks in the 2006-2007 playoffs, Romo was set to hold for a game-winning field goal. The rest is not only history, it created a whole new vocabulary. In prison, they now say, "Don't 'Romo' the soap!" I tell my two year old not to "Romo" his bottle. Cell phone users hate it when their calls are "Romo'ed".

6) The blocked field goal/Sean Taylor return a few years ago. It was a pretty classic slugfest but with the score tied 19-19, we found ourselves on defense with the low-life Cowgirls driving to put it away on the leg of Mike Vanderjagt. I remember it all too well...Jason Witten absolutely abusing Adam Archuleta for a huge gainer to set up the last-second kick. Once again, I found myself sitting in my seat awaiting the inevitable. I did not have the best angle to see the block, and once that ball was loose, it was tough to tell who had the ball. But then there was #21, making his way for the game-winner. Everyone was going nuts...but even within the moment, I knew it was overtime, since the clock was ticking down to zero during the play. Sean Taylor's head-whip was visible from my seat. It was an obvious call. When the referee announced we were going to have one more play from the end of the penalty, it was as if he actually announced, "Everyone is going to get laid." Nick Novak...47 yards...ball game. Box score here.

7) Darrell Green chasing down Tony Dorsett on Monday Night Football. This one I did not see live. I have seen it a million times though and it always makes me gawk. Forget the game itself...in one moment, one of the greatest running backs in the league was shown to be very mortal, and an unknown, undersized cornerback put himself on the map forever.

8) Jason Buck pushing the center into Troy Aikman, forcing the fumble and the ensuing Emmitt Smith gaffe that led to the Danny Copeland touchdown. I believe it was the season opener, on Monday Night Football with Mark Rypien under center for the Skins. I was a hot pretzel vendor at RFKstadium in high school and I had a knack for making sure I was selling pretzels in a section with the best view of the action on the field. On this play, I was actually behind the end zone that the Cowgirls were playing out of, and I saw the whole thing unfold. Jason Buck lined up over the Dallas center and on the snap, he bullrushed the dude right into Troy Aikman who never had a chance. Emmitt Smith made a huge bonehead error by not covering the ball (did he try and throw it or just muff it?) and we recovered for the touchdown. Only thing is, the refs never saw any of it. Danny Copeland, who had recovered the ball for the touchdown, had run almost to midfield celebrating. The refs were still looking in the pile of linemen for the ball. Everyone was yelling and pointing at Copeland, who then ran back and showed the refs the ball. I remember thinking, "Are they just going to take his word in this?" We beat the sad-sack Cowgirls handily, but that was pretty much the end of the "good old days" era. I think that was Richie Petitbon's debut? Box score here.

9) Cooley's 3 TD performance in 2005 to propel us to the playoffs. Mark Brunell threw four total touchdown passes in a game where we absolutely dominated the detestable Cowgirls. It was one of the best games I have ever been to at FedEx. Drew Bledsoe threw three interceptions and Clinton Portis ran for 112 yards to go along with the studly performance from Cooley. Box score here.

10) I'll make this one last since I know that the wretched Cowgirls were barely trying, but in November of 2007, we grabbed the final NFC playoff spot by holding Marion Barber to -1 rushing yards and the entire team to only 1 yard rushing. They actually brought Tony Romo back out for a series in the second half but quickly removed him to prevent a certain injury. Our defense was incredibly nasty that day. Box score here.

On these, I certainly stand to be corrected on any facts I may have misstated. I am very aware of some of the older games played between the two teams that featured such greats as Ken Houston, Sonny Jurgensen, Charley Taylor...I am hopeful that those of you out there who saw these games firsthand will share your memories.

Give Me The Numbers, STAT!

PSSOM Notes...Well last week I pulled for Jim Zorn to be given another year and we had quite the lengthy discussion about it. Nothing quite as controversial about this week's edition I'm afraid. It seems though that some of my article titles are not getting through to folks. Seriously, the fact that even one person "corrected" the Animal House reference yesterday is embarrassing. Last week, one poor soul didn't get the Def Leppard reference in the title of this weekly piece (this marks the 14th edition of the PSSOM series.) We need to do better. Finally, we have to stay positive after the big win and prior to the showdown in Dallas, but we can't just forget altogether the joke of a front office we have. If we reserve all commentary on that subject for losing weeks we not only come off as whiners, we become no better than mindless kittens, distracted by the ball of yarn that is each win. I'll keep it simple and I'll keep the message on point. The following list represents a possible example of a good front office--do your own compare and contrast with Vinny Cerrato's reign of terror:

Notable First Round Draft Picks

1996 - T Jonathan Ogden
LB Ray Lewis
1997 - LB Peter Boulware
1999 - CB Chris McAllister
2000 - RB Jamal Lewis
2001 - TE Todd Heap
2002 - S Ed Reed
2003 - LB Terrell Suggs
QB Kyle Boller
2005 - WR Mark Clayton
2006 - DT Haloti Ngata
2007 - G Ben Grubbs
2008 - QB Joe Flacco
2009 - T Michael Oher

By the way, I counted and these men have combined for 39 Pro Bowls. That does not include any from Haloti Ngata, who will get his fair share I am sure. I don't particularly care for the Ravens, but Ozzie Newsome is simply a class act. Every pick may not be a Hall of Famer, but only one of these guys didn't pan out (Boller). You want to hear the worst part? They have a stated rule that every year they draft at least one offensive lineman. Now, I don't know how that has worked out each year, but holy crap is that a refreshing philosophy.

Image via www.shwiggie.com

Bills have tried various methods to address QB

MattRichWarren — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:00:33 -0000

More photos » by Stephan Savoia - AP

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Since Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly retired after the 1996 season, the Buffalo Bills have tried virtually every strategy available to find the next great franchise quarterback. With Trent Edwards faltering in his third year, the Bills may once again be in the market for the "next franchise quarterback". How might the Bills go about obtaining him? What has the organization tried in the past that may make them weary to go down a specific path again? The quarterbacks' winning percentages with the Bills are listed following each bio.

Draft a second-tier prospects in picks 15-45: Todd Collins (1995-1997), J.P. Losman (2004-2008)
The Bills selected Todd Collins No. 45 overall in the 1995 draft. That year, he started his first game in relief of an injured Kelly. The following year, he started three more games before taking over as the full-time starter when Kelly retired. In 1997, Collins' only full season as the starter, his numbers were adequate, going 215 of 391 with 2,367 yards. His 55% completion percentage and 12-13 TD-to-INT ratio were very lackluster, as was the team's 6-10 record. (41% winning percentage)

J.P. Losman was drafted No. 22 overall in the 2004 draft. In fact, the Bills traded up to get him, giving away their 2004 second-round pick and 2005 first-round pick to obtain the rights to the Tulane QB. Losman started for only one complete season throwing for 3051 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2006. The Bills went 7-9 that year but in 2007 Losman took a severe step back losing the first three games of the year and looking awful in the process. (30% winning percentage)

Trade for a promising backup: Rob Johnson (1998-2001)
Following the one season with Todd Collins, the Bills traded their first- and fourth-round draft picks to the Jaguars for backup quarterback Rob Johnson. In three season in Jacksonville, Johnson had started one game and thrown 35 passes. Due to chronic injuries, Johnson started a majority of games for the Bills only once, in 2000, going 4-7 as a starter. His stats were impressive; he could just rarely led the Bills to a victory. (35% winning percentage)

Sign a free agent to stabilize the position: Doug Flutie (1998-2000), Kelly Holcomb (2005-2006)
36-year-old Doug Flutie joined the Bills in 1998 at the same time as Johnson. Flutie had last played in the NFL in 1989, but had found success in the Canadian Football League, breaking passing records and winning six league MVP awards and three Grey Cups. As starter for Buffalo, he found his way onto the field in relief of the oft-injured Johnson and won a lot of games for the Bills. In 1998, he went to the Pro Bowl after leading the Bills to the playoffs, going 7-3 in his 10 starts. He once again led the Bills to the playoffs in 1999, compiling a 10-5 record as the starter. Wade Phillips, for reasons only known to him and a select few, named Johnson the starter for the playoff game, and following the (dubious) loss to the Titans, Johnson entered the 2000 season as the starter. Flutie was released after the 2000 season for salary cap reasons. (70% winning percentage)

In Holcomb's first year with the Bills, he started exactly half of Buffalo's games opposite Losman, winning exactly half of his starts. He was seen as the safe, knowledgeable veteran, in contrast with the wild and risk-taking Losman. He managed to complete 67% of his passes - the highest percentage in team history with at least 40 passes - but his yards per attempt was so low (6.6) that it hardly scared opponents' defenses. In 2006, Losman started every game for Buffalo, and following the season, Holcomb was traded to the Eagles, who turned around and traded him to the Vikings. (50% winning percentage)

Starter by default: Alex Van Pelt (1995-2003)
Alex Van Pelt was cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers a few months after they selected him in the seventh round of the draft. Buffalo signed him and he sat behind Kelly and Collins... and every other quarterback the Bills brought in after them. He started three games in relief of Collins in 1997, but returned to the bench until November of 2001, when he replaced the injured (again) Johnson. Van Pelt and Johnson each started 8 games that year, with AVP throwing for an impressive 2,056 yards and 12 touchdowns. Following that season, the Bills made a bold move to bring in a different answer to the question of Buffalo's starting QB. (38% winning percentage)

Trade for an established vet: Drew Bledsoe (2002-2004)
Following the 2001 season, Buffalo sent their 2002 first-round draft pick to the New England Patriots for Drew Bledsoe, who had become expendable with the emergence of Tom Brady. Bledsoe had a superb first year in Buffalo. He set the franchise record for passing yards (4,359), completions (375) and attempts (610), and became the last Bills quarterback to be voted to the Pro Bowl. In 2003, he had less of everything, including wins. After that season the Bills drafted Losman, and Bledsoe produced another so-so campaign under new coach Mike Mularkey. They almost managed to make the playoffs, dropping the final game of the season to Pittsburgh's backups. (48% winning percentage)

Draft a guy in a later round: Trent Edwards (2007-present)
In the 2007 draft, the Bills selected Edwards in the third round. At the time, Edwards was considered a value pick and a replacement at backup for the departed Holcomb. But Losman suffered ~~a dirty~~ an unfortunate injury, and Edwards stepped into the starter's role. Edwards won three of his first four starts, the lone loss being a heartbreaking MNF defeat at the hands of the Cowboys, before succumbing to injury himself. Upon his return, he won two more games, pushing his record to 6-1 as Bills starter and exciting the fan base. The Bills started hot again in 2008, rolling off four straight under Edwards. But over the course of the year wins, became fewer, though Edwards was still improving. So far to start the 2009 season, Edwards has appeared to show signs of regression, and is not considered by most fans to be the "next great franchise quarterback" anymore. (52% winning percentage)

Draft a top tier guy in the first 15 picks: None
In 2004, the Bills were rumored to be interested in trading up to select Ben Roethlisberger, but the Jaguars, the supposed other party, decided to draft the immortal Reggie Williams instead. The Bills have not had many high first-round picks, due in large part to trading them to obtain Johnson, Bledsoe and Losman. In 2006, the Bills passed on Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler to draft Donte Whitner (No. 8), and in 2007 decided against Brady Quinn in favor of Marshawn Lynch (No. 12).

The real problem with going down this road this year are the teams in front of the Bills in draft order (at least as it stands now). The Rams, Seahawks, Redskins, Raiders, Titans and Browns may all be in the market for a quarterback, and are ahead of Buffalo now, and will likely remain there. The Jaguars will also be picking in the vicinity of the Bills, and possibly will be searching for a quarterback. In order to secure their favorite player, the Bills may have to move up from around spot nine or ten into the top four picks. This type of move would be very costly, both in picks and salary, but would be the only way for Buffalo to guarantee selecting a top tier quarterback.

Winning with Seneca Wallace Part 2: Idiot Proofing

John Morgan — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:04:40 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

Building a roster around Seneca Wallace is a kind of idiot proofing. Instead of adding the quarterback and building around his talent, Seattle will add the talent and hope it can find a quarterback that can fit.

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Why Seneca? Does Seattle have a choice?

Matt Hasselbeck has entered that agonizing phase of his career where injuries are around every hit. Seattle could sign Jason Campbell, but maybe they can't. Campbell is a restricted free agent in an uncapped season. If the NFL hashes out that problem and Campbell becomes an unrestricted free agent, there's still no certainty he signs with Seattle or Seattle signs him. Seattle could draft a quarterback, but developing a quarterback is a lengthy process. One reason Detroit selected Matthew Stafford is that should Stafford develop, he will be entering his prime just as the Lions are finishing their rebuild.

Wallace, for all his flaws, is learning the Greg Knapp system, has game experience in the Knapp system, is developed or as developed as he'll be (and a good bit better than Stafford or Mark Sanchez) and has a certain floor. Wallace has a certain expected minimum performance.

Why Seneca? Because like it or lump it, Seneca Wallace might be the best quarterback available in 2010.

A player like C.J. Spiller adds new dimensions to the offense and reduces Wallace's burden. It won't work if Spiller is regularly fighting his way out of the backfield. That means Seattle needs to add primetime talent to their line. It doesn't need a full rebuild of its line, but it does need better, healthier depth and another premium talent to play alongside Chris Spencer. Adding a left tackle improves depth, improves the right tackle position, where Sean Locklear can play, and actually saves the team some scratch.

It's a lucky coincidence that what Seattle needs to run the ball is exactly what Wallace needs to protect himself from himself. The infinity drops won't stop, but a long limbed, natural left tackle that can mirror his man and continue to control the edge all the way through the back end can help shield Wallace's abysmal pocket presence. We're not talking a road grader. Seattle will be in the market for a Charles Brown, Selvish Capers type. Someone that can kick out, cut and has the foot speed to keep up with our loony tunes signal caller.

Adding a tackle is a start, but Seattle needs to improve its depth and specifically, depth that can excel in Knapp's system. The Seahawks should pursue Daryn Colledge, Marshal Yanda, Chris Kuper or even someone like Khalif Barnes and Alex Barron, two players that have flunked out at tackle but could improve as guards.

The idea is to turn Seneca Wallace into a David Garrard by improving the talent around him and creating a system that is run first, strict, and powered by play action. You do not create the Wallace system because it's ideal, but because it satisfies basic needs and deemphasizes the quarterback. Ideally, the system that can work with Wallace can work with Mike Teel, Zac Robinson, Case Keenum or Tim Tebow, allowing Wallace to be the crash test dummy, and the kid Seattle drafts, the driver. Wallace keeps the team competitive enough to add free agent talent and avoid the high stakes pit of perennial top ten picks. Teams do not win Super Bowls with Seneca Wallace, but Wallace could be Seattle's Jim Harbaugh or Drew Bledsoe.

The NFL Trade Deadline: What to Expect from the Kansas City Chiefs

Chris Thorman — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:56:12 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

Is LB Derrick Johnson on the trading block? (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

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The NFL trade deadline is on Tuesday at 4 PM Eastern time. Will the Kansas City Chiefs be involved in any trades?

Maybe to unlikely.

I say that based on the fact that there aren't very many trades in the NFL in general, even as the trade deadline approaches.

To gauge the Chiefs' chances of making a trade and to see what types of players that may be involved, I did what we always do now when we're guessing what the Chiefs are going to do - look back and see what the Patriots did.

I went back to 2001 and pulled out the player for player and the player for picks trades that the New England Patriots made. The Chiefs general manager, Scott Pioli, was the Director of Player Personnel in New England starting in 2001 before becoming the Vice President of Player Personnel in 2002. So, yeah, he had a hand in these trades to say the least.

Before you hit the jump, here are a few observations:

The Patriots made 12 player/player or player/picks trades since 2001
They never made an October trade
The Patriots had some great value trades but also made some trades that completely backfired
They were quick to cut loose players with problems (off the field, contract issues and injuries)
They traded for six players and traded away six players
They never traded away a first round pick for a player

After the jump, I take a look at each of these 12 trades. Let us know what you think about who/if the Chiefs will trade after reading what Pioli did in New England for the last 8 seasons.

2002

Pioli got: Green Bay's 2002 4th round pick (117th overall) and conditional 2003 draft pick

Pioli gave up: WR Terry Glenn

March 8th

Glenn was in his sixth season and coming off a 2001 season where he only played four games. Bill Belichick deactivated Glenn for most of the '01 season for off the field problems. Glenn played the 2003 season in Green Bay before being shipped off to Dallas.

Pioli got: Buffalo's 2003 1st round pick

Pioli gave up: QB Drew Bledsoe

April 21st

Bledsoe was also in his sixth season when he was traded from New England. I don't want to get too detailed with this trade since we all know the circumstances. Bledsoe injured; Tom Brady comes in; The world loves Tom Brady.

2003

Pioli got: Houston's 5th round pick (154th overall)

Pioli gave up: T Greg Randall

March 6th

Randall was originally drafted by the Patriots in the 4th round of the 2000 draft and played a backup right tackle role for them. Not a bad drop off in trade value after three years - only one round.

Pioli got: New Orlean's 3rd round pick (81st overall), 7th round pick (239th overall) and the Saints 4th round pick in the 2004 draft (113th overall)

Pioli gave up: S Tebucky Jones

April 14th

Jones was drafted by the Patriots in the first round of the 1998 draft. He was franchised in 2003, which accounts for the high number of draft picks that the Pats received from the Saints.

Jones returned to the Pats in 2006 and just recently was in the news because he is suing the Patriots for malpractice essentially.

Pioli got: NT Ted Washington (from Chicago)

Pioli gave up: 2004 4th round pick (104th overall)

August 19th

If you run the 3-4, you need a nose tackle. And there aren't a lot of guys who are well-suited as Washington to do that. Washington was in his 12th year in the NFL when this trade happened and he only played one season for the Patriots.

Pioli got: G Jamil Soriano (From Chicago)

Pioli gave up: Conditional draft pick

August 26th

Not much to read into this trade. Soriano was in and off the Patriots practice squad in the 2003 season after giving up a conditional pick to get him from the Bears. He was signed by the Bears as an undrafted college free agent.

2004

Pioli got: RB Corey Dillon (From Bengals)

Pioli gave up: 2nd round pick (56th overall)

April 19th

After seven seasons with the Bengals, Dillon came to New England and rushed for over 1,600 yards in the 2004 season. He would play two more seasons in New England before retiring.

2005

Pioli got: CB Duane Starks (from Cardinals) and Arizona's 5th round pick (145th overall)

Pioli gave up: 3rd round pick (95th overall) and 5th round pick (168th overall)

March 4th

Essentially giving up a 3rd round pick for Starks, the Patriots released him after just one season. He was the 10th overall pick in the 1998 NFL draft and only played in seven games for the Pats. He was put on injured reserve after a shoulder injury.

2006

Pioli got: DL Johnathan Sullivan

Pioli gave up: WR Bethel Johnson

June 6th

Johnson was a 2nd round pick by the Patriots in 2003. The Patriots decided to trade the disappointing receiver for what would be an even bigger disappointment - Johnathan Sullivan. He was the 6th overall pick in the 2003 draft but was arrested on drug charges just weeks after signing with the Pats.

The Patriots released Sullivan the following October. He didn't play a snap for New England.

Pioli got: Seahawks' 2007 1st round pick (24th overall)

Pioli gave up: WR Deion Branch

September 11th

Branch was drafted with the final pick in the second round by the Patriots in 2002. After being named the Super Bowl MVP in 2005, the Pats pulled the wool over the eyes of the Seahawks and traded Branch away for...a first round pick. Branch and the Patriots were having contract issues and as the pattern shows, the Patriots ditched their problem player.

This trade should be made literally every time it is offered to a team.

2007

Pioli got: WR Wes Welker

Pioli gave up: 2nd round pick (60th overall) and 7th round pick (238th overall)

March 5th

Welker had played three NFL seasons when he came to New England. He would play in every game over the next two seasons, catching 112 and 111 passes respectively. I consider this a good trade by the Patriots because of their plethora of draft picks at the time and the fact that Welker so clearly fit their system.

Pioli got: WR Randy Moss (from Oakland)

Pioli gave up: 4th round pick (110th overall)

April 29th

We all know about this trade too. Moss to New England. Brady to Moss. All year long.

2009

Pioli got: QB Matt Cassel and LB Mike Vrabel

Pioli gave up: 2nd round pick (34th overall)

February 28th

Even though the jury is still out on this trade, I think it's safe to say that at the time it was a great value for what we got.

Chime in with your thoughts in the comment section.

Which players do you think are on the trading block based on Pioli's trade history?

Poll

Will the Chiefs make a trade before the Tuesday trade deadline?

Yes

246 votes

No

254 votes

Maybe

100 votes

600 votes | Poll has closed

Tales from the SunnySide: McDaniels and Belichick, Part I

Emmett Smith — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:30:14 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

3 months ago: Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels, right, takes back his cap and whistle from his assistant Mark Thewes as McDaniels turns to face reporters after drills at the team's final day of NFL football training camp at Broncos' headquarters on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009, in Englewood, Colo. McDaniels put the cap and whistle on Thewes and pointed him toward reporters as a joke. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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Tales from the SunnySide: McDaniels and Belichick Part I:

The Tale of Bill Belichick

"'Tis a happy thing to be a father onto many sons..." Shakespeare, King Henry the VI, Part III

It's the week that some of us have been waiting for: the week when the Denver Broncos will wrestle with the New England Patriots. Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels have a relationship and a friendship; the roots of both go deep. They are far more than mentor and disciple. They are currently professional equals, and their teams will meet on a level playing field and fight for victory in a single contest. It's a great story, and a great opportunity for the Broncos. Many will be the discussion of each team's strengths and weaknesses, and that's as it should be. I wanted to know something a little deeper.

I love to study football; its history, its systems, coaching, scouting, formations and schemes, film breakdowns and stories. I love to know where the players come from, what has driven them, why they traveled the road that they have. And I've been just as interested in its coaches. for those that know me, I also promise to keep this one substantially shorter than Winston Churchill's History of the English Speaking Peoples.

Back in the early years of the 21st century, Bill Belichick took over the New England Patriots in a time of low expectations. The Pats were a team of tradition, it was true, but theirs was a tradition of losing. In fact, the first year that Belichick was the head coach, the Pats only had a record of 5-11. If that had happened to Josh McDaniels, the 33 year-old head coach of the Denver Broncos in 2009, McDaniels might have been ridden out of town on a rail. But learning the story of Bill Belichick helps you to understand Josh McDaniels. Bill's story contains the principles, errors, strengths and successes that young Josh McDaniels would later use to create and carry out his own theory of team building. This is the story of how the Broncos are being built - and why it's working, the first time. When he came on, he noted that his whole life was been a preparation for becoming a head coach. This is the story of the experience that Josh McDaniels drew upon - the one that put aside the need to come in and have a bad experience before succeeding as some of his detractors insisted would happen.

"The youth of America is their oldest tradition. It has gone on for three hundred years." Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900

A Tradition of Coaching

Bill Belichick's coaching story goes back to the early days of his childhood - and before. He came by his love of football honestly - his father, Steve, had only gotten in college by the power of a football scholarship. At first a fullback, Steve Belichick soon saw that he wanted to move into coaching. He had an innate love of breaking down film, of pattern and position, that changed the fortunes of every team that he worked for. From his first job, as an assistant for Vanderbilt, onward through his years at Annapolis, Steve Belichick understood the game from its most obvious principles to its most esoteric variations. He would spend long hours coaching, with young Bill playing on the sidelines. Long before Bill reached the age of 10, Steve was educating him in the principles of scouting and game analysis. Steve would also go on to write a book on scouting, and young Bill would spend hours, entranced, absorbing every fact, thought and perspective. Bill's own love of order and pattern would lead to a football scholarship of his own - he played center - and a degree in economics that would later help him to change the way NFL teams dealt with the esoteric mysteries of the salary cap, contracts and team-building. The apple didn't fall far from the tree. Steve Belichick came from a family of Croatian immigrants, a family to whom hard work, thriftiness and moral responsibility meant a great deal. Bill would absorb those principles into his life as well.

Steve had become a well-liked, highly respected institute in college coaching. He made a conscious decision to devote himself to his craft and to stay under the radar. He was offered a higher paying position at Army; Hank Stram asked him to come to Kansas City to coach and scout for the Chiefs. He turned down every offer and stayed out of the politics of the university. He loved the dedicated young men of the Naval Academy whose sole opportunity for relaxation and letting off steam was the few hours they were allowed to play football; motivation was simply never a problem. Bill Belichick learned from this the value of the team over the individual, the importance of dedication and having a higher cause than personal glory. He was, as a boy, given an envelope each Friday from the defensive line coach of Navy, giving him the game plan. He was able to dissect what he was given, absorb the plays, why and where they were called, all at the age of nine. He was able to translate this lessons into the way he would eventually coach. He also saw the respect that his father was treated with, and came to understand why it came and what that meant.

Bill's mother, Jeannette, had her own unique contributions in young Bill's life. She and Steve had met when they were both teachers; he in PE and coaching and she in languages, for which she had a natural gift. Jeannette loved classic music, its logic and patterns as well as its emotion and innovation. She learned football when she noticed that her husband's friends were usually coaches themselves, and coaches tend to surround themselves with other coaches so that they can talk endlessly in the language of their careers. Later, she became so proficient that she would help Steve with his scouting. She also edited his book on the subject.

She was a stable influence on a life that was often strained; football didn't pay much, and for many years, the Belichick's would live hand to mouth as Steve's jobs took him from here to there. Steve soon noticed that even he best of head coaches would often be suddenly uprooted,sometimes for things beyond their control. A committed recruit suddenly changes his mind after an offense or defense is built around him. Injuries and player actions change the outcome of a season, but it's the head coach that is blamed. Steve took higher degrees in PE and became first an assistant instructor and them a tenured assistant professor, which permitted him a measure of stability and a decent income for his family at Navy. No matter which coaches came and went, Steve Belichick had a job and a life that he loved. But young Bill heard a different calling, and chose a different path. From an early age, all he really wanted was to be a head coach. That drive, and that passion, made him a good assistant, a great defensive coordinator, and eventually led to an offer from Art Modell at Cleveland to become what he'd always wanted to become.

Over the years, Bill learned from every coach that he was fortunate enough to study under and work for. He learned George Allen's system from Ted Marchibroda in Baltimore. Allen put a premium on breaking down film, and Belichick got his start by working for free, then for $25 per week. When Detroit offered Bill $400 per week, he left and stepped up the ladder. From there, he came to Denver, learning the 3-4 system from Joe Collier under Red Miller. It was a different 3-4 from what Belichick would later prefer - Collier's players were mostly lighter than average - but the hallmarks of versatility were already in place and Belichick learned both the offense and defense while he was there. Belichick also learned a lot from Bill Parcells, but eventually outgrew that relationship and needed to move up on his own. His first head-coaching position was at Cleveland.

Belichick and the Browns

Before Bill Belichick took over as head coach of the Patriots, he had taken a job as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns under owner Art Modell. The experiment was a disaster; Belichick made all the usual errors of a first-time HC. He didn't comprehend the vast array of responsibilities of being the head coach as the first among them. Belichick was brought into a troubled franchise and was nervous as he began to map out how he would attempt to build this team into a winner. Belichick quickly made the mistake that 100,000 managers and coaches have made before him - he tried to be someone he wasn't.

Belichick had been a defensive coordinator of considerable success. He recognized, accurately, that the relationship between his players and he would have to be different as he moved into the HC functions, but he decided to move back into a past that had included time at Annapolis, a place where the older Belichick, Steve, had spent decades coaching. Steve had been the primary influence on Belichick as a boy growing up - Steve's book on the methods of football scouting had only sold around 400 copies, but Steve had poured into it his knowledge of the game, his understanding of the principles of scouting and his reasons for the approach that he took. Bill, and his best friend from childhood, Ernie Adams, who still is a personal coaching assistant and one of the brilliant minds behind the Patriots (due to his ability to break down film and to seek out the weaknesses of another team), had lived and breathed that book and many others like it for many years. Ernie also followed Bill to Cleveland. Art Modell would soon comment that he would pay $10,000 to anyone who could tell him what it was that Adams did for the team, but Belichick had no illusions. Adams was Bill's gentler side, a man who had majored in Latin and coaching, who had attended Northwestern University for its Latin prowess rather than its football prowess, Belichick's intellectual equal and his compatriot in deciphering the intricacies of other teams' weaknesses.

Adams was seen by Ray Perkins as something rare and remarkable. Adams has a photographic memory, and has memorized pro football teams' playbooks in a matter of days. He also has a stratospheric IQ and a knack for understanding not just the plays, but how they fit together into a system - what it means, and what doors that might open. Adams is generally a quiet, pleasant, soft-spoken man and is a huge help to his more visible friend.

But when Bill came to Cleveland, he let his own angriest inner-self out and tried to be a drill instructor as much as a head coach. He screamed and cursed at the players. He was hard on his own coaches and assistants. The franchise itself was dysfunctional, it was true, but Belichick was unready to take on that particular move in his career and the experiment ended in failure. Ironically, given later events for both Belichick and Josh McDaniels, Belichick also benched the 'franchise' quarterback, Bernie Kosar, and that time he failed to have a proper replacement ready. He was hammered in the media, disliked in the locker room and beaten on the field on Sundays. Eventually, he was fired. The experiment hadn't lasted long.

Belichick in New England

When the Patriots spent a 1st-round draft pick to get Bill Belichick as their head coach, several things were being said. One was that Belichick had moved out from under the shadow of Bill Parcells. Another was that Bob Kraft, the owner, had a lot of faith in Bill. Belichick had convinced him that the goal wasn't to win the Super Bowl. It was to manipulate the current salary cap and free agency system to permit a team to establish a dynasty, the likes of which hadn't been seen in the NFL since the cap system matured into something of its current form. Kraft quickly agreed - the team had been to 2 Super Bowls and lost both. They had nothing to lose and a great deal to gain. Even Belichick didn't realize at the time just how much they could accomplish together.

There were many reasons why it worked. It required a change in paradigm, a new way of viewing how to build a team and how to maintain one. Several things worked in the Patriots' favor here.

1. Not needing to win right away was first.

Given the history of the team and all that was wrong with it, Kraft didn't expect instant results. This lessened the pressure on Bill, and he wasn't going to make the mistakes that he's made in Cleveland again. Belichick wanted to do more than win a championship. He knew that if he built the team the right way, he'd achieve that championship. But he wanted to build a team that would compete year after year. That was what was different. Belichick could take the time he needed to put his own basic principles into action.

2. Second was the Belichick view of a team from the standpoint of economics.

This was in the early era of the salary cap. BB was an economics major in college - he looked to Arthur Miller, one of his economics professors for guidance. He also took the counsel of Jerry West, the architect of the LA Lakers dynasty, one of the most successful teams in the history of sports. He needed to figure out why the Lakers were so successful, how you could match its principles in the NFL, and how to build a team that defeated not just the other teams, but the economics that tend to cause other teams to fail.

Belichick admired Paul Brown to the point of near worship. He emulated him in many ways and used what Brown created to a higher advantage. Much of what Brown developed Bill Walsh would take and developed further. Just as Walsh did, Belichick also used whatever seemed to him to work best and he found a lot of that in Brown's work. He also drew from the principles of George Allen, from his high school, prep school and college coaches and from his own father and mother. His football principles were based in the way that he viewed and lived his own life. And always, the ability to analyze the other teams, to outwit as well as outplay them, would serve him and the team in good stead.

3. Team over talent.

Belichick likes to say, "We're not accumulating talent. We're assembling a team". You'll often hear one commentator or another, including a lot of good coaches, say, "This is a talent-driven league. Talent wins every time." Belichick eschewed that approach. He wanted players who bought into the concept that they were a team - first; that sponsorships, endorsements and lines of shoes and clothing - every marketing ploy that can make you money - starts with the team winning. If they do that, They soon saw that you will make that money - and more. The players quickly bought into it.

4. JAG players:

As a part of the above principle, a 'JAG' player is an anagram for Just Another Guy. Often, they are men who didn't work out in another system but who offer your team strengths that other teams either didn't see or didn't take advantage of. This is an example of the principle that talent is important, but not always the deciding factor. New faces often find new positions.

Mike Vrabel was a DE who just never fit in at Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh has a deep team and opportunities are rare, so Vrabel never quite found his place and Bill Belichick knew that. Instead of using him as an undersized DE, Belichick moved him outside and he became a strong, powerful LB. In a similar vein, Belichick also took on Roman Phifer. He told Roman, "We'll teach you the techniques and positions and you will define what your role with the team will be." Later, BB would tell the press wryly,

"We didn't realize that his role would be being on the field for 98% of the snaps..."

Does this sound like any of the players Broncos fans might know? Players like Darrell Reid, Elvis Dumervil, or Andra Davis? Josh McDaniels got this principle from Belichick and is using it to best advantage.

5. Leadership can't be taught, but it can be taken advantage of.

Belichick also began looking for players who were leaders in the locker room. That's another thing that Josh McDaniels did when he got to Denver. He brought in leaders like Brian Dawkins, Andra Davis, Andre' Goodman and Renaldo Hill. Then he set out to draft players who had been captains and leaders throughout their college careers. He was doing what he had seen work in New England, and doing it well.

6. Constant teaching

There is a phrase in our language that is in vogue right now - 'A teaching moment'. That's great, but EVERY moment is a teaching moment in the NFL. Every moment can be used to get better, to see what you've done that you want to do differently and to see what worked and should be recreated. Teaching needs to be constant, as does striving to improve. The two should go hand in hand.

7. Getting great coaches - and leaders - and letting them do their jobs

There are many, many other similarities between Bill Belichick's situation in New England and Josh McDaniels' with the Denver Broncos. For one, both chose assistant coaches that could make the team better. Belichick has developed a lot of coaches who later went on to do well for other teams, as well as several who did well in New England but could not recreate it on their own.

In another similarity between Belichick's foray into NE and McDaniels' into Denver, it wasn't that long after coming into town that Bill decided to replace Drew Bledsoe - an excellent QB whose skillset didn't suit the gameplan as well as the 6th-round pick, Tom Brady. Bledsoe had originally gone down with an injury, but when he became healthy, Belichick realized that it was Brady who fit his needs far better. The fans were generally infuriated. Statements flew that the man obviously didn't know a danged thing about quarterbacks, or football for that matter. He was trying to ruin the franchise, etc., etc. (It's interesting to note that few of the insults, inquiries and inanities have changed much over the past two decades). When Josh McDaniels was told to trade Jay Cutler by Pat Bowlen, a plethora of conspiracy theories leapt to life, much like Aphrodite, fully grown, from the brow of Zeus. But in the end, Josh McDaniels was able to choose a quarterback who fit his system: calm, intelligent, mentally and physically tough and an established leader, just as Belichick chose one to fit his own.

But in the end, Josh McDaniels would learn from Belichick in many areas. The younger man was also a talented analyst of film, obsessed with finding weaknesses and capable of establishing either the offensive or defensive schemes and approaches. Both were the sons of coaches and both grew up on the sidelines. Both of them got to learn from their own fathers, and both fathers would help the sons by talking to their own contacts in the often insular football world, helping here and there while letting the sons become their own men. And both young men took the opportunities they were given, and created from them winners molded in the image that matches the head coaches' beliefs and ideas.

Later today, I'll add Part II of this report: The Tale of Josh McDaniels.