We're on our way,
We are Chan's fighting crew
Hear the roar,
Of the red, white and blue

This time, more than any other time, this time,
We're going to find a way,
Find a way to get away,
This time, getting it all together

To win them all,
It's what we'll set out to do
We have a dream,
We know you're sharing it too

This time, more than any other time, this time,
We're going to find a way,
Find a way to get away,
This time, getting it all together

We'll get it right
This time, get it right,
This time

It makes you wonder,
It makes you proud
To play for Buffalo
And hear the crowd

As we're marching
On towards victory

This time,
This time

We're on our way,
We are Chan's fighting crew
Hear the roar,
Of the red, white and blue

This time, more than any other time, this time,
We're going to find a way,
Find a way to get away,
This time, getting it all together

We'll get it right
This time, we'll get it right
[repeat to fade]

When Nix and Gailey came aboard, it was easy to get behind them simply because they weren't the dreadful Dick Jauron and the hapless Circle of Friends front office. Nix was an actual buck-stops-here GM. The lack of a true GM for four seasons could be described as nothing less than absurd. It was the symbol of Buffalo's dysfunction. Gailey came in talking about results and wins which was refreshing after four years of Jauron's rhetoric where actual wins were chalked up to happenstance and luck. It was easy to get behind this new leaf.

The first red flag was a huge one. Nix indicated that the Trent Edwards Experience was a much better option than the fan base, in their supposed lay ignorance, could ever know. He believed Edwards (Trent Edwards!) could be "coached" into being a success. Bills' fans had seen plenty of Edwards and knew he was not talented enough to play regularly in the NFL and in fact, many believed he'd be out of the league in short order (like he was in 2011). It was an absurd decision to delay searching for a QB at the moment the new regime took over. A franchise QB was the first order of business and OBD simply passed on making the difficult call of hitching their wagon to a potential QB fix.

The Trent Edwards Experience lasted a whole two games. Journeyman, Ryan Fitzpatrick's being able to make the offense look serviceable juxtaposed against the two games Edwards piloted was a hilarious look into just how inept Edwards was as an NFL player; a man who better fit working next to you in a cubicle than trying to match talent with Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger. Nix's claims were proven to be absurd with no room for debate.

Ryan Fitzpatrick played better than could have been expected in 2010. In fact, he looked like a fringe starter rather than a journeyman backup. He made plenty of mistakes as advertised and witnessed in his 2009 cameo, but the team generally moved the ball at a pro level under his leadership which was light years ahead of the Trent Edwards Experience. The pleasant surprise was that Fitzpatrick looked like the perfect bridge QB to lead the team while a draftee frantically was groomed to save this putrid franchise. Rather than cash in on this positive development, Chix chose to stretch it into something it wasn't and again, passed on adding a franchise QB in the draft, expressing confidence in Fitzpatrick long term (despite the imporessive 2011 draft class). We all know what followed: hot start, extension, QB play that resembled the worst of Edwards.

So here we are two losing, last place, 2-10 in the AFC East seasons into this rebuild. Chix anointed Edwards legitimate. Fail. Chix expressed confidence in Fitzpatrick as a long term starter and ultimately paid him like one. Fail?? That hasn't been determined yet. I'm doubtful, most fans are doubtful, but that's where they're at. Barkley and Jones are headed back to college. Luck and RG3 will be gone by the time the third pick is announced (I'd bet the house that somebody trades up to 2 for RG3). You know what? Chix had their chance to get this rebuild going. I say they've made enough decisions on the Bills QB situation. To me, 2012 is doe-or-die for Gailey (and maybe Nix). No head coach since free agency began 20 years ago has ever started their tenure with their team with 3 losing seasons and came back for a fourth and succeeded. Not one. If Fitzpatrick busts like he did down the stretch in 2011, Buffalo will need a new regime. I'd prefer this new regime handpick their QB to build around rather than the awkward prospect of being saddled with somebody else's gamble (think Losman under Jauron). Chix was on the pot for two drafts and they did a lot of reading, but nothing significant happened until they locked up Fitzpatrick long term. That's the baby. He's born and ready for visits. It's time to judge him in 2012. Build around Fitzpatrick for 2012 and if it fails, let somebody else get this thing done. Chix had their chance to find a QB and now it's time to see how they did.

If allegations by Michael Vick are true that Goodell steered him away from signing with the Bills or Bengals, the commissioner's time is up.

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Chan Gailey has a golden opportunity to get this ball rolling.  How will he play it

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I honestly can't decide.  I generally hate New England more than any team in sports (probably more than I like the Bills), but the Jets' swagger is so comically absurd that having them come to Buffalo 0-3 in two weeks is wildly appealing.  I can't picture myself rooting for Beli-choke or Ryan so I'm considering watching the Denver game at 4pm just because I have a small sum of money on it.  In any event, i want the pulse of the Bills fan in week 2...who are you hoping will win in the battle of the over-hyped posers in North Jersey today?

I like to put my picks out there before the season starts.  Mostly, I like to have them on record somewhere so I can see how much things have changed from the beginning of the season through the playoffs.  Sometimes it makes you look real bad (I still recall selecting a Seahawks- Jaguars Super Bowl in 2008; neither team made the playoffs). 

I'm not optimistic about Buffalo's record in 2010.   I think they'll contend for the first pick and honestly think week one is wildly important for this team because it might be their best chance to win for awhile because the early part of the schedule looks more difficult to me.  For a young team, starting something like 0-5 or 0-7 will be damaging in my opinion due to the undue pressure to get over the hump that it will carry.  While I expect the team to struggle, I like Gailey's "go for it" approach to his young team.  I have yet to see a quote from him that didn't suggest that he believes his team can win right away or that winning wasn't is primary goal for this season.  A front office doesn't necessarily have to have a "win now" attitude every year (clearly re-building years have to happen), but I think a coaching staff needs to be aggressive from the get-go.  As much as going 2-14 might be appealing to some fans if and when the team struggles out the gate, I think winning as many games as possible will be more valuable to this roster than moving up a few selections for the first round of the draft.  I'd rather see this team win some games with (hopefully) building blocks players like Wood, Levitre, Bell, Spiller, Byrd, McKelvin, and the revamped D-line and if they see someone in the draft they absolutely have to have, trade picks to move up as a respectable team on the cusp rather than hoard picks from the position of league laughingstock.  I think Gailey is going to change the culture of this team and that's the most positive thing about 2010 (not named Spiller) regardless of record.  And just remember: the 2005 Bears, 2008 Dolphins and 2008 Falcons were all recent examples of teams that most of the media and fans believed were going to compete for worst team in the league.  Anything can happen when you go for it.

Jets (10-6) *

Dolphins (9-7)

Patriots (8-8)

Bills (4-12)

Ravens (11-5) *

Bengals (9-7)

Steelers (8-8)

Browns (5-11)

Colts (11-5) *

Titans (10-6) *

Texans (9-7) *

Jaguars (5-11)

Chargers (11-5) *

Chiefs (7-9)

Broncos (6-10)

Raiders (5-11)

Cowboys (11-5) *

Giants (9-7)

Eagles (9-7)

Redskins (7-9)

Packers (12-4) *

Vikings (11-5) *

Bears (6-10)

Lions (5-11)

Falcons (11-5) *

Saints (10-6) *

Panthers (7-9)

Buccaneers (4-12)

49ers (9-7) *

Cardinals (8-8)

Rams (5-11)

Seahawks (3-13)

AFC Championship: Ravens over Colts

NFC Championship: Packers over Cowboys

Super Bowl XLV: Packers over Ravens

Enjoying the preseason.  Last year at this time, I had absolutely no hope of anything even remotely interesting unfolding in 2010.  This year, I can at the very least talk myself into a foundation being laid for better times ahead regardless of the record. 

Spiller?  Special.  Parrish? Will make the slot a factor (finally).  Green?  I'll move on.  Trent Edwards?  Looks reborn.  Actually, he looks born since I've never really bought into him (only for a split second after his first start against the Jets, but literally, not since).  Do I believe in him now?  No.  But I'll tell you what, he honestly looks really good this preseason.  If I'm going to somehow try and talk myself into his having a Phil Simms-like renaissance after a lengthy early career filled with injuries, timid play, poor production, awful body language, and well-deserved demotions, I'll look to the offensive scheme.  Slants? Crossing patterns?  Play action passes?  Pass patterns where the receiver catches the ball on the run rather than turning around to face the QB?  Such simplistic wrinkles are basically the Greatest Show on Turf compared to the offenses that Dick Jauron employed.  Is it possible that NO QB could succeed under Jauron and Edwards was just another victim?  Remotely.  But if there is any evidence for hope, it's in these seemingly simplistic offensive plays that have been completely missing from Buffalo's offense since Jauron was hired.  Dare to dream (at least until 4;00 on the 12th).

On a lower note, Buffalo's outside linebackers are WILDLY inept.  Maybe Ellis and Maybin can develop into useful players as the year goes on (right now, they are NOT), but Kelsay and Ellison, the starters from last week, cannot play a lick in this defense.  Don't get me wrong, I am fully on board with the switch to the 3-4, and I get Nix's working on the DL first since this will be a two offseason construction project, but unless Torbor comes back as Bryce Paup circa 1995, the entire defense will struggle mightily because these guys can't cut it on the outside- not even a little.

All and all, I still see 4-12.  I still see Edwards not cutting it.  I see the team heading into Thanksgiving or so as a laughingstock nationally.  But those of us paying close attention will see some positives that will manifest itself into a nice December where Buffalo knocks the Patriots out of the playoff chase and gives the team momentum heading into 2011.  And who knows?  Who saw the 2008 Dolphins, 2005 Bears, 2008 Falcons, or 2009 Bengals coming?  It can happen if you don't play scared.  what a refreshing concept for playing a simple kid's game.  Here's a 53-guess:

Edwards/ Fitzpatrick/ Brown

Spiller/ Jackson/ Lynch/ Bell

McIntyre

Evans/ Nelson/ Parrish/ Johnson/ Jackson/ Hardy

Stupar/ Foschi

Bell/ Levitre/ Hangartner/ Wood/ Green

Meredith/ Chambers/ Hennessey/ Wang

Lindell/ Moorman/ Sanborn

Edwards/ Stroud/ Carrington/ Johnson

Williams/ Troup

Torbor/ Kelsay/ Ellis/ Maybin/ Ellison

Posluszny/ Davis/ Mitchell/ Moats

McGee/ McKelvin/ Florence/ Youboty/ Corner

Byrd/ Whitner/ Wilson/ Scott/ C. Harris

PS: Anderson/ Roosevelt/ Howard/ Allen/ Harvey/ Coleman/ Woods/ Lankster

SUSP/ IR: Nelson/ Easley/ Batten

Here's a possible 53-man roster for the Bills given the draft they just conducted.  Looking at the team, I think the transition to the 3-4 has gone over about as well as could've been hoped for given the massive undertaking such a move entailed.  Outside linebacker looks weak unless Maybin really gets it this year and Schobel comes back (I project he won't).  I'm really glad the team made that switch as the bigger defense is much better suited for both Buffalo and playing in the AFC East in general.  As far as the offense goes...I can't wait to see that D begin to develop!

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I hear a lot about Locker and Mallet amongst Bills fans and beat writers when speculating that the true long-term answer to the team's utterly useless Edwards/Fitzpatrick platoon could come in 2011.  I could be off a little on this, but weren't Snead and McCoy considered potential top 10 picks for 2010 at this time last year?  I honestly don't believe it's all that easy to target a *specific* player in this year's draft, let alone a draft 13 months away.  So much can change over the course of a year (injuries, regression, off the field issues, unexpectedly staying in school).  I believe it would be foolish to ignore the QBs of 2010 based on a projection that they'll be better in 2011. 

My guess is that teams *don't* factor in future draft classes when making decisions for the upcoming season because there are too many variables in projecting so far into the future.  For example, I don't think a QB-needy team would pass on a Clausen, who they might have graded as a top 15 talent, just because they think Locker could be a top 3 talent in 2011.  I believe Buffalo would be crazy to bank on better options at QB being available down the line given the dire state of the QB position on the current roster.  Ryan Mallet and Jake Locker should not be in the discussion in terms of solving the mess that is this current depth chart.

Despite my being a huge Bills' supporter and the traumatic memories that the team's four trips to the Super Bowl represent in my mind, I love the Super Bowl.  I love the fact that no matter what, you're guaranteed to remember at least one or two things from the game itself decades later, whether the game was a classic or not.  I like watching history unfold before my eyes and that's what the Super Bowl is to me.  The first Super Bowl I remember watching was Super Bowl XXIII in Miami with Joe Montana throwing a late touchdown to John Taylor to beat the underdog Bengals (I was rooting for the favorites out of spite after the Bengals had beaten the Bills in the AFC Championship game).  I've seen a stretch of NFC dominance (I caught the middle and end of the NFC's amazing 13 straight wins from XIX to XXXI) as well as a recent stretch of AFC superiority.  As it stands, if the Colts win today, the AFL/AFC will have caught the NFL/NFC at 22 Super Bowl titles each.  Strangely, the AFC won the 70's 8-2, the NFC won the 80's and 90's 8-2, and if the Colts win today the AFC will have won the 00's 8-2.  In any case, I got to thinking about the best Super BOwls I've ever szeen and wanted to rank them and hear your thoughts.  So with apologies to Super Bowls III, X, XIII, XIV, and XVII that I never saw, here are the 10 best Super Bowls in my opinion:

10. XXXIX: Patriots over Eagles (Jacksonville, FL): Trailing by 10 late, Donovan McNabb decides to milk the clock with a long TD drive late to draw within 3.  The next time Philly gets the ball, they have no timeouts and less than 30 seconds left and McNabb's 5th turnover of the game (2 were overturned by replay), mails New England a title in a game they really didn't look all that Super in.

9. XXX: Cowboys over Steelers (Tempe, AZ): A gutty performance by the heavy underdogs from Pittsburgh is undone by a late Neil O'Donnell pick that can only be described as the worst throw in pro football history.  Note: Dallas- Pittsburgh becomes the first and only three time Super Bowl matchup.

8. XXXVIII: Patriots over Panthers (Houston, TX): This was a weird game.  It was sloppy and scoreless until very late in the first half when a wild explosion of points in the last few minutes left it 14-10 at the break.  The third quarter was scoreless and then a wild fourth quarter kills my UNDER bet and costs me $110.  The Pats win on a last second field goal that was setup by John Kasay's kickoff that went out of bounds, leaving Brady with the lamest game winning drive in Super Bowl history.

7. XXIII: 49ers over Bengals (Miami, FL): A boring 3-3 first half gives way to a memorable kickoff return for a TD by Stanford Jennnings and two Montana TD passes in the 4th quarter as the 49ers come back to beat the Bengals and cement their place as the team of the 80's in the late, Bill Walsh's last game in the NFL.

6. XXXII: Broncos over Packers (San Diego, CA): This game was really exciting all the way through with both teams displaying stretches of dominance as two Hall of Fame QBs dueled for the world championship.  Brett Favre's last seconds drive to tie the game sputters around the 30 yard line and in the end, it was John Elway who finally stopped the NFC's 13 game winning streak and finally got the monkey off his back as well.

5. XXXVI: Patriots over Rams (New Orleans, LA): The heavily favored Rams come back from a 14 point deficit in the 4th quarter, only to see the Patriots drive down for the winning FG as time expires.  I'll never forget John Madden spending the whole game winning drive stating that Patriots (14 point dogs) would be wise to run out the clock and play for overtime.  Somewhere, Dick Jauron nodded in agreement.

4. XXXIV: Rams over Titans (Atlanta, GA): The Titans come back from a 16-0 deficit to tie the game, only to see Kurt Warner hit Isaac Bruce on a bomb to seemingly win the Super Bowl.  The late, Steve McNair engineers a dramatic drive that would have sent the game to overtime, but it stalls at the 1 yard line because of the greatest tackle in NFL history by LB, Mike Jones.

3. XLIII: Steelers over Cardinals (Tampa, FL): Trailing 20-7 in the 4th quarter, the Cardinals score 3 times in a row (including on a safety), culminating in Larry Fitzgerald's spectacular catch and carry to take the lead by 3 with about 2:30 to play.  Roethlisberger proceeds to exercise the demons of a horrible performance in Super Bowl XL with a game winning drive with seconds left that ends with an unbelievable tip toe TD catch by Santonio Holmes.

2. XLII: Giants over Patriots (Glendale, AZ): The Patriots quest for perfection is seemingly a reality when Brady hits Randy Moss for a TD pass late to take a 14-10 lead in a surprising defensive struggle.  David Tyree proceeds to make the greatest catch in NFL history on a 3rd and long play and Eli Manning hits Plaxico Burress for a TD with seconds left as the Giants pull off the stunning upset.  Following a season where the Patriots run up the score on every opponent with the rationale that they play a full 60 minutes every game, a dejected Bill Belichick slinks off the field before the final gun even sounds and hopefully cries in the locker room.

1. XXV: Giants over Bills (Tampa, FL):  Obviously the saddest moment of my childhood was Scott Norwood's missed FG that would have given the Bills a world championship, but the game itself was one of the most well-played, dramatic games ever played in any sport.  Neither team commits a turnover in a back and forth struggle that sees the Giants prevail 20-19, despite Thurman Thomas racking up nearly 200 all-purpose yards.  I'll always ask myself who the Bills' special teams player was that got called for holding before Buffalo's last drive (leaving Kelly to start at the 10 yard line).  The refs never did say.

I'm not totally against the Gailey hiring.  I'll say this though- I think it's totally uninspiring: a typical Wilson move to scoop up a coach who is not in demand by anyone else and that's alarming and I don't blame my fellow supporters of this team who feel like complaining.  But let's face it.  This team needs an offensive identity adjustment and hiring a coach with an offensive background was absolute must for a team that has been as pathetic as the Bills have been on offense for so long.  I remember really wanting Gailey as our head coach after Levy retired following the '97 season- I guess I got what I wanted 13 years later!  It's funny how that works.

Gailey's resume is ok with me.  The level of success at Georgia Tech wasn't very inspiring, but he made bowl games EVERY year there- he was successful, albeit, slightly disappointing for the type of program I associate Georgia Tech with.  His two years in Dallas were two playoff seasons as well- I realize they weren't world beaters either year, but he inheritd a team that missed the playoffs the year before, took them to the playoffs two straight years, and then they missed the playoffs for three straight years upon his being fired- that's a pretty good indicator for a team that has missed the playoffs for a decade now.  His coordinator stops in Denver, Pittsburgh, and Miami were all successful stops in terms of winning as well and even KC fans seemed impressed with gailey i9n his brief stint there- again, his resume is pretty good overall. 

I think I'm slightly disappointed mostly because the team couldn't attract a highly coveted coach and Gailey looks like a compromise at first glance.  In fact, maybe he is a compromise, but he also appears to be a coach that has been associated with postseason play and above-average offensive football- two things missing in Buffalo for 10 years or so.  I think he makes some sense- more sense in fact, then a Frazier or a Rivera.  I can live with it as long as Buffalo doesn't compromise on finding its franchise QB. 

Gailey isn't a boom or bust hire (like a Harbaugh would have been).  He has a solid resume with very little glitz and upside to it.  But let's stop with the hyperbole (which I fell into as well upon first hearing the news).  His resume is light years better than Jauron's career of mostly losing football- that was a hire that can never be justified.  Let's see if Nix can grab him a real QB now.  I'm willing to give Gailey a shot, but I won't say the same for more of Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick.