SB Nation User Blog: Zumone

Better angle

Zumone — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:39:22 -0000

Better angle

Introducing the Bill Belichick Meltdown Face Now I feel a little better.

Zumone — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:18:31 -0000

Introducing the Bill Belichick Meltdown Face

Now I feel a little better.

In N.F.L., Parity Is Taking a Turn for the Worse

Zumone — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:54:01 -0000

In N.F.L., Parity Is Taking a Turn for the Worse

A NYTimes article discussing the unusual number of bad teams in the NFL this year (including the Bills of course). I thought this nugget was funny:

"The Bills asked the Jets not to transcribe their conference calls with New York-area reporters. Either the Bills do not want negative quotes taken out of context, or they do not want their futility on record. (The team did not respond to requests for comment.)"

Teacher tells student to turn Yankee shirt inside out

Zumone — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:02:01 -0000

Teacher tells student to turn Yankee shirt inside out

Van Buren Elementary fourth-grader Nathan Johns thought his teacher was kidding Wednesday when he instructed him to go to the bathroom and turn his Yankees T-shirt inside out...

Bills coach Dick Jauron on the value of practicing in the rain

Zumone — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:24:35 -0000

Bills coach Dick Jauron on the value of practicing in the rain

"The footing and how you compete -- how you backpedal, how you turn and plant dry, cutting -- you have to work on those things because it's not easy. I thought it was really a good day for us."

Huh? Didn't the Bills specifically NOT practice in the cold and snow during the regular season in previous years? But rain is ok?

Don Banks Latest Mock: Good for a Laugh

Zumone — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 18:17:50 -0000

Don Banks Latest Mock: Good for a Laugh

11 WR Michael Crabtree Texas Tech So. 6-3 214
Why this will be the pick: Imagine the dramatic overnight improvement of the Bills' Trent Edwards-led passing game if Crabtree were to join Terrell Owens, Lee Evans and a second-year James Hardy? With Owens signing just a one-year deal in Buffalo, taking a young receiver with Crabtree's potential is entirely defensible.
Why this doesn't make sense: This Bills coaching staff has to win now, and taking Crabtree might be more about 2010 and beyond than anything else. Buffalo is desperate for more pass rush, which points to Florida State's DE-OLB Everette Brown in this slot.

Off the Charts

Zumone — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 06:24:24 -0000

Off the Charts

Look at the "game flow" chart on this ESPN link for the SU vs Uconn recap.

This game literally goes off the chart.

Programming Alert: Matt Sheldon on Inside the NFL Tonight

Zumone — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 20:39:09 -0000

Programming Alert: Matt Sheldon on Inside the NFL Tonight

One more for news and notes

Zumone — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 01:40:04 -0000

I thought Chuck Pollock, sports editor for the Olean Times Herald (whatever that is?) hits the nail on the head with this one, "It’s times Bills’ coaching staff got scrutinized". Read the whole thing but heres the last half of the piece:

Coordinator Turk Schonert was seen as an encouraging upgrade from his predecessor, Steve Fairchild. But in recent weeks, it’s been tough to tell where Fairchild ends and Schonert begins.

The most disturbing reincarnation is the "we’re going to outsmart you" hubris he’s displayed.

Buffalo has one of the NFL’s biggest offensive lines, but on 3rd-and-short, despite the presence of a pair of hard-running backs, the Bills invariably pass.

Not only does that decision show a lack of faith in the offensive front, it also displays a degree of play-calling arrogance ... we don’t have to out-muscle you, we going to outsmart you?

Against the 49ers, Buffalo had seven plays on 3rd or 4th down of four yards or less. The result was three runs, three passes and a sack.

AND, FINALLY, of course, there’s the issue of the team reflecting Jauron’s always-controlled persona.

Clearly it worked for Marv Levy, the man who hired him.

But Marv had the right team - a self-starting veteran squad overflowing with leadership - for his laissez-faire, let-the-assistants-coach approach.

Jauron has one of the league’s youngest rosters with precious-few leaders - Donte Whitner excepted - and a little fear for job security or an in-you-face blasting from coaches for repeated errors would probably serve it well.

Even Jauron is aware that the heat’s been turned up by frustrated fans.

On Monday he allowed, "I definitely understand (the criticism). I’m where it stops. I’m the guy. The things that go wrong, I’ve got to get them corrected."

Yet clearly, he can’t be somebody he’s not ... ie. an old-fashioned hard-line disciplinarian.

Unfortunately, you get the idea that nobody on Jauron’s staff, other than special teams coach Bobby April, is willing to get into a player’s grille.

Too bad, because maybe, just maybe, if these Bills played with a bit of fear of being called out on their failings, we wouldn’t be talking about five losses in six games.

Finish with the best record in the AFC East and still miss the play-offs?

Zumone — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:03:27 -0000

Obviously we all want the Bills to start winning, and if we can win our next 4 including 2 against AFC East opponents we'll be right back in the playoff picture. But if that happens and you predict all other wins and loses simply based on current records alone, the AFC EAST is absolutely FUBAR .

This would mean the Bills would enter the final week 9-6 with only one loss at Denver.

Assume that Miami and the Jets lose this week and again to the Bills; they are most likely to win every other game until they face each other the final week.

Finally if the Patriots beat the Dolphins, they should win out except for a loss to the 7-3 Steelers.

Thus the AFC East in the final week of the regular season will be:

9-6 Miami @ 10-5 Jets (2-3 vs 3-2 in the division)

and

10-5 Patriots @ 9-6 Bills (3-2 vs 2-3 in the division)

If the Bills and Miami win, every team in the AFC East would have equal overall and division records; good luck figuring out the tie-breaker.

Of course the least likely thing to happen in this scenario is the Bills finishing 5-1.