SB Nation User Blog: Zumone

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.

Edwards stepping up in Buffalo

Zumone — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 18:01:51 -0000

Edwards stepping up in Buffalo

SI's Bucky Brooks asks "Will Trent Edwards become the league's next great quarterback?"

This is not a mirage

Zumone — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 23:50:48 -0000

Professional Tool Don Banks has this to say in his "Snap Judgments":

what's not to love about Bills' second-year starting quarterback Trent Edwards? He completed 80 percent of his passes at Jacksonville, going 20 of 25 for 239 yards and a 119.8 passer rating in Buffalo's 20-16 upset of the 0-2 Jaguars.

These Bills are for real, folks. This is not a mirage of a 2-0 start in western New York.

OT: Battle at Kruger

Zumone — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:47:24 -0000

I'm going way off topic here, but I'm going temporally insane waiting for the next Bills game. I thought it would be fun to find some sort of wild-life video about buffalo versus jaguars or some other big cat.

Then I remembered a youtube vid, the "Battle of Kruger" which is so awesome they made a National Geographic documetary based on this footage alone. If you haven't seen it yet, its pretty cool; we're talking 36,687,965 views so far. Keep in mind its 8 minutes long, but if you get impatient, the action begins at the 1:58 mark.

And there's a great comeback win at the end.

Bills face watered-down Seahawks in Week 1

Zumone — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 13:41:31 -0000

Bills face watered-down Seahawks in Week 1

Peters Rumor from scout.com

Zumone — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:16:32 -0000

Peters Rumor from scout.com

"Our team source expects Peters to show up Monday, practice for a week, and then sit as Dick Jauron refuses to start him."