Okay first off this is the strangest thing I've ever posted on this site, I really have no clue what on earth I was thinking. But I somehow thought the Metrodome breaking open had some deep symbolic meaning, almost like something out of a legend or something. I'm hoping y'all find it entertaining and worthy of a laugh, and I promise I'm not actually insane.

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I know this is going to be buried in the fallout with our friendly skirmish with the Indianapolis Colts tonight, but I wanted to have my say on the Injuries the Bills have sustained so far:

It doesn't take the All-Seeing Eye of Horus to see that Buffalo's strength offensively is in the running game. Or at least it was until Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch read their contracts more carefully.

There written under job description Article 7 Section 9: "Henceforth as a member of this noble organization, you are required to shrivel up like a lilac bush caught in a horrible brush fire at any given time."
This strange statement's purpose presumably is to create their underdog appeal, so they can slip under the radar. And so that no one will in fact realize they have been fielding a team of pygmy shrews this entire time.

Perhaps I don't mean that literally, since after all the pygmy shrew is one of the only animals that is routinely scared to death. Like if someone yelled "Surprise Pygmy shrew it's your birthday! We all think your great!" It would have a massive heart attack and you'd be feeling rather bad about the whole thing, and it at least would be awkward to bring up at the next dinner party.

Despite being many thousand times bigger,heavier, and very likely smarter, the average Buffalo Bills player has a shared trait  with that shrew in that he too is prone to meeting his demise at the most inopportune time possible.

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We all know the Bills took a gamble firing Jauron when they did, but they took the gamble to get an edge on the hot prospective coaching market. It wasn't smooth but it gave the Bills a time advantage over other teams unhappy with their coaches.

First was Shanahan, who some feel fully now had no intention of accepting the job at all.
Holmgren, who quickly fell into the Browns GM position, and Cowher who is available but for all the world seems to be unwilling to coach the team next season. And then Billick who appeared to be assembling a coaching staff but for some odd reason wasn't considered a candidate.

To their credit, I feel that the Bills indeed pursued Cowher the hardest of any candidates. But the truth is that they likely failed to get him, and of all of the rejections the Bills have received, his stings the most and in fact has negated Buffalo's initial advantage of time and has put them in a high pressure situation.

Recent reports seem to be indicating that now that Cowher is off the table, they will take their time in deciding who to interview/hire. This is troubling to me because they have no coaching staff and their FO is currently in flux. I understand wanting to be methodical, but they don't have a coach to build system around, or even a front office with a unified voice.

Of the potential coaches, only two have been interviewed after the regular season, and one of them has already accepted a job elsewhere. To have that few interviews and such a narrow range of candidates is very telling

But let's say for the sake of time the Bills hire Leslie Frazier or Russ Grimm. They need to do so very, very soon. In two weeks is the Senior Bowl, and if we don't have a coach by then, Nix is going to spend all of his time in that area, and not do what he's actually good at and scout. Maybe that's why no decision was made on Modrak and Guy, because Nix will hand off his scouting duties to them in the interim.

The initial gamble has all but backfired and Buffalo's lack of decisiveness and ironically, trying to do what the fans wanted them to do, will likely cost them unless they move soon.

If the Bills make a decision soon they will have a whole new challenge in hiring coordinators. If either Grimm or Frazier are hired, The Offensive Coordinator position is EXTREMELY important. I think whether we want an Offensive Coach (like I do this time) or a Defensive Coach (like Brian wants) hopefully that can be agreed upon. Grimm isn't known for calling plays, and Frazier is a defensive coordinator. Brian Schottenheimer was the only candidate who would call offensive plays,but he and Chargers DC Ron Rivera have already refused to interview.


Everyone is worried about the shrinking head coach pool, when that is only half of it. Several Offensive and Defensive coordinators who would have been slam dunk, experienced hires have been snapped up. Names like Charlie Weiss, Romeo Crennel, and Jim Haslett who may make some antsy as head coaches but as coordinators have proven themselves. And still others are being persued by other teams:

Marc Trestman (linked to Raiders)
Mike Martz (linked to Bears)
Norm Chow(linked to many teams likely to stay at UCLA)

Just to name a few, and while expecting to hire a known coordinator from the outside is perhaps with this franchise too much to ask, what kills me is the Bills AREN'T even in the running, because they don't even have a coach. How long did it take Washington to get a head coach and then once Shanahan was there, how long did it take them to get Haslett? Other teams are swimming laps around the Bills who were given a 2 lap head-start.

Interesting when Ralph Wilson said that in this league you have to be "lucky." I think that's true.
Eventually  down the line you have to have some things go your way.
But what is that old saying?  "Fortune Favors the Bold."

The Bills have spent so long waiting for something "lucky" like Bill Cowher coming to happen, that they haven't make their own luck they haven't taken their own chances. It's like the Aesop's fable where an owner of an stuck cart cries out to Hercules to fix the problem instead of putting his shoulder to the wheel.

And that is why right now there aren't any answers for what the Bills will become, because we don't have even an inkling of what they are trying to do. The more the Bills keep us all in the dark, and take their time to slowly sift through the swamp hoping to pull out Excalibur, and the more time they waste, and the more indecision there is about the roles of the FO, the more the inability to bring an A-list coach stings, and the more pressing the case for a coordinator becomes.


This franchise enters the new decade with so much uncertainty and so many questions, but for now the only question I want answered is "When?"

A forum I'm quite fond of has some posters who are adept at converting video into little bite sized movies in .gif files. Most of the highlights (and all of the lowlights) are captured. 

If you can't laugh at how pathetic our team is you'll cry and get angry and bitter and blame everybody.  For most of the year I was just as outraged as some of you are, but I've recently just realized the team is injured to the point that they aren't competitive. Ask yourself how a team can be competitive when Kirk Chambers leaving the game was considered a big blow to the offensive line? This is the worst Offensive Line in the NFL Fitzpatrick dreams of having Green Bay's line every night when he is writhing like a snake in his bed from the hits he took. Our Linebacker core is probably the worst in the league, how they are unable to stop the run (especially runs to the outside) is beyond pathetic. A group of crabs has better lateral motion. They refuse to fill gaps are out of position constantly and take terrible angles and can't tackle. The Offense and Defense was terrible, Special Teams was pretty good. New York played terrible too just not on the scale of the Bills. They play a game half as bad against another team their playoff hopes are all over. It was actually an extremely boring game to watch.

So for those 99.999% of the human population who missed the game due to not getting the NFL Network and want to see the "real" highlights of the game, You'll have your chance after the jump:

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The truth is this was just a Bills win that should make you happy and giddy if there even if you are cynical as a rule of thumb.  It was just a wonderful win.

All of the players played very hard and were very jubilant and emotional, and so was the coach. The fans were into it, and it was great weather. The Bills struck a mortal blow to their hated rival's playoff hopes. It was a beautiful game that had alot in it. And alot of stuff underneath the surface too. Also the Bills broke a franchise record in longest run for a TD by a QB.

But there were several storylines that left you with an optimistic feeling if you thought about them.

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Dolphins vs. Bills Heartwarming Edition

Rian Lindell misses a big field goal. Rian is sad :(

 


Coach Fewell says "Now kick a 56 yard field goal."

Rian does...and...did he make it????
 

It's good! A career long.

 
Rian and Brian are happy. :)
 

Coach Fewell says "Told ya so!"
 

Ryan Fitzpatrick Oh no don't run!

Wait a minute....where are you going???!
 

TD TD TD!!! Everybody starts dancing!
 

Even T.O. is happy!
 

Everyone celebrates!

Except her.
 

THE END.

The insidious bovine flu W7L9 (detailed here) has struck the Carolina Panthers after they ignored Buffalo Rumbling's warning to wear surgical masks to the game.

Last week's bout received the "Game of the Weak" moniker from NFL LIVE crew on ESPN (as did Jets-Bills and most likely Browns-Bills)
ESPN AFC east blogger Tim Graham speculated that the Buffalo Bills may have been involved in the 3 worst games in the NFL this year.

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With Carolina as the Bills next opponent, I happened to look a the logo of the Panther.
For whatever reason it looked strange to me.
Just the angle of the cat's head looked funny. Doesn't it?
In fact what's up with that thing?
Why isn't it smooth and even like many other logos?
And why is one ear smaller than the other?
What is up with Mr. Panther's neck?
If you have ever wondered the same thing, read on!

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I've finally found the cause of the Browns "swine" flu outbreak. I've heard some players have been infected with H1N1. But I fear that a strain of the "Bovine Flu" (W7L9) has infected them as well. It's been a week in a half and the Bills are the known carriers, and have infected the entire league with their terrible play. They contracted this plague soon after they were slaughtered like cows by the dolphins. The next two weeks of some of the worst games of professional football in the history of the sport were played. The following might disturb you, Viewer discretion is advised:

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Hello and welcome all to another miserable Buffalo Bills outing, where our motto is "We don't lose the same way twice!"

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The Bills earned their first win today!

Edwards and Offense again plays well

Trent Edwards once again delivered in the clutch when the team needed to score. I can already tell that this offense at least so far has been light years ahead of what we have had the last few years. Trent did throw an interception but you could tell that while he was careful about how many chances he took down field,....he DID take chances down field. These high risk passes may have influenced the interception but they also was responsible for  two very nice TD passes and at least one huge would be gainer that was dropped. Alex Van Pelt's gameplan seemed to be geared mostly for Trent's strengths and featured quite a few short passes. But the difference was instead of 4-5 yards these passes were going for 10 yards and a first down. Which was simply huge for keeping the offense on the field. I can see now that in my last recap I was wrong about how much time the no-huddle was taking off the clock because with this game the difference was marginal and overall wasn't even a factor.

The passing game looked alive, and I want to acknowledge that Derek Schouman has been playing very well, getting open and making plays when they are needed. He made a difference in today's game. More on him later.

Probably the numbers that jump out at me from the stat sheet was how well balanced the offense was with 220 net  yards passing and 218 yards running. Being well balanced like the Bills were is a great sign because it shows how the Bills can gain yards in a variety of ways. The Bills were not one dimensional today and instead they forced Tampa Bay to become one dimensional. Good Stuff! As Tampa Bay radio play-by-play man Gene Deckerhoff said, "playing the Bills Offense today is like death from 1000 lashes." And the man who lashed them worst of all was one Fred Jackson.

Quite simply Jackson is playing out of this world

For the second week in a row (and really since the end of last season) Fred Jackson is creating havoc for other teams.

As of this post he is ranked #5 in the NFL in straight rushing yards and he's a back who is just as dangerous if not moreso as a passcatcher.

Jackson is just breaking down the defense of these other teams and opening up the offense. It isn't T.O. and Evans who are giving him opportunities, so much as it's him who is drawing in the defense and giving THEM opportunities. And so far nobody has found an answer for him.

To put it into perspective the Cowboys entire stable of very talented running backs had about 118 rushing yards against the Bucs, and Jackson himself had 163! Credit too goes to the Offensive line who are indeed worthy of praise and improved over last years squad, but the fact is during some of these plays Jackson is making  these plays pretty much by himself or on second effort.

What this guy is doing is simply incredible and I didn't think I could compliment him anymore last week and he plays even better THIS week.

Defense once again delivers points

It was another rather rocky road for the Defense but during crunch time they were able to hold the Buccaneers and a few times they were even able to strike back.

I think we can put to rest the whole "Whitner is not a play maker argument"at least as long as he plays like this. After having a very solid if not exciting night at New England, Donte Whitner took an interception to the house and stood up the Buccaneers on 4th down. (The Bills are making teams who try to run on them on 4th and 1 pay)

They also improved a very important category: 3rd down!
Limiting the Buccaneers to only 25% completion percentage was key to their win.
One strange issue was they had trouble on 4th down and long. It was almost like the MORE desperate the Bucs were the more improbable completions they had (one of which was a very impressive one handed touchdown catch).

But desperation was the state the Bills defense kept the Bucs in, holding Tampa Bays supposedly feared running game under 57 measly yards.

Keith Ellison and Bryan Scott also were two important pieces on the defense, with Scott getting a controversial interception, and Ellison adding to his growing number of tackles. (as of now he is #2 in the NFL at 27 and is tied with another stellar tackler London Fletcher. He's also only 1 away from Panther Thomas Davis at 28)

The Dline also played as a unit and generated pressure (Leftwich was constantly taking shots).

Special Teams and Penalties.

The best part of the Bills special teams was perhaps the weakest last year: Kicker Rian Lindell has hit every single field goal he has been asked to hit. Our traditionally excellent coverage and return teams have looked a bit average in fact have times have cost the team substantially. This is one area where I hope progress will come soon. The Bills did better with Penalties in this game, limiting alot of the holding and false starts and also the basic penalties like not being lined up correctly (AHEM except you Josh Reed!) But the Buccaneers were just destroyed by penalties specifically Facemask.

Injuries may loom large

If one thing may have been understated it's how physical this game was. There was alot of HARD hitting. Just ask Trent Edwards who took a shot that I'm sure caused many Bills fan's hearts to skip a beat. Naturally along with the hard hits there were also injuries. On the Bills side OT Brad Butler and TE Derek Schouman seemed to injure their knees pretty badly, tests will be upcoming. TE Shawn Nelson, and CB Leodis McKelvin also left the game. Schouman was the only player carted off the field. With Derek Fine's injury, all three of Buffalo's Tight Ends are injured. And it remains to be seen if any can play. Fortunately the Bills have a player on the practice squad who is extremely well thought of on Buffalo Rumblings, Jonathan Stupar, who once broke his foot.

Stampede Sunday Game ball.
I missed those corny Stampede Sundae ice cream player interviews where they would give a make an exhausted player answer fan mail while awkwardly gripping a frozen half gallon of ice cream so in that spirit I'm bringin' it back minus the interviews and the ice cream and the...okay so it's NOTHING like it, I'm sorry. I do award an offensive AND defensive winner however!

(Week 2)

O:Fred Jackson

D: Donte Whitner

(Week 1)

O: Fred Jackson

D: Aaron Schobel

Next week the Bills will be playing the dangerous Saints, and hopefully Buffalo will not lose any more CBs in the meantime. Thanks for reading!!

Another awful loss by our poor Buffalo Bills who have lost the last three MNF games by a total of 4 points.

I'm going to try do try a different format for a post game article let me know what you think!

1. The Best  Bills players of Monday Night

ratings:

***-good

****-very good

*****-amazing

Aaron Schobel-  Whenever the Bills play the Patriots this guy goes practically berserk. He says he only has the most sacks of Brady because of how often they play, but I tend to think there might be more to it than that. He played like a ravenous animal, and as much as the phrases "high motor" and "high effort" are looked down on, Schobel showed why sometimes they shouldn't. He was clearly beaten on quite a few blocks and didn't even get any penetration on some plays but he dropped back and read Brady and was able to outright pick off a pass and came close to picking another one off that might have changed the outcome of the game. This quite simply is Schobel at his best possible level of play at this stage of his career, and the encouraging thing is: that's still pretty damn good. (*****)

Fred Jackson- This guy used to be known as the Bills "secret" weapon but now the secret is out to say the least. Fred Jackson really reminds me of  Brian Westbrook in 2007. He has VERY few weaknesses. He is just very good at everything and is a true all-purpose back. He can be set as a WR, he can deliver devastating blocks (look at the Lynch's touchdown in last years game against San Diego) He has elusiveness and power. He has good vision and is patient and hits holes hard and he has amazing 2nd effort just like Lynch. My favorite run of any Bills player was Jackson against the Jets when he was like stopped at the 7 yard line but carried 1/2 the defense in for a touchdown. Monday Night he burned the patriots while injured just like last time when he burned them in a blizzard. Jackson is a player who it's hard to imagine even exists. I know everyone knows his history, but this guy is literally one in a million. It makes me wonder how many Fred Jacksons are like in the world. Players with rare talent who never got a chance because of where they went to college or weren't coached to their strengths and who never got a look and gave up the dream. And I imagine when he was playing for the Sioux City Bandits making $200 if there were times when he way have wondered whether it was even worth it.... But in the end we all know it was. (*****)

Trent Edwards- Just a solid performance. 15/25 for over 200 yards and 2 TDs 0 INTs is a good statline for every single QB in the NFL.  Would have liked to see more passes down field, but Alex Van Pelt did a great job of playing to Edward's strengths and exposing weak areas of the Patriots defense with the screenpass. What I liked about how Edwards played was that he read the defenses very well and delivered balls on target. The Wide Receivers dropped key balls on 3rd down that for the most part were very accurately thrown. Now did New England have a lot of dropped balls? Yes, but New England had over double the pass attempts.  The Bills cannot afford dropped balls. Even against a team lesser than New England. Another nice thing Edwards did was run when he saw open space. That is a big deal. Edwards is usually very good about knowing WHEN to run and WHEN to stop running. Also he knew to dump off to TO while on the run to get even more yardage. (****)

Donte Whitner- I had fun watching Donte in this game. I felt he played very energized, fast, and aggressive. He also played decent coverage when called upon. He was a very sure tackler. Very few Patriots got past him when he had a chance to tackle them, and he made tackles all over the field and got to wherever the ball was very fast. No picks or anything special but he was very effective and I was very pleased with his play. (****)

Marcus Stroud- It's amazing how strong this guy is and how fast he can get to the ballcarrier on one play he bear clawed the RB with one arm and threw him to the ground. He didn't put up amazing numbers but for a DT he had a solid and productive outing with 4 tackles, 2 of which were for losses. This guy is a large part of the why the Patriots run game was completely ineffective.(****)

Keith Ellison-  A good performance. He was very strong against the run, he forced another turnover on downs (which is a very nice pattern I'm seeing). He had a combined 15 tackles, which is about double what the best Patriots defender had. That's alot of tackles. As maligned as he is, he is an important player and he played well especially since Poz was gone. I don't care if that's a popular opinion or not, this guy has been playing very well for us and I'm kind of sick of hearing him put down by the fan base because he's not a big name. He is somewhat responsible for Ben Watson's TDs but Bryan Scott is more responsible for them. (***)

Kyle Williams- He isn't very exciting, but I think he played better than usual. He was able to collapse the pocket a few times and annoy Brady. I didn't get a chance to really pay attention to him, but he was at least good, maybe even better.  (***)

Brian Moorman- He had some very good punts also had a shank. (***)

Terrence McGee- for awhile was just completely shutting down the Patriots corners. He started to play off the WRs and Moss began to gain on him. (***)

Offensive Line: A qualified "good" rating. Realistically, they had a so-so performance but for their age and experience they meshed well. Bell was interesting in that he was a better run blocker than a pass blocker which seems to be the other way around on the other side.(***)

Derek Schouman: Didn't see how he was blocking but he got some decent yardage and showed second effort to get more yards. Nothing spectacular but pretty good considering his normal production.(***)

Left off list: Chris Kelsay and Paul Posluszny due to injury.

2. Everyone was wrong but some were "wronger" than others.

This is more of a rant: I think I can speak for MOST of us (certainly at least myself) when I say that the Bills played better than we expected. Of course that's the beauty of the game in that you never know who will show up and play, right?

But at least we Bills fans understand that we have a talented team.
If you happened to read Jim Donaldson of the Providence Journal who wrote,

How bad are the Bills? Really bad. Terrible, really. Horrible, actually.

So bad that they make the Detroit Lions seem like a Super Bowl team in comparison.

Or if you tuned into First Take on ESPN 2 which featured 2 analysts "predicting" that the Bills will start the season 0-4, you would think that we fielded a team of scrubs.

The people at ESPN  practically spoke of the game that had yet to be played in absolutes. And yes the Bills lost, but  it wasn't "over by halftime" Tedy Bruschi or should I say T-t-t-teeeedy B-bbbb-ruschi.

Every year over at CBS Sportsline they had a dog named Bowden who randomly chooses games based on the snack he eats first, and he usually has a better record than many of these analysts and he doesn't make a fool out of himself either. Just something to think about.

3. Most underrated play of the game

Unfortunately this play was a foreshadowing of what was to come:

Gostkowski kicks 67 yards from NE 30 to BUF 3. L.McKelvin returned 27 yards and fumbles.Nic Harris picks up the ball and carries it for 16 yards to the BUF 38.

Not only the recovery but the fact that Harris returned an extra 16 yards became a HUGE play. This could have easily been the play that doomed the Bills, although the irony is that McKelvin did the same thing again and this time Harris wasn't there to bail him out.

4. The fumble.

Ahh yes the fumble that cost the Bills the game. Or did it? I say yes and no. It was a big play but perhaps not being able to stop the New England Patriots from scoring a touchdown is what cost them the game. No seriously.

It isn't the Patriots "destiny" to score that was the script the Bills wrote for themselves.

The previous touchdown was scored in the exact same way the dagger was scored. A pass over the middle to Ben Watson with Ellison and Scott covering.The coaching staff should have said, "Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me."

And don't tell me the defense was tired. I'm sure they were tired, they played a hell of a game. But they are one of the toughest goal-line/short field teams in the NFL and they knew this was for all the marbles. In the same sense that McKelvin's fumble caused it, every negative play that the Bills have contributed to their downfall.

That's why New England didn't win as much as the Bills lost. What if T.O. catches that 1st down ball? that's a whole new set of downs and more time off the clock and maybe they get another first down...maybe they get a touchdown. The circumstances of the McKelvin fumble may not have happened had the Bills not shot themselves in the foot. So was McKelvin justified taking the ball out knowing he fumbled before? Absolutely.
Because that's what winners do.
That's what players who want to stop the 2 minute warning and hopefully drive that last knife into the neck of the opponent do. We complain about Jauron being too conservative and then when he's not, it's his fault for not telling Leodis not to take the ball out. The weak soft Bills who we as fans have grown to hate, THEY would have kneeled the ball. But yet they wouldn't be in the position to win the game now would they?!

5. Our Defense is very good.

But it struggles making adjustments. The 1st half it played magnificent because it had a scheme that exploited and surprised the Patriots. Their WRs were running long routes, and the Dline was getting so much pressure that Brady had to check down and kept getting clobbered. They were out-coached in the first half no one can deny it. Buffalo's schemes were superior, they were on the field way longer and outmatched skill wise most of the game but made the Patriots suffer and have to do ironically what we criticize Edwards for doing: dump off. That's right.

Part of what did the Defense in was two things:

The inability to adjust. The Patriots adjusted their offense and made the WRs run shorter routes. Buffalo seemed to just figure they could do what they were doing because it was effective. Well with the shorter routes Brady found WRs before the Dline even smelled them. They started getting these 11-12 yard plays which became very time consuming and really hurt the Bills D. But the major thing wasn't that they were getting first downs, it was WHEN:

6. The clock strikes 3

The Patriots KILLED the bills on 3rd down. It's a credit to the defense that they were able to get them to 3rd down but when other teams convert 3rd, the defense wishes they had gotten the 1st down on 2nd down, if you know what I mean. The Patriots converted 10-16-63% of them which is just vicious. The Bills meanwhile were 4-10-40% which wasn't very good and there weren't as many of them. But if 3rd down is what killed the Bills, Kevin Faulk may as well have been Jack the Ripper. He constantly was getting open on these little screen and short passes and he did alot of damage.

7. The cost of the no huddle

Is big. We saw on Monday what some of the pitfalls of it are. If it doesn't work our bend but don't break defense goes past the breaking point. And it broke in that game (although it shouldn't have). When people say that it's an offense that needs to be run to perfection, it really isn't an exaggeration.  3 and outs are bad in regular offenses but they are about 10x worse in the no-huddle. The advantages of it are with good playcalling, and good production it can ruin the opponents defense. I really believe that. And I can say that the days of the Bills being mauled by those huge nose tackles look to be a thing of the past. I don't think we've seen the full fury of the no huddle and what it can do yet, but it will be exciting to see.

Edit: thefourwinds and Kurupt feel the no-huddle DIDN'T effect the T.O.P. and they make pretty good points. There is a definite difference between a no-huddle and a hurry up offense. For example, in the game, Trent Edwards often changed plays at the line and often didn't snap the ball until alot of time had run off the clock. The Indianapolis Colts are known for this approach as well. I guess to me it seemed like their was such a discrepancy in T.O.P. that I figured the no huddle may have contributed.  I can say with some level of confidence that the no-huddle certainly didn't slow the game down at any rate. But a chief factor in why the Bills were pinned back on their heels, was the defenses'' inability to get out of 3rd down situation.

8.Why do the Bills suffer Heart Breakers like this?

That's really hard to say.

How the Bills have lost sometimes defies logic and defies description.

Some common threads are that many of these have been with Dick Jauron, not that we haven't lost squeakers without him. I want to say some of them are a product of the scheme they run which is designed to keep them in games but also keep games close. The idea of letting the opponent have to beat you instead of you taking risks to beat an opponent, and conservative playcalling may play a part but ultimately:

I think the offense is more responsible than the defense. With the bend but don't break defense, they are not responsible for anywhere near as many of our losses as the offense. A perfect game is the Monday Night Dallas game. The Defense plays incredible and scores multiple times, but our offense loses the game. Same with the Cleveland game, same with the Jets game. Teams with better offenses than defenses probably don't have  as many heart breakers, but the downside is they tend to get blown out (exception being Denver vs. Cinc this last week).

I guess I feel that the Bills in these games usually play undisciplined, and they play not to lose instead of to win. That's been said alot but you have to wonder if it isn't true?

But then some days I'm with the fan who says they just are cursed, and that there is no rhyme nor reason.

9.Decision Time

It's early but right now is the turning point for the team. They need to get angry at if nothing else, their plight in the world. Donte Whitner said he wanted to prove to everyone that they are a good football team, now his teammates have to feel that way.

9. Looking ahead Week 2

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have NEVER played at Ralph Wilson Stadium

The Bills are 6-2 against teams running the 4-3 defense (Pats loss included)

The Bucs hold a 6-2 overall series edge.

Bucs running back Carnell Williams is back and unfortunately back with a vengeance, Buffalo needs to stop the run as well as they did against NE, because TB will be tougher in that regard.

(AP) — BUFFALO, N.Y.

To the cry of "No Goal", "Wide Right" and "Forward Lateral" add "The Kevin O' Connell Kneeldown."

Named after the final play of the preseason Super Bowl, the kneeldown marks another tragic loss to befall the city of Buffalo, New York, as the Bills fell to the Detroit Lions, 17 to 6.

The Lions who were last year by record the worst NFL team of all time, in an emotional, heart throbbing effort overcame Buffalo's vaunted No-Huddle offense under Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Many of those gathered in Ralph Wilson Stadium were shocked by the outcome, while still others like this unnamed fan were furious:

It's the FINAL STRAW! Did you hear Dick Jauron didn't even GAMEPLAN for the Lions? Did he know how important this game was?! He didn't even start the first team! Where was T.O.? Where was Brett Farve? See if I were in charge I would have signed Favre and I would have drafted Sanchez or somebody with a Better last name than friggin Edwards! So let me get this straight. We have Marshawn Lynch and we run Dominic Rhodes. What a freakin joke this has become. What a joke my team is, I gotta hand it to the Bills, this season ended before it even began. Do we start T.O. or Justin Jenkins against the Lions I mean REALLY. Three and outs up the ass, couldn't get off the field, couldn't even kick a field goal right, might as well move the team to Zimbabwe.

The man then burned his season tickets in a mock effigy of Jim Kelly who according to the man "Couldn't win a preseason super bowl to save his life either!"

Jauron, in his defense said:

You know I didn't get a chance to see really any of the game. I was really just focused on just the overall natural balance and flow of the game and didn't get a chance to actually pay attention to a specific play and so I'll have to watch the film. But ya know we got some good football players and I thought we played well, the punting as usual was stellar not that I saw any of that as you know.

But apparently Jauron will have more time to go over that tape because according to eye witnesses owner Ralph C. Wilson flew into a blind rage and suspended Jauron for the rest of the preseason. Interim preseason head coach Bobby April will retain Jauron's job until the regular season.

The game has had a profound effect on players around the league:
Craig Nall, a former Bills Quarterback was moved to tears watching the game, and has vowed to come back.
"If I can in some way do something for this brave team that I just saw put it all on the line out there, then I'm ready."

Drew Bledsoe, and Kelly Holcomb also expressed their desire to make a comeback with the team.

Longtime Division foe, Tom Brady also offered these words of encouragement.
"Yeah I mean you could tell that they really represented the AFC well. I only wish the Patriots could hope to achieve a  preseason Super Bowl."

But despite hope for the future, the Bills players are still dealing with the emotional pain that losing a preseason Super Bowl entails.

Players like Jonathan Stupar.

Stupar, a Bills player who through breaking his foot in college, miracously discovered a deadly illness that was able to be contained in time to save his life, said that the preseason Super Bowl had personal meaning to him.

"The Tedy Bruschi Trophy that we fight for in the preseason Super Bowl, isn't just a trophy to me. To me it is a symbol... A symbol of a man who was able to overcome all the obstacles that stood in his way. A symbol of a hero. And now that I don't have that, then maybe I'm not a hero. Maybe I don't have that link with Bruschi. Maybe I never broke my foot and I died of that disease and so none of this is even real."

Aaron Schobel, who was at Dave and Buster's with Marshawn Lynch and didn't play in the game, offered his thoughts as well as obscene gestures: "We didn't have a [expletive] chance, not that I give a rip about that crap anyway. Now go take a hike....OH YEAH I FORGOT, 'IT'S THE [expletive] PRESEASON YOU MORONS."

But was it just a meaningless preseason game?....Or was it so...so much more?

A couple dozen fans gathered in an abandoned Lafayette Square to hold a candlelight vigil and show support for the crestfallen Bills late Thursday Night.

Among them a lonely woman clutching a candle and crying softly:
"They told me.... they said...they said *sniff* what was wrong with Trent?....What was wrong with the Offensive line?....What was wrong with the running game?.... Why are all our starters resting and healthy? Don't they love us? Don't they want to play hard for us in the preseason? We said what was wrong with them?.....but we never stopped to think until it was too late...

What was wrong with us?"

One of our "wonderful" AFC East rivals is at it again.
But once again it's not the team making the headlines.
The coach of the New York Jets, Rex Ryan has distinguished himself from his peers to say the least.
On August 18th, Ryan came out with some quotable quotes concerning the New England Patriots and specifically Bill Belichick:

When I said that about Belichick ("I'm not here to kiss his rings."), I'm just letting him know I'm not intimidated by him. He has the same position as I have. We're both head coaches in this league. He just happens to have a helluva lot of Super Bowl rings and I don't have a win. I understand that. But again, we're not going to tiptoe our way through this thing. You don't line up and beat a Bill Belichick-coached team by tiptoeing in there. We're just going to be ourselves. I'm going to be myself. That's just the way it is.

How much motivation are they going to get by putting a quote from me on the wall saying that I believe in my football team. That I'm not going to be intimidated by a coach or anyone else. If that's where you're going to draw motivation from, hell, we'll probably kick your ass. I mean if that's the case.

For a little more context Belichick often has assistants search the internet for quotes and then uses them as motivation for his players

.
This hasn't been the first time Rex Ryan has been rather "frank" with reporters as the episode with Dolphins Linebacker Channing Crowder reminds us.

That's the news hears the views(or maybe ramblings):

I don't think anyone could accuse this guy of being intimidated. Sanity however may be question.

As I read these words by Mr. Ryan I feel like somebody is going to walk up to him, tap him on the shoulder and whisper in his ear: "It doesn't work that way."

Or at least it normally doesn't.

Getting into playful verbal "battles" with an opponent's linebacker is certainly strange

Completely endorsing messages from players like "we will b the best defense in the league this year!!! i feel for the offenses we are gonna face."(Kerry Rhodes via Twitter) is not something that is done often and neither is suggesting your players will become pro bowlers and your team, under your first year as head coach will become super bowl champions.

Laughing about a fight that takes place in camp and calling it "A little rock 'em, sock 'em robots" isn't normally done either.

And the reason that this is not done is because this is the AFC East.

This isn't the "black and blue" division

This isn't the "in your face division"

It's not the smash-mouth football division.

This isn't the division of "rock 'em sock 'em robots"

This isn't the division of taking your team to Doug's fish fry and having fun with them and trying to build friendships with them.

This isn't a division where rap and country mix

Not a division where you call your defense your "baby."

And it sure as hell ain't a division that enjoys press conferences.

The AFC East is all about cold calculation, cunning, and cruelty.
The division of inner viciousness, resentment, bitterness, incest, venom and spite.
A division formed with the blood of four AFL siblings that were destined to claw, scratch, and chew through each other to survive back in those days(Boston was already tampering with Buffalo's players the year the league started)
A division so concerned with poisoned dealings that this article written a little over a year ago is now completely outdated.
It's a division that heard the phrase "speak softly and carry a big stick" and thought it was talking about a big stick of dynamite which they can slip underneath the bed.

I think probably the best way to describe the AFC East is with a saying from Shakespeare:
"There are daggers in men's smiles; the near in blood/the nearer bloody."

Ryan is right that the Patriots don't need bulletin board material because they despise them by default. You don't have to convince an axe murderer to murder, he's already sharpening the axe.

All of the other coaches in the division aren't alot more talkative than Belichick is and are painfully constrained. If you want to see "terse" see Sparano's response to the Crowder incident.

Have you followed the dialogue between Crowder and Ryan?

Sparano: "No."

Why was it important to put an end to the feud?

Sparano: "Guys, this is June. We're in June right now. I want to talk about what our team is doing."

Did you at least think it was funny?

Sparano: "We are in June right now. I want to talk about what our team is doing."

Did you address the team about it?

Sparano: "You guys must be out of questions."

The GM of the Dolphins Jeff Ireland also made it quite clear that he didn't want to hear another peep out of either of them. And while many teams including the Dolphins want to discourage the use of Twitter the Jets are encouraging its use.

I remember ESPN blogger Tim Graham quoting an "unnamed" AFC East coach as saying he thought that it was embarrassing for Ryan to be acting this way.

Probably the other three coaches aren't really used to someone like Ryan, but who knows they aren't talking that's for sure, and why would they? They all have a completely different philosophy: one that doesn't involved rock 'em sock 'em robots.

By not responding to Ryan, the Patriots are showing nothing new because they often feel that silence speaks louder than words and they don't concern themselves with what they view as Rex Ryan acting like a doofus.

Rex Ryan probably IS acting like a doofus but he's not  stupid and I think he realizes the AFC East is a cloak-and-dagger league and he might even be playing a foil to that on purpose.

I have to say a part of me is very intrigued with how Rex Ryan will do simply because optimism, confidence, fearlessness, and being proud of the players is something very precious psychologically to a Bills fan, because I think we as fans have lost some of that.

Jay Feely in an interview in the Jet's camp I think sort of touched on it:

"When you have a coach who is unafraid to say what he believes, you're going to have a team that is unafraid to make mistakes. That's when you play your best."

There is something about what he says that rings true.  My proudest moments rooting for this team was when Don Beebe knocked the ball out of Leon Lett's hand. That whole game the Bills screwed up with countless mistakes, hell that play up until the last second was a mistake, but yet it was still one of the greatest moments ever, one of the defining moments of all time for the Bills. People who weren't even Bills fans saw that and were moved.

At least what a huge contrast from our current crop of talented Buffalo Bills with their no turnover/ no mistake offense. Dick Jauron always preaches conservative football and no turnovers. Generally turnovers are bad, but at the same time, Edwards coincidentally has a reputation as someone who is "safe" a "game manager" and a "check down artist"....Hmm...

As strange as it sounds, maybe Ryan is right. Maybe a team like Buffalo IS intimidated by the Patriots in a way. Not like they are like physically and mentally terrified of them but in 2007, I think they broke their spirit. Remember that game? The Bills were convinced that this time they would beat the undefeated Patriots. It was home it was Sunday night and they were riding high off a 4 game winning streak. Everyone said they had to play a perfect game to beat them, Kevin Everett delivered a taped message to the team. It just seemed the Bills really would play mistake free football.

The Patriots grabbed the Bills by the throat and slaughtered them in front of all of the fans. They were a merciless killing machine. 56-10 the Bills confidence and morale was shattered, and they were left in the cold of that stadium. Left to think about how they could never be perfect and how they could never be good enough.

And so as dumb as it sounds maybe teams like the Patriots need to be told straight up that were not afraid of you. Not to send a message to the Patriots of course, but to send a message to your own team that you are willing to stick your neck out on their behalf for whatever it's worth even if it isn't worth much of anything. That's what the Bills should have done right after that game they got their ass kicked in. Because if they said something like that after being beaten 56-10 everyone would laugh at them. It would be all over sports center. But I wouldn't laugh at them I'd be proud of them just like I was when Don Beebe made that play.

Just because something sounds or is absurd doesn't mean it has no meaning. Rex Ryan might be  the breath of fresh air the division needs. A man who is honest and shoots straight from the hip. Not a man who hide in the shadows, not a man who won't talk to reporters or fans, and not a man who will cover and hide their staff's debacles, and not a man who has to be grilled to even practice outside. He's a guy who will go out into the middle of nowhere to practice and eat at Doug's fish fry.

Ryan represents warm, fun, and perhaps stupid optimist with a high level of confidence and contrasts with cold, desensitized, humorless, cynics that the Patriots, Bills, and Carp have.

Maybe Rex Ryan is so delusional that he's right. Perhaps this "bumbling fool", this "windbag" represents something very cool about football.

I don't think talent wise the Jets are even going to be a factor this year. I think the sheer talent that Buffalo, Miami, and New England carry on their rosters is going to be way too much. But the Jets have already bought into Ryan's message, and if he can keep the team motivated they unfortunately will be a force to be reckoned with.  

It was a year marked with early excitement, but perhaps inevitable disappointment as Buffalo notched a 7-9 record for the 3rd season in a row. But not forgotten were some memorable plays, some offensive, some defensive, and some from Buffalo's vaunted Special Teams unit. In many cases they were plays that changed the course of the game, plays that raised morale and gave the team hope for victory. To me that is what a great play is. And so here are the 5 that I thought were great, among others.

1. Seattle Shamed by Special Teams Shenanigans

pic via cache.daylife.com

Buffalo's first game victory over Seattle was devastating for the Seahawks, who lost one of their better receivers for the season, and had to deal with the embarrassing realities of how they lost. It was bad enough when Roscoe Parrish returned a punt for a touchdown while spinning through tackles like he was in a video game, but things got even worse.  Backup defensive end Ryan Denney had reported in as a WR weighing a slim 6-7 265, as the Bills got ready to attempt a field goal. Or so the Seahawks thought. Holder and Punter Brian Moorman, tossed a pass to an uncovered Ryan Denney to give Buffalo a touchdown.

"We got kicked around pretty good today." - said then Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren.

Yeah.

watch the play here:

2. Jackson knocks Jets off course

pic via nfldotcom.files.wordpress.com

A loss by the Bills week 15 will always have one play remembered above all others: Losman going back to pass, and literally fumbling the game away. However, one of the most inspiring plays the Bills ran received far less acclaim.

It wasn't the design of the play but rather the execution that made it one of Buffalo's great plays of 2008. As for the play it had Steve Johnson lined up as a WR to the inside, Josh Reed on the outside and Lee Evans on the opposite side of the field. Fred Jackson was the single back and shot the B gap between LG and LT.

But Jackson simply would not go down. He was met head on by multiple defenders at the 4 yard line and it appeared that he wasn't going anywhere But Jackson's unstoppable willpower and leg drive and help from a hungry offensive line led him to pay dirt.

watch the play here:

3. Hardy Tames the Jaguars

via prod.static.bills.clubs.nfl.com

James Hardy who was drafted in the second round of the 2008 draft, would miss most of the season with an injury but in this well designed play  that sealed Buffalo's win against the Jaguars in week two, Hardy shines.

Buffalo called their "bundle" formation which features three WRs in a bunch at the top and a single WR at the bottom. Hardy was the "inside" man meaning he was lined up closest to the line. Robert Royal the TE was lined up between Hardy and Josh Reed who was to the outside(nearest to the sideline). Both Hardy and Reed who were the outside receivers moved inside, and hardy moved outside and ran a corner route. QB Trent Edwards throws a high pass to the corner and Hardy comes down with it. The X-factor of the play was Rasheed Mathis , the Jaguars top corner back. Josh Reed was able to occupy Mathis long enough to delay him getting to Hardy.  Trent Edwards throws a high spiral that  takes advantage of James Hardy's height. Edward actually threw the ball slightly late which made the play that much closer and exciting as Hardy came down with the ball he is in bounds by only a few inches at the most. But as football is a game of inches Buffalo escapes with a victory.

watch the play here:

Mitchell Stuns the Chargers

via www4.pictures.gi.zimbio.com

LB Kawika Mitchell became the hero of the day  when he picked off Phillip Rivers in the end zone to seal the game for Buffalo.  The Chargers were on the cusp of scoring at about the 10 yard line and Buffalo met them in their 4-3 defense. The corners were both playing man to man, the safeties were playing back also in man to man coverage and were ready to double team certain receivers. One of the linebackers was playing against the running back. The LB that would have had that responsibility was based on what side the RB lined up on. The LB that doesn't have RB responsibility is "free". In this case Mitchell's job was to read the QB and seal off explosive Chargers TE Antonio Gates. Mitchell was in the right place at the right time for the interception which helped Buffalo short out the offensively electric chargers.

watch the play here:

Edwards Charges at Chiefs

via assets.espn.go.com

The Buffalo Bills were on the verge of having a total breakdown. Once touted as the team to beat early in the season, the Bills had been humbled by their entire division losing to Miami, New England and New York, and then losing a key Monday night game to Cleveland. But in the final play of the half in their week 12 match up against the Chiefs, Edwards put it all on the line and dived for a touchdown. Another effort over design play, Edwards had been looking to pass, but the Chiefs had good position on all of the Bills skill players. However, the left side of the offensive line had effectively and completely sealed off the left side of the defensive line, and Edwards decided to take the chance and dive head first into the endzone. If he fell short the half would have ended so it was effectively an all or nothing play. The Bills offense rallied behind Edwards and the Bills handed the Chiefs their worst loss at home in franchise history.

watch the play here:

EDIT: okay okay the other situation should be "fixed"

Ed. Note, by Brian Galliford: Bumped from the FanPost section - this is a quality read.  Thanks, pasaluki! End Note

In addition to upgrades at receiver and tight end, the Buffalo Bills feature solid running back depth in Fred Jackson (who recently re-signed with the club) and new addition Dominic Rhodes. Although Marshawn Lynch is appealing his 3-game suspension, the reality is that, at best, it will be reduced to one game. But don't think the Bills' running game will be ineffective in his absence. Last year against New England in the final regular season game, Jackson rushed for 136 yards in miserable weather conditions, and as the Patriots found out, is not much easier to bring down than Lynch is.

Thus, with few of the skill positions lacking in talent, and with dynamic new players and proven veterans in place, one question remains:

Where does the Bill's offense go from here?

Many experts, including AFC East blogger Tim Graham of ESPN, speculate that it is going back to the heart of the Bills' success in the 1990s. Yes, I'm talking about the no-huddle offense.

The No-Huddle Offense (also called the hurry-up offense) was first introduced in the NFL in 1988 by Sam Wyche, the coach of the Cincinnati Bengals.  Before him, the concept of the hurry-up offense was not foreign, with many teams employing it with two or so minutes left until halftime, or two minutes until the end of the game.

Wyche's contribution was applying the hurry-up philosophy to the whole game. Because it was something never done before in the NFL, teams initially didn't know how to react to it. The no-huddle interfered with the opposing defense's ability to communicate with coaches and substitute off the field, because there was an ever-present threat of the offense snapping the ball. As a result, teams that were caught off guard had tired players, and sometimes not even the right personnel to stop the offense on the field. Because defenses were used to communicating with coaches, sometimes they weren't even able to get the right play and confused themselves.

With the defense in a muddled mess, the offense was able to stretch the field - usually with a pass - and catch players out of position. Audibles were called to change the play at the line. Sometimes fake audible were called to give the impression that the offense was going to run a play out of a certain formation, but then quickly switch back into the original formation. So just as the 'Wildcat' employed by the Miami Dolphins last year was so lethal to New England, Wyche's no-huddle offense was lethal in this same way - it was so innovative, and one of the biggest victims of it was, surprisingly enough, the Buffalo Bills. The Bills were defeated by the Bengals in the AFC Championship game. They saw first-hand the havoc that the no-huddle offense could cause, and as the saying goes "the NFL is a copy cat league." The following season, the Bills came out of the gate having learned the lessons from their loss and carrying with them their own version of the no-huddle.

A form of the no-huddle so perfectly executed, so dynamic, and so exciting, that word spread around the league about it. Many defenses throughout the history of the NFL were feared, but few offenses were. The K-Gun offense, with Jim Kelly as its head, was feared, and in its wake came four Super Bowl appearances. 

Interestingly, the 'K' of the K-Gun wasn't for Kelly, but rather Keith McKeller, the Bills' tight end. McKeller's nickname was 'Killer', so perhaps the true name was the Killer-Gun Offense.

McKeller was one of the most important pieces to the offense because he was both a strong blocker and a good pass catcher. He was the instrumental player in the K-Gun, and that was why it was named after him. This is why Buffalo may still go with a no-huddle offense, but not specifically a revival of the K-Gun itself. The Bills possess tight ends who are good blockers, but are unproven vertical threats. They drafted a tight end who is a pass catcher in fourth-round pick Shawn Nelson, but he needs more experience blocking.

Although NFL defenses have adjusted to the formation over time, there are still a few teams that actively employ the no-huddle offense today. The most notable of these teams is the Indianapolis Colts, who the Bills might try to emulate as the Colts run a similar defense to the Bills as well and have had great long-term success in the AFC South.

Nothing is certain, but if the the Bills do go back to the no-huddle, Trent Edwards is going to have very big shoes to fill as parallels to him and Kelly will no doubt be drawn. Kelly is known as one of the toughest quarterbacks of all time, and some have serious doubts as to the durability of Edwards.

Amidst much speculation and uncertainty, one thing is clear: the Bills have the pieces in place right now to run a variant on the no-huddle. But don't take it from me:

As Sam Wyche himself said, "Buffalo's sitting pretty with all those guys, believe me."

In a busy offseason for the Bills, perhaps the position that underwent the biggest overhaul was the offensive line. 

At the beginning of the offseason a position that was generally thought to be "upgraded" was Center. With Duke Preston and Melvin Fowler being dominated inside by the powerful nose-tackles of the AFC East, Buffalo began immediately pursuing a center. They found one in Geoff Hangartner, a FA from Carolina that had performed well in a backup role there.

Then came the release of Derrick Dockery who the organization may have viewed as being too expensive and not productive enough. The Lions reportedly offered a 7th round pick for him, but front office paperwork was not There was a bit of controversy surrounding his release. Buffalobills.com lead journalist Chris Brown explains:

"Detroit came in very late, right before the deadline to release players under contract, expressing interest in Dockery. By the time the two teams agreed on terms there was not enough time to submit the paperwork to the league on the deal (by fax). A 7th round pick was what Buffalo would have gotten in return. A shame? Yes. Catastrophic? No."

Dockery was released and finally signed with the Washington Redskins to a large contract.

Then the bombshell trade happened. Pro Bowler Jason Peters to Philadelphia for a 1st, and a 4th round pick in the 2009 draft and 6th round pick in the 2010 draft.

In the aftermath of these two major events Buffalo's entire left side of the line was up in the air. And Bills fans fresh off their jubilation over the signing of Terrell Owens, all of a sudden became quite worried about Bills line without its guard, and pro bowl left tackle. A line that had surrendered 38 sacks last year.

The new question was how would Buffalo react in the draft? They needed a tackle, a guard, a tight end, a pass rusher, and a ball hawking safety, and although they had extra draft picks did they have enough to find the talent they needed at those positions?

Well the jury is still out but first signs look very good. Buffalo decided to go an unexpected route and go without drafting a tackle which perplexed experts and fans alike. But the more the draft was analysed the better it looked, with both ESPN draft pundits Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. praising the draft in general as one of the best drafts of any team.

The two lineman the Buffalo drafted were Eric Wood in the first round and Andy Levitre in the second.

Wood, a hard working center from Louisville, is the model of durability having started 49 consecutive games and is known for his mean streak and physical strength. There were rumors about the Patriots wanting Wood's services before they traded down. Regardless, Eric Wood's ruggedness and intelligence appear to be a perfect fit for the new Bills line and the front office who want to bring about a major attitude change for next season.

Levitre, out of Oregon State, is another strong, bulky, smart, and experienced athlete who like Wood, plays with what is described as a nasty demeanor. A natural team leader, one of the few knocks on him is his speed.

Bills Journalist Chris Brown had a good take on the consensus opinion of these lineman: "Guardedly Optimistic"

And so here is who factors to be Buffalo's current starting line:

LT: Langston Walker
Walker is currently the highest paid lineman for the bills and figures to play a vital role as their new left tackle. The position isn't completely new to Walker who played it in Peter's stead last year. Though a talented and solid player and a great pass protector, Walker will face big challenges against powerful, speedy, and relentless pass rushers. At 366 no one can question Walker's strength, but does he have the speed and durability to protect QB Trent Edwards long term?

LG Andy Levitre
Praised for his run blocking abilities and toughness, Levitre seems to be a lock for this position(EDIT: or after further discussion perhaps NOT a lock!). He is a rookie but one with leadership skills, experience, and all the right tools to pose problems to opponents. He and Eric Wood both have so many similarities and it will be interesting to see if both play on the same line and which one will figure to be the more dominant of the two.

C Geoff Hangartner
Carolina's loss may have been Buffalo's gain. Hangartner shined when he played in 2008, and at 26, has tons of upside. An extremely smart player who faces big challenges in the form of the big and fearsome nose-tackles of the AFC East.

RG Eric Wood
Eric Wood will have to adjust to play guard after primarily playing center in college (he played guard in the Senior Bowl). However he possesses all of the qualities you want in the position. He can endure tons of punishment and is built like a tank, however he is still a rookie and need to develop rapport with the rest of the line. Fortunately, he loves studying film and should be able to win and adjust to a starting guard spot quickly.

RT: Brad Butler
Yet another player who plays with meanness, Butler's most natural position has been right tackle which is the same position he played in college at Virginia. Although durability is always concern, one can almost picture Butler and Wood fighting side by side and really creating havoc. Butler is the type of player who may be underestimated by defenders.

Then there are the "X" factors:

Demetrius Bell
Bell, the son of Karl Malone was drafted out of Northwestern State by Buffalo in the 7th round, as a project player. Last Year, Bell spent the 2008 season adding bulk, becoming stronger and learning about more about the position. Bell has amazing upside but little experience. Buffalo has extremely high expectations for this player and perhaps may even see him as a successor to Jason Peters. (Hopefully he won't be a successor to Jason Peters in terms of ego!)

Joel Bell
An undrafted free agent out of Furman, Joel Bell like Demetrius Bell (no relation) has incredible potential. He has all the right tools, but hasn't played against major talent. It would be a dream for Bills fans to turn another undrafted and a 7th round players into major fixtures of the line, but for right now Joel Bell figures to be a lock for the practice squad.

Kirk Chambers
Chambers is a backup, but a worthy one who is capable of surprisingly good performance. Against Seattle in 2008, he filled in admirably at left tackle, and surprised many by how well he manned the position. Whenever someone goes down in Buffalo's line this important player does the dirty work and fills in for them without much drop off. As such he is an X factor that many teams don't take into account.

Now what faces Buffalo is a race against time. Buffalo's revamped and reinvigorated offensive line must gel quickly. They must unite, they must fight for each other and the team, and they must protect young Trent Edwards, on whose shoulders rests the hopes, dreams, and ultimately fate of the team.

UPDATE: Apparently there was another addition I forgot to mention: Seth McKinney (thanks BigBadBillsFan). To be honest I don't know alot about him other than he played for Cleveland, and figures to be a backup to either of the guards or Hangartner. I'll type up more as I find out more.

This will be a long post and has to do with recent rule changes that in my opinion are beginning to ruin the game of football.

Theres an Aesop's fable that goes:

"A man and his wife owned a very special goose. Every day the would lay a golden egg, which made the couple very rich.

"Just think," said the man's wife, "If we could have all the golden eggs that are inside the goose, we could be richer much faster."

"You're right," said her husband, "We wouldn't have to wait for the goose to lay her egg every day."

So, the couple killed the goose and cut her open, only to find that she was just like every other goose. She had no golden eggs inside of her at all, and they had no more golden eggs."
What does that have to do with anything? read on.

On March the 24th the AP released:

"NFL owners have passed four player safety rules for next season. One of them is the elimination of blindside helmet-to-helmet blocks.

The changes came Tuesday at the NFL meetings in California.

The new rules state that the initial force of a blindside block can't be delivered by a helmet, forearm or shoulder to an opponent's head or neck. An illegal blindside block will bring a 15-yard penalty.

Initial contact to the head of a defenseless receiver also will draw a 15-yard penalty.

On kickoffs, no blocking wedge of more than two players will be allowed. Also, the kicking team can't have more than five players bunched together pursuing an onside kick."

then we got the "Tom Brady rule"

"In part because of the season-ending left knee injury that Brady suffered in the Patriots' 2008 season opener against the Chiefs, the league's Competition Committee adopted a clarification of the current rule on hits to a quarterback in the knee area or below. The clarification specifically prohibits a defender on the ground who hasn't been blocked or fouled directly into the quarterback from lunging or diving at the quarterback's lower legs.

Brady tore his left ACL and left MCL in the first quarter of the Patriots' 17-10 win over the Chiefs Sept. 7. As Brady stepped into a 28-yard completion to Randy Moss, Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard made a desperation dive into Brady's left knee after he had been blocked to the ground just short of Brady by running back Sammy Morris.

Pollard was not flagged or fined for the hit. Under the revised rule, a play like his would be penalized, according to Titans coach Jeff Fisher and Falcons president Rich McKay, co-chairmen of the committee.

"I think all the quarterbacks in this league are critical to what the game is about," said Patriots owner Robert Kraft. "It's like if Peyton Manning were gone for a season, I think the whole NFL suffers, the same way the NFL suffered with Tommy out. So whatever we can do to protect quarterbacks and to minimize the opportunity of them being taken out with a year-ending injury I would support.

"It's not good for the league. What makes it special is special players. It's like going to see a great movie and the star isn't in the movie. It's the same principle."

Although the Brady addendum was announced here at the owners' meetings yesterday, McKay said the point of emphasis on low hits on quarterbacks was actually passed a few weeks ago when the committee met in Naples, Fla.

The fifth provision of Rule 12, Section 2, Article 12 (roughing the passer) says that: "A rushing defender is prohibited from forcibly hitting in the knee area or below a passer who has one or both feet on the ground, even if the initial contact is above the knee. It is not a foul if the defender is blocked (or fouled) into the passer and has no opportunity to avoid him."

Fisher said the feeling was that a play like the one Pollard made is one that can be avoided.

"It's a player that's down and then he does that second act where he's getting up and intentionally rolling into the quarterback, or where he's getting up and he lunges at his legs," Fisher said. "We've got a lot of shots where guys have gone down, crawled, and swiped. We don't feel like that's potentially as injurious to the quarterback than the hit where the shoulder comes down to the knee or the planted leg.""

An interesting player to bring up once again is Troy Polamalu.

Polamalu you could say saw this coming. He questioned even last year the motives of  those who are running the league,

According to Polamalu watering down the game and removing physicality makes it so that, "It loses so much of its essence, and it really becomes like a pansy game,"

"I think regarding the evolution of football, it's becoming more and more flag football, two-hand touch. We've really lost the essence of what real American football is about. I think it's probably all about money. They're not really concerned about safety."

He pointed out that on one hand the player delivering hard hits was fined, but yet the league profited off "NFL's hardest hits" videos and other such merchandise.

He said even back then that it was hard to know when it was okay to hit the QB. He said that even before the Tom Brady rule became official. Polamalu even went so far as to say that players like Dick Dutkus and Ronnie Lott couldn't survive in this game because they were TOO physical.

And Polamalu is 100% correct.
This league has become an emasculated bureaucracy.

Some rules have be necessary, Deacon Jones head slap was a rule that just had to be banned period. But already these new rule changes are going to hurt the Bills badly on special teams. These players instead of being focused on playing to their best ability, have to be weighed down with all of these idiotic rules. They have traded the best part of the game: the toughness and physicality, to protect players from doing the job that they are supposed to do. All of these players have to retrain in a different way now, Special teams have to be coached in a different way now, S and DB now apparently have to just allow the WRs to catch balls rather than risk accidentally hitting them in the head give up a 15 yard penalty,  and if they get away with the "penalty" you can bet that they will be fined later. If they speak out they are fined. Maybe some new offensive strategies will involve an oversized Mark Kelso helmet and players ducking their heads into LBs and DBs trying to draw penalties. Maybe coaches will start telling their players how to "gingerly tackle other players" Who knows how coaches react to these new rules.

The point is that this is our NFL now. This was formally the goose that laid the golden egg but its now on the ground struggling for breath, it's owner squeezing and ripping out as many golden eggs as it can from it. And we the fans have been sitting by and watching it happen and we can't do anything about it.

All the time we hear the league NEEDS Tom Brady.
Bull.
The league NEEDS to grow a pair.

UPDATE:

When owners voted last week to eliminate a wedge on kickoff returns that includes more than two players, citing safety concerns, some called it a minor alteration. But it's far from that to special teams coaches, who now are forced to rewrite significant portions of their playbooks because of how prominent the wedge had become.

The wedge is a human wall, often including 300-pound linemen who line up closest to the returner and whose job it is to take on coverage players who have built up great velocity from surging down the field. They usually absorb the most violent hits on each return, and this will limit those collisions.

Teams like the Redskins and Giants figure to be most affected, as they regularly run powerful four-man wedges. A couple of teams occasionally run a five-man wedge.

"Most everybody runs a three or a four, and has for years," said Bills special teams coach Bobby April, whose units annually rank near the top of the NFL. "I told my wife, with these rules I just added a lot more work hours because we run that and we've run that for a long time and been successful with it. It's going to take a lot of work and a lot of ingenuity to come up with a different offense, because basically a kickoff return is an offensive play.

So that should address my point that it might hurt the bills in the long run