Buffalo suffered three straight blow out losses before Jackson got hurt, so the season was going down before then. If anything, the season really headed south after the Fitzy rib injury against Washington. When the injuries started mounting on both sides of the ball, Buffalo didn't have the depth to overcome it (though how many teams can survive losing their best player on each side of the ball?). I can't believe there's so much discussion about our backup running back who had solid production in the games he started. Jackson is the starter and the idea that he can't be productive because he's over 30 is an idea of the past when there were still workhorse backs. Jackson doesn't have the wear and tear of a Shaun Alexander or an Ahman Green etc. He's also only been in the league for 5 seasons. I'm not saying Spiller was the right pick at the time but suggesting the running back position isn't a strength for Buffalo is fairly ridiculous. And of course there's reason for concern when starting a rookie at any position, especially a premium position like LT. What Gailey sees in Glenn is what he saw when he drafted Marcus McNeil in the second round with San Diego. A huge player with a long wingspan who needs to get waist bending coached out of him. Worked in McNeil's case, hopefully it works here. Edit:I meant NIX not gailey.
First of all, just because YOU (some hack who doesn't know the first thing about scouting NFL players) think somebody is a guard, doesn't make that opinion a fact. Numerous scouts and analyzers had him as a tackle. He started at LT and dominated SEC competition all year. He has incredible feet for a man his size. I know plenty of important people who had Glenn rated his the 2nd best LT behind Kalil. Second, in my opinion at least, I'm not convinced he's even going to beat out Chris Hairston for the job anyway. Hairston has very good potential. Much like Glenn, based on his size, no one thought he could be an NFL LT even though that's where he played in college. He came in last year when Bell got injured and more than held his own. I love his upside. Your Spiller argument is laughable. How many games have you watched when he started? Exactly. You have no idea what you are even talking about.
(1) If it were really true that Gailey had a sub-par offensive line, with a QB with no arm, and an old RB who can't carry the load, yet still found ways to carve up defenses, then either Gailey is the best coach this league has ever seen or a couple (or all) of your premises are wrong. I'll go with the latter. (2) If the line really wasn't good, how do you explain the ridiculous push in the run game with wide open holes and running lanes? You Jets morons who watched a total of 2 Bills games (when they played the Jets) are not qualified to speak on 14 other weeks worth of games. You love going against the statistics and analysts, and instead piling on the consensus Bills opinions of your co-fans.
For the record, I watch every game that doesn't interfere with the Jets as I live in Rochester. I also know more than most Bills fans. If the Bills offense indeed carved up defenses, then how come they were middle of the pack in yardage?
im not saying Glenn is a poor LT due to my analysis (I without a doubt dont have the knowledge or resources to do anything close to this) but rather than all the research I did on him since alot of people discussed the Jets drafting him. People generally consider Glenn too big/show/not athletic enough to play left tackle. Most people considered him a top guard prospect, possibly even someone who could play RT. But hes not a good fit for LT. Maybe if he lost 30 + pounds over the next 2-3 years, but that simply takes a good player and turns him into a project. And your Spiller argument is laughable if youre pretending hes a legit HB. The guy has 800 rushing yards in 2 years, 500 and change last year with a whoppin 4 tds. Hell he had TWO good games in his entire nfl career, and now youre gonna pretend hes a legit back. And if Glenn was the #2 listed LT, its weird that he would fall to the second round, and be the 4th picked "tackle" But I guess these "important people" you know, know better than all the numerous scouting reports which consistently note that hes going to struggle against speed rushers on the edge. On the bright side though, at least you guys don't have a QB worth defending.
Actually I live in Western NY and watch every single bills game. When it's on the same time as the Jets I have two tv's. Haven't missed a snap. And I work with 2 Bills beat writers -- who aren't exactly as homerish as you. And you need to stop telling people they don't know shit about football when it's evident where the lack of knowledge lies. As I said before -- I think Gailey is one of the better offensive minds in football. Now for his scouting (not seeing FJ's talent, drafting spiller, letting Maybin go before giving him a shot,) that can be questioned. But the Bills haven't had a good draft in over a decade -- so that's probably more front office issues. (And please don't tell me last years draft was good, you need a little more time to evaluate than one offseason. Were those huge holes your "great' OLine made the reason the Bills dropped 8 of their last 9? So who exactly were the Bills carving up during their 7 game losing streak? Truth is -- they started out hot playing teams with bad defenses and caught some teams at the right time (i.e KC looked like the Colts for the first 3 weeks of the season). The Bills did carve up that NFL leading :rofl: Pats defense. |Was Fitz carving up defenses with his league high 23 INT's? Sorry for using stats against your argument. I'm sure you'll use the "Fitz hurt his ribs in the Skins game blah blah blah" -- as Ben Roethlisberger lets out a huge laugh at that comment. And the rest of the NFL that plays banged up midway through the season. Which of your "great" offensive linemen gave up 2 sacks to Aaron Maybin? You know that kid the Bills drafted, gave up on then called a bust? Their OLine is sub par at best. Those huge holes you talk about in the run game helped them rank number 13 in the NFL in rushing. Not exactly setting any records. 13 isn't a bad number. It's top half -- But since they have 2 RB's that will no doubt be in hall of fame someday -- they probably should have been better.
Your whole fan base is delusional and you're the ring leader. I remember when the Jets sucked (you know, 1970-1997), I had NO FAITH in that team. Bills fans have put a shit product on the field for over a decade and their fan base continues to think it's quality. Isn't the "this is our year" mentality getting a little old? It's actually kind of pathetic. Lets do a little exercise. I'll go first and you can follow. It's called being objective about your team. 1. The Jets underachieved last year. Due to poor coaching, locker room issues guys who didn't play up to their previous talent levels. High hopes after 2 straight AFC Championship games crashed and burned with a Victor Cruz 99 yard TD catch. 2. Mark Sanchez lost his confidence last year. He looked like he was progressing from year to year but took a step back last season. Offensive line issues, poor decision making, the lack of a single deep threat on the team and the confidence issue mentioned above all attributed to this. He's shown flashes in big games, but looked lost out there at times. i'm not sold on him as our QB. 3. Rex/Tanny letting go of Dwight Lowery was a HUGE mistake. In hindsight, he probably would have been our best safety (after Leonhard, when healthy) on a team with serious depth issues at the position. 4. Bart Scoot is old and slow. The Jets outside rush is pathetic. 5. Shonn Greene shouldn't be the starter. He should be the compliment back. I don't see a number one running back on the Jets roster right now. Ok, now you go.. (We promise we won't tell your loyal homer followers)
Um.. did you miss the first post of this thread? My problem with the people on the Jets board when they talk about the Bills is that THEY are not objective. I've never thought "this is the Bills year" since probably 2002. But these Jets fans make statements about how the Bills "have serious issues at RB," "the o-line is sub-par," "Fitzpatrick is a terrible QB" and "the Bills will always suck" which is hardly being accurate or objective. Are the Bills worldbeaters? No. But what they are is middle of the pack to slightly above that. Yet when I start countering all the Jets fans opinions that the Bills aren't a bad team, I get called a homer and "not objective." I was objective, read the first post. I do think the Bills will challenge for 2nd place in the division and a wild card spot. I do not think the Bills are a top team. If the Bills do manage to make the playoffs, they won't do any damage (unless they get a team that isn't ready to play, like Houston got last year with Cincinnati).
O Line is sub par. Not the worst in the league any more - but not good. The "serious issues" at RB are not anywhere near as serious as the Jets -- so i probably overstated that. Again, FJ hasn't proven he can handle the load and he's getting old but has shown he can be productive as a starter. Spiller has underachieved as a first round pick, without question. There is an undrafted free agent starting ahead of him. Find me a first round pick from 2 years ago that you can say the same about. I never said Fitz was a terrible QB. I said he had a terrible arm. I think he's average. He's similar to Sanchez, but I think Sanchez has more of an upside. Both make poor decisions often. Both have had help from a good run game. Both are pretty mobile. Both have had to deal with poor OLines. The difference is -- Sanchez has been tested in big games and has responded -- Fitz hasn't seen a big game since High School. Fitz is better in the pocket as to where sanchez is better on the rollout. I like Fitz as the Bills QB FOR NOW. I think he's a good stop gap, and someone you could start for a few years while you groom a franchise qb. I just don't see him as the answer. I absolutely think the Bills can challenge the Jets for second place. And I wouldn't be shocked if they took second. However, I think second place in the AFC East is about 9-7 with no playoffs next year. Which would be a failure for both teams. You need a number 2 WR. Stevie is a decent number 1 (I rank him at about #20 in the NFL). I like Nelson in the slot. Chandler is a good red zone guy and can block. On defense -- I know the Bills have been labeled the paper champion best DLine in football -- but they have some serious holes elsewhere. Barnett is the only LB who's worthy of starting in the NFL. I liked this move by the Bills. A HUGE upgrade over Paul "I tackle RB's 9 yards down the filed 100 times a year" Polz. Depth Issues at OLB and ILB. I think your corners stink, honestly. I think If Kyle Wilson is on the Bills, he's the number 1. I don't think I drop Florence -- since he's the only one on the team who's succeeded as a number one CB (I know he had a down season last year). He could probably show the younger kids a thing or two. I think they are a team full of 2 or 3 CB's. You don't really know what you're getting out of the kid you just drafted. I would have dropped McKelvin before Florence. But I understand his salary and his age played a factor. I doubt McKelvin returns after 2012, unless he has a monster year which is highly doubtful. As for Safeties -- I think George Wilson is an absolute BEAST. He's probably the most underrated safety in the NFL. However, I think Byrd is the most overrated safety in the league (you can thank Sanchez for that). All in all I see them as a top 20 defense next year. Be a really good season if they crack the top 15. That would be up almost 15 spots from last year. If the Bills have a top 15 D, then with that Offense (barring FJ stays healthy) I think they can make a run for the playoffs. I think the media and some bills fans are taking the Mario Williams, Mark Anderson (basically Maybin) signings a little over the top. Obviously it will help pass rush, and Williams will help with the run D as well, but the lack of LB's and CB's kill them.
Yeah, I don't think I've read a post from a Bills fan on here recently that claimed we were world beaters. I think we're pretty much all agree that we have an improved team that can (at best) challenge for a wild card spot. We have question marks at left tackle, #2 receiver, linebacker, perhaps corner, and (most importantly) QB. I think most agree on this. As for your thoughts on the Jets, I can agree with most of it but there's really no way of knowing if last season was an off-year or not. At least not until the end of the upcoming season. It could just be that the team has gotten a little worse (o-line, running game, no Braylon, defense less dominant) or that other teams are getting a little bit better. We also don't know if the the chemistry/locker room issues will improve or not. We'll see. Edit: this was posted before I read the above reply.
I'm sick of all you morons who say the Bills have a sub-par line, when you have absolutely nothing to back it up. Here's just some of the national attention the line has gotten and top analysts and websites who rank every team's line: Pro Football Focus: "Secret Superstar: Andy Levitre, LG, Buffalo Bills" -Great piece on Levitre being one of the top guards in the league. Here are some snippets: From Rotoworld: Awards: Now show me some national attention stating the Bills line is sub-par? You wont find any, because its not. What are you idiots basing your opinion on? It is so ridiculous that you have people who evaluate players for a professional living all saying one thing, with numerous pieces of evidence, and then jackass Jets fans stating the opposite, with absolutely no evidence. Sounds like you're just in denial, if you ask me. And just for shits and gigs... here's ESPN ranking the AFC East's running backs. That's right, that's CJ Spiller, the bills BACKUP, ranked ahead of your STARTER. http://http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/42112/ranking-afc-east-running-backs
I generally agree with all you said, but check my other post for the o-line, and also, as I've stated before, Spiller not playing and doing much is a result of having one of the best RB's in the league ahead of him. The first half of last year, Spiller sat on the bench not because he isn't very good, but because Fred Jackson was having an MVP calibur season, and you aren't going to take that guy off the field - ever. Then, when he got his shot, he averaged 5.2 yards per carry and showed he can take it to the house on any carry. He can split out and play WR. He can pass protect better than his rookie year. There really is no denying what an important and good player he is. I agree with the rest of your post. I think the Bills will have a top 20 defense, top 15 if really good, and I think the offense is pretty much in the same boat. I disagree about the corners, but also understand there's really no evidence to go on in either direction. They're unproven. When Aaron Williams was healthy, the guy was pretty good as a rookie. We don't know what we're getting in Gilmore, but I think he will be good. Don't know if McGee will be healthy. I'm most excited about Ron Brooks. Justin Rogers was better than Florence last year, which most corners on this team were. I highly disagree about Byrd. After his 9int rookie year, everyone knew that yes, he could take the ball away, but he was raw in all other aspects of his game. Last year, he was one of the top safeties in football, as cited by numerous sources. He is highly intelligent, takes great angles, makes great plays on the ball, and is one of the best open filed tacklers in football. He and Wilson were pleasant surprises last year.
CJ Spiller scares no one and you know it, least of all the Jets. He went for 55 yards on 19 carries in a game where the Bills moved the ball very well. In the game before that, he had 2 carries for 5 yards. Receiving, he had 3 catches for 15 yards, combined, in those 2 games. I love it when I see Spiller in the game as opposed to Jackson, as I know any handoff is likely to yield a 2 yard rush beyond that MONSTER O-line. Whether he's better than Greene or not, I don't know. I do know that they're very different runners and neither is premier at his position.
Yeah, certainly there were major question marks entering last season but players answered the bell (no pun intended). This is especially true for Urbik, Pears, and Rinehart; all coming out of nowhere to be solid starters/contributors. There's no problem with the interior when healthy, though Wood will always be an injury concern. The only true question mark is left tackle but at least there are talented options there.
Look at my above post. I said FJ is better than Greene. I said Greene is a compliment back -- much like what spiller should be. Levitre is good. It's just too bad he can't play 5 positions. Who are your tackles again? OLine stats can be misleading. Like the fact that Wayne Hunter gave up HALF of the Jets total sacks last year, means they won't be getting some award that their own team is giving them. The fact that you are quoting pro football focus and rotoworld is enough to end my conversation with you.
Pro football focus isn't without flaws but I think, for the most part, it's a pretty accurate grading system.
The season was tanking before Jackson went down. 3 horrible blowout losses. That can't be pinned on Spiller.
