Buffalobills.com Message Board - General Buffalo Bills Football http://boards.buffalobills.com/ This is the place to talk about your Buffalo Bills. en Mon, 20 May 2013 15:45:53 GMT vBulletin 60 http://boards.buffalobills.com/images/misc/rss.png Buffalobills.com Message Board - General Buffalo Bills Football http://boards.buffalobills.com/ Bills not practicing http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461920-Bills-not-practicing&goto=newpost Mon, 20 May 2013 15:30:09 GMT Here’s the rundown of Bills that aren’t participating at voluntary OTAs. Some players are rehabbing offseason surgeries or injuries. Others are not in attendance. Stevie Johnson Brandon Kaufman Jordan Dangerfield Keith Williams Marcus Easley Scott Chandler Alan Branch Manny Lawson Kyle Williams Marcell Dareus

Click here to read the latest blog entry... ]]> General Buffalo Bills Football Chris_Brown http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461920-Bills-not-practicing USC products back at practice http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461918-USC-products-back-at-practice&goto=newpost Mon, 20 May 2013 15:20:04 GMT The Bills got some of their rookies back on the practice field with their college classes finally graduating this past week. USC products Robert... The Bills got some of their rookies back on the practice field with their college classes finally graduating this past week. USC products Robert Woods and undrafted CB Nickell Robey were both back practicing after missing last week’s OTAs. Cal’s Aaron Tipoti was also back at practice after missing last week.

Click here to read the latest blog entry... ]]> General Buffalo Bills Football Chris_Brown http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461918-USC-products-back-at-practice Are the Bills your favorite sports franchise? http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461912-Are-the-Bills-your-favorite-sports-franchise&goto=newpost Mon, 20 May 2013 14:54:33 GMT Who else do you root for? Curious if others at least have a team that is in contention year in and year out to help with the pain of some of the... Who else do you root for?

Curious if others at least have a team that is in contention year in and year out to help with the pain of some of the recent seasons.

my optimism for this year isn't that we'll make the playoffs, but that we'll at least be exciting and make significant improvement on both sides of the ball ]]> General Buffalo Bills Football turnaround time http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461912-Are-the-Bills-your-favorite-sports-franchise Manuel feels quick on uptake http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461911-Manuel-feels-quick-on-uptake&goto=newpost Mon, 20 May 2013 14:50:02 GMT There’s no one that doubts EJ Manuel’s physical abilities on a football field. The big question being a rookie is how quick he’ll be in absorbing and then executing Buffalo’s offense. To this point Manuel feels his learning curve will be a short one. Appearing on Sirius XM NFL radio over the weekend, Manuel believes […]

Click here to read the latest blog entry... ]]> General Buffalo Bills Football Chris_Brown http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461911-Manuel-feels-quick-on-uptake Win a scholarship to the Jim Kelly Football Camp http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461910-Win-a-scholarship-to-the-Jim-Kelly-Football-Camp&goto=newpost Mon, 20 May 2013 14:30:00 GMT Buffalo Bills Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly is providing 10 lucky Bills fans with a full scholarship to the Jim Kelly Football Camp at Ralph... Buffalo Bills Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly is providing 10 lucky Bills fans with a full scholarship to the Jim Kelly Football Camp at Ralph Wilson Stadium June 23-June 27! Click here to enter your child or loved one. Children ages 8-18 are eligible.

More... ]]> General Buffalo Bills Football HannahBills http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461910-Win-a-scholarship-to-the-Jim-Kelly-Football-Camp One very necessary need if we are serious about contending http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461907-One-very-necessary-need-if-we-are-serious-about-contending&goto=newpost Mon, 20 May 2013 14:11:51 GMT I know the Bills think Colin Brown or Sam Young can fill the LG position so I will leave the expertise up to them and will not consider this a need... I know the Bills think Colin Brown or Sam Young can fill the LG position so I will leave the expertise up to them and will not consider this a need for now. I do believe we need a veteran corner to compete for the #2 or at least slot. I don't think we have enough depth or leadership at the position as all our guys are very young. I do like Brooks, but feel Rogers is a marginal player who statistically was the worst player at his position in the league last year. The Bills think Kearney is an interesting player but he was an UFA for a reason. I think the Bills should try and make a trade for a serviceable corner with some years at some point. Yes, I said trade. ]]> General Buffalo Bills Football White Bronco http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461907-One-very-necessary-need-if-we-are-serious-about-contending Jerry Sullivan is a tool. http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461902-Jerry-Sullivan-is-a-tool&goto=newpost Mon, 20 May 2013 11:28:44 GMT He continually says stupid things just to create controversy so he can sell newspapers. He doesn't know much about football or hockey. His passion is basketball and baseball. He should move to another city. ]]> General Buffalo Bills Football Superhero http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461902-Jerry-Sullivan-is-a-tool State of the Bills Address Part II: Analyzing the 2012 season http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461900-State-of-the-Bills-Address-Part-II-Analyzing-the-2012-season&goto=newpost Mon, 20 May 2013 10:26:27 GMT In order to have a better understanding of what the future may hold under a new coaching staff, I've decided to create a five-part series of posts where I evaluate the Buffalo Bills organization - past, present, and future. Each segment will be released every Monday leading up to mini-camp week:

May 13 - Part I: Lessons learned from the Chan Gailey Era
May 20 - Part II: Analyzing the 2012 season and holding players accountable
May 27 - Part III: Buddy Nix's impact
June 3 - Part IV: Doug Marrone
June 10 - Part V: Seven keys to the 2013 season

This is Part II: Analyzing the 2012 season and holding players accountable.

2012 was the type of season Buffalo Bills fans have become accustomed to. At the very least, we knew it was a critical year for the coaching staff - being year #3 after two straight losing seasons. Everyone on the team appeared to have high expectations as a result. As we know, the team sputtered from the get go, getting blown out by a bad Jets team in Week 1.

Defense

The defense was way worse than expected in 2012, starting out historically bad before rallying a bit in the end to finish #22 in the NFL. While a slight improvement from the previous two seasons, it wasn't enough to save the jobs of the coaching staff considering the Mario Williams signing and three years of focus on defense in the previous three drafts.

Here's a look at the defensive stats the three years prior to Gailey, then the three years under Gailey.

2007 - #18 Points Allowed, #31 Total Defense, #23 Yards Per Play, #14 Turnovers, #26 Expected points contributed by all defense
2008 - #14 Pts, #14 TotD, #21 YPP, #23 TO's, #12 EXPD
2009 - #16 Pts, #19 TotD, #5 YPP, #5 TO's, #10 EXPD

2010 - #28 Points Allowed, #24 Total Defense, #18 Yards Per Play, #27 Turnovers, #29 Expected points contributed by all defense
2011 - #30 Pts, #26 TotD, #28 YPP, #5 TO, #28 Expected points contributed by all defense
2012 - #26 Pts, #22 TotD, #22 YPP, #24 TO, #28 EXP

The Bills' defense was average for the most part under Jauron/Fewell, which historically is enough to win world titles if you have a great offense (especially in this day and age). When Gailey was hired, the defense immediately went from average to very poor, finishing near the bottom of the league in points allowed in each of Edwards' two seasons. And they were still bad under Wannstedt.

This production on defense is inexcusable considering the talent that has been pumped into the team under Nix and Whaley. Kyle Williams finished 3rd in the NFL in overall PFF rating, while Dareus (13th percentile among interior DLinemen) and Mario (30th percentile among 4-3 DE's) finished the season relatively strong. Jairus Byrd finished as the #2 rated safety in the league, while George Wilson rated highly. Gilmore was the #10 overall pick and showed flashes. McKelvin also a first-round draft pick. There was more than enough talent on the defense to produce average results at worst.

It's not all scheme. The players have to hold themselves accountable for this poor play.

Offense

2007 - #30 Points, #30 Yards, #23 Yards Per Play, #4 Turnovers, #24 Expected points by all offense
2008 - #23 Pts, #25 Yds, #21 YPP, #24 TO, #25 EXPO
2009 - #28 Pts, #30 Yds, #28 YPP, #20 TO, #26 EXPO

2010 - #28 Pts, #25 Yds, #24 YPP, #31 TO, #26 EXPO
2011 - #14 Pts, #14 Yds, #13 YPP, #25 TO, #15 EXPO
2012 - #21 Pts, #19 Yds, #13 YPP, #29 TO, #19 EXPO

Gailey was hired to turn around a porous defense with hopes that the defense would remain the same. Not only did the defense get much worse, but the offense didn't improve nearly as much as expected. 2010 was more of the same, but 2011 improved by quite a bit. Going into 2012, the hope was that the offense would improve enough to creep into the Top 10. But alas, the offense regressed, finishing below average.

When one focuses on the 2012 offense, it's not difficult to see why it failed based on these two statistics. 1. Turnovers, 2. Poor passing offense, 3. Not enough touches for Spiller

The Bills as a team finished #4 in the NFL in rushing yards per attempt. They only finished #25 in passing yards, #21 in TD to Interception ratio, and #20 in Net Yards Gained per Pass Attempt.

I thought Gailey got too much blame for playcalling. The Bills only finished #23 in pass attempts, while top half in the league in rushing attempts (#13). Still probably not enough running, but considering the defense was as bad as it was, passing was needed to come back from deficits.

In the end, the issue came down to personnel. Fitzpatrick couldn't get it done, no matter how much Gailey thought he could. And he didn't get much help from those he was throwing to, as the WR unit was worse than average. Aside from Stevie, it may have been the worst WR corp in the league. The offensive line, while better than average, wasn't dominant and had youthful tackles despite their talent and potential.

Overall, going into 2013 the offense needs a talent overhaul.

Next Monday - Part III: Buddy Nix's impact ]]> General Buffalo Bills Football Wayne Arnold http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461900-State-of-the-Bills-Address-Part-II-Analyzing-the-2012-season Jerry Hughes eager to make impact http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461899-Jerry-Hughes-eager-to-make-impact&goto=newpost Mon, 20 May 2013 10:10:27 GMT Jerry Hughes will have more opportunities in Buffalo after coming to the club through a trade with the Colts. Click Here For Full Story...... Jerry Hughes will have more opportunities in Buffalo after coming to the club through a trade with the Colts.

Click Here For Full Story... ]]> General Buffalo Bills Football BillsModerator http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461899-Jerry-Hughes-eager-to-make-impact <![CDATA[nice Sullivan article on having a black GM & QB]]> http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461898-nice-Sullivan-article-on-having-a-black-GM-amp-QB&goto=newpost Mon, 20 May 2013 01:27:45 GMT didn't see posted, apologies if so.

i was actually thinking about this issue a fair bit recently too. i suspect that Buffalo being a no-man's land for many free agents (and keeping our own players when their contracts expire) might change to some degree because of us having a black QB.

this could be a horrible generalization, but i think young people of the same background (like young black men, or young Polish men, for that matter) feel a sense of togetherness and can relate to people who have experienced similar life stories and issues.

so, i would suspect if EJ turns out to be good, he could help us attract and keep more young black players, and a lot of players in the NFL just happen to be black. we could suddenly become a cooler destination, at least for some young players.

at the very least, it's great to see some African Americans at two of the three most pivotal positions on a football team (coach being third). i will feel great for both if they are successful.

anyways, that's my $.02, Sully talks about both EJ and Doug being black and i think it's an interesting read:


A crack in the old-boys network


There was a brief silence over the telephone when I told Russ Brandon the reason for my call. For once, the Bills’ president seemed at a loss for words.

“Until you just said that, that hadn’t even crossed my mind,” Brandon said Friday. “I swear to God, on my three kids … ”

I had asked Brandon if he felt a sense of pride that, having elevated Doug Whaley to general manager, he suddenly had a franchise quarterback and GM who were both African-American.

Brandon said he was proud for Whaley, a long-time friend who worked his way up from NFL scout to GM, and who had great mentors along the way. The implication was obvious, that Whaley was a football guy who paid his dues. It’s not the color of his skin that defines him, but the quality of his character.

“We have great respect for the Rooney Rule and the implementing of the process through the league,” Brandon said. “But when it comes to evaulating individuals and talent, Doug Whaley certainly was on top. He created a high-water mark.”

It’s for the rest of us to decide what it means for the Bills to have black men in two of football’s most vital, cerebral, positions. And as Brandon was quick to point out, the Bills’ new director of college scouting, Kelvin Fisher, is also African-American.

Perhaps it’s coincidental. But just months after Ralph Wilson gave him full control, Brandon has changed the essential makeup of the organization. People are saying it feels different these days. It certainly looks different.

The Bills are younger, more vibrant and diverse. That doesn’t guarantee success on the field. The roster is still deficient in many areas. The new coach, Doug Marrone, has a lot to prove. But at least it’s a sign that the franchise is emerging from a dysfunctional old-boys network into a more hopeful, progressive era.

It’s a big deal, just as it was a big deal seven years ago when the University at Buffalo became the first school in Football Bowl Subdivision history to have African-Americans (Warde Manuel, Reggie Witherspoon, Turner Gill) in the three most visible positions in the athletic department (it just occurred to me that all three are now gone from UB).

We can pretend it doesn’t matter to have a black GM in a mythical “post-racial America.” But it does matter. It surely matters to people in Buffalo’s black community, who have watched white executives mismanage the team for more than a decade and waited since the brief James Harris experiment in the late 1960s for another black quarterback.

You can’t tell me most black Buffalonians won’t be rooting a little harder for their own.

Robert Griffin III was seen as a long-awaited hero for the black community in Washington, D.C., when he burst onto the scene as the Redskins’ quarterback last season. Black parents pointed to Griffin, as they would to Barack Obama, as evidence that anything was possible.

Griffin didn’t want to be defined by his race, either. He said, “You want to be defined by your work ethic, the person that you are, your character, your personality. That’s what I’ve tried to go out and do. I am an African-American in America. That will never change. But I don’t have to be defined by that.”

Later, a black ESPN commentator named Rob Parker suggested Griffin was a “cornball brother,” that he was “not one of us” and pointed out that Griffin “even has a white fiance.” Post-racial, indeed. Parker was fired by ESPN.

Progress is slow and complicated in these matters. The NFL instituted the Rooney Rule in 2003 to mandate that at least one minority candidate be interviewed for every head coaching and senior operations job. That was one year after Ozzie Newsome became the first black GM in league history.

Whaley is the seventh African-American to get a GM job. Six are still on the job. Two of them – Newsome and the Giants’ Jerry Reese – ran the last two Super Bowl winners. So might it actually be an advantage to have a man of color running the personnel department in a sport whose players are roughly 70 percent black?

There were 15 openings for NFL head coaches (eight) and GMs (seven) after last season. None was filled by a minority. Whaley was the GM-in-waiting since coming to Buffalo from the Steelers in 2010. He got the top job when Buddy Nix stepped aside this past week.

Nix, 73, said he would leave after drafting a franchise quarterback. He got his guy in Manuel. But it’s hard to believe that Nix was the driving force in April’s draft. Why would you let him run the show, knowing he was on his way out? As far as I’m concerned, it was Whaley and Doug Marrone’s draft.

I know Nix wanted a quarterback. He wanted Cam Newton two years earlier. But Manuel had to be Whaley’s guy. He was on the verge of taking over as GM. I suspect Whaley was the one leading the move toward Manuel, a raw but athletically gifted quarterback with tremendous upside.

Manuel was seen as a reach. He had been criticized as a passer who had trouble reading defenses, who wasn’t the quickest decision-maker on a football field. One draft analyst said he had “slow eyes,” whatever that means.

Skeptics in the black community heard “slow eyes” and wondered if it was the latest code for dim intellect. Manuel was an honor student at Florida State. He seemed bright and quick on his feet at his opening press conference. Manuel joked that he didn’t know what “slow eyes” meant, either.

Of course, even in a supposedly “post-racial” world, where Newton and Griffin are thriving in the NFL, there’s still a tendency to pigeonhole players by race. Manuel was mentored by Donovan McNabb before the draft. They had some long talks at dinner. Evidently, the subject of race came up.

Later, Manuel told a Philadelphia reporter, “They try to fit us all into the same category, as African-American quarterbacks. We’re always going to be compared to players similar to us.”

Generally, that means blacks are seen as primarily runners. The white quarterbacks are pocket passers. The league has become more open to mobile quarterbacks, but the black quarterbacks still fight the stereotype that they’re not as adept at reading defenses.

The Bills looked beyond the stereotypes and put their faith in Manuel.

It’ll be convenient to blame Nix if Manuel falls flat on his face. But Whaley’s reputation is the one on the line here. He has to own this pick. Marrone and Brandon, too.

Brandon promised he would take the franchise in a bold new direction when he took over on New Year’s Day. He has entrusted his personnel department to the team’s first black GM. At some point, the team’s on-field fortunes will be in the hands of its first black franchise quarterback.

After 13 years, fans can only hope the Bills got it right. For Brandon, it’s not so much about skin color but the fact that, this time, his new GM might actually be the smartest guy in the room.

http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs...wo-bills-drive ]]> General Buffalo Bills Football jasonb http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461898-nice-Sullivan-article-on-having-a-black-GM-amp-QB Bills Games - Madden 25 and NFL Sunday Ticket http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461895-Bills-Games-Madden-25-and-NFL-Sunday-Ticket&goto=newpost Sun, 19 May 2013 22:21:23 GMT I thought this would be good information to pass on to other Bills fans who are not local like myself. I live in NYC and have never been able to bare... I thought this would be good information to pass on to other Bills fans who are not local like myself. I live in NYC and have never been able to bare the cost of switching to DirecTV and get the Sunday ticket. I would have to go to our over priced bars to watch the game and spend more money then I would like. Always good to be around other Bills fans but the price can just be overwhelming.

Amazon Madden 25 + NFL Sunday Ticket

I found out that Amazon is selling the new Madden 25 Anniversary Edition game with NFL Sunday ticket for $99 dollars + tax. You will get a Sunday NFL Ticket for your PC, Smartphone, or Tablet. (No PS3 or Xbox 360 stream). That means for $40 more then a Madden game you can stream the Bills.

TL;DR
-Madden Game + NFL Sunday ticket $99
-All NFL games
-Don't need to sign up for DirecTV
-Get all NFL games on PC, Tablet, Smartphone ]]> General Buffalo Bills Football BillsFan12 http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461895-Bills-Games-Madden-25-and-NFL-Sunday-Ticket Bills agree to contract with Woods http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461894-Bills-agree-to-contract-with-Woods&goto=newpost Sun, 19 May 2013 21:10:42 GMT He is out of town and will sign this week.

Per espn.

Quote:
James Walker ‏@JamesWalkerESPN 1m
Bills reach four-year agreement w/rookie Robert Woods, according to a source. Woods is out of town and expected to sign it this week.
]]> General Buffalo Bills Football LetsGoBuffaloin2013 http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461894-Bills-agree-to-contract-with-Woods <![CDATA[ESPN: EJ Manuel loves Bills' offense]]> http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461893-ESPN-EJ-Manuel-loves-Bills-offense&goto=newpost Sun, 19 May 2013 19:57:47 GMT http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/92...-state-offense

EJ Manuel loves Bills' offense

Buffalo Bills quarterback EJ Manuel said Sunday in a radio interview from the NFLPA Rookie Premiere in Los Angeles that he is quickly picking up the team's offense, which he said is less complex than the system he used at Florida State.

"The funny thing is it's easier to learn than the offense I had at Florida State," he told SiriusXM NFL Radio. "It's a true West Coast-type progression offense. That's really what I wanted when I was coming through the pre-draft process. I wanted something that I could just go in and say 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, check it down and run it. That's it, it's that simple. I love it."

He said he spent extensive time during the Bills' rookie minicamp and organized team activities working with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.

"I've done great. The learning curve for me is a lot shorter simply because of what I had at Florida State. [The Seminoles' offense is] more complex and a little bit harder to catch on and learn. This offense is very simple. I've done a great job with it," he said in the interview.

The Bills made the 6-foot-5, 240-pound Manuel the only quarterback taken in the first round of the 2013 draft. Coach Doug Marrone has already announced that Manuel will spend the offseason competing for the starting job with Kevin Kolb, a six-year veteran whom the Bills signed in free agency last month, and returning backup Tarvaris Jackson.

Manuel said Sunday he has quickly bonded with the other offensive skill-position players the Bills drafted in April. In addition to Manuel, Buffalo selected receivers Robert Woods (USC), Marquise Goodwin (Texas) and tight end Chris Gragg (Arkansas).

Manuel said Gragg was his roommate during the Bills' rookie minicamp.

"I think the biggest thing is we all come from winning programs. We're used to winning, we're used to preparing to win," Manuel said in the interview.

He said the rookie class now must translate that winning atmosphere to the Bills, a team that has not finished with a winning record since 2004, and has not made the playoffs in 13 years -- the NFL's longest active drought.

"Winning is an attitude and mindset, and we have to bring it to our team," he said.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. ]]> General Buffalo Bills Football textbook 27 http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461893-ESPN-EJ-Manuel-loves-Bills-offense First footage of EJ in a Bills uniform. http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461890-First-footage-of-EJ-in-a-Bills-uniform&goto=newpost Sun, 19 May 2013 18:04:09 GMT He looks good in the Red, White and Blue. Can't wait to watch him on Sundays!

https://vine.co/v/bEVjA1UMOmD

https://vine.co/v/bEVIrKYnpxp ]]> General Buffalo Bills Football http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461890-First-footage-of-EJ-in-a-Bills-uniform <![CDATA[Frankly Speaking ~ Maybe Nix Didn't Screw Up Like I Thought He Did]]> http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461889-Frankly-Speaking-Maybe-Nix-Didn-t-Screw-Up-Like-I-Thought-He-Did&goto=newpost Sun, 19 May 2013 17:28:37 GMT Hello and welcome to Frankly Speaking. Image: http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l242/BadLandsMeanie/weenie2.jpg ... Hello and welcome to Frankly Speaking.

Frankly Speaking, straight talk about the Buffalo Bills, by one of the biggest Weenies in Western New York.

This Edition - "Maybe I was wrong, or at least not as right as I thought I was" & "C.J.'s Playground"

Maybe this post is crummier than usual but I think the basic ideas might have merit.

I have been angry at Nix and the Bills for not getting us a good quarterback. I am still angry at the Bills because the time frame between Kelly and now is ridiculous and mind boggling.

I was looking up some facts to make a retort in a thread, basically to chirp at Nix for passing on quarterbacks for three years. When I got done looking, I was thinking in a different way.


Here are Nix last three draft years.







What I see now is 2010, no way to get Bradford, and Nix sidestepped the rest of what appear at this time to be mistakes by other teams.

2011 - No way to get Newton. Sidestepped what appear to be mistakes by other teams in the first round. Whiffed by missing Dalton and Kaepernick in the second round.

2012 - I'm not in despair about missing Tannehill and Wheeden at this point. Whiffed on Wilson in the 3rd.

What I got from looking at all the facts is Nix did miss on some surprise later round prospects. But he also did not bite on what at this point appear to be a bunch of first round mistakes by other teams. It doesn't look as cut and dried to me that Buddy Nix was ignoring the QB spot. Maybe he was waiting for his opportunity to get the solid pick he wanted, and now with Manuel he thinks he got one.
I'm willing to believe it until I see him in camp.

Next, my simpleton's view of what I call CJ's Playground. ]]> General Buffalo Bills Football BadLandsMeanie http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?461889-Frankly-Speaking-Maybe-Nix-Didn-t-Screw-Up-Like-I-Thought-He-Did