At Seasons End Thoughts of Vick to Owens Are In My Head

Another year, another missed playoff chance for the Buffalo Bills. The Buffalo Bills have now missed the playoffs ten years in a row and as a beloved Bills fan each year tends to get a little harder and more aggravating.

Last year I finished the season by writing my ode to the Bills in “Screw You Buffalo.” This year I have decided to lay off a bit, the reason being, the heart the Buffalo Bills played with this season. While the future of the Buffalo Bills is still up in the air the one certainty; there are tons of changes on the way.

While the Bills and front office can figure out the coaching staff the Bills will start with the #9 pick in the NFL draft and it doesn’t seem like the Bills will be happy with either of the QB’s on the roster. While I’m sure there are a number of young QB’s the Bills can take I believe there are a few different ways the Bills can approach this and one of them is more for the now than for the future.

As Bills fans we are all aware that the Buffalo Bills are one of the smaller market teams in the NFL and with a possible uncapped year amongst us the Bills will need to pull all of the tricks out of the bag.

Last season the Bills signed controversial wide receiver Terrell Owens and by doing that created not only a buzz over the off-season but a buzz that continued threw the entire year. What an odd sight turning on ESPN and seeing the red and blue buffalo up in the right hand corner of the screen.  Many writers basked at the chance to call Buffalo’s signing of Owens then and now a complete failure, but I see differently.

T.O. was exactly what Buffalo needed this year. Buffalo without T.O. this year would have just been that same unsuccessful team for the 10^th straight season with the “bright spots” we see and fade away each year. With Owens the Bills were actually talked about during and still after the season. The Bills were actually relevant like it was the 90’s all over again.

It was unfortunate that this was Owens least productive year and by no means was it his fault, but what T.O. brought to Buffalo wasn’t just stats. More importantly it was an attitude that this just isn’t good enough. Something we have seen as fans for awhile now but just being noticed by upper management. T.O. also brought revenue, fans, and Buffalo into the main stream. Now as a Bills fan sit back and think what Mike Vick would do.

Yes, I know that Vick is a touchy subject for some people out there. I am one who supports Vick, see previous Vick article for reasons, and it doesn’t have any meaning to this article.

Watching what T.O. has done for Buffalo I could only imagine what the signing of Vick would bring. Not to mention an actual QB that can run for his life.

Examining the statistics between a full season of Mike Vick, Trent Edwards, and J.P. Losman, they are quite similar. They roughly throw for anywhere between 2,400 and 3,000 yards and, except for Edwards, around 20 touchdowns. All three throw over 10 interceptions but only one has rushed for over 1,000 yards, Vick.

Understandably no one other than Vick is sure of what Mike Vick is still capable of. The Eagles have not used enough of Vick but word is that Vick still has the “it” factor. The “it” just needs to be used consistently. It’s hard enough for any starting QB to come out and throw not in any rhythm but especially Vick who has been out of football for sometime.

Bringing Vick to Buffalo isn’t such a horrible idea. He gives us a veteran QB and possibly the same results as we currently have with more hoopla and attention on the Buffalo Bills.

I’m not saying Vick is the future of the Bills but by taking our time and selecting the right QB in this or the next draft it would be better than what we have now. As a Bills fan sometimes is good just to have your team name in the lights and Buffalo can use that. Especially now when all we want is to keep them in Buffalo.

 

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Buffalo Bills Promote Buddy Nix to General Manager

The Buffalo Bills are ready to start 2010 right by promoting Buddy Nix to General Manager.

Nix joined the Bills in January 2009 coming out of retirement and serving as a national scout. Buddy Nix is a perfect General Manager who has proven his talent in the NFL.

Buddy Nix previously ran the personnel department of the San Diego Chargers and oversaw the drafts that brought players such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Quentin Jammer, Michael Turner, Vincent Jackson, and Shawne Merriman.

He was previously employed by the Buffalo Bills from 1993-2000 as a scout. Nix came to the Chargers with John Butler and A. J. Smith from the Buffalo Bills where those three front office executives were instrumental in building the Buffalo Bills and bringing talent such as Antoine Winfield, Nate Clements, and Aaron Schobel.

Butler died during the Chargers rebuilding years, Smith was promoted to General Manager, and Nix to Assistant General Manager and Director of Player Personnel.

Nix turned 70 in early December and while many people find this moving interesting I believe it is a strong move for Ralph Wilson to make.

This is a man with a good sense of talent in the NFL and with the draft picks the Bills should have we need to make sure that we are obtaining the best talent possible.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

NFL Playoff Rankings, Week 16

AFC

(D—Marks Division Winners, W—Marks Wild card)

1. (D) Indianapolis Colts (Last Week D1)

            The Colts continue to surprise everyone and keep playing their stars. Players such as Peyton Manning, Dwight Freeney, and Reggie Wayne continue to suit up for the Colts. The Colts have accomplished everything set out so far but it still remains a question if going perfect is one of those items.

            This week will be interesting to see what happens with the Jets. The Jets are fighting for their playoff lives and also have the best defense in football. Is that something that Peyton Manning needs to see right now? It’s a hard question to answer but all I know is that this is still the #1 team in football.

2. (D) San Diego Chargers (Last Week W2)

            San Diego “Super” Chargers… To play a Cincinnati team that had emotions hanging off their sleeve and to come away with another “W” in December really makes these Chargers an impressive team.

            The Chargers and Phillip Rivers still have something to play for Christmas Eve as they are trying to wrap up that second seed and a first round bye for the playoffs. The Chargers will again be tested against the Titans who are on a hot streak of their own.

3. (D) Cincinnati Bengals (Last Week D3)

            That was the Bengals team that everyone wanted to see. After a disappointing outing against the Vikings the Bengals came back and did everything but beat the San Diego Chargers. In some ways it was a questionable win especially with them committing a penalty and it not being charged on the game winning drive.

            This Cincy team can be dangerous and now with the passing of Chris Henry this team has dedicated the rest of the season to him. There is no one that wants to see this team during playoff time.

4. (W) Baltimore Ravens (Last Week W5)

            The Baltimore Ravens and Ray Rice continue to move up this list. At first I had them as the long shot to come in and make the last wild card spot but now they are starting to look like a serious contender.

            The Ravens are 2^nd in the NFL allowing only 16 points per game defensively and are 4^th in the NFL allowing only a total of 300 yards per game. Great defense is expected from Ray Lewis and this Baltimore team but the running game is 9^th in the NFL averaging 128 yards per game and if they continue to play like this they could be the upset team of the year.

5. (D) New England Patriots (Last Week D6)

            Tough to put the Patriots and Tom Brady at #5 this week especially after a close win over the Buffalo Bills and previously over the Carolina Panthers . The Patriots win the AFC East only because of the cluster behind them of the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets but they don’t really deserve to win it do they? I guess when looking at it they are the best team in the AFC East.  This is not your Patriots team of the past and while they still have that “fear” factor it’s starting to fade fast.  

6. 6 Teams????

            Who really knows who will get that last playoff wild card spot? When you look at it the competition is wide open. Whoever gets to 9-7 is going to pick up this spot but that is not the easiest task. As for my prediction I believe there will be three teams that get to 9 wins. Denver Broncos , Tennessee Titans , and the Houston Texans will come down to tie breakers and I have no idea how that even works.

 NFC

1. (D) New Orleans Saints (Last Week D1)

            Hmmm, someone predicted that the Dallas Cowboys would upset the undefeated New Orleans Saints. Who would that be? I also thought that I would be moving the Vikings and possibly the Packers up but that I was wrong about.

            Drew Brees and company are still a dangerous team. 1^st in total points and total offensive yards in the NFL this team is explosive. Other than the Colts this is the only other team I can sit there and watch and say “They could score at any given moment.” For that reason they are not moving from #1. Plus with the undefeated season over now they can focus on the two cupcakes they have in front of them.

2. (D) Philadelphia Eagles (Last Week D4)

            This would have to be the biggest change on the NFC side but the Philadelphia Eagles continue to impress. The other thing about Donovan McNabb and the Eagles are they are the team with the experience. They have been here and done that and that counts for something.

            No one can stop DeShawn Jackson and the Eagles are now the #2 team in total offensive points with 28.5. Blame the Packers and Vikings for poor games and the Eagles for continuing on their winning ways.

3. (D) Minnesota Vikings (Last Week D2)

            Diva? Brett Favre? Never…  The Vikings are 3^rd in total offensive points in the NFL and still have the 4^th best rushing defense but how do they allow 20 points to the Carolina Panthers in the 4^th quarter. How? A breakdown…

            Better to have a breakdown now than during the playoffs but the driving question this week has been just how bad is it?

4. (W) Green Bay Packers (Last Week W3)

            Last week I said I’m waiting for Green Bay to revert back to the beginning of the season and that it was not going to happen. Well so much for that… I believed that because of their defense that they had a strong chance to upset the Saints but after seeing them get destroyed by the Steelers those thoughts have gone away. Once again I need them to prove something to me.

5. (W) New York Giants (Last Week D5)

            Yes, I do… I still have the Giants in this spot. I believe the Cowboys will lose to the Redskins and Eagles causing a tie for the Giants who will beat the Panthers and rested Vikings. I could be wrong… Let’s see this week.

6. (D) Arizona Cardinals (Last Week D6)

            I am still not sold on the Cardinals. I had more confidence in them last year. I can’t be the only person to actually feel this way. I keep thinking, 7 turnovers against the 49ers?

 

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Buffalo Bills’ Stellar Rookie Jairus Byrd Done For Season

Buffalo Bills rookie safety Jairus Byrd has made a strong case for defensive Rookie of the Year as he leads the NFL in interceptions.

The Bills have struggled to find their way but Byrd has been a bright spot for a defense that has more players on IR than any other.

Byrd was placed on IR Wednesday and is scheduled for surgery on Monday for a torn labrum in his hip, an injury believed to have been caused by overcompensating for his groin coming off of sports hernia surgery in the summer.

Jairus admits he has been hurting during the last eight games and also states that he has been playing at about 70 percent.

If this is Byrd playing at 70 perecnt, we better all get ready for the Byrd to take flight next season as Byrd has 9 interceptions this season, setting the rookie record for a Buffalo Bill.

In a five game stretch this season, Byrd intercepted 8 passes and also had three games with multiple picks. Byrd was a huge reason for Buffalo’s improved pass defense this year.

Byrd left the Oregon Ducks early for the NFL , and obviously it wasn’t a mistake.

He finished his college career with a total of 17 interceptions and in 2008 was named to the All-Pac-10 conference first team and led the team with 19 pass breakups.

Byrd played corner for the Oregon Ducks but has really turned heads this year as a safety.

While the Bills say he is still learning his position, he sure doesn’t show it.

The Bills don’t want to put too much on him at this time because of his strong play, but just imagine how effective this ball hawk could be down the road.

This Rookie of the Year candidate and future Pro Bowl selection also has some strong roots to the NFL.

Byrd is the son of former NFL player Gill Byrd, who played for the San Diego Chargers and was named to the Pro Bowl twice during his 10-year career.

More important than records, Jairus Byrd is making a name for himself in the NFL.

With a number of years left in his career, opposing QBs are going to think differently about just flinging that ball to avoid a sack or taking that chance down the middle.

Instead, they are going to know that the Byrd is the word and is awaiting yet another interception.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Buffalo Bills’ Stellar Rookie Jairus Byrd Done For Season

Buffalo Bills rookie safety Jairus Byrd has made a strong case for defensive Rookie of the Year as he leads the NFL in interceptions.

The Bills have struggled to find their way but Byrd has been a bright spot for a defense that has more players on IR than any other.

Byrd was placed on IR Wednesday and is scheduled for surgery on Monday for a torn labrum in his hip, an injury believed to have been caused by overcompensating for his groin coming off of sports hernia surgery in the summer.

Jairus admits he has been hurting during the last eight games and also states that he has been playing at about 70 percent.

If this is Byrd playing at 70 perecnt, we better all get ready for the Byrd to take flight next season as Byrd has 9 interceptions this season, setting the rookie record for a Buffalo Bill.

In a five game stretch this season, Byrd intercepted 8 passes and also had three games with multiple picks. Byrd was a huge reason for Buffalo’s improved pass defense this year.

Byrd left the Oregon Ducks early for the NFL , and obviously it wasn’t a mistake.

He finished his college career with a total of 17 interceptions and in 2008 was named to the All-Pac-10 conference first team and led the team with 19 pass breakups.

Byrd played corner for the Oregon Ducks but has really turned heads this year as a safety.

While the Bills say he is still learning his position, he sure doesn’t show it.

The Bills don’t want to put too much on him at this time because of his strong play, but just imagine how effective this ball hawk could be down the road.

This Rookie of the Year candidate and future Pro Bowl selection also has some strong roots to the NFL.

Byrd is the son of former NFL player Gill Byrd, who played for the San Diego Chargers and was named to the Pro Bowl twice during his 10-year career.

More important than records, Jairus Byrd is making a name for himself in the NFL.

With a number of years left in his career, opposing QBs are going to think differently about just flinging that ball to avoid a sack or taking that chance down the middle.

Instead, they are going to know that the Byrd is the word and is awaiting yet another interception.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Could Terrell Owens Still Be A Buffalo Bill In 2010?

Last offseason, the Buffalo Bills signed Terrell Owens to a one-year contract, knowing that it may be one-and-done in Buffalo. However, there reports that say Owens is open to the opportunity of re-signing with the struggling Bills in 2010—an uncapped year.

Owens has said he’s interested in playing at least two more seasons before calling it quits, and this Bills fan has no problem with T.O. ending his stellar career right here in Buffalo.

The T.O. “experiment” hasn’t failed according to what many people think. Buffalo knew exactly what they wanted out of Owens and they got it. Owens is a spark plug on the sidelines, a marketable face, and someone who brings fans and money to the gate. Let’s not forget he’s also still one of the top receivers in football.

It hasn’t been exactly what the fans wanted, but we have seen a glimpse of what it could be like having a legitimate quarterback throwing to Owens.

The Bills offense has struggled even with the addition, and Lee Evans is nowhere to be found which is unacceptable with T.O. on the other side.

Owens stated “Buffalo has been great for me and the fans have been very supportive, and it’s disappointing that we won’t have a chance to make the playoffs, but you have to have a lot of pride in yourself, and I wholeheartedly have appreciated everything that Buffalo has done for me.”

With the changes coming for the Bills this offseason, they will likely have a better chance of re-signing him now than they did before Dick Jaron was fired.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Hey Buffalo, You Suck

Yes, I said you suck and honestly I’m being nice for purposes that this article may not get posted if I write my true feelings.

I’m not sure exactly what is making me sick. Is it this flu bug I have had for a few days or is it this anemic offense that is making me sick to my stomach?

The last two weeks, the Buffalo Bills are starting to make me believe that they may give Oakland, St. Louis, and Detroit a run for their money as the worst team in the NFL.

The separation between the good teams in the NFL like the Eagles, Giants, Steelers, Colts and then the horrible Browns, Bills, Raiders, Redskins, Buccaneers, and Lions is astonishing.

I realized I missed the boat this year. If I would have consistently bet against these teams each week, I would be filthy rich by now.

Instead, I sit here and actually thought that Buffalo may turn things around against the worst defense in the NFL. What a dumb ass I am.

Last week, it was previously winless Miami who destroyed the Bills by sacking Trent Edwards six times and picking him off three times. The Bills converted 1-of-11 third downs and only rushed for 46 yards.

Anyone with common sense would think the Bills would make some adjustments to make sure an anemic performance like this doesn’t happen again. The Cleveland Browns traveled to windy Buffalo this Sunday and what do you know? It happened again.

The winless Cleveland Browns beat the Buffalo Bills 6-3. We might as well have been watching a Buffalo Sabres game; they would have scored more points.

The Bills have now dropped the last 12 out of 15 and the wheels are falling off the wagon. Actually, the wheels fell off a long time ago; we have been running on nothing for a few games.

Just how bad are the Browns? How about they have scored only three touchdowns in their last 10 games? Or what about the Browns haven’t won a game in those 10 either?

Go figure their last win was against Buffalo on Monday night, 29-27. Derrick Anderson was only 2-for-17 for 23 yards with 1 interception this Sunday and still beat the Bills.

You suck, Buffalo. Let me say it again; you suck. I have never seen so many penalties in one game. It seemed like every play was almost a false start. It was even humorous when they called time out and Buffalo just figured it was another false start.

This team has turned into a complete joke. I feel bad for T.O. for coming to Buffalo. I’m sorry that our crappy offense can’t even get you the ball. We can’t get Lee Evans the ball, either.

What made anyone think that we would find a way to get more people involved when we can’t even get our own superstar the damn ball?

At this point as a die-hard Buffalo Bills fan I’m ready to rip off my logo off my damn truck. I’m embarrassed to wear my jersey because I know if someone says something to me, I’m going to want to rip their head off.

I have had enough of this crap. I’m not sure what exactly needs to be done to turn this team around. I think I’m so frustrated at this point, I can’t think straight as to what the logical answer would be.

All I know is that I saw JP Losman this Thursday night as the Vegas Locos QB here in town, and at least he can throw the ball down the field.

Although he still sucks, he fumbled twice… It is a strong possibility that the Locos could beat the Bills. Maybe Buffalo should move to the UFL.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Redemption for the Buffalo Bills

               Just like that, Monday night means nothing anymore. The Buffalo Bills stepped on the pedal and put away the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday, 33-20. Buffalo came out motivated and pumped in their home opener. It seemed like these two teams played each other often or as if they were in the same division but amazingly enough this was Tampa Bay’s first trip ever to Buffalo during the regular season. After this Sunday beatdown Tampa Bay is not going to want to come back anytime soon.

                While Tampa somewhat reminds me of Buffalo a few years ago they might not be the cream of the crop, but still give them credit. They have young talent but have basically taken over and erased what was the Tampa 2 defense.  Tampa allowed 438 yards and Buffalo loved every single yard of it.

                Buffalo started things off right by involving T.O. right from the get go on a reverse that only amounted for 13 yards but was much more exciting than a 13 yard run sounds. After a steady dose of Fred Jackson Buffalo went to the air and found Lee Evans for a TD which electrified the sold out crowd.  Tampa responded by moving quickly down the field but only to be stopped by Donte Whitner who took a pick six back 76 yards. While Buffalo still squandered some opportunities and in no way, shape, or form played a perfect game a win is a win.

                What was more important was redemption from last Monday. Moving forward and moving on with the season. While Buffalo’s defense had some key plays and applied constant pressure I worry about the amount of passing yards being put up by these QB’s. I realize the circumstances of both teams playing from behind but Buffalo’s pass defense is by far one of the worst when it comes to yardage so far this season. On the bright side the run defense held Tampa in check and they were only able to amount for 57 yards.

                I believe that Buffalo has a fear of Terrell Owens and that we possibly saved ourselves for another week. After a bomb by Trent Edwards to Owens that was dropped Owens was not able to get into the scheme of things. He showed his frustration on the sidelines and even his emotion when Buffalo went for it on fourth down early in the contest. While I believe those things are great and fun to watch and see I’m just waiting for a blow up. Terrell Owens had redemption himself as he made up for his drop with a 43 yard touchdown pass. Bills fans celebrated by throwing popcorn in the stands. Entertaining? Yes. Maybe that’s all it needs to be?

                More importantly, the emergence of “Fast” Freddy Jackson has been amazing. We all knew that Jackson was a special talent but until he was given the chance to shine I don’t think we realized just how much. What an amazing story Jackson is. Jackson ran for a career high 163 yards and also had 6 catches for 25 yards.

                While Buffalo will quickly move ahead and start planning for the league’s most dangerous offense I think it is important to sit back and enjoy this for at least today, well, and possibly tomorrow. This is a young Buffalo team under the leadership of someone who has been quite impressive so far this season, Trent Edwards. The Bills looked and found redemption and now continue down the road.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Heartbreak for Buffalo Bills Against New England Patriots

Ah the familiar feeling of heartbreak for the Buffalo Bills and their fans on Monday night. There must be something about that Monday night air that allows Buffalo to collapse at the end of games. 

While no one gave the Buffalo Bills any chance in this Monday Night battle against New England, Buffalo proved one thing. While it may be heartbreak for the Buffalo Bills, this year the heart is on the sleeve.

When all is said and done and anyone breaks down this Bills game it’s obvious that inexperience killed the Buffalo Bills Monday night, not the Patriots. Costly offensive line penalties and a huge mistake by Leodis McKelvin by not taking a knee in the end zone hurt the Bills.

Instead of focusing on the negative for a change let’s focus on positive things we can take from this game.  Do not fault McKelvin for fighting for every yard. This is something that Lynch, Reed, Evans, and Jackson do every play.  It’s that extra bit of effort that shows and sometimes makes the believable happen. Well this time it happened the wrong way.  

We were able to see a solid outing by Alex Van Pelt, our new offensive coordinator, who did a nice job using Freddy Jackson and keeping the New England defense on their toes. Trent Edwards looks to have finally shaken off the cobwebs from his concussion last year and handled the offense the way it should be. Edwards looked confident and knows that he has a number of weapons around him. 

Fred Jackson was magnificent replacing Marshawn Lynch during his suspension and even more exciting to see those two in the back field coming soon to a TV near you. Other than the breakdown at the end the Bills defense was surprisingly great.

Some unfortunate reports have recently come out that middle linebacker Paul Posluszny has a broken bone in his arm which is not great news for the Bills. The Bills look thin at the LB position and this would be a huge loss for a defense that really surprised everyone tonight.

Terrell Owens only caught two balls for 45 yards and also had one drop. I want to believe that Owens is going to behave but it’s only a matter of time till he speaks his mind. There are so many weapons on this team that Edwards can use that there will be games like this for Owens.

While Edwards was impressive, as well as the rookie offensive line, he can turn to so many different people that bring something to the table. Lee Evans was unheard of this game but Edwards was going with what New England was giving him short little passes to his TE and RB.

Sometimes it’s difficult to be a die-hard fan of the Buffalo Bills. There is so much heartbreak, heartache, and heart attacks that you just can’t take it, but then are reminded of why you love this damn team so much. Complete underdogs, losers of 11 straight, in New England, welcoming back Tom Shady, and this team puts forth a monumental effort.

That, my friend, is the difference we needed to see from last year. As things went down the stretch and the Bills started to fade last year after that amazing start it looked as if they gave up. There was no give up tonight. There was no let’s get down on ourselves.

Trent Edwards was just as impressive in his post game interview as he was in the game. He’s been in this situation before, thank you Dallas, and we know it hurts. All that matters is there is a game next week and the season isn’t won in just one game.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Breaking News: Bills Release Dominic Rhodes

Just a day after the Bills released offensive coordinator Turk Schonert they have released free agent signing Dominic Rhodes. The Bills are now officially at a 53-man roster.

Rhodes spent seven seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and was signed by Buffalo this off-season as a replacement while Marshawn Lynch served his suspension. Rhodes did not see much action in the pre-season as he only carried 19 times for a total of 63 yards. Rhodes was listed as third on the depth chart.

The Bills owner Ralph Wilson has demanded that the team end its playoff drought this year. This was the main reason for the termination of Turk Schonert yesterday and also one of the reasons for the shake up today. It’s about time that someone steps in and does something about this awful performance we have seen over the last two weeks.

In a previous article I stated that the Bills signed T.O. and that was about it. Well now that Rhodes is gone that statement becomes more and more true. I understand that the Bills needed to sell out games and by signing T.O. we accomplished that and are not sitting like Jacksonville worrying about black out’s but when is someone going to actually do something to make the Bills win for a change.

 

 

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Next Page »

NFL Sport Channel Latest

• Just How Far Would You Go?
• Sorry Rex, But It Isn’t Happening
• Super Bowl Predictions: Five Stat-Free Reasons Why the Eagles Will Reach The Super Bowl
• Seahawks Attempt to Turn Corner With Heavy Pursuit of Pete Carroll
• Bill Cowher Unlikely to Coach in 2010