Bleacher Report - Articles by Todd Morse

Bob Gaughan Joins Brad in the Studio

Todd Morse — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:39:00 -0400

Bob Gaughan joins Riter Radio in studio. The guys talk about the Steelers' overtime victory over the Titans last night and what should be done about overtime in the NFL.

Bob talks about the Oregon Boise State game and the suspension of Oregon's former starting running back, LaGarrette Blount, for punching Boise State's Byron Hout, as well as other college games this past week.

They discuss the controversy surrounding the real gender of world champion South African runner Caster Semenya. They also discuss the cutting of Langston Walker, the firing of offensive coordinator Turk Schonert, and the trade of Jason Peters in the offseason, as well as their outlooks on how the Bills look for the upcoming season.

Brad, Bob, and Scott then give their picks for the Bills game, as well as their Stone Cold Locks for the week.

Seg01 Seg02 Seg03 Seg04

Historic 50th Anniversary Football Salutes Heritage of Buffalo Bills

Todd Morse — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:34:00 -0400

www.nikcosports.com or call 800-345-2868

Buffalo, NY – They are the only NFL team that can say it plays its home games in the state of New York, and the only franchise ever to win four consecutive AFC titles. And to think the Buffalo Bills took their name from William Frederick “Buffalo Bill” Cody when they began play in the old American Football League in 1960.

Fourteen coaches have served the Bills since the beginning, including Lou Saban, who won the team’s AFL titles in 1964 and 1965, and Marv Levy, who has coached the most games in team history (182) and was the architect behind the four consecutive AFC titles from 1990-1993.

Some great players have worn the Bills uniforms over the years, including on the offensive side of the field standouts such as quarterback Jim Kelly, running back Thurman Thomas, wide receivers Andre Reed, Eric Moulds and James Lofton, tight end Pete Metzelaars, offensive linemen Joe DeLamielleure, Kent Hull, Billy Shaw, Ruben Brown and Jim Ritcher.

On the defensive side, headliners have included Bruce Smith, Fred Smerlas, Tom Sestak, Darryl Talley, Mike Stratton, Cornelius Bennett, Shane Conlan, Butch Byrd, Nate Odomes, George Saimes and Henry Jones. And who can forget specials teams players such as kicker Steve Christie, punter Brian Moorman and return artist Steve Tasker.

A lot of football history has taken place in the 50 years since the Bills became a reality, and to salute that period of time Nikco Sports announced it will be producing a limited edition, full-sized 50th Anniversary Season Buffalo Bills football, with an acrylic display case, to help raise funds for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Buffalo.

Only 2,009 footballs will be produced, priced at $99, and are available at 1-800-345-2868 or visiting www.nikcosports.com. Each football comes with a numbered certificate of authenticity.

During the past several years, Nikco Sports has raised more than $1.7 million for children’s charities.

“Over the years, the Buffalo Bills franchise has been a big part of the foundation of the NFL, and to think it all started under the ownership of Ralph Wilson, who was recently inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, along with Bruce Smith,” noted Nikco Sports CEO Craig Bidner. “We’re very proud to play a small part in honoring this historic franchise in such an important year, and just as pleased to work again with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Buffalo to help lots of youngsters in the local area.

“This is a special football that honors a special franchise, and Bills fans will be proud to display this at their home or in their office.”

The red and white paneled football will contain lots of interesting facts about the franchise. On the first white panel there will be a salute to Orchard Park and the first game played there on Aug. 17, 1973.

The original Buffalo Bills logo used in 1960 will be in the center of the panel, with the words 50th anniversary just below the logo. To the right of the logo will be a listing of franchise facts, including the two AFL titles won in 1964 and 1965, the four AFC crowns from 1990-1993 and the 10 Division titles in team history.

The second white panel features an official Bills helmet logo in the center, flanked on the left by a color photo of receiver Terrell Owens and to the right a color photo of quarterback Trent Edwards.

During the past several years, Nikco Sports has raised more than $1.7 million for charitable organizations across the nation with the issue of limited-edition sports memorabilia that has honored amateur and professional teams, as well as select athletes such athletes as Dan Marino, Brett Favre, Jerome Bettis, Ben Roethlisberger, along with Peyton Manning, Jim Kelly, Carson Palmer, Steve Young, John Elway, David Robinson, John Stockton, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Roger Clemens, Don Larsen, Ryne Sandberg, Paul Molitor, Kirby Puckett, Edgar Martinez, Ichiro, Ozzie Smith, Mark McGwire, Ken Griffey Jr., Nolan Ryan, Tony Gwynn, Craig Biggio and Cal Ripken Jr.

About the Boys & Girls Clubs of Buffalo/Rochester & Syracuse:

For over 80 years, the Boys & Girls Club of Buffalo/Rochester & Syracuse has been in the forefront of youth development, working with young people from disadvantaged economic, social, and family circumstances.

They have actively sought to enrich the lives of girls and boys whom other youth agencies failed to reach and are dedicated to ensuring that the community's disadvantaged youngsters have greater access to quality programs and services that will enhance their lives and shape their futures.

Today, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Buffalo/Rochester & Syracuse provide services to more than 9,000 youth between the ages of 6-18. The Mission is to provide appropriate and diversified programs and activities that serve to attract and hold area youth to the Clubhouse. The Boys & Girls Clubs provide environments that teach children the skills needed to build positive lives, attitudes and behaviors.

www.nikcosports.com or call 800-345-2868

Donte Whitner Is Not the Problem

Todd Morse — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 21:32:07 -0400

How many of us have ever been in a situation in which the life of someone we care about, or more specifically, the life of a member of our family, is being legitimately threatened?

“My cousin’s out there, and they’ve got guns."

That's what the police report states Donte Whitner said to a police officer before he was handcuffed, tasered, and arrested outside the House of Blues in Cleveland.

We know that Whitner is 23 years old and, like all NFL stars, has been catered to his entire life. He lives in the world of the NFL, not in Regular Peopleville. When he was drafted, character and leadership were the qualities that Bills brass said made him their choice.

You see, fans are regular people, and the character and leadership it takes to be a leader among laypeople is not the same as that necessary in an NFL locker room. Here, empathy is important, while sympathy is not.

It may be depressing, but NFL players get arrested at 3 a.m. outside of clubs, and they make decisions and take actions with negative results. Those facts don't make what Whitner did acceptable, as there are times when the realm of pro football and the real world collide. But such events should spark empathy in us onlookers.

Whitner did not disgrace the organization, he did not disgrace the fans. He will still be respected in his locker room, and he will still be a productive member of the Bills organization. The media overreacted when the story first broke.

It is fine to criticize Whitner for his actions and decisions. That's what normal folk do in their daily lives.

To some, it may be a black-and-white issue, either you break the law or you don't.

I just don't think it's that easy. I have never had the life of a family member threatened, nor have I been extorted, adored, harassed or catered to. Whitner's story is a glimpse into the dark side of being famous and being in the National Football League.

For every decision there is a consequence, and in every life there are hurdles.Try to put yourself in Donte's shoes.

“My cousin’s out there, and they’ve got guns."

What would you do?

One Fan's Perspective: An All-Time Buffalo Bills Team - The Offense

Todd Morse — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:14:11 -0400

Bout a month ago, I introduced the Bills All Time Non-Player Personnel team, the first in a series of articles regarding the greats in Bills history.

Now it is time to introduce the offense:

Quarterbacks:

Jim Kelly

Despite a rocky beginning as Kelly initially chose the USFL’s Houston Gamblers over the Bills, when the USFL folded, the marriage between Kelly and Buffalo developed rapidly, to the point of Buffalo icon status.

Jimbo’s no-fear playing mentality embodied the Western New York work ethic and his fast-paced no-huddle offense made even the dreariest Buffalo snowstorms seem exciting.

Of course, being surround by Hall of Fame talent doesn’t hurt either, but nevertheless, Kelly owns virtually every relevant team career passing record, is an NFL Hall of Famer, is the only player to have his number retired, and remains both a local and national presence even today. When people talk Buffalo football, it starts with Jim Kelly

Jack Kemp

Being born in 1978 is a curse. It never allowed me to see so much of sports history, and in this case, it didn’t allow me to see Jack Kemp play. I only know Kemp as a politician, but knowing about his politics probably helps anyone cursed like me get an understanding of Kemp the player.

Kemp the politician was a Republican, did what he thought was right more often than follow party lines, and was willing to work with both sides of the aisle, making him well respected by his peers.

His game reads similar. Intelligence, efficiency, agility and leadership are the words that come to mind whenever I read about his accomplishments. One of only 20 players to play for all ten AFL seasons (eight as a member of the Bills), his numbers, while very good, don’t seem to fully speak for what the Bills of his era were able to achieve.

Seven AFL All-Star appearances, an AFL MVP and numerous AFL passing records all go to Kemp. Most importantly, he is the only Bills QB to ever win a league championship, and he did it twice, in 1964 and 1965.

Frank Reich

Drafted as a third round insurance policy in 1985 while Joe Ferguson finished his career and Jim Kelly lit up the USFL, Frank Reich remained with the Bills for nine important seasons.

Reich never was the permanent starter for the Bills, but he had an important impact on the Bills organization. As the primary backup to Jim Kelly for virtually his entire career, he was as critical to the success and continuity of the K-Gun as Offensive Coordinator Ted Marchibroda and Head Coach Marv Levy.

Reich started six regular season games during the Bills four year Super Bowl run, winning four of those games while throwing for over 1500 yards and 15 td during those seasons.

Reich is best known in Bills lore for orchestrating the greatest comeback in NFL history, a 41-38 victory over the Houston Oilers which jump started the team’s playoff run to its third straight Super Bowl, which Reich also played in.

Reich was a gamer and a quiet competitor. Had the USFL not have folded following the 1985 season and Jim Kelly never had come to the Bills, it is entirely possible Reich would have had had a long and successful career as a starter for the team.

Nevertheless, Reich provided an understanding, presence and leadership the Bills desperately needed during their most successful post-merger era.

Why Joe Ferguson didn’t make it:

12 of Joe Ferguson’s 15 year career were played for the Bills. Ferguson was 77-86 with a 52 percent career completion percentage for the team. Ferguson is a tree in the woods. Sometimes players end up in a good situation.

They play a long time for a team, nobody realizes they should be replaced, they don’t get injured, nobody better comes along to replace them and they accumulate statistics which put them in team record books.

Ferguson didn’t do anything great, he accumulated stats. Average stats. People shouldn’t be revered for accumulating stats.

His non-losing season’s lines:

1973: 9-5, 939 yards, 4TD, 10 INT, 44.5%

1974: 9-5, 1588 yards, 12 TD, 12 INT, 51.3%

1975: 8-6, 2426 yards, 25TD, 17 INT, 52,6%

1980: 11-5, 2805 yards, 20 TD, 18INT, 57.2%

1981: 10-6, 3652 yards, 24TD, 20INT, 50.6%

1983: 8-8, 2995 yards, 26TD, 25INT, 55.3%

These were the years his teams didn’t lose.

Running Backs

Thurman Thomas

Thurman Thomas would be known as the best player to ever play football if fantasy football was as heavily played during his era as it is today.

Always somewhat overlooked in the question of best running backs of his era he is consistently listed third behind Emmitt Smith and Barry Sanders, in the Bills no-huddle offense, along with Jim Kelly and Andre Reed, he was seen as just one of the parts which makes the K-Gun go.

But Thurman was so much more. Thurman’s draft stock fell due to questions about his knees. The Bills didn’t have a first round pick in the 1988 draft, so Thurman was their first pick in the draft. Thurman used to say he played every game to avenge his selection. Some players would say that, with Thurman it was believeable.

Thurman didn’t set records, he created them. He had four consecutive seasons of over 50 catches, which helped him lead the league in total yards from scrimmage in those years as well.

If Kelly was the brains of K-Gun, calling the plays, dissecting defenses and distributing passes to the right players, Thurman was the heart, pumping the blood to all the right places and making sure everything kept going at the right pace.

He was the multi-dimensional halfback before it became en vogue. Marshall Faulk and Ladainian Tomlinson owe their reputations to the Thurmanator.

OJ Simpson

Before he became infamous for his small indiscretions, the Juice was a legend in Buffalo. Powerful, graceful, exciting, and engaging, OJ wasn’t just a horse, he was a workhorse like none before him and few after him.

In an elite club—one of few to reach 2000 yards in a season, the only to do it in 14 games, he led the league in rushing four times. Over 11,000 rushing yards and 76 touchdowns make up his Hall of Fame career. No Bills list is complete without OJ.

Fullback:

Cookie Gilchrist

A key player in the Bills first Championship in 1964, Gilchrist is known as both a superstar and an enigma. Though only with the Bills for three season, he still sits among the top five in almost all rushing categories, and was the first AFL player to rush for 1000 yards. But Gilchrist’s biggest contributions may have been in the blocking game.

Known as one of the best blocking backs to ever play the game, his devastating hits and willingness to block helped keep Jack Kemp’s offense moving. While his feuding with Head Coach Lou Saban over his number of touches eventually ended his Bills tenure, Cookie’s three years in Buffalo were too memorable and noteworthy to not be discussed.

Wide Receivers:

Andre Reed

Many good receivers have played for the team, but Andre Reed played on a different level than everyone else. Reed is simply one of the best receivers to ever play the game. If a person were to build the perfect receiver, Andre Reed might fit the mold.

Powerful, fearless, incredible vision and ridiculously soft hands all were part of Reed’s packaging. Reed’s willingness to sacrifice himself over the middle changed the game and helped elevate a great K-Gun scheme to heights unfathomable.

Reed consistently led the league in yards after the catch, and his breathtaking jukes, dekes and spins made every time he touched the ball a chance for something exciting to happen.

And touch the ball he did—at the time of his retirement, his 951 career receptions ranked him second all-time behind only Jerry Rice, and still places him sixth all-time today, and his over 13,000 receiving yards places him 10th all-time.

Reed and Kelly held the all-time QB to WR touchdown record until they were surpassed by Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison in 2006. Reed’s playoff numbers are also phenomenal and place him near the top of the playoff record books as well.

Reed is second all time with 13 seasons of 50 receptions or more. Nary did a game pass when Reed wouldn’t leave a defender in the dust and fans in awe.

Eric Moulds

Moulds played ten seasons with the Bills, and is second all-time on the team in receptions and receiving touchdowns. Moulds’ career started at the beginning end of the most recent wave of big, physical receivers, and he fit the mold.

His large frame and unique athleticism made him a good kick returner and a player other teams had to game plan for.

Lee Evans

Thought of as a risky pick for the Bills when he was drafted, Evans is already all over the team’s record books despite not even being in the prime of his career yet. If Evans were to retire today, he would be fifth all time on the team in receptions, fourth in yards and fifth

in touchdowns. Luckily for the Bills, Evans is locked up for four more years and will only increase his impact and value to the organization.

Elbert Dubenion and Bob Chandler

I don’t know a ton about either player, but they rank near the top of the Bills record books in nearly every receiving statistic. Dubenion was a member of the original 1960 Bills team and played until 1967.

He played 99 over his eight year career, averaged 18 yards per reception, and is third all time on the team in touchdown receptions and yards receiving. In 1964, Dubenion had one of the most sensational seasons of any receiver in pro football history, with 10 touchdowns, 42 receptions and 1,139 yards, averaging 27.1 yards per catch.

Chandler played in 113 games in nine seasons with the Bills, had one more reception, significantly less yardage, and one less touchdown than Dubenion. Chandler led the NFL in receptions from 1975 to 1977 with 176.

Jerry Butler didn't make the cut. Sorry.

Tight End:

Pete Metzelaars

Metzelaars played with the Bills from’85-‘94 the Bills and for most fans, he will probably best be remembered for his exceptional pass and run blocking skills above all else.

Having Metzelaars on the field was like having another offensive limeman on the field with his ability to open holes for Thurman Thomas and Kenny Davis, and his ability to contain edge rushers one on one allowed the Bills to run much more dynamic sets than a lot of other teams could have (it also helped that the best edge rusher in the NFL, Bruce Smith, was going against him every day in practice).

Metzelaars was all guts and no glory, though, as he also got his touches in the fast-paced K-Gun offense, despite splitting time with the more athletic Keith McKeller, and sharing the field with hall of famers Thomas and James Lofton, and eventual Hall of Famer Andre Reed. In fact, Metzelaars currently ranks fourth all-time on the Bills in receptions.

If there is another TE who has ever made a significant impact on the Bills, I can’t find him.

Offensive line:

Billy Shaw and Joe DeLamielleure

How do offensive linemen get into the NFL Hall of Fame? By being substantially better than their peers to the point that in a position lost in anonymity and subjectivity, their greatness cannot be disputed. Billy Shaw and Joe DeLamielleure are both in the NFL’s hall of fame.

Drafted in round two of the 1961 draft, Shaw was one of the earliest great Bills. He was considered small for a guard known for his agility and sound technique, which allowed him to dominate players much larger than him.

He was a leader on the two Bills AFL championship teams, he played his entire nine pro seasons for the Bills, and is the only player in the Hall of Fame to never play in the NFL.

DeLammelliure was the ring leader for the Bills famed “electric company” offensive line, which paved the way for OJ Simpson’s 2003 yards in 14 games in 1973, a feat which has not been accomplished since. Joe D wasn’t just a player for the Bills on the field, he was a face for the team off the field as well.

As he represented the team in numerous off–field NFL events, and was the team representative to the players union. Joe has stayed in the news and is a critical voice in the crusade to better retired NFL player’s pensions.

Jim Ritcher and Kent Hull

Ritcher and Hull were stalwarst for the Bills from the 80s through the mid-'90s. Blocking for the powerful and fast paced no huddle K-Gun offense was not an easy task but Ritcher and Hull were consistent, smart, reliable bulldogs during the Bills heyday.

Ritcher played 14 seasons with the Bills, made two pro bowls, and started for all four of the Bills Super Bowl teams. Hull played 11 seasons, made three pro bowls, and like Ritcher, started for all four Super Bowl teams.

Ruben Brown

Brown is the last of the great Bills offensive linemen. Drafted in 1995, Brown was named to eight consecutive Pro Bowls between 1996 and 2003. Brown played nine seasons for the team, starting every game with the team except his last.

Brown, always outspoken and by 2003 a weathered veteran, had a falling out with Buffalo management and was egregiously let go by the team after the season. Still, Brown was a warrior who should be recognized for his excellence on the field and dedication to the Bills.

Can the 2010 Labor Agreement Changes Help the NFL?

Todd Morse — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 21:27:49 -0400

To many, the threat of an uncapped season ominously walks the hallowed walls of the NFL. It lurks in the shadows, waiting to pounce on innocent bystanders reveling in the league's good fortune.

Many think the NFL is untouchable. It isn't. Those who believe that, need to look no further than every other major sports league in North America.

As the NFL has become America's true pastime, America's Pastime (MLB), the NHL and NBA, each at one time deemed untouchable and insulated from any kind of danger, overreached and chose to hide their scars instead of heal them.

The current salary cap system is old, outdated and not necessary to the league's survival, as it once was when it was initiated. Paul Tagliabue and Gene Upshaw seemed to have an understanding with each other.

Both were willing to look the other way on many issues Roger Goodell, and new NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith have promised to address.

Tastes change, people get angry, people get mad, people get bored. Companies last because they innovate, evolve and stay current with societal needs and wants. Where many leagues have failed, the NFL has the potential to evolve properly.

If the NFL and the NFLPA cannot reach a new labor agreement by the spring of 2010, cap limits and floors disappear. If the league reaches that point, it is safe to assume that the current version of the cap and free agency will never return.

Many are predicting Armageddon. Likening the change akin to what occurred before free agency started in football on the '80's and early '90s. With only a few franchises, dynasties in essence, dominating the league and skirting around many rules.

Many want to make a convoluted comparison between the potential 2010 changes and with the way baseball operates. With the teams with the most revenue more willing to hand out the money for top talent.

This may be true in theory, but they shouldn't be compared.

One of baseball's biggest, and most unaddressed issue, is how the rich teams spend their money so freely on risky international players, while the small market teams cannot. By taking more risks on international players, teams have the opportunity to find a true mega-star like Ichiro Suzuki, or a big bust like Hideki Irabu.

Alas, in the nine World Series' since 2000, there have been eight different winners, and only two teams, the Yankees (3) and Red Sox (2), have made multiple appearances. In essence, despite there being enormous differences in team salaries, baseball has found parity.

As a Bills fan, I beg to differ from the Armageddon theory. If nothing changes and the uncapped season happens, more change comes with it.

Specifically, severe limitations on the league's top eight teams ability to land free agents and a bump from the current four years to six years of service before a player hits unrestricted free agency, would significantly help small market teams like the Bills.

Obviously, these changes will give teams more time to develop their own players, and increase their odds of landing the more experienced free agent player or players who might push a team over the top.

The extra years should also allow teams to make less mistakes, as the difference between evaluating a four year player to a six-year player, is significant. For small-market teams, the focus would be back on player development and would also increase trading.

As the NFL has grown exponentially, the Bills, and a few other teams haven't kept up. It is clear that the Bills, and many other small market teams, can't operate efficiently in the NFL's current landscape. The league has done a remarkable job marketing inept teams to cities for years, but time is running out and fans are getting restless.

The league has tried to create parity, but all the Patriots, Colts and Steelers have shown is that the current league structure does not create any kind of parity.

While the difference in revenue between the top earners and the bottom teams is significant, every team is now wealthy, stable and profitable. As the baseball has proved time and time again, paper tigers - usually the richest and most talented teams on paper—don't always win.

In any team sport, it takes more than talent to win. Good organizations know that, and great organizations operate looking for more than just the most talented players.

NFL free agency began in 1993, and the salary cap was implemented in 1994. Is it a coincidence, or just happenstance, that the Bills have continuously disintegrated as a franchise since?

Would more change than just the 2010 changes help? Of course. Implementing a rookie pay scale structure, re-establishing more rounds in the draft, and further limiting teams from stashing a player on injured reserve or a practice squad would all be great strides toward generating the parity it so sorely lacks.

Each should be items to focus on when Goodell and Smith begin to negotiate a new agreement.

Are the the labor changes a legitimate threat to league stability or do they open the door to a potential new era for a league quietly hiding its scars?

You decide.

Owens Adds Relevancy and Profit, But Will It Convert to Wins?

Todd Morse — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 12:42:58 -0400

Lee Evans is smiling. He has never had a legitimate starting-caliber wide receiver opposite from him. Now, he gets one of the best receivers of the past decade, Terrell Owens, as his complement.

Whether Evans or Owens is the No. 1 receiver will be hashed out during the 2009 season, but there is no doubt that the Bills have upgraded the talent of their wide receiver corps. Add Owens to an offense with Lee Evans being double covered every game, and theoretically, the field should open up and the offense should be better.

The Bills have made numerous moves over recent years to gain traction nationally: Trading for Drew Bledsoe, adding Lawyer Milloy and Sam Adams, trading up to draft J.P. Losman and Paul Posluszny, drafting Willis McGahee, and trading for Marcus Stroud.

While each of those moves sold tickets and kept Buffalo fans interested, in the end, each has ended with another year of shattered hopes. The Bills have been ignored and forgotten about in a league which goes out of its way to ensure every team is financially stable, significant, and profitable.

The magnitude of those moves all pale in comparison to the spotlight the Bills will receive for the Owens move. Now, for the first time this millennium, the Bills are suddenly relevant outside of the borders of Western New York.

Owens is a true NFL star across the league. There is no doubt that in Buffalo, Owens will not just be a star; he will be a galaxy. Buffalo is a city with a tight-knit community.

Everyone wants a positive image for a city so consistently damaged and dragged down nationally. Everyone has a desire to be a part of something more, and those desires are uniquely attached (and sometimes unfairly burdened) to its sports teams.

The Bills are an organization limited in numerous ways. The coaches are inept, their players are mediocre, their quarterback Trent Edwards is effective but limited, the front office's player evaluation has been consistently terrible, and the schemes are just awful.

The Bills' biggest success has been in its ability to consistently market a bad franchise to its fans. They have been selling false hope through past-their-prime veterans, ineffective high draft picks, and timely coaching changes.

Owens is a magnetizing and polarizing figure who can be a force on the field when properly focused. Anyone who follows football knows that, with Owens, the dark side inevitably surfaces. The question is not if Owens' focus will last, it is when that dark side will appear.

Still, Owens' potential dark side is the least of the Bills' problems. By the end of last season, it was clear the Bills were not close to competing in an extremely competitive division, a division where each team has improved in the offseason.

To the disappointment of fans, this sole move will not revolutionize the team. In this offense, Josh Reed was fine as No. 2 wide receiver. The team and offense consistently reflect Reed—forgettable, predictable, and boring.

This is not to say that Reed is a great wide receiver, nor does it mean Reed compares to Owens in any way. Owens is exponentially better than Reed, but a lot depends on whether the chicken or the egg came first. Have the Bills schemed poorly or have the personnel limitations caused the Bills to lack execution and be ineffective?

That will not be known until the season ends. In the best case scenario, adding Owens makes the coaches and the players around him better.

Edwards becomes more decisive and aggressive. Schonert creates an offensive scheme around the talent of the players instead of trying to put players into a scheme. Jauron proves he is a good, smart coach by handling Owens deftly and suddenly a backbone appears. Ralph Wilson opens the checkbook and more quality free agents begin to sign with the team and fill the numerous missing holes.

Through coaching changes, front office changes, and personnel changes in the past ten years, the Bills have been consistent in one area—mediocrity.

Bledsoe, Milloy, Losman, Adams, McGahee, Stroud, and Posluszny were all, according to the Bills' front office, going to make the team better.

They did not.

The Bills have sold false hope year after year by making moves like this.

These are the Bills' records in the past nine years: 8-8, 3-13, 8-8, 6-10, 9-7, 5-11, 7-9, 7-9, and 7-9. They have had one winning season since 2000 and no playoff appearances.

If one could design a road map of how the Bills can keep their fans interested, this would be the first and last stop. This is a brilliant marketing move, and the only person involved with nothing to lose is Ralph Wilson.

If it blows up, or even if it just keeps the team at a mediocre level and the team misses the playoffs again, there is a built-in excuse to begin marketing next season. They cannot bring Owens back and fire Jauron for not being able to make it work despite having additional talent.

It might work wonderfully; it might fail miserably. Nobody knows for sure. Looking at their history, which way would you lean?

One Fan's Perspective: An All-Time Buffalo Bills Team: Non-Player Personnel

Todd Morse — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 15:35:51 -0500

I ran out of title space so I couldn't really title this the way I want, however in honor of the Bills 50th season, they will be (or have, maybe?) introducing an All-Time team.

Last time I wrote about All-Time Teams, I waxed poetically about how players should be left in our hearts and memories due to the difficulty of correctly choosing and comparing players from different eras.

And so, completely ignoring my own advice, I introduce the The Best-Ever-All-Timiest-All-Time Buffalo Bills Forever and Ever Team.

It is important to identify the selection criteria when creating a list. I decided on this by myself using the criteria in my head.

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr.

Sure this could be an easy choice because the team has only had one owner through its entirety, however Ralph Wilson deserves credit for being a pretty good one. He has had numerous opportunities to cut bait from Buffalo and run, but he has remained true to the fans of Buffalo while maintaining a fiscal responsibility that seems to many large market owners crazy.

In his AFL-Early NFL days, Wilson was a founding AFL owner, a wise business man, a champion of the game and a constant innovator. In his old age, as the game has changed, so has Wilson.

Most recently he has been the sole champion of the issues and realities faced by small market owners trying to survive in a big market league.

While continually adapting his own approach (though not always to large market owners liking), Wilson has never changed his tactical business approach to operating the team (a.k.a. cheap).

Despite being from Detroit, and being initially rebuffed for a team in Miami, he has always done right by himself as an owner, the team's stability, the league's viability, and the fans of Buffalo.

Jim Overdorf

Over the past 20+ years, Jim Overdorf has risen from team intern to one of the most powerful figures in the organization.

Due to his business acumen and like-minded thinking to the man in charge, today, anything financially relevant to the Bills runs through Overdorf; from his personal handling of player contract negotiations, the management of the salary cap, or the coordination of team legal operations at the Buffalo and Detroit offices.

Russ Brandon

Brandon is the central figure in the Bills’ regionalization efforts. He expanded the Bills’ reach east with moving training camp to Rochester, and north with the Toronto series. Both have turned into major revenue booms for the team.

Brandon is a multi-dimensional marketing machine, and brought the Bills into new-millennium advertising and revenue strategies; strategies critical for small market success in the multi-billion dollar industry that is the NFL.

Despite lackluster records, mind-boggling transactions, a poor economy and fan-frustration after fan-frustration, the Bills came of 2008 with the highest number of season ticket holders in team history.

In short, Brandon convinced both Ralph Wilson and the NFL how the team can attempt to survive in today's NFL landscape.

It seems virtually inevitable that the Bills will leave for Los Angeles or Toronto sometime in the next decade, but for any Bills fan who understands they should have left years ago, thank Russ Brandon for the borrowed time.

Bill Polian, John Butler, AJ Smith

When Polian was fired by Ralph Wilson in 1993 over a dispute between him and team treasurer Jeff Littman, he stated of the team he built, "They're a very special group of men. Cherish them, you will not see their like again." He could have just as easily have been speaking of the front office he built.

This powerhouse triumvirate came together when Polian hired Butler and Smith in 1987, and their talent evaluation and deft managerial skills built the Bills teams which made four straight Super Bowls.

Lou Saban

Saban had two incredibly productive stints as head coach with the team. In his first stint, he succeeded Buster Ramsey and in 1964 & 1965, the Bills won consecutive AFL championships.

Saban exited in 1965 by his own choice, but returned in 1972 to coach O.J. Simpson to his best, record breaking, season. Saban is credited with making deft moves which achieved the teams AFL championships and also getting the best out of tough personalities Cookie Gilchrist and O.J. Simpson.

In a somewhat cosmic twist, Saban also is responsible for recruiting Jim Kelly to the University of Miami when he was the head coach there. We all know how that turned out.

Marv Levy

Levy is Polian’s only coaching hire, and he was the right one. With an underwhelming resume before coming to Buffalo, Levy proved Polian’s intuition to be correct. In 11.5 seasons as the Bills Head Coach, Levy maintained a consistent success very few head coaches have every seen, and the success placed Levy in the NFL Hall of Fame.

In just one-and-a-half years, he took the players given to him and reshaped the team from consistent losers to an offensive juggernaut feared by every team in the NFL. Levy, often spoken as a players coach, was more the true manager.

He often gave a power to his coordinators many coaches would never consider giving, and Levy preached delegation, excellence, knowledge and responsibility.

Levy also is often credited with being one of the first coaches to pay added attention to special teams. He used Steve Tasker almost solely as a special teams ace and preached often that football consists of three units—offense, defense and special teams—where many coaches would ignore the area.

Levy's Ivy League intelligence and his understanding of a person's humanity allowed him to handle numerous superstars with a father-like decency and candor. He he was able to always get the most a player had. Every player within his team understood the many elements and responsibilities of being an NFL player in a place like Buffalo.

Levy didn't just develop players, he developed individuals with a sense of responsibility and character that a player could carry with them for life. His players played for him, they played for each other, they played for the fans and they tried to be the role models athletes should be.

His players knew their role and Marv helped them to understand what being a member of the team, the Buffalo Bills, and even more importantly, the Buffalo community, truly meant.

Marv is the only head coach in NFL history to win four consecutive league championship games. That means something, Super Bowl victory or not.

Ted Marchibroda

Marv Levy’s smartest hire. While Polian and Levy gave and developed the parts, Ted Marchibroda took the parts and formed one of the most potent, daring, and exciting offenses in the history of football—the no-huddle K-Gun. Which gave Jim Kelly the ability to run the offense.

Kelly, Andre Reed, Thurman Thomas, James Lofton, Pete Metzelaars, Don Beebe, Keith McKellar, a host of offensive linemen and role players all saw their best offensive output as a member of the Bills under Marchibroda.

Marchibroda analyzed the talent, built the schemes, then unleashed the fury on gamedays. The NFL would never be the same.

Eddie Abramoski

Eddie Abramoski started with the Bills on day one. As Head Trainer for 36 years until he retired in 1996, Abramoski took care of virtually every player ever to pull on a Bills' jersey, icing tight muscles, checking for concussions and mending wounds. Abramoski became a trusted friend and mentor to hundreds of Bills players.

Two generations of players, including twelve Smiths, nine Joneses and six Browns, entrusted not only physical ailments but also life's problems to the wit and wisdom of Eddie Abramoski.

In the field of physical training Abramoski has had few peers, but it is his deep loyalty and love for the Bills organization for which Abe is an All-Timer.

The Fans

While not technically personnel, Bills fans deserve recognition. Buffalonians go through a lot. Living in the area, I see first-hand how the Bills have shaped the personalities of the community. The team has helped develop both the worst and the best of the people of Buffalo.

Living in a downtrodden region which has been fiscally declining since the '50s and is best known for the weather will create an inferiority complex. Having a team which has been through too many devastating heartbreaks to list, in one of the most high-profile business in the world, only adds to that complex.

The Bills feed Buffalo’s unshakeable need to belong to something bigger and feel a part of something positive.

However there isn’t a person born in Buffalo who doesn’t learn there is something unique about being a Buffalonian. In many ways, Buffalo is a city time forgot. It is not necessarily stuck in the past, but it does not allow itself to overextend into the future.

It is a city most believe can only be read about in American folklore or sung about in some Americana folk tune.

Buffalo is a community of brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers, all willing to pick each other up, dust each other off, and treat each other like family. When one of us goes down, we all go down, and when one of us needs help, we help. And we are all Bills fans.

To most, win or lose, we commit to the team, all in, every season. This undying, selfless loyalty transcends football, and spreads to each other. Buffalonians have unmatched understandings of hope, pride, loyalty, duty and responsibility.

Without the Bills, it is very possible the area may not be as starving for attention or as financially strapped, but it’s the passion and ideals which start with a team but extend across a region, which truly shows how the Bills have helped transform Buffalo into the City of Good Neighbors.

Next: The Offense

Geoff Hangartner and Ryan Fitzpatrick Fit the Buffalo Profile

Todd Morse — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 12:48:28 -0500

The big Bills news this week? They landed Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geoff Hangartner in free agency. Let it sink in, friends.

Are they good?

Fitzpatrick stepped in for Carson Palmer last season, played significantly in 11 games, and threw for 1900 yards, eight touchdowns and nine interceptions. He he helped the Bengals accumulate a 3-7-1 (tangent: Yes, they tied the Eagles. There are no longer ties in the NHL but the there is nothing wrong with the NFL allowing a game to end in a tie!) record.

Still, the Bills adore Edwards and Fitzpatrick is a firmly established backup who knows his role and won't rock the boat looking for a starting job. Assuredly knows his role is to be a tutor, mentor and a friend to Trent Edwards—and he will hopefully never have to play.

Hangartner is another story. A fifth round pick from Texas A&M, he has been the Panthers' Duke Preston (a fourth round pick from the same draft). Hangartner was the line's inside sixth man—playing whenever a guard or center would get hurt. In Buffalo, he is being sold as the new starting center.

Basically the same age, height and mental profile as Preston, one has to wonder if in the end, there will really be difference between the two other than the name on the jersey.

Many people are looking for the Bills to sign a flashy free agent (re: veteran) to appease the fans, but it isn't going to happen.

Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geoff Hangartner. These aren't household names, even in Cincinnati and Carolina.

It is sometimes a bitter pill to swallow, but the team has been bad for over a decade and the city, while I love it, is not a place many think of when they plan on relocating.

Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geoff Hangartner. Still sinking in? These are the type of players the Bills have the ability to sign. Expect more of the same.

Should the Buffalo Sabres Hold Off on Tim Connolly?

Todd Morse — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 02:40:23 -0500

Sabres fans rejoice, Tim Connolly has healed!

Again.

He is apparently healthy and ready to get back into the lineup.

Again.

For Buffalonians, Connolly returning from an injury is as repetitive as the winter snow.

It is unfortunate that his health has been a train wreck. When healthy, Connolly brings offense, defense, power play, penalty killing, and an extra step to the Sabres. He is an absolute weapon.

Connolly came back from the lockout a different player. Somewhere along the way, he morphed into a fearless play-maker with unparalleled vision, agility, and hands. His talent is undeniable and at times, unstoppable.

It is ironic that with his incredible ability to see three steps ahead of a play, his career began to derail due to a brutal hit caused by keeping his head down.

Since the lockout, whether Connolly will be in the lineup has become an antagonizing question. He has played in 119 of a possible 286 games. That is a mere 41.6 percent.

Halfway through the schedule, the Sabres sit in eighth place, one point ahead of the formidable Penguins, with only Ottawa and consistent losers behind the Pens. The Sabres continue to show the inconsistency and lack of resiliency which hindered the team last season.

Recently, however, they are getting healthy and picking up steam. They have begun to show stretches, instead of flashes, of renewed vigor, urgency, chemistry, and momentum.

Still, even with their inconsistencies, the team remains as a top—nine team and seems like they’ll be able to remain in the hunt for the season. Whether the team remains inconsistent, or goes on a run, they don’t need Connolly immediately.

Connolly is always one shift away from his next injury, and the team should put him on the shelf until March. Other than reducing the probability of injury, this plan is effective because it gives Connolly about 19 regular season games with the team, and adds his skills to the lineup at the right time.

Of course, adding Connolly to the lineup at any time is a benefit, but picking the right time to utilize his talents could be the difference between the fourth seed and the eighth, as well as give the team a boost when it will need it most.

Status Quo in Buffalo: Retaining Jauron Is Right Move

Todd Morse — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 06:36:11 -0500

There is going to be a lot of talk about Dick Jauron, Russ Brandon, and Ralph Wilson over the next few months.

Bills fans need to stop dreaming the dream and accept the painful reality. Ralph Wilson, once a progressive maverick in the league, is now just another out of touch miser.

There is a reason he has not been voted into the Hall of Fame. Wilson never believed in Buffalo. The city was his second choice in 1959, when he was turned down for a team in Miami, and the consistent extortion he commits on the area has inevitably fed into the fragile psyche of the community.

In the Bills history, there primarily was one successful run. From 1986-1999, the Bills were a flourishing league powerhouse. Many consider Wilson changing his philosophy the catalyst for this achievement.

However, Bill Polian, John Butler, AJ Smith, and Marv Levy were all virtual unknowns when hired by Wilson, and it is not inconceivable to think the combination was stumbled upon through happenstance more than intelligence. The team was lucky they were in the pre-cap era and management was able to make salaries fit into Wilson’s pocketbook.

Today’s reality is the same banal reality. The Bills are run by an owner with one sole focus—the bottom line.

The difference between now and the 90’s is that the league has grown exponentially larger financially. It is no coincidence that the good teams have owners willing to spend, and possibly fail, for talent, and have a front office that is ahead of the curve.

Nobody wants to work for Wilson. Buffalo is quite possibly the least desirable location for any legitimate front office employee, coaching candidate, coordinator, or free agent in the NFL. Luckily, there are only 32 teams in such a lucrative league and someone is willing to work for them.

Imagine being a free agent and being wooed by the Bills. They can’t spin the Toronto angle. It was, and is, a debacle in every way except for Wilson’s pocketbook. In the end, what player in his right mind would want to play seven home games instead of eight?

While it is hard to swallow the continuity line when the team is consistently unwatchable, there is something to be said for a coach and coaching staff who accept the organization’s limitations, and are willing to take the hits when the bad occurs.

Jauron is not a good coach, but he is not a terrible coach either. I won’t play the “players play hard for him” card, because they don’t. The team is not talented, and an average to below average coach makes them worse, not better.

Still, in this climate, they wouldn’t have hired anyone better. When the least desirable team in the league is competing with the Jets, Broncos, and Browns for coaches and coordinators, they will not win out.

Looking for the team to fire Jauron is asking for change for the sake of change.

It isn’t easy to accept the writing on the wall, especially when the writing on the wall has your phone number as the good time. In business, we learn that change can be good for business, or it can be incredibly detrimental.

Keeping Jauron is the easy way out, but the lesser evil was chosen.

Bills-Broncos Will Highlight Bills 2006 Draft Mistake

Todd Morse — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 04:47:57 -0500

Picture it, New York City, April 2006.

Two years into JP Losman's career, one year into him replacing Drew Bledsoe as the starting quarterback. Losman struggled in his first season as a starter (while Bledsoe, reunited with Bill Parcells, carried the Cowboys to a 9-7 record).

The Bills have just cleaned house and rid themselves of the Tom Donahoe era. It is Marv Levy's first draft as Bills General Manager, Dick Jauron's first as head coach. The team has the eighth pick in the draft.

For those who don't remember, the draft had a lot of anticipation. It was the Mario Williams-Reggie Bush draft, and despite Williams signing a contract with the Houston Texans the night before the draft, the NFL world was intently tuned to be sure they were really passing on Reggie Bush.

The Texans weren't bluffing, as Williams was taken first, Bush went to the Saints, and the draft continued. Vince Young to Tennessee. Can't-miss offensive tackle D'Brickshaw Ferguson to the Jets (the true first player the Bills could have potentially had on their radar). A.J. Hawk to Green Bay. Another sting to Bills fans as Vernon Davis heads to San Francisco.

Anticipation mounting, one pick away, with only the Raiders ahead of the Bills. The Raiders take the best safety in the draft, and another thought to be high on Buffalo's board due to need, Safety Michael Huff.

The Bills turn. The clock is ticking. On the NFL Network, Mike Mayock begins guaranteeing they take Donte Whitner. Bills fans think Mayock is nuts. No way they move on Whitner with the eighth pick. They should trade down.

Two defensive tackles, a dire Bills' need, Haloti Ngata and Broderick Bunkley, remain on the board. On ESPN, the talking heads begin discussing Matt Leinart's fall and that Jay Cutler is going to be good.

There is no reason to discuss quarterbacks right now, the Bills are picking. The cameras cut to Cutler receiving a phone call, then Leinart waiting rather impatiently in the draft's green room. Berman, known for having a "source" within the Bills organization throughout the Polian-Butler days, hints at Cutler.

A collective "NOOOOOO" rings out from Bills land. The Bills wouldn't go quarterback again after drafting Losman just two years ago, though, right? Sure, Losman had a bad season, but the team has some faith in him still, right? Right? Ron Jaworski, quite possibly the pre-eminent quarterback evaluator in the media, discusses how good Cutler is going to be.

Marv Levy is the savior, right? He was brought in to do the right thing and draft what the team needs. Time ticking down. The stations declare the pick is in. Tagliabue to the podium—Bills take Donte Whitner. Jets fans don't boo, they laugh.

Mayock sits in a joyful bliss. The talking heads (no, not David Byrne; the media's talking heads) begin to discuss how the Bills should have traded down if they were going move on Whitner. Bills fans remain somewhat stunned.

Leinart then goes to the Cardinals, Cutler to the Broncos and Ngata to the Ravens in successive picks. Cutler being drafted by the Broncos is a bit of a surprise at the time. They have a starter, Jake Plummer, who seems firmly entrenched, who threw for 3300 yards and 18 TD's. But the Broncos clearly are looking towards the future and take who they have as best player available.

Whitner, while a solid starter and leader for the Bills, has not proven to be the impact player an eighth overall pick should be. Even at the time, his selection seemed like a panic pick after Huff was off the board and they didn't know what to do exactly.

During free agency, the Bills sign veteran Kelly Holcomb to compete with Losman for the job. The move ultimately creates another quarterback controversy in Buffalo. Sadly, similar to every quarterback controversy which has occurred in Buffalo, the end result is that both QB's stumble through the 2006 season, and neither quarterback is truly good enough.

Leinart fizzles out, Cutler becomes a franchise quarterback, and Ngata becomes a defensive force.

To get their defensive tackle, the Bills trade back into the first round by dispensing their second and one of their third round picks to move into the 26 spot to draft eventual bust, defensive tackle John McCargo. Two picks later, the Jets draft center Nick Mangold who has become one of the NFL's best centers, while the Bills continue to look for the answer at that position.

Most analysts agree that moving up for McCargo is a big reach. With the Bills second round pick, the Bears take valuable CB/S Danieal Manning. Also on the board at the time are Devin Hester, LenDale White (who the Bills probably wouldn't have considered taking), OTs Marcus McNeill, Winston Justice, Jeremy Trueblood, Daryn Colledge, WR Greg Jennings, TE Tony Scheffler and DE Darryl Tapp.

With their third round pick, Chicago takes DT Dusty Dvoracek, who has been an injury mess for the team. The Bills with an earlier pick in the round take CB Ashton Youboty. Also on the board at the time of both picks are G Max Jean-Gilles, TEs Owen Daniels, Leonard Pope and Dominique Byrd, QB Brodie Croyle, Loan Washington, Brandon Marshall, and a bunch of other players who aren't that great.

The Bills are both chastised and praised for their draft. In drafting Whitner too high and trading up for McCargo, the team looses valuable draft picks it really needs as they try to rebuild under Levy. The team easily could have kept their second and third round picks, and picked up another to move down a few spots in the draft, or taken Leinart, Cutler or Ngata where they were, players who were considered at the time a more proper pick for the 8th spot.

They are also praised for snagging Ashton Youboty, Ko Simpson and DT Kyle Williams in the third, fourth and fifth rounds. Youboty finally starts to show signs of life in the 2008 preseason, but his season ends with an injury before he can contribute to an already deep secondary. Simpson and Williams have been solid contributors to the team, especially considering their spots drafted.

That said, hindsight can be 20/20 and nobody knows what would have happened had the Bills taken Cutler. However, the Broncos showed the difference between what poorly run versus well run organizations do.

Seeing Cutler tear apart the Bills this Sunday is going to be another painful reminder of what could have been.

Don't Get Fooled Again, Losman Demotion Is A Scam

Todd Morse — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 11:56:58 -0500

In business, the goal is to make money. The Bills are a business. Unless the team has an overwhelming sense of empathy, when a massive percentage of their income is from resources other than ticket sales, they have no reason to care about fans.

In business, the best managers are able to evaluate their employees, understand their strengths and weaknesses, and puts them in a position to succeed. In the NFL, the best coaches and front offices do the same.

Maybe the team tried to move JP in the offseason and there were no takers. Maybe they overvalued him and decided that offers weren't good enough. Maybe they decided Losman as a backup for a season was workable.

It was always, and still is, incredibly evident that not moving Losman in the offseason was a huge mistake. However, when the decision is made to keep a player, a good front office and a good coach should do everything possible to put a player in a position not to fail. Losman is, by all accounts, a failure at football, but that does not exonerate the coaches who put him in a position to fail.

Over the past week, the team demoted Losman to third string and elevated Gibran Hamdan above him. This has occurred after a devastating Week 14 loss, in which a terrible play call, and terrible play by Losman, eliminated the Bills from their already fading playoff hopes. Keep in mind, this has happened while preparing for Week 15.

I have heard very little except praise for the move. Let me tell you all, the demotion of JP Losman is a shameful marketing ploy, and should not be heralded. Gibran Hamdan was drafted with the 232nd pick, in the seventh round, of the 2003 draft.

Yes, you read correctly, the 2003 draft. This is the same draft which produced Carson Palmer, Byron Leftwich, Kyle Boller and Rex Grossman as first round picks, Dave Ragone, Chris Simms, Seneca Wallace, Brian St. Pierre, Drew Henson, Brooks Bollinger, Kliff Kingsbury, and Ken Dorsey. And only Dorsey was drafted after Hamdan.

Hamdan's best college season at Indiana, he threw for 2115 yards and nine touchdowns. In five years (FIVE YEARS!) in the league, Hamdan has thrown two passes (and completed one). In fact, Hamdan is one month older than JP Losman.

If Hamdan is better than Losman, he should have been second string all season. Losman may have made a terrible mistake against the Jets, a mistake Bills fans should be used to by now from JP, but Gibran Hamdan is a journeyman, perpetual third-string quarterback.

And now that things are irrelevant in Bills-land, and Trent Edwards has suddenly transformed from unable to walk, to able to start this Sunday, Losman should be his backup. The Bills are not an NFL farm team, and should not be letting Gibran Hamdan sniff the playing field unless both quarterbacks are injured.

The Bills are an inept organization who continually sell snake oil to anyone who will believe. Flutie, Johnson, Bledsoe, Milloy, Spikes, Losman, McGahee, Posluzny, Stroud—all average players whom the Bills have continually tried to make into more than they are. And everyone has believed.

Anyone who feels good about the demotion, either out of spite for Losman or because they think Hamdan could possibly be Matt Cassel, believe this - there is a reason Hamdan is on the Bills and not the Patriots.

Gibran Hamdan elevated, JP Losman demoted. Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss. All I know is, Pete Townshend must have been a Bills fan.

Reimaging the Buffalo Bills

Todd Morse — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 14:30:26 -0500

The Bills had such high hopes heading into the season, sadly, they've all turned out to be false and misguided. Outside of a few teams who win because they are just a level above the rest, there is a blueprint to winning in the NFL.

Considering the Bills have a cost-conscious (re: cheap) owner and live in a city which is incredibly undersirable for free agents, here is how the Bills can realistically bring themselves into respectability after their agonizing, decade-long fall from the top.

Step One: Acceptance of Reality

What should happen and what can happen are two entirely different paths.

Ralph Wilson isn't making a ton of money each season (in comparison with his NFL brethren, not to you and me), but is making enough to have no interest in selling the team. He isn't going to spend money where he doesn't have to, and his opinion of "have to" is clearly different than that of the average Joe (or Jane).

This means people need to stop explaining that "if only he would sell the naming rights on the stadium, the Bills would be have the money to court better free agents!"

The idea is a fallacy. Wilson won't dish out for top executives, coaches or players, and thinking adding $5 million a year to his pocket would suddenly change him from Mr. Scrooge before Christmas to Mr. Scrooge after Christmas, is lunacy. If Wilson did re-name the stadium, it would solely be to line his bank account.

Still, whether it is out of ego, pride, the desire to leave a legacy or simple hard-headedness, he won't take his name off the stadium or start shelling out money he wasn't shelling out already. Accept it and get realistic (ie. stop thinking/praying/discussing Bill Cowher coming to Buffalo).

Step Two: Look Inward

Why has the team consistently failed, when nearly every other team in the league at the very least lucks into the playoffs at some point? Part of this has already been discussed in hitting on ownership, however the Bills have missed a lot more than they've hit in both the draft and free agency.

Despite this point, Tom Modrak and John Guy still lead the personnel department, while other top, young evaluators have jumped ship to other teams or not brought in. Most notably the loss of young and talented Marc Ross, to the Giants and not bringing in Greg Gabriel, from the Bears.

Step Three: Rethink the Front Office

With Russ Brandon running the business side of things, the Bills need to find new personnel men who mesh with Brandon's younger, more aggressive style. Dick Jauron isn't going anywhere, so getting a young talent evaluator who will make Jauron a better coach is critically important.

Sometimes the "best player available" approach works. This works when a coach understands his players abilities well enough that he maximizes their strengths and eliminates their weaknesses. This philosophy isn't just used in football, but within the sport, Bill Belichick, Tony Dungy, and Jon Gruden/Monte Kiffin at the pro level, and Pete Carroll, Urban Meyer, and Nick Saban are all extremely good at this.

The philosophy doesn't work in Buffalo. Its what brought in Willis McGahee when Travis Henry was perfectly acceptable, and why the team has drafted numerous wide receivers and quarterbacks in early rounds when those are the two riskiest positions to draft early.

It is important for the team to have a talent evaluator who understand Jauron.

Step Four: Teach Jauron What A Head Coach Should Do

Players love playing for Jauron. Part of that reasoning is assuredly because of his light training camps, part of it has to be because he takes accountability, and part of it has to be that he connects with the players. Understanding players and taking accountability are important aspects of head coaching.

Equally as important is delegating. Again this isn't just a football method, it is also a business method. Jauron needs to learn when to delegate and when to lead.

Many people see the successes of first year coaches this season and probably think he has had enough time and should know the answers by now, but for many coaches, it just takes more time.

Jauron needs to step into the head coach role, embrace it completely, take charge when appropriate and back off when appropriate. He needs to learn when to make the decision to override a coach and understand when moments are critical and a head coach's leadership is needed.

Step Five: Blame People For This Season

The team was perfectly setup to be competitive and relevant in the league again—easy non-division opponents, injured Tom Brady, Jets and Dolphins shouldn't have been great—but they went down quicker than the stock market after the mortgage bubble burst.

It is someone's fault. Sure, the team can talk about unity and how they're all in this together, but with terrible play all season from the defensive line, linebackers and the safeties, Perry Fewell, Bill Kollar, George Catavalos, and Matt Sheldon need to be replaced.

Sure, the defense held the team in games at points this season, but it still underperformed, and replacing the defensive side is a lot easier than the offense, where Turk Schonert and company will get another shot.

Step Six: Change the Drafting Philosophy

Jauron intimately knows the Tampa 2 system, but it hasn't worked in Buffalo. Partly because the Bills have mastered the art of drafting average, and only average, linebackers, and partly because the team loves undersized, white defensive linemen.

Virtually every successful team, be it a 3-4 or 4-3, has athletic, smart linebackers who fly to the ball and understand how to play in space.

Kavika Mitchell has been either mind-numbingly terrible or rather excellent at points this season, sometimes even in the same game. Paul Posluszny leads the team in tackles, but it seems he is leading the team in tackles out of default because he is the middle linebacker, more than a playmaker. He doesn't make a play, ever.

And Keith Ellison wasn't a starter to begin the season because Crowell was starting, but with Crowell's injury, he is back in the lineup. Ellison is just that, a backup, and Crowell has seen his last play in a Bills uniform.

Stroud in the middle has been ok, but just ok. He was expected to be more, and Spencer Johnson and Kyle Williams both put in a day's work each game, but in the end just are barely average and are suited more to be backups. Kelsay also is an effort guy, but losing Schobel this season hurt the team badly.

Still, even with Schobel back, the team needs to focus on their areas of need above the best player available. They need linebacker, a center and another defensive tackle. With the team having a pick around 10-12 in the draft,any number of good players at any of those positions should be available based upon my ridiculous assumptions. That being said, they'll probably do something stupid.

Step Seven: Go Back to the Retro Jerseys

This would be a slick marketing move and make a lot of Buffalonians happy. Everyone adores the old jerseys, probably because it reminds them of when the team was actually good. Make a white one, too, have a red one as the alternate, and wear them.

Step Eight: Draft Drew Willy

Assuming the team is sticking with Edwards (which they will), snagging Willy would be both a smart football and marketing move. Willy has talent, played in a pro system at UB and will be a fine backup in the league.

I kind of slacked off in the end steps because I'm tired. I'll do better when its, you know, the actual offseason.

Buffalo Bills Continue to Show Real Selves in Loss to New York Jets

Todd Morse — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 09:38:37 -0500

The Bills have sucked the life out of me. They're boring, they're bad, and whenever I watch them play, I don't enjoy myself. How are you doing?

A pass play was called on second-and-5 with 2:06 left, the Bills in the lead, and the team averaging six yards per carry on the day.

For anyone who has ever watched J.P. Losman play in a game, the result was typical, vintage Losman. The mistakes? Numerous.

Assuming the Jets wouldn't be prepared for a play that asks Losman to throw and run. Assuming Losman, who has a history of freezing in both critical situations and when asked to think, would suddenly find his clutchosity and execute.

Assuming, the offensive line (which, did you know is the biggest in the NFL?), would continue to give Losman all the time in the world, which he needed to find his open receivers. Assuming the Bills would find their mettle and come through.

Still, calling a pass play wasn't bad strategy. If it was executed properly, the team puts the game away.

I understand the call. A rollout is the only way to guarantee six seconds come off the clock if you're putting the ball in JP's hands. But the issue to me isn't that they called a pass play, its that they called a rollout where JP's back is to half the field and they're asking him to think.

What had worked all day for JP were the quick strikes on slants to his receivers, or hanging in the pocket and hitting his checkdowns.

In fact, it seemed all day like JP was trying to make the point that he doesn't telegraph his passes and can hit someone other than his primary receiver, and was fairly successful at it.

However,

the game leaves many questions:

Was there never a chance to go deep? Shouldn't they, at some point in the game, with Evans and Parrish being two of the fastest receivers in the league and Losman’s best asset being his cannon, just run a fly?

Still, if the short passes are the kind of plays which are working, does it really make sense to ask JP to rollout and use his brain, something he consistently, notoriously fails at? One of Losman's best plays was his touchdown run, where he hung in the pocket, scanned the field quickly, then tucked and ran for the score. In fact, all of his best plays were from the pocket.

In the end, the Bills were beaten by a better team. The Jets were simply smarter and tried harder.

I don't blame the coaches for that specific call, but in game 14, the team should be better. Players shouldn't be out of position. Both the linebackers and the secondary seemed out of position all day.

Yes, Posluszny had an interception, but sometimes the ball bounces your way and I’m inclined to think that was more luck than anything else. Hands down, Posluszny and Whitner are two of the most overrated players in the league.

Good teams are aware of what to do and when to do it, and simply put, the Bills have no clue. Teams are supposed to improve throughout a season.

Bad teams are supposed to become average, average teams are supposed to become above-average, and above-average teams are supposed to become good. Like a Rogaine user who stopped using the product, the team, from coaches to players, have regressed.

These aren't just plays good teams make, they are scenarios in which good teams understand what to do.

Are there still passionate Bills fans out there? If so, be angry, be frustrated, be mad. But don't be angry with the coaches for calling one single pass play. Be frustrated that the team is bad at football and they don't know what to do.

Sinking Buffalo Sabres Should Move On Sean Avery

Todd Morse — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:22:35 -0500

I don't know how it happened, but it happened pretty quickly once the Sabres of '05-'06 started winning. Buffalonians got spoiled. The Sabres became legit ahead of schedule, and it screwed up the plan. Further screwing up the plan, was the '06 offseason.

Everyone knows what happened by now, but in case you've been living under a rock for the past three years, Drury bolted, Briere wasn't invited back, and the team paid mega jack for a good, but not great, player, in Thomas Vanek.

The Sabres are a small market team, and the easiest way to explain how a small market team has to operate is to simply say that small market teams can't make mistakes.

Mistakes cost money, money big market teams can write off or execute some funny math with and forget about. The math is rarely funny for small market teams.

Speaking of not funny, in the more-relevant-current-events corner sits Sean Avery. For those same few living under a rock, on a road trip to Calgary, Avery called super hot actress Elisha Cuthbert his sloppy seconds. For some history, Cuthbert is Avery's ex-girlfriend, and also the current girlfriend of Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf.

Out of everything Avery has done, this is the comment which made Gary Bettman mad, and he suspended Avery. The Dallas Stars are taking the high road and pretending Avery doesn't exist. His teammates are saying he's classless and Stars' GM Brett Hull (always known in hockey for his humble demeanor), is disowning the player he brought to Dallas just a few months ago.

Avery was wrong to say what he said...out loud. But this isn't Avery's first transgression. And, Avery has rubbed his teammates the wrong way at every stop.

Nevertheless, the Sabres need to bring Avery to Buffalo.

The Sabres have made mistakes. They've locked up a bunch of their young players, and brought in Craig Rivet to add heart and chemistry to the team. Rivet was named captain by his teammates as the ultimate "we love the new guy" gesture. Problem is, Rivet doesn't have any heart either.

Sabres Head Coach Lindy Ruff is a great coach and canning him would be a huge mistake. But for too long, the team has cared about chemistry and happiness and by now, it's clear a lot of the players have tuned Ruff out.

Buffalo is a lot of things: boring, dirty, whiny, and poor being among them. Alas, and I'm sorry Detroit, but Buffalo is also hockeytown. People here live, eat, and breathe hockey. Players who love the game enjoy Buffalo because of the passion for players that the fans have.

Sean Avery, transgressions and all, would fit in Buffalo. Avery apologized for his remarks and if any coach can keep him in check it is Lindy Ruff. Yes, Avery is a jerk, but he is also a pretty good hockey player with a lot of heart.

Despite locking up a bunch of their core, a bunch of guys the team targeted as "guys who won't be wanted long-term," will be free agents at the end of the season. There are kids in Portland ready to make a contribution. It's clear now that the Sabres are in a transition year.

The team needs a shakeup. They need that scene that happens in every great baseball movie where the manager goes to the veteran, "I don't know what to do with these guys" and the veteran goes, "scare 'em." Nobody is playing with purpose and nobody is scared.

There isn't a team that could handle the redemption of Sean Avery better and there isn't a team who needs Avery more than the Sabres.

Bills-Chiefs: Buffalo's Rout of Chiefs Rings Hollow

Todd Morse — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 05:31:09 -0500

The NFL is supposed to be easy. Feel good when your team wins, feel sad when your team loses. For the torturous life of a Bills fan, fandom is so much more complex. If it were as easy as it’s supposed to be, the pounding the Bills placed on the Chiefs wouldn’t come off as empty and hollow.

See, right or wrong, Western New York’s fragile ego lives and dies through the local professional sports teams. The Sabres are nice to have around, and beloved in Buffalo, but 80 percent of the country could care less about hockey, and the NHL is small potatoes compared to the revenue and interest the NFL generates.

The NFL is not just America’s pastime, but one of America’s biggest businesses. It’s the NFL where Buffalo gets to show a national audience a local identity. When the Bills play well, fans aren’t just proud of the team, they carry a incomparable civic pride.

The Bills started the season hot. They beat some bad teams, jumped out to a 5-1 record, and became a story. Marcus Stroud and Donte Whitner charged a fiery defense, special teams played special, head coach Dick Jauron received a contract extension, and Trent Edwards became an NFL buzz word.

Buffalonians were talkin’ proud, while the true meat of the Bills’ schedule—divisional games which the team could prove their hype as legitimate, were in view.

While Buffalonians waited for the team to stake a claim to the division which has eluded them for so long, for the Bills, the wheels came off. Three divisional games followed by a Monday night game in front of a national audience, and the team didn’t just choke, they disappeared.

Jauron was out-coached, and his team was outplayed by every divisional team. While the team’s play intrepidly regressed, what looked after the 5-1 start like minor, fixable issues, quickly bubbled to the surface as major cracks.

One week ago today, and for the three weeks prior, the Bills had an opportunity to win a game which meant something. Games which were viewed nationally, would have kept them in the divisional hunt and in the playoff picture. Not just as a football team, as a community.

Yesterday, against a woefully pathetic Chiefs team, the last pair of CBS announcers called the Bills breaking a franchise record for most points scored in a game. Trent Edwards played well, the running backs ran with purpose, and the defense made critical takeaways.

It was supposed to be fun. Maybe for the players getting paid, it was. Maybe, it was fun, even, for some fans who still hang on to the belief the Bills can elevate into something more.

In Buffalo, the only thing which feels worse than losing, is irrelevancy. Yesterday, the last pair of CBS announcers saw a tree fall in the woods.

Patriots, Belichick Expose The Bills

Todd Morse — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 09:15:53 -0500

Ho Hum.

On a day when everything pointed in the Bills direction—no Brady, no legitimate running threat, good weather—the Patriots proved once again that their organization is just better at understanding what it takes to win.

With Matt Cassell at quarterback and street free agent BenJarvus Green-Ellis playing RB, the Patriots showed up, proving sometimes the team who wants it most actually wins.

Good teams know their talent, and the limitations of their talent, and coach to get the best from the eleven players on the field.

When Tom Brady went down, the Patriots didn't ask Matt Cassell to be Tom Brady, they adapted the offense. When three starting running backs went down, the Patriots didn't ask BenJarvus Green-Ellis to be Laurence Maroney or Lamont Jordan, they adapted the offense.

The Bills are another story. They continually attempt to put square pegs in round holes.

When Aaron Schobel went down, the team rotated Ryan Denney and Copeland Bryan. Denney is a fine rotational player, but Bryan is a consistent non-factor when he is on the field, and when either are playing, the defense remains out of sync.

When Josh Reed went down, neither James Hardy nor Steve Johnson were ready to contribute on the field, and as such, the offense has struggled mightily in both the running and passing games since Reed's injury.

Also, good defenses usually have good middle linebackers, and Paul Posluszny's reputation is much better than his actual play.

He consistently over-pursues the run, rarely is in proper position and is terrible defending the pass. For weeks, the Bills have been relying on Posluszny to make the defense go, and in the end it has been a reflection of his game play: mediocre.

The same can be said on the offensive line. It has been conventional wisdom for more than a year that Melvin Fowler isn't good enough, but is the team in such dire straits that Kirk Chambers should be starting at right guard?

Once upon a time, the Buffalo Bills were 5-1, a lock for the post-season, and Trent Edwards was on his way to league MVP. What a difference a month can make, as the 20-10 score indicates a game much closer than it actually was.

Yes, there is a lot more analysis which should occur from the game—from why certain players are even seeing the field to the complete lack of a running game. Still, I am tired of seeing the Bills get simply outclassed, out-coached, out-played, and end up losing to a team who simply has their act more together.

Sure, the Patriots should always be considered a legitimate threat, but the Bills lost today.

In the NFL, teams must adapt. Sometimes adaptation must happen during a drive, sometimes in games, and sometimes between weeks.

The Bills haven't successfully done any.

Welcome to last place in the division; get used to it.

Will the Real Buffalo Bills Please Stand Up?

Todd Morse — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 12:16:02 -0500

In the NFL, when a good team loses a game to a bad team, it can be shrugged off as just a loss. When a good team loses two games in a row to bad teams, questions of how good the team really is, arise. We’re halfway through the football season, and the Buffalo Bills are stumbling. The Bills of week nine are not the Bills of week four.

After flying out of the gates with a four-game win streak, the Bills appeared to be a team to be reckoned with. The defense, which was reprehensible last season, made the necessary plays; special teams remained a force, both in return games and on coverage units; the offense, led by quarterback Trent Edwards, moved the ball efficiently and effectively; and most importantly, the coaching staff looked decisive and prepared.

Everything clicked.

In the NFL, most teams take every four games as a mini-season. In this case, after losing in consecutive weeks to division opponents and losing three of their last four, the Bills have failed their second mini-season miserably.

So how did they get here? The first four games were enjoyable, not only because the Bills won, but because of how they won.

They throttled the Seattle Seahawks when they were thought to be a formidable foe on opening day. Then against the Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, and St. Louis Rams , the team had the mettle to mount extraordinary comebacks to pull victories from apparent defeats.

As a fan, the ride wasn’t just enjoyable, it was, as I stated, extraordinary. Extra ordinary, or in layman’s terms, something miraculous which won’t always be the norm.

There were signs in the early games which could have pointed to the Bills’ collapse. From the complex angle, like bad coaching decisions by opponents coaches (I still contend that Jack Del Rio is a terrible coach, Scott Linehan and Lane Kiffin were coaching teams in turmoil, and on their last legs as head coaches, and the same can be said in San Diego for defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell), and timely plays which just can’t be something the team counts on.

To the more simple, like not establishing a running game or generating an effective pass rush in any game, or not showing the humility of being a consistent loser finally on the rise.

Looking back to their early wins, the Bills may have been as much lucky as they were effective. The law of averages tipped in their favor throughout the early season, and in the past four games, it has bitten back.

Against the Arizona Cardinals, Trent Edwards, who was on his way to an MVP-type season, was knocked unconscious by a vicious (and legal) hit from a safety blitz by Adrian Wilson. With Edwards out, despite a not-terrible day from backup JP Losman, the Bills sputtered offensively and defensively, and were laughed out of Arizona.

Against San Diego, the team bounced back slightly by with a win over the Chargers, but the Miami Dolphins game is when they started to truly be exposed.

The Bills were sluggish, out of sorts and inherently predictable against a Miami team good teams should beat. The predictability continued today against the New York Jets, and on a day when the Bills kept Brett Favre in check, they lost.

Eric Mangini is the second most overrated coach in football (see: Jack Del Rio), but the Bills were boring, unmotivated, and handily out-coached.

The Bills were facing a top-five run and bottom ten pass defense, and it appeared they got caught up in those statistics, as their gameplan never even called to establish a running game.

It didn’t help that the first play of the game seemed to be a carbon copy of the Cardinals game, as Darrelle Revis’ corner blitz seemed to have shaken Trent Edwards’ confidence early. More troubling, Edwards continued his recent poor play. For a player who showed so much promise early this season, he has been just as bad since his concussion.

Statistically, he had an alright day, throwing for almost 300 yards and a nice completion percentage, but he constantly checked down, missed numerous open receivers, held on to the ball too long, and rarely hit his receivers in stride.

Dick Jauron and the rest of the Bills coaching staff have been equally as bad. The Bills have three good offensive linemen, which is pretty good in the NFL. Still, the line flat out can’t pass or run block.

More concerning is the lack of a pass rush and terribly inconsistent defensive scheme. The Bills have talented players all over the field. Yet, these good players continue to be out of position, over pursue, and their strength—third down defensive efficiency, has been sliding since week three.

Simply put, winning teams scheme well, and adjust better. The Bills have been figured out for weeks, and slipping.

No, the sky isn’t falling yet. But in a league driven by quarterback play and smart coaching, the Bills won’t get to the playoffs without getting Edwards right and working harder to be smart coaches.

Calling three timeouts throughout the Jets game to avoid a delay of game penalty is inexcusable, both on the part of Edwards and the coaches. Also on the coaching staff is the continual losses when challenging plays. They do not appear able to make a smart decision when it comes to challenges and substitutions.

In critical back-to-back possessions against the Jets, the Bills played rookie fourth round pick, Reggie Corner, at one corner position and Terrence McGee in the slot/nickel position.

Corner hadn’t seen the field all season, but the Bills either decided he was good enough, suddenly to play man coverage on Laveraneus Coles, or they needed to get him experience.

The team has acted similarly with other younger players over the past few games, with players such as Marcus Buggs and Copeland Bryan. I’m sure they will argue that this is necessary to keep the legs of the veterans and also to position themselves for depth purposes. Either way, their times for inserting the players are just wrong.

More frustrating, they should be able to decide who they are. The Bills faced similar third-and-goal situations against Miami and the Jets. Against the fins, on the road, the Bills ran the ball and were stuffed, then kicked a field goal to take the points. Against the Jets, at home, the Bills threw an incompletion on third down, then went for it on fourth, and were stuffed trying to run.

In hindsight, its easy to question decisions which went wrong, but its not the decision as much as the inconsistency and lack of awareness that is so frustrating. Halfway through the season, what once looked so promising now shows the team in an identity crisis—the coaches exposed and a quarterback in question.

Good teams know who they are, don’t make stupid mistakes, and establish themselves halfway through a season—the Bills are in peril.

NFL Week Six Musings: Maybe The Cardinals Really Are Good

Todd Morse — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 05:33:18 -0400

I didn't watch a single down of football yesterday. Here is my in-depth analysis after reviewing the scores.

Should Bills fans still be up in arms over the shredding the Bills took from the Cardinals after the Cards just beat the presumptive Super Bowl roman numeral 43 Champion Cowboys the same way they beat up the Bills?

Speaking of America's Team, Tony Romo is out Four Weeks. Terrell Owens must have been really mad about not getting the ball.

I'm trying to remember who the Cowboys backup is without checking their roster and all I can think of is Quincy Carter or Drew Bledsoe, so I lose. Maybe, since Jerry Jones loves Jason Garrett so much, he will be their starting QB and Head Coach by the end of the season!

The Wildcat offense is so dangerous that it lost to the previously 0-4 Texans, Rawr! Sorry Dolphans, at the end of the day, YOUR QUARTERBACK IS STILL CHAD PENNINGTON.

As a Bills fan, I really loved this week.

Jacksonville kept Denver from jumping to 5-1, New England lost, Miami remembered they're Miami, and the Colts told the Ravens that they have a rookie QB and a bad defense.

The only thing that would have made it a perfect weekend would have been if the Bengals beat those pretenders in green The Jest. Favre the Jester (that's almost as good as Brett the Jet, right?) can't be good all season. Or maybe he will and then brain freeze in the playoffs again like he always does.

The Bengals (I'm above calling them the Bungals), well, too bad they couldn't spring for a decent backup to Carson Palmer. Or just decent players in general. Marvin Lewis should be fired, dude's time was up two years ago. Mike Brown is a cheap expletive.

Detroit games shouldn't be televised. 12-10? Seriously?

One thing I will give Ralph Wilson credit for is that he has always kept trying and selling fans of Buffalo false hope. I think contracting the Lions and the Bengals should be up for consideration.

I really like seeing Atlanta win. Something about it makes me feel good. I don't know if it's the Michael Vick thing, that I like Michael Turner because he came from the MAC, that I like Matt Ryan because people kept saying he isn't a "real" number one QB pick, that their jerseys are some of the best in the NFL or what, but I like it.

I also like (I'm sorry for another Bills reference), that former Bills head coach Greg Williams is now leading a bad Jacksonville defense while former Jacksonville defensive coordinator and current Atlanta head coach Mike Smith is going to be the coach of the year. It vindicates me constantly saying Jack Del Rio is not the coaching genius everyone lauds him to be and then somehow his teams kept winning. I get it now, look north to Atlanta, Jack.

Oh, speaking of teams that really aren't as good as people thought, how about Washington losing to the Rams? Yikes. I feel good for Jim Haslett winning. There is talent in St. Louis, he should be able to hold onto that job long enough to choke in the playoffs a few times.

I see ESPN is calling Aaron Rodgers gritty now because he played through an injury and the Packers won. I don't adore Brett Favre, but you wonder what the NFL iron man thinks about that.

Uh, coming back to San Diego shellacking New England (sorry for the terrible segue), I'm glad it happened, but I really don't want LT, Sproles, Gates, Rivers and the SD offense feeling any kind of confidence coming into Buffalo.

The Bills looked terrible against Arizona and they can't, or won't, win if San Diego is clicking. My heart hopes that score is just because New England is bad, but my head says mostly no. Then I remember Norv Turner is coaching the Chargers and I feel the Bills do have at least a chance.

I'm calling it now, Kurt Warner will win the NFL MVP.

Alright, I checked who Dallas' backup QB is, its Brad Johnson. I'm going to let that ruminate in your mind for a second.

Yep, they're screwed.

Sabres' Season Rests On Ruff's Ability To Connect With Connolly, Kotalik and Max

Todd Morse — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 10:15:21 -0400

Tim Connolly, Ales Kotalik, and Maxim Afinogenov.

The trio of extremely talented forwards has always faced both adoration and criticism in Buffalo. Three of the longest tenured Sabres, each brings a quality the Sabres don't have in another player to the ice.

Connolly, still young at only 27, is the perennial health risk. When healthy, however, he is one of the best playmakers in the league. His fluid skating ability, vision, timing, and hands are all near the top of the league. He is deadly both on the power play, as an assist man, and as a penalty killer, because of his ability to know what an opponent is going to do before they do it.

Kotalik, 6'2" with a blistering slap shot, brings a size to the team they have often been criticized for not having enough of. Kotalik can play the point on the power play and is deadly when he can wind up and let a shot fly. Strangely, he is also one of the best in the league in shootouts.

Afinogenov is fast. Old school Russian hockey player fast. Afinogenov has the kind of speed and passion that makes Rick Jeanneret's excitable voice jump two octaves. He is the kind of playmaker who moves, shakes, shimmies, and stickhandles. He believes he can beat anyone in the league one-on-one, or one-on-four. He has often made the kind of play that leaves fans in disbelief.

Despite their immense talent, none of them are considered part of the Sabres' top-six. Thomas Vanek, Derek Roy, Jason Pominville, Drew Stafford, Daniel Paille, Jochen Hecht, and Paul Gaustad (once healthy) will all be above them on the depth chart.

Precariously, each of the three is playing out the final season of his contract for the Sabres. As a quick note, so are Andrew Peters and Jaroslav Spacek. But the difference with Spacek seems to be that his head is on straight and the potential to bring him back seems higher, and I just don't care about Peters enough to write more than this in a story on him.

These players have to feel like they are in somewhat of a dubious situation. Management has put in the hours rewarding players they deem as their future. Over the past two seasons, Miller, Pominville, Vanek, Hecht, and Roy have all been given long contract extensions.

Expect Drew Stafford, Andrej Sekera, Mike Weber, and Dan Paille to each get longer deals over the next few years also. The Sabres may bring back Spacek, as the team has realized it should refocus its money on the players who actually want to be in Buffalo.

The Sabres have already committed over $41 million for next season, have some of the aforementioned players to lock up still, and have a bunch of players in Portland playing this season to prepare for next season. Even if the cap goes up next season, the Sabres seem to have hit their saturation rate and understand that their cap max is around $50 million.

For Connolly, Kotalik and Afinogenov, the writing on the wall is pretty clear: Give it one more shot, thanks for the memories, buh bye. But what happened to these three, exactly?

Connolly's downside is that he doesn't just have an Achilles' heel; he is an Achilles' heel. He is always one hit away from another concussion or body breakdown. Kotalik doesn't use his size nearly enough. He will flash it in for a shift in games, and show it more often in playoff games to the point of dominance, but his inconsistency, streakiness, and disappearance are mind boggling.

The problem with Max? Too much. He skates too much, he thinks too much, he wants to do too much. He plays as an individual. Defensemen are faster now. Forwards know that to remain in the league, unless your name is Crosby, backchecking is paramount. Cherry picking doesn't work, and hockey is now, more than ever, a team game. Players who think individually and try to take play to a one-on-one game will simply lose.

Any combination of the players in Portland, the Russian prospects, or the European prospects joining the roster next season would give the Sabres two choices.

They could let the new wave of youth be their depth, and the current veterans locked up become their true leaders as they gel into a new type of team without Connolly, Kotalik, and Max on the roster. Alternatively, they could bring up the youth, but also make an attempt at one major free agent acquisition in a strong free agent class that could move the roster talent near the top of the league. Either way, the future seems to be without the trio.

I've never been in the locker room, nor do I claim to know the true makeup of these three players. Nevertheless, these three hold the destiny of the 2008-2009 Sabres season in their hands. Anyone who has ever had a job which has an expiration date knows the feelings felt inside as that date nears.

There is a turmoil felt between a sense of duty over an obligation to finish the job and the aloofness for whether it should really be finished. One might possibly sour on the job, or the company as a whole, and stop caring completely.

The Sabres' season depends on head coach Lindy Ruff's ability to get the to-be free agents to perform. A productive third and fourth line, as well as a productive power play depends on them.

Can Ruff motivate these players and push the right buttons so they perform for their teammates, for personal pride, or for their next contract? Will these players perform after seeing their teammates rewarded with rich deals, knowing their own future depends on both a good performance this season but also finish the season in good health?

What will happen the first time a check isn't finished by one of these guys, and more importantly, what will happen in game 80 if the team needs a win for the playoffs? Many will say it will matter, and many will say it's just business; and the players understand.

If Connolly, Kotalik, and Afinogenov are able to put everything they are feeling aside and showcase their talents, the Sabres will bounce back from a playoff-less 2008. If they cannot, the hard part then goes to Regier and Ruff. They'll need to put loyalties aside and accurately assess where these player's heads are at.

If they decide their hearts or heads are not in it and the season starts to spiral negatively either internally or externally, they need to pull the trigger on a deal and ship these players out of town.

The Four F's: Fall, Friends, Family, Football

Todd Morse — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:39:24 -0400

I love the fall.

It is a perfect bridge between summer and winter. Balmy September days turn to brisk, windy September nights. The familiar sound of the yellow school buses echo down every city and village side street, as the area's children, all tanned, energized, and fresh from three months of vacation, head off to school.

As October approaches, the clouds become both more ominous and more beautiful. The days follow the night's lead and begin to cool.

The leaves take notice. They begin to transform from the vibrant, sturdy golden greens which so boldly defined summer to the falling, frail, brilliant maroons, oranges, ambers, and yellows.

Summer air contains a haze, which, on even a moderate day, can fill the lungs in a way that can make one feel unpleasant: restriction, fear, age, and death.

Autumn air is pure. It's the fish tank with the bad owner, who neglected the filter, having the water changed and the filter renewed. Or the lung transplant for a 50-year old who had been smoking for the past 40 years.

Of course, with fall, comes football.

An American pastime for the new millennium, it makes sense that football has a significant presence in autumn. Played in backyards, streets, open fields and stadiums across the country, football defines an American fall weekend.

Autumn is a time for dreamers. Clouds form castles in the sky, foliage creates bold, picturesque landscapes, and it all leaves one feeling lovely and whimsical.

Football, with its big-play capability and high number-count appeals to those who love excitement and big scoring. The complex playbooks and schematics for those who love analysis and number crunching. And it's an overall easy-to-understand concept: a game with a similar mystical appeal for everyone.

It is hard to find an American male who doesn't have a fond football memory. Be it leaving the house early to get to the elementary school parking lot half an hour early for a daily morning pickup game, having a friend willing to teach them how to throw a spiral the "right way," being good enough to never worry about being picked last in gym class, breaking an ankle coming down from an attempt to catch a ball thrown by your best friend, dying your hair team colors and playing in the marching band, or scraping up enough money out of the budget every year to purchase those season tickets and enjoying eight days a year of screaming your heads off with friends.

There is always a memory both relatable and fondly recalled.

And, of course, there are the family memories. The days of sitting around the television together, participating in the weekend ritual, cheering for the hometown team, learning the game from your dad, and finally locating that same deep-blooded passion your parents have for the game and letting it all out.

Or, more simply, there are the cherished memories of a father teaching you not just what a post route is, but what a father and a role model is. Not every dad would have come out at night to play with his son after working 10 hours or more every day in an incredibly stressful, high-profile job. But one dad did, and there aren't enough ways to thank him, or to tell him how lucky I am.

These are all my fall memories, and its just one of the many reasons I have learned to appreciate the season. I'm sure, as some of you read this article, you now realize you may have taken part in one of these memories with me.

If so, I want to thank you for sharing in a special part of my life. If you haven't participated until now, I thank you for sharing with me right now, and hopefully recalling a memory or two of yours as well.

Yes, my friends, its early October in Buffalo. A time for football, blankets, cider, and storytelling. The leaves haven't peaked, the kids haven't gone trick-or-treating, and a snowflake has yet to fall. There is still a lot of fall left.

Take advantage.

Bills' Win Over the Raiders Was an Eye Opener

Todd Morse — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 04:15:42 -0400

As Scott Norwood lined himself up to kick the Bills to victory in Super Bowl XXV, the pressure was too much. As a 12-year-old in Buffalo, all I knew were the Bills; they were all I cared about, and this was Buffalo’s chance to turn things around.

I was agitated, anxious, and unreasonable, so while they prepared for the kick, I turned the TV off. It was an initial reaction to plan for the worst. My family immediately erupted with pleas for me to turn the TV back on, and I did, before the kick happened.

My second action was to ask God for help. My family had never gone to church, nor had we ever really been religious, so this was a strange reaction, but nevertheless, I prayed. “Hi, God? I know you’re busy, but I know we don’t really talk much. I never ask you for anything. Anything! If you do exist, and are real, please show me. Give me this. Please.”

We all know what happened next. Over the years, I have tried numerous versions of this. Appealing directly to the Football Gods—which resulted in the Tennessee Titans beating the Bills on one of the most ridiculous, and hilariously fun (unless you’re a Bills fan), plays ever constructed in football history, the homerun throwback.

I prayed to the Hockey Gods—which proceeded to end the Stanley Cup finals in the most controversial way possible, as well as squashing numerous requests for Sabres wins or comeback attempts.

I prayed to the Baseball Gods—who seemed to really really like Derek Jeter for a long time, who allowed two steroid kings to enter the record books as home run champions, who wouldn't let my Tigers get out of the cellar for years, and who wouldn’t give good guys like the Atlanta Braves' pitching staff a break.

As I have aged and experienced more hardships, I have slowly learned that maybe sports isn’t as important as I once ranked it. I promised myself I would be different, now, and try harder to prioritize. And yet, there I was, sitting in the stands at Ralph Wilson Stadium watching the Bills and the Raiders duke it out.

Going into the game, it seemed like the Bills should have won the game handily. With the Raiders going through off the field turmoil and facing player injuries, the Bills, coming off two well-rounded victories over two of the NFL’s upper-echelon teams, were easily in the driver’s seat.

But that is why they play the games, I guess. The Bills' passing offense didn’t click for the first three quarters and the Bills' running game, while somewhat better, continued to prove fairly anemic. Trent Edwards didn’t hit his short game early and clearly couldn’t find a rhythm, thus disallowing the Bills to sustain drives and keep the Raiders off the field.

But the Raiders got their chances, and did enough to score 23. The way the Raiders scored was very much like how the Bills scored against Seattle—fake. None of their scoring drives, save for the big TD pass, was longer than 27 yards. A couple of big returns setup some short drives for field goals. A couple of turnovers gives the Raiders the ball in good field position and they capitalize.

Lucky for the Bills, the Raiders' quarterback was JaMarcus Russell, and he is just bad. If the Raiders had J.P. Losman running that offense, they would have killed the Bills. Killed them. Also lucky for the Bills.

[Side Note: The Raiders ran a few plays with McFadden at QB and they worked fairly well. McFadden just handed the ball to Michael Bush. I couldn’t understand why they worked, as it was fairly obvious he wasn’t going to throw. It's little things like these which annoy me about coaches.]

The Bills did good things. Overall, they contained the Raiders' rushing attack and held them to under 100 yards. The Raiders got their yards at times, but the defense was stout. The offense wasn’t as good. I think I was wrong when I said the Bills don’t face a real defense until late; the Raiders' defense is good, and Rob Ryan is a good coordinator. He did what I said and had Edwards both pressured and somewhat confused for three quarters.

Strangely, he backed off somewhat in the fourth quarter, and this changed the game. I don't know if he backed off because the guys were tired, because the Bills changed schemes, or because the Bills just figured it out, but the game changed significantly. The Bills began exerting their will, and drove 96 yards in 16 plays on the suddenly porous Raiders.

Maddeningly, the Raiders struck back almost immediately, on a third down quick slant to Johnnie Lee Higgins. The Bills were clearly thinking run, and Higgins outran everyone to the house. Interestingly, Donte Whitner was flagged for a penalty for tackling Huggins five yards into the end zone as Huggins as showboating into the end zone and dancing it up after the TD, and Whitner wanted to do a "not in my house" play.

One has to wonder the impact of that play on the Bills psyche, as the Bills immediately punched back again and drove 69 yards, mostly on the arm of Edwards, for another touchdown.

After the next kickoff, the Bills held the Raiders to a quick three and out, to one of the loudest crowds I can remember. The only louder crowds I remember were Monday Night 2007 against Dallas, and, of course, the Houston comeback game in the early '90s.

It became pretty clear how the game was going to end when Edwards and offensive coordinator Turk Schonert, as in the previous two drives, began orchestrating another harmonious drive. They gashed the Raiders for a good 25 yards to get to the 21-yard line, then, as they had only one time out left, that was close enough for Lindell.

It wasn't perfect, but it worked. I would have liked to have seen the Bills try to score a touchdown, as they clearly had all the momentum and had the Raiders on their heels, but Dick Jauron is Dick Jauron. He isn't Manny Ramirez.

Even though the Bills were down two, the looks on Raiders’ fans faces around us made it feel inevitable. For many Buffalo fans it may have felt inevitable, but for me, knowing Buffalo’s history, it is never over until the clock says zero.

Waiting for the clock to count down for the Bills to call timeout seemed like forever. So many thoughts were running through my head. I had seen the New England-Miami score already; Miami killed them. If the Bills win today they are alone in first place in the division. Seriously! The Bills are about to go 3-0!

Lindell is the Bills' most clutch kicker and most accurate kicker ever. Edwards has already shown his clutchosity. This would be another comeback victory for him. Nine points down with four minutes to play? Are you kidding me? These are how his days at the office are going to be.

I wanted to close my eyes, look up and ask. I do this thing, where I kind of zone everything out and just sort of think internally. I can't really explain it.

With my arm around my fiancée to my left, and my sister standing next to her, and my son under my arm to my right, I took a moment and enjoyed everyone. I looked at the score, the Bills fans anticipating a win, and the Raiders fans anticipating the loss. I looked at the field. There stood 22 behemoths paid millions of dollars to play a game we all love to watch, wager on, write about, dissect, and argue about.

I strangely thought about how great of a game Josh Reed had. The same Josh Reed who fans hated and wanted the Bills to cut played his heart out, and made at least four or five critical catches and a few key blocks. I thought that this Bills team is a team that the fans of Buffalo who have been holding onto the mentality that we're still a blue collar town with a blue collar attitude should love, but has enough nuance and flavor for everyone. Things felt alright.

“God?” I asked.

Then I paused.

“No, never mind, it's just football,” I thought.

And with that, the kick sailed directly through the middle of the uprights.

Amen.

www.buffalomainevent.com

Oakland-Buffalo: Raider Nation in Trouble

Todd Morse — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 06:50:51 -0400

I’m not sure if anyone has noticed, but there is some turmoil brewing in Oakland. Apparently, they have an owner, Al Davis, who is old and crazy. He spent a ton of money in the off season on a bunch of players nobody liked. Players like Javon Walker, who after getting his huge contract, subsequently went to Las Vegas, was found unconscious on a street off the strip, robbed of his personal belongings,

Tommy Kelly, who just this week was arrested for DUI, and DeAngelo Hall, who infamously carried a poster of former teammate Michael Vick onto the field with him the day of Vick’s sentencing, are all wonderfully entrenched in the Raiders stable. There is also a standoff going on between, Davis, and his head coach Lane Kiffin.

He is ready to replace Kiffin, a good coach, with Jim Fassel, a bad coach, but wants Kiffin to quit so he doesn’t have to pay him anymore. Somehow this all makes sense in Raiderland. Helping Davis’ reasoning is a spat between Kiffin and well-respected defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, as well as Kiffin publicly saying whatever he wants, whenever he wants.

Furthering Davis’ “Make Kiffin Quit” campaign, are injuries to every good player the Raiders have. Walker, running backs Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden, and starting left tackle Kwame Harris are all questionable, and I’m sure there are a few others who are afraid of telling Kiffin because they are afraid he is carrying cyanide pills with him.

Despite all the mumbo jumbo going on, the Raiders overcame and beat the Chiefs last week 23-8. How could this possibly happen? Two quick and dirty answers. Herman Edwards is a terrible coach and Tyler Thigpen was the Chiefs quarterback. As Charles Barkley would say, Kansas City is terrible, just terrible.

Its week three and they’re playing for the number one pick next season. I love that the Bills are playing the AFC and NFC West divisions this season. So how do the Bills, coming off beating two really good teams fairly nicely, beat the injury riddled Raiders? Simple, prove that Dennis Green is right and that "they are who we think they are!” Or better yet, can be.

Show that they are truly a team who plays to the identity of their coaches, and that they aren’t setup for let downs, like past Bills teams. Run the ball. In fact, pound the ball. Play efficient, Trent Edwardsian/Turk Schonert offense, but be willing to open it up. Learn from what the Broncos did to the Raiders in week one when they annihilated the Raiders.

Show them that in Buffalo, the Bills won’t be beat, especially by a team going through so much turmoil, with a bad quarterback and a bunch of injuries. Show them that a Marcus Stroud front seven will not give up 300 yards rushing like Kansas City did, that Russell will have to beat you, and that your defensive backs, while not as well known as theirs, are as good as theirs.

Simply put, control the clock, beat them up, get turnovers, score touchdowns, and send them home with Jim Fassel as their new coach and Lane Kiffin headed to replace Greg Robinson at Syracuse. How do the Raiders win? Lane Kiffin has to give a Knute Rockne-like speech before the game.

Think, us against the world, and include Al Davis in that world. Fight against the fans, your owner, the NFL, and everyone who doesn’t believe in you, because the Bills think they have it all figure out. Punch them in the mouth and show them they don’t know everything. The Bills are young.

You talked up their players, especially Trent Edwards, now confuse the heck out of him with a great scheme, get an early interception and shake his confidence. Make the Bills prove they can run on you. Prove Michael Huff was the better selection over Donte Whitner, control the clock and be physical on offense.

Play for your coach’s job like it matters. Sorry Raiders fan, it’s not going to happen, Bills momentum continues, 38-14.

www.buffalomainevent.com

Tuesday's Buffalo Bills Buzz

Todd Morse — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 07:09:08 -0400

My Bedroom, NY – Fans felt it, the team felt it, and the media was waiting on it. The buzz. Coming into the season, the Bills had the chance to be something they haven’t been in a long time: a contender.

With a strong mix of young players coming into their own, buoyed by a new group of veterans acquired in the past few offseasons, more and more evidence is pointing towards the Bills' time being now.

The buzz has only increased after convincing wins over Seattle and Jacksonville. Over the first two games, the Bills have shown their cards. The gameplan for both wins was the same: conservative, pass-short offense, a very skilled special-teams unit, and a stop-the-run, dare-you-to-pass defense, which will pounce on any mistake.

Despite the excitement, there is reason for concern.

Trent Edwards has shown what he is: a smart, tough, clutch quarterback. He has also shown what he is not: a top-tier quarterback. This is not a criticism, just an observation. Edwards has only started 10 games in the league, and during stints in both games, he continually checked down early and often telegraphed his passes.

Edwards is good, has shown signs of brilliance, and is going to be great, but he isn’t there yet. It's up to the coaches to recognize his weak spots and elevate his play. The Bills don’t play a truly great defensive mind until Week Nine (Jets) and 10 (Pats), but when they do, it will be interesting to see if Edwards has more trouble.

Of course, by then, hopefully he will have matured and progressed further.

Luckily for Trent, the pass blocking is excellent, because the run blocking is anemic. The team can’t run, and that is going to be a problem as the season wears on and the weather gets worse. Lynch is a workhorse and Jackson is smooth, but the running game is truly pathetic. By Week 10 I expect the team to be 70/30 pass/run.

Jack Del Rio consistently does less with great players than any coach in the league. He is truly a terrible coach. His players consistently underperform, and his teams consistently do just enough to save his job. That being said, after the Bills started the game with a flurry, Del Rio outcoached Dick Jauron for the second and third quarters.

Jauron should be better than this. As fans, we catch ourselves often thinking Jauron should be better. He isn’t terrible, but he should be better. The Bills' offense wasn’t creative, the defense, while statistically probably looked good, it didn’t do enough. Passive aggressiveness is fine for a human being, fine even for a coach, it isn’t fine if players on the team start to take on that identity.

Bobby April is the best special-teams coach in the league. He is the best because he is given a lot of say in personnel decisions, as well as given a lot of practice time. If this hinders depth and practice time on the offense and defense, I don’t know how I feel about that anymore.

There are too many young players who need too much work in regular defensive and offensive drills. Also, if Jon Corto, who forced a special-teams fumble in Week One but made a special teams mental error in Week Two, made the team over a regular player because he is a special-teams ace, he can’t be making penalties.

That being said, it's September and for the first time in a while, nobody is talking Sabres in Buffalo. The Bills' buzz is alive, and the team will get better.

Dear Baseball: Cut The Fat

Todd Morse — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 06:33:06 -0400

Supply and Demand. No sport understands it better than the NFL. Larger rosters, short schedules, huge stadiums, continuous sellouts, undreamable television contracts, incredible ratings, and nearly immeasurable revenues.

As the country has exploded into the fast-paced technological age, the league has taken advantage in numerous ways no other sport has. More Americans identify with football than another sport, and no other sport comes close to competing. It almost makes you feel bad for baseball. Once the national pastime with popularity stronger than football today, its time has now faded.

Baseball's biggest problem is that it caters to an ideal instead of a market. Baseball's slow pace, long schedule, and egotistical like reverence for its history which in this modern day era of short attention spans and cell phones, is off-putting.

See, baseball has a problem with change. Look at its commissioners. While the NFL brings in visionaries who are willing to embrace change and reprimand those not willing to adapt with the times, baseball chastises those who dare to question its authority, and loathes its most visionary (and most profitable) owner in the Yankees George Steinbrenner. It shivers at the thought of another new-millenia owner, Dallas Mavericks' Mark Cuban, buying the Cubs.

See, nine innings has always been nine innings, three strikes has always been three strikes, and they like it that way. It helps keep some semblance that a record is a record, despite the, ahem, small changes that have been made along the way which baseball purists all choose to overlook.

Changes such as the height of the mound, which drastically impacted pitching numbers, or oh, say, deciding to allow players of other races to to play, or not testing for steroids until a scandal erupted, neither of which the implications should even need to be explained. When thought about how many team, individual and league records have been rewritten from these three changes alone, it would make anyone scoff at the irony of the thought of pure baseball records.

Baseball can rise to prominence again. But first, they need to stop caring about the history and start thinking like a business. There's a saying in baseball - every team knows they're going to lose 54 games and win 54 games. It's what they do with the other 54 games that counts.

Baseball should slash the inconsequential 108 games and solely focus on the 54 games that count. A 54 game season gives every team the opportunity to compete. Since every game matters, more would be shown on television. As more would be shown on TV, more people would be interested.

Ratings would improve and ad revenue would improve. Any big television contract would far outweigh the revenue the teams make from ticket sales. However, teams could enormously increase ticket prices, as there would only be 27 home games. Imagine the excitement in cities for only 27 home games. No more three and four game series.

More parity across the league, as every player matters and every pitch counts. No more fourth and fifth starters. No more weak links in lineups. Just the best players, just the best games, everyone pushing for the playoffs from game one through game 54. In addition, with a shorter schedule the World Series can end before the NFL season starts.

Yes, the idea is drastic, and it would whitewash the record books. Sure, there would be new records, as someone would probably hit .650 for a season and the most home runs in a season would be 25, but the league needs to find its way again. It needs a way to finalize its removal from the steroid scandal, to show fans that they can relate to short attention spans, long work hours and the stresses of new millennium.

It needs to start over. Let Ruth stay Ruth, let Rose stay Rose, let Bonds stay Bonds, and let a new generation find new heroes.

Baseball may not ever become the national pastime like it once was, but it can own the summer, and this is how.

A Joe Torre Team, Hot in September? You Don't Say...

Todd Morse — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 15:32:04 -0400

The match between Joe Torre and the Yankees was as close to perfection as one could want in today's baseball world: twelve years of service, twelve playoff appearances, ten AL East titles, six World Series appearances, four World Series wins.

Last October, after all that success, all the Yankees could muster was a bad faith contract offer.

Of the contract offer from the Yankees, Torre said, "The fact that somebody is reducing your salary is just telling me they're not satisfied with what you're doing...If somebody wants you to do a job, if it takes them two weeks to figure out, yeah, we want to do this, should do this, yeah, you're a little suspicious.

I like to work with people—there's a certain trust that has to be earned and forged in order to have the commitment to follow...it wasn't the type of commitment that 'we're trying to do something together,' as opposed to 'let me see what you can do for me.'"

From '96 to '07, Torre's managerial reign in the Bronx, the Yankees winning percentage was .605. The ten years prior, from '85 to '95, their percentage was .518, and the team had just one postseason appearance.

Torre had a knack for getting the best out of both his veterans and his young players, earning the loyalties of his players in the process. His greatest ability, is in how his teams tended to consistently build to a crescendo throughout the season.

Often starting slow, feeling each other and their opponents out in April and May, gaining chemistry with their teammates in June and July, then pressing the gas in August and September, while making that homestretch playoff push.

Accountability was never a question and injuries never an issue, Torre pushed each of their buttons properly and got them to play for him as well as their teammates.

Instead of Torre, the Yankees hired former Marlins manager (and Yankees catcher!) Joe Girardi. Girardi was the hot name on the market, and was hired because the Yankees didn't feel Torre could handle the team's young pitching staff, and Girardi, who allegedly handled the Marlins 2006 staff really great, even though they all broke down in 2007, could.

The Dodgers were apparently interested in Girardi first before the Yankees got to him, but the Dodgers had to settle on Torre.

Interesting isn't it, that with 21 games left, the Yankees, are ten games back of the division lead, eight games out of a wild card spot, and dwelling in irrelevancy? Even more interesting though is that the best pitcher for the Yankees this season has been veteran Mike Mussina.

Most interesting, though, is that with 20 games left, the Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks today to land themselves in first place, half a game ahead of Arizona. Make the arguments about divisions strengths, actual records, opponents schedules, or anything else. Its irrelevant. Torre has his team in position at the right time.

For the Yankees this year, number One starter Chien-Ming Wang, as well as top prospects Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy and Phillip Hughes all saw the DL this season, and it clearly impacted the team. Torre wouldn't have let that happen.

When Girardi was hired, ESPN analyst Keith Law wrote an article titled "Girardi's the right man for the job." I wonder what he's thinking now?

Dear Washington Redskins Fans...

Todd Morse — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:39:12 -0400

I saw the game last night against the Giants. Yikes. My condolences.

I'm here to tell you it isn't going to get any better. The team looks bad. Really bad. The Redskins are in bad shape, and it's strange I didn't see it coming.

Jason Campbell was going to be good, remember? I've been told that a lot of times. He won't be. I saw him play Doug Flutie football—enough to give hope to fans that the team might be alright, but mostly panicy, check down to the running back, throw for seven when you need 11 football.

He can't throw, and he has no confidence. The system was bad, too, which can't help him. Calling it conservative is like calling Britney Spears crazy; it doesn't do it justice. 2:30 left, 3rd-and-15, and there are two RBs and a TE in the set? Didn't the team just spend draft picks on a bunch of WRs? Where were they?

I've seen Jim Zorn, too. We're on our third version in a row of him here in Buffalo. We even have one in common, in Gregg Williams. He probably would have at least aired it out.

People once criticized Dan Snyder for wanting to be too involved in the team. He needs to care again if the Redskins are going to be relevant.

Good luck.

Crystal Ball: 50 Fearless College and NFL football predictions

Todd Morse — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 13:10:23 -0400

1. Florida State will not make a Bowl Game, and Bobby Bowden will retire after FSU plummets further into ACC irrelevancy, showing that the standoff between himself and Joe Pa can end before one of them dies.

2. Joe Paterno will not retire, then will die in March.

3. Brett Favre’s consecutive game streak will end.

4. This is the year the MAC makes its move into the big time. However you define big time.

5. Tom Brady will impregnate another model.

6. The single biggest acquisition in college football will prove to be Ron English, formerly the defensive coordinator of Michigan, moving to Louisville. English, along with incredibly accomplished special teams coordinator Mark Nelson, will allow second year Head Coach Steve Kragthorpe to focus on offense, his specialty.

And English brings an very steady hand and the Michigan toughness to the young Cardinals. Louisville’s first half schedule is a walk in the park compared to their second half schedule, which is full of ranked in-conference teams.

If English can get the defense together, look for them to surprise in the Big East and the 11/22 match up against West Virginia to loom a lot bigger than it looks today.

7. The best QB in the NFL this season will be David Garrard.

8. The QB with the best stats this season will be Jon Kitna.

9. Peyton Manning’s consecutive game streak will end.

10. Notre Dame wins five: San Diego St. and two out of three from: Stanford/UNC/Washington, Navy, Syracuse.

11. Speaking of UNC, I like them a lot. Overall, the ACC is down and their schedule is a bunch o’ cream puffs, including the aforementioned Fightin’ Irish.

12. Yeah, everyone loves Texas Tech, and that’s fine, but Texas is Texas in the same way Duke is Duke. Mack Brown brings his Longhorns to play, and everyone but maybe Oklahoma are a bunch of chokers.

13. Speaking of Oklahoma, Sam Bradford is the real deal.

14. Three overrated NFL teams: New Orleans, Minnesota, San Diego.

15. Three underrated NFL teams: Kansas City, Philadelphia, Detroit.

16. Love Mark Richt, and Georgia will have a head of steam heading into Baton Rouge. Don’t believe the hype—Matt Stafford is a bad player. Then will lose three of four, LSU, Florida then at Auburn two weeks later.

17. Speaking of hype, Les Miles is the real deal. LSU is going to be good. Scary good.

18. So is Rich Rodriguez. Michigan will be better than expected. Luckily, not much is expected, so wins will suffice.

19. AFC seven East finish: New England, Buffalo, Jets, Miami.

20. AFC North finish: Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cincy, Cleveland.

21. AFC South: Jax, Houston, Tennessee, Indy (believe it!).

22. AFC West: KC, Denvah, SD, Oakland.

23. Best freshmen: Julio Jones, Alabama—Yeah, I saw the youtube. If you haven’t seen it, find it. Dude’s a freak. Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State—Todd Boeckman should have left for the NFL.

24. This is Pete Carroll’s last season at USC. He has flirted with the NFL a few times, and its time now…San Francisco will call.

25. Anthony Gonzalez will have more catches than Marvin Harrison or Reggie Wayne.

26. Adrian Peterson the Viking will finish outside the top 15 in rushing.

27. The Rams will be respectable again. Happy Day.

28. A healthy Donovan McNabb means the Eagles run away with the NFC East and Brian Westbrook wins the NFL MVP.

29. NFC East finish: Philly, Washington, Dallas, Giants.

30. NFC North Finish: Detroit, Green Bay, Minnesota, Chicago.

31. NFC South Finish: Carolina, New Orleans, Tampa, Atlanta.

32. NFC West Finish: Seattle, St. Louis, Arizona, San Francisco.

33. As a Bills fan, I have to tell fans of Colorado State that we all think losing Steve Fairchild was probably the best thing that could have ever happened to the Bills.

34. Ty Willingham, Charlie Weis, Greg Robinson, Dave Wannstedt and a bunch of other guys will lose their jobs this year. Weis will go back to the NFL where he belongs.

35. Heisman Top 10: Chris Wells, Sam Bradford, Pat White, Tim Tebow, James Laurinaitis, Dan LeFevour, George Selvie, Rudy Carpenter, Jeremy Maclin, Chase Daniel.

36. Rose Bowl: Wisconsin v. Cal.

37. Sugar Bowl: Fresno State v. Florida.

38. Fiesta Bowl: Texas v. West Virginia.

39. Orange Bowl: Clemson v. Missouri.

40. Clemson, Texas, Florida, Louisville, Ohio State, Arizona State, Fresno State.

41. AFC Wildcard teams: Denver, Buffalo.

42. NFC Wildcard teams: Washington, New Orleans.

43. BCS Championship Game: Ohio State v. LSU (I know, it gets boring).

44. New England will not enter their bye week with a winning record.

45. First head coach to be canned? Mike Nolan.

46. Mario Williams will have more sacks than Reggie Bush will have touchdowns.

47. AFC Final Four: NE, Pitt, Jax, Buffalo (I KNOW!).

48. NFC Final Four: Philly, Detroit, New Orleans, Washington.

49. AFC Championship: Pitt—Jax.

50. NFC Championship: Philly—New Orleans.

Bonus Material:

51. Super Bowl: Jax – Philly

52. Heisman winner: Pat White

53. NFL MVP: Brian Westbrook

54. NFL ROY: Rashard Mendenhall

55. BCS Champion: Ohio State

56. Super Bowl Champion: Jacksonville Jaguars—yes, not even Jack Del Rio can screw it up this time.

How the Bills Can Win the Super Bowl, Part II: The Defensive Line...Of Terror?

Todd Morse — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 03:53:05 -0400

My grandfather George is a good man. A 93-years young WWII veteran, he enjoys sports, especially baseball lately, but he loves the Bills as well. He lives in an assisted-living facility a few blocks from my house. Sometimes he needs a wheelchair, sometimes he needs a walker, it depends on the day.

On any given Sunday last season, be it wheelchair or walker, my grandfather could have gained 100 yards on the Bills. Some may see this as an accomplishment. For the Bills, it’s a problem.

In Part One of my series, I addressed offensive identity. In part two, we discuss the defensive line, an area that was addressed significantly in the offseason.

There aren’t too many people who can ever say that they've acquired 1,000 pounds of anything, but Russ Brandon and Tom Modrak did just that in the offseason. The Bills happily acquired 1,000 pounds of speed, strength, and muscle on the defensive line.

Ryan Denney, a primary backup at end, was injured early last season, and the Bills were left with three healthy defensive ends: Aaron Schobel, Chris Kelsay, and Anthony Hargrove.

With Hargrove rotating in to spell both Schobel and Kelsay, the rotation proved too thin. The Bills tried to add talent throughout the season, but the talent they added was weak, and Schobel and Kelsay were heavily relied upon, and neither could produce up to their contracts or fans expectations.

While Denney has come back healthy, Hargrove, who was an average player anyway, wrote his ticket out of town on a substance-abuse suspension. It became very clear, very quickly that a fourth defensive end was needed.

Enter third-round pick, Virginia Tech’s Chris Ellis. Used at VT as both an outside linebacker and a rushing end, Ellis’s best asset is his speed, which the Bills plan to utilize on third downs, as a situational pass-rusher, and to spell a starter when needed.

Similarly, DT’s John McCargo and Kyle Williams played much of last season with only the departed and undersized Larry Triplett as their other main rotation partner. As the season wore on, the three-man rotation proved costly and, similarly to the DE situations, all three players wore down.

Again, the Bills saw the need and made two big upgrades in signing free agent Spencer Johnson and trading for Marcus Stroud. Johnson and Stroud add massive bulk to the young blossoming duo already on the team.

Stroud, a hulking beast of a player, is an injury risk, but when healthy, he has been to Hawaii—for Pro Bowls, as elected by his peers, not just for vacation. The Bills haven’t had a player the caliber of Stroud’s ability and strength since Pat Williams and Ted Washington left the team.

Johnson spent his career in Minnesota, and has a unique combination of strength, size, speed, and agility. Johnson brings the ability to play all four positions on the defensive line and is seen as another vital cog to the Bills' renewed commitment to stopping the run.

Johnson can rotate into the tackle positions for critical run-plays and short-yardage plays.

Don’t be surprised to see Johnson line up at end instead of one of the smaller DEs. 4th-and-2, facing 286-lbs. Johnson, 310-lbs. Stroud, 307-lbs. McCargo, and 265-lbs. Ryan Denney is a lot more imposing than a 275-lbs. Larry Triplett and a 245-lbs. Schobel or Kelsay of last season.

Bill Kollar, the Bills' Defensive-Line Coach, has stated that this new depth and talent will allow this line to be fresh and a force that they weren’t allowed to be last season. The "Tampa 2" defense the Bills run is based on intelligent players making proper decisions about the offensive play being run, then filling the correct space in the field. If all 11 players do not do this, the offense can capitalize.

The ability to always have fresh legs and to overpower the offensive line is critical, as the new rotation is expected to create pressure on their own during the pass and hold the line on their own during the run. This will allow the back seven to commit to coverage or pursuit, instead of pressure.

Less blitzing is considered the most important part of the newfound depth, as a read mistake can be covered by another player more quickly and either capitalized upon by the defense for a turnover or stopped more quickly for a smaller gain.

This change should remove the Bills from the 100-yard weekly club, and hopefully should increase their turnovers, eliminate long drives against them, and give the offense more opportunities as well.

For the Bills, it couldn’t look any better. Unfortunately for my grandfather, he may have to find a new defense to train against.

Up Next: Trent Edwards: Surprise Surprise, Buffalonians Can Embrace a Californian

Bills Get To 75 On First Cut Day

Todd Morse — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 04:55:15 -0400

The Bills have announces DB Kennard Cox, P DJ Fitzpatrick, WR CJ Hawthorne and DE Shaun Nua have been waived. Matt Baked has reached an injury settlement with the team and has also been released. This brings the team down to the NFL mandatory 75 players which it is required to get to by today.

None of these moves should surprise anyone.