My report from Baltimore

[Pride]

A few things I noticed...

Number 1. Over the years here at BZ, I have been very critical of the Bills marketing/multimedia department at Ralph Wilson Stadium... calling them out as having a very boring and uninteresting multimedia show to go along with the games. Every time I've mentioned it, many of you argued that the extra distractions just take away from the game.

Well I am now telling you all that I fully agree! I attended this game, and it was quite obvious that the game was secondary to all of the other things going on. I was appalled at how noone in the stands seemed to care that a football game was being played. The in your face marketing was too much, and became a distraction. I would venture to say that what we do at the Ralph (jumbo tron) a few marketing distractions, and a football game that is STILL the center of attention... is the way to go. So for those of you who I've disagreed with over the years.... you win, and I now agree.

Now onto the game. The Rams were GOD AWFUL today, and the Ravens didnt really put them away. I believe we are capable of beating the Ravens, and feel confident that we will do so. The defense is not getting pressure on the QB like they used to, and the Raven offense is putrid!

See you guys next weekend!

Go Bills!

[hammerbillsfan]

Re: My report from Baltimore

Thanks for the report, see ya next week!

[Mitchy moo]

Re: My report from Baltimore

Thanks for the report, see ya next week!

[scott51]

Re: My report from Baltimore

I am going to be at the game, I so HYPED right now! Haven't been to a game since we played the Browns in Pre-Season last year! I wish I could leave tonight to go tailgate!! GO BILLS!!

[Elminster]

Re: My report from Baltimore

I'll probaboly end up having to watch Patsies run up the score on the Phish next week. Ugh....I would much rather see McGahee get pounded.

[Wys Guy]

Re: My report from Baltimore

Well I am now telling you all that I fully agree! I attended this game, and it was quite obvious that the game was secondary to all of the other things going on. I was appalled at how noone in the stands seemed to care that a football game was being played. The in your face marketing was too much, and became a distraction.

Hey Pride,

How goes!!

I think that a good chunk of the reason for that is that in that area, the DC/Balt. metro areas there is a lot of money and people buy seats for either reasons of business or status.

If you've ever attended a Capitals game you'd quickly realize that their fans are pathetic. They literally got out sounded by about a fifth of the place being Detroit fans years ago in the Stanleys. It's exactly because the people that buy the seats are hoity-toity well-to-dos that really aren't screaming-themselves-hoarse fans that we have in Buffalo. Sabres fans would laugh themselves silly going to a Caps game.

IMO the extra "marketing" is merely a distraction to keep the fickle fans amused. I don't think it's the reason for why they are distracted.

Just my take. I think there's some of that w/ Skins fans as well, but there it's just that so many ST holders go way back to when it wasn't like that. Lots of tickets also get sold by ST holders each Sunday to "real fans." LOL

[TigerJ]

Re: My report from Baltimore

I think the Bills schedule may actually turn out to be a little easier than it looked based on '06 stats. The timing of it still sucks, New England, Dallas and Pittsburgh in the first five games of the season when Buffalo is still trying to figure out what its got. The injuries played a major factor too.

The fact is Buffalo doesn't have to be a great team to beat Baltimore abnd the next four games are all winnable if Buffalo simply plays the way they're capable of playing and the coaches can cut down on their game management mistakes. In fact, post bye, the only game that I think most of us would call unwinnable is the New England game. I'm not predicting a 10-1 post bye record, mind you, but Buffalo took Dallas down to the wire, and Dallas is arguably the best team in the NFC. So why shouldn't we expect better results in the second half of the season?

[Michael82]

Re: My report from Baltimore

A few things I noticed...

Number 1. Over the years here at BZ, I have been very critical of the Bills marketing/multimedia department at Ralph Wilson Stadium... calling them out as having a very boring and uninteresting multimedia show to go along with the games. Every time I've mentioned it, many of you argued that the extra distractions just take away from the game.

Well I am now telling you all that I fully agree! I attended this game, and it was quite obvious that the game was secondary to all of the other things going on. I was appalled at how noone in the stands seemed to care that a football game was being played. The in your face marketing was too much, and became a distraction. I would venture to say that what we do at the Ralph (jumbo tron) a few marketing distractions, and a football game that is STILL the center of attention... is the way to go. So for those of you who I've disagreed with over the years.... you win, and I now agree.

Now onto the game. The Rams were GOD AWFUL today, and the Ravens didnt really put them away. I believe we are capable of beating the Ravens, and feel confident that we will do so. The defense is not getting pressure on the QB like they used to, and the Raven offense is putrid!

See you guys next weekend!

Go Bills!

Great post! Glad you have finally seen the light.


Just for the record, the Bills have now stopped the bus races, and other cheesy games that they used to put on the jumbotron to take away from the game too.

[Mahdi]

Re: My report from Baltimore

Great post! Glad you have finally seen the light.


Just for the record, the Bills have now stopped the bus races, and other cheesy games that they used to put on the jumbotron to take away from the game too.

Yeah but the bus races never took place during the game. Always during tv timeouts. I usually go to about 3 games a year and I have never really seen anything at the Ralph to suggest they were trying to distract from the game with cheesy marketing. Only at half or stoppages. Otherwise its all about the game.

[Michael82]

Re: My report from Baltimore

Yeah but the bus races never took place during the game. Always during tv timeouts. I usually go to about 3 games a year and I have never really seen anything at the Ralph to suggest they were trying to distract from the game with cheesy marketing. Only at half or stoppages. Otherwise its all about the game.

and that is the best part about it.

[BlackMetalNinja]

Re: My report from Baltimore

I missed the busses at the opener

[Wys Guy]

Re: My report from Baltimore

I think the Bills schedule may actually turn out to be a little easier than it looked based on '06 stats. The timing of it still sucks, New England, Dallas and Pittsburgh in the first five games of the season when Buffalo is still trying to figure out what its got. The injuries played a major factor too.

The fact is Buffalo doesn't have to be a great team to beat Baltimore abnd the next four games are all winnable if Buffalo simply plays the way they're capable of playing and the coaches can cut down on their game management mistakes. In fact, post bye, the only game that I think most of us would call unwinnable is the New England game. I'm not predicting a 10-1 post bye record, mind you, but Buffalo took Dallas down to the wire, and Dallas is arguably the best team in the NFC. So why shouldn't we expect better results in the second half of the season?

IMO you guys continue to set yourselves up for disappointment. I suppose that any game is "winnable" as long as a team can generate enough anomalous circumstances to win it. I.e., in our case PRs and KRs for TDs, D TDs, Punters running to salvage drives, etc.

We are one of the worst fundamental football teams in the entire league however. We do nothing well. We're in the bottom quartile easily in terms of #s of plays run, time-of-possession, 3rd-down completion %, 1st-downs generated, and yards-per-play.

Only San Francisco, is worse offensively across the board.

We can't move the ball, we can't stop opponents from moving it, and that leads to the rest.

The Ravens game may be winnable, but at this point in time they're a better team than we are and I'll suggest that even their pathetic offense hangs at least 20 on us on Sunday. We haven't scored more than 17 points all season offensively, and that with help from the D setting up a drive at the Jets' 25 to start. We likely won't score any TDs on the Raven D. And yes, I realize it's not the D it was two or three seasons ago, but it's still enough to stifle us.

Meanwhile, while we're busy trying to shut down McGahee lest he puts us to shame, we may allow McNair and his ragtag receivers to hang enough yards on our pathetic pass defense to make all the difference just like Cutler, the Jets, and everyone else has. McGahee isn't playing any better in Baltimore than he did here btw.

So once again, if the D/STs can score or set us up, we can win. Otherwise we have no chance.

The only teams on our schedule at this point that are potentially worse than we are, are the Jets and Fins. If that's encouraging, then so be it.

The question that remains for this franchise is do we have enough time, and if so, will we do the right things from the top to give us one more chance at putting this team/franchise into a position of prominence one last time before Wilson kicks and the team moves. Right now we're more than a season or two away from making that happen and the elements most at fault continually get a pass from media and Wilson himself. Hell, even Levy or our GMs. That personnel office installed by Donadope needs to go along with a good chunk of the rest of the organization.

The fans in Buffalo deserve better, much better! In fact, we deserve the best or close to it. The organization however, whether intentional or just via buffoonery, has sold you, us, all down the river.

[DarbyTheDinosaur]

Re: My report from Baltimore

Meanwhile, while we're busy trying to shut down McGahee lest he puts us to shame, we may allow McNair and his ragtag receivers to hang enough yards on our pathetic pass defense to make all the difference just like Cutler, the Jets, and everyone else has. McGahee isn't playing any better in Baltimore than he did here btw.

Baltimore radio reported McNair is sitting out this Sunday...he has a nagging groin injury that they want to continue to rest throughout the bye week. Kyle Boller gets the start. If we can get him to make some Romoesque mistakes then maybe those anomolous events occur and the win happens. Baltimore's only offense is Matt Stover...we just need to creat a turnover or two...

[OpIv37]

Re: My report from Baltimore

Baltimore is one of those teams that always pulls out a win but is never that impressive. Our D is playing better and Baltimore's O is terrible, but I still don't like the matchup. Eventually, our pathetic O will leave the D on the field for too long and Baltimore will put up some points. I think Baltimore wins a low scoring game by 10- maybe 13-3.

[mybills]

Re: My report from Baltimore

I heard Balt's D is only good at stopping the run. From what you saw, Pride, is that true?