Are the Bills better off than they were 2 years ago.

[Ebenezer]

Simple poll....are the Bills better off than they were 2 years ago.

I believe they are better set for the long-term and with a few moves are a playoff team with long-term success whereas with TD they were just flying according to the wind of the day with no real long term goal.

[G Wolly]

Well, team wise yes we're actually looking like we could be a playoff team, but once again we have to wait until next season.

Record wise, no.

[G. Host]

Willis is gone so yes. Improvement by subtraction.

[YardRat]

Definitely.

[Oaf]

No. We were closer to the playoffs last year than we were this year.

[LifetimeBillsFan]

Unquestionably!

When Marv took over, the team was a mess: the front office was in disarray; M.Mularkey was still HC; the team had just had a lockerroom revolt and had quit midway through the second game of the 2005 season, when it finished 5-11 with a lot of big-name, aging, veteran players who talked a lot about winning but never seemed to make the big play in the clutch.

The team that Marv leaves behind may lack the same level of talent and may still have a long way to go in terms of developing and learning how to win, but, despite their lack of talent and being beset by a host of injuries that further diminished their overall talent, they never quit on themselves or their coaches, even though they had plenty of chances to do so and a lot of other teams would have. New leaders began to emerge from the core of young players that Marv brought in (Donte Whitner having weekly team get-togethers every week to help the team bond and work together is an example of this).

The team that Marv inherited 2 years ago had no chance of winning anything at any time--then or in the future. The core players that he put together has a chance to develop into a playoff contender in the foreseeable future if Marv's successor continues to add more high-character talent and the Bills' young players continue to develop. Those are some big IFs , but, at least, they are now in a position where they have a chance--the team Marv inherited, for all of its individual talent, had no chance.

[njsue]

The offensive line is much better than 2 years ago. This meaning a stellar offense is in the works for 2008.

[dplus47]

yeah, they're better off talent-wise. i think they drafted well under marv.

[Historian]

Tough question.

Those of us that grew up with this team have been anesthecized to and by losing, but eight years out of the playoffs is a record....even for Ralph Wilson!

Our lines may be more expensive, but they aren't much better.
We've jettisoned most of the all-pros on defense.
The QB situation is still in flux, IMO.
And our coordinators suck canal water.

I would have to say no.

[mybills]

They've been better since Williams, Mularkey and Donahoe left.

[Historian]

They've been better since Williams, Mularkey and Donahoe left.

Is 7-9 and 7-9 > 9-7 and 5-11?

Personally, I think they both suck.

And one thing makes me wonder:

Why is it that people are prone to just up and quit on this team/owner/franchise/city?

[John Doe]

1. We have a core of highly motivated young players who will get better. Whitner, McCargo, and Youboty should have been rookies this past year. Plus, guys like Lynch, Edwards, Simpson, DiGiorgio, Williams, Ellison, Butler, Merz, Wilson, Schouman, Wright, and Poz all have a lot of upside as well.

2. Cap space galore.

3. More draft picks than we can possibly use.

4. There are no significant players outside of Hargrove entering free agency.

How can we not be better off?

[justasportsfan]

Locker room attitude. Better.
Offensively worse. Defensively better. St worse.

[Nighthawk]

No, not really. Do they get along now? Yes, but does this make a winning franchise? A big NO!

[YardRat]

Locker room attitude. Better.
Offensively worse. Defensively better. St worse.

Offensively...A rookie QB, a rookie RB, 3 of 5 new offensive linemen all in '07.

Defensively...Youth and injuries.

Special Teams...guys who should be selling insurance or flipping burgers trying to cover kicks or create a wedge.

[DraftBoy]

Not really sure, we have no clearly identified QB of the future, though many cling to TE as that hope and thats fine. We have a better running game with Lynch and Jackson, our OL is better, our WR corp has arguably gotten worse and has still not been addressed. Dline we threw too much money at our DE's that dont provide enough pass rush, we have not found a solution for the middle of our line. LB's were plagued by injuries but have a solid core. We have no real shut down CB and our top S from last year regressed. We have a coaching staff which has no balls, and an owner who needs to sell the team but wont. Are we better off? In some ways yes, and other ways no. Is it time to blow this up? It very well may be, and alot of fans will not like that idea.

[Nighthawk]

Not really sure, we have no clearly identified QB of the future, though many cling to TE as that hope and thats fine. We have a better running game with Lynch and Jackson, our OL is better, our WR corp has arguably gotten worse and has still not been addressed. Dline we threw too much money at our DE's that dont provide enough pass rush, we have not found a solution for the middle of our line. LB's were plagued by injuries but have a solid core. We have no real shut down CB and our top S from last year regressed. We have a coaching staff which has no balls, and an owner who needs to sell the team but wont. Are we better off? In some ways yes, and other ways no. Is it time to blow this up? It very well may be, and alot of fans will not like that idea.

Excellent post!!!!!!

[justasportsfan]

Offensively...A rookie QB, a rookie RB, 3 of 5 new offensive linemen all in '07. I agree but we're still worse offensively for whaterver reasons. This OL should've easily been better than the Ol with Gandy as the LT. JP/HOlcomb was better with JP/Trent . Lynch is definitely better than Willis. Lynch could've had a 1500 yard season with the 2005 OL.

Tom Clemens was better than Fairchild.

[Nighthawk]

I agree but we're still worse offensively for whaterver reasons. This OL should've easily been better than the Ol with Gandy as the LT. JP/HOlcomb was better with JP/Trent .

Tom Clemens was better than Fairchild.

Worse offensively...oh, and worse defensively! So, no...I don't think we are any better.

[justasportsfan]

Worse offensively...oh, and worse defensively! So, no...I don't think we are any better.
I think we're better defensively.
THe only reason we're 7-9 this year is because of our D. Our D has given Fairchilds O the ball back several times. They carried the O. That's not saying much about the D just that the O was that horrible.

The 2005 team had a way harder schedule than this years team. Back then the Jets and fins were better than they were this year.

[Nighthawk]

I think we're better defensively.
THe only reason we're 7-9 this year is because of our D. Our D has given Fairchilds O the ball back several times. They carried the O. That's not saying much about the D just that the O was that horrible.

The 2005 team had a way harder schedule than this years team. Back then the Jets and fins were better than they were this year.

I still don't think this team hasn't improved in many spots. Maybe the RB position and the OL. Everywhere else I believe we actually took a step backwards. This team has done nothing to make me feel they are about to be legitimate and the coach is always coaching scared and boring. Not to exciting to me.

[justasportsfan]

I still don't think this team has improved in many spots. Maybe the RB position and the OL. Everywhere else I believe we actually took a step backwards. This team has done nothing to make me feel they are about to be legitimate and the coach is always coaching scared and boring. Not to exciting to me.
I agree we haven't improved much but if you consider the injuries, it's still a better D than 2005.

I still think we're worse at run blocking than the 2005 team. If it wasn't for Lynch's ability to move a pile, other rb's might not have ran for 800 yards with this OL. Not sure if it's McnAlly to blame or Fairchilds schemes. I'm leaning towards Fairchild. He didn't have a brain to make D's pay when they stacked the line.

[mybills]

The majority has spoken..or at least, voted right. :D

[Nighthawk]

The majority has spoken..or at least, voted right. :D

No, I don't think so. Just means they're taking a little longer to realize what really is happening.

[Illmatic15]

Better offensivley, worse defensivley.....we still had London Fletcher, TKO and Nate Clements then...

[Throne Logic]

The team attitude is improved. I feel better about the direction this team is headed in than I did two years ago.

[djjimkelly]

our D is way worse and our O is anemic. i think we are actually worse

our d is way worse its actually not even close to that D from 2005

our O is worse not by much but its worse.

we are younger that is the only positive i see

both coaching staffs were not good.

however this current staff makes jerry gray look like lombardi the way our coordinators call games

only unit on the team i see as being improved is the O LINE everything else is worse except lynch is better then mcgahee

2 wins vs dolphins 1-15
2 wins vs jets 4-12
1 win vs bungles 7-9
1 win vs horrific ravens 5-11
1 win vs skins few days after sean taylor shot and killed 9-7

combined record of these teams 31-81 .276% win % of teams we beat

i dont like being negative but im forced becuz we are the worst 7 win team in the history of the nfl

[Luisito23]

I'm unsure, but consecutive 7-9 seasons say otherwise!....:sorry:





GO BILLS!!!!!!!!

[Jan Reimers]

If Edwards is the man, we're much better off. We're way better on the O line and at RB, and at least no worse at WR and TE, where we still need some help.

Because of youth and injuries, we may have taken a step back on D, but with a few key guys getting healthy and another year of experience, the D will get better. You can't live with Fletcher, Spikes, Milloy, et. al. forever. We still need help on the D line and perhaps OLB.

[mysticsoto]

our D is way worse and our O is anemic. i think we are actually worse

our d is way worse its actually not even close to that D from 2005

our O is worse not by much but its worse.

we are younger that is the only positive i see

both coaching staffs were not good.

however this current staff makes jerry gray look like lombardi the way our coordinators call games

only unit on the team i see as being improved is the O LINE everything else is worse except lynch is better then mcgahee

2 wins vs dolphins 1-15
2 wins vs jets 4-12
1 win vs bungles 7-9
1 win vs horrific ravens 5-11
1 win vs skins few days after sean taylor shot and killed 9-7

combined record of these teams 31-81 .276% win % of teams we beat

i dont like being negative but im forced becuz we are the worst 7 win team in the history of the nfl

I guess somebody had to take Op's place while he's gone...

[mybills]

No, I don't think so. Just means they're taking a little longer to realize what really is happening.
:rofl: you voted "unsure".

[bigbub2352]

We defintly now have the building blocks to start becoming somethign special, we need a strong offseason to keep it goin ,but the peices are startin to fall into place

[colin]

We defintly now have the building blocks to start becoming somethign special, we need a strong offseason to keep it goin ,but the peices are startin to fall into place

i agree.

we are better at qb because trent is a bit better than JP and has more upside, although for us to be a good team we need good qb play and that's a big thing.

we are better at RB, deeper too.

we are much better at OL, and better at DL.

we need some WRs and LBs, and a DB and DT would be nice, but those are positions we can fill over the offseason.

based on that, we are in a better positions than 2 years ago.

we are at a turning point, we are gonna be able to add some talent and not lose any over the offseason, first time in forever we've been able to do that. qb and rb getting another year is big too.

[Oaf]

Our run blocking still sucks IMO. Hopefully we don't overlook that. I'm optimistic for 08' but the 06' season brought us closer to the playoffs than '07.

[Michael82]

Yes, but I expect improvement from Trent Edwards and the young guys next year.

[Wys Guy]

Unquestionably!

When Marv took over, the team was a mess: the front office was in disarray; M.Mularkey was still HC; the team had just had a lockerroom revolt and had quit midway through the second game of the 2005 season, when it finished 5-11 with a lot of big-name, aging, veteran players who talked a lot about winning but never seemed to make the big play in the clutch.

The team that Marv leaves behind may lack the same level of talent and may still have a long way to go in terms of developing and learning how to win, but, despite their lack of talent and being beset by a host of injuries that further diminished their overall talent, they never quit on themselves or their coaches, even though they had plenty of chances to do so and a lot of other teams would have. New leaders began to emerge from the core of young players that Marv brought in (Donte Whitner having weekly team get-togethers every week to help the team bond and work together is an example of this).

The team that Marv inherited 2 years ago had no chance of winning anything at any time--then or in the future. The core players that he put together has a chance to develop into a playoff contender in the foreseeable future if Marv's successor continues to add more high-character talent and the Bills' young players continue to develop. Those are some big IFs , but, at least, they are now in a position where they have a chance--the team Marv inherited, for all of its individual talent, had no chance.

The front office is practically identical to what it was when you say it was a mess.

Now we have a lot of big name veteran players in their primes that "talk a lot about winning but never seemed to make the big play in the clutch."

I mean which of our biggest name acquisitions and pricey free agents make big plays in the clutch with anything even approaching consistency?

IMO the team that Marv is leaving behind actually has less talent overall. It has lots of "potential" and unfulfilled promises made by him, Jauron, and others within the organization. But haven't we as fans been ***** slapped enough by this organization such that we can't now fully foresee that we're being spoon fed yet another 55-gallon drum full of crap?

This team is no better at winning than it was under Donadope and frankly, I truly think we were more competitive then although it had more to do with talent than coaching, which is probably no different effectively now as both sets of coaching were/are horrid.

[Wys Guy]

Yes, but I expect improvement from Trent Edwards and the young guys next year.

Gee. Good thing I suppose. It wouldn't say much if a QB that finished with 56% completion %, a 70 rating, and 6.0 ypa didn't improve now, would it.

;)

[Nighthawk]

:rofl: you voted "unsure".

Nope, I voted NO. I'll say this...a ton of you are drinking too much kool-aid.

[Wys Guy]

Nope, I voted NO. I'll say this...a ton of you are drinking too much kool-aid.

I agree.

Things may be equal, but are the Bills better off? No way!

[jmb1099]

Not sure.
As I reflect back on the season, the thought that continues to worm its way into my mind is that this was the season of "what ifs"
What if we had an OC who understood the game? What if our QB's had real receivers to throw to? What if we hadn't sustained 1000 injuries?

As I look to the future of this team I am confronted with the same what if thoughts.
What if by some miracle we get a decent GM? What if we don't? What if we don't have a GM at all and split duties between who we already have?
What if we get a decent OC? What if we have another QB controversy? What if we do well in the draft and FA? What if we do nothing?
I could go on and on but the point I am driving towards is the most realistic answer is probably unsure. It will take a lousy GM two seconds to undo everything Marv accomplished.

[TigerJ]

The Bills are better than two years ago, but not better than a year ago. They barely kept pace or maybe slipped a bit as they jettisoned some high priced veterans in the last offseason. That was a little frustrating for me. The good news is there aren't too many high priced veterans left on the team to get rid of, except the ones the Bills created this year by offering rich contract extensions to Schobel and Kelsay. They won't get rid of them because the Bills won't want signing bonusses paid last year to cripple heir cap position this year. So Buffalo will lose few if any veterans this offseason because of contracts. The free agents are not players who will command huge contracts on the open market. Their multitude of injured players will return, and they many youngsters will come backe with another year of experience. So, if the Bills continue to draft smartly and hire a good offensive coordinator, they have at least a chance with a weak schedule next season to be a good bit better.