Buffalo Bills players getting a taste of how a real NFL team operates

[BillsWin]

FULL ARTICLE (http://www.realfootball365.com/articles/bills/14881)


Most of the NFL prognosticators are predicting the Bills to finish around 3-13 and last in the AFC East. With the Bills offense ranked at 30th and Gailey’s knack for getting the best out of sub-par players, the offense has nowhere to go but up. With Buddy Nix focusing on getting bigger across the defensive line, look for the Bills 30th ranked run defense to greatly improve to compliment the 2nd ranked pass defense. Don’t be surprised to see the Bills contending for a wild card spot come this November and December.

:bike:

[Cntrygal]

Well that last sentence made me click on the link...

The way that they do it, you're not skipping a rep. They stand there and watch you. Every rep that you take they tell you what to put on there and if you can't do it, you go down a little."

Well.......... that implies quite a bit out the training "program" over the last few years.

[Nublar7]

Baby steps are needed for the Bills. Contending for a playoff spot in December? Lets see if they can even win a game by December before talking playoffs. ;)

Seriously though, the Bills are starting over on defense with the 3-4 and don't have strong personnel yet to really run it effectively. The team really does not have a strong option at QB and holes all across the offensive line. Besides Evans, what other receivers are there of note?

I don't think Buffalo will be as bad as I said in my first paragraph, but playoffs? Seriously doubt that. This is a major rebuilding year for the Bills and until you solidify the offensive line and get a young talented QB to develop, playoffs won't happen. You won six games last year, and that is probably the ceiling for this year. Could be less, but very likely won't be more.

[LtFinFan66]

did they attend another teams camp?

[Nublar7]

did they attend another teams camp? Bazinga!

[BoyILuvLoznStupidly]

Granted, the Bills offense line and quarterbacks did not play well last year, but the Bills were tied or led in the 4th quarter 14 games out of 16.

That is very frustrating to see.....

[Dujek]

Baby steps are needed for the Bills. Contending for a playoff spot in December? Lets see if they can even win a game by December before talking playoffs. ;)

Seriously though, the Bills are starting over on defense with the 3-4 and don't have strong personnel yet to really run it effectively. The team really does not have a strong option at QB and holes all across the offensive line. Besides Evans, what other receivers are there of note?

I don't think Buffalo will be as bad as I said in my first paragraph, but playoffs? Seriously doubt that. This is a major rebuilding year for the Bills and until you solidify the offensive line and get a young talented QB to develop, playoffs won't happen. You won six games last year, and that is probably the ceiling for this year. Could be less, but very likely won't be more.

The one part of this I really disagree with is the "holes all across the offensive line" comment.

The Bills have a glaring need at LT, and unless they can bring someone in before the start of the season I can't see that changing, however the middle of the line is solid, and the performances of Wood and Levitre in their rookie years suggest that there is much more to come. As for RT, the Bills have plenty of contenders for the position, and they are all capable of performing at least adequately.

As for the QB position, Gailey has polished a turd before, so let's wait and see if he can get one of our Cleveland steamers to shine.

[El Guapo]

I had no idea we were tied or led in the 4th quarter of 14 games last year. Not sure that means *****, but I thought it was interesting.

[jamze132]

Its depressing to read that we were so close to winning a number of games but lost the majority due to Dick and Co.

[SabreEleven]

Haven't we heard this talke EVERY off season for the past 10 years...

[Cntrygal]

Haven't we heard this talke EVERY off season for the past 10 years...



:sigh:



yes.

[YardRat]

Lets see if they can even win a game by December before talking playoffs. ;)



did they attend another teams camp?

We're going to kick your ass on opening day, so that will make a nice start.

[HHURRICANE]

We have no offensive line. We aren't smelling any wild card. That's hilarious.

This team for a decade has not built an offensive line that's worth **** and we wonder why we can't make the playoffs.

Pretty easy correlation.

[Dujek]

We have no offensive line. We aren't smelling any wild card. That's hilarious.

This team for a decade has not built an offensive line that's worth **** and we wonder why we can't make the playoffs.

Pretty easy correlation.

So you really don't rate Wood, Hangartner and Levitre then?

Strange, because most independent observers who know what they're talking about think that they were pretty solid last year.

If you'd said we have no tackles, then you may have a point, but as I've said before we should have at least one player out of the many tackles on the roster who can be an adequate RT. So really "We have no offensive line" should more accurately be "We have no left tackle", which is obviously a problem, but isn't a reason to write off the rest of the line.

[HHURRICANE]

So you really don't rate Wood, Hangartner and Levitre then?

Strange, because most independent observers who know what they're talking about think that they were pretty solid last year.

If you'd said we have no tackles, then you may have a point, but as I've said before we should have at least one player out of the many tackles on the roster who can be an adequate RT. So really "We have no offensive line" should more accurately be "We have no left tackle", which is obviously a problem, but isn't a reason to write off the rest of the line.

If the Bills results were tied purley to potential than we would have won a bunch of Superbowls already.

Wood, Hangartner, and Levitre didn't play well last year. Wood played the best but the numbers for the line were terrible so what are you basing your comments on...oh yeah potential.

[Dujek]

If the Bills results were tied purley to potential than we would have won a bunch of Superbowls already.

Wood, Hangartner, and Levitre didn't play well last year. Wood played the best but the numbers for the line were terrible so what are you basing your comments on...oh yeah potential.

Sorry, but by the time Wood went down the centre of the line was playing well. The Bills weren't getting blown up through the middle of the line, and the majority of the pressure was coming round the edges.

Those guys had started to gel and play well, if you can't see that then your head must be further up your ass than I thought.

[justasportsfan]

anyone who thinks Dick wasn't a main problem of this team is clueless.

[methos4ever]

With regard to Hang, if he didn't have two rookies flanking him, then a cavalcade of street fas, I would not critique him too harshly. And Levitre definitely acquitted himself well in the latter half of the season.

[better days]

If the Bills results were tied purley to potential than we would have won a bunch of Superbowls already.

Wood, Hangartner, and Levitre didn't play well last year. Wood played the best but the numbers for the line were terrible so what are you basing your comments on...oh yeah potential.

A 4.0 running avg is not terrible.

[Johnny Bugmenot]

I had no idea we were tied or led in the 4th quarter of 14 games last year. Not sure that means *****, but I thought it was interesting. What it means is that the defense was keeping them in the game but because the offense kept getting 3-and-outs, they were on the field so long that they broke late in the game when it counted most.

[BertSquirtgum]

it was obvious in each and every game that i watched last year, that the defense was shot by the 4th quarter.

[SabreEleven]

anyone who thinks Dick wasn't a main problem of this team is clueless.

Was he the main problem for the last 10 years?

[justasportsfan]

Was he the main problem for the last 10 years?


Not sure. I think Dick was the problem all the way to when Kelly retired.

[mightysimi]

Baby steps are needed for the Bills. Contending for a playoff spot in December? Lets see if they can even win a game by December before talking playoffs. ;)

Seriously though, the Bills are starting over on defense with the 3-4 and don't have strong personnel yet to really run it effectively. The team really does not have a strong option at QB and holes all across the offensive line. Besides Evans, what other receivers are there of note?

I don't think Buffalo will be as bad as I said in my first paragraph, but playoffs? Seriously doubt that. This is a major rebuilding year for the Bills and until you solidify the offensive line and get a young talented QB to develop, playoffs won't happen. You won six games last year, and that is probably the ceiling for this year. Could be less, but very likely won't be more.

PLAYOFFS!!? You kidding me! PLAYOFFS!

[OpIv37]

anyone who thinks Dick wasn't a main problem of this team is clueless.

Sorry but this is a gross oversimplification. For years, this team has had problems with personnel selection, from the GM all the way down to the practice squad. While Jauron definitely held the team back, a lack of talent is also a serious issue (particularly when switching to a new D that we've barely begun staffing).

Meanwhile, the other teams in our division have all improved and we have the learning curve associated with new systems on both sides of the ball (not to mention most of the same major holes we had last year).

So, if Nix and Gailey ever get results, it won't be this year.

[justasportsfan]

Sorry but this is a gross oversimplification. For years, this team has had problems with personnel selection, from the GM all the way down to the practice squad. While Jauron definitely held the team back, a lack of talent is also a serious issue (particularly when switching to a new D that we've barely begun staffing).
Meanwhile, the other teams in our division have all improved and we have the learning curve associated with new systems on both sides of the ball (not to mention most of the same major holes we had last year).

.

Dick chose his assistants from Fairchild, to Shonert, to AVP. He also picked Fewell.

It's been implied that Dick has had major say in who to draft too. He's definitely had say as far as who starts. That was evident when Fewell sat down Trent and Lynch in favor of Fitz and Fred.

Oversimplification? I haven't even mentioned his conservative philosophy and most of all, something you yourself *****ed about while he was here, Club Jauron.

[Griff]

Baby steps are needed for the Bills. Contending for a playoff spot in December? Lets see if they can even win a game by December before talking playoffs. ;)

Seriously though, the Bills are starting over on defense with the 3-4 and don't have strong personnel yet to really run it effectively. The team really does not have a strong option at QB and holes all across the offensive line. Besides Evans, what other receivers are there of note?

I don't think Buffalo will be as bad as I said in my first paragraph, but playoffs? Seriously doubt that. This is a major rebuilding year for the Bills and until you solidify the offensive line and get a young talented QB to develop, playoffs won't happen. You won six games last year, and that is probably the ceiling for this year. Could be less, but very likely won't be more.

how is our offense any worse than last year? I mean really TO didn't offer too much so losing him hasn't hurt us. We got Spiller in the draft. Our run defense really can't get any worse.