The worst thing is the lack of progress

[OpIv37]

We lost the last two games to poor competition, one due to embarrassing mistakes and the other due it just plain getting outplayed.

This team is regressing, not improving. And it's not just the rookies making big mistakes- wood, McKelvin, Stevie, Chandler.....

The OL has become just horrendous. A few weeks ago, I thought the D was ahead of schedule, but they've looked every bit as bad as last year for the last two games.

Woods has completely cooled off. Goodwin still isn't showing anything.

And then there's EJ. If anything, he looks WORSE than he did before getting hurt.

At this point in the season, we should be beating teams that have 3 wins so late in the season. But we aren't. So much for this season being preseason for next year.... Apparently 13 games still isn't enough practice for this bunch.

[OpIv37]

Oh, the announcers in the Saints game just said there were 88 touchdowns in the NFL today- most ever on a single day. Glad we contributed a grand total of....zero.

[TacklingDummy]

Why should we be beating 3 win teams when we are lucky to have 4 wins?

[BillsFever21]

We lost the last two games to poor competition, one due to embarrassing mistakes and the other due it just plain getting outplayed.

This team is regressing, not improving. And it's not just the rookies making big mistakes- wood, McKelvin, Stevie, Chandler.....

The OL has become just horrendous. A few weeks ago, I thought the D was ahead of schedule, but they've looked every bit as bad as last year for the last two games.

Woods has completely cooled off. Goodwin still isn't showing anything.

And then there's EJ. If anything, he looks WORSE than he did before getting hurt.

At this point in the season, we should be beating teams that have 3 wins so late in the season. But we aren't. So much for this season being preseason for next year.... Apparently 13 games still isn't enough practice for this bunch.

That's also that I was hoping for at the most. This team has been consistently worse since around halfway through the season except for the Jets game.

I still can't believe the people who call the defense this year "dominant" like they're doing something special. They have had some great moments but they can't put complete games together very often.

As far as the people who labeled Goodwin as a star after a couple TD receptions just shows how fast they jump to conclusions. That and also lost any credibility by already calling him a proven player.

In the end I my preseason prediction for their record has been correct through the first 4, 8 and 12 games of the season. Only two or three of the games went the other way. We will end up probably winning one more game this year and the 5 win prediction will unfortunately be true. The way we're playing that may even be a stretch.

[Mr. Pink]

That's also that I was hoping for at the most. This team has been consistently worse since around halfway through the season except for the Jets game.

I still can't believe the people who call the defense this year "dominant" like they're doing something special. They have had some great moments but they can't put complete games together very often.

As far as the people who labeled Goodwin as a star after a couple TD receptions just shows how fast they jump to conclusions. That and also lost any credibility by already calling him a proven player.

In the end I my preseason prediction for their record has been correct through the first 4, 8 and 12 games of the season. Only two or three of the games went the other way. We will end up probably winning one more game this year and the 5 win prediction will unfortunately be true. The way we're playing that may even be a stretch.

I give the defense a little bit of a pass as the offense doesn't do jack to get a first down, let alone sustain drives or score points.

[Cleve]

Oh, the announcers in the Saints game just said there were 88 touchdowns in the NFL today- most ever on a single day. Glad we contributed a grand total of....zero.

And don't forget - at game time, Tampa had the 28th ranked defense in the NFL, near the bottom of the league in every stat. The Bills made them look like the Steeler's "Iron Curtain" for pete's sake. LOL And even though Tampa's QB had a rating of an unbelievably bad 31, they still somehow outscored the Bills by a more than 3 to 1 margin.

SU Football maybe doesn't transition that well to the NFL? How is this team materially better than last year? or the year before? or the year before that? They're already 4 and 9 for the season -and they've secured an astonishing 14th consecutive year without a single post-season appearance. That is incredible in the era of parity and salary caps. It looks to me like they'd be real lucky to hit 6-10 - that's a Jauron or Gailey type record.

[imbondz]

guys guys it's a rebuilding year

[alohabillsfan]

Marrone is clearly in over his head! wtf were they thinking of when you hire a mediocre coach from a less than mediocre college football program! Wtg and be smarter than everyone else! Fail!

[unpaid_bills]

Poor coaching not enough playmakers rookie QB

[kingJofNYC]

That's what pisses me off the most, they played competitive football for much of the first half, been pretty bad since. What's worse is that they had excuses early in the year due to injury. Now they have all the "talent" back and look worse.

Pitiful display.

[jills]

guys guys it's a rebuilding year

Guess it has been 14 years of rebuilding then...

[Historian]

Marrone is clearly in over his head! wtf were they thinking of when you hire a mediocre coach from a less than mediocre college football program! Wtg and be smarter than everyone else! Fail!

"Exhaustive search"

[Meathead]

well as usual this time of year the bills are eliminated from the playoff picture. thank god we can now all turn our attention to hock ... crap

[EDS]

Marrone is clearly in over his head! wtf were they thinking of when you hire a mediocre coach from a less than mediocre college football program! Wtg and be smarter than everyone else! Fail!

Hey. Marrone was a great move by the Bills. Ralph did not have to pay for a hotel room or flight when he interviewed and relocation costs were minimal.

- - - Updated - - -


Guess it has been 14 years of rebuilding then...

Bills fans are terrible, they have no patience for building a winner . . .

[trapezeus]

OP is right on. even in a bad season, the bills should be playing sounder football right now...not unwatchable football.

It is a real sign that this coaching staff isn't getting it. given cup cake teams and they just proved that they were cupcakes themselves.

i still think there are pieces here that can pan out. but they need to start holding the team to a higher standard. our season should be 4 mini seasons. And we should be looking to go 4-0/3-1 in each four block game. and we don't. we are a losing team in the mini blocks as well. that's pathetic. a huge load is on the QB play. the defense played well in the first half of the season but could never make enough stops for a team that routinely went 3 and out.

Look at the seahawks. they had pete carroll killing their team, but he picks one good and accurate QB, and they are at the top of the game. the bills need to draft another QB and say good bye to thad or tuel depending on camp performance.

[Uncle Jesse]

How can you blame Woods/Goodwin when they aren't getting any looks? We can't even complete a pass, let alone attempt one more than 3 yards away. Manuel threw 1 ball that traveled in the air 20+ yards yesterday, ONE BALL!!

The QB is not very good, and the line sucks. That's a major issue.

[Bill Cody]

The Bills made them look like the Steeler's "Iron Curtain" for pete's sake.

Ok not to nit pick but I'm pretty sure the iron curtain was a symbol of the divide between west and east before the fall of communism. The Steelers had the "steel curtain". If they didn't they'd be known as the Pittsburgh Ironers. Jus sayin.:;

[Ed]

That's what pisses me off the most, they played competitive football for much of the first half, been pretty bad since. What's worse is that they had excuses early in the year due to injury. Now they have all the "talent" back and look worse.

Pitiful display.
That's probably what's most troubling. The roster is about as healthy as it could possibly be at this point, we're in the weakest part of the schedule, everyone on the team has been talking about finishing strong, and the team seems to be getting worse. The Bucs and Jags got ridiculed for starting 0-8, but they've both won 4 of their last 5 now. At least they seem to be improving.

Russ keeps talking about how things are better though. Whatever. Just another sad waste of a season for the Bills.

[Cleve]

Ok not to nit pick but I'm pretty sure the iron curtain was a symbol of the divide between west and east before the fall of communism. The Steelers had the "steel curtain". If they didn't they'd be known as the Pittsburgh Ironers. Jus sayin.:;

LOL - Iron, Steel, it's all the same. But you're right of course. LOL

[OLDSRIP]

I agree with the op on most parts.

My hope for this year was simple.
I just wanted them to show steady improvement as the season progressed.

I didn't expect the playoffs or any great last to first place turn a rounds.
I just wanted to see the team growing. The last two weeks have been to much like years past.

heres to next season. Go Bills

[Bill Cody]

LOL - Iron, Steel, it's all the same. But you're right of course. LOL

glad you liked my little joke- hate to think my joke about IRONERS fell FLAT:anvil:

[Night Train]

It's a lack of progress if Marrone doesn't review his film and properly identify who on this roster can help him and who is hurting him going forward into his 2nd season.

Only the delusional would be actually upset that this team didn't make the playoffs with the obvious talent shortage we entered the season with. A hangover from the past administration.

I agree that we should feel the team needs to show a slow but real progression as the season goes on but this squad seemed to deflate after the Atlanta gift. They were not ready at all to play yesterday or the locker room does completely lack leadership to allow this to happen.

[Bill Cody]

It's all about Manuel. And he's not looking good right now.

[Night Train]

It's all about Manuel. And he's not looking good right now.

He should have stuffed that 80 yard run on the first play from scrimmage.

Me thinks it's a lot more than the easy target. Expand the spreadsheet.

[Mr. Pink]

He should have stuffed that 80 yard run on the first play from scrimmage.

Me thinks it's a lot more than the easy target. Expand the spreadsheet.

It's one play. Manuel couldn't even string enough plays together to outscore that one play over an entire game or simply luck into throwing a bomb to Graham or Goodwin to outscore it.

[kscdogbillsfan1221]

It's one play. Manuel couldn't even string enough plays together to outscore that one play over an entire game or simply luck into throwing a bomb to Graham or Goodwin to outscore it.

Manuel was terrible yesterday. That said, Nobody, and I do mean NOBODY on offense was giving him any support. His RBs, his O-line, his WR's. NOBODY

I should say on offense. The D had some struggles yesterday but overall they played well enough to win

[Mr. Pink]

Manuel was terrible yesterday. That said, Nobody, and I do mean NOBODY on offense was giving him any support. His RBs, his O-line, his WR's. NOBODY

He should have been benched at half time to send a message that his play was unacceptable.

Hell you coulda benched Johnson with him to send him the same message.

A few other guys too.

[Cleve]

So what happened to all the talk that the Bills were better than their, what was it, 3-6 or was it 3-7 record indicated? I see ZERO indications of any improvement by the Buffalo Bills. They have a few good players (Alonso) but the same could have been said for any of the previous 13 seasons.

And again, all this talk of improved defense. The defense hasn't really been the problem - the offense for 14 years has STUNK!!!! And yesterday - only 6 points against the 28th ranked defense in the NFL. The offense may have gone DOWNHILL

I have held off posting for most of this year, and waited to see results. The results are pretty much the same as we've seen for how long now?

Here's my prediction - the Bills will screw around with Manuel for 2 or 3 years - then they will get another scrub, just as they did with Losman, with Edwards, and with Fitzpatrick. Just in seeing Manuel's lack of accuracy and poor judgment - I feel very confident in assessing that he won't improve enough to put this team in the playoffs.

[Meathead]

theres been progress, some of it in just learning what didnt work

we found out some good things about pettine and who can play in his defense. robert woods is a real player and will be wr1 next season if not already. kiko is a meathead meaning he is a god among men. mckelvin really is an nfl starting cb. and freddie didnt hit the wall as i guaranteed err i mean suggested might happen so maybe he really can be highly effective another season

we also found out wtf needs to change. hackett has a lot to learn about calling an nfl offense. stevie appeared to grow up then grow down all in one season. even with marios game improved hes not much of a leader or difference maker

marrone is going to have to get tougher with the team at some point. i can see a rookie nfl coach having a tough time doing that in his first season but hes gotta start holding guys feet to the fire. id like to see him just cut chandler outright this week and send a message. if moekijzie is ready to start then cutting chandler is a convenient way to starkly remind the team about responsibility. granted its a harsh sentence for chandler but its not like hes irreplaceable, and fumbling the game away like that immediately after stevie is inexcuseable. they cant cut stevie and chandler is only on a 1-yr contract, cant block, and fumbles, so is likely gone next year anyway. letting him go now isnt a massive shocker but it would send constant reminders to the team this is a bidness and theres accountability, i think it would help them grow up over the offseason

[Historian]

All this being said I still think they are going to thump the Dolphins.

[gebobs]

guys guys it's a rebuilding year

I think that's the point. You should be improving during a rebuilding year. Not going from bad to absolute dog crap.

As for the OL, I lay most of that blame on EJ himself. Rather than step up into the pocket, he gets happy feet. Yesterday, Glenn had his guy blocked to the outside. What does EJ do? Run around him and right into the waiting arms of the defender.

If the defense is sending six rushers, you've got to be able to find an opening and find it quick. A good quarterback will do that and make the defense pay. Son they'll think twice about blitzing.

As for the veterans. LOL Why oh why is McBobbles still fielding punts? He sucks. And Stevie still has the yips.

[Cleve]

As for the veterans. LOL Why oh why is McBobbles still fielding punts? He sucks. And Stevie still has the yips.

I've been wondering for some time why both Ledropis and Johnson are still on the team? I never got past McKelvin costing the team a victory on MNF against the hated Patriots. Guy shoulda been shown the door THEN!

[imbondz]

I was totally being sarcastic w my post

[imbondz]

Oh, the announcers in the Saints game just said there were 88 touchdowns in the NFL today- most ever on a single day. Glad we contributed a grand total of....zero.

And we were the only team yesterday that didn't score a TD

[Fletch]

Marrone is clearly in over his head! wtf were they thinking of when you hire a mediocre coach from a less than mediocre college football program! Wtg and be smarter than everyone else! Fail!

But he turned the program at SU around.

LOL