Bills should take another step forward

[TypicalBill]

As they say, football starts up front. The Bills have two new line coaches, and the efforts Pat Ruel (offensive line) and Tim Krumrie (defensive) have made were obvious to me as I watched practice. Pat developed his trade under my old coaching partner Larry Beightol in Green Bay. As one personnel man said, "Pat brings Beck's intensity to our team, and we need that more than you can imagine."

When I stopped and realized four of the five starting offensive linemen were left tackles at one point in their career, it's easy to get excited about them. The Bills believe they now have the best offensive line in the AFC. If they don't, they're pretty close to the top, and it should lift the running game, which was ranked 24th last season, into the top half of the league.

On the defensive side, just about everyone I spoke to from Donahoe on down cited the excellent job Krumrie is doing with big Sam Adams, whose weight is down to the 340 range.




The Full Article

[Jan Reimers]

Kirwan, like everyone else, makes too much of the loss of Price. If, in fact, we throw the ball 100 fewer times and Reed performs the way most of us think he will, it won't matter.

[WG]

Indeed JR!!!

100 rushing yards is worth far more than 100 passing yards. If Henry's average goes up by say 20 YPG, or ~ 300 yards on the season for over 1,700 total, it won't matter if we only throw for 3,000 yards vice the near 4,400 that went up last year.

Ball control, wearing out the opponent's D, and scoring via the ground will make us a championship team.

[TedMock]

Agreed. "ugly" football is the way to win. Eat up the clock, wear the other team out and go for the kill in the 4th quarter. Pound, pound, pound the ball and let play action now and then for a little excitement.

[BillsNick]

Originally posted by Wys Guy
Indeed JR!!!

100 rushing yards is worth far more than 100 passing yards. If Henry's average goes up by say 20 YPG, or ~ 300 yards on the season for over 1,700 total, it won't matter if we only throw for 3,000 yards vice the near 4,400 that went up last year.

Ball control, wearing out the opponent's D, and scoring via the ground will make us a championship team.

It's strategical science, and it wins championships.:machgun:

[NewYorkCity Backers]

Yes yes yes. And if the d improves, which I think it will greatly, they'll give the O more opportunities to score (turnovers, big time sacks, field position, etc.). The O is worse on paper, but the D will more than make up for it.

[WG]

Interesting what he says about GW:

"I watched him coaching the two-minute drill, and he is a sharp coach. While overseeing the complicated drill, he was asking players on the sideline what their thinking was at each clock/field position. He's a teacher, and Donahoe likes teachers. I speak with a lot of head coaches in this league, and Williams is one of the few who has invited me to watch game tape with him and educate me as to his philosophy. I appreciate when a coach has nothing to hide and is confident enough in himself to share what is going on with his team."

And other than the "Price comment", he's dead on when he says:

"If the loss of Price doesn't set them back too much and the special teams don't lose games, I think the Bills will win more than they lose in 2003. To get to the playoffs, it's time to beat the Jets and Patriots at least once each and continue to have the Dolphins' number. That's a tall order in what might be the toughest division in football right now."

As w/ everyone else, he completely ignores Drew's 18 TOs as having anything to do w/ losses.

As well, he mentions our "24th ranked rushing O" as if it was problematic, when it wasn't. You simply ain't gonna be much higher unless you run the ball. It's tough to amass rushing yards when you don't try, eh!

[Judge]

Having a deadly air attack to complement a strong running game doesn't hurt!

[WG]

Originally posted by TedMock
Agreed. "ugly" football is the way to win. Eat up the clock, wear the other team out and go for the kill in the 4th quarter. Pound, pound, pound the ball and let play action now and then for a little excitement.

Agreed TM!!

Our success this season will be predicated on TOs.

Ours that is!

If we don't turn the ball over idiotically as we did last year, then we'll be fine. Even w/ average STs. There's no way that w/ our combo of D and rushing O, that we can be less than 11-5 if we simply don't turn the ball over. In fact, if by chance we were to be one of the top 8 teams in the league for TOs, fewest that is, then I'd predict we'll be at least 12-4.

[WG]

I don't see N.E. or the Jets beating us w/o TOs.

[Doc]

Wys, care to do an analysis of how many of Drew's 18 TO's were the result of the receivers, i.e. wrong routes, tipped passes, not coming back for the ball, not fighting for the ball, etc.?

[MDFINFAN]

Originally posted by Wys Guy
Interesting what he says about GW:

As well, he mentions our "24th ranked rushing O" as if it was problematic, when it wasn't. You simply ain't gonna be much higher unless you run the ball. It's tough to amass rushing yards when you don't try, eh!

Wys I was with you on this post until you got to this point..

Correct me if I'm wrong, and I'm sure you will. , but TH got over 1400 yards rushing, I would say you guys tried a little..

[justasportsfan]

Originally posted by Wys Guy

As w/ everyone else, he completely ignores Drew's 18 TOs as having anything to do w/ losses.

Another Drew sucks thread!

[Voltron]

Originally posted by Wys Guy
As w/ everyone else, he completely ignores Drew's 18 TOs as having anything to do w/ losses.

Sure is funny how you are the only one that thinks this and every one that is a "Professional" has said nothing about it. Kind of makes you think that you just don't care for how he plays the game so you skew the stats to your liking.

[Judge]

Originally posted by Voltron


Sure is funny how you are the only one that thinks this and every one that is a "Professional" has said nothing about it. Kind of makes you think that you just don't care for how he plays the game so you skew the stats to your liking.

You think?