How much better are we than last year?

[WG]

As of now we're only 5-5. I realize that we were 3-13 last year. But it's also looking more and more like 7-9 may be a reality here.

When you consider that last year our starting OL, almost all of it on a couple of occasions, was injured and out for a good chunk of the first half of the season, it stands to reason that if it were healthy, we would have won another couple of games to go perhaps 5-11 or 6-10.

This year, we've hardly had any significant injuries at all and we've had depth to cover that we simply didn't have last season.

Nonetheless, we still can't seem to beat anyone any good.

Just thought I'd throw the question out there. But if we end up at 6-10 or 7-9, there's got to be some explanation.

[WCoastFin]

Ya Honestly I dont think youre that much better....people thought that bringing Bledsoe in automatically gave you some wins...but I knew all along that wasnt the case, I think that Price stepping it up and having 3 Wrs has helped you alot...its made Defenses think twice...but your coaching staff doesnt know how to handle it...as long as Williams is your HC you'll always be a bad team.

[Judge]

Originally posted by Wys Guy
As of now we're only 5-5. I realize that we were 3-13 last year. But it's also looking more and more like 7-9 may be a reality here.

When you consider that last year our starting OL, almost all of it on a couple of occasions, was injured and out for a good chunk of the first half of the season, it stands to reason that if it were healthy, we would have won another couple of games to go perhaps 5-11 or 6-10.

This year, we've hardly had any significant injuries at all and we've had depth to cover that we simply didn't have last season.

Nonetheless, we still can't seem to beat anyone any good.

Just thought I'd throw the question out there. But if we end up at 6-10 or 7-9, there's got to be some explanation.

Even a moron should be able to tell that this team is significantly better than last year. It's so obvious this question is a joke.

QB- We traded the NFL's worst in for a Hall-of-Fame candidate. Obvious improvement.

RB- Travis Henry has emerged. Obvious improvement.

WR- Josh Reed improved what was already a fine WR corps.

OL- Overhauled in the offseason. Maybe a little overrated but much better than last year.

Defense- I'd take Ahanatou, Fletcher, Wire, Jenkins, etc., any day over the stiffs we had in there last year. The D is playing harder, tougher, more punishing defense than it did last year. It may not be showing in the stats, but it's much better talent-wise.

This team is on the rise- last year's team was a disaster all-around. This year's team deservedly should be upset about yesterday, because it knows it should have won. Last year's team gets blown out in similar circumstances.

[Valerie]

I never expected the Bills to be a playoff bound team this year. You can't have that many rookies and a new quarterback and expect to all of a sudden go from 3-13 to 10-6. I don't think it's possible. I think the Bills are in a position to be a really good team next year. Other than our crappy defense, I think the penalties, some of them justified, are killing them. Too many stupid mistakes cost them their momentum and eventually the game.

[THATHURMANATOR]

I feel the Bill's are quite a bit better than last season and I agree Judge's assesments 100%:pee:

[Valerie]

With that being said, I think the Bills are a better team this year. At least they're playing with heart and as a complete unit. The team has faith and confidence in Drew and I think that's important. A lot of the players have been stepping up and maturing into good players. Give it time. We have to be patient. Next year will be a different story. :)

[WG]

Judge,

Buffalo has slipped from indisputably #1 in yardage O and scoring O to #6 in yardage O and #3 in scoring O while dropping from an early average of over 32 PPG to now under 25 PPG on the merits of an O that is putting up less than 16 PPG over our last 4.

It's quite possible and even likely that if this "slump" continues, which is also likely, that we will end up in the middle of the stack scoring wise and slip significantly further yardage wise.

I think we need to wait for the season ends prior to making conclusive statements.

Also, I mentioned the team. Not simply the O. The "team" is not the O. It's that all-around team. Our D has regressed incredibly. Our coaching has gotten worse IMO.

As a team I don't think we're all that much better. Somewhat, sure. Plus, you're putting way to much emphasis on talent on paper. Let's look at results. Will you still hold that position if we were to finish at 6-10 w/ an anemic offense by year's end?

[Pride]

It is so odd, since last week, I have agreed with just about everything Wys has stated. He was right about most things, now looking back.

I feel that our team is the same as last year. Adding Drew and London added 2 addition wins. I am as positive as the next guy, but I do not feel we will make the playoffs, and with the talent that our team has at all but 2 key positions, we should be a playoff team.

It is my opinion that GW and company should be fired the day after the season ends.

[Judge]

Originally posted by Pride
It is so odd, since last week, I have agreed with just about everything Wys has stated. He was right about most things, now looking back.

I feel that our team is the same as last year. Adding Drew and London added 2 addition wins. I am as positive as the next guy, but I do not feel we will make the playoffs, and with the talent that our team has at all but 2 key positions, we should be a playoff team.

It is my opinion that GW and company should be fired the day after the season ends.

Wys is putting too much emphasis on statistics. Statistics are for losers, and don't tell the whole story. That game yesterday will probably hurt the statistical rankings of both teams. So what? It was a toe-to-toe hard hitting game. Stats mean nothing. But even for the stats freaks, we're decidedly better than last year.

Let me say this in defense of GW and co.: His team plays HARD for him no matter what the circumstances. They have a confident air about them that mimics their coach. He is their leader, and they follow him.

The importance of this cannot be underestimated.

Unless there is a total collapse where the remainder of the season is a total disaster, with uncompetitive blowouts the norm, the team MUST bring GW and co. back to see if he can build on the tremendous growth this team has shown this year. Getting rid of GW would put this team back to square 1.

[WG]

You crack me up there Judge. Really!

I'm the one putting too much emphasis on stats here?

You're joking, right?

All I've been hearing about is all of Drew's passing stats w/o any mention of points actually hitting the scoreboard and in spite of the fact that we can't be a single good team that we've played.

Well, if points scored is too much an emphasis on stats, then I suppose I'm guilty. On the flip side, I guess expecting that you'll see things such that it suggests agreement w/ me in any way is a bit of a stretch for you, eh. ;)

In the meantime, to address one of your earlier points, w/o Drew, IMO this team is no better at all the last year's team. Van Pelt would have been a disaster 'til now and there's no way we would have won those close games v. Houston, Detroit, Minnesota, and Chicago. Heck, he may have been Lucas' counterpart in the Miami game putting that one up for grabs too.

We'd be 1-9 or 2-8 w/ Van Pelt at QB.

[Judge]

Originally posted by Wys Guy
You crack me up there Judge. Really!

I'm the one putting too much emphasis on stats here?

You're joking, right?

All I've been hearing about is all of Drew's passing stats w/o any mention of points actually hitting the scoreboard and in spite of the fact that we can't be a single good team that we've played.

Well, if points scored is too much an emphasis on stats, then I suppose I'm guilty. On the flip side, I guess expecting that you'll see things such that it suggests agreement w/ me in any way is a bit of a stretch for you, eh. ;)

In the meantime, to address one of your earlier points, w/o Drew, IMO this team is no better at all the last year's team. Van Pelt would have been a disaster 'til now and there's no way we would have won those close games v. Houston, Detroit, Minnesota, and Chicago. Heck, he may have been Lucas' counterpart in the Miami game putting that one up for grabs too.

We'd be 1-9 or 2-8 w/ Van Pelt at QB.

We'd be 2-8 with AVP. 0-10 w/ RJ!! :pimp:

Well, we HAVE Drew, and he's a major reason for this team's tremendous improvement. He's a potential Hall-of-famer. Don't hold the fact that he's a catalyst that brings out improvement in the rest of the team against him or the Bills!

[Typ0]

This whole conversation is rediculous. To assert because the team has had a string of three bad games they are the same team they were last year is a joke. We had a string of 16 bad games last year. Rob Johnson was a complete disaster. The defense was much worse. The defense this year is making many more plays. They have gotten beat a lot but they are not lallydagging around out there like they were last year. Yesterday's loss had nothing to do with the defense who played very well. No they didn't shut down the best offense in the league on their last drive...but they never should have been put in that position in the first place.

I'll tell you about some stats. We won 3 games last year and 5 already this year. We have already proven we are 60% better than last year and those are the stats that matter. One more win and we are 100% better this year than last. Anyone that says this team isn't better than last year because we aren't going to win the superbowl is out of their mind. You don't rebuild a team in one or two seasons when you don't have the cap room to do so. Talk all you want about how we should have gotten Sam Adams and went with Travis brown you are just trading off one good thing for another inept thing. If Gilbride wasn't such a moron we likely would have won yesterday and the banter here would be much different.

[WG]

"One more win and we are 100% better this year than last."

IDK if it can be measured quite that way. BTW, so using your selected stats is viable, while others are not? ;)

One thing that I've noticed is that when I or anyone else mentions this team and how it's improved, that everyone immediately defers to Drew and Drew alone.

No mention of our D in terms of the overall play of the team. Or the sketchy coaching, even "sketchier" than last year and even on offense. No mention of our poorly utilized rushing game apart from whether or not Henry is good.

I'll say it now. This team is in trouble w/ Gilbride as our O.C. if any of us have hopes of winning a SB.

[WG]

Drew has put up some outstanding passing yardage totals in his career, but his scoring totals have been highly suspect. Especially when you take into account those massive yardage totals.

This might suggest that running the ball would be an integral part of any offense that Bledsoe is the QB. Yet, Gilbride never has nor ever will if history holds, have anything but a lopsided pass/rush offense.

[Judge]

Originally posted by Wys Guy
"One more win and we are 100% better this year than last."

IDK if it can be measured quite that way. BTW, so using your selected stats is viable, while others are not? ;)

One thing that I've noticed is that when I or anyone else mentions this team and how it's improved, that everyone immediately defers to Drew and Drew alone.

No mention of our D in terms of the overall play of the team. Or the sketchy coaching, even "sketchier" than last year and even on offense. No mention of our poorly utilized rushing game apart from whether or not Henry is good.

I'll say it now. This team is in trouble w/ Gilbride as our O.C. if any of us have hopes of winning a SB.

Go back to my original post in this thread, Mr. Wys. You'll see that I cited many things apart from Drew that I believe are vastly improved on this team, including defense. I also cited Henry's emergence and the Bills' commitment to the running game as an added improvement to this team in another thread.

You're wrong again! Why twist what's said and pretend something else was said in order to make your point? Haven't you realized how weak that technique is in debate?

[Typ0]

When all is said and done it's the win column that gets totalled not yardage and touchdowns. I'm not discounting "anyones" stats. What I am saying is if "someone" claims to be the king of stats they ought not to have to work any more because they can just sit home and make tons of money gambling becuase their stats are so reliable. NOT. It doesn't work that way. You can do a much better job of predicting the stock market than you can who will win an nfl game.

[WG]

And what I'm saying is "what contributes more to wins?"

Yardage or points?

I think it's pretty clear that yardage can add up w/o points necessarily accruing.

Again, you don't necessarily need tons of yards to score points. Efficiency is much more important than simple quantity. That's where my points of argument were regarding Drew before the seaosn began. Everyone was talking about all the yards while my counter was why is he any better than a QB who leads their team to the same # of TDs and points by throwing for only 2/3 of the yardage?

Same point totals. Why do those coming from someone who had to do then again 50% more to attain them seem to take precedence?

[Typ0]

We would have had more points yesterday if Gilbride wasn't rolling up and down the sidelines yesterday because he had his head stuck up his [insert imagination here].

[WG]

Agreed. But you can't say that if we'd have had more yards we necessarily would have had more points, right.

[Typ0]

yards do not equal points so I don't know how anyone could make that assertion. But if we had 30 more yards at the right time instead of an int we would have won the game. In that case I will take the 30 more yards in the stats becuase they are necessary to put the points on the board.

[WG]

But you still have to kick that FG.

Also, those yards would have come more easily running the ball yesterday.

[lunatic_bills_fan]

Wys, I'm not hear to argue with what you saying. Im just wandering in your opinion, and that of any others that want to write, what is it that we are missing. I mean, do we go after another QB, another RB, better OL, defence, or coaches for that matter. What do you think it will take to bring this team to the next leve (ie Playoff and SB contenders) We talk alot about the problems but we never seem to know what the answers are.

[Typ0]

No kidding wys.