Blurb on Bills in TMQ

[Mr. Miyagi]

Here's a blurb in this week's Tuesday Morning Quarterback (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/8739142) article:


Buffalo: In 2004, the Bills had the second-rated defense, led the league in takeaways, led the league in points scored by defense and special teams, and fielded the best special teams, according to the influential annual analysis by Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News. Yet Buffalo failed to make the postseason, and the reason was cover-your-eyes offense. Drew Bledsoe consistently was dreadful -- more on that with next week's Dallas preview. Play calling was timid with the Bills throwing deep less than anyone in the NFL. Defenses could cheat to the line, confident nothing would go over their heads. Willis McGahee's season was all the more remarkable considering he often ran against over-stacked fronts.

The Bills have almost everyone back. Coaches have promised bolder play calling. The quarterback job is handed to J.P. Losman, effectively a rookie after a first season mainly spent injured. Last season in my AFC preview, I noted this about the Bengals: "History says Carson Palmer is likely to struggle as most quarterbacks do in their first season. Marvin Lewis faces a classic coach's choice -- should he play Jon Kitna, who's lightly regarded yet doing fine, or Palmer, who's a boy wonder but has no experience? If the boy wonder gets Cincinnati into a hole by losing a couple early, it could be yet another fruitless season by the banks of the Ohio River."

Change Palmer to Losman, Lewis to Mike Mularkey, Kitna to Kelly Holcomb and the Ohio to Lake Erie, and you've got Buffalo's preview for 2005. Palmer lost four of his first five starts, effectively eliminating the Bengals by Halloween. Lewis stood by his man, and by season's end, Palmer looked like a future star. If Losman loses in September, Mularkey will face the same vexing choice -- whether to sacrifice the season to the education of his quarterback, or switch to a veteran backup. The difference is that Buffalo's defense might put the team into the postseason with Holcomb as a caretaker. Can the Bills, former juggernauts who haven't won a playoff game in a decade, waste their great defense on another frustrating year?

A puzzling personnel decision hangs over Buffalo's season. After losing left tackle Jonas Jennings in free agency, the Bills made no significant move to replace him. At present, Buffalo's starting LT is Mike Gandy, who last December was OOF -- out of football -- and not on anyone's roster. His backup is Jason Peters, a converted tight end who has never taken a game day snap on offensive line in the pros or college. Losman may spend a lot of time scrambling to avoid blindside pressure, which is not a good way for a novice quarterback to learn -- though a good way to get hit, and the quiet fear about Losman is that he's easily injured. Possible propitious omen: Things worked out pretty well for the last team to ditch Drew Bledsoe. :snicker:

Fiscal note: Erie County, where Ralph Wilson Stadium is located, has all kinds of financial problems. To help, the Bills announced they would pay stadium upkeep costs the county is supposed to cover. Surely this is the first known instance of a professional sports franchise giving money to the public rather than the other way around!

Personal appearance note: The Bills will not accept as cheerleaders women with pierced tongues.

[Mr. Miyagi]

Personal appearance note: The Bills will not accept as cheerleaders women with pierced tongues.
Phil, is this true? :huh:

[justasportsfan]

sounds about right.

[L.A. Playa]

judging from some of the pics Phil posts the Bills wont accept cheerleaders that look like women

[The_Philster]

Phil, is this true? :huh:I'm not sure to be honest..only because I don't know if the rings or studs you put into tongue piercings can be removed or not...if they can't...then definitely no...visible tatoos are not allowed either..but they can be covered up with makeup...as some of the Jills do

[Stewie]

I don't think playa hates women, I think he hates whiny *****es. I can't disagree.

[The last buffalo fan]

I don't think playa hates women, I think he hates whiny *****es. I can't disagree.
C'mon Playa, what's the deal here?? If you mean that most of the Jills, that appears at or around the web, are not exactly "hot", I agree with you. But not the ones that Mr. Philster has, boy those are real chicks, c'mon c'mon playa!!!

[Meathead]

Do they allow pierced hoo hoos?

[Tinboy]

Possible propitious omen: Things worked out pretty well for the last team to ditch Drew Bledsoe

Let's hope this is a good sign.

[LifetimeBillsFan]

The comparison to the situation in Cincy last season is very apt.

The difference is the fact that the Bills should have a much better defense than Cincy did last season when they couldn't stop the run and their safeties kept getting injured. The Bills' special teams and defense should be able to keep them in most, if not all, of their early season games and give the offense a chance to win some games early--which Cincy couldn't do last season.

Like Palmer, it is likely that JP Losman will struggle at times, especially early on, but I don't think the Bills will or should pull JP unless he really struggles badly and appears totally lost out there--simply because their defense and special teams should be able to keep games close, even when JP struggles. As we saw in the Indy preseason game, JP doesn't have to do that much for the Bills to be able to win some games (yes, I know it was preseason and Indy played a lot of 2nd stringers, but it was preseason for the Bills, too, who also played a lot of young guys and Indy's second team is not that much worse than some teams' first teamers).

If Palmer could rebound from his bad start to lead his team to the same record that it had the year before, JP should be able to do the same. The question, as I see it, is whether JP will mature quickly enough for the Bills to get to 10-6 and if 9-7 or 10-6 will be good enough to get the Bills a playoff berth in the AFC. As B.Roethlisberger recently pointed out to ESPN, the team can be a better team, but not have that reflected in its record. I think the Bills will be a better team, ultimately, this season than they were last year, but the question is whether that will be reflected in their record: with their defense and STs, it could be, even with a first year starting QB running the offense.

[Mr. Miyagi]

Do they allow pierced hoo hoos?
:rofl: hoo hoos

[Tatonka]

http://www.twinkieshop.com/images/catalog/TRJS63.jpg

[Mr. Cynical]

Tonk - that would be the male cheerleaders. :snicker: