Lexwhat
09-18-2005, 09:53 PM
Well, I've been doing some thinking about this game and its associated comments. It seems to me that theres some people that get caught up on what players and other posters say, and start to believe in some type of "hype." Now, I'm not calling myself an expert, but I think theres some things that people are missing:
1. The Bills defense did NOT play bad. The fact of the matter is they allowed only 7 points in the 1st half. So they gave up a lot of yards, they bent but didn't break. In the 2nd half, we gave up a total of 10 points. Giving up 17 points to a decent offense in Tampa in 100 degree "heat index" weather? I cant be mad at that. Cadillac is going to be a superstar, it seems. I think we're EXPECTING way too much from our defense. How much better could they have done? Allowed 13 points instead of 17? It wouldnt have made a difference, our offense is simply not ready to take that next step yet.
I challenge any poster here to tell me a defense that would have given up 17 points on the road to these Bucs with the way the time of possession was? You all saw what happened to the Eagles when they were missing their MLB Trotter for the Atlanta game. Given the circumstances, our defense played well. Not great, but played well. Fletcher is the QB of our defense, and he makes everyone around him better. There were plenty of opportunties for our offense - and if the offense cant score, NO team in the NFL can win. Sadly, our offense gave up nearly as many points (2) as it scored (3).
If I find one thing to be mad about, it's that they didnt generate any turnovers. Yes, there was missed tackling. But everyone here is smart enough to know that POINTS wins and loses games. "17, thats all."
2. JP Losman did not play well. I think he was lucky as hell that he had more potential interceptions that were dropped again this week. I counted 3 passes in the hands of Bucs players, including 2 where they Bucs defensive player would have strolled into the end zone.
Moreover, JP was erratic on several passes. I saw more than a few instances of where WRs were in positions to catch the ball but had poor balls thrown to them. Now, am I saying that JP sucks? No way. These are simply the "lumps" that he is taking, as long as he is aware he did not play well and works to improve things, then I can't be mad. JP is a hard-worker, I'm sure he's aware that a lot of work remains.
By the way, I'm not saying it was all JPs fault, our receivers weren't great either. I'm just telling it how it is. JP needs work and we all hope he will improve.
3. I'm the most sick and tired of comments on Willis. Not everyone says this, but I can't believe the number of people that blame the offensive line for his poor running. The fact is, he wasnt hitting the holes hard, and he wasnt wearing down the opposing defense. He was dancing around way too much. It's true, the O-Line WAS NOT GREAT. They were average. JP WAS GETTING TIME TO THROW. It was not as if the Bucs pass rush was relentless. But the point I'm trying to make is, Willis is supposed to be considered a SUPERSTAR. Or at least a stud. If he can't make something out of nothing, then he is NOT a superstar. And don't tell me that no one said Willis is a star in this league. There are plenty of people here that say he's 2nd best RB in the NFL behind LT. Or at least top 5. You can tell a runner is great if he can do special things. Personally, I have not seen that against tough teams. Again, not calling myself an expert, but I'm also not basing my knowledge on hype. Willis is good, but he MUST improve.
It's funny that Willis gets excuses about poor O-Line play while other positions dont get such excuses. Willis is what he is at this point. Not a superstar yet. It may seem convienent that I am saying this now, after a bad game, but let's see how he does against the Bengals or Panthers this year. Or even the Chiefs. If he is great in those games, I will gladly eat my words. So far, my conclusion is that Willis doesn't step up in road games.
If it continues like this, I say we let Willis go and invest our money in 2 stud offensive guards. With a great O-Line, the RB position sometimes takes care of itself, as does the passing game.
Anyways, thats enough for now. Not bashing anyone in this post, just tryin to open up some key points.
1. The Bills defense did NOT play bad. The fact of the matter is they allowed only 7 points in the 1st half. So they gave up a lot of yards, they bent but didn't break. In the 2nd half, we gave up a total of 10 points. Giving up 17 points to a decent offense in Tampa in 100 degree "heat index" weather? I cant be mad at that. Cadillac is going to be a superstar, it seems. I think we're EXPECTING way too much from our defense. How much better could they have done? Allowed 13 points instead of 17? It wouldnt have made a difference, our offense is simply not ready to take that next step yet.
I challenge any poster here to tell me a defense that would have given up 17 points on the road to these Bucs with the way the time of possession was? You all saw what happened to the Eagles when they were missing their MLB Trotter for the Atlanta game. Given the circumstances, our defense played well. Not great, but played well. Fletcher is the QB of our defense, and he makes everyone around him better. There were plenty of opportunties for our offense - and if the offense cant score, NO team in the NFL can win. Sadly, our offense gave up nearly as many points (2) as it scored (3).
If I find one thing to be mad about, it's that they didnt generate any turnovers. Yes, there was missed tackling. But everyone here is smart enough to know that POINTS wins and loses games. "17, thats all."
2. JP Losman did not play well. I think he was lucky as hell that he had more potential interceptions that were dropped again this week. I counted 3 passes in the hands of Bucs players, including 2 where they Bucs defensive player would have strolled into the end zone.
Moreover, JP was erratic on several passes. I saw more than a few instances of where WRs were in positions to catch the ball but had poor balls thrown to them. Now, am I saying that JP sucks? No way. These are simply the "lumps" that he is taking, as long as he is aware he did not play well and works to improve things, then I can't be mad. JP is a hard-worker, I'm sure he's aware that a lot of work remains.
By the way, I'm not saying it was all JPs fault, our receivers weren't great either. I'm just telling it how it is. JP needs work and we all hope he will improve.
3. I'm the most sick and tired of comments on Willis. Not everyone says this, but I can't believe the number of people that blame the offensive line for his poor running. The fact is, he wasnt hitting the holes hard, and he wasnt wearing down the opposing defense. He was dancing around way too much. It's true, the O-Line WAS NOT GREAT. They were average. JP WAS GETTING TIME TO THROW. It was not as if the Bucs pass rush was relentless. But the point I'm trying to make is, Willis is supposed to be considered a SUPERSTAR. Or at least a stud. If he can't make something out of nothing, then he is NOT a superstar. And don't tell me that no one said Willis is a star in this league. There are plenty of people here that say he's 2nd best RB in the NFL behind LT. Or at least top 5. You can tell a runner is great if he can do special things. Personally, I have not seen that against tough teams. Again, not calling myself an expert, but I'm also not basing my knowledge on hype. Willis is good, but he MUST improve.
It's funny that Willis gets excuses about poor O-Line play while other positions dont get such excuses. Willis is what he is at this point. Not a superstar yet. It may seem convienent that I am saying this now, after a bad game, but let's see how he does against the Bengals or Panthers this year. Or even the Chiefs. If he is great in those games, I will gladly eat my words. So far, my conclusion is that Willis doesn't step up in road games.
If it continues like this, I say we let Willis go and invest our money in 2 stud offensive guards. With a great O-Line, the RB position sometimes takes care of itself, as does the passing game.
Anyways, thats enough for now. Not bashing anyone in this post, just tryin to open up some key points.