This is a good article...

[Ickybaluky]

... from Mike Holbrook of Pro Football Weekly:

link (http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/NFL/AFC/AFC+East/Buffalo/Features/2005/holbrook102505.htm)

For all the heat Donohoe is taking, a lot of his success or failure is tied to the development of Losman as a franchise QB. If Losman develops into a franchise QB for the Bills for the next decade, then they will become contenders.

Why wait to find out?

[madness]

So NE39, are you enjoying all the 'chicken little' talk over here? It's got to be funny from where you're standing cuz it's pretty damn funny to me. :rolleyes:

[justasportsfan]

... from Mike Holbrook of Pro Football Weekly:
link (http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/NFL/AFC/AFC+East/Buffalo/Features/2005/holbrook102505.htm)
For all the heat Donohoe is taking, a lot of his success or failure is tied to the development of Losman as a franchise QB. If Losman develops into a franchise QB for the Bills for the next decade, then they will become contenders.
Why wait to find out? My problem w/ TD is that he hasn't had this team make playoffs since he's been here. If it isn't his mistake of hiring the wrong coach, it's hiring the wrong qb. There's always a mistake somewhere or his wrong decisions that leads to our lack of success.

I was all for getting rid of Drew. He shouldn't however try to spin his mistake of hiring Drew by saying, we won't take a step back w/ JP, or that he is comfortable w/ the players on this team (ol and d) and then the opposite of what he expected happens. He is paid to be able to see the future even if injuries occur.

The Pats have had no excusses whether they were plagued w/ injury or don't have a rb.They won anyways by having their rookies to play like probowlers. As each day passes both the steelers and Pats are making TD look like a ret@rd.

The bengals were worst than the bills when TD first came on board. How many teams crappy teams back then have surpassed us? If we don't make playoffs this year, I don't care what his excusses are, I want TD gone or we should apologize to Wade and his friends.

[OpIv37]

So NE39, are you enjoying all the 'chicken little' talk over here? It's got to be funny from where you're standing cuz it's pretty damn funny to me. :rolleyes:

oh dammit here we go again.

Our O-line is **** and needs a serious overhaul. Our D line is **** and needs a serious overhaul. Clements is gone next year. Our safeties are older than dirt. Moulds is gone next year and Evans looks like he's headed straight for Peerless Price syndrome. McGahee's dirtbag agent is gonna **** us- he's either gonna hold out or take up 90% of our cap, making it impossible to address the rest of those concerns. Spikes may never be 100% again. Mularkey sucks and doesn't seem to get any better. TD can't get us into the playoffs and Ralph will never fire him.

So tell me again how the sky isn't falling?

[madness]

I just want to know when we hit rock bottom so people can start being optimistic again. :snicker:

I know everything looks like it is crumbling around us but negativity spreads like wildfire inside and outside the locker room and it doesn't make anything better.

We've played some tough teams and Oakland on the road ain't no joke. They may only had 1 win before Sunday but their other opponents were pretty damn good.

This is basically the same crap I heard last season when we went 0-4 and look how that ended.

I guess I just look at the glass as half full. (Actually even I will go with a 1/4 full.)

[Ickybaluky]

So NE39, are you enjoying all the 'chicken little' talk over here? It's got to be funny from where you're standing cuz it's pretty damn funny to me. :rolleyes:

You guys, as a fanbase, are getting a little bi-polar.

That said, I remember the Pats not to long ago, after two games in 2001, the Patriots were in the following condition:

- Coming off a 5-11 season
- Lost their franchise QB to injury for a while (as injuries go, ruptured blood vessels in the chest with a collapsed lung rank up there)
- Were 0-2 to start the year, including a loss to the Bengals
- Had a 2nd year backup QB lined up to start, and he had only thrown 3 passes (completing 1) for 6 yards as the 4th string QB in his rookie season.
- Were schedule to play a Colts team that was the talk of the NFL because they were scoring in record number, 90 points in their first two games (the Jets and Bills)
- Had a bad OL that couldn't protect the QB and were thought to be one of the least-talented teams in the NFL. Their skill talent on offense was pitiful, with Antowain Smith at RB, Rod Rutledge at TE, and Troy Brown, David Patten and Charles Johnson at WR. They signed a host of free agents, but none were big names because the team wasn't in good cap shape.
- There were rumors that if the team didn't turn it around and finish around 8-8 that Belichick would be fired.

Naturally, the Pats won that game 44-13 and went on to win the Super Bowl.

The the difference was the QB. Brady changed everything. I wonder, to this day, if the Pats had to turn to Damon Huard (who everyone thought would be Bledsoe's backup) instead of Brady if Belichick would have been fired. In a parrallel universe, none of the Super Bowls would have occurred.

The point is, you never know, Really, you never do. If Losman develops like Carson Palmer and Eli Manning have, then the Bills' outlook completely changes. Look at the jokes the Bengals and Giants were before those guys developed, and look at them now. You can cover for weaknesses elsewhere, but you need the QB. Buffalo has to find out if J.P. is the guy.

The Bills' haven't passed for 300 yards in 17 games. They haven't thrown for 200 yards in 11 games. Do you think that would be true if they had a guy like Palmer or Manning, who could get the ball downfield?

[Iehoshua]

... from Mike Holbrook of Pro Football Weekly:
link (http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/NFL/AFC/AFC+East/Buffalo/Features/2005/holbrook102505.htm)
For all the heat Donohoe is taking, a lot of his success or failure is tied to the development of Losman as a franchise QB. If Losman develops into a franchise QB for the Bills for the next decade, then they will become contenders.
Why wait to find out?
Welcome, the first Patriot fan to join the JPD!

:bf1:

[Devin]

NE39 is the coolest Pats fan I know.

[madness]

He's the only cool Pats fan I know.

[ParanoidAndroid]

oh dammit here we go again.

Our O-line is **** and needs a serious overhaul. Our D line is **** and needs a serious overhaul. Clements is gone next year. Our safeties are older than dirt. Moulds is gone next year and Evans looks like he's headed straight for Peerless Price syndrome. McGahee's dirtbag agent is gonna **** us- he's either gonna hold out or take up 90% of our cap, making it impossible to address the rest of those concerns. Spikes may never be 100% again. Mularkey sucks and doesn't seem to get any better. TD can't get us into the playoffs and Ralph will never fire him.

So tell me again how the sky isn't falling?
OK. I will.
The lines are 1 or 2 players away from being effective. I think you are exaggerating a little by saying they need major overhauls. Major overhauls are expensive and disruptive to whatever cohesiveness they already have. After what the O-line did against the Jets' nasty D-line, the only game that all five starters were together, I have to think that they're doing something right. We could use better pass protection from our guards, especially Anderson. He needs to be replaced. I'm pleased with what Gandy has done in such a short time, and Williams is effective when healthy. Maybe he is never going to play a full season, and that needs to be addressed as well. I imagine his durability is going to come under heavy scrutiny if his season continues as it is. There are plenty of OT's in the draft and solid talent will be available as late as the 3rd round. Preston seems to be improving every time he plays. I think he was a good pick.
As for the D-line, we're a first round pick away from being solid again. Schoebel definately misses the ability of Williams to take on two O-linemen, freeing him up to rush the passer. The loss of Edwards doesn't help either.

Safeties? Yep....too old. I agree and this is another position that needs to be addressed soon. However, Vincent is ball hawking and Milloy is still effective when not asked to make 1 on 1 tackles against a RB who is 30lbs heavier and coming at him at full speed. Rashad Baker has shown flashes at FS, but we have nothing at SS behind Milloy. Our secondary is out tackling our D-line more than 2 to 1. The diparity should not be that big.

Moulds? I think he's frustrated enough to hightail it. He currently doesn't appear to be ready to take a pay cut and stay in Buffalo, but this could change in the offseason when cooler heads prevail.

McGahee? How long do you think he'll hold out if he does? I have a feeling TD will let him rot like other GM's have done with Rosenhaus clients. I have an even greater feeling that he won't hold out - not this offseason at least. I think he just wants to play. My thinking is that he'll get paid before holding out and he will get the salary he deserves if he racks up 1600+ yards a season. Paying for a player who is worth it is fine.

I don't think we can say Mularkey sucks at this point. He's 12-11 right now as a head coach and in his second season.

TD? If Losman pans out and he shores up the lines, he gets a reprieve, but he's on everyone's hot seat right now. His Q and A this week was brutal.

It's an unstable situation, but it hasn't blown up yet.

[jamze132]

I just want Buffalo to win.

[EDS]

You guys, as a fanbase, are getting a little bi-polar.
That said, I remember the Pats not to long ago, after two games in 2001, the Patriots were in the following condition:
- Coming off a 5-11 season
- Lost their franchise QB to injury for a while (as injuries go, ruptured blood vessels in the chest with a collapsed lung rank up there)
- Were 0-2 to start the year, including a loss to the Bengals
- Had a 2nd year backup QB lined up to start, and he had only thrown 3 passes (completing 1) for 6 yards as the 4th string QB in his rookie season.
- Were schedule to play a Colts team that was the talk of the NFL because they were scoring in record number, 90 points in their first two games (the Jets and Bills)
- Had a bad OL that couldn't protect the QB and were thought to be one of the least-talented teams in the NFL. Their skill talent on offense was pitiful, with Antowain Smith at RB, Rod Rutledge at TE, and Troy Brown, David Patten and Charles Johnson at WR. They signed a host of free agents, but none were big names because the team wasn't in good cap shape.
- There were rumors that if the team didn't turn it around and finish around 8-8 that Belichick would be fired.
Naturally, the Pats won that game 44-13 and went on to win the Super Bowl.
The the difference was the QB. Brady changed everything. I wonder, to this day, if the Pats had to turn to Damon Huard (who everyone thought would be Bledsoe's backup) instead of Brady if Belichick would have been fired. In a parrallel universe, none of the Super Bowls would have occurred.
The point is, you never know, Really, you never do. If Losman develops like Carson Palmer and Eli Manning have, then the Bills' outlook completely changes. Look at the jokes the Bengals and Giants were before those guys developed, and look at them now. You can cover for weaknesses elsewhere, but you need the QB. Buffalo has to find out if J.P. is the guy.
The Bills' haven't passed for 300 yards in 17 games. They haven't thrown for 200 yards in 11 games. Do you think that would be true if they had a guy like Palmer or Manning, who could get the ball downfield?

This is the best post made by anyone on this site in a long, long time. The Pats were dog crap until Brady took over, and had been for some time. Same with the Steelers before Big Ben, the Colts before Manning, the Packers before Farve, Atlanta before Vick and the Bengals before Palmer.

Give TD some credit for at least trying different QB's and systems. It is all about finding the right mix of personnel and scheme. Sometimes, you get lucky and go from total crap to good/great in an instant (think of the previous examples and others, where the QB all of a sudden just gets it: San Diego/Brees; Washington/Brunnell; Baltimore/Dilfer; Tampa Bay/Johnson; etc.)

[Mudflap1]

I just want to know when we hit rock bottom so people can start being optimistic again. :snicker:

Sunday night at 8:30pm EST. It will last for another 7 weeks or so thereafter.

Jon