WGR: The best individual seasons during the Bills playoff drought

[cookie G]

He probably was, but he was a statue and getting hit too much, and they couldn't get their o-line together well enough to protect him. So of course, they figured a mobile QB was the answer, got Losman to run & gun, then proceeded to break him of his footwork to try and make him more of a statue (I still remember reading the coaching comments back in the day). It becomes hard to not remember that without a line in front of him, Bledsoe was about as mobile as a wooly mammoth. He was sacked often and without pity or mercy in his 3 years with Buffalo (140 times), and took 49 more his last 16 game season when he left with Dallas.

And so began the era of the "mobile" QB if you can't build a line to protect him.

A statue of a QB behind a shaky O line...and yet, the 2015 Bills gave up more sacks than the 2004 Bledsoe-Bills, with about the same amount of pass attempts.

Someone made the comment that when Bledsoe played, we had a higher standard for our QB's. That could be.

I think that applies to the O line as well.

[Mace]

A statue of a QB behind a shaky O line...and yet, the 2015 Bills gave up more sacks than the 2004 Bledsoe-Bills, with about the same amount of pass attempts.

Someone made the comment that when Bledsoe played, we had a higher standard for our QB's. That could be.

I think that applies to the O line as well.

We didn't have a higher standard for the o-line though ? That was at the start of the period where they were flailing and ran through line combinations desperately, which didn't really end until they got Levitre & Wood though they tried badly. Villareal, Gandy, Dockery, Walker, Bennie Anderson, Pennington, Duke Preston, etc.

I also never said the age of the mobile QB worked real well without a line in front of one.

It's not a slam on Bledsoe to say if you remember the games he was getting hit terribly and often whether or not it was a sack at that stage of his career.

[coastal]

This is what were reduced to?

the best of the suck?

i want to move back there why exactly?

[Skooby]

This is what were reduced to?

the best of the suck?

i want to move back there why exactly?

Your desire to drive through Tonawanda and get that hometown smell.

[cookie G]

This is what were reduced to?

the best of the suck?

mmmhmm..

Next week's topic will be "Chris Kelsay's best game" followed by:

-Trent Edwards vs. Jeff Tuel, a statistical analysis.

-Who was the better bust, Aaron Maybin or Mike Williams?

-Which of the scheme changes during the drought was the best?

Sigh...the idea of December and January being the highlight of the season is becoming a faded memory.
When draft day is your team's season highlight...priorities are out of whack.

i want to move back there why exactly?

you miss the winters...and understand that a Buffalo winter is something that's missing in Sharon's life, something she shouldn't be denied.

I'm rather touched at your willingness to sacrifice.

[cookie G]

We didn't have a higher standard for the o-line though ? That was at the start of the period where they were flailing and ran through line combinations desperately, which didn't really end until they got Levitre & Wood though they tried badly. Villareal, Gandy, Dockery, Walker, Bennie Anderson, Pennington, Duke Preston, etc.

I also never said the age of the mobile QB worked real well without a line in front of one.

It's not a slam on Bledsoe to say if you remember the games he was getting hit terribly and often whether or not it was a sack at that stage of his career.

I probably should have gone back to the playoff years, because I cited the Donahoe era as the start of the trend.

Donahoe used to take a lot of crap for the way the oline looked back then. He used to do a weekly reader thingy where he answered questions. Nearly every week, there would be a question about the state of the O line. He had this canned, standard answer he used to provide and it used to drive people crazy.

And the thing was, Donahoe probably put more effort into the Oline than anyone since. I thought Whaley was going to be a bit of a change and actually finish the job, but then Rex came along and the D is now in rebuilding mode...yet again.

but I guess my main point is..back then...most weren't satisfied with a Trey Teague or a Bennie Anderson. Now...all people care is that someone actually started in the NFL before.

But I can say this...when the Bills were good...if their O line pass blocked as below average as this line, 1) they wouldn't have been nearly as good and 2) Kelly wouldn't have hung around. He would have been gone as soon as his contract was up, or demanded a trade sooner.

[Mr. Cynical]

Drew Bledslow.

Blew Dredsoe.

Take your pick. The guy had the deer in the headlights look every other play. He only knew how to throw bombs, and since that takes a lot of time, he sat there like a statue and got killed. Belicheat knew that, hence he traded him. I wonder now, with all the concussion data coming to light these, that maybe he suffered from some of that....

Anyway, the best QB since Kelly was definitely Flutie, and the decision to bench him was one of the Top 3 worst decisions in Bills' history, only to be outdone by the Rob Johnson deal (#2) and the firing of Bill Polian (#1)