I am starting to see what the problem is:

[WG]

'99 Steelers: 534 attempts
'98 Chargers: 565 attempts
'97 Chargers: 565 attempts
'96 Jaguars: 557 attempts
'95 Jags (expans. team): 495 attempts
'94 Oilers: 553 attempts
'93 Oilers: 614 attempts
'92 Oilers: 573 attempts
'91 Oilers: 667 attempts
'90 Oilers: 639 attempts

Avg. per season including the Jags inaugural season: 546

That's a bit outrageous. Apparently Gilbride seems to think that passing is the way to a team's success. Must be all of those Super Bowl rings he has!

I sure hope Williams can slap some sense into Gilbride's head. After seeing this coupled w/ some of the paltry #s of carries by his RBs during those same years, I am starting to hope he's gone next year.

I think his "success", never ultimately mind you, has warped Gilbride's sense of reality!

He started in Houston as a Quarterbacks coach. That is really starting to explain all of this nonsense. Maybe Williams should make him the running backs coach for next season!

[Novacane]

Wys...............I know you like to go against the tide but the real problem on this team is Defense. The offense has made great strides under KG. Yea he should run more but I don't think they trust Henry with the ball. I really can't blame them. Who do you trust more not to make a mistake? Henry or Bledsoe?

[LtBillsFan66]

Agree with BTR. It's our d wys.

[Tatonka]

cris carter

[lunatic_bills_fan]

Hard to run the ball when you know you are going to have to score every drive because thats what your defence is allowing the opposition to do. When the opposition is making a regular habit of the 6-8 min drives. What exactly does that leave you with when the Ofeence steps onto the field. Take a look at the numbers bro, our Offence is not even close to our problems.

[WG]

OK then BFO and B2R46,

You guys both criticize me when I said that about Henry when he was fumbling. He's gotten better now and still isn't being run.

Nevertheless, to answer your question, while you think Drew is the best QB in the '90s, the fact is that many of his TDs have come this year against less than formidable foes. Ie., teams w/ Ds that suck! It does not appear that his second half will even approach his first.

Regardless, since when do you decide to pass against a team w/ an incredble secondary yet that has allowed an average of over 140 rushing yards per game this season???

You guys make no sense.

You guys were arguing w/ me that Henry was the man earlier. That was when his fumbling problems were at their greatest. Now that that's improved, you don't trust him.

Whatever.

Then why keep him? If they distrust him so much that he can't be productive against a team w/ a rush D like N.E.'s has been, then why run at all?

Trade Henry for another WR then. Or a TE. But let's end this foolishness then!

[WG]

...or does he look good sitting on the bench?

[casdhf]

To make this a typical post, shouldn't you factor out the low season with Jax?

[WG]

I wanted to make you happy...!

[BillsOwnAll]

our o is good if r d could play we would win alot more

[Earthquake Enyart]

Originally posted by Wys Guy
But let's end this foolishness then!

Amen brother.

[RedEyE]

I actually agree with Wys on this. Henry should be inserted into the offense more. His abilities are useless to the Bills when he is sitting on the bench and the lack of ball control is becoming a serious issue. Thanks for the Gilbride stats ~ I've been looking for these myself. Confirms a lot of my suspicions

[Ð]

Henry was getting tackled in the backfield after the 1st quarter. The OL couldn't adjust to NE's defense running all over the place like a CFL offense before the snap :)

How do you counter that kind of defensive scheme? Power running! If they don't set & dont anchor, it's really very simple....you just pin back your ears & pound the ball. I don't know if it's the OL not knowing how to take advantage of that situation or a coaching blunder by not running the ball & making them pay. On an over-stunting DL, you should be able to pick up 5 yds on every run attempt.

hmmmmm....

[shelby]

Gilbrideshelby

i smell a coaching change coming.

[SABURZFAN]

i don't agree with the fact that 75% of our plays were passes.despite the early struggle with the running game,we should have ran the ball more than 13 times.i wasn't thrilled with the idea of gilbride being here but it sure as hell beats pendry's dried up system.with the exception of the last game,i think he's done a good job.i think the problem is Gee Dubya and gray.

[colin]

Of course we need to run more. The thing is, we have had success against different teams running, so it is not like we can't do it. When Big Mike is back in there you will see some big gains for Travis. I think he is gonna break 1200 wide open.

[WG]

Doug,

"Henry was getting tackled in the backfield after the 1st quarter."

Much less so than in previous games actually. That's simply not true. It certainly was the case in previous games however and that didn't stop you and others from defending him then. So with the couple of runs that he did lose yardage, it was far fewer than in previous games. I have all of his stats in a spreadsheet by run, down, and gain if you'd like to see them. As to this game, he had the following:

1st Q: 22, 1, 10, 4, -1 (3rd & 1)
2nd Q: 10, -1 (1st & 6), 1
3rd Q: 2, 4, 1

If you're not happy with those, then I see no reason why you'd be happy with most of the rest of his games as he had more runs percentage-wise for losses or 0 or 1 yard than he's been having over his last two or three games. His fumbles have also been down.


SABURZ,

"i don't agree with the fact that 75% of our plays were passes."

Well, OK. Do you believe that the earth is round? There's not much I can do to help you out there. This game at least:

49 designed passing plays
12 designed rushing plays
1 scramble

I don't know what to tell you. At least I can see why you have hopes for the playoffs.

[EricStratton]

Wys,

Read the rest of SABURZ post before you dog him, he actually agreed with you. Not every poster is your enemy.

I also agree with the idea that KG is throwing the ball to much. The pass:run ratio is to out of whack to win consistanly in the league. Sunday wasn't a good indication because we were dowm 14-0 before the hotdogs got cold but Sunday hasn't been the only time this has happened.

The Bills has a big, young, physical OLine and a good to very good RB. We should sure use them in the second half of the year and hopefully two weeks of film study but the coaching staff will lead us that way.

[WG]

colin,

We don't need "big gains". What we need is a steady sure running game that can get the short yardage when needed. Henry has struggled in doing that this season in spite of my attempts to educate the masses to that fact.

Look at Smith this weekend! Did he have a lot of "big gains?" No. He was a steady rusher. Bills fans this year are putting WAY too much credence in 2 or 3 carries a game while completely ignoring what happens on 80% of the carries.

If Henry could get the 3rd and 1s much more effectively, he'd be worth a lot more than having 2 runs for 45 yards and another 18 carries for 20 yards. Why is that so difficult for everyone to understand? BTW, I don't blame Henry for the fact that he is not rushing well now. He is. He averaged over 5 YPC on Sunday and still didn't get the ball. He's made a concious effort to hang onto the ball and as I see it, it is paying off as his fumbles are going down. Yet, Gilbride, even against a team like the Pats who had allowed a league horrible 142 yards rushing against them, he chooses not to give Henry the ball! That's Gilbride's fault and if we do this again next year, I'm tellin' ya, it's gonna prevent us from doing well in the playoffs if in fact we even make them.

Henry had 53 yards against a D that allows 142 on average. Do you think the outcome of the game may have been different if Henry would have had 30 carries for 160 yards?? I do. Certainly it would have kept the Pat offense off the field for a good chunk of the game. That in and of itself would have kept the game closer.

But, hey, what do we as fans know! Gilbride is an "expert" and professional, right?

I say it's time for some new coaching. I originally liked GW's plan to staff the team coaching wise. But it now appears that gross inexperience at the pro level coupled now with a coach that after some research, Gilbride is the passingest coach in the NFL over the past 10 seasons, and he has not experienced any significant level of success doing that.

I think it's time!

[WG]

We don't need to waste another season or two with this corp of talent that we have amassed. I don't think that too many coaches would be doing any worse with this team, possibly better. What does that tell us?