One of the criticisms of Trent Edwards before he was benched, once again, was that he is too conservative. He seems reluctant to take chances and throw the ball down the field, thereby earning the moniker "Captain Checkdown". Enter Ryan Fitzpatrick. He likes to open up the passing game and involve the skilled players (the Bills do have a few) by being aggressive and allowing them to make plays. He does, however, have a fatal flaw which it seems is the reason why he is not a franchise starting quaterback. He sometimes makes terrible throws - often at critical times. Yesterday at New England, the fatal flaw emerged again as he overthrew receivers quite badly, twice, in the second half. Both were interceptions. That was after a much improved offensive performance where the Bills gained over 370 total yards. But they lost again to move to 0-3 on the season and 0 for the last 14 against the Patriots.
I find the post game call-in show on WGR quite entertaining as I drive home from the cottage. Mike Schop and the Bulldog have learned that it's easier and funnier to just let the drunks make their stupid points, agree with them and then move on. Some callers seemed pleased with the improved offense and the much closer game than was expected. Schop reminded one caller that he sometimes feels that way after his nephew's little league game: it was exciting, interesting, there was lots of scoring and the fact that they lost is secondary. But this is pro football where the only measure of success is wins and the Bills have failed the last 14 times against this team. Some of the games have been close (last year's season opener. for example) and some have not but they need to beat the Patriots to claim any measure of success and we are still waiting. Their coach is better, their team is better and their quarterback is a lot better. New England comes to Orchard Park on Boxing Day looking for number 15.
Being a fan is about always having hope. The radio guys complimented one optimistic caller who pointed out that if they can beat the Jets next week at home, then Jacksonville comes in and we could be 2-3 at the bye week and ready to make a run for the playoffs. I'm a fan too and as the caller was saying these things, I was, for a split second, agreeing with the logic. I can still hope it happens and expect that it won't. It's called managing expectations. That's an important part of being a Bills fan in 2010.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Packers 34, Bills 7
A new poll was published today (Monday Sept 20th) and it loks like Rob Ford is for real. Apparently, people are angry, and, as the theory goes, this often leads to a knee-jerk reaction which, in this case, has come out of right field. Toronto voters appear set to elect another buffoon. Mel Lastman, someone else seems to have discovered your secret formula.
Ford has the support of almost 46% of decided voters, a full 24 percentage points ahead of George Smitherman who stands second at 21%. Joe Pants is a close third, less than 5 points behind Smitherman. Rosseau Rocky and Sarah Thomson are out of it. I thought that Rocky might have fared a little better after his recent announcement about wanting a tunnel between the Allen and the Gardiner but apparently not. A quarter of voters remain undecided but this is down from about 40% a month ago. There is no good news in this poll for any candidate other than Ford. His message is resonating and as undecided voters make up their minds, his support is growing. I had sort of dismissed the mid August poll where he had a lead which represented the poll's margin of error and no one was really paying much attention. There would be movement in the next poll I said. I was right about the movement but wrong about the direction. It looks like Ford will have to stumble badly (and maybe multiple times) to blow the lead he now has. Rest assured, he is more than capable of doing this, and, if he does, it will be remembered as one of the greatest political collapses in Toronto politics. I hope it happens but I doubt that it will.
I listened to Smitherman's sound bites from today and, frankly, he just didn't sound like his heart was in it. He is the candidate who can stop Ford and unite the city, he said. He didn't say it with much conviction and it occurred to me that for a guy who clearly has had his sights on this job for a long time, his campaign has been profoundly lacking in energy and imagination. If he really wants to be the mayor, he has a month to generate some excitement and spark around his campaign and tell the voters why he wants this job and why he would be a good choice. So far, Ford has been the one defining the issues and setting the agenda. That's what a legitimate front runner does.
Ford has the support of almost 46% of decided voters, a full 24 percentage points ahead of George Smitherman who stands second at 21%. Joe Pants is a close third, less than 5 points behind Smitherman. Rosseau Rocky and Sarah Thomson are out of it. I thought that Rocky might have fared a little better after his recent announcement about wanting a tunnel between the Allen and the Gardiner but apparently not. A quarter of voters remain undecided but this is down from about 40% a month ago. There is no good news in this poll for any candidate other than Ford. His message is resonating and as undecided voters make up their minds, his support is growing. I had sort of dismissed the mid August poll where he had a lead which represented the poll's margin of error and no one was really paying much attention. There would be movement in the next poll I said. I was right about the movement but wrong about the direction. It looks like Ford will have to stumble badly (and maybe multiple times) to blow the lead he now has. Rest assured, he is more than capable of doing this, and, if he does, it will be remembered as one of the greatest political collapses in Toronto politics. I hope it happens but I doubt that it will.
I listened to Smitherman's sound bites from today and, frankly, he just didn't sound like his heart was in it. He is the candidate who can stop Ford and unite the city, he said. He didn't say it with much conviction and it occurred to me that for a guy who clearly has had his sights on this job for a long time, his campaign has been profoundly lacking in energy and imagination. If he really wants to be the mayor, he has a month to generate some excitement and spark around his campaign and tell the voters why he wants this job and why he would be a good choice. So far, Ford has been the one defining the issues and setting the agenda. That's what a legitimate front runner does.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Dolphins 15, Bills 10
Our dragonboat team finished 37th out of about 100 teams in this weekend's GWN Draogonboat Challenge held at Marilyn Bell Park on Toronto's western waterfront. Our first race Saturday morning scuttled us as we had a poor lane and a very poor race overall. We did win the D division championship on Sunday afternoon with a time which was better than some of the C division teams so we did end on a high note. Dropping from 18th last year to 37th this year is dissapointing but the filed was stronger and our performance was not as good. So it goes. Great excercise all season regardless of results.
I was checking the score at RWS from time to time and the Bills were down 3 then 7 then 10 points so it seemed like a close defensive battle until I read the post game reports in the evening after the beer tent festivites at Marilyn Bell Park. Apparently, Trent Edwards was about as bad as he has ever been after a somewhat promising pre-season. The defence was not too bad overall, giving up only 13 points. I had thought that the Bills would have difficulty stopping the run but would score points with a strong running game, improved quarterback play and an offensive specialist head coach. This could still become the pattern.
Heading in to the not quite frozen tundra of Lambeau Field next week to face Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, I can not help wondering how I am going to find anyone to go see the Jaguars, Lions or Browns later in the season if the losses keep piling up as they surely will.
I was checking the score at RWS from time to time and the Bills were down 3 then 7 then 10 points so it seemed like a close defensive battle until I read the post game reports in the evening after the beer tent festivites at Marilyn Bell Park. Apparently, Trent Edwards was about as bad as he has ever been after a somewhat promising pre-season. The defence was not too bad overall, giving up only 13 points. I had thought that the Bills would have difficulty stopping the run but would score points with a strong running game, improved quarterback play and an offensive specialist head coach. This could still become the pattern.
Heading in to the not quite frozen tundra of Lambeau Field next week to face Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, I can not help wondering how I am going to find anyone to go see the Jaguars, Lions or Browns later in the season if the losses keep piling up as they surely will.
Monday, September 6, 2010
My 2010 Bills Forecast
Chan Gailey had just been named Bills head coach when I last posted here in January. There has not really been much to be excited about over the last 8 months, let alone write about. But, the season is about to start so I thought what the hell.
On August 19th, my friend and I took our $125 seats (half the original price I paid 2 years ago) in the 500 level of the sleepy Rogers Centre for pre-season game number 2 and game number 4 in what seems to have become an sort of "white elephant" of sports promotions called the Bills Toronto Series . We planned on have a beer, chatting and leaving at halftime. The Bills treated us to 3 first quarter touchdowns on their way to a 24-21 lead over the Colts when the first stringers left near halftime. I had watched the entire (sorry to say) debacle in Washington the previous week and my expectations were low. CJ Spiller electrified the crowd (ok, "electrify" is way too strong but I found it mildly electrifying) with a long TD run and Edwards hit a wide open Lee Evans with a long bomb as well. Payton Manning played well into the second quarter, the roof was open on a nice evening and I left at halftime (I caught the whole game later in the week on NFL Network) feeling better than I thought I would.
The 53 man roster was announced this past weekend and, looking at this year's depth chart, there realy is no reason to think that the team will even challenge to be .500. The most glaring area is the offensive line which has no proven top flight players and a very thin reserve list. The defencive backfield, on the other hand looks very good by league standards. Would we rather have a good O line and a weak secondary? I'd probably say yes to that.
As always, we'll see. One of the NFL's most appealing phenomenons is that teams can change profoundly in the course of a year. In addition to being too short on talent to realistically hope for anything much this season, the Bills appear to have a very tough schedule, especially early on, but maybe some of those teams which were very good last year will fall off as veteran players age, injuries mount etc. What looks like a relatively easy schedule can be a brutal one too. Maybe this year, somehow, the Bills can be one of those teams that makes other teams schedules more difficult. It could happen.
But it probably won't. I say they will finish 5-11 and win against the Bears - their first regular season win in Toronto.
On August 19th, my friend and I took our $125 seats (half the original price I paid 2 years ago) in the 500 level of the sleepy Rogers Centre for pre-season game number 2 and game number 4 in what seems to have become an sort of "white elephant" of sports promotions called the Bills Toronto Series . We planned on have a beer, chatting and leaving at halftime. The Bills treated us to 3 first quarter touchdowns on their way to a 24-21 lead over the Colts when the first stringers left near halftime. I had watched the entire (sorry to say) debacle in Washington the previous week and my expectations were low. CJ Spiller electrified the crowd (ok, "electrify" is way too strong but I found it mildly electrifying) with a long TD run and Edwards hit a wide open Lee Evans with a long bomb as well. Payton Manning played well into the second quarter, the roof was open on a nice evening and I left at halftime (I caught the whole game later in the week on NFL Network) feeling better than I thought I would.
The 53 man roster was announced this past weekend and, looking at this year's depth chart, there realy is no reason to think that the team will even challenge to be .500. The most glaring area is the offensive line which has no proven top flight players and a very thin reserve list. The defencive backfield, on the other hand looks very good by league standards. Would we rather have a good O line and a weak secondary? I'd probably say yes to that.
As always, we'll see. One of the NFL's most appealing phenomenons is that teams can change profoundly in the course of a year. In addition to being too short on talent to realistically hope for anything much this season, the Bills appear to have a very tough schedule, especially early on, but maybe some of those teams which were very good last year will fall off as veteran players age, injuries mount etc. What looks like a relatively easy schedule can be a brutal one too. Maybe this year, somehow, the Bills can be one of those teams that makes other teams schedules more difficult. It could happen.
But it probably won't. I say they will finish 5-11 and win against the Bears - their first regular season win in Toronto.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)