Chan Gailey: Fired On Black Monday?

Black Monday looms in the NFL.  This is the day that has come to be known as the day that coaches start looking for new employment.  Its going to be no different for Chan Gailey.  At least that is what countless Bills fans are hoping for.  They have been calling for his head since week 5 of the NFL Season.  The only question left is will Buddy Nix go along with him. 

I can not see Chan Gailey returning as the coach of the Buffalo Bills.  He has been a complete disappointment and this season is worse than all the others.  His 3 season records stands at 15 wins and 31 losses.  Buddy Nix however has preached "continuity".  He has said that you can not start over every 3 years, or you will never make it to where you want to be.  That has been the norm around 1 Bills Drive over the last dozen or so years.

Starting over again, might sound like a great idea to Bills fans if it means getting rid of Chan and Fitz.  The coaches ability to call plays has come into question.  I for one believe that he is one of the best play callers in the business.  The issue is, can be be a head coach.  I say NO!.  How many times have we seen the same thing.  Wade Phillips is one of the best DCs in the game.  But, as a head coach, he sucks.  So, what has to happen in order for the Bills to take the next step.  First and foremost, they need to part ways with Chan and company.

Firing Chan Gailey on Black Monday will be the best PR move for the fans.  I for one am hoping that they do it then.  So, I hope that someone from the Buffalo Bills organization reads this and takes it heart.  The fans will start to boycott games and you will lose money if you do not do what needs to be done.  The longer you wait, the more damage you will do with your relationship with the fans.  So, fire Chan and release Fitz on Monday.

There will be more on this after Black Monday.  If Nix gets let go, then Chans time in B-lo will end also.  If Buddy Nix stays then the chances of having Gailey as a coach next season increases.  Only time will tell, lets all hope that Ralph Wilson has enough strength to step in and do what needs to be done, for the fans.  Remember, he is not gonna sell the team, so we have to hope for the best.  At least we know that they are not moving anytime soon.

Buffalo Bills In Toronto

Buffalo Bills Toronto Series

The Buffalo Bills in Toronto has turned out to be a nightmare for Bills fans everywhere.  Ralph Wilson signed an agreement with Rogers Communication so the Buffalo Bills will play games in Toronto for the next 10 years.  I thought that it would be a great idea to take a look at the history of the Buffalo Bills in Toronto. 

The Toronto Series started back in 2008.  Ralph Wilson wanted to expand his market in order to make more revenue so the Bills could afford to compete with other teams in the NFL.  Most of us fans thought this was a bad idea, and it brought out Buffalo Bills rumors of moving to Canada.  So far the Bills have made no move in that direction or even hinted toward a move. However it is known that the Buffalo Bills will be sold upon Mr. Wilson's death.   Not sure what kind of impact this could have on the Buffalo Bills in Toronto.

The History of The Toronto Series

The Bills started out with 2 games played in Toronto in 2008.  The first opponent happened to be the Pittsburgh Steelers in August of 2008.  The Steelers defeated the Bills 24-21.  This sort of set the tone for the series.  It seems that fans in other countries really are not fans at all.  During the regular season the Buffalo Bills played host to Miami Dolphins.  Once again the visiting team defeated the Bills 16-3.  Not a good start to the series for the Buffalo Bills. 

In 2009 lost to the New York Jets 19-13.  This was the third loss in as many games for the Bills in Toronto.  This series was really starting to eat away at the fans.  In fact Rogers Communications decided to lower the price for tickets because attendance was dropping for these games.  In fact they even offered 11,000 seats for less than $99 Canadian. There was only one game played in Rogers Stadium in 2009. 

Back to Toronto in 2010.  The Bills enjoyed their first win in Toronto defeating the 34-21.  This gave fans hope that they might actually start to win in Canada.  However this hope was short lived since the Bills gave up a lead in the 4th Qtr to the Chicago Bears.  They lost 22-19 in a fashion that is all to familiar to the fans these days. 

In 2011 the Buffalo Bills recorded their first regular season win in Toronto.  They played host to the Washington Redskins which they played 20 years prior in the second of their four Superbowl appearances.  The Buffalo Bills defeated the Redskins 23-0 to start their season with a record of 5-2.  After that however they collapsed and fell out of the playoffs for the 12th straight season. 

This brings us to the 2012 season.  Fans had high expectations for their team.  A key Free Agent signing had fans talking playoffs and hoping for a huge season.  However after some very high school like play by QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and some very sloppy play calling by the Coach Chan Gailey the Bills season was another one for the garbage can.  The Buffalo Bills in Toronto this year was the worse of all.  They got routed by the Seattle Seahawks 50-17.  Fans are calling for the head of the QB and Coaching staff. 

To think there are many years left for the Bills in Toronto and it only proves to be a very bad decision by all those involved. 

Now as you can see the Bills record in Toronto is a terrible 1-4  So, why would they want to keep it going.  The fans in the United States really do not want the Toronto series but some feel that if it will ensure that the Buffalo Bills do not become the LA Bills then they will take it.  Til next time.  Go Bills!

Its Spiller Time: CJ Can Show His Stuff

Fred Jackson placed on Injured Reserve

As a fan of the Buffalo Bills I was beginning to wonder what it would take in order for CJ Spiller to get the bulk of the work.  I know from reading Facebook that everyone was wondering the same thing.  Does this coach have something against winning?  Its Spiller Time!

What it took was for Fred Jackson to go down with a season ending injury.  The Buffalo Bills placed Fred Jackson on the Injured Reserve.  Now, its time for CJ to show his stuff to the rest of the league.  The only question left is which back will be back?  There are rumors spreading that the Bills will trade Fred Jackson during the off season.  I am hoping that they don't. 

Now lets talk some Playoff Football.  What will it take for the Bills to make it to the Post Season.  A miracle that is a bit out of reach.  What they needed to do was win last week.  Then they would only be one game out.  But, sometimes things just don't go they way we fans hope.  Instead they fall flat and lose another game that they should have won.  Can they still make it?  The answer is mathematically yes, realistically the odds are really against them. 

In order for the Bills to make it to the Playoffs they need to win the next 3 games.  They also need Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Possibly a couple other teams to lose.  Can this happen?  Sure, the NFL is a strange place.  These teams lost this past week.  So, anything can happen.  But, its highly unlikely to fall into place in order for the Bills to win a spot in the tourney. 

I do always hold out hope for it though.  I never count them out until the math says so.  So, as a Bills fan I am stilling holding onto a thin thread of hope that there will be some play in January 2013. Here is how I set it up using Yahoo Playoff Scenario Generator.  Now with this both Cincinnati and Pittsburgh need to lose twice.  They play each other once.  So, thats one loss for one of them.  So, its not impossible, but it is improbable.

Now lets get out and root for the Bills to win the next 3 games and at least break even on the year.  8-8 is not great, but I'll take it.   Go Bills!

Bills Lose Again! Come On Chan Grow A Set

CJ Spiller leads the league in yards per carry.  That is all you need to know at the moment.  If you were a coach in the NFL how would you have called the plays against the St Louis Rams?  I am willing to bet that if you had CJ Spiller on your team you would have told your QB Ryan Fitzpatrick just to hand it off.  No need to pass at the moment. 

Well our beloved head coach of the Buffalo Bills had other plans.  For some reason he just feels that Fred "Fumble" Jackson is the way to go.  Wait how did he put, "that is how the rotation played out".  I am so sick and tired of watching CJ sit on the sideline while the team loses.  If you have this man on your team he needs to play.  That is how simple it really is.
Lets talk about how the first half ended.  The Bills are driving down inside the 20.  We are in the Red Zone and what happens.  They run it twice and kick a field goal.  What happened to going for the touchdown.  This is simple math.  7 pts vs 3 pts.  We lost by 3, this means that td would have won the game. 

Does anyone really want to know why we lost.  It is because of 3 facets of the game. 

Number one reason why the Bills lost to the Rams:  Gutless play calling.  This head coach or offensive coordinator really needs to choose one job and let the other one go to someone who knows what the hell he is doing.  Or just maybe he needs to stick to college because his pro skills are a bit lacking. 

Number two reason why the Bills lost to the Rams: Fumble.  When you are driving the ball you need to hold on to it.  How many times has the team lost the ball in the red zone.  I hate to point fingers, but Fred, we the fans expect better from you.  Maybe you need to give back some of the money they gave you in that extension. 

Number 3 reason why the Bills lost to the Rams:  Defense.  Now I am not going to put the entire blame on these guys.  They played their butts off for most of the game.  It was just the last 5 mintues that they decided to lay down.  The Rams drove down and completed the drive with a go ahead score.  I had a feeling when they started that it was going to end this way.

Many fans put the blame on Fitz.  He did throw a int at the end of the game.  It didn't matter at that point but it was a interception regardless.  I say that he played a great game up until that point, but that drive should never had to happen.  All that drive should have consisted of was a couple of kneel downs and we are a game away of ending the Playoff drought.

Well here is to next week.  Hopefully we have a better result playing in Toronto.  Go Bills!

Why Tim Tebow Can Win

The Denver Broncos beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs. That is something that shocked the football world. Not one person, except maybe Tim Tebow himself thought this was going to happen. Now its on to Foxboro Massachusetts to face Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Can Tim Tebow beat the Patriots?

There are some fans out there that believe that the Denver Broncos actually have a chance to win this game. Others really just think that the only reason they beat the Steelers is because Ben Rothlisberger was banged up and couldn't really play at his full ability. Others know that Tim Tebow gives something to the Broncos that they have lacked over the last few years. Its called confidence.

This recent influx of confidence will be the reason the Denver Broncos win. That is if they can beat the Patriots. It is not too far fetched to think about. Look at what the Buffalo Bills did during their second game against Brady. The Bills scored 21 points in the first quarter. Of course we all know what happened after that. But, that is because they have a defense that allows way too many points and yards. The Broncos have a defense that can play, and they play hard.

The Patriots have the worst defense in the NFL. They will allow Tim Tebow to pass the ball. They need to contain him. Tebow showed against the Pitt Steelers that he can actually play the position of Quarterback. Something that many NFL analysts felt that he lacked. If teams could just put eight men in the box, to stop the run. They had the Tebow lead Broncos beat. The Steelers tried this and it didn't work. Somebody learned how to pass.

Tim Tebow can beat the patriots. Not sold on his chances of taking his team to the Superbowl this year, but if he stays healthy and plays well, he will have a long career in the NFL. Chances are good that he will lead his team to the Superbowl sometime over the next 5 years. No he is not the second coming of John Elway. He is however being looked at as the savior of the Denver Broncos. So, if your sitting there asking, Can Tim Tebow beat the Patriots? Sit back and watch the game this weekend to find out.

Andre Reed: Its Time To Enter The Hall of Fame

Each year the NFL chooses 5 players to be enshrined into the NFL Hall of Fame.   This year is no different.  Will this year be the year that #83 Andre Reed finally makes it in?  I believe that with enough press and maybe we can get it trending on Twitter, we can help the NFL make its decision.

If you are a member of Twitter make sure to put #AndreReedHOF after each post.  With this #hashtag we can let the NFL know that we as Bills fans want our beloved wide receiver to finally get what he has earned.  There are other Bills players in the HOF like Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas and Bruce Smith.

I believe that the issue with Andre Reed was the fact that he was in a class with some other great players.  Until this year, he always had a chance.  He just never really stood out.  Below is the list of the HOF finalists for this year.  Which five would you choose to enter into the NFL Hall of Fame?

-Jerome Bettis - Running Back - 1993-95 Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, 1996-2005 Pittsburgh Steelers
-Tim Brown - Wide Receiver/Kick Returner - 1988-2003 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, 2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
-Jack Butler* - Cornerback - 1951-59 Pittsburgh Steelers
-Cris Carter - Wide Receiver - 1987-89 Philadelphia Eagles, 1990-2001 Minnesota Vikings, 2002 Miami Dolphins
-Dermontti Dawson - Center - 1988-2000 Pittsburgh Steelers
-Edward DeBartolo, Jr. - Owner - 1977-2000 San Francisco 49ers
-Chris Doleman - Defensive End/Linebacker - 1985-1993, 1999 Minnesota Vikings, 1994-95 Atlanta Falcons, 1996-98 San Francisco 49ers
-Kevin Greene - Linebacker/Defensive End - 1985-1992 Los Angeles Rams, 1993-95 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1996, 1998-99 Carolina Panthers, 1997 San Francisco 49ers
-Charles Haley - Defensive End/Linebacker - 1986-1991, 1999 San Francisco 49ers, 1992-96 Dallas Cowboys
-Cortez Kennedy - Defensive Tackle - 1990-2000 Seattle Seahawks
-Curtis Martin - Running Back - 1995-97 New England Patriots, 1998-2005 New York Jets
-Bill Parcells - Coach - 1983-1990 New York Giants, 1993-96 New England Patriots, 1997-99 New York Jets, 2003-06 Dallas Cowboys
-Andre Reed - Wide Receiver - 1985-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000 Washington Redskins
-Willie Roaf - Tackle - 1993-2001 New Orleans Saints, 2002-05 Kansas City Chiefs

Twitter Address for Buffalo Bills Players

If you are looking to follow some great players on Twitter look no further.  Here are some of the addresses that I follow and you should also.  This will keep you updated on the happenings at 1 Bills Drive.

Bills Mafia
CJ Spiller
Thurman Thomas
Stevie Johnson
Da'Norris Searcy

There are others and I will be updating this page as I get them.  I also will be adding general NFL Twitter addresses as time goes on.  So, if you want to keep up on the Buffalo Bills and their players make sure you join Twitter and follow the players.  If you know of some that should be listed then comment and I will get them on the list. If you really want follow me by clicking here.

Fans Get A Late Christmas Present: George Edwards Released As DC

Christmas was just over a week ago.  It came and passed, but that doesn't mean much now for the fans of the Buffalo Bills.  They received a late gift from their beloved franchise.  After allowing the most yards in franchise history.  The only defense on the field that may have been worse than Buffalo Bills was New England's.  Even though that stat is debatable because the Patriots are playing in the post season.  The Buffalo Bills released George Edwards one day after the season ended.  Chan and Buddy gave the fans what they wanted. 

Most players do not want to see their coach get fired.  But, it is the way the NFL works.  Every year there are changes made to just about every coaching staff in the NFL.  When asked about the possible changes coming this is what Chris Kelsay had to say. 

“I know that every year coaching staffs change,” he said. ”Even winning teams make some additions or alter their staff in some form. If that’s the case for us we’ll rally behind it and place our confidence in Buddy and Chan to make the best decisions for us. There’s nobody that wants to win worse than the guys in this locker room and obviously the coaching staff upstairs because that’s the nature of the business.
“It’s a production based business and if you aren’t winning guys aren’t going to be around. They know that and we know that and so we’re going to do everything we can to win football games and if that means different players, different coaches I know that management is going to make the right decisions.”

Most of the time the players rally behind their coaches.  I am not quite sold on this.  George Edwards play calling ability lacked something.  He just didn't seem to be able to get his players in the right position to make the play the majority of the time.  With that in mind his bosses seen the same thing that the fans were seeing.  George Edwards had to go, a new defensive scheme had to be put in place because his just was not working out.

Now to really make the year of 2012 a good one for  the fans its time that the Bills signed Stevie Johnson and Fred Jackson to new contracts.  They deserve it and want it.  Even thought Johnson's on field antics may have hurt his chances, he still plays at a level not seen in Buffalo in quite some time.  As with Fred Jackson the Bills need a running back like him.  They have not seen a runner like this since Thurman Thomas.  Jackson was leading the NFL in rushing until he went to down with an injury that ended his season.  This allowed CJ Spiller to step in and who the fans what he has.  They were not disappointed.

So, now that George Edwards is fired.  Sign Stevie and Fred.  This will make the beginning of the off season a good one for the Buffalo Bills fans.  It goes to show some that the Buffalo Bills do want to win, and are willing to make the changes for the good.  Oh by the way Dave Wanstedt was promoted from linebackers coach to defensive coordinator.   Good Bye George!

Buffalo Bills Lose To Patriots: Stevie Johnson Benched

Stevie Johnson Benched After Displaying His message

There has been a lot of talk on the boards and Facebook about the benching of Stevie Johnson.  Going into the last game of the 2011 NFL season there were many Bills fans hoping for a sweep of the highly disliked New England Patriots.  There are not too many fans in the NFL that like Tom Brady (except Patriot fans).

Early in the game it looked like the Bills were going to walk away with this game.   21 points in the first quarter.  The Patriots didn't seem like they could stop Fitz and Spiller.  They were throwing it and running it at will.  Then came the moment that Stevie Johnson wished everyone a happy new year.  He had it written on his undershirt.  This drew a excessive demonstration penalty and Chan Gailey benched him the rest of the game.  (Was this the right move?).

After that first quarter the Patriots went on to score 49 unanswered points.  The Bills did not have anything to say or do about it.  It appeared to some that they just laid down and took it.  What I seen was that the Patriots changed up a bit on defense and put a stop the Bills play making.  On offense Brady started the no huddle and picked up the pace.  This gave him confidence and he was playing a bit more efficient.  (Brady is still a baby when it comes to getting touched)

After the game Johnson owned up to the penalty and stated that he was sorry and it wont happen again.  The issue is this, he did the same thing last year (why so serious).  He was not flagged for it.  How was he supposed to know that this year (these refs) would think its wrong?  Chan said that if anyone player hurt the team with a demonstration penalty they were out for the remainder of the game.  He stood by his word.  Not sure if Johsnon and the rest of the players agree with him on this.

In order to win this game the Bills needed to change things up a bit.  They failed to do so (again not giving the ball to Spiller 20 times a game).  Stop saying that we don't know if he is a 20 carries a game back.  Give him the ball and find out.  Don't bench your best receiver because he wrote on his shirt.  Get out and give the ref an ear full.  Let them know how you feel about the penalty.  Show your players that you are behind them and get emotional.

Before the Bills fell behind Fitz played an okay game.  He is not a Jim Kelly by any means.  But, I think with a little work in the off season he will be okay.  Ryan Fitzpatrick has the ability to take this team to the playoffs.  This game and season were not entirely his fault.  Yes he played quite badly after his big signing.  But,  he is no the one that allows the defense to score (except those dreaded pick six interceptions).

In closing the 2011 NFL season is all lost.  Yes the Bills missed the playoffs again.  But, the Miami Dolphins finally shut up Rex Ryan and the Jets.  I am so glad that they are not in the post season.  So, for the rest of the season, my pick for the Superbowl was Pittsburgh Steelers and GreenBay Packers.  After watching both teams play.  I might go with Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints.  Check back for more posts during the off season.  They will not come as quick.  Maybe every other week or so.