Bills Questions Answered

As the season winds down and the Bills are out of playoff contention yet again, questions need to be answered. Here are some of my thoughts on the Bills:

Win out or tank the season for a higher draft pick? 

Being a very competitive individual that is obsessed with sports, I have never had the mindset to want to quit while competing. I have a very big issue with that. For the Bills to tank for a better draft pick is no different to me. Winning games down the stretch, with playoffs out of question, can only give confidence to the young players on this team. Not only that, but with Jairus Byrd and Andy Levitre becoming free agents, you want to give them a reason to believe this team can win. Now only that, but if the Bills would like to add other key free agents in the offseason, winning helps. Buffalo has never been a high priority landing for free agents of the past, however Mario Williams brought his talents to the Bills last offseason and maybe that can start a new trend (might be overly optimistic). Byrd and Levitre are crucial upcoming free agents that the Bills need to re-sign for the 2013 season. So in my humble opinion, tanking for a better pick seems nice on draft day but has many negative factors along the way.

Vick to the Bills?

Michael Vick

This has become a small rumor in the sports world, and would be controversial among Bills fans. The possibility of Michael Vick becoming a Bill is definitely not out of question. I have mixed feelings about it because he is not the answer for the long term. However, he can put the Bills in the playoffs and run the Bills’ open formations much more effectively than Ryan Fitzpatrick. Vick is a threat to run, and with C.J. Spiller with him, that’s a lot of speed for a defense to worry about. Two major issues with Michael Vick are the fact that he is very injury prone and can be a turnover machine at times. This year has been hell for him in Philadelphia. No one has done their job to their full potential, and the offensive line has proven to be very problematic. With a good offensive line to protect him in Buffalo, the injuries can go down and hurried plays that cause turnovers are not as likely. He also possesses a strong arm that can relieve Bills fans of some of the underthrown passes seen this season. This may sound like a long shot, but this is my way of making the most of that situation.

Upcoming Draft: Qb? Linebacker?

Manti Te'o

The Bills have a dilemma going into the draft. Should they look for a quarterback to step in and lead the team or draft a playmaking defender? Many Bills fans would like to see a quarterback with NFL level physical abilities take the team by storm. Ryan Fitzpatrick has never shown a lack of heart on the football field. The problem is on plays where he has to improvise and make a stronger throw than anticipated,

he can tend to under throw the ball. These are never easy plays to make, but being an NFL quarterback, there will be criticism. With that being said, this upcoming draft class is not nearly as loaded as the few previous classes. Geno Smith is believed to have the highest potential in this draft and with the quarterback position becoming a lot more athletic in the NFL, it is not far fetched to say he will have decent success. However, he is not the answer for the Bills in my eyes and I do not believe there is any other quarterback worth moving up for. The Bills defense has been pitiful for the most part this season. There has been signs of hope and potential, but adding a solid defender is their best option in this years draft. Many mock drafts have Manti Te’o, the middle linebacker from Notre Dame landing in Buffalo. I would not say Te’o was robbed in the Heisman vote because a Freshman in Johnny Manziel broke SEC records which is extremely impressive. But there are not many other things a defender can do in a college season and not receive the Heisman. Manti Te’o racked up over 100 tackles and had 7 interceptions which has not been done at the college level. This combination of stats alone proves an ability to drop in coverage and a knack for finding the ball in the running game. He also recorded 12 tackles and broke up two passes in a win against the 10^th ranked Michigan State Spartans just after his Grandmother and girlfriend passed away within six hours of each other. The man is a leader and most importantly a winner. He waits to play in the National Championship against Alabama on January 7^th. As a die-hard Bills fan, it would be a shame not to draft him in this upcoming draft.

Should Chan Gailey be fired? 

Chan Gailey

Yes. Will he? I don’t believe so. The one reason I would say he should stay is because many players on the team have publicly said they don't want him fired. But, the Bills management has heavily defended Gailey with the rebuilding spiel many times. The Bills are in a rebuilding process, but fans are not happy with some of the decisions made regardless of this fact. Gailey sticks to the extremely conservative approach all the time, even when the team has fallen out of playoff contention the last couple years. He seems to coach like he’s afraid to lose his job if he’s too aggressive. Draws and screens are good plays in football and are most effective against an aggressive defense. Although the Bills are good at executing the screen at times, they are used way too often along with the draw play. Anytime the Bills are in a 3^rd and long, expect to see the draw. They have become very predictable which is something an offense never wants to be. Although fans are always on Fitzpatrick, he is stuck in bad situations at times that he can’t control. Around the league you see quarterbacks call an audible if the defense gives them a look that doesn’t favor the play call. Well if you are watching the Bills offense, don’t expect this. Fitzpatrick does not have the freedom or trust from the coaching staff to make his own reads, which even wide receiver Stevie Johnson publicly stated. For example, you will see Fitz firing the ball on a wide receiver screen with a corner sitting in their face, inevitably ending in a disastrous play. With a quarterback that went to Harvard, you would expect him to have trust from the coaches to make simple reads like this. Even when Gailey decides to be aggressive, it comes at the absolute worst times. In the fourth quarter against the Cardinals, the Bills led late and they ended up using the wildcat on a play that had Brad Smith throw a deep ball that was intercepted. The Bills won this game, but weren’t as lucky against the Titans. In the same situation, where they had a late lead and should have run the ball, they decide to throw instead and Ryan Fitzpatrick throws a pick that leads to a late winning touchdown for the Titans. These are just two decisions of many that stand out in my mind from this season. Then there is the decision making to give one of the most explosive running backs in the league, CJ Spiller, only 10 touches in a game. This is a joke in my mind. On the other hand, the defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt has simply not done the job this year. The Bills do have the keys in place to have a successful defense. The defensive line has underachieved at times, and Mario Williams was called overrated. However, since Mario had surgery, he has produced seven sacks. The main problem is that Wannstedt has not used his players the way he should and is more conservative than the offense, which I didn’t believe was possible. Watching game after game without blitzing linebackers and coverages that tend to give receivers too much room is very frustrating. The Bills can go ahead and draft any defensive stud or bring in other good players, but if they aren’t used the right way, they won’t achieve at a high level. Change is needed in this organization that currently holds the longest playoff drought. If the coaches stay, their mindsets better be the change. 

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