Bills Fire Rex

And there it is - the news that everyone was waiting for since Rex coached the worst OT in recent history. There is no doubt that Rex can fire a team up but it has been proven time and time again that it's just not enough in NFL.

Just consider this: Rex knew he was coaching for his job. If you win, you still have a shot at playoffs (all 5 scenarios played out to where the Bills would have still been playoff eligible by the way). And Rex fucking punts the ball with less than 4 minutes left in the game to play for a tie. That is INDEFENSIBLE. You deserve to be fired for playing like a fucking coward. 

I've been on the Rex train since he was hired. He is a big time name and big time personality that a city like Buffalo would welcome with open arms. But when you're at the podium swinging your dick and guaranteeing Super Bowls and then you can't even climb above .500, you don't have a leg to stand on when the grim reaper is at the door. 

So here we are: a team going into yet another meaningless week 17 game, with an interim coach and EJ Manuel under center. That's got to be 3 squares on your Buffalo misery bingo card. 

And I swear to god if I hear one more person say the name Bill Cowher I'm going to jump into oncoming traffic. 

JACK IS BACK

Jack is back and he wasted no time getting reacquainted with his team – assisting on a Okposo goal 6 minutes into the first period, followed by a snipe of his own 3 minutes later. This team is night and day different with Jack on the ice. Taking late penalties when ahead by two goals and allowing 4 goals every game obviously isn’t going to cut it, but that’s not what this is about dickheads. Jack is back. Let’s roll.

Sabres Season Update - Evander is back, Jack is on the way, Offense stinks

The Rundown:
5-6-4 (24th in the league) - only 1 win at home
GF: 29 (29th in the league)
GA: 37 (10th in the league)
Leading Scorer: Matt Moulson (6)
Most Points: Kyle Okposo & Ryan O'Reilly (9)


The Season is entering that time period where teams start to show who they are and the cream starts to rise to the top of the league. Every year we over-react to the first 10-15 games and that is what I'll try to avoid in writing this, but will inevitably spiral into.

The Good:
-Matt Moulson actually cares about hockey again. Last year was an absolute dud. To the point where everyone (myself excluded) thought we should consider a buy out the remaining 3 years and 15 million left on his contract. This year Moulson looks nothing like the player he was last year. Perhaps playing on the same line with Okposo (Moulson is his son's godfather) or hearing the media chirping in his ear about being a bust, but I'm glad we got he player back who earned the big contract a few years ago.

-Kyle Okposo is worth the money. Watch any game the Sabres have played in this year (save for the opener when Okopso was hurt) he was one of the best players on the ice. He's explosive and isn't afraid to shoot the puck, something that this team desperately needs.

The Bad:
-Tyler Ennis has struggled to get back to being the player he was 2 years ago when he was one of the long bright spots on the roster. After his concussion last year which was rumored to be nearly career ending, he was looking for a rebound season and a scoring threat. However after 12 games he has just 1 goal and 1 assist and a -6 +/-.

-Evander Kane is still a giant question mark. No one can deny the guy's raw talent and speed. Personally he is one of the most exciting players I watch on the ice game in and game out, but that hasn't translated to the production expected out of a guy making over $5 million a year. I'll probably end up the only guy going down on the Evander ship, but I still belive he can be a 20-30 goal scorer in the right situation. Looking for a huge jump in productivity in the remaining 65 games, and plenty of time to do so.

Question Marks:
-Will Jack's ankle linger all year or will being 20 years old help him heal from a notriously hard to get shake injury?
-Is Robin Lehner the franchise goalie you need? Dude sucks at shootout's.

Update: God is Real, Greg Roman Fired - Bills Embarrass Themselves on National TV

That was embarrassing. No other way to sugar coat it. Greg Roman doing Greg Roman things, the defense couldn't defend a pass to save their lives and made Fitz look like fucking Joe Montana. And even after all of that - the Bills were winning this game in the 3rd quarter with their offense out on the field. 

You can play the blame game here, but I personally think the defense will be OK. This wasn't their best performance, but you can't give up on the one thing that Rex has showed that he knows how to do, coach his dick off on defense. 

My problem here was (as usual) with the offense. Take away an 84 yard and 71 yard "throw it up and see what happens" play by Tyrod and you have 17 points. The defense scored 7 of those points on a great play by NRC. So in two games you have 2 touchdowns and 20 points total scored as a result of the offense methodically driving down the field. That ain't gonna cut it. You need to be able to score in this league and that responsibility falls on the shoulders of the OC. Anyone who has watched football for any amount of time in their life knows that the playcalling is TERRIBLE. Roman needs to go.

Sidenote: I may be in the minority but I love the red jerseys. They gotta start mixing them in with their white uniforms.

Mood:

Next week we have the Cardinals at home. A do or die moment for this team this year. Win and the season is still salvageable. 

(Jesus Christ it's only week 2).

Bills lose to the Ravens 13-7: Watkins invisible, Tyrod stunk, and Greg Roman is the worst OC in the league

Can I ask a serious question here? Why does Greg Roman have a job? I've been asking this question for a long time and I feel like I'm yelling at a wall. I'm not talking about his incessant tendency to run plays that have literally no chance of working. I'm not talking about the play calling which is similar to that asshole in Madden who NEVER hits the X button when replays are showing so the game takes 30 minutes longer than it should (worst people on the planet, by the way). I'm talking about the guy's complete inability to manage weapon on offense that are clearly not being used the way they should.

Hey Greg, that Sammy Watkins guy? Maybe design a couple more plays that feature him. I know Tyrod misses open targets sometimes, but that is NO excuse for Sammy seeing the ball 2 times in the first half.

Hey Greg, that Lesean McCoy guy? Pretty good. It seems like every time Shady has the ball in his hands it is 3rd and long and Greg digs deep in his playbook for the best halfback draw he can find.

The defense gave up 13 points. One big play where one of the fastest WR in the league got some room and made a play. You need to win football games in the NFL when your defense gives up 13 points.

Tyrod needs to be better. While i'd love for Greg to hit the fucking bricks, Tyrod certainly isn't bailing him out with spectacular play (after 1 game). I trust Tyrod can be a serviceable NFL QB and is absolutely the best option we've had in Buffalo in a LONG time. Give him time to settle in, he certainly won't be the reason the Bills aren't successful this year.

Mood:













We're on to the Jets; at home under the lights for a color blind person's worst nightmare: Color Rush Thursday. What could go wrong?

Buffalo Bills Season Recap

Ah yes, a tradition unlike any other: Re-caping the Buffalo Bills season in December. While this season was trending in the right direction, below-average quarterback play has yet again been the crux to the reason as to why this team can not get over the hump and into the playoffs.


Offense

Obviously the most pressing issue this off season will be finding a new QB. Kyle Orton's ride off into the sunset (read: nearest liquor store) came seemingly out of no where, although as someone noted he took the gameball with him after he left the field at Gillette Stadium. So that being said it seems as if he knew he was retiring before the game and kind of putting the Bills in a shitty situation by not letting them know before the game. The team could have thrown EJ out there to see what he's got in a yet another meaningless Week 17 game.

(Stick to mid-level college ball, Nate)

The Bills have the worst offensive coordinator in the league. I have voiced my approval rating of Nate Hackett Here. So there is not much more to be said, as Hackett continued to be overwhelmed by the position all year. Throwing nearly 60 times a game with Kyle Orton should never happen.

CJ Spiller continues to fade into being a role player. We've seen CJ explode a couple years ago and since then injury and being put into poor situations have hindered his growth as a player. The offensive line also didn't give him much room to run, take notes of what Dallas has done.

Boobie D is still awesome.

Sammy will be a true number 1 wide receiver. 18 yards short of 1,000 yards receiving with Kyle Orton as your quarterback. Let that sink in. While he can certainly improve, the OC also needs to figure out how to get him the ball in space.

Robert Woods showed flashes of being a star in this league. He plays with fire and just needs to learn how to be more consistent from game to game. Awesome guy to have on a competitive team like this.


Defense

This defense deserves to be in the playoffs. While I still think that the secondary needs to improve, the front 7 proved that they are among the best in the NFL.

I think that Jerry Hughes earned himself a pay-day and that it should be the Bills who pony up an offer to get him to stay. Although I see where people are worried about how hungry a player like that will be after they are paid - with little guaranteed money and a team like Buffalo who is young and hungry, I don't see this being much of a problem.

Kiko coming back is a huge asset for this already stout defense, but it also brings into question as to where Brandon Spikes will fit going forward. I think you need to re-sign a proven vet like Spikes who has played on big stages his entire career - college and pro - who doesn't require a huge cap hit to keep.


Special Teams

Dan Carpenter is good.

Having a kick off specialist in 2014 is ridiculous.

Colton Schmidt... Not terrible.

Marcus Thigpen is a huge upgrade and earned himself a spot on a team in the future as a kick return specialist.

If you're looking for an in-depth special teams recap you've come to the wrong place.


The year was fun, the highs were high, the lows were low. But at least there were highs. That's a start... right?

Don't Worry Sabres Fans... Pat Kaleta Is Back And He's Punching Himself In The Head

Well... that's about right. That's how you strike feat into your opponent! That's how you win a fight! All about intangibles.

In all seriousness Kaleta brings a toughness to the team that you need when you're trying to show these young guys what it takes to win in the NHL. Now lets just hope he can stay healthy.



UPDATE:

Unreal. 5 minutes after I post this Kaleta goes crashing into the boards and leaves the game after grabbing his right leg. Hope he gets better soon.