Now What?

Well, the unthinkable happened on Sunday.  A Buffalo Bills QB (Ryan Fitzpatrick) threw for over 300 yards in a game; 374 to be exact.  It was the first time such feat had been accomplished since it happened 59 games previous to that.  Fitzpatrick also threw 4 touchdowns on the day as well as the Bills played well enough to win, but once again got jobbed by the officials.  But that's not what this post is about.  What it is about is, what do the Bills do now?

Fitzpatrick is playing like an absolute man amongst boys out there this season.  He's currently 2nd in the entire NFL is QB rating behind only Peyton Manning.  He's tied for 4th in the league with 11 TD passes despite only playing in 4 of the teams 6 games.  Basically he's doing everything Trent Edwards could never do.  He's going out there, unafraid and throwing the ball; and he's doing it VERY effectively.  He's easily the best QB we've seen in a Bills uniform in 10 years.  Which leads me to my ultimate question/dilemma and reason why I posted this to the blog: What do the Bills now do about their draft selection in the upcoming 2011 NFL draft?

Ralph Wilson has already come out and stated the problems this franchise currently finds themselves in are his fault, and that the team needs a franchise QB and that GM Buddy Nix was going to spend the next few weeks scouting the top college QB's. Which would lead one to believe that Ralph Wilson wants his team to draft a QB in April.  But if Ryan Fitzpatrick keeps this up, how can you justify taking a QB with your #1 overall selection (top 5 pick) when your QB is 2nd in the league in QB rating and CLEARLY isn't the problem?  As crazy as I'm about to sound right now, Fitzpatrick is everything you want your QB to be.  He's fearless, he's smart (Harvard grad, killed the wonderlic), he has decent size, he's only 27, he's mobile, and he's the ultimate team player.  Yes I realize that Andrew Luck could be great, but for every Peyton Manning in the NFL draft, there is a Ryan Leaf. 

It is clear that right now, the reason this team is losing football games is because of the defense.  The defense is putrid, which is shocking considering how great our secondary was last year.  They just physically can not stop anyone at this point in the season.  I'm sure it has something to do with the scheme change, new defensive coordinator, blah blah blah.  But at some point you have to look at the real issues, which are, guys just aren't performing and we don't have playmakers in the KEY spots.  This defense is in DIRE need of linebackers, and defensive linemen.  Buffalo has given up an average of 36 pts per game in their past 5 games.  This team needs defensive help, DESPERATELY.

 Chan Gailey has proved to be the offensive mind we were told he was thus far.  He has the offense scoring about 27 pts per game since Fitzpatrick took over for Edwards, which should be enough to win most weeks in the NFL.  He has Fitzpatrick doing what Edwards could never do; throw the ball downfield to your big player receiver Lee Evans.  Evans has 17 catches and 4 TD's since Fitzpatrick's take over vs. 4 catches and 0 TD's with Edwards.  My point is, come draft day, I pray that Buddy Nix and Chan Gailey sit down and decide that this team needs to trade down a few picks, acquire more picks, and draft defensive players (and offensive linemen).  Someone like Marcell Dareus immediately comes to mind. 

While I wouldn't be UPSET persay if they drafted Andrew Luck, I'm not sure I would be happy.  Drafting a franchise QB seems like a great idea when you're winless, but really ... what more could Andrew Luck do than what Ryan Fitzpatrick is currently doing to get this team winning football games?  The losses fall on George Edwards and the defense.  

Random Thoughts

First thought: I need a beer, or ten.

Good news today, the Sabres woke up and beat someone. The won 4-1 tonight in Atlanta, a team who historically we either do one of two things: lose to them, or beat them 8 - 0. It was a good win for the boys tonight. Vanek scored, Ennis got one, Myers got one.. and Cody McCormick? Yes, Cody McCormick is now tied for 2nd on the team with 2 goals on the season. It was a stroll in the park for Miller, who didn't see a shot until almost 15 minutes into the game. Now the challenge is to string a couple of these performances in a row.. like 10 or so, because 2-4-1 through 7 games isn't really that good.


Second Thought: The virtual Tom Brady is just as annoying as his real life counterpart.

I seriously think it is physically and emotionally impossible to hate something as much as I hate Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the entire New England Patriots organization (Teddy Bruschi is one of the most bias people on SportsCenter today. I hate him about as much as I hate Brady.). Let's just say I'm not applying for any jobs with the Patriots or New England Revolution anytime soon, or ever for that matter. Now, I know that ShoeBox hates the Jets and their fans, and believe me, I do too. But the Patriots take the cake. It's probably because they just destroy the Bills every time they play them.

Or I haven't seen the Bills beat the Patriots since I was 14 years old. My bet is it's one of those reasons. I even hate the Patriots on Madden. I played them tonight, and I literally did everything I possibly could to hit Tom Brady as much as possible. It's bad when you reach the point where you try everything possible to injure a person's image on a video game, right?


Third Thought: HALLELUJAH MARK SCHLERETH!

Can I get an AMEN?!!?

In my opinion, hits the nail on the head. Chances ESPN had any idea he was going to go off like this? 0%? Jabs at soccer, use of an iPad, calling for two hand touch football on Sundays, and my favorite part, jabs at the Patriots. He used the full bag of tricks for this one. I wonder if Apple will use this clip for there next commercial? National Hypocrite League? Everything he said is completely true. The only hit that should've been fined was the Meriweather hit. The others were all football plays. Every single one of them. NFL, let's be honest here, you have more than proved your point about making your players become more accountable for their actions (see Vick, Michael; Roethlisberger, Ben), this is just taking everything way too far. Let the players play, don't fine them for playing football the way it is supposed to be played.

Final Thought: This post would've been a lot funnier if I had those beers in me.

You bet they are!

Hockey season is just around the corner, and you know what that means! Yes that's right, another year of watching the Buffalo Sabres demolish everyone in the regular season and then choke in the playoffs!  No I kid, but seriously, you want to know what the difference is going to be this year?  Look no further than this: Ryan Miller Commercial

Great commercial and great goalie (if not the best).  I just wish for once that Darcy Regier and Larry Quinn would get some legitimate defensemen in front of Miller so he didn't have to make 50 saves a night just to give us a chance to win.

Ryan Miller is in my opinion the best goalie in the league.  Sure he gives up the occasional softy, but I mean come on, he is consistently night in and night out the best player on the ice for the Sabres.  He is the Jim Kelly of the Buffalo Sabres basically.  I just pray that before he is gone, we can do what we never did for Dominik Hasek which is win a Stanley Cup.  It's something that not only the Buffalo Sabres need after that BS debacle in the '99 against the Stars.  But it's something that the city of Buffalo desperately needs.  Between THAT, and the 4 consecutive Superbowl losses for the Bills, this city and these fans deserve a championship more than any other sport in America.  And there's really no debating that.  All that I have to say is, "LET'S GO BUFFALO!"  Oh and "NO GOAL!"