Good article by Wilbon

Joe Bugel is washed up. The game has long ago passed him by. The only way we could protect our quarterback under Gibbs was in max protect and that's just absurd. Bugel hasn't really developed a single lineman of note in his entire second tenure except maybe Heyer and he is pretty darn average at best. Joe Bugel needs to retire right away.

I disagree with that. Buges can still coach them. Buges hasn't really had to many new guys to work with since he's been here as we normally bring in free agents like Raback, Thomas, Kendall. But, in the few guys that he has had. He's done a pretty good job. I mean, Todd Wade did pretty well................he wasn't a rookie, but we got him from a team that led the NFL in sacks allowed for three or four straight years. And Buges turned him into a good back up Tackle. He wasn't elite, but he did a pretty good job there. He developed Dockery and Dockery got paid the biggest contract awarded in Bills history. And that was mainly because Buges molded him into a very good guard. And Heyer is pretty good too. I know he's not Chris Samuels or Jon Jansen, but Heyer is a above average tackle, who has the funniest nickname on the team. Speaking of Chris Samuels............his run blocking has REALLY improved since Buges got here. He used to be just average at it and now he's one of the best at it. Even when he's hurt. I know those two draft picks we spent on lineman when he first got here didn't pan out. But, he's done very well overall. Like last year for example. We went down to Minnesota and found a way to run 50 gut for 15 yards on 3rd down. That was a crucial down and we ran it right at the Williams Brothers. That was all Buges baby! Or how about when we faced Philly this year, who are still 8th against the run...............we put up 200 against them that game. That was Buges too!

Ohh I forgot Lorenzo Alexander, aka scarface, he's our defensive tackle turned into offensive tackle/ tight end. Man, was he good last year at that position! How could I forget that....................

Buges can still coach em. He's not washed up. He had this line blocking like the Hogs of old to start off the year. At least thats what Riggo said and noone argued it. The problem,I think, is that Zorn doesn't want to listen to Buges about the protection issues with his offense. At least up until yesterday, I think, that Zorn has just been to darn arrogant to listen to Buges. Teams have figured out how to stop Zorn's offense and I put that on Zorn not on Buges. Zorn needs to swallow some pride and say, "Hey Buges, do you have any ideas".

I think after the dust settles and the frustration of what could have been calms...Wilbon is correct...we need to build here...draft right and sound judgement on contracts for free agents (outgoing and incoming) will pay off in 2-3 years!

Speaking of Chris Samuels............his run blocking has REALLY improved since Buges got here. He used to be just average at it and now he's one of the best at it.

Samuels loves Buges and has said that he really helped him tighten up his technique. Hard to argue with 3 straight Pro Bowls.

I am no fan of Seatle under Holmgren, they are soft and they have always been soft. Even Zorn said Betts and Portis hit the hole with violence. Mr. Softee wasn't the answer. I would have rather had Rock in there. The point is Zorn does not recognize Mr. Softee. When he was a coach for Seattle. WCO ain't Redskins football.

:bdh:

So Jack Kent Cooke was to blame for bringing in an unqualifed HC who went 8-8. Joe Gibbs retired. The re-treads available looked awful. Danny took a chance. No blame there.

Your comparison to Gibbs is invalid. Gibbs was selected by a highly regarded professional GM, Bobby Beathard. Also, Gibbs was a successful OC. Zorn was picked by Pinky and The Brain and he was never an OC.

Gibbs lost his first five games. After that, he realized that he was taking the wrong approach with the Air Coryell schemes because his personnel was a better fit for emphasizing the running game, so the Hogs were born and John Riggins became the work horse. After that, Joe Gibbs went 8-3 the rest of the way.

Conversely, Zorn has changed nothing, insisting that the system works and that the players are not running the plays properly. The result is that the rest of the league is on to his offense and we are getting worse, not better.

The histories of the first years of Gibbs and Zorn are, in fact, contrapositives.

As far as the retreads are concerned, I think you are overlooking the up and coming candidates, such as Spagnuolo, who turned down the job.

Remember, Zorn wasn't even a HC candidate, initially. I even suspect that they weren't all that interested in Zorn as an OC, but rather as the best person to develop Jason Campbell. They had to offer him the promotion to OC to force Seattle to let him go. Then, the HC search got weird and they ended up hiring Zorn as HC.

No way was Zorn as qualified as Joe Gibbs!