While Bills fans burn about the awful preseason performance of the offense, the same anger and disappointment does not exist in the Bills locker room.  Doing interviews on Monday, it struck me how little stock the players put in what happens during the preseason.  Most said they weren’t worried, and maintained their confidence in the offensive plan.  Now some, especially Lee Evans, talked about their disappointment in the performance against the Steelers.  Lee said it left a “salty taste” in his mouth.  But he pointed out, as did others like Fred Jackson, the reasons why it  happened.  Specifically, they say no real game plannning contributes mightily to the on-field struggles.  That’would never happen in the regular season.  Trent Edwards pointed out that Monday was the first day the scout team gave the offense some looks at the upcoming opponent, although in this case it was New England.  Some pointed to the fact that the coaches were trying out new plays and formations, and using new players in new roles.

The players have a point.  Those are all factors that contribute to success.  So it’s to be expected that there will be some effect on the field.  But none of those factors explain missed assignments, bad throws, drops, missed blocks, and turnovers…all things we’ve seen in the first four games.

So while Bills fans have a right to be angry and disappointed…it should be tempered with the fact that it is the preseason.

Let me say right at the outset–I don’t know how good the Buffalo Bills are going to be this season.  I honestly don’t know how much better they are than a year ago, when they won seven games.

But I know this–I do not base my evaluation on the Bills on their preseason performances so far.  Not the mildly impressive showing against the Bears two weeks ago.  Not the abysmal showing at Green Bay last Saturday.

The chicken littles are convinced the sky is falling on One Bills Drive, because the Bills laid an egg at Lambeau Field.  They are ready to give up on Edwards, fire the head coach now, and scrap the no-huddle offense.  Or maybe Edwards should call his own plays in the no-huddle.  Or maybe the Bills should switch to a 3-4 defense.  Or maybe…maybe…

Maybe everyone should relax.  These games do not count.  The fact that the starting offense has yet to find the end zone in its’ first four quarters of play (over three preseason games) is something to be concerned with.  But it does not mean all is lost.

I go back to what former Bills LB London Fletcher told me once about preseason games.  “They don’t count, but they matter.”  I think it’s the best assesment of NFL preseason football I’ve ever heard.

What matters is that Trent Edwards is still working through his issues, still finding the fine line between being careful with the football — avoiding turnovers, and fitting the ball into tight spots downfield.  It’s what separates great NFL quarterbacks from mediocre ones.  I’m not sure Edwards is great, but I think he’s better than mediocre.  And I’m OK with giving him a couple of more preseason games to find his comfort level.

What matters is that the Bills have not established a strong running game yet in three preseason games.  Neither the starters nor the backups have shown they can run the ball consistently.

What matters is that the newly constituted offensive line has much more work to do to become a cohesive, effective unit.  The rookie guards are undergoing a baptism by fire this preseason.  It can only make them better when the games count.

What ALSO matters, is that the Bills are working through the real business of preseason–finding the right 53-players to put on the roster.

I submit that TE Shawn Nelson, TE Jonathan Stupar, LB Nick Harris, RB Xavier Omon, CB Ellis Lankster and DE Chris Ellis have opened some eyes on the coaching staff with their play in preseason games.  I want to see more of them.  I also want to see DE Aaron Maybin and FS Jairus Byrd in the final two preseason games, to see what kind of contributions they might be able to make.

Watching an NFL roster take shape in preseason, is a lot like the old saw about watching sausage being made—you don’t want to do it–you’ll lose your taste for sausage.  Unfortunately, preseason football is all we have for a couple of more weeks.  There are times when it’s not for the faint of heart.

The Bills have a lot more work to do to be ready for September 14th.  They have three weeks left to do it.  It’s foolish to make sweeping decisions about quarterbacks, coaches, or other key players based on preseason performances so far.

Temps will move back up to and a little over 80 by Tuesday, with still comfortable humidity.  A cold front crossing WNY Wednesday will be short on moisture, but still produce a few shwrs & tshwrs.  The cooldown behind the front will drop temps to a few degrees below normal for Thur-Fri.  The details on the upcoming weekend are sketchy, but it does appear there will be a threat of Sct Shwrs & Tshwrs moving in for a portion of Saturday, followed by an unsettled Sunday–with temps moving back to below normal.  Nothing extreme–but “coolish.” Our 14 day 80+ degree streak ended on Sunday–longest such streak since Aug 2005.  Tropics somewhat quieter again.

Click here for more information about the Erie County Clerk’s Office “Passport on the Move” program.

The latest tax is a 2 percent State Assessment Fee on top of your monthly utility bills. It took effect July 1st. The fee was quietly pushed through the 2009 state budget to raise more than a half billion dollars for the state’s general fund.

Click here to read more

Click here to sign the petition

Consumer Lien/Judgment Information Available , at Clerk’s Office

Following Lawsuit by Attorney General Cuomo, County Clerk Kathy Hochul Announces Public Information Available For Those Targeted by Corrupt Credit Collection Agencies.

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Click here to find out where to get assistance or to donate to the families and towns affected by the severe flooding last week.

The Buffalo Bills are in the final days of their Rochester training camp, and they’re four weeks away from the season opener.  And there’s still no sign of first round draft pick Aaron Maybin.

National NFL reporters speculated last week that Maybin was days away from signing.  But that’s not the sense I get from top level Bills decision makers.  Privately, they say they are disappointed in the delay in bringing Maybin into camp, and they’re not happy with the slow response to their proposals from Maybin’s agent.

One source told me that Maybin’s negotiators waited almost three weeks before they responded at all to a Bills contract offer.  That response just came back last week, and obviously there’s still some work to be done.

Maybin sits behind 49ers draft pick Michael Crabtree and that’s obviously why Maybin’s negotiations have stalled.  But there are more than enough comparable first round contracts now for Maybin to know what the market is.  He’s about one week away from damaging his chances of being a contributor in his rookie year. 

It’s time for Maybin to get to practice.  Waiting and hoping for Michael Crabtree’s contract to inflate his value is a pointless exercise now.  His agent is doing him a disservice by keeping him out much longer.  And at the very least, he can keep the lines of communicaton open.

Muggy conditions will continue into Tuesday, although temperatures will not be as warm on Tuesday.  A cold front crossing the region will bring Sct Shwrs & Tstorms Tuesday, mainly PM. While precipitable water will be quite high Tuesday, the dynamics to make strong or severe storms will be marginal.  A bubble of relief arrives for Wednesday, with somewhat lower humidity, but a warm front will be approaching by Thursday AM.  A vigorous upper trough will send unsettled and muggier conditions back in here Thur into Friday, ahead of significantly cooler conditions for the wknd.  While a few stray showers will be possible Saturday, most of the wknd should be dry.  That vigorous trough should help turn Hurricane Bill–which is likely to become  a Major hurricane-northward and away from the US east coast by week’s end. Should that trough unexpectedly become stationary, that would change things.  At this point, that scenario is unlikely.

Wild-life enthusiasts will have to pay more starting Monday, if they want to hunt and fish in New York State.

Fees for some sporting licenses are going up.

Sporting Licenses Fees