Hapless Bills Fan

What does that mean?

How anemic is it? If it had a blood transfusion, it would still have trouble climbing stairs Tyler Heinicke outplaying Russell Wilson 😢

The point is, on half the kickoffs, it's not a touchback. So taking it at the 25 is not an option. That is the flaw in your analysis. Did you even read this? Or did you just read "flawed analysis" and ruffle your feathers?

Oh, Lordy, Son, What on Earth did you do there? Here, I think (I'm not sure Joe's assessment of McKenzie's "dwindling snap count" is correct, nor am I sure how Joe knows about muffed kicks/punts in practice) Someone pointed out that factually, that was McKenzie's 2nd ball security issue in a game to which Joe replied: Frankly, I think that's Weak Sauce by Joe B. Last year when Harrison Phillips was a healthy scratch for 2 games prior to the trade deadline, he constructed this elaborate structure about how the Bills were clearly ready to move on and Phillips would be traded. Well, after the season, McDermott said that Phillips was healthy but not at full strength and needed more time to get back to effectiveness after his ACL rehab. Then it was Mitch Morse, he was clearly in the doghouse and the Bills were ready to move on when he was a "healthy scratch" the week after returning from concussion protocol. Next game, Mitch comes back. I wouldn't put it outside the realm of possibility that McKenzie has done something to earn himself some doghouse with the coaches, but I also think that McDermott is typically a straight-shooter when he says something and as I pointed out elsewhere, I don't see him going out of his way to praise a guy as having developed so much in his time here and as being a big part of "making us who we are" when in fact, that guy is "in the doghouse" for "a few too many muffed kicks and punts in practice" and "they don't trust him on offense". I think Joe B is keeping up a tradition of "pot stirring"

Seems like every time I catch the pre-game pundits these last few weeks, I learn that the Patriots and Bengals are the most complete teams in the NFL, and that the Bills are far too one-dimensional in their offense to have any chance of success, and can't stop the run.

That's a big "if" Overall, kickers have a TB% of 58% this year in the NFL. We have given up 14 FG and 20 TD so 34 kickoffs. That would imply 19 returns that were TB We have 23 returns. Someone somewhere probably has stats, but that would suggest that McKenzie has returned something like 8 kicks that could have gone for TBs, and 15 that would likely have gone for less than 25 yds without a return. Be nice if good stats on this were easier to find. I think that's a flawed analysis, ESPECIALLY after factoring in the block-in-the-back penalties. I can't find a source of how many we've actually gotten, but it seems like "too many" to me.

I don't know; I can't find the alluded-to comments about him fumbling in practice and "the coaches no longer trust him" in Joe B's twitter feed. It would be very unusual for McDermott to single him out for praise in a presser one week if he's been screwing up in practice for weeks. I think that unforced, self-induced fumble on kickoff could well be enough. We can't have that. I'm with you When we're leading by 3 scores late in the 4Q and deep in the opponent's territory on 3rd and 20 is not too bad of a time.

Any chance you could find this? Because I looked through Joe B's twitter feed and also an Athletic article where he talked about it, and could not find this. He talked about: As far as I'm concerned, that fumbled kickoff was enough, but the fact is before that, the only time I saw a McKenzie ball security issue was the muffed punt against the Dolphins which Kumerow recovered for a touchback. I do feel he misjudged a couple of punts/kickoffs. McKenzie only has 1 recorded fumble in the last 3 seasons. He did have a lot of fumbles his rookie season in Denver, and two during his first season here, which is the reason he hasn't touched a punt between 2018 and the 2021 season finale Dolphins game. How would Joe B know what McKenzie has "made it a habit of doing" in practice? The reporters only watch a small portion of stretching and position practice. Do we really think the coaches are giving him "inside info" on McDermott's tight-lipped ship? McDermott praised McKenzie after a presser on Nov 14th: It would not be McDermott's "style" to praise a guy like that who is goofing up in practice to where the coaches "no longer trust him". He would say instead something like "He's got to play better, he knows that, but we see him work hard every day. I still believe in (players name). I think his best football is ahead of him." While McKenzie has seen lower snaps this season before "mop up time", so has Gabe Davis; the Bills are running no 5 WR sets and less 4 WR and 3 WR sets. Part of this is running more (2,1) and (1,2) sets, as part of keeping Dawson Knox on the field almost continually.

Baker has now had the same HC and OC for 2 years. That's half his time in the NFL. Supposedly Van Pelt and Stefanski "fixed" him last year. He really should be comfortable and confident in the system this year. Mayfield is hurt, and there's no question he's hurt. Allen didn't play so great last season the 3 games he was wearing an LB brace on his L arm. On the other hand, Allen didn't get a "pass" (so to speak) from a lot of people. We had "he's regressing" and (after the KC game) Terry Bradshaw opining "a 50% passer, that's all he'll ever be". At some point, as some here have said, the Browns need to make a decision to sit Baker and let him heal. Keenum is fully capable of running a Stefanski-type run-first offense. He went to the AFCCG with Minnesota, Pat Shurmer as OC, and Kevin Stefanski as his QB coach. They were gifted 4 INT by Jackson; even with that weird fumble from Baker, they need to be able to capitalize a bit more, but Baker just can't do it.

Stefon Diggs: 28 yrs old, and he don't look a day over "adorable"

Was signed by us Aug 24, waived a week later Aug 30. Has been on the Browns practice squad, released on Nov 10. Sounds like a guy regarded as having some talent, but can't stay healthy https://thedraftnetwork.com/player/tim-harris Watch the Evil Hoodie sign Ksiezarczyk to plunder his brain. Are you paying attention, Daboll? Change up your playcalls, Now.

I can understand that perspective, but the fact of the matter is that we went into the half with a lead, improved it to 6 points in the 3Q and then re-took a 7 point lead at the end of the 3Q. It should never have come to the last possession in any reasonable game. Our defense literally couldn't stop a nosebleed after the 1Q in that game. Starting in the 2Q, we gave up points on Every. Single. Titans. Drive. except 40s end of half and 20s end of game. That's why, to me, even though we had a chance to win at the end, it was a Very Bad Loss. If that's what the Bills D is like when gassed up Heaven help us when they're on Empty. I will grant that one of those TDs came off a Josh Allen pick deep in Buffalo territory and put our D in a bad spot. But we still went into the half in the lead and built on it in the 2nd Q.

Fumbled kickoff IDK, but Gunnar Olzewski fumbled a punt vs Carolina (he recovered) Jake Bailey (punter) had punts blocked against NOR and Dallas. New Orleans got into short FG range but no good. Dallas got into the endzone, but the refs overturned the TD Does the block only count if it leads to a TD and the fumble only count if it's a kickoff?

Well, it would be nice if the Bills had a few more FG and a few less picks from within FG range or close to it

Wow. Sucks for them.

Well, that's basically Daboll's philosophy. We'll try to run and if it doesn't work we'll pass The point that Dungy and Simms and others are making is that you need to keep trying, because if you keep trying teams keep defending it. Objectively, the Bills run game was not that effective against NO - we ran 32 times for 113 yds or 3.5 ypa - there was a point during the game where it was 2.9 ypa!!!! But the point is - because we kept trying, NO had to keep defending it. They couldn't say "Ha! They won't run!" and pin their ears back showing 7 rushers then dropping 3 into coverage but overloading the R side of the line with 4. Just like teams will keep showing Blitz0 until we beat it with either a deep throw to the center of the field or an effective screen - teams will keep trying those stunts and twists where they overload one side of the line and leave the other side looking to work - but if they overload the R side and leave the L side open and we run for 14 yds up the L side - oh then whups we can't do that.

Signed with the Titans on November 23rd

I'm trying to figure out the underlying assumptions here. Are you assuming that the Bills have the talent to beat anyone, therefore if they lose, they didn't try and therefore have no character? Because sometimes the overall better team does lose, because the opponent has a better game plan that shuts down their strength and exploits a weakness. Or because of an injury. Or it just comes down to a handful of plays.

I'm not following you on this. Are you suggesting the Bills didn't "show up" vs Tennessee? Because I don't think that's the case.

I completely agree with you that the Bills on paper are a better team. But the old saw about "Football is not played on paper, it's played on grass or turf on Sunday" comes into play. The fact is, the Pats have been playing very consistently while we've been up-and-down. Maybe, maybe not - it just depends upon how serious their illness was. You're for sure correct that we can't just assume they'll walk in the facility and pick up where they left off.

He did start with "outside street FA". Gaines is a street FA at this point. Dunbar had knee surgery at the end of last season and I wonder if he's not "right" and that's why he's being cut from PS after PS

Because that's how they're playing and how we're playing, was this a trick question? Last year was then. This is now. Records don't carry over. NE had a number of veterans who opted out last season but returned this season. They spent big in FA, including adding a premier pass rusher in Judon, two of the top TE in FA in Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith, and a bunch of other re-signings or signings. They improved at many positions since last season. The Bills pretty much chose to "run it back" talent-wise. We added a WR and an RB (who has mostly been on the bench) and in some ways, drafted for the future with high-ceiling guys regarded as raw, and doubling-down at the same positions (two DE, two OTs). Our play has been inconsistent this season. Our high powered offense just got skunked by lowly Jacksonville and we just got the ***** kicked out of us by the Colts. We've been highly penalized, including stupid pre- and post- snap penalties. We've also had highs, of course. In contrast, the Patriots have won 7 of their last 8 and the loss went to overtime. Now the fine print may paint a less dominant picture. I'd like to have played the Titans without Henry, Brown, and Jones or the Browns without Chubb or Hunt and Mayfield going out injured. But the fact remains, they've won 6 in a row and 7 of their last 8, while we've split our last 6 games including an inexplicable loss to Jacksonville and very bad losses to the Titans and Colts. Its a "you are what your record says you are" thing.

What's the justification for taking Allen "out of the equation"? Running is part of Allen's game, including designed runs. He runs consistently 6-7 times per game for 25-35 yds per game. I don't think you can entirely do the cause-and-effect thing there LOL. There are other factors at play. But certainly with the Jags, Daboll came out and said "we think you have a suspect secondary, and we're going to throw it in your teeth" and had no plan for a credible run game, and that backfired - because he planned to have us function as a "spread offense" and if there's one sort of offense Meyer should be able to shut down, that would be a spread offense. There would be some element of truth that we can't run very successfully against teams with good DLs. Part of that is our backs (Singletary and Moss) don't have the acceleration or the speed to run outside the tackles or from Shotgun. And our OL doesn't open big gaping holes between the tackles, so they struggle with vision and choosing the right lane. The reason we don't stick with the run is IMO very simple. Daboll has openly stated a philosophy "everyone wants a balanced offense, until something isn't working then you better do more of the one thing and less of the other". He legitimately doesn't see value in continuing to try to run when it isn't working effectively. As a former DC, of course, McDermott understands that when an opponent completely discards part of their game and you no longer have to defend it to keep it ineffective, the defense can just key-off on the remaining dimension. I think McDermott's style as a HC has been "hands off" on the offense as long as it was working, but Jacksonville was a huge wake-up call for him, and then the Colts game was the second alarm. I agree with this point. Daboll may agree with this point - the first NE game last season was the one where after the game, someone on the Bills said we practiced 50 plays on Friday and 2 of them were pass plays. We ran 38 times and passed 18 times that game. So we'll see.

Would it surprise you to learn I regularly get PMs suggesting that you and Sherlock are the same guy?

It's a concern.