mjt328

He is not wrong. Josh Allen is definitely progressing as a passer. But he's not there yet. If I was a defensive coordinator facing him on Sunday, my strategy would be to keep him in the pocket and limit the damage he can do on the ground. At this point, he's less dangerous with his arm than with his legs, and more prone to mistakes/turnovers. Just like the blueprint to "beat" Tom Brady has always been to get pressure up the middle from the front 4, then play strong press coverage on the back-end. That doesn't mean that every team trying to employ this strategy will be successful against the Patriots. It just means that you have a better chance playing this way, than with blitzing and playing a soft zone.

I'm not really talking about short "timing" throws like slants, screens, curls and picks. I'm talking more about the easy check-downs, like a dump-off to the running back when the initial downfield reads are covered. You know... the Trent Edwards/EJ Manual type throws don't require a ton of skill or accuracy. Those are the types of passes that guys like Sam Darnold are living off right now. Watch a Jets game, and check-down throws are easily accounting for at least 75-80% of his completions. But watch a Bills game, and you aren't seeing the check-downs from Allen at all. His only short throws are designed screens and quick-hitters behind the line of scrimmage (usually to McKenzie).

One of the things I notice about Josh Allen's development (especially compared to other rookie QBs) is the lack of check-down and short passes in our offense. The vast majority of his throws are 10-15+ yards downfield. This is a significant factor in his "accuracy and completion percentage problems" which Allen's detractors are not considering. Part of this may be due to Allen having a "gunslinger mentality" and always going for the big play. But I also notice that because of the offensive line problems, our RBs and TEs are often forced to stay and provide extra blocking help. Which means they can't slip out for a quick check-down. Leaving most of Allen's options on farther downfield routes. When you factor in the ridiculously poor blocking, the lack of easy throws available, the multitude of dropped passes by his receivers and the huge learning curve in going from Wyoming to the NFL - an observer can't help but realize the trial-by-fire that Allen has been dropped into. It's hard to imagine him playing in a tougher situation at any point in the future.

I realize that both units have struggled badly the last 2 years. I'm just not convinced that coaching is the problem. Last year, pretty much everyone knew the O-Line was going to take a step-backwards immediately after word broke that Castillo was hired. Not because he was a historically bad coach. But because he ran a zone blocking scheme which didn't fit the skills of our players. We knew it was going to be even worse this year, since we lost our three best lineman in the offseason (Wood, Incognito and Glenn) and did absolutely nothing to replace them. I'll be honest, and say I really don't know what is going on with special teams. They have been a disaster everywhere. But why is it automatically Crossman's fault when we have a bad punt, a missed field goal or a block-in-the-back penalty?

3000 yard seasons were VERY rare until the late 70s and early 80s. Until about 10 years ago, they were pretty much exclusive to the NFL's top passers. Today, hitting the 3000 yard mark is standard for anyone who plays a full 16-game schedule. Considering the Bills have only had one-true franchise QB in the last 40 years (Jim Kelly who played during the 80s and 90s), it shouldn't be surprising that we are way behind the curve. Guys like Drew Brees and Tom Brady have played their entire careers during the pass-happy years.

He's not wrong. The Bills D-Line is full of good/solid players, but nobody I would consider overly impressive. Especially with Kyle Williams well past his prime. That doesn't mean the Bills have a bad D-Line, or that it's a problem area.

None of the above. This team is starting to move in the right direction, and I believe we need some continuity. Coaches are an easy scapegoat, but they need the right talent to be successful. I know that Danny Crossman and Juan Castillo will be popular selections. But we are talking about guys who have been NFL coaches for over 15 years. I'm not sure they are the problem.

I've been following the draft process for years. I find that media experts, Internet sites and general fans seem to rank draft prospects based almost entirely on college stats, game film and highlights. Basically, they emphasize how good a player is right now, and say that's how good he will always be. NFL scouts and general managers certainly consider a prospect's college performance, but also do their best to factor in physical/mental potential and off-the-field intangibles. They are trying to figure out how a good a player is going to be, if he can be developed properly. That's why everyone on TV loved Baker Mayfield leading up to the draft process, but hated Josh Allen. Most were shocked when they started realizing that most NFL teams saw Allen as a Top 10 pick. It wasn't anything personal against Allen or the Bills. They just didn't see what the scouts saw, and were going to bash whatever team decided to pick him that high. You can see this process already working its way through the 2019 draft class. A great example is Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver. Early in the season, the media was gushing over him as possibly the #1 pick in the draft. And no doubt, the guy has been dominant during his college career. But word is starting to leak about what NFL scouts think, and there are serious concerns about his size. It's very likely that Oliver drops out of the Top 10 by the spring.

Free agents are almost always going to be overpaid. And it's OK to have a few overpaid guys on the roster. He's making $10 million per year, but contributing at a maybe a $7 million level. I would rather have a player like that (who is at least helping us win) than a guy like Russell Bodine who is making $2-3 million and is a major liability.

The average fan has always gone of stats to determine if a player is good. Now, the go off rating sites like Pro Football Focus. Players like Star Lotulelei will never get much credit with either. His job in this defense is to clog running lanes and tie-up blockers. He will almost never get to the quarterback for a sack, won't make too many tackles and doesn't get a ton of penetration. To the average person watching on film, it doesn't look like he's doing much. It looks like he's at a stalemate with blockers. But he's the one keeping linemen from getting their hands on Matt Milano and Tremaine Edmunds, making it easier for them to stop the ball carrier.

Running Backs are never worth taking that high. Maybe 15-20 years ago. But not today. They don't have a big enough impact and their lifespans are too short. Now... It could still end up working well for the Giants. Early mocks have up to 4 quarterbacks being taken in the 1st Round (Herbert, Haskins, Lock and Grier), and the only real competition the Giants have right now in getting the top QB is in the Jaguars. Of course, a lot could happen between now and then. It's possible Herbert and/or Haskins return to school. It's possible the Raiders decide to move on from Derek Carr, in which case they immediately need a quarterback. The Broncos and Buccaneers could still end up drafting higher than the Giants, and may be interested in drafting a rookie. Even the Redskins could end up in the mix, with the outlook for Alex Smith looking bad. There also may be some "decent" veteran QBs available on the market this year, or at least guys teams would be willing to grab as a starter. Teddy Bridgewater. Nick Foles. Joe Flacco. Jameis Winston. Derek Carr. Eli Manning. Ryan Fitzpatrick. This could really create a situation of musical chairs with the QB-needy teams.

I also agree that Quincy Enunwa would be a good WR addition, along with the other suggestions of Tyrell Williams or Chris Conley. They could also go with a sure-handed veteran slot receiver like Randall Cobb or Cole Beasley. None of these guys are flashy, but they would make our receiving corps better. The same names seem to be coming up on the O-Line, and I agree that all would help. Matt Paradis would be fantastic. I see a lot of people pushing for Roger Saffold and Daryl Williams (another Panthers connection). OL is my biggest concern, since we need SO MANY bodies. One of my top targets would be Jay Ajayi. Coming off a knee injury, he may come at a decent price. He's still young and few teams know what he can do more than Buffalo.

I don't see a lot of big names (at least with our positions of greatest need), but throwing out stupid money in the first days of Free Agency is rarely the best way to go anyway. Even with a large amount of cap space, I still want to see our front office make smart decisions and get good value on the players they sign. Help will be there. Maybe we won't be adding a bunch of Pro-Bowl players. But there will be upgrades available on the market. It's all about identifying the guys who fit our system, approaching them quickly with a good offer, and hoping you can convince them Buffalo is where they want to be. Teams with solid starters/depth across the board usually have more success than teams with 3-4 highly-paid superstars and holes all over the place. By my count, the Bills have 8 glaring holes going into 2019 and about $90 million in cap space. Wide Receiver, Running Back, both Guard spots, Center, Right Tackle, Tight End and Cornerback. If we focus on solid starting guys in the $5-10 million range, we should be able to address the majority of those spots in Free Agency.

The problem is, Allen is taking his biggest hits when in the pocket. On his runs, he's mostly getting out of bounds or sliding.

When judging a draft pick, I think it's fair to look at the player who was selected -- as well as any other players who could have been selected instead. It's also fair to criticize a GM for trading up, if it's eventually shown the move was not necessary. However, it's not fair to judge any player so early into his career. Whether good or bad. Let's see how Tremaine Edmunds stacks up on this list 3-4 years down the road.

It's a pretty weak group of Wide Receivers in free agency this year. All I see is a bunch of aging vets, question marks and guys suited to be #2 targets. A good GM should be able to find some decent help and depth, but I don't see anybody capable of being a team's elite #1 receiver (outside of maybe Josh Gordon, and we all know how that could end up). This particular WR draft class is considered pretty "deep" on Day 2. But it doesn't have a clear-cut/can't-miss elite prospect at the very top. It's very possible that someone eventually emerges as a #1 receiver, but it may take some time, development and patience. It will be another test of Brandon Beane and the scouts to pick out the right guy from the bunch, and try to land him in the 2nd or early 3rd Round. Bottom line, the only way I see Buffalo entering Week 1 of the 2019 season with an elite WR (that isn't going to take 1-2 years to develop) is through a trade. There have been rumblings about Julio Jones, AJ Green and Antonio Brown. So maybe we decide to go that direction.

Detroit is one of the (few) NFL teams with a significantly worse history than us. Despite being on of the league's oldest teams, they have never even MADE a Super Bowl. Much less won it. I would also group Cleveland, Arizona, the Los Angeles Chargers, Cincinnati, Atlanta and Tennessee/Houston as franchises who have accomplished far less than Buffalo... at least during the Super Bowl era. The NY Jets have done almost nothing outside of Super Bowl III, but at least they won a championship.

I think you are missing my point. Yes. Both Manuel and Allen were drafted with bad problems in their throwing mechanics, and the HOPE we could fix their accuracy problems. Coming out of college, there were a lot of similarities in that department. As time went along, it became clear that Manuel's problem was too deep rooted to fix. His throwing motion was already set, and it wasn't something he could re-learn from the ground-up. In contrast, we are already seeing improvements in Allen that NEVER happened with our last 1st Round QB. From college, to the Senior Bowl, to training camp/preseason, to Week 2, to now. There is growth. Yes, he's still missing lots of throws. But the GOOD throws are there multiple times each week. Which tells you he CAN get better. What happens from here is anyone's guess. Maybe Allen hits a wall. But maybe he continues to improve.

Most coaches in this league are average. They aren't brilliant strategists or motivators. They have a system, scheme and style. And if their team is full of talented football players who fit into the puzzle, they will be successful. If their team is full of bad players or poor fits, they will fail. Rex Ryan did not fail here because he was a bad coach. He failed here because his defensive scheme did not fit the talent, he had a mediocre/below average QB, he did not see eye-to-eye with the GM and his laid-back style was a poor fit for the rest of this organization. I doubt Sean McDermott is a significantly better or worse coach than Ryan. He's just different. His success will not be dependent on whether he is an offensive or defensive coach. It will not depend on whether he is conservative or aggressive. It will not depend on his personality in press conferences, how much he uses the word "process" or how often he claps during games. At the end of the day, his success will depend on whether Josh Allen becomes a franchise quarterback, and whether Brandon Beane can consistently find talent that fits his scheme and vision. End of story. It's fine to debate. But calling for a coaches head based on whether he kicked a field goal, punted or went for it on 4th down during a tie-game is ridiculous. There was sound reasoning for all three options.

I mentioned this in a different thread, but I'll say it again. When Josh Allen sets his feet and steps into his throws, his passes are usually right on the money. His misses (and no doubt there are more than what is ideal) are usually due to him rushing, failing to re-set his feet, relying on just his arm to wing it, etc., etc. The key with making Allen more accurate is not overhauling his throwing motion or footwork. It's just getting him to be more consistent in doing it right. This is MUCH DIFFERENT than someone like EJ Manuel, who never displayed good QB mechanics and always seemed to just be throwing the ball in the receiver's "general direction." My guess is that Manuel never really learned how to be a Quarterback, and just needed too much work by the time he reached the NFL.

He was down after getting hit earlier in the game. That does not necessarily mean he was "INJURED" and INCAPABLE of making a field goal, or that it had anything to do with him missing. In fact, Hauschka was able to kickoff twice after halftime (which is a lot farther than a field goal) and was able to make a field goal later in the game. Why did his terrible injury not stop him on those plays? The job of the coach is to TRUST the team doctors and TRUST his players to let him know when they are unable to play. McDermott is trying to win games, and has numerous choices to make during every game. A decision is not WRONG just because YOU don't like it. A decision is not WRONG just because the play isn't successful. Fans second-guessing coaching decisions is one of the worst parts of professional sports. Sean Payton became a coaching genius after the Super Bowl onside kick. But what happens if the Saints kicker shanks it? Or the Colts recover? Or one of his players jumps offside? It was a play that could have gone either way. The same with Pete Carroll, who has been endlessly criticized for not running Marshawn Lynch in the Super Bowl. But what about Russell Wilson's responsibility to not throw the ball directly into traffic? How does Carroll's legacy change if Malcolm Butler is a split-second slower in reacting?

I'm not sure if our receivers make the difference yesterday. But I certainly believe Clay should have caught the pass in Miami, which would have been a win.

How do you know that Hauschka's injury had anything to do with the miss? The idea that "McDermott knew" he was sending out an injured kicker is very key to your argument. But it's nothing more than fan speculation from the living room. Maybe Hauschka and the doctors said he was fine. In which case, he's usually pretty good from 50+ yard kicks. The argument against PUNTING is that you have the chance to take the lead, halfway through the 4th Quarter. I absolutely hate when fans criticize coaches for gameday decisions like these. There is no "clear" right and wrong... until after the play is done and everyone has the benefit of hindsight. So many things go into coaching a football team. But fans boil the coaches performance down to whether the guy was conservative/aggressive enough in a certain situation, whether they punted or went for it, when they decide to throw challenge flags, etc, etc. The truth is, most fans are clueless and are just looking for a scapegoat to blame.

Large schematic changes are difficult to make from week-to-week. Small strategic adjustments aren't hard (at least they shouldn't be for a decent coaching staff). The best way to defend Tyrod was to have the edge defenders play contain (instead of going with a full pass rush). This forced Tyrod to stay in the pocket and throw, instead of moving around where he was most comfortable. Don't get me wrong. Teams will adjust to Allen's current play, and I wouldn't expect 100-yard rushing games to become the weekly norm. Quarterbacks cannot have consistent/long-term success in this league without being able to pass. That's why I'm putting Allen's rushing performance to the side, and trying to judge his progress on the passing side alone. I think it's pretty clear to see the improvements he's made in that area since earlier in the season.

Look at the quote in context. He's not saying ball security isn't important to him. He's saying ball security was not the first thing on his mind during that particular fumble, and he was thinking more about making a play.