mjt328

I always look at the playoff race as the countdown to 7 losses. Once you hit 7, you are pretty much done (in most years). At this point, the only team out is Cleveland (8 losses). Indianapolis has 6 losses, and basically needs to win out. New York, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Houston, Denver, Los Angeles and Oakland are all sitting at 5 losses. Which means anything more than 1 loss, and they are done too. This leaves a total of 7 teams currently in contention for 6 playoff spots. New England, Pittsburgh and Kansas City have 2 losses. Buffalo, Miami, Tennessee and Jacksonville have 3 losses.

The way I see it, if a quarterback reaches the full depth of his dropback and can immediately step into a throw, the O-Line has given him enough time. It's not about "how many seconds" he actually has. Because plays are designed around predetermined routes and a certain number of steps on a dropback. What is necessary for a 2-step drop and quick slant, is much different than a 4-5 step drop and timing route 15 yards downfield. And blocking assignments usually reflect this as well. The vast majority of pressure last night WAS NOT the fault of our quarterback.

Last night was (unfortunately) completely expected by most of us veteran Bills fans. Maybe it was going to happen against the Raiders. Maybe it wasn't going to hit until the Saints. But we knew it was coming. Every strong start Buffalo has managed over the last 15 years has eventually turned into this moment. Playoff hopes. National attention. Growing optimism and excitement among even the grouchiest fans. Then BAM. Total meltdown. It's not that we suffered a disappointing/close loss to a game inferior opponent. That happens to everyone. It's that virtually nobody on the roster seemed prepared to play a football game last night. It was a pathetic and embarrassing performance across the board. This game was the 2016 Week 7 tackling debacle (against Miami and Jay Ajayi), erasing our 11-point lead in the 4th Quarter and killing our 4-2 start. This game was the 2011 Week 9 @$$ kicking (by the Mark Sanchez led Jets), which spiraled into a 7-game losing streak after beginning the season 5-2. This game was the 2008 Week 8 self-destruction of Trent Edwards (against Miami), as we soon watched a 5-1 start become a 7-9 season. This game was the 2005 Week 17 unbelievable loss to Pittsburgh's backups, with the playoffs on the line. I wish I could dismiss last night's horrific performance as a "bad game." But I know better. This team has Brees next and Brady x2. It has the Chiefs in Kansas City, and a road game on the west coast against the Chargers. It has two more tough division games against the Dolphins. The only "easy" opponent on the schedule is against the Colts. And the Bills MUST finish with at least a 5-3 record in these games to have a prayer at making the playoffs.

In my 30+ years of watching football, that may have been the worst blocking I've ever witnessed. Every lineman on the Bills looked like they were doing the Moonwalk last night. Getting shoved back into the QB on every passing play. And on running plays, Shady would take the hand-off and immediately be surrounded by 3-4 Jets players. I'm used to seeing games like this from Jordan Mills and whatever bum is playing Right Guard for us. But it was especially alarming to see 350 pound Cordy Glenn getting his @$$ pushed into Tyrod Taylor's lap on every single snap. Short week or not, how does a quality NFL Left Tackle let himself get embarrassed like that? We aren't talking about "mental lapses" or too slow getting out of his stance. He was just getting physically dominated on every play (mostly by Kony Ealy, who he has 75 LBs on).

In my opinion, the Bills have had "playoff caliber" talent since probably around 2012. But they have been held back by poor coaching and constantly changing offensive/defensive schemes, which have failed to capitalize on that talent. It also doesn't help to have New England in your division, making it impossible for a decent/good team to have any chance other than a wild card. It's a little ironic, after letting a good chunk of that talent go (Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods, Marcel Dareus, Zach Brown, Stephon Gilmore, Ronald Darby) -- that our team seems to be coming together and playing better. Are we getting better coaching? Are the players being utilized better this year? Were the guys we let go just overrated? Are we getting lucky so far this season, and it will eventually catch up? I guess nobody can answer those questions definitively after only 7 games. The Oakland win helped raise my confidence and optimism. But I still worry this season could fall apart quickly. I really can't blame Costello for feeling that way.

Jets allow 4.3 yards per carry. That ranks 23rd in the NFL. And Muhammed Wilkerson is questionable.

Marcel Dareus is another product of a society that teaches people to hold no accountability over their own actions. Go back and look at the reaction of Buddy Ryan and Chan Gailey after Dareus was drafted. Look at the reaction from the fans. Everyone in Buffalo was excited and thrilled to have a player like him on the Bills. He was the cornerstone of a rebuilding franchise, and very much wanted on this team. What has happened over his career, causing the city and team to sour on him - it all stems from his personal decisions. Dareus has gotten into trouble off the field three times in the seven years he's been on the Bills (two for drugs and one for drag racing). He was benched by Doug Marrone's staff for being late multiple times to meetings back in 2013, then got sent home just a few months ago by Sean McDermott's staff for being late to a preseason game. I understand that people make mistakes and I'm all for giving them a second chance. But at some point, it becomes crystal clear that Dareus just isn't learning from his mistakes or making a real effort to correct them. You have to wonder how many times he was late during Rex Ryan's tenure, only to have the coach look the other way. And of course, you have to wonder when the next off-field incident or drug suspension will drop. Even if Dareus was completely clean off the field, you also have to be worried about his declining production. Back in 2014 (before he signed the massive extension), Dareus was easily one of the best Defensive Tackles in the NFL. Easily in the Top 5. Since the day he inked his signature to that contract, his play has been mediocre. And while virtually every other defensive player has rebounded with the switch back to a 4-3 scheme, Dareus has continued to make virtually no impact in 2017. Considering his obviously sub-par work ethic, is it really a surprise that Dareus isn't giving 100% after finally "getting paid"? I HATE that is came down to swapping Dareus for virtually nothing (it's unlikely a 6th Round Pick will even make the team next year). But considering everything that has happened with him, it's probably the best we could have hoped for.

From what I've seen on the field, I still think Tyrod Taylor is too limited and inconsistent as a "passer." Yes, he's good enough to get us into double-digit wins. But at some point during a playoff run, I'm afraid his weaknesses are going to catch up to us. At some point, we will need our QB to take over the game with his arm. Either the defense will have a bad game, or the running game will get shut down. A bad game in the regular season, and you can rebound the next week. A bad game in the playoffs and you are done. If our ultimate goal is a Super Bowl win, I'm just not sure Taylor has the skills to accomplish that. That doesn't mean I want Taylor gone. Far from it. Even if we draft his future replacement, I think it's best to keep Taylor in place as a veteran stopgap and slowly develop a young QB on the sidelines (similar to what Kansas City is doing with Alex Smith/Patrick Holmes, or what Green Bay did years ago with Brett Favre/Aaron Rodgers). In my opinion, this is the best way to continue winning games and pushing for playoff contention, while attempting to upgrade the league's most important position.

The Bills were simply a below-average team, who played above their heads early in the season. They had a couple close wins that could have gone either way. Ryan Fitzpatrick was playing better than any other point during his career. Eventually it was bound to collapse. Seasons like 2011 are one of the reasons I remain a hardcore skeptic with the Bills. I'm (very slowly) starting to believe in this team. But it's really hard not to worry things will eventually fall apart. The signs that a good start is "fluky" usually include: - Playing weak opponents - Winning lots of close games - Being the beneficiary of an unusual amount of penalty calls, fumbles and "lucky" plays - Staying virtually injury free - Normally average or bad players suddenly looking great The 2017 Bills have some of the warning signs. Almost all of their wins have been very close. They have gotten huge contributions from guys with less than stellar careers (Jordan Poyer, EJ Gaines, Micah Hyde, Ramon Humber, Deonte Thompson, etc.) They have gotten a ridiculous amount of fumbles and tipped interceptions. But they have also managed to beat some pretty good teams, overcome lots of injuries and most of their turnovers have been a result of being in great position.

Too many variables to consider at this point. The largest being... Where are the Bills going to be drafting and which QBs might be available at that spot? I definitely think Quarterback should be our biggest priority. But if the Bills win 10-11 games with Tyrod Taylor, end up with two picks in the mid/late 20s, and some of the better prospects decide not to declare eligible... then I would have a really tough time swapping all of those picks to move up. In that case, I would probably be more willing to trade down and get bargaining chips for 2019 or just use the picks on other positions. Even if the Bills re-sign Jordan Matthews, WR is going to be a big need position next year. Then you have to consider that LeSean McCoy is getting up there in age and could take a step back at any time. We probably need to upgrade 1-2 spots along the O-Line, unless Dion Dawkins flashes some strong potential. Maybe Kyle Williams retires and Marcel Dareus is cut, making two giant holes on the D-Line. We need help at pretty much every Linebacker position really bad. And we could always use more depth at Cornerback, especially if EJ Gaines is not re-signed.

Doug Whaley did a decent job at drafting. Not really bad like some people want to claim. Not great like others want to say. Decent. It's really hard to judge a GM when the team is constantly changing schemes. He drafted Preston Brown for a 4-3 defense. He drafted Reggie Ragland for a 3-4 defense. One player has been inconsistent because of systems changing. One player was traded before hitting the field because of systems changing. You can find examples like this throughout his entire tenure at One Bills Drive. If fans are honest with themselves, Whaley made some pretty good moves here. But he is always going to be criticized for the foolish Sammy Watkins trade, for attaching himself to EJ Manuel's career for some inexplicable reason, and the bizarre news conference after Rex Ryan was fired. Whaley also never seemed to work well with Buffalo's head coaches (he never really got the chance to hire one by himself), which is a recipe for dysfunction in the front office. His time here wasn't a disaster. It wasn't a success. It was somewhere in the middle, and it's hard to blame the Pegulas for deciding to move on.

Please. I'm a 38-year-old white guy, and I absolutely LOVE the NFL finally letting players celebrate touchdowns again. This is a sport. It's supposed to be fun. It's supposed to be entertaining. These creative TD displays are something the league has been sorely missing. The penalties for "excessive celebration" were pathetic.

Unfortunately, the defense has been trending down for the last month. Look at the progression as the season has gone along: Points Allowed Per Game: 12, 9, 16, 17, 20, 27 Yards Per Play: 3.9, 3.9, 5.5, 5.4, 6.1, 6.4 Pass Yards Per Attempt: 4.4, 4.7, 5.9, 5.6, 8.7, 8.4 Rush Yards Per Attempt: 2.5, 2.8, 4.8, 5.1, 2.4, 2.8 In my opinion, something has been exposed in our secondary. And opponents are starting to catch on. While the run defense seems to have rebounded the last two games, our pass defense is letting up MORE AND MORE every single week. Don't forget that Matt Ryan was also torching us early, before Julio Jones and Mohammed Sanu went down with injuries. Yesterday there were several AWFUL breakdowns in coverage. Many due to poor coverage by our linebackers. Going into the season, most of us (Bills fans) believed this was going to be a weakness. But in the first couple games, our opponents seemed more focused on attacking downfield (especially with a rookie corner on the outside). Now I think offensive coordinators are noticing and going after the LBs. Don't be surprised if the defense continues looking inconsistent as the season wears on. Don't forget that many coaches (we've had plenty on our own team over the years) will ignore game film and fail to attack our weak points. And some won't have the personnel to outmatch us. But the way this defense is trending, I would honestly be shocked if this squad finishes in the Top 10 by year's end.

Only from an offensive perspective. The defense was very bad today. Tampa drove down the field with little resistance on almost every drive. Very little pass rush. Guys running wide open in the secondary. Missed tackles. The only thing they did well was create turnovers. I would like to believe this was just an abnormally bad game. But the defensive play has been gradually getting worse every week for the last 5 games. I'm afraid opponents have found our weaknesses and maybe we aren't the elite unit we thought.

I figured they were toast after Tampa tied the game. Bucs out-Billed us today.

Points allowed by the defense the last 5 games: 3, 16, 17, 20, 27 I agree this thing is moving the wrong direction. Teams are starting to find holes in the secondary. Tampa's receivers were ridiculously wide open today. If our defense is going to carry this team, they need to figure out what is going on and fix it.

Lots of factors. I've witnessed plenty of personal friends walk away from football over the last 10 years (well before the recent anthem protests). Here are some of the reasons I've heard from people: - Rule changes that have taken away the "big hits" and "manliness" of the game, while emphasizing passing offense above all else. - Greediness of owners, constantly moving teams (even when there is support like Cleveland) and raising ticket prices. - Poor disciplinary action for players who are beating their girlfriends, doing drugs, getting DUIs, etc... - Thursday Night Football has oversaturated the market. There used to be a 6 day wait to build excitement for games. But no more. - The Patriots cheating debacle, and the fact everyone outside of Boston is tired of them. - Fantasy football has created more excitement in stats and box score watching, while fans care less about who is actually winning games.

Very true. The Bills (with Jim Kelly) started ramping up around 1987-1988. They made their first Super Bowl in 1990, and their last in 1993. By that point, Kelly's knees were shot and his body was falling apart. He retired after the 1996 season, less than 10 years after our run actually started. By comparison, the Patriots (with Tom Brady) started their dynasty in 2001. Here we are 15 years later and they are still defending champs, and Brady is still playing as a top NFL QB. It just doesn't seem fair.

And yet the Patriots and Steelers are still in first place. The NFL doesn't need "parity" -- meaning that teams are so mediocre and inconsistent that nobody knows who will win each week. That just makes for ugly and messy football. Fans don't want to see their 9-7 team win the division by default. What the NFL needs is FRESH FACES. Especially in the AFC. It needs new teams with young talent to step up. It needs young quarterbacks to dominate, so guys like Brady, Roethlisberger and Brees can fade out and retire. It needs teams like the Bills, Browns and Jaguars to put together powerhouse franchises, and teams like the Patriots, Steelers and Broncos to drop off for a little while. We've been literally watching the same 5 teams cycle through the AFC for close to 20 years now.

Hard to say what we should expect... The defense has been fantastic for 5 games. I believe they are the real deal. And a defense that consistently holds the opponent under 20 points and forces turnovers will always give you a chance to win, against pretty much any opponent. At the same time, the offense has been terrible for most of 5 games. Even in our wins, they aren't scoring enough. The running attack was good in Week 1, and has been bad ever since. The passing attack is not good enough to carry us, even when everyone is healthy. A team that struggles to score 20 will put every game in risk. Our opponents have been up-and-down. The Broncos and Falcons looked really good early, but have dropped off. The Bengals were bad early, but have rebounded. The Jets were supposed to be awful, but were one ridiculous call away from beating the Pats to go 4-2.

1. Go back to last year's blocking scheme 2. Let Tyrod do what he does best 3. Wait for our receiving threats to get healthy 4. Wait until the offseason to upgrade talent But we all know that won't happen. So I guess the best plan is to just hope our staff lasts 3-4 years in order to get the right talent in place. I'm done with firing coordinators and coaches. We need continuity at some point in this franchise's miserable existence, or we are just spinning our wheels. Yes, Rick Dennison is clearly screwing up this offense, due to his ridiculous insistence on running this terrible zone blocking crap. But it's likely that Dennison would just get replaced by another stubborn clown who crams his system down our players throats. I've pretty much given up on coaches in the NFL. None of them know how to adapt to the talent on the roster. They all just run what they know and are perfectly content standing in awe as Belichick and the Patriots whoop their @$$es year after year.

I agree with your basic premise, but not some of the finer points. It's becoming pretty clear that Sammy Watkins was traded either because of his upcoming salary OR because he was selfish and not a team player. Possibly a little bit of both. After five games, it's hard to argue against the logic of this trade on Buffalo's part (and I'm saying this as someone who felt we got ripped off). Watkins is still doing nothing for the Rams, despite the rest of the team putting up great offensive production. Watkins has also publicly admitted his attitude in Buffalo was poor. At left tackle, it's hard to make a determination because Cordy Glenn has been hurt. Don't forget he DID start the first two games of the season, and struggled badly in both of them. It's possible that coaches are just holding Glenn back due to the injury. Maybe they meant to get him some reps Sunday, but later decided to give him another two week's rest. It's also very possible that Glenn is not showing well in practice - and is not adapting well to the zone blocking scheme. This seems to be the case across most of our O-Line. At guard, John Miller has given Jordan Mills a run for his money on being our worst O-Lineman this year. He definitely doesn't fit the zone blocking scheme, and has been completely terrible. I can't blame the coaching staff for giving another player a chance in that spot. With that said, I absolutely do place blame on Sean McDermott and his staff for installing this horrendous zone blocking scheme. Virtually all of our linemen are struggling, including regular Pro-Bowler Ritchie Incognito and veteran Eric Wood. Almost NONE of our current guys fit the system. Our running game went from the NFL's best, to a pathetic joke. Maybe it was ego. Maybe it was ignorance. But the decision to overhaul our blocking will be the main reason the Bills miss the playoffs AGAIN in 2017. There are virtually no doubts in my mind. And when the season is over, we are going to need to replace virtually EVERY O-Line player on the roster.

Rex's staff fixed the offense, but screwed up the defense. McDermott's staff fixed the defense, but screwed up the offense. I've often said that most coaches are about the same. Yes, they have different styles and methods. They have different demeanors and systems. But at the end of the day, it's all about how much talent is on the team, and how the talent fits into the scheme that coach decides to run. The main reason Bill Belichick is considered a genius is because he has a Hall of Fame quarterback and he adapts his gameplan to the talent, not the other way around. Most coaching staffs either cannot do this, or refuse to do this. The current Bills coaches have a different style from the previous staff. Quiet instead of loud. Conservative instead of aggressive. Detailed and organized instead of carefree and fun. We hear about trusting the process, instead of cockiness and bragging. But at the end of the day, are they actually better? Probably not. My guess is that McDermott's squad finishes about the same as every Bills team in the last 5 years. Between 6 and 9 wins. One side of the ball very good. The other side very bad. And even with a ton of picks, it's going to take a complete overhaul to fix this offense next year. We need a new QB, new WRs and a totally new O-Line that can zone block. Then we have overpriced veterans at RB and TE, who are bound to be shown the door sooner rather than later. It's conceivable the Bills could need 11 new starters on offense next year.

I gave Dennison some credit for adapting the offense to Taylor's strengths after the Broncos/Falcons games. But on Sunday, it seemed we were back to gluing our QB into the pocket. No roll-outs. No scrambles. No option plays. I agree 100% with the Rex Ryan comparison. Especially on the O-Line. The blocking scheme has been a disaster.

I'm laughing at the fans who somehow think we became a powerhouse. The Cincinnati Bengals are no joke. Their defense is playing just as good as ours, possibly better. Their offense struggled pretty bad to start the season, but is clearly back on track. They are also playing at home, giving us two straight road games. We barely scraped out a win against them last year. They are favored Sunday, because they probably should be.