TheFunPolice

That's why I think it was the "secret story" referenced in the "fire McD" thread. Nothing else makes sense.

We'll just have to hope Von Miller returns to being even a pretty good DE who can make a few plays. He did show some signs of life late in the season and in the playoffs, so there is some hope there. It just makes no sense to cut him. We'll be fine cap-wise. There's always moves to make.

6 total punts forced in the last 4 playoff losses COMBINED. 1 turnover TOTAL (this past game's goal line fumble). Zero sacks TOTAL. You mean to say for 4 years in a row when McDermott's defenses barely offered resistance once we got past the Wild Card round but it will somehow be different in year 5? His defenses have actually been remarkably consistent. Every playoff loss looks almost exactly the same. Zero pressure from the DL, zero turnovers, the other team moving the ball at will.

For some reason this thread makes me picture Pegula sitting in his office all riled up, his nameless assistant standing behind him waiting for some sort of order... then suddenly Pegula picks up the phone like Mr. Potter in It's a Wonderful Life and yells "Get Tyler Dunne in here!"

why are so many WR nuts? Is it something about the position?

Brady could leave for an OC job I believe, if he wanted to.

Sacked 4 times vs Bengals in the AFC Title Game (at home) also threw 2 INT Sacked 4 times vs Patriots in the AFC Title Game (at home) Sacked 3 times in the Super Bowl vs Tampa also threw 2 INT Our defense has played him 3 times now. 0 sacks. 0 INT. With all of the investment on the DL, that is flat out unacceptable. Actually, the defense played its best game against Mahomes and the Chiefs this time around, finally forcing a fumble and holding them under 30 points. It's hard, no doubt. The deep rounds of the playoffs are when you face the real teams that actually deserve to be there, not the Wild Card cannon fodder.

IMO the "secret story" is Pegula has spoken to Belichick about his interest in coming here as HC. Obviously it couldn't come out unless it gets done, thus local guys are sitting on it and nobody wants the Dunne treatment because everyone involved would deny it anyway, you'd be ridiculed, and it might even make it not happen. It would be the last time you ever had any access to the team. But "Belichick and the Bills" has popped up in enough rumors the past few days that it makes me wonder. It fits the "bill" (no pun intended): 1. Only a few would know and it would be top, top secret because of the optics and PR (not sure there's any written rule that says you can't talk with a free agent coach while you have a coach, though. Doesn't have to be an "interview" just a conversation). 2. Would obviously be something that could not come out unless it gets done 3. IF it came out that Pegula was speaking to Belichick about coming here while McDermott was preparing for a playoff game, of course it would be a real negative for McDermott, to say the least. After the Dunne piece, this is the only potential McDermott story that would be the end for him here, given that I can't see him having done anything wrong/bad/immoral and he's already been accused of pretty much everything possible in the "he said, she said" category by Tyler Dunne. I think it's that: Pegula spoke to Belichick about coming here, and there are obviously some people who know about it. Reporters aren't going to publish that with their name on it, and sources would out themselves by discussing it. So you get Florio being cute about "a team without a current opening" being a suitor for Belichick, and today's "Would the Bills consider a coaching change?" article. Rex Ryan saying "he wouldn't be shocked" to see the Bills hire BB. I would. I'll say that. Be shocked I mean. So that's just odd.

I agree 100%. Also, I can't wait until "Mahomes is the GOAT" is the unquestionable line and if you bring up Brady you'll get shouted down. I'll actually enjoy that I think.

That's the thing... KC will 100% load up on offense this offseason. This was their "down year."

on WGR this morning they read this incredible stat: in the 4 most recent playoff losses (KC,KC,CIN,KC) McDermott's defenses forced a TOTAL of 6 punts in 4 games, with 1 total turnover forced (the goal line fumble this weekend) and zero sacks or INT. That's a pattern, not "well, injuries..." How will it be different next time around? That's the real question. What evidence is there? To even get to, let alone win, a Super Bowl you are going to have to beat the top QBs and coaches. This isn't Brady's AFC where he had 2 games to win against the Titans and Jaguars to get there.

One silver lining from this year is that we'll have Milano and Bernard out there at the same time, with Williams as the athletic hard hitting backup. Even Spector did a decent job as a backup/depth player. It's almost like we have 2 Matt Milanos now. Obviously we had 0 Milanos this weekend, but going forward that's 2 stud LBers who make plays all over the place. The biggest disappointment, aside from Oliver, is at DL. So much investment for so little return when it matters most. Just no impact at all, and no ability to stop the run. And it's a pattern, not just a one off game.

Dick Jauron would 100% have been in the playoffs multiple times with Allen. He'd be our "crazy professor" coach. Probably similar results in the post season though. The point is: having Josh Allen and NOT making the playoffs would be totally unacceptable. Thus, the FLOOR is getting to the playoffs. The minimum. Does anyone really think an innovative, proven OC would do worse with Josh Allen as his QB?

and Shakir is really only playing due to Gabe's injuries. And look: guy making plays all over the field. It's a pattern with McDermott. He wants the experienced vets over all else. I get it to a point, but we need athletes on the field. IMO Elam did fine when he played but he never gets to play.

The idea that there is a "story" out there, after the Tyler Dunne piece, that is still untold but would somehow be worse is intriguing and also infuriating. ESPECIALLY if Pegula knows about it. It's enough already. How many more years of Allen's career are we going to waste? OR maybe it's another "he said, she said" thing that the team could explain away.

for sure, but what about all the other playoff losses to KC and the Bengals? Basically the same result: Allen played great but it doesn't matter. It looked like a pretty similar game overall

what happened all the other times in the playoffs against KC and Cincy? If the answer is everyone on defense needs to be 100% healthy then forget about it. It's never going to happen.

Well, IF the report of a mystery team being interested in Belichick but not having an opening is true maybe Pegula would do that. To be clear, I would rather have Harbaugh but we're stuck right now. With Allen McDermott will always win enough games that "you can't fire the coach!"

McDermott will be here for Allen's entire career.

this is what you're going to get with McDermott. And he has a lifetime contract here. So, you can't get too mad. All you can do is hope the Chiefs and Bengals lose in the wild card round to someone else and you get a run of the Dolphins, Texans and Browns to get to the Super Bowl.

we've won mostly Wild Card round games against teams that barely belonged in the playoffs. Once the pretenders were sent packing and the Divisional round sets in, McDermott's teams can't get it done.

another DL who will flash in September and October, then vanish the rest of the season to the point where you forget he's even on the team. We have Shakir now that McDermott was forced to play him, so we're "set" at WR!

all the resources spent on defense and they have been dominated every year in the playoffs against the Bengals and Chiefs. Yes, we beat Skylar Thompson (barely), Mason Rudolph, Mac Jones, and the Ravens when Lamar went out with a concussion. This isn't a one year thing. McDermott's defenses always no-show. This year there were injuries, but the result was the same. The DL was healthy and no-showed.

Like I said before though, if "you can't fire the coach that gets you to the playoffs" then McDermott will be here for Allen's entire career. If (God forbid) Allen misses games and they miss the playoffs, well then you can't blame McDermott: Allen was out. So we go on and on with mediocrity. I just wish our defense was nasty. Ravens defense is nasty. Ours, even at full strength, doesn't seem like that. They're good, but consistently come up short against top teams in the playoffs, and that's with Milano, White, and co. healthy.

is Pegula aware of it?