Peter

As I have said, I think that the record last year was a mirage given the other metrics. I said well before the season that I was expecting the team to be worse this year. The historic and embarrassing loss to the Ravens just confirmed what I already believed. I hope they can turn it around, but I think that this year is going to be a very tough and depressing year. I just hope that Josh can develop and does not get crushed (physically and otherwise) in the process.

The team is getting progressively worse. My mind is prepared to accept that.

The "prepared mind" had nothing to do with the miracle Andy Dalton TD or the late and controversial penalty on the two point conversion against the Colts.

The point is that, while we backed into the playoffs, we really were not all that good and, in some ways, worse than the year before last. In fact, last week's game confirmed my assessment. We shall see how this year goes. I suspect that we will continue to get worse. So far, it is a cluster . . . . I just hope we can protect Josh long enough (and give him some weapons) so he can develop into the QB they thought he was when we gave up so much to be in a position to draft him. As for your crack about fantasy football, I stopped playing that and Rotisserie a long time ago, because I cannot root against my team.

I am glad that we had some luck. For years, I thought that if Buffalo did not have bad luck, we would not have any luck at all (to borrow some song lyrics).

The Kerley decision is not going to get anyone fired . . . that is for sure. I just have trouble with the pattern.

In my view it was a mirage. Certain of the metrics were worse than the prior year (and may be even worse this year). I never understood the 15 players on the field (or whatever that was - I never had seen that before). The Colts had that late and controversial call go against them on the two point conversion that would have won the game for them. The percentages of Andy Dalton throwing a game winning 48 yard TD on 4th and 12 are very, very small. We got lucky. I realized this back then. That is one of the reasons why I am not expecting much this year.

In my view, we backed into the playoffs. We were very, very, very lucky. I will give them this though. We have not had much luck for the past several years.

I have never really given much thought to that conspiracy theory.

While McCoach may lead the team (for good or for ill), I would not say that he "led the Bills to the playoffs last year." I hope your optimism about these guys is correct. From 15 guys on the field to various metrics last year being worse than the year before to more franchise embarrassing losses than in recent history to trading to acquire Coleman but only increasing our dead cap space in the process . . . I have my doubts. In the end, I hope you are correct, but I still have my doubts.

I am not as impressed with them as you apparently are. I also am not impressed that, while they (and others such as yourself) portray themselves as thinking men, they had to steal their catch phrase and could not bother to come up with one themselves. You are correct. I do not agree with some of the things they have done.

Your definition of "led" is very different from mine.

I am not impressed with the thought "process." I am wondering how much "thought" went into trading the only other experienced QB we had who knew the playbook for a 5th round pick when it appears we are going to need someone else along the way. I wonder how much thought went into not making sure that we had a good enough offensive line to maximize the opportunity for success for our rookie QB (or any QB) or Shady for that matter. The one thing I know they do give a lot of thought to is dead cap space. They have managed to do a good job increasing that. They better hope that they sign some stellar free agents next year (and don't have to over pay to get them).

I would not be surprised if Daboll becomes the next head coach of the Buffalo Bills (or interim head coach). When or if that happens will depend on whether we have many more franchise embarrassing losses like we have had this year, last year (and next year presuming McBeane last until next season). I do think that it typically makes sense not to fire a coach in less than two years etc. One of the problems with this team has been lack of continuity. Nevertheless, we have had more embarrassing losses in the past year than we have had in a while. I really hope they can get it together. I also hope that we can somehow give Josh enough tools around him to develop intro the QB the braintrust thinks he is especially given how much we had to give up to be in position to draft him.

Process also apparently means we love dead cap space. Do they really? I am not so sure. I have said if for a while now. I feel sorry for both our QBs (now Josh) and Shady.

We allowed six sacks last week against Baltimore. Cordy Glenn and the Bengals allowed 0 sacks against Baltimore. Hmmm.

Everything should be considered in context . . . both my posts and evaluating Josh. As for my posts, I have said repeatedly that McBeane have not done Josh any favors for the reasons why I have mentioned. As for evaluating Josh, we need to evaluate him in context as well. I am not expecting him to take us to the super bowl. He just needs to show enough to confirm that he is what some think he can be (or confirm that he definitely can become that guy with the correct supporting cast). As an aside, I have a history here of defending QBs and trying to remind people to look at the big picture. As recently as this pre-season, I was defending AJ and posted a video with each one of his throws in a game to demonstrate that the vast majority of the incompletions were either not his fault or were intentional and that the second interception was clearly not his fault. I am willing to give Josh the benefit of the doubt given the surrounding cast, but we do need to see enough out of him before we draft in 2019 given that we are likely to have a high pick. As for McBeane, I stopped giving them the benefit of any doubts.

Thanks for your reply. In all seriousness, I appreciate it.

We shall see. The kid has potential. He also is very raw. That is why there are such extreme views about him. The analytics crowd loves Baker Mayfield and hates Josh. Old school guys fall in love with Josh's arm talent and think that they can coach him up to fix his deficiencies. Again, I had my doubts about the kid when we drafted him, but I desperately want him to succeed for the reasons why I have mentioned (including that the franchise will be set back a lot). I also think that McBeane have not done the kid any favors given that: 1) the line is substandard; 2) they traded the only other viable option for a 5th round pick thereby forcing them to start Josh now when he may not be ready, may have been better served by giving him some more time, and by starting him (or any of our QBs for that matter) behind a bad offensive line. You really need to read my posts more accurately.

What is the excuse for not being able to sell out the home opener as late as the Wednesday morning before the game. P.S. You really need to learn now to read. In another post, I wrote: "I desperately want Josh to succeed. Although I had a lot of doubts about drafting the kid, he is very likeable, he has embraced Buffalo, and he does have some raw potential - how much and whether he reaches it remains to be seen. The main reason why I want Josh to succeed is that, if he does not, his failure and everything that McBeane did to get him (and all of the guys they got rid of) will send this franchise further back than it has been for a long time."

Josh better show enough he can be a franchise QB before we have to draft in 2019 because: 1) We are likely to have a high pick and will be faced with a decision as to whether to again draft a QB in the first round; 2) if he does not and this past week's game is any indication of the season as a whole and the franchise is embarrassed, it will be interesting to see whether McBeane are around to make that pick. P.S. I heard on the radio that the home opener is not sold out. The home freaking opener. If the Bills have trouble selling out the home opener as late as the Wednesday morning before the game, one can imagine what it will be like later in the season. Actually, we do not have to stretch our imagine too much given that tickets to the Colts game last year were going for $6 on the secondary market. I am glad I could at least stop your constipation if not your mental constipation. I also care if we win. Let me remind you: 47-3 Spoiler alert. We did not have the 47.

This reminds me of when a former president used to say: "Mistakes were made." They have bet the house so they better hope it works out.

It must have been part of the process.

I do not recall him EVER saying that the decision was a mistake or that he made a mistake. He is saying that he is responsible for making what he thinks was a good decision (this year and last). I suspect that you know that we did not just merely use our own pick to draft him. I hope you know that we let the Jets beat us to the punch on Darnold and we made several moves to pick where we ended up picking . . . and did this all in the context of getting rid of so many other players.

Think again. I desperately want Josh to succeed. Although I had a lot of doubts about drafting the kid, he is very likeable, he has embraced Buffalo, and he does have some raw potential - how much and whether he reaches it remains to be seen. The main reason why I want Josh to succeed is that, if he does not, his failure and everything that McBeane did to get him (and all of the guys they got rid of) will send this franchise further back than it has been for a long time. Just my two cents.