BarleyNY

Missing Von was big, but I can’t see him in the field changing the outcome of this game. Crowder was a solid addition but he wasn’t changing this outcome either. Besides, every team has to deal with losses. Cincy came into this game missing both OTs and an OG, then their C got hobbled and played on a wonky knee. Who else of note were we missing on the DL that got dominated by the Bengals scrubs?

IMO that is why winning it all was so important this year. Lost to the Chefs in the AFCC, then lost to them in the Divisional round. This year we looked like the best team in the AFC and solidly beat KC in the regular season. The arrow was pointing up. Now we just lost to the Bengals in the divisional round. And we weren’t even competitive. So now if feels like we’re running third in the AFC. The arrow isn’t pointing up anymore and that’s tough.

I’ve been discussing how similar the current Allen Bills team is like the Kosar led Browns team in the mid-80s to early 90s. Excellent QB and excellent teams that ran into teams led by Elway (3 times), Marino and Moon. Just couldn’t get over those hurdles in the playoffs.

Post of the day. That sums it up perfectly. Maybe Milano. He played like he wanted to win a championship today. Diggs would’ve started for Cincy, but not at WR1 over Chase or WR2 over Higgins. He’d have started over Boyd in the slot. So arguably, no Bill played better than their counterpart. And certainly no Bills coach coached better than their Bengal counterpart. Ouch.

As they should

Not adjusting? What was their game plan? Either it was to pass 80% of the time or they planned a more balanced attack and abandoned that. And what was with the repeated downfield passes like last week? I sure hope that wasn’t the game plan. Either Dorsey is game planning way too much of that or he isn’t reigning in Josh when he gets in that mode.

The thing with Rousseau is that he has no bend and limited lateral agility. He is great at stacking and shedding and his exceptional length gives him great range to get to ball carriers. But he needs a great bend-the-edge DE like Von Miller opposite him to flush QBs to his side. He’ll get the occasional bull rush sack or open lane sack, but he’s limited and is going to disappear without a player on the field doing what Von can. Oliver is a very good player. He should get his fifth year option picked up.* Him sticking around long term will probably depend on his contract demands. Keeping him long term might be tough. *edit: Oliver already had his 5th year option picked up last off-season. He will play on it next season unless he signs an extension.

42 passes (plus a sack) by Allen, 8 rushes by Allen, 6 rushes by Motor and 5 rushes by Cook. That’s ridiculous. Way too many deep shots today (just like last week) and not enough taking what the defenses are giving us. And not nearly enough rushing. As for the defense, McDermott bears the blame as much as Frazier. He might not be calling the plays, but it’s his baby and his fingerprints are all over the personnel and scheme. The Bills went with a defensive HC, which means we have to deal with our successful OCs turning over. The trade off has to be a stellar defense. You can’t have the failures we’ve seen in the postseason. The answer to your stud DE snapping an ACL can’t be to repeatedly blitz Edmunds over and over again despite his utter ineffectiveness at it.

The massive cap and draft capital invested in the DL specifically and defense in general are yet to pay any discernible dividends in the post season. That’s any post season. It is ridiculous.

I agree that OL play was a factor, but certainly not the only thing that caused the loss. We were out-coached and out-played on both sides of the ball - QB included. I like continuity with the depth if they’re cheap. Morse’s successor should’ve been drafted already IMO so I really hope it happens this year. I would be happy to see an OG and a RT too. I think starters at LG and RT need to be upgraded and that eventual starting C needs added.

Yeah. You need some continuity if it makes financial sense. Of those three two will be very cheap and the other (Ques) shouldn’t be that much more.

Beane is good with the cap but he is not special in that regard. GMs are almost all really good at it - and the poor ones don’t last long.

What about OL? We have 5 under contract next season. I think we sign (or re-sign) several and draft at least two. Here are the OL FAs: Quessenberry Saffold Van Roten Boetteger Hart Murray On the roster: Dawkins Morse Bates Brown Doyle I’d bring back some of them - Quessenberry, Van Roten and Boetteger if their contracts are reasonable.

Agreed. Saffold too. He was a bad signing and should not be back. Motor probably depends on price. Lots to debate. List of FAs is here: https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/buffalo-bills/ Spotrac estimates Edmunds’ value at $11M AAV. I’d be okay with that, but no way he takes it. He’ll be looking for a whole lot more and I think some team will give it to him. I just don’t want it to be the Bills. They have Motor’s at $5.5M. I think the RB market will push down salaries. I’d look to sign him or a comparable RB for a lot less.

He was yelling that he was open

The repeated blitzing of Edmunds is a fireable offense IMO. He is one of the worst blitzers I’ve ever seen.

I watched the game on delay and was FFing thru so I missed his comment on Lawrence’s throw - and most of his commentary in this game. I was speaking more generally. I assume you mean the bomb to Kirk. If so, that’s a poor call by Romo and fair comment by you. I thought the WR had to dive because he didn’t adjust to the ball. That one wasn’t on Lawrence, it was on Kirk. As for Collinsworth’s schtick in general, I guess it does get into the territory of being biased. I don’t blame him for talking up Mahomes or previously Brady, but he definitely gets into the realm of them not being able to do wrong.

Crap. You’re right. He moved to ESPN this season. I had not noticed that. That’s fair.

No Joe Buck after he spilled the tea on the NFL wanting the Bills and Bengals to resume the game after Hamlin almost died. No surprise there.

How is it biased? Mahomes has been one of the best QBs/players in the league for the five seasons he’s played and he will almost certainly win his second league MVP this year. Collinsworth is terribly annoying and way over the top with his constant, effusive praise, yes. But you’re going to have to explain how it’s biased.

Constantly talking up the faces of the NFL seems like something the NFL would specifically encourage the announcers to do. I suspect that is the driving force behind it. But, my God, it is annoying. I’m guessing Burrow and Allen get some of the same treatment from Romo today though.

I think it’s a combo of scheming him open early and Mahomes buying time when that doesn’t work. The two of them are dialed in to each other. The announcers actually had some great comments about Mahomes reading Kelce’s body language so he knew when he was turning for the ball. KC has a lot of extended passing plays where that comes into play. True, but they did that with a hobbled Mahomes and Chad Henne. Mahomes ankle’s health looms large for next Sunday.

If the Bills win it all this season, they will have very much earned it. Cincy, KC and SF/Philly is a helluva gauntlet. One game at a time.

I am not saying that the Ravens fired Roman so they could keep Lamar, I’m just saying Lamar might be more inclined to sign a long term contract with Baltimore with an OC who emphasizes the passing game rather than the running game.

I’m on the other side of that. I think it makes a Lamar contract much more likely. I believe Lamar hated Roman’s offense and not having good WRs because none of them wanted to play in it.