GunnerBill

Not sure Baker counts. He was never really a bust. He was pretty decent in Cleveland he just didn't see eye to eye with Stefanski. He then did flame out in Carolina but I think that might have been more Carolina than him. Darnold and Geno were busts who turned it around. I think with Geno it was maturity. He always threw an accurate football and had enough arm. His issue was decision making and I think that has just improved as he matured. Darnold it was a bit more complicated IMO. But even those two... they had Jets in common 😄

It does. Not sure it should mind you.

So how are you lining up?

I agree that is the only time it is worth trying.... but it still takes arguably your best defender in Taron off the field.

He did. 2020 and 2023. In 2020 he came 3rd in his own division and won COTY. Mental.

Yes. I do.

Although he was not OC all that time. He did pretty much every offensive position through that time from Quality Control all the way up to OC. But I think he is a really good OC. Whether he is a Head Coach I'm not sure. I'm 50/50 on that. If there is a vacancy sure but the two decisions are separate for me. I think some of the stuff that has gone on in that franchise (and hey, I get it, it's the Browns) reflects poorly on his leadership. But if the Bills fired McD and Stefanski was available I'd definitely want them to interview him. Just not sure I'd fire McD to hire Stefanski.

Id hire Stefanski as OC tomorrow if he gets fired. I think he is really good.

This is true. If he hit the market he would be hired in a New York minute. Now he might be a turn around artist and a culture builder rather than a championship winner. That remains tbc. But he would not be short of job offers.

Milano and Bernard are the Bills best linebackers until proven otherwise. And Williams has definitely had some moments this year but he still needs the consistency.

I used to think I did. Turns out I hate the Eagles. Once Reid moved on I had zero strong feelings on him.

It hasn't. I put the stats up the other day.. The Bills have been top 10 in first quarter points every year since 2020, top 5 twice. They have been slightly less good on defense, they were poor in 2022 (ranked in the 20s) and middle of the pack (14th) last year. But before that they were best in the NFL in first quarter defence two years in a row in 2020 and 2021 and then 3rd in 2019.

I said when we discussed this a few weeks back that I think Hopkins on film looks pretty done and the name I gave of a guy I'd rather pursue was Amari Cooper FWIW. I'm not surprised that this is happening. The Chiefs are desperate for outside receiver help and he was the last vet on the market really. I think they will try and use him more as an intermediate target because at the moment their offense is dump off to Kelce or a back or deep shot to Worthy. Hopkins can still give them something inbetween I think. But he isn't the guy he was. I don't think he offers a ton now down the field.

I was talking to my mate who is a Rams fan about this on Monday and he was saying "thank God we won the Superbowl in 2021 or else that Stafford for Goff and two firsts was a disaster of a trade." But they DID win a Superbowl and so it justified itself. But there is zero question that in the two and a half seasons since Jared Goff has been a considerably better Quarterback than Matthew Stafford.

The odds I get when I look at the British bookmakers on this are: Lamar Jackson 11/4 FAV Patrick Mahomes 9/2 Josh Allen 13/2 Jared Goff 15/2 Jordan Love 16/1 Joe Burrow 16/1 Derrick Henry is 55/1 so if you fancy that get your money on..... Mahomes is a terrible price. He currently has more INTs than touchdowns. He won't get it if that holds true even if KC goes 17-0.

I don't think they are struggling to "get pumped up" I do think there are a few things at play here: 1. They have not been starting games well this year on either side of the ball - Miami game (defense) and Jacksonville game (offense) excepted. I think some of that is two new relatively inexperienced coordinators. The Bills have been a pretty good to very good first quarter team over the past 5 or 6 years, we have seen a regression there and I think we need to look at what we can do differently to start the game better on both sides of the ball. 2. They have some less experienced players starting. I look at Kincaid, Cook, Torrence, Coleman, Shakir, Bernard, Williams, Epenesa, Benford, Hamlin and these guys are all in their first or second season as starters. You go back to 2020/2021/2022 the Bills had very little turnover at the starting positions and then they have had a fair amount the last two years. There isn't quite the same on field leadership there has been and that plays a part in some of the ups and downs. Inexperience usually goes hand in hand with a level of inconsistency. 3. The Bills are now a perennial playoff team. There comes with that an element of "the season begins after thanksgiving". When you are a team trying to "make the playoffs" the first 10 weeks are huge. When you are a team that expects to make the playoffs the stretch run feels more important. Whether it is the Brady/Belichick Patriots, the McCarthy/Rodgers Packers, the Mahomes/Reid Chiefs I can think of plenty of those perennial post season teams who came strong later. The Bills have also been a bit like that and have finished the last four regular seasons on 5 game (23), 7 game (22), 4 game (21) and 6 game (20) winning streaks respectively.

I was never convinced he was a vertical guy despite the speed and his struggles getting off press were a big part of that. They need to be using him on more horizontal stuff - getting the ball in his hands and asking him to make guys miss. They have the exact same issue we had before last week. Forcing their rook into a spot he isn't ideally suited to because they simply have nobody else to do it.

Jared Goff is 100% in the race right now. It's a 4 man race.

Boogie was 100% a Beane and Schoen pick. They loved him. Be glad Rousseau was there because they had such a high grade on Boogie they'd have considered him at the end of round 1 if Etienne and Rousseau were off the board. Dion and Zay were Sean not Brandon.

Well previous years I haven't thought the Chiefs had a much better roster I thought it was nip and tuck or even for some of that period that the Bills had a better roster. I don't think that about this interation of the Bills. As for the Texans... they were down guys but I also just think the Bills are a tough out for them style vs style.

Yea he is Ngakoue take II for me. I thought he stunk too.

I'll give you Okereke is above replacement level. He's average. Not an Ojulari fan AT ALL. Think he stinks.

I agree with this. I think his first 15 is ALL about setting stuff up for later / trying to force the D to show its hand. I'm fine with some of that but the balance feels off. It should be the time of the game you can take advantage of a D on its heels.

Meh. I am not as high as you on their roster clearly. I think they only have one legitimate player on their oline - Thomas. They are unlucky he is hurt but they spent the 7th overall pick on Evan Neal and he currently is the backup right tackle and can't get on the field even when Thomas is down. He spent a second rounder on his center who is playing at a replacement level. I think he has been a tad unlucky on the defensive line that Thibodeaux seemed to break out 2nd half of last year and then got hurt. Burns was a reasonable trade. But behind the front 4 I don't like their defense at all. Nubin and Phillips look promising as a rookie safety and nickel corner but they are just potential at this stage. Basically proven "above replacement level" players on this roster are: Nabers, Nubin, Phillips (all rookies) and then Lawrence, Thibo and Burns on the Dline plus Andrew Thomas on Oline. The rest of the roster is trash.

What I say, and I know it's not a popular opinion, Brian Daboll is the best OC the Bills have had in my fandom (going back to 2002). I liked the start Brady made this year but I think the issues have surfaced the past few weeks and his first fifteen are DEFINITELY an area of concern for me. The thing Dabes did better than the other two was get Josh in rhythm early, almost above all else on offense. The first time we got the ball priority #1 was always "get Josh going."