GunnerBill

The key is keep the conventional run game in check. That playoff game the running backs had 20 carries for 82 yards. 4.2 a clip with a long of 13 yards. That is going to mean plenty of second and third and medium to longs. When we won there in 2022 it was 21 carries for 86 yards at 4.1 a clip. If you can do that and not let the conventional run game beat you then sure, Lamar will escape on a few 3rd downs and pick them up with his legs but there will be enough obvious passing 3rd downs where he can't escape and they can't freeze the linebackers with RPO / play action and Lamar just has to read the full field and throw. And if you can make him do that 8 or 9 times a game you will beat him.

I know they are hype pieces from the in-house media team as much as anything but I just watched this and the Joe Brady one from a week or so back. Confirms what @Kirby Jackson and I were discussing yesterday IMO. They are both exactly the sort of personality that NFL owners are wanting to hire at the moment as Head Coaches. It won't take a ton of success for the Bills in the next year or so for both of them to be right at the top of interview wish lists in the next couple of hiring seasons.

I think he threw the ball well week one but I don't think he looked like he could move much. He was moving much better last night, not just on a couple of scrambles for 1st downs but when rolling out etc. The Jets are definitely the biggest rival within the division IMO. I felt that before the season and I stand by it. I think the Dolphins were going to take a step back even without the Tua injury. The positive for the Bills in terms of the H2H matchups is I think the Jets weakness is run defense. This Brady version of the Bills offense is likely a tricky match up for the Jets. Also I think Wilson was a top 10 pick rather than top 5, but agree he has justified it. I actually think every ball Rodgers throws to his buddy Lazard is a win for the defense if it prevents the ball going to Wilson.

Tell us how you really feel....

Yea I get that the Burrow - Chase LSU connection was probably a factor there that tipped the balance some. I disagree that it is harder to find elite WRs than elite OTs though. And I also think an elite OT matters more to a traditional pocket passer like Burrow than to aliens like Allen, Mahomes, even Herbert for example. Again I am not saying they got it wrong with Chase. But I'd have picked Sewell on the day and I'd still pick Sewell if you gave me a do-over right now. They were probably in a can't lose position either way with two elite talents but every year Burrow has been there they have been trying to "fix" the oline. I'd have done that personally.

I STILL say the Benglas should have drafted Sewell. Bill Belichick called him "the best tackle in football" last week. I struggle a tad getting there while he is still playing on the right side but there is no doubt that when Decker ages out the Lions will flip him to the blindside. He is an absolute stud. The best tackle to come into the league at least since Trent Williams (and I think as a prospect Sewell was probably even better). Chase is a stud too, it's hard to argue that was anything other than a home run pick, but I agree with you their overall win % might be higher had Burrow not missed a third of two of his four seasons and been nicked up at various other times as well.

Definitely the question that still needs answering is how can the offense perform generally in a close, high scoring shootout type game.

Yea I don't think Josh's mistakes have ever been ego. They have been recklessness. He is trying really hard to reign it in. Like I said before there was that play moving right where he really wanted to throw back across the field to Dawson Knox and if he does he probably completes it 6/10. But It also gets picked say 2/10 and in a game like that one where the Bills were in control it was not a risk he needed to take and he recognised that and restrained himself. I don't ever want to take all the heroball out of Josh Allen - it's just about how and when to use it.

Dennison was McDermott's 4th choice. It isn't an opinion that getting decent OCs to come to Buffalo to coach Tyrod Taylor was difficult. It's a proven fact. His first choice was Mike McCoy though who sucks far worse than Dennison. Dennison is a good coach who knows football but is a pretty meat and potatoes play caller, McCoy is trash. 2nd choice was Rob Chudzinski but he decided to stay with the Colts. 3rd choice was Brad Childress, who might have been a decent short term option, but the Chiefs wouldn't let him interview (this was the era when every assistant job was considered a lateral move).

Or they should have taken Williams #1 and then a left tackle instead of trotting Braxton Jones out there again to lock down your rookie's blindside and convincing yourself that is a sensible strategy. Wide receiver was a luxury pick IMO. That team needed and I mean needed a left tackle. DJ Moore and Keenan Allen for a year woulda been fine at receiver. Their offensive line is trash. But hey... they took a right tackle in the top 10 last year.... Joke franchise.

Friday morning reflections: 1. The Patriots really are terrible. That week 1 win is going to be one of those "win week 1 and don't win again" flukes. I think the Marrone Jags did it a few years ago went 1-15 and the win was week 1. Other than the Panthers they are unquestionably the worst team in football. 2. Rodgers is moving better each week. He looked like the tin man week 1 at the 9ers but the old joints are nicely lubricated now and that opens up the playbook a bit and makes him a more dangerous prospect. 3. The decision to bring Maye in for that final drive was odd. Brissett is taking the team nowhere, that much is clear, but I thought the rationale for not starting Maye was that they couldn't protect him.... so why throw him out there at 24-3 against a defense in pure pin their ears back and pass rush mode? He made a couple of nice throws but the strategy behind it made no sense to me. 4. I am allowing myself a chuckle at all the Breece Hall truthers. Best running back in football? He isn't even the best running back on the Jets. 5. The question from this game going forward is how good is the Jets pass rush? Will McDonald now has five sacks in two games. If he can truly break out for them then that D goes back to being scary. Is that just against two ropey olines in Tennessee and New England? Or will it sustain when the competition ticks up a level?

That is 'cos Kurt shoulders up is one of the best Quarterbacks to have played. He never threw a beautiful spiral. He never had a great arm. But he knew how to play.

If my dad ever told me I'd played well at soccer I must have been ***** outstanding.

Someone was adament that none of those three were first round talents by the way.......

Early days. But some reasons to be encouraged.

I don't think he was. I think Bobby April was the linebackers coach. Rob was Assistant Head Coach or Senior Defensive Assistant. I know he called redzone defense and it was pretty awful. His history was linebackers but don't think he was specifically coaching them here.

I hate them. Like seriously hate them. Their fans. Their entitlement. All of their coaches. It started in the Reid era and I thought I hated Coach Reid. Then he went to KC and even though they beat us every year in the playoffs I feel no anger towards him. It isn't Reid. It's the organisation. I wanted the Patriots to win both Superbowl matchups and I am not embarrassed to say it. ***** the Philadelphia ***** Eagles.

26th in yards and 30th in points in 2023. 30th in yards and 27th in points so far in 2024. Taking the 19 regular season games together across both only the Commanders and the Panthers are worse in points against. Nobody has given up more yards. At what point do we stop making excuses for them and admit they stink?

The Philadelphia Eagles and the Miami Dolphins. Every other team it is entirely situation and personnel dependent. And I have a sneaky soft spot for the Saints. They are kinda my NFC rooting interest to the extent I have one.

White is a healthy scratch on the worst defense in football and you think he will help us how exactly?

Ingram isn't playing over Elam. Elam can't play the role Ingram has played. He is strictly a boundary guy.

Rex wanted everything to be his call without putting the work in. Remember he took a day off to go see the Cubs win the world series in the middle of a game week? I mean can you EVER imagine Sean McDermott doing that?

I'd take Tennessee and Arizona.

Did we have any coaches who performed well under Rex? I suppose Kromer was here, I think his contract was up but maybe he could have been persuaded to stay? Other than him though that was a chump staff. And McD's first staff was pretty good for what a first time Head Coach is usually able to put together: five guys who are still on staff in Rob Boras (tight ends), Kelly Skipper (running backs), Bobby Babich (then safeties, now DC), Matthew Smiley (then assistant special teams, now STC) and Mark Lubik (then OQC, now Game Management & Assistant Receivers). Plus Leslie Frazier (who had an excellent six year run as DC) and David Culley (who went on to be a HC, albeit briefly). Okay it had a couple of one and dones on the list too - Culley only stayed one year, Gil Byrd was gone within a year and Phil McGeoghan who was a slightly odd hire in the first place. But McDermott's 2017 staff was likely better than Rex's 2016 one.

I would hire Stefanski as an OC for sure. Sirianni I am less sure about.