GunnerBill

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.

I agree if Babich and Brady perform someone will hire them as HCs. They are young, energetic, bright minds. That is what teams are looking for. And while the perception is that only applies to offense that isn't true. Brandon Staley had one year as a DC but was successful and fitted that profile and a team hired him right off the bat. Probably too early for his own good and after a fast start he failed miserably. Mike Macdonald had two years behind him but it took him half a season to get it right in Baltimore so basically a season and a half of good performance and he was hired too. If teams see bright, young, energetic guys they hire them. That is the risk you run when you hire young up and comers... but with them comes fresh ideas. Or you can value stability (the Bills had the most senior coaching stability in the league for a period with McD, Frazier, Daboll) but that means hiring more veteran guys. Daboll wasn't a retread HC but he had failed in multiple OC spots earlier in his career. I'd hope the current incumbents might stay a couple of years but if the Bills have a good season not completely beyond the realm that one of them lands a job this year. Remember both were sought after as coordinators last summer and had the Bills passed on either they'd be OC/DC somewhere else right now. I think Brady might be affected by the fact that Ben Johnson seems to be creating a bit of a logjam in terms of offensive guys. Eight HCs hired last time around, five defense and three offense one of whom - Harbaugh - I don't really count as offense he isn't some genius offensive coordinator he is the archetypal Head Coach hired for leadership. It hasn't started great for Canales and Callahan and I do wonder a bit if there is a feeling on the offensive hires that "Johnson is the one" and team are preferring to go defense rather than reach for their second choice of offensive boy wonder. I also think as you say Slowik and Kubiak - because of that Shanahan system - are probably the next two cabs off the rank after Johnson. That might push Brady back slightly in the queue even if he continues his early success with the Bills. I wonder what the market for someone like a Stefanski or a Sirianni would be if they were fired too? Would anyone give them a chance to jump straight back in? Or are they in "prove it again as a HC" territory.

Honestly I think those were more about personnel than scheme. In 2021 their oline was a major major weakness. In 2022 they started hot but when they had injuries to their receivers performance dropped and they didn't have depth. Agre having more of a genuine run game helps. Not disputing that. But I don't think it is evidence that the Bills have to win less on Josh's right arm.

Through two weeks Dodson has been very good for them. Another win for Buffalo's player development. The way they worked with him and developed him year on year from an UDFA to a good starting linebacker is impressive. That doesn't happen without good coaching. Can't keep them all, obviously. So it is to Seattle's benefit. It's also proof if you have a top ypung coordinator it doesn't matter whether they are offense or defense. You will lose them to a Head Coaching job. Your best hope of maintaining coordinators for the long term is by hiring guys who have been Head Coaches and been fired and within that category it probably is true that a defensive guy is easier to keep because an offensive guy might be more likely to get a second shot.

He has shown flashes Elam, for sure, but he has also shown severe inconsistency. His issue hasn't been making splash plays. It has been making routine ones where he has struggled.

Yea if fingers crossed they stay healthy this year we might never know whether the light has come on or not for Kaiir. But at the same time it is fair to say that Benford beat him out fair and square in open competitions two years in a row in 2022 and 2023.

Again, if it was that important to him he'd have got something done with them last offseason. He is going to go where the money is best and that won't be here.

Ta. And is their ranking by ASS out there anywhere? Or just the win % stat.

I wouldn't say zero.... but 80/20 against. Because I believe he does want the maxim pay. You have to remember this is not a guy with big career earnings (relative to the NFL average for a player of his ilk) because he broke out late.

Kyler Gordon was the guy I thought made the most sense for the Bills in the Elam draft. With him and Jaylon Johnson the Bears D is gonna be a tough out on the backend.

Except for the key spot. Ekwonu continues to be rough at left tackle. But agree the other four have been reasonably solid.

This matches my eye test. The pass pro (a couple of Torrence whiffs apart) has been stellar. The run blocking has been good but a bit less consistent. The pass rush has been really good, better than expected, but we have played two dubious offensive line teams. Hope it holds up as the tests get greater.

I still think the decision not to play Young and his receivers properly in pre-season was a mistake. It might have made no difference at all, but not doing it as a new coach with a 2nd year QB who struggled as a rookie was a mistake IMO. It certainly can't have helped.