GunnerBill

All this reminds me is some of you guys are like... really old.

The first half of last season McDermott was not doing either job very well. He seemed to find his stride more second half of the year after the infamous hit piece. I don't know if somehow it refocussed him or something but he defenitely stepped off the stupid blitzing defensively and found a groove with his playcalling. When he fired Dorsey I also thought he should have given up playcalling. He didn't and it came right but I was adament after the season that he couldn't try and do both jobs again. I was pretty optimistic about it going in, but it did not work. I'm much happier with him back 100% in the Head Coach's chair.

Yep. I'm certain about them. https://x.com/fball_insights/status/1859007980752212301?t=qKma9VgzOOt6_h5ardeNVA&s=19 As for Spags, he is excellent. But you have to be excellent to make that kind of D work. There are very few coordinators who can make it work and even then go back to 2021 and he was under pressure for his job. Chiefs fans wanted rid of him, they finished 27th in total defense and it was then that Brett Veach decided he needed to change tact and move resources onto the defensive side. The 2022 draft they spent 2 firsts, a second, a third and a fourth on defense. They are one of the best defenses in the NFL right now, but they should be. When everyone is healthy there are two starters on that D who were drafted after round 3 - Jaylen Watson at corner (6th round) and Drue Tranquill who was a 4th rounder the Chiefs signed as a free agent from the Chargers. But as you say it is stylistic preference. I do not like heavy blitzing defenses. Never have, never will. I am conscious of that bias.

The Bills most played coverage is cover 3 at 28%. They have played cover 2 zone 19% (which is 7th highest in the NFL seeing as you are interested). They have played 16% cover 4 and 14% cover 1 man. They are actually one of the more flexible coverage teams, and that helps their disguise on the back end. They have the 3rd lowest blitz percentage at 18.1% and despite that they are middle of the pack (16th) in percentage of opposing QB drop backs that result in pressure. I'm the opposite to you, I hate heavy blitzing defenses, but I think Babich has done pretty well as a first time coordinator. He hasn't been perfect, he has made some mistakes (going to bigger personnel after the Henry run in Baltimore just to watch them nickel and dime is down the field with Justice Hill for two drives for example) but I think for the most part he has stayed patient, adjusted well and managed to maintain so of the really clever coverage design that has been a staple of McDermott's Bills teams despite a ton of turnover in the secondary.

It would need one of the 8 win Vikings, the 7 win Packers (who would have the h2h) and the 7 win Commanders (cake walk schedule including 2 games v the hapless Cowboys) to collapse down the stretch.

If they lose both games I doubt even winning out does it. Arizona will take the west.

They tried to get something done last spring and I understand they were a distance apart on money which is why they just did a bit of a restructure to free up cap room. Douglas has only had one, moderate, pay day by the standards of an NFL player. He will want to maximise the dollars on this deal

Athletic reporting he will likely be benched or possibly even cut once the playoffs are mathematically out of reach. The Jets will have a different Quarterback by the time they come here at the end of the season. And yet you can make the same argument about the Head Coach and he was fired.

The 9ers line hasn't actually been that great this year.

I think he is one of the best offensive play designers of all time. But he is stubborn as hell and if you don't run it his way he doesn't want you.

I'd take Drake Maye over him already and no way I'm benching Caleb to play Daniel Jones despite some of Caleb's struggles. In Vegas, Tennessee or Carolina sure I'd start him.

Until that top 10 Quarterback deliberately made a play off script at which point Kyle Shanahan would lose his ***** with him make absolutely clear there is only room for one star on that offense and it has to be the playcaller and immediately bench him for whatever Matt Schaub redux happened to be wandering past Levi Stadium at the time. I mean I exaggerate slightly..... but only slightly.

Yea pretty much where I am. They had to do something, their tackles are rough, but Humphries was never that great - I think I called wasting a year of Paris Johnson at right tackle because the Cardinals wanted to keep Humphries at left tackle in 2023 idiocy. And then you factor in him coming off the ACL.... we will see how it looks.

Douglas won't be back and Benford will be extended (although that probably happens after the draft and FA once they know where they are cap wise).

The stories out of New York are he was pushing for Jones to be retained. Treated him like a son. As I say doesn't let the coach and GM off the hook but I think he did more than just sign the cheque. Yep. Think it matters more than ever.

The amount of time I spend watching the Bills / re-watching all 22, contributing to this forum, listening to podcasts etc.... my partner would prefer it if I were cheating.

The wording of that statement - Jones went straight to the owner - gives credence to the story that he was the owner's boy IMO.

I think the owner was the driving force behind it. Not absolving the coach and GM from blame because the owner wanted Saquan back too and they went against his wishes but from everything you hear out of there the owner was all in on Jones.

spat out his pacifier? Is that what you'd call it? The thing you give a baby to suck? Spat his dummy, means thrown a childish tantrum essentially. Yea, he spat his dummy.

Wow. I guess he has spat his dummy in some way, or else why do this now rather than after the season?

That was a decent enough blitz pickup but Davis hasn't done a good job pass blocking as a whole this year - though they don't ask him to do it much. Cook has done it better, but the guy the ask to pass block most often is Ty Johnson. He is their trusted go to 3rd down back because he can stay in and protect or he can get out and catch a pass. It is why for the first time almost ever under this regime they are dressing three running backs without any of them being stud special teamers. Because they believe Johnson has so much combined value on 3rd down that he is worth a jersey.

Agree except he doesn't do the talent evaluation. Will McClay does that and is one of the best in the business. They pay him more than some GMs get to stay without the title. The bits Jerry controls, hiring coaches and the strategy for extending contracts and paying guys is where they have had issues.

If they lose Sunday and to the Bills they are done. I imagine they try and push Purdy out there fully healthy or not and if they go 0-2 they then shut him and the season down and try and lose out.

No, I don't. He gets major kudos for drafting Josh Allen. To win a Superbowl, he has to build around him. My question here is really how well we have done that.

Is a really good slot receiver. Got one of those already. I would take Brandon Aiyuk over any slot receiver. I think a healthy Chris Olave on a team with a good QB I'd do the same. As we saw early in the season with the Bills it doesn't matter how good you are between the numbers, if you can't threaten teams down the field on the outside you are too easy to defend.