GunnerBill

McVay is arguably a better Head Coach. Honestly, as a play designer.... he a distance behind Shanny.

And the reality is the team that ends with the most sacks ALWAYS has a monster game against a bad team somewhere. The Eagles finished as league leaders with 70 sacks last year and also had a 9 sack game vs the poor old Commanders and two 7 sack games vs the Giants and the Saints.... so that is 23 of their 70 sacks.... that is a third of their sacks in 3 games. It is never the case that the top sack teams just consistently get 3-5 sacks every Sunday like metronomes. They always load up against the bad teams.

Behind that New England line..... if Mac plays an entire year..... 90 odd sacks is not impossible IMO.

To the bolded - I think he did too. Remember all the talk was that Kyle loved Mac and there were still people right up to the day insisting it would be Mac Jones. I never thought that because I couldn't see them going all the way up to #3 for a guy like Mac, but does make you wonder. Lance to the 49ers never a lot of sense to me. I also agree Kyle is the best play designed of his generation. There are lot of his disciples out there in the NFL as HC and OC on other teams and Mike McDaniel is good, Sean McVay is good, but neither of them are Kyle Shanahan and their offenses are just not as productive as a result.

I mean we lose to the Jags 9/10 is the reality. They are a proper bogey team for the Bills for some reason. They laid an egg against Houston, but they should have beaten KC. They are not an elite team but they are a team who on their day can beat any team and when given the advantage that they were last Sunday against the jetlagged Bills.... I mean I always said I was worried about that game.

I expect the Bills to win the next 3 and get to 6-2. They should be at worst 8-3 as well (I can actually see 9-2 unless something drastic changes with Burrow's health and the Bengals in the meantime). I don't think any of that will tell us much. How they fare over the final 6 weeks will tell us something. The options being: 1) this is still a team capable of competing for a Superbowl; 2) this is still a good team but it is missing too many pieces to go all the way; 3) actually this is a team that across the board is regressing and needs a re-set. All three of those options are in play unless we lose more key players between now and then in which case I actually think nothing that happens the rest of this season would tell us anything other than the Bills have had some really bad injury luck.

He was actually pretty decent last year for the Vikes as a run stopper. But that is ALL he is. Jones has some penetrative ability as well as playing the run very well. Harrison isn't that. He is a 1 dimensional player you don't want on the field on 3rd down. Since letting Star go the Bills seem to have moved away from that type of guy. Haven't watched much of them this year so can't comment on how he has been. I honestly hadn't seen this before I posted, but not a surprise at all. Interestingly on this chart on Ed it kinda proves the point I have been making to the "he has only started playing well now" guys. Because Ed has actually been slightly higher on this chart in the past than he is currently.... (I make him 12th best by my counting there and he has been top 5 previously) but the sacks haven't come. This year they have. He was playing better than people realised before just without the flashy numbers in terms of sack production.

Almost never is an exaggeration. It is about 20% now for the Premier League. The toilets are normally based on that ratio. 1:4 This is interesting to me because I think Wembley is horrendous in terms of travel and infrastructure. I hate it. Terrible stadium, one way in, one way out. The slow trudge up Wembley way. Not near anything. I am surprised people found the transport poor. The Victoria line is normally super reliable and while I am sure it was busy I use it coming away with 60,000 from the Emirates frequently without an issue (although at least there the Picc line can take some of the slack I spose). I didn't suffer any travel issues from Tottenham because I walked there and back. It is about 2 miles from home. I actually loved the stadium and I say that as someone who hates having to admit anything good about Tottenham, ever. The two minor negatives are (as Virgil said) your leg room definitely feels cramped which when sitting for the length of an NFL game is an issue. I am used to the relatively luxurious leg room at the Emirates and it is not matched at Spurs. And secondly the stadium is just so incongrous in the middle of the High Road. Looks like someone landed a space ship in the High Road and left it there.

I haven't said he wouldn't choose him. You keep putting words in my mouth. But Josh would infuriate him. Because Kyle Shanahan wants his plays run his way. He does not want or like his Quarterbacks ad libbing. And personally even if plays were there I don't think you'd ever take that out of Josh totally. It is just who he is. I think there would have to be some compromise on both sides and I can imagine it being a prickly relationship. Just based on who Kyle Shanahan is.

Drafting him, maybe not. But he likes his QB to paint by numbers and run his plays. He does not appreciate freelancing. I think he and Josh would have had friction. He is not an easy personality Shanahan. And been told that by people who have worked in that building with him. I just guess Rex was reasonable in the interview. Rex has an ability to be affable and plausible.

I am not sure Shanahan would love Josh for reasons I have stated elsewhere. But I'd have hired literally anyone over Rex Ryan. A dead crow would have done.

The liability thing is a bigger perceived risk than real risk. But I had one of my staff last year had a relationship with one of his subordinates. They were both consenting adults I saw no way in which it could affect their work and I therefore concluded it was none of my business.

I do manage staff. I don't get involved in their personal lives. It isn't my business to. What did she sue for? Cos I used to advise on employment law (albeit in the UK not the USA). I know pretty well what a court is likely to hold creates a liability.

Does Diggs count as a co-worker? If so I can't promise this.

Yea that is the business risk point though - which I have accepted in response to @Coach Tuesday is a legitimate concern (although I think this is an extreme caution approach). The comment of mine you responded to though was not that, it was about optics.

I agree with the rest of what you say... but what is the "difficult dynamic"? Being judgmental on people's personal lives is acceptable?

Exactly right. It is a risk that is more in the theory than in the practice. But I understand organisations being extremely cautious in this day in age. Though there is no doubt that is what it is - extreme caution - if they were fired to protect the company against harassment or unlawful dismissal claims.

It is true. The Pegulas have not demonstrated they are good at recognising the right people to run their sports franchises. It is why I think they are so beholden to McDermott and Beane. It is the ONE time they have got good, competent leaders. People can question if they are the right people to deliver a championship, that is fair. But McDermott and Beane are clearly very competent and would both be snapped up in a park drive minute if the Bills moved on. And Terry would probably hire Nate Hackett and Dave Gettleman.

I definitely think it is is true that teams will look at some of McDermott's playcalling as it differs to Leslie - especially up front - and adjust. But the Bills getting some critical guys back - especially on the edge up front should avoid some of what we saw Sunday. Similarly on offense the Jags had seen us playing three weeks worth of dink and dunk against zone and were determined to take that away and Dorsey had no counter punch. There will be tests to come for both sides of the ball.

Yea. Rex is a much better salesman obviously.

I didn't quote you whole post because there is a lot in there that is either done to death and it is just opinion v opinion and you gotta pay your money and take your choice and some stuff (mainly the comparison between the McD defense and Frazier defense) where actually I share many of your views.... but just a few things to come back on: 1. Of course you are right on Groot. My mistake. My head always goes to the SEC with the 'canes and I always need to remind myself they are not. 2. I am not one of the people who has been banging that drum. 3. The Jet game is was just one big run really and while I accept Bernard was at fault for that one long run he was at fault in alignment and that was just lack of time on task over the summer. On Sunday the Jags didn't beat us UTM (as you like to say) they beat us by running at weak edges. Neither Floyd nor AJE are naturally brilliant run defenders despite both having good games as pass rushers (that is an area we really miss Groot or Shaq's ability to play early downs) and we had backup corners. They attacked what were known weaknesses. Bernard still had a really good game as a run defender. There are problems with the run defense, they are not really Bernard problems though. 4. I suppose on Ed what I say is this might be a breakout in terms of pure production numbers but in terms of performance he has already broken out. It is just he is getting the numbers his performances the past two seasons have deserved. He has been one of the best penetrating defensive tackles in the NFL the past two seasons. Rousseau has been on a steady incline. He was solid as a rookie. Good last year and looks so far like he has taken another step. Jones isn't breaking out, Jones was really good for us last year and really good in Tennessee earlier in his career (and FWIW I agree his stats at the start of this season would have been unlikely to keep on at that pace). 5. Ed was not a trade up. He was selected at #9 overall which was out original pick after going 6-10 in 2018.

That is what all the Frazier haters were saying they wanted. Let's see if they are happy to live the reality if it continues.

They have the most arrogant coach in the league. The team reflects his personality. It is possibly the reason Kyle isn't Bills coach. The Pegulas interviewed him in the Rex Ryan process and hated him.

That is a different point though - you are saying you think it stops them doing their job properly. Which I accept in theory it could. Not sure in practice it necessarily does but there you go... I understand the need for caution. It is the optics point I don't really agree with. Two adults have sex isn't an optics problem from my perspective. And it feels overly moralistic to make it an optics point. One thrust for every Bills injury?

Is it? Why? If the relationship is entirely consensual and not affecting them doing their jobs what is the problem?