GunnerBill

They actually said straight away after picking him that they saw him more as an outside guy. And watching his gap discipline and taking on blocks I don't think he is close to ready to play the MIKE. I get it the alternatives are rubbish. Maybe they have to find a way to make the Milano - Williams duo work... but I still suspect to do that now you'd end up with Milano playing the more disciplined MLB role and Williams a little more free to roam as a WLB. I just think people convincing themselves that if they just went to Williams or just play Rapp in dime looks it would all be okay are slightly deluding themselves. There is no easy answer on the roster unless Bernard gets healthy and suddenly clicks.

I don't see 7 receivers.

Of course I agree, pre-season doesn't really matter. But worth reflecting during the period we have been contenders under this regime we had won 11 of our last 12 pre-season games. So a blow out like that is cause for people to just take pause on where we are at. Because penalty laden, sloppy perfomances have not been the pre-season norm here.

Haha, welcome to Eric Turner.

He did in college (played RT) and in pre-season as a rookie. Has been only a guard since. I did wonder whether the Bills would consider it at all, but I've heard zero reports from camp so I'm inclined to believe they have no desire to do that. Always has been one of the best pass pro backs in football.

I sometimes morning drink too.

I agree on Fisher. He was never that great anyway and he is done. On Peters, this is his MO these last couple of years. He signed for the Bears at the end of August and then the Cowboys in early September. He can still be a passable player, and the Bills allegedly have an interest, but he isn't interested in playing pre-season games or working his tail off in camp and he has earned the right not to. If he signs anywhere it will be after PS game 3. On Lewan I am really surprised he is still out there. He was still a solid left tackle in 2021 when he last played significant snaps. I understand why the Titans moved on. The injuries, the age, and the contract. He hinted at retirement and maybe that has put teams off (as maybe as his personality in that he isn't the easiest to manage) but if he still wants to play and is healthy then he is better than probably around half of the guys who will be starting left tackles in 3 weeks time.

No we are looking for a body for the final week of practice and the final pre-season game when starters won't play given that we lost two OL to retirement and injury in the past week.

Oh I am not giving the oline a pass, make no mistake. I have banged on for two years about them being our biggest issue. You are right 2020 is the only time I think Allen has had a good (and it was good not great) offensive line and he had a career year. That isn't coincidence. I have some hope for the interior going into this year but Dion is really concerning me. Upgrading the guard spots but downgrading at left tackle feels a bit 1 step forward 2 steps back.

I do worry that the protection issues have got to him. There were times down the stretch last year when I thought the same. I am not blaming Josh for that - the last two years worth of lines have been offensive... he will have to learn that trust again. That will take some time on task and the oline showing some consistency (I do have some hope for the intetior they have been decent through 2 pre-season games).

Agree with all. I could have out VD and Mims in good night and Elam in bad night again but already had Torrence as a repeat from last week and wanted to mix up a bit. I think Van Demark should be on this roster. I am kinda leaning towards Mims should too.

Yea and it is definitely on Dorsey and Josh to work more quick game. They have to. It is rule 101 when your protection is struggling. Get the ball out fast.

I didn't think he was "that bad". I thought he was kinda himself. A couple of big whiffs a couple of good plays, some in between. I think the issue is that feels like it is every week. I'd like some weeks where he elminates the bad plays.

I thought Hamlin struggled generally. Agre on whoever said Neal played well though. He did.

He doesn't need to be a passable blocker. He is going to play in the slot.

Yea they always used to love Roger Saffold too. I told everyone for a decade he was overrated. McGlinchy is the same. I think he will struggle for the Broncos. He doesn't suck. But he isn't as good as his rep.

Yea I just don't agree. I would agree if I thought they were getting mediocre MLB play. At the moment they are not even getting that. They are getting liability MLB play. You probably have to go back to Adolphus Washington on the Dline in 2017 to find a guy who is starting who is at that liablity level. If they find their way to mediocre I agree they will work their way around it. And obviously I agree on the oline. Particularly the tackles.

I don't think Josh was flushed on that first 3rd down. He bailed too early. I don't mind him being over cautious in pre-season (although he certainly wasn't on the mad scramble later) but if that is the regular season he has to stand in and make that throw IMO.

Yea I thought Poona was the worst of the lot but agree they all struggled.

On Mims... there were also two really good pass pro reps in that 2 minute drive. I really, really like the kid.

I am not sure Williams is ready to play MLB. But again they are getting close to "try anything" mode. Before we go to a safety playing there I'd want to see then try the Milano - Williams combo. I still think initially you might want it with Milano playing the mike responsibility and let Williams have the "freer" role. But honestly I am kinda up for them trying anything. Just waiting and hoping on Bernard doesn't reassure me.

No, agreed. That bears watching too. We ask a lot of him so if he has lost a step that is a problem too. He didn't make the cut for bad night because one screw up wasn't nearly enough given the competition last night 😂

Excellent post and pretty much what I am seeing.

Oliver is a better player than McGlinchey.

Well that was a mess. The worst pre-season outing for many a year, probably the worst under this regime who have generally had very strong pre-seasons. Not a huge number of positives let's have a go at picking the bones out of it... Good Night for... Dalton Kincaid - Let's start with the first round pick. 3 receptions for 45 yards, but it wasn't just the numbers it was how he did it. The two great traits on his college tape were his smooth route running and excellent soft hands. They were both on display last night as, operating mainly out of the slot, he tested the middle of the Steelers defense. The potential for this guy to have an impact as a rookie is definitely there. He still has some work to do as a blocker, we know that, but as long as Knox is back in the lineup one would presume he will be asked to do that fleetingly. Good to see him get some chemistry with Josh Allen and he looks already like a solid addition. O'Cyrus Torrence - And then to the second round pick. The Bills starting offensive line struggled, more of that later, but the interior was less the problem and Torrence was the pick of the bunch. He is definitely ahead in the run game of where he is as a pass protector at this stage but he did enough to prevent his guy getting penetration again last night. Another positive display for the big man, and yet again he took all the first team snaps at right guard. I think we can call this competition over now. He is the starter. Kyle Allen - I was very (legitimately) critical of Allen last week so I give him props for his performance last night even though it was garbage time. He just looked more comfortable, his footwork was much cleaner and a couple of those outs really showed the zip his arm has that the competitor for the job, Matt Barkley, definitely doesn't. Barkley having three interception and a fumble on the night didn't hurt either. I don't like either option personally and I'd be scouring the cut lists for guys to bring in and back up Josh. But Allen is back in the competition. It might end up as a game 3 shoot out. Justin Shorter - The leading Bills receiver on the night was 5th round rookie Justin Shorter with 5 catches for 47 yards and a touchdown. There is one note of caution for Shorter fans in that he was playing among the back of the roster receivers in the 4th Quarter this week which is a drop from last week where he played exclusively with the 'twos'. That doesn't necessarily mean anything other than that the Bills wanted to make sure they got a good look at him and he responded well. At this stage I see him increasingly close to nailing down a roster spot. Greg Rousseau - Don't know that Rousseau is a guy who had anything to prove or anything at stake last night... but unlike many of the starters who played that way Rousseau still actually seemed to play with some energy and enthusiasm. His sack on a play action fake that he read well wasn't necessarily proof of anything in itself but I think he does look primed to take another step forward in year 3. Bad Night for... Dion Dawkins - It is time to be concerned about our tackles. Dion was awful. He still looks overweight to me. He had penalties, he had whiffs in protection (including one that resulting on Josh's elbow - yes that elbow - getting hit) he was getting pushed about by the Steelers. The final third of last season Dion played his worst run of consecutive football probably since his sophomore season and it has always been a worry for me that a guy with his body type and weight fluctuation is unlikely to play at tackle to a high level into his 30s. Spencer Brown struggled again too, but that is almost baked in at this stage. Dion has been one of two consistent anchors (along with Morse) on an otherwise unstable line in the Beane era... if we are witnessing any sort of sustained decline in his levels the Bills have a real problem. Middle Linebackers - If the Bills are not panicking, as some here insisted they were not this week, then they bleeding well should be. The long touchdown run saw both linebackers (Milano as well as Dodson) completely washed by the Steelers offensive line. And Dodson was so consistently out of position that he was benched for the final series of starters and the Bills went back to the guy they didn't even have in the competition at Fisher in AJ Klein come out with the first time. He was little better and struggled, as we know he does, in space. I don't know when Terrell Bernard is expected back but it feels a bit of a risk to me throw him in week 1 as the starter with no pre-season when we have no idea what he will be. People are now rationalising in their own minds that we might go to a full scale dime defense and play Rapp at linebacker a chunk of the time. I don't know. But man this is a concern. I think even getting to "not a liability" status feels tricky right now. Damar Hamlin - It was a great night for Damar back in the state where he played his college ball, selected as an honorary captain with fellow Pit alum Dane Jackson. And then the game started. The partially blocked punt was Hamlin whiffing on his block (in Reggie Gilliam's normal wing spot btw for all the "cut Gilliam anyone can play special teams" guys) and he had a 15 yard low block penalty. He far from the only defensive player you could have picked out but his additional failure on special teams finds him a spot on the list. Poona Ford - Think we all presumed Poona Ford was a lock for the roster but he wasn't great week 1 and he was even worse last night. Not sure on Jordan Phillips's status so maybe for now he is safe, but honestly, I am not sure Ford has justified a spot ahead of someone line Eli Ankou based on what we have seen on the field. It's $1.5m dead cap but a $750k saving to release him and if there is going to be a "didn't see that coming" cut in a week or so then Poona Ford could be one of the guys getting the bird. Special Teams - It wasn't a good night for special teams all the way around. Two good returns allowed to Pittsburgh, a partially blocked punt, very little by the way of our own return game. Messy. I will give Matthew Smiley some slack in the sense that it IS hard to get STs clicking in pre-season when you are cycling guys in and out to meet whatever snap thresholds have been set and the Bills had some sticky ST moments last pre-season too but were a really good unit once the regular season came around. This isn't one I'm majorly concerned about at this stage, some of the breakdowns were not their core guys, but it bears watching when we hit the regular season. As ever guys.... thought, comments, opinions and questions welcome! 1 more game to go.