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Not if you've been watching long enough. I think we've seen it all from them: dominant 90s run, inevitable collapses after solid starts, flat out awful seasons, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, etc. I get the feeling a lot of folks on the board here expect them to completely implode and go 1-6 to finish out the season or something. I can't see that happening. Whine as some might about McDermott, he runs a pretty solid program, I think. They're a well-coached team full of hardworking guys who put the team first and just wanna win. I know people throw 'em some flak for seeking out those types of players but with those characteristics comes a constant desire to improve. Now, that's not to say they shouldn't shy away from good players who don't 100% fit that bill. They should have confidence that the vibe in the locker room would overcome any sort of waves made by a new guy. The fact that they went after AB tells me that they won't shy away from super talented players like that, though. Culture and chemistry is extremely important to this coaching staff and they aren't going to bring in anybody that would negatively affect that.

I get the feeling they're gonna pummel Miami into little tiny dolphin-bits. And last week I had the feeling that the Browns game was gonna be Suckfest 5000. I'm not saying I'm a prophet or anything, but.... eh, there's a punchline here somewhere but I got nothin'. With McD telling them to "play fearless" and them being pissed off about losing last week I realy think they're gonna come out on fire Sunday.

I agree that Josh seems to be in his head about the deep ball. He's clearly thinking way too much and not allowing himself to play and just rip it. I mean, obviously he's capable of it. That deep shot to Foster last year against Jacksonville was pure beauty, especially with the way the pocket was imploding on him. I thought it was gonna be a sack and then suddenly the ball pops outta there and hits him in stride. I understand the coaching staff's tendency to teach him to err on the side of caution, though. I said this in another thread but offensively, they aren't at a point where they can't afford the random "heroball" turnover. The defense already carries this team as it is, they don't wanna be putting them back on the field an extra one or two or three times a game due to a turnover. And if those turnovers turn into points for the opponent, this offense just doesn't have the firepower yet to dig themselves out of a hole. As it stands right now, the model for this team is to play strong defense while protecting a lead. I don't know if that's why the offense seems to stall/get conservative once they do have a lead, but it'd be nice to see them keep their foot on the gas and really put teams away. Just don't think they're there yet. But once they have the roster and the offense where they want it, maybe they loosen the reins on Allen a little bit. Beane more or less said as much when they drafted him that they were alright with his over-aggressiveness in certain areas because they feel like his talent/positives outweigh the negatives. They just need to get to a point where they're able to take those chances and overcome them if they don't go their way.

Brown can't out-work or out-play second string guys on a winless team yet people want him here. Right. Hargreaves has only ever played one full season, his rookie year. Played in 9 games in 2017 and all of one game in 2018. So, he's got an injury history and he's not very good but somehow he's an instant upgrade over Levi Wallace who, like any DB, has had some struggles in the last two games, but overall has been very solid and surely better than Hargreaves considering he's still employed and Hargreaves isn't. But yeah, let's get that guy in here cause, you know, people have heard of him. There isn't an eye roll gif big enough for this caca.

Crap post is crap.

I see a lot of comments about them loosening the reins on Allen somewhat. I agree to a point but I think one of the main reasons they want him playing it safe is because they aren't quite at a point where they can routinely overcome a turnover from him. And they don't want to keep putting their defense back on the field after three-and-outs or turnovers, because eventually they'll wear down. And they don't exactly have the kind of offense where they can deal with some bad plays/turnovers yet still dig themselves out of a 14 point hole. They're not quite there yet. They're still learning and the good thing about learning while being able to win is that it does a lot for their confidence and shows them what it takes to get wins in this league. I'm not at all a "sky is falling" fan right now. I have questions on Daboll but that's it. Overall, this is the most consistent and organized staff this team has had in who knows how long. It's not perfect, no staff/team is, but they have a collective vision from the top down and they won't deviate from that plan. So far it's working pretty well. Took a team not really shaped by the new staff and went to the playoffs. Had to tear it down and deal with a "growing pains" season in 2018, necessary for long-term success. Now, they're definitely on an upward trajectory but it's a delicate balance to climb as they don't have a lot of margin for error. Another off-season to work on the roster and make any necessary coaching changes and I feel like they'll be in good shape. I understand the fans that live and die with every game, I do. I just try to keep the big picture in mind and keep it all in perspective. Can't blow things up and have knee-jerk reactions and make changes every single time there's a loss. They're a well-coached, hard working team that'll be eager to get back to it to correct things and go out and try to get back in the W column next week. I think they're on the right track but just need a bit more time and a few more pieces before the "but are they for real?" questions stop I'd hate to see the comments after a loss during a season where they start 9-0 or something, yikes!

Defense bails this team out time and again. Would've been nice if they had closed it out but there are gonna be games where the offense is gonna need to step up and get it done, and they didn't. Daboll's gotta find ways to be more consistent. They seem to get rolling when the pressure is on but when they have a lead they don't seem to be able to keep their foot on the gas and put teams away.

I don't fault the defense that much for this one. Would've been nice if they could've closed it out but still, they only gave up 19 to a loaded offense. And they've bailed them out all season, the one time when the offense needs to pull through, they *kinda* do, but then Hauschka misses the kick. And both his misses came from the right hash, I wonder if he consistently struggles from that side. I'm on the "question Brian Daboll" wagon at this point. I think he's a good play designer, but I'm struggling with his game plans. I know the idea behind his scheme is adapting week to week based on opponent but it doesn't seem to be working. Use your bread and butter plays. It's like the guy can't use something if it's on tape already. Browns struggle against the rush and they give Singletary 8 carries? Bah. Gotta get better.

The Browns miraculously found their red zone offense just in time to win the game and turn their season around. Miraculous, I tell you! Couldn't convert goal to go all game but TA-DAAA, magically it happens it the most crucial time. I'm questioning Daboll's game planning ability. I know his scheme is based on adapting from week to week but I don't feel like that's working. Lot of head scratching playcalls again and not enough Singletary. And Hauschka... My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined.

Haha, that's a good name for it. It was just kinda mind-boggling that they kept trying such low percentage throws when it didn't take a genius to see that the Raiders were prepared to give up yards underneath. And they only needed a field goal. I guess I can see now why Whisenhunt got the boot, someone's gotta be the fall guy, but that's Lynn's scheme and it ain't working despite a franchise QB, pretty good RB, and some excellent pass catchers. I know the OL is an issue too but you'd think they'd at least be a bit better given the talent they have. Anyone think Lynn will be ousted if he misses the playoffs?

Without the option to offer criticism, I think the amount of chatter on this board would shrink by half. Essentially, that's what these boards are for, griping about the team when they aren't doing so well (or in the case this season, griping despite a 6-2 record), celebrating when they're winning, speculating about prospects/free agents/trades, discussing where people think changes need to be made, etc. etc. I do agree with reddogblitz in that comments, whether positive or negative, should be at least somewhat articulate. Usually the mods will dump any threads that are like, "Allen is the worst!!! Fire everyone!" so we don't see a whole lot of low-effort posts here. I also think the mods do a great job of merging threads when a subject has had numerous new threads started. I guess maybe some people could be more conscious of that? Whenever you see some Bills news and you wanna race over here to post about it, odds are someone like Yolo has you beat, haha. So just make sure you aren't posting something that's already kickin' around on here. Other than that, I've come to enjoy this place quite a bit, probably more than the official Bills board, and even if Hapless did toss me a 3-day ban that one time! (I got a bit too grumpy about the Bills-Packers game last season), all in all it's a great board with some solid folks handling things. At least that's how I perceive it, I've never seen mods on a power trip or banning people just because they can or because they disagree. They're fair here, as long as you're not being an abusive turd or posting junk.

I hope Mayfield with this "force feeding" OBJ just throws a ton of picks. Bills know that OBJ is the guy they wanna get going for this game, so don't fart around with cushions and stuff like that. Contain him early and hope Mayfield keeps throwing it his way and it creates turnovers.

I have no idea what the heck their plan was right there. He kept going long, trying to get it all in one go instead of taking some underneath throws and allowing his guys to get some YAC. Raiders were playing deep, keeping everything in front of them, Chargers definitely had time (and three timeouts) to dink and dunk a little bit.

I don't get all the hype for the Chargers year after year. Yeah, they went 12-4 last year but most seasons they fall flat on their face right outta the gate and then slog their way to 9-7, 8-8, etc. I've seen a couple of their games this year and they have talent, sure, but they seem to make a lot of mistakes.

Generous to say it'll take him ten years. ?

I don't think he plays at all this year. I mean, why would he? This injury he has seems to be of the nagging variety that can come back at anytime. His team hasn't won a game, he doesn't need to go out there and put good plays on tape so other teams can see what he's capable of, everyone already knows what he can do. Really not a lot to play for, just sit out and start over elsewhere next season.

Nice post, OP. I'd say Cleveland is more of a concern than Denver at this point. I'm pretty sure some players in Denver are already tuned out. They don't play with a lot of urgency or aggressiveness. I watched them against KC on Thursday night a few weeks back and they were down by two scores with four and a half minutes left in the game and they were still huddling, slowly getting to the line, using just about all of the play clock and seemingly not looking to stop the clock. Looked like all they wanted was for the game to end so they could get outta there. With Cleveland, the big key is definitely pressure on Mayfield. If he doesn't have time to throw, he's not very good. And if you keep up consistent pressure on him, he'll start to bail on clean pockets at the first sign of pressure, even if he has room to step up or sidestep, he just books it and tries to make a throw on the run. I know the Bills like to rush four most of the time but this might be the game for them to get creative with the pass rush and really dial up the pressure.

Beige on burnt orange.

Haha, that was my first thought as well.

It's hard not to respect Belichick because he is undeniably one of the greatest coaches ever. However, whenever I think of him, I'm always gonna think of the scandals he found himself in and wonder the things he did that we *don't* know about. Dude has no problem pushing the boundaries when it comes to the rules, even stepping over the line at times and then claiming ignorance. He'll do whatever he can to find any advantage. So yeah, great coach, but I'm probably always gonna be skeptical on whether or not the advantages they found were due to his coaching or due to his willingness to skirt the rules a little. Either way, Edelman has a great story about Belichick. It's on YouTube, I think Edelman actually has his own channel and somehow I ended up there. But he tells a story of the first time he ever spoke to Belichick. He also says in all the years he's played for him, he's probably only had maybe eight or nine non-football conversations with him. Belichick really personifies the whole Oz/man behind the curtain thing in terms of his coaching style. Anyway, I think Edelman said it was his rookie year or at least early in his career. He was putting in extra work so he'd come back to the facility later at night to get in a workout. He says one night he goes in there and sees Belichick in the gym, way off in a dark corner, working out on an elliptical, illuminated only by the tablet he has in front of him where he's watching film. Edelman, still feeling like one of the new guys, doesn't wanna bother him so he just nods and goes about his workout. Belichick steps out a within a few minutes. Edelman finishes up his workout and wants to hit the hot tub to recover. He heads over to the tubs and who does he find in the hot tub all by himself... Belichick. Edelman just says, "Uh, hey coach." Belichick doesn't say a word, just stands up, steps out of the tub, butt-a$$ naked and walks out. Edelman's like, "Uh, alrighty," hops in the tub for a minute, which, by the way, he makes a point to mention how the guys always wear trunks in the tubs, not ol' Bill, though. Edelman finishes up, packs up his stuff and is headed out to leave around midnight. As he makes his way to the exit, bam, there's Belichick again, also leaving. Edelman just says something like, "Working hard, huh coach?" And Belichick just shrugs and says, "Eh, beats being a plumber," and walks out. I thought it was pretty funny. What we see of these guys isn't always indicative of who they actually are.

They're still finding their identity as a team, still figuring things out on offense especially since they had a lot of roster turnover and have a young QB at the helm. I'd rather they go through more "growing pains" and coming together while winning games than while losing them. And yeah, there are legitimate criticisms you can point out, but you also have to temper expectations. If Josh Allen doesn't go out there and throw for 350 and 4 TDs a week, some people are gonna think he's a bust. If Tremaine Edmunds doesn't rack up 27 tackles, 4 sacks and 2 INTs, he a bum! Some people just have their expectations dialed up to astronomical levels. And in tempering expectations comes the realization that you're gonna have to live with mistakes and bad plays because they're gonna happen. Happens to every single team. It is getting a bit old to watch them win on Sunday only to see all the articles on Monday being about, "Yeah they won, BUT, Player A did NOT do this, therefore this win is hollow."

Quoting Lotulelei in Tim Graham's recent article on The Athletic: "I think guys need to do their jobs and not do too much more than they need to." He goes on to say that sticking to your job is very important in this defensive scheme and that it can be tough because guys wanna make plays out there. Everyone has a specific job on every play. This is why I chuckle when I see people losing their minds over Lotulelei or other guys who don't have crazy stat lines. Their assignment isn't always "go eat the QB" or whatever, but there's the gap stuff, edge responsibility, angles, positioning, etc. It's 11 moving parts that gotta be synchronized otherwise things can fall apart. When they are all on the same page, they are a very tough defense.

That was more or less my attempt at coach/player-speak because if you asked any of them, they're not gonna point fingers and blame one or two players or position groups. They all take responsibility for getting beat up by the run these last couple weeks.

642. Don't ask again, fella.

They basically let Mayfield pick Kitchens as HC. Mayfield p*ssed and moaned about Jackson and then when they had some success with Kitchens calling the shots, Mayfield expressed his desire to see him be their HC. First time head coach with a team full of monster egos, not the greatest recipe. People point to the success the 90s Bills had with all the egos on that team, but the difference there is that those guys wanted to prove to their teammates that they could back up their talk and show that they were leaving it all out there for them. That doesn't seem to be the case with Cleveland. I can't say I'd be surprised if they miraculously "put it all together" against the Bills this week, sometimes that just seems to happen against them. Bills need to roll the film of the 49ers game that Cleveland lost 31-3. SF just pressured Mayfield all game and never gave him time to throw.