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The Rams aren't built for long-term success, they're in "win now" mode. Yeah, they went out and grabbed a bunch of solid free agents but they're not gonna be able to pay everyone. And you're completely entitled to your opinion but the fact remains that McDermott and Beane are both experienced and well-respected individuals in the NFL. And two of their biggest fans are Terry and Kim. They tried to keep things in place in an attempt to "win now" but what was happening through the Marrone/Rex/Whaley era wasn't sustainable. It ended the drought but they knew sooner or later that they were going to have to undergo a full rebuild. Not a "soft reset" or a "recharge" or whatever they wanted to call it over the last few years because they felt like that had a roster that was "close" but a complete tear-down and restart. And there most definitely was a process in hiring McDermott. Sure, they had their eye on him from the start but they ran through several other interviews and I'm sure had countless discussions on which direction they wanted to go. I'm sure some people will always feel like they didn't interview enough candidates but when the end of the season coach craziness begins, teams can't afford to take too much time as there are usually 6-8 other teams interested in some of the same coaches they were interested in. McDermott came in and from all reports, really nailed the interview. They then went out and did their due diligence in asking references about him, talking with people who know him or have worked with him, etc. And they do have a vision for this team, which they're still executing. As opposed to the last 4, 5, 6 years where we kept being told "they're close, if they can just fix this spot and that spot, it's playoff time!" But that didn't work. Now they're tearing things down, they've drafted players that they expect to be their core/foundation for years to come and all of it just takes time. I mean, like 'em or not, they're doing what they've said they're gonna do since day one. Haha, appreciate the response. I wouldn't say they're getting to me, I'd say it's just really kinda mind-boggling that after years of those types of fans crying for a full-on house cleaning and starting over finally get what they've been asking for but they can't exercise any patience or understanding that the whole process is gonna take longer than one off-season.

Seeing this makes sense of KB's body language as the game went on. I mean, it's not a good look on his part but it's easy to see why he was frustrated. I'm sure some of the other receivers were as well, just didn't show it as openly. When Allen went into the game, the CBS sideline reporter stated that the Bills sideline seemed more animated and energetic than they had for most of the game. I get the feeling that most of the team sees what Allen can do and would've rather had him named the starter from the jump. I think Peterman missed a lot of these open targets because he likely dropped his eyes on every pass play to see where the rush was coming from. So far, it appears as though Allen is able to keep his eyes downfield and not get caught looking at the rush. It's gonna happen sometimes, he's a rookie, he's learning, but from what I've seen, it seems like Allen is looking to push it down the field as often as possible. Hopefully the gameplan will be tailored to things Allen does well. I'd be preparing the receivers for a lot of routes that require the ol' back shoulder throw because Allen excels at that and they're hard to defend. RPO's would be nice, roll outs, get him moving around to see the field better, plus it keeps the defense guessing. The main thing that would help him the most is if they got the run game going. Not sure what in the crap the plan was vs. Baltimore but 7 carries for McCoy? And I felt like he wasn't on the field as much as he should be.

The people that consistently try to run every single coach out of town within one or two seasons... what's your alternative? Firing and hiring new regimes every season is 100% a surefire way to ensure your team will never be a contender. And I'd bet that if your dream coach was hired and he went out and lost a game you'd be screaming for his dismissal as well. It's constant no-win situations with some of you.

Bills coaches weren't a fan of Coleman's attitude from the minute he got there. He has a reputation of being a player who thinks he can coast on athletic ability alone. That mindset really isn't going to mesh with the ol' "Patriot Way." But, when Tom Brady is your QB, you're probably gonna catch at least a few balls.

Agreed. Also, I misunderstood the post I was responding to and the poster pointed that out for me. I do think they should bring in a vet. One, to be a good presence for Allen and two... I dunno if they can go back to Peterman if they had to. Wouldn't be surprised if this is Nate's final season as a Bill.

Oh. My bad, then. Carry on!

Yeah, I agree. Allen was on that Sports Science show before the draft and he said, and I'm paraphrasing, "After a while it wasn't about proving everyone else wrong, it became about me proving myself right." So, he's not concerned with trying to show his doubters that he has it. He's got a lot of self-confidence and belief that he can cut it in the NFL and that's a solid mindset to have.

Yeah, I know they've said they like their QB room but an experienced vet in there can help Allen a lot. I wonder if they look at Derek Anderson, cause, you know, #CarolinaConnection and all.

And how else is he supposed to prove he's capable unless he plays? He needs to have the actual opportunity to prove it before he's written off as "didn't prove it."

It had to happen. I don't know what happens with Peterman once the real games start but he just implodes. Unless the play that's called goes exactly as designed and he's able to do his drop, setup and throw all on cue, he crumbles. He doesn't seem to have a whole lot of ability to scramble or improvise... and Allen does. And Allen just has that mentality that he's gonna make a play on every down, which means he's gonna make some mistakes and throw some picks but you gotta let him take his lumps and get experience. Trial and error is a good way to learn. He'll figure out a lot of what NOT to do while gaining valuable experience in seeing different defensive fronts and becoming more familiar with them. One way they can help the kid out is to get the run game going. Seriously, go back to what they've done over the past few seasons. Extra OL and hand the rock to McCoy a buncha times. Gotta find a way to soften up the opposing DL so when they do throw, he'll actually have time. Not sure what Daboll was trying to do last Sunday but if I'm him, I'm coming up with a straightforward/simplified plan that includes some wrinkles from his college game to keep it easy for him in his first start. I don't expect them to send him out there and tell him to throw it 50 times. And Peterman really left them no choice. I'm starting to wonder if Peterman starting is the reason the team came out so flat and uninspired last week. They've gone through pre-season and camp and all that and maybe most of them just feel like Allen is the guy that's actually gonna take shots and try to make some big plays happen whereas Nate seems perfectly keen on just taking whatever the defense gives him (which wasn't much) or trying to push the ball down the field but without the ability to zip it in there. Instead he floats it right to the other team. Starting him again ran the risk of alienating a large part of the locker room and further maddening the fan-base. Not sure if this is all part of the plan or maybe the plan is being rushed but, at this point it's clear that Allen does give them a better chance to move the ball and win some games. And I swear to Christmas if Allen hits Benjamin right square in the numbers and the dude drops it again I'm gonna tie KB's shoelaces together so he falls on his face the next time he stands up.

What doesn't make sense about it? They're using this year to allow their young core to gain experience. That young core is Tre'Davious White, Dion Dawkins, Josh Allen and Tremaine Edmunds. Andy Reid, McDermott's mentor, has said, "Give me a quarterback, a left tackle, a solid corner and a pass rusher and I'll figure out the rest." So far they have their QB, their left tackle and their CB. Edmunds is a linebacker but can rush the passer. With as loaded as the 2019 DL class is, I'd expect them to find a premiere pass rusher there. Anyone feeling overly concerned about the rebuild should read this: https://www.cover1.net/2018-nfl-season-buffalo-bills-josh-allen-process/ Very well written article about how this organization is in the early stages of building their core/foundation. Not everything can be fixed in one season. I'm not sure what some people were expecting this year. Did they think Beane was going to go out there and get an All-Pro at every position? Just doesn't happen. And for the crowd that says, "They shoulda got this guy or that guy" well, it's a two-way street, right? Players have to wanna sign here too. And when you have an unsettled or young QB situation, that's gonna make things a little trickier in terms of signing the high profile free agents. And I see a lot of posts about how, "They didn't even check into Player A, they didn't make any trade offers for Player B, etc etc." From my perspective, for the first time in a long time, I'm hearing the Bills pop up in a lot of discussions when it comes to free agent players or players on the trade market. They inquired about Dez, they inquired about Mack, they've done their due diligence on quite a few players over the 20 some-odd months McBeane has been in town. That's in stark contrast to former regimes who seemed to not even bother picking up the phone because they probably thought, "There's no way they'd wanna sign here so why bother?" That's not Beane. He's making calls and inquiring about players probably on a daily basis. He's very involved in continuously looking for ways to improve this roster. And it's a two-way street, right? The players they're interested in also have to want to sign here. Can't force them. They were gonna have to have a rough year in order to turn over this roster to their liking. This stuff takes time. Sustainable contending teams aren't built overnight or in one off-season. They've cleared up a mess of a cap while positioning themselves to draft players that will be the core that carries this team into the future. They go into 2019 with plenty of cap space and, last I checked, 10 draft picks in what's shaping up to be another stellar class. The old analogy goes, if you wanna make an omelette, you gotta break a few eggs. This season, they're getting the pan ready, bringing out the ingredients and breaking some eggs. Next season, they gonna make the tastiest GD omelette you rotten ungrateful schmucks have ever seen!! (You're not all ungrateful schmucks, most of you are logical, patient, understanding fans who trust the process and are fun to interact with on this board.)

OP outlined some good points, here's my response in no particular order. Offense - Yikes. No identity, no rhythm. I don't know what Juan Castillo and Terry Robiskie are teaching their respective position groups but it's not working. Constant breakdowns in protection and receivers getting zero separation. And if they did get separation they were dropping the ball. McCoy was nearly invisible, Clay was completely invisible, forget no catches, didn't even have a target! I know Daboll wants to run this "multiple" style offense but maybe they need to re-evaluate that and focus on what they do well, make that the core of their identity and add different wrinkles as they go. QBs - Peterman just doesn't have it. I thought he looked good in pre-season but that was before defenses gave him real, NFL looks and once that happened, he imploded. Unless the play goes exactly as designed and is perfectly on time, Peterman struggles mightily. And there is just no zip on his throws at all. That one interception he just floated it right to the guy. I know his pocket was crap most of the time but there were plays where he did have time and either no one was open or he didn't trust himself to sling one into a tight window. Allen was better, not by much, but at least he was really trying to push the ball downfield. Having defenders in your face 1.5 seconds after the snap is gonna make any QB look amateur but at this point, I don't think you can hand the keys back to Peterman. I know Allen has work to do but if this game is any indication of what to expect for the rest of the season, then what's the point of keeping Allen on the bench? May as well let him take his lumps and gain experience. And if I'm McDermott, I'd be real careful about giving Peterman another chance. After his regular season performances, how can he face his locker room and honestly tell them that Nate gives the team the best chance to win? If he does that he runs the risk of having some players start checking out on him. And that's bad for the locker room because that sh*t can creep up quick and take over the whole attitude of the team. I do recall when Allen went in, a sideline reporter stated that it seemed like the Bills sideline came to life a little bit. Perhaps they feel Allen is just the better option regardless of the work he needs. Defense - They also looked lost and confused for most of the game. Left huge chunks over the middle wide open, missed tackles, etc. I believe they have more talent than what they showed. I also believe it's time for Fraiser and McDermott to get a little creative in dialing up pressure because rushing four rarely gets it done. Thought Tremaine Edmunds had a nice game and also looked like one of few players to show some emotion. He was visibly irritated toward the end of the game, you could tell he wanted to win and was PO'ed at how poorly they played. Matt Milano also looked decent, seemed to be around the ball most plays and had the fumble recovery caused by Edmunds. Poyer and Hyde, man, I don't even recall hearing their names. Tre seemed like he picked up where he left off. Phillip Gaines can take a seat. Special Teams - I know Schmidt wasn't getting it done but to cut a veteran, experienced punter and sign a DII kid who never kicked in an NFL game a week before the regular season was a head-scratching decision. Wouldn't be surprised if they called up Schmidt this week and brought him on during Tuesday tryouts. The new kid looked disheveled and uneasy. That botched punt was hideous. I feel the reason the punter position has been a mess is because I believe they wanted to give the job to Cory Carter, but once he got hurt they scrambled, tried Jon Ryan and then decided to pick up Bojorojoqoroquez or however the hell you spell it. Coaching - Well, there's not a whole lot to work with but the team just seemed flat. I dunno what McDermott's message was during the week and before the game but whatever it was, it didn't seem to land. There was no spark, no energy, no rallying around players like they did last season. Most of them seemed pretty indifferent about being there. All we can hope for is that a game like this lights a fire under their rumps and they put in the work to bounce back next week.

This is good stuff. This is why I feel like they're gonna win more games than people are predicting. Eric Wood said it when they made the playoffs last season, when the team was being cast off and predicted to be one of the worst in the league, Wood said he heard that and was like, "There's no way. There are too many talented guys here with too much to prove." And he was right. Hopefully that will carry over to this season. I don't anticipate a return trip to the playoffs (wouldn't mind being surprised, though) but I don't think they're gonna be some 3-13 horror show. What I'd like to see and what everyone can consider progress is a middle of the road record (I know, not again) where they're in every game. No blowouts, no awful three-game stretches like last season vs. NYJ, NO, LAC. Just compete, keep it close, pull out a few surprises like last year (wins over OAK, ATL, etc) and keep getting better. And to the crowd that would rather see this team nosedive into a top five pick on purpose, good luck trying to convince a team of grown professionals to sabotage a season so their front office can acquire better positioning in the draft where they'll be selecting players driven to replace the guys that just tanked a season. Tanking... dumbest sh*t ever.

Darby excels as a man-to-man corner. The McDermott/Fraiser defense employs zone coverage, something Darby didn't do a lot of in school. Hence the trade. It happens. Get over it.

Sounds to me like TBN is trying to appeal to a younger audience, but they aren't going about it the best way because it's alienating their older/longtime readers. And I can kind of empathize with Sully on young writers getting top gigs fresh outta school. Seems to be the case with a lot of companies these days that longevity and the ol' "foot in the door and then climb the ladder" approach really doesn't mean much. He's old school, I get it, he worked his way up, there's bound to be some animosity in seeing inexperienced writers get the featured articles and front pages. However, that's not to say these younger writers haven't earned it by simply being a talented writer. But yeah, with the way seniority and longevity seem to be fading from the workplace, it's easy to see why he felt like it was a "slap in the face." But, again, the flip-side of this is, where does he take accountability? Did he ever sit down and do a self-evaluation as to why so many people disliked his work? Did he ever try to approach his writing from a different perspective other than "grumpy fan guy?" Doesn't seem like it. So, he can only harbor so much disdain for his former employer because at the end of the day, time has kinda passed him by and sports journalism is a very different environment than it used to be. He's very much a traditionalist and feels like his experience should earn him unquestioned respect. That kinda attitude never goes over well. As for his actual writing, I personally always felt like the dude was negative for the sake of being negative. Either that, or he'd seek out the unpopular opinions on things and run with that. I think that type of stuff is meant simply to generate clicks and after a while that crap is just an attention-grabbing headline attached to an article void of substance. And that sh*t is everywhere these days. The amount of coverage going on in each American sport and on each team is staggering. I saw a tweet a while back that said something to the effect of, "The famous 1983 NFL Draft had about 70 credentialed writers covering it. Today (I think it was the 2017 draft) there are more than 2800 credentialed writers covering this event." It's just insane how much coverage there is out there. For a long time, I looked into writing for a blog or starting my own or just writing for the sake of it, throwing it out there to see if I could catch on with anything but when it came down to it, even though I might be able to present a clearer picture with my writing than some other writers, I always came back to the point of, "I don't think I'm saying anything that hasn't already been said." And that's another tricky thing in the current journalism world. Grabbing people's attention. This age of instant info and gratification seems to have shortened most people's attention spans. My main issue with Sully and guys like Bucky and them, is not that they're overly critical or negative or lame, it was the excitement in their tones when they started criticizing. Each season channel 2 or 7 puts together a Bills show featuring the local yokel reporters around here. I've caught plenty of them where Sully was a guest and as they break down the game he might say, "If Buffalo gets McCoy going, that takes pressure off Taylor and the defense, which is ideal." But then, he'd get real hyped up and be like, "BUT! If Kansas City gets THEIR running game going, OH MAN, WATCH OUT, because this Bills team will be DOOMED! If they don't contain the run game, it's gonna get ugly and they're gonna get annihilated." There would be comments like that and then, the other thing that irked me was how contradictory to his own opinions Sully was. He'd write an entire article on why the Bills absolutely positively MUST re-sign Player A or else they're a buncha turds. So, then, after the season, the team would go ahead and re-sign Player A and the next day, sure as sh*t, there's Sully bemoaning the whole thing. "It's too much money! He isn't worth it! He's a bum!" It's like harping on someone to fix something and then when they do the other person is yelling, "Aww, no no no, not that way!" And in reality there's really no method that would appease an opinionated guy like Sully. Bucky did that crap as well. Again, I understand the dynamics of journalism and reporting and opinions and etc. etc. etc. but when you're acting like that in a region overflowing with Bills fans, it tells me that you're not very self-aware of your surroundings. And then they wanna sit back and wonder why so much shade gets thrown their way? Maybe keep your tone unbiased and paint a clearer picture without the fervor of praising the opponent so much or writing yourself into a corner with avoidable contradictions. It reminded me of watching a game with the opposing teams play-by-play and commentary duo. Steve Tasker was the epitome of this when he first got a broadcasting gig. The Bills would get lit up for a 75 yard touchdown and he'd be like, "Well, that's Brady for you. But let me show you what Jeff Posey was doing on this play and let me tell you why he did exceptional work here." No, Steve, no, you're not going to convince me that Jeff frickin' Posey did a good job because if he had, they wouldn't have scored. As others have (I'm sure) pointed out, that type of non-stop commentary and opinion just wears thin after a while. But a guy like Sully, he took pride in that and made it part of his "schtick" and well, his stuff is just outdated. Everything in this world is going to continue to evolve. As the saying goes, the only constant is change. To me, in this podcast, dude comes off like a self-entitled jerk who wants to point fingers at everyone else to explain why his precious column was taken away. And honestly, I prefer reading stuff from some of these new kids. Matt Fairburn especially. You can tell that he gives a crap and works diligently to produce solid content every time he posts. Joe B as well, although his writing will drive me nuts sometimes because it's clear that the dude never proof-reads his sh*t. Tim Graham, for as much heat as he gets, he's an A+ writer. His Twitter antics get old but I do typically enjoy his work. Sully just needed to get on with where things are headed or get out the way.

I can't see them trying that kind of stuff with Allen right meow. They seem pretty set on letting him sit back and learn for now. Hopefully when his time comes, this staff will put him in a system similar to what the Eagles have with Carson Wentz.

I think his teammates wanted to at least hear from him either way, like, are you gonna join us or not? I think they assumed that he'd end his holdout based on some things that were said but that's not the case. I'm all for players maximizing their value and getting paid, but in this instance, I can see why the Steelers are hesitant to meet his demands. I mean, they've already offered to make him the highest paid back in football but he turned that down. But he's also a guy who's missed significant time due to injuries and suspensions. As they say, the best ability is availability and they have a right to be concerned about his reliability before giving him huge guaranteed money.

19 for 26, 224 yards, 1 TD, 1 pick, 4 sacks. Modesty thy name be Peterman.

It's interesting to see both sides of the coin come out. At the beginning of his holdout/negotiations, I'm sure he had his teammates behind him hoping that he'd get paid. And now that he's decided to no-show, it seems to have sent a poor message to the team that he doesn't give a sh*t about his teammates. But, you'd think his teammates would have figured out by now that Bell is more than likely a dude who plays ball because he's good at it and knows he can get paid. Deep down, I doubt very much that wins and championships mean a whole lot to him.

CHECK! I said GOOD DAY, sir!

As others have said, I'm sure they'll go with a lot of short drops and quick throws, especially the types of throws where the receivers have room to run after the catch. McDermott mentioned the importance of that last week. Also rolled that into a compliment for Nate about his ball placement. He typically does lead his receivers and puts it in a spot that will allow them to catch it in stride and keep trucking. I hate to bring up the horror that was last seasons Chargers game but before the debacle, Nate made a great throw to Benjamin over the middle and he picked up 20 yards but got injured on the tackle. It was the first time since Taylor had been the starter that I'd seen a pass on time like that. Timing, rhythm, Peterman's not bad at those type of throws. The plays better go as scripted though, as he is pretty ineffective when the play breaks down. But yeah, I'd expect them to play a style of offense that negates the pass rush.

Whoever wrote that at Bills Wire is incorrect. Captains are voted by their teammates. It's clear that McDermott likes DiMarco, hopefully he'll bring a little more to the table this season. Hauschka makes sense as does Kyle, Lorenzo and Shady. Taiwan Jones must have really stepped up and has some of the younger players looking up to him for guidance and whatnot. It seems clear that he's well-liked by his teammates given their reaction on that 3rd down pick up last season against the Bucs.

This sheds some light as to why they're working out Paxton Lynch. Seems they wanna roll with 3 QBs, and if they were able to gain a pick from McCarron, what's the harm in signing a dude to run the scout team and have it cost you nothing?

Isn't it? Yeesh.

I loved that Fitz had that hero in his blood and wanted nothing more than to make a play when needed but more often than not it'd end up in a turnover or incompletion.