Straight Hucklebuck

Ok, but why is this so upsetting? If you're a Bills fan and you get upset at this I have to ask why? Why is the natural reaction to rush in and defend all the time?

Whether you rank Josh 21st, 23rd, 25th it doesn't really matter. The Bills need more points to really win anything. This is like when Bills fans argued Trent Edwards, JP Losman or Ryan Fitzpatrick. Whether they're ranked 27th or 21st, it's the bottom 3rd of the league. So Trubisky is the latest media whipping boy and that's fine, PFF wants some clicks, ok, but Allen's play has come under more scrutiny since the season ended the way it did. Like I said above, 2018 I don't give much thought, he was a raw rookie with an empty cupboard to work with. In 2019, he was much better relative to himself. Now he needs to climb the ranks of the league. Because people scoff at someone like Gardner Minshew. But he came in and had better passing numbers right away for a Jags team under archaic Doug Marrone. Maybe the raw passing numbers don't tell the whole story, still the ranking range is still the same, 20's. And the Bills can't really win like that. I think it's fine to openly say that.

Watkins is not competitive. He hasn't maximized his potential and blames it on other people. He's just fine soaking up money in LA and KC because he knows he'll never be counted on to produce. He can come and go as the #4 - #5 option in that offense and skate through. Instead it's Buffalo is small, the weather is bad, McDermott rides me too hard.

If Allen doesn't improve from where he is as a passer, he is Mitchell Trubisky. Mitchell's 2nd season was better than Allen in terms of yards, passing touchdowns, and completion percentage. Josh has to improve, because he is not a viable starter long term otherwise.

Sammy Watkins is not competitive. You saw this from him early. He allowed himself to be taken completely out of games. Look at the game logs. 3 catches and <35 yards. That's half of Sammy Watkins games in Buffalo. And he hasn't proven the Bills wrong at all with the Rams or Chiefs. He is a #3/#4 WR, who will never be the #1 option on a good offense.

Why do Bills fans get so upset when media outlets criticize Allen? It goes without saying that he was raw coming out of Wyoming and needs time to reach his peak. But it is also true that Josh Allen has played somewhat like his scouting reports have said - he's been erratic at times, shows questionable decision making in an effort to make plays, the offense he leads doesn't score many points, and he misses throws. So as we've been talking about, the 2020 season is a litmus test. With improved weapons (that's why 2018 isn't a good measure - rookie and poor weapons/line) Allen needs to pick up his passing ability. His running isn't enough to offset his lack of passing efficiency. So far its been an inefficient, sporadic offense.

Well there is a lot that can be done with route running. Steve Johnson ran mid 4.50’s and got open on Sherman and Revis. If he can master stick and go’s, and learn to break off his routes, I think that will go a long way. What is a realistic speed improvement? 4.61 to a 4.55 or so? Are we thinking the increased strength helps him break through physical coverage and redirect?

Win a Playoff Game. To me, that is the best I can hope for.

I don't see how the Patriots trying to win by managing Stidham and leaning on defense, is stylistically a different approach than how Jauron tried to win, how Marrone tried to win, how Rex Ryan tried to win and how McDermott tried to win for 3 years here. Gailey actually threw the ball. The Bills have mostly had game managing Quarterbacks, where they leaned on defense to keep points as low as possible, shorten the game length, and try to make a living off other teams mistakes. The main difference is the Patriots have a history of good defensive play, even with rotating spare pieces in and out of the defense, and a mastermind. It is interesting that Patriots passed on their opportunity to sign Dalton and Winston, have passed on Cam thus far, traded down in the Draft. The Bills had an offense that scored 19 ppg in 2019, and allowed 16.2, en route to a 10-6 record. The Patriots could attempt to do the same thing, bleed clock, kick field goals, live off turnovers. They have the weakest QB room in the league, unless Stidham is good.

Statistically they were the best defense in the league last year at 14+ ppg allowed and used much of their 2020 Draft capital on defense, and on offense they invested in Tight End to make easy throws over the middle of the field for Stidham. So in the end, are the Patriots trying to win in a much different fashion that the Bills brass has chosen over the past 20 years? No, they’re not. Lead with defense, keep scores as low as possible, make the game as easy and short as it can be for a limited offense take advantage of a key mistake here or there by the opposing team. We act like Allen is a huge hurdle for other teams in this division to overcome. He imploded at home when faced the Patriots last year to the tune of 3 interceptions. Plus, Bills FO and Fans love buzzwords. The Patriots have continuity in Ownership, HC and OC.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/K/KleiAJ00.htm 7 years, 10.5 sacks, 3 Ints, 6 FF. He’s a 2 sack, 1 interception a year player. We’re thin at linebacker. Oh and by tape, I assume you mean YouTube highlights, because no NFL fans are walking around with AJ Klein jerseys.

Yes I was going to say linebacker. There is nothing besides Edmunds and Milano. Klein is not a playmaker. It’s the one glaring hole from the 2020 draft.

2009 was atrocious. Trent Edwards was our starting QB again, Dick Jauron started his 4th season as our Coach, TO was signed to sell tickets and Russ Brandon was our GM. Russ Brandon and the Jason Peters trade, Ralph had to cancel a halftime presentation because he didn’t want to be booed, the 6-3 loss to Cleveland, the McKelvin fumble, the Saints game where their coaching staff said that the Bills offense was never going to score and TO saying he is just going with the plays that are called, Eric Wood breaking his leg, the Miami beat down, the game in Tennessee where Bud Adams was flicking off Bills fans. The 2010 offseason was the worst I’ve ever seen, but in 2009 the Bills have never felt more like a fake NFL team.

We 100% agree on 2018 the Bills FO left him out to dry with a bottom 3 NFL roster at the skill positions. McDermott and Beane chose to trade away Watkins, trade for Benjamin, leave Zay Jones as the #2, rely on fringe NFLers Isaiah McKenzie and Robert Foster to spark the offense, and feed the ball to a declining McCoy, and have Josh sit and “learn” behind Nate Petetman. They still thought Derek Anderson had something left to offer, and that was a disaster. I agree last year you saw improvement with a better offensive line, Singletary and Brown/Beasley, with Knox. No arguments here. But again, McDermott and Beane chose a guy that was raw. So that is gone now with 28 games under his belt a third year with the same OC and HC.

He was polarizing for a reason though. He is the classic tools over production player. Greg Cosell watches as much QB film as anybody. He was saying the same things every other analyst said: elite tools, but inaccurate and doesn’t have a great feel for the nuances of the position. Little production in college. Josh would be a statistical outlier of a guy that didn’t produce in college, but came to the NFL and fulfilled the physical potential. You get drafted high in the first round, you’re more than likely going to a bad team. With that said: 2018 - Josh played exactly to his Scouting Reports. Poor passing statistics, bottom end production, poor decision making, great playmaking on the ground, elite measurables. 2019 - Josh played to the positive end of the spectrum of his Scouting Reports. Kept the dynamic ground ability, but the interceptions went down. Still, didn’t generate passing (193 ypg, 1.5 TDs) by modern NFL standards. The defense made the game as easy as they could for him outside of the Patriots in ppg allowed at 16.2. 2020 - Bills got him a #1. Same coaches. Same scheme. Better running backs. Let’s see if he can do more than be a game manager.

Read the article and I think it’s completely fair. I don’t care how Allen leads the offense as long as the Bills score more points. But 28 games in, without his running, he is not a viable starting QB.

Largely equates to a salary dump

This is what I think as well. If Allen remains a limited passer, I don’t think sticking Diggs on the outside generates a large shift in points scored. I think it’s going to be modest improvement. The only measure that ultimately matters is points. All this scheme and coverage and catch radius and mismatches has not translated into an an upper echelon offense in Buffalo for 20 years.

I know we’ve been told by the Bills for years about how a #1 WR draws all this extra coverage, tilts the field, similar to a dominant DT drawing double teams so the ends are left one on one and vice versa, but the real question is does it help us get more points on the board? We’ve talked for years on here about catch radius and being open when you’re not open, but none of it has translated to a top flight offense. John Brown is a good NFL WR. But I don’t think Diggs, Beasley and Brown are such a nightmare for opposing defensive coaches that they won’t be able to plan for it. The coverage will be there. It will be up to Allen to make the throws. Foster and the deep throw disappeared last year, so I don’t know if that’s supposed to be Gabe Davis now. But if the Bills stick Diggs on the outside and change little else, then I would expect modest improvements. Not a scheme to take the league by storm. Honestly I think Allen is limited. I think getting to 24-25 ppg with him is going to be an accomplishment.

Only way to get respect is to rub their faces in it. The Bills have to make them break.

A QB who has gone 32-3 against the Bills?

Epenesa gives the DE some youth. Hughes is over 30, Addison is 33, Murphy is 29 years old. Beane said that Gore played over Yeldon last year because they wanted a downhill running style. Gore fit the mold of Tolbert and Ivory, because McDermott wants the power run game. At WR, I really think they wanted more competition for the #4, #5, #6 spots. McKenize has yo-yo’d off an on the game day roster, Foster has been in the dog house and Duke was MIA for 90% of last season. Neither Davis (4.54) or Hodgins (4.61) are burners though, so we’ll see if Davis can get deep or if Hodgins can separate enough to be effective.

We’ll just stick with Fromm and Barkley and hope neither one has to play.

Yeah man.

Whatever man, I’d gladly have Winston over Barkley or Fromm. That said, I don’t have a problem with the Bills trying a younger QB to challenge Barkley. But I bristle at Bills fans turning their nose up at Winston when the Beane McDermott era has started Nate Peterman, Derek Anderson and Matt Barkley.