Straight Hucklebuck

As you get older does football really even matter? Who really cares? When you’re 24 this stuff is important. But how how can anyone at 35, 40, 50, 60 even get moved by the NFL anymore?

I think if you are going to swing to the opposite end of the spectrum and go for an offensive coach who wants to chuck it, you have to get the innovator, not the assistant. You need Mike Leach himself, not Mike’s QB Coach. Chip Kelly was made fun of, and rightly so for his huge ego, but look at how many ideas he brought to college and the NFL that have stayed. You want the Innovator I think, not simply an assistant from the Rams or Chiefs.

What amazes me about Mahomes is his vision. He just sees it. His read and react is what stood out to me.

Dude, break the helicopter out - Sage Rosenfels

Trash can Tanney of course

Rohan Davey, maybe Brady’s greatness rubbed off on him.

Pat White, Mike Kafka, John Skelton, Joe Webb, Jimmy Clausen, talk Tony Romo out of the booth, Ryan Mallett.

We could try Mark Samchez and the Bills PR could hype up his back to back AFC Title games.

This ought to go well in Cleveland.

Says the guy who waves Bills Pom Poms and shames other fans for not being a good enough fan. This is the endless debate. Realists bring up valid criticisms of the regime. And the same ostrich’s would rather bury their head in the sand. No no worries huh John? Just blind hope in McDermott and Beane despite a mounting pile of evidence to suggest they have no idea how to compete in today’s NFL?

So a slot WR who has normally displays outstanding coordination and precision route running, stopped, looked at the oncoming Bills player, left his feet, tilted the crown of his head down and made direct contact with another human's helmet was not intentionally going to helmet to helmet? Just trying to get confirmation on that?

Defense is not elite. No HOFers, so they don't get to go into that class. They are not the Seahawks of 2013 or the Broncos of 2016. Those rosters had HOF defensive players. The Bills are a good defense, Top 10. But we've seen this forever in this league. It is hard to count on shutdown defense as the key/central cog in your football machine year in and year out. Look at the Jaguars this year, or where the Broncos have regressed to in 2 years. A couple players here or there, a FA loss or two, a retirement, and you start to slip immediately. This offense is the worst in over 30 years of data. 30+ years worth of teams, this offense is the worst. Before the Pats game, 53.2% less efficient than the AVERAGE NFL offense. Bills fans being labeled as spoiled on here, or impatient or Millennial is insulting. You have a Coach who talks down to the fans and media every chance he gets. He's now 11-13 and starting Nate Peterman again this week, not that if Derek Anderson gets cleared he has shown anything better, now 6 TO's in 2 games.

"Get educated" So Beane and McDermott have no hand in: 1. Trading Glenn 2. Trading for Benjamin, Corey Coleman, Jordan Matthews, Kaelin Clay 3. Trading Watkins 4. Signing Anquan Boldin, Jeremy Kerley, Philly Brown, Andre Holmes, Robert Foster, 5. Drafting Zay Jones, Ray-Ray McCloud 6. Keeping Mike Tolbert as the only backup RB in 2017 7. Benching Tyrod mid-season for Nate Peterman, and continuing to push Peterman as a viable starter to this day? 8. Wanted Mike McCoy as OC (been fired 2x as an OC since turning down the Bills), hiring ancient Rick Dennison and now Brian Daboll. Just the unfortunate hand they were dealt, nothing they could do. Nope, this is not the offense they really want, but they are forced to have it right now. Just wait, the $80MM in Cap Space and 10 draft picks and you'll see the real explosive offense that McDermott really believes in. I guess the Baby Boomers and Gen Xer way is to shut your brain off and just accept that leaders are always right. Get back on the assembly line, back to your press, and keep punching those widgets blue collar worker. Just accept and eat the poop McDermott and Beane are serving. You can't critique it, you can't criticize it. You learn to sit down when they tell you to sit down. I'll say it one more time. McDermott and Beane got the Bills into the Playoffs in 2017. So they get 2018 and 2019 to show they can be the permanent solution in Buffalo. But we are scoring 10 ppg now on offense. Every week this team is sinking lower and lower offensively. If you end up at 8 ppg, how can you possibly have any faith in Beane and McDermott to spend all that cap space and draft picks on offense? How? What evidence could there be at that point? If Derek Anderson doesn't get cleared this week, you are one hit away from a QB who isn't on this roster as of this morning or Logan Thomas/Tyrell Pryor taking snaps at QB.

This is like the Nets, or Magic, or Knicks in basketball. Someone is going to lead the team in scoring. I think Zay Jones is a #3, who on this team is the #1.

Bravo on this Post!! This is well thought out and stated perfectly. You're right, he didn't know. He was playing for the tie there, because its better than a loss in his mind. Didn't Rex do the same thing? A tie kills you and he's punting in OT. The obsession with Field Position. No different than Doug Marrone punting on 4th-2 in the 4th Quarter down by 2 scores from the Pittsburgh 36 with a 3-6 record in 2013. It's that obsession on field position and defense. What I am seeing and hearing from this Coach speak to all of this. I think you nailed the portion of your statement about the probable interview McDermott had with the Pegula's. Rex was a ra-ra emotion guy, probably some drinks were served. Typically teams sway to the complete opposite direction of the Coach they just fired. So McDermott comes in prim and proper, shaved, hair done, shoes shined, talking about discipline, hard work, watching tape, with the notebook of little sayings (nailed that) and he looks clinical. Right, the Henry Ford line. If I asked people what they wanted they would have said faster horses. I think the Dick Jauron comparisons are apt and accurate. He avoids a Hail Mary at the end of the first half because of the "risk". He speaks to all the same hallmarks. Field position, 3rd and manageable, establishing the run, being physical, line of scrimmage, avoiding turnovers, learning from tape and working hard. He really does believe that he can win 17-13 in the NFL in 2018 across a 16 game schedule. He said: it's culture over scheme. His comments yesterday are in-line with this. And you get to the heart of the matter here. A great defense of course can be a driving force in real sustained winning. But does this Coach feel like a guy who deep down wants to utilize the rocket armed QB that Beane had to have? Given the right players on the outside, he is going to abandon his run-first approach and start throwing the ball? Deep down he wants to transition away from possession WR's and more to speed so the offense becomes more vertical and risky? I don't believe in McDermott because at his core he thinks watching tape and being on time for meetings will meaningfully separate/differentiate his team from other NFL teams. And we know that is not real. Doug Marrone was a conservative, disciplinarian. He's not working in the NFL. His QB is regressing and his shutdown defense is not close to where it was last year. We've seen this in Buffalo. You can't bank on defense carrying over year to year to year. Agree. He's seen it all before, thought of everything, done everything. He knows the way to real sustained winning and since you don't get up with him at 3:00 am, you get laughed at (like McDermott did to Fairburn at the end of the press conference yesterday). We'll see Sean. You're 11-13 as Bills Coach now. Not meaningfully different than Mularkey, Jauron, Gailey, Marrone or Rex.

I really enjoy how Sean McDermott spins this as if he knew and planned it to be this way. He’s seen it all before, done everything, thought of everything, but then goes out and gets his teeth kicked in. Always the right player at the right time in the right situation, all premeditated and thought out. Oh you mean how your choice Nate Peterman imploded against the Ravens and you had to rush Josh Allen in there. Watching Nate get destroyed for one half of football was what he needed to see to be ready. Was Derek Anderson the right player at the right time for the right situation? A 35 year old career backup who was retired? He’s thrown 0 TDs and 4 Interceptions and fumbled twice? All of this is just part part of the plan huh Sean?

More from McDermott yesterday: On the trade deadline: “Has to be the right player, at the right time, in the right situation as we move forward for long term success” How have you been taking these losses: “Been a part of this before, we know we’re getting this turned around. We have a vision, and we are going to continue to drive to that vision” How to get consistency on offense: ”We were able to move the ball at times, but not able to produce points. Starts with habits, the process and winning mindset leads you to results typically” Expectations for Peterman: “Expect Nate to execute at a high level”

Jauron thinking that a no-huttle led by Trent was pretty funny, the fired Turk Schonert 3 days before the season started. The 2013 Bills drafted Manuel and had him compete against Kevin Kolb, Thad Lewis, Jeff Tuel with a rookie HC and rookie OC who was also doubling as the QB Coach...

Who is getting emotional John? Again all you have is wait longer. That’s all you got. Wait longer. You’ll see, soon we’ll be dominating the league. Meanwhile Beane/McDermott have signed or traded for: Benjamin, Kerley, Anquan Boldin, Kaelin Clay, Rod Streater, Jordan Matthews, Corey Coleman, Corey Brown etc. Again we’ve seen the McDermott player. Usually an ex-Panther or washed up slow possession WR. Facts over Stories.

I know why it’s happening. The FO gutted this offense over the course of two years to better outfit the team in their vision of elite culture. Now the hope is we use our $80MM in cap space and 10 picks to out compete the rest of the league to virtually rebuild the offense in McDermott’s vision from scratch. I have the facts on my side John. You have hope.

And if Anderson can’t go, Allen can’t go, we’re signing a street free agent to play QB or playing Terrell Pryor/Logan Thomas.

Ok, then stop ripping fans who are venting about this nonsense we’re watching as whiners. People has legitimate points on McDermott. Did the thread read say fire Beane and McDermott immediately? No. It made a case that what he presents to the public is not passing the sniff test. And to dismiss all the dans who agree because they aren’t good enough fans is insulting. Too bad we don’t all agree with you John. You’re wrong on your insult that I’ll run and hide when McDermott turns this team around. You’re super fandom has you Pom Poming for a 2-6 team. I like to employ some critical thinking and vent when the team and coaching staff let’s the fans down.

How do you reconcile the fact that you condem other Bills fans for not being supportive enough, but you’ve been wrong about the Bills for 18 of 19 years? This is assuming you’ve always been the billiever you seem to be on here. How do reconcile that you’re wrong almost all the time about how good the Bills will be?

I’ll be right here Joe. I’m not afraid of my opinions. If the Bills win, great. The fans win.

Deal man. I’ll eat the crow.