Straight Hucklebuck

These pregame shows - just talk endlessly and say absolutely nothing important. Nothing but cliche after cliche.

Game going on mute as soon as I hear Nantz and Romo.

Yeah - same old - Levis throws Ints that takes his team out of the game, and Burrow sees 1-1 on the outside and throws deep.

I’ll give it to you - you’re consistent in your sunshine views on everything. I don’t know what “flashes” you’re referring to. Yes, he’s a smooth route runner and can be slippery after the catch. Joe Marino wanted the passing game to be centered around him this season and that’s just not possible. He’s a possession Tight End.

Mahomes almost threw a pick-6.

What a ridiculous pass interference call against Tennessee.

I’m going with McDermott. I think we’re coming to the end of Act 2. Act 1 was 13-seconds. A justifiably fireable offense. We kept him Since it’s been Divisional, Divisional (with the asterisk being injuries in 2023). He has this Playoff run in front of him, and probably 2025, but if the Bills fall short next season, I think we’ve seen enough, been patient enough.

Maxx Crosby effort, toughness, intensity. Dan Campbell’s effort, toughness and intensity. The Lions are aggressive in everything they do.

You’re never going to draft a DE as good as Maxx Crosby. And he brings that intensity and motor that Buffalo just doesn’t have. Saying he isn’t TJ Watt or Myles Garrett as if that’s the only bar that would make this team better is wild to me. This is such a Drought era take, the “he’s not worth it” take. I want a GM who hears Maxx Crosby is available and they’re out there trying to figure out how it would work. Not, we’ll draft someone as save money. What has Kincaid shown that tells anyone this? He gets down the field meaningfully better than any of the other young Tight Ends in the league?

You’ve got to be kidding me with this take. We’ve got to get out of this “he’s not worth it” mindset in Buffalo. Rousseau, Basham, Epenesa, Solomon - recent DEs drafted by Beane, are any of them able to get to the QB like Crosby has demonstrated? Draft and develop - meanwhile Allen is 29 next year.

Yes - this is the urgency we need. Not - ehh 27-year old Maxx Crosby is not quite good enough to be a Buffalo Bill when the team is bringing back 33 year old Micah Hyde, 31 year old Jordan Phillips, 32 year old Daquan Jones, 31 year old Quinton Jefferson, 35 year old Von Miller. Maxx Crosby - ehh he’s not good enough for our Buffalo Bills. What ?

That is a rosy way to look at the Bills Playoff games man.

Absolutely if you could get him. He’s motor is elite. Production is near elite.

I read this - so to summarize - Bills have been historically good, so not much you can do.

Thanks man

Setting this aside - when you turn on the TV Sunday - what do you expect to see? I expect this: Epenesa-Oliver-DaQuan-Rousseau Bernard-Milano Benford-Johnson-Ingram Cam Lewis-Cole Bishop And I think you’ll see corners 8-10 yards off, I think you’ll see Johnson motioning out to Milano right before the snap, a pass rush that gets stonewalled, a quick pass to St. Brown for 9 yards where the Bills rally And tackle. Then you’ll see Montgomery plow for 8 yards and a first down and you’ll ask yourself where are our linebackers because the safeties will have to come up and tackle. It will be interesting - Last week the Bills faced 42 runs, 9 of them were for 0 or negative yards, and a long of 12 yards - so they slowed the run. 20-81 in the first half, 16-45 in the 2nd half. A whole of Nickel, with soft coverage, depending on Johnson to lock the slot and be a linebacker on runs? And the big scheme wrinkle is….

Star L was 29 years old when he got to the Bills. Joined the league at 24 years old. Daquan was 31 when he got to Buffalo. My point stands - old veterans. AJ Epenesa was not thought of as a first rounder after that 5.04-40 yard dash and sluggish combine, if he ever was, he was taken where most analysts had him pegged. What is your point here? My point here is that all these “investments” that the Bills have made in the defensive line - none of them have fans, people around the league went Oh Whoa, look out the Bills just added - Austin Johnson, the Bills just drafted Javon Solomon. Rousseau is their best drafted Defensive Lineman - drafted in a group with Jalen Phillips who fell because of severe injuries at Miami, Oweh of the Ravens as 2nd half Round 1 DEs. Oliver is pretty good maybe, and after that it’s a lot of guys - and that’s not based on hindsight - nobody going in to Boogie Basham was going to be a game changer - his comp was Courtney Upshaw - an 8-sack per year guy, heavy handed, run based defensive end. What is your point? My point is Beane has had added a whole lot of average based on the cap and where the Bills have been slotted in the draft, and the two significant swings - Oliver and Von were not no brainers when he made them. Oliver was a poor man’s Aaron Donald. Read his scouting profile and make this case he was a can’t miss player: https://www.nfl.com/prospects/ed-oliver/32004f4c-4929-0385-df1c-0f8e40559b5a

Well I don’t think Beane is purposely drafting mediocre lineman - for example AJ Epenesa, Dewayne Carter were guys with draftable grades in the mid-rounds - but what was their ceiling supposed to be? Rousseau is playing well for an end of Round-1 defensive end. Their big money shot was Von Miller and that has been derailed by injury and he’s old. You handed a 33 year old a 6-year contract. For the last two seasons the Bills have had little to no money to spend in Free Agency - so that leads to a collection of guys - Tim Settle, Austin Johnson, Dawaune Smoot, Casey Toohill, Poona Ford, they got a good year out of Leornard Floyd. Now picking 9th overall - Oliver over Jeff Simmons, Dexter Lawerence, Christian Wilkins is indisputable miss. That’s McDermotts scheme and not projecting well to the NFL level. They’ve had a thing for old DTs that they’re familiar with - Star L and DaQuan Jones - and once they identity a starter, it does seem to be that they want continuity for multiple seasons. This is why I think after this Playoff run - McDermott needs to be evaluated on a season by season basis if the goal is really the Super Bowl at OBD. I think the rest of 2024 and 2025 is more than fair enough and if he can not get it done, it’s time to try something else.

I would agree more with this than the post about it not being true. Do the Bills use 5-defensive lineman much? Do the Bills rush 3, play press man and have cloud over the top? Last week their adjustments were - bring Rapp down, tighten up the cushion which naturally put them in man more often. But it’s the same people in the same spots every week. Milano came back and Dorian came off and he’s 100% off the defense now. Damar Hamlin never comes off the field. Where are these changes that McDermott implements? When do we start the game in anything but Nickel?

From a 30,000-foot view what comes to mind with McDermott’s defenses since 2020 Allen: - first thing I think is - McDermott’s”system” and how it never changes. - I think Cover 2 zone and keeping plays “in front of them” - It’s 4 down lineman, two linebackers, 3 corners and 2 safeties. Always Nickel. - They did have Edmunds for 5-years, and he had size, and he was consistent, never hurt, but hardly ever made a play, had that 1-INT against the Jets. - I think defensive line rotation. Usually starts with a veteran 1T like Star L and now DaQuan Jones, Oliver has been the other DT for years now. And then it has been a rotation of free agent guys on short term deals. They’ve never prioritized DT in the draft outside of Oliver. - I’ve never really thought of the Bills having a dominant DE. In these Playoff games they don’t get pressure - that started right away with Colts 2020. - AJ is small, Bills asked him to lose weight immediately so he could be athletic enough to play. - A weak #2 corner has been characteristic. - Taron Johnson never coming off the field. - Hyde and Poyer they were here so long you saw their rise and then fall as they aged out. - Leslie Frazier and a passive defense. Dick Jauron like approach where they depend on you making a mistake. - I don’t really think of athletes. Feels like they prioritize intelligence and professionalism. Not that you can’t have both. - I think of a grid pattern that stays in front of the play. - Best big game was 2020 Ravens 17-7 in the Playoffs. - Beane’s general team building philosophy has been to extend and keep as much of that 2020 team together as possible.

Jets - Yeah you might be right about that - Jets missed multiple field goals and that was another McDermott gaffe that gets forgotten about - his extreme prevent strategy against the Hail Mary. Rushing 2 and allow Rodgers a free heave to the end zone. Breece Hall had that long run down the sideline. I remember feeling like the Bills were lucky to win that game. Maybe some of that defensive narrative got quieted because Cooper trade was the next day.

The narrative about the Bills defense being potentially poor was on the edges of conversation, but the 7-game win streak masked a lot of that conversation in my mind. Off the top of my head: Bills / Jets - 23-20 - Rapp makes critical pass breakups and tackles, Taron Johnson with a Int late. Bills / Titans - Offense starts slow, ends up easy win. Bills / Seahawks - Defensive performance was about how well they shutdown the run. 111 to 3 graphic. Bills / Dolphins - This was the closest one to worry, Bills did a good job on Hill and Waddle, but Achane scored and the Dolphins moved the ball consistently. Bills / Colts - You had the Taylor run, but Bills defense had a pick-6, and multiple Flacco interceptions on bad balls. AD Mitchell and Josh Downs a little preview? Bills / Chiefs - Pacheco was out, multiple picks on Mahomes, Worthy might be the one concern coming out of that game. Bills / 49ers - Per carry the Bills defense was bad against the run, but so were the 49ers, but due to turnovers that game was over by halftime. Bills / Rams - Wheels fall off. Defensive line, the zone scheme get exposed, delayed blitzes don’t work, can’t get off the field on 3rd down, everyone knew Stafford was going to Nucua and the Bills couldn’t stop anything. Trips and stacks and bunches over and over. I think you have to go back to the Baltimore game in Week 4 to get a solid dose of this Bills defense is bad narrative. At Detroit is the Final Boss level in the league right now.

Where is @MasterStrategist with all the inside injury information?

This is his 5th-week now since the injury. At this point bubble wrap him until the Playoffs. Fragile.

Then I think the pressure stays on Beane. We know the style of defense will not change under McDermott. But the Ravens and Rams exposed talent concerns. This team needs defensive playmakers everywhere. Damar Hamlin isn't your long term FS, so we assume Cole Bishop takes that spot? Rasul Douglas is a FA after this season, are the Bills giving him an extension at 30 years old? 2025 will be the last year of Benford and Bernard rookie deals. And then the defensive line is going to be thin - Phillips, Jefferson, Johnson, Smoot, Toohill all expired. Von Miller another year older. So anyways, significant resources need to be spent on defense - but there is always going to be that pull to help Allen and the offense.