Ayjent

The Bills have been adaptive in playing many styles as you pointed out. You can guess they'll be pass heavy but the type of passing game they use is always presenting a different wrinkle. The times when they've struggled this year is when they try to go deep too much. And that has been rare. They can run between the tackles better than outside. Their screen game isn't great but Singletary is their best receiving back and it may be the way to beat chiefs. Davis is their best blocking receiver but it's not that units strength. I think thats why it isn't that effective and why they can't run outside with much consistency. Their best runs seem to be between the tackles where they don't necessarily get verticle push but open the hole side to side and the LBs and secondary either get blocked on the line or miss their gap.

Hopefully the staff stays intact as teams impatiently fill vacancies. One of the benefits of winning is that it keeps your coordinators off the market. You've got to think Bienemy gets a look as does Daboll - whoever gets knocked out gets first look. The vacancies are filling up - Eagles and Texans are still open. You'd think Eagles is less attractive given cap hell they are in with Wentz K. Texans have their own warts and pending chaos if Watson isn't given some voice in the process. I dont know that I'd want either if I'm Bienemy or Daboll.

That was an incredible coaching job and performance by the Defense. You got the impression the Bills were okay giving up yards to the backs but not Lamar and if they could get them off schedule it would be much easier to stop the Ravens by hemming Lamar in the pocket. Easier said than done but the Bills were built to stop that with great cover LBs. Greg Roman went away from what was working once the Bills had moderate success stopping their run game. I was a little baffled but happy about it. On the other side, the Bills' best offensive drive was the 1st drive of the 3rd quarter, which had them mixing run and pass. I get that they didn't feel that the running game was going to be there given the Titans performance against the Ravens, but the Bills pass game provides more room to run and they were asking the Bills to at times. Had they ran a bit more I think they could've handled the Ravens easier and put more points up. However, hard to fault a playoff win like that. I got the sense they could run if they just tried by the 2nd quarter when the Bills had them playing pass and it was clear that the wind was wreaking havoc on the ball. This is the weakness that the Bills have yet to demonstrate they have the ability to do consistently - the run game. I think that they can run and could do so if they wanted with success. You could see the linemen getting jacked up after Singletary's runs. Thats a good thing.

Or because I thought it was interesting and worth talking about, and I am not a big fan of Barnwell and haven’t been for a long time. I take issue with his overreliance on letting the stats drive narratives rather than having the game explained from the important stats that effect the outcome and effectiveness. I understand how deceiving stats can be when not properly put into context, especially in sports. I fully understand that the Bills could lose to any team in the playoffs - these are all good teams and the Bills are not full of playoff experience. Presumptive assholery is the problem with society.

First off, I think Barnwell is a dry writer and has some serious misconceptions of sports (like his whole theory that momentum doesn't actually exist in sports). I still read it because it is better than a lot of what ESPN puts out. The article requires ESPN+ (which I wouldn't pay for by itself but as a bundle with Hulu and Disney+ why not) https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/story/_/id/30661462/nfl-playoff-bracket-predictions-bill-barnwell-picks-every-winner-including-super-bowl-score . Barnwell has the Saints beating the Chiefs in the Super Bowl and it goes like this for the Bills: They beat the Colts and lose to the Steelers. "The Steelers' offense isn't great, but it's not as bad as it looked against the Bills in December, when it went 1-for-10 on third downs." and "It wouldn't shock me if we saw the Steelers' defense and Allen combine for something similar to the first matchup, when the Bills scored 19 points on offense (cornerback Taron Johnson had a pick-six to get the Bills to 26)." Steelers lose to Chiefs in AFC Championship, and Saints beat Bucs in NFC Championship. What interests me is how a one dimensional offense with an inability to stretch the field in its one dimension and a defense that got physically dominated in the second half somehow makes Pittsburgh a team that presents too many problems for the Bills. The Bills scored 19 points on Offense in the first matchup because it didn't need to score more and dominated the clock to put the Steelers in a sleeper hold in the fourth quarter. It was a dominating victory even though the Bills struggled early in the game on Offense to get things going. The Bills defense simply matches up well against teams that can't run or pass deep - it plays right into their strengths. And I'm not hating on Barnwell because its just a silly prediction piece, but how he relies on things like DVOA of defenses better than the Bills that the Steelers were more successful against rather than actual matchup strengths and weaknesses has always been a thing that irks me about his analysis. He doesn't understand the context of the stats he cites and relies too heavily on them. You can use stats to backup what you know you saw when you watched the game but when you use stats to perpetuate a narrative that doesn't reflect reality then you are just clueless and blind in what you are trying to prove.

I didn’t like him but he did a decent job. I wasn’t sad to see him opt out, either. What I saw was that the Bills organization must’ve been truly undesirable if that was the type of contract they had to give a coach. The FO was a mess with Russ and Doug Whaley just running it into the ground to get a talented, but flawed roster that was saturated with bad contracts. The team couldn’t draft offensive players worth a crap outside of Robert Woods, and that was just a numbers game having spent massive amounts of draft capital on the WR position with very little ROI. When you think that TJ Graham and Goodwin are good 3rd round picks without anyone to throw the ball or to protect the QB you have no idea what the hell you are doing. I suppose it all played out the way it had to get to where we are now, but I could understand why the guy took the money and ran. He couldn’t have succeeded with his meh chops as a coach and would’ve ended up being fired or not renewed when everything played out. It was all leading to a house cleaning at some point.

Hell yeah. Thats why the real story is more about the Bills being good than Steelers being bad. The Steelers are good, especially on D. The Bills dominated that D when they finally settled into the game and took control. The last drive was like a sleeper hold and they didn't hulk hogan out of it. The Bills showed how good they can be and as fans we all hope they've learned how to take control and keep it when given the opportunity. Learning to win is what makes teams dangerous. Having both sides making plays consecutively game after game is what we watched good teams do to the Bills for years. Feels good to be on the other end of it as fans.

The Giants beat up Reed to slow down the Bills offense despite Thurman being amazing. They didn't really ever counter what the Giants were giving up deep to do that. Defensively, they couldn't adjust to take away the run to make Hostettler beat them. They were a strict 3-4 and that inflexibility was exposed with quick hitting run plays inside the tackles. Its amazing how different running games are today. I tend to think this style could be effective given how they front 7 of defenses of today rely on gap assignments to counter zone blocking schemes = big gains choosing and winning the right gap. Thurman and Anderson were at high speeds by the time they crossed the line of scrimmage. Thurman is really underrated in NFL history - what an all around back who made that Offense really dangerous - slippery runner too. Pretty cool difference in style than any other back - Marshall Faulk is probably the closest.

Great players elevate the play of teammates and when you have multiple great players you see the difference. Too many times organizations reward the wrong types of players with big contracts. Diggs is worth it and Josh Allen is a perfect fit bc all he ever does is try his best and try to improve. Diggs is helping him in the most important part - confidence.

I love the loser analysis of Broncos, Patriots and they don't go into a single reason why it is a negative for the Patriots other than having their bye week shifted. Umm...when you don't have your two best players available and you get a bye because of it being COVID-related...I think that is a win. A HUGE WIN. But that would have taken a few minutes of thought and doesn't support the argument. I just don't know how you get to a conclusion that the team is a winner that gets jerked around with waiting to see which way things go in terms of preparing for two different games and not knowing when they'll play. All while waiting to see if they have to play the team that is dealing with an outbreak (which could have multiple positive tests on the scheduled gameday). Nothing stressful about what the Bills are going through, right?! These games are only against undefeated teams that were in the AFC Championship game last year. The Chiefs get out of a huge game being on a short week. The Bills still have a short week and have to deal with the uncertainty of possibly getting positive tests after playing these turds that can't seem to respect the protocol. But they play the Jets so its a win. SMH

Not worth it. If the Bills have to deal with the same situation as Titans minus the dumb violation of the rules it will screw their season and put the entire season in jeopardy as it spreads to more teams. The problem is that the testing isn't accurate enough to prevent a player that has it from playing or a coach from spreading it post game, etc. Now we all know the Titans have had disregard for the rules, and i really don't care if they don't get to play for weeks. Thats what they deserve.

When Barnwell wrote an article about how there is no such thing as momentum in sports a few years ago, it was clear to me that he never played sports and/or he was conveniently overlooking it for arguments sake to let stats explain a perceived phenomenon. Whatever his rationale, it was the type of thing that made me view him as someone that is interesting to read but no more valuable than used toilet paper. Stats can lack full context on their own, and as such any conclusions that don’t fully explain the context are useless and misleading. While there are certainly some statistical similarities between Tyrod and Josh. They are incredibly different players in different systems with much different talent surrounding them. Tyrod had a very talented team on offense around him with two OCs that knew how to utilize his strengths. I would think that a Roman would do wonders with Josh too, not to bag on Daboll, but he would be just as effective as Lamar Jackson in Lamar Jackson’s situation. Josh didn’t have that luxury, but I think he will be better for it down the line as he matures into a better passer. I think you have seen Lamar Jackson’s ceiling and that’s not a knock on Jackson -he is damn good. But so is Josh and I was no fan of the pick and thought the Bills were dumb for trading Tyrod with nothing but question marks and a crappy career backup in McCarron. I think there is a high probability Josh is a star for a long time.

Great pick. He plays well with the pads on and gives great effort - don’t get hung up on the combine bs. He’ll be a very good player for the Bills.

I think LaMichael Perine is a better player all around, bigger and more durable. He's also great in the passing game and played behind a line that couldn't run block for anything last year and still had a pretty good season. Also, more of a change of pace with Singletary. He may not have the shiftiness, but we've got that in Singletary. I think he is available still in the 3rd though so that the Bills can go OL in 2nd. I really think that is where the 2nd round pick should be focused, but at 54 you have to take the best value you can get wherever it is.

Here is the thing that I think the writer is completely missing and I think where people are getting fired up. The writer doesn't appreciate how much teammates get behind Josh Allen as a leader versus Kirk Cousins. Josh is a gamer and a guy that just balls out harder than anyone with effort. Guys like that and are willing to put up with the issues in his game a lot more because of it and how much he will listen and adjust. His teammates glow about him...have you ever heard that about Cousins? The answer is no. In fact, a lot of guys really didn't like him when he played in Washington. He is the king of garbage time stats and crappy performances when it matters most (sans maybe one or two games in his career). This is the ideal situation for Diggs - to be the number 1 with a solid 2 in Brown and a shifty slot guy in Beasley. His stats may even decline, but this team and its culture are a lot more exciting and the promise of Allen is far more than the known commodity of meh that is Cousins. I'm not even that big of a fan of the trade but understand it and outside of Hopkins - this was a huge upgrade at WR. If only the Bills had a washed up back to trade.

Personally I think the NFL should take the opportunity to try some things that the fans may really like. Something like simulcasts that allow local media discuss the picks and have you along for the ride, and they would occassionally interface with NFL network and/or ESPN personnel to have the dialogue and swing it back into the National broadcast from time to time and get more in depth look at the team and get some insight from the players on the team and their reactions. I think that's how they can make this go from an odd and surreal event to what is looking to be the most exciting sporting event of the spring. Yikes.

It's a prove it deal and if he isn't looking good - I think the Bills will leave him on the bench or have him come in on certain situations. The Bills have a lot of options on how to use him - and Washington is a clown show franchise right now - many guys on that team are preserving themselves for their next contract opportunity elsewhere.

Mekhi Becton, T Louisville Micheal Pittman Jr, WR USC LaMichael Perine, RB Florida

Honestly they should be looking at getting the best OL they can in the draft. RT is still unsettled, C - Morse is a concussion away from hanging it up, LT - Dawkins' contract may be something the Bills and his agent don't see eye to eye on. I thought there was a lot of improvement on the OL last year, but you can see that it is a bridge group and not necessarily what they think they will be riding with for the long-term. If Becton is there at 22 - you have to take him IMO. The draft isn't particularly deep at OT and Becton is that physical specimen with tremendous size and speed that could be another part of a solid young foundation with Dawkins and Ford. They could move Ford inside, Becton at RT to get acclimated to the pro game and go with Morse and Feliciano. I also think if they have a C/G that they think can eventually take over for Morse that would be a wise pick as well. I'm a big believer in getting the line shored up if you want the Offense to be dominant - especially when the wind is blowing 50 mph gusts with sideways rain at the Ralph and you just need to be dominant on the ground (hello Eagles game). It also provides time for Josh and whatever new skill position players the Bills acquire to have the best opportunity to succeed. The WR class is so deep that you take them when you have the chance. I think the Edge rushers at the top of the class are a little overvalued and I see some names that could be a lot better lower in the draft projections, but all come with some question marks (Zuniga from UF would probably have been a 1st or 2nd rounder if he could have stayed healthy enough to play more - I've seen him in the 5th or 6th round - but his per play stats are really good). I think that this is not a strong defensive draft - I see Chase Young as a consensus 2nd pick of the entire draft and I just don't really understand it - yes he is physically impressive, but watching games I don't see the type of play that says he is going to be a beast in the NFL. He'll be decent for sure, but not dominant - he is a boom or bust playmaker that uses his speed to get around the edge, but doesn't play the run very well - good Tackles in the NFL will have tools to deal with him. I'd design RPOs that if you opt to run goes right at him because he'll go wide and he doesn't get off blocks on run plays.

I think Bryce Perkins is the kind of player the Bills could get in the late rounds and have come in to compete for the backup QB position. Smart kid, strong work ethic, mobile, and a player that teammates love. Definitely some flaws to his game but he was a big reason for UVAs success. He’s tough too, knows how to deliver the ball under pressure and doesn’t bail on the pocket. I think he would be a great fit on the Bills.

Bring back Fitz

Joseph is a great pass rusher and creates game changing plays. He is also a bit unreliable in being disciplined - he is the type of guy that you'd love to allow to freelance. However, the Bills D seems to be predicated on discipline and assignments. So it may take a little while for Joseph to find his way into game action as he tries to balance his instincts with discipline required for the scheme. But then again maybe the Bills run some schemes for a few plays a game to give him that freedom and he could make a nice little spot for himself on the D. I think he's an incredible player, but understand why the Bills wanted to give him some time before really putting into games.

And that's what happens when you hit a home run with the pick. What happens if you don't was put on display by the Bills in 2014. So I couldn't agree more with what you are saying. You stay put or try to get more picks in this draft. WR is a position that relies upon so many other things working well to be effective. I honestly hope the Bills take an Edge Rusher and an OL prospect and possibly two WRs in their first 4 picks. They should also use a pick on another back. Perine is who I would target, because he is a solid back and also a good receiver that is very effective in the screen game. There will be really good WRs available into the 3rd and 4th rounds, and those at the top really don't look like they are Julio Jones type players. There is some differentiation in talent, but it's not a huge dropoff after a couple of guys. The top guys aren't some incredible combination of size, speed, and skill like Calvin Johnson, Randy Moss, or Julio Jones. There is a good chance that top WR picks won't be as successful as the later picks, and that the best players at WR in this draft may come from the 2nd and 3rd rounds.

Higgins is valued too high in many mock drafts. He isn't even a true No. 1 on Clemson. Great program with good players, but I just don't see what makes him a better pro. He will be going up against faster stronger DBs and although he is physical enough for his build, he's not the type of guy that is going to outmuscle for contested balls. I think he is 2nd rounder, just like Justin Jefferson. Both are going to be good players, but if you are looking for either to be your franschise WR that will have a storied career with Allen - I don't think either one is that guy.

Flutie came in and turned around a clown show with Rob Johnson as QB that was going nowhere quick. The Bills then ripped off a bunch of wins, took the AFC East and were a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately they drew the Titans and it was a matchup of the two best teams in the AFC in the wild card round - despite what the records said about the other teams in the AFC (the Bills had to climb out of a 0-3 hole with Johnson as QB and the Titans came into their own maturing that season with McNair as well). It was inexplicable that the team chose to go with the guy that started them off with an 0-3 start and benched the guy that turned it around. It's one of the most head scratching choices in NFL history. And Rob Johnson actually played decent in the game - so I'm not taking that away from the team or the decision to play him - but you have got to go with the guy who got you there, was a more vocal leader and capable of pulling games out of his ass. Maybe it wouldn't have mattered at all, but you can certainly understand Flutie's chip on his shoulder about the situation.