corta765

BBQ City 27 Riot City 23 I think the Chefs get up on the Bird people early and while the Bird people come back from a 14-0 deficit, it is too much as Reid and Mahomes each get their second rings (hopefully making them reallyyyy bored for 2023 lol) SHHHHHH

Not sure they need to go full nuclear, but I do think this past year did go a little overboard. And again having that many primetime window games on off days will eventually catch someone.

As we take apart the 2022 season the major theme that came out of this season to me was chaos and a team that was doing too much. This to me applies to every facet of the team from the offense boom or bust nature instead at points taking the easy play, the defense with some very odd play calls (3 and 4 playing 8 yards off) and guys not being in places they should, to just the overall feeling where things had no normalcy a lot which at points was the not the Bills fault and other times maybe biting off more then they needed whether it be the amount of attention they embraced at times to the schedule they took on. My thoughts: Offense: Daboll in retrospect is missed now, but during his time we all had our frustrations as sometimes he had some odd play calls that made you wonder what he was thinking. The 4th down call against PIT in the opener comes to mind when they ran an outside sweep with Brieda no where near the line or the game plan in general in JAX that took forever to develop. But in general with Daboll he excelled with some great window dressing to a variety of simple play calls like jet sweeps/screens/or just creative ways to get 5-7 yards. Dorsey I get his idea to attack deep as it was one of Josh's best strengths but he went too far at points with overly aggressive calls. Josh 100% shoulders some of this with his nature, but part of being the OC is giving calls that force your QB to follow what is given and too often it was geared towards attacking on mid to long range plays. I would expect this year Dorsey takes a look at the 2019 - 2020 film and sprinkles in more of what Daboll did along with plays geared to take advantage of the situation. That 3rd and 2 against CIN which he called Davis deep is an example of a play and situation where you should be calling a designed run for Josh 2 yards up or having Knox 5 yards up as CIN wasn't stopping him much that game. A better WR2 and OL strengthen will always help, but my hope is Dorsey can grow where the offense is more diversified, situationally smarter, and has a better identity that is not as predictable as they became. Defense: Chaos was at the maximum here and while I don't like using injuries it played a role. The last three games of the season the defense seemed to finally have broken as they were regularly allowing sustained drives as the injuries did seem to catch up and some of the play calls were so soft on coverage it was allowing NE/MIA/CIN to march on the Bills secondary. Personnel is going to change this offseason so what the D looks like is going to impact expectations, but hopefully Tre and Hyde come back to training camp 100%. One of the things I would like to see though is less chaos at the CB spot. I understand they were breaking in a lot of youth and without Tre the CB1 and 2 spots were rotating, but it behooved the Bills to not let Elam have some growing pains and figure it out. When you constantly are rotating that many players around it 100% causes breaks in communication and trust. Like many I did hope Frazier would've been let go so a fresh set of eyes could've come in. With Poyer almost for sure gone, some young D lineman that need improvement, and years of the same defense new ideas would've been helpful. Regardless the defense having a more regular base set of players to work as a unit would be helpful I think in seeing them stabilize as a group. Outside of Von, Edmunds, Milano and the Safeties everything felt in flux with the defense all season and the questions out of training camp never really stopped at certain positions and who was the starter. Again some better injury luck certainly will help, but committing to players and trusting them may also breed better results. Org As A Whole: Part of the harshness of the loss to CIN to me was the level of expectation the team itself set and embraced in regards to 2022. I have no issue with my team embracing the goal of winning the SB and that being public. At the same token Buffalo willing took the media praise and a schedule that was one of a team that was a title team. That has advantages and is fun, it also adds a ton of pressure along with irregularity to the routine players and coaches have. Every NFL coach would tell you if they could have 17 1pm Sunday games they would as it is the most normal routine across the board. In 2022 Buffalo played three games on Thursday, two games on Saturday, and two Monday games; nearly half their games were not on Sunday and they also had to move a home game (not their doing). By comparison Kansas City played just three games outside of Sunday. With that said the Bills actually were 6-0 with an * to the unfinished CIN game so they were good under the lights, but those are exhausting games that also limit the days of rest you get and also keep the media attention and microscope on you. In a season which had plenty of distractions this was just another layer of things to contend with and at points where maybe you want things to chill out only invite more questions. The players are human, at some point that type of thing will start to wear a bit on you. The NFL will do what it wants with the schedule, but teams do have a sizable say in what they would like with the schedule. I am sure the Bills were informed in advance about being considered for Thanksgiving and had an option with that the same with the opening game. In 2023 the Bills already will have a game in London that is an adjustment in itself, but I would bet McD and crew would like to see a bit of scale bit to more of what the Bills had in 2021 three games outside of Sunday itself. The Bills will still be on primetime and national windows as the schedule already has four games that stick out for that (DAL/at CIN/ at KC/ at PHI) not including division games as the Bills had two at night last year, but I can see the Bills wanting to just return to a bit more focused routine based approach to quiet things a bit especially given the way this last year went.

To me its like the Thanksgiving game. Not ideal but if you win the rest of that weeks football watching feels good. Lose though and it ruins it all.

Agreed. I think everyone thought too Knox would've taken some of those targets, instead he just was the same as prior.

Were taking baby steps people!

Agreed I was one who thought it would've been lock step progression without issue. Unfortunately at times he looked like a 1st year coordinator which was not ideal and in the playoffs it all seem to come to a head. I had expected some hiccups but figured he would've grown out of them as the season progressed and that never happened. Daboll in 2018 really didn't have much other then Josh talent wise, but I could appreciate scheme wise what he was trying. Even in 2021 when he had some off games it was in part for trying to almost be too exotic not too predictable. I need Dorsey to take a step and realize having talent in places does not over rule good scheme design and sometimes your best friend is a simple 4-5 yard slant or out route. I loved in the AFC title it was 3rd and 2 and Cincy did a designed QB draw for Burrow who ended up going 10-12 yards for the first. Nothing wild, no 40 yard deep throws, just get the first and bite on the fact their line isn't expecting it. I do think he will improve and with some talent infused at WR/OL it will allow some growth, the key is how much. I will say this Crowder's injury hurt more then people realized. The plan was for him to get the majority of snaps at WR3 with McKenzie mixed in. His numbers coming in were identical to Beasley in prior years and he was a really steady dependable pass catcher in years prior. We never got to see how that would've shaken out.

I still have Bills-PTSD from that game.

Bingo. It was a collective failure by the offense across the board and in a sense the culmination of an offense that felt off identity-less the back half of the season. From the Packers 2nd half on the only two games I thought the offense looked good with a plan was the Pats night game (run the ball and strike with passing when needed) and 2nd Phins game (burn their secondary and Josh was super Josh). Other then that it felt so often like you didn't know if a drive was going 3 and out, 14 play TD, stall midfield etc.. because they were never consistent enough with anything other then getting the ball to Diggs. When you can eat a teams offensive line with 3 - 4 rushers top any QB is going to have a problem and Dorsey never adjusted enough to stunt any of this. I actually thought Josh was fine for the most part, wasn't obviously his best day but he was one of the few guys who did anything. More then anything on offense this offseason even more then adding a WR/OL I really would like to see Dorsey create a true identity and stick with it while also mixing some creativity from window dressing on player movement to jet sweeps etc.. to diversify things. We can add Mike Evans and Quintin Nelson, but without a better scheme that is more consistent it won't matter.

This was really well written and agree with most of it especially the idea they were not good enough and couldn't hit the hurdles at the end which requires a mix of factors. I don't think Josh having MVP season matters that much. He still was top 5 for most peoples ballots and if anything this season showed how much he can cover up (a lot) despite an immense amount of pressure and lack of support. Your point on one play with Josh not having time rings incredibly true. Once teams started doing what the Packers did in the 2nd half, double Diggs and dare Josh to beat them while they only rushed 3-4 it really became dicey on offense without a ton of composed sustained drives. It with very chunky and at points Josh turning water into wine type situations. For a QB who then had an injury right after this had to impact his mental mechanics that his line constantly was breaking down and after a while you start feeling like you gotta press. Josh had his flaws for sure as the GB/NYJ/MIN stretch he was incredibly sloppy with the ball and it 100% cost us against MIN. You also saw with that the growing pains of a new OC where at points he really had it right and other times not at all. One of my biggest frustrations in the CIN game was after the 2nd drive you can see your being eaten alive at the line so you adjust tenfold. No screens, no slants, no outside runs or sweeps, nothing to work the middle of the field with Knox and Beasley who both were catching balls etc.. It was a very frustrating game plan that screamed inexperience which in turn exposed your flaws even more. But they know they have to add around Josh to give him some time and some guys to help. Dorsey is getting one more year so fine show you have evolved and work some easier passes in for Josh to add some rhythm. The offense to me is fixing some parts and adjusting the scheme to be a little more friendly while creative and taking a little more what is given to you. The defense is the main source of concern which stems to coaching to me. I agree McD is not going anywhere at this point, but the scheme and philosophy has gone as far as it can even factoring in injuries. You rarely field a fully healthy perfect roster and sometimes you are out guys. Von is a game changer and it showed, but Von was not the reason the Bills allowed a 3rd and 4 conversion, playing 8 yards off the line did that. Fundamentally the defense seems to eat lower to mid level offenses alive, but come resistance with bigger teams or the playoffs when it matters they can't raise the bar. They are going to lose Poyer, maybe Edmunds although I think he stays and patience is needed for Hyde/Von/White to all find themselves. Coaching can raise and hide flaws, it can also create holes and weakness. Fundamentally coaching and scheme need a change because even with the upcoming attrition there is enough talent in Von/Milano/Tre/Hyde/Groot/Johnson and Edmunds as a if he stays to field a competent defense that isn't a sieve against bigger competition and take advantage of a banged up offensive line.

Typically the owner has to sign off on that type of thing. When the Colts and Jags played a while back part of it was because it was inevitable given the opponents the Jags have and Andrew Luck being there to finally get a marquee player/team in and the Colts just happened to be division. But its the NFL sooo ... lol

Jax is heading though to Buffalo and they could easily say will just stay the ahead or after the game they host. They would have the advantage of time adjustment, knowing the area, neutral site, and preparation vs. going to Buffalo where they don't have any of those. Denver was not announced as one of the five teams hosting a game abroad, it was BUF, TEN, JAX, KC, & NE.

I feel like it is smart move on Jax if you can just stay another week in a row. It is still a neutral site game which helps them and they know the place way better then Buffalo. Hopefully for the Bills if they play the Jags it is a better ending then last time 💀

So with the upcoming London game I was pretty sure the Bills would play the Raiders as I thought Brady was going to go there and that was an easy matchup for marketing and exposure. But with him retired (will see lol) I think it reopens the door to a few opponents now. Just to recap Euro games almost never feature division games, it happened once with Colts Jags which was destined to happen as the Jags play there yearly but otherwise it is generally avoided. The NFC East home games against NYG and DAL are for sure not gonna be moved as those are once in every 8 years and both are big market draws. With the division games scratched and two NFC east games scratched I leaves these four and I have ranked them accordingly. Obviously FA and the draft can change this: 1. Denver - With Sean Payton going to Denver it is a perfect redemption story arch and it gives some buzz to the game. Denver did play in London last year, but that has not prevented the NFL from putting teams there for two straight years. I would imagine the game would be earlier in the Euro timeframe which starts in October and ends in early Nov. 2. Jacksonville - They made the playoffs, they have Lawrence, and they actually could benefit playing back to back weeks in England as they host one every year. Instead of traveling back they would already have a routine and the time zone change adjusted for which is a sizeable advantage. 3. Vegas- They still have some decent players, but realistically they might be fourth now in division. If Rodgers goes there I could see them jumping to #1, but they need a splash at QB to make a move up. 4. Tampa Bay - They regressed badly last year with an aging lineup that now doesn't have a QB. The NFL is pretty committed with their Euro games and they at least try in advance to put games that are potential duds from happening. Let me know what you think might happen

You mean you don't want some drunk dude peeing all over next to year creating a splash zone and puke on the floor?

So if you think there is a guy in the draft that can be your guy long term and you think Bates can do fine for a year or two as you grow that player then move on from Morse OR ask for contract restructure. I do not disagree he is older despite playing well and another concussion could be it, but you can't just up and cut him considering how important he has been for Josh. We all remember the glorious Russ Bodine experiment!

I would agree but Beane is super big on keeping guys they drafted. I think Buffalo is going to do everything they can to sign him because of that. If Chicago doesn't get him as I have read they may have interest, I can see him staying.

If you look at Manning, Brady, Big Ben, Rodgers, Brees once they got paid they all had years where sometimes you felt like "wow their team looks really good this year" and other years the looked more mortal as a result of losing players with the cap crunch or some not ideal drafting left a roster more barren then other years. That is where the Bills are now, how they address the issues this offseason will dictate many people's feelings. If they add a truly good OL or two and draft a top WR with Edmunds still here I probably will feel good with the team on paper even with some attrition losing Poyer and some others (Dorsey and Frazier a whole different issue, hope to god Dorsey evolves/Frazier should've been canned). But if they run back a similar offense without much added, Edmunds and Poyer leaves, etc.. probably will feel more like a down year. Regardless it is the nature of having a top QB, the last 3-4 years the roster was relatively fit with no real holes and you could use the resources as you wanted. Now you have to pick carefully and hitting a draft can create a potentially stronger roster, but missing and you really are scrapping to fill the gaps. Jeremy White on WGR has brought up how the best QB's go through 3-4 different core's of players in their career, Josh is probably entering a new one as Poyer will most likely join Brown, Beasley, and a few lesser players of ex Bills. Wouldn't be surprised if Morse is cut if he won't rework his deal. Long story short hitting for a real on guys in this draft and next would be pretty big towards giving the team some options roster wise again with money and cap help.

He is where most fans are at this point. They can/should breakthrough as they have a good base built with an elite QB, but time has passed without any success so some fair questions are now being posed because something is not working. Doesn't mean it is over by any means, but four years of Josh in his true prime has led to 0-4.

Did I miss what our new cap number was?

With Allen's cap hit now part of the equation I am at a similar point. They should be a playoff team yearly as long as Josh is healthy, but where they go with that fluctuates so much. Right now if they try running again back a similar group and unit it just feels like a burnout Ravens esq where you can compete but your fighting with less of a full deck by your own doing.

Honestly I won't know how I feel until we get free agency, draft, how schedule lays out, etc... They have some holes specifically at WR/OL that I need to see improvement on to feel better, but overall they are running back a lot of the same guys. My current feeling is lukewarm based off where they are at this moment personal and coach wise and they feel like a team who may have a down year where it is a wildcard team. But again so much needs to happen across the board it is pointless to put a target or goal up. They have Allen so I expect them to be a playoff team and have a shot yearly because of it, how I feel about that shot will change as the offseason progresses.

Pretty much the same. Overall C+ not including Diggs, including Diggs then it is a B+. You got some average starters out of it but missed on a DE and RB you hoped could be more then being replacement level.

Syrod Saylor....? lol

100% true. I distinctly remembered for the 2014 the day before it leaked Buffalo they were gonna trade up and take Sammy to the point I remember looking at a coworkers screen who found the post.