LSHMEAB

It's gonna be a bit different if the good teams we face aren't playing prevent offense by the second half.

I'm getting the sense this team can compete. While I've known we weren't stacked at DE, the concern is more pronounced when you have a team on the precipise of actually doing something! Murphy got a sack and generates some pressure. He's PROBABLY not gonna stay healthy. Shaq does VERY little in terms of getting after the QB. Hughes is a very, very good pass rusher, but he's not elite. I watched a particular play last night and it dawned on me that the reason for the disparity in sacks/pressures WRT Hughes is that the other side of the pocket is far too frequently clean. I can see this being a major issue defensively, especially if the offense clicks and we starting getting into games that actually resemble modern NFL football. What's the solution? Is Oliver gonna be good enough as a rookie to make THAT much of an impact on the left side of the line? Star is Star. Do you blitz more? Frazier is allergic to that concept. I tend to think the issue went unnoticed last season because we were awful offensively and didn't really FORCE the opposing QB's to go into down field mode. In these modern games, you've got to be able to make a big play or two defensively and that rarely occurs without pressure. We flirted with Clark and Clowney. That didn't come to fruition. I think the likely outcome is that McDermott has a little sitdown with Frazier to explain that you're allowed to send 5 or 6 guys after the QB. If that doesn't work, the HC may have to take over the reigns defensively once again. I could also see them getting into another 2017 "we're better than we thought" situation and trying to make a midseason acquisition. We shall see. In the grand scheme of things, it's great that the Bills appear to be moving in the right direction. Still, this is a concern.

It was the best he's played in a Bills uniform, albeit in a preseason game. I did see some Rodgers in him with the quick delivery combined with arm strength that gets the ball there in a hurry. I'd take a few steps back before we start believing he'll ever be as good as Rodgers. That's PROBABLY not going to happen. You never know, but it's unlikely. At this point, I will say I'm more encouraged than I've ever been. I STILL have no idea what that one guy was talking about in terms of his release. It's about as quick as I've seen from a guy his size. We all know what his issues are. Quick delivery is NOT one of them.

Same 100%. Would love to be proven wrong.

I don't think it would be a good idea to mess with the Fredo you're referencing. Guy's built like a linebacker.

They were entertainingly over the top homers, but that's really not unusual. I'm sure our guys would seem the same to opposing fans.

Maybe it's the surprise factor, but I feel like the skeptics were more impressed by what they saw tonight than the true believers. It's the little things; timing, delivery in stride, making the right reads, well placed balls. I'm really not swayed by the crazy runs or the occasional bomb. I'm swayed by the details. Agreed that this was the best we've seen from him. We'll see what happens, but that was encouraging.

PASS RUSH!

His disappearing act tonight was almost as impressive as the levitation thing.

Has nothing to do with the defense or the score tonight. Murphy got the one sack, but I'm underwhelmed by the overall pressure we're generating. The reason for optimism is that JA demonstrated things he's NEVER demonstrated before. It's a preseason game. He could suck next week and end up not working out. But even the most ardent skeptic(myself included) HAD to take note of the improvement tonight.

You didn't really HAVE to say it.

Why in the name of everything holy does Colin Kaepernick live in THIS MANY head's rent free? I rarely see him discussed anymore elsewhere. INSANE. As the TOPIC, I hope things work out for Gordon, but I don't believe it will. I think him demons will always be stronger than his will. I know the struggle and it's real. Always like to see guys overcome addiction issues, but I don't see it happening.

Late to the party, and I'm sure it's been said, but Allen was terrific tonight. Some of you may know I'm a skeptic, but my confidence meter definitely ticked up. He was sharp, decisive and accurate. I saw what I REALLY wanted to see. Hitting receivers(mainly Beasley) IN STRIDE, looked confident, and took what the defense gave him. We didn't have a "cutter" like Beasley last season, but I don't know if he'd have been ready anyways. He's clearly worked on his mechanics and as expected, the short game and the areas in which he's struggled. I'm not ready to join the Allen brigade, but that was the best I've seen him play. That includes the Miami game last season where he put up bigtime stats. Beasley is a STUD and Sweeney looks legit to me. I had my doubts about Knox and still do, but they may have struck gold in the 7th. Levi Wallace is the number 2 corner. Star is still Star. I'm NOT a fan. It's the preseason, so take it for what it's worth. You have to be encouraged by JA even if you don't place much stock in these games.

Not so much.

Yeah. I still want more talent at WR. That unit looks good in comparison to last season, but it's average at best. Agree 100% regarding the DE group.

Frazier. No chance and I wouldn't really care. McDermott runs the defense. Daboll hasn't proven much of anything in the NFL, but if he has success with Allen, there's a chance. These would be first world problems. If Allen balls out under Daboll, it means he's legit and probably doesn't need a specific coordinator to succeed.

I think you're overestimating the importance fans place on stashing Jackson away on the practice squad. No reasonable fan would EXPECT Jackson to be some kind of starter. It's more of a low risk/high reward move that almost certainly won't bear real fruit. The question is; why not? I just don't see it as a big deal.

My counterpoint would be that what you're talking about is the direction the team took and not what the fans wanted. I would have preferred they'd taken a receiver somewhere, preferably instead of Knox. We'll see with that guy. I think I place more emphasis on the defensive end position than most. What I want from a defense is a high flying unit that makes plays. You gotta get in the QB's mug to make that happen. We absolutely need to address the WR position next offseason. But we've also got to address DE. I think we're talking about our two biggest needs going forward.

Disagree. I think NINETY percent will be saying we need to draft a WR instead of a DE. They're right to an extent, but you could have killed two birds with one stone here. DE IS a MAJOR need going forward. We're talking about the most important defensive position. Hughes is aging and everyone else has serious question marks. The NFL is an offensive league, but that doesn't mean you neglect the defense.

Jay Z is most definitely a sell out. But a large number of NFL owners have publicized and even pushed their political agenda. If you have a problem with this, you should have a problem with the owner's as well. Unless of course, your only problem with this is that you don't approve of the MESSAGE and not the injection of politics. I'll leave this thread alone now.

Absolutely. I really like everything I've seen from Sweeney. A late round TE who ends up a bonafide threat would be nothing new. I hated the Smith signing and still do, but it is what it is.

This makes NO sense. If the Texans wanted Ty Nsekhe that bad, they would have just signed him. I like him as a player and I like the signing, but we're not talking about Richmond Webb here.

Yes to everything. I would also add that acquiring a top shelf defensive end does not mean you believe you're one piece away. It means you have an opportunity to acquire a STUD and you're willing to pony up. This is especially true when you're talking about a young player like Clowney.

I really don't understand the overall aversion to ELITE talent. Yeah, we're gonna have to pay. That's kind of the point. You don't get any prizes for having the most cap space. Character has it's place on the importance scale, but elite talent is tough to find. We're talking about a YOUNG player with amazing talent who happens to play a position of need for the Bills. What gives?

I would think he's a poor man's Nate Peterman. Nate does it when the real bullets are flying!