DrDawkinstein

I think Sunday was nothing more than trying to show off and impress his ex. Just like when we rolled into LA for the 2021 opener, and Allen attacked the Rams with reckless abandon to show that it should have been the Bills in the Super Bowl after 13 seconds. The difference is, that time it worked. Whether through more luck, or more skill (at WR), or likely some of both. From what I saw Sunday (and unfortunately rewatched last night on NFLN) Allen went in trying to prove something. Trying to show off. Trying to show he can make magic happen with his arm-arrogance. Trying to prove he doesnt need a #1 WR. But it wasnt clicking. The hero ball on the last possession while the coaches were yelling for a 1st down pretty much proves this.

3rd and Long has been McD's kryptonite since he has been here, regardless of roster. My friends and I have a running joke about "3rd and 18". It's pretty much a given the opponent will pick it up.

So we suck on 1st down, and we suck on 3rd down. I think I see a problem.

Oh, I thought this was about a different type of house for adults....

While I agree with all of this, and it was a bad game for Josh (who seemed to be trying too hard to impress his ex), I think there is an underlying problem that comes back to McDermott. Josh is not great with situational football, and he doesnt have a HC who is a master of situational football to teach him and get him under control. Where as both Mahomes and Reid are excellent at it and make far fewer mistakes in that realm, which is really what puts them over the top. While it was Josh's mistake in the moment, it is also a failure in coaching for him to not completely understand why he needs to hit the open short route for a number of reasons.

Yes, with Marcus Mariota and Ryan Tannehill. But he has successfully transitioned from "promoted Coordinator" to a True Head Coach and knows his situational football as a Belichick disciple. I get folks wanting to bring in the idea of Bill Belichick, but he is too old at this point. Vrabel is the next best thing we can get.

Vrabel. Plus, I would take a chance on any of the hot OCs. We've already hit our ceiling with McD. If we dont take a chance, we'll waste the 2nd half of Josh's career too. edit: I'll also add that I guarantee back in Jan 2017, after we fired Rex, you didnt even know who Sean McDermott was. And certainly would not have named him the successor. So who knows who else is out there.

True. Those teams being perennial basement dwellers like the Jets, Raiders, and Panthers. He miiiiiiight be able to pull off landing in Philly if they fire Siriani, but he isnt going to get them over the hump either. Especially in that division with Dallas and now Washington. And really, that is his sweet spot. As I keep saying "Sean McDermott is the type of coach that will take a 4-13 team to the Wild Card, and also take a 13-4 team to the Wild Card" Actually, now that I type it, a return to Carolina as a HC who rights that ship would probably be the best thing for him.

What else can he do tho? Play the snaps for them? Who did he miss out on for the DL with those picks? Only one I can really think of with the benefit of hindsight is he should have gone Jeffrey Simmons over Ed in 2019. That entire draft is an exercise in hindsight. Could have gone 1. Simmons 2. AJ Brown/DK Metcalf 3. Terry McLaurin 3b. Maxx Crosby, but easy to do that now. Looking back at the 2021 draft, Rousseau looks to be the best DL taken across at least the first 3 rounds, maybe whole draft. And he did bring in an all-pro and future HoFer in Von, who was playing well up until the Detroit injury. Point is, he's buying the ingredients we need. Up to the coaches and players to cook.

Kelce had his worst season, statistically, since 2015. And he's having an even worse one this year. He was drafted by John Dorsey. That's like asking why didnt Doug Whaley provide better support for Allen? And with Knox and Kincaid picks, he's certainly trying. Not having a Jones isnt for lack of trying with all the draft picks and FAs we've put into the DL. Why can't our defensive guru HC get anything going on our rotating line?

2nd week in a row he didnt recognize a CB coming on a blitz on the right side. Almost like he doesnt even look that way presnap. Someone needs to see it and alert the OL and RBs.

Historic(ly bad) decision making.

Sounds like a coaching problem. Cant get the best out of the guys we have. The Chiefs had a mini-reset last year, and they struggled through the regular season. But then they got to the playoffs and Reid's coaching gave Mahomes the best platform to win games, and they won the Super Bowl. There is NO chance of that happening in Buffalo with McDermott.

I expect ups and downs with the roster over the course of Josh's career. But having games where the entire team is flat and unprepared, and watching another series of botched decisions when it comes time for situational football, is unacceptable. In these down roster years, it should be Josh and coaching that carries us through. Just like Mahomes and Reid got the Chiefs through their season last year. Right now, it's just Josh. And if he is off, or having a bad day, well... we all just saw what happens.

I love Josh. He's the best thing that has happened to this team in decades (maybe ever). But he started this game looking like he was trying waayyyyy too hard to impress his ex.

They seemed to report it as confusion since the medical team gave him his helmet back 🤷‍♂️ I dont think that situation is anywhere similar to the BS McDaniel tried to feed everyone in the post game and all that week about it being a back injury.

And yet, the new concussion protocols do just that since it has been proven over and over that players can not be trusted to take themselves out of harms way when it comes to head injuries. The booth took away Connor McGovern's agency for a number of plays last game. Happens all the time. That is the way of the new protocols in the modern era. Calling it a back injury and allowing him to return to the field is on the Dolphins organization, and especially the head coach. And especially with all that we now know about head injuries. I have plenty of criticisms of McDermott, but there is no way he lets that happen.

In some ways yes, in some ways no. He coordinated a better offensive scheme that, when not defended properly, plays into Tua's few strengths which ultimately got him a big 2nd contract. However, he also sacrificed Tua's health and possible career with that "back injury" BS and pushing him back out onto the field mere days after his concussion against the Bills, leading to that horrible situation against the Bengals, and ultimately his current state where a glancing blow knocks him out of the lineup for at least 4 weeks. (If not ending his career completely as Tua should absolutely be thinking about retiring right now).

Again, is this a case where we get him involved early, so then teams adjust and cover/double cover/triple cover, and take him away?

I'll add Peyton (and even Eli) to your list. But the problem was, outside that handful of QBs, there was a dearth of QB talent in the league for years. Nowadays we have: Mahomes Allen Jackson Burrow And while that may be a smaller group of elite superstars, I think we have a MUCH HIGHER floor around the rest of the league than back in the day. Herbert Stroud Prescott Purdy Cousins Richardson Love Hurts Would all have been BY FAR the best QB the Bills had since Kelly if any of them joined the team during the drought years. And that doesnt mention the young stars Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels That is 14 QBs deep. Back in 2010 we'd be at the Josh Freeman/Mark Sanchez/Andy Dalton/Matt Schaub/Kyle Orton levels at this point. Even worse when you get closer to 2000 and guys like Trent Green, Jake Plumber, Marc Bulger, Jake Delhomme, and Aaron Brooks are all in the top 10.

I guess a lot of it comes down to how you define "great matchups". Are you looking to recreate matchups like the old Patriots/Colts games? Back when they were pretty much the only good teams in the league? Can you appreciate great matchups between a couple of lesser teams? I thought Steelers/Chargers week 3 was really intriguing as a good litmus test of where the Steelers really are with Fields. Saints/Cowboys was fun because I always like watching Dallas implode. Week 2 49ers/Vikings was a good game and a fun watch. There are at least 2-3 each week. Not sure how many more you are expecting in a league of only 32 teams.

Not entire game, but often enough.

He definitely was. No one else was around. Found one of them. I know there were a few examples of this.

Interesting. Especially with Brady being so tied to the Phins in the recent past. They are heading towards the "bring in 'experienced' HC as President of Football Operations" phase of sucking.