folz

Yeah, like SectionC3 said, usually that pre season crush is a RB or WR who had a couple of good practices and then caught a couple of balls or broke off a big run in the preseason (against lesser competition). With RBs and WRs in the preseason, they really only get a few plays per game maybe to showcase themselves, so the sample size is small. Joe played the entire game (against 1s, 2s, and 3s) and looked dominant throughout. It is very similar to when we first realized that Milano was going to be a guy...that nose for the ball. He was around the ball on every play. You can't teach those types of football instincts. Obviously, he'll be a bit raw still, and we'll need to see some consistency against other opponents, but I not only think that he makes the team, I could see him pushing for playing time in the regular season (before Milano's return).

When I watched the play in real time, I also thought that Coleman needs to make that catch. It looked like a pretty good throw, zipped in there. But, I also realized that he would have been lit up by the safety too. On the TV coverage, they then showed the replay like 3 times from a couple of angles. Not only was the ball high and away (exposing the WR to get blown up by the safety), on the last replay, you can also see that it was a bit of a wobbler/duck. And Coleman did get hit by the safety (#34) on the play, just one step after the ball first hits his hands. You can tell the defender held up a bit because he dropped the ball. But, if Coleman made that catch he definitely would have taken a big shot from that safety. You could say, he still has to make that grab, but it is the preseason. Does he or the team want him to risk that big of a hit in the 2nd quarter of a preseason game? Probably not. So, I am definitely not going to ding him for that play or worry too much that he's afraid of contact or whatever. That wasn't an issue for him in college, don't know why it would all of a sudden be a thing.

Good Night -Greg Rousseau and the starting defensive line -Joe Andreessen---some may say, it's just preseason...but you can't teach those football instincts. Kid definitely made the roster, imo, and will fight for playing time in the regular season (before Milano's return). -Quinton Morris and the TEs. Knox had a nice grab; Morris had a couple of nice grabs and a couple of excellent special teams tackles; and Davidson looked fleet and natural on a really nice out play. -Taron Johnson looked like he was already in mid-season form -The RBs. Cook looked good in limited action. Davis was impressive. And Evans and Gore, Jr. were both gashing the Steelers 3rd and 4th teams. -Ja'Marcus Ingram. Nose for the ball, sure tackling, played hard. -Daequan Hardy. I wouldn't say he was electric in the return game, but he looked steadier than anyone else we've put out there, and showed a little juice. Also showed well in coverage and got his hands on a few balls. Could keep the team from having to keep a returner at a different position. Bad Night -Mitch Trubisky -Alec Anderson Unfortunately, the way the game went, the weather, the QBs, etc. we didn't get to see much from our WRs or our Safeties. Two positions of concern. The game didn't make me worry more about either position, but I was hoping to see a bit more of where we actually are there. Guess we have to keep waiting to see. But, as far as the WRs go, without Josh, Kincaid, or Samuel in the game, it was hard to make any inferences really. The other position I was worried about was LBer. But with how Andreessen, Williams, and Jones played, I'm feeling a bit more comfortable that one (or more) of them can hold down the fort next to Bernard until Milano's return.

A positive outlook: I think the offense will actually be better this year. No Diggs distraction. Kincaid and Shakir with another year under their belts. Brady with a whole offseason to put his offense together. Hopefully, no changing of the OC mid-season. Though we don't have a typical #1 receiver right now, I think the sum of the parts is more than the whole from last year. We are bigger, stronger, faster, and they have better hands in the receiver corps this year (plus more variety, more options)...and there is still a lot of untapped potential with Kincaid, Shakir, Coleman, and even Samuel to an extent (despite his age). We should be able to cope better with weather and stronger, bully teams since we got bigger/stronger and will have a larger focus on the run game and moving the chains with the short and intermediate throws. We might not be as flashy or explosive, but they should be better at controlling and/or closing out games. Our only major losses were Diggs and Morse. Right now (and how he played in the last 10 games last year), Diggs seems like an addition by subtraction thing. And though it will be tough to match his leadership, knowledge, communication, and chemistry, Morse was also never the most stout center up the gut. McGovern is a much bigger player and they are very high on him taking over the center position in the building (like they were with Bernard at LBer last year). There may be some growing pains, etc. but by mid-season, that might be an upgrade as well. The defense was a tough call even before the injuries. The return of Milano, Jones, and Miller kind of offset the losses of Tre, Hyde, Poyer, Floyd. Rasul was a great pickup last year to cover Tre's spot. And with age and injuries, it probably was the right time to get younger in the safety department. I expected the safeties to be faster and more hard-hitting, but less disciplined, etc. due to age/experience. So, I wasn't too worried about that position, but did expect a bit of a drop-off at least early in the year (maybe more big plays allowed). However, the injuries to Milano and Bishop really sucks and complicates the picture. Good news is both could be back by the end of the year. Now, if Miller is back to even 80% of what he was and Daquan stays healthy, that alone is still a huge boost from last year's D. So, a lot falls on Dorian (and the other backers) and Damar/Edwards to really step up in the meantime (they don't have to be elite, just solid). At least we have a coaching staff that is really good coaching up DBs and coverage LBs. And speaking of coaching, I think Babich as the DC will also add some juice to this defense. McD is a very good DC, but he is not really that fiery motivator type. Babich is. I think that helps in the toughness department. So, it's a bit of a wait and see with the defense (a number of question marks right now---particularly the safety position), but if they can avoid further major injury, they should at least be a stronger unit than the one that limped into the playoffs last year. There will probably be a little step back early on, but I do not expect any type of collapse (McDermott's defenses have been pretty consistent regardless of personnel), and they'll get stronger as the year wears on with the young guys getting more playing time and then Milano and Bishop returning. So, I really do not see any major step back for the Bills this year. They will look a bit different, and it may take them a little while to get on their feet, but I think they will be every bit as dangerous as they have been the last few years, imo. There may be a couple of areas where we are weaker, but there are also a number of areas where we should be stronger/better. As to the competition: The Dolphins still have Tua and McCarthy. They are still a warm climate team that struggles down the stretch when the weather turns. Josh seems to own the Phins. So, I'm really not too worried about them. The Jets could be a real threat if Rodgers stays healthy and is playing well. Their defense is very good and has been able to keep Buffalo in check. But, that is also partially why our offense is changing (not just for the Jets, but it does help against them). We got stronger and will have a heavier run-focus, which may be a better strategy against that team. They definitely have some excellent skill players on offense too, but have they solidified the line in front of Rodgers enough? We split with them last year and I could see it going the same way this year. But as it stands, I still take Allen/McDermott over Rodgers/Saleh (especially with Rodgers at 40 years old---41 by the playoffs and coming off an achilles injury), not necessarily head-to-head (not saying the Jets can't beat us), but over the long haul of the season (in order to win a division). Plus, there is only one thing that is more Billsy than being Billsy...and that's being Jetsy. So, I do not see any reason why the Bills shouldn't win another AFC East Title and get another playoff berth. We do still have Josh Allen, right? And I think we see a looser, but more in charge Josh this year. Go Bills!

From a biased Bills fan's perspective and not taking into account off the field criminality, etc...just on-the-field/football-related. Players: Tom Brady Brian Cox Rob Gronkowski Jarvis Landry Dan Marino Christian Wilkins Ndamukong Suh Odell Beckham, Jr. Michael Irvin Coaches: Jimmy Johnson Bill Belichick

If this is actually a thing, it's probably due to our previous "smurf" receivers and small (Singletary) or ineffective (Moss) RBs. Damien Harris was supposed to help there last year, but got injured. We've had a lot of small skill players. That is why a lot of our goal line TDs were Josh running it in or Knox catching a TD (there is a reason Knox had so many TDs over a couple of years). Davis had some size, but was never a decent red zone threat. Our receiver room is now much bigger and they drafted Davis in the backfield. Hopefully the extra size and strength is what this team needed (and not just at the goal line).

In regards to Hollins, it depends on what you are talking about: Yes, if we are talking about catching passes and racking up a lot yards, he is below average. But, if we are talking about blocking and special teams (as a gunner), he is above average...very good to excellent in fact. A couple of things. With Kincaid/Knox, Shakir, Coleman, Samuel, and even the backs, Mack will be like the 5th or 6th target in the offense. They won't be asking him to catch a ton of balls and have like 600-800 yards. He will have very specific roles. 1. He will most likely be the gunner on special teams (he has excelled at that in his career). And remember Siran Neal and Taiwan Jones are both gone. They were our main gunners the last few years. 2. He will be the blocking WR (he helps fill the role that Gabe played in blocking for the run game---Gabe was an excellent blocker, but he's gone. And we will be a more run heavy team, so blocking downfield is important). 3. He will be a possession receiver, as an outlet for Josh, and on 3rd downs, and possibly in the red zone. He'll most likely have a low number of receptions and yards (due to where he is on the depth chart), but I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of those catches go for first downs. The team isn't expecting him to turn into something he hasn't yet been in his career. But, he does have traits/skills that the team felt they needed. He basically fills 2 or 3 roles that were missing.

Sorry to hijack the Bass thread with WR talk, but... First, the people making a living predicting these things are often wrong. If they were all former NFL GMs, coaches, and scouts, I might listen more, but most of them are former players (not all WRs and QBs---who might know how to evaluate the position or offenses) and talking heads (communications/broadcasting/journalism majors). Also, they are covering the entire NFL and so, they do not have a deep perspective on any one team (unless they root for them or played for them). Secondly, of course our group is ranked low because we don't have that stud or a ton of proven production, as you said. With national media, it is always about household names and previous production. But, they are often slow to pick up on the trends in the NFL. Like how Green Bay and Kansas City have run their offenses over the last few seasons. Or the fact that Buffalo is going to rely more heavily on the run game this season than it did over the last 4-5 years. It is going to be a different style of offense, so you need different types of players. Plus, they ignore that Kincaid will most likely be our #1 target. Or the fact that with Josh Allen, what we really need are just guys that can hang on to the ball. We have had a lot of issues with drops over the last few years. Most of these guys are solid catchers (MVS excluded). So, they aren't weighing in Kincaid's role (despite not being a WR). They don't really know Shakir yet. Curtis is a good player, but never had huge production. Coleman is slow and was a 2nd round draft pick, so he won't get the hype of some of the other receivers in the class. And the rest of the guys look like retreads (Hollins, MVS, Claypool, Hamler, Isabella) or they've never heard of them (Shavers, Shorter, Thompson, Johnson, Keys) . From the outside, sure it doesn't look great. But, that doesn't mean it won't/can't all come together and by the end of the season they will all be talking very differently about our playmakers. I don't expect any one of them to have gaudy numbers (1,200+ yards), but as a whole, with Josh spreading the ball out, and the defenses not being able to key on anyone specifically, I really think it will work. I think Kincaid, Shakir, Samuel, Coleman and Cook/Davis will be a very productive lineup. Last year Diggs had like 1,200 yards, Davis 746, and Shakir 611 (that was pretty much all of the WR production last year---Harty and Sherfield combined for 236 yards). What would be the difference if instead, Shakir, Coleman, and Samuel each had about 850 yards. No #1 with great numbers, but combined it would equate to the same amount of production (and there are still all of the other WRs and TEs in the mix). As I keep saying, if nothing else, on a whole this wide receiver room is bigger, stronger, faster, and have better hands than last year's wide receivers. That can't be a bad thing. When you look at Stefon Diggs' stats over the last 10 games of last season (when the team was winning), they are pretty bad (last 10 games he averaged 4.7 receptions for 42.2 yards and only had 1 total TD over those 10 games---with a number of key drops and a fumble in the playoffs). Gabe also did very little except blocking during that stretch (and was out for the playoffs). Harty, Sherfield, and Isabella were useless. I really don't see how this year's room won't be a better overall unit, despite not having a "true #1" wide receiver. I am actually much more confident of this group than last season's, when looking back at last year with 20/20 perspective. And lastly, I know that draft placement isn't everything, but it's not like we don't have talent (a bunch of low draft picks and walk-ons). These guys might not have all reached their potential, but they aren't lacking talent/athleticism: Kincaid, (1st round, #25), Coleman (2nd round, #33), Samuel (2nd round, #40), Hamler (2nd round, #46), Claypool (2nd round, #49), Knox (3rd round, #96), Hollins (4th round, #118), Shakir (5th round, #148), MVS (5th round, #174).

I wouldn't give old Brandon too much credit...despite making regionalization a big push during his tenure, I think he gave himself way too much credit. It always bothered me when he or the media gave him credit for building the Rochester fanbase. I grew up in Rochester in the 70s and 80s...the whole city rooted for the Bills back then (pre-Kelly era too), except for your couple of friends who just liked to be contrarians, and so they rooted for the Dolphins. I remember driving from Rochester to Fredonia for training camps or to games in Orchard Park and the Thruway was bumper to bumper with Bills fans. I wouldn't be surprised if people in Southern Ontario feel the same. And the whole Toronto thing was a bust. Maybe he can claim he pushed the fanbase slightly farther north into Canada and slightly farther East into central New York, but he also took credit for building bases that already existed. I love that camp is now in Rochester and the setup at St. John Fisher is great, so I give him credit for that. But Rochester was always Bills country (at least from the mid-70s on---Brandon didn't arrive in Buffalo until 2006). As to the OP's link: I find it interesting that, excluding Greenland, the Bills own the Northern latitudes, the Chiefs own a lot of the Southern Hemisphere, and the Cowboys rule the middle/Equatorial Zone. I also find it interesting why certain places in the world root for a particular team, when that team isn't dominant elsewhere. Like why are Mongolia and Mali Browns fans? Why are Australians Broncos fans? Why are the Steelers only popular in Nambia, the Cardinals in Vietnam, and Tampa Bay in the Philippines? I'm sure there must be reasons.

Referring back to my first post, do you consider Don Shula and Sean Payton underachieving coaches? Combined, they had 32 seasons with two of the greatest QBs to ever play the game, and only have 2 Super Bowl appearances between them to show for it (1 win and 1 loss). That averages to 1 Super Bowl appearance every 16 years. Do you want me to go through all of their playoff losses over that time to show you they were as bad as any of McDermott's losses? How about the Steph Diggs miracle catch in Minnesota to knock out the Saints. How is that different from 13 seconds? In fact, New Orleans got knocked out two years in a row with some playoff miracle. And Andy Reid is brought up a lot, as it took him 21 years to reach a Super Bowl despite having above average to excellent QB play before Mahomes (McNabb and Alex Smith). I've heard other posters in the past wish we would have hired Sean Payton when he was available. How would that have been any different? Yes, he won the big one, but only once in 15 years with HOF QB Drew Brees (and no other SB appearances in that time). That would obviously be underachieving according to your standards, but most people still consider him a great coach. And yeah, it's true of any coach...even the HOFers, if you give them a crappy QB, their team probably won't be great. If you give them an average QB, their team will probably be average, and if you give them an elite QB, they'll probably be pretty good. It's a QB-driven league. Just look at Bill Belichick---considered the greatest coach ever. His record without Brady is 64-82 for a 43.8% win percentage. Again, just because a coach has an elite QB it doesn't mean Super Bowls are automatic, especially when you have an all-time team/QB standing in your way (like the Chiefs for us, the Pats for the Colts, and the Bills for the Dolphins back in the day). I don't understand why you guys can't see that. A lot of things need to go right in a season to win a Super Bowl. In 2022, just about everything went wrong for the Bills, from before the season even started (and some of you want to ignore that as if the coaches and players are robots and aren't affected by life and outside circumstances). And yes, we lost to the Chiefs 3 times in the playoffs. The first time (in the AFC championship game), the Bills weren't quite ready yet---the Chiefs were a better, more-seasoned team at that point (and the refs helped the Chiefs a lot too). And the other two losses were each literally 1 or 2 plays from being Bills victories (and that is despite our defense being decimated last year). We aren't getting blown out by them. But, some of you guys refuse to acknowledge any context to how or why our seasons have turned out as they did. Nope, just we have Josh Allen, we should be in the Super Bowl every year. And since we're not, McDermott sucks. Again, McDermott would be snatched up immediately if he left or was fired from the Bills. Despite the defensive let-downs in a couple of the playoff games, over the last 5 years, McDermott's defense is: -1st in fewest points surrendered -2nd in fewest yards surrendered [only 291 yards behind the 49ers (or 3.4 yards/game)] -3rd in First downs surrendered -2nd in Third down conversions surrendered -2nd in turnovers (behind the Steelers by only one turnover) -7th in sacks (tied with the 49ers, only 2 behind the Chiefs) And we've never had a star-studded defense. That is a lot of consistent production from that side of the ball. But, that must be all Josh Allen too. They may not have been that elite, intimidating defense, but if you are surrendering the fewest amount of points, yards, and first downs, you are going to win a lot of games---regardless of your QB. Maybe you don't think McDermott can win the big games...that's fine. But to say he is average at best...meaning you really think he is below average, seems ridiculous to me when he has the second most wins of any coach and the best defense over the last 5 years. What are you basing your opinion on? 13 seconds and the Bengals playoff loss only?

Nothing to show for it? In the last 7 years (under McDermott): 78-47 record (that's a lot of wins that we've got to enjoy) 4 AFC East titles 6 playoff appearances in 7 years 5 playoff wins Over the last 5 years: We have won more games than anyone except for the Chiefs We have given up the fewest amount of points in the NFL We've scored the 4th most points in that span I know, you are probably saying, "that's exactly my point, look at those stats...and no Super Bowl?" But, I guarantee you, if McDermott were fired tomorrow and he brought his resume to other teams, not one of them would say his resume had nothing to show. They understand how tough it is to win it all. I've said this before---some of you guys think a Super Bowl should be automatic with an elite QB. It's not. -Drew Brees (future HOF, top 5 all-time QB): 1 Super Bowl appearance (win) in 20 years (with Sean Payton as his coach for most of his career) -Peyton Manning (HOF, top 3 all-time QB): 2 Super Bowl appearances (1 win) in his first 13 years with Indy (HOF Tony Dungy coaching a good chunk) -Dan Marino (HOF, top 10 all-time QB): 1 Super Bowl appearance (loss) in 17 years (with HOF Don Shula as his coach) -Aaron Rodgers (future HOF, top 10 All-time QB): 1 Super Bowl appearance (win) in 19 seasons -Brett Favre (HOF, top 10-12 All-Time QB): 2 Super Bowl appearances (1 win) in 20 years (Mike Holmgren coaching for much of his career) So, that is a total of 89 seasons from these top-10 All-Time QBs (who all had excellent to HOF coaching for most of their careers) and only 4 Super Bowl wins between them (7 Super Bowl appearances). So, that means there were 82 seasons (82 of 89) where these HOF QBs didn't make the Super Bowl (that's 92% of their careers that they didn't even make a Super Bowl appearance). Even if we add Peyton's time (and SBs) in Denver, it is 84 of 93 seasons not making a Super Bowl (or 90% of the time). Just because we have Josh doesn't make it automatic. Part of the problem for Peyton and Dan Marino, of course, were Brady/Pats and Kelly/Bills, respectively. Similar to Josh with Mahomes/Chiefs. Plus there is luck, injuries, salary caps, etc. to weigh in each season. And have you forgotten: -New Year's Eve 2017/2018? The Bills breaking the drought made that one of the best New Year's Eves of my life. -The perfect playoff game against our most hated team, the Pats...watching Hoodie throw his telephone -Despite the loss, probably one of the greatest playoff games ever played (against the Chiefs 2021/2022) -Owning the Dolphins in the regular season and playoffs -Josh being developed by the Bills into a generational QB, despite the majority of the NFL, media, and fans saying he'd be a bust -Josh's hurdles, Diggs being a top-3 receiver -Kyle Williams' last game, scoring a TD -Two no-name safeties turning into the best tandem in the league -The Thanksgiving Day wins -The whole Damar Hamlin situation and how the coaches and players handled that Etc., Etc., Etc. Did you really not enjoy or feel a part of any of that? What is the Buddhist saying, "It's about the journey, not the destination." Look, we all want the Bills to win a Super Bowl, but we should also be grateful for what we do have. I have had a blast watching the Bills over the last seven years, and I feel bad if not winning a SB has allowed some of you to have not enjoyed this time or to discount how much fun it has been. Which is too bad, because eras like this do not come around often.

Yes, we can't really tell without going back and looking at every throw to see if they were catchable, etc. But, if it were a Josh issue (or at least partly, due to injury/mechanics), I would expect that to have affected all of the receivers. Catch percentages post the Giants game last year (weeks 7-17 and the two playoff games): Stefon Diggs = 61.26% Dalton Kincaid = 77.00% Khalil Shakir = 86.5% Dawson Knox = 71.4% Gabe Davis = 47.00% Deonte Harty = 62.5% Trent Sherfield = 38.8% Josh didn't seem to have an issue when throwing to Kincaid, Shakir, or Knox. And those players had to deal with the offense adapting as well. Again, these numbers just make it obvious to me why we kept who we did and why we let the other guys go. Josh needs sure hands. And for whatever reason, Stefon wasn't that anymore. 61.26% over basically 70% of the season (including the playoffs) is not good for a #1 WR.

If the end of last year was due to Diggs' skills/speed declining, well then, better to get rid of him a season too early than a season too late, as the saying goes. If the end of last year was due to Diggs quitting on the team, or not giving full effort...even worse. Especially when the argument for your antics were that you just want to win so badly. If he didn't give his full effort, then he is saying getting traded was more important to him than trying to win a Super Bowl, so that blows the whole "I just want to win" thing out the window. Either way, it doesn't matter what he does with the Texans this year, it was still the right move for Buffalo. Some can blame Brady and the change of the offense for Stefon's decline down the stretch last year: His snap count did drop from 80.6% to 60.4% and his targets per game did drop from 10.2 to 7.5 under Brady. BUT... To me, the stat that shows it wasn't just the change of the offense, it was something with Stef (injury, decline, attitude---whatever) is catch percentage. In the first 10 games under Dorsey, Stefon had a 71.6 catch percentage. In the last 9 games (including the two playoff games) his catch percentage was 58.6. And he only had 1 touchdown over those last nine games. ONE. Those are not #1 WR numbers, by a long shot. His final catch percentage for the year was 66%. For comparison, here are some other top receivers catch percentages from 2023: Lamb, Collins, Allen, D. Smith, St. Brown, Moore, Pittman are all in the 71-72 catch % range; Hill, Chase, Robinson, Godwin have a 69% catch rate; Curtis Samuel, Jefferson, and Waddle are all around 68%. Whether he still has it or not is kind of a moot point. He was no longer a #1 WR on our team, in our system, so therefore not worth the money and headaches. I still like Diggs and all that he did for our team...he was a hell of a lot of fun to watch over the last four years. But it was time to move on, regardless what he does this year. Just for reference: Diggs' First 10 games (under Dorsey/2023) 10.2 targets/game, 7.3 catches/game, 86.7 yards/game, 0.7 TDs/game, 71.6 catch % Diggs' Last 9 games (under Brady/2023) 7.5 targets/game, 4.4 catches/game, 38.8 yards/gaame, 0.1 TDs/game, 58.6 catch %.

I couldn't agree more with the second bolded statement above. Enjoy this time Bills brethren...it was 21 years between Kelly and Josh. Who knows when we'll get to experience this again. And just for reference, regarding the punts. Over the last 4 years (2020-2023), the Bills have the fewest punts/punts per game. Here is the top 10: Team Total punts Punts/game Bills 189 2.78 Chiefs 204 3.00 Packers 208 3.06 Cowboys 227 3.30 Lions 233 3.42 Eagles 235 3.46 49ers 238 3.50 Cards 241 3.54 Raiders 242 3.56 Colts 245 3.60 Quite a drop-off after the top three...really highlights what a generational QB (Josh, Pat, Aaron) can do for a team. To the bolded...yes, the's what it used to feel like with Kelly and the 90s team. It's so nice to finally feel that again with Josh. Yes, at this point it is a total toss-up for me with Pat and Josh---they are basically on the exact same level, Mahomes just has had more post-season success. I also have no problem with people putting Pat first because of that. But, Josh is ahead in many stats and is the bigger running threat (and has probably had to do more on his own at times). To put it plainly, if there was an entire league redraft and you had the second pick, you'd be happy as a clam. I don't care which guy I get as along as its one of those two. And then I'll build my team around them appropriately. No one would be crying with that second pick that they're missing out on Mahomes. They would just gladly take Josh second (that is if Josh didn't get picked first, which could happen depending on the team)..

31 years old. Missed all of 2021 with an ankle injury. Has only played 20 games over the last 4 years due to the ankle sprain, a hamstring pull, a dislocated toe, and an MCL sprain...all on the same leg. Has averaged just 352 yards and 1.33 TDs over his last 3 seasons played. Hasn't had a good season in five years. And not sure how true it is/was, but he was questioned a lot at the time for not returning from the ankle injury sooner. Some felt he was dragging it out because he didn't really want to play. Now that may just be fan/media talk/rumors. But if his want to is in question, that's another negative, and not Bills DNA. If he wanted to come on a cheap prove-it deal to compete with the other guys trying to revive their careers, I'd be ok kicking the tires. But if he wants any significant money or guarantees, no thanks. Obviously though, this is all just a speculation by the writer...I don't think Beane would actually be interested.

This is a bit off-topic from the thread, but you bring up a really good point Alphadawg. We have been a very good team...but more of what we used to call a "finesse" team. Very skilled players, but we weren't very big across the roster, we didn't have a strong/bruising run game (outside of Allen), our defense was always excellent stat-wise but they never put fear into anyone (really hard-hitting, etc.), etc. We got manhandled by KC in the championship game in 2020 and the Bengals (regardless of all the surrounding circumstances which of course played a huge part) bullied us a bit despite Buffalo probably being the more talented team overall. I think we have had an issue with teams that get physical, especially in bad weather that affected the passing game. Think of the New England wind game. We were such a better team than they were, but when the wind took away our passing game, they out-physicaled us. I see this "transition" year, not as a "rebuilding" year, but as a true transitioning year---we are transitioning from one style of team to another. I think the Bills will look a good bit different from what we have seen the past handful of years. The offense will have a stronger run-focus, more long, sustained drives rather than trying to get lots of chunk plays (though with Josh Allen, those will still be there). Bigger, stronger WRs. Davis brings a toughness to the backfield. As for defense, IF Miller gets back to form, that could help. And as good as Poyer and Hyde were, you worried about trying to beat them, not getting your head taken off by them. Rapp is a bit reckless, but man will he throw his body at folks, and Bishop is a pretty hard-hitter. Maybe that helps too. Of course, getting tougher is partly personnel and partly coaching. Can McDermott, Babich, and Brady bring out the dog in this team? I sure hope so. As to the topic at hand, all these talking heads need to ask themselves is if their team needed a playoff win, which QB are you actually picking to start? playoff game averages: Josh: 65% completion, 328.6 yards, 2.5 TDs, 0.4 INTs Joe: 67.3% completion, 275.3 yards, 1.43 TDs, 0.57 INTs Lamar: 57.44% completion, 307.5 yards, 1.5 TDs, 1 INTs In 7 of his 10 playoff games, Allen had 3 or more TDs In 7 of his 10 playoff games, Josh didn't throw an interception Heck, in Josh's 5 playoff losses, he averaged 335.2 yards/game, 2.2 TDs, and 0.4 INTs. Hard even to use his losses as an argument that he isn't good or has been better than Lamar and Burrow in the playoffs.

Earl Campbell Walter Payton Terry Bradshaw Franco Harris Dan Fouts Kellen Winslow, Sr.

I think another interesting comparison might be with the 2021 roster. Despite not making it to the Championship game (as they did in 2020), I think 2021 was the year that we all thought they could/should go on to win it all...probably the best team in the McDermott era to date. Pos 2021 2024 QB Allen, Trubisky Allen, Trubisky RB Singletary, Moss Cook, Davis WRs Diggs Shakir Sanders Samuel Davis Coleman Duke Wiliams Claypool, MVS Kumerow, Hodgins Hollins, Hamler TE Knox Kincaid. Knox LT Dawkins Dawkins LG Feliciano Edwards C Morse McGovern RG Ford Torrence RT Williams Brown So, quarterback is a push. I'm taking Cook and Davis over Singletary and Moss. Diggs wins the #1 WR battle for the 2021 squad, but from there down, I'm taking the 2024 WRs over the 2021 WR corps. Kincaid/Knox is better than Knox/no one. Dawkins is a push. Not much difference between Feliciano and Edwards probably. As of now, Morse wins the center position, but I'm taking Torrence and Brown over Ford and Williams on the right side (although Williams played well in 2021). Pos 2021 2024 LDE Addison Rousseau NT Lotulelei Jones DT Oliver Oliver RDE Hughes Epenesa/Miller WLB Milano Milano MLB Edmunds Bernard SCB Johnson Johnson CB White/Jackson Douglas CB Wallace Benford SS Poyer Rapp FS Hyde Bishop I'm taking Rousseau over Addison, and Daquan over Star. Oliver, Milano, and Taron are all pushes (provided Milano is back to form). I'm taking Epenesa and Miller over Hughes for two reasons, where Jerry was in his career at the time and the hope that Von returns to form---but I could see someone taking the other side on that to. I'm taking Bernard over Edmunds at Mike. And Benford gets the nod over Wallace. Obviously, Hyde and Poyer win the safety battle easy. Then there is Tredavious vs. Rasul. I would give the nod to Tre, but he missed the last 6 games of the year and the two playoff games in 2021, so I'm taking a healthy Rasul over 2021 Tre/Jackson. I honestly do not see any reason why we can't still go on a deep playoff run. The only players I picked from the 2021 squad over the 2024 squad were Diggs, Morse, Poyer, and Hyde. I don't think center will be a problem or that big a drop-off. So, to me, the only major question marks (personnel-wise in comparison to 2021) are can McDermott get the younger safeties up-to-speed? I don't expect them to have the knowledge and rapport of Hyde and Poyer, but are they good enough to keep the drop-off to a minimum and hold their own? And, developing DBs does seem to be a strength for McD, so crossing my fingers. And then, without Diggs, how will the rest of the WR corps handle things? But, with Kincaid in the mix, way better depth, Shakir maturing, and Josh Allen distributing the ball, I really do think we will be fine without Diggs (just mo).

But, what is fact and what is fiction in the offseason, and who really knows for sure? KC is obviously the easy choice to repeat (they are the current champs, they've beaten the Bills 3 times in the playoffs, etc.). You could have just started a thread saying, "I think KC will repeat as the AFC Super Bowl representative." But, I don't think the Bills beating KC in the playoffs is some insurmountable goal. And after KC, who do you have? The Bengals, the Ravens, the Texans, the Jets, the Dolphins, the Browns? Is it currently fact that any of those teams are better than the Bills? You can talk about their drafts or free agency or schedule, etc. But if you have any of them over the Bills, well, that is also still just opinion based on projections and speculations. It may turn out to be true, but it doesn't make it a fact right now. Again, it's the offseason on a Bills website, and Josh Allen is still our QB, why wouldn't the first answer be "The Bills" for many here? [I voted for the Bills. 👍]

This 👆...I was pretty much going to respond the same. But, how crazy is it that over the last 6 years Josh Allen is #2 in the league in rushing TDs (that includes all RBs). King Henry far outshines everyone with 80 rushing TDs over the last 6 years, but Josh is actually 2nd with 53 rushing TDs. After Allen comes: James Conner (51), Zeke (49), Chubb (48), Josh Jacobs (46), Kamara (46), and D. Cook (45). I mean, wow. P.S. He is already 2nd all-time for rushing TDs in a career by a QB, behind only Cam Newton. Josh needs 22 more rushing TDs to tie Cam for most ever by a QB. The over/under on that is what, three more seasons?

In an interview a couple of weeks back, Beane was asked about how fans view certain players vs. how the team views those players. He said sometimes they are much more confident in the building about a player than the fans are. He used Spencer Brown and Terrell Bernard as examples from last year, and then used Connor moving to center as an example for this year. We may be nervous about the transition, but it seems that the team is not. Also, I recently heard Connor say that center was his true position and he is excited about the move. Who knows where he will rank by the end of the year, but I have a feeling it will work out. No question Morse was an excellent center, great leader, very good with his line calls, great rapport with Josh, etc. But he was never the most stout center up the middle either. McGovern is about 15 pounds heavier than Morse and six years younger. Hopefully, that will translate into a more secure pocket for Josh. Who knows, I guess we'll see. But I do expect Connor to hold off the rookie and man the center position this year.

When you consider that 100 players averages to about 3 guys per team, it kind of makes sense. We probably got a couple of other guys that could be on the list, and I suspect next year we'll have a couple more guys on the list (Milano coming back, Bernard and Miller as possibilities, Kincaid maybe, or Oliver, Johnson, etc.). But right now, we don't have many household name guys; we have a lot of young guys, guys coming off of injury, some journeymen, etc. Plus, there are lots of teams in the league with 3 or more household name players (which of course does not mean that they are better overall teams though)...and I'm sure that certain positions (QB and WR, for example) are probably a bit over-represented because of the importance or visibility of those positions. Plus, the transition-year label is real. For instance, 78 players were voted to the Pro Bowl last year (not counting special teams). There were 4 Bills: Josh Allen, Mitch Morse, Stefon Diggs, and Jordan Poyer. Well, Morse, Diggs, and Poyer are gone. This year's team will need to prove itself before making too many lists.

I mean, yes, if you are going by the Super Bowl winner is the #1 team and the runner-up is the 2nd best team, then the Bills haven't been a top 2 team since 1994. But... In 2020, they had a 13-3 record (tied for 2nd best in the league with Green Bay, behind only KC) and made it to the AFC Championship game. We lost to KC, who lost to Tampa. Green Bay had the same record as us, and lost to Tampa in the NFC Championship. So, I would say, we were at least tied with Green Bay for #3 in the league...by record, regular-season play, and the post-season. In 2021, despite neither of their records being as good as they were in 2020, and the fact that they both lost in the playoffs prior to the Super Bowl, you can not convince me that Kansas City and Buffalo weren't clearly the two best teams in the league that season (KC was tied for 2nd in regular season wins, and the Bills were tied for 3rd that season). I mean, in hindsight, you could say Cinci had both KC and the Bills number, so maybe the Bills would have lost to the Bengals too---but I'm not so sure they would have that season (even though Cinci beat KC). And honestly, despite winning it all, were the Rams really a better team that KC or Buffalo that season? Still, yes, by post-season results alone, you could say Buffalo was 5th or 6th in the league that year. But, now hear that in your head and then remember back to that season. Does it really ring true that there were 4-5 teams better than the Bills that year? 2022, the Bills had the 2nd best regular season record that year at 13-3 (behind only KC and Philly). we lost to Cincinnati in the divisional round (post the whole Damar Hamlin incident). So, again, by post-season record alone, you could say the Bills finished 5th. I would say they were really third or fourth (behind KC, Philly, Cinci). Though if the Damar Hamlin incident didn't happen, who knows...maybe we beat Cincinnati in the regular season and things play out completely differently. 2023, Bills were tied for 3rd in regular-season wins with 11 (4 teams had a better regular-season record). Again, by post-season alone, the Bills would probably slot in again, around 5-6. But I still think we were better than even Baltimore, Green Bay, or Tampa last year? We made a hell of a stretch run with a severely depleted squad. I'd rank us as #4 last year, behind only KC, SF, and Detroit. So, let's sum up the Bills rankings over the last 4 years (from my perspective): Regular season (wins) Post-season results My perception of where they actually ranked (talent/play-wise) 2nd 3rd 3rd 3rd 5th 2nd 2nd 5th 3rd/4th 3rd 5th 4th Since my post denoted the last 4 years of the McDermott era only, I feel pretty confident in my 2nd-5th best team in the league statement. I think I am closer with that than saying 5-8. I guess maybe you would have been more comfortable if I had said 3-5? I'm fine with that. I just still believe KC and Buffalo were the two best teams in 2021. But, if you wanted to take a negative spin, I will show the complete ranges (for regular season records---including ties; and not saying the Bills were better than the other playoff teams who lost in the same round). Regular season (wins) Post-season results 2nd-3rd 3rd-4th 6th-7th 5th-8th 3rd-5th 5th-8th 4th-9th 5th-8th That would prove the 5-8 range better, but honestly, look back at the last 4 seasons. Were there really 5-7 teams better than the Bills in each of those years (from an overall perspective, not just post-season results)? Are you telling me that the 2021 Titans, Bucs, and Packers were better than the Bills that year? Were the Jags, Cowboys, and Giants better than the Bills in 2022? Were the Texans, Packers, and Bucs better teams than the Bills last year? I think most people (even non-Bills fans) would say the Bills have been a top 5 team the last 4 years, as opposed to a top 6-10 team. Just FYI: In the last four years, the Bills are second in scoring (only 11 points behind #1 Dallas, and 70 points ahead of the #3 Chiefs), and they are #1 in points allowed on defense (27 points ahead of #2 Baltimore and 69 points ahead of #3 San Fran). So, by points scored and surrendered, over the last 4 years, the Bills are #1 defense and #2 offense. Over the last 5 years, they have the best point differential in the league (33 points ahead of #2 Baltimore, and 101 points ahead of #3 San Fran). Kind of hard to say they haven't been a top 5 team, imo.

I don't mind the record you predicted, but losing 3 of 4 to the 4 best teams we play (when Josh gets up for big games)? And getting swept by the Jets? YUCK! If you think the Jets are one of the best teams we will play, then that would be a 1-5 record against good teams? If that's how they get to 11-6 and the playoffs, not sure I will have any confidence in the team to advance in the post-season. YIKES! When the Pats or KC or whomever is on top, it is always said until you prove you can beat them... Yes, the Bills have a good number of question marks with the turnover...but a lot of those other teams have question marks as well. The Bills have been a top 2-5 team for the last 4 seasons. Until someone proves otherwise, that's where I have them (with only KC and SF currently ahead of them, and maybe even with Detroit).

Players: Marcel Dareus Marshawn Lynch Jason Peters Stephone Gilmore Honorable mentions: Jarius Byrd, Mike Williams, Sammy Watkins Coaches: Doug Marrone Gregg Williams Hank Bullough/Kay Stevenson Mike Mularkey