JohnC

Your target of scorn is not playing. There are plenty of mediocre talents on this team that are starting that are worthy of your derision. You are like the person whose house is on fire complaining about the roommate who left dirty dishes in the sink. My kindly advice to you is use your energy to focus on meaningful issues. Peterman is nearly irrelevant to the fortunes of this team. Yet you continue to unceasingly harp. Give it a rest.

The Peterman issue isn't my straw man--- it is yours. He has been replaced entering into the second week of the season. I simply don't understand your zealotry on this issue. It makes little sense to me. I said right from the start that at best he can be a serviceable backup. Regardless how much you lament he is the backup, at least for now. Why invest so much venom on an inconsequential player? Your campaign to malign a player who it was understood was a temporary placeholder at qb is very much out of proportion to his role as the backup. I, like you, am not bothered by the accelerated installation of Allen as the starter. I'll even go farther than you in that I celebrate this substitution. With him as the starter there is a more compelling story-line of following the play of a talented but raw rookie qb. Peterman is now the backup whether you like it or not. You may be disturbed by that role but I am not.

To add to what you are saying most outside analysts projected that the Bills would be in the lower rung. The majority of outside commentators were putting us in the 4 to 6 game range. Last year was an aberration. where the team overachieved way beyond its talent level. That is a tribute to the coaches and players buying in. The Bills are in the second year of a probable four year rebuild. When you run a marathon you start at the beginning. It's going to take time. And there is no other way around that harsh reality.

Was Allen's timetable pushed up because the Peterman explosion? Yes. So big freaking deal. If Allen struggles more than he would have if he had more time as a backup my response is so what? Again, big freaking deal! Aikman was throne into the fire right from the start. He got pummeled and battered and struggled for a couple of years. He survived his brutalization and went on to lead his team to SB victories and earned a gold jacket for himself. I'm not suggesting that Allen is an Aikman caliber of qb but what I'm saying is playing sooner than expected is not preordaining a doomsday scenario. This McCarron vs Peterman debate is a waste of time. They are in the same lower rung category. Let me refresh your memory about the camp and preseason: Peterman outperformed McCarron. What does that mean? Nothing, because both qbs were placeholders for the future franchise qb. Let's stop this foolishness about you insinuating that McDermott visioned Peterman as a franchise qb. That's utter nonsense. If you believe that then why did the wrestling coach and organization invest so much resources in drafting Allen in the next draft year?. You are trying to portray it as if McDermott was fooled in knowing what the talent of Peterman was. That's a figment of your run amuck imagination. This organization drafted Peterman in the fifth round. They know what the talent level of a fifth round qb is and they know the talent level of the high first round qb they drafted this year. You are treating the Peterman start as a franchise catastrophe that will reverberate beyond the one game that he started. That is an absurdity because there are so many reasons beyond Peterman as to why this team is going to struggle this year. It's time that you save your ammo for targets that actually exist beyond this one player who is no longer starting.

With all their maneuvering they got the qb they wanted. That was their priority. I'll take that outcome all day. For a generation this woebegone franchise never had a legitimate franchise qb. They got it done. If you want to get something you have to give up something. You can" what if" yourself until you are exhausted. This organisation accomplished what it most wanted to accomplish. I'm not going to complain. You are astute.

In the Raven game our OL was overwhelmed. Does anyone not believe that Cordy Glenn could have been an asset for such a troubled line? Of course it would have been beneficial to keep him this year. However, he was dealt to the Bengals for basically nothing other than shedding his cap weight and better positioning this team to draft its future franchise qb. If he was a factor in getting Josh Allen I'll take that deal any day of the year. Short term pain for long term gain. If one wants to argue that it would have been better to slow the pace of rebooting the roster there is merit to that position. But my point is that although there is angst with the strategy of the cleansing process there is a logic to it.

I disagree with you and Gunner's characterization of the qb situation. The both of you are portraying it as a gross miscalculation in investing in a qb (Peterman) when it was nothing of the sort. From a consequential standpoint It really didn't matter whether McCarron or Peterman won the starting job because both of them were going to have the same role as being placeholders for Allen. The issue was always when was Josh going to be ready? So the team got steamrolled in the first game. The positive that can be taken way from that ugly first game is that it accelerated the time table for Allen. The real critical question is will starting him so quickly hurt or help his development? Both you and Gunner are fixated on Peterman and his failings. They were well known before the game even started. This mediocre qb talent isn't the team's main problem because he is easily replaceable. In fact he is already replaced! The substance of this team's manifest struggles is its dearth of talent on both sides of the ball but more blatantly obvious on offense. That dearth of talent shouldn't be a surprise because this organization decided to strip some of its best talent and have a mountain of dead cap money this year in order to use it in future years. This was not a serendipitous accident. This was a planned strategy to take an immediate hit for a future benefit. Instead of wasting your time on the Peterman issue which is already addressed a more meaningful discussion is whether it would have been better to pace out the stripping of talent and cap money and do it in a more measured way instead of doing it so abruptly. I have said since McDermott was hired that the strategy was to go through a major rebuild job. In mind my this is a four year endeavor. That's what we are seeing now. It's an excruciating and bone rattling process. A lot of people don't want to hear it because they got a lot of false positives from last year's success but what is happening now is what should be expected.

Boterill's first year was an assessment year. Once he had a grasp of what he had in his organization he acted decisively. I'm not intending to being overly critical of McDermott and the Bills. I do believe that they have a plan to rebuild, and that's exactly what they are doing. Going through a rebuild can be an excruciating process. Predictably, when you rapidly thin the ranks to restructure the cap you are going to face insurmountable challenges against better stocked teams while your shelf is nearly empty. Our OL reflects that changing of players. In hockey it is easier to get back more immediate redeemable assets than in football. That was clearly evident with the deals Botterill made this offseason. While with the Bills the strategy of reworking the roster leaned toward dispatching players and gaining cap relief for the following season.

If San Jose doesn't make the playoffs then something is amiss. Either way the Sabres are accumulating chips and the pipeline is filling. I like the way Botterill is positioning this team for the short run and the longer haul. While the Bills have cashed out for the short haul to benefit the long haul Botterill seems to have smartly worked in the present while also building something for the future. As a GM he was thinking both tactically and strategically.

According to this NHL.com link the Sens are getting Jose's second round pick in 2019 and a first in 2020. So you were right about us keeping the Shark's first round pick in the next draft. https://www.nhl.com/video/sharks-acquire-karlsson-from-sens/t-277350912/c-61013403

I just hope that Incognito also becomes receptive to professional help for his well being. Lehner's problems were deep and complicated. It was not an easy journey to confront his problems, and it will be a life long issue for him. I wish him the best. Botteril keeping tabs on Lehner after he was no longer with the team demonstrates how good a person he is.

This league and the system that it works under is predicated on a lot of player movements. Much of it is due to contracts (cap system) and a high rate of injuries. RI and Glenn were possible if not probable candidates to be moved. While Woods health situation was a surprise the status of the two other players was not. The next question was what was the plan to replace them? Very often you can't replace the departed players with equal talent but you should be able to replace them with acceptable talent levels. When you watch Ducasse you see a player that is constantly being overwhelmed and driven back on every play. That shouldn't have been a surprise because it reflects his history of play. Because of the departures on the line it was probable that this line wasn't going to be good. That doesn't mean that it had to be atrociously bad. That level of ineptitude from the line reverberates throughout the offense not giving it a chance to function. This was predictable and this is a shame.

How did you come up with that fictitious conclusion? Making things up not only doesn't support your position it undercuts your credibility. With respect to Incognito the issue isn't so much keeping him or not. The issue is if you are not going to keep him then have an acceptable replacement who should at a minimum be competent. The player who replaced RI was Ducasse. Not only is he not good enough to be a backup but he is not good enough to be in the league.

If you want to have your young qb destroyed then have a line that can't block. Constantly being pummeled and battered is not a recipe for longevity and development.

Forcing your best blocker over the previous few years to take a significant pay cut indicated to him that he wasn't wanted or valued. We could have easily kept him one more year on his contract without stressing the cap. It was needless.

The problem with your stance is that Benjamin doesn't get open. He is a big receiver who can out jump the defender. But he is not significantly helping out the qb when he is constantly being blanketed. In addition, Benjamin has a history of being lazy and out of shape. He's not the type of player/person who you want to lock up with a big contract because he lacks discipline and motivation.

If you look at a McDermott defensive scheme for the most part he wants to generate a pass rush mostly with his line. You can't play LBer for him if you can't cover. I agree with you that Edmunds is a hybrid player but I see him more of a hybrid LB/Safety player than a hybrid DE/LB. He is a tremendous athlete with a lot of range. My sense is that McDermott took the job with the intention of completely remaking the roster. Last year was an aberration and doesn't represent where this team is actually situation. I have said it before and I more convinced than ever that this was a four year plan to rebuild this team. Even accepting that this was going to be a painful process. However, stripping the talent and replacing the departures with backup up caliber talent in my opinion doesn't advance your cause. McBeane gave up a high draft asset for Benjamin. I'm not a fan of him. It was a waste. I like Latuleili (sic) but not at his salary. A middle of the line plug could have been procured for a cheaper price. The bottom line is that there is a long way to go. And with some of the wrestling coach's decisions the distance is farther than it needed to be.

I understand your well stated point but I disagree with it as it applies to Edmunds. In reality because of his length and athleticism he is very much a coverage backer. Edmunds is not an old school bruiser comparable to the LBers you alluded to. He is a new age LBer who roams all over the field. In some respect he is a hybrid safety/LB. McBeane were trying to find a MLB who fit the model of Kueckley. In my estimation Edmunds was not only a worthy selection but in the not too distant future he will be an anchor player for our defense.

The Bills let Incognito go before his father passed away. That indicates that they were very willing to replace him with a cheaper and lesser talent. The player who replaced him was Ducasse. A good case can be made that he should no longer be in the league let alone be a backup. Bringing in players who are serviceable is understandable as a shot term strategy. Bringing in players who are at best backups and starting them is a recipe for disaster. As the inevitable injuries occur the situation is not going to get better.

The mental health issues he had were under control while he was with the team and playing football. When he left and was not attached to any team he became unhinged. While he was us and was anchored by the game he was functioning reasonably well. Without question he was our best blocker in the unit. When he left he was replaced by one of the worst blockers in the league. When all is said and done getting backups to be starters is a fool proof way to undercut your offense to perform at even a mediocre level. The outcome was predictable. And most football commentators outside of this organization recognized it before the season started. What was obvious to the outside was not so obvious to the inside.

Baltimore remade their receiver corps this year through free agency. Our receiver corps is one of the worst, if not the worse, in the league.It's understood that not all the deficiencies were going to be addressed in one year. But forcing our best blocker in Incognito to take a cut and essentially forcing him out made no sense. We could have kept him for one more year. In addition, all the offensive linemen brought in this year were at best backups. Being generous in assessing them not one of them is a starting caliber player. Without a respectable OL little on offense will work. In addition, if this organization had any intention of playing Josh Allen this year it didn't put him in a position to succeed because behind this line he is going to be battered. What's even more disturbing is that our defensive line can't generate a pass rush putting stress on the back line players. So when all is said and done on both sides of the ball our trenches are very shallow. And that is where plays are initiated. A major dearth of talent can't be hidden by any scheme. When you are so glaringly exposed you will predictably be exploited.

Is the home insurance getting exorbitantly high as these storms seem to get stronger and be more frequent? Anyone facing the storm/s I wish you well.

Peterman can easily be replaced next week with Allen. That's not the major problem with this team. The source of the problem is a dearth of talent on both sides of the ball. Our OL is atrocious and collectively our receivers are dismal. I have been open minded about Zay Jones. But he can't get open. And Benjamin is even worse at getting separation. What's even more worrisome is that our DL can't get much penetration. I have often stated that this was a four year rebuild job. And we are at the early stage of this excruciating process. I am willing to undergo a rebuild but not reasonably addressing the OL in my view sets the offense back because it doesn't allow the offense to operate at a functional level. While so many people are transfixed with the Peterman issue I see this as a side issue compared to the multiple problems this team has to contend with. There are a lot of hurdles this team is facing before it becomes an average team. This appears to be a throw away year and there is no quick fix for this woebegone franchise.

Our OL is ill-equipped and one of the worst lines in the league. To compound their struggles in pass blocking our receiving corps is at the bottom of the rung. The wideouts can't get open. Benjamin is not a number one receiver and never will be. Our DL can't put any pressure on the qb making it difficult for the DBs to cover their men. This game was an embarrassment. Simply over-matched by the opposition. A couple positives I can take away from this game is we got a glimpse of two promising players in Edmunds and Allen. I'm ambivalent about whether to start Allen for now. Playing behind this putrid OL and getting him battered is inevitable. McBeane may have sunk this offense right from the start when it didn't seriously address the OL this offseason. Incognito is a troubled person. But gratuitously allowing your best blocker to leave because of an inconsequential amount of money was foolish. Keeping him for one more year would have made much more sense.

It's not surprising that all the players are not enamored with McDermott and his style of coaching. And it's not surprising that all head coaches have players on their teams who don't embrace what the coach is preaching. It's probable that Belicheck has a number of players on his roster who thinks that he is an insufferable tyrant. It really doesn't matter. What counts is how hard the players play for the team. Football is not only a brutal sport but it is a cutthroat business. Players come and go. And much of the player movement has less to do with talent as it does with salary. In that type of environment it's not surprising that a faction of the players recognize that the mantra of family and loyalty are hollow concepts where rosters turn over by more than 24% every year.