BillsVet

I used to be amazed by this type of rhetoric. Now I'm just sad for those who go to this extent to prove their point. Comparing human relationships to 340 street free agent DT's? Whoa. Mind blown. Never mind that Coleman has already been released twice by the team in less than 3 months. If they thought he was a difference maker, it stands to reason they wouldn't have let him go. And that 31 other teams didn't need his services.

What was your expectation this season with McD? Did you expect an explosive offense? Because, DC's that become HC's typically aren't looking to outscore their opponents. And HC's typically aren't going to combine a wing it down the field offense with a defense which, personnel wise, isn't strong. Perhaps the HC and OC are more intimately familiar with the QB's limitations and try to make them less of a liability. Perhaps play-calling is aligned with the QB and what he's better at, particularly with a 2nd half lead. It isn't all on TT, because he's the best they've got, but perhaps TT is a square peg that won't fit into a round hole.

A DT on his fourth team in 4 seasons playing his second game for his current team is a significant factor in stopping the KC running game? Playing all of 14 snaps?

Dennison, by all accounts, runs a West Coast offense and throwing deep isn't what they're trying to do. It demands accuracy and solid ball placement on the short to intermediate stuff to generate YAC. Naturally, this requires an accurate passer for these routes with the running game there to set up the pass. McD knows this and isn't going to change the scheme to be suited to what they've got at QB. Perhaps they thought TT could be molded, but clearly they were wrong. When I watch TT QB the offense, I don't see a lot of YAC. I see a lot of throws to the sideline and little chance the receiver will take it more than 5 yards down-field. I see poor to average ball placement. You can cite TT's completion percentage but it doesn't reveal all of what's going on. Yeah, I get people shouting for Dennison to adapt his scheme to TT, but this is very much a traditional year. At the same time, TT as a non-pocket passer is probably better than the traditional QB they have in Peterman.

I don't believe that any HC is going to run an offense that doesn't complement the defense. If the coach is conservative, which McD clearly is, then both sides of the ball will be as well. They're not going to air it out and then have a defense which isn't enormously talented that can struggle. McDermott is beginning to look like Mr. Conservative and needs both sides of the ball to fit that vision until he at least has a QB. And that's why we're not going to see more passing despite the league going this way. I think McD saw TT as the guy to execute this style of offense and hoped Dennison would design an offense with this in mind. In the end, a very good QB takes the spotlight off of coaching. And they have an average QB right now who leaves plays on the field, yet doesn't turn it over. Right now that's driving their offense more than the OC. And yeah, the HC has responsibility there as well.

The chances that the HC, who has already went back on his QB decision in year 1, would then also fire the OC after one season is a stretch. Dennison runs the scheme that McDermott wants. Coordinators, even the one on the HC's side of the ball, aren't doing the big picture (i.e scheme) thing on their own. This reminds me a little of when Steve Fairchild was OC for DJ in 06-07. Everyone clamored for Fairchild to dial up more long passes and it didn't really happen. It was a lot of run-run-pass type stuff we see from this coaching staff. And, much of this was DJ's desire to have a ball control offense paired with that Cover 2 defense.

To homers, if a young Bills player is performing well, he's an excellent draft pick. But if not, the player needs more time before an evaluation is appropriate. Got it? You don't draft a base 4-3 end who isn't a pass rush threat with a top 20 pick. Playing the run well is a small consolation to be drafted that high. There is still a vocal defend Whaley minority out there who can't bear another one of Whaley's pick isn't measuring up.

(EDIT: If the) HC fires OC that's just an indictment of the HC for having to shed the OC he hired just 10 months ago. Bad decisions call into question the one making the decision and McDermott isn't doing so hot of late.

Tyrod is a drive killer.

This comment is coming from a guy whose decisions at QB were pretty poor. For the record, Rex is one a handful of NFL HC's who went 6 straight seasons without making the playoffs.

I was surprised there were more trades in a league which traditionally sees almost none. And it wasn't just Buffalo moving players, although they were the most active. The league is changing almost year to year and not just in terms of offensive and defensive philosophy. If McD continues to be young Jauron, they'll continue being mediocre. That is, unless they find the QB which is a huge if. The W-L record in year 1 will likely be around 6-8 wins. The question will be how they fare in year 2 because historically going from mediocre to 10+ wins is a huge leap.

The passing on a QB is a yet to be determined thing. I remember long ago on this board people saying it took 2-3 years before evaluating a draft pick, and that's still applicable. But in the instant gratification culture, we need a decision now. That's not what I'm saying here and we're going to have to wait. There are players who have weaknesses that aren't exposed until after an off-season of film analysis. Deshaun Watson isn't a slam dunk type because he's played a half season of very good ball. I'm merely outlining that if he or Mahomes succeeds long term, McD's tenure will have started on the wrong foot because he didn't go after a QB in year 1 of the rebuild. He went with Tyrod and that means he'll need to find a rookie in McD's second season.

Far too many of Buffalo's HC and GM hires during the generation of fail didn't understand where the game was/is going in terms of offensive strategy. Instead, Buffalo neglected, as Bill notes above, the QB position and IMO sunk significant resources into defense. Except, teams aren't winning anymore with dominant defenses that shut down offenses like this is the 1970s/80s. Buffalo spent a lot of high picks on defense in hopes of building a top unit there going back years. Well, they managed to have a better defense in 2013-14, but the offense wasn't all that good. I would hope McD understands if he wants to win it'll be behind a strong offense and a good enough defense.

If Deshaun Watson or Pat Mahomes become solid QB's in this league, trading down in the 2017 first round is their worst mistake. Especially if it takes their four 1st/2nd round picks to move up and take a QB this year when those would be best served improving the OL and front 7 on defense. Nothing against Tre White, but a good zone CB is far less important. Avoiding taking a QB until your back is against the wall like with Manuel in 2013 is why multiple regimes have failed. They've prioritized other positions or sought to rebuild without the QB or hoping the QB is "good enough."

While we're at it, the Pegula's need to be fired. Can't Goodell do that already?

A plausible theory. McBeane have already spent a great deal on the new secondary, but it wouldn't surprise me to see them go again focus on the front 7. They've already used two high picks last year on offense (Z. Jones and Dawkins) while trading for Benjamin. If Peterman is passable, I could see them justifing those moves as freeing them up to go defense in the 2018 draft. If so, this ideology is why Buffalo doesn't win, hasn't won, nor will win in this era. We've been down the road of stacking the defense with high picks and big contract types and it's never worked. The game isn't suited to being strong defensively and pedestrian on offense. New England right now is among the league's worst defenses and yet they're still 7-2. Certainly they don't need as much on that side of the ball with Brady, but for Buffalo to return to the days of Jauron going defense heavy in 2006, or Nix doing the same in 2010-2012, they're not balanced for how the NFL operates now. Never focusing on obtaining a QB is the common denominator for the generation of failure we're witnessing.

Are the Saints 5 TDs better than Buffalo? Are the NYJ that much better than Buffalo? Are the Bills ascending or on the down swing? I see no evidence that even after acquiring Benjamin and having 10 days to prepare for NO that they're anything but bottoming out. People point to 5-4 as if that's good, except they've been thoroughly dominated 2 weeks in a row. I know they're 5-4. Does anyone think they all of sudden rip of 2 wins at the Chargers, and KC? Or that someone, perhaps Oakland or Baltimore, won't rise out of mediocrity and take the 6th spot in the playoff race.

They are 5-4 now, much like they were in 2008 and 2011 after 9 games. A swan dive is coming primarily because they're not fooling anyone anymore. Opponents have the solution to Taylor and know they can run on the defense. These two losses aren't flukes. They're a window into the remaining games of this season.

Beane and McD both have had a wide amount of freedom from Ownership to get their guys. Not unlike Rex, who was behind signing TT, trading for McCoy, Clay, Incognito, drafting Lawson, et al. The latest regime in the generation of fail has somehow managed to make more moves and ended up with the same result. We're going to learn whether McD is just a louder and younger version of DJ. Ownership may not be bright enough to hire a czar, but they'll know when they're being mocked for still having an inept organization with another talker, albeit quieter, HC. This roster is far thinner than most fans can admit. It's a good thing McBeane have all those draft picks because the roster still needs significant improvement. And finding lesser talented types who buy in when things are good isn't going to cut it in this league. DJ proved that when things were easier in the late "oughts."

You leave your defense on the field for 40+ minutes and they're going to get tired. It doesn't help when Try-hard can't read a defense after 7 (with 2+ starting) years in the NFL. He can't make basic throws, doesn't throw receivers open, gets happy feet when he feels slight pressure, and is essentially become a faster version of Trent Edwards. Tyrod will never be a sufficient passer in the league. Never.

By mid-season the pretenders typically begin to flame out as more teams have film on them and their lack of talent and/or depth is exposed. This team has heart, but it's not going to make up for a lack of talent at QB, on the OL, or a pass rush.

The bar was raised after a win at Atlanta and a home destruction of Oakland. It's time people started to expect to win as opposed to simply hoping. And playing the Jets (who BTW have Josh McCown starting at QB) shouldn't be a "hope" to win match up. Now, Buffalo has a four game stretch that will define their season and splitting those will be a tough task.

A first time HC without a lot of film on what he's doing has the element of surprise over opponents. Getting contributions from lesser heralded players is necessary to win, but talent wins out in the end because teams are going to take away what's working well. I'm very interested to see how McD adjusts in the second half. We're going to find out if they can keep getting the same type of performance as teams see more of what McD's doing.

You and I agreeing Kirby is getting to be a habit.

Buffalo was +9 in turnovers through their first 7 of 2011 (with Fitz throwing 7 picks in those games). This year it's +14, which I find hard to believe can be sustained. The WR corps back then was thin, much as it is now and neither the 2011 and 2017 should have/are banking on the QB to bring them from behind Big difference is the 2017 defense isn't the bend but don't break version they featured in 2011. At the same time, neither the 2011 or 2017 defenses were/are generating a lot of pass rush.