BillsVet

Resources in the draft and UFA have been devoted for several seasons now on the DL. Lots of money spent there overseen by the HC. As to the run defense, it began unraveling mid-season when they had everyone good in the front 7: Game 7 vs. GB: 208 yards on 31 carries Game 8 at NYJ: 174 yards on 34 carries Game 9 vs. MIN: 147 yards on 25 carries Game 14 vs MIA: 188 yards on 25 carries Something is amiss in how they run this scheme, which is irksome considering how much they invest there and supposed depth. Many teams may run that scheme, but it doesn't require a 8-9 man DL rotation like McD's does.

Yeah...the Cincinnati loss and a less than ideal end to the season the last 2 years happens when your off-season reviews are flawed. Which leads to bad personnel priorities and decisions. Spending big on UFA and some extensions covered up that they weren't drafting and developing enough of their own players who could provide solid play at lower cost. Players who could step in to give them room. It's why the talk of extending Edmunds is pure madness at 10M+ season with protection and WR depth issues.

He's not gonna give away the classified details...because their off-season review just begun. He's doing a lot in these PC's...sending subtle messages to players/agents, trying to assuage the fans, show disappointment without begin negative. It's theater in a way. But there is serious concern as evidenced upthread that the Cincinnati loss wasn't just a 1 game issue and saying an injury or two was the culprit is absurd. McBeane have responded to the last 2 off-season with a run it back approach. Yet, their last 3 of the last 4 departures from the playoffs were real head-scratchers.

If that's the response after a disappointing end in the playoffs, then Terry ain't pushing them hard. His mind is, understandably in some regard, occupied elsewhere. Going back to McD's hire...he was given authority over football ops and that's the way it's remains. His grip on what this team does in personnel, scheme, and everything in-between remains iron-clad. Ownership won't push him to do anything. But, Beane's stood up there and done the subterfuge dance before. Signed Miller out of nowhere. We'll see.

I'd really like to see the term, "hater" applied to people who highlight easily anticipated problems to die. Permanently. It's a clown term to separate fans into 1 of 2 camps and there's no way to make it a binary issue, i.e. pro or anti-team. Perhaps you're using it somewhat casually, but it's hard to discern intent on a message board. Aside from that, good post.

Ownership just invested 258M in their franchise QB. Focusing the offense on handing off to a 1-2M/year RB doesn't make much sense. Then again, McBeane was trying to build a mauling-type OL this year.

After last off-season, if the owners were engaged, I wondered if they might ask McCoach how he was protecting their quarter-billion investment in Josh Allen. Sadly, I don't think they're engaged given Kim's health and second, because the money is flowing. Seeing Josh plunge into the line and take off running like he did down the stretch tell me no one is pushing them on what should be a significant concern.

They had RT Daryl Williams on a 1 year deal for 2020...whom they then re-signed and promptly stopped playing hard. But yeah...not much talent for a lot of big UFA money over their tenure. But it's the price you pay when the the drafting doesn't result in many value types there either. For all their "wizardry" McBeane have drafted (to date) in 6 years one decent OL, 1 TE, and 1 WR3 (Davis). But sure spent a lot of picks on RB, DL, DB...many of whom are OK, but not the money positions or not solid starters. I'd say aside from Milano and Taron Johnson they've gotten nothing in the way of good starters from Round 3 and beyond. Lot of work to do.

I just like that your screen name currently shows you have 180 posts, or the year Marcus Aurelius died. If anything, their 1st round picks indicate that their board is weighted toward defense with 5 1sts out of 7 used there. That strikes me more as a McD influence than the GM. I'll go back to being stoic now.

Have to ask...have you ever been in a real two-way live fire exercise?

I still remembering being in quarterback purgatory under the previous GM. You mean to tell me there's a head coach one too?

In neither of those wins did Buffalo dominate another top offense. The Colts game was 27-24 with 6 minutes left and a Lamar was hurt in the 2nd half...for a Ravens team that held Buffalo to 1 offensive TD. Regular season ended a few weeks ago. The regression is from losing the AFC CG 2 years ago, to losing a divisional game last season in the waning minutes, to getting the snot kicked out of you this season. If that's not regression I don't know what is No contending team falls back on regular season success in the wake of a playoff blowout.

Stubbornness can be an excellent character trait...or it can be the enemy of progress and growth.

No. The worst thing is seeing the Cincinnati Bengals lap your organization 2 years running.

Your mind-reading skills are truly underestimated.

Completely missed the point. Doesn't matter who the coordinators are if the HC who drives personnel decisions, determines scheme and game-plans continues doing what he does. I am not advocating for firing McD...but he needs to overhaul everything: the schemes he plays, the players he tells Beane to acquire to staff them, and how he game-plans. Then we can talk about coordinators.

The windows on the house aren't the problem and replacing them not the solution right now. The roof has a major leak and the furnace is on the fritz. Start there.

I have my doubts he'll abandon a defense-first mentality that's been present since he began. One that largely cheaps out on offense to staff a defense that fails in the post-season every year.

So...we're not signing 4 new DL not named Von Miller in Week 1-2 of UFA?

Scheme on offense and defense driving personnel acquisition needs a complete overhaul. Meaning...McD needs his authority checked by the GM. Probably won't happen, but neither will Buffalo advance to play in the SB until it does.

Was not my point. The guy was covered by a 2nd Team All Pro on that okay and managed to beat him. Defending against Kelce is more than chipping at the LOS or putting a DB on him.

Especially when Knox is needed to block and not running routes. You want to maximize the passing game? Stop nickel and diming the OL with poor pass blockers who need TE help. James could not keep up with Kelce at the end of the Chargers game in LA Week 11. Matched up against James 1:1, Kelce ran a short crossing route and scored from 17 yards out...and James was a 2nd Team All Pro this season.

Teams don't draft QB's high to indefinitely be running types in run-based offenses. Perhaps at the outset this is understood, but those teams need their guy to develop into a passing QB who runs less. Fields is entering year 3 and the top QBs had demonstrated an ability to play from the pocket. Roman takes a run first offense and makes it better...sure. But run-first offenses need to eventually move into, driven by QB play, a solid passing team. That's the way it's done in the NFL now. Over an off-season teams learn how to stop guys like Kaepernick and Jackson if they don't become better passers.

Regular season statistical analysis projected for use in the playoffs is asinine because the majority of Buffalo's games (11) contributing to +/- came against non-playoff teams. Sure, you can beat up on bad to mediocre teams turning the ball over a few times because Josh can make up for that against those defenses. No sane mind believes that turnovers aren't as big a deal in the playoffs where number of possessions matter against better competition. And that is especially the case going up against strong offenses that score quickly. A team like CIN or KC having one less possession and Buffalo getting another increases a favorable result.

I see people determining that Josh not running has something to do with his football intelligence increasing. Perhaps in the game-plan process that was reinforced more, but I'll contend that, versus Miami, the Dolphins using 8 in the box in the first half was more a factor than anything else. Then, when they transitioned to more zone in the second half Josh saw what he thought were passing opportunities and attacked that way. Josh running is what defenses want: they get a chance to put a hit on him and it means downfield they've mitigated his receiving options. Because if I'm defending against Buffalo's offense, I'd rather get beat on a 10 yard scramble than a 20 yard pass completion. There is never 1 cause for something changing. Typically there is a root cause with other contributing reasons for why something happens.