BillsVet

This is the first year McD has had everything aligned to his standard in coaching, scheme, and players. He promoted from within each of their OC's, has a more decentralized offense, has Josh being more in control as a passer, has a relatively healthy defense, and obviously is running his scheme there. Issue is whether having it the way he desires will be successful as the stakes and opponent quality rise. It's the next phase of the final exam they spent all of 2024 working to be ready for. It's encouraging that late in the season Buffalo defeated 2 #1 seeds following different paths. They forced turnovers against KC, played good defense and got some timely scores. Against Detroit, the defense faltered and the offense could not be stopped. I like that they beat those teams in very different ways. But Baltimore is a different team . Then again, Buffalo's evolved a fair amount since they were beaten up in Week 4.

They can't play it safe on offense again. Understand why they did against KC last year in Divisional Round and how that similar focus was an advantage vs. Denver. Agree they need another element of this offense beside the backs or Josh running and those passes in middle of field. To be less predictable, and yeah, less safe. Not sure what weather conditions will be, but I don't expect them to win TOP battle in this one like they did in their previous 2 playoff games where that was clearly a focal point to reduce defense's exposure. Must somewhat re-invent with Cooper here, which should be a slight advantage because Baltimore didn't game-plan last time for him.

Buffalo has talent, yes. What I find ironic is that at QB they swung for the fences and hit one out of the park. But in the years before or since at the other premium positions - DE, WR, OT, CB - they've had some success but haven't found that dominant player. Come playoff time that hurts them when they need a player to make a play. Yes. Part of the reason they aren't in the running for offensive All-Pros is that of their next 9 RD1/RD2 picks, 6 of them were defense, 1 was dealt for Diggs, one for Cody Ford, and then Cook's selection 4 years later. That's not a commitment to offense and using 2 higher picks in back to back years on Kincaid and Coleman doesn't make up for that.

Something bad happened in the past...therefore something bad will happen in the future. v

I'm envisioning a story from the hinterlands that follows two central characters - Sammy and Mike - who find their way to enlightenment after traveling different roads. That kind of saga?

It certainly doesn't sound like you've got manufacturing or lean experience, because you'd have mentioned it. Which is funny, because you read an article about the Bills where players and coaches picked up some thoughts on business problem solution methodology and are blown away like they're so ahead of the curve. Because to problem solve in the manufacturing and business environments it demands an honest problem definition before jumping to solutions. Yet, after each off-season, the Bills come out of their reviews with a solution that doesn't work because their definition of the problem follows along their Carolina-esque team building philosophy. In previous seasons, this typically resulted into renewed focus on adding defensive players while offensive skilled talent was not seriously addressed. The same issues appeared, particularly offensively. Focusing on the 2024 off-season...one problem was clear that Diggs' presence was channelling the offense too much through him and they wanted to decentralize. They also wanted a scheme which reduced turnovers and defensive exposure. Personnel wise, a primary solution was to ship Diggs out and bank on lesser receivers for their franchise QB who would lift those guys into decent options. Schematically, they focused on better run-pass balance and on passing routes in the middle of the field among other things. Maybe the Diggs problem was identified correctly, but the personnel and schematic solution was completely inadequate. We knew this after Week 5 when it necessitated the Cooper trade. Unfortunately, by that time, their starting QB had been concussed, broken a hand, and they'd lost to 2 future playoff teams. It's really weird, particularly with you, how much the focus is on the feelings you take from an article where the HC and/or players read a book on problem solution. Who cares? In a business environment, your feelings go out the window if the results are inadequate. Same with the NFL.

You ripped a definition of Kaizen off the internet and think you know what it is AND that a NFL HC would embrace that philosophy to apply it to his organization? Come on. This post reads like you're in the OBD offices as terminology like 5S, DMAIC, and all the buzzwords are thrown around by Lean Six Sigma Black Belts. Everyone should embrace continuous improvement in their life. Yet, in the case of a NFL football team, they have a responsibility to adjust their philosophy when it's not working. The Bills seem to double-down on what they're doing as though it will suddenly work. What's clear is they entered the season with a less than adequate group of receivers and it didn't work. The course corrected and now stand on the cusp of the playoffs - which will confirm whether their off-season and in-season adjustments were successful. Perhaps the HC is evolving, they're SB winners and the way they play football is validated. We're gonna find out though.

Ravens had strongest SOV and went 7-3 against playoff teams compared to Buffalo's 5 and 2-3 record. I like that they're playing a division rival in WC round. But also don't want to make assumptions either.

At this point, who doesn't have a Crazy Kim story?

Except it wasn't "Total Football" before they traded for Cooper. The 3-0 start was followed by losses to ultimately 2 playoff teams where they scored a combined 30 points and Josh was battered and/or had little to work with. Offensive production is a byproduct of the scheme, personnel, coaching/play-calling, and QB. You have arguably the best QB in the league playing at a high level, albeit increasingly used as a runner. The scheme, as originally designed was inadequate, as were the personnel which meant the play-calling and QB play was affected. The upcoming playoffs are a final exam of sorts for their decisions going back to the beginning of the 2024 league year starting. They're likely to be in some high scoring games with the defense struggling. "Total Football" will need to be abandoned to a degree when that inevitably happens against the stakes raised.

Buffalo's philosophy under McD needs to have greater flexibility when things go wrong. As in, when the defense isn't working how does the offense overcome it? The KC game was an example of when things go right. Defense limited KC's possessions, forced some turnovers, and kept them from putting a big number on the board. Bills offense was better, although it needed Josh to carry it 12 times and made plays in the 4th quarter. No matter how well you plan, can't expect 4 straight playoff games to happen this way. And it's why having the ability to just out-score an opponent is something a team needs in their back pocket. OC needs to be creative to achieve that, but it's the personnel decisions in the off-season which facilitate that more. I wouldn't say McD has changed philosophically. Maybe the playoffs demonstrate he has, but it's a TBD right now.

Few posters go full hyperbole so quickly when someone disagrees with them like you do. Dude, remove the bunched panties from your fourth point of contact and don't take it this personally.

It's amazing that people are quick to credit McBeane for the Cooper trade and practically ignore the lead-up to that, namely the costs involved. They spent an entire off-season preaching their "everybody eats" strategery only to change course after 5 games when Josh had been battered and they were blown out once and lost a winnable game at Houston. Yeah, they corrected themselves but only after it was abundantly obvious their plan failed miserably. The expectation of good management is to anticipate problems before they arrive...and it shouldn't have been hard to anticipate in the post-Diggs Bills last April that WR was a huge weakness. That insistence on stupid is why they're 2 games back of the #1 seed when they should be 1. Also meant the guy who is keeping you from being a 6 win team took some huge hits. Still amazes me that, after 8 off-seasons the Bills have not drafted a 1,000 yard receiver, WR or TE. Perhaps that changes next year, but it's further indictment that they don't value pass-catchers or know how to scout them.

You former military? My battalion commander said that all the time in Iraq.

Bad things man! That's what happens when people don't vote for Bruce LOL. He was DPOY in 1990 and 1996 an 8x 1st team All-Pro and 3x 2nd teamer. I could see Allen down the road, even though they played in different eras where passing is vastly different. But Bruce remains given the career length and dominance. Out of his own end zone no less where you could have, as a ST holder, your name on the Jumbotron. If memory serves, it was from the 2009 Cleveland game Buffalo lost 6-3 where Derek Anderson completed 2 passes for the Browns. Ughh. What marketing genius thought up that angle?

McD has talked about this now during the tenure of the last 3 OC's he hired. This loss, isolated to one week of the regular season isn't impossible to stomach. Playing on the left coast has always been an issue for east coast teams. But as you've alluded to, there are matters which aren't addressed which appear against above average teams which portend what we inevitably witness in the post-season. HC is married to his philosophy and will never change. And, he has failed to raise his coaching acumen to a level which parallels the abilities of his QB.

Inconsistent play against quality opponents and still...an over-reliance on Josh to do it all. Overall doctrine McBeane adhere to must change this off-season.

Obviously this move was timed by Pegula and the Machiavellian McDermott to deflect from the Sabres' historic loss last night.

Part of the oddity this season comes down to competition in the AFC. KC is still good, but seem off. They'll make their playoff run I expect. BAL will be there and is concerning because their run game is problematic for Buffalo's run defense. None of PIT, HOU, LAC, DEN concern me at this point. Ironically, I remember that 1990 season and Buffalo playing at NYG (which was 12/15 also) and winning. Ended up being the SB preview. Bills play Lions on 12/15...that would be a heck of a SB.

It's not surprising Goodell and the owners want this. It's amazing to watch how, since Gene Upshaw died, the NFLPA and commissioner/owners are basically on the same team now. There's no labor strife because they're united by making more money. No one talks about how an 18-game schedule shortens careers or that the quality of the product will decrease. We saw a glimpse of that this season when, with pre-season reduced to a few big scrimmages, the quality of play declined markedly at the beginning because starters don't get pre-season PT. I'm sure players even with another bye thrown in also aren't keen on the international games to Europe and South America. Which makes one wonder whether there'll be some division within the NFLPA about just acquiescing to this. Wouldn't be the first union where leadership and rank and file aren't agreeing lately.

Conflating the subject doesn't make your argument any more valid. Josh takes too many hits. Happened especially at the beginning of the season as receivers didn't get open. It's more him taking off on scrambles now, designed or not, but it's placing him in the line of fire too often. If your offense features/requires Josh carrying the ball, be it short yardage or otherwise, upwards of 8x or more times a game...the offense has issues that he's masking. Too late to resolve this season...but better be a point of issue this off-season. As in, leaning toward offense more in UFA and the draft than they've done before.

Stop being obtuse. This isn't a statistical debate as you insist on framing it as. It's how many unnecessary hits Josh takes because the offense needs him to run the ball. As to @Simon's point, he's been getting beat up each year. Perhaps a couple years ago that could be, in part, attributed to his style of play. Not anymore.

Less hits? Come on dude. The human body cannot take the head impacts Josh has taken (1 is too much) without some kind of lingering issues eventually. Even when it's him shaking his hand after a run like versus Arizona or in the Chiefs game it's disconcerting. And that's because they didn't resource the offense appropriately, which became apparent after Week 5's loss in Houston. Point is, the HC and OC all too often use their quarter-billion dollar asset sometimes like he's just another player when in fact he's the difference between being a top-2 seed and picking in the top-5.

Saw this as well and that ownership wouldn't necessarily fire Daboll and Schoen as a result. I am not so sure on the latter...owners know they need to win and HC's and to a lesser extent GM's are blamed first. And, owners don't fire themselves for weighing in on personnel decisions. Gotta have good ownership in professional sports now to be successful. To know whom to hire, when to get involved and when to stay out of football decisions.

Daboll is who he is. What he's not is the guy defining their overall football philosophy and establishing their correlating roster priorities. The cost of not having a top receiver group is that your QB is asked to do more and in Buffalo that's Josh running. He becomes the default option to make up for personnel deficiencies which, as we learned in the Baltimore and Houston games, isn't himself enough. Maybe retaining Cooper, seeing Coleman improve combined with a healthy Shakir and Kincaid are that group. But if Josh is carrying the ball more, that's largely because their receivers aren't good enough.