BillsVet

That one game visiting the Jets to conclude the 2016 season he really did. You know who else also struggled that day? EJ and Cardale who both showed they weren't starting caliber QBs in the NFL. And, true to OBD form, he was left hanging out there in front of the media after RR had been fired. If that's "struggling" then yeah he did...for one game. I'd also add that Lynn inherited a 5-11 Chargers team moving from SD to LA and got them to 9-7 last year and 10-3 this season. He deserves to be in the COY debate. Successful rebuilds show continuous improvement from year and don't yo-yo back and forth like Buffalo has.

It's not that simple. You can't conflate taking hits in the pocket with those on a run. The former occur for multiple reasons (coverage, pass pro breakdown, not making reads, internal clock) but the latter happen when someone elects to leave the pocket. Whatever the case, he can't take the hits he's been taken. Dual threat QBs don't work in the NFL. Defenders are too fast and will prevent even the fleetest one to run free. Besides, NFL defenses adjust, although that may take an off-season to see enough film to engineer a plan to stop them. It's a guarantee that if Allen runs 10+ times a game he's going to get knocked around more than if he stood in the pocket and delivered. That said, I know he'll run less and have hopes those attempts will decrease as he becomes more familiar with the NFL game.

If Allen keeps taking as many hits as he is there won't be any comparisons to make because he'll wind up on IR. For fantasy types, sure running the ball and scoring is nice. It was fun to watch when Mike Vick did it too back in 2002 or so. Or Vince Young. None of those guys got teams deep into the playoffs consistently.

And Ralph was apparently willing to pay 10M per to Cowher. Sure.

It takes 2-3 years to judge a draft pick unless they flat out bomb, so I don't get why people need to know right now or speculate about rookies who aren't even finished with their rookie season. The 4 QBs taken in the top 10 all went to bad teams. Teams without a decent supporting cast. It's OK to wait before needing to determine who has "buyer's remorse." Sometimes no thread is better than initiating a thread.

I'd have to pull a McDermott and say I need to look at the tape. It could be. I would expect the Jets defense would target someone who wasn't defenseless, like say the guy (Dawkins) who did that.

I'm shocked that no one on Buffalo's OL attempted to retaliate for that cheap shot. Perhaps a chop block or something to tell Anderson his play was not going to be tolerated. That said, what's the cost to a team for injuring their opponents kicker? From a cost benefit perspective, a 15 yard roughing penalty and losing a starting DL for the game is worth less than injuring a kicker to the point they can't convert XPs or FGs. With games won or lost more frequently on FGs, it's going to happen whether coaches admit it or not. This is a more serious violation than the Legion of Boom a few years ago committing PI or holding penalties on most plays because they all couldn't get called. The competition committee needs to review when this occurs and how to officials respond when kickers/punters are targets and not involved in the play.

I am aware of Frazier's history as a Cover 2 guy and his poor tenure in Minnesota. My point is, the DC works for the HC and therefore implements a game plan based on the HC's guidance.

Robert Foster has 3 games of 90+ yards receiving in his last 4 games. Zay has 1 in 28 career games and a sub-50% catch rate this season. It's not inconceivable that Zay continues to improve, but when a UDFA like Foster, who has a 70%+ catch rate (in an admittedly smaller sample size) it's concerning. The main difference is, Robert Foster didn't cost a 2nd and 3rd like Jones did.

Going to disagree on Frazier. It's not that he doesn't like dialing up blitzes, it's that he's working for McD who comes from the Jim Johnson school where pressure comes from the front 4. That said, this board will collectively explode if Buffalo goes DL with the first pick. A top penetrating DT isn't getting this team closer to the playoffs with the offensive issues they have. Talent does count and after two off-seasons of rebuilding they have major talent issues all over the field. That happened largely because it is practically impossible to tear down and simultaneously rebuild a roster.

The question for 2019 is whether McD acquiesces to a more offensive style game and departs from this defense first conservative play-calling type mentality. Because all this talk about improving the offensive skill positions and line is for nothing if McD continues his current style. McD is not an innovative HC by any means, which is why I hope Beane gets in the HC's ear and tells him that if they want to have jobs in 2020 they start doing things differently. And that means strategically devaluing the defensive side of the ball and seeing if Allen can handle more on offense with better talent around him.

Phil McGeoghan's scouting report on this guy should never have been given so much credence. Another bad offensive decision in an ocean of them these past 2 off-seasons. One for which they gave up a third to take him.

When the rules revert back to what they were in the 80s, yes, perhaps defense can be king. But it's not going to happen. I always love how one weekend's worth of games morphs into the definitive evidence that defense is back...yet nothing really changed The league is built for, over the long haul of an entire season, offense to win out far more often than it loses.

Invi-zay-ble today. Well, except for the drops.

This is what happens when you've got a coach straight outta 1985 coaching in 2018.

Rebuilds don't go backward as this one has. Unfortunately, McBeane wanted to win now and win later...which means deconstructing the roster as you build it. Off the top of my head I can't recall one team that's done that. And now they're fumbling around back to talking about the "process." What precisely is the process and how much sense does "the process" make if the team goes from 9-7 to say 6-10? Last year is last year and bragging about slipping into the playoffs in 2017 means nothing now. We hope they have the QB, but the rest of the offense is a mess. I still can't get over them now realizing they need speedy receivers...after 2 off-seasons "rebuilding" and having drafted a QB who has a plus plus arm.

OP expresses doubt about a rebuild that, in year 2, is 4-8 and predictably gets flamed. While I wouldn't elevate Frazier to interim anything at this point, it's clear something is amiss. I know that talking strategy is an exercise in futility, but it's hard to trust "the process" when you can demonstrate the following events from the past off-season forward: 1. The decision to start Peterman was horrible at the time he was made the starter. They knew he lacked arm strength to make some of the throws he'd need to. 2. Their plan at QB was then foiled when Peterman bombed, leaving Allen as the only QB left on the roster and needing to start. They never signed a vet until week 5...4 weeks after the Baltimore debacle. 3. They acquired Benjamin and knew his knee wasn't good, further exacerbated by the hit he took at Los Angeles last year. Now he's gone. 4. They allowed other receivers out the door and didn't replace them with experienced types. And now we hear they're focusing on speed guys? Where was that in the off-season? 5. They started the season with 3 RBs on the roster (McCoy, Ivory, and Taiwan Jones) who were 29 or older. And Marcus Murphy isn't a 3 down back. 6. Sure, they planned on Incognito and Wood, but both were aging vets. They had little to address those issues, but their OL UFA signings have been extremely weak. 7. Yet, they've spent big money on a defense (Star, Murphy, V. Davis, Poyer) which, despite being good against the pass, still doesn't win enough games on it's own with that offense. People place their trust in the team because, well, it's the team and to some criticism means you're anti-fan. No, it's not. It just means the fan is objective when the record is what it is. Here's to hoping Allen continues to improve, they build a NFL caliber offense, and stop going down the path of building up defense in an offensive driven league. I'm interested to see how they do it, but nothing less than a playoff appearance is acceptable in 2019. How about a maximum?

I guess some people aren't happy unless they're trying to find another grievance to get angry about. All this bitterness...for someone expressing their opinion on a sports talk show? Time to refocus those energies. Maybe go for a run or something.

I think every time a Bills fan complains about the refs an angel gets their wings. Or something like that.

Your lack of knowledge on mental health is noted. ZJ had a nice game today no doubt.

Good question. Interesting just before their Week 13 game it is released/leaked. None of us know the context and it looks bad for Hunt. Just questionable why it was put out there now.

Perspective? On this board. People practically fall over themselves to pronounce something or link to "breaking news." It's less discussion now as much as it is people looking to get attention to their own threads, click bait, or LAMPs. Defenses aren't going to catch up because the rules have so fundamentally changed over the past 20 years. RTP and PI is called so much differently now that it's hard to see a tough defense dominating. And even then, how many teams can feature a top defense for say, 5 years running? Not even the Seahawks could keep their group together. BB not only changed, but he was two steps ahead in personnel acquisition. In one off-season he picked up Randy Moss and Welker (2007) after NE was beaten in the '06 AFC Championship. Then, 3 years later he drafts 2 TE's that presented huge match-up problems.

Sams aren't on the field much of the time and so investing big dollars there doesn't get this team much closer to 10+ wins. With the league dominated by passing, teams are more likely to have 2 LBs on the field, and in the 40 front that's the Will and Mike. Buffalo seems to have those 2 in Milano and Edmunds. No one knows who the UFAs will be when the new league year opens in March 2019. But if they're using big money on any UFA defender, it's the wrong answer to their issues.

Bill from NYC just exploded again. Another CB? Defense isn't the main problem becoming a playoff team because they've already spent big on Lotulelei, Murphy, and Hyde not to mention 1st round picks of White and Edmunds. Their resource allocation is already heavy defense and it's time that side of the ball be less prioritized. They're going to need those cap dollars anyway to improve an anemic offense which, until recently, was on pace to be one of the worst in recent NFL history.

Who cares? The team watches film and knows his MO. I'm sure the offensive coaches are aware that he plays dirty and perhaps looking to injure players. That sort of thing gets around the league quick. I've never seen so much worry about everything. Don't worry.