finn

"A man who would make a pun would pick a pocket." But I admit I laughed.

Just speculating, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's also getting a clear message from his teammates that his behavior is unacceptable. At some point, he had to make a choice: change his attitude or double down on it. Sounds like he decided to show them! Won't they be sorry! Incidentally, George Pickens evidently is also an immature, lazy fool of a human being, too, only he has six times the talent of Coleman. If Beane is ok with drafting emotional adolescents, I wish he had gambled on Pickens instead of Coleman. But my guess is that he didn't spot the brat within.

But why does he lose out to Samuel? Of course, it's a tossup in terms of production, with 13 catches between them on the season. But to my eyes Moore has flashed and Samuel has been invisible. At this point I'm asking which is more likely, that Moore, Samuel, and Coleman are all busts--or Brady has no clue how to use them? Keep in mind Palmer has just 14 catches and Cook 18. It may be a productive offense on paper, but it's not hard to figure out that if you stop the running game you stop the Bills. I keep thinking what this same roster would do with a Shanahan or McDaniels or Ben Johnson in charge. For all the heat he gets, McDermott does a lot of things right as head coach, but one big--maybe fatal in terms of Super Bowl chances--weakness is his penchant for mediocre coordinators. A high price to pay for control, Sean.

You may be on to something. Like many quarterbacks, Allen might need to get in a rhythm, another reason he's not suited to be the game manager Brady wants him to be. For all the benefits of a balanced offense (no team runs more that the Bills), one potential downside is that the quarterback never gets into that rhythm. That seemed to be a key problem in the losses this season. Brady runs the ball a lot, then when it's stopped, he expects a relatively cold Allen to work his magic.

Your observation captures what I see as wrong with Brady's offense. Rather than scheme his receivers open, he relies on blockers to spring them free, hence the incessant wide receiver screens and stop routes. One might say his options are limited by the abilities of his players, but as others have pointed out, at least two of the new additions, Moore and Samuel, have had far more success elsewhere. You could arguably add Coleman to that list: maybe he's not a bust but a talented player who is being misused. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Bills receivers have started grumbling behind the scenes. I'll put my point in question form: Have we seen any innovations from Brady in the passing game during his tenure as offensive coordinator? Any surprises, wow moments, or even play calls that run against his tendencies? I'm not talking about cute plays my niece could devise, like throwing to Allen or handing off to Knox. I'm talking about pass-play calling that goes beyond generic and head-slappingly predictable. For example, how about play action on fourth and short instead of always a tush-push? Or an occasional fade or high jump ball to Coleman instead of constant diet of back-shoulder sideline throws? Or Cook on a go route (or any other route on third down, when Brady takes him, one of the most talented players in the NFL, off the field)? Or trying different concepts now and then, like flooding a zone or the no-huddle for an entire series? I've been as critical as anyone about the lack of receiver talent on this team, but I'm starting to wonder if we simply have in Brady a coordinator who is over his head, much like Babich. I admit I'm speaking above my expertise (not hard to do), so If I'm being unfair or just plain wrong, please feel free to correct me.

I do remember he was endorsing Dorsey until the end. I almost wish the Bills would lose the next two games just so Brady is let go. The signs are accumulating that he is at best limited and predictable as a coordinator, not what you want for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. In a way, the worst-case scenario is that the Bills win just enough, say two of every three of the remaining games, to give McDermott pause, and by then it will be too late, at least for this season.

You would think the only person who needs to ask this question would have asked it by now, but all he says is Brady is a good coordinator, and he is not planning on making any changes. I'm surprised people here still disagree about where the ultimate problem lies.

Everyone eats.

We finally can throw deep, and now we can't throw deep.

Brady.

Even if McDermott didn't directly order Brady to craft an offense that complemented his defense, that desire has obviously asserted itself. Unbelievably, he and Beane have made an MVP quarterback in his prime into a game manager. The entire planet Earth sees what a waste this is except these two, whose vision will forever be fixated on a) 4-man pressure on a Mahomes; b) a bend don't break defense; c) a running game that eats the clock and keeps the defense fresh. To me, this kind of team is deeply boring and outdated even if it comes to fruition. What's awful is that it hasn't. Beane's d-line still isn't elite despite all those investments, McDermott's defense can't tackle, and the receivers aren't good enough even for a possession offense. With an all-world QB like Allen, they will make the playoffs every year, but even he can't carry a team that hasn't given him enough to work with, much less thrive.

Right, that's why the Dolphins loss hit so hard. Fine to lose to Atlanta, an NFC team, and even to the Patriots, since they'll get a chance to even up. But you can't lose to another divisional opponent, especially one on the ropes like that. The game made me think they don't deserve the AFC East title or the first-round bye because they forgot that every game counts. If they go all the way, it's going to be a long, grueling battle.

The only rest advantage that truly matters is the first-round bye in the playoffs, which favors that team way out of proportion to what they've done to earn the rest. It's just wrong, no matter who gets it.

Yes, but what about the bubble screen to Shakir behind the line of scrimmage? You're forgetting Brady's money play! And if that fails, there's always the back-shoulder throw to Coleman along the sideline. /s

Agreed. As I said, I don't think the Bills need a personnel rebuild, just new leadership to invigorate the current roster, which is almost there. McBeane also need a fresh start. They might be able to take another team to the Super Bowl, but their time here has played out. If they stay, we'll just see more of the same until Allen retires or leaves, when finally Pegula might be ready to try something new. I'm talking in terms of certainties, but as always it's a matter of probabilities. This team could win the Super Bowl if things fall a certain way, but I think it's pretty unlikely. The patterns we all see deepen every year, making it increasingly difficult to break. For example, McDermott doesn't seem to want coordinators who threaten his authority, so he hires from within, which may be why they're more junior-varsity quality. And Beane obsesses on the d-line and treats the wide receiver position as an afterthought. Both might wake up to the evidence that they've been wrong, but the meta-pattern is that they're slow learners.