finn

J.D. Williams was fast, too, and we know how that turned out.

Greatness isn't PPG or YPG, as I'm sure you're saying. It's making the plays in the clutch. Last year, despite the 4th down blitz, Allen threw a catchable ball. Kincaid dropped it. The year before, Allen threw a perfect ball to Diggs. Diggs dropped it. In the 2022 regular season, Allen threw arguably the most beautiful and clutch ball of his career against the Jets, a 60-yard dime to Davis with the game on the line. Davis dropped it. Lesson: the Bills need more clutch receivers, aka great receivers, in the most accurate definition of the word. I happen to believe Shakir is one, and that he would have made that catch in 2023 in the end zone if Dawkins could have held his block a microsecond longer. I also think Ty Johnson may be clutch, as Hollins proved to be, surprisingly. (Naturally, Beane dumped him.) Palmer? Coleman? Samuels? Knox? Ronnie Harmon, out of retirement? If only Allen could play quarterback AND receiver...☹️

You might be right. I'm thinking that if McDermott fully cedes control over the defense AND this year's draft picks make a difference, they can do enough to push the team over the top. That Baltimore game was pretty heroic on their part. I'm assuming that was all Babich and no McDermott, and that might be unfair. Like all Bills fans, I'm just fed up with the annual fold against KC, and it really does see that Reid is getting the better of McDermott, as you say.

An excellent point, if I had claimed that Allen can lift an otherwise mediocre team. But that's not what I said. I said Allen is capable of lifting an otherwise very good team that has stumbled in the playoffs every year because McDermott is just not a playoff coach. He finds a way to lose, every year. A defense that steps up, as you say, will certainly help, just as it did a few years ago when one of the best in the league. But the players (and maybe a few key coaches) need to overcome the fecklessness of their head coach, to basically marginalize him, induce him to go stand in the corner once the playoffs start. Led by Allen, I think they're finally ready to do that.

I think this Bills team, with a better secondary and d-line and a settled identity on offense, can beat anyone. On the other hand, even with this new team, I can also see them losing to Chiefs, Ravens, and Bengals in the playoffs, with the advantage of having Allen once again neutralized by the disadvantage of having McDermott. My hope for the season rests on this: I think Allen is finally going to prevail over the ineptitude of his head coach. I don't think he can play much better than he has, but I sense he is finally fed up. This is a fully realized, enormously talented player at the absolute peak of his career who will not longer tolerate losing. McDermott will haplessly steer this team to second- or third-best every year if Allen lets him. But I don't think Allen will, not anymore.

To quote Ripley from the second Aliens movie, "Did the IQs just drop sharply while I was away?" I didn't say or suggest Beane should ignore the defense and prioritize the offense. Good lord. Re-read my posts. I'll wait. (I suggest looking up "Straw-man fallacy" while you're at it.)

Mischaracterizing your interlocutor's argument is a common but pretty transparent tactic in rhetoric, suggesting that you're not confident in the merits of your own position. Plus, it's such a waste of time. Do you want me to say, "I didn't say we were doomed," restate my argument (again), then distort your ideas in turn? It's much more economical for you just actually read my posts before responding.

My counter is that the offense wasn't good enough in the playoffs last, so it stands to reason it won't be enough this year, given what little Beane has changed (let's assume that, yes, some players will improve but others will disappoint or get injured, as happens most every year). Last year, it got bailed out by the defense against Baltimore and failed on its final drive with the game on the line. In other words, does it matter that the offense didn't turn the ball over and scored lots of points if they keep losing in the playoffs? We're so used to blaming the defense that we forget that Diggs dropped that pass, Bass missed that field goal, Dawkins missed that block, Kincaid didn't make that kick, and pretty much no one showed up against the Bengals. The facts are plain: The offense hasn't been good enough.

The only N that counts is Super Bowl wins, as Josh Allen is always saying, and that N=0. Great that Hollins and Shakir exceeded expectations last year, not so great that Coleman and Kincaid did not. I'm sure this year, too, some players will step up on offense and some will not. I'm hopeful--I'm always hopeful--that this year is the year they go all the way. Could happen. But I think Beane's improvements on defense won't come to full fruition until next year, and I don't think his tweaks on offense amount to more than treading water. Note: This is about when the ad hominen attacks usually begin. Let's try to keep it civil, ok?

You're missing my point, I hope not deliberately. I'm not disputing that the Bills offense will score as many points as last year or gain as many yards. I'm focusing on the playoffs, when it counts the most, right? Are we on the same page there, or are you content with a nice record in the regular season, along with a win or two against the Broncos or whomever? If you are, speak up. I'll put a finer point on it for you: Beane stood pat on an offense that couldn't deliver in the clutch the last two years. He prioritized a weak defense instead, which is understandable. But let's not delude ourselves that this is a "great offense." A great offense doesn't choke on its final drive of the playoffs. Essentially, Beane is betting it won't come down to the final drive.

You're implying you're fine with returning offense with the same level of production as last year. So I assume you're also fine with losing in the playoffs again with the same "great offense"? Fourth down with the game on the line and KC blitzing, only this time Kincaid (or Coleman or Palmer or Moore or Shenault or another of our deep threats) catches the ball, like Diggs failed the year before? Or maybe you're saying the defense will be so improved we don't need an offense that can score on the final drive of a game. In other words, we don't need the "great offense" you say we have.

Yet Beane shrugs off the need for a top WR by pointing out that Brady didn't have one, ignoring his having Edelman and a HOF tight end.

Darrick Forrest looks like he might be something: fast (4.41), big enough at 5'11 200 Ibs, good experience. As I recall, he was injured then was the odd man out with the new coaching staff in Washington. Four interceptions in 2022. The only advantage Hamlin seems to have over him is familiarity with the Bills system. Did Bishop play any strong safety last year? He seems better suited close to the line of scrimmage. I'm hoping the eventual lineup will be Bishop and Hancock at strong- and free safety, respectively. Rapp's ok and Hamlin is adequate, but you want to do better than ok and adequate.

Epenesa looked strong like that before the Bills asked him to lose weight and he lost too much. By the time he got to "optimal," his signature power was gone. Now he's neither particularly strong nor quick. He's more of a high-effort, "blue-collar" guy who can bat the ball down. I sometimes wonder how he would have turned out if they had let him be. At least he could have set the edge, something he doesn't do well now. If Jackson and Solomon develop and Walker is better on the edge (talk about power and quickness), Epenesa could be the odd man out in 2026.

Also, Greg Cosell said Dorian Strong is mostly a man cornerback. I love the idea of a diverse defense that can adjust on the fly, change things up, and surprise offenses. The constant zone, especially with a fading Douglas, an overmatched Hamlin, and a tepid pass rush, was just asking for teams to attack.