finn

In retrospect, it could be that Allen needed one more season with Daboll or a similarly strong-minded coach. When he got impatient and started forcing passes downfield, he didn't have anyone to get in his grill, or so it appears. Beane must have frustrated as hell, after landing both Cook and Hines to improve the short game only to see Allen (and possibly Dorsey) essentially ignore it. What a waste. Up to about mid-season, Allen was playing some of the best football the league had ever seen.

Not sure this is quite fair, since no one can predict injuries. If Beane had gone for AJ Brown, say, and Brown had been injured, we could criticize Beane for ignoring the team's deficient pass rush for a player who helped us win two games at WR before getting hurt. The team landed the elite DE the team needed, and the gamble was paying off until mid-season. I'm fine with the trade, given the need. But I'm not happy with Beane's performance elsewhere. Zack Moss, Spencer Brown, Terrell Bernard, Roger Saffold, EJ Epenesa, Boogie Basham... He's had some hits, but regularly drafting/signing players of this caliber will not get you a championship.

Well, at least we have Hodgins to fall back on. Oh, wait...

The defense didn't play well, but they did keep the Bengals under 30 points. That game was winnable.

That's why I can't stand Collingsworth, especially with Brady or Mahomes, gods that can do no wrong. Fulsome, lickspittle hagiography. Disgusts me.

This post won't age well.

It's pretty common knowledge that Oliver has never been healthy in his NFL career.

I wonder if the team is going to ask him to put on some weight in the offseason. With ten more pounds of muscle, he should be able to start breaking some tackles.

Not sure what you mean by "accountability." But I didn't like Beane saying he takes responsibility for the team falling short then turning around and criticizing the play calling (the offense not adapting in the Bengals game) and complaining about low draft picks (he doesn't want the team to "suck enough" to pick high). His defensiveness reveals a lot. He assumed Brown, Saffold, and Davis were good enough. They weren't. Some of his draft picks may become starters, but the Bernard pick in the third looks pretty bad, and the Araiza pick is inexcusable. I'm not arguing he's doing a bad job. But I don't think his performance as GM wasn't good enough last year, even setting aside the injuries and traumas. He's not going anywhere, obviously, but he--more than the coaches, IMHO--needs to up his game.

1. Elam--should be starter next year. Looks pretty good. 2. Cook--could be starter. Probably committee back. 3. Bernard--fourth string backup last year. A real WTF pick at this point. 5. Shakir--could be starter next year. 6. Araiza--Gone. Bills didn't do homework on him. 6. Benford--Could be starting safety next year. 6. Tenuka--Gone. Signed off practice squad. 7. Spector--could be quality backup next year. So the 2022 draft could result in four starters and one solid backup next year. Not as good as the Chiefs draft, but they had more picks.

Just wanted to ask you about this comment, which I hear more and more on this board. Why do you think Mahomes is better than a guy who is bigger, faster, stronger, and a far better runner--and can make every throw Mahomes can make? Is it the, what, two more interceptions Allen has? I know it's not about clutch play, not with Mahomes ending KC's season last year, as well as this year's game against the Bills, with an interception. Maybe he's equal to Allen, but better?

People have pointed out to me that Beane might have thought Jefferson wouldn't be there when the Bills picked, and he went with the sure thing in Diggs. That's a legit point. But after seeing him pass on AJ Brown, Metcalf, and Pickens, I wonder if he would have passed on Jefferson, too.

I had high hopes for Kromer. Do you think the players just needed time to get used to his new approach? Evidently, it was very different.

Any of my 4 nieces would be a significant upgrade to either of our guards. Git 'er done, Beane.

A healthy Bills D-line can compete with the KC and Philly O-lines. The screaming problems are O-line and WR. I mean, Beasley and John Brown? Saffold and Spencer Brown? Those weren't injury replacements. They're the sign of a GM who knew he blew it. Let's see if the light goes on, finally, this offseason.

My fear is that Beane will assume he's good enough, again. He said he would bring in competition, but if he has players like Quessenberry and Tenuka in mind, we can kiss another season goodbye. I had a pleasant daydream that Beane trades a first-round pick, McKenzie, Davis, and Epenesa for Tristan Wirfs. Sigh.

I'm less impressed by the Diggs trade than you. Yes, he has performed marvelously. But the Vikes took Jefferson with the pick we gave them. Now they have a younger, cheaper, arguably better player, as well as that fourth round pick we also gave up. You want an eventual starter with your second- and third-round pick. Neither Epenesa nor Moss are/were close. Davis and Hodgins were both very good (not great) picks. Dane and Bass were both great picks. Beane has built a solid team but hasn't provided enough elite players. Allen, Diggs, Miller, Milano, Hyde. That's it. With the holes the roster has, this isn't enough.

Just for fun, we should establish which player this board wants in each round at the moment of the pick and post the results for all to see. I think we would have missed on Allen, but we might have hit on many others, including Parham over Bernard, Humphrey over Basham, and Metcalf over Ford. Of course, I would take Allen over all of these players combined.

Fans wanted Andy Reid gone, too, because he couldn't get his teams over the hump. It's not the coaching. Or to the degree that it is--squib kick, anyone?--the next staff won't be any better overall, and the risk of regression is way too high. No, the solution is obvious: more talent on offense. Beane has gotten exactly ONE big thing right on offense: drafting Allen. Even with Diggs he could have had a cheaper, better player in Jefferson (along with extra picks). If you want to upgrade something, start by upgrading Beane's scouting- and pro-personnel staff. Beane is blowing it as we watch.

Beane deserves all the blame he's getting for the O-line problems, but he was just snake-bit in the secondary. White, Poyer, Hyde, Johnson. That's a pro-bowl lineup across the board. Most optimistic view for next year: White returns to form, Hyde doesn't show his age yet, Elam turns into a star, and Beane or McDermott find an adequate strong safety. Most pessimistic: White remains a slow, grabby, hesitant player, Hyde starts his decline, Elam is a bust, and the strong safety is a liability. Most realistic: White and Elam improve but top out as average starters, Hyde starts strong but starts to fade by the end of the season; Benson or whoever is adequate but not much more. In short, the secondary should be better next year, but that's not saying much.

I'm a big fan of Beane, but his record on the O-line is abysmal. Moving up to draft Ford, trading away Teller, signing Saffold, assuming Brown could start at RT, ignoring Humphrey to draft Basham... I mean, that's just awful.

Maybe leave the defense alone. Re-sign Edmunds, wait on Oliver, move Bedford to safety and call it quits, except some depth here and there. Put pretty much all resources into the offense: a legit WR2, RT, and guard. Maybe Brown can move to guard so we need just WR and RT. That's doable. My worry is that Beane will convince himself that Spencer Brown is the answer at RT, and Boettger at guard. He'll draft a safety that isn't ready to play, another DE mediocrity in the second round, and a bunch of DBs and TEs in later rounds. He just does not seem to value the offensive line. And save the "He signed Saffold and drafted Brown! in the third round!" That just proves my point.

This plan sounds about right. Moving on from Morse will save money. He may retire anyway with his history of concussions. If Bates moves to center (which he's always wanted), that leaves three holes to fill, unless Brown finally gets it in his third season. The Morse savings could pay for one guard, and a second-round draft pick can compete with Boettger for the other spot. First-round pick: a tackle to compete with Dawkins and Brown. The one big free agency pickup could be WR. So Diggs, FA, and Shakir at WR, two high draft picks on OL to compete with Brown and Boettger. Benford and Hyde at safety. Sign Edmunds, let Oliver show what he has in his last year. Could do worse.

Not sure I agree. They've had a lot of success with Frazier. As someone said, you're pulling your hair out then realize the other team scored less than 22 points--again. As for Dorsey, the continuity with Allen is important. Plus, the numbers don't lie: this offense scored points and moved the ball, despite truly mediocre talent outside of Allen and Diggs. I'm happy to continue with both. I do think Beane needs a better scouting and pro-personnel department.

Totally disagree. I think the OP nailed it. The team was emotionally exhausted. They went through shite no other team has been through, and it's not an excuse to point it out. Yes, all flaws are just as relevant, from talent and coaching to individual performances. But they've been running on fumes since the Damar episode, and they finally hit empty. Easy to say they should have used the many traumas as fuel to win it all. Really easy. Have another beer while saying it.