finn

I think it's hard to fault Daboll, just like it's hard to fault the running backs and McDermott, when the O-line is a jailbreak on virtually every down. For all we know, Daboll is dialing up fantastic plays that we never see because Allen has to improvise, again, or the backs get tackled behind the LOS, again. At some point, someone will write an article pointing out that never in NFL history has there been such a disparity of parts: excellence across the board--QB, RB, WR, TE, coaching, and the entire defense--with a single position that was so weak that it sunk all the other parts. Put another way, the Bills might have been undefeated quality if Beane had done what KC did and given the O-line top priority.

I'm surprised there's not more innovation and novelty in the game, on this team in particular. For instance, why not line up Tommy Doyle as an extra blocker and have him be an eligible receiver at the goal line? He'd be quite a target at 6'9". And how about a direct snap to the running back on occasion, or a naked bootleg, or blitzing the entire secondary? Onside kicks and fake punts at unexpected times (like when ahead), going for it on 4th down in your own zone, a surprise drop kick. Let Allen call his own plays for a stretch, go no huddle for an entire quarter (not hurry up, just no huddle, so the D can't substitute).

Or maybe Bates, Mongo, Morse, Williams, Brown. Bates will need help, but at least the rest of the line won't be disrupted.

It's more fun to make predictions, but really we should be talking percentages. The Bills have a 78% chance of beating Carolina (now 68% with the Dawkins injury), and a 55% chance of winning out, barring new developments. I'm calling it!

I don't know about that. Dawkins has been subpar until recently and played a major role in the Pittsburgh loss especially. Star and Brown were out for the Colts game and more when we desperately needed both players. We lost Klein when we could have used him. That's just off the top of my head. Meanwhile, look at the Pats. Lost one backup tight end to COVID. That's it, as far as I know. We may not have suffered as much as some teams, but I would say we're right up there in terms of real impact, especially on the line, which was going to be mediocre at best.

Maybe. But my point is that he's too conservative. 0-5 in one-score games is the proof.

McClappy would have kicked the field goal, again. But only because he couldn't punt.

Ideally, McDermott would be DC, not head coach, especially of this team. He'd clearly be more comfortable with a ball-control offense and a smothering defense. The Pats, in short. I agree that Daboll might not be a very good coach. But the big unknown is the line. It could be he's doing magic with what he has upfront. I mean, Allen was pressured an incredible 33 times last week! What do you do with a line that simply cannot block? Maybe with the run-first OC that McDermott wants, we would be have lost even more games. I like the double entendre of "incite." Deliberate? I'd say it's pretty likely that this forum has very few commentators with the credentials you're looking for. Which begs the question: What are you here for? No need to answer. Cheers.

C'mon, it's a fan forum. You're saying we can't say what we think because we're not, what, trained NFL evaluators? He disagrees with you. Deal with it.

M Might be a topic for another thread, but is there any chance Trubinsky will stay with the Bills? We need him. Creed Humphrey, of course, the Pro Bowler Beane stole in the second round in an impressive move that looked to the future. Oh, wait...

And I didn't think Beane would pass on drafting a guard last year after what we saw happen. His actions suggest he thinks Ford will be a star anytime, and Feliciano is good, which is nonsense, or that guard just isn't a very important position, which is also nonsense. He's going to want a one-technique defensive tackle in round one, and a wide receiver in round two. Not sure he'll pass on guard (and corner) yet again, but that's been his pattern.

My fear is that Beane will think, "Hey, Dawkins is fully recovered, Feliciano is back, Morse and Williams are solid, and Brown will be better. Ford and Boettger are rock solid as backups... No need to draft anything but a backup in the sixth round!"

What's the alternative? Rousseau, Basham, and Epenesa have disappeared since the Miami game.

Throw out the anomalous Colts game, and the question is Why have they lost five one-score games? A plausible answer is McDermott's conservative calls on fourth down, most recently his decision to kick on the Bucs three-yard line. You can't do much worse than 0-5, so it stands to reason that he's the problem.

No joke. This season may need an asterisk by the time it's over.

I want to disagree, but the evidence is against me. They keep losing games they should win, or at least I think they should win. That's every game except the Bucs game, which I had rated as a toss up. So maybe I need to adjust my expectations. They're out of whack because I see a terrific team in all respects except head coach (and only his coward fourth down calls) and O-line. Otherwise, they're a Super Bowl team.

Want to fix the ref problem? Insert an undercover operative and wait for him to be approached. How many people will turn down $50k to throw a flag or two (or not throw one)? And how many would squeal if they were shown a photo of their kids? It's not paranoia, and it's not a conspiracy. It's money, and human nature.

Yeah, like last year. It's not like there was a Pro Bowl-caliber center/guard available in the second round. Oh, wait.

McDermott has a stud for a quarterback, but he really doesn't want one. He's frustrated by all this passing. It takes away his opportunities to punt and kick field goals so the defense can get back on the field. He wants excellence on defense and, ideally, mediocrity on offense.

The Bills are 0-5 in one-score games, so McDermott's decisions on fourth down are worth looking at, especially after his highly questionable calls in the championship game last year. Sunday, once again facing a high-powered offense, the Bills had a fourth and two on the three-yard line, down 10-0, and he kicks a field goal. You can challenge his other calls--like punting at midfield just before halftime down 24-10--but I find that earlier decision galling. He demands "toughness" and praises "guts" but he shows neither himself. When it's crunch time for him, he flinches. I give him credit for building a winning culture. But he hasn't shown the courage he demands of his players. In the final analysis, he's just not good enough.

I missed the whole comeback. Anyone want to give me a one sentence summary?

I'm almost ready for a rebuild. D-line, O-line, RBs... The list goes on. Meanwhile, we're squandering our excellent safeties, QB and receivers.

Daboll: Breida will be our savior. Put the game in the hands of Breida.

How would you know unless Brady plays behind our high school line and Allen plays behind their All Pro line?

Right. It goes back to the coaches. We blame Beane, rightfully, for overestimating Ford, Mongo, Boettger, and Williams, but he didn't make his decisions in a vacuum. I'm sure Bobby Johnson, Daboll and McDermott assured him that all was well with the O-line. And, as you say, the coaches should have no illusions that they have a junior varsity squad on their hands.