How would you FIX the Bills?

[Marv's Neighbor]

Would have benched Josh 2 or 3 different times. including half time yesterday.  He seems to get flustered, starts throwing too hard, or into bad coverage.  Yesterday we had a wet ball, and tricky wind to deal with too.  He's a good QB but he's young, and needs to step back at times, and think about things.

[dorquemada]

1 hour ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

Well played OP, you’d like the answers to funnel to Hoodie as advance intel before the big Monday Night matchup I’m sure! 

 

 

Lol just imagine BB needing our help.  Hmm lets see, what can I do to prepare for the Bills? Geez, if I only had a great running game and DL

[maddenboy]

9 minutes ago, Marv's Neighbor said:

Would have benched Josh 2 or 3 different times. including half time yesterday.  He seems to get flustered, starts throwing too hard, or into bad coverage.  Yesterday we had a wet ball, and tricky wind to deal with too.  He's a good QB but he's young, and needs to step back at times, and think about things.

you cannot bench the starting qb mid-game.

 

But you can bench somebody else.  Then the leader in your qb will get the message that he is costing other people jobs.

[Ray Finkel]

1 hour ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

Well played OP, you’d like the answers to funnel to Hoodie as advance intel before the big Monday Night matchup I’m sure! 

Not XXV—Thurman ran roughshod, and Bruce got free a time or 2 as well…

Out of 60 minutes the Bills only had the ball 19 minutes.  We couldn’t stop an old time back by the name of OJ Anderson.  Thurman should have had double the yards but we didn’t decide to run later in the game.  We were out coached by a defensive coordinator named Bill Belichick.  Bill played 2 defensive lineman and the rest defensive backs and linebackers.  We didn’t have to blow anyone of the ball to get running yards.  Bill wanted to take away the pass.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

There are limited options at this point.

 

I would do a few things.

 

1. Bench Gilliam or just cut him and sign a street FA TE. This team should never play with a FB and he brings nothing as a TE. Did you see a FB in front of Taylor yesterday?

 

2. Davis should be the outside receiver. Sanders and Beasley should rotate at the slot on 3 WR sets and the four of them should be in 4 WR sets.

 

3. Play Basham over Epenesa. Epenesa looks like a complete bust. Basham has size and in limited action seems to hold his own against the rush.

 

4. Stop blitzing. The defense plays best rushing four and dropping into zone. They can't get pressure blitzing anyways. 

 

5. Start lining up Rousseau all over the place. He played all positions along the DL at Miami. Let him rush from the inside from time to time. 

 

6. Bench Moss. Breida should be getting 50% of the snaps with Singletary 

 

7. Keep Josh under center and go with heavy sets frequently.  Josh has shown he can be effective throwing out of these sets. Use Davis as the single WR. He is the best blocking WR on the team and still a threat to catch the ball unlike Kumerow.

 

8. Keep calling designed runs for Josh. Not sure why this board doesn't want them. He is lethal running the ball. Use him. 

[oldmanfan]

if I'm Beane and McD I do the following:

 

1.  Call up Williams and have him and Brieda in the backfield, and sit Singletary and Moss.  Williams hit holes with purpose when he had his brief look last year and we need that right now.

 

2.  Put Douglas and Bates at some combo of LT and LG.  Release Ford - send a message to the team that poor performance is no longer going to be tolerated.  Scour the reserve rosters for O and D linemen that may not be the most mobile, but are strong physically, and get them in here.  We are getting destroyed up front by tougher teams.

 

3.  When playing a strong running team, put 8 guys in the box and stop the run.  Take a page from the Belichick playbook and take away the other team's strengths.  Our forte on D is the DBs; let them go man on man and do what you have to do to take away what every team is doing to us now.

 

4.  Coach aggressively.  Go for it more on fourth down.  Sit guys who committ stupid penalties.  

[Trust The Process]

OFFENSE 
 

Left Guard: Ike Boettger is a UFA in 2022. Ike is not starter quality, he’s a depth guy.  Don’t re-sign him. Find an upgrade. 

 

Right Guard Depth: Daryl Williams is a good RG, but RG depth is a revolving door. Cody Ford shouldn’t be on a NFL roster,and Jon Feliciano is injury prone.

 

Center: Mitch Morse is a below average run blocker and isn’t as good a pass blocker as he once was. I expect him to be a cap causality at the end of the season, he’s simply not worth the money. 
 

RT Depth: Spencer Brown is a keeper at RT, but there’s zero quality backups. Daryl Williams is a liability at RT and should only be utilized as a RG. 
 

RB: For the remainder of the season Matt Breida needs to be the starting RB, he’s the most explosive RB we have on this roster and the best receiving back. 
Singetary needs to be the backup RB, and Zach Moss needs to be INACTIVE on game days. 

 

In the off-season Brandon Beane needs to find a massive upgrade. This team needs a RB teams respect. Less of a burden on Allen too. 
 

Brian Daboll: Make the running game part of the offense which if executed properly makes it difficult for teams to play call, opens up the playaction pass especially downfield , and reduces the odds of Josh Allen turning the ball over and from getting hit or injured. With the way things are going Allen cannot sustain the hits he’s taking, eventually it will take a toll on his body and mind. Give Allen a chance to succeed and remain upright as much as possible.  
 

WR: 3 WR sets with Dawson Knox at TE, and start Gabriel Davis over Emmanuel Sanders. If I’m a Defensive Coordinator I salivate when I see Diggs, Beasley, and Sanders on the field together because there’s nobody with size. Davis provides size and is good at stretching the field, and has the height and length to catch difficult passes along the sidelines and on 50/50 jump balls which are areas Sanders struggles with due to size limitations. 

 

2 Deep Threats at WR: Add 1 WR with 6’2 plus height, weight, and 4.3ish speed to the WR core. Curently we have nobody that fits this description. Marquez Stevenson has great speed and will be a nice compliment to the WR core, but he hasn’t seen the field because on IR for the remainder of the season. 
 

QB: Allen needs to take what’s given to him and protects the football which is what makes Tom Brady great. Whenever Brady senses a weakness on a down by down basis he exploits it be it with the running game or passing game, and most often times does it by methodically working his way downfield which wears down defenses and keeps his defense fresh. In other words he does whatever it takes to win, he doesn’t force the issue. Allen needs to do the same. 

DT: We desperately need a Chris Jones/Cam Heyward type DT who causes havoc in both the running game and passing game. Sacks and turnovers will go up and the defense will go to another level.

 

Star Lotulelei is good for the rush defense but offers nothing as a pass rusher which makes him one dimensional and expendable. On top of that Star is not vaccinated and his lack of availability for a full season and for the past 2 games makes him untrustworthy to McD. We really needed him vs a physical running team like the Colts. I don’t expect him to be on this team next season. Huge hole to fill next season. 
 

Release Vernon Butler after this season. He’s a scrub whose vastly overpaid. We need an upgrade. 
 

Harrison Phillips is a UFA in 2022. Don’t re-sign him. We need an upgrade. 
 

DE: Jerry Hughes is a UFA in 2022. Hughes  is having a good season but at his age it’s time to move on and use the $6 million salary he’s getting this season to better use next season. 
 

CB: Replace Levi Wallace after this season. Levi is not a scrub but he’s the weak link in the secondary that teams exploit. We need an upgrade.  
 

ST: Replace Isaiah McKenzie. We need an upgrade. 
 

 

[Mat68]

4 hours ago, D. L. Hot-Flamethrower said:

Interesting, I just read that the 17 snaps Basham and Rousseau were on the field together at end were by far the best for the Bills vs. the run at 3.5/YPA. Getting Star back with Oliver will help and paired with the rookies. The others remain liabilities against the run.

Play the best players and cut down on the subs on the Dline.     Rbs same thing.  Singltary start Breida rotate and Moss short yardage.  More defined roles.  

[Success]

Ultimately, the Bills don't have the personnel on the 2021 team that they need to make the adjustments that they really need to make.  They need better O-linemen, and they need a better starting RB.  Every RB we have is a #2 or #3.

 

They need more creativity to overcome those 2 glaring flaws if they want to contend THIS season.  We use McKenzie like this sometimes, but the wideouts need to get involved in the running game more.  Throw in more reverses & misdirections.  It's gimmicky, but they even need more trick plays.

 

This is chess.  Teams have 'figured the Bills out' and play the same cover 2 that they do against TB and KC now.  The Bills have to adjust to that and figure out how to make teams pay for that.  They have the personnel to find that answer.

 

They have to put it together w/ duct tape & glue until the cavalry can arrive in the form of offseason acquisitions.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

1 hour ago, Trust The Process said:

OFFENSE 
 

Left Guard: Ike Boettger is a UFA in 2022. Ike is not starter quality, he’s a depth guy.  Don’t re-sign him. Find an upgrade. 

 

Right Guard Depth: Daryl Williams is a good RG, but RG depth is a revolving door. Cody Ford shouldn’t be on a NFL roster,and Jon Feliciano is injury prone.

 

Center: Mitch Morse is a below average run blocker and isn’t as good a pass blocker as he once was. I expect him to be a cap causality at the end of the season, he’s simply not worth the money. 
 

RT Depth: Spencer Brown is a keeper at RT, but there’s zero quality backups. Daryl Williams is a liability at RT and should only be utilized as a RG. 
 

RB: For the remainder of the season Matt Breida needs to be the starting RB, he’s the most explosive RB we have on this roster and the best receiving back. 
Singetary needs to be the backup RB, and Zach Moss needs to be INACTIVE on game days. 

 

In the off-season Brandon Beane needs to find a massive upgrade. This team needs a RB teams respect. Less of a burden on Allen too. 
 

Brian Daboll: Make the running game part of the offense which if executed properly makes it difficult for teams to play call, opens up the playaction pass especially downfield , and reduces the odds of Josh Allen turning the ball over and from getting hit or injured. With the way things are going Allen cannot sustain the hits he’s taking, eventually it will take a toll on his body and mind. Give Allen a chance to succeed and remain upright as much as possible.  
 

WR: 3 WR sets with Dawson Knox at TE, and start Gabriel Davis over Emmanuel Sanders. If I’m a Defensive Coordinator I salivate when I see Diggs, Beasley, and Sanders on the field together because there’s nobody with size. Davis provides size and is good at stretching the field, and has the height and length to catch difficult passes along the sidelines and on 50/50 jump balls which are areas Sanders struggles with due to size limitations. 

 

2 Deep Threats at WR: Add 1 WR with 6’2 plus height, weight, and 4.3ish speed to the WR core. Curently we have nobody that fits this description. Marquez Stevenson has great speed and will be a nice compliment to the WR core, but he hasn’t seen the field because on IR for the remainder of the season. 
 

QB: Allen needs to take what’s given to him and protects the football which is what makes Tom Brady great. Whenever Brady senses a weakness on a down by down basis he exploits it be it with the running game or passing game, and most often times does it by methodically working his way downfield which wears down defenses and keeps his defense fresh. In other words he does whatever it takes to win, he doesn’t force the issue. Allen needs to do the same. 

DT: We desperately need a Chris Jones/Cam Heyward type DT who causes havoc in both the running game and passing game. Sacks and turnovers will go up and the defense will go to another level.

 

Star Lotulelei is good for the rush defense but offers nothing as a pass rusher which makes him one dimensional and expendable. On top of that Star is not vaccinated and his lack of availability for a full season and for the past 2 games makes him untrustworthy to McD. We really needed him vs a physical running team like the Colts. I don’t expect him to be on this team next season. Huge hole to fill next season. 
 

Release Vernon Butler after this season. He’s a scrub whose vastly overpaid. We need an upgrade. 
 

Harrison Phillips is a UFA in 2022. Don’t re-sign him. We need an upgrade. 
 

DE: Jerry Hughes is a UFA in 2022. Hughes  is having a good season but at his age it’s time to move on and use the $6 million salary he’s getting this season to better use next season. 
 

CB: Replace Levi Wallace after this season. Levi is not a scrub but he’s the weak link in the secondary that teams exploit. We need an upgrade.  
 

ST: Replace Isaiah McKenzie. We need an upgrade. 
 

 

That is a lot of upgrades. 

They realistically can make maybe 3 or 4 significant changes. 

I would prioritize two guards, a second TE, and two DL. I too think Morse is overpaid but they need to fix the guards before they replace him. They should have drafted his replacement last year.

Wallace is better than most #2 CBs in the league. He will be hard to replace. 

[colin]

right now, breida gets more burn, we run the ball more, the passing game must be organized to find knox, beas, and diggs in better match ups and get them the ball.  we self scout and see what protection and what formations are working (i.e. not shotgun 4 wide do or die moron stuff) and simply show simple looks but run different plays out of them.

 

on D, yards per pass had a comment from reich (and actual competent football coach) saying after a point he decided he was going to run it every 1st and second down, he did 17 or 18 at that point.  our d and our coaches can't grasp that, that's the issue.  we seem to like try to defend the whole field all the time, and try to keep this silly wide open O to just magically find the open man.  we need to have more focused game plans, and have a plan b.

[DCofNC]

They have to run the ball and mean it, not throw it on tape against the Jets and barely come back to it again.  The O is completely one dimensional and Allen can not do it all. 
 

From the D, stop this stupid rotation and play the game situationally.  If you really think all the guys are interchangeable, then they all must suck.  If you are willing to admit that, fine, but I’m not.  There are guys that are better than others and we constantly watch the 2nd string guys give up big plays in key moments because we act like this is peewee and everyone has to have their turn.

[John from Riverside]

Play the patriots every week

[Freddie's Dead]

Matt Breida should be RB1 starting immediately.  Motor RB2, Z Slow RB99.  Z Slow should not see the field unless Motor and Breida are hurt.  Hell, make him inactive again, maybe he comes back with a little fire like he did in Week 2.

[Mango]

7 hours ago, D. L. Hot-Flamethrower said:

Under center, use more bunch formations and motion early in the game to counter the slot run blitzes and attempt to run the ball more.

 

Use Brieda and bench Moss until proven otherwise.

 

Focus more on boots and short passes.

 

Feed Diggs, Knox and Beasley.

 

Get our line healthy with Brown back in, and don't get tricked into thinking we can just attempt chunk passing our way down the field. It may work against some teams, but not the good ones.

 

Unfortunately, we cannot solve our lack of physical presence in season. We can change the mentality some though and that is what the above does.

 

I agree with all of this. Two things to add on: 

1. Work on better timing passes with Allen. It is not always a protection issue. He has to be better at hitting the top of his drop and letting the ball go with his foot plants. I am not convinced this is all on the OC or OL (sometimes it is though)

2. Use Brieda inside and out, but we need the LB to not just respect the run, but the outside run. 

[london_bills]

7 hours ago, Pete said:

add 2 stud G, and a stud RB.  Seems like a nobrainer to me

Rumours are they'll need a C aswell

Go ALL Offence in the draft 

[Mango]

3 minutes ago, london_bills said:

Rumours are they'll need a C aswell

 

Rumours? Like real ones? Or just us posters here? 

Because unless Morse is retiring, the Bills cannot really afford another hole in the interior. 

[Pete]

3 minutes ago, london_bills said:

Rumours are they'll need a C aswell

we cant start two rookie G and a rookie C.  We better sign some skilled interior lineman priority #1

[london_bills]

Just now, Mango said:

 

Rumours? Like real ones? Or just us posters here? 

Because unless Morse is retiring, the Bills cannot really afford another hole in the interior. 

It's only posters here but somehow I believe it with the multiple concussions. 

[Pete]

2 minutes ago, london_bills said:

It's only posters here but somehow I believe it with the multiple concussions. 

posters with multiple concussions making rumors?