Turning Pitchforks into Picket Signs - We Love Our Bills!

[hondo in seattle]

Forget turning swords into ploughshares, we need to transform pitchforks into picket signs – picket signs that read, “We love our Bills!”

 

And, look, I get the frustration.  Before the season began, I wondered why Beane did so little to upgrade our weakest units.  I wanted runners with more burst.  And a stout, run stuffing DT.  And a TE who didn’t soak his hands in ice water for hours before the game.  And since we employ the Nickel all the time, I wanted another DB. 

 

The thing is, I’m a simple guy.  My understanding of football isn’t very sophisticated.   So if Josh sees a Cover 2 Shell on 3rd and 4 and thinks the bandit might be blitzing, I can’t say if it’s a good idea for him to audible to Green Right X Shift to Viper Right 382 X Stick Lookie or not.    But I do know blockers should be able to block.  Ours can’t.  So, more than anything, I wanted blockers. 

 

Yet Beane seemed content to re-sign our own free agents and keep the roster mostly unchanged from the previous season.   I get there is only so much cap money and a limited number of draft picks, but I wanted so much more. 

 

When I complained on this board that our opponents got better while we stood pat, my intelligence, my sanity, my manhood – even my right to call myself a member-in-good-standing of the Bills Mafia – were all attacked!

 

And I’ll admit, when I stood cheering in Arrowhead as I watched the Bills disassemble the Chiefs, I thought my attackers might have been right.  Oh, our blemishes remained.  But a little Daboll airbrushing here, and a little Frazier Photoshopping there, and our girl looked like a finalist for Playboy Bunny of the Year!*  Switching metaphors, I told my wife.  “The king is dead.  Long live the new king!”  The Bills now owned the AFC.

 

But in the following weeks, the paint cannister for the airbrush ran dry, the Photoshop subscription expired, and all our warts and acme have reemerged.  And now the pitchforks have come out.

 

I once visited the Louvre in Paris.  And if you get real close to some of the paintings there, you can see flaws in the brushstrokes of the artists.  But when you stand back and take the whole effect in, you’re left in awe at the beauty of the artist’s creation. 

 

We need to take a step back from the Indy game and take a broader perspective.  What Beane and McD have given us is truly a beautiful thing: a Bills team that’s a real contender year after year.  And they’ll both tell you that they’re not done yet with their Mona Lisa, their Venus de Milo. 

 

So even though I fantasize about gargantuan Bills linemen bowling over terrified defenders while I face a somewhat different reality, I still say: I love Beane, McDermott, and all our Bills!

 

 

*  LEGAL DISCLAIMER.  Author does not subscribe to normative attitudes of feminine pulchritude or the objectification of the female gender, nor does he encourage others to do so.    

[Sugar High JA17]

Good Stuff!

[jkeerie]

2 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

Forget turning swords into ploughshares, we need to transform pitchforks into picket signs – picket signs that read, “We love our Bills!”

 

And, look, I get the frustration.  Before the season began, I wondered why Beane did so little to upgrade our weakest units.  I wanted runners with more burst.  And a stout, run stuffing DT.  And a TE who didn’t soak his hands in ice water for hours before the game.  And since we employ the Nickel all the time, I wanted another DB. 

 

The thing is, I’m a simple guy.  My understanding of football isn’t very sophisticated.   So if Josh sees a Cover 2 Shell on 3rd and 4 and thinks the bandit might be blitzing, I can’t say if it’s a good idea for him to audible to Green Right X Shift to Viper Right 382 X Stick Lookie or not.    But I do know blockers should be able to block.  Ours can’t.  So, more than anything, I wanted blockers. 

 

Yet Beane seemed content to re-sign our own free agents and keep the roster mostly unchanged from the previous season.   I get there is only so much cap money and a limited number of draft picks, but I wanted so much more. 

 

When I complained on this board that our opponents got better while we stood pat, my intelligence, my sanity, my manhood – even my right to call myself a member-in-good-standing of the Bills Mafia – were all attacked!

 

And I’ll admit, when I stood cheering in Arrowhead as I watched the Bills disassemble the Chiefs, I thought my attackers might have been right.  Oh, our blemishes remained.  But a little Daboll airbrushing here, and a little Frazier Photoshopping there, and our girl looked like a finalist for Playboy Bunny of the Year!*  Switching metaphors, I told my wife.  “The king is dead.  Long live the new king!”  The Bills now owned the AFC.

 

But in the following weeks, the paint cannister for the airbrush ran dry, the Photoshop subscription expired, and all our warts and acme have reemerged.  And now the pitchforks have come out.

 

I once visited the Louvre in Paris.  And if you get real close to some of the paintings there, you can see flaws in the brushstrokes of the artists.  But when you stand back and take the whole effect in, you’re left in awe at the beauty of the artist’s creation. 

 

We need to take a step back from the Indy game and take a broader perspective.  What Beane and McD have given us is truly a beautiful thing: a Bills team that’s a real contender year after year.  And they’ll both tell you that they’re not done yet with their Mona Lisa, their Venus de Milo. 

 

So even though I fantasize about gargantuan Bills linemen bowling over terrified defenders while I face a somewhat different reality, I still say: I love Beane, McDermott, and all our Bills!

 

 

*  LEGAL DISCLAIMER.  Author does not subscribe to normative attitudes of feminine pulchritude or the objectification of the female gender, nor does he encourage others to do so.    

I enjoyed this post because of the metaphors and how well it is written.  Bravo!  And as a member of the female persuasion I appreciate your disclaimer.  I think every Bills fan can agree that this team is flawed and much improvement is needed (albeit some fans express that sentiment more vehemently than others).  It's easy for us to express "why didn't they do this or that", because as fans we operate without constraints...the constraints that those who have to make actual decisions for the team operate under.  We look with hindsight, while they had to act in the need or reality of the moment.  No...we needed them to have foresight...to have seen this coming.

 

As someone who has painted as a hobby I understand stepping away from the canvas and letting your eyes do the blending of the colors and strokes.  When you're too close, all you see are the brush strokes...you don't see the creation...the "big picture" so to speak.  As fans we look at plays, quarters, games and seasons; this draft pick vs that one, this free agent signed, this one not pursued and we draw drastic conclusions.  We lose perspective...and perspective is critical to any great work of art.

 

So, Hondo in Seattle...thank you for your perspective and for sharing rational thought.  I suspect it will go largely unappreciated by many on this board...but not all and not me.

[Thurman#1]

3 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

Forget turning swords into ploughshares, we need to transform pitchforks into picket signs – picket signs that read, “We love our Bills!”

 

And, look, I get the frustration.  Before the season began, I wondered why Beane did so little to upgrade our weakest units.  I wanted runners with more burst.  And a stout, run stuffing DT.  And a TE who didn’t soak his hands in ice water for hours before the game.  And since we employ the Nickel all the time, I wanted another DB. 

 

The thing is, I’m a simple guy.  My understanding of football isn’t very sophisticated.   So if Josh sees a Cover 2 Shell on 3rd and 4 and thinks the bandit might be blitzing, I can’t say if it’s a good idea for him to audible to Green Right X Shift to Viper Right 382 X Stick Lookie or not.    But I do know blockers should be able to block.  Ours can’t.  So, more than anything, I wanted blockers. 

 

Yet Beane seemed content to re-sign our own free agents and keep the roster mostly unchanged from the previous season.   I get there is only so much cap money and a limited number of draft picks, but I wanted so much more. 

 

When I complained on this board that our opponents got better while we stood pat, my intelligence, my sanity, my manhood – even my right to call myself a member-in-good-standing of the Bills Mafia – were all attacked!

 

And I’ll admit, when I stood cheering in Arrowhead as I watched the Bills disassemble the Chiefs, I thought my attackers might have been right.  Oh, our blemishes remained.  But a little Daboll airbrushing here, and a little Frazier Photoshopping there, and our girl looked like a finalist for Playboy Bunny of the Year!*  Switching metaphors, I told my wife.  “The king is dead.  Long live the new king!”  The Bills now owned the AFC.

 

But in the following weeks, the paint cannister for the airbrush ran dry, the Photoshop subscription expired, and all our warts and acme have reemerged.  And now the pitchforks have come out.

 

I once visited the Louvre in Paris.  And if you get real close to some of the paintings there, you can see flaws in the brushstrokes of the artists.  But when you stand back and take the whole effect in, you’re left in awe at the beauty of the artist’s creation. 

 

We need to take a step back from the Indy game and take a broader perspective.  What Beane and McD have given us is truly a beautiful thing: a Bills team that’s a real contender year after year.  And they’ll both tell you that they’re not done yet with their Mona Lisa, their Venus de Milo. 

 

So even though I fantasize about gargantuan Bills linemen bowling over terrified defenders while I face a somewhat different reality, I still say: I love Beane, McDermott, and all our Bills!

 

 

*  LEGAL DISCLAIMER.  Author does not subscribe to normative attitudes of feminine pulchritude or the objectification of the female gender, nor does he encourage others to do so.    

 

 

I love them too. And you ain't wrong about the pitchforks.

 

But I'd argue that their "standing pat", which they didn't do but many seem to want to put it that way, would have worked if everyone had just played as well this year as they did last. I don't think there is any way for Beane and McDermott to reasonably guess that Daryl Williams, who played so very well last year would for some reason play much worse at tackle this year. How could they predict that? Or predict that Dawkins, who was a top 7 or 8 LT last year would catch COVID and see his performance radically degrade? That Cole Beasley would maybe get injured more and play worse should have been more predictable at his age, and may be why they picked Stevenson and re-signed McKenzie. But it's still hurt. Just bringing Knox back hasn't caused major problems. He's mostly been terrific.

 

Put those two OLs at their last year's level and IMO this offense looks a ton better than it has.

 

More, the two really awful days, the Jags and Colts games, were when we didn't have Spencer Brown.

 

And the matchup advantage the Colts have against us was multiplied with Lotulelei and Edmunds out.

 

Having said that, we have problems. Teams have figured out how to defense us, and we have to do what the Chiefs did and figure out how to adapt and counter. Josh has to learn to love the short game. We have to get another Lotulelei-type physical monster in there for when he platoons out. A few other things too.

 

Like why so many damn penalties? We had a bunch last year too, but not to this level, and it didn't hurt us as much.

Edited November 23, 2021 by Thurman#1

[LABILLBACKER]

8 minutes ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

I love them too. And you ain't wrong about the pitchforks.

 

But I'd argue that their "standing pat", which they didn't do but many seem to want to put it that way, would have worked if everyone had just played as well this year as they did last. I don't think there is any way for Beane and McDermott to reasonably guess that Daryl Williams, who played so very well last year would for some reason play much worse at tackle this year. How could they predict that? Or predict that Dawkins, who was a top 7 or 8 LT last year would catch COVID and see his performance radically degrade? That Cole Beasley would maybe get injured more and play worse should have been more predictable at his age, and may be why they picked Stevenson and re-signed McKenzie. But it's still hurt. Just bringing Knox back hasn't caused major problems. He's mostly been terrific.

 

Put those two OLs at their last year's level and IMO this offense looks a ton better than it has.

 

More, the two really awful days, the Jags and Colts games, were when we didn't have Spencer Brown.

 

And the matchup advantage the Colts have against us was multiplied with Lotulelei and Edmunds out.

 

Having said that, we have problems. Teams have figured out how to defense us, and we have to do what the Chiefs did and figure out how to adapt and counter. Josh has to learn to love the short game. We have to get another Lotulelei-type physical monster in there for when he platoons out. A few other things too.

All excellent points Thurman. I have no clue why Daryl has regressed. But at least he's decent at RG. We should be somewhat grateful for landing Brown considering he's the only good olineman that came out of our draft. Cole's days might be numbered but hopefully he heals enough to bounce back. We are now experiencing exactly what the Chiefs dealt with 6 weeks ago. Opponents have the exact recipe to drastically slow down 17. Without better run blocking everything shuts down. And losing Star +Tremaine up the middle must have lit up Taylor's eyes. Severe adjustments will have to be made. Stop being soft and start punching people in the mouth.

[JoPoy88]

I think everyone needs to calm down with the rah-rah BS. Along with the “we are doomed” BS. This is unreadable.

[hondo in seattle]

8 hours ago, jkeerie said:

I enjoyed this post because of the metaphors and how well it is written.  Bravo!  And as a member of the female persuasion I appreciate your disclaimer.  I think every Bills fan can agree that this team is flawed and much improvement is needed (albeit some fans express that sentiment more vehemently than others).  It's easy for us to express "why didn't they do this or that", because as fans we operate without constraints...the constraints that those who have to make actual decisions for the team operate under.  We look with hindsight, while they had to act in the need or reality of the moment.  No...we needed them to have foresight...to have seen this coming.

 

As someone who has painted as a hobby I understand stepping away from the canvas and letting your eyes do the blending of the colors and strokes.  When you're too close, all you see are the brush strokes...you don't see the creation...the "big picture" so to speak.  As fans we look at plays, quarters, games and seasons; this draft pick vs that one, this free agent signed, this one not pursued and we draw drastic conclusions.  We lose perspective...and perspective is critical to any great work of art.

 

So, Hondo in Seattle...thank you for your perspective and for sharing rational thought.  I suspect it will go largely unappreciated by many on this board...but not all and not me.

 

Thanks for the kind words, jkeerie.  It's good to have members of the better gender participating in our discussions.  I know my post won't garner a lot of comments.  The most 'productive' posts are the ones where the OP takes a controversial position and we all argue about it.  But if you're the only one who appreciates my point of view, it's still a good day.  

 

5 hours ago, JoPoy88 said:

I think everyone needs to calm down with the rah-rah BS. Along with the “we are doomed” BS. This is unreadable.

 

I love you, too, JoPoy.  Us Bills fans - we're all brothers and sisters in arms who have suffered and celebrated together.

 

Personally, I'd rather think about why the Bills aren't going to the SB this year after all, then think about another pointless season with the playoffs yet again an unattainable goal.  Our disappointments are evolving to something better.  

 

I have a sweatshirt that reads, "Just One Before I Die."   I've worn it in a variety of places in the West and Midwest where people don't know what it means.  Every Bills fan does, though.  When I used to wear it, I'd think, "Well, this is never going to happen."   

 

Now I think, "It's probably not happening this year, but it might happen yet with this GM and HC."

That's progress and, personally, I'm grateful.  

[benderbender]

As with politics, we need a heavy dose of meet in the middle. The sky is not falling, but the "we're still a SB team" expectations needs to be re-evaluated. The drought should have taught us to not get too high or low on this team. Also this team has an annoying, yet necessary habit of forcing me to remember what is most important on game days: the ride, and who you take it with.

Edited November 23, 2021 by benderbender

[hondo in seattle]

10 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

I love them too. And you ain't wrong about the pitchforks.

 

But I'd argue that their "standing pat", which they didn't do but many seem to want to put it that way, would have worked if everyone had just played as well this year as they did last. I don't think there is any way for Beane and McDermott to reasonably guess that Daryl Williams, who played so very well last year would for some reason play much worse at tackle this year. How could they predict that? Or predict that Dawkins, who was a top 7 or 8 LT last year would catch COVID and see his performance radically degrade? That Cole Beasley would maybe get injured more and play worse should have been more predictable at his age, and may be why they picked Stevenson and re-signed McKenzie. But it's still hurt. Just bringing Knox back hasn't caused major problems. He's mostly been terrific.

 

Put those two OLs at their last year's level and IMO this offense looks a ton better than it has.

 

More, the two really awful days, the Jags and Colts games, were when we didn't have Spencer Brown.

 

And the matchup advantage the Colts have against us was multiplied with Lotulelei and Edmunds out.

 

Having said that, we have problems. Teams have figured out how to defense us, and we have to do what the Chiefs did and figure out how to adapt and counter. Josh has to learn to love the short game. We have to get another Lotulelei-type physical monster in there for when he platoons out. A few other things too.

 

Like why so many damn penalties? We had a bunch last year too, but not to this level, and it didn't hurt us as much.

 

Weird how important Spencer Brown has been to the offense.  So much better when  he's in the game even though he doesn't actually look like a game-changer when you watch him play.

[dave mcbride]

37 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

Weird how important Spencer Brown has been to the offense.  So much better when  he's in the game even though he doesn't actually look like a game-changer when you watch him play.

He actually hasn't been that good, but Williams for whatever reason has been AWFUL at RT. I don't get it; he was a truly solid player last year. Just getting average play at that position makes a huge difference. 

[clayboy54]

21 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

Weird how important Spencer Brown has been to the offense.  So much better when  he's in the game even though he doesn't actually look like a game-changer when you watch him play.

I don't think it's weird, but it does go to show you what a crap shoot it is drafting players. While guys like Big Mike Williams and even Cody Ford were highly touted coming out, some of these "sure thing" picks just can't compete at the next level. Who really knows why? It really is just luck. Yet Spencer Brown seems to be the real deal. I suspect much of it is between the ears. Some of these guys are divas because they were coddled their entire life. Some of these guys are dumb as a box of rocks. You never know who you're getting until they pan out one way or another. Ultimately, it comes down to hard work and understanding what you have yet to learn.

 

It appears we got very lucky with Spencer Brown.