Colin Cowherd's Take

[krf139]

He’s not wrong. Every year of McDermott is a wasted year of Allen’s prime. We’ll all be looking back on this decades from now saying “how did we not win a Super Bowl with Josh?”

[DCofNC]

6 hours ago, Florida Bills Fanatic said:

Colleen Cowpie spews what his west coast writers create for him.  His take on most things is based on relatively superficial research.  His take on the Bills' off season is pretty much off the mark.  What he neglects to acknowledge is that the 2023 draft class was pretty weak overall and the CAP constrained free agent activity.  Beane has taken what was already a really good roster and improved it.  He may not have done it like many of us wanted but it is better nonetheless.

Did he really improve it? He signed a back-up lineman to a starting contract, what looks to be a wash at WR/RB, lost one of the best LBs in the league without replacement, and signed an aging LB/DE that nobody else wanted to pay.   We all want to assume the draft will pay dividends, but if we are honest, rookie TEs rarely have a lot of impact and Torrence fell a long way to get to us, the last time we thought we “stole” a Guard that didn’t play out to well. 
 

I’m saying he didn’t , but if you aren’t a Bills fan, would you really say so?  I can’t say yes.  

[Aussie Joe]

13 minutes ago, DCofNC said:

Did he really improve it? He signed a back-up lineman to a starting contract, what looks to be a wash at WR/RB, lost one of the best LBs in the league without replacement, and signed an aging LB/DE that nobody else wanted to pay.   We all want to assume the draft will pay dividends, but if we are honest, rookie TEs rarely have a lot of impact and Torrence fell a long way to get to us, the last time we thought we “stole” a Guard that didn’t play out to well. 
 

I’m saying he didn’t , but if you aren’t a Bills fan, would you really say so?  I can’t say yes.  

 

I will say very confidently that the players on the team have improved this season.

 

I want to see if the coaching improves however …

[DCofNC]

31 minutes ago, krf139 said:

He’s not wrong. Every year of McDermott is a wasted year of Allen’s prime. We’ll all be looking back on this decades from now saying “how did we not win a Super Bowl with Josh?”

I hate that I agree.

3 minutes ago, Aussie Joe said:

 

I will say very confidently that the players on the team have improved this season.

 

I want to see if the coaching improves however …

I’m honestly not confident on either, there’s more “potential” on the roster, but not a lot of guys I’m sure about.

[Aussie Joe]

2 minutes ago, DCofNC said:

I hate that I agree.

I’m honestly not confident on either, there’s more “potential” on the roster, but not a lot of guys I’m sure about.

Interesting… do you tend to be optimistic about the Bills generally… and this off-season is different? 

[RichRiderBills]

2 hours ago, phypon said:

He's not completely wrong.  This D has been a sieve at stopping the run during the wrong games, so the D line has required attention.  As other's have stated, they've been trying to improve the O line.  As long as they are addressing both lines, I'm good that they are aware of the need.  If the D line is improved this year and the O line needs more help, maybe they go heavy next year for the O line.  As much as we don't want to see Allen hit the dirt, he does mask O line issues.  I'd love to have a great O line.  Hopefully, this year's line is better and they can throw more resources at it next year and the year after if need be.

 

The other guy made this point , not Colin.

 

Anyway the point is we DID go heavy on OL. Brought in best G in draft and another guy we feel great, then several other options in case other guys don't work out. There's even a solid backup plan at C. 

 

Honestly it was good work on the OL by Bean, detailed planned work, that appears thought out and overt. Bean deserves better than this uninformed ham fisted take by Cowherd. 

 

I am worried about Brown, but Bean likes him....and he has options if he doesn't work out. 

 

Then we got bigger at RB bringing in thumpers. 2 depth WRs I personally find intriguing and cut the cord on a couple of guys in McKenzie and Singletary we both upgraded. 

Edited June 7, 2023 by RichRiderBills

[Matt_In_NH]

He mentions how highly ranked the Bills defense is and then concludes they spend all their resources on defense.  I will just point out the Bills offense has gained the second most yards and scored the second most points the last three years.  In fact they are 10 points behind the Chiefs in points over the last three years.   And that is with one less game!  If the Bills played that Cinci game they would have be the highest scoring team over the last three years.  If you go points per game, Bills are number 1 over the last three years.  Also, the one less game actually plays into the Bills defensive stats in the favor of the Bills D over that timeframe, but they may still be number 1.  I listened to this and it sounds good and interesting but it is meant to generate reactions, he does not give you all the invormation, just some information that makes his intended point look better.

 

So what problem is Colin really fixing exactly?  Sure you can say I want more talent, I can say that about defense frankly.  The results are there on both sides of the ball.  There really is one thing this team needs to do and I dont have to say what it is.  

Edited June 8, 2023 by Matt_In_NH

[DCofNC]

38 minutes ago, Aussie Joe said:

Interesting… do you tend to be optimistic about the Bills generally… and this off-season is different? 

I’m realistic.  There’s always a shot to be good w Allen at QB.  He had his ups and downs last year, but he’s elite and creates a lot from nothing.  
 

I turned a bit more pessimistic last offseason when they banked on Davis becoming a legit 2 and ignored the OL again, while dumping huge money into an older DE, knowing full well they rotate the line to death.  The continued spending of high picks on the D and little to no return on them has me questioning a lot.  I can’t figure out if it’s a disconnect between the coaching and the GM or if the coaches absolutely refuse to use players to their strengths. 
 

As for this off-season.  I feel like McGov is basically Rick Bates 2.0 in terms of a guy who was a back up, got limited reps and cashed in.  Maybe it works, but it’s a projection at best.  I like Harty and Sherfield, solid depth with some speed, but it still doesn’t address the glaring hole at #2 WR.   MLB is basically a perfect example of Hope as a strategy.  OL isn’t far behind. 
 

Coaching has been suspect at best the last three seasons.  Perhaps more concerning is McD didn’t even have the balls to fire Frazier or take over play calling if he truly wasn’t happy w it in season. He’s supposed to be the guru, but the D has choked in big moments.  He seems to meddle in the O, but again leaves the big moments on a (struggling) rookie OC down the stretch.  I feel McD is a good guy, great culture builder, but has hit his ceiling.  This combined with the continued misses in the draft, there’s not enough talent/money to get more talent to cover for bad drafts, to cover the mediocre coaching.  
 

At this point, I see a lot of holes in the roster and don’t see a coaching staff that can overcome.

[DCofNC]

30 minutes ago, Matt_In_NH said:

He mentions how highly ranked the Bills defense is and then concludes they spend all their resources on defense.  I will just point out the Bills offense has gained the second most yards and scored the second most points the last three years.  In fact they are 10 points behind the Chiefs in points over the last three years.   And that is with one less game!  If the Bills played that Cinci game they would have be the highest scoring team over the last three years.  If you go points per game, Bills are number 1 over the last three years.  Also, the one less game actually plays into the Bills defensive stats in the favor of the Bills D over that timeframe, but they may still be number 1.  I listened to this and it sounds good and interesting but it is meant to generate reactions, he does not give you all the invormation, just some information that makes his intended point look better.

 

So what problem is Colin really fixing exactly?  Sure you can say I want more talent, I can say that about defense frankly.  The results are there on both sides of the ball.  There really is one thing this team needs to do and I dont have to say what it is.  

I have been lit up for pointing it out, but the Bills D has had the benefit of exceptionally weak competition over that time.  In 2021 they got 8 games against either back-up or rookie QBs and another 4 of those in 2022. That’s quite literally over half the wins the team had in that span, the stats don’t tell the whole story.  If you look at the numbers against teams over .500, they aren’t nearly as good.

[Aussie Joe]

6 minutes ago, DCofNC said:

I’m realistic.  There’s always a shot to be good w Allen at QB.  He had his ups and downs last year, but he’s elite and creates a lot from nothing.  
 

I turned a bit more pessimistic last offseason when they banked on Davis becoming a legit 2 and ignored the OL again, while dumping huge money into an older DE, knowing full well they rotate the line to death.  The continued spending of high picks on the D and little to no return on them has me questioning a lot.  I can’t figure out if it’s a disconnect between the coaching and the GM or if the coaches absolutely refuse to use players to their strengths. 
 

As for this off-season.  I feel like McGov is basically Rick Bates 2.0 in terms of a guy who was a back up, got limited reps and cashed in.  Maybe it works, but it’s a projection at best.  I like Harty and Sherfield, solid depth with some speed, but it still doesn’t address the glaring hole at #2 WR.   MLB is basically a perfect example of Hope as a strategy.  OL isn’t far behind. 
 

Coaching has been suspect at best the last three seasons.  Perhaps more concerning is McD didn’t even have the balls to fire Frazier or take over play calling if he truly wasn’t happy w it in season. He’s supposed to be the guru, but the D has choked in big moments.  He seems to meddle in the O, but again leaves the big moments on a (struggling) rookie OC down the stretch.  I feel McD is a good guy, great culture builder, but has hit his ceiling.  This combined with the continued misses in the draft, there’s not enough talent/money to get more talent to cover for bad drafts, to cover the mediocre coaching.  
 

At this point, I see a lot of holes in the roster and don’t see a coaching staff that can overcome.

Ok…

 

The reason I ask that question is I note that a lot of people here tend to be pessimistic in their outlook… I’m not sure why about this current team that is like  the third favourite to win the Championship..I’ve been following this team for 40 years and this is rarified air to have a team this highly rated …

 

it’s tough improving on a 13-3 team….

 

I think the OL and RB are improved though… not that the OL is elite by any means…but simply not having  Saffold there is an improvement for me…I would have liked to see an upgrade on Brown..  at least there are other solid options this year to turn to if he is not getting it done … I like the addition of Brown and Murray… they have running options in the red zone now not named Josh Allen

 

WR I’m not so sure about… let’s see if Beane is done there though come Week 1… I wouldn’t be surprised if something else happens …TE is improved through Kincaid…

 

The D should not be any worse than last year if they can get a better deal with injuries …it’s hard to imagine that situation not improving …

 

I brought up the coaching doubts earlier… we won’t know until the season is underway and even through the end of the season…what has happened last year isn’t relevant for next season … Leslie is gone and Dorsey isn’t a rookie anymore…

 

it’s possible they are a better team this year even if their record is worse in 2023… success to me means progressing further …

Let’s wait and see

 

7 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

Maybe. As I’ve said before, I’d be surprised if Basham(assuming that’s who you are talking about) is cut/traded… McBeane have shown they have a long leash with their draft picks. 

Well .. he got roasted for Teller right?

 

I note he moved on from Moss and Ford last year…

[LeGOATski]

13 hours ago, Bill from NYC said:

I can say that they haven't tried hard enough. McDermott drafts DTs, LBs, and DBs galore, and even trades up for them. 

 

You are correct. The days of the 86 Bears defense, or the old Raiders secondary are long gone. Players like Jack Tatum and George Atkinson would be arrested today, let alone fined. McDermott fails to recognize this, concentrates on defense, and fails to protect his great, if not generationally talented quarterback. 

 

It remains to be seen how long Mr. Pegula will continue to be mesmerized by the "process" sales pitch that McDermott sold him on.

I think it'll be a long time

7 hours ago, DCofNC said:

Well, context is the next easy thing you can work on.  Weigh it vs DL picks and signings and it’s a joke.

This response is a little better, still not much thought put into it

[Florida Bills Fanatic]

1 hour ago, DCofNC said:

Did he really improve it? He signed a back-up lineman to a starting contract, what looks to be a wash at WR/RB, lost one of the best LBs in the league without replacement, and signed an aging LB/DE that nobody else wanted to pay.   We all want to assume the draft will pay dividends, but if we are honest, rookie TEs rarely have a lot of impact and Torrence fell a long way to get to us, the last time we thought we “stole” a Guard that didn’t play out to well. 
 

I’m saying he didn’t , but if you aren’t a Bills fan, would you really say so?  I can’t say yes.  

Your take on this is your right to have but you are wrong in some of your basic assumptions.  Floyd had multiple offers and chose Buffalo for less money.  Edmunds was not one of the best at his position and the Bears over paid him.  If he was that good, a good team with money would have paid him.  Your so-called back-up lineman was a starter in Dallas that they wanted to keep but the player wanted to leave.  He is a huge upgrade over Saffold.  Harris is a better player than Motor.  I suggest that you watch some video of Torrence in college and review his stats against SEC teams.  The Torrence is a beast.  Rapp is a major upgrade of the team's depth at safety. If Beane had done a bad job, I'd be one of the first people on this board to be critical.

[90sBills]

4 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

 

Maybe the only reason the Chiefs are winning Super Bowls and the Bills aren't is that Mahomes is simply better than Allen.   I suppose that thought will cause some people to say, "Well, then that's reason enough to put McDermott on the hot seat, because he's the one who decided he didn't want Mahomes."  Those people will flame away.   They're the people who, when the Bills win the Super Bowl, will complain that they didn't beat the spread.  

How dare you, sir! If Reid is Allen’s coach he’d win 5 superbowls by now! Just kidding. I completely agree with you on this point. But I also believe Allen will get one eventually. Maybe next season.

 

[Aussie Joe]

Just now, ScottLaw said:

Yea, Moss was the really the only high pick he moved on from somewhat early… Ford was just a disaster and they literally gave him every chance to prove them right until his last year they finally gave up.

 

Yes Ford was a disaster… but I also said that he was criticised for moving on from Teller too early…

 

Hindsight is 20/20 right…

[billsfan89]

29 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

Yea, Moss was the really the only high pick he moved on from somewhat early… Ford was just a disaster and they literally gave him every chance to prove them right until his last year they finally gave up.

 

Teller was a 5th round pick and was traded after one year… not at all the same situation as Boogie. Again, I’d be surprised if they trade/cut him given their history.

 

Boogie did look like he was making some improvement in 2022, it felt like he was setting the edge decently. I know Boogie's 5 sacks in two years aren't very impressive but to the eye test he looked a bit better. As long as Boogie isn't a complete disaster in camp/pre-season I think he stays on the roster. Especially since Von will likely start the season on the PUP list the five DE's will likely be AJ, Boogie, Groot, Shaq and Floyd if all are healthy. 

[Shaw66]

49 minutes ago, 90sBills said:

How dare you, sir! If Reid is Allen’s coach he’d win 5 superbowls by now! Just kidding. I completely agree with you on this point. But I also believe Allen will get one eventually. Maybe next season.

 

I agree.  Almost any simplistic explanation of why 60 players and 20 coaches didn't combine to win a game is almost certainly an inadequate explanation.  What Cowherd had to say was simplistic.  It's just another example of how much of the media works these days:  pick a subject, decide on a take, and go with it.  Whether it makes sense doesn't really matter.  

[newcam2012]

On 6/6/2023 at 6:01 PM, HaldimandBills said:

Maybe this is my Canadian ignorance showing but is it normal to take the opinion of NBA broadcast types as gospel when they voice an opinion on the NFL? 

 

Didn't Nick Wright, Colin Coward, Steven A Smith, and Skip Bayless all start as basketball guys? Just seems funny to care what they say. Then again I find sports talk to be idiotic unless I'm reading a Bill Barnwell who specifically writes about the NFL. 

 

Also carrying on about offense is the most casual fan cringe thing going. Bengals rode their defense to the Superbowl. Same with the Rams that season. Tampa had a great defense when Brady arrived. Patriots won multiple Superbowls with Brady playing smart football and the defense locking it down. Same with the Ravens and Steelers. 

 

Bills might hypothetically have this great defense during the regular season but one thing they've been awful/average at come playoff time is rushing the passer. Not sure how any move to improve this isn't applauded?

 

Bengals only scored 20 points on KC after blasting us. Always found it interesting how we always have this top 5 defense in the regular season while KC has a bottom 10 but come playoff time KC seems to flip a switch and play 10 times better defensively while our defense implodes.

 

What Cowherd should be questioning is why our defensive coaching which is the coaching backbone of this team keeps being manhandled in the playoffs while the Bengals and Chiefs seem to find another gear defensively? I still think we scheme too much from the secondary to prevent deep passes and not enough from schemes to gain pressure with the front 7.

It's coaching. The coaching in the playoffs has been consistently poor along with poor game planning, schemes, and game time adjustments. 

 

The exception is when they play poor passing QBs like Lamar. 

[EmotionallyUnstable]

Just score. 
 

We could field 11 of us bums on defense for all I care. Bring in the ballers on O and Josh will bring us to the promised land.

 

P.S. dibs right DE…I’ve got a mean spin move. Just gotta get this right hip flexer/groin ironed out a bit after a tough vacuuming session the other week has me hung up momentarily 

[Matt_In_NH]

2 hours ago, DCofNC said:

I have been lit up for pointing it out, but the Bills D has had the benefit of exceptionally weak competition over that time.  In 2021 they got 8 games against either back-up or rookie QBs and another 4 of those in 2022. That’s quite literally over half the wins the team had in that span, the stats don’t tell the whole story.  If you look at the numbers against teams over .500, they aren’t nearly as good.

Cowherd talked about defense over 5 years.   I think good and bad QB's/offenses have to balance out over that much time.  Sure you could rank the offenses and some teams will have some advantage but things will tend to average over 5 years.  In one given year can that happen, yes sure. The Bills have been playing a first place schedule for the last few years which means Mahomes every year, the Bills played Tampa with Brady as the extra game a couple years back.  

 

The Bills have been near the top in rankings in both offense and defense and yet dont have much to show for it.  To me, the failure has been playoffs.... some critical coaching failures in the playoffs.  Those things are correctable IMO.

[BuffaloBillsGospel2014]

On 6/6/2023 at 7:23 PM, newcam2012 said:

Pretty blunt take from Colin. Wondering how others feel about what he says. 

 

Not a Cowherd fan at all but i have to agree here.... I like all the defensive moves they've made but we still have Spencer brown as our starting RT after being abused last season, I like the Connor McGovern pickup but he was a backup the past 3 years only coming in for injuries along the OL, loved the pickup of O'Cyrus Torrence but he's a rookie, 3 question marks at the position. Now if they hold up and become a juggernaught OL then obviously that's a huge win but if Allen is running around again getting killed then I think we're going to have an interesting offseason (not in a good way). I hope of course the Bills just kill it this season and win the SB to get the monkey not only off this orginization but for the fans also plus I'd really like for both McDermott and Beane to hold up that SB trophy since they've really turned this thing around.

Edited June 8, 2023 by BuffaloBillsGospel2014