What the Bills need to do to take the next step

[HaldimandBills]

So I was listening to the Ringer NFL Podcast as they were discussing whether the Bills or Bengals are a bigger threat to the Chiefs in the AFC? 

 

Both hosts thought Bengals but believe the Bills are right there with some adjustments.

 

They brought up some basic points we all know such as Beane hasn't really had any homerun draft picks outside Allen in the first few rounds since he arrived. There isn't much recieving depth behind Diggs and our oline and RB's leave a lot to be desired.

 

Both hosts believe the upgrades made this offseason will be significant, and that Josh Allen is too good to fail. They both believe in Ken Dorsey as he had the second highest scoring offense in the league and that Dorsey shouldn't be crucified for have a horrible oline and Josh Allen tearing his UCL.

 

His playcalling options were significantly reduced in the 2nd half of the season. The oline couldn't block and Allen couldn't consistently make the short throws with any accuracy. It's a miracle they still did as well as they did. 

 

They agreed that the Bills defense is too blame for the Bills inability to take the next step. For a coaching Unit full of defensive minds they were unimpressed with how mundane the Bills defense has been. 

 

Their reasoning was the Bills have more defensive talent than either the Chiefs or Bengals and that this has worked against them. The claim is the Chiefs and Bengals are constantly mixing it up scheme wise during the regular season putting their defense in awkward situations. This would seem counter intuitive but it pays off come playoff time. 

 

Whats the big deal in giving up an extra td to the Raiders, Browns, and Texans of the world when you know you'll blow them out regardless with your offense? The Bills on the other hand run one defense and they run it well. Their talent allows them to play this way and get away with it during the regular season. This defense embarrasses poor/average/and above avg. QB's but not elite ones.

 

The Mahomes and Burrows of the world's are not intimidated by the Bills two deep zone and designed coverage scheme. They simply tear it apart. This defense is the Bills only pitch and once the batter figures it out the Bills don't have a curve ball to go to. They live and die with this defense.

 

They think Beane got arrogant and that he thought Miller was the only solution the Bills needed to their defense. 

 

Their argument is the Bills need to work on being uncomfortable on defense during the regular season so that come playoff time they throw Mahomes and Burrow off balance. It isnt about being a top 5 regular season defense but a productive playoff defense. By doing this the Bills will have multiple looks they can use in the playoffs and will be much more capable at adjusting to playoff  offensive schemes. 

 

In short the defenses only goal for the season should be providing three to four stops against Mahomes and Burrow in the playoffs and nothing else. This is what the Bills require to take the next step. 

 

Thoughts.

[TheBeaneBandit]

22 minutes ago, HaldimandBills said:

So I was listening to the Ringer NFL Podcast as they were discussing whether the Bills or Bengals are a bigger threat to the Chiefs in the AFC? 

 

Both hosts thought Bengals but believe the Bills are right there with some adjustments.

 

They brought up some basic points we all know such as Beane hasn't really had any homerun draft picks outside Allen in the first few rounds since he arrived. There isn't much recieving depth behind Diggs and our oline and RB's leave a lot to be desired.

 

Both hosts believe the upgrades made this offseason will be significant, and that Josh Allen is too good to fail. They both believe in Ken Dorsey as he had the second highest scoring offense in the league and that Dorsey shouldn't be crucified for have a horrible oline and Josh Allen tearing his UCL.

 

His playcalling options were significantly reduced in the 2nd half of the season. The oline couldn't block and Allen couldn't consistently make the short throws with any accuracy. It's a miracle they still did as well as they did. 

 

They agreed that the Bills defense is too blame for the Bills inability to take the next step. For a coaching Unit full of defensive minds they were unimpressed with how mundane the Bills defense has been. 

 

Their reasoning was the Bills have more defensive talent than either the Chiefs or Bengals and that this has worked against them. The claim is the Chiefs and Bengals are constantly mixing it up scheme wise during the regular season putting their defense in awkward situations. This would seem counter intuitive but it pays off come playoff time. 

 

Whats the big deal in giving up an extra td to the Raiders, Browns, and Texans of the world when you know you'll blow them out regardless with your offense? The Bills on the other hand run one defense and they run it well. Their talent allows them to play this way and get away with it during the regular season. This defense embarrasses poor/average/and above avg. QB's but not elite ones.

 

The Mahomes and Burrows of the world's are not intimidated by the Bills two deep zone and designed coverage scheme. They simply tear it apart. This defense is the Bills only pitch and once the batter figures it out the Bills don't have a curve ball to go to. They live and die with this defense.

 

They think Beane got arrogant and that he thought Miller was the only solution the Bills needed to their defense. 

 

Their argument is the Bills need to work on being uncomfortable on defense during the regular season so that come playoff time they throw Mahomes and Burrow off balance. It isnt about being a top 5 regular season defense but a productive playoff defense. By doing this the Bills will have multiple looks they can use in the playoffs and will be much more capable at adjusting to playoff  offensive schemes. 

 

In short the defenses only goal for the season should be providing three to four stops against Mahomes and Burrow in the playoffs and nothing else. This is what the Bills require to take the next step. 

 

Thoughts.

I concur.

[Buffalo Boy]

   Well Yeah….. but the whole team didn’t show up at home against the Bengals so that says other things need work too.

   It is a serious thing that our D line is suspect with all the capital we have thrown at it. Injuries played a distinct part last year though so who knows.

   IF we catch some good luck health wise this year, we have enough to win it all but the coaching on both sides of the ball needs to be better. 
   Offensively, Josh needs to be pushed into taking the underneath more often ( understand the elbow was an problem ) and the designed run stuff for him has to be diminished by at least 50% during the regular season. We have enough backs in our stable to generate a ground game .

[machine gun kelly]

To you’re point OP, I’m thinking that was the design of McD to do exactly what you stated in terms of his defense.

 

The Dorsey blaming has been a bit overblown for the 2nd best scoring offense in the league.

[HaldimandBills]

16 minutes ago, machine gun kelly said:

To you’re point OP, I’m thinking that was the design of McD to do exactly what you stated in terms of his defense.

 

The Dorsey blaming has been a bit overblown for the 2nd best scoring offense in the league.

 

I am not 100% sure. Everything I have read says McDermott is more of a pressure defensive coordinator. He builds his defenses on rushing the QB and blitz packages. Alot of his work is done from the Front 7.

 

Fraiser on the other hand works from the front back. Hes big on limiting big plays and disguising coverages. Bills likely didn't see an issue with Fraisers style of defense until it became apparent that you need studs in the secondary to make it work all the time.

 

White recovering from a ACL tear, Hyde being out, Poyer playing on one leg, and a rotating secondary corner exposed Fraiser defense for what it was. I believe Fraiser was given a gentleman release by the Bills so that he can still pursue his dream of being a head coach again. 

 

 

[RiotAct]

there WASN’T much receiving depth behind Diggs this PAST season.  Let’s see how things shake out with the offseason additions.

[HaldimandBills]

27 minutes ago, Buffalo Boy said:

   Well Yeah….. but the whole team didn’t show up at home against the Bengals so that says other things need work too.

   It is a serious thing that our D line is suspect with all the capital we have thrown at it. Injuries played a distinct part last year though so who knows.

   IF we catch some good luck health wise this year, we have enough to win it all but the coaching on both sides of the ball needs to be better. 
   Offensively, Josh needs to be pushed into taking the underneath more often ( understand the elbow was an problem ) and the designed run stuff for him has to be diminished by at least 50% during the regular season. We have enough backs in our stable to generate a ground game .

 

I think having Isiah Mckenzie as your third best receiver, Josh Allen with half a throwing arm, and atrocious guard and right tackle play says it all for the 2022 offense.

 

Only hope is with Kincaid, better guards, a healthy off season for Spencer Brown, bigger more talented RB's and raising the floor of your surrounding receiver talent you have done enough to improve offensively so that the Bengals game doesn't happen again. I appreciate the fact Isiah Mckenzie couldn't make the 2023 Bills roster. It means its improved. 

[Mr. WEO]

what were Allen's "short pass stats" the second half of the season?

[julian]

Simply play their very best in January and February and hope to also get some luck, this is one of the beat teams in the NFL as constructed.

[Solomon Grundy]

1 hour ago, machine gun kelly said:

The Dorsey blaming has been a bit overblown for the 2nd best scoring offense in the league.

Would've been nice to see it in the playoffs though 😎

[90sBills]

The next step is securing the #1 spot. This will give them the best chance to the AFCCG and SB. I don’t believe this team can win 3 consecutive playoff games to get to the SB. So anything short of getting the #1 seed will all but likely seal the deal for another early exit. 

[JerseyBills]

Staying healthy and hope our young guys take a leap. Missing Daquan, Von and Hyde in the Bengals gm killed us. Not to mention Hamlin n playing with a 3rd string S. I love that we're being a bit overlooked vs last year being SB favorites 

[HaldimandBills]

5 minutes ago, 90sBills said:

The next step is securing the #1 spot. This will give them the best chance to the AFCCG and SB. I don’t believe this team can win 3 consecutive playoff games to get to the SB. So anything short of getting the #1 seed will all but likely seal the deal for another early exit. 

I agree to a certain extent. I agree that winning two is much more practical. Hard to see three wins when one of either the Chiefs or Bengals most likely have the bye week. If by some miracle if one of the Jaguars, Ravens, Chargers, or even the Dolphins/Jets grab the # 1 spot I can see a world where the Bills win three in a row. Beating both the Chiefs and Bengals in a row seems like a tall task. 

 

Remember the team who beat the Bills the past two seasons has gone on to lose the following week. None of the Chiefs, Bengals, or Bills have managed to win over the other two in a single playoff run.

[Dopey]

17 minutes ago, Solomon Grundy said:

Would've been nice to see it in the playoffs though 😎

34 points vs Miami and over 400 total yards in a playoff game before the Bengals game…but, OK. 

[Billl]

2 hours ago, HaldimandBills said:

Their reasoning was the Bills have more defensive talent than either the Chiefs or Bengals

Hard disagree here.  The Bills are sorely lacking in defensive players who are young, talented, and healthy.  At this point, only Milano and Rousseau have really proven to be all of those three.  You’ve got guys like Elam, Epenesa, and Basham who are young and healthy but haven’t proven themselves to be talented.  White is young and talented, but he isn’t healthy.  Hyde, Poyer, and Miller are talented but are neither young nor healthy.  

 

The Bills could still have a very solid defense, but the Chiefs and Bengals both have far more players who check all of those boxes.  Frazier caught a lot of grief for things that were caused by Beane’s underwhelming drafting.  He should have received more credit for taking guys like Hyde and Poyer who were considered mediocre players prior to coming to Buffalo and turning them into top performers.

[LABILLBACKER]

2 hours ago, HaldimandBills said:

So I was listening to the Ringer NFL Podcast as they were discussing whether the Bills or Bengals are a bigger threat to the Chiefs in the AFC? 

 

Both hosts thought Bengals but believe the Bills are right there with some adjustments.

 

They brought up some basic points we all know such as Beane hasn't really had any homerun draft picks outside Allen in the first few rounds since he arrived. There isn't much recieving depth behind Diggs and our oline and RB's leave a lot to be desired.

 

Both hosts believe the upgrades made this offseason will be significant, and that Josh Allen is too good to fail. They both believe in Ken Dorsey as he had the second highest scoring offense in the league and that Dorsey shouldn't be crucified for have a horrible oline and Josh Allen tearing his UCL.

 

His playcalling options were significantly reduced in the 2nd half of the season. The oline couldn't block and Allen couldn't consistently make the short throws with any accuracy. It's a miracle they still did as well as they did. 

 

They agreed that the Bills defense is too blame for the Bills inability to take the next step. For a coaching Unit full of defensive minds they were unimpressed with how mundane the Bills defense has been. 

 

Their reasoning was the Bills have more defensive talent than either the Chiefs or Bengals and that this has worked against them. The claim is the Chiefs and Bengals are constantly mixing it up scheme wise during the regular season putting their defense in awkward situations. This would seem counter intuitive but it pays off come playoff time. 

 

Whats the big deal in giving up an extra td to the Raiders, Browns, and Texans of the world when you know you'll blow them out regardless with your offense? The Bills on the other hand run one defense and they run it well. Their talent allows them to play this way and get away with it during the regular season. This defense embarrasses poor/average/and above avg. QB's but not elite ones.

 

The Mahomes and Burrows of the world's are not intimidated by the Bills two deep zone and designed coverage scheme. They simply tear it apart. This defense is the Bills only pitch and once the batter figures it out the Bills don't have a curve ball to go to. They live and die with this defense.

 

They think Beane got arrogant and that he thought Miller was the only solution the Bills needed to their defense. 

 

Their argument is the Bills need to work on being uncomfortable on defense during the regular season so that come playoff time they throw Mahomes and Burrow off balance. It isnt about being a top 5 regular season defense but a productive playoff defense. By doing this the Bills will have multiple looks they can use in the playoffs and will be much more capable at adjusting to playoff  offensive schemes. 

 

In short the defenses only goal for the season should be providing three to four stops against Mahomes and Burrow in the playoffs and nothing else. This is what the Bills require to take the next step. 

 

Thoughts.

The defense under McD has been soft and predictable for years. It's good enough because of the talent to beat up on lesser teams. But come playoffs,  it gets schooled. It desperately needs risk and an element of surprise. And as far as our mediocre OL is concerned. Sean has had every opportunity to build it up around Josh.  Yet he just can't help himself and allows Beane to keep picking failed DE's/LB's early in the draft.  Great baseball analogy, the Bills only have 1 pitch on Defense.  The opponents know what's coming. 

[HaldimandBills]

7 minutes ago, Billl said:

Hard disagree here.  The Bills are sorely lacking in defensive players who are young, talented, and healthy.  At this point, only Milano and Rousseau have really proven to be all of those three.  You’ve got guys like Elam, Epenesa, and Basham who are young and healthy but haven’t proven themselves to be talented.  White is young and talented, but he isn’t healthy.  Hyde, Poyer, and Miller are talented but are neither young nor healthy.  

 

The Bills could still have a very solid defense, but the Chiefs and Bengals both have far more players who check all of those boxes.  Frazier caught a lot of grief for things that were caused by Beane’s underwhelming drafting.  He should have received more credit for taking guys like Hyde and Poyer who were considered mediocre players prior to coming to Buffalo and turning them into top performers.

Both have more talent on the defensive line but I wouldn't say they have had more talent than the Bills the past few years. Yes the Bills drafting has been mediocre but this doesn't excuse the fact the Bills have been a more talented defensive roster the past few years and also this year. Moving forward after this year I agree with your thoughts. 

7 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

The defense under McD has been soft and predictable for years. It's good enough because of the talent to beat up on lesser teams. But come playoffs,  it gets schooled. It desperately needs risk and an element of surprise. And as far as our mediocre OL is concerned. Sean has had every opportunity to build it up around Josh.  Yet he just can't help himself and allows Beane to keep picking failed DE's/LB's early in the draft.  Great baseball analogy, the Bills only have 1 pitch on Defense.  The opponents know what's coming. 

We are going to find out whether it was Fraiser or McDermott who played the boring safe zone defense. I hope it was Fraiser and McDermott adds different punches to this defense. 

[90sBills]

14 minutes ago, HaldimandBills said:

I agree to a certain extent. I agree that winning two is much more practical. Hard to see three wins when one of either the Chiefs or Bengals most likely have the bye week. If by some miracle if one of the Jaguars, Ravens, Chargers, or even the Dolphins/Jets grab the # 1 spot I can see a world where the Bills win three in a row. Beating both the Chiefs and Bengals in a row seems like a tall task. 

 

Remember the team who beat the Bills the past two seasons has gone on to lose the following week. None of the Chiefs, Bengals, or Bills have managed to win over the other two in a single playoff run.

This is what makes the #1 seed so critical. You’d likely see one of these teams as the #1 seed not both. During the 13 sec season Chiefs had the #2 seed. Even as good as the Chiefs were that year they couldn’t survived back to back Bills-Bengals combo. Then it happened again this year. Only it was the Bengals turn. Bills haven’t even beaten 1 team much less 2. #1 seed would set up to avoid a lot of these problems. 

[Solomon Grundy]

39 minutes ago, Dopey said:

34 points vs Miami and over 400 total yards in a playoff game before the Bengals game…but, OK. 

Yeah!! At home, in your "element" nonetheless. People love to wash away that game 🤷

Edited June 18, 2023 by Solomon Grundy

[78thealltimegreat]

The bills need to learn to win ugly that’s their weak spot in a game where Josh isn’t all world and they play a decent opponent. That means being able to hammer a team downhill with the running game and being able to get a key stop on defense. The defense has difference makers across the board and shouldn’t be an issue if it is that’s on McDermott. The offense should haven’t to rely on Allen doing everything by himself that was the problem the last 3 years in a nutshell.