What the Bills need to do to take the next step

[NickelCity]

The OLine has to perform, we need multiple receiving options beyond diggs to show up every week, and the defense needs to perform in the playoffs.

 

Plus a ton of luck. Winning the Superbowl requires a bunch of it.

[ngbills]

Stop Diggs. Make Allen player Superman ball. That is how you beat the Bills. They need someone behind Diggs to keep a good D / game plan honest. 

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

I will leave the diligent and devoted fans to assign roles...🤔

*

🎶you're out of the woods🎵
🎵you're out of the dark🎶
🎶you're out of the night🎵

[John from Riverside]

1 hour ago, Solomon Grundy said:

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

If only it was true that the bills are in their element at home in bad weather conditions
 

We have built a team that would beat Dallas in their dome more often than not

[dpberr]

Play every game as if if they burned the ships behind them. 

 

That goes for the coaches too.

 

 

 

 

[Big Blitz]

Don’t disagree just seems to translate to me as “we’re too vanilla.”  
 

Then hope an elite front 4 gets home.  
 

 

We need to mix in more 3 man rushes especially in the red zone.  The QBs are too good you confuse them with more people in coverage and goading them into a mistake rather then send extra people.  Which also has a place I like blitzing when the O is in their own end. 
 

Give up a big play oh well let’s get the ball and score.   

[boater]

6 hours ago, HaldimandBills said:

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.

Agree. And I believe McDermott is going to hit the ball out of the park in this regard. I'm optimistic about the 23 season.

[BananaB]

Is it possible to spend too much money on depth and not enough on impact players

[Beck Water]

1 hour 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.

 

Do you happen to have a link to this podcast?  I ask because I'm very intrigued from your description.

 

I see our defense as crafting individualized gameplans for opponents ("mixing it up scheme wise"), but when it comes to top opponents for some reason they take multiple tries to  figure it out.

 

Example: The Bills have played KC 6 times with McDermott as HC.  The first, in 2017 vs. Alex Smith, was a win.  The  next two were bad losses, where the game was not as close as the 17-26 or 24-38 score would appear.  Then the Bills brain trust figured some stuff out, and the next 3 games have been wins or very very close.

 

Similar dynamic with the Ravens; the first 2 times the Bills played the Ravens under McDermott were a horrible loss (Josh Allen started at the half) and a 1-score loss.  Then the Bills figured out how to better contain the Ravens offense, and the next 2 games were W.

 

I'm pretty sure the next time we play the Bengals, the Bills defensive brain trust will have a better plan for them, but it concerns me that the pattern might repeat every time we encounter a different combination of coaching and personnel

 

 

 

 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

Stay healthy for the playoffs and hope McD doesn't prevent Allen from taking us all the way.

 

Allen needs to throw 3 less INTs

Knox needs 20 more receptions

Davis needs 6 less drops

Find a suitable RT and establish O'Cyrus a day 1 starter in training camp.  

 

Bills D needs to play a deep shell most of the year.  Keep everything in front of them and force the opponent to dink and dunk.  Save the pass rush for the playoffs. Keep Von Miller and Leonard Floyd fresh for January.  Let Epenesa and Basham burn calories chasing the QBs in Sept and Oct. 

 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

1 hour ago, BananaB said:

Is it possible to spend too much money on depth and not enough on impact players

They spent money on Miller last year and in years past Morse.  They have extended Allen, White, Diggs, Knox, Hyde, Poyer, Bass, Oliver, and Milano.  They have invested a first round pick in Rousseau.  I'd have no argument if you said Oliver, Knox, and a couple others are not impact players. 

 

They have extended/invested money in QB, Pass rusher, WR, TE, CB, DT, and PK.  Outside of the OT spots where else would you have them spend money?

[Nextmanup]

8 hours ago, Buffalo Boy said:

and the designed run stuff for him has to be diminished by at least 50% during the regular season.

We have a brutal schedule; take away Josh's running and you take away a huge part of Josh!

 

No need to run again against weak opponents, but he needs to run for our offense to be at its best.

 

OC needs to hugely step up his game too, assuming he can.

 

 

[BananaB]

21 minutes ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

They spent money on Miller last year and in years past Morse.  They have extended Allen, White, Diggs, Knox, Hyde, Poyer, Bass, Oliver, and Milano.  They have invested a first round pick in Rousseau.  I'd have no argument if you said Oliver, Knox, and a couple others are not impact players. 

 

They have extended/invested money in QB, Pass rusher, WR, TE, CB, DT, and PK.  Outside of the OT spots where else would you have them spend money?

You don’t think we wasted money on dline over the years? How about all the guys that have shown flashes on oline we have brought in over the years that never made any impact? Miller was the first big contract they doubled down on. They took a chance on Allen’s contract early and  it paid off. Did the same for Knox and drafted a TE next April. Who knows what will happen to Oliver. Look at what we did at WR this off-season, not really the upgrade we are looking for. Bills go to the flea market and are scared to put all their money on quality, instead ration it out on quantity. 

[PatsFanNH]

6 hours ago, 78thealltimegreat said:

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. 

I would say on offense not sticking to any sort of run game. Teams would give you the run but for whatever reason your O would  insist on passing the ball.  I remember the Colts with P Manning had the same issue for years till they won it all in 2006(?). 
 

I agree the Bills O relies too much on Allen, especially running the ball with him.  He is 10X more talented a passer than Jackson but I swear your run game is based around Allen just as much as the Ravens around Jackson.

[Buffalo Boy]

43 minutes ago, Nextmanup said:

We have a brutal schedule; take away Josh's running and you take away a huge part of Josh!

 

No need to run again against weak opponents, but he needs to run for our offense to be at its best.

 

OC needs to hugely step up his game too, assuming he can.

 

 

   Running and designed runs are completely different animals. He does not need to be running up the gut, on short yardage situations when the game is in hand. 
    Cooke and Harris are both capable backs who need to be used a ton more than last year.
   

    

[BananaB]

I think you also gotta question development. Early in MCDs tenure a lot of young guys seen the field and played really well for us. Lately, not so much. Maybe it’s not getting on the field, hard to get to top level on practice alone. McD is the guy who started Peterman over Allen on opening week so there is that. Kind of crazy just thinking about that now 😂. 
 

 

[John from Riverside]

Play makers need to make plays at the crucial times
 

What will help? This is a solid offense of line

[ganesh]

7 hours ago, JerseyBills said:

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 

Do remember that the Bengals OL was missing most of their starters for the game and yet they manhandled us on that evening.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

58 minutes ago, ganesh said:

Do remember that the Bengals OL was missing most of their starters for the game and yet they manhandled us on that evening.

Yes but as the other poster noted, Bills were down 2 of 4 starters on the DL and we have no idea how healthy Rousseau's foot/ankle was down the stretch. 

Still I think most of us saw this as an advantage and yet again Oliver (1 tackle), Epenesa(1 tackle), and Basham(zero tackles) failed to step up.  

[Ethan in Cleveland]

2 hours ago, BananaB said:

You don’t think we wasted money on dline over the years? How about all the guys that have shown flashes on oline we have brought in over the years that never made any impact? Miller was the first big contract they doubled down on. They took a chance on Allen’s contract early and  it paid off. Did the same for Knox and drafted a TE next April. Who knows what will happen to Oliver. Look at what we did at WR this off-season, not really the upgrade we are looking for. Bills go to the flea market and are scared to put all their money on quality, instead ration it out on quantity. 

Oh hell yes they have wasted money. But you didn't post about waste. You posted about not spending and investing resources on impact players.  Because it did not work out is not the same as they did not try. 

I 100% agree on OT and firmly believe if White had not gotten injured they would have drafted WR or OT in 2022. 

For the millionth time, Kincaid is not a TE.  He is a slot WR the same as Aaron Hernandez was for New England.   He will never ever line up where Knox lines up.  And when he comes up for a contract extension/tag he will argue it should be as a hybrid WR/TE as others have argued based on percentage of plays he is flexed out in a two point stance.