What the Bills need to do to take the next step

[maddenboy]

2 hours ago, ALLinALLEN said:

"Offense of line"

this is the Chris Simms and Rod Woodson version of

 

Offense Align

[90sBills]

On 6/18/2023 at 10:48 AM, ScottLaw said:

This is obviously the key… the Bills have invested heavily in defense and need Miller, Hyde, Poyer and White healthy and performing for a playoff run…. If not, I suspect it will be more of the same…. Which is why many here want more of a “load up on offense at the expense of defense” approach.

I think the difference this year(at least on paper) is you have at least a few teams in the conference who can beat anyone. Between the Bengals, Chiefs, Bills, Jags, Ravens, and even Dolphins(if Tua healthy), Jets, and Browns. 
 

Last year there were 3 top teams in the AFC entering the season and entering the playoffs.(Bills, Chiefs, Bengals)

 

I’d be shocked if Bills end up with #1 seed. Much tougher schedule with a tougher division. 

Despite upgrades to other AFC teams I still think Chiefs Bengals Bills are the cream of the crop. 1 if not 2 will end up in the AFCCG. Chiefs Bills AFCCG let’s go!

[TheCockSportif]

Minimizing injuries (ie getting lucky), better OL play, the ability to run, the ability for the defense to get the opponents off the field on 3rd down.  I didn't mention JA17, because short of injury the dude is gonna show up as always.

[hondo in seattle]

I think most coaches are doing everything they can to win the next game.  But I think the upper-echelon coaches, like Reid and Belichick, think about seasons, not just games.

 

For example, McD could do things like this:

 

*  Call no designed runs for Josh during the 2nd half of the season.  Then call RPOs or QB keepers on critical third-downs in the playoffs against an unwary defense.  

 

*  Use a mostly man-defense against the Pats.  Not because it'll work better than zone.  But because it'll work well-enough, and we want to put a man-heavy game plan on tape so future opponents have to prepare for it.

 

*  Not blitz for the four games before the Fins and then throw a sh*t-storm of blitzes against Tua.  

[Ethan in Cleveland]

18 hours ago, Mark Vader said:

Agree with you on Epenesa & Basham, although Epenesa has shown more. Disagree with you on Elam, because he's only been with us for one year and did not play as much.

Elam looked good down the stretch.  He should have started all year.  Obviously from Beane's PC, Elam wasn't doing something that followed the process, thus not dressing him one game.  He was better than White down the stretch.  

12 hours ago, BananaB said:

We’ll see what happens when he gets on the field. There was alot of hype in Cook last year and how he’d be used in this offense and how’d that turn out. 
 

What did you think I was talking about when I said spending too much money on depth. They sign average players that have shown little and hope they make a big impact when they get to our team. That’s really not trying to land big impact players, it’s hoping you get lucky and save a couple bucks

Good point on Cook.  I don't think he was used well at all. Daboll and Dorsey have been horrible at the screen game and getting the backs involved in the passing game much at all. 

 

Spending big money does not guarantee results.  Bills are not the only team to spend big in free agency and not see the results.  Bears will soon regret the big contract they just gave to Edmunds.  

[Patrick Duffy]

21 minutes ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

Elam looked good down the stretch.  He should have started all year.  Obviously from Beane's PC, Elam wasn't doing something that followed the process, thus not dressing him one game.  He was better than White down the stretch.  

Good point on Cook.  I don't think he was used well at all. Daboll and Dorsey have been horrible at the screen game and getting the backs involved in the passing game much at all. 

 

Spending big money does not guarantee results.  Bills are not the only team to spend big in free agency and not see the results.  Bears will soon regret the big contract they just gave to Edmunds.  

 

Agree with you regarding Elam. He definitely performed much better  last few games and I don't see how anyone would disagree.

 

As for the screen game and Cook etc, It baffles me and kinda pisses me off sometimes really that it's now been (what is it about 4 years now?) and still can't get any kind of screen game going at all basically. I mean even some of the worst teams can manage to get somewhat near average success at times.

 

Anyways, it's frustrating lol

[Airseven]

Top 2:

 

- Move on from McDermott and Beane. McDermott isn’t a fit for a QB-centric team and gets out-coached in nearly every big spot. Bills are right back in cap jail, in part, due to Beane’s poor drafts.

 

- Devote an entire off-season to revamping the OL with at least 3-4 new (legitimate) starters.

[DrBob806]

On 6/18/2023 at 6:49 PM, 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?

I think that's today's NFL in a nutshell. Teams basically have 80% of their payroll invested on about a dozen players. 

 

All 32 teams are kind of gambling with their payroll/roster. 

[LABILLBACKER]

On 6/18/2023 at 8:11 AM, HaldimandBills said:

 

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. 

 

 

I'm just shocked that for over 5 years Sean didn't insist on Leslie running a defensive style that he believes in?  He allowed Frazier to run his own version of McD's base defense without much blitzes or press coverage. Makes no sense and our playoff results reflected that?

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

On 6/19/2023 at 12:31 PM, ganesh said:

I have lot of doubts about the DL Coach, Washington. He has been very underwhelming

 

It's hard to judge based on a year when everyone was injured at some point in time.  I don't think anybody made it through the season playing in every game, and a lot of times those injuries can linger all season long.  

[Straight Hucklebuck]

Step 1 is just accepting that Allen is not Mahomes, and therefore, he needs more talent around him on offense to keep up with the Chiefs. 

 

The offensive line is average, really all positions could be upgraded, but Center and Right Tackle would improve the team the most right now. 

 

I've said before that the Bills need another Diggs level, and have thought this is a big reason why they haven't improved from 2020. Beane added Diggs and then stopped at WR. 

 

A guy on CBS Sports radio a couple of weeks ago was going on and on about snowy weather and the Bills needing a power run game. I just don't buy that at all. Of course a Derrick Henry or prime Dalvin Cook would help the team, but are smart teams spending premium assets on running backs? 

 

A few years back the media was all over Etienne to the Bills. Would we be much better off with him? He missed his entire rookie season, and had 1150 yards last year. 

 

Edited June 21, 2023 by Straight Hucklebuck

[Bulldog]

5 minutes ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

Step 1 is just accepting that Allen is not Mahomes, and therefore, he needs more talent around him on offense to keep up with the Chiefs. 

 

The offensive line is an average, really all positions could be upgraded, but Center and Right Tackle would improve the team the most right now. 

 

I've said before that the Bills need another Diggs level, and have thought this is a big reason why they haven't improved from 2020. Beane added Diggs and then stopped at WR. 

 

A guy on CBS Sports radio a couple of weeks ago was going on and on about snowy weather and the Bills needing a power run game. I just don't buy that at all. Of course a Derrick Henry or prime Dalvin Cook would help the team, but are smart teams spending premium assets on running backs? 

 

A few years back the media was all over Etienne to the Bills. Would we be much better off with him? He missed his entire rookie season, and had 1150 yards last year. 

 

I may be just an old simpleton - but it seems to me that teams with dominate lines on both sides of the line of scrimmage & great QB play tend to win the title most often (though not always), We have the QB - if play on both the OL & DL is upgraded - the rest often falls into place. The upcoming season will succeed or fail based on how well the personnel decisions work out on both the lines - and of course on a certain amount of luck going our way - such as avoiding excessive (key) significant injuries. 

[Straight Hucklebuck]

11 minutes ago, Bulldog said:

 

I may be just an old simpleton - but it seems to me that teams with dominate lines on both sides of the line of scrimmage & great QB play tend to win the title most often (though not always), We have the QB - if play on both the OL & DL is upgraded - the rest often falls into place. The upcoming season will succeed or fail based on how well the personnel decisions work out on both the lines - and of course on a certain amount of luck going our way - such as avoiding excessive (key) significant injuries. 

And also, is there a higher level for Josh Allen? 

 

Can he get better? 

 

Statistically, he's had about the same regular season for 3 years in a row. 

 

Can he get to 4,600 yards, 68% completion again, 42 TDs passes, 10 Ints? Getting out of the 37-36-35 (on one less game) TD passes? 

[90sBills]

37 minutes ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

Step 1 is just accepting that Allen is not Mahomes, and therefore, he needs more talent around him on offense to keep up with the Chiefs. 

 

These are fighting words around here. Haha.

Get Allen two bonafide stud wideouts like Burrow has and he’ll have his best season.