I'm optimistic heading into this season

[Airseven]

5 hours ago, JakeFrommStateFarm said:

I just hope the Bills beat the Jets.

 

Otherwise there could be a meltdown on this board of which the likes that have never been seen

A loss would be a “chalk it up and move on” situation after a tough opening matchup. Jets have all the momentum and should win the game. Bills can get back on track quickly though.

[PBF81]

6 hours ago, Doc said:

You think that the loss of Edmunds (the only loss from last year's defense, while they added some good players and got some back/healthy) and being replaced by even Dodson or Bernard will cause this defense to just become average?  

 

No.  

 

The lack of a bona fide MLB is problematic to be sure.  But I'm not convinced that Poyer's knee injury, which affected his play last season, is fully healed and will not recur w/o surgery.  Hyde turns 33 this season and given his injury, and what it is, back, I strongly doubt that he'll be at 100% given that and his age, and I wouldn't be a stale donut that he makes it through 16 games.  He's well into his back-9 otherwise.  Despite having signed Oliver to a good sized contract, that in and of itself doesn't make him better.  We still have no impact pass-rushers without Miller.  Miller, at 34, only a fool would think that he A, comes back 100% from his injury, and by the time he is "100%," age will likely have gotten the better of him.  Sorry, but it was simply a high-risk high-reward acquisition that didn't play out to our favor. 

 

Our defense was much worse with him at his 100% self on the field, and that was against teams led by QBs such as Mike White, Mac Jones (twice), and Justin Fields, none of whom are any good.  "Leadership" only accomplishes so much in terms of physicality, so despite Miller's "leadership" that won't help all that much on the field.  Who knows with White, and while he appears to be much closer to 100%, we don't know.  What we do know is that we don't have any other above-average CBs otherwise, pending of course, and given the QBs and offenses we play, that's going to be problematic.  Also, Beane's drafts filled no glaring holes on D.  

 

Speaking of the QBs and offenses we play, I'm far from sold, with good reason, on the idea that McD is a great DC despite popularized narratives to the contrary.  There's no track record of him being anything but an average DC.  He now has all but his entire Carolina staff under him here, and apart from the notion that it's preposterous to consider for even a moment that those are the best coaches for the jobs, they're also part of a very average Defensive performance and ranking history in Carolina, and largely subject to the ease of the schedule.  

 

I've stated this numerous times in a bunch of threads, so not sure why you said what you said.  

 

 

6 hours ago, Doc said:

Look, I get that you think it's cheap that they found Kirksey at the last-minute.  I think it's cheap that the Jets were able to finally get a franchise QB.  It is what it is.  

 

Cheap isn't the issue.  Unless it was the plan and part of this obscure and completely undefined "Process," without any question it clearly illustrates any lack of planning or foresight in the matter.  Also, as to Kirksey, it seems that he's played ILB more than MLB, but even the last two seasons at MLB in Houston, their D ranked near the bottom, 27th in scoring both seasons and 30th and 31st in yardage.  Since he played a key role in that it hardly inspires confidence.  And what, waiting to see which MLB would be released was the plan and "Process"?   Again, if true, entirely uninspiring.  

 

And OK, for the sake of argument, let's say that Bernard, a reach in the 3rd according to just about every draft analysis, was in fact "the plan."  Then it failed, so at least let's be honest about it.  And if they really drafted Williams with the original intent to play MLB, I'm simply not sure what to say.  Not one draft analyst had him effectively playing MLB in the NFL.  Klein, I got into many an argument in suggesting he'd be ripe for being cut.  Clearly the staff didn't think he was the option either. 

 

Again, cheap isn't the issue, poor planning is, and to whatever extent they did "plan" for that, they failed.    

 

 

6 hours ago, Doc said:

But again as I said, the Bills addressed the MLB position.  We don't even know if they did it adequately because we haven't seen Dodson or Bernard play much in this defense.  Just like we don't know if Dean is an adequate replacement in Philly.  I don't think there's anything controversial taking that stance and college production and draft position, predicted or otherwise, don't mean much to me.  And it will probably be moot since I still see Kirksey starting soon, possibly game 1.

 

We agree on that we don't know.  But it's also a fool's proposition to wager that either the undrafted undistinguished otherwise Dodson or the 3rd-round reach undersized secondary school LB will hold up the slot.  

 

And no, we don't know that Dean will be an adequate replacement, but again, my point is that as a 1st/2nd-round prospect slipped to the 3rd round, he's a whole lot better bet on working out that Dodson, Bernard, Williams entirely out of position, or Kirksey who in 9 seasons and now at the age of 31 has done absolutely nothing to distinguish himself.  

 

Hope that helps the misunderstanding.   

 

 

Edited September 5, 2023 by PBF81

[Doc]

58 minutes ago, PBF81 said:

No.  

 

The lack of a bona fide MLB is problematic to be sure.  But I'm not convinced that Poyer's knee injury, which affected his play last season, is fully healed and will not recur w/o surgery.  Hyde turns 33 this season and given his injury, and what it is, back, I strongly doubt that he'll be at 100% given that and his age, and I wouldn't be a stale donut that he makes it through 16 games.  He's well into his back-9 otherwise.  Despite having signed Oliver to a good sized contract, that in and of itself doesn't make him better.  We still have no impact pass-rushers without Miller.  Miller, at 34, only a fool would think that he A, comes back 100% from his injury, and by the time he is "100%," age will likely have gotten the better of him.  Sorry, but it was simply a high-risk high-reward acquisition that didn't play out to our favor. 

 

Our defense was much worse with him at his 100% self on the field, and that was against teams led by QBs such as Mike White, Mac Jones (twice), and Justin Fields, none of whom are any good.  "Leadership" only accomplishes so much in terms of physicality, so despite Miller's "leadership" that won't help all that much on the field.  Who knows with White, and while he appears to be much closer to 100%, we don't know.  What we do know is that we don't have any other above-average CBs otherwise, pending of course, and given the QBs and offenses we play, that's going to be problematic.  Also, Beane's drafts filled no glaring holes on D.  

 

Speaking of the QBs and offenses we play, I'm far from sold, with good reason, on the idea that McD is a great DC despite popularized narratives to the contrary.  There's no track record of him being anything but an average DC.  He now has all but his entire Carolina staff under him here, and apart from the notion that it's preposterous to consider for even a moment that those are the best coaches for the jobs, they're also part of a very average Defensive performance and ranking history in Carolina, and largely subject to the ease of the schedule.  

 

I've stated this numerous times in a bunch of threads, so not sure why you said what you said.  

 

 

 

Cheap isn't the issue.  Unless it was the plan and part of this obscure and completely undefined "Process," without any question it clearly illustrates any lack of planning or foresight in the matter.  Also, as to Kirksey, it seems that he's played ILB more than MLB, but even the last two seasons at MLB in Houston, their D ranked near the bottom, 27th in scoring both seasons and 30th and 31st in yardage.  Since he played a key role in that it hardly inspires confidence.  And what, waiting to see which MLB would be released was the plan and "Process"?   Again, if true, entirely uninspiring.  

 

And OK, for the sake of argument, let's say that Bernard, a reach in the 3rd according to just about every draft analysis, was in fact "the plan."  Then it failed, so at least let's be honest about it.  And if they really drafted Williams with the original intent to play MLB, I'm simply not sure what to say.  Not one draft analyst had him effectively playing MLB in the NFL.  Klein, I got into many an argument in suggesting he'd be ripe for being cut.  Clearly the staff didn't think he was the option either. 

 

Again, cheap isn't the issue, poor planning is, and to whatever extent they did "plan" for that, they failed.    

 

 

 

We agree on that we don't know.  But it's also a fool's proposition to wager that either the undrafted undistinguished otherwise Dodson or the 3rd-round reach undersized secondary school LB will hold up the slot.  

 

And no, we don't know that Dean will be an adequate replacement, but again, my point is that as a 1st/2nd-round prospect slipped to the 3rd round, he's a whole lot better bet on working out that Dodson, Bernard, Williams entirely out of position, or Kirksey who in 9 seasons and now at the age of 31 has done absolutely nothing to distinguish himself.  

 

Hope that helps the misunderstanding. 

 

Fair enough.  We'll know in 1 week's time.

[ChasBB]

I'm optimistic every single season, this one no different.  It's always a marathon and not a sprint, so gonna try to not get too up when things go well or too down when they don't.  It's time to host more home playoff games, though.  It will take an AFC championship victory to help get past losing a home playoff game in the snow.  Go Bills!

[Process]

You are brave for posting this here.