Diggs' Drama

[ngbills]

4 minutes ago, DeepPass said:

I think the entire team looks more relaxed this year.  Maybe Diggs trade, maybe 4 new coordinators, maybe a lot of fresh faces on the field and finally a lot of young players growing up to be starters quickly?!

 

1 minute ago, Shaw66 said:

I had the same reaction watching last night.  It was so clearly every man doing his job, and no one was relied on to be the play maker.  It was all about when it's your turn, do your job.  The defense, particularly, looked like 11 no-names with two guys always about to make the tackle.  

 

It was refreshing.  

Winning will do that and we are only two games in. I also think there is something to the fact that the expectations have drastically changed. The past few years it was super bowl or bust everywhere. Now there a lot of pundits out there saying the Bills dont even make the playoffs. It is much easier to be in lets prove them wrong  mode than constant super bowl expectations. 

[Bangarang]

We'll see how things continue when defenses adjust to what we do. 

[TBBills Fan]

20 minutes ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

They threw the same pass to Cook last year when Diggs was on the team and Cook dropped it. With Diggs gone he caught it. Cause and effect I'm sure

How does one play compare to my point of team chemistry?

 

Not sure the point. 

 

But I will play. If Cook caught it last year, Diggs would have still been who he was, what went on behind the scenes would have still went on. 

[WideNine]

50 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

 

In the 4 years he was here with Allen

• Led the NFL in receiving yards
• Led the NFL in receptions
• Tied for most TDs with Kelce-Mahomes

Doesn't take much "understanding" as to why.

 

I agree.

 

No reason both parties cannot benefit from a move.

 

Diggs will likely have a very good year as a featured receiver with the Texans.

 

And the Bills will continue the process of becoming a more balanced multidimensional offense and Allen a more well-rounded QB able to work both sides of the sticks.

 

I don't harbor any ill will towards Diggs and I can also say it was time to move on for both parties.

 

 

 

 

[Beck Water]

1 hour ago, Sweats said:

I seriously never understood the trade to bring him over here in the first place........i didn't like him in Minny, hated it even more on the Bills.

 

If you'll excuse my saying, I think that is pure revisionist history.  I'd be glad to see your receipts on this topic.

 

But I don't see how anyone could deny the quality and importance of Diggs contributions in 2020 thru mid 2022

[Putin]

1 hour ago, Malazan said:

Josh Allen was the best thing to happen to this team.

 

The constant gloating about Diggs when he has success is a bad look imo.

Wouldn’t it be crazy if Josh  wins the MVP the year Diggs leaves ?

[RoyBatty is alive]

21 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

Whoa...don't lump into the "OMG this place" crowd.  My dogs name is Diggs, I was one of the few that defended Diggs a lot as being more misunderstood than a give me the ball diva.  

 

But...if you think that the Josh Allen of last year remotely resembles the same Josh Allen of this year then you were not at all paying attention last year.  The narrative on Josh all year was how he didn't seem like he was having as much fun, his normal jovial self we had come to expect.  

 

So no disrespect, but you are categorically wrong if you think the energy coming off Josh this offseason, this camp, this preseason, and these first season games is not better and improved from last year.  Does that mean it was like that for Diggs entire tenure, of course not.  But it is a night and day difference from last year.  Case in point, the first blow up between Diggs and Allen came after week 1.  This team struggled in 7 of its first 10 games last year.  This team turned it around when they focused less on Diggs.  

 

Denying any of that isn't facing reality.  And I was one of the ones that thought there was no way we trade diggs this offseason because of the cap hit.  I figured they would make it work one more season and then trade him next year.  But I was wrong, and since the trade, we have seen a lot more into why this had to happen this year, especially with Beane getting a good return.

You named your dog Diggs?

 

Well you actually do belong in the "OMG this place" crowd.

[mjd1001]

When Diggs gets traded, like many diva type players, he'll be on his best behavior Initially. Combine that with a high skill set and he was good for the team for a couple of years. 

 

This year... And last year... It didn't seem like he was behaving all that well. We don't know for sure but it doesn't appear as if Josh Allen was pounding the table to keep him here. Add to that some age and a declining skill set and it's probably good. They made the move.

 

[Success]

It feels like so much more of a "team" now - on both sides of the ball.

 

I hate to make this comparison, but it's almost like that Pats that 1st year they won the SB.  Everyone just doing their job, no one complaining, great complementary football.  

 

I gave up on Diggs after that sideline confrontation w/ Allen in the Cincy playoff game.  Me-first all the way w/ that guy.

 

[Marcus Aurelius]

1 hour ago, T.E. said:

Selfish, me-first cancer got excised, and now the team looks looser than they've ever been in the McDermott era. No whining, no worries about if certain players are getting enough touches...they're just going out and doing what it takes to win. It's fun to watch them again, and that hasn't been the case, at least for me, for a few years.

At least you didnt say ...

" ... and now the team looks loser  ..."

 

[TrentEdwardsCheckDownOn4th]

I still can't believe the NFL scheduled the Bills Texans game at 1 PM

[T.E.]

7 minutes ago, TrentEdwardsCheckDownOn4th said:

I still can't believe the NFL scheduled the Bills Texans game at 1 PM

I wish all are games were at that time. I'm riding the struggle bus today, though a Dolphins ass-kicking is giving me the strength to power through.

[CincyBillsFan]

42 minutes ago, Bangarang said:

We'll see how things continue when defenses adjust to what we do. 

That may be harder then it sounds given that Allen can go into beast mode when needed. 

 

[mjt328]

On 9/3/2024 at 11:22 AM, Logic said:

Here's what I'll never understand:

Diggs seemingly had everything a player could want. He was handsomely paid, he received a ton of targets, he put up gaudy statistics, he played for a top five quarterback, he played for a winning team that is perennially in the playoffs, he was beloved by the fan base, he was a national star. What more -- literally, WHAT MORE -- could he possibly want?

One could say that it was his waning involvement in the offense that soured him, but we can all see that things had changed prior to that. That Diggs' demeanor and interest in being a Buffalo Bill had changed. So the question is -- why? How could a player have everything I just listed above, and still want out? Still think the grass is greener elsewhere?

There simply MUST be something that happened behind the scenes that we're all not aware of, because none of it makes any sense. He seemingly had everything, and he still wanted out. I'll never understand it.

Oh, and one more thing: seeing how free and light and fun the atmosphere around the team seems to be right now, compared to what it was last year...it's hard to conclude anything other than that Diggs's presence was a huge negative influence on team mood and chemistry, and that his ouster is gonna pay huge dividends for this team (and this quarterback) mentally.

 

Easy.  I believe Diggs is totally incapable of seeing his own faults, and he truly believes he holds no responsibility for any team failures during his time here.

 

It's like a person who jumps from failed relationship to failed relationship, always blaming the person they used to be with, and never stopping to self-reflect on what they could do better to make it work next time.

 

In my opinion, Diggs eventually came to believe the team was totally incapable of reaching the next level of the postseason and mentally checked-out.  Whether that was directed more towards Sean McDermott, Josh Allen, etc., I don't know.  But it was clear that something broke in him during the Bengals playoff loss.  By the time we reached the final stretch of 2023, the rest of the team seemed determined to step up and save the season.  He seemed to be packing it in.

 

There are claims that Diggs was "phased-out" of the offense when Joe Brady took over.  But if you look at the stats, he was still getting solid targets (averaging over 8 per game after the OC change) at the end of the 2023 season.  He just wasn't doing anything with the ball when it came his way.

 

[RichRiderBills]

1 hour ago, mjt328 said:

 

Easy.  I believe Diggs is totally incapable of seeing his own faults, and he truly believes he holds no responsibility for any team failures during his time here.

 

It's like a person who jumps from failed relationship to failed relationship, always blaming the person they used to be with, and never stopping to self-reflect on what they could do better to make it work next time.

 

In my opinion, Diggs eventually came to believe the team was totally incapable of reaching the next level of the postseason and mentally checked-out.  Whether that was directed more towards Sean McDermott, Josh Allen, etc., I don't know.  But it was clear that something broke in him during the Bengals playoff loss.  By the time we reached the final stretch of 2023, the rest of the team seemed determined to step up and save the season.  He seemed to be packing it in.

 

There are claims that Diggs was "phased-out" of the offense when Joe Brady took over.  But if you look at the stats, he was still getting solid targets (averaging over 8 per game after the OC change) at the end of the 2023 season.  He just wasn't doing anything with the ball when it came his way.

 

 

I don't really agree w your theory here, at least once the season was going. Man, I mean we beat the Chiefs in December. I think Diggs was genuinely sour grapes about not getting 10 catches per game once Brady took over. I don't think he blew the playoff game , but the argument could be made he was why we lost w his key drop. 

[Beck Water]

On 9/3/2024 at 11:22 AM, Logic said:

Here's what I'll never understand:

Diggs seemingly had everything a player could want. He was handsomely paid, he received a ton of targets, he put up gaudy statistics, he played for a top five quarterback, he played for a winning team that is perennially in the playoffs, he was beloved by the fan base, he was a national star. What more -- literally, WHAT MORE -- could he possibly want?

One could say that it was his waning involvement in the offense that soured him, but we can all see that things had changed prior to that. That Diggs' demeanor and interest in being a Buffalo Bill had changed. So the question is -- why? How could a player have everything I just listed above, and still want out? Still think the grass is greener elsewhere?

There simply MUST be something that happened behind the scenes that we're all not aware of, because none of it makes any sense. He seemingly had everything, and he still wanted out. I'll never understand it.

Oh, and one more thing: seeing how free and light and fun the atmosphere around the team seems to be right now, compared to what it was last year...it's hard to conclude anything other than that Diggs's presence was a huge negative influence on team mood and chemistry, and that his ouster is gonna pay huge dividends for this team (and this quarterback) mentally.

 

|  "I don't understand the world today,  I don't understand what (he) needed

|   (We) gave (Diggs) everything, (he) threw it all away on nothin' " 

|  -apologies to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

 

The biggest puzzle to me of the whole Diggs kerfluffle was listening to a panel discussion including Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic where Joe opined that Diggs was "a much misunderstood dude" and "tremendously self-aware" and deliberate about what he was doing, while he was doing it.  Because I don't see how that can possibly be consistent with some of his behavior here.

I think of Diggs as the sort of person who starts feeling this almost-unbearable internal discomfort after he's been in a situation for a while if it isn't going entirely as he wants.  And he isn't self-aware enough to look in a mirror and say "what is my part in this?  what am I doing or have I done that is contributing to this situation and how can I change to change the situation?". 

Which, to be honest, most of us don't. 

But if it's not you, or you don't see what part of it is you, then it must be the other guy, or the situation you're in, or both. 

I also think Diggs trends towards being a narcissist, which goes along with only being concerned with other people for what you get from them.  But narcissists can come across as charming and self-aware when you talk to them in situations they control

I think Diggs laid it out in the GQ article linked above - he wants to be a HOF WR.  He wants targets, he wants yards, and he wants Championships.

 

I think Diggs lost at least some faith in McDermott as the Coach to get him that championship after the 13 seconds game.  I think he lost faith in Allen as the QB to take him where he wanted to go partway through the 2022 season.  And once that happened, then his internal discomfort is going to build and build and he's going to want out and feel entirely justified.

 

 

Edited September 13 by Beck Water

[Logic]

6 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

|  "I don't understand the world today,  I don't understand what (he) needed

|   (We) gave (Diggs) everything, (he) threw it all away on nothin' " 

|  -apologies to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

 

The biggest puzzle to me of the whole Diggs kerfluffle was listening to a panel discussion including Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic where Joe opined that Diggs was "a much misunderstood dude" and "tremendously self-aware" and deliberate about what he was doing, while he was doing it.  Because I don't see how that can possibly be consistent with some of his behavior here.

I think of Diggs as the sort of person who starts feeling this almost-unbearable internal discomfort after he's been in a situation for a while if it isn't going entirely as he wants.  And he isn't self-aware enough to look in a mirror and say "what is my part in this?  what am I doing or have I done that is contributing to this situation and how can I change to change the situation?". 

Which, to be honest, most of us don't. 

But if it's not you, or you don't see what part of it is you, then it must be the other guy, or the situation you're in, or both. 

I also think Diggs trends towards being a narcissist, which goes along with only being concerned with other people for what you get from them.  But narcissists can come across as charming and self-aware when you talk to them in situations they control

I think Diggs laid it out in the GQ article linked above - he wants to be a HOF WR.  He wants targets, he wants yards, and he wants Championships.

 

I think Diggs lost at least some faith in McDermott as the Coach to get him that championship after the 13 seconds game.  I think he lost faith in Allen as the QB to take him where he wanted to go partway through the 2022 season.  And once that happened, then his internal discomfort is going to build and build and he's going to want out and feel entirely justified.

 

 

I think you just said it about as well as it can be said. And it sounds just exactly right to me, too.

Good stuff. Thanks for that.

[hondo in seattle]

9 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

|  "I don't understand the world today,  I don't understand what (he) needed

|   (We) gave (Diggs) everything, (he) threw it all away on nothin' " 

|  -apologies to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

 

The biggest puzzle to me of the whole Diggs kerfluffle was listening to a panel discussion including Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic where Joe opined that Diggs was "a much misunderstood dude" and "tremendously self-aware" and deliberate about what he was doing, while he was doing it.  Because I don't see how that can possibly be consistent with some of his behavior here.

I think of Diggs as the sort of person who starts feeling this almost-unbearable internal discomfort after he's been in a situation for a while if it isn't going entirely as he wants.  And he isn't self-aware enough to look in a mirror and say "what is my part in this?  what am I doing or have I done that is contributing to this situation and how can I change to change the situation?". 

Which, to be honest, most of us don't. 

But if it's not you, or you don't see what part of it is you, then it must be the other guy, or the situation you're in, or both. 

I also think Diggs trends towards being a narcissist, which goes along with only being concerned with other people for what you get from them.  But narcissists can come across as charming and self-aware when you talk to them in situations they control

I think Diggs laid it out in the GQ article linked above - he wants to be a HOF WR.  He wants targets, he wants yards, and he wants Championships.

 

I think Diggs lost at least some faith in McDermott as the Coach to get him that championship after the 13 seconds game.  I think he lost faith in Allen as the QB to take him where he wanted to go partway through the 2022 season.  And once that happened, then his internal discomfort is going to build and build and he's going to want out and feel entirely justified.

 

 

 

I think this is probably correct.  

I'll add this though because of what Diggs has said about Brady without actually using Brady's name.  He noted that his production went down when we switched OCs.  He didn't like that.  Not only did he lose faith in McD and Allen, he really didn't like the way Brady deprioritized him.  

[Beck Water]

57 minutes ago, RichRiderBills said:

I don't really agree w your theory here, at least once the season was going. Man, I mean we beat the Chiefs in December. I think Diggs was genuinely sour grapes about not getting 10 catches per game once Brady took over. I don't think he blew the playoff game , but the argument could be made he was why we lost w his key drop. 

 

Well, there are a couple of things. 
First, Diggs wasn't getting 10 receptions per game before Brady became OC.  He was averaging 10 targets per game and 87 YPG, though.

After Brady took over, he dropped to 8 targets per game - but more than that changed.  He was being used on shorter routes and from the slot, averaging 45 YPG.

 

So only 2 fewer targets, but yards almost cut in half.

 

Diggs did not like that, one bit.  The fact that the team was now winning, did not make it better in his mind.

 

It wasn't just that drop in the Chiefs game, he fumbled on the very first play of the game and a turnover was only saved by Kincaid alertly batting the ball out of bounds at the cost of a 10 yd penalty.  Big momentum killer, and it didn't help when Josh did his "good teammate" thing of targeting Diggs deep on the very next play only to net another incompletion.

 

Edited September 13 by Beck Water

[Beck Water]

21 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

I think this is probably correct.  

I'll add this though because of what Diggs has said about Brady without actually using Brady's name.  He noted that his production went down when we switched OCs.  He didn't like that.  Not only did he lose faith in McD and Allen, he really didn't like the way Brady deprioritized him.  

 

I don't think Brady de-prioritized Diggs per se.  Diggs was still averaging 8 targets per game.  But he was being used more on short passes, from the backfield and behind the LOS where he had to earn yards by YAC.

 

What I think Brady did, was take a deep look at the Cold Hard Football Facts.  And that led him to conclude that Diggs simply wasn't winning on those deeper routes, leading to Josh either trying to force him the ball or throwing incompletions.  So he tried to put Diggs into a position to be more successful with shorter routes. 

 

The other thing I think Brady did, is say (and I think he was correct) "we can not win without a run game because of how teams have adjusted their defensive coverage to us.  So by God, we will have a run gane and if it works, we'll keep using it until they prove they can stop it".  That wasn't de-prioritizing Diggs per se, but it was effectively de-prioritizing the passing game.  And the results spoke for themselves.

Edit to add:

Diggs first game with the Texans, he had 6 receptions on 6 targets - for 33 yards.  
Nico Collins had 6 receptions on 8 targets - for 117 yds.  This was "business as usual" for Collins who averaged 8 targets and 92 YPG in the 14 games where he wasn't injured or inactive last season.

And, the Texans offense had 40 rush attempts to 32 pass attempts.

Bobby Slowik, of course, became Texans OC after 4 yrs w/ the 49ers, one of the NFL teams that runs more than 50% of the time.

 

Gonna be interesting to watch from a distance, very interesting.  I think Diggs fully intends to be a fantastic teammate and on his very best behavior - but is that gonna last if he's being utilized in a way that keeps him under 50 YPG?

Edited September 13 by Beck Water