Our offensive depth is so good that players are playing in ideal positions

[Breakout Squad]

18 hours ago, Chandler#81 said:

Agreed, I hope we can keep him.

Just gotta keep him away from booze and beach chairs 😬

[Mikie2times]

13 hours ago, finn said:

Amen to this, although I think the word "realize" may be more accurate than "admit"; that's how deep goes our collective delusion goes, one amplified by the loudest commentators in the media. For example, it's more likely randomness more than some ineffable winning quality that contributed to KC's near-perfect record this year--and their playoff run last year, when the Ravens or Bills could just as easily gone to the Super Bowl instead. Once you winnow the field to the elite teams, it's pretty much a coin flip from there on. Yet some part of us wants to bestow superlatives on the winners and pejoratives on the losers, as if the outcome were inevitable from the start, the winner always being winners and the losers always losers, with randomness and plain old probability dismissed outright, if considered at all. 

The Chiefs have been to 6 straight AFC championships. Before that, the Patriots went to 8 straight. Being enlightened on this subject has nothing to do with recognizing the randomness. It has to do with recognizing how it’s not random. When your high end talent is lower, and your coaching is worse, you don’t advance and you don’t advance in a consistent way. While others do advance and they do so in a consistent way as well. 

[finn]

8 hours ago, Mikie2times said:

The Chiefs have been to 6 straight AFC championships. Before that, the Patriots went to 8 straight. Being enlightened on this subject has nothing to do with recognizing the randomness. It has to do with recognizing how it’s not random. When your high end talent is lower, and your coaching is worse, you don’t advance and you don’t advance in a consistent way. While others do advance and they do so in a consistent way as well. 

You're doing the straw-man thing. I'm not saying talent, coaching, and other factors determine team success. I'm just saying chance plays a bigger role than people think. Your reply proves my point.

[Mikie2times]

16 minutes ago, finn said:

You're doing the straw-man thing. I'm not saying talent, coaching, and other factors determine team success. I'm just saying chance plays a bigger role than people think. Your reply proves my point.

Because I’m showing you that teams consistently overcome the random it’s a straw man argument? By all means, enlighten me. 

[finn]

1 minute ago, Mikie2times said:

Because I’m showing you that teams consistently overcome the random it’s a straw man argument? By all means, enlighten me. 

If that's what you're saying, cheers. We're just misunderstanding each other. 

[Utah John]

The biggest advantage to having a crew of quite good but not elite receivers is that when one or two of them are out with injuries, there isn't a noticeable decrease in production.  They don't all play the same way or have the same strengths but Brady always has a way to succeed with whoever is available.  Also, except for Cooper who probably will go chase a bigger contract elsewhere, all the receivers make modest salaries so the Bills can afford to keep them all.

[billsfan89]

3 hours ago, Utah John said:

The biggest advantage to having a crew of quite good but not elite receivers is that when one or two of them are out with injuries, there isn't a noticeable decrease in production.  They don't all play the same way or have the same strengths but Brady always has a way to succeed with whoever is available.  Also, except for Cooper who probably will go chase a bigger contract elsewhere, all the receivers make modest salaries so the Bills can afford to keep them all.

 

Shakir, Keon, and Samuel are all signed for next season, if the Bills want Hollins back they could easily sign him to a modest 1 year deal. I do wonder how they will approach replacing Cooper? I think there is a need for a true "Go to" boundary WR to replace Cooper in that role. Shakir is a slot machine and Keon I think can be a nice boundary WR2 while Samuel is a "supped up" gadget WR and Hollins a nice WR4/5 depth player. Do the Bills sink another high draft pick at WR hoping that Keon takes a step up and they can backfill the role? Or do they peel off some cap space and go after a vet or trade for a WR?

 

I'd wager they would likely spend a draft pick in round 1 or 2 and then keep their options open for an in season trade if a vet is needed. But it is still going to be a big need assuming Cooper walks for one last bite at the free agency dollars. 

[RunTheBall]

I think Cooper and Von will be unleashed in the playoffs and they’ve purposely been kept under wraps during the season (plus Coop got injured as soon as he got here). Both Von and Cooper have been playing a very small number of snaps this season considering their pedigree. I’m not buying the “Cooper is drawing all the attention” argument because he’s just not out there all that much. In the playoffs I expect McD to give his best players the majority of snaps since their snaps have been managed throughout the season so they are fresh for the playoffs.

 

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Coop takes a team friendly deal to stay here. He’s a 10 year vet, he’s made bajillions since he’s entered the league. The guy is a very cerebral player, he’s not chasing the money anymore he doesn’t have to. Maybe it’s my Buffalo homerism but I think we’ve grown on him and he’s going to want to spend a couple more years with us and chase a ring.

 

Von is playing the best he’s played since his injury. He’s ready to explode and hopefully that will happen in the playoffs. Groot has been playing very good as well. I expect them both to get 70% of the snaps during playoff games. 

Edited Friday at 04:38 AM by RunTheBall

[Utah John]

12 hours ago, RunTheBall said:

I think Cooper and Von will be unleashed in the playoffs and they’ve purposely been kept under wraps during the season (plus Coop got injured as soon as he got here). Both Von and Cooper have been playing a very small number of snaps this season considering their pedigree. I’m not buying the “Cooper is drawing all the attention” argument because he’s just not out there all that much. In the playoffs I expect McD to give his best players the majority of snaps since their snaps have been managed throughout the season so they are fresh for the playoffs.

 

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Coop takes a team friendly deal to stay here. He’s a 10 year vet, he’s made bajillions since he’s entered the league. The guy is a very cerebral player, he’s not chasing the money anymore he doesn’t have to. Maybe it’s my Buffalo homerism but I think we’ve grown on him and he’s going to want to spend a couple more years with us and chase a ring.

 

Von is playing the best he’s played since his injury. He’s ready to explode and hopefully that will happen in the playoffs. Groot has been playing very good as well. I expect them both to get 70% of the snaps during playoff games. 

I hope you're right that Cooper sticks around with a team-friendly deal.  It could happen.  Keep in mind that he and his family arrived in Buffalo at the absolute worst time, weather-wise.  Cold and wet, cold and snowy, gray skies.  Natives shrug that off but newcomers see only that, and at some point if not already it's going to get to him and his family.  The gorgeous Buffalo summers are just a rumor to them.  

 

I hope those concerns don't influence his decisions.

[BillsShredder83]

On 12/31/2024 at 5:26 PM, dwight in philly said:

Kromer is a difference maker..

Anybody know his contract status?  Ive thought along all year he may be our most important/irreplaceable coach on the whole team.  This is his 2nd stint here showing that. No clue what ended his first tenure, probably a HC change when we lived in hell... really need to make sure hes locked up long term and happy.  Get him a raise, and get his daughter Brooke (sports reporter) on the PR staff, or great access to the team that any other Buffalo Snooze writer dorks cant.  Extend him now, without me even knowing his current status lol

[BillsShredder83]

On 1/1/2025 at 11:25 PM, Breakout Squad said:

Just gotta keep him away from booze and beach chairs 😬

Best nickname ever lol wonder if the players have caught wind of that one

[MiracleAtRich1393]

5 hours ago, Utah John said:

I hope you're right that Cooper sticks around with a team-friendly deal.  It could happen.  Keep in mind that he and his family arrived in Buffalo at the absolute worst time, weather-wise.  Cold and wet, cold and snowy, gray skies.  Natives shrug that off but newcomers see only that, and at some point if not already it's going to get to him and his family.  The gorgeous Buffalo summers are just a rumor to them.  

 

I hope those concerns don't influence his decisions.

Good point. Coming from Cleveland they'd clearly have unreasonable weather expectations.