WhitewalkerInPhilly

I know it's reading between the lines, but I think we swoop in on Shula and/or Dorsey. We seem to be intent on building Panthers North, so we might as well.

I can't watch at work. Let me know if anything juicy happens.

We might as well. They fit our philosophy well enough.

So coaching that was good enough to beat the Patriots in Week 1 wasn't good enough to beat the Titans? Dude, I moved to Philly a few years ago. I don't know how many times I have been told that this is Reid's entire trademark: excellent regular season preparation, excellent 1st half planning, but a massive Achilles heel of not making second half adjustments and abandoning of the run game. It's the book on him. You don't get to credit Smith with the benefits he reaped because of it, and spare him from criticism from the downsides.

So...its not ignorance (correctable), just willfull idiocy (not) ANNNNND BLOCKED

Oh god no! Having a diva Pro Bowl CB, the lack of a safety they haven't had most of the year and still won of the division and a coach who's entire hallmark is not running the ball when he should? Lol, you are ridiculous. and it's not JUST the Taylor money, it's paying Smith AND the money for dumping Taylor

Again. I repeat now yet again: Do people understand the cost of bringing in Smith and dumping Taylor? Financial cost. Asset cost. Because it is impossible under the rules to simply swap one for the other without consequences. As for the bolded points: One, it was that USA today shill who predicted four wins. Few in national media have looked dumb by picking on the Bills the last decade. Even if we beat expectations by numerous wins, they could always fall back and say "Well, they didn't make the playoffs, did they?' Two: Again, I ask you what are Kansas City's problems other than Alex Smith. I will again reference you to a list of greater or equal NFL starters. Tell me what they are (other than the obvious Andy Reid problem). I'm waiting.

...I know you are being sarcastic, I just don't know what about.

Did...did you not read the part about where he lost his WR1, 2, 3 and 4, and was pushed into a system that does not suit his talents? Because that perfectly explains why he regressed, yet we won more games. Scoring offense from 10th to 22nd. That's something. Again, I am agreeing that Smith might be a marginally better QB. I am also agreeing that we need to move on from Tyrod. But as I posted later, cutting Tyrod is a cap hit of 8.6 million in dead money, plus a $22+ million a year on the open FA market or $17M and trade assets for a one year rental via trade. It's a terrible deal for a guy we would looking to be gone from in 2019

Perhaps as a better question: Is he better than Brady, Rodgers, Brees, Big Ben, Rivers, Luck, Wentz, Rodgers, Carr, Newton or Russell Wilson? Because he ain't in my eyes. Would the Chiefs likely have fared similarly or better in playoff distance with Flacco, Dalton, Bortles, Cousins, Prescott, Stafford, Winston, Matt Ryan, or Goff? I think they would. That's 20 starters in a 32 team league. If your guy hovering around a group between 12th and 20th best in the league, that is the definition of average to sub average.

Really? Because, the way I see it, both have the exact same number of playoff wins over the past three years. Smith had the benefit of a more talent cast, and a defense that covered up his short comings. Pray tell, what IS the problem in Kansas City? It looks like a massive case of Andy Reid to me (wonderful preparation in the regular season, piss poor adaptation in the playoffs).

Amen. I am sorry for the herky jerky posting, my phone was wonky. I don't think you are listening. Tyrod is not the same player as Smith. Smith is much more of a pocket passer. He is a better fit for Rico's offense. But when I look side by side at the two in the years when they both had competent OC's (I see you left out 2015 good sir) they are far closer. Again, we are talking about "let's pass short to the goal line on first and goal" Rico. "10th in scoring to 22nd in scoring" Rico. I won't fight too hard about Smith being a better QB. If he is, it's marginal. Let's also talk about the realities of getting him. Do you want to chase him on the open market? He wants to be a long term starter. What kind of money are you throwing at him to lure him to the Bills? Going rate is probably +$22M a year. Do you want to trade for him? What assets are you going to give up to the Chiefs (who paid 2 firsts for him, and another to move up for his replacement) to pay him $17M a year, on top of the $8.6 in dead money to Tyrod? For a one year rental on a QB likely disgruntled at being the bridge two years in a row. Either way wrecks the cap and requires immediate cuts and causes succession problems. I am seeing people who hate Tyrod so, so very much, that they are willing to jump at ANY alternative, no matter how foolish long term, to see him gone. Smith is NOT the answer. I have. He ain't.

Hahahaha, that's a good one... Or were you serious? Look, I fully expect us to draft a rookie (emphasis for Wayne and Joe). But unless we throw all of the picks in the world at the Colts for Luck, hoping Irsay is high enough to take it, you better believe that it will cost is through the nose for whatever scrub we get. We live in a league where Sam Bradford and Brock Osweiler get paid like kings. Do you honestly think that Smith takes a deal that is less than that? If we are trading for him, what assets are you giving up for the same level of play as Tyrod? It's a bad idea. How do people not see this?

Thanks . I really appreciate the summation but...let's ignore the madness that Wayne and Savior Peterman. put out. We kind of have a cheaper bridge in Tyrod. He can do with his legs what Smith does with his arm, when he isn't forced into whatever you call Rico's system. If you look over the numbers from 2015 and 2016 (when he had an OC who knew how to use him) he has similar completion %, Y/A and TD:Int ratio as Smith. Smith has more yards, obviously, coming from the Andy Reid philopspohy of Pass, Pass, Pass, and when you get tired of that, Pass (Sorry, that's what I hear nonstop from fans here in Philly) This was the first year Tyrod had a halfway decent defense to help him out. It also was a year with an OC who tried to make him a drop back, three second passer at the same time that they shipped out his WR1, 2, 3 and 4 and brought in a gaggle of entirely new guys. We know Tyrod isn't the answer. But why on Earth would we spend MORE money by putting a new guy who we know is not the long term answer on the roster to be a bridge for the rookie it seems we are to inevitably take?

I agree with Cousins, Smith and Bridgewater. But, dude, Rodgers (when healthy) has dragged a cast of rejects to the playoffs on the strength of willpower time and time again. Not that I disagree with your premise. Like I mentioned, Dennison is a major problem, and I really, really, really want to see our WR group upgraded. I just don't know where we get a better OC, unless it's poaching one from a HC group which got fired. No one I can think of inspires much confidence.

Tony Kornheiser? You are reaching man

That's fair. McDermott really had no leverage other than inspiration. I suppose the point I was trying to make is that we criticized Rex for something very similar with Mario, so it should be addressed. I am happy at the wins, and I am willing to change my position based on evidence. If Peterman comes out and rips for Brady like numbers, I will humble myself and bask in a decade of prosperity. If Dennison gets his guy and proves himself a genius, I will behave likewise. I do agree: we absolutely end this season with a new culture and a new mindset, along with four picks in the first two rounds and a decent amount of cap space. We have blocks to build with. I don't know, did either of them call for a passing play on first and goal from the one? I do agree that an offensive czar would be welcome. It just might be tricky. Offensive minds are at a premium in the NFL, and they get a lot of head coaching nods. Plus, I think teams can deny moves that aren't to HC.

You are aware that they lost their starting QB in training camp, right? I mean, I thought they were overrated anyway, but let's not pretend that had no effect.

I wanted to take a moment to stop, reflect, and collect associated thoughts as the season is over. I had a crazy fall, spending most of it commuting back to Buffalo on weekdays and spending what time I could with my fiance in Philly, getting married, and starting a new job. So I haven’t posted as much as usual this year. But now that I can reflect, I guess here’s a lot of what I’ve been mulling on as we close out and look ahead to the rest of 2018: Ever since I signed up on the board here, the most exciting times we’ve had in a year has been the offseason. I really doubt that’s the case in 2018. I was floating on air to start 2018 as New Years hit. As a buddy of mine put it “I didn’t know how much making the playoffs and breaking the streak mattered to me until it happened”. I know what he means. It was as if a weight had been taken off my chest, and I could breathe during the playoff game, as heartbreaking as that was to watch. When Darby and Sammy were traded, I honestly thought we were tanking. I said so at the time, fairly definitively. I was wrong. Looking now, maybe they might have made a difference against the Jags, especially if Sammy is the one on that goalline pass attempt (more on that later), but looking at what they did elsewhere and what we got, I can’t say that we were on the wrong end. Of note is that we managed to get Benjamin, who is a very nice piece, for a third and still have one in reserve. I know the tide is agaisnt paying running backs hitting the wrong side of 30, but Shady currently is worth every dollar we’ve paid him. The man was a huge part of our offense in an offense that didn’t have much else going, and he took plenty of shots across the middle as a result. Numbers wise, it’s going to look like he had a down year, but he looks as elusive as ever. I blame...let’s call them “other factors”. Again, I will get to them soon. I was annoyed at Darby leaving, but I’m going to say: the secondary looks pretty solid. Safeties always seem to get passed over in the discussion of big money contracts. I remember the talk about how Byrd wasn’t worth the money he was asking (he wasn’t), but it always struck me that safeties get the short end compared to the “lock down corner”. Hyde and Poyer were absolute steals in free agency. I expected Hyde to be good, but not that good. I honestly didn’t expect much out of Poyer, and he absolutely defied expectations. Gaines was solid (when not injured) and I think it is a disgrace that White is not part of the DROY discussion. If we can get Gaines on a reasonable deal, I think our secondary is locked in for the next few years. If there’s one huge knock I have on McDermott as a defensive coach, it’s how the Darues situation worked out. I get that the man was dragging. I get that the contract was part of the old regime. But we slammed Rex for not motivating Mario, and I am going to hit McD with the same stick here. Maybe there was nothing that could be done, but that was a whole lot of dead money and a pathetic return value for a player who can be very good when he wants to be, and it took a while for us to get the run defense back on track. Now, for the part that will get me death threats: Tyrod. I have been a Tyrod defender. I think that a great deal of criticism has been unjust. But this year made it clear to me: as we go forward, and look to be a perennial contender, he is just Not. Good. Enough. He had plenty of things working against him: a new system, his most familiar receivers leaving, an OC that didn’t make the best of his strengths but at the end of the day, we have seen what he is. It isn’t going to get better than his first year. The Bills *need* to have a plan going to upgrade from him this offseason. That said, I can see him starting week 1. Trubinsky and Watson weren’t ready week 1. Mahomes rode the pine all year. Let’s not repeat the mistakes of the past and have another EJ situation. But we need something: throw a stupid number of picks at the Colts for Luck, or take a shot in the 1st round on a guy, but we need something that isn’t Peterman. Peterman: I do not understand the love for this guy. If my choices are Billy Jo Hobart, or this guy, I am seriously considering Hobart. Hobart had fewer interceptions while not giving a damn. Maybe magic happens, or he rebounds, but I will not watch next year if he is our starter. Dennison: He is not a great OC. That is not to say that there weren’t periods when he could string together nice drives. He can. My knock is that he simply does not make the best of the players and talent he has. The O-line blocking regressed. He had a QB who was at his best as a “roll out in the pocket” and “home run hitter”. Dennison focused on a WCO better suited for a traditional drop back passer. Yards, YPC, Touchdowns, TD:Int ratio and rushing yards all dropped. The 10th scoring offense went to 22nd. Maybe if you get him a shiny unicorn of a perfect QB he looks good, but right now, he stinks. Shopping list for 2018 QB. We need another option. He doesn’t have to start right away, but we absolutely need to get one going. WR. Benjamin is ok, and perhaps with some seasoning Zay cures the dropsies, but the position desperately needs an upgrade DT. Probably 2 DTs if Kyle is leaving as expected. The D-line as a whole dropped off this year, but Hughes and Lawson are not the problem at the moment. We have to fix the center first. LB. We made do, but we could really use an upgrade here if we want to be a defense first team. Ok, roast away.

I get your frustration. And if we were tanking, I would agree with you. But all signs say that we are not. Taylor doesn't win games for us, but rarely loses them. Even if we use our firsts on a rookie, neither Trubinsky nor Watson were ready week 1. Mahomes didn't see the field the entire year. The last thing I want is to destroy another project QB like Marrone did EJ

*Looks at Peterman* we did?

Exactly! I thought he got a raw deal and that we were too harsh, and even I was willing to say "that's enough" People wanted to tar and feather the man, and even he didn't look as bad as Peterman has. The mystery to me isn't why so many people are down on Peterman. it's why, after seeing so much vitriol for EJ, and Losman, how someone who has done objectively worse is getting the benefit of the doubt.

By that logic, we should reach out to Jeff Tuel. He has shown just as much, if not more, in his time here as Peterman. Fewer picks for one thing, and they are tied for crucial killer ones. I'm not saying we kick him off the team. Maybe after another off-season, he "gets it" and shows improvement. But that sure as schiesse isn't stopping me from drafting someone who I would expect to start over him, never mind the lunacy of benching Tyrod for him.

I might go with you on Bledsoe, but the last two go a bit far for me. However, I will note that you didn't address his main point: why are you in a rush to dump Tyrod when you don't have a known better option on the roster? Look for one, certainly. But if we are putting Peterman out there in 2018, you can kiss your chance of returning to the playoffs goodbye (right before it files for a restraining order)

I honestly cannot say that the "disrespect" is unearned. Maybe, maybe, MAYBE Peterman gets better. Alex Smith came around to have a decent career. But based off of what I've seen this season, here are a few descriptors I thought of as the game ended: -Peterman is a poor man's Fitz. Less arm talent, less experience, less of a knack for lucky breaks. -Peterman makes me long for the days of EJ. -If Peterman is our savior, I think being a Bills fan might literally be hell. Draft a replacement in the 1st. Let him cone along under Tyrod until he is ready. The only reason Peterman should be on the field is if our O-line is hurt and we need a warm body to be battered into concussion protocol.