st pete gogolak

I was going to start a separate thread with a slightly different take but I'll go with it here. It seems to me that draft preference has changed significantly in the last eight weeks. Eight weeks ago, I would have been all-in on interior OL, either first or second round or both. With the way the OL performed last six weeks, not sure that's true any more. Dawkins (who was terrific last month) coming back healthy, Bates (who I believe needs to be re-signed), Morse (assuming he doesn't retire or is a cap casualty), Williams and Brown (who I think can be an All Pro in a couple of years although Ingram abused him in the fourth quarter last night) are solid. Add Tommy Doyle as swing tackle and Feliciano as backup IOL and I don't think we necessarily go IOL early - maybe a mid round pick. RB - many folks were crying out for an early RB pick eight weeks ago. With Singletary's play down the stretch, I don't think that's an overwhelming need. Maybe a veteran FA RB to provide some depth. DL - I don't see how you invest more draft capital in the DL. I assume both Hughes and Addison are gone. You've got to let the three kids play next year and hope they develop. Maybe get a veteran FA pass rush specialist. It's not going to happen but how about a homecoming for Kalil Mack on a short term deal? LB - Let Edmunds play out his contract. Find a good run stuffing LB in the middle rounds and give the D some versatility. When playing run heavy teams, play a traditional 4-3 with Edmunds outside and let's see if he can create some havoc playing for a new contract. CB - I wouldn't have said it eight weeks ago and maybe it's some recency bias but I'm all in favor of drafting a CB #1. Let Wallace walk, sign a mid level veteran, and hope White comes back mid season in decent form.

To me, it wasn't just the game tying FG that did it, it was the MANNER that KC got the FG. If Butker had connected from 63 yards or if Mahones did a Houdini escape from a rush to complete a pass or if a receiver had made a spectacular play (like Eli Manning and David Tyree in the Super Bowl), I think it makes it a little bit easier to live with. But there was nothing like that. They moved 45 yards in two plays with no opposition whatsoever. It's like the only thing we were protecting against was a Hail Mary. Should have kicked short and should have played D knowing that anything inside our 45 gives them a chance to tie the game.

Are you trolling because this is an idiotic take. You're already moving the goalposts. Now we needed to beat a team playing well? We beat KC and NE in the regular season, hammered NE in the playoffs and just lost a heartbreaking game to KC on its field. That's not counting the last second losses to TB and Tenn. The team had the best point differential in the entire league. One thing I will grant you is that the D was overrated. It was good but not great and got absolutely hammered tonight. Otherwise your post is a total joke.

Agree 100%. With 7 or 8 seconds left it would have required Mahones to hit a bomb to get into FG range. Given what our defense was doing he might have hit it but kicking short would have been correct call.

Both Daboll and Frazier need to find head coaching jobs this offseason.

Agree 100%. What a joke.

Inadvertent whistle before play is over should result in a "do over". That's the rule. Yesterday in Raiders Bengals game, there was an inadvertent whistle clearly blown while ball was in the air. Do over? Nope. Bengals touchdown. Refs ruled whistle was after play was completed but that was pure BS. Someone said it was a "common sense" ruling. That reminded me of second half kickoff in Bills Texans playoff game. Texan returner failed to down ball. Bills recovered and it should have been Bills touchdown or a safety. Refs huddle. Texan ball at the 25. Why not enforce the rule. Because "common sense" gives the ball to the Texans. Shouldn't there at least be some guidance where "common sense" allows the referees to totally disregard the rulebook?

Chris Watson, "he's really a punt catcher, not a punt returner". Wade Phillips. Was that 2000?

Not true. We lost to the Boston Patriots in '63 playoff after two teams tied for Eastern Division crown. We lost and then Boston got absolutely destroyed by the San Diego Chargers for AFL title.

Just don't want to see NE again. Maybe it's the last 20 years but whatever. I don't fear the Colts. They just lost to the Raiders at home. How about a game plan this time designed to stop Taylor and make Wentz beat us.

What dead money with Sanders? Isn't he a UFA at the end of the season?

Pretty sure that historically, Washington was the most racist franchise in the NFL, aside from the Redskins nickname (racist owner George Preston Marshall, last team to integrate, etc.). I honesty believe a great nickname (although I admit WFT kind of grows on you) would be the Redtails to honor the WWII Tuskegee Airmen. It would be a way to make amends in a small way.

Then we should definitely rest the starters next week, lose to the Jets and open on the road at Kansas City. Brilliant!

Beats NE after a game winning FG doinks off the upright. Beats Bills because of an egregious noncall on potential game winning TD. Beats Jets after Jets blow a 14 point lead, make the worst 4th and 1 call I have ever seen and throws a game winning touchdown with 15 seconds left. OK, crushed the Dolphins. Yeah, he's good but I swear he has sold his soul to the devil.

I'm regretting this post! Not enough controversy to generate a decent conversation.

Almost four years out. Regrets, there are a few. Cleveland - Baker Mayfield. Uh, yeah. If they had picked Josh, their 2018 draft could have ranked with '74 Steelers (Allen, Ward, Nick Chubb). NY Giants - Saquon Barkley. Uh yeah. Compounded mistake of picking a RB too high with a top ten pick of Daniel Jones the following year. NY Jets - Sam Darnold. Uh, yeah. Cleveland- D. Ward. If they had drafted Allen #1, this would have been an ok pick. Denver - B. Chubb. Uh yeah. They decided that they were good with Case Keenum and have cycled through Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater (am I missing anyone?). Indy - Q. Nelson. This is at least an interesting discussion. All Pro guard for next 10 years and future Hall of Famer. Plus they've been able to plug in Rivers and Wentz for passable QB play. On the whole, however, yeah. TB - Traded with Buff. Took Vita Vea at #12 and picked up a couple of CB's in Round 2. Also ended up clearing the way for Brady in a round about way. Doubt there are any regrets here. You win a Super Bowl, you don't ask what if.

One interesting tidbit. Usually when you say "X plays and we'd be whatever", the comeback is "but Y plays and you're so and so." That isn't true with this team. Every win has been a blowout. It's been an inability to run the ball in the red zone, combined with a couple of bad calls and combined with some bad luck and the result is 0 - 5 in one score games.

How about the article from the Boston TV (or radio) station saying that the Bills' window was closed. Not in danger of closing or closing if they lose to NE but CLOSED. You know whose window is closed? New England's because they're going to face Josh twice a year for the next 10 - 12 years. Suck on that.

Wouldn't this make him a perfect candidate for the Dolphins? Also, what are the cap ramifications if Star simply retires? Do we need to eat cap space?

Evans is a "fringe" HOF player at best? Really? Why don't you take a look at his career stats and get back to me. A couple of more years of similar stats and he is a lock. In fact, if we had picked Evans instead of Watkins, most posters on this board would have been more than cool with the trade-up.

Agreed. There's legitimate one score losses and bogus one score losses. The Steelers game is closer to the latter than the former. You're absolutely right that the mind blowing thing about the losses this year is that Titans, Pats and Bucs are absolutely agonizing losses where we are deep in the Red Zone with legitimate chances to win the game. Even JAX, we are a Gabriel Davis drop (someone who doesn't drop a lot of passes) from being in FG range to at a minimum send it into overtime.

Thanks for posting this. Really interesting video. It shows that the Chargers' special teams were historically bad. Consecutive punts blocked? Are you kidding me? What's interesting is that the Bills haven't had anywhere near that type of performance on special teams. It's not being able to score TD's in the Red Zone for sure, which is a result of not being able to run the ball. Still, two wins out of five in one score games puts you at 9 - 4 and leading the AFC. I can't remember being as disappointed in a season as this one. Even the 2 - 14 seasons in the 80's. Maybe the nightmare of losing to Belichick and Brady on consecutive weeks is the cause. At this point, 10 - 7 and one upset win in the playoffs would be reasonable. Think about how that would have gone over with the fanbase before the season started.

That's what he is, isn't it? Doesn't Dallas play a 4-3 and he's the Mike.

Looked it up. 2010 Chargers were #1 on both offense and defense and finished the year 9 - 7 and out of the playoffs. That, my friends, is hard to do.

After 13 games, the Bills are the #1 defense (yards) #3 defense (points), #8 offense (yards), #6 (points). And yet, they are an absolutely mediocre 7 - 6. Anomalies like this happen from time to time. Several years ago, the Chargers finished the year #1 in both offense and defense and missed the playoffs. If I recall correctly, they were horrific on special teams. Conversely, one of the Dick Jauron coached teams was near rock bottom in both offense and defense yet finished 7 - 9 thanks to playing ultra-conservative football to beat bad teams and great special teams play under Bobby April. They got their brains beat in by good teams. Here, special teams play hasn't been horrible (granted blocked punt against Pittsburgh and McKenzie fumble against Colts didn't help). It isn't turnovers either. Bills are in top ten in turnover differential. Of course, the answer is the team blows out inferior opponents and loses close games to both good and bad teams. The only outlier is the blow out loss to the Colts. Is this an anomaly? I can't think of another team that really fits this description. We know the defense isn't the '85 Bears or the '00 Ravens. It's a good but not great defense that can be exploited by the run and doesn't generate enough sacks. The offense has been very inconsistent. The inconsistency, however, seems for the most part to depend on who's starting on the offensive line. Bottom-line, maybe this is one of the few times you're not what your record says you are. I think that if the Bills make the playoffs, they will be the proverbial team that no one wants to face.