Utah John

I never thought this would be a lost season. I thought and still think it's a season where the Bills should have a winning record but not have a reasonable chance at the Super Bowl. To some, that is by definition a lost season, and I understand and respect that. My view is that the 2022 team was the one where everything was in place and on schedule to win everything, and we screwed that up, and we've been playing damage control ever since, trying not to let the whole thing collapse, and working to figure out how to get better in the future. My view since the offseason is that 2025 and 2026 are now looking like our championship years (in part because KC has to lose its mojo some day, right?). So spending future resources on a WR1 to replace Diggs seemed like grasping at straws, and like a great way to keep 2025 and 2026 from working out. I still think that. The Bills spent millions of dollars on band-aids for the receiver group, and got pennies on the dollar for their investment, at least so far. But you could take all those millions and still not be able to afford one of the top tier WRs available in FA. And trading a second rounder for an aging WR just looks foolish if you're viewing the process from a long-term perspective.

The situation was apparent in March. Too many departures, too many aging players, too little cap space. And then Milano, Johnson, Bernard all out. Geez. I remain convinced the Bills can and should win the AFCE again, but it was never realistic to expect more this year. Look around the league. With few exceptions (KC for instance) even the top teams take dips in some seasons, and often they rebound with more excellent seasons. I think what has Bills fans petrified is our history, that after we get good, we don't dip and come back, we dip and then sink, for a decade or more. The Bills were strong with Lou Saban v.1, then fell apart for six or seven years, got better with Lou Saban v.2, then fell apart for over a decade until Chuck Knox, then fell apart for a decade until Marv Levy, then fell apart for a generation before McD. To be a Bills fan is to know the abyss is always just around the corner. I simply don't believe we're in that situation right now. I think the strong core of the team remains, and added pieces next offseason plus maturity from Cole Bishop on the back end will right things.

I think the key losses in the offseason were the two safeties -- who were both too old and slow anyway, so it was necessary to move on from them -- and Mitch Morse, who was NOT old and slow and was playing very well. What Morse did and what McGovern isn't doing is calling the blocking assignments to pick up the packages that defenses are throwing at us. Josh is running for his life almost every play. Against the Texans, he had a clean pocket once, when the Texans rushed four and didn't do anything exotic, and Josh hit Coleman for a TD. And that was the last time the Texans did THAT. They immediately got back to the stunts and twists, and the Bills just aren't blocking them. Maybe the Bills need to go 21 or 22, to keep a solid pass blocker in the backfield, and that's probably got to be Gilliam, who's more stout than any of the three RBs. As for the safeties, Poyer and Hyde did magic, year after year. Smart, aggressive, fast -- both were terrific players. NOT easily or quickly replaced. Hamlin is not the guy. He was too slow before he died and he isn't faster now. Bishop is making mistakes, which hurt but come on, he's a rookie learning a complicated system when most of the defensive playmakers are gone. The Bills took several shots at the bargain bin in WR FA, overpaying for them (Curtis Samuel, OMG, Valdez-Scantling, oh crap). They're overpaying Bass (who might have us all quaking every time he lines up, but he's actually been doing well).

Well if it makes you feel better Josh could very easily have three or four picks this year. A couple of LBs and DBs have had INTs in their hands and have dropped them. Josh IS trying to do more and more, probably too much, to overcome the deficiencies of the roster.

With all the departures and losses and the aging of former core players, and no cap money to spend, and a few lousy purchases in FA, the Bills simply don't have a team good enough for the SB this year. The outlook for this year was always, just see if we can win the division, just to keep the streak going, and then in 2025 and 26 when there's more money available, then make the run. So it's going to be a rocky year, with a lot more excitement than we're used to. Fortunately the AFCE is incredibly weak so the Bills should be able to win the division again. Opposing defenses are focused on taking away Cook and Kincaid, and without Shakir no one else can get open. The O line problems -- what the hell is going on? is it pass protection schemes, individual mistakes, or what?

Isn't that intentional grounding?

OK, the Bills are doing better now that I've stopped posting. C-ya.

Some people here would say Coleman must still be running, he's so slow.

Well, Coleman kept the ball in the wrong hand, so let's not get too excited.

Well.

No reason to go on fourth down. Not making plays.

Seems like that's not allowed.

Coleman will be a great WR2 for years to come. He's not equipped to be a WR1.

Yeah, that's part of the new kickoff rules.

What I mean is, it could be a play change wasn't communicated.

Not allowed until the fourth quarter.

Maybe, or maybe Josh made the mistake. We won't know.

The Kincaid completion came against four man rush. The Texans won't do that again.

Elam not on the field because Benford is better.

I think Bishop will work out fine. Keep in mind his partner is Hamlin.

Two things can be true at the same time, or at least on the same drive.

I guess I mean, we need our old safeties from 2022.

But they held the Texans to a FG! Big win!! Not.

What the Jets do is more important than what the Bills do.

Maybe they need our old safeties...