BADOLBILZ

Above was one of the more nonsensical takes I've seen. Converting a 4th down instead of punting is literally the same as stealing an extra possession. But also, still not the equivalent of a turnover. Sorry. I literally just watched a pretty woeful Chargers defense nearly beat the hottest team in the NFL because they dictated the pace of the game with aggression and put TD's on the board instead of FG's. But will hear about "9 points left on the board" from the geriatric thinking crowd(who will ignore that the Chiefs points left on the board + impact of keeping the Chiefs backed up against their end zone most of the game ALONE equated to 10 points). Great football game instead of another blowout for the Chiefs and nearly a 3rd straight win for them over the Chiefs.

There was a time when people thought he was a better and younger HC than Saban. I'm sure it pains him to know that he's not even considered in his class anymore.

Your assumption that not settling for field goals wouldn't have altered the outcome of the AFCCG is all about your own personal feels. That's been McDermott's explanation as well. So one of you is wrong despite your agreement. Win probability favors the extra points. Emotion and intensity is undeniably gained from trusting your players. But, of course fortune favors the conservative........right? And unconverted 4th downs are the unfiltered equivalent of turnovers in the same way that 4th down extended drives are likewise extra possessions gained or the equivalent of turnovers by the opposition. You are so busy worrying about a 4th down conversion possibly not turning into points (or 4-5 extra points) that you've forgotten that not all changes of possession result in points for the opposition either. That's part of the "play not to lose" mentality.

Well, Staley is the top rated coach on the list you chose to illustrate your point. I'm well aware that for most of the game........McDermott let's Daboll and Allen play an aggressive brand of football. He's not been conservative. His 4th down coaching isn't by any means the reason that they've lost 5 games...........they just aren't an assignment sound football team this year on offense and they have been vulnerable to teams that are allowed to pound them on the ground. But the problem is you can't change your team's stripes on 4th down and in the red zone just because you don't trust your offense and the OC. They are what they are.........you ride the wave or you set yourself up to get beaten by the other teams style. McD has too often done the latter this season.

No, it doesn't prove that it just indicates where he ranks relative to his peers.

There are a lot of people like yourself who think that most games are inevitably decided by close scores because there is just so little talent difference between teams. I've never believed that..........in fact, more often than not teams coach themselves into close games. Some teams are built to play that way. The Bills (and Chargers) simply are NOT. It's pretty self evident at this point but it's lost on people who think that there is one way to coach and play because........well that's just how it is.......I guess. As Josh Allen was told by his father "You bloom where you're planted"...........and these Bills were selected to play aggressive offensively and defend leads against teams that are then forced to throw dozens of short passes. Teams like NE and TN and Baltimore and Indianapolis were built much differently and need to be coached differently. Your take on the preposterous punt in Tampa is as accurate as saying that McDermott made the right decision to kick those field goals in KC last January. It's never right if that's not playing to your team's strength. Punting there.........as if you were in control of Tampa's offense when they were on their way to a 500 yard afternoon.......was ill-conceived. To me this is as uncomplicated and obvious as adjusting your systems to suit your personnel rather than forcing into schemes that do not...........but 20 years ago this also was not accepted as the axiom that it is now. As for Staley hurting his team's chances........from what I've seen he's mostly propelled them forward. His #1 ranking on 4th down decisions certainly passes the eyeball test. Not just because of overall analytics.........but also because of the team he has.

Yeah I heard Sal and Joe talking about this on WGR this am. 14th in 4th down decisions.......coaching a team that isn't built to succeed by being cautious.......has had a significantly large game day impact since his sphincter tightened up in that AFCCG. A good comparison might be Staley versus McDermott on 4th downs. They have very comparable superstar QB talents in Allen and Herbert.........but Staley coaches to win on 4th down and McD has been coaching "not to lose" while having the more talented (but also mistake prone) roster. Belichick ranks 30th in 4th down decision making..........but despite CCI claiming to take a ton of things into account........what it fails to show is that Belichick's team is built to play and win by being conservative. They are conservative because they aren't dynamic but instead are just excellent in execution on both sides of the ball. The Bills are dynamic but not consistent in execution on either side of the ball. So over the 10-12 possessions they get per game they are best served trying to separate rather than keep the score close. Two distinctly different types of teams but McDermott plays it too much like he has the team that is built to win close games, which he does not.

Shinola Twain's pants don't impress me much.

Isn't Shinia that drug for adults living with shin splints?

The NFL didn't destroy his legacy. Plenty of excellent college HC's have failed in the NFL.........including the greatest ever........Nick Saban. The manner of his firing is irrelevant in the big picture. Nobody remembers Lou Holtz brief tenure as NY Jets HC.

Don't we all know why Honest Urb gets hired? The bigger question is why do fans like yourself keep falling so hard for his lies when it was so abundantly clear that you were being played by a guy who stacks up issues wherever he goes and then has to find an out. He'd have claimed another health issue already but he didn't have enough runway to get that one off the ground this time. The NFL is a lot quicker at exposing frauds. #BADOLISRIGHT

I apologize that I can't make this point more succinct. But there isn't really a positive to draw from the fact that the Bills lost a number of one score games, IMO. IMO teams typically coach themselves into tight games..........which puts the better game day coaching and the team that consistently executes their play design in the better position to win. Belichick is comfortable playing that style because it allows him to utilize the things he does best.......fielding a team that is motivated and executes.......and his own in-game coaching. The Bills haven't been the better coached team on any of the days where they've lost this season. Nor have they been the team that either played harder or executed better. They've fallen short in at least 2 of those 3 areas in each loss. I don't think I am telling anyone anything they haven't seen with their own eyes..........with this Bills team........field goals........especially in the red zone....... are usually just being 3 points closer to losing. They aren't efficient on offense. Nor are they leak-proof on defense. But yet they are very dynamic on both sides of the ball......and have shown that......the stats undeniably support it. It's in great part about giving the right amount of exposure. MORE on offense.........LESS on defense. McDermott has that backward this season. What they have is a very dynamic QB who gives them a distinct talent advantage over basically everyone they play. They have a very effective defense but they aren't physical enough to win by strangulation. Allen is the key and that's the way the league is designed.........to be dominated by elite QB's. You have to keep the ball in the hands of Allen and his offense as much as possible. And for chrissakes.........at MINIMUM play the percentages analytics direct you to. No kicks that fall in the 85th percentile of preposterous punts over the last 20 years(like last game). Better yet.......take those general percentages.......and add in the Allen factor. Anything else is either playing into the hands of the opposition or playing down to them.

Yep. Boettger was the guy they chose instead of keeping Teller. People forget that Teller was a well regarded prospect that really fell in the draft. About the equivalent of Trey Smith this year with the Chiefs. Teller showed flashes as a rookie and seemed like a building block going forward. But the OL was such a big mess in general in 2018 that they probably over-compensated and then couldn't see a near future where that the 10th guy was a starter. Boettger has had to start A LOT of games in 2020 and 2021..........and it's not because he's earned it.

To keep Boettger. I believe Beane even explained that decision somewhere in the media well before Teller broke out with Cleveland. Boettger had been training to play every position to make himself useful. Teller was guard only.

Funny how it was always available to a Bills team with Tyrod Taylor at QB and Roman/Lynn calling the offense.

Look..........we've already established that @eball called it first on November 16. That's the thread. Not the guys that called it after the Saints game. Or the guys who tried to call their shot on Tuesday after the Pats game. Or your guy 19 hours ago. Or @Alphadawg7 now. @eball is the first one to ever consider the possibility of the team winning the rest of their games at any point this season..........fact.

I wasn't a fan of the Basham pick...........but I also don't know what kind of guard Humphrey would have made. He's been a center forever........if you plug Humphrey in at center then Morse is off the field. He can't play guard. Not physical enough. So you likely still end up Boettger, Williams and Ford at the guards around a rookie center deploying an outside zone attack.........which probably still sucks. Beane has tied himself up in knots with numbers. Example: he traded Wyatt Teller because they got to camp and realized that Mr. "we need a tackle" Cody Ford was a shaky RT and might have to play guard. So they kept Boettger because he had worked hard to train as a backup at every position. Boettger has never played anything other than guard since. On the plus side.......we saw some old Greg Roman style inside zone running last night and suddenly the run blocking didn't look so bad. As bad as the OL has been this year............the coaching and techniques chosen have been just as bad.

What's to pick on? Beane could only pick 3 lineman in the first 3 rounds of the 2021 draft because he only had 1 pick in each round.........and in the 2nd and 3rd rounds of the previous two drafts he took 2 RB's and a really lousy offensive guard. They've also spent A LOT in free agency and re-signs on both lines. I think they had the highest amount of cap space dedicated to the offensive line in the NFL in 2020 and the most to the DL in 2021. It's not for lack of investment that they aren't very good at the LOS or productive enough at RB.

Astonishingly brutal loss for Hamilton. Blow the big second half lead when crowd is in celebration mode. Give up a stupid single on the kickoff to put them down 3 instead of 2. Drive the length of field.........Masoli misses wide open WR on short pass that would have won the game the game. Kick the McDermott........then lose in OT. 22 years and counting for TiCats.

Allen and Diggs(seemingly) getting injured is the best of what world? There is still a chance for them to win out and do well in the playoffs but I don't really see any of your 3 things as being accurate/relevant to that.

He got two yards after a catch. That was good but Tampa's receivers were stacking YAC yards all game. The Bills badly need a fast, elusive target in their WR corps that can make a play after the catch. BADLY. Allen played great but still ended up with less than 6 yards per pass attempt cuz these guys got no juice. Beasley, in particular is having a pathetic yards per reception season. Almost impossibly bad. Gabe isn't going to be that RAC guy.

Looks to me like he might have blown up that torn groin he had at the end of last year.

To me the 1994(miss the playoffs after dominating the AFC to end 1993) 1995(Bruce Flu) 1996(Kelly's ignominious end) and 1999(Flutie's horrible losses cost them home field) seasons were all worse than an early exit this year would be. Those teams were actually loaded with players who had been to SB's and the 1999 team should have WON the SB in a weak year for the NFL as a whole.

Yeah I want to see them be aggressive and creative on offense. I don't want to see them settling for field goals deep in the red zone...........from the AFCCG thru the first 3 losses this season that was one of the defining characteristics of a Bills loss.