hondo in seattle

This is a great metaphor. You can judge a chef when you go to his restaurant and he has lots of ingredients to work with. If he disappoints, there's a problem. But you can't judge a chef's true ability on one of these tv game shows when they're asked to cook something good with lard, gochujang and shoe leather. Let's see what Daboll can do with good ingredients.

I’m squinting and they’re still going left to right. Looks senseless to me. Maybe the part of my brain that processes vision is defective???

Both interesting and knowledgeable. My favorite football writer ever. RIP.

If "offense is King" - then don't you need a good defense to defeat the other team's kingly offense in order to win the game? Someone needs to tell the Pats that having a defensive minded coach is a big mistake.

It was brutal to watch him on tv. Watching him, I wondered if he just stopped working out after the Bills cut him.

There hasn't been a drop off with Ivory because of the state of the offense. Ivory is more of a bruiser and that's good when your OL can't produce holes. Shady needs space to utilize his talents and this OL - and/or Daboll's scheme - doesn't create space. If the OL was better, Shady would be the more productive and dangerous runner.

4 wins for you guys is a catastrophe. For us, it’s business as usual.

I know what you mean - and generally agree - but still feel a need to comment on your last few words. I think Allen has multiple rookie moments every game. He doesn't read coverages as effectively or get the ball out as quickly as a good veteran. He holds onto the ball longer than a good vet because - as a rookie - he needs more time to process.

Coughlin's roster... Marrone's offensive scheme... Marrone's preparations... Hackett's fired.

I'm happier now with Barkley and Anderson on the roster! These guys are both better backups and better mentors for Allen than Nate. Allen remains a question mark. He can make all the throws a NFL QB is supposed to make - but can he make them on a consistent basis? Can he read coverages as well as he should? Can he learn to make quicker decisions? Can he develop a better sense of when to slide in the pocket and when to tuck and run? I'm hopeful but not yet convinced.

Wasn’t Marrone the de facto OC there already?

I gave a class on kaizen to my team (restaurant industry) earlier this year. Interesting to see the Bills use it.

It's not - and you know it 26CB. Beane and McD aren't idiots. I think you're just expressing your frustration. Beane and McD didn't pick up the game of football just this year. Like anyone involved in the NFL, they've known for many years that speedy players can stretch defenses. It's a matter of weighing pros and cons. They apparently saw more pros than cons in having KB out there instead of a speedier guy. KB can't get separation. Foster can't catch. It was a pick-your-poison situation. But when KB started demonstrated he couldn't catch either, it made more sense to go with the speedsters. And when that proved to be successful, Beane and McD reevaluated how they weigh different attributes. They're now putting more weight on speed.

If Vegas odds are determined by roster spending, we would be underdogs every game this season.

I'm not sure why some Bills fans obsess over McD's use of the word, "process." Virtually any leader tasked with rebuilding a team or organization has some kind of plan or methodology in mind. Several sports coaches - not just on the Bills or Colts - like to use "process" to describe their method or plan. Long before McD, even I've used the phrase "the process" when talking about building up business teams. The word is apropos because building a winning team isn't like flipping on a light switch - it's a series of complimentary actions. McD has never laid out (to the public, anyway) the specifics of his particular process. Maybe he's never really formulated a list. But I imagine the elements would include: * build a winning culture * find players who put team first * practice hard, play hard * pay attention to detail * be on time * hold each other accountability * minimize whining & negativity In other words, it's a lot like the processes of Belichick, Cowher, Walsh and many others. I have little doubt in the wisdom of McD's process - as best as I can discern it. The pertinent question is: Can he execute it as well as the guys who win Super Bowls? Patton once said something to the effect that 5% of the success of any plan depends on the plan itself. The other 95% is execution. With a very limited payroll, McD has done a nice job building the D. But we've seen this all too many times in our history. Either the O is good or the D is good but they're almost never good at the same time. Can Beane and McD break that trend? Next year we'll learn how well they draft; how effectively they attract FAs; and what McD does with the influx of new blood. Until then, I think it's a bit premature to judge the Beane/McD process, plan, method, program, strategy, system, modus operandi or whatever you want to call it. But I'm glad they have one because they'd be idiots if they didn't.

Show us that quote because I don't recall it. McD has talked about the importance of culture. And he's right, it's important. Bill Walsh valued culture, too. Walsh - who went 2-14 in his first year with the 49ers - wrote that "Culture precedes positive results."

This is a worthy thread. Rather than another Let-me-share-my-opinion-again-why-I-think- Terry/Kim/Beane/McD/Peterman-sucks thread, I want to thank DCO for sharing new and interesting insights. Good work!

Thought the the same about Bruce. All good DEs are held.

Better D. Worse OL. Better OC???? Maybe yes.

The Saints have attempted about half as many "deep" passes as the Bills but completed 4 more. Quality trumps quantity.

Rodak's remark about short fields isn't very meaningful, actually. The fact that Bills opponents are facing short fields could explain why the Bills are only giving up 25.9 yards per drive - 2nd best in the NFL. But it doesn't explain some other things... The Bills offense has a lot of 3-and-outs and turnovers, so I'm guessing the Bills face more drive starts than other Ds. I know for sure only five defensive units have had to face more plays. The Bills D is playing under duress. Yet the Bills D only gives up 4.9 yards per play - 2nd best in the NFL. And the Bills lead the league in tackles for a loss and forced fumbles. This D is pretty good.

Continuity is great - when you have the right folks in the first place. And not just on the offensive line. The Steelers love continuity in general. Both their GM and HC have been around for a very long time. I'd love to see both more continuity on the Bills and an investment in the OL.

One of my favorite Bills WRs - Eric Moulds - had as much production in year My 2nd favorite Bills WR of all-time, Eric Moulds, had twice as many yards in Year 3 (1368) as Year 1 (279) and Year 2 (294) combined. After an unimpressive start to his career, Moulds averaged just about 1,000 yards per season from his 3rd NFL season to his 10th, despite some injuries. Some WRs need time to blossom. Hopefully Zay's best years lie ahead.

I'm not sure we need another thread on tanking versus not-tanking. Though, I suppose, Peterman's cutting adds a new wrinkle to the conversation. I personally never thought we were "tanking" per se. I'm sure McD and his staff try their hardest to win each week. And I don't believe Beane ever talks about intentionally losing games. But leading the league in dead money this year and then being #3 in available cap space next year is no accident. Beane did very little to make 2018 a successful year. He's doing a lot to make 2019 and beyond good years.

I think Pancho Billa has surpassed Pinto Ron as the most famous Bills fan in America. (Not counting Bills fans like Wolf Blitzer who are well known for other reasons). I was telling Pancho's story to my wife yesterday and then suddenly, mysteriously, there were drops of salt water on my cheeks.