hondo in seattle

It's hard to know but I don't think that was Beane's intent. Beane can only spend real money on a limited number of position groups and I'm guessing he had a thoughtful plan on how to build a good overall roster within the restraints of the cap. I think Beane thought he built a good OL. And, with Josh at QB, he believed he didn't really need elite receivers for this offense to work. Give Josh some protection and he'll find a way to get yards. I also think Beane may have overestimated the OL, DL, DBs, and receivers he had acquired. That's my guess.

Our receivers struggle to get open while our OL has been seriously inconsistent in protecting Josh. I agree with your general idea that under these circumstances, Josh needs to use his legs more - both on designed plays and improvisational stuff.

We don't have the right players to play offense with speed or power. We don't have the right players to play aggressive defense. I don't think we have the right coaches to play innovative (i.e. non-stagnant) offense. Sadly, the problems you list are not easily fixed. It seems to me that making a run in the playoffs will require: * Josh to play hero ball. * Babich to coach his guys up to a higher level. While we don't have great athletes on D, they can communicate better, miss fewer assignments, swarm to the ball more energetically, play to the whistle more often, and cover each other's mistakes, etc. as we've seen in previous iterations of the McD defense. * Brady to be much more consistent at developing effective game plans and calling good plays.

This isn't a rhetorical question... Set the stats aside; what skills does Lockett add at this point in his career that we don't already have on the roster?

I think Poyer's considered a SS. But on McD's defense, the dividing line between SS and FS is blurry and fluid. McD likes safeties who can do everything: deep zone, man coverage, in-the-box run support, whatever. It's easier to disguise the scheme when both safeties are Swiss army knives and the QB can't be sure what either of them is doing.

Our Defensive identity is we'll let you run all day but we'll meekly try to stop you from passing downfield. Our Offensive identity is Josh is our hero but if you sit in a soft shell all day, we'll give Jimbo the ball.

I usually scoff when journalists pretend to know more than coaches. But I agree with most of this.

I think Hoecht's versatility is interesting. If the Bills can use him creatively to confuse offenses, he'll be a plus. If they simply use him as another rotational guy - well, then he's just another rotational guy with minimal impact.

How do fans sense urgency during a week of practice? I think maybe - I'm just guessing here - that's just your lack of faith in our coaching staff talking. I know McD has flaws but I don't think complacency is one of them. I think the Bills know how badly they've been playing, know the situation they're in, and are fully committed to winning this game. That won't mean they will because there's a real roster deficit to deal with. But, as someone who doesn't attend practices and has no insider knowledge, my guess is that urgency is not an issue.

A cursory look at the numbers shows two teams more or less evenly matched: Bills Cats Offense #3 #16 Defense #19 #7 TO Diff -1 -2 However, the Bills are in a funk. While I hope McD and Babich fix some of our defensive problems, I'm pinning my hopes on Brady and Josh. If we play offense like we did the past two games, we lose. But if we play offense like the first 4 games, we win.

I don't think it's ever been a consensus that Beane, McDermott, and Allen were all elite. But I do agree that Beane is the weak link. It's not a new revelation. I've been saying this for a long time. I'm not sure how to evaluate Beane because he deserves credit for drafting Josh. But here's a guy who hit an impressive home run once years ago with only a few base hits since. On the flip side, I think McDermott has done okay (.657) with the rosters he's been given, and the injuries the team's endured. He may not be a great coach, but he's a good one. As for Josh, he may not be the GOAT, though at moments - even entire games - he looks like he could be. In any case, he's by far the best player we have and deserves to be surrounded by better teammates. Every season, he either plays with a subpar OL, or a subpar receiving corps, or both.

I don't want to fire Brady. I want him to get better. The Bills offensive coaching staff consists of roughly 10 guys. The roster has 20-some offensive players. I'd like to see the Bills develop a collective IQ that matches the 49ers, Chiefs, or Rams. Solicit the players for input (some of them are smart and observant) and collect the best offensive football minds you can find. Right now, our passing game specialist is Marc Lubick. I know little about the guy, but I wonder if we can upgrade him. Or complement him with another young passing game sensei or maybe an Assistant OC who excels at Xs and Os. Whatever the case, Brady needs to build a team of smart offensive coaches who collaboratively scheme and problem-solve at such a high level that no opponent can stop our Superman-driven offense. So, yes, I agree the main problem of our offense is Beane, not Brady, but I still want more from Brady. The last two weeks of offensive turds isn't all on Brandon. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Brady didn't make much lemonade in the Pats and Falcons games.

You're right, GB, and yet... Regardless of what separation stats may say, I feel like I see #2's, #3's and even backups getting wide open more often on other teams than our guys. The problem is bigger than not having a #1. Let me ask: do you believe our passing game is as good under Brady as it would be under, say, Kyle Shanahan? I agree that execution (generally a factor of coaching) and talent are critical. But I'd like Brady to put together a staff that can scheme a passing game as well as Shanahan and his coaches. And get the execution, too. And I'd also like Beane to get us more talent - which I agree also holds us back. As a fan, am I wrong to be greedy and want both?

Watching the OL these past two games, do you really believe we have one of the Olines in the league?

No doubt, Josh didn't play well. But it was a weird game by Brady. We're playing the league's best pass defense, our mediocre group of receivers are predictably struggling to get open, and our OL is experiencing some bad breakdowns. So we pass more than we run? Maybe Josh would've had a much cleaner, better game if (1) Beane had acquired more talent for the offense, and (2) Brady schemed and called a better game. A good coordinator makes success easy and failure difficult. Brady does that to some extent in the run game. Sometimes backs have nice holes to run through. But he doesn't do it as much in the passing game. Often receivers are covered and Josh is running around trying to make something happen.

Just a few examples, since you asked... “I saw the formation and I knew the play. We’d seen it on film all week. I just jumped the route.” — DeAngelo Malone after picking Josh off last week. “We knew they’d try to hit Knox on the seam early. That’s their rhythm starter. We took it away.” Christian Gonzalez, Patriots 2025 “They motioned the back and we knew it was the screen. That’s their tell. We jumped it.” Quincy Williams, Jets, 2024 “They’ve got some great athletes, but their route trees out of 12 personnel are pretty static. We keyed on that.” Spags, 2024 I feel weird - maybe even unfair - criticizing an OC that averages as many points as Brady does with the flawed squad he has. But Joe seems unimaginative and predictable at times - especially in the downfield passing game.

I agree with your conclusion, GB. But I don't think Brady is blameless. Not when defenders are saying they're reading our plays. Not when we continually see Josh scan the field and find no one to throw to. It's not like all the completions in the NFL are going to elite wideouts. Many other teams are scheming their JAG receivers open better than we are. And some of Brady's 3rd and 4th down calls remind me of Seattle throwing the ball in the SB when they should have given it to Marshawn. Sometimes play-callers overthink things. And sometimes they underthink things. Weirdly, Brady seems to do both.

His .174 winning percentage wouldn't even get him into Buffalo's Bottom Four, sad to say.

Bills 28 Birds 27

Since my wife is Filipina, maybe I should try that! Doing wings every gameday for 10+ years is getting old. To avoid monotony, I don't do just Buffalo Wings. I do Korean, Thai, Brazilian, Parm, etc. and sometimes just make up my own recipes. Recently I did Gochujang-Sofrito wings which were awesome, though I don't know how much good mojo wings bring when they're not Buffalo Wings made with Frank's.

I don't know what my source was either - just some article that showed up in my news feed. Some of the other data you share makes me feel a bit better about Tre. I'm cautiously backing away from the cliff now. Thanks. Though I'm still not seeing the Tre of old. Update: I just found the article, "Bills Veteran Already Looks Finished One Month Into 2025 Season." https://buffalowdown.com/bills-veteran-already-looks-finished-one-month-into-2025-season-01k6xtdyhq92

I'm not very good at math so I need someone to help me with this. I've sincerely always believed that 71 is bigger than 58. So why is Cook ranked 6th instead of 1st? Also, this defines "Open" as 2-5 yards of separation. What if you have 6 yards of separation? Is that not also open?

Sierra, you're an intelligent poster and I usually agree with you. But not here. According to one source, opposing QBs have a 121.9 quarterback rating when targeting whoever Tre is covering. If I'm a QB and I need a third-down conversion, I'm throwing to Tre's guy. Maybe Tre's dealing with something and will improve as the season progresses? I doubt if that's the case, but as a Bills fan, I can only fill my days with hope.

The average team has two receivers in the top 64. We have 3, almost 4... Everybody eats.

Good answer and I struggle with some of the same questions and uncertainties. I worry about the ticking of the Allen clock. I also worry about the truth behind the saying, "Good is the enemy of great." I think Beane is a good GM. I think McD is a good HC. But maybe we need someone who's more than 'good' to get us a Lombardi? I just don't know how many of those guys are available. Ultimately, when we're close - playoffs every year - I don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. I want to take the good we have, refine it, and make it Lombardi quality. I want Beane to plus-up his FO and McD to plus-up his coaching staff. I do fear the possibility of Beane and McD remaining in place for the next ten years and never delivering the goods. Would I rethink my position then? For sure. But right now, if I'm Pegs, I'm encouraging/pressuring them to make progress but I'm not yet replacing them. Whatever happens, I hope we both get to see Josh raise a trophy at the end of a season.