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This is what Lil Dirty said about the Cinci game... “The Bengals ran basic routes, maybe we should’ve did that, ran basic routes. Like out routes, go balls, you know, instead of running routes that you have to be going lateral or coming back to the football, or turning and running curls and things like that. If we were in a dome it would have been a totally different game.” Doesn't speak highly of Dorsey's game-planning and play-calling.

Sadly, neither Miller's nor Crippen's book is currently available on Amazon. I suppose it wouldn't have a big audience, but I'd personally love to read a book that covers Buffalo football from its shadowy beginnings in the 19th century all the way to the creation of the modern Bills. Miller's and Crippen's works probably have a lot of that information. I didn't know the great depression played a role in the demise of Buffalo professional football. But I wouldn't call Buffalo a small market team back then, even if its trajectory wasn't a good one. In 1900, Buffalo was the 8th biggest city in the States. In 1920, we were the 11th. In 1940, we were the 14th. Here's an interesting article on the Washington Glee Club: www.nhregister.com/news/article/NEW-HAVEN-200-Jim-Thorpe-and-Co-battle-11499619.php By accident, I found out Tommy Hughitt was the (unofficial) third leading scorer in 1920. We had 3 of the top five. americanfootballdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/1920_NFL_season City populations: www.infoplease.com/us/cities/population-20-largest-us-cities-1900-2012

No inside sources, just a Sorry Wild Ass Guess (SWAG)... McD told Frazier he wanted to take back playcalling next season or make some other change that Frazier didn't like. So they talked it over and Frazier decided to step away rather than continue in a diminished role. Frazier believes he deserves another opportunity to be a HC. And maybe he does. So feeling like a DC in name only, with McD actually in charge, can't be good for his professional self-esteem. If he can't get a HC job somewhere, he should probably find a DC position for an offensive HC. He needs to be in a position where he'll get credit for the successes of the defensive unit, not the HC.

I know we're not PFF fans here, but PFF ranks the Bills roster as the fifth best in the NFL: 5. BUFFALO BILLS Biggest strength in 2023: QB Josh Allen There isn’t a more do-it-all quarterback in the league right now than Josh Allen. In 2022, he accounted for 46 total touchdowns (38 in the air and eight on the ground) while also putting up the third-highest passing grade (85.8) and highest rushing grade (92.8) among quarterbacks. Biggest weakness in 2023: Receiver depth Outside of Stefon Diggs, there aren’t too many pass catchers on the roster that strike fear into the hearts of defensive coordinators. Gabriel Davis will have the occasional big game, but he isn’t much of a volume guy, as his single-game high for receptions in 2022 was six, which he accomplished twice. X-Factor for 2023: QB Josh Allen While Allen is as explosive as they come at quarterback, his play style can be a rollercoaster, as his 33 turnover-worthy plays were the most in the NFL. If Allen can bring that number down a bit, we’re looking at one of the most dangerous offenses in football. Rookie to watch: TE Dalton Kincaid Despite not drafting a receiver until the fifth round, the Bills managed to snag arguably the 2023 draft’s best pass catcher — regardless of position — in former Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid with the 25th overall pick. Buffalo may run more 12 personnel with Kincaid alongside the incumbent Dawson Knox in order to get the best group of pass catchers on the field. Over/Under 10.5 win total: Over It’s going to be difficult to repeat in the competitive AFC East, but Buffalo has come out on top in this division three years in a row. As long as Josh Allen is under center, the Bills should remain the favorites in 2023. www.pff.com/news/nfl-2023-roster-rankings-strengths-weaknesses-x-factors-rookies-to-watch#BUF

This was what Beane said when Frazier's departure was announced... "It's tough. It's a hard business as we know. There's a lot of scrutiny on it, and there's a lot of hours, a lot of time put in and, and, again, not speaking for Leslie, but sometimes you may just want to take a breath for a minute. Again, that would be for him to say, but he was very adamant that he's not going to retire. My two cents, just wanted to take a step back this season." This sounds like it was Frazier's decision and not a soft termination. Very mysterious!

Von had the same concern... "Immediately, my question was, ‘Is he all right?'" www.si.com/nfl/bills/news/buffalo-bills-von-miller-leslie-frazier-coach-absence-sean-mcdermott-nfl-combine

Here's a business idea... Somebody should open special teams academies in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. It would be difficult to teach a kid from a third world to be a good QB, DB, etc. in a place where organized football doesn't exist or does exist but at some primitive level. But you could take the right athlete and train him to be a good enough kicker or punter (or long snapper) that he'd win a scholarship at an American university and then maybe later pursue a professional career.

I partially disagree. The Bills D was not a paper tiger. It was a good defense that offenses often struggled against. It did seem to have problems, though, with highly efficient passing, and power-running, attacks.

Absolutely correct. Look at the way Tom Brady's career was ruined by a defensive-minded head coach. Great QBs need offensive head coaches to succeed in the NFL. Oh, wait a second. Maybe argument by anecdote doesn't work. And maybe, just maybe, QBs can thrive under defensive head coaches.

I wish we had a better peak behind the curtain and knew more precisely what Frazier contributed. I also acknowledge the possibility we might miss him. But I'm not convinced we will. This has always been McD's defense. Schematically it's not going to change. The way we run our offseason, do film study, hold position meetings, gameplan - all that stuff will remain the same. I'm guessing Eric Washington, who's been a DC before, will mostly organize all that now instead of Frazier. But it'll be the same routine based on the same defensive philosophy. And on game day, McD will call the plays instead of Frazier. As a fan with limited insight into the behind-the-scenes operations of the team, it doesn't seem like there ought to be a drop-off. In fact, with McD calling plays, we should see improvement.

Agreed. McD brought Frazier onboard as his DC because they were aligned schematically. McD knew what scheme he wanted to execute and chose a DC who was philosophically supportive. Based on their defenisive rankings over the past few years, it was a good marriage. But, as I recall, when McD took over the play-calling a few years back, he called a more aggressive game. I've got to imagine that's where the dissatification lies - in the playcalling. Over the years, I recall both players and coaches praising Frazier's gameweek preparations. I don't recall much praise for his gameday playcalling. Sometimes what people don't say is telling.

His departure was so weird and mysterious that I kept an open mind. Was this a soft termination? Or maybe he had a private family issue to take care of and was only taking a leave of absence? My mind is less open now. If I had to take a SWAG, I'd say McD was generally happy with Frazier's preparations throughout the week but not happy with his predictable, cautious play-calling. McD decided that he'd do the play-calling in 2023. The two men talked it out at the end of the season and Frazier didn't want to continue in a diminished capacity. And this is what they come up with.

It sounds like, as some surmised, that Frazier is out permanently: The NFL released a memo on Wednesday listing the 40 participants of the league’s 2023 coach accelerator program May 21-23. Leslie Frazier’s name was included in the memo, however, he was one of three head-coaching hopefuls (along with Pep Hamilton and Kris Richard) to not have a team affiliation next to his name. www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/does-leslie-frazier-s-latest-venture-hint-he-won-t-return-to-bills-in-2024/ar-AA1bkG6e?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=b643a44bc2294b33ae7f8a3b6dd8b453&ei=44

This is the kind of thing my family will buy me for my birthday or Xmas and I'll act like I'm happy to get it.

We go 1-1 against Miami and the Jets. We go 2-0 versus NE We beat Las Vegas, Washington, JAX, Cinci, NYG, Tampa, Denver, Dallas, and LA Chargers. We lose to Philly, KC. We also lose to one of the teams I previously said we'd beat. 12-5.

I'm not a fan of the violent implications but I understand the urge. Grabbing someone by the neck and forcibly kissing them is unacceptable. If someone did that to my wife or daughter, I'd hope for something more from the authorities than a slap on the wrist. Jail time is appropriate.

Agreed. I never thought HOFer when watching Eli play and I wouldn't vote for him if I was a selector. His brother and father were both better QBs. But the rings get him in.

Kay, you should write a book about the early days of pro football in Buffalo. I didn't know about the game at the Polo Grounds - or if I did once know, I had forgotten and didn't register the significance. Cool we beat the great Jim Thorpe in front of a NYC audience. Sucks that the game probably affected the important game the following day against Akron. It's interesting when you look at the old schedules. Back then professional NFL (APFA) teams played games against non-NFL semipro and pro teams. In 1920, the great Canton Bulldogs played the Washington Glee Club - an actual glee club??? - in front of 11,000 fans and only managed a tie. Canton lost to another non-NFL team: Union AA of Phoenixville! Phoenixville billed itself as the "US Professional Champions" after finishing their season - mostly against non-NFL local clubs - undefeated.

I mostly agree about Namath not belonging, BUT... Professional football used to be more about running than passing. Namath was one of the very first gunslingers. In 1967, Namath became the first pro quarterback to pass for over 4,000 yards. The feat wasn't repeated for another 12 years when Dan Fouts did it with Air Coryell. And, remember, when the AFL and NFL merged, the AFC was considered the junior league. Namath's confidence going into the third Super Bowl as huge underdogs was memorable. The Jets victory, with Namath as MVP, changed the AFC's perception and helped the popularity of the league. I don't know if you ever watched Namath play. I did. He was a beat-up, weak-kneed wreck in the second half of his career. In his prime, he was a real threat.

The selectors look at stats, honors (All Pro, etc.), and rely heavily on their own memories. And that last fact is problematic. Selectors don't watch every regular season game. But they do watch the playoffs and they certainly watch Super Bowls. So guys with good playoff and Super Bowl credentials, like Swann, get in. This will be controversial, but I believe if Eric Moulds played for that Steeler team, he'd be in the HOF instead of Swann. But Moulds has no chance because his career in Buffalo was barely noticed despite his talent.

Kay, you've been very informative! Good stuff!!! I figured you'd mention Buffalo's weaker schedule and it is, admittedly, a good point. I don't know if the Bills are building a museum at the new stadium, but they should. And they should have exhibits celebrating the professional football teams that existed in Buffalo before the Bills. I don't know much but I'd love to learn more and it would be cool to see old game film - where it exists - and artifacts like yellowed 1920's news clippings, leather helmets, and melon-shaped footballs. My last push for wanting Hughitt in the HOF... The Canton Bulldogs are considered by many to be the NFL's first great team. There's a reason the HOF is in Canton. But the All-Americans were just as good the first two years of the NFL. Buffalo scored more points and won more games - admittedly against a weaker schedule. In head-to-head matchups in the 1920 and 1921 seasons, Buffalo went 1-1-1 against Canton and outscored them. Canton had 3 HOFers on its 1920 squad and 1 on the 1921 team. In their short history, Canton had 6 HOFers. The All-Americans, despite their dominance in 1920-1921 had none. It seems disproportionate and unfair. The HOF selection committee should recognize the All-Americans and vote one of their players into the Hall. Like other NFL teams, the All-Americans had some weak opponents that pumped up their stats. But Buffalo could compete with the best of them. In 1921, we finished the regular season undefeated, having beaten the top NFL teams: the Chicago Staleys and Akron Pros (and tying Canton). But you know the story... After finishing the season with a convincing 14-0 win against Akron, the exhausted players took a train ride to Chicago with no days rest for an "exhibition" game that the NFL decided to count as a championship game. Undefeated... but no championship or Hall of Famers. Doesn't seem right.

Yeah, I'm hoping he gets a HUGE contract. The more money Williams and Rodgers get, the less the Jets have for skilled free agents.

So... low risk/low reward?

The pass rush is a legit concern. Our pass rush was significantly better last year when Miller was healthy. Hopefully he fully recovers and plays a full season. In any case, our pass rush won't get worse than last season. We will feel Edmunds' loss but our D won't fall apart. Especially if our key defenders can stay healthy. Think of the advantage of having Von, Tre and our safeties healthy this year.

Let me ask you because I don't know, and you might... In 1920, Buffalo led the league in scoring by a wide margin. We recorded 258 points that year. The next best team, the Jim Thorpe led Canton Bulldogs, scored 208. In 1921, we again led the league in scoring by a wide margin. We put up 211 points that year versus 148 for the next highest-scoring team, the Akron Indians. We were an offensive powerhouse. In the first two seasons combined, we scored 469 points. The next best team (Canton) scored 314. We outscored the 2nd most talented team, the storied Bulldogs with 4 Hall of Famers, by just about 50%! Were we just that more talented - with zero HOFers? Or was Hughitt doing something interesting on offense? The PFRA article says Hughitt was a "progressive" coach and employed a system he learned from the "legendary" Fielding Yost. Yost won 4 national championships at Michigan with his "point-a-minute" offense. Maybe Hughitt did bring some impactful offensive scheme into the NFL??? Something lost to football history???