mjt328

With the criticism for his protection schemes last week, plus us probably playing without both tackles... it's very likely that Joe Brady makes some adjustments for this week's game (2-3 quarters too late). Expect the RBs and TEs to help chip, and a lot of quick passes to get called. The question is, what happens downfield when the RBs and TEs are stuck blocking? Less options for the QB to throw to. Plus the Steelers will probably be ready for those quick screens we love to call. It's probably a given the offense will struggle badly again. Just hope that Josh isn't taking a physical beating as bad as last week.

My guess is that he's mostly talking about field position. When the offense turns the ball over or fails to move, it makes it harder for the defense to stop a scoring drive. When the defense gets turnovers and stops the opponent deep, the offense doesn't have to go as far to score. The fear amongst many fans is that he's also talking about time of possession, and limiting possessions. In other words, the offense shouldn't score too quick, because it puts the defense back on the field without much rest. Which if course is asinine and foolish when you have a Hall of Fame QB, and your plan is to play ball-control.

Previous seasons, our biggest problems seemed to be sloppy/undisciplined play. We went through long stretches with lots of turnovers, penalties, dropped passes, etc. But at the end of the day, we were still a fairly talented roster. And there were plenty of times throughout the season where our potential was shining through the rough patches. This year seems different. The issues seem much deeper. Outside of the Chiefs game, the Bills have looked really rough all season long. Even back when the team was 4-0, everything looked ugly. Tackling hasn't improved in the slightest. Even games we are scoring 30-40 points, it just isn't smooth or synced up. My fear that it's not a good team in a slump... but rather a team that just isn't very good anymore.

I'm not sure what Brandin Cooks has left in the tank. But at least we are trying to do something... which is better than the nothing we did at the trade deadline.

Exactly why I focus more on what I'm watching (the eye test), than stats and metrics. The passing offense is clearly struggling.

Watching other teams has given me the opposite thought. To me, this entire season is a HUGE missed opportunity. Seeing teams like the Indianapolis Colts (with Daniel Jones of all people) and the New England Patriots (with two former WRs on our team) feature passing offenses that are WAY more consistent than ours (with MVP Josh Allen)... it's just sad and depressing. For the last 5 years, we've been struggling to get past the other elite QBs of the AFC. Mahomes, Jackson and Burrow. And now that injuries/age have finally taken down our top competition in the conference, we completely fell off as well. Not only are we not going to get the #1 seed, but we will be lucky to get a Wild Card spot. I keep hearing that we still have a team capable of going on a run, since no other teams are dominant. But I'm just not seeing it. The Bills aren't flawed in one area. They have probably the worst rushing defense in the entire NFL, and a below average secondary. Their passing game has been an absolute mess most of the season, and even Josh Allen looks like a deer in the headlights. And none of their coaches have the ability to outsmart the guy on the other sideline. In fact, the only part of the team we can usually count on is the run game.

I'm thinking the Bills need a #1 WR, two edge rushers, two linebackers, a free safety, and new coordinators/schemes on both sides of the ball. And that's just to get back into the conversation for the AFC East title. This team needs a rebuild, and needs new people in charge of doing it. If the Pegulas stand pat (which most expect them to do), the list of opponents is going to be irrelevant.

The goal for every GM should be a relentless pursuit of TALENT, regardless of how it's done. Draft, Free Agency, Trades, etc. Les Snead succeeded in thinking outside the box, realizing that high draft picks were significantly overvalued around the league. Rookies are hit/miss, and take time to develop. Vets cost more, but it's easier to tell what they will bring. Of course, the other piece was excellent drafting in the middle/late rounds. You can easily trade away early picks IF you are hitting strong on Day 3. He was able to get a superstar WR (Puka Nacua) in the 5th Round, while Beane is totally lost at the position 20-25 picks in.

This may be the case, but he's also having trouble because of the way defenses are playing against us. The things that make Josh Allen special are his ability to escape pressure, his ability to scramble, and his ability to make throws other QBs simply can't. Instead of being 11 on 11, it's almost like giving the offense an extra player. Now since defenses don't need to respect our WRs, they only need to play Cover 1 with a single-high safety. That gives the defense an extra man to play around with, instead of dedicating him into a deep zone. And since we don't have anyone who threatens downfield, defenses can also press closer on routes and crowd more guys into the box. In other words, our lack of talent at WR is giving coordinators an extra guy that can blitz or spy, and giving Allen less space to scramble around.

Dion Dawkins apparently doesn't care anymore, and Spencer Brown finished the last game with his arm in a sling. Our O-Line has always struggled with TJ Watt and the Steelers pass rushers, even when we were good. Joe Brady is always slow to adjust, so he's probably just now figuring out now that he should have kept in an extra blocker or two against the Texans. Maybe he will make that change for this game. But then we have less options in the pass game, and we know how awesome our receivers are at getting open. Not sure who is still standing on the defense. One-handed Joey Bosa. The other starting DE who never gets any pressure anyway. I think Cole Bishop and Deone Walker haven't gotten hurt yet. I had to look up who the Steelers starting RB is, so I could get a heads-up on the next guy to get 100+ yards and 2 touchdowns rushing against us.

They could play their entire backup O-Line, and our pass rush won't sniff Drake Maye. I can't believe anyone would still be holding out hope for the AFC East title. It's not going to happen. I'm not even sure a Wild Card is realistic the way this team has been playing.

It's definitely both. Sean McDermott has never been a gameday coach, who outsmarts the guy on the other sideline. He's a player-friendly guy, who emphasizes high character, organization and fundamentals as the primary keys to winning. Both of these elements were key in laying the foundation of a winning franchise in the early years. The problem is that his scheme has gotten outdated over the years, and the talent level has dropped off a cliff. He's got no ideas on how to adjust or adapt. Bobby Babich was an internal hire, who brings nothing to the table other than to echo what McDermott already gives us. Joe Brady had some success when he was new, because his style was 180 degrees different from our previous OC Ken Dorsey. Now that defensive coordinators have figured out his tendencies and our talent limitations, he also has no idea how to adapt. He doesn't change gameplans for opponents, and doesn't recognize what is happening in-game in order to make adjustments. Talent-wise, this team was built mostly on Josh Allen, Doug Whaley's pre-firing additions (Poyer, Hyde, White, Dawkins, Milano) and the trade for Diggs. What Beane has added in actual rookie talent since drafting Allen is actually ridiculously pathetic. His free agent classes have been equally bad, and gotten us into terrible cap trouble. When the team has a mid-season hole, he's like a deer in the headlights. It used to be grab an old Panther. Now it's grab an old Bill that nobody else in the NFL wants to sign. The Bills are a stale coaching staff combined with an aging low-talent roster.

Very good chance Week 18 we are playing for the postseason, and I'm not sure they make it. I can think of really good reasons they could lose any of their upcoming games: With the way they struggled with the Texans pass rush, how do you think they are going to perform against the Eagles? I could see them also struggling badly with the Steelers and Browns rushers. Bengals get back Joe Burrow, so their record is irrelevant. The Jets also pose a much bigger threat with Tyrod Taylor, and Aaron Glenn might be coaching for his job in the final game. I've also finally accepted the Patriots are a better team than us this season, and will probably sweep.

The theme in the offseason will be that injuries were the excuse. The team will focus on the excitement of a new stadium, and try pumping up some mediocre free agent signings.

Thank you. This exactly. 100%. The first 4-5 years here, Brandon Beane couldn't think of almost anyone to bring in that didn't play for his former team in Carolina. Now that connection has dried up, so it's just former Bills who are clearly beyond the expiration date. Shaq Lawson hasn't played this season at all, and played one game last year. We might as well give JJ Watt a call in the announcing booth. And I don't want to hear about "knowing the system" or some garbage. This team is in desperate need for young talent. You only have so many roster spots, and these should be opportunities to give new guys with upside a shot. And if the system hasn't changed in two years, that's just more proof this coaching staff is as stale as the front office. I can't emphasize how much this team needs a regime change.

And as our talent level has decreased, we match-up well with less and less teams. We have always struggled on defense against physical run games and elite QBs. Now our offense can’t handle a strong pass rush or a good pair of corners either.

Bills would look silly to bench Coleman for missing meetings… and then replace him with a WR who was cut for missing meetings.

Inconsistency is often a sign of bad game planning. When you aren’t adjusting for a specific opponent’s tendencies, it’s like running into a brick wall. The Bills coaching staff likes to do their thing and hope they can just execute better. Did it look like Joe Brady had prepared in the slightest for a team with a strong pass rush?

We need a total rebuild. But with the right GM and staff, they can do it in 2 years.

Fire the coaches now. Tank for higher draft position. New coaches need to specialize in versatility, strategy and aggressiveness. No more coach-specific schemes that ignore what an opponent does on gameday. Start purging the bad contracts. First out the door are Curtis Samuel, David Edwards, Connor McGovern, AJ Epenesa, DaQuan Jones, Matt Milano, Taron Johnson, Taylor Rapp, Jordan Poyer, Tre White (most of these are free agents anyway). Start looking for trade partners on Dion Dawkins, Greg Rousseau, Terrell Bernard and Christian Benford. Dawson Knox takes a pay-cut or release. Prioritize using free agent dollars and Day 1 picks on high-impact players. Trade up if necessary. No more significant contracts being given to mid-tier guys like Josh Palmer and Curtis Samuel. No more using late 1st Rounders on guys who will peak as solid starters. Be aggressive in obtaining high ceiling talent. Day 1 is for getting All-Pro talent. Day 2 is for getting starters. Day 3 picks are for filling in the roster.

Coaching (McDermott, Brady, Babich) is a huge problem. Player talent (Beane) is a huge problem. But possibly the most frustrating thing is the regression by MULTIPLE long-time veterans, who have been playing at a high-level on this roster for many years. In some cases, I can believe age is playing into it. But others, I can't help but feel like they came into the 2025 season on cruise control. They saw an easy schedule on paper, the MVP in the locker room, and just figured they could sleepwalk to the playoffs... then turn it on when they needed to. Instead of naming everyone underperforming, think about how many players are playing at a level better/equal than years past? I would say James Cook, Dalton Kincaid, Ed Oliver and Cole Bishop. That's pretty much it. And two of those guys have been injured a significant portion of the season. The other 45+ players on the roster are playing worse than we have ever seen them... including Josh Allen.

There is a divide amongst the Bills fanbase. One side has PTSD from the 2000s drought. They are petrified about making a change, because they are worried about going back to being a totally irrelevant and joke of a franchise. So they would prefer keeping the status quo, because Beane/McDermott means Buffalo should at least be in the playoffs and competitive most years. The other side has PTSD from the 90s Super Bowl teams. They are petrified about NOT making a change, because they are worried we are going to waste another golden era (Hall of Fame roster vs. Hall of Fame QB) without hoisting a Lombardi. They would rather take the chance of things getting worse and going backwards, as opposed to being comfortable with just being good.

Nope. I've barely enjoyed anything involving this football team over the last 3 years. Even our wins seem pointless and meaningless, because AT BEST they are just part of the same routine... getting us back to the same place we are every January, and the inevitable postseason collapse. After 35+ years of watching this sport, I know that I'm only watching for one reason. Hoping that we can someday win the Super Bowl. And deep inside, no matter how well we play on a given week, I know that it's never going to happen. After last night, I'm seriously considering packing it in. This team has no prayer of going anywhere. Which means what is our best option for representing the AFC? The Chiefs going back for a 4th time in a row, finally wiping out the only accomplishment this pathetic franchise was ever able to claim? The resurrected Patriots showing they can lose Tom Brady, rebuild and go to the big game before we can with Josh Allen? The Ravens and their insufferable fans? How about a team featuring Daniel Jones at QB?

WR is the most obvious need. But it goes way beyond that. Dion Dawkins is overweight and has regressed badly this season. Probably time to start planning for the future. Khalil Shakir is either being misused, or decided not to show up this season. Dalton Kincaid is injury prone and Dawson Knox needs to take a massive pay cut. Almost the entire defense needs an overhaul. We are somehow simultaneously undersized AND slow. Matt Milano, Taron Johnson and DaQuan Jones are done. Tre White and Jordan Poyer were done 2-3 years ago. Terrell Bernard is too small to play MLB and needs to be replaced. Extending him was a huge mistake. Christian Benford and Greg Rousseau got paid and took the season off. Apparently extending them was also a mistake. Joey Bosa is a good pass rusher and huge liability in run defense. He should be a specialist, not an every-down player. The Bills need to fire the current front office. Get a new GM and new coaching staff. Time to pack it in for this season. The #1 seed is out of the question. The AFC East is almost certainly gone. We are looking at a Wild Card path (at best), and another early playoff exit.

You can if you have the guts to trade up for an elite prospect, and your scouting is good enough to fill in the roster with Day 2-3 picks.