mjt328

Probably not going to be many "real tests" for the Bills this year. Looking at the schedule, we only face three legitimate playoff teams the rest of the season. Chiefs, Bucs, Eagles. I would have put the Bengals there until they lost Joe Burrow for basically the season. A couple teams are decent enough to possibly push for an upset. Texans, Steelers. Divisional games can be tough sometimes, so there's that. My biggest worry about the Bills this year is they FINALLY get the #1 seed, but then march into the playoffs overconfident without being pushed enough during the year. My second biggest worry is that we get the Bye and then still have to play the Chiefs or Ravens in the Divisional Round.

Been back and forth on this one. Barring an injury to #17, the Bills are going to have the AFC East wrapped up by Thanksgiving. So everything we root for should be about getting the #1 Seed, and the most advantageous playoff matchups. Also looking at the schedule, it's really hard for me to see the Bills losing more than 3-4 games at the absolute max. And even that would require a few significant upsets. The Ravens are almost certainly the better team, and losing would put them a whopping 3.5 games back (only 4 games into the season). But it also gives the reeling Chiefs a boost of confidence. If they end up winning this game AND then beating us in Week 8, that would put them right back into the mix.. along with a crucial tie-breaker for the #1 seed. On the other hand, if the Chiefs get too far behind in the AFC West... they may be looking at a Wild Card slot behind the Chargers. Which means we could easily be looking at getting the bye, and then still facing them in the Divisional Round. Although I still believe we are the superior team to the Chiefs (especially at home), there is a psychological hurdle that we can't seem to get over.

Lamar Jackson is an incredible player and seems like a great guy off the field too. He's on pace to be a 1st ballot Hall of Famer, just like Josh Allen. Ravens fans are just a bizarre group though, to the point it makes it really hard to root for them. I get that ever fanbase is different. Bills fans are known around the league as rowdy drunks, who do crazy stuff like jump through tables. But they are also loyal and charitable - to the point of raising thousands of dollars for organizations in other cities (such as Andy Dalton). Ravens fans are... "Lamar Jackson is the best quarterback to ever play, is the only person to deserve the MVP every single season, every other QB in the NFL is terrible. I will ignore any stat that says otherwise. And if you don't agree, you are racist and don't know football."

The main job of a Defensive Coordinator is matching the pass rush to the coverage, and then adjusting it to stop what the Offense is doing. If the QB is getting rid of the ball very quickly, then a Defense must adjust. Have the corners play more press-man coverage. Have the D-Line focus more on batting and tipping passes. Maybe even try anticipating and jumping routes.

I think most of the frustration comes from the constant struggles to get a stop on 3rd Down. The Bills defense had an OK game on paper. But there were a half-dozen times when they had a chance to put the nail in the coffin, but just couldn't make a play to kill the drive. I'm not someone who studies the All-22 Coaches Film or advanced metrics websites. I rely on my own eyes and experience of watching the NFL for 35+ years. My personal unscientific definition of "pressure" is by counting 1-2, and whether or not the D-Line is able to either reach the QB or force him off his spot. Even though Tua was getting the ball out quick most of the game, there were plenty of 3rd Downs where he was able to hold the ball longer than 2 seconds. That's not good enough from the pass rush. The Bills seem to get nice individual performances here and there, but not consistently strong play from the unit as a whole. Joey Bosa has looked really good so far. But Groot, AJ Epenesa and the other edge rushers have been totally invisible. Ed Oliver was amazing Week 1. But he's been hurt the last two games, and we haven't gotten much from anyone else.

The Bills are capable of winning a Super Bowl with this roster. Just like they have been each of the last 4-5 seasons. So by definition, this defense is championship caliber. But yes, I agree it seems to have the exact same problems and doesn't seem to have improved even the slightest from last year. Still too inconsistent at stopping the run. Too many missed tackles. Third downs are always a disaster, either because of a lack of pressure or the secondary giving way too much space off the line of scrimmage. Lots of fans like to blame Brandon Beane for the roster. But when you are constantly drafting/signing different players every year, and the results are exactly the same over and over... that points more towards the coaching staff.

Hard to complain when your team is undefeated and scoring 30+ in every game (so far). But the passing game is definitely something to keep an eye on. In the NFL, it's really easy to ignore the small problems when your playing against inferior teams and still finding ways to win games. It's not until you play a better opponent and suddenly those small problems become a major issue. It almost seems like they came out of nowhere. But in reality, there were warning signs all along the way. The Bills offense has looked extremely timid and conservative in the first three games. Everything is dink/dunk and running game. The question is whether that's been mostly by design? Or because our WRs are really struggling to get open downfield? Or maybe a mix? I never thought I would see Josh Allen throwing short of the marker on 3rd Down. But he's already done it more than once already this season, leading to drive stalls and punts. We've also had a couple handoffs on 3rd and medium. I don't think we've tried taking even one downfield shot yet. We looked past it against the Ravens, because the offense opened up way more in the second-half and they made the big come-back. We looked past it against the Jets, because it was a blow-out and they didn't need to do anything else. But then last night, our offense was continually unable to put the nail in the coffin. And if not for the roughing penalty, they were in the process of punting the ball back to the Dolphins... tied in the middle of the 4th Quarter.

The Chiefs offense has been on a serious regression for almost 3 years now. From 2020-2022, they averaged 29.6, 28.2 and 29.2 points per game. Among the very tops in the league. From 2023-2024, they averaged 21.8 and 22.6 points per game. Around middle of the pack. And so far this year, they are at 19.0 after two games. Ranked 24th in the NFL. So we aren't talking about a "slump" they are in on that side of the ball. We are looking at 2+ year sample size of them being an average to below-average offense. Many football fans have been slow to recognize it, because of that team's reputation as a scoring powerhouse. They have Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, so they must be great. And they keep winning games and even going to Super Bowls. But it's really the defense that has been carrying them for a while now. When the Chiefs were at their peak, defenses had to keep Tyreek Hill from killing them on the deep ball. The more defenders played back, the more space it would give for Travis Kelce to beat them underneath. After trading Hill in 2022, the Chiefs adjusted to a quicker and more efficient short passing attack. It worked extremely well for about one season. Then opponents started catching onto the fact they weren't really a deep threat team anymore. Kelce has also started slowing down and showing his age. Maybe they will get a spark when Rashee Rice comes back. But I wouldn't expect them to suddenly go back to being a Top 5 offense. This team is going to live and die on the defensive side of the ball, just like they have for the past few seasons. Last season, the Chiefs also got very lucky in several games. They were a toenail away from losing the the Ravens. A bad PI call away from losing to the Bengals. A blocked FG away from losing to the Broncos. A bad snap away from losing to the Raiders. Not to mention several other one-score games that could have shifted on a play or two. The record said 15-2, but it very easily could have been 10-6. At 0-2, the Chiefs still have very difficult games against the league's elite: Ravens, Lions and Bills. They still have another matchup with the Chargers. The Commanders, Texans, Broncos (x2) were playoff teams last season. The Colts started 2-0 and look pretty good. The Raiders (x2) usually give them a tough matchup. It's hard to count them out, but it's definitely not going to be an easy road.

Two of our D-Line free agent upgrades (Larry Ogunjobi and Michael Hoecht) were suspended, and couldn't help. One of our D-Line free agent upgrades (Joey Bosa) lost contain on Jackson a few times, but settled in later. Two of our D-Line draft picks (TJ Sanders, Deone Walker) were playing in their very first game. The third (Landon Jackson) was inactive. Our middle linebacker (Terrell Bernard), top cornerback (Christian Benford) and two safeties (Taylor Rapp, Cole Bishop) were injured a good chunk of training camp/preseason, and haven't gotten a chance to play together at all. Which leads to a lack of communication and knowing where each other will be on plays. Plus we had to throw a 6th Round rookie into one of the starting slots at cornerback, so I'm sure the coaching staff was focused on protecting him and making sure he wasn't put into really bad positions. Anyone who was expecting a huge improvement from the Defense in Week 1 probably hasn't been paying attention. This unit looks like one that will gradually improve as the season goes along, and hopefully peaks closer to playoff time.

Derrick Henry is undoubtedly a better player than James Cook. But the difference is not an infinite chasm the Bills fall behind in. Let's not forget that Cook has made the Pro Bowl the last 2 years, and has the ability to go the distance on any play from scrimmage. He did just that on Sunday night. Defenses have to stack the box against Henry. But it's not like they can just ignore Cook. Football is not just about individual players standing out. It's about how ALL the pieces work together as a whole. The Bills don't get a lot of individual accolades, but they play together as a TEAM better than almost anyone in the NFL. And their depth is exceptional when injuries hit. So people can say all they want that we don't match-up with the Ravens in terms of talent. But last year we scored 30.9 points per game, and they scored 30.5. Meanwhile, we gave up 21.6 and they gave up 21.2 ppg. It's not just a two-game fluke.

I understand the need for Bills/Ravens fans to argue over who is better. But at the end of the day, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson are both incredible players who will almost certainly be 1st-ballot Hall of Famers in the future. Since coming into the league, they have similar records and similar team success. They have similar statistics and numbers. Jackson has two MVPs and Allen one. But both were close runners-up the years they didn't win. And both are struggling at the same thing in dethroning the Chiefs to win a ring. Jackson is faster and more elusive. Allen is bigger and more powerful. The play Jackson made Sunday night to escape the sack was only something he can do. But I've also seen Allen stiff-arm and truck over defenders for extra yardage, which is something only he can do. Both put defenses in impossible situations of defending both run/pass. Both can extend plays for almost infinite amounts of time. To me, there is one reason that Allen gets the edge. When defenses find a way to put the Ravens into situations where they absolutely must pass to win (which is very rare), Jackson's effectiveness does drop. In other words, Jackson can obviously pick apart a defense with his arm... but he usually needs the threat of his legs in order to consistently do that 30-40 times per game. Allen has proven more times that he can be dangerous from the pocket, even when teams aren't worried about his legs.

I recently heard someone say that Jackson is a sports car, and Allen is a tank. Jackson is setting all the QB rushing records when it comes to yardage. Allen is setting all the QB rushing records when it comes to touchdowns. Side note: I realize that Jalen Hurts is also rocketing up the TD list, but the vast majority of his are coming from tush-push sneaks.

The problem is not a talent disparity, but a scheme disparity. Buffalo's defense was constructed to be small and fast, so they are naturally going to struggle against big and powerful run games. It's actually funny when you think about it. This team was constructed with beating the Chiefs in mind. Yet we can't get past them in the playoffs to save our lives. The Ravens are easily the worst matchup for us in the entire NFL. And they have now lost two in a row to us, and are 0-2 against the Bills in the playoffs.

QB: Josh Allen > Lamar Jackson RB: Derrick Henry > James Cook WR1: Zay Flowers > Keon Coleman WR2: Khalil Shakir > Rashod Bateman WR3: DeAndre Hopkins = Josh Palmer (only due to age) TE1: Mark Andrews > Dalton Kincaid/Dawson Knox LT: Ronnie Stanley = Dion Dawkins LG: David Edwards = Andrew Vorhees CR: Tyler Linderbaum > Connor McGovern RG: O'Cyrus Torrence > Daniel Faalele RT: Spencer Brown > Roger Rosengarten EDGE 1: Joey Bosa > Kyle Van Noy EDGE 2: Greg Rousseau > Odafe Oweh DT1: Nnamdi Madubuike > Ed Oliver DT2/3: Travis Jones/Broderick Washington > DaQuan Jones/T.J. Sanders MLB: Roquan Smith > Terrell Bernard OLB: Matt Milano > Teddye Buchanan CB1: Christian Benford = Marlon Humphrey CB2: Tre White = Jaire Alexander CB3: Taron Johnson > Nate Wiggins SS: Kyle Hamilton > Cole Bishop FS: Taylor Rapp > Malaki Starks With 22 starting spots, I would say the Bills are better at 9 spots, the Ravens are better at 8 spots. The other 5 spots I would consider a wash.

Did the Chiefs win 13 seconds? Or did the Bills lose it? Did the Giants win Super Bowl XXV/Wide Right? Or did the Bills lose it? I've been watching this sport long enough to know it doesn't matter. We've been down this road too much to worry about what sport analysts think about our team. All that matters is who is hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in February. And if it takes our opponent "losing" for it to happen, then so be it.

Yes, they look like the Lions. But it's not like there are thousands of unused color combinations they could go with. The Bills have to be some shade and combo of red, white, blue and maybe some grey/silver. Using the winter and snow theme is a fun idea, and a way to do something different. Our regular uniforms are already among the best in the NFL (especially the logo), and fans got the red helmets for the final game. Not sure why so many people want to complain.

If you could take a dozen of the greatest NFL minds in the history of the game (all whom have passed away and know nothing about today's stars)... then put them in a room with just game film... and give them no other context about the players they are watching (Super Bowl rings, awards, stats, etc.).... then at the end of the day, I believe most would say Josh Allen was the best Quarterback in the NFL. Of course, I would probably have said the same thing about Peyton Manning against Tom Brady 15-20 years ago. The problem is, most people are going to factor the Super Bowl rings and head/head matchups in very heavily. And that's an area that Allen and Manning have both fallen very short in, when compared against Mahomes and Brady.

DeWayne Carter would not really be a surprise at this point. The real question is whether another team liked him in the draft and jumps, or if we can just put him on the practice squad. Elijah Moore is probably less than a 50/50 shot to make the roster, and I think some people might be surprised. He's got athletic talent, but it can't seem to translate onto the football field. Longshot chance one of the vet tackles. DaQuan Jones or Larry Ogunjobi. Simply for the money savings. Then again, this staff does seem to like veteran leadership and that room is incredibly young. If Tyrell Shavers somehow gets cut, I'm never watching preseason again. It would be a sign the coaching staff has already made up its mind regardless of what happens in the games.

Typical Brandon Beane: - Drafts bust on Day 1 or 2 - Trades bust for a 6th Round Pick - Totally nails 6th Round Pick

I'm not the type of person that gets upset with negative opinions, or believes that fans are supposed to be overly optimistic. But trying to take a realistic/balanced look at this team, I'm just not sure how you think they have regressed. The offense is almost identical to last year's. The only real difference in the starting lineup is Josh Palmer instead of Amari Cooper (who had virtually no production with us). And all signs from training camp are that Keon Coleman has drastically improved from his rookie year. Then the starting defense has basically swapped Von Miller for Joey Bosa, and an old Rasul Douglas for an old Tre White. At safety, we are hoping that Cole Bishop is able to upgrade Damar Hamlin. Even if you assume that none of our rookies make an impact, or that Bishop sucks and we are forced to go back to Hamlin -- it's pretty much still the same Buffalo Bills team as last year. Same core staff. Same system. Same core players. And we don't really have any older players that we can worry about a significant regression in their play. Bottom line, the Buffalo Bills have been good enough to win the Super Bowl the last 4-5 years. There is every reason they will be good enough again this season. The only problem is that 4-5 other teams will also be good enough to win it, and we will need to get past them. Will it happen this year? Your guess is as good as mine.

Agreed. It makes the Bills defensive stats even worse when you consider they have the benefit of playing a weaker Wild Card opponent every season (Colts, Patriots, Dolphins, Steelers, Broncos), while the Chiefs usually get the bye and go straight to a top contender. No doubt, the Chiefs have definitely had some rough playoff games on defense. But they have also had some good ones against top offenses. McDermott's units have showed up twice against Lamar Jackson, but have done less than nothing in the playoffs against Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow. Maybe fans wouldn't be so critical if they actually did SOMETHING positive in any of those games. Nothing crazy. Maybe some pressure on the QB once in a while. Maybe a forced punt here and there. Or how about a turnover?

Yeah. Listening to the Sal clip, it definitely doesn't sound like a really serious injury. Tre White was apparently walking all over the stadium long after getting hurt, and then standing to watch the rest of practice. Getting "carted to the locker room" was basically him hitching a ride at the end... in the passenger seat... not in the back with his foot/leg elevated. Now that doesn't mean he won't miss some time. We are 16 days from the season opener.

My opinion is that rookies should occasionally flash, but any kind of real impact you get from them in Year 1 is a bonus. Second year players should become more consistent and dependable. Still room for growth, but making positive contributions. By the middle of a guy's third season, you usually have a pretty good idea what kind of NFL player they are going to be for the long-haul (in most cases). With that said, part of the problem with most of the Bills 2024 draft class is that almost all their picks haven't even gotten a chance to sniff the field. That's because much better players are above them, and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Not much you can do when a Pro-Bowl player is already at the position. The only guy we've really gotten an extended look at is Keon Coleman. He definitely flashed as a rookie, and has been one of the stars of training camp. - The story with Cole Bishop has been injuries and missing training camps. The opportunity is there for him to take the starting role, but he's just lost so much development time. Hard to judge where he's at until he actually gets onto the field. - DeWayne Carter is probably the biggest bust of the group so far. Day 2 pick at a position where he could be making a real impact in the D-Line rotation. But he never did anything as a rookie, and is already getting outshined by the guys in this year's class. - Ray Davis was probably drafted as the heir-apparent starter at RB. He's looked pretty good in limited time. But then James Cook had a huge breakout season and signed an extension. So barring injury, Davis will likely be stuck as the #2 for the remainder of his time in Buffalo. That doesn't make him a bad pick. - Sedrick Van Pran-Granger and Tylan Grable are both stuck on the bench behind Pro-Bowl O-Linemen. And both have been injured this offseason. Maybe SVPG gets a shot next year if we don't bring back Conner McGovern, but it's hard to see Grable becoming more than a swing tackle with Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown above him. Like Davis, this doesn't make either guy a bad pick. - Javon Solomon and Daequan Hardy have both flashed as potentially decent depth players in this league. Can't ask for much more out of 5th and 6th Rounders. Overall, I think we can be happy if Coleman and Bishop develop into good starters. None of the other guys really have a clear path to even reach the starting lineup, regardless of how they play. Davis, SVPG, Grable and maybe Solomon can be important depth players going forward.

I still expect the Bills to win the AFC East easily, and to be a serious contender for the Super Bowl. That hasn't changed. But Free Agency and the Draft always bring a lot of hype. Sometimes it's justified. A lot of times it turns out to be B.S. The talk all offseason has been about the Bills defense making a big jump, and that being the piece that finally lands us the Lombardi trophy. And unfortunately, the last two preseason games has really put a damper on much of the the improvement talk. We spent a bunch of draft capital on the D-Line. For the most part, they don't look ready to play yet. Maybe that changes, but defensive linemen have a history of developing very slowly on this team. Joey Bosa can't stay healthy and has already been injured since joining the team. Our other free agent adds are suspended for six weeks. This pass rush is pretty much back to relying on Groot, Oliver, Jones and Epenesa. Tre White was one of the stories of training camp. But our only look at him this preseason was very underwhelming. He looks slow, and was getting picked on by the Giants passing game. With the time/reps Maxwell Hairston is missing, his rookie season might end up being a wash. Which leaves this unit about the same as last year when we had Benford, Johnson and Douglas. The plan at safety seemed to be hoping Cole Bishop developed. He's been hurt, and was terrible in his first appearance last night. Which pretty much brings us back to Rapp and Hamlin. All these moves, and the Defense looks almost identical to 2024. That doesn't necessarily mean we can't go all the way. But we know how the story has ended the last 4-5 years.

People are upset because either Bishop or Hamlin are expected to start at Safety, and both looked terrible. Epenesa, Jackson, Solomon, Sanders and Walker will be factoring heavily into the D-Line rotation, and all were invisible. Andreesen and Williams are our primary backups at the often-injured Linebacker position, and all looked lost. The score doesn't matter. But the fact that all these individuals played like trash is concerning, because all of them will absolutely be playing snaps this year.