mjt328

The Bills have proven they can find and develop good to solid CBs pretty easily. Tre White, Taron Johnson, Levi Wallace, Dane Jackson, Christian Benford. Jamarcus Ingram has looked promising in limited action, and may have a shot landing a starting job this year. Daequan Hardy was very good in preseason last year, and could eventually turn into something. Even Kaiir Elam was solid when he actually got on the field. I'm convinced that if Buffalo was forced to play him more often, he would have proven to be at least a serviceable starter on the outside. No matter how much I like Benford, I really think Beane needs to factor this into contract negotiations. Why sign him to a monster contract, when our coaching staff can seemingly turn Day 3 picks and UDFAs into starting caliber defensive backs? Use the high picks and money on positions that we can't get right (D-Line) and hope to get lucky.

Other teams have figured out how to get past the Chiefs in those prime moments... (Eagles, Bengals, Bucs) Nobody is questioning if the Bills are good. The question is whether the Bills are good ENOUGH.

What really happened during that stretch Weeks 4-5, where the offense and passing game struggled? That is where you can find the answer. At the time, the talk was that we lacked an outside WR that could consistently win 1-on-1 coverage. Then we traded for Amari Cooper. The offense immediately exploded and never looked back. And even though Cooper's stats were almost non-existent, film watchers told me that his value was in drawing away coverage so others could get open. Now I'm being told we don't really need Cooper. Or that he will be easily replaced by Josh Palmer (best season was about 70 catches, 750 yards). I guess we'll see. But I'm certainly not counting on Keon Coleman or Dalton Kincaid making a huge impact.

After 7-8 years into his time here, I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that "Big Baller" Brandon Beane is actually a pretty conservative GM. In all his time with the Bills, he has exactly one big draft move (Josh Allen), one big trade (Stefon Diggs) and one big free agent signing (Von Miller). Sadly, I'm also starting to question his eye for top-level NFL talent. The only positions he consistently scouts well (both in the draft and free agency) are Linebackers, Cornerbacks and Safeties. Which just happens to the be the development strength of the head coach. Everyone he brings in on the D-Line seems to underwhelm. He's had some good moments at WR, but this will be the fourth straight offseason where it's a major team need. Don't forget Beane also struggled to find good players at RB and on the O-Line before Aaron Kromer/Joe Brady, then suddenly both are a strength.

It's amazing how sensitive some fans get about criticism of the Bills. We all know how this team performs in the regular season, their great overall record, and how we consistently march into the playoffs as a supposed Super Bowl contender. Five straight years we've been in that same position, and haven't even made it to the Super Bowl. Are we just the unluckiest team in the league, and by doing the same thing and fielding the same kind of players year after year... eventually the law of averages will probably work in our favor? Or is it possible that something on our team (talent, coaching, scheme, etc.) is holding us back from taking the next step?

In my opinion, Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott play into each other's strengths, and amplify each other's weaknesses. Through his coaching career, McDermott has proven to be excellent at developing and getting the most out of his secondary and linebackers. He and Beane are 100% on the same page with those positions, constantly turning late-round picks and mid-level free agents into solid (or even better) starters. Jordan Poyer, Micah Hyde, Matt Milano and Tre White turned into All-Pros. Christian Benford and Terrell Bernard are the latest stand-out starters. Levi Wallace, Dane Jackson, Damar Hamlin, Taylor Rapp were turned into solid contributors. Beane knows exactly what kind of talent our coaching staff needs, and can find it literally anywhere. McDermott has been MUCH less effective with getting the most out of the D-Line. Every year we seem to invest big resources into the pass rush (Von Miller, AJ Epenesa, Greg Rousseau, Boogie Basham, Star Lotulelei, Ed Oliver, Daquon Jones, etc.) But we struggle to get to the QB when it counts, especially in the playoffs. Our run defense goes through very rough patches every single season. Most people believe the D-Line is the piece consistently holding us back from taking the next step. And despite all the draft picks and free agents we have rolled through the halls, nothing seems to work. When you see a talent like Poona Ford sit the bench here, and be very effective everywhere else... When you see Epenesa get drafted and then require an entire physical makeover to get on the field... When you see young talent develop slowly (or not at all), and then become incredibly inconsistent... You just wonder if Beane/McDermott are on the same page with this part of the team. Maybe what our defense really needs is an Aaron Kromer for the D-Line. Our O-Line was in a similar position early in the Beane/McDermott era, always underachieving. Wasted picks like Cody Ford. A revolving door at Right Tackle. Now suddenly everybody we bring into the building seems to be developing great, playing strong on the field, and fitting perfectly into the system. Our running game has taken off, and Josh Allen hardly ever gets sacked.

Overall picture, I agree that Brandon Beane is amongst the top GMs in the NFL. I do agree however that he has struggled badly to land high-impact difference makers, both in the Draft and in Free Agency. This roster continues to be Josh Allen, carrying a ton of above average/average players. My feeling is that both Beane (and Sean McDermott on the coaching side) have settled into a place of complacency. They know what is needed to be generally successful in the NFL. What kind of players they need in the locker room and on the field. And without much competition in the AFC East, they have managed to roll through the regular season strong. Like others, I question if this style has just reached its ceiling. There is only so far Allen can carry a "decent" roster by himself. We need game wreckers elsewhere. Not guys who just fit into the scheme well.

Unfortunately, I have to agree. The Bills are ridiculously predictable with their first pick. Maybe not with the exact player. But at least when it comes to the position we are targeting. 2018 - Obviously were going to trade up for a QB. Everyone knew this 12 months in advance. Got Josh Allen. 2019 - Big hole at DT after Kyle Williams retired. Drafts Ed Oliver. 2020 - Needed a #1 receiver. Traded for Stefon Diggs. 2021 - Needed a pass rusher really bad. Took Groot. 2022 - Giant hole at CB. Took Elam. 2023 - Needed a receiver. All were gone, so he took Dalton Kincaid instead. 2024 - Needed a receiver. Again. This time he landed Keon Coleman. And yes, you are also 100% correct about the reason too. Every draft we seem to have one massive need, a couple smaller needs and the rest is mostly depth/roster filler.

This is my somewhat educated guess to what happened with Kaiir Elam. After the 13 seconds playoff game, there was a lot of talk about how the Bills secondary needed to become more skilled and versatile. Our starters in that game were Levi Wallace and Dane Jackson (after Tre White tore his ACL on Thanksgiving). Both were outside zone corners with limited physical upside, but who had fit well enough into Sean McDermott's scheme to be average starters. A lot of people felt we needed someone who allowed us to play more man-coverage when needed. Then in free agency, Beane prioritized the pass rush and defensive line... ultimately landing Von Miller on a massive contract and Daquan Jones to shore up the middle. These moves left us without much money to address the outside corner position, and a huge question mark going into the draft. This led to Beane making an uncharacteristic desperation move for a corner, who had plenty of talent/upside, but really didn't fit our primary scheme.

Jumping in here, because I feel the same way. Over the last couple years (really after 13 Seconds), my enjoyment of everything else has been severely diminished, because of our inability to win the entire thing. For instance, my reaction to the Ravens playoff victory wasn't really excitement. It was a temporary sigh of relief, and I was immediately onto the next game. I mean... I've been watching the NFL for over 35 years. I've seen plenty of exciting games. I've seen the Bills win the AFC East. I've seen the Bills win playoff games. I've seen our players win MVP. I've seen our team in the Super Bowl. Every single one of those seasons ended in awful heartbreak, to the point I still get knots in my stomach when highlights come up from the SB losses. Just once, I want the NFL season to end with OUR team hoisting the trophy. After that, I can relax and actually enjoy the sport.

They have TRIED to address it. Drafting Ed Oliver, AJ Epenesa, Groot, Boogie Basham in the Top 2 rounds Signing Trent Murphy, Von Miller, Leonard Floyd with decent contracts The problem is, all the resources they have poured into the position have only kept us spinning our wheels once the postseason hits. Zero production when it's needed the most. The Chiefs biggest issue last year was the O-Line, and we couldn't take advantage at all. A few years ago, the Bengals were totally decimated with injuries up-front. But their blockers still totally stonewalled our pass rush.

Brandon Beane's strength as a GM (both in Free Agency and in the Draft) is finding solid/average players who fit and develop well in Sean McDermott's system. This goes mostly for linebacker/secondary players on the defensive side. But since bringing back Aaron Kromer, things have started clicking on the offensive line as well. Think of players like Christian Benford, Terrell Bernard, Spencer Brown, Connor McGovern, etc. - mostly mid-round picks and cheap free agents who significantly outperformed their original expectations. The Bills roster is absolutely stacked with these kinds of players. Where Beane has historically struggled is finding ELITE difference makers with his limited resources. Each year we are short on cap space, and stuck with picks in the mid/late 20s. This makes it much harder to find dominant players, unless you have a real eye for talent or get lucky. Plus - where the Bills are excellent at developing talent in the secondary and on the offensive line... they seem to struggle getting the most our of their defensive linemen, pass rushers and receiving corps. I know the Pro-Bowl is pretty much a joke. But it does give some insight to how the rest of the league views the Bills. They really see the team as Josh Allen carrying a bunch of mediocre offensive weapons, and a defense with nobody scary/special that always chokes in the postseason. Bills fans always get upset to hear it, but maybe it's really the truth. Outside of #17, this team really isn't anything special. For someone nicknamed "Big Baller" -- our GM really is actually pretty conservative. In all these years, he's really only made a couple extremely aggressive moves. The trade up for Josh Allen (homerun), the trade for Stefon Diggs (mostly great) and the signing of Von Miller (fell apart after ACL tear). Something needs to change for the Bills to finally reach the next level. Maybe Beane just needs to take more chances. Especially to obtain a game-breaking pass rushing talent.

By my recollection, opinions were actually pretty mixed at the moment Miller was signed. Some loved Beane swinging for the fences. Some felt it was foolish to spend that much on an aging player with an injury history. Year 1 it was looking like a homerun decision by the Bills. 8 sacks in 11 games. He really seemed like the missing piece in our pass rush. Then the ACL tear happened on Thanksgiving, and everything changed. Year 2 he was completely awful trying to recover. Plus the legal issues in the offseason. Most of the fanbase wanted him cut. Year 3 he was OK. Made some plays, but really wasn't a consistent force. Outside of the fumble recovery, Miller did almost nothing in the postseason. Anyone who supported the move is going to cling to those first 11 games, and say the move would have been brilliant if not for the injury (which nobody could have predicted). Anyone who was against the signing will point out how injury risk should have been factored in, considering his past and age. At the end of the day, it really doesn't matter if Beane was smart or stupid. It was just another bust for us that didn't work out.

Didn’t learn from the Ravens last week. Wasted two points on blown conversions.

The Chiefs have played 18 games this season. That's a pretty good sample size. They scored exactly 30 points twice. Never went over. Once required them going to overtime, and the other was against the Panthers (who at that time were legitimately being argued as the worst team in the entire NFL). So we aren't talking about a team that lacked consistency on offense. We are talking about a team that was mediocre or struggled all season long in putting the ball into the endzone. For comparison, the Bills scored 30 or more points in 13 of their 19 games. That includes their regular season matchup against the Chiefs and the Wild Card Game against a Broncos defense which most considered to be the best in the AFC playoffs. If the Bills had needed 30 to beat the Ravens, I'm pretty confident they could have gotten it... either with that 4th down goal line conversion, or with a 2-minute drive at the end of regulation. Anything can happen on Sunday. I'm of course nervous and anxious. But we also have every reason to be confident. To put it simply... this version of the Bills is better than this version of the Chiefs. To beat us, their offense will likely need their best game of the entire season. While at the same time, their defense will need to hold us to one of our worst games of the entire season.

Can't expect to be 100% healthy when you are 20 games into the season. We were down half of the defense last year, so missing maybe 1-2 starters should make us feel pretty fortunate. No more excuses. You go into the season with the goal of winning the Super Bowl, and this is what you play all season to get to. This team has blocked us from achieving that goal three times already. Comparing rosters, there is nothing that sets them above us in terms of overall talent. We should be well above them when it comes to desire, motivation and how bad we want this. No way they can get in our way a fourth time.

Sports are always better when you have legitimate competition and intense rivalries to keep fans interested. Watching the same teams/players dominate year after year just gets boring. That's why 99% of the country is rooting against the Chiefs. And I suspect many of their own fans are getting a little bit fatigued too. Even back during the Patriots run, there were gaps between their wins that helped keep NFL viewers tuning in. Fans finally starting getting tired of the Patriots after their third Super Bowl win (2004 season vs. Eagles). And thankfully after that victory, it took nearly a decade for the Patriots to win another championship. Over the next several years, we saw the Steelers, Colts, Giants, Saints, Packers, Ravens and Seahawks win championships. That really helped establish rivalries with the Manning brothers, Big Ben, gave defining moments to future HOF quarterbacks Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers, and helped establish a young Russell Wilson. The NFL wasn't just about Tom Brady. And it gave fans hope that the evil empire could at least could be conquered sometimes. The NFL is at risk of becoming the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes show. And that simply isn't good for the league. Especially when you have all these other QBs in their primes (Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, etc.) that need a ring to create their legacy.

I was frustrated with the conservative play-calling during the game as well. But on looking back, it probably wasn't as significant as we are all making it out to be. The Bills only had the ball four drives (not counting the kneel down) in the second-half. - On the first punt/three and out, they threw the ball twice. Dalton Kincaid dropped one. The other Allen was almost sacked. - The second punt, we were moving. Then the dumb screen to Dawson Knox. But on replay, it's clear Allen checked into that call. - Third drive was a field goal. 5 runs, 4 passes. - Fourth drive we got to the 2 yard line. Would have probably gone for it and scored in almost any other situation. We started the half with an 11 point lead, going against one of the most dangerous offenses in the entire NFL. Much of our success had come on the ground. It's really hard to blame them for trying to bleed clock with the running game, and make sure the Ravens didn't have enough chances to come back. The one play I really hated was the 3rd-5 screen to Knox. But that wasn't on the coaching staff. That was Allen changing the call to attack a more favorable look. With the scoreboard the way it was, the Bills never NEEDED to open up the offense. If the Ravens had gotten that 2 point conversion, you probably would have seen us go into an attack mode, so we could go down in regulation and win the game.

If you want to know what happened with Stefon Diggs, just look at Amari Cooper's production. He is currently in the spot that Diggs would have been occupying. Last year, Diggs saw his usage/numbers completely fall off a cliff when Joe Brady took over as coordinator. He clearly saw the writing on the wall that it was going to be the same in 2024, and he wanted no part of it. The offense was shifting into a more balanced attack, more checkdowns, less downfield passing and most importantly, no more forcing him the ball. Based on how Brandon Beane approached free agency and the cheap compensation we got back, I don't think he ever planned on trading him. Diggs forced his way out the door. The Bills were mostly willing to deal with the temper tantrums, cryptic posts, blow-ups and degrading relationship with his quarterback. They excused his toxic behavior as just being an emotional player who really wanted to win. As the year has progressed, I think we are now seeing Diggs exit as a blessing in disguise. Despite his talent, his attitude was a cancer to the locker room. There were moments when we missed his ability early in the year, but Cooper has now filled that role. He is perfectly happy to draw away defensive coverage, and just make the clutch plays when he's called upon. Doesn't need 100 catches and 1200 yards receiving. Just wants a ring.

When it comes to football, there are two different kinds of pain. Hard to really say what is worse. There are teams that always seem to be awful, have never really drafted an elite Quarterback to lead them, and never really seem to come close. Cleveland is the most obvious, for all the reasons you stated. Detroit still hasn't made a Super Bowl either. Arizona basically had that one shot with Kurt Warner's career winding down. None of these franchises have even experienced long-term success during the modern era. Then you have us. On the doorstep multiple times, but unable to finish the job. Our 1990's roster had multiple Hall of Famers, including at Quarterback. Now struggling to break-through again, despite having possibly the best QB in the entire NFL. I can't think of another team who has been so close, so many times, with zero rings to show for it. The next closest may be Cincinnati, especially if they fail to get one with Joe Burrow. Yeah, the Ravens have plenty of reason to be upset and disappointed after the last couple years. But they were still on top of the world twice, so I'm not willing to lump them with us.

Hope not. The NFL really needs to be careful here. I know they seem invincible when it comes to ratings, but they won't get unlimited grace with sports fans. After the nauseating New England/Tom Brady show that lasted almost two decades, most football fans I talk with are already SICK of the Chiefs (and I live in St. Louis, which is generally considered KC territory). They would rather have ANYONE ELSE go to the Super Bowl than watch another unending dynasty. Since Taylor Swift joined their team, most people are pretty suspicious of the NFL skewing things in their favor. The last thing they need is yet another officiating debacle that sends the most hated team in the league back to the big game. Especially if it's against another heavily disliked franchise like the Eagles.

The goal should be winning the Super Bowl every single season. Anything less is a failure. Rebuilding teams with new GMs and new coaches get a pass, because they are still working past the failures made by previous regimes. So for example, you really couldn't judge Brandon Beane/Sean McDermott way back in 2017-2018, when most of the roster talent and locker room problems were created by Doug Whaley and Rex Ryan. By now, those guys are responsible for everything involving how the Buffalo Bills are constructed from top to bottom. If the talent at Defensive End isn't good enough, that is on Beane and the scouting department for not drafting good enough. If the salary cap is an issue, he needs to own it. He gave out the contracts. If the players aren't being developed or utilized correctly, that is on the coaching staff. Failing doesn't necessarily mean they need to be fired. But it does mean that something isn't going right in the process, and must be re-evaluated. We can't just keep falling short of the same team over and over, and then praise them like something was accomplished.

Our primary competitor in the AFC has gone to 7 straight AFC Championships. If they defeat us (again) on Sunday, they will have a chance to win their third straight Super Bowl and fourth overall with this QB and Head Coach combination. And during roughly the same period of time, our team will have had only two appearances in the AFC Championship, still no Super Bowl appearances and of course no rings. Another franchise can achieve that level of consistent and sustained greatness, and I'm supposed to be "happy" just getting past the Divisional Round? I do not care what some goofs in the sports media said about our team in the preseason. We have a future Hall of Fame quarterback in the absolute prime of his career. If the roster talent around him is truly so inferior, then I want to know why Brandon Beane allowed it to happen. Don't give me that garbage about the salary cap, aging players, etc. The New England Patriots somehow managed to dominate the entire NFL for 18 straight years without falling off. As mentioned, the Chiefs haven't missed a beat since Patrick Mahomes stepped under center. Why can't we field a contender for 4-5 seasons before needing to blow everything up? To the OP - I have no idea how old you are. But I've been watching this team for 35+ years. And I can tell you that all the playoff success in the world is totally empty without getting the Lombardi. Looking back at the 90s teams brings me just as many painful memories as happy ones. It shouldn't be that way. Maybe you THINK you are good now. But if this team cannot finish the job with Josh Allen as their QB, it will be an equal if not greater failure. So no. I'm not happy just having a good season. Time to go win the whole *** thing.

What was the problem with the Bills offense before Joe Brady became the offensive coordinator? Most would say too much reliance on Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs and the downfield passing game creating big plays. It was exciting. But it also resulted in too many up and down games and too many turnovers. This year, the offense has been focused on playing smart, efficient and mistake-free football. Running the ball. Short passes and check-downs. Spreading the ball around. Only unleashing the beast when absolutely needed (such as the Rams and Lions games). It has resulted in one of the best offensive seasons in team history. Around the league, most defensive coordinators are primarily concerned with stopping Allen from making big plays. And Amari Cooper is still viewed as our most dangerous downfield receiver. Which means the smartest and most efficient way to attack is by running, and with the short/underneath passing game. For better or worse, Cooper is not going to be heavily used unless we need to attack down the field.

When history looks back at this game, it won't remember great plays by the Bills players. It will remember the two back-breaking mistakes by Mark Andrews. That is just the reality of the situation. So I can't blame the media for focusing on that point. The Ravens basically "Billsd" away the game. That is the kind of way our team has been losing for years and years and years. And from those years of experience, I can tell all the Ravens fans one cold, hard truth. Regardless of how much people cry that your team SHOULD have won, or scream that your team was the BETTER one... nothing will change the fact that your season is over, and we are the ones playing next week.