mjt328

It's hilarious that Buffalo's defense has been considered Top 3 all season long. But then after one bad performance, Sean McDermott has a "bad" defensive scheme and the entire Front 7 needs to be replaced. The Eagles had the perfect gameplan against us, and then executed it perfectly. It doesn't mean this defense has been "exposed" as a fraud, or that we really aren't a good unit.

True. But it's not completely overwhelming with doom and gloom after a win.

This game can't come quick enough. The last two days have been totally unbearable on this message board. Prior to the Eagles game, our defense was considered one of the Top 2-3 in the entire NFL. Three hours later, and we apparently need to replace our entire Defensive Line and Tremaine Edmunds is back to being a bust/playing out of position. On offense, the lack of points is becoming a very disturbing trend that must get fixed immediately. But the overreaction on the other side of the ball is ridiculous.

Lack of continuity is a HUGE problem in this league, and one of the primary reasons the exact same teams win (or lose) every single year. This regime has finished tearing-down the structure setup by the previous group, and is just starting to put the pieces together of their rebuild. We drafted the cornerstones (Josh Allen, Tremaine Edmunds) just a year ago. This was the first Free Agent period where our front office actually had cap space to make moves. Depending on the result of the Washington game, we will be on pace for a 10-6 or 12-4 record. That would be a drastic improvement over the last 20 seasons, and evidence we are moving in the right direction. If I'm the Pegulas, this regime gets to the end of 2020 before I even CONSIDER making a change.

Here is my problem. How many opponents would actually be considered "quality" level? If we had beaten the Eagles yesterday, they would be 3-5 and probably a long-shot to even make the playoffs. Suddenly, nobody considers them a quality opponent. The Titans were generally considered a good team. But us defeating them is the difference between them being 4-4 and 5-3 (and tied with the Texans). Looking in the AFC, I think it's safe to say that New England and Kansas City are considered quality opponents, hands-down. Baltimore, Indianapolis and Houston look fairly imposing at the moment, because they have winning records. But all of them are inconsistent, and a couple bad games/injuries would make victories over those teams suddenly look much less impressive. The other 10 teams in the AFC are considered nobodies. Another example. Most would say, the Bills next TRUE TEST is on Thanksgiving against the Cowboys. But what happens if Dallas drops their games against the Vikings and Patriots... and then we beat them too. The entire world looks at Dallas with a 6-6 record, and says the Bills weren't able to beat a quality opponent. The same could be said for the Ravens in Week 14, who currently sit at 5-2. They face the Patriots, Texans, Rams and 49ers before facing us. If they drop all of those, you have another 6-6 team marching into Buffalo.

This franchise has a history of letting top Cornerbacks walk in Free Agency. Time to break that trend. Stephon Gilmore is the most recent. Longtime fans also remember Nate Clements, Antoine Winfield, etc.

Just keep winning. Don't pay attention to the media.

This part stood out to me, because it's just a silly argument. The NFL absolutely DOES have 32 guys who can play the Quarterback position very well. In fact, every QB that has managed to make a professional roster is extremely good at the sport. But there are always going to be a handful who play BETTER than everyone else. And it's those top guys who are going to set the standard around the league. The worst starting QB in the NFL would be ridiculously good against 99 percent of football competition around the world. But since he's not on the level of Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Patrick Mahomes, etc. -- fans consider that player bad.

The upcoming draft is supposed to be EXTREMELY strong and deep with Wide Receivers. Just something to consider... The 2017 draft was loaded with defensive backs (both corners and safeties). The Bills took Tre White. The 2018 draft was considered a strong year for quarterbacks and linebackers. The Bills took Josh Allen and Tremaine Edmunds. The 2019 draft was top-heavy with defensive linemen. The Bills took Ed Oliver.

The Patriots have faced almost ZERO competition (especially from their own division) over the last 15-20 years. NOBODY CARES.

This is a great point. Not just about Ryan Fitzpatrick, but Miami in general. Most Bills fans are disappointed this week, because the team failed to "blow-out" the lowly Dolphins. What they fail to notice, is that Miami was fired-up and actually played VERY well on Sunday. Especially their offense. Playing like he did this week, Fitzpatrick would have lit-up most defenses around the league. He was getting rid of the ball extremely quick, squeezing the ball into tight windows, and his receivers were making contested catches. If Miami played like this every week, they would NOT be sitting at 0-6. As it stands, we took their absolute best shot - and still won by double-digits.

At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is winning. However... Bills fans need to realize that our Defense is NOT going to be capable of carrying this team for the next 10-15 years. If we are extremely lucky, they will be a Top 5-10 unit most seasons and occasionally dominant for stretches. But you can't count on a Defense to consistently carry a team into Super Bowl contention. The best Defenses in NFL history were able to remain elite for 1-2 seasons before trailing off. To be a long-term success, the Bills will need to have a QB playing consistently at a Top 10 level. So yes. It absolutely matters that Josh Allen have a breakout game - proving he can dominate the opponent with his arm and carry the Offense to 35+ points. With that said, I don't think Allen is TOTALLY to blame for his lack of breakout this season. The offense (as a whole) is struggling to complete drives, and struggling to stay in rhythm for an entire 4 quarters. This has been a trend since the opening moments of the Jets game, when we drove 50-60 yards and fumbled on a sack-strip. Strangely enough, this is not a Red Zone issue - as we are among the league's best at converting RZ trips into Touchdowns. Our problem seems to be turnovers, penalties, sacks and drops - always stalling drives once we hit the opponent 30-40 yard line. We also seem to go through extended stretches of 3-4 drives per game where our Offense is incapable of doing anything, before we suddenly get back into playing well. Allen's stats have also suffered because of coaching preference and game situation. Six games in, the Bills haven't really been forced into being aggressive. The only exception being the 16 point deficit against the Jets (in which the Bills rolled-up 17 unanswered points in the 4th Quarter). We haven't trailed significantly at any other point. And where the majority of other teams go for the throat when they are playing well, our staff clearly gets into a conservative shell anytime we get into a double-digit lead. You saw this in the Giants and Bengals games, and then again in the 4th Quarter yesterday. They trust the Defense to hold strong, and start looking to run the clock down when up by two scores. This isn't going to help Allen's passing stats. Bottom line... the glimpses of what we WANT/NEED our QB to be are very visible. We see stretches of them almost every single week. Right now, I think Allen is trying to find the delicate balance of being aggressive enough to consistently score points... versus pushing the ball too much and causing multiple turnovers. It can be very frustrating at times. The good news? Anytime we've needed Allen to step-up during crunch time, he's done it. Don't forget he was driving us down for the go-ahead score against New England before the concussion. Hopefully he will eventually put the pieces together and become more consistent.

That is definitely another factor to consider. QBs with zero ability to elude pass rushers (our old boy Drew Bledsoe immediately comes to mind) face another set of issues. At the end of the day, I think running ability can be a tremendous asset to a QB and a great weapon for the offense. But both the player and coaching staff need to be mindful of avoiding hits, regardless of how it happens. Take advantage of the sidelines, and the rules that allow for sliding. Make the offensive line a priority every season. My hope is that Josh Allen and the Bills staff look towards Russell Wilson as the model to follow. He always makes an effort to protect himself. On the flip-side, you have guys like Cam Newton and Deshaun Watson who act like running backs. You can see how things are finally catching up to Newton, and I hope Watson isn't headed down the same road.

A few points on this study: 1. Not all QB designed runs or scrambles are created equal. Many QBs are smart enough to slide or get out of bounds (which is why Russell Wilson has been so durable despite his scrambles). This is much different than when a QB invites contact like a running back (such as Cam Newton). 2. Quarterback Sneaks Despite the freak injury to Patrick Mahomes last night, the QB sneak is generally a very safe play. Until now, I've never seen anyone get hurt while sneaking. I imagine this skews the numbers in favor of "designed" runs. 3. Running QBs are still exposed to MORE hits Even if you take the numbers above as gospel, running QBs are still going to get hurt more. While pocket passers are only in danger from sacks, the scrambling guys are in danger from BOTH. The more opportunity to get hit, the greater chance for injury. 4. Offensive Line is vital The worst thing for QBs will almost always be sacks/hits while throwing, simply because they cannot protect or brace themselves. This is why Left Tackles get paid so much, to stop the blindside hits.

Ugh... This topic again. If teams want to sign him, of course they should be allowed to. If teams don't want to sign him, they shouldn't be forced into it. And get out of here with that "racism" garbage. Around 70 percent of the NFL is made up on African Americans, despite comprising less than 15 percent of the overall US population. Kaepernick isn't sitting at home because of the color of his skin. He's sitting because he used his job to promote controversial political ideology, infuriated a huge chunk of the NFL's paying customer base... and he simply wasn't a good enough player to warrant the distraction.

Frank Wycheck was directly between the 24-25 yard line when he released the ball. Kevin Dyson catches the ball on approximately the 26 yard line. Do the math and you tell me.

Eh. Not quite that many. According to Ourlads.com, Alabama currently has 61 active NFL players. That traces back to 2009. So roughly 6 per season - counting both starters and backups. The most draft picks a college has EVER had in one class is only 12 players. That is spread across 7 rounds and roughly 250 picks. It would be generous to say half of the current 22 starters on Alabama will eventually become long-term NFL players. That doesn't mean Pro-Bowlers or even starters. But guys worthy of being on a roster longer than a couple seasons. The Dolphins are bad. But there is no way half of their starters couldn't make the ROSTER of another NFL team. Absolutely no way. Robert Foster was immediately dropped to the #4-5 receiver on the team, after some legitimate talent was brought to the team. We are talking about an UDFA who hasn't caught a pass this season. He's not really a good example of anything. Not a chance. Even a powerhouse university like Alabama is only going to produce 6-7 NFL players per year. Maybe half of those guys are going to become NFL starters. Only a couple will become high-level impact players. Here is the complete list of Alabama's draft picks, throughout all of NFL history. Just try assembling a remotely competitive NFL depth chart with any 2-3 consecutive seasons. You can't do it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Alabama_Crimson_Tide_players_in_the_NFL_draft Not to mention, EVERY SINGLE PLAYER on the Alabama roster is less than a rookie. They are undersized and inexperienced. They have not adapted to professional game speed. They have not learned a professional playbook. You don't have any veteran players to help them learn the ropes. They haven't even seen an NFL practice field.

AJ Green's best days may be behind him, and who knows when/if he's going to return. Melvin Gordon is an above average back. I wouldn't really consider him a game-changer. I don't believe our problem on offense is the "lack" of a player like Green. We have 9 new starters on offense, and one of our returning players is a second-year QB with only 16 starts to his name. The team has been moving the ball well at times, but is stalling out mostly due to turnovers, sacks, drops and penalties. I also believe the coaching staff is getting conservative in the second half of games, mostly because they know our Defense can hold a small lead. I know there is a temptation among fans to GO FOR IT ALL when their team has the looks of being a playoff contender. And I think our front office should always be doing due-diligence on obtaining good players. But our goal should be sustainability and staying competitive for the long haul. Beane needs to be careful about mortgaging the future on a one-year rental like Green, or handing a big contract to someone like Gordon. As Josh Allen continues to gain experience, he (hopefully) will get smarter about the turnovers. As our O-Line gains some stability, we (hopefully) will get some better blocking. As everyone on offense gets more comfortable and in rhythm, we (hopefully) will start completing these long drives and will put points on the board. I have no doubts these offensive players have the capability of putting up 25 points per game.

Bills fans just don't like under-performing players. The targets for hate are usually high draft picks or big-contract free agents, who aren't performing up to expectations. Tremaine Edmunds was catching a lot of criticism last year. But so far this season, he's clearly making an impact (especially against New England). With Zay Jones gone, you can already see the frustration rising around Cody Ford. If he doesn't start playing well before about Week 7-8, people are going to start throwing the term "bust" around pretty frequently. On the veteran side, you see plenty of hate going towards Star Lotulelei, Tyler Kroft, Trent Murphy and TJ Yeldon.

One game at a time. Right now, I would put us into the same tier as the Texans, Ravens, Colts and maybe Chargers. In my opinion, our offense still hasn't clicked. They are playing sloppy, making tons of mistakes and turning the ball over. Yet we are still winning. If we can get some consistent rhythm going on that side of the ball, we start winning by two scores instead of scraping everything out.

The schedule is ridiculously favorable. It's hard not to see us finishing with at least 10 wins. I'm hoping for more than just making the playoffs though. Most people are viewing the Bills as a strong defense, which is supporting a weak offense. And there may be some truth to that....so far. But unlike many past years (where I felt scoring a touchdown was a miracle), this offense is showing glimpses of being very solid. Don't forget that our offense has 9-10 new starters, with one of the returning players being a QB with only 16 starts to his name. I don't think that side of the ball is playing to their potential yet. We are continually moving the ball and racking up yards, but shooting ourselves in the foot before we can put points on the board. Clean up the mistakes/turnovers, and this offense is easily capable of 25+ points per game. Combine that with this defense, and nobody is going to have an easy time beating us.

My thoughts exactly. Once a team gets deep into the playoffs, opponents are very good and games are a 50-50 shot. The best strategy for winning a Super Bowl is consistency and sustainability. Not mortgaging your future for ONE chance at a championship. Draft 3-4 good NFL starters every single year. Don't overburden the salary cap with stupid contracts. Build a team with strong depth that can weather injuries, and replace free agents who leave for more money. The goal should be to win 11+ games every season. Do that, and you are bound to get some first-round byes. String together some good playoff games, and chances are you will win it at least once.

Exactly. Some young QBs start strong, then fade off as defenses begin to gather film and notice tendencies. Some young QBs start slow, but improve with learning and development.

If you are referring specifically to deep shots, I think it's a mix of three things: 1. Play Design 2. Offensive Line 3. Josh Allen Outside of the New England game, the receivers are not running very many deep routes to begin with. Most plays seem designed to get people open within 5-10 yards of the line of scrimmage. The Bills offensive attack is a complete 180 from what we saw last year. The few times we've called for deep shots, the offensive line hasn't held up long enough for the QB to get the pass off.... or Allen hasn't thrown an accurate pass where the WR can get to it. It also doesn't help that Robert Foster has been dinged up. With him out of the lineup, our only deep threat is John Brown. Teams know that and are going to bring safety help to his side of the field. Based on all the above factors, I think the Bills are doing the right thing by taking what the defense gives them. Yardage-wise, we are playing very well and significantly out gaining our opponents. By sustaining longer drives, we are helping keep the defense fresh. The problem is that we keep making dumb mistakes at the wrong times (penalties, turnovers, dropped passes, missed blocks), which are killing productive drives and keeping points off the board. If the Bills can clean-up their sloppy mistakes, I think the points will come.

As of right now, Josh Allen is on pace to have improved his completion percentage by almost 8 points - while also increasing his YPA by almost a half-yard from last year. He's also on pace to throw for over 50 yards per game more than last season. Up until the New England loss, most observers were stating that Allen had taken great strides in his accuracy, pocket presence and ability to read a defense. Bottom line. He is not going to have the same numbers. The Patriots Defense meanwhile, is literally setting NFL records for greatness. We are talking 85 Bears level of dominance. Yes, Allen looked terrible on Sunday. Worse than he's looked since the early part of his rookie year. But I'm not sure that measuring his performance against what could end up being the best unit in NFL history, is really a good benchmark for saying he is "regressing" as a passer. I'll agree that Allen is not good enough... right now. We ultimately need him to become a Top 10 quarterback in this league by (at least) Year 4-5, or it will be time to look in a different direction. We should accept nothing less. At this point of his career (15 starts), I think he is only in the #20-25 range -- alongside the other guys from his draft class like Mayfield, Darnold and Jackson. But last year, he was around #30-35... so we are seeing a slow climb. I've already stated on this board that I'm concerned about Allen's reckless turnovers. He has a whopping 11 turnovers in only four games, and it actually could have been more. He's getting baited into the same stupid throws EVERY SINGLE WEEK, and this time it finally cost us the game. There are times he's also holding the ball too long, and failing to spot open receivers. At the same time, there are plenty of reasons for optimism and numerous ways to mark his improvement over the last 12 months. It's foolish to only see his struggles and ignore where he's finding success.