mjt328

For anyone talking about "garbage time"... Tyrod had plenty of garbage time himself. But he kept dumping the ball off short of the 1st down marker, and throwing the ball over receivers heads. I'm not looking to make a change now, but his game today was beyond pathetic.

I'm baffled how this defense could look so good for the first month of the season. It's not just Marcel Dareus being traded. It's not just EJ Gaines or Ramon Humber being hurt. It's not just being out-schemed by the opponents. This team had a strong pass rush early in the season. They haven't sniffed the quarterback in weeks. There is absolutely no pressure on the quarterback. Not from Jerry Hughes. Not from multiple Pro-Bowler Kyle Williams. They are getting no penetration. They aren't getting leverage. They aren't pushing the pocket. We might as well drop 11 into coverage, because I can't imagine it costing us much in pass rush. The rush defense has been abysmal. And again, it's not just missing Dareus. I was watching defensive linemen and linebackers get blown 5 yards off the ball. Giant holes everywhere. Our team went from excellent tackling, to suddenly missing everything. How can the SAME players who seemed to understand their assignments, making technically sound tackles -- suddenly turn into such a sloppy mess. It's like everyone on defense suddenly forgot how to play tackle football.

We may be a pretender... but the playoffs are still within our grasp.

It wouldn't surprise me at all. I could very much see them having a big win Sunday. The Bills are coming off their worst loss of the year. The Saints are probably due for a letdown. The Bills are at home in the cold, where they seem to be playing much better. The Saints are a dome team playing out in the cold. It looks like a good combination of circumstances. The real question is whether the Bills are ready for the "long haul" and can play at a high level for the next 8 games. If they want to make the playoffs, they need to match the results from their first half. They probably need to go 5-3. Against a much tougher schedule. The Bills played exactly one team with a winning schedule (Panthers) and lost that game. They have four games against teams with winning schedules (Patriots 2x, Chiefs, Saints) in the second half. They absolutely MUST beat at least one of those teams, and then run the table against everyone else. If the Bills go 4-4 or less, they will need to get wins against the right teams and hope for lots of help elsewhere.

I'm a big believer that "elite" defenses absolutely NEED to have a great D-Line. And right now, we just aren't getting enough production from our front 4. Maybe Washington has improved his game, but I'm still not seeing enough. This team's pass rushing has been pathetic, and the run defense has been overrated.

The problem with investing high $$ or draft picks into Wide Receivers before getting a quarterback, is that you don't know what kind of receivers you need to have on the team. Right now the Bills only have big/possession targets. Which is OK if you have an offense that doesn't press down the field much. But if you have a big-armed QB, you really want to get some speed on the outside. If we continue running an offense similar to this one (West Coast style), I'm OK with re-signing Matthews. I'm not one of those guys who believes much in adding a speed guy just for show/decoy purposes. Just get big and reliable targets who can keep the chains moving.

Looking at current records and remaining schedule, I think there will be quite a battle for the #6 spot. (Unfortunately, I see either the Jags or Titans easily nabbing the first wild card). The Bills have the best record at 5-3, but their schedule is brutal. The Dolphins have the next best at 4-4, but their schedule is equally brutal. Out of the mess of 5 loss teams (Jets, Ravens, Bengals, Texans, Raiders, Chargers, Broncos), it's the teams in the North with the easiest remaining games. Everybody else has some pretty tough upcoming games, and not much wiggle room. If the Dolphins beat the Bills twice (which is possible and exactly what they did last year), there is a really good chance they get that last spot.

Yes. The Bills are in a worse position than the other 5-3 teams. (I'm only paying attention to the AFC, because I'm concerned with our playoff positioning). Here is why: 1. The Bills are in the same division as the Patriots. So we are already drifting behind what is still one of the NFL's best teams. The Chiefs still have a 2 game lead in the West, and the Titans/Jaguars are tied for their division lead. 2. The Bills have a very tough schedule coming up. The other 5-3 teams have it pretty easy. 3. The Bills have a long history of strong starts in September/October, only to watch the wheels come off in the final months. Fans sadly aren't surprised to see us choke to the lowly Jets on a November 2 prime time game. 4. Almost everything about our strong start is starting to look like a fluke. The defense is getting progressively worse as the season presses on. None of the teams we beat now have a winning record. Our team looks hopeless without lucky bounces and tipped passes.

At this point, let's say our main competition is Jacksonville or Tennessee, and Miami. Everybody else has a losing record, and we have at least a 2 game lead on them for a wild card. Both Jacksonville and Tennessee have very easy schedules down the stretch. One will almost certainly win the south division, and with such easy schedules, it will be tough to beat out the other for one of those wild card spots. To me, this means our primary concern is Miami. And in the second half of the season, we have almost identical schedules. We play each other twice. We both play New England twice and Kansas City on the road. Miami gets Carolina and Denver. Buffalo gets New Orleans and San Diego. The Bills currently have a 1-game lead on the Dolphins. And they play them twice. The playoffs are completely in our grasp. If we are able to take care of business.

I always look at the playoff race as the countdown to 7 losses. Once you hit 7, you are pretty much done (in most years). At this point, the only team out is Cleveland (8 losses). Indianapolis has 6 losses, and basically needs to win out. New York, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Houston, Denver, Los Angeles and Oakland are all sitting at 5 losses. Which means anything more than 1 loss, and they are done too. This leaves a total of 7 teams currently in contention for 6 playoff spots. New England, Pittsburgh and Kansas City have 2 losses. Buffalo, Miami, Tennessee and Jacksonville have 3 losses.

The way I see it, if a quarterback reaches the full depth of his dropback and can immediately step into a throw, the O-Line has given him enough time. It's not about "how many seconds" he actually has. Because plays are designed around predetermined routes and a certain number of steps on a dropback. What is necessary for a 2-step drop and quick slant, is much different than a 4-5 step drop and timing route 15 yards downfield. And blocking assignments usually reflect this as well. The vast majority of pressure last night WAS NOT the fault of our quarterback.

Last night was (unfortunately) completely expected by most of us veteran Bills fans. Maybe it was going to happen against the Raiders. Maybe it wasn't going to hit until the Saints. But we knew it was coming. Every strong start Buffalo has managed over the last 15 years has eventually turned into this moment. Playoff hopes. National attention. Growing optimism and excitement among even the grouchiest fans. Then BAM. Total meltdown. It's not that we suffered a disappointing/close loss to a game inferior opponent. That happens to everyone. It's that virtually nobody on the roster seemed prepared to play a football game last night. It was a pathetic and embarrassing performance across the board. This game was the 2016 Week 7 tackling debacle (against Miami and Jay Ajayi), erasing our 11-point lead in the 4th Quarter and killing our 4-2 start. This game was the 2011 Week 9 @$$ kicking (by the Mark Sanchez led Jets), which spiraled into a 7-game losing streak after beginning the season 5-2. This game was the 2008 Week 8 self-destruction of Trent Edwards (against Miami), as we soon watched a 5-1 start become a 7-9 season. This game was the 2005 Week 17 unbelievable loss to Pittsburgh's backups, with the playoffs on the line. I wish I could dismiss last night's horrific performance as a "bad game." But I know better. This team has Brees next and Brady x2. It has the Chiefs in Kansas City, and a road game on the west coast against the Chargers. It has two more tough division games against the Dolphins. The only "easy" opponent on the schedule is against the Colts. And the Bills MUST finish with at least a 5-3 record in these games to have a prayer at making the playoffs.

In my 30+ years of watching football, that may have been the worst blocking I've ever witnessed. Every lineman on the Bills looked like they were doing the Moonwalk last night. Getting shoved back into the QB on every passing play. And on running plays, Shady would take the hand-off and immediately be surrounded by 3-4 Jets players. I'm used to seeing games like this from Jordan Mills and whatever bum is playing Right Guard for us. But it was especially alarming to see 350 pound Cordy Glenn getting his @$$ pushed into Tyrod Taylor's lap on every single snap. Short week or not, how does a quality NFL Left Tackle let himself get embarrassed like that? We aren't talking about "mental lapses" or too slow getting out of his stance. He was just getting physically dominated on every play (mostly by Kony Ealy, who he has 75 LBs on).

In my opinion, the Bills have had "playoff caliber" talent since probably around 2012. But they have been held back by poor coaching and constantly changing offensive/defensive schemes, which have failed to capitalize on that talent. It also doesn't help to have New England in your division, making it impossible for a decent/good team to have any chance other than a wild card. It's a little ironic, after letting a good chunk of that talent go (Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods, Marcel Dareus, Zach Brown, Stephon Gilmore, Ronald Darby) -- that our team seems to be coming together and playing better. Are we getting better coaching? Are the players being utilized better this year? Were the guys we let go just overrated? Are we getting lucky so far this season, and it will eventually catch up? I guess nobody can answer those questions definitively after only 7 games. The Oakland win helped raise my confidence and optimism. But I still worry this season could fall apart quickly. I really can't blame Costello for feeling that way.

Jets allow 4.3 yards per carry. That ranks 23rd in the NFL. And Muhammed Wilkerson is questionable.

Marcel Dareus is another product of a society that teaches people to hold no accountability over their own actions. Go back and look at the reaction of Buddy Ryan and Chan Gailey after Dareus was drafted. Look at the reaction from the fans. Everyone in Buffalo was excited and thrilled to have a player like him on the Bills. He was the cornerstone of a rebuilding franchise, and very much wanted on this team. What has happened over his career, causing the city and team to sour on him - it all stems from his personal decisions. Dareus has gotten into trouble off the field three times in the seven years he's been on the Bills (two for drugs and one for drag racing). He was benched by Doug Marrone's staff for being late multiple times to meetings back in 2013, then got sent home just a few months ago by Sean McDermott's staff for being late to a preseason game. I understand that people make mistakes and I'm all for giving them a second chance. But at some point, it becomes crystal clear that Dareus just isn't learning from his mistakes or making a real effort to correct them. You have to wonder how many times he was late during Rex Ryan's tenure, only to have the coach look the other way. And of course, you have to wonder when the next off-field incident or drug suspension will drop. Even if Dareus was completely clean off the field, you also have to be worried about his declining production. Back in 2014 (before he signed the massive extension), Dareus was easily one of the best Defensive Tackles in the NFL. Easily in the Top 5. Since the day he inked his signature to that contract, his play has been mediocre. And while virtually every other defensive player has rebounded with the switch back to a 4-3 scheme, Dareus has continued to make virtually no impact in 2017. Considering his obviously sub-par work ethic, is it really a surprise that Dareus isn't giving 100% after finally "getting paid"? I HATE that is came down to swapping Dareus for virtually nothing (it's unlikely a 6th Round Pick will even make the team next year). But considering everything that has happened with him, it's probably the best we could have hoped for.

From what I've seen on the field, I still think Tyrod Taylor is too limited and inconsistent as a "passer." Yes, he's good enough to get us into double-digit wins. But at some point during a playoff run, I'm afraid his weaknesses are going to catch up to us. At some point, we will need our QB to take over the game with his arm. Either the defense will have a bad game, or the running game will get shut down. A bad game in the regular season, and you can rebound the next week. A bad game in the playoffs and you are done. If our ultimate goal is a Super Bowl win, I'm just not sure Taylor has the skills to accomplish that. That doesn't mean I want Taylor gone. Far from it. Even if we draft his future replacement, I think it's best to keep Taylor in place as a veteran stopgap and slowly develop a young QB on the sidelines (similar to what Kansas City is doing with Alex Smith/Patrick Holmes, or what Green Bay did years ago with Brett Favre/Aaron Rodgers). In my opinion, this is the best way to continue winning games and pushing for playoff contention, while attempting to upgrade the league's most important position.

The Bills were simply a below-average team, who played above their heads early in the season. They had a couple close wins that could have gone either way. Ryan Fitzpatrick was playing better than any other point during his career. Eventually it was bound to collapse. Seasons like 2011 are one of the reasons I remain a hardcore skeptic with the Bills. I'm (very slowly) starting to believe in this team. But it's really hard not to worry things will eventually fall apart. The signs that a good start is "fluky" usually include: - Playing weak opponents - Winning lots of close games - Being the beneficiary of an unusual amount of penalty calls, fumbles and "lucky" plays - Staying virtually injury free - Normally average or bad players suddenly looking great The 2017 Bills have some of the warning signs. Almost all of their wins have been very close. They have gotten huge contributions from guys with less than stellar careers (Jordan Poyer, EJ Gaines, Micah Hyde, Ramon Humber, Deonte Thompson, etc.) They have gotten a ridiculous amount of fumbles and tipped interceptions. But they have also managed to beat some pretty good teams, overcome lots of injuries and most of their turnovers have been a result of being in great position.

Too many variables to consider at this point. The largest being... Where are the Bills going to be drafting and which QBs might be available at that spot? I definitely think Quarterback should be our biggest priority. But if the Bills win 10-11 games with Tyrod Taylor, end up with two picks in the mid/late 20s, and some of the better prospects decide not to declare eligible... then I would have a really tough time swapping all of those picks to move up. In that case, I would probably be more willing to trade down and get bargaining chips for 2019 or just use the picks on other positions. Even if the Bills re-sign Jordan Matthews, WR is going to be a big need position next year. Then you have to consider that LeSean McCoy is getting up there in age and could take a step back at any time. We probably need to upgrade 1-2 spots along the O-Line, unless Dion Dawkins flashes some strong potential. Maybe Kyle Williams retires and Marcel Dareus is cut, making two giant holes on the D-Line. We need help at pretty much every Linebacker position really bad. And we could always use more depth at Cornerback, especially if EJ Gaines is not re-signed.

Doug Whaley did a decent job at drafting. Not really bad like some people want to claim. Not great like others want to say. Decent. It's really hard to judge a GM when the team is constantly changing schemes. He drafted Preston Brown for a 4-3 defense. He drafted Reggie Ragland for a 3-4 defense. One player has been inconsistent because of systems changing. One player was traded before hitting the field because of systems changing. You can find examples like this throughout his entire tenure at One Bills Drive. If fans are honest with themselves, Whaley made some pretty good moves here. But he is always going to be criticized for the foolish Sammy Watkins trade, for attaching himself to EJ Manuel's career for some inexplicable reason, and the bizarre news conference after Rex Ryan was fired. Whaley also never seemed to work well with Buffalo's head coaches (he never really got the chance to hire one by himself), which is a recipe for dysfunction in the front office. His time here wasn't a disaster. It wasn't a success. It was somewhere in the middle, and it's hard to blame the Pegulas for deciding to move on.

Please. I'm a 38-year-old white guy, and I absolutely LOVE the NFL finally letting players celebrate touchdowns again. This is a sport. It's supposed to be fun. It's supposed to be entertaining. These creative TD displays are something the league has been sorely missing. The penalties for "excessive celebration" were pathetic.

Unfortunately, the defense has been trending down for the last month. Look at the progression as the season has gone along: Points Allowed Per Game: 12, 9, 16, 17, 20, 27 Yards Per Play: 3.9, 3.9, 5.5, 5.4, 6.1, 6.4 Pass Yards Per Attempt: 4.4, 4.7, 5.9, 5.6, 8.7, 8.4 Rush Yards Per Attempt: 2.5, 2.8, 4.8, 5.1, 2.4, 2.8 In my opinion, something has been exposed in our secondary. And opponents are starting to catch on. While the run defense seems to have rebounded the last two games, our pass defense is letting up MORE AND MORE every single week. Don't forget that Matt Ryan was also torching us early, before Julio Jones and Mohammed Sanu went down with injuries. Yesterday there were several AWFUL breakdowns in coverage. Many due to poor coverage by our linebackers. Going into the season, most of us (Bills fans) believed this was going to be a weakness. But in the first couple games, our opponents seemed more focused on attacking downfield (especially with a rookie corner on the outside). Now I think offensive coordinators are noticing and going after the LBs. Don't be surprised if the defense continues looking inconsistent as the season wears on. Don't forget that many coaches (we've had plenty on our own team over the years) will ignore game film and fail to attack our weak points. And some won't have the personnel to outmatch us. But the way this defense is trending, I would honestly be shocked if this squad finishes in the Top 10 by year's end.

Only from an offensive perspective. The defense was very bad today. Tampa drove down the field with little resistance on almost every drive. Very little pass rush. Guys running wide open in the secondary. Missed tackles. The only thing they did well was create turnovers. I would like to believe this was just an abnormally bad game. But the defensive play has been gradually getting worse every week for the last 5 games. I'm afraid opponents have found our weaknesses and maybe we aren't the elite unit we thought.

I figured they were toast after Tampa tied the game. Bucs out-Billed us today.

Points allowed by the defense the last 5 games: 3, 16, 17, 20, 27 I agree this thing is moving the wrong direction. Teams are starting to find holes in the secondary. Tampa's receivers were ridiculously wide open today. If our defense is going to carry this team, they need to figure out what is going on and fix it.