mjt328

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.

Lots of factors. I've witnessed plenty of personal friends walk away from football over the last 10 years (well before the recent anthem protests). Here are some of the reasons I've heard from people: - Rule changes that have taken away the "big hits" and "manliness" of the game, while emphasizing passing offense above all else. - Greediness of owners, constantly moving teams (even when there is support like Cleveland) and raising ticket prices. - Poor disciplinary action for players who are beating their girlfriends, doing drugs, getting DUIs, etc... - Thursday Night Football has oversaturated the market. There used to be a 6 day wait to build excitement for games. But no more. - The Patriots cheating debacle, and the fact everyone outside of Boston is tired of them. - Fantasy football has created more excitement in stats and box score watching, while fans care less about who is actually winning games.

Very true. The Bills (with Jim Kelly) started ramping up around 1987-1988. They made their first Super Bowl in 1990, and their last in 1993. By that point, Kelly's knees were shot and his body was falling apart. He retired after the 1996 season, less than 10 years after our run actually started. By comparison, the Patriots (with Tom Brady) started their dynasty in 2001. Here we are 15 years later and they are still defending champs, and Brady is still playing as a top NFL QB. It just doesn't seem fair.

And yet the Patriots and Steelers are still in first place. The NFL doesn't need "parity" -- meaning that teams are so mediocre and inconsistent that nobody knows who will win each week. That just makes for ugly and messy football. Fans don't want to see their 9-7 team win the division by default. What the NFL needs is FRESH FACES. Especially in the AFC. It needs new teams with young talent to step up. It needs young quarterbacks to dominate, so guys like Brady, Roethlisberger and Brees can fade out and retire. It needs teams like the Bills, Browns and Jaguars to put together powerhouse franchises, and teams like the Patriots, Steelers and Broncos to drop off for a little while. We've been literally watching the same 5 teams cycle through the AFC for close to 20 years now.

Hard to say what we should expect... The defense has been fantastic for 5 games. I believe they are the real deal. And a defense that consistently holds the opponent under 20 points and forces turnovers will always give you a chance to win, against pretty much any opponent. At the same time, the offense has been terrible for most of 5 games. Even in our wins, they aren't scoring enough. The running attack was good in Week 1, and has been bad ever since. The passing attack is not good enough to carry us, even when everyone is healthy. A team that struggles to score 20 will put every game in risk. Our opponents have been up-and-down. The Broncos and Falcons looked really good early, but have dropped off. The Bengals were bad early, but have rebounded. The Jets were supposed to be awful, but were one ridiculous call away from beating the Pats to go 4-2.

1. Go back to last year's blocking scheme 2. Let Tyrod do what he does best 3. Wait for our receiving threats to get healthy 4. Wait until the offseason to upgrade talent But we all know that won't happen. So I guess the best plan is to just hope our staff lasts 3-4 years in order to get the right talent in place. I'm done with firing coordinators and coaches. We need continuity at some point in this franchise's miserable existence, or we are just spinning our wheels. Yes, Rick Dennison is clearly screwing up this offense, due to his ridiculous insistence on running this terrible zone blocking crap. But it's likely that Dennison would just get replaced by another stubborn clown who crams his system down our players throats. I've pretty much given up on coaches in the NFL. None of them know how to adapt to the talent on the roster. They all just run what they know and are perfectly content standing in awe as Belichick and the Patriots whoop their @$$es year after year.

I agree with your basic premise, but not some of the finer points. It's becoming pretty clear that Sammy Watkins was traded either because of his upcoming salary OR because he was selfish and not a team player. Possibly a little bit of both. After five games, it's hard to argue against the logic of this trade on Buffalo's part (and I'm saying this as someone who felt we got ripped off). Watkins is still doing nothing for the Rams, despite the rest of the team putting up great offensive production. Watkins has also publicly admitted his attitude in Buffalo was poor. At left tackle, it's hard to make a determination because Cordy Glenn has been hurt. Don't forget he DID start the first two games of the season, and struggled badly in both of them. It's possible that coaches are just holding Glenn back due to the injury. Maybe they meant to get him some reps Sunday, but later decided to give him another two week's rest. It's also very possible that Glenn is not showing well in practice - and is not adapting well to the zone blocking scheme. This seems to be the case across most of our O-Line. At guard, John Miller has given Jordan Mills a run for his money on being our worst O-Lineman this year. He definitely doesn't fit the zone blocking scheme, and has been completely terrible. I can't blame the coaching staff for giving another player a chance in that spot. With that said, I absolutely do place blame on Sean McDermott and his staff for installing this horrendous zone blocking scheme. Virtually all of our linemen are struggling, including regular Pro-Bowler Ritchie Incognito and veteran Eric Wood. Almost NONE of our current guys fit the system. Our running game went from the NFL's best, to a pathetic joke. Maybe it was ego. Maybe it was ignorance. But the decision to overhaul our blocking will be the main reason the Bills miss the playoffs AGAIN in 2017. There are virtually no doubts in my mind. And when the season is over, we are going to need to replace virtually EVERY O-Line player on the roster.

Rex's staff fixed the offense, but screwed up the defense. McDermott's staff fixed the defense, but screwed up the offense. I've often said that most coaches are about the same. Yes, they have different styles and methods. They have different demeanors and systems. But at the end of the day, it's all about how much talent is on the team, and how the talent fits into the scheme that coach decides to run. The main reason Bill Belichick is considered a genius is because he has a Hall of Fame quarterback and he adapts his gameplan to the talent, not the other way around. Most coaching staffs either cannot do this, or refuse to do this. The current Bills coaches have a different style from the previous staff. Quiet instead of loud. Conservative instead of aggressive. Detailed and organized instead of carefree and fun. We hear about trusting the process, instead of cockiness and bragging. But at the end of the day, are they actually better? Probably not. My guess is that McDermott's squad finishes about the same as every Bills team in the last 5 years. Between 6 and 9 wins. One side of the ball very good. The other side very bad. And even with a ton of picks, it's going to take a complete overhaul to fix this offense next year. We need a new QB, new WRs and a totally new O-Line that can zone block. Then we have overpriced veterans at RB and TE, who are bound to be shown the door sooner rather than later. It's conceivable the Bills could need 11 new starters on offense next year.

I gave Dennison some credit for adapting the offense to Taylor's strengths after the Broncos/Falcons games. But on Sunday, it seemed we were back to gluing our QB into the pocket. No roll-outs. No scrambles. No option plays. I agree 100% with the Rex Ryan comparison. Especially on the O-Line. The blocking scheme has been a disaster.

I'm laughing at the fans who somehow think we became a powerhouse. The Cincinnati Bengals are no joke. Their defense is playing just as good as ours, possibly better. Their offense struggled pretty bad to start the season, but is clearly back on track. They are also playing at home, giving us two straight road games. We barely scraped out a win against them last year. They are favored Sunday, because they probably should be.

Watching the game, I was pretty sure the Falcons got screwed on the fumble/touchdown play. But after taking a really close look several times, it's more apparent that Matt Ryan didn't have control when his arm was moving forward. The ball kinda sat in his hand as he pushed it forward, which gave the illusion he had control. It was a very close call, and we were fortunate it was called a fumble initially. The Micah Hyde interception was also close, but clearly the correct call. By rule, the ball never moved when it touched the ground. The NFL calls this a catch.

I think fans are overreacting a little bit. Yes, the Bills have virtually nothing at WR. But they had nothing the previous 4 games. At this point, I'm not sure it's really going to make a big difference. 1. Teams are already keying 100% on our running game. We are constantly facing 7-8 men in the box, so it's not really possible for defenses to focus even MORE on stopping our run game. Everybody knows we are going to run the ball 75% of the time, and this team's success will continue to ride on the shoulders of Lesean McCoy. Nothing changes. 2. Tyrod Taylor hasn't been throwing to the receivers much anyway. His main target has been Charles Clay, by a long shot. As I mentioned above, I don't see teams putting more emphasis on covering Clay (even with Jordan Matthews out), because they will still be focused primarily on McCoy. Nothing changes. 3. If the defense has a bad game, we are going to lose. Even with Matthews in the lineup. Even if we sign or trade for somebody. This team is not capable of getting in a shootout, so there is no point worrying about it. Just hope the defense continues to be strong each week. Nothing changes.

Yep. We have seen this show before. The Bills have had some nice starts in the past, only to watch the wheels come off and the season drift down the drain. So it's understandable that many of us remain cautious. There are some legitimate reasons to be optimistic however. 1. This defense doesn't seem to be a fluke. In fact, it's pretty much where this D was trending until Rex Ryan waltzed into town. Our defense was strong the two seasons before Ryan arrived, and immediately rebounded when he left. After four games, it's been consistently strong against every opponent we've faced and against a variety of schemes and looks. That's always a very good sign. 2. We've seen Rick Dennison's offense adapt to Tyrod Taylor over the last 2 weeks. I'll be honest and say I didn't see that happening. If our OC is wiling to play to his players strengths, we may be in decent shape. I don't know how much he can change the blocking scheme at this point, but we know they are capable of being the NFL's best rushing team and Top 10 in scoring. 3. At some point, the Bills are bound to be good again. At some point, the playoff-less streak will end. At some point, we are going to surprise the critics and turn it around. Why can't it be 2017?

Isn't there a penalty for back-to-back time outs? And we already called one.

I've been honestly surprised the last two weeks. Seeing Rick Dennison's offense in the preseason and the first two games, I was convinced he was going to force Tyrod into his pocket passer scheme. But our OC has made the necessary adjustments. We are seeing more shotgun snaps. We are seeing more roll-outs. We are seeing more designed runs for Tyrod. For the first time in a decade, our schemes are matching the personnel on BOTH sides of the ball. If this keeps up, we may be a playoff team after all.

Stats are for Fantasy Football, not the real thing. I would rather win than have a high-powered passing attack.

Yes. Based on those rushing stats alone.

There are a lot of games left to play out. It's hard to get excited right now. The Patriots know how to make adjustments and hide their weak points. And even if they drop a few more games than normal, it's hard to picture them winning less than 10 and losing the AFC East. Once a team makes the playoffs, anything can happen. Besides the Chiefs, nobody looks dominant in the AFC. With that said, it's fun to see Mike Gillislee and Stephon Gilmore as two of the primary scapegoats so far. The Bills took A LOT of grief from the national media and their own fans for letting those guys walk to New England. Chris Collinsworth couldn't wait to mock us in the first game of the season. It's nice to see it turning around.

Despite the sarcastic comments, it's a legitimate question. I'm very much in favor of sports figures using their fame for good causes. I'm very much in favor of them speaking their mind on public issues. I'm very much in favor of peaceful protesting. I'm very much in favor of freedom of speech. But I just wish they had kept politics out of the sport itself. There is a time and place for everything. And this wasn't it. By using NFL games and the National Anthem, these football players have caused a massive distraction. Sports should be a time for us to stop the serious political talk and relax. Instead of enjoying the Bills win this week, my mind has been on the protests. This has also drawn a line in the sand (to borrow a quote from Eric Wood) among the American citizens. Support football or the support the United States. Many people feel like they can't do both. The media (as usual) is using this whole thing as more ammunition to make the president look crazy and out-of-touch with the American people. But there is a large chunk of the population that agrees 100% with his comments, and you better believe this whole thing will negatively hurt football's ratings in the end.

Dozens of legal opinions have been published today (on both sides of the fence), and they almost unanimously agree that the NFL has the right to fire players for virtually any reason. The First Amendment does not apply to private business. I agree with Trump. Not necessarily because I'm against the protests or that I wish the players would get fired, but because the NFL should have instructed the players to keep their political opinions OFF THE FIELD. This whole thing has been nothing but a distraction, and very damaging to the league.

If your viewpoint is that the protesters are simply "fighting racism", I can see your point. But it's not that simple. In many cases, these protests support the (false and dangerous) narrative that law enforcement across the country are wrongfully rounding up innocent minorities, and either putting them in prison for no reason or just murdering them. In St. Louis (where I live), the police officers who are trying to protect the community are being turned into the villains. People like Michael Brown, who assaulted a store owner and attacked a cop, are considered martyrs. Rioters who burn down and destroy are being considered heroes. Meanwhile, the city council last week honored Anthony Smith - the heroin dealer, who was killed after clipping a police officer and leading them on a high speed chase. There are groups in St. Louis right now, who are pushing to have police de-weaponized or to make it illegal for officers to chase a fleeing suspect. These protests are making the place I live MORE VIOLENT. Not less. This weekend, a dozen people were killed in St. Louis (including a 6 year old boy shot in the head), and nobody gives a s**t, because it wasn't a white cop doing the shooting. And even if you AGREE with the REASON to protest, the METHOD you protest is important. Even if you go back to the Civil Rights movement, there were conflicting opinions on how to bring about change. Everyone associates the movement with Martin Luther King, who was specific in his goals and was peaceful in everything he did. But there was also the Black Panther Party, Malcolm X and other aspects of the Black Power Movement - who believed in using violence to get their points across. Although the NFL kneeling is obviously peaceful, there are many who find it extremely disrespectful. If other methods had been used, there wouldn't have been such an outcry.

I've never understood this concept. How do you verbally "push" your beliefs and views on another person? If we are having a discussion (in person or on a message board), aren't you "pushing" your views and beliefs by simply telling me what you think? That is the nature of a disagreement. One person states their views, hoping to change the other person's mind. And vice-versa. If Jim Kelly or Donald Trump are "pushing" their beliefs on what patriotism is acceptable, then it can be said the players are "pushing" their beliefs on what form of protest is acceptable.