[Action Jackson]

Shout out to Dane Jackson.  Humble and hungry, he didn't miss a beat.  I liked Levi, loved his story and was sad to see him go, but Dane is better.  Best Jackson we have had since Fred.  Put some respect on the name.

[Tremaine Must Remain]

1 minute ago, Don Otreply said:

Agree, we need some guys on the O-line who can “run block and pass block”, should Beane pull this off, it will cure a couple of other important issues, 

Draft 'em and coach em up.  Tremaine must remain!

[Tremaine Must Remain]

5 minutes ago, Bangarang said:

Or maybe Edmunds isn’t as good as you think he is?

 

Leslie Frazier publicly stated he wants to see Edmunds make more splash plays. Maybe he’s wrong and just doesn’t understand the defense and what Edmunds does on the field?

Frazier wanting him to take a next step and generate more splash plays does not mean Frazier does not realize his value or doesn't want him for the defense.  I have seen him speak out strongly for Tremaine several times.

[Tremaine Must Remain]

1 minute ago, FilthyBeast said:

I still think it's a big risk signing a guy like Edmonds long term who is now magically breaking out in his contract year.

 

But I do think his play is directly tied to this defensive line being the best unit that McD and Frazier have fielded during their time here. So that's the question do you want to keep Edmunds long term and pay him a big contact knowing that he could revert back to his lackluster play behind defensive lines that always won't be as good in the future?

Stay stout up the middle and a reversion never needs to happen.  In my (regrettably, too long) experience, once It clicks for a player they rarely revert all other things being equal (unequal things being health, age and the players around the player).  Edmunds checks the boxes on age and availabliltiy/injury, so just don't field a weak interior line and he will continue to excel.

[Tremaine Must Remain]

1 minute ago, ColoradoBills said:

 

First, great thread title.

 

Second, I too have become a believer in TE.

 

Third, if money wasn't a problem, he is definitely worth keeping due to his play.

 

So, it comes down to money.  As things go right now it just seems Beane won't be able to swing a long-term contract.

BUT none of us know what the cap will be in 2 years.  I will repeat that, none of us know.

 

The only way I see this happening is building Edmunds's contract with a 5-year term.  As much as we all laugh about his age it is the

way to make it work.  Having a cheap cap hit in 2023 with an option to do a restructure of some Base Salary in 2024.

This will only happen if Beane knows where the cap is going, and he can structure a workable contract with Edmunds and his agent.

 

I do think Edmunds wants to stay in Buffalo.  It would mean that he takes a little less per year IF he wants to stay. 

First, thanks for the shout-out.  If we want him, I believe we have plenty of cap flex in the deals of others that we are not going to walk away from and there can afford to restructure (Allen, White, Miler, etc).  I hope.  

[Tremaine Must Remain]

2 minutes ago, Bangarang said:

So you’re correlating a team stat with to the individual success of one player? Attributing the success of the pass defense to our MLB is odd to say the least. 
 

You’re making pretty weak arguments possible.

Not what he is saying --  of course he does not deserve all the credit, just like he doesn't deserve all the blame for past weakness in run defense.  He does, however, deserve a good share of credit for the successful pass defense.  And his run fits are much, much better (see Baltimore game).  People get caught in the old narrative and fall in love with their prior views.  They look for confirmation of those views.  Confirmation bias is a very well-known phenomenon.  Edmunds is a victim of it on this board.

 

[Tremaine Must Remain]

2 minutes ago, HOUSE said:

We can still b****h about Moss or James Cook....the possibilities are endless...

Love the post.  Moss is my favorite target for my"b**ching at the moment.  Let's see Duke Johnson, who I bet few know weighs more than Moss.  A little early for the Cook b**ch train to leave the station.  Go Tremaine!  Big dog is eating now that we have beef cows upfront that keep him clean.  Unlocks his athleticism.

[Tremaine Must Remain]

37 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

 

Gives you a pretty great view of him pattern matching receivers over the middle of the field and taking them out of the QB's progression.  The obsession about his run D is kinda crazy.  It's a passing league, the Bills have the #1 pass D by miles for the past 2+ years and he is a large part of it.  You can accept this or you don't have to, but if you choose to continue your crusade against him it basically shows you either don't understand football very well or you choose to see what you want to see.

 

I promise you his contract will reflect the value other teams see him bringing in pass defense and not run defense.

And this year it is not just against the pass.  Watch the replay of the 3rd and one on the last drive.  He flows correctly to the hole in the middle created by Brandon Bryant's excellent swim move outside.  Forces the back to continue down the line towards the outside where Milano absolutely wrecks him.  Play is made first and foremost by Bryant (who takes three blockers), but without Milano AND Edmunds filling the back scores and their is no 4th down pick by Poyer.

[Tremaine Must Remain]

35 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

Absolute credit where it is due, he has been playing great this year. Great to finally see. Caveat: Behind the new, revamped DL.

 

And that caveat makes me wonder if he is even more replaceable now. If he is playing so much better due to the DL, why couldn't someone else who isnt demanding $15M/yr play that spot atan equal level, or even just down to his level last year (but for $1M/yr, looking at you Terrel Bernard)

Both Milano (my fave) and Edmunds are thriving behind the new line.  Does not mean the new line is what makes them good, maybe the old line kept them from showing out - we have been soft against the run since before Star and our linebackers were never kept clean before.  Daquan Jones and Tim Settle make a big difference, for the linebackers I think the big guys in the middle have mattered as much or more than the emergence of Groot and the signing of Von Miller.  Team game, and Milano and Edmunds are excelling at their part of "team".

[Tremaine Must Remain]

I don't think there has been a Bills player that has been more polarizing on this board, or in the fan base, since 2018.  I too have been frustrated with the failures on run fits and the apparent lack of instinct blitzing and against the run.  Starting now, I officially swear off on all of that.  Having watched him closely this year, I am an unrepentant Edmunds fan.  We need to sign him.  While he gets plenty of attention from opposing coaches and national media, I think he is somewhat unsung and definitely under-appreciated by The Mafia.  He is a huge difference maker and has really upped his game.  We need to find the money, as he is a key piece of the core.  One of my favorite Twitter posts was by a Rams fan after the opener:  "The Bills defense is unfair.  They have an actual Terdactyl playing middle linebacker."   We owe this player some love.

[Milano's Best Game?]

15 hours ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Brandin Bryant!

 

 

Nice call!  Love Milano and he does a great job and finishing, but Bryant for sure facilitates it.  I thought Bryant looked good, but just watched on TV, no all-22.  Great team defense!  We may have something with Bryant, they have been developing him.

 

[Now is the time we need Cook to start playing well]

Seen about enough of Moss, so I would like to see few more reps for Cook and activation of Duke to see what he can do.  Seems Moss does not have enough vision, quickness or speed.  He is supposed to be a hammer, but he does not seem to excel in picking up short yardage.  Activate Duke for a couple games and see if he can bring some juice, get Cook a little more involved too.

[Milano's Best Game?]

I don't know if it was in fact his best game ever, but I thought he was just awesome and that it could have been his best (so far).  The sure tacking, even in the open field.  Play diagnosis shooting the gap.  Man, great game Matt! (Edmunds too).

[What is Bass' Range?]

A year or two ago the interviewed the kicker with the current longest kick (forgot his name), and they were asking him if any kickers in the NFL could hit a 70 yarder.  He said there were maybe 2 or 3 and one of them was Bass.

[Get The Ball Spotted Ref!]

Can't fault McKenzie, he was under extreme duress and exhausted.  But I appreciate the helpful posts on timing as I was legitimately curious (could have done without the "yawn") - I can accept there were 8-9 seconds left and 10 is the minimum.  Game of not only inches, but a second or two.  Too bad about the darn holding penalty, Bass (in my mind), would have for sure popped a 57 yarder without the hold.

[[Name Only Title]]

Very glad we re-signed Milano.  Heckuva player and a great leader by example.  

[Get The Ball Spotted Ref!]

Fair enough.  But I think teams probably know what is considered "just enough" - anybody know what that is?  Do you usually get a chance to spike it if player is down with 10 seconds left, or no?

[Shout out to Stefon Diggs..]

3 hours ago, RyanC883 said:

I think the NFL needs to investigate Miami's "burn the other team" construction design where the Dolphins are in the shade and the other bench is in direct sunlight.  Could we build a warming room for our players at our stadium and not do it for the visitors?  

Agree.  it is not like we can make it much colder only on the visitor's side of the field in December.

[Get The Ball Spotted Ref!]

There was ten seconds left when McKenzie went down.  He tried to run the ball to the ref and a Dolphin slowed him for a second.  I am not sure on this, but isn't ten seconds left normally enough to get the ball spotted so QB can spike it?  If Josh had spiked it, I think Bass would have drilled the winner from 60 yards.  Of course, we will never know.  So help me out board, were the refs slow on getting the ball down there?  Or we just cut it too close?

[Gonna state the obvious here but.......]

They managed the clock fine.  When they got the holding penalty it screwed up their time management by taking them out of field goal range and increasing the yards they needed.  That burned time.  I still think if the darn refs got the ball down in time for Josh to spike, Bass would have nailed a 60 yarder.  Dudes got juice for a kicker!  And he no doubt wanted to avenge the shank.

At the time of the hold they were 57 yards out.  Already in range.

 

[An Encouraging Loss]

3 minutes ago, Nextmanup said:

No one can rationalize better than a Bills fan.

 

I mean we are talking world class ability to rationalize any situation.

 

Next we will hear that it was actually a good thing that we lost.

 

 

I think Bills fans do the opposite of rationalising losses.  DOOOM is predicted.  It is easy not to feel much doom after this one, at least for me.  No chronic weakness with the team was shown, like when Indy ran on us for what seemed like 300 yards.  It was hot, we were beat up and we left plays on the field.  Stuff happens.

[Joshua Allen Sexually Assaulted by Dolphin]

Agree with the poster above.  Good thread, a little levity, after a tough game like that!  

[An Encouraging Loss]

On to Baltimore.  I think McKenzie and Allen both said "we will learn from this."  That is the right attitude.  It defines nothing, take from it what we can - and yeah, under different circumstances they know, we know and I think even Dolphins fans know (at least the ones I spoke to), that we would beat them handily.  We should have today.

 

[Biggest plays we missed today?]

1 hour ago, Bermuda Triangle said:

just baffled that he decided to rush only 3 there.

Baffled is a good word.  But it was so inexplicable it is almost not strong enough.  That had just sacked him and it is obvious he does not like pressure.  I was screaming "bring the house" and they didn't even bring the base 4.  Un-f-ing believable.  I thought on the whole the team played its guts out, almost literally.  This was pure mental error by Frazier, unforced and inexcusable when you have young back-ups trying to cover super-fast wideouts.  Why drop a bunch of guys into short zones on third and 22?  Still upset about that play call, and not really upset with us about anything else (upset with Wilkins for roughing up Josh, but we will even that up in Buffalo).  So dumb.

[Dorsey unhinged]

I liked it.  He cares.  A lot.  What did he hurt, a headset and some papers?  Big deal.  He is a competitor and hates to lose.  I wanted to do the same to my TV set!