Wayne Arnold

Usually when someone is qualified, they are interviewed for the position by at least one team. As far as I know Butler has never interviewed for a NFL DC position. Correct me if I'm wrong.

He obviously knows that there's no way he's playing anywhere other than Buffalo in 2024. He just loves when people are talking about him. That's the only explanation.

Butler was hired by his childhood friend McDermott in 2018 after he was fired as a position coach from the only NFL job he's ever had. His friend McDermott gave him a nice promotion two years ago to 'passing game defensive coordinator' but (unlike Babich) he's never been interviewed for a true DC job. There's no real indication that he's qualified for such a position on a Super Bowl contending NFL franchise. Maybe he's a good coach, or maybe he just was lucky to join this franchise when he did. Either way, if he wants to move up the ladder he should spend less time whining on social media and more time finding either a DC job at the collegiate level or moving on and proving himself as an elite DB coach under a new head coach at one of the other 32 NFL teams.

McDermott and Butler basically grew up together in Philadelphia. I'm sure McD offered Butler a position on Babich's staff but Butler then felt like it was a demotion that he didn't deserve considering how well the secondary performed during his time here. Probably some real emotions there considering the background/context.

lol, no, Joe is not mistaken. The two LB positions in McDermott's scheme are pretty interchangeable, especially considering all of these players have been learning both of the positions since the summer. These are professionals, it's what they do. If Klein went down with an injury, they were not going to stop the game and cancel. It was a mistake to play Klein. We know this now. That's what history will tell us about the Bills' 2023 postseason. You can stop fighting it now.

The analytics nerds hated Josh Allen coming out of college. And groupthink is contagious. These analytics nerds failed to take into account that Allen was playing in the worst system/program for a quarterback in the country (because Wyoming was his only offer), surrounded by limited talent (especially his final season), and he was 110% gunslinger who didn't give a crap about completion percentage or TD:INT ratios. Not a good mix if you want to show the stats that the analytical nerds consider high probability of success in the NFL. (And normally coaches who have old-school, archaic systems will coach the gunslinger out of their quarterbacks and tell them to protect the ball at all times. But Wyoming's coaches let Allen do whatever the hell he wanted. I think they thought it was funny.) But old school scouts drooled over Allen's physical tools. Big, strong, rocket for an arm. Allen became the posterboy for Old School Scouting vs. 'Moneyball' Analytical Concepts of Scouting. If you were smart, you knew Allen wouldn't pan out. If you were an old meathead, you were fooled by his size and strong arm. Fast-forward seven years later, and it's crazy how the analytical nerds now LOVE Josh Allen, whereas the old-school dudes who have permanent brainworms over how they value the importance of turnovers do not love him.

Must-Have 1. Daquan Jones Nice-To-Have 1. AJ Epenesa 2. Dane Jackson/Cam Lewis (depth) 3. Ty Johnson/Latavius Murray/Damien Harris That's it. That's the list. (Assuming Micah Hyde has decided to retire) Why would Epenesa get "big bucks"?

I would prefer Dan Campbell because his decision-making is based on analytics and not fear-based / risk-aversion. I think McDermott tries to base decisions on analytics but to his core he focuses on his fear of what can go wrong as opposed to focusing on what can go right.

@GunnerBill What do you disagree with? Klein was an absolute train wreck and many of us knew it was going to happen before the game started. And it happened. Many people were saying Dorian should be playing instead of Klein, including some in the media (Joe Buscaglia). This isn't a "hindsight is 20/20" situation. So what is there to disagree with?

They fell flat on their faces in the biggest game of the season. The defense will be rebuilt in 2024 - specifically the DLine. This was convenient timing. I'm guessing McDermott made some calls to get him another position and will find someone with experience coaching up young DLinemen.

The moment this happened was the moment that Stefon Diggs lost his "Number 1 WR" status forever.

Is Dodson deaf? Why wouldn't he be capable of wearing the helmet with the radio and lead the defense? He's a four-year veteran in this system, he competed for the starting MLB job all preseason, he's started 10 games this year. And we're supposed to believe that he can't call the defense and instead we need a guy with no athleticism left who was sitting on the couch just a couple weeks ago to be in on 98% of snaps against the defending world champs in the AFC Semifinals? This is a very weird take you're clutching onto. The depths the McDermott excuse-makers will go...

Always with the excuses for McDermott. Who said anything about Dorian quarterbacking the defense? Dodson was playing, and he played great. Klein was a train wreck from the very first snap of the game. Considering the Chiefs averaged 7.7 yards per play against McDermott's defense on Sunday - their highest ypp average of the season - I would say, yes, "anything would have been better". In fact, Chiefs only averaged more than 7.0 yards per play in one game out of their 17 this season. They averaged 5.6 yards per play on offense in 2023. For reference, the 49ers led the league in yards per play with 6.6. Again, Chiefs had 7.7 against the Bills on Sunday. Once again, McDermott falls flat on his face in the playoffs. The man has peaked.

For Klein to receive 98% of snaps alone is absurd. Dorian Williams received SIX snaps. They needed Dorian's athleticism. McDermott is so controlled by fear-based decision making that he would rather fail with an over-the-hill veteran with 0 athleticism left in the tank and who has no business being on an NFL football field anymore than go with a rookie who might make a mental mistake once in a while but will make up for it with superior physical talent. Or he could've come up with a gameplan to use Siran Neal on Kelce more. Anything would have been better.

Talking mainly Chiefs offense (Reid) vs. Bills defense (McDermott). The difference may have simply been player execution. But Chiefs offense moved the ball at will. To put Klein on Kelce was mind-boggling. Reid also took advantage of Bills' base nickel D by putting in three tight ends on running all over them. Yards per Play: Chiefs - 7.7 Bills - 4.7 That's a significant difference. Bills were very fortunate they were a FG attempt away from tying under 2 minutes to go.

Passer rating is still a thing? Does the passer rating account for this play?

I'm fine with Tyler Dunne's articles and am glad he wrote the one earlier this season. I was a big McDermott critic in the middle of the season. But I do think McDermott earned another season after the turnaround this team had. Unfortunately, Andy Reid outcoached him again on Sunday. But Reid tends to do that - he is one of the all-time greats. So does McDermott have what it takes to be a Super Bowl winning coach? If I were owner I would give him one more chance.

Agreed. Diggs is going to be back next season no matter what, so gotta hype him up. Same goes for Bass.

There's nothing else Allen can do. Mahomes benefits from great coaches and teammates who make plays when it matters most. Allen doesn't have that benefit.

They never looked like a championship team this season. Maybe that's why I wasn't truly devastated on Sunday night like the previous two seasons. AFC East championship, sure. But considering the competition that's the equivalent of a Little League trophy at this point.

There's always someone to rush to the front with an excuse for McDermott.

This is crap. We're already writing history when Allen is only 27 years old? Give me a break. And Mahomes is great, but I don't think he's better than Allen. He just has better fortune. And even if Mahomes is slightly better - the team with the better QB doesn't always win. This doesn't have to be the way it is forever. At some point Allen is going to finally lead the Bills into the Super Bowl. He'll probably be in his early 30's, not quite as big a threat with his legs but still enough of one. And it will probably be with a different coaching staff. Andy Reid will be gone and the Chiefs will be good but not a birthright to the AFC Championship game. It will happen.

So we've just decided to blame our quarterback for everything bad that happens I see. By the 4th quarter the Chiefs defense made adjustments to stop Cook and was tackling him for losses on nearly every handoff. Allen had to be superman time after time and his teammates let him down. Sherfield can't make a play on a deep pass. And then of course this drop for what should have been a go-ahead TD with 8+ mins to go.

Then it's on the coaches for the play call and the defense for sucking. Not on Allen for scoring a touchdown to take the lead late in the game. Good Lord.