Mister Defense

Well, it is still very relevant that they can shut a team down like that--and we have seen that over and over this year, keeping them in almost every game. Need to be able to see that--and the weakness too--to be able to fix things, make it all work without these gaps. You sound like you want them to throw the baby out with the bath water, rather than to fix the problems. There are reasons why this very short handed defense has been able to look so good so often this year, just like there are reasons for the lack of stops late in games.

I did not look back at the game summaries and will now. But I don't recall thinking the defense falling apart on vital drives like they have too often this year. I had thought that the Minnesota loss was more the result of some bad/fluke plays by the offense, and in the Arizona game it was the hail Mary play that was the major breakdown. That kind of long run by Cook was not common against Frazier's defenses and those things happen in NFL games And for the Bills not a pattern, a fluke, one big play In any case, this D played a superb first half, on the road, against the best team in the league.

Well, looks like he is done as a useful player anyway, so maybe this is a way for the Bills to actually use those tens of millions on players they actually need, that can help them win a championship? If this holds up does anyone know if that means the Bills can part ways with what will do down (and already was, in my view) the biggest mistake in Beane's tenure here, and get out of that ridiculous contract? cornerback, a safety or two, a center maybe, D tackle, fast power runner--let's invest in an area of need. And/Or, of course, a great, young, hungry, edge rusher who plays with a high motor, consistently.

Come on! You cannot believe that the defense was the reason they lost that Minnesota game, a fluke loss, and ditto for the Hail Mary at Arizona--but I think the huge stretch to say these are the same kind of losses, overall, makes the point that Frazier's defenses held leads and were very consistent, reliable. These are consistent types of losses this year, and all in the same year. Yes, lack of their best linebacker, cornerback, and high level, vital D tackle may have a lot to do with it, but the defense's unique, late game break downs this year cannot be ignored--or compared to any other years under McD's leadership. That being said, the defense is NOT the reason this team may be on the outside looking out for this year's playoffs. That is clearly, unequivocally on the weak pathetic shoulders of one man, now gone.

Thank you for this, as I had wanted to know this important information. I thought this was the case, as I cannot recall this happening very much under Frazier, with mainly the KC playoff game coming to mind. And I cannot recall ever feeling like I do now, that the defense was going to allow some late in game or over time drives to blow the game. A huge reason why McDermott will not be the DC next year, and in my view, why Frazier is once again leading the defense.

Yes, he will, almost assuredly hire one, as he looks stressed by the dual role he now plays and realizes it is untenable if he is to be a great head coach. He will likely hire the same guy who coached the defense to be one of the best (#1?) in the NFL in points allowed under his tenure and molded one of the most consistently excellent defenses in the NFL, Frazier. We need him back, a DC whose teams held onto leads, consistently. Kind of a 'duh', I think.

Unacceptable.

Yes, I agree, but Harty has looked fast in his returns. But like the rest of the offense, such as the running game and short passing game, we have no idea what he is really capable of because of the gross incompetence of their last OC. Sherfield? Another great example of that, with almost no yards this year. Those many millions may start to actually pay off now if the competence has truly returned to the offense, as it looked like in Brady's first at bat last week.

Bills 38, Eagles 20 Though they are behind the 8-Ball because of Dorsey, the Bills continue to build into the team they were destined to be--if their defense can somehow manage to keep balling, despite their injuries. They did exactly what I called for last week, running and running (and running some more) with a purpose, throwing the ball to their talented backs, opening up what was a vast wasteland--the middle of the field--against the Jets, with variety and creativity in the passing game, using much more motion and formations, scheming play makers open, and everything falling into line because of these things. To me, it was almost a perfect first game of the new season of hope. Now, they progress of course, doing those things even better and because of that, and like last week, the intermediate and long passing game opens up even more. They go more to Davis, Diggs, and someone fast like Harty, to blow the top off the defense, making big plays, complementing the short passing and running game. Count on these things--interesting, creative, physical offense, with a purpose and with actual direction. Yes, might be too late for this to all keep progressing as it should, with these things well over a year overdo, but the Bills have hope again, as do many of us. This is the 2nd best team in the NFL to me now and today they show it, again..

yes, as the Bills need some more bodies in at LB now, and he may end up being a much different player on this team. Remember: Jerry Hughes looked like a bust when he played for that dysfunctional mess of a team and that worked out pretty well for the Bills!

well, you really got that wrong, didn't you?! Crazy, the get rid of Knox talk, as his decline the last two seasons is the same reason so many have not looked good--but that guy was fired last week. Knox will be on this team next year and continue his pre-Dorsey rise once again.

Good point, as most tend to like the old stand byes rather than something new. But at least those two had some success in play calling and other important areas of offense in their history. Dorsey did not, from what I recall. However, I do think Dorsey can be a head football coach even, though he will not make the big bucks he's used to when he leads that middle school team.

Dorsey got buy because he inherited a generational talent at quarterback and a team hitting their stride offensively under Daboll. They slowly declined once Dorsey's stamp became more significant, but the talent and recent history helped the Bills masque his incompetence for a while. He didn't scheme to get his players open against the specific defenses they played--that in itself indicates an historically bad OC--very shocking. Did not mesh the run with the pass, as the runs, the few he attempted, seemed just thrown in, and so made almost no difference With awful game plans, the Bills were falling behind in almost every game, and he had no plan for that either, no in game changes until it was too late. Shoot, they were lucky they did not lose to the Taylor led Giants and Tampa Bay. Mike Robinson called him out, and called for his dismissal after the New England game, saying that Allen had almost no options for short passes and hot reads, when the Pats pressured him. And Dan Orlosvky said that they were outrageously predictable--and the easiest team in the entire league to defend! Our Josh Allen team! Yup, and these are only the tips of the iceberg when it came to the fundamental problems--he simply did not know what he was doing, should never have been put in that position or applied for it. I guess we will see more clearly if my criticism holds up as the year progresses. But, heck, they sure looked like a dramatically better--and different-- offense against the Jets, didn't they?

Follow the leader. Saw the complete transformation of the Bills' offense with their change, and on a short week, so it was inevitable others would follow. Too bad though, was hoping Canada stuck around for a few years!

As Buffalo now gets better and better and better, something that happened only rarely the last year and a half, and quickly return to contender form, it will become clearer and clearer (to those who still don't admit it) that Dorsey was an historically bad, incompetent OC. He will never again have anything more than a minor coaching job in the NFL, if that. The whole offense is back, have hope again, with one swift move.

I agree with all that you say except the idea that Allen's problems were largely the result of him. He was operating in a fundamentally flawed offense run by an incompetent OC who does not even know the basics of good NFL offensive game planning, formations, in game changes, and overall game prep. Josh was doing whatever he could to overcome one big deficit after another, the result of the gross OC incompetence, as Dorsey created huge obstacles for the offense, rather than facilitating it. Overnight the Bills became contenders again, but I just hope it was not too late.

Nice take, as it was the kind of dramatic change some of us new was needed, but that maybe thought could take a bit to get the Bills moving in these directions. The problems were so obvious, the players and Brady, had likely been thinking for months about exactly what the offense needed to be, and that facilitates these already significant changes. But it is not the new energy that matters in itself, but the fundamental changes Brady made already that are causing that--competence.

The Bills did not become a great team under Daboll in 2021 until, and a result of, moving to Singletary as their featured back and committing to the run for the first time that season. This then opened up things for Allen and the other skilled players on offense. That once 7-6 team became a powerhouse, the best offense in the NFL at that point, in my view, and all the result of making their offense more diverse--and physical. During that stretch, after the slow start, the Bills had the best rushing attack in the NFL. Did you see the Jets game yesterday? You don't think that running the ball more is one of the most important answers this year either? McDermott made a huge mistake in hiring Dorsey, did not do his vital homework, and then in keeping him as OC for this year, and then in not firing him weeks ago this year. But his 'meddling' in the offense was not too heavy handed or obtrusive, but dramatically too lenient and accepting. It is more nonsense conventional wisdom that seems completely lacking in facts to back it up. Did you watch the game yesterday, with the new OC? Did that change your perspective on the Dorsey firing and McDermott's need to meddle in the offense this year? And it is just the beginning of the changes we will see.

yes, but wasn't a bit of difference, but a sea change, both in what I saw in them and in how I and others felt. Really, an emotional experience to see them so productive, having fun, using more of their weapons and more of the field, being creative and intriguing on offense, and then that the big play to Shakir blowing the roof off a a great night. This will go down in history as a seminal game in Bills' history, in my view, as it is the beginning of what was clearly meant to be. And the Bills have hope again, a powerful thing, especially for such a talented, determined group and the most talented quarterback in the league. Now, l just hope that they get into the dance and make that happen.

Thanks a lot, I appreciate it. I had wanted to post these ideas, minus the yet to come Dorsey firing, before the Bills played the Bengals again this year, but thought it may be too negative (for me at least) before a huge game. But I felt strongly that the Bills would only win with several lucky breaks, as their offense was broken by Dorsey. And I was sick and tired of people still talking about that playoff game with that fundamentally wrong analysis for the Bills' performance. The more people believe that stuff the harder it becomes to fix the real problems. And I agree with your last point--and even the Bills themselves don't know! This is now a work in progress--an offense that will improve and diversify, and that can finally became the great (retooled) offense we had all hoped for. They were the most diverse on offense they had been all year, and the barren wasteland for this team, the middle of the field, came alive again. More to come. If that happens, even with the almost comically shocking defensive injuries, the Bills will be one of the best teams in the NFL by January--or sooner... I disagree strongly, think the Bills would have cleaned their clocks in Cinci a few weeks ago if they had even a competent OC, with a solid game plan and ability to make adjustments. The Bengals gave up monster yards on the ground in the two games that followed including over 150 to ol' Devin Singletary. The defense was stifling that team after a choppy start, in fact dominated them, but the Bills' offense could not kick it into gear before it was too late--again.

But to clearly give false over the top praise, multiple times, is not the answer. If so, what can we trust out of the mouths of the people who do this nonsense? The day after Dorsey was fired STEVE TASKER was indicating that this was a needed move--and each day after that he elaborated more and more on why, hitting on some of the big fundamental things so many have said, agreeing. But up to that day, not a whiff of criticism, none, on any aspect of Dorsey's coaching. Loses future credibility, as Romo did yesterday--what is their actual view? We don't know because of the blather, so can't trus them going forward. They don't have to criticize the incompetent man but could focus on the scheme, formations, play calling, use of personnel, game plan, in game changes, use of running game....................................

It won't matter, they will still be the Jets.

They ran the ball 10-11 times the entire game, a typical Dorsey like running day. Backs averaged about 3.5, but their lead back, Singletarry, 4.3. No reason to stop running. The backs ran eleven times. The Bills were so one dimensional, so predictable, the middle of the field now a barren wasteland, the receivers running the same ol' routes repeatedly, the running game a non-factor, simply not used, very little use of motion and various formations........ You say that the "offensive coordinator can only so do much"? What exactly did Dorsey do then, if he wasn't working on these things? Those seem like pretty basic things for an OC in the NFL to know and do well, things he likely would have some hand in as the offensive coordinator, don't you think?

Yeah, inane, so what is up in the NFL analyst world so that they think they cannot speak their minds, say what they actually believe? Just like so many on Dorsey, Romo heaped praise on him, but going beyond most, calling him a "great" offensive coordinator several times. BUT, then in his actual analysis in the game he talked glowingly of the changes we all saw almost immediately, including the running game, the synchronicity between the running and passing game, the various and more numerous short routes... And his praise for the change built to a crescendo after Shakir's touchdown. After he called Dorsey great repeatedly he was almost in awe of the many positive changes in the offense in one game. He seemed to know the actual problems well, as he pointed to the same things Bills fans likely saw, were looking for. Not helpful, Tony. Troy Aikman doesn't do that. It is like Tasker,, the day after the firing all about the need for this change, after never a word of criticism the entire year.

After one game the Bills offense now have an identity developing. This is the Bills, what they should have been all along: --Using the middle of the field all game long, with players looking Josh's way or Josh hitting them in stride, letting them run and run. --An extremely physical offense and defense, with both lines dominating all game long, and feeding off each other. Ditto for the special teams. --The running game finally being used effectively, with diversified, creative plays, and the run used late in the game to secure the lead. With THREE running backs, three, making big plays, a difference. --and Allen running the show, expertly, with precision--and with confidence again, confident that when they execute well, they will win. And this against one of the best defenses in the NFL, a dominant D--and only a few days removed from a dramatic and major change. And now the offense will get better and better, for the first time this year, as they replace the things that were not working well with things that do. The Bills looked like a Super Bowl contender again tonight. They had fun again because their hard work payed off.