fergie's ire

Agreed. Just look at who we had in the backfield against KC. I do, however, also think that philosophy was part of the problem. The coaching changes are promising and suggest a more aggressive defense. Although McDermott is seen as conservative, he does have a remarkable willing to change that we have mostly seen play out on offense so far (e.g. installing Brady). However, he seems to learn and be willing to change and I think the learning moment was last year in a 2 game sequence. We were scoring at least 30 points every game but against the Rams, the Rams were aggressive early and stole a couple of possessions and the Bills never caught up. The next week, we played Detroit and we saw a Bills defense start aggressively and do the same thing to Detroit. With an offense that regularly scores 30, a defense can risk giving up a big play or two...but also make some big plays. So, I think he is seeing that they can risk attacking and give up on the bend, don't break defense. Won't know for sure until we see it...but there are very hopeful signs.

Agreed. Did you see the way they aligned their defensive front? Ends split super wide and racing to the pocket. Bills would've run Duo against that all day long.

Three weeks, baby.

Yeah...I feel weirdly protective of her (You better not hurt her, Josh, or you'll have to answer to me.), and I attribute this to her role in True Grit. Love that movie and because of her acting in it, I always think of her as little Mattie Ross.

Part of the problem is the "wins against replacement" idea with running backs. How much more does a top RB get you than a good RB. Cook played in 16 games for 1009 yards which is about 63 yards per game. In the game where he did not play, Davis had 97 yards, and, while the Jets defense was not as good as most thought it would be, it is still pretty decent. One game is the smallest of sample sizes and I am not saying Davis would average 97, but how far would he be from Cook's 63? Now, Cook had quite a few runs of over 40 yards and that explosiveness is something we may not see from Davis. That threat is certainly worth something....but how much?

Isn't everything concerning for McDermott? That seems like the kind of question reporters ask him a lot...and he always says he's concerned.

Yeah, I think this story is a big nothing burger and there's been so much written about it here and elsewhere. If Bosa wakes up with bed head, McDermott is probably giving him 2 weeks off until his hair has time to heal...at least until it counts. Bruce Smith used to have holdouts just so he wouldn't have to go through the grind of training camp when he got older. Looks like Bosa and McD will be working together to find creative ways why he can't practice.

It's no Wildgoose chase...but I'll take it.

One possibility that nobody seems to mention is that Ulofoshio makes the same kind of jump that Williams made...that and there always seem to be a few serviceable veteran LBs kicking around after roster cuts.

Not only that but we'd be getting a million leaks about what's going on behind the scenes. Competent organizations sure make for boring off seasons.

I know very little about him, but this post actually gives me some optimism. Geno Smith was a headcase coming out of college (reports were that his interviews were Shedeur-esque), and that kind of immaturity blossoms in organizations like the Jets to the point guys start punching their teammates....but give them time to grow up and put them in a better environment that doesn't put up with such crap, and guys can resurrect their careers.

And a hell of a drug.

Wasn't there speculation that we changed coaches (a DB coach, I think) to help Elam...that he needed a fresh start? And he's happy going from Buffalo to Dallas because he needs a better culture? Good luck with that.

As a kid, I had two great idols that I loved: OJ Simpson and Bill Cosby...which tells you how long I've been a Bills fan. Also an interesting fact about me, while I love Josh Allen and he SEEMS like a great guy, I just don't idolize or even trust that I know celebrities. Not sure why.

Agreed. It's like Jalapeno poppers with cream cheese. People seem to want something creamy to take away the spiciness....Let me order something REALLY spicy. Excuse me, do you have something to make it less spicy?

Nah...He's from Chicago, but he's a Lion now.

I seem to recall from Von Miller's salary that bonuses only count on this year's cap if they are below the projected total...but if above then it counts against next year (if they reach it). The projection is based on last year's performance. So, since Von was injured the year before, he was only projected to have like 2 sacks last year. Therefore, the bonuses he received for sacks more than that count this year.

I saw some tape of the Sr. Bowl where he was using power and not just standing upright. My hope is that he'll be the Josh of the defense. If you remember, Josh had tremendous arm talent but his footwork was a huge concern, however. At the Sr. Bowl, the tape showed he'd made big improvements in footwork...He wasn't there yet, but you started to see that progress. If Walker can stay healthy and improve his mechanics, he could be a monster.

What I find interesting is that they have really found a way to make the DL 12 players deep, particularly if these rookies are good. I think the suspensions really help them because they have so many good, or at least potentially good, DL. As I understand it, the two suspended DLs won't count against the final 53 to start the season. So, if they can get 10 good DL out of the group they have, they will all make the roster. After 6 weeks, there's a good chance a DL or two will be hurt. They can move two to IR for return and activate the suspended. Keep the two injured on IR for 5 or 6 weeks and then find two more who need a break. Even if they aren't legitimately injured, but just dinged up, some could use the rest to get back to 100%. If Daquan, for example, shows improvement and makes the team, he is still older, so it might be good to give him a long rest in the middle of the year. They can essentially have a roster rotation that will keep them fully stocked and healthy going into the playoffs.

What is Tua going to say if we line up a DL Landon Jackson, Walker, Ogunjobi, and Rousseau. That's a lineup of height that's 6'6", 6'7", 6'3", and 6'6". He'll never see his receivers.

Agreed. And we used to run into disagreements a lot early in Josh's career because I also think you need to define what you meant by "deep ball." Josh will throw it 40/50 yards on a line because his arm is so strong and he is great at those. He makes throws nobody else can make, but what I think we are talking about here are those rainbow throws that Russell Wilson is so good at.

Like the Dolphins did with Jordan Phillips? Smart

I would say neither. Running backs have such a short career, generally, that I don't blame anyone to try and get the maximum they can RIGHT NOW. However, that's the reason you don't pay running backs a ton of money. There are some running backs that last (like Travis Henry) but they are rare and the back that, to my eyes, seemed the most likely to be sustainably great was Ezekial Elliot and you saw how that contract extension worked out. I think Cook will go elsewhere to maximize his payday and the Bills will let him....and that's okay.

Remember the topic of discussion: ridiculous click bait.

Yes, and I find it interesting that in many ways he seems like the anti-Kaiir. Kaiir was very sticky and physical. The concerns were that sticky was actually grabby and that if he didn't lock on he wouldn't be able to close. (Valid concerns as it turns out.)