GunnerBill

I thought I saw multiple snaps with a bear front, but I was watching it on my ipad in an airport hotel so I wouldn't stake my life on it haha. I agree on all three points in your second para re. both scheme not being the issue, DL not having anyone that commands doubles without Ed, plays too upright and the second level defenders being a problem. I think the second level has been worse than the DL personally. Pretty much all season.

That is true but trust me the Tampa defensive backfield is a mess.

I think their Quarterbacking has still been better than their playcalling and scheming.

He should do.

Agree with this. Bad Tampa pass D but my word I'd rather Shavers and Gabe rotating than Keon. He is a net negative to the offense.

Some thoughts: On #1 - nobody wants Josh to be a glorified game manager. But the reality is this time runs it better than it passes it for the most part. That is because our weapons in the pass game struggle getting open. That is a bad Buccs secondary we played today and so unlike other games when Brady dialled up the deep shots, particularly on play action Josh went deep rather than checking down which he has been doing. I think he checked down once to Cook over the middle. Every other shot play he threw deep. He hasn't been doing that because guys haven't been open and I think Josh has been a bit safe in challenging tight windows. On #2 agree nobody here is a featured peice. I think running out of 11 occasionally to keep teams honest isn't the worst call but the Bills run it best in big personnel. They need to get out of the pitch obsession and get back to the trap and off tackle runs. When they ran some traps in the 4th Quarter Cook was back to churning out 5 plus most carries. On #3.... it's missing On #4 agree the D can't hold people. The 3rd down defense was a step back yesterday but partly because they lost too many 1st and 2nd downs. Generally since McD took over playcalling it has been much improved on 3rd down. Let's hope they get back to that next week. On #5 I don't understand but sure 😂. On a serious note - I have always thought Josh is better when the ball is in his hand, he is high volume passing and can get intona rhythm. That said last year he won MVP in a more balanced offense. I do think the last few weeks other than when laser focussed vs the Chiefs he has looked a bit lazy in his fundamentals as a lower volume passer. So there is something finding an appropriate balance.

It did early, for sure. Think the offense found some rhythm 2nd half.

That does surprise me but I think a Mahomes stat more than anything.

You mean 2023 not last season, but agree. The division is basically gone for them now. And the wildcard race.... I think the Bills and Jags make it. Texans, Chargers, Chiefs and Ravens (or Steelers) for one spot.

Yes. They will beat both AFC North teams and could win both of the others too.

But he is separating well at least...... separating himself from his rookie contract 😆

If he is no longer a Bill it ended well IMO.

He is right.

The Eagles fired Andy after a 4-12 season on the back of an 8-8 and no playoffs year. I'm not sure McDermott and Beane would survive a single no playoff season. This defense as currently constructed is trash though. I'd be stunned if we held good teams down in the post season.

I'd say they attacked the Buccs weak secondary pretty well...

The people who don't like McDermott's in game management but want Stefanski have clearly never watched a Browns game.

I called it earlier in the year. Their offense right now is poorly coordinated. I know criticising Andy Reid is almost blasphomy but honestly watch a Chiefs game right now and tell me the offensive gameplan makes sense. There are some personnel issues there up front, they don't have a running back worth a dime and their receivers while all talented are a bit "samey". But the number of plays where they end up with guys banging into each other etc suggests the scheming isn't on point either. It isn't "fire Andy" time and I still wouldn't rule out them running the table but I thought this offense could be back to an explosive KC offense and right now it looks miles off that.

I am critical of a lot of what McDermott has got wrong this year. But he has been calling it much better on defense than Babich. That was not hard. Babich was way out of his depth. Personally I don't think it is a scheme issue and, while there is always a call or two, since the change I don't really think it is a playcalling issue. They have no difference makers up front and the second level looks old and slow. And while the scheme does prioritise pass defense over run defense there is no doubt the run D has to look better than this. They did go to some bear front 2nd half and it worked a bit better.... but man they need to find an answer. I'm just not sure what it is with their personnel.

I think he looks washed personally. I'd love to be wrong. He has been a great Bill. But I think it is over.

Yep... he sucks. That is slightly harsh on him but he sucks as a read and react linebacker. He hits the wrong gap well over 50% of the time in thr run game. If you could carve out a niche for him to just run and hit his physical skill set is there to see. Unfortunately you need the rest of the guys around him to be playing better for that to be an option and I don't see it right now. He struggles mentally with processing.

That was a bit of an issue today, but that's the first time since Sean took over playcalling. They have been a LOT better on 3rd down against the Panthers, Chiefs and Dolphins. It's been down like 20 percentage points. Maybe on Fox, but he has a 31 year old who has been a starter one season in his entire career. He isn't in the same ballpark talent wise. I agree losing Hoecht shouldn't hurt this much but we are where we are talent wise. I know you will disagree but I don't think the nickel is the problem and they have mixed man and zone pretty well this year. I just think they look old and washed up in too many spots.

I don't know how they improve the defense to get where it needs to be. The defensive playcalling is much better since Sean took it back off Babich who was way over his head. They 3rd down defense has got better (though Tampa did well today) and the incidents of guys not knowing the playcall are reducing. They were the two things I thought McDermott could fix and has. But we are where we are right now in terms of talent and run defense has been an issue on and off throughout McDermott's time here. In the past they have gone and found the fattest old man off the NFL street to bring in as a stop gap measure.... Corey Liguet or Linval Joseph etc... I don't know if there is anyone who fits that bill out there but if they are we need to get them on the phone. As I've said elsewhere I am ready to see a wholesale change of the 2nd level to Shaq (when healthy), Williams and Cam because Bernard, Milano and Taron are all playing really really poorly at the moment. But I don't know how realistic it is to expect that to be transformational. I do think the secondary has been playing better. Benford has rounded into a bit of form, Hairston getting some run has helped and Bishop has taken off since Poyer came in alongside him. Poyer himself looks every day of his 34 and a half years old when he has to play in space but I get the sense his leadership is helping and we might just have to suffer his lack of athleticism at this stage. But in terms of being able to win a Superbowl? They are going to have to win shootouts IMO. And I don't know how manageable that is.

They tried everyone but Milano in that role today - Solomon, Bernard, Williams.... I don't think they have an answer. Hoecht's skill set is pretty unique. Milano is running in sand, he is one of the first guys they need to get off the field IMO. The guy who I think might be worth a go is more Rousseau standing up in the A gap in pure pass sets with Bosa and Epenesa outside. There are just too many problems to fix. Hancock and Poyer are already in a job share and while I understand the desire to see Hancock out there more he has to play better than he has so far to earn that. There is a case for Shaq, Dorian and Cam to become the starting second level. All the 'starters' are struggling but as @Simon rightly says the interior Dline has to do better at keeping them clean and there is no help coming at that spot. They have what they have at this point. That said the Bills are near the top of the league in rushes stopped for no gain or loss. The bigger problem is once a runner evades the Dline the next Bill to touch the ball could well be the kicker kicking off. Oh and if PED man 1 (Hoecht) was a great addition - for all of two games - PED man 2 (Ogunjobi) is freaking hopeless. Leverage. Pad level. Anchor. One out of 3 would be nice. He is playing with zero.

It was.

The touchdown to the back wasn't on Poyer. Could he have taken a better angle? Maybe but that just his old legs not getting him there. That was a failure on the second level (I think Milano but will have to watch back). The second level is by far the biggest issue. We don't have a linebacker worth a damn and Lewis needs to be in for Taron. On actual form this season he has been by far the superior player. We played defense well vs the Chiefs too, but I take the point. I actually think Hoecht was a huge difference maker for them. He was disrupting QBs from the inside and making them move off their spot. And without that (from either he or Oliver) they are having all day to sit in and throw. I am up for Shaq over Bernard though. It can't get much worse at linebacker.