GunnerBill

Agree. Roquan went out Sunday too, not heard an update yet. Reminder again that even some of the better teams in the league find 3 or 4 of their best players going down is too hard to overcome. Next man up is a cute theory. When it is your best guys it simply doesn't work. EDIT: worth adding as well that is even more the risk you take when you go for the stars and filler model of roster building. When I look at their roster I struggle to find a single spot where their depth is as good as the Bills depth. I can find plenty where their starters are better, sure, but their build relies a lot more on their guys staying healthy. I have been as critical as anyone of the Bills lack of stars, but it is right to credit them with their depth.

Haven't watched the Jets - Dolphins but have watched the Broncos and Bengals and here are my thoughts: - the Broncos offense is very Sean Payton. Power run game with multiple backs lots of use of them and the tight ends in the short pass game and the odd deep shot when defenses cheat up. But it is just a tad predictable and Bo Nix while capable is not Drew Brees. The ceiling for that sort of scheme is low even if the floor is pretty high (should say there is a fair bit of that that read across to Joe Brady too, but Brady has some more motions and eye candy... there is a vanilla flavour to the Broncos pre-snap..... and obviously Joe Brady has Josh Allen); - on a personal level pleased for JK Dobbins. I thought he was an electric back coming out and injuries have really derailed his career but he is still only 26 and while the speed isn't quite what it was he is a nice scheme fit in Denver and a big night last night puts him 4th for the year in rushing behind only Taylor, Cook and Etienne; - their defense looked good (and won me a fantasy matchup) after a sluggish start to the year. Nick Bonitto has legit developed into one of the best pass rushers in football; - remember two years ago when Jake Browning was being called one of the best backups in football? This season he looks like a guy who can barely move the ball. The difference? Film. Two years ago when he started for Burrow they were his first starts as a pro teams hadn't worked out his strengths and weaknesses. They very much HAVE now and he looks brutal; - That said I don't think Zac Taylor is helping him. Every passing combination is so slow developing. With any backup you need to give him quick game and let him get the ball out of his hands. They are setting him up to fail... if the Burrow injury means (as I suspect) a losing year then I can see change coming in Cincinnati.

Yea but I doubt they do it while we are 4-0.

He was also in all those meetings with Leslie as well and 3rd down D was not an issue. Nor was players looking confused pre-snap. I don't know what you are willfully not understanding but there are certain issues on defense that you can legitmately put at the door of the overall approach and say they are in part McDermott issues - run defense, inconsistent pass rush, DBs playing deep. And there are some that have only been an issue with this coordinator - 3rd down and pre-snap. I get it, the Head Coach ultimately is accountable for on field performance. But to say "simple as that" really does over simplify something with significant nuance.

Sure, a player switched off, but your position coaches are supposed to be all over that too. They should know at any given moment of the game who is in on each package. Agree McD did the right thing call timeout.

He hasn't. Per PFF 70 snaps over the B gap and 14 over the A gap.

Interesting but no, not covered on broadcast.

They have mixed some of that in, yes.

I don't care about winning it. I'm talking about the reality. There are bita of this defense that I don't think you can fix by swapping out coordinators. But there are bits that I think you can. Because Babich has performed objectively and measurably worse than his predecessors in those areas and it is reasonable to lay that at his door.

Yes, and there is definitely some of it that falls squarely on Sean. But as I've said elsewhere there are elements: 3rd down and pre-snap confusion that are objectively, measurably way worse than under Frazier or indeed Sean himself. That stuff you have to look at Babich. That isn't giving Sean a pass, it's just being realistic.

Yep. Some of that is play design. I actually thought the worst one last night was where he was the only guy in the picture on that side trying to defend a screen 2nd half. The Saints OL were running downfield like "where are the guys I'm supposed to block?" I'm guessing that one must have been a communication breakdown somewhere because surely nobody designs it like that?

Agree with this and again, this hasn't been a big issue for the Bills in the past and I think that is fair to put at the defensive coordinator's door. I don't think firing Babich fixes everything, and as I said last night, I don't love any of the alternative options very much.... but the confusion pre-snap and the plummeting of the 3rd down defense are new on this DC's watch. I think firing him gives you a chance to at least get that fixed. I don't think it will magically fix our run defense (which has been an issue to some degree most years of this regime) or make our pass rush more dynamic (which again has been a recurring weakness) but I DO think it can help fix the two specific issues we have seen crop up under this coordinator.

There was that one and one going the other way that Williams missed where the Bills absolutely whiffed on Rattler scrambles.

Ultimately it falls on McDermott, sure. But the 3rd down issues are very specific to this coordinator. Leslie consistently had top 10 3rd down defenses, McDermott had a middle of the pack 3rd down defense. The Bills were 4th worst in the league last year and are 8th worst through four games despite giving up none in 11 vs the Jets. That is a Babich issue and the tape tells a tale, his design on 3rd down is utter trash.

The defense is just bad. Bad fundamentals, bad situationally, inconsistent pass rush. The one thing is HAS done well is splash plays. But that's a tough way to live week to week. It simply has to be better. I'd be willing to consider a coordinator change but I doubt it happens.

I think he had to take both of them. The first one was on the refs. The second one was on the coaches. Babich and whichever position coach hadn't got his right group out were the blame but ultimately that is a Head Coach accountability point. McDermott needs to leave his guys in no doubt that is not tolerated. In another situation burning that timeout hurts. I actually didn't like the timeouts at the end of the half this week. Josh had already used one, so we were down to two. He took the first on a 3rd and 2 with 1:36 left. Didn't like that. I was fine with how they used them last week on 2nd and 5 and then 3rd and 7. But to use one on 3rd and 2 when even if the Saints milk the clock there they have to run a play leaving about 50 seconds on the clock. If you stop them and it's 4th down THEN call a timeout, sure. Otherwise I'd let them play out 3rd and 2 and if they convert, and you can stop them on 1st down and get 2nd and long THEN call timeout. Calling timeout on 3rd and 2 there was not smart clock / situation management.

Yes when Milano's back you can persuade me there is a case for some more base with Shaq, Matt and Bernard.

Sure, for a snap here and a snap there. Walker is a 3 tech in a 1 techs body.

You think the Head Coach is to blame for tackling? I am not sure I agree with could "easily have lost" I never felt we would lose yesterday or vs Miami. Baltimore, sure. But the defense does suck. It has made some exceptional plays - Oliver in the opener, Bishop last night.... but it's fundamentals have been woeful. And some of the defensive playcalling is mystifying. I'm not saying it is all on Bobby Babich but the Bills have never had this level of 3rd down issue until he became DC. At some point you have to hold him accountable.

I'd go QB - B+ RB - A+ OL - C- OC - C DL - B- LB - C DB - C DC - D+ McD - C+

Definitely don't do that one. A Davis play is like waving the white flag. Dennis Allen? He is the DC in Chicago. Brandon Staley is the defensive coordinator for the Saints.

Agree with these two. That was Bishop's best game of the year and the interception was incredible. Big for the Bills because Taylor Rapp has had a really rough start to the year and their safety play does concern me. But on the flipside my patience has just about expired with Dorian Williams. It's a shame because I liked that pick and he is a physical specimen who can run and hit but he loses too many reps between the ears. I am not saying cut him but this is not the guy who long term succeeds Matt Milano. The Bills will have to go back to well and try and draft that next spring (somewhere in the mid rounds ideally).

Yep. And a false start. He was poor last night. Two penalties, two bad FG snaps, whiffed block. I think this might be his last year.

I can't find what I said in here.... but I didn't love the pick, that's true. I think some of the reasons I didn't still sort of apply. He is another 3 tech, the plays he has made so far have been primarily lined up there and while I have been pleased with his impact (he has been better than I'd have predicted off the bus, no doubt) it does mean we have a bit of a logjam at the 3 tech position without an answer long term at the 1. The good news is he looks MUCH more like the guy on the 2023 film than the guy who played for Kentucky last year. He is moving much better.

While I definitely agree with that.... there were a couple where it was just a terrible playcall, Bosa half assed it last night when he had to play the run. There is zero doubt in my mind. That is not good enough and he needs a rocket up his arse. Yes, we want him to rush the passer, yes, when Hoecht is back we might have a better option to play opposite Greg on some of those early downs and intermediate distance plays and allow Bosa to be more of a rush specialist.... but he has to play better too. They are both 3 techs.