GunnerBill

Dime and Nickel are positions in this defense. The Bills train specific guys for those spots. They don't just go "next corner up" or "next safety up". Last year was a bit of an anomoly because they used Poyer as their Dime. Then Rapp would come in and play safety. If this year they were using Rapp as their Dime then Bishop would come in at safety but they are not. Lewis is their primary dime and their backup nickel. Their backup dime is Ingram. If one of their two starting safeties went out I'd expect Bishop to come in. If that happens and Lewis comes in then I'll say okay he is behind him. It's like the Ingram's ahead of Elam debate. He wasn't. The Bills just see nickel and dime as separate positions to outside corner and safety.

Not good. There was no good option. I'd have made the same choice McDermott did. I'd have gone for Klein and hoped that the recognition skill and the smarts would have allowed him to call the defense effectively and make just one positional change to your lineup. The alternative was make two moves, slide Dodson into Mike and then play Dorian at Will and I think Kansas City would have just singled him out and used misdirection against him relentlessly. I'm worried they will do that next week in any event, and Dorian while still not where you'd want him to be is ahead in his development from last year.

Dorian was a spinning top. He still largely is. He'd have got abusee by KC in the playoffs. He isn't behind Cam Lewis.

Eeek Spector was the first guy in at either spot and they really don't have anyone who can play will behind Dorian now. Morrow and Andreeson both really mikes.

I'd say draft but I don't think it is a super talented edge group this year. Is Carter from Penn State the top guy? I've seen him listed as such but to my eye he is a classic Penn State toolsy raw edge guy... put him in the Jayson Oweh and Chop Robinson bucket. I'd be fine with the Bills taking a shot but if he is the best guy out there he will go sooner. Just because of need. I haven't seen as much CFB this year as I'd like with life getting in the way so happy for folks to throw other names at me I might want to try and catch in a game before the season ends and I start my draft work in Jan.

We got much worse, like game losing level, play when they started Bishop. If he'd been just a bit of position in that game that would be one thing. He made the critical mistakes that led to two touchdowns. It's okay saying "get him experience and take your lumps now" but what if he costs you another game? Then what? A third game? At what point do you say you just have to play the guys who have been better to this point. If Bishop had played well at Houston he'd have got more reps. He played really poorly, he rides the pine. It's a meritocracy. And be clear I am no fan of the guys that are starting. I think they are the worst starting safety tandem in terms of talent level in the entire NFL. Bishop is more talented but when he got a shot on the field it went really, really badly. Shakir played a 3rd of the snaps on offense as a 5th round rookie. People talk as though he wae never out there. The lack of production was because he couldn't run routes and kept overrunning the soft spots in zone which was understandable because he came from a gimmicky college offense that never asked him to do those things. Is there an argument they should have committed to him as a peice of their offense ealier in year 2? Yea I think there is. They were trying to force feed the 12 personnel under Dorsey and I think that limited Shakir a but from breaking out sooner.

Rapp very slightly. I would say he has just about scraped replacement level play. That is a tick better than I'd have predicted. He is still out of position plenty and a reckless tackler though. The rest have been bad and the Bills are doing so much schematically to to protect them that it is hurting other elements of the defense.

Yea the reason Hamlin and Rapp are grading reaaonably is the Bills are protecting them with everything else they are doing on defense and some really clever coaching. I'd take the Chiefs defensive talent over the current Bills defensive talent 100 times out of 100 in an instant. Go back 3 years it would be the other way round. But our guys aged out and they built a really solid young D through the draft to add to their one stud in Jones. I'd actually take the Bills offensive talent over the Chiefs right now if we take Hollywood and Rice as gone for the year.

It worked in part because the Fish linebackers suck. If they'd played Baltimore last week I'm not sure we get a different result to the first time.

In fact when he was on the field he gave up 2 touchdowns. He was a much bigger factor in the Houston defeat than the play calling at the end.

As if he gets invited to parties

It's still a don't know for me. I don't think it's impossible.

Safety a "slight advantage"? Just Reid is a very good safety and Bryan Cook has been really consistent for them as a second round pick. That is a massive advantage. The Bills have the worst starting safeties in the NFL, the fact they haven't sunk our season is because they are well coached. And KC's linebackers actually play their responsibilities rather than having a guy running around like a spinning top in Dorian. I think Dlines are close except for they have a stud and we don't and with their injuries I might give us the edge at corner (especially boundary corner).

2 point conversion rates are down the last two years anyway. As was always predictable the more teams go for it the bigger the sample size the success rate was always likely to reduce. That said I thought the Bengals were right to try.

I am with @Mr. WEO. Simplify the rule book and take challenges off the coaches. Make New York responsible for deciding when something so obviously wrong that it can be clearly seen and changed before the next play is snapped.

Agree but he is playing better than ever this year and he is still adding bits to his game. It is super impressive.

We have tried: full time professionals; younger guys identified and fast tracked; year round training; greater explanations and transparency; and obviously video technology in the Premier League soccer. And after all the stat the standard is worse than it was before.

In exchange for that production you get multiple plays given up because he plays for himself not the team. Massively overrated.

But beyond the defensive line (and let's be honest it is really Groot and Oliver we are talking about, because Von might be a big investment but he is a meh player at this stage) there is not a lot of investment in the defense out on the field. I did the breakdowns the other day. Certainly pick wise the offense has the resources now more than the D. I think the D will hold Indy below 24. Less confidenct on KC. Losing both their outside receivers just at the point that the O seemed to be taking off really sucks.

I disagree. Lamar has got better. He is a better passer now than he has ever been. Todd Monken is doing a terrific job, no doubt. But you are seeing Lamar do things on film now thay he couldn't do before.

The way he is playing this season? Not sure I agree. This is the best he has ever played IMO. He keeps improving. And throwing with anticipation. He used to be a "you get open then I'll throw it to you" Quarterback. He is playing at a true elite level this year as a passing Quarterback not just a dual threat guy.

I think they can.. I'm just not sold. Their schedule toughens up and I am not a believer in Russ. They are the touch and go one for me.

Yep, I agree. But they have Bucs, Pats, Broncos, Raiders still to come. I think they have a good coach and a good Quarterback and that keeps them above the bad teams, but they are still below the top teams.

After the trade deadline I think everyone is subject to Waivers. I'm not 100% on that but was definitely the rule at one point.

Put it this way I wouldn't trade him straight up for Mixon today. Really like what I see from him both as a runner and a pass catcher. To have a better career than Mixon he has a fair ways to go.