GunnerBill

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.

How do they miss the fact he can't separate outside? I never got the Coleman pick. Personality or play style he was never a fit for what we needed.

The one on that final drive was definitely a check from Josh. While he isn't just checking into random plays and they have that WR screen as a built in check when Josh reads a team crashing the middle I am not sure he is getting all those checks right. And that was a bad check.

He has never been fast. That is him at full speed.

He will not be on the Bills in 2026. Book it. He is toast.

Allen Cook Shavers Benford Bishop I'm giving whatever the opposite of a game ball is to Milano, Bernard and Johnson. The whole 2nd level of the D is horrible.

100% true.

They have called plenty of deep shots. Josh hasn't thrown them. He did today partly because that Buccs secondary is trash.

Bosa has been atrocious today.

If Josh doesn't miss a layup a FG makes it a 10 point game.

I don't want to hear a single criticism of the playcall there. Josh checked into that play.

They have tried Solomon, they have tried Bernard, they have tried Williams. None are Hoecht.

Huge play Cam Lewis!!! We are at the point where I'd bench Taron and play Cam.

Its an old school Josh Allen experience game today. Some sublime. Some utterly ridiculous.

Bad miss Josh.