msw2112

Among sports journalists that cover Buffalo sports, Wawrow is pretty solid. His stuff tends to be accurate and well-reasoned. He used to contribute some solid information to this board. Based on what others have said, he doesn't post here any more. As to this particular question, which I think was a fair one, McDermott's response was a bit snarky, but he's on the hot seat with Bills fans right now, so something like this (as someone posted above) reiterates his commitment to the Bills and the Buffalo area. I'm OK with it. In the scheme of things, it's really not a big deal, but since someone posted it, it was worthy of a comment.

It's not just the Bills. It's today's NFL. In a close games, often the team that has the ball last wins, regardless of the circumstances. Some reasons why: Penalties. Pass Interference and Roughing the Passer penalties that were not called in the past always seem to be called and keep these desperation, last-minute drives alive Better athletes. Bigger, faster, stronger WRs and TEs are able to make plays downfield that the athletes of yesteryear were not able to make. There are also a lot more mobile QBs than there were in the past. Dan Marino and Jim Kelly, two Hall of Fame QBs, were not fast enough to elude the pass rush and make desperation throws down the field like some of the guys today can make. (Of course, these guys did enough earlier in the game that they didn't have to face these situations that often, but that's another story). How to counter this trend, and minimize it from happening against your team? Better clock management - something the Bills are terrible at. The Bills have put up late scores in games to take the lead, but they often score too early, leaving too much time on the clock. It's an art, but successful teams bleed the clock so that there's not enough time for the other team to get the ball back. (And 13 seconds SHOULD be a GOOD example of this, but I digress). An example of the Bills being bad at this was the New England game, where the Bills refused a penalty, which would have given them an extra down to run clock and/or force NE to use a timeout. Had they accepted the penalty, they would have been at the 2 yard line instead of the 1, but the extra down was much more valuable than the 1 yard. McDermott also often uses HIS timeouts when the other team is in desperation mode, stopping the clock and giving them time to settle down and get the right play in. This poor use of timeouts also deprives the Bills of having them, should they get the ball back with a little bit of time left on the clock. I'm a McDermott fan, but this is one of his areas of weakness.

Don't look now - I saw an article recently stating that "iconic jingle is coming back" and guess which one? Maybe Josh can score another endorsement deal.

Do you mean the middle stone?

I voted NO. I'm a Bills fan for life and there's something special about being part of the Bills fanbase, even when times are tough. Plus, this Bills team is not done, by any means. If they don't bounce back this season, I'm confident they will next season. There are too many good pieces in place (Josh Allen in particular) for that not to happen. I suppose that if I interpreted the question differently, my response might have been different. If you asked which team is the more exciting, fun team to watch right now, I'd say the Texans. But for the long haul, no, I'm not changing places.

I realize this is an internet fan message board, but why do opinions have to be so extreme, with no nuance? All of the following can be (and in my opinion are) true: 1. Josh Allen is a great QB. 2. Josh Allen may go down in history as the best Buffalo Bills QB ever, and possibly best Bills player, ever. 3. Josh Allen is having a poor season and it's having a negative impact on the team's results. 4. Josh Allen will recover from his poor play and will return to his status as a great QB. It may or may not be this season. 5. Josh Allen's poor play this season may be the result of: (a) poor coaching/offensive scheming; (b) lack of dedication to his craft; (c) injuries; or d) some combination thereof. I don't know. The change in offensive coordinator should tell us whether it's (a). It might take a few weeks for Brady to "install his system" so we might not know right away. I'm frustrated and disappointed with where the Bills are right now, but I'd rather be 5-5 and have Josh Allen than be 2-8 and not have him (or for that matter, be 6-4 and not have him).

I lived in Chicago at the time and was there for that Cup run and watched many Bills and Sabres games there in the years that followed. I saw the story this AM and it is very sad. The "lesser" bad news is that the bar appears to be destroyed, and the real bad news is the firefighter losing his life. May he rest in peace.

The Dolphins are certainly not a bad team. They have a lot of talent on both sides of the ball and particularly on offense. I just don't think they're a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The best teams that they played, the Bills and Chiefs, handled them pretty easily. The final score against the Chiefs was close, but not really indicative of how the game went. So I'm not saying they're a terrible team - I just think they're not as good a team as their record or "power ranking" indicates. They are vulnerable, and the Bills, as poorly as they've played, can still catch them for the division. That said, a lot has to happen before then. The Bills need to get out of their own way and start playing to their ability. And back to the original point of the thread, in order to start playing to their ability, the Bills need to play like the Texans are playing - loose, aggressive, and as if there are no weighty expectations.

The Bills and Texans are polar opposites right now. There were no expectations on the Texans, so they're just coming in, playing loose, taking chances, and allowing their talent to shine. The Bills, on the other hand, have the weight of the world on them. They were/are expected to contend. Everyone is saying their window of opportunity is closing. Veteran players such as Poyer, Hyde, and Miller (and others, like Murray, etc.) are nearing the end of the line. They are wound way too tight, and it shows in their play, particularly on offense. Anyone here play golf? How do you play when you are thinking intently about every swing, versus when you're loose and just "grip it and rip it?" The Bills need to just grip it and rip it. Play no-huddle. Let the offense score some points. If the defense gives up a few (which they will, given the injuries), that's fine. Line up the offense and go score some more. I'm not sure how to change the mentality of the Bills right now, but they still have enough talent to be among the best teams in the league, and are in their own heads right now. The defense is limited with injuries, but Douglas and Joseph should help. Maybe Miller will improve as he works his way back. I've always been a McDermott supporter and I know that many on this board are ready for him to be shown the door. Maybe the message is getting stale and a fresh new approach is needed. That said, I'm willing to see how this season plays out - it's still early and the Bills are in the mix at 5-4 and will be even more so if they beat Denver tonight to get to 6-4. The all-world Bengals are also 5-4, coming off a loss. The all-world Ravens are 6-3 and coming off a loss and will be only 1 game ahead of the Bills if the Bills win tonight. Realistically, because of the logjam in the AFC, and the Bills having so many conference losses, the Bills will lose out on AFC wild-card tiebreakers. They need to focus on winning the East. Despite the loss to NE, the Pats are terrible. The Jests will go nowhere with Zach Wilson at QB. Even if Rodgers comes back, it will be too late. The Dolphins are front-running pretenders. The Bills beat them once and can/should beat them again. So the Bills need to find a way to hang within one-game of the Fins, as they currently are, and can take the division and make the playoffs in the final game of the season on January 7. After that, in a single-elimination tournament, anything can happen. I realize that I'm taking the glass half-full approach at this point, but what's the point in the opposite approach?

I think this kids' hat looks pretty cool, and, of course, the kimono! Otherwise, this stuff is complete dreck.

I've generally been a McD supporter, but I agree that the rotation is bothersome. In crucial situations, I want to see our best players on the field. Too often, on a key play, I see the guys whose spot in the rotation has come up, on the field, rather than the best players. It just doesn't seem like a smart way to approach things. I also realize that the injuries have really hurt this defense - they were playing lights-out beforehand - but, a coach needs to properly utilize the guys that are available.

I don't think he's slowing down per se, but, as others have pointed out, he's moving a bit slower for 2 reasons: 1) He's trying to keep his eyes downfield to look for a potential throw 2) He's gauging where the defenders are so that he can time a slide or run out of bounds, to avoid a big hit. In the past, he would just go full steam ahead and try to run over whoever or whatever might be in the way. I'm OK with both of these, even if it slows him down a bit. That said, if he sees an opening, he should take it. He's a fantastic runner and it's part of his game. He just needs to avoid the big hits. Yes, he can deliver them and yes, he's tough and can take a lot of them, but he needs to keep himself as healthy as he can. If that means getting 18 yards instead of 20, so be it. I'd, of course, make an exception where the game is on the line. If it's 4th down in the 4th quarter of a close game, he has to do whatever it takes to get past the sticks. It's all about situational awareness.

Most of this is true, but there were way more Bills fans at the game than Jags fans. I was one of them. This is who was at the game, in order: 1. Bills fans 2. NFL football fans who live in Europe/the UK who came to see a live NFL game, regardless of who their favorite team is 3. Jags fans So it's true that the Jags got an extra week to adjust to the time zone, but the fact that the Jags have adopted London as their 2nd home was not an advantage at least not against a team with a fanbase like the Bills have. The Bills should have left on Monday, or Tuesday at the latest. Leaving on Friday may not be the only reason they lost, but it certainly contributed to them coming out very flat and not being sharp for most/all of the game. I got there before they did, and I was jetlagged well past the time they left.

And Rapp (who was on the same Rams team as Edwards and Von)?

Last year, I knew we were going to get smoked in the playoff game. Before Hamlin went down, the Bengals were moving the ball and scoring at will, while the Bills could only manage a FG. By the time the playoff game rolled around, the Bills were not playing any better, but the Bengals were in high gear. Also, Frazier basically came right out and said "we're going to do what we do" on defense and they lived up to his word. They did what they do and got shredded. This year, the Bills defense is depleted and they're going to give up some points, but hopefully, they can be creative enough to force a turnover here or there that will help, and the Bills offense will continue the momentum from Thursday night. The offense was great on Thursday, but they took their foot off the gas and played conservatively from the middle of the 3rd quarter on. That won't get it done against Cincinnati. They need to keep the foot on the gas for 4 quarters. I don't know if the Bills will win this game, but I am optimistic that we'll see a better performance than we saw in our 5 quarters against the Bengals last season.

With Harris out, this move makes sense. A guy with some talent, experience, and maybe some gas left in the tank who can fill a spot that needed to be filled, that cost no draft assets and not likely much cap space either.

I watched it in real time and I thought they should have gone for it on 4th and 1. Given the time remaining, timeout situation, momentum, etc., it seemed to me to be the right decision in that situation. The missed FG gave the Jets better field position and I was concerned that if the Giants had made the FG, the Jets could have gotten a big kick return which could have put them into a good situation. Throw in the fact that the Giants had no threat of a pass and basically no offense. Everyone knew that if the game went to OT, the Giants were not going to win. It was the one rare situation where I thought the Giants should NOT have taken the ball in OT. I was telling my wife (who had no idea of what I was talking about, nor did she give a sh*&) that the Giants were going to go 3 and out, punt, give the Jets great field position and lose the game on a FG. I also agree that if the Giants had not taken that stupid Offside penalty, none of this would have mattered. Given the time remaining and the lack of timeouts, the Jets did not have enough time to get the necessary yardage and get the Field Goal unit onto the field. One positive was that it was an exciting finish to an otherwise horrible game. Some good football entertainment on a day the Bills were not playing.

You have it right on a couple of fronts. The fact several people saw it and all saw something different may be why the officials didn't call anything. THEY all saw something different and couldn't come to a consensus, so they decided to let it all "offset" without calling anything and they moved on with the game. NFL officiating is also terrible in general, and has been for a while now.

I often disagree with McDermott's in-game decision making. I don't think it's due to a lack of effort, hard work, or dedication. I don't know him personally and have never worked with him, so I can't say why he makes some the decisions that he makes. Maybe he doesn't process information quickly in stressful situations. Maybe he just sees the risks/rewards differently than I do. I have no idea. I wish he were better at it. That said, I'm comfortable with him as the Bills head coach. He's had a very good track record and the good far outweighs the bad. It's easy for fans on a message board to second guess after the fact.

I'm somewhat older myself and see where you are coming from. From my perspective, if the team makes a mistake in execution, or if the other team just makes a great play, I can live with that. Passes are dropped, facemasks are inadvertently grabbed, etc. On the other hand, when stupid decisions on things that are completely within the team's control are made, I get very frustrated. A good example is when Tampa was in disarray on a 4th down and the clock was running out. Should they punt, go for the field goal, or go for it? They don't know. The BILLS take a time out, giving Tampa plenty of time to settle down and make a decision. Why? Or in the Pats game. There's a penalty inside the 5. The Bills can accept the penalty and have 4 downs from the 2 yard line, or decline it and have 3 downs from the 1 yard line. The extra down, if unsuccessful, gives the Bills a chance to run an additional 40 seconds off the clock or force New England to take a timeout. If successful, the Bills are no worse off. What do they do? Decline the penalty. Forego an extra down in exchange for 1 yard. The Bills get the TD, but the critical 40 seconds and/or timeout remain available to New England, which ultimately comes back to haunt the Bills. Those same types of decisions, in the playoffs, against a good team, could cost the team their season. I like McDermott and am very grateful for what he's done for the franchise. I don't think is job should be in jeopardy. Every coach, even Hall of Famers like Belichick, make head scratching decisions at times. All that said, I still think that McDermott can be better and make smarter in-game decisions.

I'm happy the Bills got an important win. There were many positives, but here are a few: 1. The offense was much better than in recent weeks. Getting the ball to the open guy is the right thing to do. Sure, Diggs' stats took a hit (he's on my fantasy team), but it was great to see Davis, Shakir, and Kincaid having great games. It will make the Bills much more difficult to defend. Cook ran the ball effectively when his number was called. 2. The defense played better. Given all the injuries, I thought they performed better than they did last week. While they gave up a late TD and a 2 point conversion, and allowed Tampa to get into position for a Hail Mary, they contained Tampa for most of the game and Tampa got a lot of help on inadvertent penalties. I disagree with those who say that Phillips' penalty was a dumb play that warrants cutting him. Have any of those folks every played the game? Things happen very fast in real time. Phillips was just trying to tackle Mayfield and his hand got inadvertently caught up in the facemask. He couldn't even see where his hand was at the time. Unfortunate, yes. Intentional/stupid? No. 3. Special teams was better. Bass did not miss any kicks and Harty had a breakout game as a punt returner. Harty was MUCH better than he has shown all season and he did so on multiple occasions. Also a few negatives: 1. The offense played a bit too conservatively late in the game. They didn't score a point after the midpoint of the 3rd quarter. They should have gone for it on at least one of the late 4th downs to put Tampa away. The depleted defense can't be relied on and it almost backfired. Tampa had a legitimate chance on the Hail Mary. 2. McDermott's use of timeouts on defense is baffling. He consistently gives a harried offense, with time running down on them, a chance to regroup and get settled. It usually costs the Bills. It gives me flashbacks of 13 seconds. 3. The goal line offense. Take a couple of shots at a QB sneak. "Tush push" or not, Allen is a big strong guy who can get a yard or less a very high percentage of the time. Even if you get stuffed once, chances are they're not going to stop it twice. So, overall, I'm happy with the win, but see room for improvement in the game management. I'm not ready to fire anyone or put them on the hot seat, but hope they trust the process if the process means evaluating their own decisions and making improvements in the future.

This concept reminds me of the Kelvin Sheppard for Jerry Hughes trade, which worked out very well for the Bills. And when I originally wrote this, I failed to see that both trades involved a player named Kelvin! I was just thinking of a swap of highly-drafted players who didn't work out for their original teams.

I think he should be "allowed" to scramble/run when there's an open lane in front of him. He needs to finish the plays by sliding or getting out of bounds. He should not be running designed running plays (other than sneaks), nor should he be taking on linebackers and safeties. I've noticed this year many times when there's a ton of green grass in front of Josh and he could easily run for the the first down and he's hanging onto the ball and throwing it. He should absolutely run in those situations. If that's what's meant by "unleashing" then by all means yes.

I think the whining about Beane is a little over the top. He's a good GM, perhaps top-10 in the league. I agree that he's not as good as Rosenman, but Rosenman has a job and is not available to the Bills.

I have no idea what Diggs meant, but I'm guessing he's saying that the Bills laid an egg and have been crap the last 3 weeks, but dwelling on the past will be of no benefit to anyone. Focus on the next game. I'm in. I'll be tuning in Thursday night and looking for a much improved Bills team.