schoolhouserock

My expectation is that the Bills will be slightly worse next season than they were this season. Both the fish and the Jests are already competitive. Both teams might become ultra competitive with the addition of a good QB (Brady / Rodgers). At the end of the 2021-2022 season, it was clear that the Bills were the favorites to win the East in 2022. At the end of the 2022-2023 season, I think the Bills are still the favorites, but that the rest of the off-season is going to muddy that picture. The Bills are likely to go into the 2023-2024 season as a very questionable favorite.

I am about 60/40… 60% thinking an improved O-line will make the current set of receivers much more palatable… 40% thinking the Bills should always prioritize a WR over an interior O-lineman.

Yep!

The folks asking questions kept referring to Cincinnati’s WRs, which I thought was the wrong approach. It was the questioning that elicited such responses from Beane. Given the line of questioning, I think folks are making a mountain out of this molehill. More focus should have been placed on the performance of Cincinnati’s offensive line. That, to me, gets to the heart of what is wrong. All of McBeane have ALWAYS stated that they build from the lines out. For the backup O-line of Cincinnati to perform so well is a devastating indictment of the Bills’ approach both offensively and defensively. The questions should have centered around how do the Bills implement a system where any version of their O-line can perform like Cincinnati’s did in that game. Beane could not assign “lean years” as a reason in his answer. Cincinnati’s O-line was a mess last off-season. They have improved greatly in that area. They invested in their O-line, yes. However, their play after so many injuries suggests that there is something more to that unit’s turnaround. I don’t know what it is, but I hope the Bills can get it.

Thanks for sharing. Always fun to read. I have a suspicion that Allen is not necessarily “healthy”. The little nicks are already starting to add up, IMO. I wonder how healthy his throwing elbow is and whether it is the type of thing that will ever truly be “right” again. I think he will be a great QB for the Bills for years to come, but that his dynamism will begin to diminish. I hope he can compensate with better mental play. A much improved O-line with additional receiving weapons would be a major game changer in this regard. They are both absolutely worth investing in given that Allen could make the most of the investment. Second - something that has been sitting in the back of my mind all season - didn’t Saffold get into a bad car wreck during the preseason? He was awful this year and I wonder whether: 1) he never quite recovered from that incident or 2) he is just washed or 3) both.

Couldn’t agree more. It was a terrible, terrible time out. Burrow had been nicked and that time out gave him enough time to regroup.

The Bills - regardless of what decisions are made - are likely to have more hiccups next season. This needed to be THE year. Future years are going to require more luck.

Elam should have gotten more play this season. Full stop. That’s not on Beane. It all works together.

I wonder what Morse is thinking. have to consider the potential for him to call it a career. That would be a huge hit to an already weak O-line.

It does seem like similar results could be had with fewer resources. The need to redirect investment into the O-line is DIRE.

Agree. Bills will be competitive for a number of years. Seems like the only way they’ll win the big one is if they happen to get lucky.

This staff has lost a huge percentage of fans for the next few hours… maybe a few days.

Really hard to envision the Bills pulling together a better all-around roster than these past two seasons. They will be competitive for a long time and luck might just shine on them some day. The window for being heavy favorites, however, just closed.

It almost feels like the Bills are playing in flats while the Bengals have cleats. Like Bengals have traction and Bills don’t.

The Bills aren’t good enough. The mantra has always been to build from the lines out yet the lines have been a complete let down. COMPLETE let down.

Need a much better second half. Bills lines are losing big time. Two mistakes by coverage = 2 TDs. Need the Bills’ linemen find another gear in the second half.

Wasn’t that Offside on the hard count? That’s why Morse snapped it early. Also think the refs missed an intentional grounding on the previous drive. Also a major hold against Basham on the drive before that.

Agreed - that was going for big yards and Saffold let his guy get a hand on Josh. Ugh!

GO BILLS!!!

I was in elementary school during those years. I learned that the Bills would always be good. It is what first got me hooked on being a Bills fan. Little did I know… Now I have nieces and nephews and little cousins and am taking this opportunity to teach them the same. The hard learning will come whenever Allen retires.

The only Bill that played above expectations was Elam, IMO.

Bills are so bad at third and long

John Brown has been near both INTs. He has never been good when the ball isn’t right on him. He never bails out the QB.

Huh… I had always thought that post-season yards counted.

Going to have to get the #1 seed next season if we finally want to see Mahomes vs Allen in Buffalo. I know it is predetermined, but this is getting ridiculous.