Straight Hucklebuck

What role do you have in the Chiefs organization Billl? Did you hand scout Mahomes and convince Veach to draft him?

Another game on MUTE.

Matt Harmon would say it’s a lot of Mickey Mouse routes. He’s used like Marvin Mims or Wandale Robinson.

The more I think about this, there needs to be a trade. Current 2025 cap is $9.2M (28th/32 teams). Estimates are the cap will grow from $245M to $265M-$275M. This will give the Bills potentially $30M in cap space. 2026 the Bills are 30th in cap space ($49M). 2025 FAs Douglas Cooper Hollins Ty Johnson Gilliam Smoot Jefferson Phillips Austin Johnson 2026 FAs Bernard Benford Rousseau McGovern Shakir Cook Epenesa David Edwards DaQuan Jones 1. Looking at the lists - in a perfect world with no cap who would you keep? Cooper, Hollins, Ty Johnson, maybe Gilliam, Bernard, Benford, Rousseau, McGovern, Shakir, Cook. There is no way the Bills will be able to afford extensions for all these people. 2. The defensive line is facing a large scale makeover. Von Miller is on the books in 2025, 2026 and 2027 at gigantic numbers. This offseason the Bills will most likely lose Toohill, Smoot, Jefferson, Phillips, Austin Johnson, and I can't see the Bills wanting DaQuan Jones or AJ Epenesa back after 2025. That leaves Von, Oliver, Carter and Solomon in 2-years. Not much to work with. 3. I think the majority of people would say that if the Bills make the Super Bowl in 2024, it's going to be because their offense got hot and carried them, not their defense. Conclusions/Thoughts 1. Can't afford to bring back Cooper or Douglas. Hollins, Ty Johnson and Gilliam could probably be squeezed in. 2. Keep key pieces of the offense together. McGovern can play both Guard and Center and is in his prime. Shakir is the most dependable WR on the team. James Cook could be kept in 2025, and then franchised in 2026. 3. Looking at the overhaul the Defensive Line is facing, I think Rousseau is the logical choice to be extended. 4. I'm wondering if the Bills would consider trading Christian Benford? Could you trade him a year early and recoup a 3rd and 5th for him? I don't think he'll fetch a 1st or 2nd on one really good year. 5. Which leaves Terrel Bernard. Is he dependable enough to extend? 6. The Bills could largely stay intact for a 2025 run as well as most critical free agents after 2025.

Mahomes can’t eat that cake because he’s got to be in Playoff shape.

That just doesn’t make any sense when you watch these plays happen. It is not some execution masterclass when you can’t identify #87 and have anyone close to him as he jogs. He's not breaking people off, there is no precision there. It’s jog 3-5 yards, or obvious tunnel screens, his touchdown he just jogs into the end zone untouched. I can see a play or two where he blocks, then leaks out late like a back, but that was pathetic today.

Yeah that’s nice, there isn’t any combination of zone/man defense that you can employ where you can try to cover him? You know it’s possible because this year has been career lows in numerous categories.

Her voice is nails on a chalkboard

You watch these games with Kelce, and I just replay his catches, and it’s always the same thing - he gets a free release off the line, he jogs 4-5 yards, nobody goes with him and it’s just a free pass into the secondary. The guy has a visible gut and love handles now and his catches today are just free jogs into the secondary. How can this be the strategy in 2024? I get 5-years ago when he actually was size/speed combination, but now? Why do teams allow this?

I like Schopp much more when he does the show alone, and Bulldog for that matter. Mike can just lay out his thoughts on the team and league without playing into the role of making lame jokes, taking low-key shots at the callers, driving the topic at hand into a discussion about breakfast cereal and what your favorite pair of pants is. It’s kind of all the “new-age” thoughts you’d expect - defense doesn’t matter, running backs are interchangeable, have to stay aggressive on 4th-down, need playmakers at WR.

I think they were smart to manage injuries yesterday. Last year they were all the way back before Week 18 against Miami (minus Milano) and down there we lost Gabe Davis, Taylor Rapp, Dodson ripped his shoulder, Douglas tore his MCL. And then we all know the story the following week against Pittsburgh.

Yeah man, confident stabs and punches - that’s what they mean when it’s gets noted that guys are stunned by his initial punch. You can see the confidence in those clips, using either arm, riding guys completely off the field, mirroring and walling off, pushing guys way past the pocket. Hand up here, I didn’t think it looked good, but early last year you could tell he had improved. He's got ideal size and yes - he plays angry. Always had Josh Allen’s and his teammates back.

Elam undoubtably can run with his man, stay right on his hip - remember last week, Jameson Williams broke him off near the sidelines, but he wasn’t behind Elam. On the long throw last night, Elam is right there about 1/3rd-1/2-yard down the field. We saw it against Calvin Ridley in the Jags game on the long throw near the end of the game. He can run right with the WRs and has the right length. But he’s usually in a trailing position and professional QBs drop spirals over his head.

They’re 12-3 and gave up 21 points in 2024. This is why I like listening to Chris Simms near the end of the year. He has kept a notebook of observations and has had conversations around the league. By now you kind of know who teams are: The Bills have a pedestrian defensive line. They’re not physically imposing. They don’t generate consistent pressure and can get pushed around. The hallmark continues to be a rotation of average pieces. Rousseau is young and can eat minutes. But we know who AJ Epenesa is - he can make an occasional play with his length, tipped passes or TFLs. Von is a situational player that you have to manage reps, Smooth is a average veteran DE with some size, Solomon can’t get in the field. Our linebackers are smaller and play closer to the brittle end of the spectrum. Their injuries also have to be managed. I think they’re trending towards the best situation you could ask for when 2024 started - a rotation of Bernard, Milano and Williams. Unless you were going to trade for someone, those are the best three you have. And the secondary you can lump together - they’re not overly dynamic or fast. But Johnson, Rapp, Benford all play physical. Schematically, yesterday looked like a majority of games this year. Dumps to Tight Ends and Running Backs are effective and seem to gain 5-7 yards at will. Stevenson was able to get into the 2nd-level on runs and most times that means the 3rd-level has to get involved because linebackers get caught in the wash, or the Bills depend on secondary players to fill gaps as McDermott said. The Bills have mixed in more man this year, but Taron isn’t great in it, and if teams see Spector or Elam on the field they just go right at both of them.

Chris Simms explained this in his analysis on the Rams game. When the Bills play an offense with a determined run game and a QB with a power arm, any bit of offensive creativity their zone gets picked apart. He said the Bills play death by 1,000 paper cuts against good teams. It works against the Dolphins because they are a scheme dependent squad.

According to Mike Schopp defense doesn’t matter at all. So not sure why anyone is talking defense?

Amen - get the 1990’s on

Maybe I missed something, but this defense plays in Nickel a lot, kind of gives up scoring drives early in games, hadn’t really had a consistent pass rush, is kind of predicated on not allowing over the top shots, never been overly stout against the run. Under McDermott, is he going to play a different system? We’ve drafted players that fit one system for 8-years now. It doesn’t hurt to hire the services of defensive consultants, picking the brains of outside defensive coordinators and gather ideas on how generate better consistency.

Amari - Walk - Can’t sink money into 30-year old WRs. Douglas - Walk - Get younger at the position not older. Rousseau - The dilemma here is he is your only real difference making Defensive Lineman and he’s 24 years old. James Cook - Last year of rookie deal so I have no problems letting him play that out and possibly franchising for his 26th age season. Ray Davis is not a viable #1 though, so you’ll have to draft someone higher than a 4th-Rounder. Shakir - He’s the only game in and game out dependable WR that Allen has. But he needs to paid like a Top-6 slot, not as a low-end WR1 in the franchise neighborhood of $20.6M a year. So I agree, must set a firm price limit. Benford - I don’t think he’s a true lock down corner, but he makes plays by never giving up and raking at the ball. I’d try and keep him, because there is no pipeline of young talent behind him. He’s the only building block you have. Connor McGovern - I have to think the Bills would want to keep this offensive line together at least one more years. Dawkins is still good, and they’ve been durable.

Let’s see what the All-22 reveals

They can’t afford to get nostalgic here, if Dorian is better, he’s just better. He’s certainly faster on the field.

Both Indianapolis and the Dolphins re-passed the Bengals today. Colts have Giants and Jaguars left. Dolphins have Browns and Jets left. If just one of those teams wins out, the Bengals can’t jump them.

That’s the difference between Sanders/Cam Ward and Jalen Milroe.

The Bills has such easy alternates and they don’t use them. The standing Buffalo all whites, the 1990’s blues. They refuse to wear them.

Right now I think he checks down a lot to backs and Tight Ends, but when you start looking across the AFC at QBs who are mobile, it’s a plus in that category.