Ayjent

Yes they would be idiots to fire him...but is the Harbaugh dynamic with Jackson and this group something that will get to a breaking point to change things up? I know Harbaugh should be safe but i cant help thinking this is something that could be more of parting than firing at end of season - Jackson aint going anywhere so...if ownership wants change Harbaugh might be the guy looking for new scenery.

I think they are a talented team capable of playing great, but the truth is that they don’t do well when the pressure is turned up in a tough game or in the postseason. They play great bullies when they are up but when they get smacked in the mouth, they tend to wilt rather than up their level of play. It’s not an absolute, but it is their tendency to drop tough games.

Nike - Just Stop It (with these dumbass unis)

The Bills know that they have work to do and know that they are building towards the end of the season. They know the importance of how to build, by winning each game and staying hungry focusing on what wasn't right in victory, because its a lot easier than the pressure in what is wrong coming off a loss. The defense isn't what a lot of us hoped and expected and I think that is fair, because I don't see an imposing unit out there that is in sync the way that they need to be for a full game. They haven't done it yet and I think we'd all like to see it come together for more than a couple of series at a time. However, as you point out Shaw this team plays well when the time comes for it. That is a special trait of a veteran, experienced team that knows how to win big games. Does it mean that they'll be able to turn it on at will to have it go there way? No. And I think that is the part that is reason for concern, you can't get too comfortable being in those positions if you can avoid those positions by more consistent play. Make no mistake about it, though, teams see the Bills and are going to give it their best because they know they are playing a perennial contender with last season's MVP, and other teams have talent, too. Even the bad ones. I think we'll see the Bills start to put more complete games together over the next quarter of the season. That's not to say that they don't want to right now, because I think they do, but I also think this is time to evaluate the schemes and try things that may get scrapped as the season moves on. Hopefully the inside pitch to the slot receiver as a fourth down call is one of them that already has (too many things can go wrong in execution across the entire OL). They have to get a handle on scrambling QBs - that is the No. 1 concern I'm seeing from the D. The Saints game is probably a laugher if that was not such an effective way for the Saints to stay on the field. That means tackles in space and better pass rush lane discipline. Things that are correctable, but also what this team's philosophy should excel at with lighter LBs that are supposed to be able to contain and corral such threats. I still think that they can be more aggressive at times and maybe they will be once they get some teams that can't be counted on as much to beat themselves. I know people are down on Babich and I get that. I don't think he has been that impressive either, but I do think they are in the process of retooling and trying a bit of a different approach. It hasn't clicked yet, and it may not, but I do think if it does - the Bills will likely have the complete team necessary to get where they want to go.

It was weird seeing Hill smiling on the cart. Maybe it ended his misery of being on the team this year. I don’t think people are feeling entitled, it’s just that they fear that some of the weaknesses are lethal to our Super Bowl hopes, bc they’ve seen that show before and better versions of it. The D for all intents and purposes has been a huge investment in draft capital over many years with Beane and McD and it just doesn’t seem like it’s any good as a unit. There are guys that can play and are good talents, but for a light, speedy unit at LB they don’t seem very fast at recognizing the play or being position to make the play, and the tackling…yikes. The secondary with White and Rapp seems a tad too slow with some glaring weaknesses covering certain route combinations. The line is probably the strongest part of the D and it has been inconsistent in run gap discipline and pass rush lane discipline. All in all it doesn’t seem very coordinated and it’s hard to tell how much of a % each aspect of scheme vs personnel philosophy vs actual player performance is the issue. The bottom line is that they may need to try something different. I’m at the point of wanting Strong and Thompson to start as the first attempt to cure some deficiencies, but I’m not thinking it’s going to solve all the problems.

Johnston’s best plays have come as a special teams public service video for what to avoid doing. His punting hasn’t been very good. Tough guy and I admire the effort after what looked like a pretty gruesome knee injury - but he hasn’t really justified the switch at punter.

And when you wish they had another loss bc the way the seeding works and securing home field? Wrapping up home field and resting starters is the goal.

You always want the nfc team to beat the afc team for afc seeding reasons. Plus eff Rodgers.

If you know a team’s proclivity to steal and how… seems like you already know how to stay a step ahead by using that to take advantage of what they think your team is going to do. That’s the best way to make them think twice about it.

Looking at Daboll's body of work - Buffalo seems to be an anomaly more than anything. He got OC gigs because of his time with New England's staff. He was downright awful in other places (outside of NE) before Buffalo, and besides one magical run in his first year with the Giants, he's been just as awful. Josh is probably going to make a lot of guys look good at their jobs, but don't forget Daboll's beautiful playcalling with designed shotgun QB sweeps on 3rd and 7 or two route short-side roll out pass plays on 3rd and short. Josh succeeded in spite of Daboll more than we all might have realized. So Daboll looked good with Brady and Allen, hmmm....

It's amazing he still has the job after the last couple of years. I think we can all see where this is going - a couple of games grace with some promising moments from the young QB, followed by regressing as the season wears on, the team becomes more about the paychecks than the Ws, and opposing D coordinators have tape on Dart. Likely a 3-14 to 4-13 season staring them in the face and Daboll fired either towards the end or right after the season ends. Daboll isn't going to last - the fumes of the playoff run are just about gone. Seeing Jones resurrect his career (after they outright cut him last year) and Barkley a big piece in Philly's SB run, Schoen probably should be right there on the curb with Daboll. I think there are larger issues than those two guys but they've done enough on their own to get themselves canned.

He’s a good player but I’m guessing not a great teammate with the way he’s bounced around. I’d love to see him in Bills uniform but no way I see this staff going that route with Bishop still cutting his teeth.

No, but I know exactly what you are talking about. I remember those well.

He is in some commercials but not like Josh and Mahomes, but that may be because I'm in the DC/Baltimore region.

Just say no to KC gaining momentum with their 2nd W in a row. We know Baltimore can and probably will drop one to one of their division rivals. Those teams always play each other like they want to legitimately harm each other.

I think having Shaq Thompson is a sneaky good pickup for this Defense, he knows it well and has thrived in it. I don't think he will have anything but rotational/package use but it gives them a chance to play with 3 LBs more and spell Taron Johnson from time to time. With Milano out, the D has to adjust and guys like Williams and Thompson have their strengths that Babich can utilize in different ways than what they would do with Milano in there. I think Milano is still a good player, but he looked a little tentative and I can understand why with all of the injuries that have piled up. I hope that they let him rest and get right for the latter half of the season, which I'm pretty sure that they will. Rapp has been the weakest link in the Secondary, and people are too down on Benford who has played fine, but not elite. Tre has been serviceable but rotating in Hairston for some snaps especially when the Bills elect to blitz will be interesting to see. The front 7 has a lot of depth, but the front 4 need to be getting home more often. The rookie DTs have been interesting - I'd say Sanders is more of the steady, invisible guy that is doing what they ask, but isn't really flashing, while Walker is flashing some impressive plays, but also more prone to having bad reps. Walker has a really high ceiling IMO if he can become more consistent and limit the bad reps. The secondary is more of a concern, and I'm not certain what to expect from Hairston - hopefully he has been really absorbing what he needs to do mentally while recovering and is ready to contribute when he does come back.

I’m just glad one of them will be 1-3. I think the Ravens lose again because they just have been self-destructing on offense in tight games, and their defense comes out swinging hard and talking loud, but then goes to getting handled in the big moments late in the game. They are a team that can play well with a big lead but tends to wilt in dogfights. The Lions stuck with the run after getting stuffed early and then ended up running all over their asses. They may get up early on the Chiefs and blow them out too, but I think KC is going to bring a lot of pressure at Lamar like they did in AFCCG in 2023 season and don’t think the Ravens will respond well. I think the Lions came out and showed that they are still a NFC powerhouse, and it’s entirely possible to expose their D.

Elam bit hard on that flea flicker. Not rooting against the guy but see why the Bills avoided that ride

Chiefs are desperate for a W, and I think they are still a very dangerous team as long as they have that D and Mahomes. They aren’t the best of the best anymore, just among the best. I’d love to see them drop to 0-3 though, but the Giants are classic example of team that just knows how to lose when the game is on the line. Lions don’t match up well with Ravens, bc Goff is shaky under pressure. I think you are right to say Lions should run but if they can’t they could be in trouble early and get blown out.

Funny people think it is a good slate. I looked at the games and thought there are two decent games and the rest is dookie. Rams - Eagles and Lions - Ravens. Bucs are totally decimated on OL - so it'll be closer than most think. No chance Giants put Chiefs at 0-3.

Yeah but there is a sticky thing with the contract and the amount of money the Chiefs would need to make room for.

The 2022 draft was really solid but I always considered Elam a real head scratcher from go for the Bills - he didn't seem to have traits that the Bills utilized and in my opinion was not a day 1 or 2 talent - he was a terrible, terrible tackler, was awful at getting off blocks, lost his man way too frequently in coverage, and never seemed to be coordinated with the rest of the secondary (don't get me wrong Napier's teams are poorly coached so there is definitely that). He did make some great plays from time to time, but he wasn't ever consistent and teams actually went at him knowing this. Probably one of the most overrated Gator prospects ever (I know, I know Anthony Richardson and Kadarius Toney would like a word). I thought he was a liability watching him play for the Gators and I think the best tape he had was the season before he was drafted, but I'm really surprised so many teams had him rated so highly after an uneven season. Athletically he has all of the tools, but the evidence of how he used them was there for everyone to see. I remember being very low on him entering the draft and even calling him the most overrated player in it, and a guy that I hoped the Bills would stay away from. When they drafted him I trusted that they knew what they were doing and tried to rationalize that Napier's staff were and still are awful at Xs and Os and teaching technique (not so much now on the Defensive side - although they are much more talented than they've been in the past few years), but when they were reluctant to put him out there and started Benford it was clear that they realized pretty fast that it was the player as much as the coaching and other factors. Benford was a great pick, but Elam was an equally awful one. No one hits every pick, not even close, but it does make you wonder how in depth teams evaluate players, because I'd like to think they are thorough but at times its pretty clear that they might sell themselves on things that are overlooking the obvious.

Shakir is the most essential player of those 4 to either team, because he is such a big part of the Bills underneath passing game. That's their bread and butter. Rice has statistically had the best season of any of the 4, but off-field conduct and injuries have made him largely unavailable for some time now, and I don't think any team would be wise to take on that. Worthy is a deep threat and RAC threat if he gets the ball in space, but he is a worthless blocker and we'll see if durability and nagging conditions start to become issues as he works back from the shoulder injury as sometimes happens with diminutive WRs (not saying that will be the case). I think the jury is still out on both Coleman and Worthy and what they could be. FWIW I think Coleman has been on the wrong side of some really bad refereeing - the last 2pt conversion attempt vs the Ravens was DPI and holding (take your pick), and the OPI vs the Jets was a trash call because the Jets' DB tripped all over himself and the ref assumed it was bc of Coleman pushing off. However, I think Coleman also has the highest ceiling of any of these 4 players.

This is unfortunately all true. There are many reasons why, but it comes down to coaching as much as talent in the playoffs, especially when it comes to who you have to rely on in those games due to a season's worth of injuries. The Bills have good coaching, but I think there is a very strong argument that the Chiefs have had better coaching with the combination of Reid and Spags. I think the Bills are now at a place where they are much better than the Chiefs on the Offensive side, but there is still better scheme, talent, and coaching on the Defensive side for the Chiefs which makes it a challenge for our Offense and our Defense hasn't been good enough to expose the Chiefs' Offensive woes like other teams have. I also think the type of WRs the Chiefs value is much different than the Bills - they want speed all over the place, while the Bills seem like they value possession, size, blocking and creativity/effort when Josh goes off script. They don't seem too intent on making sure they have a guy that can blow the top off of the secondary.

I think teams aren’t good at evaluating WRs and maybe it is hard to do but I also think if you watch enough college ball you can have a really good idea of who is good based on how they play versus the best competition, what flaws they display and how much they win there reps. I thought it was a joke when Kadarius Toney was a 1st round pick. Although his final season at Florida was much better than his other seasons he was still baffling in some of his decision making once he had the ball in his hands, wasn’t all that sure handed and was not a good route runner. Sure had speed and could be elusive, but those other negatives were there for everyone to see and they didn’t go away as a pro. He also had some character issues to boot. (FWIW Elam had equally concerning flaws with tackling and losing receivers on their cuts). My point is that scouting is not an exact science and sometimes the amount of due diligence isn’t as high as everyone perceives it. There is hubris that some talent can be developed to correct issues but generally that is a poor strategy. I will still hold that for the most part great talents in the NFL usually show themselves pretty early and the guys that take time to emerge as great players are more of an exception than rule. You could tell Shakir was a good player his first year, even though the Bills were reluctant to give him more snaps. You could tell Josh had something unique his rookie year when he QB’d the upset over the Vikings.