Success

I'm not as worried about White as some. I thought he was improving every game, except for last week. It does take time (sometimes) for a player to get back to 100% after an ACL. It will make such a difference next year if he's all the way back or close to it, and Elam takes a 2nd year leap, as he really came on the last part of the year also. Here's hoping. Not much else we can do.

A lot of great points in the OP - but I'd still list Frazier as one of the problems. His defenses here have been ranked high the past 3 years - but all 3 years, they have folded when it counted. We couldn't stop KC 2 years in a row, and this past Sunday was a debacle for the D. It's a good point that they adjusted, but Cincy moved the ball at will all day, and I felt like they could have scored more if they had to. I don't know enough about schemes - but the scheme we play consistently seems too vanilla, too soft. It seems like we're always playing D to try to protect a lead, instead of genuinely trying to turn a game. I think about when we had Schwarz. Did we have more talent then? I don't really think so. But he put his mark on that D - you could look at their play, and call it a Schwarz D. And they could dictate a game. We have enough talent to do that now, but we don't. It doesn't look like the coaching will change much, and that's disappointing. I like Frazier & I was glad they hired him initially, but I feel like he's holding us back now.

Anyone remember Chris66? He was a Pats fan who tried to torment us for many years on the old board, and I think I even saw him on this board for a few years. Very passive/aggressive - would never overtly troll, and always said he was here for the good discussion, but always took shots at the Bills. I always said he'd disappear as soon as we were good.

I really wonder about our talent. Is it that we don't draft well - or don't develop & utilize our players well? Zach Moss actually ran pretty well after he went to Indy. There are also guys like Teller & Hodgins. And I can't help but think of how Cincy's line performed, with 3 starters out, and 1 playing hurt. They schemed better, and got the most out of those players. Sometimes, it seems like we're getting the minimum out of the talent we have.

Yep. I was "Future Success" on that one.

I'd be for it - but it would depend what we could get. I doubt we'd get much at all for Epenesa. I don't know if there is a way to check this, but I felt like everyone played better when Miller was in there. It seemed like they were all making big plays - does anyone else think that? I remember feeling like our line had really come together earlier in the season.

I like Kiper - but after the top 3-5 picks, it rarely goes according to his predictions. I consider his mocks more like a player ranking (which really, most mocks are). I've seen 3 other mocks that have us going WR, which, as the OP mentions, wouldn't be a bad thing. I'd prefer OL, but there are some great round 1 WR's this year.

I'm not huge on the idea of "bulletin board material" for grown men. But Burrow & "better get those refunds" should be on the Bills board ALL season in '23. And maybe Eli Apple, too.

I don't put a lot on that. It's rare that teams don't have stinkers at points in the season, even great teams. I remember a Pats SB team getting crushed by Miami in the debut game for the "wildcat." New league darlings Cincy also laid an egg against Cleveland this past season.

Jets will get someone who is an upgrade - and they'll be better for sure. Not as good as the Bills, but they played us tough this season and likely will next season, too. We're in a tough division. It's not like when the Pats ruled and everyone else was terrible.

I like the idea of converting Benford, and getting Marlowe back for depth. Maybe a mid-rounder too. Poyer is one of my favorite Bills - but he's on the wrong side of 30, and will cost too much. This is a business. I'm hoping Hamlin plays too, if his health allows & it's safe. He is great depth.

I only trust them if they're fully healthy. But even without that, they have enough talent to be very solid. We need a new philosophy on D. Even if Frazier stays, the D has to change.

This is the one - right here.

With motivation, I don't think there was any doubt that they took the league's "neutral field" thing, and pre-sales for tickets, to heart, and used that. And I do think the Bills were emotionally tired from everything that happened. Fans will probably debate that last part for years, and some will say that these guys are pros and need to move past certain things. But it's been a crazy month, and they're human. I wish they could have not let it affect them, but it clearly did.

Nice attempt to put a rain cloud over '23. They don't need superstars. I'm glad they got Von, but they need stronger pieces on both lines. That really needs to be the offseason focus - that and possibly a power RB. But I'd expect high draft picks going to the O-line, and more strategic vet acquisitions. Again - they don't need stars, and they don't even need dramatic improvement. Just better players on both sides of the line. The Bills peaked at the wrong time. There is no huge gap between them, Cincy & KC. We have all of the hate now, but none of the hardware. I've gotta give Romo some blame on that one. But really, I think people got tired of the Bills hype from everyone in the media, all season. I'll be happy to slide just a little bit more under the radar (it will never be like it was, but I'd expect more people to be talking about Cincy & KC next year than the Bills).

I've gotta agree that it would have helped to get beat by Cincy on MNF. They had so many games they eeked out in the 2nd half of the season - but I think that gave them a feeling like "we'll always figure it out by the end of the game." They just had no urgency this past Sunday.

Is it the talent - or coaching? The Pats had Scarnecchia all those years, and there were times when he made lemonade out of lemons. I really can't tell if our problems are talent, or scheme.

Pats fans were tripping over themselves online celebrating the Bills loss. I was kind of stunned, actually - I got that reaction from our fanbase when the Pats would lose, but that was only down the line, after the Pats had been winning SB's. They were more over-the-top than we've been about their notable losses when they had Brady. Short-sighted, though - I agree w/ what you're saying here. Had we won a SB, we might have stood pat, and not made too many moves. Now, we'll be even more all in to get one.

Josh Allen is only 26. Tom Brady was almost 25 when he won his 1st. Peyton Manning didn't win one until he was 30. Jim Kelly was already 30 when the Bills went to their 1st. I see a lot of comments from opposing fanbases that Allen would have won it by now if he was so great, or something to that effect. We'll have so many opportunities.

Schwartz would have been so awesome.

Josh needs more time - not more weapons. We need to build the line. Skill players are more of a luxury.

Love this post. And it's all true. At times, particularly the 1st 2 months of the season - this team looked practically invincible. Love the thoughts on all of the rookies taking a next step, and getting other guys back from injury. Yes, we'll have more injuries in '23 - but hopefully not as impactful.

I love how other fanbases are all "they're in cap hell now - the window is closed." JA is too competitive. He'll restructure, and Beane is a wizard w/ the cap. We'll be able to get the pieces we need.

I mean, that happens in football, right? Teams come out flat. They do get emotionally drained after emotional situations. I think Hines may have covered for some of that in the season finale, but you could see it in the Miami playoff game, too. They were kind of running on fumes at the end. You can say these are pros, and that's not an excuse, and I can't really argue that. But it simply is what it is, and some of the players have come out & stated it. I don't think that makes them a "softer" team than most. Just human. Based on the discussions here, we went from feeling like we were on top of the league most of the season, to feeling like we're all of a sudden miles behind Cincy. I don't buy that. Cincy was better that day - more prepared, more motivated, more fresh mentally. But it was just a bad day. They're not 27-10 better than the Bills. And maybe that hype will die down a bit if they lose next week or in the SB. We're still an elite team in the NFL, with an elite QB, and can get right back at it in September.

If someone told me that the Bengals had better shoes for the snow, I'd beieve it. I don't have too many explanations as to why the Bills were stepping around like it was the 1st snow they've seen, and the Bengals had no issues.