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@Virgil 3. Shakir So I agree with you to an extent, but I actually think it is deeper with Shakir and his productivity being down. This last game it was these three factors: 1. Injury, they absolutely used him as a decoy 2. Josh looking for bigger plays and not looking low as much 3. Teams are defending him differently now. Take a look at Shakir's numbers from mid 2023 right before Brady on his production skyrocketed. Brady absolutely found some cheat code stuff with the screens and short yardage which he blossomed under. Last year he was brilliant in the slot and game in game out he was dynamite. This year though teams are doubling him and cheating down more so it has been far more boom or bust. Luckily he is so good he is more boom then bust, but if you combine his longest catch yardage in each game together literally half his yardage this year has been on those plays (227 yards). By comparison last year he had 353 yards on his longest each game out of his 821 yards receiving (factor in last game vs NE he didn't play). Still a sizable amount by any means but he was a bit more diversified. Additionally as others have pointed out Brady has not been using him across the middle the same / Josh has stop throwing to him nearly as much there. Overall he is still on a trajectory for a similar season to last year, but his usage has been different by comparison and Buffalo has struggled a bit in how teams have defended him IMO which is part of why the passing game has been stifled. I truly believe if they can get some better outside WRs in next year you could see him go off for like 1100 yards 80 recs 10 TDs.

Timing in sports is sometimes a b*tch. Kyle Williams would've been so good with this group and heck even Jerry Hughes (peak with his drive/personality would've added some needed juice they never have had on the d-line. I think they hoped Edmunds would've become a true blue blood LB whereas he is just really good. It figures Oliver has seemingly come into his own this year only to get hurt.

1. Ahha That Josh! - He has always been here and he certainly has had some good to heck great games (KC) this year, but yesterday felt like the return of quintessential Josh. Powerful, Chaotic, Unpredictable, Loosey Goose a little bit (wtf was that chest INT bro), but also a DemiGod who borders on unstoppable. For a list of reasons I am not getting into he has been far more a game manager this year and at times his attitude has been middling which he has said is to not get to high or low. But to be honest the best Josh is what yesterday was and it was nice to see it even if it just is a reminder it is there and don't worry. When people say the Bills will go as far as Josh takes them it is because of games like yesterday. 2. Passing Attack- I will be careful as it was one game and you need to be careful to not overreact too far... BUT that was the first time all year they passed with command and dictated the game when they passed. The Ravens game was fun and the numbers looked awesome... but Baltimore was also in a stupid prevent D & their secondary has stunk all year. Tampa Bay is not the best defense in football and their top CB went out, but finally the offense showed it can pass with command when the running game. That has been the major question for a while as when the Bills can run they can win, but when they have been asked to pass it has been not good (ATL/MIA). It is still one game and I would like to see this continue the remainder of the season, but it does give hope that the offense can roll far more like it did last year when it could run AND pass when needed. 3. Pass Catchers- I will get more in depth on Coleman, but yesterday felt like a burn the ships were doing what we need to do now for this passing group to work. Gabe Davis won't be a world beater but he made some very good plays and most importantly was a dependable catcher for Josh. Palmer had a nice moment or two showing when healthy it helps having him. Shavers was the big breakout and credit for him for how hard he worked to make the roster and get here. I was at training camp when he got hurt as it happened right in front of me. He was good all preseason even with that injury and it was so nice (and needed) to see him have the game he did. For the pass catching group one of the biggest things is Shakir only had one catch for -3 yards and yet the offense was rolling threw the air. That is something I did not think I would've have said before the game. Credit to Brady for finally get the RBs going on screens and plays out of the flat as that was a huge help and something missing for a while. This pass catching group is never going to be great, but yesterday looked like a group that at least is serviceable so the passing game can go at a decent clip. Mix in Kincaid coming back, Shakir on his good days, and the RBs playing more a roll and for maybe the first time this year I feel decent about what they can do in the air. 4. Coleman- The point of no return has been hit. Third time he has been rocked for discipline within a year is really bad. His effort has already been questioned and it is a realllyyy bad sign when the headcoach after the game is saying "the ball finds those who work hard". Keon had a great week one and since then has had a miserable year by all account's. But the kid gloves are off now and no one is hiding him or his issues. He was always going to be a player that needed a lot of work to hit his maximum potential, but at this point guys like Shavers see to be passing him because they actually are putting the work in. With the season now at a point were they cannot afford a slip up if they hope to catch NE for the AFC East, they can no longer afford mistakes as players grow and if the effort issues are this bad it doesn't look positive long term either. Dion Dawkins is probably the biggest kid personality wise on the team and when he is saying stuff about a fellow player in public you know its really bad. Maybe the light finally hits for Keon, he turns it around and this is one of those great stories. Realistically though when you keep have to say "maybe the light will turn on" it means it is more likely not turning on. The offense having the day it did yesterday in the air is only going to hurt his case to return to the lineup even more. I do think he will get another chance to at least play, but I expect his workload to become very minimal moving forward. Sucks that your 2nd round pick from a year ago is probably a flame out, but better to admit defeat for the betterment of the team that keep harming yourself. 5. Cole Bishop- He is turning into a true foundational piece and that is really important in helping to overhaul and turn the defense around. Beane has had quite a few misses on defensive players in the last few drafts, but he is turning into a real gem and adds to a potentially nice young core with Walker & Hariston. I gotta believe Jordan Poyer is helping to train and teach Bishop as he is learning the ropes here. 6. Football Weather! - Yesterday was the type of game I wish I was able to go to. It feels like football with the cold and conditions, plus the game had some real meaning to it for both teams. It makes for a really fun experience that even as TV viewer gives off a good vibe. I understand why some like domes and not dealing with poor weather, but yesterday had that nice feel you can get in November that makes football unique with the elements. 7. Playoff Pace- Yesterdays win was important in keeping distance from the building log jam of wildcard teams. That KC tiebreaker is looming huge now and the same with the tiebreaker over Baltimore. A win Thursday would help to keep even more distance from those chasing us for the dance. Right now 10 wins may get you into the playoffs in the AFC but 11 is really the golden line. The way things are trending with teams like JAX/HOU/LAC all beating each other and PIT hanging in there also, you are going to see a few teams at 9-8 or 10-7 especially miss simply because a log jam is building with too many teams with similar records. The last thing Buffalo needs is to get close to that mess which is building up, division would be great if they can get it but playoff berth comes first regardless. 8. I Don't Think The Defense Was Awful (ducks and runs) - Watching the game yesterday my impression of the defense was some good, some bad, and mostly the same crap we've known all year. The defense had to deal with three turnovers with two of three inside Bills territory. They managed to hold TB to a FG on the first despite being so close to the endzone, forced TB to punt after the 4th down INT, and they had stopped TB before the fumble by Hardman which then TB did score a TD. 10 points allowed on 3 turnovers is not awful and I can guarantee Bowles was probably chewing his team out for only getting 10 points when they left a lot on the table. With that said the defense just struggles against the run mightily, partially because they have too many injuries partially because they are just not good especially at LB. Against the pass they are at least decent when healthy as some of their youth has really started to blossom. At best they are probably a middle of the road unit when at the best health they can be and that is enough. It is a shame that with all the resources they have invested into the defense that the best it can be is middling at this point and there are larger questions to be asked because of this. But for where things stand at this point, yesterday was probably an decent day all things considered and expectations being what they are.

Watch it be the Giants who do have a good d-line and the offense can be spunky despite a garbage record

I hate predicting this stuff this far out especially when the Ravens don't even have control of their own division. Three weeks ago everyone had the Chiefs winning the AFC West and now they are lucky if they can be a wildcard. There are wayyyy too many games and things left to sort out. Pittsburgh traditionally has split with Baltimore and done well against Lamar and people penciling both games in as a win are jumping wayyyy too far ahead. I do agree Baltimore has a favorable look at the division... they also do play PIT twice, NE, & at GB. If they go 2-2 which is pretty realistic given the caliber of opponent they are at 7-7 and have to win out both CIN games & NYJ (doubt they lose that). Again I think things are set favorably for the Ravens BUT football is a weird weird weird sport and losses happen out of the blue that no one sees coming that shake everything.

In a weird way last year was probably very bad for this group. The everyone eats thing hit its peak and was incredibly successful to the point I think people and players took for granted how much you gotta work for it. There are a lot of young players on this roster who went a near dream season at 14-3 that now are facing some reallll resistance and you can see in these losses the effort reflects not being ready for it. That I do blame 100% on the coaches as the effort in ATL/MIA was a team who took for granted the opposition when they do not have the ability nor the right to.

Bills 28 Bucs 19 Good Bills show up and after a 14-10 half time lead pull away in the 3rd quarter with Cook breaking a 40 yard TD run (TBs defense allows big plays even though they are relatively stout against the run check the stats). Bucs 2pt conversion fails with 3 mins left to make it a 9 pt lead that Buffalo is able to run out. They win against HOU bringing some good vibes back only to lose to PIT ruining the holiday weekend because that is how its been going.

It is why if there was one thing Daboll truly did excel with Josh with over maybe anyone else was mentally slapping him in the head and shaking him out of it. Daboll had a way with Josh that he could be real and Josh would listen. Maybe it was the age difference/experience that allowed a different connection where Dorsey/Brady were much younger by comparison, but even in 2021 when they were shaky for a bit Josh did seem to have such high/low times. If anything Hailee it seemed helped him break out of that especially last year and he said as much. I truly believe the Bills not adding anyone mixed with the win of KC had a mental effect on everyone where they looked down on Miami who came out ready to fight AND in Joshs case not receiving help may have led to a "I gotta do it all type thing".

The Bills struggles are told literally in players 26 through 33. 8 starters listed (or did start in Rapps case), both starting LBs, your starting WR2, etc.. just awful.

Exactly. To me he lost the fanbase with this because it was either going to be he was right so people had to shutup OR it fails badly making him look like a fool while also hurting the team in the process. As a GM you get criticized 24/7, for this to be the way you handled it was pathetic and then ignore the WR spot the way he did until it was too late was criminal as the GM of the team. He can go this offseason.

Agree tenfold. From 2019 to 2022 he understood adding elite talent over JAGs is a good thing and now has gone the other way.

With Josh I think he has been off since the NE game which he played well but guys like Coleman are fumbling, penalties added up, and the offense was no longer easy or trust worthy. Since then only the KC game has he really looked in rhythm and the offense itself for that matter. Additionally players are human and if I were him and we failed to add a WR when you are out Palmer, Coleman has not developed as hoped, and everything feels shaky that would hit me mentally that this is what I have to work with and best of luck. I don't buy the Haillee crap at all, he had his best season and was league MVP when engaged to her last year and has spoke openly how she has helped him with football. That is drama for people who loved drama. He is in a funk which has happened before, he will eventually snap out of it, and he like always will be the reason we watch come December and January.

They played the percentages that they could replace him for less with similar value and Milano at the time was still relatively healthy and had started 31 of the prior 34 games in the prior two years. Unfortunately Milano got wrecked injuries and now is a shell of himself and Bernard has had major regression in the defense to the point you need to talk about replacing him. For the record I think they made the right move and some things didn't go their way/I do wish they would've added a solid vet LB after 2023 to reinforce behind Milano.

The Broncos loss in 23' felt similar to this but the offense at least could do some big things and the WR group was way better. Back then I felt like if Dorsey was gone things could get better given how herky jerky he really as an OC, this has not been Brady's best year by any stretch but I am honestly not sure another OC will make much of a difference OR that there is silver bullet that exists. When the Bills run the ball well, Josh plays within himself, and we are tied/have the lead they do pretty well and win. BUT slow the running game and get ahead on us they just do not have a fastball to answer. Back in 23' it was way easier to believer they could still pass there way back into a game, right now I just don't see it. My best case scenario for the passing offense is Davis/Hardman come in with a healthy Palmer which forces teams to back up enough to reopen the middle of the field passing wise which allows Josh to settle in with some occasional deep passes letting the offense run at will. They will find a way to 10-11 wins and the playoffs, but the idea of them being a truly good team I just cannot buy given the offense lack of weapons and the defenses injuries.

It is an interesting question. I have actually thought Terry has said he is staying hands off and McB has carte blanche for what they want. On the flipside I would argue they could be more aggressive because truthfully Bills fans have been very good even in really bad years, whereas LA if you don't win they just dont care. That is really important because that is an easy ace in the hole cap wise when the times come and the longer you can go without touching those the better.