HomeskillitMoorman

Even if it had been his fault, it's crazy how seriously fans take all of this. In the end it's obviously just a game. I think fans in general, no matter what sport, take it way too far with not only their own players but the opposition. And sometimes without any perspective whatsoever. I loved that Jeff Van Gundy moment a couple of years ago when DeAndre Jordan changed his mind after verbally committing to Dallas and stayed on the Clippers I think it was, The game he came back, they were just nasty to him and Van Gundy said, "All this guy did is change his mind. The same people who are booing him will be cheering Greg Hardy on Sunday", alluding to a guy that at the time was convicted of domestic violence somehow was given a pass over Jordan. It's the sick part of sports really. I get frustrated at times with the Bills but never to that degree, like another poster here said, that's really just blurring the line of sanity.

I didn't, but we had the pieces to win that game. The coach? That's what worried me going in and definitely even moreso for the future.

Haha I probably wouldn't go that far. I've never gone to the airport but I wouldn't discourage it if people normally do. I do think this is a team that plays hard, but with some definite fundamental core issues that I don't know will be resolved.

I love our fanbase and wouldn't trade it for any other...but it is kind of a low standard one to be really honest. We didn't have a great season if we're being really objective. Decent progress from our 2nd year QB but he still looks like a long-term question-mark, 1-5 vs playoff teams including 0-2 against one of the worst Patriots teams of their dynasty. A really soft schedule led to 10-6, which is nice, part of what you need to be able to do is beat the teams you should. In comparison to the regimes of the past, which is the standard that's being upheld for the most part, yeah it was much better. But in comparison to a successful NFL regime in year 3, I think it was just a mediocre season.

The drops were definitely tough to watch, but it was great to see him make some plays. I'm not sure if it would have ultimately made a difference, but I wonder if getting him more involved during the regular season could have helped in preparation for this game.

He's a baller. Really played great in huge moments of quite a few games this year.

There's a lot that just doesn't make sense from a coaching standpoint on the offensive side of the ball. One of my big issues though is there are people that only mention Daboll about this. McDermott's the Head Coach. Ultimately, this falls on him. The overarching philosophy, the choice for OC, and gameday preparation and management is all part of the Head Coach position.

Yup, unless he undergoes some kind of transformation, this is always going to be a problem against good teams. 1-5 this year vs teams that are in the playoffs.

I think all kickers go through that sometimes though. He actually did well to get out of the funk during the season. The issue is that even at his best in his time here, he's really struggled with FG's from 50+ yards out.

That's the problem, he can't be counted on at all for 50+ yard kicks.

He got out of his funk for sure and finished strong. I give him credit, a lot of kickers get into those funks but aren't able to get out of them in the same season.

As they say...this thread did not age well.

I think McDermott's a damn good teacher, but a below average Head Coach when you factor in game management.

Really? I'm not sure that's even true. While he has a big arm, his deep ball accuracy was trash all year. It ultimately won't matter if he has the ability to make those throws if he doesn't actually complete them. There's some throws he can make on the run that a lot can't, but that's negated by the ones he doesn't make in the pocket, and I'm guessing that's what you meant by the second part of being too inconsistent. I agree he's improved and will get better, it's more the deer in the headlights look we saw against the best competition that I'm worried about. Sometimes that's different than improving. For many QB's, poise and composure in the biggest spots against the best things isn't ultimately teachable. I worry that we don't have a QB that's going to be at his best in chaos.

Haha that was definitely not his intention though. And even if it somehow was, a bad bounce ends the game.

Absolutely I would have. I will never blame a coach for going for the W. I’ve used this example before, but years ago when the Pats had blown a lead to the Colts and were up by 3 or 4 or something and were in their own side of the field with a couple minutes to go and Belichick went for it on 4th and 3...I would love a call like that even though it didn’t work out. He knew his D was gassed and gave the best player on his team a chance to close it out. Decisions like that don’t always work out, there’s no philosophy that always works. But I have an easier time dealing with a loss if I know we went for the W.

This. There just seem to be so many excuses for the guy. This was, again, not a good performance against a top team.

I’m open to hearing an opposing take

I don’t really buy into the moral victories here, this is not a great Patriots team. McD falls to 0-6 vs the Pats and this was the 2nd game this year that Josh couldn’t make the big plays to beat the Pats. Right now it looks like we’re a small-time team with a small-time QB and coach that can beat bad teams but can’t get the big W’s vs the good ones.

I don’t really get why people think the Ravens offense isn’t sustainable. Lamar can throw the ball, he’s not Tebow.

What was the playcall? ”roll out right and throw up a 50 yard lob”

This half will tell us a lot about who Josh is. Either a true franchise-level QB that can bounce back and rise to the occasion or a guy that’s a true deer in headlights when it matters.

Not a great sign that Josh has been a total deer in headlights in the two biggest games of the year.

But there ARE certain types of people that have an advantage. There's a reason why the workforce looks the way it does. Whether it's in sports or any business, why do you think the percentage of minorities and females in C-Suite/executive roles is still so low? It's almost crazy and incredibly dismissive based on cold hard facts to say certain people in society haven't been given an advantage. That's not to take away the hard work of white males, but the same hard work could have been put in by minorities and women that just haven't been shown the same opportunities. Even keeping it purely in sports...look at the way males have been coaching in the WNBA or other female sports, but no women have been hired as head coaches in any of the big pro leagues. Becky Hammon has been an assistant for Greg Popovich for years and has gotten all kinds of accolades...but nobody wants to be that first time that tries this "experiment" of having the first female coach. There are also a few high-ranking female executives in sports that have continuously gotten turned down for GM roles. Meanwhile we see the same recycled failed coaches and GM's that are males get hired over and over and over again. It took a while for minority males to even join that club. You or other people may not want to hear that there are people of advantage in this country and life, but it's simply not true.

I doubt a majority actually found the statement "offensive". But I understand the root of what could make this annoying more than anything for people of color. People have been trying to chip away at Lamar since Day 1 and still continue to try. Whether it was that he should switch to WR or RB or that he just wasn't an NFL player to now where they're trying to say he's purely just a product of a gimmick offense to little things like this about the football meshing with his skin color. He doesn't fit the conditioned perception of a franchise QB. The intelligent, confident, leadership-exuding white guy. That's just the truth. It's in the same vein of how every time we draft a mid-round white offensive lineman, he gets labeled as a "hard-working, blue collar, lunch pail" player or the way a white utility player so often gets called "gritty" or a "grinder". These are pre-concieved biases that 100% exist. So no, I don't think this guy is a racist and I wouldn't have suspended him. But I can totally understand when not only black people but any fan of Lamar would hear that and roll their eyes and say "here we go again", as they see another attempt at him being chipped away at, whether that was a direct intention or not.