twoandfourteen

Now, just imagine what Josh Allen could achieve with a competent GM, a better Head Coach, and one or two more elite, blue-chip players.

Because no Head Coach/QB pairing has ever made it to a Super Bowl after not doing it in the first five seasons. History says that if it hasn’t happened by now, it’s never going to happen with these two together.

Notice, I said “arguably”. Josh is definitely in the conversation and a legitimate case could be made for it. Swap Allen and Mahomes — give 17 Andy Reid, a competent GM, and elite receiving options and Allen would have 3-4 rings as well. Allen can do everything Mahomes can do. Mahomes cannot do everything Allen can do.

You’re counting on a whole bunch of things to go right, my friend. The Chiefs are “counting” on Chris Jones. The Bengals are “counting” on Jamar Chase and Tee Higgins. The Ravens are “counting” on Derrick Henry and their elite secondary. The Eagles are “counting” on Saquon Barkley, AJ Brown, and a deadly pass rush. You and Beane are “counting” on Dalton Kincaid, Keon Coleman, and Cole Bishop. I know where I would put my money.

“Instant gratification”? McDermott has had seven seasons with arguably the best QB in NFL history and has not even managed a Super Bowl appearance. Allen turns 30 in May. He has three — maybe four, if he doesn’t get hurt — years left in his prime before a rapid decline sets in. How much longer are you going to give McDermott and Beane to keep “learning things”? I don’t even care if they win the ring or not right now, but they HAVE to get to the Super Bowl this year — otherwise Terry needs to throw both of them overboard.

This team is riddled with early round draft busts and expensive, underperforming (or nonexistent) Free Agent signings. The roster is full of holes and there are very few (if any) true “blue chip” players outside of the alien under center. Meanwhile, the “big baller” genius GM has zero cap space because he keeps handing out big bags to his mediocre JAGs.

So you’re just going to ignore the past seven seasons where Kelce built his Hall of Fame career with Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid? All those rings and SB appearances don’t count. Got it. "Critical thinking” — give it a try sometime. I don’t care about those other teams. I care about this team that is wasting the best years of arguably one of the best ever football players in NFL history.

Nope. Last preseason I said that this roster still lacked a legitimate blue-chip, elite player to ride shotgun with the All-Universe QB and that Allen (along with another joke of an AFC East) would cover the failings of McDermott and Beane while carrying the team to another playoff exit. Turns out I was absolutely correct. Mahomes has Kelce. Jackson has Henry. Burrow has Chase. Allen had no one last year and he still doesn’t have anyone. Beane has failed to build around this QB and continues to flush Allen’s career down the toilet.

I’m a realist. I’m not “angry”. I’m just concerned that we are wasting the best years of the best player any of us will ever see in our lifetimes. With the way that kid plays, he realistically has 3, maybe 4 seasons left as “Superman”. Allen is the type of talent that should be on his way to a dynasty — multiple Super Bowl appearances and at least one ring by now. Anyone with even an ounce of reason would take one look at the state of the AFC East for the past eight seasons and would never tout that as an accomplishment. Winning that clown car division is probably the easiest road in all of professional sports.

The only difference between the Bills and those “garbage can” teams you’re talking about is the guy under center.

And a roster full of JAGs to show for it.

I’m critical because I care. I care about how the final legacy will be written for this era of Buffalo sports — we have a player who could legitimately be considered the most talented football player in NFL history. If this team cannot manage to even appear in a Super Bowl with him at QB, the “City of Losers” narrative will be forever etched on all of us. But go on, continue to blindly worship Beane and McDermott because they can beat the AFC East clown car of the Dolphins, Jets, and Patriots six times a year.

Ravens 35 Bills 17 McDermott’s defense continues the downward trend and gets smashed to pieces. Baltimore converts nearly every 3rd down. Bills tack on some points late to make it look closer than it really was.

I guess time will tell. And nothing would make me happier than to be proven wrong. However, I’ve wanted Beane and McDermott replaced for at least four seasons now, so until they appear in a Super Bowl — I’m absolutely right. Maybe when you see a washed-up, 36-year-old Josh Allen wearing an LA Rams uniform and raising his first Lombardi trophy you’ll admit… “I guess Beane and McDermott weren’t so great…"

Dawson Knox is the epitome of Brandon Beane’s tenure as GM — Knox is the “King of the JAGs”. Beane has a knack for finding these easily replaceable players and then paying them way more than they are worth.

Unless you find the next Saquon Barkley, drafting a RB in the second round is without a doubt a wasted pick. It’s the most easily replaceable position in sports. ESPECIALLY since Beane wasted two high picks previously on Devin Singletary and Zack Moss. On this current track, time will ultimately reveal Brandon Beane to be a very mediocre (at best) GM who wasted the prime years of Josh Allen’s career on JAG defensive linemen, defensive backs, and running backs.

None of those guys are legitimate “blue chip” players — that’s the problem. They’re starters because the rest of the roster is full of JAGs. How many of your “elite eight” would start on the Ravens, Chiefs, or Bengals? Not many.

Non of those teams have Josh Allen — arguably the most physically gifted player to ever take an NFL snap. At least ONE SB appearance in eight seasons should be the expectation.

This team would probably have at least a SB appearance or two if the GM hit on an early draft pick once or twice in the past 6 years and didn’t flush nearly every resource down a defensive toilet. Maybe if the “defensive genius” Head Coach could scheme up a stop on 3rd down. The problem isn’t "Reid and Mahomes". The problem is “Beane and McDermott”.

What’s the matter — you don’t like money?

Hammer the Ravens at +1.5.

How many stabs at RB did it take Beane to finally land Cook? The Chiefs and Ravens draft in the same area as the Bills and seem to find game breakers.

Those are not “impact” game-changing players. They are JAGs on legitimate teams. I chose six years specifically because that’s the time frame Beane has had to build around Josh Allen, so of course he’s not included. Those first two rounds are premium picks. You need to hit on those occasionally — George Karlaftis, Chris Jones, etc... The late round guys you mentioned are nice players, but they are lottery tickets. GM’s make their money in the early rounds and Beane has whiffed just about every year.

There’s one in six years. At the least impactful position on the field and the easiest one to find talent.

Ok. Name the impact players Brandon Beane has selected in the first two rounds over the past six seasons.