Nextmanup

We definitely need a second "no. 1" weapon on offense, though we need more than that too. These things are not mutually exclusive. We can improve the OC, scheming, play design, play calling, and personnel, ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

The game last night in Winnipeg was one of the more entertaining Sabres games I recall watching in YEARS. For large stretches of time we looked like the Oilers from the 1980s. We very much have an '80s Smythe Division style of game that is wildly entertaining to watch. It would be incredible if we can find a way into the playoffs. The thing is, we are still getting better all the time, and a number of our STUD players are a LONG WAY AWAY from being what they will be when they fully arrive. It hasn't been this good in Buffalo Sabres Land since 2006.

Cinci loss is MUCH worse. 13 seconds HURT a lot more, but that's different. We basically won the 13 second game and a flukey situation resulted in a loss. The Cinci game was about us running into a straight up better team with much better coaching and it revealed flaws in how we continually do things, which if not fixed going forward, will result in further playoff losses. We are do for a slight regression next year; you ca argue this year already was a regression.

It's stunning how many lives these guys get, and what an inbred little world the NFL is.

Question: if we accept all of his comments as a given, where are those conceptual changes and improvements going to come from this off-season, with exactly the same people running the team? None of that will happen.

So much for a lot of the conversation around here talking about bringing Frank HERE!

I have no idea why Dorsey deserves another season. A lot of fans seem to be saying "He will improve next year" or "He has to improve" or "He should be given a pass as this was his first season." What he has done with the offense is not close to top level play design. I would NEVER have hired an OC with zero experience being an OC! I'm not sure why people think he will be a lot better next year simply b/c it will be another new season. Where is he going to get his education from? Learning from his mistakes? Watching film!? I'd replace him for sure with an experienced OC. Someone has to be out there. I feel like we are in for a regression next year and he'll be gone then. Why not gives ourselves a shot at next season before we lose it?

You have no way of knowing that, any more than the OP has any idea that's washed up now! It's a wait and see situation.

I can imagine! We'd still be playing football, and all the kool-aid drinkers that predominate this forum would still be here and participating!

You're not buying tickets now! Are you? Your idea isn't so popular, but I would be in favor of complicating the playoff situation a bit more. Especially if it completely eliminated the meaningless pre-season. The NFL is BY FAR the easiest championship to win in N. American team sports. The Cup by far the hardest. The simple little "one and done" format is a big reason why. You get lucky with just a couple games and you're in the Super Bowl! That's almost a joke.

It begs the question: what if Josh hadn't panned out, as the odds overwhelmingly suggested? Where would we be these last years if Josh is a total bust? We'd probably be .500 at best and still searching for a good QB.

All very true! It's like the chicken and egg problem. What came first? If we had superior coaching and were in control of the game, I think a lot of enthusiasm and energy in the players would have followed. We were BADLY out-coached both sides of the ball. I used to think we had to find a way past KC to get to the SB. Now I realize we have to get past Cincinnati even moreso! We are a VERY BAD matchup against that team!

I don't think the game had anything to do with "effort." I assume it was just as high as always. It was DEFINITELY about coaching. We were badly out-coached all over the field on both sides of the ball. Team seemed flat, lacking in emotion. Some players said the tank was empty after the game.

I like most of this but I think it's critical to move on from Edmunds, for sure. He's going to get huge money $15 million or more a year? and that is just not in the cards. He's not CLOSE to adding that sort of value to the team. Need the cash...get rid of him.

You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

That and another defensive tackle.

I think he means that a "bad day" is not going to result in them accomplishing their goals. In that sense, it's not allowed. No margin for error, basically. Which is correct.

I felt like it was coming the entire game, even if it ended fairly close on the scoreboard. There were a LOT of comments around here that night, after the game, saying things like "that was going to be a Bills beatdown anyway, probably better that the game never finished." It may have brought about some changes that helped us in the playoffs. I don't know.

He ain't that good judging by Josh's major regression this year, and his continued inconsistency series to series, quarter to quarter, and game to game.

Now come the rationalization threads. The fact is we are falling behind in the AFC horsepower sweepstakes, and we need to get more weapons on the field. No doubt we will be looking to address this in the off-season. But we have a very defensive-minded administration. I just hope they realize we need to pump up the offense, and in all honesty, Dorsey should be replaced.

I found it interesting (just listened to the whole thing now) that the GM of the team just publicly said that this team was not operating where it wanted to be for half of the damned season. That's a problem! You might want to have a look at your OC, Brandon! We know the QB is unlikely to be improved any time soon!

Depends on how you define "doomed" in football terms. If "doomed" means fundamentally incorrectly structured to win a championship (at the moment), I agree, we are doomed.

If these knuckle heads respond to this butt kicking by emphasizing the defense again, and continue to patch up the cracks on the offensive line with journeyman hires, my head will explode. They just have the wrong philosophy, generally, toward what today's game is.

You are making the classic mistake of comparing McDermott to past Bills administrations, as though that is the appropriate mark of comparison. It's not! The comparison is the best coaches in the game today, league wide. How he compared to THOSE is how you should evaluate him. The fact that Bills are historically a joke of a franchise with a record of TERRIBLE coaching is totally irrelevant to the analysis of whether to retain McDermott.

If/when we bow out of the playoffs another year or 2 leading to coaching changes, all the "you guys are nuts!" people will be the FIRST to say, "This was justified; good decision by the franchise; need a new voice in the locker room." LOL It's just that some of us are a bit ahead of the slower fans.