FireChans

Is this meant to be deeply ironic?

The thing about "clutch" plays, is that they all benefit from the result. For example: If Bass connects on the FG in 2023 or the Bills score a TD and stifle the Chiefs, not only is the offense clutch for their contribution, but the defense is clutch for saving the game with the Poyer punch out. If Josh scores the go-ahead TD last year, the Bills defense looks clutch for that massive stop late to give the offense the ball back with a chance to win it. So, when you look at it from that perspective, those are two "clutch" defensive moments that ended up not being clutch because the offense didn't hold up on their end. Now of course, you play this game with 13 seconds and the opposite is true. The offense looked clutch, and the defense failed them, twice. Unfortunately, when you have knocked on the door as much as we have, there are going to be a million things we can point to. Reid having McD's number, the offense failing in clutch time, the defense failing in clutch time, the whole team not showing up to play for the 2020 AFCCG or the 2022 Bengals loss. But history is written by the victors. If the defense holds on in 2021, or the offense scores go-ahead points in 2023 and 2024 and the Bills may be the clutch "never say die" dynasty team of the era.

The problem with that is that his salary is largely non-guaranteed for 2025. So if James Cook has an unfortunate jet ski accident, the Bills waive him with a non-football injury, and he walks away with $4.6M in earnings, closer to 2M after taxes/agents, and generational wealth is gone. He has a little bit of leverage now, which he is using, because his financial future is far from guaranteed. He should do whatever he can to get the most money possible, because it is what we would all do in his position.

Terry has played good soldier for 6 years in Washington. We just need 1. JMO, but i would rather have McLaurin + Cook in 2025, then McLaurin in 2026 and beyond than just Cook in 2025 and beyond. I'm willing to trade at least a second rounder to do so. It's time to stop building for the future.

Go get him and give him Cook's money please.

Man. After 8 years, the pass rush is never good enough to win a Superbowl and the receiving options aren't good enough to win a Superbowl. Brutal.

Not sure that's true on Peyton and Brady. Peyton admitted (long after he retired) that him and Brady had secret work outs together. https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nfl/colts/2024/06/13/peyton-manning-shares-story-of-secret-workout-with-tom-brady/74079220007/#:~:text="We lifted weights together.,kill all of you.'" That was in 2009. They kept it a secret, but by that time, both had MVPs and both had Super Bowl wins.

Thank you. I always sucked at Where's Waldo

Are we sure they just don't want another tub of goo after getting burned by Star?

to be fair to @Gugny, there was something that rubbed me the wrong way about Josh being buddy-buddy with Pat Mahomes in that one offseason golfing and doing TV stuff when Mahomes at that point had multiple MVPs and SB's and we had made one AFCCG appearance. Peyton and Brady didn't get chummy until long after they both had multiple trophies in their cases and it did make me wonder about his competitive drive and habits. However, after Josh's MVP and imo the best season of his career with a weaker supporting cast, I feel like complaining about his work ethic is a little over the top.

He did. James Cook should do what's best for James Cook. If that means holding out to the last possible second to secure financial salvation for at least 2 generations of his family, so be it and good for him. the contract allows for skipping camp/mandatory activities, just with penalties. Honor is as honor does.

I think there's a higher chance the Lions miss the playoffs than make it past the divisional round, honestly. I definitely don't think they are gonna win their division. The difference with the Bills is that they had a QB who could play his best ball with maybe the worst team he has had around him since his rookie year. Jared Goff is good, but he is not a "succeeds despite surrounding adversity" type QB. The 2023 Eagles are a classic example of brain-drain and loss of both OC and DC that derailed an otherwise pretty talented roster, and they barely . That and the Lions flying in the face of positional value when they took guys like Gibbs and Campbell in the first. Those short-term moves can come back to bite you.

James Cook plays bad or gets hurt playing basketball and the team can get out of the contract they signed with next to no penalty.

The offensive and defensive philosophies were married in 2024. The goal was to run the ball. shorten the game (on both sides) and have Josh and co orchestrate more long drives than the opponents could. I think this is the way that McD wants the team to play. Now, with all the new hirings, do I think they are expanding their bag of tricks for high-leverage moments? Absolutely. But make no mistake. We are not going to turn into a high-risk high-reward defense, or offense for that matter. It is the antithesis of what McD wants.

Honestly, I just had the thought the other day that if Dareus had put together a Fletcher Cox-type career, the whole trajectory of the McDermott era looks different. Hard to believe he could've been as good at 31 or 32 as he was at 24, but he could've been a plus starter for a LONG time, and helped solve a lot of defensive problems. That's really the goal of having one of those high draft picks. Getting a guy for 10+ years who is still a difference maker more often than not while the team shifts around them. Fletcher Cox played for 4 HC's and went to SB's with 2 of them in Philly land.

Dareus was already paid, he wasn't a "let walk" candidate IIRC. Plus, he was notorious for being a little bit of a locker room goofball. It wouldn't surprise me if he started rubbing McD/Beane the wrong way off the field and they just wanted him out. Honestly, yes, right? It may not be even particularly close.

Dallas had one of the best draft records for about 10 years running. From 2013 - 2023, of the players they drafted 13 AP seasons 44 Pro Bowl seasons And they had 2 losing records during that span. For comparison, the Bills over the same stretch had: 2 AP seasons 19 Pro Bowl seasons Dallas gets a lot of grief on here because they tend to get exposed in the playoffs and are talked about in media circles like they are in the Super Bowl every year. But they have been an objectively good team for quite a while.

He won't be there. Dalvin held out the offseason. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29283874/vikings-rb-dalvin-cook-hold-reasonable-deal-source-says

Do you think the Bills have faced the hardest playoff schedule out of all of those other teams? If that's the case, why is the offense the second best in offensive improvement in the postseason?

Yeah Morse was felt to be a loss because McGovern hadn't played C since college. Obviously, he played better than Morse, so it wasn't a big deal. The Eagles success on tush push would argue they did miss Kelce a bit, despite Jergens being quite good. Ultimately, I'm not very interested in parsing this further. I'm not arguing the loss of Frank Ragnow is the difference between the Lions winning the Super Bowl and finishing last in the division. They just lost another very good player in an offseason where they've lost a lot of other pieces. Maybe it won't matter and they'll go 20-0.

What conclusion do you draw from @Mikie2times graph?

an All-Pro is an All-Pro and his loss will be felt. Especially with skittish Jared coming out to play and how screen/misdirection heavy the Lions offense has historically been. Now, they may get away from that stuff without Ben Johnson. I don't think losing Ragnow is the same as losing Johnson, but it is more evidence that they are getting eroded piece by piece imo.

Nah, with hindsight, it was the chokejob vs the Niners in the NFCCG in 2023. Up 24-7 at half to lose 34-31. Last year they got riddled by injuries and lost their best defensive player for the season. They got blasted in the divisional round. Now, everyone is a year older, they lose all of their coordinators, their All-Pro C retires. Windows close fast in the NFL. Especially when you have a good QB instead of a great one. Look at the Niners, same deal. Talent erosion is impossible to stop over 2-3 seasons.

https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-tight-end-rankings-top-32-ahead-of-2025-nfl-season I love PFF (for now).

The Lions window is quickly snapping shut.