newcam2012

How dare you...

Of course losing the game is meaningless. However, this micro viewpoint is short sighted. To blowoff concerns, strengths, weaknesses, coaching, the roster, etc...is kind of disingenuous. Also, under the McD era the Bills have played the pre season games pretty well. Not sure what his record is but it looks as if he likes to establish winning ways in the pre season. No need to overreact here but there are some areas of concern that seemingly were amplified after yesterday's game. More specifically, Oline, MLB, and coaching. Torrence and Kincaid are looking really good.

And the wheels on the bus go round and round round and round...

I agree. All I'm saying is the Bills seem to have a weakness at MLB. We have no idea how it will play out this season. What's kind of ironic is how many now seemingly are minimizing the position. I mean Edmunds was literally the QB of the defense. When he was out the Bills defense was weaker. I'm not saying the Bills can't or won't win with Dodson or whoever is the starting MLB. I get many have confidence in McD's defense. As you said, let's see how it plays out. With that said,I think it's still fair to say the Bills have a weakness at the MLB position. Not ideal but not insurmountable.

Fair point. I don't totally agree but no need to elaborate.

Not an accurate painted picture here. The sample size is too small and the quality of the opponents have to be factored in.

I don't agree with this take. I absolutely think Beane and McD think the MLB position is important. Why? For several years now, we have been told by Beane and McD how important Edmunds was to the defense. It was a clear and resounding theme year after year. Heck, Beane drafted him as the overall 16th pick in the draft. That has to tell you your thesis is incorrect. Beane pinned himself behind a wall. He had limited cap space and limited options to fill several holes on the team. His misses have contributed to a void of several holes that needed to be filled. All GMs have misses He pretty much summed this up in his end of the season presser. Except he left out that his failures contributed to the situation. Now, add in Elam which looks to be trending in a similar scenario. In fairness to Beane, no way was Edmunds worth that kind of money. Perhaps, they intended to keep Edmunds at a more fair price. The Bears unexpectedly overpaid for him. I think Beane may have been caught off guard. Slightly off topic is the resigning of Oliver. I have mixed feelings about it. Ed is decent to good but not elite and not consistent enough. Where was he come playoff time when Von went down? I was slightly surprised the Bills signed him. Back on topic. I think Beane made a tactical decision. I think he values the MLB and is hoping for a prayer to be answered. None of the current MLBs are starter material. It's a weakness without a doubt! Realistically , there's no other way to see it. The question is can the weakness be mitigated? We are about to see. However, we saw a glimpse of these guys when Edmunds was out. It wasn't pretty. Are we really banking on a McD defensive scheme to hide the problem? That's a really big ask and I seem to think good teams will absolutely exploit the hole. Maybe I'm wrong here. Now, I do like the offensive moves and the fact that they tried to clearly address the offense. The jury is out if it pans out. Nevertheless , I like that Beane committed to the offense. I think this gives the best chance to win. Maybe that's what you mean by not valuing the MLB? Sorry for the rant.

I don't know how bad it is. I know after Edmunds wasn't signed, I said to myself the Bills need to fill that hole. No way did I feel any of the current guys back then were starter material. Sadly, I feel the same today. Maybe even more so. We saw how poorly the Bills D was when Edmunds wasn't in there. He was missed for sure. I guess we have to hope someone steps up or McD can somehow hide and scheme the weakness. Not ideal. Personally, I think the Bills in had their eye on Jack Campbell and he got scooped up early. Happen to agree with this take. I'm all in on the offense. Give Allen weapons and protection. Beane has tried to do this. It's a winning strategy IMHO.

Von, Davis, Harris, Brown, Poyer, Harty, etc...I'm sure there's more. Sounds like he's might be OK. For shot legs he's still pretty good.

I think we can maybe say that about several players on the Bills roster too.

I was including the first stint he did with the Bills in 2015-2016 I believe. I get what your are saying. It's valid for sure. I just think the regime has failed to really solidify the oline over the years. I think Beane has had enough time to improve the oline. I think it's fair to say the oline has been problematic for several years now. This year is a new year and hopefully with better results. I am more encouraged that the oline will be be better than last years. I'm not so sure it's solid enough to beat elite teams in the playoffs. That's a long way away. We will see...

That's fair. However, opposing teams will adapt to the Bills tendencies if they constantly run to the right side. Agree, that McGovern should help a lot in the pass game. That is pretty big in my eyes. I like the move but I'm not sold that the Bills oline is really good. Improved yes but there's still a lot that needs to be proved. That does include McGovern on a new team and scheme. Also, it makes me a little uneasy that they may be starting a huge rookie on the line with questionable footwork. He seems to be a liability in the pass game. Opposite of McGovern sort of speak. That could be a big deal in a negative way. Of course the elephant in the room is Brown. He can't stay healthy and when healthy has he been good? Not sure he has. Sure there's potential but it sure seems like a risky move or at the very least an uncomfortable question mark. It shouldn't take us long to know how good the oline is. The Monday night opener vs the Jets is a very nice test.

Correct but most football experts say McGovern's run blocking is mediocre to poor. He's not elite. Sure he's an upgrade and I'm happy about the acquisition. However, let's not get carried away here. I get the optimism but it's kind of crazy that the Bills oline is a work in progress six years into the Beane regime. By now, the oline should be very solid and only minor tweeks should be made. As for me, the oline is the key to how far the Bills will go. Not one guy on the line is elite. They must play well as a unit. It's a bit concerning that new guys are starting on the line. How will they gel? Torrence has to develop. Brown and his back? Is Kromer overrated? What has he really done to develop Bills players? The oline has been an issue for years under Kromer. I'm not saying he sucks but I fail to see the fruits he's produced. I consistently hear how great he is. Am I missing something? In short, I do believe the oline has been upgraded. Is that enough?

Swinging helmets?

Just thinking out loud here. A fight like this isn't exactly the culture coach McD has instilled in the team. He's built a tight group built on togetherness, cohesiveness, and love.

Me too.

I like the aggressive behavior. It shows fight and passion.

Thank you. I'm trying.

Very well thought out. Good post. Being a Bills fan doesn't mean being irrational. I like to think most Bills fans are knowledge people. Most can analyze teams, players,and data in a rational manner.

Well said! That's why I referred to much of what has been said as Bills hate on the Jets. I heard all about a weak oline when the Bills played the Bengals. How did that weak Jets oline do vs Buffalo last year? If memory serves me right they ran the ball down the Bills throat repeatedly to run out the clock. That was with medicare RBs too. Last not be so quick to dismiss the Jets oline as a fatal flaw. The be jury is still out on the Bills oline.

With respect, I don't agree with this logic. I believe this train of thought is flawed. Why? The running game in modern day football has been minimized and undervalued. It's still a very important factor in any team's offense. More specifically, let's look at the Jets team. Do you think they want an older Rogers with a questionable oline to drop back and throw the ball 40 plus times s game? I think the answer is a clear no. Cook with an eventual healthy Hall can create problems for an opposing defenses. Additionally, both backs are dangerous in the screen game. The Jets would love to keep the ball out of the hands of Allen and Tua. I don't think they want to get into a shootout with either team. A solid running game controlling the clock and relying on on their D is their best way to win. Cook gives the Jets a better pathway to beat their defensive foes. It's a nice move for the Jets. Remember, all the Buffalo fans pounding the table for Delvin? Now the Jets acquire him and that logic suddenly goes out the window. Really? This just sounds like the Bills fans hating on the Jets.

Come on now. Pro bowlers by default. They are good but neither are elite. The Bills oline has a lot to prove. So the Bills Cook and other Bills RBs hype is unwarranted based on your premise?

A lot of the offense will no doubt fall on Rodgers. However, you have to look at the Cook acquisition in it's whole. The Jets will likely rely on their defense and try to control the ball on offense. I don't think they want an older Rodgers throwing the ball 40 plus times. Take into consideration their oline which doesn't look strong. Cook can contribute enough to make their offense better. Cook can be used in the screen game and short passing game too where he's very good. I would not brush off this pick up as insignificant. Likely, it's not enough to overcome the Bills for the division. It does close the gap though. The Bills oline has more concerns then RT. Not one person on the line is elite. They have to play well as a unit and they have several new additions. The jury is out on how good of bad the oline will be. They are capable of being solid not elite. Vice versa.

Similar to Buffalo's oline. Right?

I disagree. Cook is a pretty good RB. He makes their offense better. He's really dangerous catching the ball.