JohnNord

Tua turned out to be a better QB than I predicted years ago. But given his limitations and the way that Miami’s offense has faltered down the stretch the past 2 season, I think enough of a sample size define his limitations. I don’t think Mike McDaniel gets enough credit for the job he’s done to build an offense around what Tua does well. It makes you wonder how much more he do to improve the pieces around the QB.

I’m not so sure about that. The ball traveled 60+ yards and hit Diggs in the hands. He didn’t have to extend like Harmon or come back to the football like Clay. The only ball that easier might have been Stevie’s. But the rest, I’d agree with

I still cannot believe that Stefon Diggs dropped this pass. I know… he’s human and all players make mistakes. That being said your best player can’t make that mistake in that moment. You can’t be a highly paid, #1 WR, team captain, throw the antics he did last season including berating your QB on the sideline and …drop that pass. This isn’t a week 4 game against the Dolphins… this is the NFL Playoffs, against the SB champions, the team that ended the Bills season twice. The team he famously cried while watching them celebrate. I think it’s reasonable to expect your best player to make that play. Catching this pass hardly guaranteed a victory with 8:00 left but setting the Bills up at the 25 yard line would have been a huge momentum boost for the Bills. It could have almost been like the Harty punt return TD from a few weeks ago. I also think this catch could have changed the narrative surrounding Diggs potentially on the decline and a history of bad performances against Kansas City. It also would have erased the drop and fumble from earlier in the game. Instead of adding this play to his career highlights alongside the Minneapolis Miracle, it now lives in infamy as “the drop” that will likely follow his otherwise stellar career in Buffalo. The narrative is no longer, why doesn’t Buffalo get the ball to Stef in big playoff games. It now becomes why does Stef deliver in big playoff games. And the pass, it was perhaps one of the most beautiful balls we’ve seen travel nearly 70 yards on target. There’s maybe one other QB that could make that throw, and he was on the visitors sideline. When you consider the difficulty of the throw, the ease of the catch, the moment, the opponent, the history, the game, the potential legacy lost, it is - in my opinion - the biggest drop in Buffalo Bills history. Recency bias? Maybe. But maybe not. Some other drops I’ve lived through and why I place them under this one heartbreak. Ronnie Harmon - Bills vs. Cleveland 1989 Playoffs On paper this drop was bigger. It was a catch in the end zone for the GW TD with :13 remaining. The difference is the player. Harmon had a history of choking in big moments on college. While he was a well-known player in the NFL, Harmon was never considered an elite superstar the way Diggs has been. Also I’ve read that in 1989 this was considered a “difficult” catch, despite it looking routine with 2024 eyes. Stevie Johnson - Bills vs. Pittsburgh 2010 This also was a GW TD drop that would have been a nice story in 2010 for the underdog Bills led by Fitz. However the stakes weren’t very high. This catch would be a fun moment but ultimately I don’t think it would have much impact on a 2 win team. Plus the drop create the Bills Mafia moniker. Charles Clay - Bills vs. Miami 2018 With the Bills trailing 27-21, Josh makes an amazing throw on the run to throw a ball 40 yards across his body to Charles Clay who proceeds to drop the game winner. While this wasn’t an easy catch, it was far from impossible. Much like Diggs, Clay was the biggest receiving target on the team and one of the highest paid players on offense. Your best players need to step up at key moments and Clay failed. But much like the Stevie drop, this game wouldn’t have much impact on a losing season. Theres a couple others I can think of but nothing as big or high profile as these ones. Also my Bills memory only goes back to be about 1988 or so. Any other devastating drops? And where would you rank them?

I wouldn’t rule out OL but I’d highly bet against it in Rounds 1 and 2. I think the focus really is going to find a new WR1 and I don’t buy the lip service about Diggs

Kurt doesn’t understand athletic QB’s. Instead he’s drawn to QB’s who play the same way he did like Tua and Brock Purdy. I take what Warner says with a grain of bull####

The funny thing is the “Morons in the Morning” on WGR are convinced that McDermott demanded the Bills “take the air out of the football” and control the clock by running. This, despite the fact Buffalo passed the ball over 40 times. They took was what given to them, rather than forcing deep shots like we saw under Ken Dorsey several times this season. Unfortunately the lack of talent at WR2 played directly into the game plan for Kansas City. They took away the intermediate routes and dared Trent Sherfield to beat them on an island. Josh did the wise thing and checked the ball down to move the sticks. Of course, the few times WR’s did get open, they couldn’t finish. Not a surprise. The bigger surprise was how Stefon Diggs playing like hot garbage.

Maybe he should fire himself? I would be absolutely shocked if Matt Smiley was special teams coordinator last season. I know that he is liked but aside from the Harty TD against Miami, his units have been and cost the Bills multiple chances to win (NYJ, DEN, KC among others) I don’t see how you can go into next season with Smiley unless it’s for the sake of continuity which is never a good thing for a failing unit.

The Cook drop didn’t end up meaning anything considering that Shakir caught the TD two plays later. And yet Buffalo was one play away from scoring the go ahead TD

I’ll agree with you. Just beating KC would have helped. We could avoid all of the bull#### narratives about Bills not being able to beat KC when it mattered. To the original point, I thought that once Milano went down it was going to be really hard to win a Super Bowl. You don’t just lose an All Pro player - especially one at a position of little depth and recover that easily. If the Bills somehow won this week, I don’t think they’d fare well against Baltimore but you never know

He was already working in Carolina as Assistant GM

There may be an element of this, but he’s getting less stats under Brady than he did with Dorsey and it doesn’t seem to be a problem

I don’t really know why I do it either. I know that the game doesn’t really have an impact on my life. It’s just not very fun of days like these. I’m not really excited as I am nervous and worried for a loss. It makes it hard to enjoy these big games Look at the teams they beat on the road

I just wish there was some way I could enjoy these games. I’m so anxious and nervous now and of course, I’m dreading the possibility of a Bills loss and all of the narratives which people will weaponize. I guess if you’re a big sports fan, there’s nothing you can really do but let things unfold. But the anticipation is just killing me

He wasn’t as horrible as some make him out to be, but at the same time, the offense was very disjointed. There were times he called a lot of passing plays without giving Josh enough answers on offense for the defense he was facing. It seems like the Dorsey was all about big plays to Diggs or nothing. I also don’t think Dorsey used her personnel nearly as well as Brady does. So while Dorsey wasn’t a dumpster fire offense, the team needed a spark.

If he gets this job, he’s in a pretty safe situation. It’s an OC coordinator position but Stefanski is the one calling plays. In Buffalo he had to do everything. In Cleveland he’s be sharing a lot of duties with an offensive minded HC

I’m so pessimistic, man. I keep thinking that we’ll look back on tomorrow like we do with 13 seconds.

It could come down to the QB who turns the ball over less. Case in point Bills won a close game this season at +1 in turnover differential

This is a good point. Remember the takes in here when the Bills were 6-6 and weren’t going to make the playoffs. Everyone had predicted things would spiral downward because there was no way the Bills could beat KC, Dallas, and Miami. People took the annoying Ty Dunne narrative that 13 seconds was their the last chance. BS. Here were are 6 weeks later with another big opportunity. It just goes to show that you can’t predict the future. Unexpected things happen in football all of the time. Best we can do is to sit back and enjoy the ride and let the idiots on TV try to predict the future

Everyone seems to be roasting you for your opinion here but in a lot of ways you are correct. After the AFCCG and 13 seconds it was clear the Bills were built to beat the Chiefs. If fact the criticism from last season was that the Bills were too focused on KC and didn’t think of how they matched up with the rest of the teams in the conference (ie Cincinnati). Under Beane Buffalo have invested significant draft capital and resources in boosting a defensive line with the idea of pressuring with 4 and letting the rest play coverage. This is typically how you beat Mahomes, especially given his lack of weapons this season. Of course, a bruiser like Pacheco adds another wrinkle to the offense. But yeah if the Bills win the DL is going to be a part of that equation.

Joe Buscaglia is picking the Chiefs to win on a last second Butker field goal. He’s been wrong before. Hope that happens again

Injuries never help. But I think Johnson is the most important player on the list. If we can get Johnson back it’s big. If Barnard SOMEHOW is active, even better. I feel comfortably with the depth on the rest of the players who are out

So you’re basically just picking favorites? Doesn’t usually work out that but hopefully for the Bills it does!

I was watching Hard Knocks when Miami was cleaning out the lockers and thinking “man, I hope this doesn’t happen Sunday.” It’s been a crazy season but I’ve enjoyed it

Your eyes are fooling you…. I can’t only think of one play where he improvised and that was the third down pass to Diggs. He made something out of nothing. The rest of the time Josh seemed to be in control. I didn’t noticed this much during the game but Allen was blitzed on over 50% of his drop backs. He either got the ball out quick or took off and ran. This includes the 52 yd scramble and the Shakir TD - which wasn’t improvising as much as it was finding the hot read. It’s almost a certainty they bring back Brady. Also about the cheat motions…Brady ran a perfect one with Isabella in motion during the snap. He went around the RB attempting to catch a swing pass in the flat. Josh threw the ball low and out of reach. Is he catches that, it’s probably about an easy 20 yard gain.

I would hate this idea when you have younger coaches on the staff who probably would be great play callers. If they fail, McDermott could already take over.