UKBillFan

Josh says the same thing too. Like he's on auto pilot.

First half was fine. If he had continued playing that way in the second half the Bills would have won at a canter.

Jason Whitlock? He also claimed Diggs wanted out of Buffalo as there wasn't enough strip joints.

I think it's a mix of that and he has little confidence in the rest of the offense, Diggs excluded. He doesn't trust the O Line to hold. He doesn't trust Davis to run the right route (him and Diggs were in the same place on a play yesterday - again - for some unknown reason), he doesn't trust Knox to hold on to the ball, he doesn't trust the run game. Part of me wonders if he subconsciously doesn't trust Dorsey. So he fires long, particularly at Diggs, and hopes they can conjure up magic to keep the offense ticking over.

The most annoying thing is, he had. For the most part from week three of 2021 to half time of week eight 2022, he looked a bona fide elite quarterback (ok, minus the disasters against the Jaguars and the Colts). Then something clicked and I'm not sure what it was. Was it down to the elbow injury - the start of the instructions to protect himself? Run less? Maybe. I think that might be where it all started, which had led to him questioning the approach to take. Then, when looking to throw, he was behind a horrific O Line last year, which he still doesn't trust despite it doing ok yesterday. And he relies on trusting his eyes when they seem to be deceiving him. It becomes a perfect storm.

Not nothing to do with them, but he needs to take personal responsibility too - and show it in action rather than just via words.

So what happened at half time of the Packers game last year? Because that's where the regression started. I agree, the coaches should take some responsibility but not all. Josh says the right things but doesn't execute them on the field of play.

I think most contenders now have an OC as Head Coach. There are two brains in the room to look at any issues there may be on the offensive side of the ball, with ability to bounce ideas off each other and perhaps be good cop/bad cop with the quarterback where needed. I imagine with Daboll's presence this mattered slightly less, as he had Dorsey to work with. Who's the second command for the offensive side of the ball now? Presumably Joe Brady. But he has very little experience of the role compared to Dorsey when he held that position. But then every time one of us fans say this needs to change to make thing better, the Bills seem to try implementing it and instead make things worse. I can't help but feel part of Josh's issues, which started less year, was the "protect yourself" mantra which now sees him caught in two minds, or maybe desperate to get things done in one play to get off the field. Logically, bringing in a OC Head Coach should be the next step but I have no confidence it would solve things.

1. The offensive line was fine last night 2. Josh maybe. Playcalling, maybe not. I have concerns about Dorsey and Josh being emotionally beneficial towards one another, but on each of the interceptions he had plays available he did not take. Or the series before half time, he under throwed to Cook - nothing to do with playcalling 3. Maybe unsuitable rather than poor

He's said it before, more than once. Nothing changes. Maybe he needed a game where it purely was all on him, rather than having mitigation. We'll see.

You may be right overall but last night wasn't on McDermott. It was solely and purely on Josh and, after seeing this kind of approach from him time and again despite saying he's learned his lesson in countless press conferences, something has to give. Coaches cannot do everything - the players have to take personal responsibility too.

The only way it happens is if, for some reason, Josh turns and says he can't work with Dorsey anymore.

I have issues with Josh but completely disagree with this. If anything, the issue for me is he tries to hard to be the Bills' saviour. I think it's far more complex than, "he can't be bothered anymore".

I'm tired of a team of quality which too often is incapable of fulfilling the basics, whilst making the same mistakes. More often that not the Bills have lost due to their own errors, rather than the quality of the other side. Plus I'm just tired. I've had three hours sleep over the last 24 hours. 😄

Or he totally implodes.

Completely spitballing but here goes… Josh does the salmon jump in the second quarter, Dorsey absolutely lays into him for it - understandably - either at the time or at half time. Josh’s seemingly already fragile confidence is knocked. He’s tries to make up for it by trying too hard. Things aren’t coming off. He pushes himself further but it’s now snowballing with error after error. It’s only when the game on the line in the final series that he manages, to an extent, reset. May be miles off but I can see this happening.

Considering the Giants’ performance against the Cowboys, I’m not sure if Daboll is the answer to mental toughness.

Maybe I am being unfair but I’m tired. I’m tired of seeing the same issues with Josh, him saying he’s working on them and yet nothing changes. As he says himself, same old s**t on a different day. He can talk the talk at least.

I think the issue is it’s not one game. This may be the worst but he’s struggled since the second half of the Packers game last year. And the weaknesses exploited by the Jets tonight are nothing new.

He needs to be confident in trusting the pocket to hold first.

Not that I listened to the podcast, but are we sure drunk Josh wasn’t being sarcastic considering he had just lost to Matt’s wife?

Dorsey and Josh are too alike IMO. Too emotional and in the moment. I imagine Daboll was a calming influence who brought a sense of logic to proceedings. Now, if one emotion sets in, it escalates rather than everything remaining calm and settled. It’s why we see Josh double down on a mistake. Maybe I’m being unfair but I can imagine Josh beating himself up, Dorsey stressing in his ear about the consequences and everything snowballing as both over-complicate matters in a desperate attempt to make amends.

I can’t fully blame Josh for wanting to escape the pocket considering how hideous the protection has been for most of the time he’s been here. Almost like muscle memory kicking in. Trouble is it made the O Line’s job more difficult tonight.

Providing his body can deliver what his brain should be telling him. He says he knows he has to protect the football. He says he needs to be more sensible with the running game. Pretty sure he said he needs to take what’s given. Yet when he starts doing this (see the first half), he bizarrely slips back to old traits. Can he be taught?

Made a correction after reading your original post - fair point.