Cotton Fitzsimmons

YE OLE will not argue that the QB situation has been badly mishandled. A veteran like Anderson should have been brought in sooner. And you probably won’t get much argument that Peterman should have been cut after week 1. But, specifically for this game, I don’t think much could have been done to avoid disaster. Any team in the league, when down to their 3rd QB is probably trotting out someone from their PS a la Alex “Trick Shot” Tanny or someone like Matt Barkley. Maybe you get lucky and catch lightning in a bottle like with this Mullen’s joker last night, but it’s not likely. As bad as Peterman has been at turning the ball over, there are some throws he can make. It’d be nice if they can get him faking some of those out routes and lob some shots over the top like the one he dropped into Zay for the TD.

YE OLE tends to agree with this assessment of young Nathaniel. He lacks arm strength and will never be able to consistently deliver on deep routes to the sidelines. That being said he has made some nice throws into tight windows and at some point if he continues to play he probably will have a good game. Could be Sunday... or he could throw a bunch of picks again. YE OLE doubts we will see a middle of the road game manager type game from him though. He will try to sling it all over whether he should or not.

It looks like the 2000 Browns scored 161 points that season. That’s the worst output for a season going back 20 years. We’re on pace for 174, but given the trend it’s hard to say we won’t have a solid crack at <160

YE OLE is with you on the Daboll front. This offense is worse than anything Dick Jauron could’ve put together. The offense isn’t loaded by any stretch of the imagination, but this system is making them worse. And there’s little doubt that if we get more talented playmakers we’ll render them ineffective as well with this nonsense. This defense is great... but no defense can withstand this. 35 points scored by this offense in the last 5 games! This is the 4th game we’ve scored 6 or less points this year... that’s almost an automatic 0-4 no matter how good your defense is. Daboll has had no success as an OC in this league and this looks like the second really bad hire McDermott has made on that side of the ball. As divided as we have been on Allen at times, there’s almost no chance he’ll have success with this system.

We could also sign COACH BUDDY STEPHENS to the staff. He can run up and down the sidelines yelling “THAT A BABY!” as Chad dominates play after play.

Josh Allen hurdles JJ Watt at the goal line for the game winning TD and Marv Albert makes his way to the booth and says “Josh Allen with THE FACIAL!”

As in John Butler? Cue Edith Baines Bunker voice: Those were the days... you knew who the Bills were then. Every year the wins were more than 10! The offense sure could use a man like Reed or Lofton again! Didn’t have no botched field goal fakes... the offense always pulled it’s weight. And gee old Thurman ran great... THOSE WERE THE DAYYYS!

It’s a very peculiar trend in that the team doesn’t always lose... sometimes McDermott’s team shows up out of nowhere and lays the wood like in Minnesota. Last year after getting ass paddled by the Jets, Saints, and Chargers in consecutive weeks, YE OLE was convinced they wouldn’t win another game all year. And they were losing in such magnificent fashion that you actually had to at least start to entertain the idea that McDermott might get canned after only a year. Then they went in to KC and won. Under McDermott, the wins at Atlanta, KC, and Minnesota are all as impressive as the blowouts have been ridiculous. It’s easy to say this is the worst team in the league and start piling on again, but I think the truth is they’re still a middle of the pack team that rarely plays that way. They either play way above or below that level on any given week. What will be concerning moving forward is if this roster is built out and gets significantly better, will they still have these wild swings under McDermott? 20+ games into his tenure here, it’s hard to say all of this is a fluke and not a trend at this point.

One time during the 2008 season YE OLE wrote a parody of “PINBALL WIZARD” entitled “FOOTBALL WIZARD.” It was a catchy little ditty about Trent Edwards. If memory serves... it went a little something like this: He stands like a statue, Becomes part of the machine Feeling all the pass rushers Always keeps his jersey clean He plays by intuition, The secondary falls That “TOUCHDOWN” TRENT EDWARDS Sure throws a mean football! Trent is a football wizard Belichick said “It’s got to be a twist” A football wizard S'got such a supple wrist

FACT! Stainless steel straws or die... or BUST.

YE OLE was definitely against the Allen pick when it happened. Everything we heard about this guy was that he needed at least a year, if not 2 years, just to sit and learn. And even then, we were told he couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. All of that said, for his first start in only the second game of his rookie year, he looked extremely competent. Based on what we were told about Allen before the draft, yesterday should’ve been a recipe for a real debacle from Allen. Despite all of his detractors, nobody really questioned his supreme physical talent. If he can look competent this early into his career with all of the nonsense going on with this offense, he has a chance to be very good.

Throwing it off his back foot from his own 20... FACT!

Blowouts under McDermott is a weird stat and definitely something that should be cause for concern. McDermott is 9-8 in his 17 regular season games, but 5 of those have been 20+ point losses and as previously stated 3 have been 30+ point blowouts. YE OLE did a little digging and the Browns during that same period have obviously gone winless (0-16-1) but have only been beaten by 20+ once (a 24 point loss to the Bengals). When we went on that 3 game skid last season YE OLE thought we wouldn’t see another win the remainder of the year and yet they came back and looked more than competent. There’s a difference between being bad and completely unprepared to function. Why such wild swings with McDermott?

The only thing Doug Marrone wants to be +15 in is punts... FACT!

Rib, my good friend, you are spot on per usual! YE OLE believes what we will see in Peterman is a guy who will run hot and cold at times. He definitely has the ability to be accurate and throw guys open even in perfect coverage. He also has significant limitations. All of this to say there will be games in Nate’s career not unlike the Chargers game, but also games where he will disect the secondary and neutralize the pass rush because the ball is out so quickly. No idea what we’ll see Sunday, but YE OLE bets it will be spectacular in one fashion or another.

If Kirby Jackson says it is so, then that is good enough for YE OLE... FACT!

What's good, gents? What's good? Allow YE OLE to shed some light on this pizza box caper. Clearly what went on here is this project came across the desk of some corporate ne'er-do-well (not unlike yours truly), and said ne'er-do-well was like "Let's rubber stamp this shiznit, gents! We gotta get to the local watering hole whilst the gettin is good!" Once the proclamation was made, this monstrosity of a pizza box naturally followed.

YE OLE fondly remembers Buddy’s rant on scouting philosophy. It went something like... He wanted to get down on the field and stand nose to nose with these guys. He wanted to smell his breath and know what a guy ate for lunch. That’s how you get quality OLineman... FACT!

We need to get this thing blocked up out there, gents!

YE OLE would whole heartedly say no... that would not be worth it. However, because we did get our QB and still have draft capital to swing a trade we now are in a position where it would be beneficial to get a premier pass rusher.

Khalil Mack is THE WHIP... FACT!

YE OLE can also see this deal happening and McDermott stepping to podium very matter of fact like and telling the media “Brandon and his team do a great job. They’re always looking for good players that can come in and improve our team. Just like bringing in John Ryan the other day... he’s a good player. Khalil’s also a good player. We’re excited to have both these guys here to compete...”

Rumor has it... Zay has been working hard on his hand stuff with the JUGS machine. If this comes to fruition he just may catch some crucial game winning TDs of the Josh Allen “roaring rocket” variety. Then, and only then, YE OLE will proclaim young Zay to be THE WHIP... FACT!

Excellent points per usual, my good man! YE OLE is channeling that Mark Morrison vibe that we may indeed have a “Return of the Mack” situation going down here in Buffalo. At some point you have to take your shot... and certain positions are worth a premium. If McBeane’s Mean Machine can land a franchise QB and a superstar pass rusher the AFC landscape will be significantly tilted in our favor. If it works out there won’t be another season for many years where the Bills won’t be a SB Contender. If it doesn’t work out... who cares? We’ll be in the same boat we’re in now. Like a Josh Allen 40 yard laser through the tightest of windows, McBeane should let it rip and go all in on this.

If this comes to be... YE OLE will be the first one here to declare Josh Allen THE WHIP... FACT!