Brand J

Edmunds is only an effective blitzer when he has an unimpeded path to the QB. And when I say unimpeded, I mean literally no one in his face, no one to go around, no one to get past. I’ve seen him stopped quite easily by RBs in the hole. He plays much smaller than his size.

At least I won’t have championship expectations if this were the case. From the start of the season I could be a lot less emotionally involved and revert back to thinking the Bills will find a way to lose rather than win. Sounds doom and gloomy, but it’s the truth. These current coaches “ain’t it” and if Frazier is back running this defense then McD deserves to be shown the door when they inevitably prove to be a liability in the postseason again.

That was an insanely bizarre stat. Somewhere around 6 or 8 mins left in the first quarter they had already racked up over 150 yards. Had something like 235 total against the Ravens. That’s not entirely personnel, folks. That’s scheme, or lackthereof. That’s a DC who didn’t devise a game plan specific to the Bengals.

AJE was what…? 6’6” 280 when drafted? That’s a 3-4 DE all day, not sure why the Bills selected him since athleticism was not his forte and he’d be asked to rush from a 4-3 end. He could get away with it in college, not so much against the athletic tackles in the NFL. People say McD is the one drafting these players, but I dunno. Seems like a divide between the FO and the HC. We get players that don’t necessarily fit what the defense is trying to accomplish. Enough of that anyway, offense in 2023!

Leslie was on record before the game as saying he didn’t want to change up too much, even though the Bengals were driving at will that Monday night, because he didn’t want to overthink things. Doesn’t matter what the Ravens did to slow down Joe B, Frazier was going to trot his 4-2-5 nickel defense out there like always and play his scheme. The same scheme that ALWAYS comes up small in the playoffs and gives up north of 30 pts. Bengals scored 27 but they weren’t pressed to do much more because their defense has clamps on the Bills offense. If it was a shootout the Bengals easily would’ve put 40+ pts on the scoreboard.

I don’t even want a demoted Frazier back as safeties coach.

Any scheme that relies on the DL consistently winning their battles will have problems, unless everyone on the front is great and stays healthy. I want a DC who knows how to scheme X’s and O’s, who utilizes his “chess pieces” to the best of his ability. Chiefs fans complain about Spags, but I’d take a DC like him any day over Frazier. Same with Lou A in Cinci. We need disruption, a defense that doesn’t sit back and react, but one that attacks. It’d all be fine and dandy if Beane had knocked it outta the park with his two 1st rounders, two second rounders, and slew of FAs, but the only blue chip piece we have on the line is a soon to be 34 year old coming off an ACL injury. That’s sobering.

I guess the stipulation in the stat is that it has to be 5 years as a starter. Stabler and Madden won after 4 years of Ken as a starter.

They didn’t have Metcalf or AJ Brown rated over Cody Ford. That’s concerning. The next year, they felt they couldn’t get high enough for one of the top three receivers so they traded for Diggs. Meanwhile the 4th receiver taken, Justin Jefferson, is easily the best of the class. They didn’t evaluate him as such. Their last first round grade from this past draft was Elam meanwhile George Pickens has a rookie year that suggests he’d go in the top 15 if the league were to have a redraft. This with Pickett and Trubisky throwing to him. It would’ve been okay for Beane to admit they have to get better at evaluating talent. He says they would’ve ran to the podium to draft Jamarr Chase, but they didn’t run to the podium for any of those other top receivers. They might’ve screwed up the Chase evaluation too, I can’t trust that they wouldn’t have.

This is another reason why we have to root against KC. They’re primed to be a juggernaut, another NE Patriots 2000s because they have lots of money and lots of draft picks from the Tyreek Hill trade.

I generally look forward to Beane pressers, he’s usually as honest and candid with you as he can be. This presser today was… uninspiring. Lots of excuses being passed around, lots of pointing to the team’s record, and praising of players and coaches. That’s not what I wanted to hear as far as what needs to be done to get this team over the hump. Would rather he gave out vague, angry answers, that way I’d feel good about changes coming. Sounds like Frazier and everyone else is back if McD says so 🤮

Far too much for a player of his age and salary. Not to mention questionable leadership skills.

Look, I’m not a McD detractor necessarily, but nothing in your post changes the fact that if a HC and QB combination hasn’t won a SB by year 5, they haven’t done so at any time after that in the history of the league. Doesn’t mean it won’t ever happen, but if history is an indicator either Allen or McD will be gone before they’ll have the opportunity to win one together. And when you have a franchise QB the one who goes is the HC. Andy Reid won a SB in year 7 with the Chiefs, but it took a new QB coming in (Mahomes) to accomplish this. That’s a lot of years that provide a data point, would be interesting to see the numbers of HC/QB combos that were together more than 5 years but never won a championship dating back to the first ever SB.

Are you saying you’re not on board with the nickel defense Frazier runs no matter who they’re defending? 😂

Nick Wright is a loser, true, but it doesn’t make what he said any less factual. I really thought the Bills’ best chance to win it all was last year. The offense was hotter than it had been at any point in Allen’s career. He was just focused and playing on another level. Could McD and Allen win a SB after year 5 together? Sure they can, but again, it’d be a historic feat - the first time in NFL history.

That’s an interesting question. On the surface there haven’t been many long tenured coaches who have failed to get the job done. I think about Marvin Lewis, Schottenheimer, Marv Levy, Andy Reid in Philly, Im sure there are a few more, but teams usually move on, so there’s little mystery as to why the 5 year thing is real. EDIT: Oh and don’t look now, but this is year 5 for Shanahan in SF 👀

As I posted in another thread:

OBD should institute a live poll during the draft with 5 players they’re considering. Then have Bills fans pick the player. I have no doubt this team would be in a better position if such a thing existed.

Nick Wright had an interesting stat on First Take that I was unaware of… every HC and QB combo that has ever won a Super Bowl has done so within their first 5 years together. Every single one. Which means if McD and Allen go on to win a Super Bowl at some point, they’ll be the first to ever do so after 5 seasons (this year was season 5 for them).

I think one thing’s for certain: these coaches have tape of every play from every game. They can see if the offensive scheme is a problem (ie no open receivers) versus if their QB is just making the wrong reads/forcing plays, etc. If Dorsey is back, I think it’ll speak volumes that the problem wasn’t mostly scheme based. If players are open, which is what falls on the coordinator, but they aren’t getting the ball, you have to look at the trigger man. And of course his protection.

Don’t care what Apple has to say. I could never root for the Chiefs and their fans, especially in what was supposed to be a retooling year (they have the resources to be much better next year). Go Bengals! But I’ll probably end up rooting for the NFC team to win it all.

He really disappointed this year, no question. We need more games like Thanksgiving against the Lions, Thanksgiving against the Cowboys, against the Jets that one game where he single-handedly wrecked an entire drive. I was all for re-signing him prior to the season, but he disappears far too often for my liking. Even with his pec injury, he should’ve put on a clinic going against 2nd and 3rd rate Bengal OLineman. Should’ve looked like Warren Sapp or Aaron Donald, but I don’t recall a single play he made.

With regards to Mahomes and Burrow, I think it’s fair to say that Allen doesn’t have the advantage over either QB in accuracy, ball placement, timing, touch, and field vision. He is a better runner than the two but has the lowest floor. When he’s been bad, he’s bad. McD mentioned in his presser that everyone needs to improve, including his QB, if they’re to take the next step. With that being said, this loss to the Bengals wasn’t at all on Josh.

I’m fine with a defensive HC, provided his defense isn’t a liability. Bills defense has come up small in every single playoff game against good offenses. The one exception was Baltimore, but they were terribly one dimensional, so I’m not sure if I’d classify that group as a good offense. McD’s defenses have given up an average of 30+ points in these losses. Why do we have him if his schemes come up short time after time after time after time? EDIT: And if I’m Beane, the only way, the ONLY way, I’d allow McD to keep his soft cover 2 defense is if he plans to call the plays himself. Otherwise I’d mandate bringing in a fresh perspective, a coach that may run a different system, but had a proven track record of success elsewhere (Fangio). Promoting the LB or DB coach to take over for Frazier so they can run the same BS isn’t real change.

Was looking at a lot of tweets Apple was retweeting. The Bills OL was an even bigger problem than I thought when watching live. Too many jailbreak plays and Dawkins was getting beat like a drum, along with Saffold. Meanwhile you have Cinci backups doing nasty things to our starters…