Brand J

I’m sure status quo in the coaching staff will get us further than we’ve been next year.

Assuming we already had the QB, I’d go Parsons. Guy is a freak of nature. EDIT: Just re-read. My mistake. Still would go Parsons if he could throw the ball a little. If not, then Allen.

I think it’s less about his contract year and more about having a better DL in front of him. When healthy the DL was pretty good, still had bad games where you wonder what was going on, but with Von and Greg on the outside, a healthy Oliver and Jones on the inside, and a quality backup like Phillips, they weren’t the worst in the world and Edmunds benefitted. Translated into Milano’s first “first team” all pro too. Thing is, I need a LB that can make plays when all isn’t perfect in front of him. And that hasn’t been Edmunds.

It’s not just the trenches. Beane also passed on a number of game breaking wide receivers and had the temerity to say if he had a shot at someone like Ja’marr Chase he would’ve ran to the podium with the card. They’ve had shots at receivers on, or close to Chase’s level yet didn’t pick any of them. That’s an evaluation issue. They selected Elam in the first this year and he had games where he was a healthy scratch. Thats inexcusable. Beane hit it out of the park with one pick - Josh Allen. That’s it. He’s been “good” on a few others, but no other blue chippers or game breakers have been selected under his watch.

Don’t think the Bills can keep Edmunds AND get a significant OL upgrade in FA. They’re in bad cap shape, so paying anyone a premium will come with hurdles anyway. I remember reports from camp that the 1st team DL had to be pulled so that the 1st team offense could get work. Apparently the DL was just dominate. I also remember after that first game against the Rams how Stafford peeled himself off the turf after yet another hit with a bloody elbow, 2 or 3 of his lineman on the ground next to him. The DL dominated early and through injuries, wear and tear, and whatever other reasons, they were a shell of that training camp unit against the Bengals. Let Edmunds walk and get an OL in here that will allow me the first team offense to compete in the trenches against the first team DL. And the rest of the league’s first team DL.

Our team is run by a defensive HC and yet - despite all the resources poured into it - the defense has never been the reason for why the Bills have beaten a top playoff contender. In fact, it’s the reason why they’ve lost against real playoff contenders. Every. Single. Time. Say what you want about the offense, but I don’t think that can be argued.

Chiefs fans consider Orlando Brown a weakness. He and the RT are the supposed weakness of their OL, so no, I don’t think Orlando is a huge upgrade to Dion. As far as drafting a comparable C to Creed Humphrey, we’d have to get really lucky because that dude had off the charts athleticism. He was a 10 on the RAS scale. He had everything that should’ve made him Josh’s long time center, but… Bills. Bates finished with the same grade as Morse this year and I know center is his preferred position on the line. Perhaps move him there, release Morse (or if he retires) and work on getting 3 new OL. It’s not gonna be easy, Beane has his work cut out for him. Dawkins shouldn’t be the unquestioned starter at LT either.

I said the same thing in the game thread when it happened. First time in 5 years I said “wow” because of an Edmunds hit. I of course had disagree and thumbs down emojis for speaking a truth that was somewhat negative 😂

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: