dave mcbride

He has also overseen units that are above league average the last four seasons. How are fumbles by players the fault of a coach?

I think this is basically right, but what I focus on is judging Peterman on preseason games. McCarron is actually a serviceable backup and has proven it in real-live NFL games. Preseason performances can only tell you so much, especially at the QB position when defenses are very vanilla. They should have realized that, but they learned the hard way that Peterman is the same guy they put out on the field in real games last year (outside of garbage time v. New Orleans, which was basically a preseason level game by that point).

https://www.twobillsdrive.com/community/topic/209965-a-few-thoughts-about-the-texans-game-in-no-particular-order/?page=4&tab=comments#comment-5395053

Crossman's STs have performed above the league average over the four-year stretch prior to this season. Their average rank has been 12th. ( https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/teamst2017 ). He's not the problem.

I can't remember a game in which the Bills had tons of penalties on ST (above the norm, I mean) before yesterday. And when was the last time a Bills punt was blocked? They were 10th in ST DVOA last season, btw. https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/teamst2017. They were 4th in 2014, 12th in 2015, and 22nd in 2016. Over a four-year stretch through 2017, they've averaged 12th overall, and the median is 11.

Ferragamo was bad for the Bills, but he also qb'd in a Super Bowl, and in 1980 his team went 11-4 when he started and he threw 30 TDs, 19 INTs, and averaged 7.9 YPA.

It simply shows how important it is to have a decent backup. Osweiler has won some games before and has a bright (and long) future ahead of him as guy who can get you to 2-2 when your QB goes down for a stretch. The Bills desperately need a guy like that. They really screwed the pooch in FA last year because they were unwilling to pay the going rate for one. There were options out there beyond McCarron (who they should have never traded anyway). http://walterfootball.com/freeagents2018QB.php

No way is a smart organization trading a competent backup. The Bills are example A of a team with no backup. Ideally, you want a guy with some experience who can get you to 2-2 over a 4-game stretch. Not sure you watched Osweiler yesterday, but he's becoming that guy. Next year, who is going to be available? It'll be one of the most important signings the Bills make (or don't make), yet it won't get enough attention. Frank Reich wasn't great, but he was massively important to the Bills' success in that era. Dare I say it: bring Tyrod back next season? I have to think he knows his days as a starter are over, and that perhaps it's time for the next phase of his career: 5-6 more years as an experienced backup. (The pay is good too.) Anyway, as a backup he'd be ideal. He "respects the ball" like no other and can get you to 2-2 over a four-game stretch.

I think it's less than a 50-50 chance because there are always some fumbles that roll out of bounds (and hence "no one" actually recovers). If I had to guess, I'd say that happens about 15 percent of the time.

Exactly. Crossman isn't coaching players to fumble and fail to block. Leave him out of this. He's fine as a ST coach.

If you're working on a record, you have to stay on top of your craft at all times.

It'd be a Cal Ripken-level record. Never to be broken!

In that amount of time, 10 interceptions. That works out to approximately 77 inteceptions over the course of a 16-game season. This is not a professional-level performance.

https://www.footballoutsiders.com/any-given-sunday/2018/any-given-sunday-bills-over-titans Apologies if this has already been posted.

No worries. Thanks.

I care a lot. I like the NFL, not just the Bills. No offense, but we have discussed the league more broadly on this site for a decade and a half at least. Evidence? He's not projecting them forward, he's evaluating them in the games they've played so far. Yet he was absolutely terrible in the first two games. If he continues at the pace he's currently on, he's likely to move up the Jeremiah's chart. He does this periodically, and I think it's pretty cool.

Thanks - good, informative link. I thought the Eagles' backs last night looked quite solid.

Jerry Rice! Marvin Harrison too. The Rams won in 1999 with Isaac Bruce and Tory Holt, both elite high picks. Plaxico was definitely elite (#5 overall too), and he was an integral part of the Giants SB victory. Michael Irvin was a key part of three SB teams. Andre Rison was a key player for GB in their SB victory in the 1996 season. And Moss scored what should have been the winning TD against the Giants (plus Brady missed him on the Pats last possession after he beat his man deep - it would have been an 80 yard td.) TO had 9 catches for 122 yards against NE in the SB too, and Philly could have won that game. I mention all of these guys because they were head cases.

The Minnesota game was indeed weird, punctuated by the fact that their best pass rusher went off the deep end right before the game. Plus there was that stupid roughing the passer play on a good pass rush on the billls first possession. Should have been a three and out. That said, the D played veey well.

Look no farther than Al Edwards re: the specific point you raise. Go to the 1:57:58 mark and watch the receiver at the top of the screen trying and failing to sustain a block. If he sustains it, Thomas gets out of bounds and gets another 5 yards. Again, if effing Al Edwards sustains his block, the Bills have 18-19 seconds on the clock and are at the 25.

If you're not blaming Al Edwards for the loss, you're blaming the wrong person.

You know, I've never seen it. I remember it when it came out. Re Ritchie, I've seen the Sherlock movies (mostly good) and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (terrible). That's it.

They're all OK players, but at the end of the day they're JAGs - guys with one or two decent seasons under their belt at most. Even McGee only had a couple of above average seasons. Searcy is the proverbial JAG - check out his AV: https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/SearDa00.htm If the Giants win, I think it's more likely that Philly DOESN'T pull the trigger than if they win. 2-4 is a hard hole to crawl out of.

Bad food?!? When was the last time you were there??

But if the debate is about money, factor in that for the games he's suspended, the team doesn't have to pay him and the forfeited salary doesn't count against the cap.