folz

Sorry to jump on an old post, but I'm always surprised by how many Bills fans think Marv Levy is overrated, lucky (due to personnel), or just not that great of a coach. I assume a lot of this sentiment is from younger fans who didn't actually watch those '90s teams and only see 4 Super Bowl loses with a loaded roster. But, you say Marv Levy was fortunate---i.e. he only has a good record because of the talent he coached on the Bills (Kelly, Bruce, Thurman, Andre, etc.). And that "Head Coaches that have had success at multiple locations..." As if Marv never did anything before coming to the Bills. Here is an abbreviated list of what he did before coming to Buffalo. I hope you and other fans who think Marv is overrated read this. - In his first coaching job (2 years coaching football and basketball at a high school in St. Louis), he coached their basketball team to a championship. - He then returned to Coe College (his alma mater) for two years as asst. football coach and head coach of the basketball team. He led the basketball team to a championship. - At his next stop, University of New Mexico, he was an asst. for 4 years before being named head football coach. In two years as the top man, he had a 14-6 record and won Conference Coach of the Year. - Didn't do great in his stint with UC Berkeley, but did hire and groom Bill Walsh on his staff. - In 5 years as head coach of William & Mary, he won a Conference Title and Conference Coach of the Year twice. - Four years in the NFL as Special Teams Coordinator under George Allen. - Became Head Coach of the Montreal Allouettes in the CFL. In 5 seasons, he took the team to the playoffs and the Eastern Conference Finals all 5 years. And made it to the Championship game 3 times, winning it all (the Grey Cup) twice and earning CFL Coach of the Year in 1974. How many coaches can say they took their teams to 4 Super Bowls and 3 Grey Cups? He made it to the big game 7 times with two different teams. - Five years Head Coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. People knock his record here, but he took over a 2-12 team, the worst team in the league, that just had their best two defensive players retire. Not counting the strike year, his record was 28-36. Not great, but there was improvement every year (from that 2 win season before he arrived) to 4 wins, then 7 wins, then 8 wins, and to a 9-7 record in 1981. And remember, this was pre-free agency. Rebuilds took a lot longer back in the day. It wasn't like today where teams can go worst to first in one year with a good free agency class. With the Bills, besides the Super Bowl runs and his record, he was also named NFL Coach of the Year in 1988; and AFC Coach of the Year 3 times (in 1988, 1993, and 1995). And fans really underestimate how he was able to bring that collection of alpha, ego-driven, big personalities of the '90s Bills together as a team. A lot of coaches wouldn't have been able to bring that group of guys together no matter how much talent they had. It took Marv's wisdom, experience, and demeanor to do that. Not to mention how hard it is to coach one team to a Super Bowl, but to keep getting a team back there despite losing every year is a major coaching feat in its own. The character, commitment, perseverance, and fortitude to do that is rare. And Marv did have success in multiple locations with different players---maybe not multiple NFL teams (as HC), but then, he only had two opportunities as HC in the NFL and at least his KC team was improving each year. If anything, Marv is now underrated by too many Bills fans. End of rant. 😊

It's crazy to think that the 2018 draft was touted (at the time) as one of the best QB drafts in decades, possibly since 1983. Well it was for us Bills fans at least 😊...But, 13 QBs chosen overall. 5 in the first round. Four in the top 10 overall. Obviously, it was always about the top 5, but here is where the other 8 QBs chosen that year stand: Mason Rudolph - Trying to hang on as the Steelers 3rd-string QB (if they keep three) Kyle Lauletta - Out of the league, playing in the USFL Mike White - Probably secured the backup role with the Jets due to Wilson's injury. On Wilson's return, probably cut or practice squad. But third-stringer. Luke Falk - Out of the league Tanner Lee - Out of the league Danny Etling - Currently Green Bay's third-string QB. Will he make the roster or practice squad as #3? Alex McGough - Out of the league. Playing in the USFL Logan Woodside - Currently QB3 in Tennessee. Had a chance for the backup role, but not having a great preseason So, at best, four third-string QBs from that group. If those teams don't keep a third-string QB, then Mike White may be the only one on a 53-man roster at the start of the season. And then we all know about the top 5: Allen - STUD Jackson - An MVP season. But can he stay away from the injury bug? Baker - One more chance in Carolina Darnold - Backup in Carolina Rosen - Currently fourth-string QB in Cleveland. Could possibly stick as third-string until Watson's return from suspension, if CLE keeps three for insurance. Baker could possibly turn it around, but that's what I thought about Darnold last year---maybe he just needed a change of scenery (get out of a bad organization). Darnold looks to be a career backup at this point. Rosen is pretty much done. It's still amazing to think that the two most maligned QBs in that draft are the only two of the thirteen to actually hit.

To me it's not about the money (Beane can always figure something out when needed...he's very creative with the cap), or having to find a roster spot (they can make the numbers work and lose one of the end of the roster guys---doesn't have to be a WR). To me it's about targets and attitude. I do not want to see Gabe Davis sit or be put in the back seat this year for OBJ, like they did with Sanders last year. Gabe needs to be on the field. OBJ can play the slot also, but we already have two good slot guys. Obviously, you could move him around (play outside and inside at times). I think this is what Dorsey wants out of his receivers anyways, as many of the guys learn all positions. The team wants that flexibility and unpredictability. But, we have a lot of weapons (Diggs, Davis, Knox, McKenzie, Crowder, Singletary, Cook, Shakir) and only one ball. I do not see OBJ being happy with a part-time or back-up role. And he has never been happy when he isn't getting targets. It was a question going into the Rams last year, but Robert Woods' injury gave him a full-time role. So, the real questions are, where does he play? Do you make him your #2 and put Gabe to the bench? Do you play him in the slot with Diggs and Davis and sit McKenzie and Crowder? Would he be happy in a full-time slot role? If you sub him in and out at different spots, will he be happy with his playing time/targets? Has his attitude changed from earlier in his career (definitely doesn't seem like a McD DNA type)? Will Josh feel the need to force targets to him because he's unhappy? My gut instinct is no thanks to OBJ. Why risk the chemistry that has been building for this offense that is already one of the best in the league? But, if McD and Beane believe they can find a role that OBJ will be satisfied with and that doesn't send Gabe to the bench or disrupt the offense/team in any way, then I guess I could get on board with it.

As I noted in a thread a while back, over the last two years, the Bills have brought in 28 offensive players and 21 defensive players via the draft or free agency. But yes, I don't think there is a question that the defense will be better (even if they don't repeat statistically as the #1 defense).

Not to rehash old news, but I don't think most people have really watched the video very closely. The only part of the incident that led to any type of harm or injury, was when the woman got knocked to the ground. And that part of things was kind of an accidental Murphy's Law moment. The woman pushes one of Kareem's entourage at the exact same time that Kareem is trying to pull away from other friends. And with the momentum of Kareem pulling away, and the other guy getting pushed by the woman towards Kareem, they crash (back to back) into each other. The other guy (having been pushed) is already off balance...and the force of Kareem pulling away was much stronger than the woman's push, so the force of the crash threw the guy back into the woman, knocking her down hard. To me, that part of it was an accident. Kareem wasn't behind his friend facing the woman and threw her to the ground. You can see in the video the two men crash back to back. At that moment, Kareem isn't trying to throw the woman to the ground, he is trying to pull away from his friends. It's just the stupid ***** that happens when people are drunk and angry (on both sides). I believe that if that accidental moment didn't occur, this incident never would have been reported and Kareem wouldn't have seen any suspensions or fines. Because the entire rest of the incident entailed him pushing her in the shoulder once (that made her step back a couple of steps) and then the so called "kick" at the end. But when someone says "kick" we all think of a wind up, hard kick. It was a really stupid thing for Kareem to do at that point, but it was an extremely light kick in the rear. He didn't curb stomp her head as some make it out to be. I'm not saying Kareem is blameless in this situation, no question he let his emotions get the best of him and was acting aggressively, but I do think it got blown way out of proportion because of the political climate at that time. I think people reacted to two things really. How harsh it looked when she got knocked over (which again, to me was an accident and as much her fault as Kareem's for her own behavior---not leaving and pushing the other guy). And two, because of how aggressively Kareem moved towards her a couple of times, even though he didn't actually get near her in those moments. And see the next paragraph on why I think he got so aggressive. Absolutely, he shouldn't have pushed her (the shoulder shove early in the video)...it wasn't much [I mean, he could have thrown her to the ground right there if he wanted to hurt her...an NFL player against a drunk girl), but you still don't put hands on someone else for any reason...no questions. And no doubt that did escalate things. But if the woman walked away right then (or before), this would have been much ado about nothing---of course, Kareem should have just walked away as well]. But speaking of being physical, why does the woman get a pass. Not only did she push the other guy twice (leading to her getting knocked over later in the video), but if you watch the video closely, after Kareem shoves her in the shoulder (basically to say get out of here, not to hurt her), what people are calling the second shove is actually the woman punching Hunt square in the nose, which makes him put up his arms and push her away to defend himself. You can see him putting his hand to his nose twice shortly after the punch. And that was when he became really angry and aggressive. Of course a man should never lay hands on a woman. Ever. Period. But why do we seem to be ok with women putting their hands on someone. Just because they generally can't do as much damage/harm as a man, doesn't give them the right to hit someone else either. And again, why didn't she walk away at that moment. She punched him in the face and his friends had dragged him around the corner, down the hall. She had the best of the situation at that moment. Walk away. But instead she heads back aggressively towards Kareem and then starts pushing the other guy. Why? Because she knows the men can't hit her, so she can continue to be aggressive (and hit) without repercussions (well, she thought anyway). Again, I agree that Hunt never should have shoved her at the beginning. It was wrong and just made things worse. Each party should have just walked away from the situation. But the world acted as if he straight up beat this woman up. He got the worst of things, until she got knocked down at the end (a punch to the face versus a shove...but again bad on him for being the initiator of making things physical). Honestly, I'm not trying to defend or excuse bad behavior, just trying to take a realistic, unemotional view of the situation. Again, because of the time it happened (the political climate) and people not watching the video closely, his actions seemed much worse than they were. Bad situation overall where both parties were to blame, but as others have said, it makes no sense that he got worse punishment from the NFL (and the public) for this situation than so many other players have or haven't got, who have done so much worse. And to me, this was a moment of bad judgement. But it wasn't so bad that the man should have to pay for it the rest of his life. He never even hit her. He shoved her once and then gave her the light kick in the bum at the end. Wrong. Yes. Stupid. Yes. Unforgivable. No.

As someone who also lost his dad when I was young, this makes me tear up every time I see it. Love Diggs---Love this team. Thanks Terry, Kim, Sean, and Brandon for bringing the right type of players/people to the Bills. So much more fun to root for a team of good people.

In a high-pitched voice: "We Love You Josh Allen!" Sometimes you have to put yourself in someone else's shoes. What if you were a celebrity and every time you did something nice or kind someone brought up a mistake you made from more than ten years ago (we've all done things in our past that we aren't proud of...that's called learning and growing up). And no matter how kind and respectful you were to everyone and no matter how many good things you have done since, it would never equal or erase that one mistake in some people's eyes. That would suck if it were you, wouldn't it. So maybe we shouldn't do that to others. And of course, you shouldn't worship a celebrity or athlete to the point that if they do something wrong, your whole life is shattered. Or worse, that you pattern their bad behavior. But it's also ok to really like other good people when you see them (no matter their status in society), and Josh is good people...everyone who meets him says it and feels it. Every hero is flawed in some way...because we're all human. Everything needs to be put into perspective. And though some of the people we have looked up to/admired in our lives have let us down in some way, doesn't mean that we have to assume every one will. Some NFL players have done some horrible things, but that doesn't mean that we should assume underneath the kind exterior of any other player is lurking some monster ready to do something horrible. And we shouldn't hold them to a higher standard than we have for ourselves and the forgiveness of our own mistakes. Ultimately, ACTIONS speak much louder than words, or tweets. Know a man by his deeds, not his words.

Shout out to the players that helped McDermott turn this culture around. The six guys who have been there since the very beginning of the McDermott Era (six years now), through all of the ups and downs. Can't wait to see them celebrate with a Lombardi one of these days: Micah Hyde Jordan Poyer Tre'Davius White Matt Milano Dion Dawkins Reid Ferguson Honorable mention to Shaq Lawson, who was also on the team in 2017, 2018, and 2019. But of course, he was gone for two years before coming back. But him coming back shows that he has that "DNA" that they look for. And to Warcodered's comment above, I couldn't agree more. Just watched the NFL Films 2021 Buffalo Bills Yearbook video and there were a few times (TB and KC playoff game) that Stefon Diggs was on the sideline shouting to his teammates, "THIS IS WHO WE ARE!" They didn't have that at the start of last year (that swagger, that confidence top to bottom), but boy do they seem to have it now. Speaking of which, I have a feeling that we are going to be pleasantly surprised by Tremaine Edmunds this year. Everything I've seen of him---interviews, when NFL Network had him mic'ed up, the way other players and coaches are speaking of him, etc.---he seems like a different guy: more mature, more comfortable, more vocal, more aggressive on the practice field. And with the much improved D-line in front of him, I wouldn't be surprised if Tremaine has a big year/takes a big step forward.

I can understand some posters being a little concerned for the OL, and/or would have preferred other players to have been brought in than who the Bills did...everyone has their opinion. But...it seems a little disingenuous to say that the Bills have ignored the offense. 2022* offensive players acquired via draft or FA: 14 defensive players acquired via draft or FA: 11 2021* offensive players acquired via draft or FA: 14 defensive players acquired via draft or free agency: 10 (*Doesn't include undrafted free agents) So over the last two years, we have brought in 28 offensive players and 21 defensive players. They may not be the guys or positions or draft status that some want, but they absolutely have not ignored the offense. And I agree with others, that the defense needed more help than the offense. A huge part of the KC game ending was due to the fact that our defensive line was gassed and weren't athletic enough to chase around/pressure Mahomes by the end of the game. The Tenn, IND, NE games were due to our not being able to stop the run (top backs, etc.). Sure, the offense stumbled during the season too (Jax for one), but by the end of the season, they were either the best or second best offense in the league...and not just by stats (like our #1 defense). I think the revamped DL is going to make a HUGE impact on this season. More so than an OG or rookie wideout would have, etc. JMO

...Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play They've been going in and out of style but they're guaranteed to raise a smile So let me introduce to you The act you've known for all these years Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

I also hate that every player can't dress for every game. I actually feel bad for players when they are healthy scratches. (Especially like Shady for the Super Bowl with KC, etc.) There are apparently two main reasons for the rule: 1. Competitive balance > If Team A has more players with minor injuries (not on IR) than Team B for any game, well then Team B would have more players to call on during the game if needed (giving them a bit of an advantage, especially if injuries occur during that game or it goes to overtime, etc.). 2. Injury management > A player gets a minor injury and will be out say 1-2 weeks. You don't want to put him on IR, but you also don't want to have to cut him or expose him to waivers to replace him with a healthy player for the games he will miss. I'm wondering if maybe they could fix this by tweaking the practice squad. Keep the expanded practice squad number, but maybe change the name to "Reserves" or "Reserve Squad." And then designate six slots on the "Reserve Squad" (the same number as the inactives) where a player from the 53 can be placed without being exposed to waivers for a designated number of weeks. When a man from the 53 gets designated to that spot, one of the reserve players can move up to the 53 to replace him while he is out. When the original player is healthy, he must move back up and the reserve player back down. This is just off the top of my head, obviously more thought would need to go into it and some of the current practice squad rules would have to change. But there definitely seems like there could be a way to accomplish the same goals and still have 53 players active each week.

I think most Bills fans expect Gabe to fully bust out this year. Others seem skeptical...but they haven't watched him for the last two years like we have. I have Gabe on my keeper fantasy team and expect to be able to start him at least as my 3rd WR this year. I was surprised by the drop rate statistic in the article though. For some reason, I don't remember Gabe dropping a lot of passes last year or drops ever being a problem with him (he makes so many tough catches). Maybe I'm just not remembering...or maybe that stat came from PFF 🙄😊.

There seemed to be a lot of discussion of Tavon Austin earlier in this thread, so I thought I would post this here: I haven't really followed Tavon Austin's career since his first few seasons, so I looked up his stats to try and get a better picture. This isn't meant as an anti-Tavon post (though the stats might make it look that way), I would love to see him make the team and contribute this season. I was more trying to figure out where and how he might be used/why the Bills brought him on/the reality of him making the 53, etc. I assumed (like most) that it was to return kicks. But, the question is can he still be effective enough there? And/or did they have something else in mind? So, here are some info/stats for assessment: He is 32 years old (does he still have the speed he used to?) He is not a kickoff returner. In 9 seasons, he has only returned 25 kickoffs (and 18 of those were in his rookie year...so, only 7 KO returns total in the last 8 seasons). So, he has specifically been a punt returner/backup WR/gadget guy over his career. In his first four years, if you combined total yards from scrimmage (rush/rec) and return yards, he averaged 1,080 yards and almost 6 TDs per year. In his last five seasons, combined scrimmage and return yards, he only averaged 243 yards and 1 TD/year (granted, two of those seasons he missed a lot of time due to injury---he has missed 27 games over the last 4 years due to injury). In his first 4 years, he had 146 punt returns for an average of 8.7 yards per and almost 1 TD per season. In his last 5 years, he has had 44 punt returns for an average of 4.8 yards per and no TDs. First 4 years he averaged 411 receiving yards, 242 rushing yards, with 20 total offensive TDs. His last 5 years, he has averaged 119 yards receiving, 79 yards rushing, with 6 total offensive TDs. His first 5 years in the league, he was used out of the backfield a lot, gaining 1,238 yards and 9 TDs rushing. I'm not sure of all the circumstances he faced over the last five seasons, injuries, strength of special teams he played for, opportunities, etc. But, just looking at the stats, it is hard to see him completely reverting to his earlier form. So, if he makes the 53, I assume it will be for one or all of the following reasons. 1. They just want a smart, sure-handed punt returner and aren't too concerned about how many yards he can get per or if he can still break one. They just want security there without having to put a starter in that position (Micah). Maybe they couldn't find anyone better/more experienced than Tavon in FA. 2. He is here as that veteran mentor that McDermott likes to have, to coach up some of the young guys (Stevenson, Shakir, etc.) on punt return. Show them how it's done. 3. He fits the mold of that versatile, gadget guy. We now have a number of players (McKenzie, Cook, Shakir, Austin) that can all rush out of the backfield, run jet sweeps, run receiving routes, etc. Maybe Dorsey has something new/special in mind with these types of players. And again, Tavon could be here both as injury insurance for that role, and again, to help bring the young guys along in that type of role. So, he seems to be security/insurance and mentor to me. Whether that is enough for a spot on the 53, we'll have to wait and see.

From the article: "La Canfora has also become increasingly political on his Twitter page. His entire timeline is dedicated to Jan. 6, Donald Trump and supposedly racist white people. In sum, La Canfora was hurting the reputation of CBS Sports. The network decides to stay in-house with Jonathan Jones as his replacement. Jones, not exactly a news-breaker, is most known for publishing a column that accused the media of favoring Carson Wentz because he has white skin. Jones posted this story despite pages of examples that debunked his thesis. Nevertheless, the column got Jones’ name out there. So it was worth the lie." Good on you CBS...fire one guy for lack of sources, spreading false stories, and pushing his personal politics...and replace him with a guy who apparently has no sources, and who made his name with a false story that involved personal politics. 🙄

I think there are three players from the drought era that are Wall of Fame worthy: Kyle Williams, Fred Jackson, and Brian Moorman. I think they fill the Bill with: talent, stats, longevity with the team, leadership, heart & soul players, popularity with fans.

My hatred for Tom Brady has definitely cooled since he left the Patriots...especially since I had to root for him in Super Bowl LV because I really didn't want the Chiefs to win. But, I never thought I could actually kind of like him...until maybe watching this. Not only did Tom have a nice rapport with Josh (he obviously really likes/respects Josh and his game...and it definitely felt like he connected with Josh better/more so than the other two), but Tom also kind of shouted out Bills Mafia two or three times, most notably when they came out to the first tee (or maybe for warm ups) and the Bills fans started singing the Shout song and Tom looked at Josh and said something like, "That's awesome...you gotta love that." I wonder if he sees a bit of himself in Josh...both northern California boys, both had to fight to get to where they are (Josh not recruited for college, Tom low draft pick), neither was just handed things, etc. And Shout Out to the OP...definitely heard the "I love you Josh Allen" and I'm sure you must have been part of singing the Shout song too. 👍

Obviously not Hall of Fame worthy, but one of the greatest journeyman QBs the league has ever seen. He finishes his career 32nd in all-time career passing yards [within 143-700 yards (respectively) of Jay Cutler, Andy Dalton, Jim Kelly, and Alex Smith---and all of those guys had more opportunities and fewer teams...they got to lock in as the starter for one or two teams for long stints]. He finishes 36th in all-time passing TDs (within 10 TDs of players such as Joe Flacco, Jay Cutler, Steve Young, and Donovan McNabb). Truly a phenomenal career no matter how you look at it. Congrats Ryan and thanks for the memories! No matter how many teams you played for, you will always be a Bill in our hearts! The legend of Fitzmagic will live on!

I'll take a stab at this... Looking at basic WR stats alone (receptions, yards, and TDs) In 2021, only 5 wide receivers placed in the top 10 for each: recs, yds, and TDs: Cooper Kupp, Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, Justin Jefferson, and Stefon Diggs In 2020, only 2 wide receivers placed in the top 10 for each: recs, yds, and TDs: Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill (Diggs was close though as he was #1 in receptions, #1 in yards, but only 13th in TDs) So, if we are looking at just statistical production, not projections for 2022, it would be hard not to say that the best WRs over the last two years are: Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, and Stefon Diggs Then Kupp and Jefferson As far as projections: -Yes, Hill and Adams have new QBs. Adams might be ok with Carr, but I think Cheetah's production will definitely suffer with Tua -Kupp, Jefferson, and Diggs all keep their QB -Where does Deebo Samuel end up? But can't ignore his yards from scrimmage last year -Chase burst onto the scene last year (ranking 4th in yards and 2nd in TDs) and has a good QB -The only other receivers to place in the top 10 for 2 of the three categories last year were Hunter Renfrow and Diontae Johnson (but Renfrow will lose targets to Adams this year, and Johnson will have Trubisky/rookie as his QB) So, imo, there is currently a top seven as the top tier of NFL WRs heading into 2022 (ranked in my very speculative projections for 2022): Cooper Kupp Davante Adams Jamar Chase Stefon Diggs Justin Jefferson Deebo Samuel Tyreek Hill (rank due to QB) Next tier for me (to round out a top 15...and in no particular order): Chris Godwin (if back ok from injury) D. J. Moore (keeps producing despite weak QBs) A. J. Brown Michael Pittman Mike Evans Keenan Allen CeeDee Lamb Diontae Johnson (other considerations): D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett (Worried about their QB situation) Hopkins (fading imo and suspension will keep him out of 2022 stats leaders).

Sorry if I came at you a bit hard on this...it was in reaction not just to your post, but to a number of off-season posts (since the 13 seconds) of not just questioning McDermott (which is obviously ok), but people thinking it might be time to move on from him, when imo we wouldn't be where we are without him and might not be able to sustain what we have without him. Kind of a "the grass is always greener" thing. I took your post to mean, "look Jackson won a championship within a year of taking over, McDermott has had 5 years and still no championship...if he doesn't win a Super Bowl soon (this year), he should be gone." I obviously read into your specific post too much. From your response, you are talking about from "now" with McDermott (after the team has already been built), when I thought you were counting from when he started. And I read the "soon" kind of as an "or else"...i.e. "or else he should be fired." Sorry if I misinterpreted your meaning. I'm just surprised by how many posters would be willing to move on from McDermott if say, he doesn't win the Super Bowl this year. Heck, some posters were ready to move on from him after the 13 seconds. I mean, yes, this team is built to win a Super Bowl now, but so many things can happen to derail a team: injuries, bad luck, weather, bad referees, etc., etc. Only one team a year wins it all...if the Bills don't win the Super Bowl this season, it will depend on the circumstances around it if McDermott should take a ton of heat for it. But yes, we all want that Super Bowl. And ultimately everything is on the head coach, but I would just hate to lose him and everything he's built. I'm envisioning an early 2000s Tampa Bay scenario, where Tony Dungy built that team into a Super Bowl contender and then they fired him "for not being able to win the big game...too soft...whatever" and they bring in Gruden. Sure, Gruden won them a Super Bowl (that first year with Dungy's team---and who's to say Dungy might not have done the same if he stayed in place, he did eventually win one with Indy)---but then the team fell apart. Gruden followed up the Super Bowl year with a 7-9 season and a 5-11 season. It was 18 years until they made the big game again, with only two early wild card exit playoff appearances in those years. I just want to see the sustained success that Beane and McDermott always preach.

Overall Western New York is a great place to live, grow up, raise a family, etc. But Micah specifically mentioned that there isn't a lot to do during the season. Maybe that's because for 3-1/2 of the 5-1/2 month season it is damn cold and often snowy in Buffalo. A lot of these guys came from or currently live in Florida, California, or the south or southwest where you can go to the beach or do outdoor activities most of the year. If you aren't into winter sports/activities like skiing or whatever (which I'm sure the team frowns upon the players doing anyhow), the winter months can be long. Even for those of us who grew up there or live there, winter can be long. And let's not even pretend that the nightlife in Buffalo (bars/nightclubs/theatre, etc.) can live up to a Miami, New York, etc. I never take offense when a player says something like this. It doesn't mean they don't like Buffalo or western New York, it's just they'd rather live in a warmer climate with more night life. They are young with a lot of money. I can't blame them. Hell, look how many western New Yorkers eventually move down to Florida to escape the winters?

Let's put some context into your post... Jackson took over a team that had just been to the Eastern Conference Finals (losing to a great Detroit team 4 games to 2). He had arguably the best player in NBA history already in place (and with 5 years already in the league...MJ was already a vet). The roster also consisted of Pippin, Horace Grant, Bill Cartwright, and John Paxson. They had a solid roster that was two games away from the NBA Finals before he took over. And Jackson had already been with the team for 2-3 years as an assistant, so he already knew the players and organization well. Not to mention that with basketball, you are dealing with like 15-16 players, not 53-90 every year. He had to tweak the culture, not create it from scratch...the Bulls were already winning before he took over. Now let's look at McDermott. He stepped into a franchise that was in shambles, new owners who were still learning on the job, a 17-year playoff drought, A GM about to be fired, a weak roster with only maybe a handful of high-end players, a salary cap mess, no QB, and a culture of losing. And as said before, there are a hell of a lot more moving parts when you are talking about a football team as opposed to a basketball team. To think the same results should happen in the same amount of time given those circumstances seems quite unfair. I have a hard time understanding Bills fans who have McDermott on some sort of hot seat or time clock for winning a Super Bowl. It is as if they think the team would have been in this position regardless of him and since he can't win the "Big One" (of course everyone "can't win the big one" until they do...hi Andy Reid) that we need to find a coach who can. They seem to forget that everything, and I mean EVERYTHING that led us to now being Super Bowl contenders (and why we love this current team and its personality so much) is because of Sean McDermott. His relationship with the Pegulas, taking that horrible 2017 roster to the playoffs, hiring Brandon Beane and their relationship, the type of players brought in, the development of those players, the culture, the family atmosphere, the pride, the DNA, the process...we are only where we are now because of McDermott, why on God's green Earth should we even contemplate moving on from him at any point in the near future? Great discussion thread Shaw66! I have noticed over the years how much McDermott has taken from studying Bill Belichick too (among others). And there's how he sat down with the 90s players when he first got here to see why they were successful. I think it is great that he is always looking for ways to improve his team and his leadership, etc. And just because he is studying something (someone upthread made fun of one thing he read into), doesn't mean he becomes an acolyte of that alone. As any smart person does, he builds his own philosophy by picking and choosing things from other coaches, leaders, mentors that work and feel right for him. As a leader, you can't preach a growth mindset, unless you practice it yourself. And you can see with each off-season how Sean and Brandon address areas where they believe they and the team need to grow.

It must suck to have to leave the Bills just as they are peaking, but finishing your career at home isn't bad compensation. Good luck to you Jerry and thanks for all the memories. You will always be considered a true (red, white, and) blue Bill!

Interesting. So, according to this graphic, we are the most popular team (by internet search) in: Canada Russia Poland Ukraine Belarus Romania Slovakia Moldova France Belgium Spain Italy Egypt Algeria The Congo (DRC) (Apparently there are 4 more countries where the Bills reign supreme, but it was too hard to tell the others from that graphic) TB has Greenland locked up. 😊 At first I was thinking, well of course, outside the US, the most searched teams will likely be those that are at the top of the NFL currently (teams playing for Super Bowls, etc.). Makes sense. Tampa with Brady and a recent Super Bowl fits that. So do the Bills, who are now a top team. But, if that were the only reason, why is KC only 6th? Where are the Rams and Cinci? And how are the Texans that high on the list? Dallas is obvious...they haven't been a great team in a long while, but somehow have maintained their marketing, and not just as America's team apparently. Though I am a bit surprised that Dallas is still "America's team." I always thought that was just a left-over artifact from days long gone by. But they seem to still be the #1 team in America (at least by searches)...surprising to me.

They interviewed Elam's CB coach from Florida (Jules Montinar) on One Bills Drive this week and he specifically said, "And if you go back and watch his tape this past year now, If you look at his stat sheet, ya know, there wasn't a lot of stats in the deep part of the field (specifically), well, mainly the reason... part of the reason is not a lot of team's were throwing at him because he had his guys covered."

Yes, I think this is just a teaser for the full "Embedded" draft video to air later---as the final title card said "Buffalo Bills Embedded: Coming Soon" Love seeing inside the draft room, player meetings, and when the players arrive, etc. The Bills media team under the Pegulas (PSE) is top notch.