folz

Not Beane/McDermott material/DNA. Not a position we need help at. Not good for team chemistry. Has missed 42 of his last 80 games due to injury. Has only scored 16 TDs over the last 5 seasons. And although a good portion of this is due to being injured, over the last 5 season, he is averaging 40 yards/gm and 644 yards and 3.5 TDs per season. Do you really want to pay top dollar for that production? [To be fair, I will include his averages for only the games he played---which is less than half of the games---over the past 5 years. So, for the games he played, he is averaging 65 yards and 0.35 TDs/game. Or prorated to a 16-game season, that would be 1,040 yards and 5.6 TDs. Not bad, but how much do you want to pay for that production knowing the problem child he is and that he can't stay healthy---you may only get half of that production per year). Plus, there was the Giants/Bills game a few years back where twice in the game, he threw a sucker punch at a Bills player (didn't get flagged for either of them of course) and then ran and hid behind his offensive linemen when the Bills players looked to retaliate. Punk. And you can't compare OBJ with Diggs. Diggs made one little stink when he wanted to get traded, but then bucked up and played hard anyway. Everyone in Minnesota liked Diggs (except maybe Cousins), they all said he was a great teammate, worked hard, etc. There were never any incidents before that. OBJ has been a mess from the day he walked in the league. Multiple issues every season of his career. It is non-stop diva stuff with OBJ. Diggs never played Diva, he just wanted out of Minnesota. I want nothing to do with OBJ. And I don't think the Bills would seriously entertain the idea.

A positive aspect of possibly having some big or blowout wins against some of the weaker teams is that it may give our depth players some more playing time/action, which could actually help at the end of the season if we sustain any injuries or those players are called on at some point in a critical moment. Our depth may have more confidence and be more battle tested come playoff time. And I'm not too worried about the starters being battle-tested. Most of the team is the same as last year and they went through a lot of battles together last year, plus the Pitt, KC, and Tenn games this year were battles. Even if KC isn't what they were, that was a huge mental hurdle for this team. The two losses will keep the team humble and hungry (not buying into their own hype, not being over confident), while the big wins over weaker opponents will give them their swagger. Plus, the Tampa game will be a big pre-postseason test/measuring stick. They'll know who they are and what they need to do heading into the playoffs. So, no, I'm not really worried about it...especially with the coaching staff that we have (McD will keep them on track).

Ralph obviously blamed DeHaven, but did the players? And DeHaven has passed away, so Marcellus wouldn't be currently worried about his mental health.

Maybe he was in the Flutie camp and so is referring to Rob Johnson (but if memory serves, Rob played fairly well in the game and we had a chance to win---though I thought and wanted Flutie to start that game too). Otherwise, I doubt he would be singling out, say, one special teamer...saying it was their fault (on that particular play). It seemed the whole ST blew that play...but I guess there could have been one ST player who was meant to play (final) contain and left his post. Other options: He could put that game on the refs for not calling it a forward pass...but the mental health part of that question wouldn't really make sense then. The refs in that game were worried about their physical health (not their mental health) if they had disallowed the TD in a hostile Tenn atmosphere.

Yeah, definitely put this L on the defense, but let's not forget... The Titans have one of the best RBs ever. He's about to lead the league in rushing for the third straight season. That has only been done by 4 backs in history: Steve Van Burren, Jim Brown, Earl Campbell, and Emmitt Smith---all of whom are in the Hall of Fame. His three year stretch is better than Terrell Davis' 3-year stretch that got him into the Hall. This guy is a shoo-in HOFer. They also have Julio...first ballot HOFer; A.J. Brown who is a bonafide stud receiver (2,126 yds and 20 TDs in his first two years in the league); and an above average QB. That is a very talented team we just played, in their building, looking for a statement win with their two returning stud receivers going up against "the best team in the AFC" as we were being called. They were highly motivated. I thought the Bills would pull it out, but it's not like we were playing against scrubs by any means. So I'm not going to be too hard on the defense. It was a great game and we came up inches short. I was 60/40 on kicking the field goal at the end, but don't fault McD at all for going for the win. A couple years ago, people were saying they wish McDermott would have more of a killer instinct and not play it safe. Well he was aggressive and we lost. Honestly, no shame in this loss. Very disappointing, but in the long run, probably not that big a deal (unless home field comes down to us and Tenn at the end of the year). Once again, this loss will keep the team humble and hungry throughout the bye week and not buy into their own hype. Go rest, retool, and come out guns blazing the rest of the season. Just wish we could have gotten the win to rub the stupid "Homerun throwback" attempt in Vrable's face. What an arrogant Fn call. Go Bills!

Yeah, that one threw me for a loop too. I rewound the dvr like three times to try and figure it out. The best I can make of it is they assessed the penalty from the end of the run, since the hold was out in front of the play (rather than a hold behind that sprang the runner). And since the runner made it 5 yards past the first down marker, they moved back 10 yards from there (so 5 yards behind the marker). And then I guess, is a hold an automatic first down? So they take away the first down the runner got with the assessed penalty, but give them the automatic first down from the new spot...and then the first down marker is now only 5 yards away. That's what I think they did, but I'm still not so sure they were correct in that. Feels like either the whole play should come back and then be first and 20. Or if they were correct in assessing the penalty from the end of the run, then their spot was correct, but the automatic first down, should have made it a first and 10 from there. It should be a reset. You don't keep the old first down marker where it was do you? Diggs and McDermott were both fuming on the sideline after that play, so I assume that the refs screwed up. I'm surprised I haven't seen the play mentioned before you did goldenboy81. I would also love to hear the explanation for it.

Agree. One "conspiracy" angle could be that they aren't scripting games, but they do want them to be close. For instance, this was the marquise matchup of the week. I'm sure marketing-wise, they would have loved a close, back-and-forth shootout that everyone was talking about Monday morning (like the Chargers/Browns game). But then the Bills came in on fire. Well, you could make a couple of calls for the Chiefs at opportune moments to at least keep the game interesting/closer, but then when it looks like the bad calls could actually change what seemed to be an obvious outcome (a Bills win), you compensate back the other way. [Though, by the rule, I also think the roughing the passer call against Josh was legit.] That way, the game is more interesting, but hopefully, the team that should win still does. I don't think the NFL does this for all games, but for the big games, I could definitely see that as a possibility. There are, however, times when I think there is or has been team-bias from refs (especially with the Brady-led Pats), but I definitely don't think that's what was going on last night.

I had Sanders in a keeper fantasy football league for 4 years when he was in Denver. So, I used to watch him quite a bit and I used to tell people all of the time (when they overlooked or down-played him) that Emmanuel Sanders is a stud/dog. He never came out of my lineup (except when injured). He had two monster seasons with Peyton throwing him the ball, but he also had a big year and made the pro bowl after Peyton left, with his QBs being Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch. (And we all know that even Peyton's last season, was not vintage Peyton.) Then he dealt with a few injuries (and poor QB play/declining team) and he seemed to fall off most people's radars. (Despite having an almost 75% catch rate, 726 yds, and 5 TDs with NO last year in 14 games with only 5 starts.) So glad it's working out for him here in Buffalo. (He may be that last piece that puts this offense over the top, the way Lofton did when he came to the 90s team.) As far as who shines on offense each week, I think it will be a week-to-week thing depending on opponent and how they are trying to slow us down. Early this season, teams have been trying to shut down Diggs and Cole (because they were the guys last year). So, Sanders and Knox show up, and since they're killing it, teams might not be able to double Diggs or the slot anymore and then things will open up for those two. We now have legit 6 or 7 skill guys that could go off in any one game. So, they'll all get their opportunities and have their big games as the year goes on, especially with how Josh likes to spread the ball around. But yes, welcome officially to Buffalo/BillsMafia Mr. Sanders. So glad to have you. And I hope you get what you came here to be a part of...a championship team!

Honestly, it sounded like the only players he knew on the Bills were the ones they got to talk to in their pre-production meetings. Micah was pretty much the only Bill he acknowledged. Maybe Rosseau...and begrudgingly, Josh.

Was it just me? I thought Kelce saw the ball was going to be uncatchable (so there shouldn't have been a call anyhow) and then as he lunged backwards, making it look like he is trying to make a catch, he actually pulled Tre down on top of him. If anything I thought it should have been offensive pass interference.

He actually said it was a good thing when a KC defender was purposefully trying to twist Josh's ankle on a tackle (obviously trying to hurt him). Granted he also said the same on (I believe) Poyer's hit on Mahomes, but at least what Poyer did was legal (within the sportsman-like bounds of the game).

Lost all respect for Reid, Mahomes, and KC during that AFC Championship game last year (with how they acted/carried themselves). Looks like their PR dept. is much the same. So happy for our boys to avenge the loss with class. The looks on the Chiefs players at the end of the game was priceless.

Just when you didn't think you could like Josh anymore than you already do...mic'd up. Love this team and the culture/family/fun aspect it has, and that is first and foremost due to Coach McDermott and what he has built; a close second is having a down-to-earth, non-diva, fun leader in Josh; and finally to Beane, for sharing in McDermott's vision and then bringing in the right guys, not just good football players, but high-character grinders who love the game and are down with the process.

I'm not sure why so many posters are down on Boogie's performance today. As I posted in the Game Balls thread, yes, Boogie had the Offside penalty, but he also led the team with 5 tackles (4 solo), had two tackles for a loss (showed up in the run game, not just as a pass rusher), had 2 QB hits, a sack, and a blocked extra point. Sure, much of his playing time came later, against lesser competition...but I certainly wouldn't call that a bad day for a rookie in only his second game.

Nice. And yeah, Boogie had the Offside penalty, but he also had 5 tackles (4 solo), two tackles for a loss, a sack, two QB hits, and the blocked XP. Not too shabby. Glad to see him show up against the run too...not just as a pass rusher.

Agree with everyone on your list OP. Lots of guys played well today, so I'll add: Gabe Davis: looks as good as he did last year. Catches everything. Tyler Dodson: Great special teams tackle, and was very active on defense with a number of stops, including a thigh tackle to prevent a first down. Reggie Gilliam: 2 TDs, a 12-yard run, a couple of first downs. Nice blocking. Lance Lenoir flashed again with a great toe-line grab Nick McCloud flashed a bit at the end of the game for me. Damar Hamlin looked good too...4 tackles and a QB hit Who blocked that extra point? Bam? It was ninety-something. Couldn't see the 2nd number.

Live in Brooklyn...so about a 7 hour drive (370 miles).

No, no real overarching theme...I just remembered how the 2014 class was hyped so much as possibly the best class ever, so I wanted to try and see kind of where they ranked. (Initially I was thinking about how Benjamin and Watkins hadn't lived up to their potential). I didn't give my own ranking or whatever because I was curious what others thought. But I agree with some of the other posters that 1996 seems like the best. But where would 2014 rank...2nd? Top 3? Top 5? Really just something I decided to look into out of curiosity and thought I'd post about it.

Bored, off-season post: With Kelvin Benjamin signing with the Giants last week, it made me think about the 2014 WR draft class. At the time, and in the first couple of years, it was billed as possibly the greatest WR draft class of all-time. So, after seven years, I wondered if that still held true. 2014 WRs Round (pick) Player Career (rec/yds/TDs) Last two years average or player status 1st (#4) Sammy Watkins 321 for 4,665 and 33 45 for 547 and 3 TDs 1st (#7) Mike Evans 532 for 8,266 and 61 69 for 1,082 and 11 TDs 1st (#12) Odell Beckham, Jr. 487 for 6,830 and 51 49 for 677 and 4 TDs 1st (#20) Brandin Cooks 483 for 6,880 and 40 62 for 867 and 4 TDs 1st (#28) Kelvin Benjamin 209 for 3,021 and 20 was out of league (signed by NYG as TE this year) 2nd (#39) Marquise Lee 174 for 2,184 and 8 out of league 2nd (#42) Jordan Matthews 274 for 3,288 and 22 out of league (was on SF practice squad last year) 2nd (#45) Paul Richardson 238 for 1,804 and 12 out of league 2nd (#53) Davonte Adams 546 for 6,568 and 62 99 for 1,186 and 12 TDs 2nd (#56) Cody Latimer 70 for 935 and 2 out of league 2nd (#61) Allen Robinson 457 for 5,999 and 39 100 for 1,196 and 7 TDs 2nd (#63) Jarvis Landry 636 for 7,028 and 35 78 for 1,007 and 5 TDs 3rd (#86) Josh Huff 51 for 523 and 4 out of league 3rd (#90) Donte Moncrief 205 for 2,576 and 21 5 for 26 and 0 TDs 3rd (#91) John Brown 320 for 4,748 and 31 53 for 759 and 5 TDs 3rd (#97) Dri Archer 3 for 15 and 0 out of league There were 18 more WRs selected in rounds 4-7. The following are the only ones with more than 300 career yards: Bruce Ellington (769 yds) - out of league Martavius Bryant (2,183 yds) - out of league (playing in CFL and Indoor league) Ryan Grant (1,333 yds) - out of the league (playing in the CFL) T.J. Jones (852 yds) - out of the league Quincy Enunwa (1,617 yds) - out of the league (mostly due to injuries) Interesting to note that Jarvis Landry has the 2nd most yards in the class after Mike Evans (although Landry doesn't score as many TDs). Obviously Adams, Landry, and Robinson were the best values in the draft, although I definitely wouldn't have been upset drafting Mike Evans at #7. After seven seasons there are only 10 of 34 WRs from the 2014 draft left in the league...but it's a pretty good group (well 7 or 8 of them at least): Davonte Adams, Mike Evans, Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham, Jr., Brandin Cooks, Allen Robinson, John Brown, Sammy Watkins, Donte Moncrief, and Kelvin Benjamin So, how do you think they stack up against other great WR classes thus far? Here are a few of the other (Super Bowl era) years considered the best for reference: 1996: Terrell Owens, Keyshawn Johnson, Marvin Harrison, Eric Moulds, Amani Toomer, Joe Horn, Mushin Muhammad, Bobby Engram, Eddie Kennison, Terry Glenn 1988: Michael Irvin, Tim Brown, Sterling Sharpe, Anthony Miller, Quinn Early, Michael Haynes, Flipper Anderson, Brian Blades, Brett Permian 1985: Jerry Rice, Andre Reed, Al Toon, Chris Burkett, Eddie Brown, Jessie Hester, Vance Johnson, Reggie Langhorne, Eric Martin 1974: Lynn Swan, John Stallworth, Billy "White Shoes" Johnson, Roger Carr, Nat Moore, Freddie Scott, Sam McCullum 2001: Reggie Wayne, Chad Johnson, Steve Smith, Santana Moss, T.J. Houshmandzadah, Chris Chambers 1976: Steve Largent, Sammy White, Dave Logan, Henry Marshall, Duriel Harris, Pat Tilley 1991: Herman Moore, Ed McCaffrey, Keenan McCardell, Shawn Jefferson, Rocket Ismail, Jake Reed, Mike Pritchard, Michael Jackson, Jeff Graham 2015: Stephon Diggs, Tyler Lockett, Amari Cooper, Jamison Crowder, Devante Parker 2010: Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant, Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders, Golden Tate, Brandon LaFell, Victor Cruz, Eric Decker 2011: Julio Jones, A.J. Green, Randall Cobb, Torrey Smith, Cecil Shorts, Jeremy Kerley, Denarius Moore 1998: Randy Moss, Hines Ward, Tim Dwight, Joe Jurevicius, Az-Zahir Hakim, Kevin Dyson 1986: Ernest Givens, John Taylor, Tim McGee, Webster Slaughter, Mark Jackson, Bill Brooks

No trade. Allen all the way! If Josh isn't as good as Mahomes yet, he's certainly biting at his heels. Plus Josh is the perfect guy for Buffalo and for this team. He wants to be in Buffalo. He loves Buffalo. His attitude and demeanor are so perfect for this city and for leading this team and culture that McDermott and Beane have created. Josh is probably more gifted than Mahomes physically (because of his size and running ability---which I believe to be superior to Mahomes). They both have cannons for arms, so a draw there. They are both uber-competitors..another draw. And Allen is quickly catching up in the mental aspect of the game. Plus I have to say, I really did not like how KC and Mahomes handled themselves in the Championship game last year---not very classy. I'm sure Mahomes is overall a very nice guy...but I didn't love his sportsmanship in that game. To me, even if Mahomes is still currently ahead of Josh, I don't think the difference is big enough for that to be the answer to the original question: "If you could swap any player for any player at the same position, who would it be?" How about swapping Addison for one of the best pass rushers in the league, or Levi for one of the best corners in the league, etc. etc. I think there are a number of other positions where the divide would be greater than between Josh and Patrick at QB.

Just out of curiosity, I wanted to see what the 2020 top passing teams' stats were for just their WRs. So, I subtracted the TE yards from each teams' total passing yards. TOTAL PASSING YARDS OF THE TOP 9 PASSING TEAMS FROM 2020 w/TE PRODUCTION SUBTRACTED (WRs ONLY) BUF 4,344 HOU 4,043 ATL 4,024 DAL 3,877 TB 3,725 LAC 3,670 KC 3,526 DET 3,362 LVR 3,033 Why only 9 teams? Because from the 10th team on, no team's total passing yards (including their TE production) was as much as the Bills WRs on their own. Seems crazy that the most productive WR corps in the league last year, with the top receiver from last year, and their only loss being a net gain by picking up Sanders (Brown had 458 yds and 3 TDs last year; Sanders 726 and 5 TDs), wouldn't be in the conversation. Of the 8 teams selected by NFLonCBS, only 3 were in the top 10 in receiving yards last year. The other 5 teams were ranked 13th, 14th, 16th, 18th, and 24th. I know football is a complex team sport and things can change drastically from one season to the next---and more goes into passing stats than just how good the WRs are (like QB, scheme, O-line, etc.). But the post said, "Who has the best WR corps." You could use a lot of criteria for such a ranking, but to me, the "best" has to mean production. And I do not see how all 8 of those teams leap-frog the Bills group, even weighing in offseason moves (draft and FA). None of those teams acquired a big name free agent WR, and only 4 of those teams spent a high draft pick on a WR [3 late second-rounders (LAR, SEA, CAR), and a third rounder (CLE)]. I'm not saying we are the best/most talented, or whatever...but how are our guys not top 8 with that production (300 yards more than the next team, 1,000 yards better than the 9th team). And even if they were talking about WR duos (because most of the pictures are two players only---even though the title is "corps"), well again, based on last year, wouldn't the best be the players with the most yards? Diggs/Beasley: 2,502 yards Lockett/Metcalf: 2,357 Jefferson/Thielen: 2,325 Anderson/Moore: 2,289 Ridley/Jones: 2,145 (Jones missed 7 games) Lamb/Cooper: 2,049 Kupp/Woods: 1,910 Evans/Godwin: 1,846 (Godwin missed 4 games) Landry/Beckham 1,159 (Odell missed 9 games) I just don't see us dropping from the #1 overall receiver, the #1 overall yards by WRs, the #1 WR duo, #3 overall in passing and receiving (TEs included), all the way down to 9th place or worse. Yes, there are a lot of big names, high draft picks, and talent on that list...but our guys are pretty damn talented too (regardless of draft position or name recognition).

Believe me, I want to see Josh fling it around as much as last season too. And I don't think that we should hamper or pull back on the passing game just for the cliche idea of "balance." (I think grabbing Sanders in FA shows they will still be committed to the pass.) But the problem is, they might not be able to "run the ball when they need to" if they haven't had enough practice at it, so your execution is poor. The balance isn't to appease some old football adage, it is about being sharp enough in both areas of the game that you can turn to either when you need to. And in my opinion, that takes live reps.

Good article. I also missed seeing this before the draft. One of the best things about this current team (FO, coaches, players) is that they actually learn from their mistakes and work hard to fix them. I think Sean and Daboll, without clipping the passing game, will be more focused on the run game this year based on how our playoff run went last season. I mean, if we can see there are issues with the run game, there is no way that Sean and Brandon don't. So, I think they will be more balanced this year. And the more reps the RBs and O-line get, the better the run game will be. I, obviously, have been one of the "It's not the backs or the O-line, it's the lack of focus on, and play calling that held the run game back last year" posters. So, I was happy that we didn't draft a RB. I believe in the guys we got, I really do. But, reading the article, I see that it was probably a bit of both last year (partly on the backs themselves too). Reading the quotes from Hicks, obviously Singletary had aspects of his game that he needed to improve on (all players do, I'm sure). And Moss was a rookie, so still has a lot to learn. So, I absolutely love that Devin is attacking this offseason like he is. Hard not to root for this kid. Growth mindset---that's what coach preaches. And Josh is the perfect example of not writing off or giving up on a young player. Sometimes it's not the skills they lack, it's the knowledge/coaching. What makes us think that a RB won't improve or take a leap up in their game from year 1 to year 2 (Moss) or year 2 to year 3 (Devin)? Also, I love Devin's mindset and demeanor. He's a very mature young man. And I found it interesting that twice he mentioned Stefon Diggs' mindset, etc. I think the impact that Stefon has made in the locker room and practice field has been every bit as important as the passes and TDs he catches on Sundays. Can't wait to see Motor, Moss, and Breida tear it up this year. Go get 'em Devin!

I would put Jerry in the maybe category for now (along with Schobel). There are probably some older players that are still worthy too, but even just talking recent players (last 20 years), I personally would put Fred Jackson, Kyle Williams, and Brian Moorman on the Wall before considering Schobel or Hughes (but don't get me wrong...I love Jerry and don't think he gets as much credit as he deserves for his play over the years). To me, The Wall is about more than just stats or longevity with the team. Those are kind of pre-requisites, but not the deciding factor (unless say the player was a HOF-level player, that's an automatic bid).

Yeah, this is kind of what Beane said they were going to do. Draft for the future. We didn't have many needs and we were picking late. So, how do you maximize your picks when selecting near the end of the draft and with a mind to building for sustained success? Pick the athletic monsters (who would have gone higher with more tape/experience, or whatever), knowing that you have time to groom them into NFl players, rather than selecting a decent player that might help some now, but might never turn into a stud. Yes, there is some risk involved (not all projects develop). But two things mitigate that, we have an excellent teaching staff who have proven they can groom players; and culture...all the guys they picked seem to have that "right DNA"...smart guys who are all about ball and improving, good people, great work ethic, competitive, and coachable. If they don't succeed, it won't be due to lack of effort. So, seems a bit lackluster now, but in 2-3 years we may look back at this draft and say Beane is a wizard. Time will tell.