finn

Not to be snarky, but hasn't he been hurt his entire professional career? It's obviously not his fault, but he might be just too small to play linebacker. Linebacker is a second only to wide receiver in the draft next year, although that's not saying much. Should be WR, WR, WR, WR, LB. 😕

It's easy to mishandle an immature player. McDermott has done what most coaches would do: bench the player to send a message. Only it's not working. I'm not blaming McDermott as much as pointing out that he might have to try something different. Maybe nothing will work and, as you're implying, Coleman has to figure it out himself. But time is short. He might figure it out, and he might not. Hence my emphasis on McDermott's role. After all, isn't one of the key duties of a head coach to motivate his players? Coleman might be a hard case--the little prick in the back of the classroom--but the problem isn't unsolvable. The stakes are too high to NOT focus on what the coaches can do to salvage Coleman's career--and this season.

Take away your snark and you're just repeating my take, that Coleman is an immature player who regressed when his coach benched him. Somehow you managed to be derivative and insulting at the same time, not easy to pull off.

Maybe. But I have a long-shot hypothesis that leads to a sunny conclusion, which is that McDermott is mishandling Coleman. Coleman has shown promise--look at the Baltimore game, for instance, and a few of the early games last season. He may not be a bust from a physical standpoint, like Boogie Basham, and he might not be an Elam-like bust either, a guy with talent who just doesn't get it. Rather, he might be sulking and McDermott is inadvertently making it worse by shaming him in front of his teammates and the world. In other words, he might be extremely immature (aka stupid), thinking, "I'll show them, I won't make this catch. THEN we'll see who's sorry, heh!" In his defense, public humiliation is pretty damaging and can backfire spectacularly. I speak as a parent and teacher here. It's possible that Coleman can still be everything the Bills hoped for, someone who devoted his summer to getting into great shape and was ready to shine this year, only to run into a rough patch on the field maybe, then being embarrassed. He withdraws into a pout, McDermott doubles down, so does he, and we have the current state of affairs. If this is the case, we haven't seen the best of Coleman yet. He might be a dawg if properly motivated. The bad news is that I don't see this turning around. It takes a lot to realize, as someone in charge of discipline, that you're going about it the wrong way and to change course, especially in such a public forum (in front of the whole team, I mean). Does McDermott have the combination of insightfulness and courage it takes? I'm dubious. But it's possible.

Still, that doesn't explain why the Bills defensive personnel are particularly bad at it. It would be ironic if, with all the injuries, McDermott has been going easy in practice but players are getting injured anyway, meaning he has the worst of both worlds.

I see, thanks. I was assuming that the inordinate number of injuries on this team came from physical (but apparently) ineffective practices.

What I don't understand is why this defense, with a defensive head coach, is so bad at tackling. I mean, what could be more fundamental and (correct me if I'm wrong) easy to learn?

Agree. This kind of response--"Your view isn't legitimate because you're not a GM or NFL scout"--is not worth the pixels that spell it out.

I would start the ball boy over Coleman at this point. Bench him to send a message to the team about attitude--and because he's a bust. Be nice to do the same with Beane.

It's sort of sickening, isn't it? Like KC jumping over us to take McDuffie, leaving Beane to take Elam, or eagerly taking Creed Humphrey when Beane went with Boogie Basham since he had a 32-year old center, or Detroit jumping on Sam LaPorta after Beane chose the fragile Kincaid, and so on. Yes, playing hindsight is unfair, but Beane is accountable for his increasing number of mistakes. I give him credit for Bosa and Hoecht, but it looks like his delusions about the wide receiver position have doomed the season before it hits the halfway point.

Beane gambled the entire season on Coleman developing. He must have been horrified when his backup plan--a panicked trade at the deadline--fell through, realizing as well as anyone he blew it, again. That is not the performance of a top GM. Coleman, Samuel, Moore, Palmer, Shavers, a lineup will go down as one of the worst wide-receiver corps in team history. Beane's gift to the organization.

The crowning irony is not that for all his extraordinary skills, Allen isn't particularly good at what McDermott wants, a pocket quarterback who is reliable, accurate, and doesn't take off running (because injuries). So, unbelievably, McDermott is probably frustrated he's been dealt a unicorn who can lift the world on his shoulders. He doesn't want that, and he's been trying for years to change him into an ordinary quarterback so he can win with field goals and a stout defense. As others have said, it's an appalling, disgusting waste of talent, the equivalent of confining Secretariat to a kiddy ride at the State Fair. Ultimately, what might suck the most is that McDermott and Beane are going nowhere, since Allen is good enough to carry this team to the playoffs every year even deprived of professional receivers. This farce is going to play out until Allen is 33 or 34, when he finally will be traded to a team he promptly takes to a Super Bowl or two. Frankly, I don't think there's any hope, since it would take an epiphany from Pegula, Beane, and/or McDermott, none of whom have shown evinced any evidence--beyond talk--that they understand what they have in Allen. The only outside chance is that McDermott fires Brady and hires someone he thinks will be a yes-man but who is actually a rebel who gets instant results and so can't be fired. McDermott will have to be dragged, kicking and screaming, to the Super Bowl. There, as in the 13-second game, Allen WILL deliver, and McDermott WILL play not to lose--and lose. Tell me I'm wrong. I very much want to be.

I don't agree Coleman is struggling. He's not even trying. Another Kelvin Benjamin.

Not a Super Bowl team, just not. Injuries + Beane failing at getting competent receivers + junior varsity coordinators = another wasted year of Allen's prime.

But once again he didn't bother finding or fighting for the ball. His modus operandi is to get tangled up with the corner, have the ball hit his shoulder, and look around for a flag. I don't recall a worst receiver in a Bills uniform since Kelvin Benjamin.

My local high school is better than these receivers. And that's saying something, because they're not very good.

That's good football.

Brady. I'm convinced now he's shaving points. There's no other explanation for his brain-dead decisions.

So glad we're paying Knox $13 million/year.

Well, if anyone can blow this game, it's the Dolphins. (And Jets.)

That's a pipe dream. I'd settle for dumping Brady and Babich and bringing in professionals.

Coleman, Samuel, Shavers, Moore. Think about that.

Coleman, my god take him off the fricking field!!!

Dolphins defense playing like 85 Bears.

I don't think I remember a worst receiver. He doesn't even try to catch the ball. So many snaps, so many targets, and for what? Throw it to Hawes or Shavers, for god's sake, at least they'll try.