The Frankish Reich Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 All year long we've heard the same mantra: the Bills are one of the most talented teams in football, but it's underperforming. Maybe it was Marrone and Co. last year. Or the stopgap nature of the QB situation. Or surely it was something else other than our elite talent holding us back. I mean, we do have elite talent, right? Wrong. Oh, we have talent all right. Sammy Watkins is a true, big-time playmaker. LeSean McCoy is still one of the most explosive running backs in the NFL. Hughes-Kyle-Dareus-Williams is a very good D line, arguably one of the best when all are playing together. Gilmore is a fine CB, and Darby has had a very impressive rookie year. Tyrod looks like a keeper. No, he's not the second coming of Russell Wilson (yet), but he's definitely talented. That's all fine and dandy. But the O line is still patched together. Somehow we can't seem to find a right tackle - Henderson, Koundjio, Mills - no keepers in that illustrious group. We want to convince ourselves that Miller is a keeper at RG, but the unit played better with career mediocrity Urbik. Other than Watkins, there isn't a receiver anyone fears. Clay is a fine TE, but nobody's going to confuse him with Eifert or Kelce, much less Gronk or Graham. McCoy is really good, but he's not going to dominate a game like Adrian Peterson, or even like Todd Gurley. More like Jamal Charles. Or C.J. Spiller in 2012. Our linebacking corps is weak and was left exposed in Rex's scheme. The safeties are the solid but unexceptional Graham and the journeyman Rambo (or Duke Williams? Really?) Look at the talent on the teams that are beating us. Philly is supposed to be a mess under coach/GM/control freak Chip Kelly. Yet they won the battles in the trenches today. Fletcher Cox was a one-man wrecking crew. KC and "game manager" Alex Smith showed a sophisticated and dangerous passing game that we lack, and an O line that allowed a practice squad player to run for well over 100 yards. As of this moment, the Bills have beaten exactly one team with a winning record: the Jets. No, I haven't liked what Rex has done. No, I didn't like what Marrone did (although maybe he deserved some of the credit we heap on Schwartz?). But the bottom line is this -- there is no great talent gap between this team and the Jets, Eagles, Redskins (we'll see about that one shortly), Raiders, Giants, Texans, Jaguars, and about half a dozen other teams. We are mediocre in record, in talent, and in everything else. Teams in perpetual denial never improve; they overvalue mediocre assets, and they always hold onto players a year too long. Look at the overreaction in re-signing Dareus to a huge contract, or in extending McCoy for no good reason that I could see. We're in QB Purgatory according to Whaley, but it's really just Purgatory in General. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UBBullsfan Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 And they only beat the Jets because their tight end didn't see the ball in the end zone in the 4th quarter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webster Guy Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 Hmmmm. Well we re signed Dareus and extended Shady because they're top ten players at their respective positions in the league, maybe top 5. If we have the cap room, keep everybody. Even Mario. I didn't expect more than .500 this year with a new qb who hasn't started before in the league, new defensive and offensive systems and a lot of new faces playing together for the first time. We had some nice rookie surprises in Darby and Karlos. Eric Wood, Richie and Cordy playing well (except for that Philly beast today giving them fits), we need to fill some holes in LB and RT/RG in the offseason, and keep at it. TT wasn't even sure he was the starter until 2 weeks before the season. That much uncertainty and inexperience will never get you 10 wins in a season. Be patient dude. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Frankish Reich Posted December 14, 2015 Author Share Posted December 14, 2015 Hmmmm. Well we re signed Dareus and extended Shady because they're top ten players at their respective positions in the league, maybe top 5. If we have the cap room, keep everybody. Even Mario. I didn't expect more than .500 this year with a new qb who hasn't started before in the league, new defensive and offensive systems and a lot of new faces playing together for the first time. We had some nice rookie surprises in Darby and Karlos. Eric Wood, Richie and Cordy playing well (except for that Philly beast today giving them fits), we need to fill some holes in LB and RT/RG in the offseason, and keep at it. TT wasn't even sure he was the starter until 2 weeks before the season. That much uncertainty and inexperience will never get you 10 wins in a season. Be patient dude. They are good players. But your second thought -- "if we have the cap room" -- supports my point. We won't. And we need a lot more than some marquee players at glamour positions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Sack Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 We have a young core of players. As they age the assumption is they will get better. How much longer do the elite Teams with older QBs have left? Hopefully we turn the corner in 2016 or 2017. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Over 29 years of fanhood Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 (edited) We have a young core of players. As they age the assumption is they will get better. How much longer do the elite Teams with older QBs have left? Hopefully we turn the corner in 2016 or 2017. not a chance with Rex- expect 4-12 next season and worse the following. The way he destroyed the defense is criminal. He's incompetent Edited December 14, 2015 by over 20 years of fanhood Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 Be patient dude. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stinky finger Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 Parity? Yep. An adequate coach gets this team to the playoffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBillsMagic1 Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 Dsiagree strongly with OP.. This is a talented team and also very skilled with poor coaching. Wityh even an average NFL coach this is a playoff team. With a clown coach we are where we are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSBill Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 (edited) Your Heading said it all, and that is what is so devastating to us, the fans. We don't want to accept that this is a mediocre team—but the record and inconsistent play says nothing but that. But probably the most disheartening thing is how we got to here. Going into the season if you'd have said "the offense is going to be …." (and then fill in the current sats), we'd have been giddy with excitement. With our Defense, that is all we need to get at least 10 wins, probably more. Truth is, with our Defense (and throw in the huge step back for the Special Teams play and a wildly undisciplined team over-all) and the way it has performed, we would need to be a top 5 Offense to be winning. And that is what is so disheartening. We have made real progress on one side of the ball (I know, not enough, but back to my original point, enough to win with the D and STs play we had last year), and then the two strong units are in fireball to the bottom of the league. And that is what just kills our misplaced emotions. Edited December 14, 2015 by CSBill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 We have a collection of individual athletes rather than a team. Big $$$ paid to Dareus, Hughes, McCoy, Mario (and big $$ that will be paid to Gilmore, Watkins, etc) does not mean they are "great teammates"...only great individual players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihilarian Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 (edited) not a chance with Rex- expect 4-12 next season and worse the following. The way he destroyed the defense is criminal. He's incompetent This! What Ryan managed to do with a top 5 defense that was #1 in sacks in the NFL last year, and is now 30th is indeed criminal. Why he isn't blitzing as much as he has with past defensive units is the key question here! Is he trying to get Doug Whaley fired so he has more power over personnel? Hey, he figures the Pegula's are stupid enough to keep paying the last head coach so is he trying to get himself fired because he wants to pull a Doug Marrone, and still get paid while working another job so he can collect two paychecks? Or even worse is this all a facade, and he hates the Buffalo Bills as much as he does the Patriots because of his six years with the Jets? I honestly don't know that answer, and all I do know if he took a playoff caliber defense from last year and castrated it with his crappy scheme, and non blitzing. The front four defensive linemen are suddenly playing like average bums rather then the 1/4 billion dollar players the team invested into them, and its all because of a gap control scheme vs rushing the passer. On paper this was a playoff caliber team that every Bills fan out there thought the team was finally going to the playoffs this year! Hence this team sold more season tickets this year then they have in the past. The one area that let the team down the most was the defense! Then special teams have been bad! The penalties have been killing this team more games then not this last game 15 penalties for 101 yards, and the Eagles had 5. Poor game management, red flag management at times The coaching stinks, the Jets with Todd Bowles is better at 8-5! The Raiders with Jack Del Rio who took a 3-13 team from last year, and already has them at 6-7. Those Raiders just beat the Broncos in Denver! This was an above average team with 3 of 4 pro bowlers on the D line, and a defense loaded with top talent. #2 pick Ron Darby the probable DRotY! The offense greatly upgraded with Richie Incognito at LG. Charles Clay at TE a top player. RB LeSean McCoy for 6 mill per, and Tyrod Taylor who is having a good season. Ryan has no excuse, and if the Bills don't finish 9-7 then he should be fired! JMO Edited December 14, 2015 by Nihilarian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 (edited) We have talent. Most of it is misused. This is the same D that terrorized the league the last two seasons. We won't throw to our best WR. But it's also a team with injuries. Did you notice the Bengals lost yesterday? They don't exactly have Tom Brady for a backup. Edited December 14, 2015 by PromoTheRobot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dorkington Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 6-7 = below average, no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDD Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 We have talent. Most of it is misused. This is the same D that terrorized the league the last two seasons. We won't throw to our best WR. Unfortunately the D that terrorized the league the last two seasons is not the same. We all know it. Injuries, scheme, and probably over-achieving particularly at the LB position are all factors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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