THE ROCKPILE REVIEW - Ramblings of a Madman

[Hapless Bills Fan]

13 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

Sounds like the name of a Buffalo Bills radio show

 

I swear to God we'd do a freakin' more knowledgeable and honest job then some of the shows today

[Bills757]

5 hours ago, bobm said:

Except playing tight is what TT appears to have been doing since he got here. At least to me anyway.   I like Peterman and he looked good while completing his first three passes especially the laser to Kelvin, a pass Tyrod rarely if ever throws.  The first int went off the hands of the fullback and returned for six.  Another int was miscommunication when peterman threw long and the receiver cut out short.  At least one and possibly two were caused when he was hit when throwing.

 

I'd put Peterman in again with a carefully scripted set of initial plays to help his confidence and see if he can be salvaged.     

 

He didn't complete his first three passes.....he was 2-3 on the first two drives (to Buffalo receivers) and 2-2 and a TD to LAC DB's.  And the "laser" to Benjamin wasn't anything overly tricky and I'd argue Taylor has thrown into tighter windows.  And playing the woulda-coulda-shoulda on INT's is lame.  Look at Taylor's 10 TD's and 3 INT's this year.  Two of his INT's were catchable balls that got tipped and intercepted.  Should we change his stats to 11 TD's (since Clay's shouldve been a TD) and 1 INT?  Oh, and we're gonna leave Peterman blameless on the two INT's when he was being hit?  Okay, I get it......the ol' double standard.  

 

I'll give you Peterman's script for the next game......run out of the tunnel to the sideline.....go put your helmet on the bench somewhere where you know it will be.......go and get a spot near the sidelines, but not too close so you don't somehow throw another interception.

 

Having said all of the above, I don't blame Peterman one bit for this colossal failure.  It's all McDoof.  Heaven knows what he was thinking when he made the decision to give Peterman the start in the first place.  It was painfully obvious the kid just isn't ready and won't be this year.....especially with this offensive line.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

2 minutes ago, Maine-iac said:

If the defense is crap because Dareus got traded there's no answer for that.  If it is as simple as "gap integrity" then McDermott better get his on it.  As far as the offense Dennison either needs to get canned or find some inner creative bone in his body.  Come out and throw the ball from a 4 WR set every down.  How about a good old fashion screen game, remember the one Gailey used to kill other teams with?  There are things that could be done to be better.  What is frustrating is that, at least on offense anyways, I don't think Dennison is capable. 

 

Mmmm.  There's usually an answer.  It just needs to come from an "inner creative bone" in the DC's body

 

In fact I typed an answer and decided to hold off and see if I could entice someone who knows more to hold forth. 

 

I agree with you about Dennison.

 

 

 

 

 

[Shaw66]

57 minutes ago, Maine-iac said:

If the defense is crap because Dareus got traded there's no answer for that.  If it is as simple as "gap integrity" then McDermott better get his on it.  As far as the offense Dennison either needs to get canned or find some inner creative bone in his body.  Come out and throw the ball from a 4 WR set every down.  How about a good old fashion screen game, remember the one Gailey used to kill other teams with?  There are things that could be done to be better.  What is frustrating is that, at least on offense anyways, I don't think Dennison is capable. 

I think the D line is shot.  A few years ago you had Mario Williams, Dareus, and Kyle near his prime.   Hughes got to be a finesse player.   No one pushed them around.   Now there's a weaker Kyle, a no-name substitute for Marcell and  no Mario.   It looks to me like the defensive line is being pushed off the ball on every play, because they simply don't have the strength to hold their ground.   That leaves one offensive lineman and a blocking back free to attack the middle linebacker and someone else, and that's why the defense is getting gashed by running backs.   That's not "gap integrity" and I don't see that coaching is going to help.   Add to that a middle linebacker who's too slow for the position that McD wants him to play, an outside linebacker who's a pass rusher and mediocre in other areas, and an old journeyman linebacker.   McD can coach all he wants, I  think that line is in trouble.   Dareus, when he was on the field, was the one guy who could stabilize things.  If McDermott understood what was going on with his defense, he NEVER would have allowed the Dareus trade.   He allowed it because, just like in the case of Peterman, he thought he had a replacement who could play.   In both cases he was horribly wrong.  

I really am worried now that McD is just a kid playing at being a head coach.   Now he's not naming a starter for Sunday.    Does he think he's going to get some spectacular advantage out of not announcing a starter?   I could be the Chiefs' defensive coordinator.   I'd get up in front of my team and say the following:

 

"Boys, Taylor will be the starter.   Even McDermott isn't stupid enough to put that kid out there again.   So our defense will be just like in practice against Alex Smith, except Smith is about four times better.  Taylor will run like Alex.  Keep him in the pocket, and he'll eat the ball.  

 

"AND, if McDermott is even stupider than I think he is and puts in Peterman, pound the hell out of him every time he goes back to pass.

 

"We'll be fine.   Take the rest of the day off."

Edited November 21, 2017 by Shaw66

[BadLandsMeanie]

2 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

I recommend Stroopwafels.  Available at World Market (not B'lo store) and at Aldi at Christmastime.  They have everything you want for your post-game sugar and fat bolus.  Perch it on a mug of buttered rum or hot chocolate to warm/soften a bit, and you're on your way to forgetting just about any suckfest short of a Superbowl loss.

 

Who is this oracle so wise in the ways of Billshood survival? Is he the chosen one, sent to lead us through the never ending desert?

 

I shall do as you say wise man!

 

 

1 hour ago, Figster said:

thanks for the research

Stroopwaffles or quarterbacks, or both?

1 hour ago, Maine-iac said:

If the defense is crap because Dareus got traded there's no answer for that.  If it is as simple as "gap integrity" then McDermott better get his on it.  As far as the offense Dennison either needs to get canned or find some inner creative bone in his body.  Come out and throw the ball from a 4 WR set every down.  How about a good old fashion screen game, remember the one Gailey used to kill other teams with?  There are things that could be done to be better.  What is frustrating is that, at least on offense anyways, I don't think Dennison is capable. 

Once he started in with the sack feeding frenzy, I would have run at Bosa. Put a lineman on him to hold him and then have my fullback put his helmet in Bosa's stomach. Immaterial if Shady made it through or not. Maybe we get some 3 and outs but it would have given Bosa something to think about besides eating my QB for breakfast.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

20 minutes ago, BadLandsMeanie said:

Once he started in with the sack feeding frenzy, I would have run at Bosa. Put a lineman on him to hold him and then have my fullback put his helmet in Bosa's stomach. Immaterial if Shady made it through or not. Maybe we get some 3 and outs but it would have given Bosa something to think about besides eating my QB for breakfast.

 

If we had a lineman who could hold Bosa for long enough for the fullback and his helmet to get there, we might have had more success in the passing game.

Whoooooeeeee. 

 

Why are the Chargers 4-6 with that on the roster?  4 games by 3 points or less - Field goal kicker got the Yips or something?

[Stank_Nasty]

1 minute ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

If we had a lineman who could hold Bosa for long enough for the fullback and his helmet to get there, we might have had more success in the passing game.

Whoooooeeeee. 

 

Why are the Chargers 4-6 with that on the roster?  4 games by 3 points or less - Field goal kicker got the Yips or something?

week one their old kicker got on blocked to send it to OT. week 2 he missed a 40 some yarder to win it vs Miami... they could very easily be 6-4 or better.

[Maine-iac]

2 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

I think the D line is shot.  A few years ago you had Mario Williams, Dareus, and Kyle near his prime.   Hughes got to be a finesse player.   No one pushed them around.   Now there's a weaker Kyle, a no-name substitute for Marcell and  no Mario.   It looks to me like the defensive line is being pushed off the ball on every play, because they simply don't have the strength to hold their ground.   That leaves one offensive lineman and a blocking back free to attack the middle linebacker and someone else, and that's why the defense is getting gashed by running backs.   That's not "gap integrity" and I don't see that coaching is going to help.   Add to that a middle linebacker who's too slow for the position that McD wants him to play, an outside linebacker who's a pass rusher and mediocre in other areas, and an old journeyman linebacker.   McD can coach all he wants, I  think that line is in trouble.   Dareus, when he was on the field, was the one guy who could stabilize things.  If McDermott understood what was going on with his defense, he NEVER would have allowed the Dareus trade.   He allowed it because, just like in the case of Peterman, he thought he had a replacement who could play.   In both cases he was horribly wrong.  

I really am worried now that McD is just a kid playing at being a head coach.   Now he's not naming a starter for Sunday.    Does he think he's going to get some spectacular advantage out of not announcing a starter?   I could be the Chiefs' defensive coordinator.   I'd get up in front of my team and say the following:

 

"Boys, Taylor will be the starter.   Even McDermott isn't stupid enough to put that kid out there again.   So our defense will be just like in practice against Alex Smith, except Smith is about four times better.  Taylor will run like Alex.  Keep him in the pocket, and he'll eat the ball.  

 

"AND, if McDermott is even stupider than I think he is and puts in Peterman, pound the hell out of him every time he goes back to pass.

 

"We'll be fine.   Take the rest of the day off."

What I do not get and you seem level headed enough to entertain my craziness ........... can you really completely contain Taylor. I want to preface this though.  If you have a conservative and super predictable coach pounding it into his head to stay in the pocket and make the throws then yes, you know where to find Taylor.  If you had a coach with an ounce of creativity tell me you couldn't get Taylor out of the pocket a few times for a few big gains a game.  Taylor rips off 2 or 3 runs of 15 or 20 yards and now rushing 5 and using cover 3 isn't such a good idea.  I still can't figure out why the screen game is working better in these situations also.  Put 4 WR's out there and let McCoy run routes underneath it.  Not swing passes, not dump offs, let McCoy come out one side and flash back through the middle.  You get the feeling that Dennison brings a very small tool box to work on Sundays and only plans on using 2 or 3 of the tools in it.  You watch NE and the offense changes 3 times in one qtr completely based off what personal the defense has on the field.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

2 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

I think the D line is shot.  A few years ago you had Mario Williams, Dareus, and Kyle near his prime.   Hughes got to be a finesse player.   No one pushed them around.   Now there's a weaker Kyle, a no-name substitute for Marcell and  no Mario.   It looks to me like the defensive line is being pushed off the ball on every play, because they simply don't have the strength to hold their ground.   That leaves one offensive lineman and a blocking back free to attack the middle linebacker and someone else, and that's why the defense is getting gashed by running backs.   That's not "gap integrity" and I don't see that coaching is going to help.   Add to that a middle linebacker who's too slow for the position that McD wants him to play, an outside linebacker who's a pass rusher and mediocre in other areas, and an old journeyman linebacker.   McD can coach all he wants, I  think that line is in trouble.   Dareus, when he was on the field, was the one guy who could stabilize things.  If McDermott understood what was going on with his defense, he NEVER would have allowed the Dareus trade.   He allowed it because, just like in the case of Peterman, he thought he had a replacement who could play.   In both cases he was horribly wrong. 

 

I think you have nailed it most astutely, except for the nit I think quickness not strength is what's gone down for Kyle (he's always been undersized.  he made his career being quicker to get into a leverage position, then strong enough to hold it).  Dareus was the only guy on that line who could handle two blockers, and who could hold his place.

 

That said, I did see a Cover-1 analysis of a couple Saints (I think it was) plays where our LB didn't correctly adjust their assignments to pre-snap movement, leaving no one covering a gap.   There's no reason why both physically overmatched DL AND gap integrity can't both be problems.

At the risk of sounding like an echo, both the Dareus trade and the Peterman start have me questioning the player personnel assessment and/or communication by our new regime.  Is McWrestler creating so much of a "can do...never say never" culture that the DL coach and the QB coach are afraid to dole him the straight dope and say "Boss, ship Dareus out and we're going to be eating d*ck every run" or "Boss, this kid has no idea how to handle pressure, put him in against Ingram and Bosa and this line and it's gonna be fugly"?  Or has he hired people who really don't know?

20 minutes ago, Maine-iac said:

What I do not get and you seem level headed enough to entertain my craziness ........... can you really completely contain Taylor. I want to preface this though.  If you have a conservative and super predictable coach pounding it into his head to stay in the pocket and make the throws then yes, you know where to find Taylor.  If you had a coach with an ounce of creativity tell me you couldn't get Taylor out of the pocket a few times for a few big gains a game.  Taylor rips off 2 or 3 runs of 15 or 20 yards and now rushing 5 and using cover 3 isn't such a good idea.  I still can't figure out why the screen game is working better in these situations also.  Put 4 WR's out there and let McCoy run routes underneath it.  Not swing passes, not dump offs, let McCoy come out one side and flash back through the middle.  You get the feeling that Dennison brings a very small tool box to work on Sundays and only plans on using 2 or 3 of the tools in it.  You watch NE and the offense changes 3 times in one qtr completely based off what personal the defense has on the field.

 

Of course you can't completely contain Taylor - if he's used correctly and somewhat creatively, with some misdirection and some runs built into his reads as options.

 

Have you seen screen plays?  I haven't, but I haven't seen every snap of every play. 

What I've seen from Dennison is exactly what you've said, a small (and not very confusing) tool chest.  At the risk of sounding like a shill for Cover-1 (they have good stuff and I'm not associated, I promise!) they had a good piece pointing out that Dennison was slow and late to figure out the coverages the Saints were using and counter with effective plays.

[Maine-iac]

Decent article from PFF

 

"This season, Taylor also showed that he could succeed in an offense that wasn’t built around his unique skillset. The Bills under their current regime haven’t run the exotic option looks or run/pass options (RPOs) they did over the past couple of years, and yet Taylor continued to grade well and be efficient.

When the defense was playing well, the team was winning games. As soon as that defense began to get gashed, Taylor isn’t the quarterback that can overcome opposing offenses in a shootout, but that’s like replacing your air conditioning unit because it can’t keep your house cool when the back wall collapses – not really addressing the root cause of the problem."

 

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-statistical-case-for-tyrod-to-remain-starter-in-buffalo?utm_content=buffer13fbf&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=nfl

[Shaw66]

18 minutes ago, Maine-iac said:

Decent article from PFF

 

"This season, Taylor also showed that he could succeed in an offense that wasn’t built around his unique skillset. The Bills under their current regime haven’t run the exotic option looks or run/pass options (RPOs) they did over the past couple of years, and yet Taylor continued to grade well and be efficient.

When the defense was playing well, the team was winning games. As soon as that defense began to get gashed, Taylor isn’t the quarterback that can overcome opposing offenses in a shootout, but that’s like replacing your air conditioning unit because it can’t keep your house cool when the back wall collapses – not really addressing the root cause of the problem."

 

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-statistical-case-for-tyrod-to-remain-starter-in-buffalo?utm_content=buffer13fbf&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=nfl

I have doubts about PFF but let's assume this is a reasonable assessment (I think it is).  That's what I think is such a disaster to have made the Peterman move. The Bills have a serviceable qb that they've now relatedness the trash heap, forcing them to be in the market next year for a qb.  That wasn't necessary. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

45 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

I have doubts about PFF but let's assume this is a reasonable assessment (I think it is).  That's what I think is such a disaster to have made the Peterman move. The Bills have a serviceable qb that they've now relatedness the trash heap, forcing them to be in the market next year for a qb.  That wasn't necessary. 

 

I would disagree only that, until you have a QB who is able to carry the team on his arm, I think you'd better be in the market for a QB next year.

 

It's notable that in the last 10 years, lacking an established starter, the Bills have used 5 picks (5,4,1,7,3) on a QB.

The Pats**, with an entrenched starter who is arguably one of the greatest, have also used 5 picks (3,2,3,7,3) on a QB.

 

Essentially, a team that does not need a QB, has invested more draft resources in finding one, than a team that needs one.

 

 

 

[BadLandsMeanie]

41 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

I would disagree only that, until you have a QB who is able to carry the team on his arm, I think you'd better be in the market for a QB next year.

 

It's notable that in the last 10 years, lacking an established starter, the Bills have used 5 picks (5,4,1,7,3) on a QB.

The Pats**, with an entrenched starter who is arguably one of the greatest, have also used 5 picks (3,2,3,7,3) on a QB.

 

Essentially, a team that does not need a QB, has invested more draft resources in finding one, than a team that needs one.

 

 

 

I bet I agree with you on this one, more than YOU agree with you.

 

I need to not get started on it though because I would baffle Freud himself on how much that bugs me.

 

"Zo, it is not your mutter, nor your papa at ze root of your deepest trauma? It is because ze Buffalo Billz refuze to draft ze quarterback??

Zees makes no sense Mr Meanie."

 

I gotta let it go. 

 

And people will actually disagree in large numbers. They will find me dead of a stroke at my keyboard with a pile of waffles at my feet.

 

I can't have that debate in my delicate weakened condition I tell ya!

 

So will leave it at, the Bills do not have bad luck for 20 years. It is not bad luck. There is no curse. The Bills lose because of the things the Bills do.

 

Off to my happy place.

 

 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

2 minutes ago, BadLandsMeanie said:

the Bills do not have bad luck for 20 years. It is not bad luck. There is no curse. The Bills lose because of the things the Bills do.

 

I just may take that as my .sig quote

Don't eat stroopwafels at this time of night.  You'll be buzzing around the ceiling. They're a morning food.  (And post- football games, as needed)

Edited November 22, 2017 by Hapless Bills Fan

[Thurman#1]

On 11/20/2017 at 2:14 PM, Maine-iac said:

I think they made a few moves too many, at least for this season.  Every move right up until trading Dareus seemed almost genius but they went to the well one too many times.  Dareus left and the defense left with him.  No defense means the games aren't even close.  Tyrod can get you a play or two in a close game.  McCoy can get you a play or two in a close game.  We aren't going to win games where the other team is scoring 30 plus points and certainly not if they are doing it on the ground.  They got full of themselves and walked the team over the cliff for this season.  Then next season ........... what then?  Literally rebuilding the roster?  Getting that franchise QB?  Dennison will groom him on offense?  When was the last great Dennison QB, maybe Schaub in Houston 2012?  I think it got good and then it got out of control and maybe it's all a little bigger than McDemott can handle right now.

 

 

There's a very reasonable argument that the Dareus move was a bad trade.

 

But there's little to no argument that Dareus' loss is what tipped the defense over to awful. Dareus was playing I believe less than 25% of snaps. And the defense didn't look very different when he was on the sidelines. What's happened is that people have figured out how to attack this defense. They've figured out that the LBs are an exploitable weakness and how to do it. And that the CBs outside of maybe White are also just not good enough.

 

As for Dennison, it's not fair to ask when his last great QB was. Have any of the QBs he was handling looked better pre- or post-Dennison? He didn't have good raw materials. I don't know how good he is or isn't, but with a good QB, his scheme might look a lot better. The question is whether we can get him a good QB.

 

Well, actually, that's not the question, that's one of many questions.

Edited November 22, 2017 by Thurman#1

[Thurman#1]

3 hours ago, Maine-iac said:

Decent article from PFF

 

"This season, Taylor also showed that he could succeed in an offense that wasn’t built around his unique skillset. The Bills under their current regime haven’t run the exotic option looks or run/pass options (RPOs) they did over the past couple of years, and yet Taylor continued to grade well and be efficient.

When the defense was playing well, the team was winning games. As soon as that defense began to get gashed, Taylor isn’t the quarterback that can overcome opposing offenses in a shootout, but that’s like replacing your air conditioning unit because it can’t keep your house cool when the back wall collapses – not really addressing the root cause of the problem."

 

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-statistical-case-for-tyrod-to-remain-starter-in-buffalo?utm_content=buffer13fbf&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=nfl

 

 

 

PFF said, "Taylor also showed that he could succeed in an offense that wasn’t built around his unique skillset." Really?

 

Wow. I would not call that success, I really wouldn't. A 6.6 YPA? An offense that's 30th in yards and 19th in points? As always, Tyrod has been very successful at not throwing INTs, but that's about where his success has ended. He's been consistently inconsistent and guys who play like that tend to become unemployed or backups sooner rather than later.

 

PFF said, "When the defense was playing well, the team was winning games." The word they used was "well." But when this team was winning games the defense was playing out of it's mind terrific. You don't give the credit for those wins to the offense and QB who were being pretty unproductive.

 

I certainly agree that Tyrod is now and has been the Bills best option to win games this season. But they ought to be looking for a better option and doing it like their hair is on fire. And I have stopped caring about this season. They aren't going to be good this year. I wish they had done a complete rebuild before the season.

 

[Straight Hucklebuck]

9 hours ago, Maine-iac said:

If the defense is crap because Dareus got traded there's no answer for that.  If it is as simple as "gap integrity" then McDermott better get his on it.  As far as the offense Dennison either needs to get canned or find some inner creative bone in his body.  Come out and throw the ball from a 4 WR set every down.  How about a good old fashion screen game, remember the one Gailey used to kill other teams with?  There are things that could be done to be better.  What is frustrating is that, at least on offense anyways, I don't think Dennison is capable. 

Everything is so hard for the Bills passing offense. Everything from this Coaching Staff is it has to be the right play, called at the right time, executed to perfection. Like it's a science experiment. 

 

Nothing comes easy for the Bills. Common NFL staples like the flare, the slant, crossing routes, button hooks, are off the table because it takes years of timing on those patterns.

 

Our QBs still aren't allowed to change plays at the line. When our offense is bad, first thing out of McDermott's mouth is we could establish a rhythm in the run game. We got behind in the sticks. If it's 3rd and 8 with this team, it might was we'll be 3rd and 54. Because this team will run a draw and punt.

 

Which brings me back to Jauron. McDermott speaks like him, he coaches like him, he acts like him, and Beane is following suit. 

 

Speaks like him - Watch the tape, correct mistakes. Always getting better everyday. If it was that easy Coach why have the defeats gotten worse every week? 34 allowed, 47 allowed, 54 allowed! 

 

Coaches like him - Playing 10 yards off every WR like they're Randy Moss. Weak, whimpy game plans where Tolbert is getting carries and dump offs, the Saints game opened with sideways throws to McCoy. Waiting for other team to turn the ball over so we can kick field goals (see McDermott kicking a field goal down 44-7). The Saints attacked a wimpy, weak, lame game plan. 

 

Acts like him - Constant non-answers to the questions he is being asked. Constant obsession with Special Teams. Obsessed with character and experience over talent. Starting Ducasse every week like fans don't see that the guy is hurting the team, thinking than the same 3 linebackers can just play all season with no depth (Mitchell, Crowell/Poslusny, Ellison), picking up bottom tier NFL players just because they play Specisl Teams. 

 

[Kelly the Dog]

On 11/20/2017 at 8:56 AM, Ayjent said:

Are players like Dareus really a cancer in the locker room? Seems to me that there may be something to losing the locker room when Dareus was traded, and possibly this miscalculation by the FO and coaching staff may have a part in this team nose diving.  By some accounts Dareus was well liked by his peers, and maybe just maybe the FO and coaching staff have been in scramble mode (trading for Benjamin, benching Tyrod despite awful OL play in front of him).

 

To me, teams just don't go south like that unless there is something more going on beneath the surface.  Maybe it was that trading Dareus fractured the locker room when people started speaking more freely about how they felt about him when he was gone, or how some players viewed the Front Office and coaching staff.  It could have simply been a breaking point where many issues that were bubbling came to a head followed by a bad outing and then the bottom falls out. 

 

I don't agree with coaching that puts scheme above all else, because you are always going to have to adjust not only to your talent, but also to how teams attack your schemes.  Inflexibility in scheme is problematic for both of those reasons, because its an easy cop out to point to talent when things don't work, when in fact the scheme is flawed as well.  And to be honest any scheme that doesn't work as well as another with the players you have is flawed.

Good thoughts all around. Post more. 

[Shaw66]

9 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

I would disagree only that, until you have a QB who is able to carry the team on his arm, I think you'd better be in the market for a QB next year.

 

It's notable that in the last 10 years, lacking an established starter, the Bills have used 5 picks (5,4,1,7,3) on a QB.

The Pats**, with an entrenched starter who is arguably one of the greatest, have also used 5 picks (3,2,3,7,3) on a QB.

 

Essentially, a team that does not need a QB, has invested more draft resources in finding one, than a team that needs one.

 

 

 

I agree the Bills were in the market for a QB next year in any case.   I think the Peterman move last Sunday closed the door on Taylor being the QB beyond 2018 (maybe even beyond 2017), so it makes the QB search much more urgent.   Now the Bills have to use the 2018 draft to get their starting QB for 2019, and that becomes the number 1 priority in the draft.   If they'd just kept Taylor as a starter, they could have been much more flexible in their approach, taking a QB as he presented himself, maybe late first round, maybe second round, maybe not until 2019 or even 2020.   

 

A month ago, before the Benjamin trade, I thought the future looked pretty clear:  renegotiate Taylor's deal and keep him for several more years, knowing he's not great but, as I said, serviceable, and used those six picks in the first three rounds to rebuild the lines, and maybe also looking for McCoy's replacement.   Hope to get a bunch of those 2018 draft picks into the lineup in 2018, and by 2019 you have a lot of seasoned young players.   Also probably pick up a free agent or two.   In the meantime, you're hoping that Taylor continues to develop in the areas where he's currently deficient.  And, as I said, be on the lookout for a good QB prospect somewhere in the draft without trading up.   

 

Now they've given up one draft pick for a player who's going to be a free agent after 2018 and who will be looking at a Bills team that in all likelihood won't have a QB.   So the Bills went from a team a QB and six high draft picks to a team without a QB and five high draft picks.    

 

Gotta say, I'm really enjoying talking about this with you.   And, to backtrack a little, I agree with you that the problem with the defense certainly could be BOTH talent and gap integrity.   And the problem with Williams most likely is quickness, not strength.   I hadn't thought that carefully about it write it clearly - I was just thinking that Williams isn't as "strong" a player as he used to be, not so much in the physical sense as in the effectiveness sense.   

[Shaw66]

7 hours ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

Everything is so hard for the Bills passing offense. Everything from this Coaching Staff is it has to be the right play, called at the right time, executed to perfection. Like it's a science experiment. 

 

Nothing comes easy for the Bills. Common NFL staples like the flare, the slant, crossing routes, button hooks, are off the table because it takes years of timing on those patterns.

 

Our QBs still aren't allowed to change plays at the line. When our offense is bad, first thing out of McDermott's mouth is we could establish a rhythm in the run game. We got behind in the sticks. If it's 3rd and 8 with this team, it might was we'll be 3rd and 54. Because this team will run a draw and punt.

 

Which brings me back to Jauron. McDermott speaks like him, he coaches like him, he acts like him, and Beane is following suit. 

 

Speaks like him - Watch the tape, correct mistakes. Always getting better everyday. If it was that easy Coach why have the defeats gotten worse every week? 34 allowed, 47 allowed, 54 allowed! 

 

Coaches like him - Playing 10 yards off every WR like they're Randy Moss. Weak, whimpy game plans where Tolbert is getting carries and dump offs, the Saints game opened with sideways throws to McCoy. Waiting for other team to turn the ball over so we can kick field goals (see McDermott kicking a field goal down 44-7). The Saints attacked a wimpy, weak, lame game plan. 

 

Acts like him - Constant non-answers to the questions he is being asked. Constant obsession with Special Teams. Obsessed with character and experience over talent. Starting Ducasse every week like fans don't see that the guy is hurting the team, thinking than the same 3 linebackers can just play all season with no depth (Mitchell, Crowell/Poslusny, Ellison), picking up bottom tier NFL players just because they play Specisl Teams. 

 

I never really thought much about it, but I think you're absolutely correct about this.   Fans complained that Jauron's philosophy was "playing not to lose," and McDermott is very much in the same mold.   Bend don't dreak defense, conservative offense to run the clock, keep the game close so that you have a shot to win in the end.   In retrospect, the Jaguars game told us all we needed to know.   McDermott didn't open up the offense until literally the last drive or two.  It was completely clear that he was content to be behind so long as he trailed by less than two scores.   Then, late in the game, he opened up the offense and the Bills actually threatened to tie it.   In the following weeks, we saw the same things.  

 

That's a good philosophy to follow when your team isn't competitive in the talent category.    Play conservatively and hope for something good to happen.   Maybe that's all that happened in the first seven games:  maybe the Bills were just lucky, catching the Falcons when they were stumbling around, catching Denver when THEIR wheels were falling off.  Maybe it was just luck.   And maybe Beane and McD knew it.   And maybe they traded Dareus intending to tank.   And maybe they started Peterman because they  knew the season already was in the crapper.   I'd be okay with that, but then why in the world would you trade a second for Benjamin?   If you believe you're in total rebuild mode, you don't make that move.  

 

You know what's really maddening about this, from the offensive side?   Rex comes in and says it's going to be ground and pound.   He brings in a run-oriented offensive coordinator.   One game into his second season, he fires the offensive coordinator, the Bills open up the offense, at least relatively speaking, and the offense flourishes, at least relatively speaking.  McD comes in and brings in a run-oriented offensive coordinator who takes away much of what Taylor does best and asks him to succeed doing the things he isn't so so good at.   And what is that ?  It's staying in the pocket.   And you know what's amazing about that?   Look around the league - offensive lines all over the league are struggling to protect their QBs in the pocket, and everyone is saying you need a mobile QB to win.  New England is the only exception.   Rodgers, Brees, Luck, Mariota, Tannehill, Wilson, Watson, Smith - those are the kind of QBs everyone wants.   Eli, Palmer, Flacco - those are the guys you don't want.   So McD brings him an OC and gives him a QB who fits  the current model, and the OC installs an offense designed to restrict the QB's mobility. 

 

Jauron at least had an excuse.   He didn't have a QB.