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Cover 1: The Bills Are Changing Their Approach to the WR Position


26CornerBlitz

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The Buffalo Bills’ wide receiver group has been maligned all season long. Lack of speed, separation, consistency, or reliability has marked the group in 2018. In fact, it wasn’t all too different a year ago. Brandon Beane came from the Carolina Panthers and brought the same approach they had there: towering, possession-type targets with a wide catch radius, and with the intention of facilitating the job of their big, strong-armed QB.

 

The Panthers invested a first round pick in the 6’5″ Kelvin Benjamin in 2014 and a second on the 6’4″ Devin Funchess a year later. Jerricho Cotchery (6’1″) and Brenton Bersin (6’3″) were on the roster, too, with only Ted Ginn Jr. (5’11”) and Corey “Philly” Brown (5’11”) offering great speed in the group in that span. The team found success, especially in the 2015 Super Bowl season, but the running game was always the strength of those Panthers offenses. The passing game was a bit predictable, with Benjamin being the number one target and Ginn responsible for stretching the field vertically.

 

After a historically bad start by the Bills’ offense, it looks like Beane and McDermott have stolen another page from the Panthers’ book. The head coach revealed a talk between himself and the GM about the need to insert speed into the offensive unit before the game versus the Jets.

 

Brandon and I talked a couple weeks ago and we thought we were lacking in the speed department on offense. That’s been an emphasis the last couple of weeks. You saw some of that against the Jets. That just opens things up a little bit, not only for the passing game, but at times, the running game. That’s not the only part of what we’re doing right now, but that’s some of what we’re trying to get on the field at this point. HC McDermott

 

They acted quickly, adding former Broncos wideout Isiah McKenzie to the mix and calling up Robert Foster from the practice squad. The impact was immediate. The running game started to work and the quarterback, Matt Barkley, found success, even having only been with the team for two weeks.

 

 

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Just now, 26CornerBlitz said:

 

I don't know why this is a recent revelation to Beane and McDermott. 

Ya not sure but probably cause of past success at other organizations. The good thing is they out willing to adapt and change their philosophy. That’s a great sign. Even McDermott singing a different in regards it’s though now winning games 9 to 7 

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1 minute ago, Steptide said:

So, it took half the season for them to realize that the wide reciever core was bad? Have fans and media not been saying this since the draft

 

It had to be a gut punch! 

 

5 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

This is revolutionary!!! Who’d have thought that you needed speed to win in the NFL? Surely the Rams and Chiefs don’t believe in that. I’m so glad that the Bills are ahead of the trend on this one.

 

Eureka!

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24 minutes ago, GimmeSomeProcess said:

Ya not sure but probably cause of past success at other organizations. The good thing is they out willing to adapt and change their philosophy. That’s a great sign. Even McDermott singing a different in regards it’s though now winning games 9 to 7 

That’s the silver lining here, something else to be thankful for today?—McBeane are capable of chucking their ego at the door and making necessary changes as opposed to Wrecksy who insisted on doubling down and bringing his Santa ?? impersonator brother to add another flavor of incompetence to his swan song season 

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Ya' know how people characterize incoming rookie QB's as more or less ready to play?

 

McDermott was a coach who was less ready to compete against the best coaches.

 

He and Beane killed a highly productive offense(best Bills offense since the second SB) by ridding it of the outside speed that helped create space for the running game.

 

Then it took them a year and a half to either realize or fess up to that error............and begin to put that dynamic back together.

 

Let's hope that the light has come on and stays on.

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23 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

Yea but according to this message board all of that tearing down of the offense ABSOLUTELY NEEDED to happen because "cap hell", "process", and "Whaley mistakes".

 

 

Yes there was no legit reason to take a step back offensively.

 

Just wasn't necessary.

 

It wasn't just the WR position........the QB of the future that they've been waiting decades for fell into their lap on draft day 2017........and almost impossibly it wasn't even just ONE option.?:doh:

 

While we have vocal apologists for these moves right now.............if Allen doesn't turn into a stud QB and McBeane get fired..........we will UNIVERSALLY pan their handling of the offensive side of the ball.     Even John from Riverside via Hemet will hate them for it!:devil:

 

Fortunately they can still turn this program into a contender with some good moves and some bounces.......... but the past two seasons have been HARD on the eyes if you appreciate offensive football(which is to say if you appreciate CURRENT and "entertaining" NFL football).

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