Diggs vs. Josh: Sideline Disagreement?

[Perk71]

It seems that Diggs is the only one that has heart on this team.  Both sides of the ball got manhandled on the line.  No heart.

I want to add that Milano has heart too. 🤙🏼

 

Go Bills!!

Edited January 23, 2023 by Perk71
Correction

[Yard Monkey]

Maybe Diggs just wanted to hurry home to see his brother play! Ha!

 

hope it blows over

[BarleyNY]

Let’s all remember that stuff like this is why the Vikings traded Diggs. It’s part of the package with him. I love how much he cares about helping his team win even if it boils over sometimes. In any event Diggs and the Bills are wedded for seasons to come due to his contract. 

[Bob in STL]

Diggs needs to knock off the public displays of confronting his QB.  It is getting to be a very bad look. We know he wants the ball.  

Edited January 23, 2023 by Bob in STL

[GolfandBills]

I like Diggs fire.  Need more of it on this soft team. 

[Since1981]

Diggs is just frustrated to be doubled all the time and the others aren’t open. I’m sure when he’s singled and doesn’t get a target he’s flipping out. 
 

I give him and Josh a pass on this. It’s on the OL WR2 Dorsey Beane. 

[Cursed]

10 minutes ago, Bob in STL said:

Diggs needs to knock off the public displays of confronting his QB.  It is getting to be a very look. We know he wants the ball.  

Nah, if this was a stud QB yelling at O-Line or Receivers it would be celebrated as leadership and passion.  This is an all pro level WR displaying passion & competitiveness letting his QB know he's open and wants the ball, and that isn't a bad thing.

Edited January 23, 2023 by Cursed

[HerdMentality]

His captaincy should be stripped.

 

You don't show up a teammate like that. 

[Niagara Dude]

4 hours ago, Seventeen said:

 

Diggs is super competitive. Remember him hanging around on the field in KC after the 13 second loss last year ? Dude wants to win - we could use more of them at that level.

  

That was the year before not last season

 

[Brand J]

5 hours ago, Freddie's Dead said:

I posted in the GDT that this was not a good look.  I had a "Who cares" comment which got some agrees.  This is not good news going forward.  Diggs should have taken JA aside, but instead he chose to show him up in front of a full house at Highmark and on national TV.  Unproductive at best and can only serve to create hard feelings and rip apart the locker room at worst.

To be fair, right after Allen air mailed another pass to him out of bounds, Josh started motioning with his hand, “run the route this way” like it was Diggs’ fault. Didnt matter how he ran the route given the fact the ball sailed 5 yards out of bounds (and he was open). 
 

Also, do the players have an escape road away from the stadium that the general public doesn’t have access to? If Diggs leaves early, wouldn’t he be caught up in the rest of that traffic? 

[Seventeen]

8 hours ago, Niagara Dude said:

That was the year before not last season

 

 

You are correct - post edited.

[Billsfan1972]

Here is an interesting stat (from ESPN).

 

The second half of the season for Diggs was not as smooth, with 985 of his 1,429 regular-season receiving yards having come in the first nine games and seven of his career-high 11 receiving touchdowns. Diggs showed frustration on the sidelines at other times this season, including when McDermott consoled him during the Bills' Week 11 win against the Cleveland Browns.

 

They were awful in getting him the ball and when they did even then it was often forced.

[BillyBilliams]

13 hours ago, Nelius said:

Diggs has been barking for weeks. Even if he’s the hardest working dude out there there’s tact and a time and place. You don’t continue trying to be more visible about it. Kind of annoying, really, but hopefully annoying is as bad as it gets.

If that isn’t the time and the place, where is the time and the place to be pissed you’re the best weapon on offense, but would rather throw to a WR that can’t catch a ball or another one you picked up off the streets a few weeks ago?  Dude is 29 years old.  He’s running out of time.  I agree with Diggs. GET HIM THE ***** BALL!!!!  Imagine Burrow not throwing to Chase, or Mahomes neglecting Kelce.  My god

[Golden*Wheels]

Yeah I can't be mad at the guy. Somebody SHOULD be mad on that sideline.

[SCBills]

Josh is way down on the list of problems yesterday, but he wasn’t good.  
 

Missed Diggs early on a big play and then threw a bunch of no-chance balls deep to him. 
 

More fire.   I’d applaud Diggs if he took a flamethrower to the team … someone needs to do it.  
 

Maybe if players speak up, our owner will be moved to make some tough decisions. 
 

He has that famous AFC CG picture in KC, and two years in a row, we’ve gone backwards.  How do you think he should feel?

 

Edited January 23, 2023 by SCBills

[jhh9327]

I'm not one who normally defends the diva WR's, but I'm fully on Diggs side with him being upset.  Love the team and love Josh, but the team has been too full of themselves the whole season and I include Josh in that.  Even though they mostly got away with it, they have played sloppy and undisciplined basically all year.  Say what else you want about Diggs, but he works as hard and prepares as hard as anyone and pays attention to the details.  I feel the team as a whole has lost their way in regards to that this season and that is what I think has Diggs bothered more than simply getting him the ball more.  Too much media attention and talk about playing better and cleaning up the details rather than simply focusing and putting in the work to actually do it.  There was a throw to him yesterday that he caught that was low and couldn't do anything else with than catch it and motioned to Josh to get the ball up higher.  Diggs is a perfectionist and that is not a word you could describe the rest of the team this year.    

[RochesterLifer]

11 hours ago, Bob in STL said:

Diggs needs to knock off the public displays of confronting his QB.  It is getting to be a very bad look. We know he wants the ball.  

Losing one's temper on the sideline and shouting at a teammate is not a sign of leadership. It is self-indulgent behavior revealing the individual is not big enough for the moment.

[papazoid]

13 hours ago, Chuck Wagon said:

I’m ready to stop pretending Justin Jefferson for Stefon Diggs was a win - win trade. 

 

the only problem with that.....we would have drafted a defensive lineman instead of a wr...lol

[CaliBills]

Guys.....

 

How do you know that there wasn't an already agreed upon exit from Diggs so he can get to where ever to watch his younger Brother who was also in the playoffs?

 

No one does. 

 

Assuming only makes an ass out of you and me (well not me technically, but you get the saying)

[bigduke6]

im fine with Diggs acting like that,  showed at least one person on the team was fired up due to that abysmal showing,  that at least one person gave a damn.   ive never watched a game where a team showed like they cared less what was happening.   it felt like the majority of them didnt even want to be there.

 

what looks bad imo is Josh flat out ignoring Diggs when hes in front of him.   thats troubling.   if theyre so close,  such buddies,  then Josh knows Stefon is emotional,  fiery,  and you at the very least acknowledge him and say,  ya man,  i know,  lets work at it.   just ignoring him??  thats a wedge right there in the making.  especially for a guy like Stefon.

[BananaB]

Teams have been doubling Diggs since the GB game and forcing the Bills to beat them with everyone else. 
 

It wasn’t really a disagreement either, it was just Diggs crying about not getting the ball. We seen it before, we’ll see it again.

Edited January 23, 2023 by BananaB

[ChasBB]

15 hours ago, strive_for_five_guy said:

They’ll get over it.  It’s not like Josh was intentionally ignoring Stefon.  I don’t think he had enough time to even think and throw effectively with his offensive line and the plays called.

Not so sure about the "They'll get over it" remark.  This has been ongoing for much of the season.  He no longer seems to think that Josh is "his guy".  Diggs wants to win a championship now.  Once Diggs has some time to reflect on the season and his time in Buffalo, I think he'll feel the same way he does now.  I can see Diggs requesting a trade.

[SectionC3]

1 hour ago, SCBills said:

Josh is way down on the list of problems yesterday, but he wasn’t good.  
 

Missed Diggs early on a big play and then threw a bunch of no-chance balls deep to him. 
 

More fire.   I’d applaud Diggs if he took a flamethrower to the team … someone needs to do it.  
 

Maybe if players speak up, our owner will be moved to make some tough decisions. 
 

He has that famous AFC CG picture in KC, and two years in a row, we’ve gone backwards.  How do you think he should feel?

 

If you’re talking about the deep shot on the first series that wasn’t much of a miss.  It was a bad weather throw that had to be made on a line way, way downfield lest the safety either intercept the ball or destroy Diggs.  If that miss is the complaint I don’t know what to say.  It was right in front of me, and I thought it *might* have been a TD if Allen is on the money because I thought Diggs *might* have slipped past the safety based on the angle.  But that was a really, really difficult throw. 

33 minutes ago, BananaB said:

Teams have been doubling Diggs since the GB game and forcing the Bills to beat them with everyone else. 
 

It wasn’t really a disagreement either, it was just Diggs crying about not getting the ball. We seen it before, we’ll see it again.

 

I wonder if Diggs is one of the guys who thinks the coaching staff doesn’t have it.  (This was mentioned by a longtime poster on another thread.)  Many signs seem to point in that direction. 

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

35 minutes ago, BananaB said:

Teams have been doubling Diggs since the GB game and forcing the Bills to beat them with everyone else. 
 

It wasn’t really a disagreement either, it was just Diggs crying about not getting the ball. We seen it before, we’ll see it again.

 

I think his issue is he sees chase/jefferson/kupp etc.  get schemed open.  

[Jerome007]

In the past, too much has been made of Diggs' outbursts. Especially since he was right as in those times the gameplan (and Josh) were ignoring him, and he has proven that he delivers when called upon. But yesterday? It sucked. He should have done that way earlier in the game. At this stage, it was just yet other bad element of that meltdown that could leave lasting scars. 

[Brand J]

44 minutes ago, Bleeding Bills Blue said:

 

I think his issue is he sees chase/jefferson/kupp etc.  get schemed open.  

Don’t think so, otherwise he’d be yelling at Dorsey and not his QB on the sideline. It’s Josh’s job to get the ball to him and Diggs obviously felt like that wasn’t happening yesterday. I saw Diggs open quite a few times but the two couldn’t connect more often than not. Frustration boiled over and there you have it. 

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

Just now, JayBaller10 said:

Don’t think so, otherwise he’d be yelling at Dorsey and not his QB on the sideline. It’s Josh’s job to get the ball to him and Diggs obviously felt like that wasn’t happening yesterday. I saw Diggs open quite a few times but the two couldn’t connect more often than not. Frustration boiled over and there you have it. 

 

Hows he gonna yell at dorsey...? 

[Brand J]

Just now, Bleeding Bills Blue said:

 

Hows he gonna yell at dorsey...? 

Pick up the phone they use to talk to the booth coordinators. His frustration was not aimed at Dorsey as he yelled at JOSH on the sideline. 

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

Just now, JayBaller10 said:

Pick up the phone they use to talk to the booth coordinators. His frustration was not aimed at Dorsey as he yelled at JOSH on the sideline. 

 

I wouldn't look into it too much.  Much like how this board is devolved into everyone wanting to fire everyone, in the heat of the moment he was upset and angry.  Allen was trying to ignore it to stay focused on what he can control.  

[Nextmanup]

49 minutes ago, Bleeding Bills Blue said:

 

I think his issue is he sees chase/jefferson/kupp etc.  get schemed open.  

This point was really stressed hard this morning at GR-55....Jeremy and Howard Simon. 

 

Their point was that the other elite teams left playing (read Bengals and Chiefs in particular) know how to get guys open, almost AT WILL.  KC continued to have effective offense even with Mahomes on one leg.

 

Andy Reid can get Diggs open 27 different ways, and I think Diggs thinks about this.

 

Is there no experienced, solid, smart OC type guy floating around out there?

 

It seems like Dorsey is easily upgraded.  And we don't have time to sit around and let him get an education on how to do his job.  The clock is ticking on Josh.

 

 

[Beck Water]

1 hour ago, BananaB said:

Teams have been doubling Diggs since the GB game and forcing the Bills to beat them with everyone else. 
 

It wasn’t really a disagreement either, it was just Diggs crying about not getting the ball. We seen it before, we’ll see it again.

 

It's not just the sideline "I want the ball" thing, it's the taking his stuff and shooting out of there pronto. 

 

That's just not what an actual leader does

1 hour ago, Bleeding Bills Blue said:

 

I think his issue is he sees chase/jefferson/kupp etc.  get schemed open.  

 

Chase is open because he's #15 for targets and #17 for receiving yards - owing to having Tee Higgins at # 20 for receiving yards.

Does Diggs actually want to share the spotlight like that?

 

I feel like this whole season for Allen has been a push-me pull-you between expressing the philosophy "our offense works better when we spread the ball around" and "we've got to find a way to get the ball to Diggs more".  I don't think both of those things can work at the same time.

Edited January 23, 2023 by Beck Water

[Brand J]

10 minutes ago, Bleeding Bills Blue said:

 

I wouldn't look into it too much.  Much like how this board is devolved into everyone wanting to fire everyone, in the heat of the moment he was upset and angry.  Allen was trying to ignore it to stay focused on what he can control.  

I’m sure if you asked Diggs he’d tell you he’s open almost every play. That’s how these receivers think. I don’t for one second believe he’s ever sitting somewhere thinking “man, [insert coach’s name here] can sure scheme open his receivers!” If the connection between him and his QB isn’t being made, he’s going to vent those frustrations at the guy throwing the ball, rightly or wrongly. I didn’t like to see it, because it’s dressing down another teammate in front of the public eye, but I didn’t like hearing that he left early even more.

[Drew21PA]

He’s gone

 

i don’t blame him

 

4 years of mediocre results and no championship chances

 

we know he’s pissed about 13 seconds and now this performance was terrible

 

i don’t blame him

[SF Bills Fan]

I would not be surprised if that was his last game in Buffalo. I think he sees that he won't get a ring there. 

[LOVEMESOMEBILLS]

37 minutes ago, JayBaller10 said:

Pick up the phone they use to talk to the booth coordinators. His frustration was not aimed at Dorsey as he yelled at JOSH on the sideline. 

 

 You have no way of knowing whether Diggs was mad at the offense as a whole, Josh or both(Most plausible answer). Did Diggs talk to Dorsey on the phone, in the locker room at halftime or after the game? We don't know, for all we know he was yelling in Josh's direction because he's the only one there to yell at.

 

 On top of that he's got no reason to b!tch. Top 3-5 in every major receiving catagory including targets, receptions, yards and tds while playing in one less game and while playing in the worst weather conditions of anyone in the top 20. Add to that a QB that played through an UCL injury that should've kept him on the sidelines for a month. How many catches and games won does Diggs think he could've had with Case Keenum at QB? Especially with Case playing behind that OL.

 

 

 

 

[BuffaloBills1998]

19 minutes ago, SF Bills Fan said:

I would not be surprised if that was his last game in Buffalo. I think he sees that he won't get a ring there. 

He won’t get a ring anywhere if he leaves Buffalo

[Brand J]

14 minutes ago, LOVEMESOMEBILLS said:

 

 You have no way of knowing whether Diggs was mad at the offense as a whole, Josh or both(Most plausible answer). Did Diggs talk to Dorsey on the phone, in the locker room at halftime or after the game? We don't know, for all we know he was yelling in Josh's direction because he's the only one there to yell at.

 

 

Some of you guys are making this more than it is. If the offense was moving and putting up points successfully, then Diggs is not on the sideline screaming at his QB. He feels he can help and was not being given the opportunity - either through overthrown balls or Josh not looking his way. Of course he’s frustrated with the offense as a whole and he’s going to take that out on the player who’s throwing - or in this case not throwing - him the ball. He’s not screaming at Josh in frustration because other receivers around the league are being schemed open and he’s not. C’mon. 

[DabillsDaBillsDaBills]

It seems like Diggs/Allen were off from the very beginning of the game. 

 

The 3rd down play where Allen (under pressure) just misses Diggs on a deep throw, Diggs shakes his head "no" a few times and then waves his hand in front of his face. He might've been gesturing for Josh to put more arc on the throw so he could run under it? Might've been saying he lost track of the ball in the snow? The 2nd option seems unlikely to me as Diggs made a good reach towards the ball. 

 

Then in the 3rd quarter on this play:

1st & 10 at BUF 12

(1:11 - 3rd) (Shotgun) J.Allen pass incomplete deep right to S.Diggs.

 

Diggs ended his route by cutting to the sideline, but Allen threw it like Diggs was going to cut up the field. After the incompletion Josh chops his arm down in an angular motion a number of times. I'm guessing Diggs ran the wrong route there and that Allen was peeved at him.

 

Then of course Diggs yells at Allen on the sidelines which Allen completely ignores. 

 

These 2 guys have had such great chemistry the last 3 years that I'd be pretty surprised if this game damages that, but it is a possibility. 

 

[Beck Water]

1 hour ago, SF Bills Fan said:

I would not be surprised if that was his last game in Buffalo. I think he sees that he won't get a ring there. 

 

He's not going anywhere unless he re-works his contract in a serious way giving back bonus money and guarantees - which I'm not sure the NFL/NFLPA allow.  Look at his contract.  He got $70M guaranteed.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/buffalo-bills/stefon-diggs-16872/

 

The Bills dead cap is $45M this year; $25.7Mnext year; and $18.7Min 2025.

Of the $45M dead cap for 2023, $33.2M is already-paid option and signing bonuses that the team eats if they trade him, plus of course $12M in guaranteed salary.

 

He's under contract.  The Bills are not gonna trade him or release him and eat all that dead cap.  They can't.  He can retire I guess, but he won't get a ring then either.

 

Diggs choice for the next 3 years if he wants to get a Superbowl ring is to stand in front of a mirror and figure out what part his attitude and performance may have played in this (see post above) and what he can do to get on the page better with Josh and help the other WR and TE develop so as to take more of the heat off him.

 

If he wants to continue to sulk and throw snits and point fingers at Josh on the sideline, people may think he's justified but he's not helping his QB perform better in a "Win or Go Home" game.

 

 

Edited January 23, 2023 by Beck Water

[Mango]

Diggs is one of the most targeted WR in the league. Sure there are some missed opportunities, but at scale it’s unrealistic to really target him significantly more than we already are. 
 

He should have stayed with his team post game. Shame on him.