Jalan81 Posted May 1 Posted May 1 On 4/29/2025 at 7:56 PM, Redblood said: Lots of good udfa rbs out there. I feel we will do something Agreed Gore may be the cook replacement plan Yeah that’s a big no, they will draft a back next year if Cook is gone. 1 Quote
ColoradoBills Posted May 1 Posted May 1 On 4/29/2025 at 6:56 PM, Redblood said: Gore may be the cook replacement plan Dude. FG Jr. is 5;8" 185lbs and run a 4.7 40. He's never going to be a RB1. 1 2 Quote
Mister Defense Posted May 1 Posted May 1 (edited) The daft should never be about getting a hodge podge of players at almost every position. I cannot imagine a successful team ever doing that, just making sure they get one of these, one of those, and that position--even when it is not a need, and does not address a weak area related to starting position or needed depth. If Beane did that he would need to look in the mirror when he used the word "dumb". The draft should be about sharply improving those areas, as needed. And when you have clear and obvious needs, go at it hard and well--and consistently. Just like the Bills did with cornerbacks and the defensive line. The Bills already have one of the best running back groups in the entire league, with a super fast, young dynamic superstar with great vision, toughness and receiving ability, an MJD clone bowling ball backup who looked fantastic last year when given the opportunity, and "the best third down back in the league" ++ They got the best players they can get to turn the weak areas into strong areas, and using all extra draft capital to make it happen. That is exactly what they did, and it just happens to be exactly what I wanted, called for. So, Beane is a genius! 4 of their draft picks were mocked to different teams--in the first round. I have never seen anything even close to that in all my years as a Bills fan. Looks like a master class in drafting. Soon we will start to see if it's also one in scouting. I am thinking it will be. Edited May 1 by Mister Defense 2 Quote
Mister Defense Posted May 1 Posted May 1 (edited) On 4/27/2025 at 8:11 PM, DJB said: If we don’t sign him to a reasonable extension, Beane is going to tag him Of course, or Beane is as dumb as those he is accurately calling out as such. But it will likely not come to that. it seems to violate their culture, of treating their players as men, as people. That is likely why Beane and McD have never done it. And the Bills in general almost never use the franchise tag. Just five times ever, never under Beane, and the last time was in 2016 for Cordy Glenn. Cook will get his just reward--Josh Allen will see to it. It will now all be done behind the scenes though. No way does he let Cook get away, his Thurman Thomas, and a vital piece of the puzzle that he has never had before. No Way. As you never get rid of an elite player you have been searching for for years--for a few million dollars. And now even more likely this happens--as the Bills are about to save tens of millions with their impressive group of young, skilled, (and inexpensive) defensive talent. Edited May 1 by Mister Defense 2 Quote
Mister Defense Posted May 1 Posted May 1 On 4/28/2025 at 2:36 AM, Thurman#1 said: Greatly doubt it. The tag price even this year would be over $14M. I think if he won't sign they'll let him look for something better and come back if our offer starts to look good to him. That's his standard procedure. We have a ton of weapons outside of Cook. They may not be up to your standard, but we were the #2 scoring offense in football last year, and Kincaid and Coleman were badly held back by injuries. When you've got Josh Allen throwing the ball, everyone scares you. If you've instead got someone like Tua, you'd better bring in some weapons. Every time the Bills have started to focus more on the running game they have become almost unbeatable. A few years ago after they lost to Tampa, were at 7-6 when they did so, and then ran more than any other team becoming the best running team in the league. They did not lose again. And then, after the great firing of dismal dorsey, well, just see above--almost the same exact thing, but they lost one game, the overtime game in Phili. And then last year, thankfully an entire year where the running game was sharply focused on from beginning to end. The result? Best offense in the NFL, the best offense in Bills' history, and the best year ever for our superstar QB, and his first MVP. Those are not coincidences. No way should--or will--the Bills let Cook go, the elite back they have searched for for years and someone just getting started. Beane is not dumb. 1 Quote
Thurman#1 Posted May 2 Posted May 2 9 hours ago, Mister Defense said: Every time the Bills have started to focus more on the running game they have become almost unbeatable. A few years ago after they lost to Tampa, were at 7-6 when they did so, and then ran more than any other team becoming the best running team in the league. They did not lose again. And then, after the great firing of dismal dorsey, well, just see above--almost the same exact thing, but they lost one game, the overtime game in Phili. And then last year, thankfully an entire year where the running game was sharply focused on from beginning to end. The result? Best offense in the NFL, the best offense in Bills' history, and the best year ever for our superstar QB, and his first MVP. Those are not coincidences. No way should--or will--the Bills let Cook go, the elite back they have searched for for years and someone just getting started. Beane is not dumb. First, your logic in no way follows from evidence to conclusion. Saying we should keep Cook no matter what he costs because the Bills have done well when they run a lot is like saying that eating oranges is really good and healthy for you and therefore you need to buy this particular orange right now despite the $500 price tag and the fact it’s got a huge black spot on it. Doesn’t follow. You’re right, Beane’s not stupid. Not at all. That’s why he refuses to get over-focused on something he wants and greatly overpay for it. Beane has a consistent habit of drawing the line and not going over it. It’s how he does business, and it’s smart. More, you’re very clearly showing how little you let your evidence affect your conclusions. Your prejudices are clearly visible. You say that in 2021 that when they lost to Tampa and then, according to you, they “ran more than any other team becoming the best running team in the league. They did not lose again.” That’s an extremely clear case of letting a pre-judgment deeply twist your conclusions in ways the evidence just doesn’t support. Not even close. (Just as a sidebar, pretending the evidence really does support that turning to the run caused these results, was Cook on the team then? Wait, we got these great run results with Singletary, Moss, Breida and Taiwan Jones? Well then what do we need Cook for?) Anyway, what the facts show is that when they were going according to game plans early, they passed far more often than they ran with the exception of the final game against the hapless Jets.. That’s why they had (reasonably) high run attempts. CAROLINA in the first half, 25 pass attempts, including two sacks along with 9 runs. They started off mostly passing and got way ahead and then started running more. In the first half, Up 17-8 at halftime and 25-8 by the end of the 3rd NEW ENGLAND Don’t need to spend time separating the halves. We threw 47 passes and ran 28 times in this game. ATLANTA In the first half the Bills ran 23 pass attempts including two scrambles and 12 runs (also including the scrambles). Then the second half was mostly runs. NJ JETS In this game, the Bills ran 46 passes and 33 runs. In the first half, 26 pass attempts and 14 runs, but that’s deceptive. We got the ball with 1:39 left in the half at our own 16 and ran 10 pass attempts in a row. Take out that drive and it was 16 passes and 14 runs. But again, overall 46 passes and 33 runs. Pretending that they did really well down the stretch of that season because they ran a lot? Flat-out ridiculous. Quote
Mister Defense Posted May 2 Posted May 2 (edited) 3 hours ago, Thurman#1 said: First, your logic in no way follows from evidence to conclusion. Saying we should keep Cook no matter what he costs because the Bills have done well when they run a lot is like saying that eating oranges is really good and healthy for you and therefore you need to buy this particular orange right now despite the $500 price tag and the fact it’s got a huge black spot on it. Doesn’t follow. You’re right, Beane’s not stupid. Not at all. That’s why he refuses to get over-focused on something he wants and greatly overpay for it. Beane has a consistent habit of drawing the line and not going over it. It’s how he does business, and it’s smart. More, you’re very clearly showing how little you let your evidence affect your conclusions. Your prejudices are clearly visible. You say that in 2021 that when they lost to Tampa and then, according to you, they “ran more than any other team becoming the best running team in the league. They did not lose again.” That’s an extremely clear case of letting a pre-judgment deeply twist your conclusions in ways the evidence just doesn’t support. Not even close. (Just as a sidebar, pretending the evidence really does support that turning to the run caused these results, was Cook on the team then? Wait, we got these great run results with Singletary, Moss, Breida and Taiwan Jones? Well then what do we need Cook for?) Anyway, what the facts show is that when they were going according to game plans early, they passed far more often than they ran with the exception of the final game against the hapless Jets.. That’s why they had (reasonably) high run attempts. CAROLINA in the first half, 25 pass attempts, including two sacks along with 9 runs. They started off mostly passing and got way ahead and then started running more. In the first half, Up 17-8 at halftime and 25-8 by the end of the 3rd NEW ENGLAND Don’t need to spend time separating the halves. We threw 47 passes and ran 28 times in this game. ATLANTA In the first half the Bills ran 23 pass attempts including two scrambles and 12 runs (also including the scrambles). Then the second half was mostly runs. NJ JETS In this game, the Bills ran 46 passes and 33 runs. In the first half, 26 pass attempts and 14 runs, but that’s deceptive. We got the ball with 1:39 left in the half at our own 16 and ran 10 pass attempts in a row. Take out that drive and it was 16 passes and 14 runs. But again, overall 46 passes and 33 runs. Pretending that they did really well down the stretch of that season because they ran a lot? Flat-out ridiculous. Not fact based? In every one of this three examples over the last three years once the Bills changed their philosophy, and focused much more on the run, they turned their seasons completely around in mid season two times--and then last season speaks for itself, an entire season where the run was not just an afterthought, scared almost no one, like it was under dorsey. You can have your opinion, but for most objective observers the Bills changing, committing to the run, was the catalyst each time. In fact, that is one of the main reasons incompetent dorsey was fired---and Brady's most obvious change, clearly, was running more, adding more diversity to the running game, and almost never going away from that. It is what our great coach wanted, what he got, and then in last year we saw the result of what happens doing that for an entire year. One of the most balanced teams in NFL history, the first ever with both 30 rushing and 30 passing touchdowns ever, leading to the most points scored in the entire league--and the most ever scored by the Bills, and Josh Allen finally won the MVP. Etcetera etcetera. The changes in the running game were an essential, vital element in those turn arounds and in last season's record breaking offensive success. Yup, Singletarry was a good back then, and when they finally started using him more, after the Tampa loss, ending the committee approach that worked against his strengths, he really shined. Last year we saw what could now happen with that same approach, but now with a much more dynamic back, a much faster back, with elite vision--and making the run a much more important part of the offense for the entire season. See the bold above, please. That is the difference, and why he likely will be signed to an extension You comically parse and use stats, in this half of these game... and ignore the important ones, that do not fit your (made up already) mindset. And, let me guess again, the concept of "complimentary football" once set you flying over the edge. What you are saying, Thurman, is that without your contributions in the 1990s, the Bills would have been just as good, no problem, and that that the great running game, year after year, with one of the best backs in NFL history, thank you!, was not that vital. Bizarre that you can say this, after your running and receiving was the engine that seemed to make it all work so well.. Edited May 2 by Mister Defense 1 Quote
Thurman#1 Posted Tuesday at 10:49 AM Posted Tuesday at 10:49 AM On 5/2/2025 at 9:59 PM, Mister Defense said: Not fact based? In every one of this three examples over the last three years once the Bills changed their philosophy, and focused much more on the run, they turned their seasons completely around in mid season two times--and then last season speaks for itself, an entire season where the run was not just an afterthought, scared almost no one, like it was under dorsey. You can have your opinion, but for most objective observers the Bills changing, committing to the run, was the catalyst each time. In fact, that is one of the main reasons incompetent dorsey was fired---and Brady's most obvious change, clearly, was running more, adding more diversity to the running game, and almost never going away from that. It is what our great coach wanted, what he got, and then in last year we saw the result of what happens doing that for an entire year. One of the most balanced teams in NFL history, the first ever with both 30 rushing and 30 passing touchdowns ever, leading to the most points scored in the entire league--and the most ever scored by the Bills, and Josh Allen finally won the MVP. Etcetera etcetera. The changes in the running game were an essential, vital element in those turn arounds and in last season's record breaking offensive success. Yup, Singletarry was a good back then, and when they finally started using him more, after the Tampa loss, ending the committee approach that worked against his strengths, he really shined. Last year we saw what could now happen with that same approach, but now with a much more dynamic back, a much faster back, with elite vision--and making the run a much more important part of the offense for the entire season. See the bold above, please. That is the difference, and why he likely will be signed to an extension You comically parse and use stats, in this half of these game... and ignore the important ones, that do not fit your (made up already) mindset. And, let me guess again, the concept of "complimentary football" once set you flying over the edge. What you are saying, Thurman, is that without your contributions in the 1990s, the Bills would have been just as good, no problem, and that that the great running game, year after year, with one of the best backs in NFL history, thank you!, was not that vital. Bizarre that you can say this, after your running and receiving was the engine that seemed to make it all work so well.. Um, no, I'm not saying that or anything like it Maybe you could actually read my post ... then answer it? That way you could respond to things I actually said? Also didn't say "not fact based." Or anything like it. Again, maybe read and respond to what I actually said. I disagree with some of your facts. One thing you said was that the 2021 Bills changed things around by suddenly stressing the run game the last four games of the season. And as I pointed out, that wasn't true. In three out of those four games they started out stressing the pass much more than the run, got ahead that way and then ran the ball more later to run out the clock. The main problem with your post, though, is the logic. Not the facts, the logic. You claimed that whenever the Bills really stress the run game they play very well. And that this shows that they should and will re-sign James Cook even if he's overpriced. This doesn't follow. The conditional and the conclusion aren't linked. Even if the conditional is 100% factual and true, it doesn't show they should re-sign Cook even if he costs too much. Again, it’s like arguing that oranges are nutritious, healthy and good for you and that therefore you must eat THAT PARTICULAR ORANGE OVER THERE AND NO OTHER, despite the fact that that one particular orange is priced at $500 and has a black spot on it. It doesn’t follow. Even if oranges generally are good, that doesn’t show you need to eat the one orange no matter what. It just doesn’t. Same with your argument. Even if your conditional is 100% true, it doesn’t show we need to re-sign Cook no matter what. There are a ton of different ways to stress the run game. Many of them make economic sense. Such as keeping the OL together which they’ve done such a terrific job with. Or maybe drafting another 3rd round RB next year if Cook keeps insisting on $15M and running him, Ray Davis and Ty Johnson and maybe one more guy fight it out to see who gets to run behind that terrific OL. Oh, and the way you wrote made it seem like you thought I might be the real Thurman Thomas. I’m not. Just a huge Thurman fan. Thurman, by the way, was a terrific pass blocker when called on and played a ton more snaps than Cook ever has. Terrific in short yardage power situations too. I'd love to see them re-sign Cook. At a reasonable price. What he's asking for is not reasonable. 2 Quote
nosejob Posted Tuesday at 11:07 AM Posted Tuesday at 11:07 AM On 4/27/2025 at 7:19 PM, Yobogoya! said: I honestly think the Bills would be willing to give Ty Johnson a heavy workload with Ray Davis as the #2 if Cook legitimately held out into the regular season. Fact is 17 makes the offense go, Cook is a weapon but we’d score points without him. If all else fails we can always give big Reggie G a few carries 😤 Gonna see a lot of Gore this summer. 1 Quote
Thurman#1 Posted Tuesday at 11:09 AM Posted Tuesday at 11:09 AM Oh, and yeah Singletary was a very good back, in 2021 and always, really. But your contention that he got really good in the last four games of 2021 because they stopped platooning him? Also doesn't make sense. He averaged 4.6 YPC for the season. And considerably less over the last four games. He was still good. But not better, platooned or not. Yes, he got more yards. But not because he was running better. He was just running more, so even though he was getting less per carry he totaled more yards. And again, the Bills got ahead in each game by mostly passing and then turned up the runs later in games to burn clock. 1 Quote
ROCBillsBeliever Posted Tuesday at 11:24 AM Posted Tuesday at 11:24 AM On 4/28/2025 at 11:33 AM, gonzo1105 said: I did want to take one in this draft just because the value is there. Taking one in the 7th you might have been able to sneak a guy on the PS. Two of my favorites Brashard Smith and LeQuint Allen both went round 7 but I get why they didn’t do it Well, Beane had to do SOMEthing to feed the wide receiver train, right? I mean, God knows what would happen if we hadn't taken a wide receiver... /s 1 Quote
SoMAn Posted Tuesday at 11:27 AM Posted Tuesday at 11:27 AM (edited) On 4/27/2025 at 6:53 PM, ElMarko said: Any theories or Cook comments? The whole Cook fiasco is beyond stupid. He's under contract! He has few options. Sure, he can sit out. That way he can lose a decent paycheck and at the same time compromise any negotiating leverage with other teams. Ideally, he'd want to play his balls off in 2025 off to increase his value in FA. As far as drafting or signing another RB - there were greater needs. Also, there may not have been a back the Bills thought fit their culture or talent level. Should they just sign any warm body to fill the position? Ray Davis may be to James Cook what Thurman was to then starter Ronnie Harmon. Davis looks very capable. The Bills still have Frank Gore Jr., who looked serviceable. There's also someone called Darrynton Evans and FB Reggie Gilliam in the backfield. The Bills are in the driver's seat. Cook will play in 2025 after which the Bills can slap the franchise tag on him, trade him, sign another FA, or draft another back in 2026. The Bills have options - not Cook. How much of James Cook's posturing is attributed to bad advice from big brother Dalvin whispering in his ear? He's on his 4th team since 2022. I doubt he's making top dollar as a journeyman. Maybe he should let little bro and his agent handle the business end of it. If James is smart, he'll shut up and let his play on the field speak for itself, and then he can get the money thing sorted out after the Bills win the Super Bowl next February. Edited Tuesday at 11:38 AM by SoMAn 2 2 Quote
zow2 Posted Tuesday at 12:55 PM Posted Tuesday at 12:55 PM 1 hour ago, SoMAn said: The whole Cook fiasco is beyond stupid. He's under contract! He has few options. If James is smart, he'll shut up and let his play on the field speak for itself, and then he can get the money thing sorted out after the Bills win the Super Bowl next February. I heard Beane on one of his many interviews recently. I forget which media this was with but the interviewer was really pressing him on James Cook. Beane just calmly shut it down and said..."Look, James Cook is our running back. He's under contract and he will be playing for the Buffalo Bills this season. There's nothing else to talk about". It does not sound like Beane is entertaining all the off the field nonsense that Cook and his team are putting out there. 2 1 1 Quote
GolfandBills Posted Tuesday at 01:00 PM Posted Tuesday at 01:00 PM On 4/27/2025 at 6:53 PM, ElMarko said: Any theories or Cook comments? It’s pretty simple… the top 3 is set. Nobody drafted or brought in now will take their spot. Maybe bring in one more for camp that’s about it Quote
Dillenger4 Posted Tuesday at 07:58 PM Posted Tuesday at 07:58 PM Cook, Davis, Ty Frickin Johnson! Move along.... we bad. Ohhhh, we realllll bad. Quote
Captain Hindsight Posted Tuesday at 08:00 PM Posted Tuesday at 08:00 PM Remember last year when everyone was concerned that Frank Gore Jr was a spy going to get poached in waiver cuts? Quote
Don Otreply Posted Wednesday at 01:48 PM Posted Wednesday at 01:48 PM On 4/27/2025 at 6:53 PM, ElMarko said: Any theories or Cook comments? on #2, already stated my thoughts in the original Cook thread, #1…, they feel they are set, actions speak louder than words, gotta go now, a nice hot cup of coffee ☕️ is waiting for me, Quote
EasternOHBillsFan Posted Wednesday at 01:59 PM Posted Wednesday at 01:59 PM (edited) Did anyone remotely consider the Bills could pick up one of those RBs available cut by other teams before preseason? Beane has proven he knows what he is doing. Christian Wade is available 🤪 Edited Wednesday at 02:00 PM by EasternOHBillsFan Quote
Mister Defense Posted yesterday at 12:18 AM Posted yesterday at 12:18 AM (edited) On 5/2/2025 at 5:50 AM, Thurman#1 said: First, your logic in no way follows from evidence to conclusion. Saying we should keep Cook no matter what he costs because the Bills have done well when they run a lot is like saying that eating oranges is really good and healthy for you and therefore you need to buy this particular orange right now despite the $500 price tag and the fact it’s got a huge black spot on it. Doesn’t follow. You’re right, Beane’s not stupid. Not at all. That’s why he refuses to get over-focused on something he wants and greatly overpay for it. Beane has a consistent habit of drawing the line and not going over it. It’s how he does business, and it’s smart. More, you’re very clearly showing how little you let your evidence affect your conclusions. Your prejudices are clearly visible. You say that in 2021 that when they lost to Tampa and then, according to you, they “ran more than any other team becoming the best running team in the league. They did not lose again.” That’s an extremely clear case of letting a pre-judgment deeply twist your conclusions in ways the evidence just doesn’t support. Not even close. (Just as a sidebar, pretending the evidence really does support that turning to the run caused these results, was Cook on the team then? Wait, we got these great run results with Singletary, Moss, Breida and Taiwan Jones? Well then what do we need Cook for?) Anyway, what the facts show is that when they were going according to game plans early, they passed far more often than they ran with the exception of the final game against the hapless Jets.. That’s why they had (reasonably) high run attempts. CAROLINA in the first half, 25 pass attempts, including two sacks along with 9 runs. They started off mostly passing and got way ahead and then started running more. In the first half, Up 17-8 at halftime and 25-8 by the end of the 3rd NEW ENGLAND Don’t need to spend time separating the halves. We threw 47 passes and ran 28 times in this game. ATLANTA In the first half the Bills ran 23 pass attempts including two scrambles and 12 runs (also including the scrambles). Then the second half was mostly runs. NJ JETS In this game, the Bills ran 46 passes and 33 runs. In the first half, 26 pass attempts and 14 runs, but that’s deceptive. We got the ball with 1:39 left in the half at our own 16 and ran 10 pass attempts in a row. Take out that drive and it was 16 passes and 14 runs. But again, overall 46 passes and 33 runs. Pretending that they did really well down the stretch of that season because they ran a lot? Flat-out ridiculous. On 5/6/2025 at 6:49 AM, Thurman#1 said: Um, no, I'm not saying that or anything like it Maybe you could actually read my post ... then answer it? That way you could respond to things I actually said? Also didn't say "not fact based." Or anything like it. Again, maybe read and respond to what I actually said. An important topic, as to me it was the seminal reason the Bills became a legitimate Super Bowl contender--and will be the reason they win it all. But, okay, sorry I was not more specific in my response to your first post. Hard to do it briefly, so here it is, (and then I will eventually respond to your new post!): 1. To your point that there’s a “huge black spot” on the Cook orange and that the Cook orange costs “$500”. First, there is no “big black spot” on Cook. He has been a great teammate to his team members, according to them, and quiet, humble, never seeking the spotlight as a player, ever, except in his (wish he didn’t do it), summersaults in the end zone after scoring sometimes. I assume you are calling his publicly calling for $15 million a year that “big black spot”. But he is just trying to get paid what he thinks he is worth as a young elite back in the NFL. If Beane signs him before the season to a contract in which one or more of the years is for @15 million, I can almost guarantee you that next off season that will look like considerable bargain, as the running game continues to grow importance, and so the running backs. And Cook clearly gets better, noticeably better, each year. He will do so again this year. And the Bills know what they have, and will use him more, both running and catching. And most oranges cost about $1.00, maybe $2 for the bigger, premium ones. But your analogy is that it would be like paying $500 for this Cook orange. So, let’s split the difference; say the real price is $1.50, and that means that the Cook orange in your analogy costs 333 times the going price. I think most reasonable folks would say that is at the very least a slight exaggeration, really undermining your point—showing that extreme, over the top exaggeration is the only way to support what you are saying, in this case. (I find that is true with so many who say, “Let Cook walk….”, not that you are saying that, and flippantly discount his value to the Bills.) 2. Referring to my words you say: that in 2021 that when they lost to Tampa and then, according to you, they “ran more than any other team becoming the best running team in the league. They did not lose again.” You say: That’s an extremely clear case of letting a pre-judgment deeply twist your conclusions in ways the evidence just doesn’t support. Not even close. I don’t remember the exact stat but I remember hearing that again and again after that Tampa game, as the season progressed, something such as the Bills ran the ball a higher percentage of times in their offense after that game than any other team in the league, or perhaps it was they ran for more yards than any other team for the rest of the season. (I am not good at using stat sites to find more complicated stats, such as who led the league in rushing percentage or yards for the last 4 games of a previous season, but I clearly remember that being said, over and over. And that the Bills became much more focused and committed on the run. And clearly ditto for the other two years I mention.) A lot was made of this, as until that point it was more of a running back by committee, with Moss and Singletary. I wanted more of a featured back approach, with Singletary, as he seemed to become better and better as the game progressed if he was the guy. And I was angry that the running game was not getting more play in general, believed The Bills would not be hovering around a 50% win rate if they ran the ball more, and took that part of the game much more seriously. As the yards per carry at that point indicated that they would be very successful in doing that if they ran more, would have a more balanced and productive offense. Meaning: a much easier time for Josh, less hero ball, less running for his life… In fact, as you know, there was quite a bit of talk at that time that it was a philosophical difference between Daboll and McD, and that the head coach wanted the Bills to be much more committed to the run and that Daboll was not on board. And the Bills did exactly that, focused on the run more, made Singletary the featured back, and then they did not lose again for the rest of that season. It is a sport, you can believe what you want, but hard to argue that when a team does what they did, with the intention to turn their season around, and with fans like me calling for exactly that, and then the changes that they and the head coach wanted pay off as they did, as those calling for this expected it would, that it was not a vital reason for the much better team and no losses. The head coach won, much to the chagrin of those who (comically, ignorantly) hated the words “complimentary football”, and the Bills did not lose another game that season. I believe that post season was when they lost to the Chiefs in KC that year, very late in that wild game. 3. I did not come to my points after the Bills committed to the run and became a more successful, more difficult to beat team in any of the three years I point to. I was screaming from the rooftops, at games, on this forum, in my living room, and at sports bars as I watched Daboll drop the ball and then, much worse, watched the incompetent clueless dorsey neglect the running game, causing our superstar leader to revert to old, fly by the seat tactics, running for his life, with a running game that scared no one, trying to do anything he could to pull games out of his kiester. In each of those three examples, three different years, I knew if the Bills were more committed to the run they would become much more dangerous, almost unstoppable. Check my posts on this forum. In fact, it was the main reason I was calling for dorsey’s firing, in my real life and on here. For him, the running game was an afterthought, though they had the horses to do it very well even then. Go and read my OP on his firing the week before Brady’s first game, and my thoughts in that thread on the running game. It was a seminal reason for wanting a new OC. And I predicted Brady would oblige and do the clearly needed thing—run like hell. So my thoughts did not change, are not 20/20 hindsight when it comes to the importance of the running game, but were what I saw as the most important change they needed to make, which were then clearly supported by the evidence after the commitment came by the Bills—all three times. 4. I notice you don’t say a word, not one, about the other two big examples I give, the year Brady replaced dorsey, and the Bills again became the most run centric or running yardage team in the league after that, with only their one loss to Phili in overtime, for the rest of the season. In a season that before that fundamental change, was clearly slipping away. And you don’t say a single word, on what happened last year when the Bills became a much more run centered team from the outset-- and had their best offensive year ever, breaking a Bills’ scoring record and scoring more points than any team in the league for the entire year. And the first time in NFL history, running for 30 touchdowns and passing for 30. (That last stat was not just happenstance, but because of a clear, sharp change, commitment to the run—agree with that?) But I would not mention those two other main examples, two other years I point to either, if I was going to end my post saying: “Pretending that they did really well down the stretch of that season because they ran a lot? Flat-out ridiculous.” Rather, I think it makes perfect sense, and that the facts support it, as much as they can in something as subjective as sports analysis. I wanted it, I was saying why the lack of commitment to the running game was undermining our team and our quarterback’s great potential. I got what I wanted each of the three times, and the team was almost unbeatable—all three times, with the new found commitment to the running game, supported with concrete evidence. Clearly it was the biggest and most obvious change each time. The most important change. And this coming year, I am calling for even more of a commitment to the running game, with maybe the 3 best back combo in the league now. As on offense it is all about the running game, as with a superstar quarterback in place, once the Bills have added a better running game they became a powerhouse. This year, with a newly created defense, and with an elite running game there for the taking if they want it (and I think they will), it makes sense that the Bills are even better than last year. And that they take the next step. It is at the very least a clear pattern. (You would agree with that, I hope.) But most importantly, I am shocked and confused—you are an impostor?! Not the real Thurman? Unacceptable. Edited yesterday at 12:38 AM by Mister Defense Quote
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