This roster is a disaster however…..

[TPS]

1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

The roster is not a disaster. It is deep. Brandon Beane prioritises depth in his roster builds. Always has. I would argue the Bills at one point in camp this past year had around 65 guys who could probably be serviceable NFL football players without being liabilities on the field if called upon to play in spot duty. That allows the coaches to piece together a competitive team even when, for example, you are down both starting tackles or when, for example, you have multiple safeties done for the year or when, for example, your defensive tackle room is decimated by November. 

 

If anyone has ever tried to criticise Brandon Beane for depth they were barking up the wrong tree. He consistently succeeds if that is your metric. The issue is his depth approach feels like, at times, it has come at the expense of genuine game changers. Particularly up front on defense and at wide receiver.  And when you add that to the fact he has struggled to draft true game changers it leaves the very top of the roster a little thin. 

 

That is a different roster build than Baltimore or Kansas City. They are more top heavy builds and they are not able to roll with the punches from injuries as well as Buffalo is. I'll exclude Cincy from this conversation because (while their roster has issues, especially on defense) when you lose your Quarterback for 9 games no amount of depth is saving you. 

As fans of a single team, we're often hyper-critical of that team, and the criticism of Beane's roster is a great example of that.  I think your statement about 65 serviceable players is an indication that this was one of the strongest rosters he has put together, which doesn't suggest there aren't weaknesses--EVERY TEAM has weaknesses, especially when it comes to depth.

 

The issue for the Bills, as you also note, has been the rash of injuries.  Hoecht going down was huge. The KC game was maybe the best game I've seen from the Bills-- wrt to pass-rush-- in a long, long time (and Oliver was out).  In the passing game, folks complain about the WRs not being able to get open, but maybe it's also the other team's defense? Look at KC vs Houston last night and compare that to the Bills vs Houston. Buffalo out-gained the Texans in yards 326 to 261 (+65 yards); KC out-gained them 274 to 268 (+6 yards), and KC had homefield advantage.  Kincaid missed that game, and he may be their most significant threat in the pass game (as Beane likes to point out regarding criticism about WRs).

 

So, again, as fan(atic)s, we get hypercritical.  Just look at the posts after a loss like Miami's (I can't remember if this was the loss that had some poster suggest sitting Josh?) vs Pittsburgh's win (or yesterday's).  As I've learned here, I give The Board a few days to calm down after losses, then return to reading things around Wednesday, when the posts start getting somewhat rational again...  😄

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

6 minutes ago, Jrb1979 said:

I disagree. I don't think they turned it on at all. They got a timely turnover similar to last year.  The Josh put his cape on to carry them to victory.  

That IMO is the problem, Josh can't play like he did   in the 4th quarter for a full game.  

I will add, if they don't get a turnover the defense also struggles. If Benford doesn't get that INT, they probably lose that game. The Bengals were moving the ball with ease on this defense. 

 

Allen also doesn't have to put the cap on if Cook doesn't fumble at the goal line and Ty doesn't get tripped up by the snow. Those two plays took 10 points off the board. 

[SCBills]

12 minutes ago, Sammy Watkins' Rib said:

@thenorthremembers is correct. I'm kind of getting tired of hearing how terrible a job Beane has done on the roster. 

 

Do we not have a top 5 offensive line for how many years running now?

Do we not have the best running game in the NFL? I recall the 20' -23' Bills teams and how a lot of the complaints at the time is that we could never build a consistent running game to help Allen.

Our defense isn't total garbage like the Bengals historically bad defense. Yeah, the Bengals have maybe the best WR tandem in the league, how is that working for them? Missed the playoffs how many straight years now?

 

Between the Chiefs, Ravens, Bengals and Bills it appears the Bills have the best overall roster despite our WR woes. 

Chiefs seem to be aging out.  A lot of their success was predicated upon a Defense that could play off an elite Chris Jones and Offense that could play off an elite Travis Kelce.   When those two are no longer elite, you see their roster building around Mahomes is pretty similar to ours around Allen.  Chiefs with a better WR room. Bills with a better OL.  This also shows, what we’ve known… that Allen is, and for a few years now, better than Mahomes. 
 

Ravens and Bengals, if we’re being honest, those two teams are in the positions they’re in due to QB injuries/QB play.   Ravens have a good roster, but Lamar has been hurt/terrible most of the year.  Burrow, we see how insane that offense is with him at 80% and if they weren’t in the position they’re in, the Defense is still bad but at least Hendrickson would be out there. 
 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by SCBills

[Jrb1979]

1 minute ago, Sammy Watkins' Rib said:

 

Allen also doesn't have to put the cap on if Cook doesn't fumble at the goal line and Ty doesn't get tripped up by the snow. Those two plays took 10 points off the board. 

Even during those drives, if Allen doesn't scramble to find an open receiver they don't get those opportunities. Look how easy the Bengals moved the ball on offense due to having elite weapons. 

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

Just now, Jrb1979 said:

Even during those drives, if Allen doesn't scramble to find an open receiver they don't get those opportunities. Look how easy the Bengals moved the ball on offense due to having elite weapons. 

 

Allen scrambles to find an open receiver at least once on basically every drive since he came into the league. That is what he does. That alone is not putting on the cap. 

[Cray51]

29 minutes ago, zow2 said:

The win was great yesterday, but I have no illusions about the playoffs.  This defense is not going on the road and winning 3 straight games against good teams.  Road games are different.  Allen won't be able to be Superman in all of them and you need a few defensive 3 and outs.

I think the question is - who are the good teams in the AFC?  Indy was a powerhouse, now they may not even make the show.  The Chiefs are floundering.  The Ravens too.  Denver is winning every one score game they can.  The Patriots were terrible last year, are they really that improved?  Do we trust Herbert or Lawrence in the playoffs?  We just dismantled the Steelers in their building.

 

No one in the AFC is a powerhouse.  All it takes is the right run of the cards, and the Bills could have a Steelers, Jags, at home against the Texans path to the Super Bowl...

[SunDSolar]

21 minutes ago, Blackbeard said:

Josh didn’t draft the game plan.  Josh didn’t make necessary adjustments at the half, especially on defense. Josh didn’t keep his players calm.  Josh didn’t play any other position than qb. 
 

josh is a big reason we win weekly.  But the coach is the other.  

Cause some just cannot fathom the fact we have a fantastic coach.  A top 5 coach.  

 

Look McDermott is a good coach but with a average to slightly above average QB his gameplan and in game management would be .500ish at best

[All_Pro_Bills]

11 minutes ago, SunDSolar said:

 

Look McDermott is a good coach but with a average to slightly above average QB his gameplan and in game management would be .500ish at best

This I agree with. Almost every one of the Bills "big plays" on offense are off script plays, the result of Allen buying time, scrambling, then making a big throw to a receiver or running for a big play rather than the players executing the called play which more times than not the defense has covered. The throw to Shakir for a TD, the 40 yard TD run, the 3rd and 15 run to secure the win. Those kinds of "superstar" plays hide a lot of shortcomings elsewhere. Without Allen this team is a 5 or 6 win roster. And maybe you can say that about most teams that get elite quarterback play out of the position.

Edited 1 hour ago by All_Pro_Bills

[The Jokeman]

23 minutes ago, Jrb1979 said:

Even during those drives, if Allen doesn't scramble to find an open receiver they don't get those opportunities. Look how easy the Bengals moved the ball on offense due to having elite weapons. 

If you can't see that James Cook (minus his fumbles) and this offensive line aren't elite you've got to really watch things again. Listen, I love Josh, but he's not the only great thing on this offense. Heck Knox yesterday played great for a starting let alone a backup TE yesterday. 

11 minutes ago, All_Pro_Bills said:

This I agree with. Almost every one of the Bills "big plays" on offense are off script plays, the result of Allen buying time, scrambling, then making a big throw to a receiver or running for a big play rather than the players executing the called play which more times than not the defense has covered. The throw to Shakir for a TD, the 40 yard TD run, the 3rd and 15 run to secure the win. Those kinds of "superstar" plays hide a lot of shortcomings elsewhere. Without Allen this team is a 5 or 6 win roster. And maybe you can say that about most teams that get elite quarterback play out of the position.

If we aren't paying Josh than that cap room be used elsewhere, maybe it be on an elite DE? Or maybe shore up the holes at WR? Who knows but as a whole this team with this QB and this HC are amongst the league's best. As we're tied for the 6th best record in the league. 

[Blackbeard]

24 minutes ago, SunDSolar said:

 

Look McDermott is a good coach but with a average to slightly above average QB his gameplan and in game management would be .500ish at best

Same coach that came on and broke our drought with Tyrod Taylor and Nathan Peterman as his QBs.

 

What else are you going to find to B word today about after an amazing win?  Always the coach 🙄

[Billsfanatic8989]

20 minutes ago, All_Pro_Bills said:

This I agree with. Almost every one of the Bills "big plays" on offense are off script plays, the result of Allen buying time, scrambling, then making a big throw to a receiver or running for a big play rather than the players executing the called play which more times than not the defense has covered. The throw to Shakir for a TD, the 40 yard TD run, the 3rd and 15 run to secure the win. Those kinds of "superstar" plays hide a lot of shortcomings elsewhere. Without Allen this team is a 5 or 6 win roster. And maybe you can say that about most teams that get elite quarterback play out of the position.

My fear is that better defenses will stop that from happening in the postseason. Meaning, not so good receivers need to play out of their minds and get open quick. And/or the opposition turns it over two to three times. 

[Chaos]

People discussing the decline of the Raven's as parrallel to the Chiefs and Bills is silly.  The Ravens with Jackson have never approached being the favorite to go to the Super Bowl from the AFC.  This has rotated between the Chiefs and the Bills.  The difference is the Chiefs won some championships before the decline and the Bills did not.  If anyone who watched Mahomes yesterday and Allen yesterday and Jackson yesterday, and still does not understand how much better Allen is than the others at elevating the team above the level of its roster and its coaching, there is nothing to say that will make that clearer. 

This is the worst Chiefs roster in several years.  And Jackson is just not good this year. The problem in Baltimore is coaching / QB , not the rest of the roster. 

Maybe this will be the year, but Beane and McDermott have the NFL's greatest cheat code, but somehow even with the cheat code can't get to the level to even play the final boss. 

[todd]

Come here the day after a great win - actually two great wins - and more whining about whatever. It makes zero sense. 

[T master]

DAMM - It's a good thing they didn't lose or all hell would be breaking loose in B/lo ! Do you all ever see the silver lining and did any of you that are complaining celebrate that the BILLS WON !!! 

 

I guess the old adage that you can't make everybody happy is still true no matter what you do !! 

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

2 hours ago, SoCal Deek said:

I think the point is that the Bills won 39-34 with their outside WRs catching a grand total of FIVE passes, while their heavily invested in D Line recorded a grand total of ZERO sacks. Is the roster a disaster? Probably not. But it’s definitely not well constructed. 

The heavily invested in dline was missing three of its best guys to be fair.  Even missing Oliver with hoecht and bosa in there against kc they looked significantly better.  Granted bosa you kinda expect to miss some time but the other two guys being out on top of that is pretty unlucky

 

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by Generic_Bills_Fan

[SunDSolar]

18 minutes ago, Blackbeard said:

Same coach that came on and broke our drought with Tyrod Taylor and Nathan Peterman as his QBs.

 

What else are you going to find to B word today about after an amazing win?  Always the coach 🙄

 

Holy ***** he brought our previous 7-9 8-8 9-7(a .500 team the 3 years previously) to a slightly above .500 team at 9-7 (.500ish as i said)

 

Cmon now

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

4 minutes ago, todd said:

Come here the day after a great win - actually two great wins - and more whining about whatever. It makes zero sense. 

There’s a loud group of people doing this for every team that eventually goes on to win the Super Bowl to be fair haha 

[SunDSolar]

1 minute ago, Generic_Bills_Fan said:

There’s a loud group of people doing this for every team that eventually goes on to win the Super Bowl to be fair haha 

 

The thing is we should have already had a super bowl appearance

 

Jesus look at Josh Allens post season stats, then comeback and tell me why we don't have a AFC championship yet?

[colin]

1 hour ago, GaryPinC said:

It's a difficulty, but good GMs find a way to ID those players and get it done.  He's had 8 drafts + McDermott in 2017.  

 

i'd state it as a great gm finds a way to find and get those players, but the point stands.

 

i wonder if this is beane being "cheap" with his management of pics or something, or just his kinda fraidy cat mentality of fearing not having great depth, so he doesn't pull the trigger on getting waddle for a 1st in 2026 (+ something else im sure) or whatever.

 

at the time i liked the trade for cooper (who i think went from a ton of talent and not so much passion for the game to less talent and not so much passion for the game) but in retrospect if he coulda gotten adams (maybe it wasn't on the table cuz adam's loves aaron) and moved cap around and not signed palmer or whatever, that woulda put us in a much much better position right now.

[Blackbeard]

7 minutes ago, SunDSolar said:

 

Holy ***** he brought our previous 7-9 8-8 9-7(a .500 team the 3 years previously) to a slightly above .500 team at 9-7 (.500ish as i said)

 

Cmon now

He's also gotten this team to the playoffs how many years in a row and with what personnel outside of allen?   How many championships has Mc D won?  

 

Maybe relish the fact we won last night instead of crapping on the coach.  This ***** is getting old. 

Edited 52 minutes ago by Blackbeard