Comment by Josh after practice yesterday (9/1) about the playbook…

[Cash]

41 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

McDermott did allude to the WR deficiency at the end of last season in pressers the final few weeks of regular season. Some barbed comments in response to questions about the pass game about "having to call things our guys can execute" and that sort of thing. 

 

McDermott 100% had a say, and an influential one, on the strategic build of the roster - though as you refer to Brandon Beane drafts the way the Carolina Panthers drafted in the Hurney and Gettleman eras. That is where he cut his cloth and that is the foundation of his team building belief. But the individual talent evaluations they are all Beane and he is accountable for them. I think McD at the end was frustrated about what they were getting out of multiple of the guys Beane had brought in. 

 

And if so, he had a point.  To date, Coleman and Palmer have been duds (still time for both to turn that around).  Curtis Samuel was a dud, and the book is closed on that one.  Deonte Harty was another dud.  All fairly significant resource investments at the WR position, and so far 0 for 4 on them.  You'd like to have seen at least 2 of those pan out.

 

25 minutes ago, Scott7975 said:

Here is the interview in case people want to hear it themselves. Its the first questioned answered. He answers other good questions too like about the TEs and stuff. The volume is pretty low so you will probably have to turn it up, but then there are some guys asking questions that get really loud.

 

 

My take is an offense is ever evolving so every year there will be more stuff or new stuff. If there isn't, I think the OC is probably bad at their job because the NFL constantly moves. It's likely also more tailored to the personnel they have too, which is another thing I think an OC needs to be good at. Add to that Carmichael is adding stuff and this is more Brady less McD. It's all the things, not just McD.

 

What I found interesting is they are still using these practices as training camp type practices and havent even gotten into Houston stuff yet. Im sure the coaches have people into it but the players haven't been yet. Especially since our next game is a short week.

 

Thanks for posting.  Having listed to the press conference, my takeaway is that OP is overthinking it.  Everything I heard sounded like standard PC boilerplate.

[Augie]

1 hour ago, Shaw66 said:

As I said, I just can't imagine that McDermott believed he needed a real outside threat and didn't go to war with Beane after Beane gave him no one to replace Diggs for two consecutive years. There was no real evidence of any rift between the two, so it seems to me the only conclusion is that McDermott told Beane he would prefer is resources were spent in other areas. 2024 draft was Keon Coleman, defense, defense, Ray Davis. 2025 was defense, defense, defense, defense, defense. During those two years, the only wideout free agents Beane signed were failed first-round picks and guys without deep speed.  I don't see how a guy with well-defined ideas like McDermott would allow that to happen if he thought a real outside threat was essential.

 

Then why did they go out in desperation and bring in A. Cooper and Cooks during the season when things looked dire? Because they knew an offense works better with a legit (and that was the best he could do late) threat at WR on the outside. You assume a lot, I’m watching what they actually did. 

[Augie]

1 hour ago, MasterStrategist said:

McD was a HUGE part of building this roster.  Especially on the defensive side of the ball, where our team melted down the most in the playoffs, as he found players that fit his scheme -- case in point, he had "his guys".

 

To think McD didn't have a certain style of player or specific measureables or specific traits, is just ignoring the obvious. Not going to re-open the Beane vs McD, but it's like having HR recruit for a specific "role"/skill set, as a HC you are directing what types of players you want to fit your scheme on both sides of the ball.

 

So this entire argument that McD said "we didn't have a SB roster", was partly and perhaps a sizeable part his own doing (100% on defensive side of the ball).

 

This tread is about opening up the offensive playbook. I said it’s easier to do with a legit threat on the outside at WR because it opens up things for everyone else. I’m not defending McD, but some hate him so intensely that they look for everyone opportunity to place the blame on him.

 

I’ll ask a yes or no question: Do you think McD would have preferred to have a legit threat at WR? 

49 minutes ago, eball said:

I don’t think a comment from Vic Carucci that was extremely vague, a comment he admitted was second-hand, should continue to be repeated by you and @Einstein as though it is gospel that McD “demanded a better roster.”

 

The more reasonable take (IMO) is that McD, Beane, and possibly Pegula had regular conversations about the roster and what they needed. Does anyone really view McD as the type of guy to say “I can’t win a SB with this roster?” I certainly don’t. 
 

 

I can see McD saying “we’d have a better chance to win the SB if we had a legit deep threat at WR.” I can absolutely see that. Now we have DJ Moore, so let’s see how it helps open up the playbook. It’s not just a matter of “wanting to”, you have to have the parts to make it work. 

 

We’ll never know how much of an apparent change in offensive philosophy this season was due to McD not “holding them back” (the implication here), or how much the presence of a true X WR allows them to do things they couldn’t previously do.

 

.

Edited September 2 by Augie

[Since1981]

I could see McClappy putting the lid on OC plays. McClappy spoke of “complimentary football” a lot.

”everybody eats”

His Code words…

[Einstein]

26 minutes ago, Bruffalo said:

This is the guy who allegedly blamed the offense for 13 seconds by "leaving too much time on the clock". 

 

That never happened 

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

2 hours ago, ganesh said:

Did they run a dink-and-dunk offense with Brees?

 

No, that's my point, Brady, under McD was I'll use the term somewhat loosely "forced" to run a dink and dunk offense, but now he can do things the way he wishes.  Brady has also made comments that he's giving Leonard full autonomy to run the defense as he wishes.  McD may not have given Brady the same total freedom offensively.  McD more than once made comments post game, " yeah he needs to talk about some of the play calling on offense"

[GoBills808]

1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

 

McDermott did allude to the WR deficiency at the end of last season in pressers the final few weeks of regular season. Some barbed comments in response to questions about the pass game about "having to call things our guys can execute" and that sort of thing. 

 

McDermott 100% had a say, and an influential one, on the strategic build of the roster - though as you refer to Brandon Beane drafts the way the Carolina Panthers drafted in the Hurney and Gettleman eras. That is where he cut his cloth and that is the foundation of his team building belief. But the individual talent evaluations they are all Beane and he is accountable for them. I think McD at the end was frustrated about what they were getting out of multiple of the guys Beane had brought in. 

It was obvious back in 2023 offseason McDermott was moving toward a ball control offense. So you can blame Beane for not getting the right pieces at WR but when your goal is to design a team that runs the ball more than basically anyone and you've been handed a solid oline plus the league's leading rusher...for the HC to complain to the media about not having enough WR is a laughable attempt to blameshift.

[GoBills808]

7 minutes ago, Einstein said:

 

That never happened 

'One assistant coach remembers McDermott saying in the locker room that the offense scored too fast and left the Chiefs too much time.'

[SoonerBillsFan]

6 hours ago, eball said:

I don’t know if anyone else caught this, but Josh was asked what he wanted to accomplish at training camp this year. He talked about building the connection with DJ Moore, working on his mechanics, normal stuff…but then he made what I took to be a very telling statement. He said he’s learning more “as Joe opens his playbook up.”

 

This is the first time I’ve heard something that directly suggests Brady’s playbook was “limited” under McDermott. Now, was that because of the personnel they did or didn’t have, or because McD had more control than we were led to believe? I guess that’s up to your individual interpretation.

 

Anyway, I found it interesting.

 

Josh seems dialed in.

 

We all knew it, now Josh officially confirms it.  Brady did mention attacking more in his initial presser. 

[GunnerBill]

5 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

It was obvious back in 2023 offseason McDermott was moving toward a ball control offense. So you can blame Beane for not getting the right pieces at WR but when your goal is to design a team that runs the ball more than basically anyone and you've been handed a solid oline plus the league's leading rusher...for the HC to complain to the media about not having enough WR is a laughable attempt to blameshift.

 

On the first point I agree and have always agreed with you on that. The roster build wasn't by accident. But they still spent assets on busts at WR. And that does, I'm afraid, fall at Beane's door. 

[GoBills808]

1 minute ago, GunnerBill said:

 

On the first point I agree and have always agreed with you on that. The roster build wasn't by accident. But they still spent assets on busts at WR. And that does, I'm afraid, fall at Beane's door. 

Of course it does, that's not my point: you don't get to 1st in rush attempts and time of possession (both by a mile) in 2025 without a very deliberate, very concerted approach on offense that 100% neither includes nor prioritizes your WRs. 

[colin]

allen with 650 attempts CONFIRMED.

[GunnerBill]

7 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

Of course it does, that's not my point: you don't get to 1st in rush attempts and time of possession (both by a mile) in 2025 without a very deliberate, very concerted approach on offense that 100% neither includes nor prioritizes your WRs. 

 

I agree with the core point. But part of why he didn't have what he needed at WR was because of the e v a l misses too. It was part of the story. 

[Augie]

1 hour ago, BillsFan130 said:

He said that to try and save his own arse lol. Deflecting blame is what he does best.

It's also an extremely cowardly thing to say as a head coach of a team. Especially when you have a first ballot half of fame QB on your team

 

Cowardly? It was a supposedly conversation between the owner, the GM and the HC. It was said in confidence. There is absolutely nothing cowardly about a honest response among a closed group of people. Who leaked the contents of that conversation, and why?  I honestly don’t know, but I think that would be telling. 

[GoBills808]

Just now, GunnerBill said:

 

I agree with the core point. But part of why he didn't have what he needed at WR was because of the e v a l misses too. It was part of the story. 

Yes, we've lacked at WR for years. There's no debate there. I just don't think there's a chicken/egg argument either- we didn't throw the ball WAY more because of McDermott than because we didn't have enough talent outside.

[Bruffalo]

32 minutes ago, Einstein said:

 

That never happened 

Dunne reported that it did. 

 

I think he's a hack reporter but I don't think he's an outright liar. 

[GASabresIUFan]

There are 3 reasons an OC would limit their playbook.

1.  The QB can’t handle the full playbook.  That’s unlikely with Josh as QB.

2. They don’t have the personnel capable of running the full offense.  That was probably true last year.  We lacked a deep threat and had so many injuries at WR and TE that is would have been nearly impossible to implement the entire playbook. 
3. The coach had a reason to limit the playbook.  In this case, I think this case McD had two very good reasons to limit Brady’s playbook; first his limited WR room and 2nd he wanted to run a ball control offense to keep his sorry defense off the field.  
 

Is it really a surprise with the additions of Moore and Bell, a return to health for Palmer and Kincaid, and new Leonhard lead defense that Brady would open up the playbook?

[Don Otreply]

51 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

Then why did they go out in desperation and bring in A. Cooper and Cooks during the season when things looked dire? Because they knew an offense works better with a legit (and that was the best he could do late) threat at WR on the outside. You assume a lot, I’m watching what they actually did. 

What they did do, is both SM&BB decided on the players they brought in to start the 24 & 25 seasons, those guys for whatever reasons didn’t live up to expectations, so Cooper & Cooks were agreed upon as temporary fixes,  Sean then tried at the end of the season through not so clever verbiage to insinuate that Beane failed in roster building, when it is his doing that helped set that stage, Sean not talking responsibility for any failures throughout his tenure combined with trying to throw Beane under the bus, were major contributors to his being relieved of his duties. Sean seriously helped the team during his time here, we all know that, but he had blind spots in his processes that in the end sealed his fate. Now the new HC & the GM are trying again to get to the promise land, 

 

GO BILLS!!!

[MasterStrategist]

1 hour ago, Augie said:

 

This tread is about opening up the offensive playbook. I said it’s easier to do with a legit threat on the outside at WR because it opens up things for everyone else. I’m not defending McD, but some hate him so intensely that they look for everyone opportunity to place the blame on him.

 

I’ll ask a yes or no question: Do you think McD would have preferred to have a legit threat at WR? 

 

I can see McD saying “we’d have a better chance to win the SB if we had a legit deep threat at WR.” I can absolutely see that. Now we have DJ Moore, so let’s see how it helps open up the playbook. It’s not just a matter of “wanting to”, you have to have the parts to make it work. 

 

We’ll never know how much of an apparent change in offensive philosophy this season was due to McD not “holding them back” (the implication here), or how much the presence of a true X WR allows them to do things they couldn’t previously do.

 

.

Yes - McD certainly would have preferred to have a legit threat at WR.

 

But you also brought up that "McD didn't think this was a super bowl caliber roster" --- YOU mentioned that, and opened the door to talking about the entire roster, not just the WR room.

[MasterStrategist]

39 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

On the first point I agree and have always agreed with you on that. The roster build wasn't by accident. But they still spent assets on busts at WR. And that does, I'm afraid, fall at Beane's door. 

We will never know, but if McD wanted to move to a more ball control offense and have "bigger"/possession type WRs --- and change the style of our offense, that's partially on him.  

 

Again, I could see in a hypothetical world:

Mcd: "Beane go find me best WRs that fit XYZ traits/skill set"

 

Either Beane learned his lesson, or was given more freedom to give up assets for a proven-caliber WR (in DJ).