Buffalo Bills Season over. Ow.

[FIRE DRURY]

Milano's not going anywhere. And they already have Dorian Williams and Buffalo Joe was their backups at MLB & WLB.

Safety, CB, & DL are all in need of upgrades on D, though.

It will be interesting to see what they do at WR this offseason.

He'll be 31 this summer. 2 years left. Not too early to start thinking about a replacement. I do agree we have bigger needs on D though.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Chargers/s/w0op22PtlE

 

[Zman5778]

A buddy sent this to me. This is gonna haunt my nightmares. Shakir was wide open on that 4th down. The pressure by the d-line definitely affected his decision making on that one.

So.....I wanted to avoid SiriusXM NFL Radio this morning.....but apparently I was listening to some of the Eagles-Commies game doing some errands yesterday and it was on when I got in the car. Wilcots and Ryan Leaf were discussing this play.

From the snap, all of the pressure was taking Josh's eyes away from the left side of the field. He never really had a chance to glance to his left and even if he did.......there's little chance he could have set his feet to make an even somewhat accurate throw to Shakir. Josh literally did the only thing he could have.....scrambled around the rushers to the right and threw a stupidly accurate pass to Kincaid that should have been caught.

 

[Zman5778]

Firing McDermott simply isn't going to happen and Anarumo has already been hired to be the DC of the Colts.

What the Bills need is better personnel at DT, Edge, CB2, and Safety.

IMO, Edge isn't even that big of a need. Groot has fantastic numbers as the LDE (ie, rushing against the RT)......but he'd be forced to ALWAYS defer to Von in passing situations and go to RDE where he's a less effective pass rusher.

That said, Solomon had some decent numbers as the rushing RDE in limited snaps.

I'm not going to bitch if they make RDE a priority this offseason -- but IMO DT, CB and Safety are all bigger needs.

 

[BFLO]

Hell of a season for our rebuilding boys. Almost 70M in dead cap space and we made it to the AFCC.

8 picks this upcoming draft + 2 compensatory? 6 in the first-4? Load up on Dline.

They were healthy and we were missing Rapp and Benford. And they got the calls. And we still almost won.

This is hitting me like the night we lost our 4th straight to Dallas. I’m so f***ing defeated.

But the future is bright. Go Bills

I don't like the idea of drafting heavily in the D-line or investing much cash into the d-line unless we are getting a game breaker. There seems to be very little difference in production between a group of random JAGs and the highly paid rotational D-lines we've had during most of the McD era.

But a game breaker + some jags? Sign me up

And i hate to be posting a twitter link and siding with Dave Portnoy. But the man has a point. We got robbed on 3rd and 4th down.

 

[Zman5778]

I don't like the idea of drafting heavily in the D-line or investing much cash into the d-line unless we are getting a game breaker. There seems to be very little difference in production between a group of random JAGs and the highly paid rotational D-lines we've had during most of the McD era.

But a game breaker + some jags? Sign me up

And i hate to be posting a twitter link and siding with Dave Portnoy. But the man has a point. We got robbed on 3rd and 4th down.

Live, I thought Kincaid was just a touch short.....and they never showed a replay. I do think his elbow was down with the ball just short.

We all know we got absolutely hosed on the 4th down call.

 

[MOGlLNY]

It was truly an awesome awesome season - really sucks it ended so sour. Proud of the effort the organization put up this season, the best I can remember as a 30 year old fan.

 

[WeDislikeEich]

The one big coaching change I would love to see (other than Smiley) is to bring in some seasoned vet DC / fired HC type with very different ideas from McDermott and make him an assistant HC / defensive consultant. We’re both firing Babich. But let’s just get some different ideas in the building.

I agree. I don’t think anyone needs to be fired (other than smiley) but they need some fresh ideas on defense.

One thing they have to figure out - stop spotting teams 7 points to start every game. For whatever reason the defense always seems to struggle on the opening drives of games. Way too often they let the other team march right down the field. Then they seem to dial in after that, but it continues to put them in a hole. This has been going on all the way back to Leslie Frazier, so it’s not a new issue. It’s weird how it’s continued with both McDermott and Babich calling plays (last season and this one).

I also think they just need more talent on defense (and offense). I feel like the Bills have very few true difference makers on defense (and especially the D line). I don’t think there’s a single player on defense that other teams have to game plan for. The coaching staff always gets them playing well as a collective unit but they need some game breakers. They could use some on offense too.

I like Beane, but I think he needs to step up a bit more too. He drafts pretty well, but not quite as well as some of the other contenders. He really needs to hit some home runs in the draft.

 

[BFLO]

Live, I thought Kincaid was just a touch short.....and they never showed a replay. I do think his elbow was down with the ball just short.

We all know we got absolutely hosed on the 4th down call.

Tip of the ball is over the line when his elbow went down. The ball is hard to see in this picture but it's pinned between his hand and shoulder blade, both of which are over the line. He then slid forward like another foot.

Red circle is my approximation of where the ball is when his elbow first touches down. The brown shape is the shadow of his arm.

He slid forward a few inches in this still compared to the previous 2. But I'm showing it so you can clearly see where the ball is pinned on his body.

But they marked the ball back at least a foot from there. This happened at least 4-5 other times this game that I noticed, where they spotted us back a foot or 2 from where they should have.

 

[K8fool]

I mean, you can throw 10m at North Carolina and beg Belichick to take over.
No project, more or less a "made" team, fill in a few holes, keep Brady (or another semi-competent OC) and watch Belichick shut teams down defensively.
Pete Carroll's older than Bill and he just got a job (on a team in no-man's land).

If the team thinks coaching is an issue (and IMO it sort of it is, McDermott's done great, but this seems to be his ceiling) - throw money at the one person you KNOW has a better pedigree than Reid.

let's win without CIA and scum like Billy the honorless grow a pair and pick up a blitz so our superman QB can throw downfield we're playing still

 

[TehDoak]

I don't like the idea of drafting heavily in the D-line or investing much cash into the d-line unless we are getting a game breaker. There seems to be very little difference in production between a group of random JAGs and the highly paid rotational D-lines we've had during most of the McD era.

But a game breaker + some jags? Sign me up

And i hate to be posting a twitter link and siding with Dave Portnoy. But the man has a point. We got robbed on 3rd and 4th down.

It should be noted that when its so bad Dave Portnoy can dunk on you and have legit points, its time to start investigating what is going on here.

 

[Ace]

It finally hit me what last night was. Schefter put out that tweet about the expanded replay judge being discussed specifically due to the KC ref jobs. So last nights game was, on two game changing occasions, the refs way of telling you replay is going to f*** you too. An incomplete ball called a catch. A bad spot upheld despite video evidence.

No one will stop us. We do what we want.

 

[1point21Gigawatts]

Firing McDermott simply isn't going to happen and Anarumo has already been hired to be the DC of the Colts.

What the Bills need is better personnel at DT, Edge, CB2, and Safety.

Listen, i am as disappointed as everyone else and I know McDermott has his warts (clock management) but he has consistently gotten the team to the playoffs with more deep runs than not. Firing the HC is a bigger risk than upgrading key positions for next season.

I like where this team's head is. Most of them have been in enough big game situations that they keep their cool and work hard. It's a big part of why their playoff run was so deep this year. Keep that mentality and adding the right talent could push them over the edge.

 

[kirby11]

I agree. I don’t think anyone needs to be fired (other than smiley) but they need some fresh ideas on defense.

One thing they have to figure out - stop spotting teams 7 points to start every game. For whatever reason the defense always seems to struggle on the opening drives of games. Way too often they let the other team march right down the field. Then they seem to dial in after that, but it continues to put them in a hole. This has been going on all the way back to Leslie Frazier, so it’s not a new issue. It’s weird how it’s continued with both McDermott and Babich calling plays (last season and this one).

I also think they just need more talent on defense (and offense). I feel like the Bills have very few true difference makers on defense (and especially the D line). I don’t think there’s a single player on defense that other teams have to game plan for. The coaching staff always gets them playing well as a collective unit but they need some game breakers. They could use some on offense too.

I like Beane, but I think he needs to step up a bit more too. He drafts pretty well, but not quite as well as some of the other contenders. He really needs to hit some home runs in the draft.

Amazing value drafter in mid to late rounds, but post-Allen, the round 1 picks aside from Oliver and Rousseau have left a lot to be desired (and they're more consistently good, not great). Looking at the last three specifically, you have a total bust in Elam, a meh receiving TE in Kincaid who had a really disappointing year 2, and a rookie WR with some promising flashes interspersed with separation issues in Coleman.

 

[Husko]

I know folks are feeling down on the Kincaid/Coleman picks right now. But the offense just had it's best year in forever and they were apart of that. So maybe they're good picks that are working just fine, despite the lackluster production.

 

[StreetHawk]

I know folks are feeling down on the Kincaid/Coleman picks right now. But the offense just had it's best year in forever and they were apart of that. So maybe they're good picks that are working just fine, despite the lackluster production.

With Kinkaid, they did want a WR, but would have needed to trade up to get one. Once JSN went off the board at 20, that's when Buffalo needed to make a move. But, that pick triggered a run on WR with Johnston, Flowers, Addison all going right afterwards. So, if those clubs wanted a WR, they were not moving off their pick. Would have realistically needed to jump to 18 with Detroit who took LB Campbell. I doubt TB would have passed up the DT Klancey at 19.

For Buffalo, 3:30 left with all timeouts down a FG. Now, only need less than 40 yards for a sub 50 yard attempt. Bills just didn't get it down. Seam route was overthrown, then pass knocked down at the line, then a WR screen for 5 yards, then KC came with a CB blitz (against a KC Spags D, have to expect a blitz, so not sure why Brady doesn't leave a RB in to pick it up). Tough play for Kinkaid to come back and track that wobbly pass. But, to win in the PO vs KC, you have to make a Key play. Have to convert that 4th an inches and not leave it up to the refs for those final inches. The pick, have to secure the ball, though they did get a Defensive holding call which would have wiped it out anyways. And Kinkaid needs to come up with the catch there. Difficult to track, but have to make it there.

 

[SwordsgoneWild]

I'm not 100% sure how I missed that replay in real time. But holy christ.......that's going right up there with Charles Clay's drop to not win that Miami game.

Yup. I saw the replay right after and wanted to die. It's that bad of a drop. Your 1st round TE needs to make that f***ing catch.

 

[Zman5778]

It finally hit me what last night was. Schefter put out that tweet about the expanded replay judge being discussed specifically due to the KC ref jobs. So last nights game was, on two game changing occasions, the refs way of telling you replay is going to f*** you too. An incomplete ball called a catch. A bad spot upheld despite video evidence.

No one will stop us. We do what we want.

The interception/completion/incomplete pass doesn't really bother me at all. KC was getting a first down anyways due to Hamlin basically molesting Kelce 5 yards downfield. I have very little doubt that KC scores a TD anyways on that drive.

 

[Zman5778]

Listen, i am as disappointed as everyone else and I know McDermott has his warts (clock management) but he has consistently gotten the team to the playoffs with more deep runs than not. Firing the HC is a bigger risk than upgrading key positions for next season.

And frankly I think McDermott's clock management issues are way overblown. Yeah, he's screwed up once or twice......but many/most HCs screw it up more often and/or way worse. We're still one of the best teams at pulling the double dip at the end of the 1st and beginning of the 2nd........and one of the best at preventing the double dip against, and a lot of that is due to McDermott's clock management.

 

[Zman5778]

Totally agreed with Barnwell here. That 3rd down play -- if Josh throws a better ball OR Cooper catches it clean OR Cooper breaks a tackle......that's at the very least a 30-40 yard play if not a TD (depending on the angle that KC's Cook takes).

 

[zenthusiast]

Kincaid/Coleman aren’t bad players but I think it’s fair to say that you’d like to see more out of your last two top draft picks in big games like this.

 

[zenthusiast]

Totally agreed with Barnwell here. That 3rd down play -- if Josh throws a better ball OR Cooper catches it clean OR Cooper breaks a tackle......that's at the very least a 30-40 yard play if not a TD (depending on the angle that KC's Cook takes).

It struck me at the time that when plays went wrong, it was often a string of bad execution from multiple players. Hard to win when you have that on several levels

 

[StreetHawk]

Live, I thought Kincaid was just a touch short.....and they never showed a replay. I do think his elbow was down with the ball just short.

We all know we got absolutely hosed on the 4th down call.

It is bizzare that the official who only sees Josh's back is the one who ends up getting the call since he couldn't see the ball. Whereas the official from the top would have seen Josh's chest.

Happened with KC/Hou last week too. KC WR got a favorable spot by the official who could only see his back, not the ball.

End of the day, Bills had the ball with plenty of time to score and didn't finish the job.

 

[jc17]

If you look at advanced metrics like EPA per play and others, this was the most efficient offense with Josh Allen at the helm. Joe Brady has been a huge reason why.

Brady is up for assistant coach of the year for a reason.

I think there is an argument to be made that this coaching staff was the 2nd best coaching staff in the NFL to the Chiefs coaching staff.

Just like Josh Allen is the 2nd best QB in the NFL to Mahomes.

I do not believe that changing the head coach or the OC makes this team a lot better in 2025.


The coaches were a huge reason that they were the best team in the NFL in turnover margin.

It is a huge focus for the coaches and it showed on the field.

Wasn't Dorsey offense top in the league in epa?

 

[zenthusiast]

Wasn't Dorsey offense top in the league in epa?

iirc there was a lot of media tut-tutting when the Bills moved on despite that offense grading really well in a few metrics, don’t remember whether it was actually #1