Buffalo Bills Season's End: The Off-Seasons Starts Now

[Der Jaeger]

After listening to state run…err…Bills run media with Chris Brown and company talk about the need to add defense by tomorrow’s deadline I was so pleased to read Barnwell on ESPN.com finally say what actually makes sense. They can’t replace Milano and White on defense. They should add to the offense to try and win shootouts. He’s right. They’ll be wrong. Middling the roster build has been their ultimate undoing every year. Make the thing you can do good great…not the thing you can do ok slightly better.

How good the defense is never matters when you face a top QB in the playoffs anyway. They’ve been trying that for years. Every time they get got by a QB who can beat any defense when they’re on. And Josh is always a weapon short of matching them.

Every bit of analytics shows that Allen has enough weapons.

You want to make the thing you do good great? Go get offensive linemen to replace Dawkins and Morse in a year. Or upgrade Spencer Brown.

Or design a short timing passing gameplan which gets the ball out of Allen’s hands in less than 3 seconds. They did that Thursday night and it worked amazing.

Or get McDermott to gamble a little.

But getting another receiver or weapon has little analytical backing. It’s video game thinking.

 

[Jim Bob]

This is why 1-tech DT is at the top of my wish list.

 

[TehDoak]

I think overall, there has been a bit more long term planning with regards to offensive play calling. I wouldn't be shocked if the plan going into the season was to run 12 very heavy up until the Bengals game and then introduce the hurry up wrinkle vs the Bengals game. They've done similar things with defensive playcalling and brought in new wrinkles for the Chiefs regular season game.

The defensive injuries, the New England loss, and finally losing both Knox/Morris in one week caused them to pull the cord a week early.

But, it's about getting the live running reps in for the O-line so when the weather turns, they aren't trying to have Allen force passes down the field in 30 MPH cross winds. They'll have an established ball control offense that can win a game 14-13 instead of 34-20.

The injuries on defense have really thrown a wrench in the plans.

We'd easily be 6-2 or even 7-1 if our defense was fully healthy.

 

[billsandsabres]

here's another reason:

 

[K8fool]

I just had a conversation with a buddy of mine who's in a pool:

"Under no circumstances do you take the Bills this week. I don't care what the point spread is. You take the Bengals and you win."
"What if the point spread is......"
"No. I don't care. There is no point spread that Vegas will put on this game that will make me or you take the Bills"
"But..."
"No. You take the Bengals. They're on the upswing and we're bipolar, not on our lithium and missing our 3 best defensive players. You do not take the Bills under any reasonable cirumstance."
"Understood."

No cahones.

here's another reason:

They may not expect them to.

 

[Sound_n_Fury]

The CBs we have contained Mike Evans pretty damned well Thursday until the stupid bounce. Do I think that Cincy's WRs are going to eviscerate us? Yep......but they whallop a LOT of secondaries.

Well....that might have something to do with the quality of QB play, rather than the Bills secondary.

A top flight QB like Burrow will carve them up. Jamokes like Mayfield, not so much (although that almost Hail Mary completion still haunts me in my dreams).

 

[Jim Bob]

And people call Diggs a diva and a problem and a distraction....

 

[MOGlLNY]

And people call Diggs a diva and a problem and a distraction....

Not really leaving the field early he just didn’t talk to anybody on the Lions after the game.

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[Waterfowlist]

Well....that might have something to do with the quality of QB play, rather than the Bills secondary.

A top flight QB like Burrow will carve them up. Jamokes like Mayfield, not so much (although that almost Hail Mary completion still haunts me in my dreams).

You do realize that Mayfield is statistically better than Burrow in every category this year, right?

I get it, burrow has had a very bad start and partiallly because of injury. But Mayfield is far from a terrible QB.

So much of this comes down to game planning. The bills got torched last year because they gave a 10 yard cushion every freaking play. I don’t think you’ll see that this year. They may still get torched but I think people are overreacting to the past two weeks. Game plans dictate so much of what happened.

 

[GrierIsGod123]

You do realize that Mayfield is statistically better than Burrow in every category this year, right?

I get it, burrow has had a very bad start and partiallly because of injury. But Mayfield is far from a terrible QB.

So much of this comes down to game planning. The bills got torched last year because they gave a 10 yard cushion every freaking play. I don’t think you’ll see that this year. They may still get torched but I think people are overreacting to the past two weeks. Game plans dictate so much of what happened.

Both this coming week and in the playoff game we have been without Daquan Jones who I believe in the lynchpin to how they want to play defense. Getting no rush up the middle on a pure pocket passer like Burrow is unlikely to end well.

We need the offense to play aggressively like we did against Miami, looking to score a TD every single drive. I think McDermott gets more conservative against poor opponents but you can't do that this week. Cinci owned us at the line of scrimmage in 1.5ish games last year and picked you apart on nearly every drive. I think this is the week we see the injuries really hurt us on defense, so again need the offense to step up in a big way.

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

My wish list for today, in order:

1. Jaylon Johnson (3rd+Elam?)
2. Jerry Jeudy (probably not at the asking price)
3. Harrison Phillips (no idea what he’d go for)

 

[Der Jaeger]

My wish list for today, in order:

1. Jaylon Johnson (3rd+Elam?)
2. Jerry Jeudy (probably not at the asking price)
3. Harrison Phillips (no idea what he’d go for)

Adding Johnson and Phillips would be smart.

 

[Taro Tsujimoto]

 

[Dubi Doo]

Adding Johnson and Phillips would be smart.

Id be very happy if that's all that's done today. I'd like a LB, too, but Im also intrigued to see if Poyer gets more reps there.

 

[kirby11]

Johnson as the long-term Tre replacement/CB1 would be a massive get.

But if they don't want to use the picks and cap space needed to acquire and extend him, hopefully they at least find a decent upgrade on Dodson/Williams at LB and pick up another 1T, though Poona looked a bit more serviceable last week.

 

[Selanne00008]

Why are the Bears trading away a 2nd round pick for a DE?

 

[Zman5778]

My wish list for today, in order:

1. Jaylon Johnson (3rd+Elam?)
2. Jerry Jeudy (probably not at the asking price)
3. Harrison Phillips (no idea what he’d go for)

I don't really see the need for Jeudy. Yeah, he was a 1st round pick....but is he really THAT much better than Davis right now?

I'd add Josey Jewell to the "wish list". He's a poor-man's Milano and certainly an improvement over Dodson/Williams.

 

[Asymmetric Solution]

Do something Brandon.

 

[Zman5778]

Bears trade pick to Commanders for DE Sweat

The Commanders and Bears agreed to a trade Tuesday that sends defensive end Montez Sweat to Chicago for a 2024 second-round pick.

www.espn.com

Didn't expect the Bears to be buying. I imagine an extension coming for Sweat soon.

Makes sense for the Commies -- they'd only get a compensatory 3rd in 2025 had Sweat signed elsewhere as a free agent.....and Chicago's 2nd is basically a round and a half better.

 

[Zman5778]

Do something Brandon.

Our severe lack of cap room is going to make doing lots of things difficult. Maybe we get Johnson, but if the Niners are in on him......I don't see us outbidding the Niners who are basically in "F*** dem picks" mode.

Maybe we shore up LB....or the D-line.....but I don't see anything super aggressive. Not this year.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I don't really see the need for Jeudy. Yeah, he was a 1st round pick....but is he really THAT much better than Davis right now?

Is he better at all? Seems like a very whatever player

 

[Zman5778]

Is he better at all? Seems like a very whatever player

Is Jeudy more talented? I mean, yeah -- he was a 1st round pick.

Has Jeudy realized all that talent? Nope. Not even really that close.

Jeudy has the POTENTIAL to be better than Davis..........but right now, they're kinda the same player. Deep threat, decent enough route runner, meh hands.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Is Jeudy more talented? I mean, yeah -- he was a 1st round pick.

Has Jeudy realized all that talent? Nope. Not even really that close.

Jeudy has the POTENTIAL to be better than Davis..........but right now, they're kinda the same player. Deep threat, decent enough route runner, meh hands.

Definitely a more talented prospect. But as an NFL player, it hasn’t come through at all. If he didn’t have that prospect name, no fan would want to trade for him. Potential starts to lose its shine after three years

And while they probably even out with all that you mentioned, gabe the blocker is very very good.

 

[Der Jaeger]

Id be very happy if that's all that's done today. I'd like a LB, too, but Im also intrigued to see if Poyer gets more reps there.

Phillips would fill a need at DT, which will get bigger this off-season.

If the Bills can get Johnson to re-sign, CB1 issue is solved.

I think LB is easy to cover up situationally. Dodson, Klein, and Poyer in a platooning situation.