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

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[VaporTrail]

If we had a healthy defense this year what would the Bills record be ? And, would Dorsey still have a job ?

 

[Zman5778]

If we had a healthy defense this year what would the Bills record be ? And, would Dorsey still have a job ?

We win the Pats game, no doubt. So that's 6-4.

I think a healthy D stops the Broncos cold on their last drive, and maybe stops one of their TD drives. So that's 7-3.

The other 2 games are debateable. I think Cincy finds a way to beat us....and we looked like ass against Jacksonville.

So I'm saying 7-3. Dorsey's seat is warm, but he still has a job because we're winning.

 

[Fezzy126]

I get what you're trying to say.....and I think there is certainly an element of Dorsey probably holding Allen back (just like Ralphie held back Dahlin and Skinner).............but I do believe that Allen is making poor decisions even outside of Dorsey.

Again -- my hope is that this firing awakens the slumbering Allen.

Yeah, I probably should have expanded a bit... I think a big part of coaching a QB is figuring out what concepts, what plays, and what throws he's comfortable with, and then building around it. Oh, and removing the throws he's not comfortable with... I remember Doug Pederson specifically talking about this discovery process with Foles during their Super Bowl season. Daboll also talked about having that level of comfort/chemistry his last year with Allen.

Don't get me wrong, Allen is always going to have some level of gunslinger in him (this is good I think), so he's never going to be mistake free. But the fact that we keep seeing him make dumb decision after dumb decision, with some repeating mistakes, tells me that Dorsey has no idea how to get the best out of Allen.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

Hypothetical Question, just for fun, I think ? lol
Would you trade next years first rounder plus for Brian Daboll (as head coach) ?

Who are some of the young coaches you would like to see get a shot here if McD is let go ?

 

[WeDislikeEich]

Hypothetical Question, just for fun, I think ? lol
Would you trade next years first rounder plus for Brian Daboll (as head coach) ?

Who are some of the young coaches you would like to see get a shot here if McD is let go ?

Ben Johnson! (Detroit OC)

 

[WeDislikeEich]

 

[Zman5778]

Yeah, I probably should have expanded a bit... I think a big part of coaching a QB is figuring out what concepts, what plays, and what throws he's comfortable with, and then building around it. Oh, and removing the throws he's not comfortable with... I remember Doug Pederson specifically talking about this discovery process with Foles during their Super Bowl season. Daboll also talked about having that level of comfort/chemistry his last year with Allen.

Don't get me wrong, Allen is always going to have some level of gunslinger in him (this is good I think), so he's never going to be mistake free. But the fact that we keep seeing him make dumb decision after dumb decision, with some repeating mistakes, tells me that Dorsey has no idea how to get the best out of Allen.

Yeah, completely agree with this. Well worded.

Hypothetical Question, just for fun, I think ? lol
Would you trade next years first rounder plus for Brian Daboll (as head coach) ?

Who are some of the young coaches you would like to see get a shot here if McD is let go ?

To answer question 1 -- Hell. No. I'm not sure what to make of Daboll, but there's zero chance I'm paying a 1st rounder for him (nevermind the plus).

To answer question 2:
IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER
Jerod Mayo (Pats' LB coach)
Lou Anarumo (Cincy DC)
Todd Monken (Baltimore OC)
Alex Van Pelt (Browns OC)
Bobby Slowik (Texans OC)
Ben Johnson (Lions OC)
Aaron Glenn (Lions DC)

The two bolded are the 2 I'd be most interested in.

 

[whiplash]

Yeah, I probably should have expanded a bit... I think a big part of coaching a QB is figuring out what concepts, what plays, and what throws he's comfortable with, and then building around it. Oh, and removing the throws he's not comfortable with... I remember Doug Pederson specifically talking about this discovery process with Foles during their Super Bowl season. Daboll also talked about having that level of comfort/chemistry his last year with Allen.

Don't get me wrong, Allen is always going to have some level of gunslinger in him (this is good I think), so he's never going to be mistake free. But the fact that we keep seeing him make dumb decision after dumb decision, with some repeating mistakes, tells me that Dorsey has no idea how to get the best out of Allen.

A plague throughout the NFL is egotistical or clueless coordinators and coaches forcing players into a system they don't fit. I really hope it was mostly Dorsey doing it to to the offense/Allen, and not a directive from McDermott that will simply carry over to Brady.

To me, Jets game has to be a massive get-right game, not just a squeaked out win. Prove this milquetoast garbage offense was the hold up, not a complete loss of identity by McD.

 

[buffa dud]

Hypothetical Question, just for fun, I think ? lol
Would you trade next years first rounder plus for Brian Daboll (as head coach) ?

Who are some of the young coaches you would like to see get a shot here if McD is let go ?

"LOL" is right. I can't go a week without a Daboll outburst where he targets his own players and coaches. The Giants are literally on the cusp of imploding and it's been one year.

So, no. Great OC. Horrible HC.

 

[Ace]

The only story of the Bills season from this point on should be that McDermott wanted his hand in everything. Ran off his DC. Fired his OC after clashing with his last one because he didn’t call the game he wanted. Told Allen not to be Allen.

Got everything he wanted.

I know they won’t fire him when they miss. Another genius move by Terry extending him before the season. But there has to be a complete redefinition of job description. I’d say stick to what he knows…but I’m not even sure what that is anymore. Remaking the entire team in his image has lead to it…being in his image. Without answers, cowardly and in over their heads.

There needs to be some guarantee that we won’t watch Brady call an offense that actually fits his QB for seven games…and then have an off-season where Clappy the Clown makes him take it all out Again.

 

[SundherDome]

They don’t need to make fundamental changes though, they just need to stop making so many mistakes! Which I don’t think has much to do with the offensive coordinator. I think the hope is this just gives the offense a jolt and they start executing a little better

Mistakes can tie directly to a coordinator. If you are not confident in the route, you may not run it to your best ability. If your game plan is predictable, defenses start cheating, players get frustrated and it snowballs. Dorsey's offense was predictable and when someone has a good idea what your going to do, it impacts execution.

Taron was on an island, and had to defend the slant which was the higher % play. If he gives up the slant, Jeudy gets a first down and the Broncos spike it in long FG range.

He can’t run with a speedy WR like that down the field, it isn’t his game.

Which is fine he had it covered, he just didn't get his head around. Wilson threw a duck because of the pressure

 

[SharkInABoloTie]

Expecting the boys to lay an egg. Hope I’m wrong.

Prophetic

 

[Krieger Bot]

A lot of it is McDermott talking about Allen needing to take fewer hits and then Dorsey stops calling designed runs for Allen early in the year for one.


He was the passing game coordinator at LSU for one season. Let's not overstate how much he impacted Joe Burrow.







Joe had to stop doing his All-22 review of last night for the emergency pod.

PFF can be a very good resource, but this take is ice cold IMO. It's not hard to find numbers that paint the Bills offense in a poor light. You just have to know where to find them.

Watching the team suggests that their numbers are being inflated by: (1) weeks 2-4; and (2) when they're down by multiple possessions. And the data supports it.

In weeks 5-10, the Bills EPA/play is 19th when you take out possessions where the Bills' likelihood of winning either exceeded 80% or dropped below 20%. And their EPA on dropbacks is a shockingly bad 24th. That's worse than Indianapolis, Washington, Tennessee, Atlanta, Chicago, and Pittsburgh over a 6 week stretch. That is inexcusable. For a team with Super Bowl aspirations, it is fireable. No team with Josh Allen at QB should be posting numbers that bad for that long.

Interestingly, their success rate has remained decent throughout this stretch: it's 6th in the league on all plays, and 11th on pass plays.

To me, the bad EPA numbers combined with the decent success rates supports the takes being posted by the Cover 1 guys and Dan Orlovsky. Or by Patrick Petersen claiming he knows what routes we're running on a podcast. We're calling plays that are designed to beat particular coverages, but there's no aggressiveness or creativity to our scheme. It's holding us back and it was time to make a change.

 

[Ace]

Does anyone honestly believe that Dorsey gets fired today if they didn’t have 12 men on the field last night? Something that has nothing to do with him. Don’t be a homer…don’t be confrontational just because you hate me for being blunt about the situations when you want sunshine and roses…answer honestly.

a guy McDermott defended week after week when people called for his dismissal…is he fired if that kick misses and they win?

Now ask yourself why he was fired because it went in.

Yes he deserved to be fired. A long time ago. When the coach and QB acted like it was a crazy notion. So why today? What is the one difference between this game’s aftermath and last week’s? You know the answer.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Does anyone honestly believe that Dorsey gets fired today if they didn’t have 12 men on the field last night? Something that has nothing to do with him. Don’t be a homer…don’t be confrontational just because you hate me for being blunt about the situations when you want sunshine and roses…answer honestly.

a guy McDermott defended week after week when people called for his dismissal…is he fired if that kick misses and they win?

Now ask yourself why he was fired because it went in.

Yes he deserved to be fired. A long time ago. When the coach and QB acted like it was a crazy notion. So why today? What is the one difference between this game’s aftermath and last week’s? You know the answer.

What exactly are arguing against?

 

[kirby11]

Does anyone honestly believe that Dorsey gets fired today if they didn’t have 12 men on the field last night? Something that has nothing to do with him. Don’t be a homer…don’t be confrontational just because you hate me for being blunt about the situations when you want sunshine and roses…answer honestly.

a guy McDermott defended week after week when people called for his dismissal…is he fired if that kick misses and they win?

Now ask yourself why he was fired because it went in.

Yes he deserved to be fired. A long time ago. When the coach and QB acted like it was a crazy notion. So why today? What is the one difference between this game’s aftermath and last week’s? You know the answer.

Said it to my buddies in a group chat...Dorsey was the last domino McD could topple over in front of him.

I don't see how this ends well for him barring a miracle turnaround and subsequent deep playoff run, or a reinvention of himself as a HC.

 

[paulmm3]

The core of the Bills problem is that Josh is a turnover machine. The rest of the roster is decent except Gabe Davis who sucks. I don't know what we do about the Josh Allen problem. I fear he's not good enough to win with but too good to move on from.

 

[PatLaFontaineASMR]

The core of the Bills problem is that Josh is a turnover machine. The rest of the roster is decent except Gabe Davis who sucks. I don't know what we do about the Josh Allen problem. I fear he's not good enough to win with but too good to move on from.

Josh has always been turnover prone. He still led the league in turnovers from 2020-2022 when we went 37-12. Would've made the AFC championship game 2 years in a row if it wasn't for 13 seconds.

Josh is turning it over a bit more than before, but that's not even close to the main issue of the offense.

 

[paulmm3]

Josh has always been turnover prone. He still led the league in turnovers from 2020-2022 when we went 37-12. Would've made the AFC championship game 2 years in a row if it wasn't for 13 seconds.

Josh is turning it over a bit more than before, but that's not even close to the main issue of the offense.

Agree to disagree. I think we got very lucky in close games those years. We've not had it go our way in close games this year. But inconsistency has always been the hallmark. Good games more than bad games, but then garbage like last night, week 1 against the Jets, Cincy in the playoffs, etc. To win the Super Bowl you need to string 4 or 5 wins together when it matters, and I think the turnovers eliminate the consistency needed to make that happen.

 

[PatLaFontaineASMR]

Does anyone honestly believe that Dorsey gets fired today if they didn’t have 12 men on the field last night? Something that has nothing to do with him. Don’t be a homer…don’t be confrontational just because you hate me for being blunt about the situations when you want sunshine and roses…answer honestly.

a guy McDermott defended week after week when people called for his dismissal…is he fired if that kick misses and they win?

Now ask yourself why he was fired because it went in.

Yes he deserved to be fired. A long time ago. When the coach and QB acted like it was a crazy notion. So why today? What is the one difference between this game’s aftermath and last week’s? You know the answer.

No he probably would've gotten a few more games until the offense shit it's pants again. Clearly was a scapegoat for McD.

Agree to disagree. I think we got very lucky in close games those years. We've not had it go our way in close games this year. But inconsistency has always been the hallmark. Good games more than bad games, but then garbage like last night, week 1 against the Jets, Cincy in the playoffs, etc. To win the Super Bowl you need to string 4 or 5 wins together when it matters, and I think the turnovers eliminate the consistency needed to make that happen.

Which games were we getting lucky? We were blowing everyone out with Allen still turning it over.

"To win the Super Bowl you need to string 4 or 5 wins together when it matters"

He clearly did that against the Patriots & against the Chiefs when he had back to back 2 best playoffs games ever for a QB. That was getting hot at the right time & McD pissed that away with 13 seconds.

 

[Dubi Doo]

Rough few days for Buffalo sports.

I'll be taking a break from the Sabres. I can't watch a team that half asses it 80% of the time. Hopefully, they start to turn it around because hockey >>> football, imo. I'm not holding my breath with Tage out, though. Seems like another year without playoffs.

I'll still watch the Bills. I've been pretty nonchalant about them since '13 seconds'. I had a strange feeling that would be this core's legacy, so I've just been along for the ride since then.

I'll never forget that dread I originally felt in the pit of my stomach when KC tied the game and eventually went on to win it. Oddly enough, it quickly subsided. I thought the pain of that loss would sting for a while, but I got over it quickly. That put everything into perspective. Either I learned that getting worked up over sports just isn't worth it, or the trauma of that loss ended my crazed fandom turning me numb to the team.

Whatever it was, it's stuck with me since, and I rarely ever get ticked during or after Bills games anymore. It was wild seeing how mad some fans at the bar were getting. Older fans, too. I'm thinking- dude, we've been here before! This is light work.

On the real, it sucks both teams look like ass this year. It's bringing some really strange nostalgia to me. I feel like I time traveled back a decade. Now, if only these gray hairs I have can turn brown again, then I'll be convinced I woke up in 2013!

 

[Jim Bob]

Said it to my buddies in a group chat...Dorsey was the last domino McD could topple over in front of him.

I don't see how this ends well for him barring a miracle turnaround and subsequent deep playoff run, or a reinvention of himself as a HC.

My guess is that McD hires a DC and goes back to being the CEO and they hire a veteran OC if Brady doesn't look great over the last 7 games and McD lives to coach another year here. Smiley might also get run out of town given how bad the STs have been this year.

It will be less reinvention and more about going back to being the CEO and trying to get a good DC/OC combo.

 

[stealth1]

My guess is that McD hires a DC and goes back to being the CEO and they hire a veteran OC if Brady doesn't look great over the last 7 games and McD lives to coach another year here. Smiley might also get run out of town given how bad the STs have been this year.

It will be less reinvention and more about going back to being the CEO and trying to get a good DC/OC combo.

IMO it all depends on how they finish the season. If their play continues like it has the last few weeks I think they clean house. A lot of it has to do with the new stadium. Pegula is going to want a winning season next year going to the opening of the new stadium. Season ticket holders are already having issues selling some tickets to the prime time games this season.

 

[TageGod]

Does anyone honestly believe that Dorsey gets fired today if they didn’t have 12 men on the field last night? Something that has nothing to do with him. Don’t be a homer…don’t be confrontational just because you hate me for being blunt about the situations when you want sunshine and roses…answer honestly.

a guy McDermott defended week after week when people called for his dismissal…is he fired if that kick misses and they win?

Now ask yourself why he was fired because it went in.

Yes he deserved to be fired. A long time ago. When the coach and QB acted like it was a crazy notion. So why today? What is the one difference between this game’s aftermath and last week’s? You know the answer.

5 losses directly tied to the offense is the reason. Coaches will always defend their guys, even after being fired. He is probably still fired anyways, the win doesn't change the abysmal performance. The players meeting followed by the trash performance was the last straw. He was hoping the offense would look good this week and didn't so gone.