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We take a few steps forward with the offense & a few steps back with the defense, what a joke. At least we are drafting in the top 13, which tells me that we aren't that far from the playoffs. Have a good off-season !
As for the topic I don't know. Some days I think we really are inches away. Then other days I remember we are the Bills and I just know the football gods will find a way to extend our pain.
This pas 2 seasons were "funny" in that way. 2014 delivered an elite defense paired with an offense that was so miserable and amateur it became painful. A year later we do the right thing and get a real coach to run the offense. In theory the already elite defense paired with a good offense should suffice. But wait ..... the football gods have an ace up their sleeve. Rex ruins a perfectly good defense by turning them into the most underachieving mediocre bunch in recent memory. In the process they ruin a very worthy and proffesional effort from Roman, Taylor and the offense.
Can't wait to see how the gods will screw us up in 2017.
As for the topic I don't know. Some days I think we really are inches away. Then other days I remember we are the Bills and I just know the football gods will find a way to extend our pain.
This pas 2 seasons were "funny" in that way. 2014 delivered an elite defense paired with an offense that was so miserable and amateur it became painful. A year later we do the right thing and get a real coach to run the offense. In theory the already elite defense paired with a good offense should suffice. But wait ..... the football gods have an ace up their sleeve. Rex ruins a perfectly good defense by turning them into the most underachieving mediocre bunch in recent memory. In the process they ruin a very worthy and proffesional effort from Roman, Taylor and the offense.
Can't wait to see how the gods will screw us up in 2017.
By making us go through rebuilding the previous elite defense while teaching the over complex scheme to rookies.
Clearly we weren't good enough last year. We need to improve and we are right up against the cap, so how can we sign anyone? Well, losing Mario will free up a big chunk of change, but that won't be enough to sign our two starting FA OL's, replace Mario and still make the team better somehow. Say what you want about Mario's contract: we still don't have anyone equal or better to step in for him, and I suspect Hughes' numbers will go down then they don't have to worry about Mario on the other side.
Couple that with the fact that we will likely be without Shady for the first 4 games, and I don't see it happening for this team.
Pegula has a good thing going with the Sabres. They're not good yet but they have a lot of young talent and a lot of cap room so they can grab the missing pieces in a year or two to gel. The future is bright.
But it took forever to get here. Why? Pegula bought into the GM's bull****and thought the team was only a few pieces away. He spent big on players who never performed, like Leino, Regher and Ehrhoff. The team mired in mediocrity before completely imploding and he had to start over.
Pegula has made the same mistake with the Bills. We will never win with Rex and guys like Shady and Watkins are great, but we don't have the team around them to win or the cap space to add pieces.
I thought we were when we brought in Marrone. I was thinking first year we'd stink, second year we'd be frisky but barely miss the playoffs, and third year we'd be contenders because the team would gel and we had a favorable schedule. The complete implosion of the defense ruined that.
1) Pretty sure MMD is referring to the back end of the draft when he referred to 'top 13', although 19th is actually 'top 14'.
2) They were a lot closer at this time last year, with a dominant D and solid special teams already in place, only needing a QB, an OC, and one or two linemen. We filled a couple of those holes at least for this season, but overall the team turned into a cluster****. Two steps forward, ten back.
YardRat Wall of Fame #56 DARRYL TALLEY #29 DERRICK BURROUGHS#22 FRED JACKSON #95 KYLE WILLIAMS
The offense is a lot closer to being the strength of the team than the defense.
After getting on the same page, Taylor and Watkins played great the rest of the season.
Charles Clay is the best tight end the Bills have ever had. He just turned 27 years old 3 days ago. He's entering the prime of his career.
Running game, check. Even without McCoy, the Bills ran the ball well last year.
Glenn and Incognito will resign, and the offensive line as a whole should be better.
Right tackle and the 2nd WR are the only positions on offense that worry me.
Make or break year for Tyrod Taylor. I think the kid's gonna' make it big.
Defense - Muchos problemos.
One or even two rookie draft picks can't fill the holes at linebacker, nose tackle, safety, and a pass rushing defensive end.
Rex's defensive makeover along with his brother's help is either going to be really good, or look like bad cosmetic surgery.
I sort of agree in general but I think they've saddled themselves with a lot of fragile guys on offense.
I don't think Clay, Taylor, Miller, Henderson, McCoy, or Karlos are going to make it enough games. Urbik will be gone unless he stays for minimum wage, Kouandjio is going nowhere quick, and Manuel is questionable for what he might be able to do without any of the above. That leaves gaps or depth at TE, OT, OG, RB, backup QB and offensive line swing man, not to mention a threatening slot receiver.
Defense needs DE, ILB, OLB, Ryan safety, plug and play NT/DT to fit in Ryans inflexible scheme.
They dorked this up. They need to shed salary already, and that's just not the sign of an 8-8 team on the rise, it's the sign of almost but not quite and start over. It looked good on paper last year, probably looked better in practice with less talent the year before, and the window has closed with a need to get specialized defensive players for a complex system that won't work well for at least another year while injuries and age rough players up worse.
1) Pretty sure MMD is referring to the back end of the draft when he referred to 'top 13', although 19th is actually 'top 14'.
2) They were a lot closer at this time last year, with a dominant D and solid special teams already in place, only needing a QB, an OC, and one or two linemen. We filled a couple of those holes at least for this season, but overall the team turned into a cluster****. Two steps forward, ten back.
It definitely feels that way, but the one thing many fans aren't thinking about is quarterback.
When is the last time Bills fans have went in to a season feeling confident at knowing who their starting quarterback was going to be?
2002?
If Tyrod Taylor improves upon his unbelievably good first season as a starter, the Bills went ten feet back to take 100 yards forward.
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