The Bills have lost to the Patriots a lot during the drought. So, in the grand scheme of things we as fans have seen them fail in their bid to win competitive matches w/the Pats a good bit. Today was no different, losing 41-25, with a garbage time first touchdown for rookie Jonathan Williams. At the end, that was a nice footnote to an unremarkably disappointing game.
Three things stood out to me during the game:
Tyrod and Gilmore are going to be dead men walking all season – I’m a fan of Bomani Jones’ work, both in print and on radio. One of the phrases I enjoy is the idea of pocket watching. That is to say, constantly asking a player to justify their salary in a league where stupid money is given out to owners and execs. In the NCAA it’s especially egregious (“you play for an education/the alma mater” etc etc) and in the NFL it’s no different.
Tyrod Taylor signed an extension that, if activated will put him per annum at 17th (and falling each year) in terms of salary. If you’re going to extend a vet starter at QB, that’s a fair amount of money. If you do not want to activate that extension – that’s fine – but make sure you follow up with how you’re going to replace a guy who Rex Ryan says “fits perfectly” into what he wants to do on offense.
Same with Gilmore. He’s going to get paid folks. Now if you don’t want the Bills to do so, that’s fine, but don’t balk at the cost of signing the top cornerback in 2017 free agency. And particularly don’t do that when the league makes as much as it does. Josh Norman guarantees that he is going to make 14-15 million per year, unless he gives a Super Bowl contender a discount to say 12-13 million per year.
It’s okay guys, it’s not your money.
The secondary will need to be re-worked this off-season – Speaking of the Bills secondary, it’s going to need to get an extreme makeover, STAT. This off-season all of the safety backups are free agents and Aaron Williams will be re-evaluating if he is going to continue to play football. On that note, please retire Aaron. This is the 3rd head/neck/spine injury you’ve suffered in an 18 month period. Take your money and be awesome doing something else man.
Now that I’ve plead for Aaron to retire, the Bills are going to need a starter at corner and a starter at safety, as well as depth behind new player x and Graham. If Rex wants to bring in a combo of a decent vet and a rook that would be best – the cheap pickups (Blanton) are not doing as well as Alexander for instance is at pass rusher. If they’re going to succeed on defense, they need an “eraser” in the back to ensure what Meeks did (twice!) on touchdowns doesn’t happen.
The lack of discipline and utter ‘Rex’-ness of the day was palpable – 12 men on the field, twice! Unnecessary hits to Brady that get whistled. Jawing with Hogan as he tears into the secondary’s hide. Holding calls on all three phases. This game in addition to the usual Brady beat down featured the height of dumb unorganized play. Getting a penalty for not lining up right is a penalty of execution – how do you as a team not do that right!?
If the Bills want to be remotely competitive with their 1-4 AFC record, not crapping the bed would be a good start. They seem to have a knack for doing that in games – I can’t even call it big games, I’ll call them games that they have expectations in. Which, is sad. Not Donald Trump 3am “Sad!” tweets level, but pretty sad nonetheless.
Here’s how things looked pre-game:
https://twitter.com/stayCurrant/status/792772423724601344
— Connor Manley (@ConnorManley202) October 30, 2016
— Maxwell Marko (@maxwellmarko) October 30, 2016
https://twitter.com/Burgmania87/status/792772474962341889
— KT (@KingKagan) October 30, 2016
And since Hell in a Cell is tonight…
— Tuna (@HaseksCage) October 30, 2016
At halftime, fans were not too encouraged…
https://twitter.com/BuffTheBill/status/792797544829059076
— Connor Manley (@ConnorManley202) October 30, 2016
15 years summarized in 30 seconds at the end of the half there
— KT (@KingKagan) October 30, 2016
https://twitter.com/cornhuskersman/status/792798180391858177
1st half about what I expected. If Buffalo has McCoy, Watkins, Goodwin, Aaron Williams, this game is no worse than tied, right?
— Tyler Hyp (@TyHyp) October 30, 2016
And after:
— Tyrel DeShong (@TyrelD81) October 30, 2016
Yeah.
https://twitter.com/evancdent/status/792820705641402368
I would say Zilch, mainly because he has several years’ worth of tape and the contract of Mr. Josh Norman to set the market. Teams will look at the issues the Bills have had in coverage, if they want Gilmore and attribute it to scheme, Rex, etc. I will however say this about Gilmore – if he does leave, I’d say get as much money as you can – but if there’s a winner out there willing to give him say 13 million as opposed to 15 million, go with the winner.
https://twitter.com/MrJeffHunter/status/792820415160811520
I think this ties into my first point, but I want to elaborate a bit because Jeff’s point is fair. I don’t want to make it seem as if I don’t see what you guys see – the sub 200 yard passing games, the at times erratic passes, the “Mr. In-Between” attitude he’s taken to running. But I also see the balls bouncing off the hands of receivers, the line (Wood and the RT in particular) being unable to handle pass blocking and plays like the reverse pass from Bush back to Taylor.
He’s either a QB or a gadget guy. Using him as both not only invites these debates but puts you in a position where you’re a play away from EJ. If the Bills walk away from Taylor, as I say above, go all in on a draft pick, trade what you need to get high enough to get them and be done with it. Because if it’s another move for a guy like Cassel, you’re just wasting your own time.
Up next week is the angry Seahawks on Monday Night Football. Can’t Wait?
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