← Buffalo Plus: A Buffalo Bills podcast
Buffalo Plus: A Buffalo Bills podcast
Bills decisions on offense plus Stef speaks and SB thoughts
00:37:07
Bills decisions that need to be made for offense
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- [00:01]
A
It's time for the Buffalo plus podcast.
- [00:05]
B
Now and again.
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A
Rolls on the move, lets it fly. Oh, digs. Oh, what a catch.
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B
Welcome back to the Buffalo plus podcast, presented by Connors and Ferris, Mike Catalana, Dan Fates. I am Jenna Cottrell. We're talking the offensive side of the ball for the Bills free agents and the decisions ahead that we expect. Mike, I want to start with you. There's a couple of guys that stand out. Do you want to start with Devin Singletary? How do you. Oh. Before we get started, please be sure to like, comment and subscribe.
- [00:35]
C
Nice catch.
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A
Yeah.
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B
Wow. All right, Mike, let's start with Devin Single Dairy. Then we're gonna talk run game. Dan, your favorite. But Devin Singletary, do you think he's back in a Bill's uniform for 20, 23?
- [00:51]
A
This is the most interesting thing about running backs. You look at him in many positions, you look and you go, we're not going to be able to afford that guy because somebody's going to pay him. Nobody pays running backs. They're not going to pay big money to running backs. I think Devin Singletary, I've said this before, I think he's been the most consistent performer on the offense because he is who he is. And if you resign him and pay.
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B
More money, that's a wild comment.
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A
It really is. When I say consistent, that doesn't mean the best. It just means he's been the same guy I think the whole time he's been on the team. He is a good NFL player, but now you'd have to pay him a little more as a player with a few more miles on him. He also knows the offense. He knows all that stuff. I think he's a good player. If they brought him back, I'd be fine at the right number, but I don't think they're going to. And I think they need to get the ball in James Cook's hand and say, you're going to be the number one guy. Then I think they need to find a way to use Hines and then I think they need to draft or sign a moderately priced free agent to get a guy. Hey, look, I'm watching Pacheco, who was a average player at Rutgers in the Big Ten, come in with Kansas City and be real impactful. He's from my hometown, by the way, in case he beat his. Beat my Eagles. Yeah. He's from Vineland, New Jersey. Yeah.
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C
Is he. Is he in any hall of Fame of South Jersey?
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A
Not yet. I'm sure he's going to be There he'll be joining me and Sal Palantonio who will be going in the hall soon in South Jersey. Yes. I think Isaiah Pacheco is going to find his way. He's an NFL player, he just won a Super Bowl. But I'm.
- [02:25]
C
You're Mike Catalana.
- [02:27]
A
Yeah. They got this guy in the seventh round and he's super quick and he runs hard. I'm. You can find running backs. I, I think it's a rare thing now to pay a running back in his second contract and that's no dig on Devin Singletary. I just don't think it's worth the extra money.
- [02:45]
C
Yeah, I think, I think that's a great point is that while the salary cap is not real, they will have to make some decisions on where they do a lot that fake monopoly money and how they spread it out over the years. And, and Mike, you talked about a veteran mid tier guy for decent, you know, whatever salary that is to be the third running back. How about on the practice squad? Duke Willie or Duke Johnson? I think he's a fine. I think, I think he's exactly what they could use or be whatever with is that third down back if need be. They do they bring back Taiwan Jones. Always be that emergency special teams guy that that could do. I'm not saying offensively but like you always want to have somebody that can run the ball if all hell breaks loose and injuries riddle the team. I think Michael Hugh said Cook's the number one guy. Hines will be involved more in the offense. I don't care who the RB3 is and I just don't think you're spending on a second year contract of a guy that is like you said, Probably a top 25 running back in the league. So you're probably not going to pay him.
- [03:46]
B
I feel like when you look too at the tea leaves of like this team, they've wanted to try to replace Devin Singletary for a while. Like you look at it, they drafted Zach Moss, obviously they drafted James Cook. They've brought in other guys like Nahim Hines. But I will say like this free agent class in terms of running backs, I don't think Devin Singletary is, he's not. I mean Mike said you're, you're not going to pay a running back. But also in terms of the depth of the class out there, like you could get Devin Singletary back for pretty cheap, I feel like. But Mike, you bring up the point that is so interesting because Devin Singletary has been so consistent. Like he really has been and when you first said that, I was like, oh my God. And then when you put it in terms of like, no, you know what you're gonna get out of him, you're like, yeah, he's, he's a nice player and in some moments has run the ball well. But other times when you look at this offense and the run game for the Bills, you, you want just so much more out of the running back position.
- [04:39]
A
It's a positive and a negative to be that consistent.
- [04:42]
B
Yes.
- [04:43]
A
Because I just, we just haven't seen that next level. Look, Saquon Barkley is going to be a free agent, right. I don't know if the Giants are going to sign him, but like, do you, does it, I mean, does a team give big money to Saquon Barkley as a running back coming up? I mean, I don't know. I don't know how I think Zeke Elliott's going to be a free agent. Dallas is going to cut him loose. I mean, do you take a flyer on a guy like that on a one year deal? I don't know. Who knows what kind of money is going to be out there. And you're right, Janet, you're saying like Stefan Singletary, I don't know what anybody's going to want to pay him. And it's unfortunate because it's such a tough position, physically demanding. The only players who make less buy contract in terms of like a franchise tag, if anybody was to do that are punters.
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B
Wow.
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A
Punters. Kickers make more at the top end than running backs now. And that number is only gonna, I mean, who's paying running backs? I mean, I guess Jonathan Taylor is getting paid, but like. And then he was hurt.
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B
Yeah.
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C
Josh Jacobs, I guess will be the only other one.
- [05:46]
A
Yeah. So that's kind of the way I look at it at running back. I, I think you look at Dan, look at what they've spent on running back. I mean, a lot of draft capital. Lot of draft capital. And then just made a trade for another one.
- [05:58]
C
It's like, are we talking about defensive line? Are we talking about running backs?
- [06:01]
A
Yeah, yeah, it really is.
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C
Mike, you talked about how it's a, it's a good thing and a bad thing to be that consistent. That instantly to me it relates to that utility player in baseball that can play second, third short and corner outfield and he gets a bunch of little deals, but he's never in the starting lineup. But he's always that guy that you want, so. Because he can play any position, but he's not good enough to actually be in the starting lineup. So 100. It's, it's, it's like man, we love having you on the team. We just never love you enough to start you and actually make you a feature player. So I think it's a really good point. I, I think that this Devin Singletary is fine, but he, he wasn't the make a guy miss in a phone booth like we thought when they drafted him in the third round. Like, like Bean had said, it just didn't pan out and neither has the Bill's running game as a whole. So I don't know if I put it all on Devin, but.
- [06:55]
B
No, I, I would agree. Well, let's talk about offensive line then. Couple of guys. Roger Saffold being one Pro Bowler. Roger Saffold. We know Dan. A lot of fans were really, really into that. It's no secret that the Bill's offensive line and moments this year really struggled. I, I would imagine they wouldn't bring him back, but at the same point he's a guy that knows your scheme in terms of what you want to see. Like what do you think.
- [07:22]
C
You can't bring you.
- [07:24]
A
You can't bring him back.
- [07:26]
C
I, I'm not trying to be funny or disrespectful by any means, but I think if, if there's a guy like Ike Butker that is now coming back from his Achilles, I think you need to get better in the interior. I think like Butker, when the Bill's offense was pretty good at the end of 2021 before he ended up tearing his Achilles, he was, he was really good. Like, like he was kind of, he kind of reminded me of that fill in swing guy that could really kind of not Ryan Groy ask. There's a throwback for you but was a guy that was solid enough to come in and play in a pinch and kind of earned a starting spot. Remember Josh Allen talking so highly about him and then obviously he's just been recovering from the Achilles. So I think there's a lot more options, better options than Roger Saffold.
- [08:11]
A
Yeah, I mean going down this veteran route of a guy who's been a starter, sometimes that works, right? Sometimes it's a guy who's still got enough left. You get him for a year or two and it works. I don't think it worked at all. And I think the, it was a problem all year long. And it goes to. Dan has mentioned this before, an identity for this offense. Roger Saffold is a big guy and he's had success in the NFL, but I don't think he's the guy from 2023 and beyond for the Bills on the interior of the line. So I would. I would move on. And I'm. I'm looking at the Chiefs two years ago. They were in that Super Bowl. That offensive line was a mess. They got handled. Mahomes was as bad as you'll ever see him in a game. Andy Reid looked clueless against that defense. And then they play the Eagles on Sunday. And that offensive line was a huge strength for them in that game. They retooled it in different ways. They spent some money, they made some deals, they drafted some players. That's what they did. And they just said, we're not going to put up with this anymore. That's what I think the Bills need to do.
- [09:17]
B
Well, Ike Bucker, a guy that will be a free agent as well, I mean, he is coming off the Achilles injury, Mike. I mean, do you feel like he did play well, like what Dan was talking about? He. I think he had some. Some strong performances out there. But at the same point, do you have any concerns with a guy that's, you know, coming off an Achilles injury, a serious major injury like that?
- [09:37]
A
Yeah, I think he's still young enough that I would say he's going to be now another year removed from that. And that was what he hurt that Achilles late in the season. Christmas in Fox in Foxboro.
- [09:49]
B
Yeah.
- [09:49]
A
So, you know, he came back, you know, before a year. Achilles is tough, but I, again, he's not the kind of guy that's going to be out there on the open market getting huge money, so. And we know Josh Allen likes him. Now, that doesn't. You know, Josh likes a lot of players on the team, but I think to Dan's point, he has shown that that's the kind of guy you're going to need something out of. Like, you're not. You're not just saying blow everybody out, start over again.
- [10:17]
C
But he.
- [10:19]
A
You kind of want to see. Well, I'm saying is you need a guy like Ike Butger on the roster to be a better version of what he was. You know, you need Spencer Brown, who's not a free agent, to be a better version of what he was. I mean, those are the kind of things you're going to need. You're going to need to change some players, then you're going to need the guys to be better or be put in a better position to play better.
- [10:43]
B
There's just so many decisions Ahead. And it's interesting because the super bowl odds coming out and the Bills are right behind the Chiefs, and they're. They're plus 850 in terms of the odds. And it's like, I know recency bias is a real thing, obviously, because of the way the season ended for Buffalo, but at the same point, I mean, Dan, it just feels like there's, like, there's just so many question marks going into this off season. And, like, obviously you have Josh Allen, and so, you know, the level of play and the ability and the expectations are going to be there. But I just feel like there's so many things that have to kind of come together for this team. Do you feel like your confidence is shaken at all?
- [11:20]
C
Yeah, and I think that's fair. And I think the way that. And I don't want to sound like broken record, but the way that you transition from Dorsey, from Daybold, didn't. Didn't go well. And, you know, we haven't heard from Stefan Diggs. I know we're getting off track with some free agencies, but we hadn't heard at all from Stefan Diggs since the Cincinnati game. He left. Left the locker room before the media was allowed in. Wasn't there at locker cleanout. We hadn't heard from him. He did the media tour on Friday on radio row at the super bowl and was asked pretty much by everybody about his emotion on the sideline, where he was, you know, kind of upset at Josh Allen in the fourth quarter of that game. And I thought it was very interesting that he didn't apologize. Now. He did crack some jokes, saying, you show me a good loser, I'll show you a loser. And that, you know, I. I want the ball because I can help my team win. And that's what I wanted to do. But he also talked about how that one moment, his outburst wasn't just based off that game or even that play that it had built up. And I thought that was very telling because everybody said, well, this offense, the numbers are still the same. Josh Allen actually has thrown more yards per game this season. And all this stuff, when you have Savannah saying, we had a recipe for the first nine weeks of the season and we were playing well, and then we got away from it and we didn't capitalize, and things weren't working well, and that's why I was upset. To me, that's. That's not shots fired, but that's a pretty big statement of, like, we need to rework what we did and kind of start over. Because I think Johnny talk about, like, do a panic or, you know, loss of faith. Yeah, a little bit. Just because of the way that it ended so poorly.
- [13:02]
A
Yeah. Janet, I'm not one to overstate when a guy's talk and they say. But I was listening live when he was talking to Dan Patrick, and I was kind of waiting for the. Josh is my dude. Like, me and 17 are good. And I'm not saying they're not, but I kind of was waiting to hear it. I kind of wanted to hear it. I didn't hear it. And now you got his brother yapping in Dallas. I want you to come play. And we've always talk, and that's great. You want to. I totally get him wanting to play on the same team of his bro as his brother. By the way, he would torch his brother. Wait till he gets him in that game. That guy bites on more passes than anybody in the NFL. He will torch his brother in that game. But, you know, he starts talking like that, and I'm like, I get it. You know, I get it. You're. You're sort of feeling it a little bit out there, but I listen to that, too, and I'm like, yeah, that's when his numbers turned around. He was getting passes, but the numbers were down. And he was talking about that wasn't just that pass was thrown to Gabe in coverage and not to digs. Wasn't even like he was that open. It was the end of the game. But, Jen, it was more to me about. You're standing there yelling at your quarterback and everybody is seeing that. And I know he and Josh have been tight, and I. I don't think it's a big deal, but I want. I wanted to. I wanted a little closure to that. And I didn't get it. Watching it.
- [14:29]
B
Well, we. We were talking about how it's like the. One of the lasting images or like, things that you think of from this past season and how that kind of does hang over this team in terms of. You're right. Like, I was waiting for, like, the. The ringing endorsement, the. The, you know, Sports Illustrated kids edition of Best Buds. And I mean, when he talked about Diggs talking about, like, the emotion that he had and how he called it like a nightmarish end of the season and the disappointment and all that stuff, it was like, I totally get why. And as a competitor, I understand the heat of the moment, but, I mean, I. I feel like there are real concerns. And when you watch the super bowl and just the play calling by Andy Reid and to see just the execution by the rookies in, in those big moments and the run game working and all of these things and like how good they were on the offensive line and what that did. It's, it just, it does, it just makes me question like there's a big difference between good and good enough and you know, I mean like being great and being the best and yeah, I guess that, that it just was amplified after what we saw in the way the season ended and both.
- [15:42]
A
Yeah.
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B
Super bowl too.
- [15:44]
C
And look it's always.
- [15:45]
A
Yeah, go ahead Dan.
- [15:46]
C
Well, we talk a lot about how the talent. I know we've talked about in other videos on, on here recently that you know the Chiefs and Eagles just have more talent on the roster than the Bills. And, and that's true. And I said like Lane Thomas or Lane Johnson's don't grow on trees. Like my, a lot of don't grow on trees. Like it's just not that easy to be like we'll just improve the offensive line. It's like, yeah, you can't just hand pick for all pros this off season. It's just not going to happen. So what you have to be able to do is, is build and, and develop and then coach to your strengths. And that was what I saw was because guess what, juju Smith Schuster is not this phenomenal wide receiver. But Andy Reid made him look pretty damn good in that game. Okay. And they all, we already know they have Travis Kelsey but you know, this was an offense that didn't have Tyree Kill and it didn't have me, Cole Hardman. Those guys he went, man, they are so fast. Wish the Bills could get somebody like that. Well, the Chiefs were still able to do things. They ran that same bubble screen twice.
- [16:44]
B
Twice.
- [16:45]
C
Which is great play design, all of those things. But on top of it, Patrick Mahomes got the ball out of his hands in under like 2 1/2 seconds, 60 or 70% of the snaps. Like where was any of those designs this year? And that's why I went back to like coaching matters. And the Eagles do it in a totally different way. They do it with, with smash mouth smart nose football. But you can do it either way. So your decision is like you have to take what you have on the talent that you have on your roster and then coach it to where it needs to be. And I get it. Andy Reid's been doing it hall of Famer forever and Ken Dorsey, I get that. I, I'm not trying to seek compare things but I need to see some progress. Because if you're the Bills and you're watching that game, you're going, holy shit. This is, this is the caliber that we need to be playing.
- [17:32]
B
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [17:33]
A
And by the way, you're right, Andy Reid and he's the best play caller in the league. And he's got Mahomes at the trigger. You got Shane Steichen of the Eagles who looks like he's getting the Colts job, who's only been calling plays for a year and a half.
- [17:47]
C
Yeah.
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A
And it's funny, they lose the game, but the analytics on the stats for them in the super bowl were the most efficient offense that any team had in the entire league that year. And they didn't even run it well in that game. But they, they, they scored six of the nine times they had the ball. Imagine, imagine that you score 6 and 9 and you lose the game in the Super Bowl. But that's the super bowl because Andy Reid was that good. And then the Eagles ended up giving them the scores. And to your point, like in that game, the run game wasn't working. They had other options. They met three 75 yard drives in the game. The Chiefs move the ball at will. And these are two defenses that have been pretty good. And to Dan's point, we just didn't see the movement. Pre snap movement is something. The Bills are just boring.
- [18:37]
B
Boring. Yeah.
- [18:38]
A
How about the play for the touchdown by the Chiefs with. Oh, the kid, the, the draft pick.
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B
Pacheco.
- [18:49]
A
No. Who'd you say? Dan? I'm. I'm thinking Skymore. Skymore.
- [18:55]
C
Yeah.
- [18:56]
A
He comes in motion. Avante Maddox, really good corner. He's coming across. I bet you every time they ran that play in the regular season, that guy kept more, kept moving and went out to the.
- [19:08]
C
Boom.
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A
He cuts the other way. He's wide open. You could say blown coverage. Great call. But it was set up perfectly.
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C
It was set up.
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A
They set up.
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C
They had faked that so many times earlier in the game too. Kelsey was always in motion before every single snap so that he could get free releases like on the first touchdown. It's just. Again, I don't mean to overreact. I'm not trying to pile on. I understand kendorsi first year play color but it, it looked like it was difference of chess and checkers. Yeah, like that was.
- [19:38]
B
Well, it's next level offense. It's hard when the first nine games of the season everything seemed like you wanna. It's almost like you want it to be kind of flipped. Like if you're gonna have anything again. You want it to be like, maybe he struggled at the gate, but then settled in, was able to adjust all these great things.
- [19:56]
A
It's also at that time of the year, Janet, where everybody's got everything on tape and they start adjusting to you. And you have. You have. Look at what the Chiefs did at halftime of the game, let alone second half of the season. So it does take creativity. I mean, it. It just does. And Dan's right. And you do have one of the elite talents in the NFL as your quarterback, right?
- [20:17]
C
Yes.
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A
I mean, we're talking about Josh Allen here.
- [20:20]
B
Yeah.
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A
And I keep saying this. Josh Allen needs to have more trust in the rest of the players on his offense, but they haven't given him a reason to have that trust.
- [20:32]
B
Yeah.
- [20:33]
A
Patrick Mahomes, he is an awesome player. He also trusts his players.
- [20:40]
B
They literally talked that in the pregame, in the broadcast.
- [20:42]
A
Yeah.
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B
Like, what has changed for him is just now he. In the beginning, he always. He felt like he had to do it all. Like, after that first super bowl, he's like, all right, I need to do it all. And then now he has that trust and the guys, and he can also help them elevate their game. But at the same point, he Notice, he knows that it's not all on him. He doesn't have.
- [21:01]
C
With worse talent around him. And that's without Tyree Kill.
- [21:04]
A
Yeah, it's. It's different talent. It's going from the big home run hitter, tremendous player that you feel like, I got to get it to him. I got. Then all of a sudden, he's like. I hate to say it, it's the old Brady way. Who do you throw it to? Whoever's open. And that's what he does. He. He trusts them. Josh Allen has that in him. When he's at his best, everybody's getting the ball, and I think they need to get back to that. And I know we got away from a little bit about the free agency, but it all plays into it, that trust with the O line, trust with the receivers.
- [21:34]
B
Yeah.
- [21:34]
A
They build that trust during the year, Janet, where it gets better later in the year instead of going the other way.
- [21:40]
B
Well, you. You bring up, like, some of the skill guys, like Jameson Crowder is going to be a free agent. And do you. I mean, he's not like a cure hall, obviously, but at the same point, we barely got to see what he could do on the field because of injuries. I mean, do you think that there's a place for him on the Roster coming up.
- [21:56]
A
I think there might be, I think you're some guys you're going to keep and you're going to get on a cheap deal and you're going to get them at the, you know, whatever, maybe the minimum or a lower number, but, you know, look, they have Shakir, they've had Isaiah. You have Crowder. Like I'd like to. Crowder is a professional NFL wide receiver, a guy that with time, I do believe Josh would trust. And he makes those plays. Is he great? No, he's really good. All I know is I picture him, I picture him in that game last night, catching five balls for 58 yards and three first downs from Mahomes. Yeah, I just see it, you know.
- [22:35]
C
So, yeah, I, I agree. I think he was veteran, savvy, smooth route runner. Like I said, just like Mike said, doesn't do anything that wows you, but doesn't do anything that you go, oh, come on, man, what were you thinking? Like, he is just reliable. I'd like to see him back. I thought he flashed. I thought he was having some moments, brought another dimension, brought another guy that has a good feel for the game. Truly kind of out of that slot position. Like I said, Cole Beasley, obviously a free agent. You know, I don't know where they think about he. Cole says he wants to come back and, and if there be, we kind of said it locker clean out, that if there could be something that worked out. But I, I think you need to improve where Isaiah McKenzie kind of let you down last year and to have a, not necessarily a plan B but a plan 1A and 1B kind of thing.
- [23:32]
A
Yeah. The shame of it, Jenna, with Isaiah is he is a guy who brings an element of speed and some, I won't say big play, but quick play ability.
- [23:40]
B
Yeah.
- [23:42]
A
I love Isaiah. I don't trust him anymore. I don't trust him to elevate. I don't trust him as he's not the return guy. Like I, I, I think there's guys you eventually move on from. I know he's a popular guy, but at a certain point, I don't know, I mean, you got to make a lot of changes and guys gotta play. I want to see Khalil Shakir get more snaps.
- [24:03]
B
Yeah. You know, I think that's someone that could continue to improve his game.
- [24:08]
A
Absolutely.
- [24:08]
B
More opportunity. Well, it brings up one of the last guys that's a free agent in terms of backup quarterback and what they do. Case Keenum, obviously him and Josh getting along great. You know, spend Time all across the league in terms of other teams. And Mike, I mean, do you feel like they bring him back because of the stability? Like, where do you think they're. I mean, I know Gardner Minshew is a guy that's, you know, free agent in Philly, like, stuff like that, but do you think he is what they would need?
- [24:41]
A
Okay. The story came out this week that Josh was hurt more. I. I don't think that's a big surprise to any of us.
- [24:49]
B
No.
- [24:50]
A
We knew he's tough. We know he stayed in there. Then I think to myself, what are we getting Josh ready for? I know there's always been this, get the one seed, get the buy. That's great. There's part of me that was like, maybe he needed a couple weeks to sit down.
- [25:04]
B
I, I agree.
- [25:05]
A
And then you say to yourself, you do have a veteran quarterback and they are so dependent on Josh. I think they were afraid to play without him. And I'm thinking to myself, really, like, you needed them for me, wouldn't it have been great to just say, josh, you're going to sit down for two weeks, get that elbow healed, get ready for the stretch run. And I don't know if that would have made him healthier going down, but he still was dealing with it. He never was.
- [25:33]
B
I mean, he literally talked about how he had to change his throwing mechanics.
- [25:37]
A
Yeah. So I say this, like, can you do better in a one year deal? I can't tell you. I. I want Sam Darnold as the backup.
- [25:47]
C
Ah, you stole it. Stole it.
- [25:49]
A
Okay, go ahead. Oh, what do you got? Oh, look. Wow. I want him as the backup. I think he needs a perfect fit. He needs a reboot year. He needs a reboot year. He needs the Trubisky treatment. My God, they got Trubisky a starting job. He just couldn't hold on to it and he never played. But I think Sam Darnold is a talent and I think he's had that weird career. And I'm not saying he'd be great, but I always thought that if he came to Buffalo with the right coaching, Brian Dable, I think he could have been a really good, not, maybe not great, but really good NFL player. Agree. And I'd sign him. I'd see if he wants to come get himself rebooted. He's still young enough. And then finish your career somewhere else.
- [26:35]
C
I think it's a perfect fit. I couldn't agree with you more, Mike. Good friends with Josh. Good friends with Jordan Palmer. Jordan Palmer, who they Work out with. I think he says, come on, we'll hang out. We had a good time, we'll win some games, do that. That thing. The only thing I'll disagree with you on, Mike, like I said, love the Sam Darnold idea. I'll disagree with you that while I do like Case Keenum, professional backup, has started, has had a good NFL career. Not. Not an okay. A good NFL career, I'll still take 70% Josh Allen over 100% Case Keenan.
- [27:08]
A
But that's not the point I was making. My point was, do you. If he's. If it's that. Look, everything's going to be a different from Josh Allen, but if your team was built differently, my God, I watched Chad Henney go in that game against Jacksonville and take his team 97 yards for the touchdown. In that game. It's Chad Henny. He just retired.
- [27:29]
C
Should have thrown a pick.
- [27:31]
A
He could have, but he didn't.
- [27:32]
C
No, it should have been a pick.
- [27:33]
A
I know, but you guys ran into each other. I'm going to focus on his positive for him.
- [27:38]
C
Okay.
- [27:38]
A
Made a lot of money as a backup, too. But my point is, it's. You're right, Dan. I'll. Yes. Obviously Josh at a limited is still better than anybody that's coming off the bench, but I want Josh, I want to say if in two weeks it's going to make Josh way closer to 100. And I'm like, I'm not training him. I'm not, you know, getting him healed, but I can't imagine a couple weeks off would have been a terrible thing for him with that elbow injury. You need a guy there, Jenna, that you can trust enough that we got to turn it over to him. Our offense, in a different way, can work with this guy.
- [28:14]
B
Yeah.
- [28:14]
A
I don't know how it would have worked with Case Keenum with this offense. Yeah, he couldn't run the ball. They couldn't protect anybody. I think they were scared to death to play him in the games.
- [28:22]
C
I think this is hindsight's 2020 to sit back at the end of the season and go, man, they should have sat him down for two, two weeks.
- [28:29]
B
Do you remember when. When, yeah, Alan came out and we were all just like, whoa. Just like we all expected. Josh Allen is out there. Like no one was expecting him to play. I did a whole story on who was Case Keenum.
- [28:42]
C
Absolutely. But the fact of the matter was, at the time, they were still competing and chasing the number one seed, which was the most important thing.
- [28:51]
A
It is. But it ended up Being like, okay, ended up.
- [28:55]
C
That's what I'm saying. This is hindsight.
- [28:57]
A
It is hindsight. But when you hear in hindsight that Josh was never back, I'm like, I'm saying to you is improve the backup quarterback position to the point it's not even just the backup quarterback. Improve the entire roster. Get the. Get the offensive line set, have your weapons, have defined roles. Know what you're doing going in that. If you have to put the backup in. Sure. It's a. Jenna, it's a different game plan with Josh Allen. Unless it was Patrick Mahomes coming in the game. It's a different game plan. Yeah, but, you know, feel more confident. I think they had no, I don't even think it was an indictment on. On Case Keenum. I think it was an indictment on the rest of the roster that they were scared to death to play without Josh.
- [29:40]
B
That says a lot, Mike.
- [29:42]
C
You're talking about coming up with. With another game plan. They couldn't come up with one game plan with Josh, let alone coming up with a game plan for Case Keatum. Again, we. We. We're like a hamster running around the wheel. I go pick a spot. That led to this, which led to this, which got us back to. This roster isn't good. And this coaching staff couldn't figure it out.
- [30:01]
A
Janet, we're talking about the offense, right? Today. Yeah, the offense was Josh's injury, but the offense basically started every game right. For the most part. Like that offense. Unfortunately, that was the offense they started the year with and ended the year with. Yeah, there wasn't even like major injuries.
- [30:22]
B
So it's just so scary where you're just like, obviously Vegas has faith in Brandon Bean and stuff, but I just.
- [30:28]
A
Faithful Josh Allen. Vegas has faith in Josh Allen.
- [30:32]
B
Yes.
- [30:32]
A
Seriously, that's what it is. And they also look at the division still with the quarterbacks shaky in the division, like you don't know what anybody's going to do. The Bills are still the team to beat in the AFC east, which is a huge thing, is getting to the playoffs.
- [30:47]
B
Division. Yeah, yeah, I get that. But it's just the upper echelon is crowded.
- [30:56]
A
Yeah.
- [30:56]
B
Well, a lot of really great teams.
- [30:58]
A
You know, it's funny, I mean, the Chiefs, there'll be a tendency to. To if it's possible. Now everybody's going to overrate the Chiefs, they're awesome.
- [31:09]
C
Yep.
- [31:10]
A
But they beat the Bengals by three at home in the end with albeit the right call, but they ended up with a penalty that helped them win It. They probably still could have won it. If not should have won it.
- [31:21]
C
Yep.
- [31:22]
A
And it was a penalty. Then they get the Eagles game, which they deserve to win, aided by a penalty that sealed it. That kept them from having to play defense at the end. But they won it. They're awesome. Yeah, but it'll be now because they won.
- [31:39]
B
I'm just saying. In general, though, the upper echelon, I'm saying is.
- [31:42]
A
But the teams are still there with them. But they are. They're still the Chiefs. Like, they're the Chiefs. So it's them. And then it's the Bengals, I think, because they've beaten the Bills, and then it's the Bills, and then the other ones are behind them, I think. Still think the Bills right now would be third, but Vegas has them as the number two to go to the super bowl, so.
- [32:04]
B
Yeah.
- [32:04]
A
Yeah.
- [32:05]
B
Hey, we'll go to Vegas with them in Vegas. Dan will go to Vegas.
- [32:09]
A
They'll go to Vegas anytime.
- [32:10]
B
How are your bets? 102.
- [32:17]
C
I won 102 games this year.
- [32:20]
A
Wow.
- [32:21]
B
Did you just have it there?
- [32:23]
C
I'm like, will.
- [32:28]
A
I'm Wilt. By the way, I did one next.
- [32:33]
C
To my Adam Schefter quote tweet.
- [32:35]
A
Oh, that's awesome.
- [32:36]
B
Yeah, that's pretty cool.
- [32:37]
A
I. I had one bet in the super bowl, and it was Jalen Hurts Anytime touchdown. It was Eagles over 26 and a half points, and it was Kenneth Gainwell receiving yards, and I missed it by, like three. Would have been a nice same game parlay, but that was my one bet. Took a shot. I thought Gainwell. Gainwell had, like, 20 yards. I think he needed 23. Something.
- [33:02]
C
I'm sure everybody here also wants to express their love and support for you.
- [33:06]
A
Yeah. You know, it's funny, I said to Bills fans, when the Eagles won and you guys, I said, I wish you could experience this. Like, I had been through all the Bills losses in the Super Bowl. It was different for me as a reporter who had no idea what I was doing at that time. Some may argue I still don't, but I was at those games, and it was crazy. And just being in the locker room when they kept going back, it's nuts. But with the Eagles, it's just been the team I followed my whole life. And when they won, I remember just being like. I just kept saying, I can't believe they finally won after all these years. And I told Bill's fans, I want you to feel this, because it's crazy.
- [33:43]
B
Yeah.
- [33:44]
A
And they lose and they lose. A tough Game against a great team. And I'm disappointed, but I'm like, shoot, it was a great game. And they lost. Brady's lost three Super Bowls. Mahomes has lost the Super Bowl. Like it's hard to win the Super Bowl.
- [33:58]
B
Yeah. I mean, really well too.
- [33:59]
C
Hurts legit.
- [34:01]
A
He was legit in that game and he's still not healthy. 24.
- [34:05]
B
Yeah.
- [34:06]
A
But I, I was disappointed because I thought. I gotta say, it would have been a lot of fun to see him get the ball back at the end. That drive to tie the game was awesome. But. But Mahomes is just. He's so good at it, but hurts in a big stage. First guy ever with 300 yards and 70 yards rushing in a Super Bowl. Four touchdowns, three pass or three rushing. He's a bull man.
- [34:28]
B
Yeah.
- [34:28]
A
But hey, hey. Chiefs, you know, they were just better. Better when they needed to be.
- [34:33]
C
It was a hold.
- [34:35]
A
Oh yeah. But I mean, I think so ticky tack though. I think that's the thing is I think. Yeah. Like, you know, people describing. They're 100% right. They never called that the whole. By the way, not just against the Eagles, the Chiefs. John Crick from Toronto wrote the Chiefs in the playoffs, their last like six playoff games, I think there's only been like 14 penalties called against the Chiefs. Yeah. And those decision penalties, holding, pass interference never get called, rarely get called against the Chiefs. And Bengals fans know it and Bill's fans have known it against the Chiefs. They. They don't get those called and they didn't call that very same thing. Much more egregiously by, you know, they.
- [35:18]
C
Didn'T call anything all game.
- [35:19]
A
They didn't call anything all game. And you call it in that very much ticky tack to call then. But they called it. Unlike the 40 whiners who complained. That's good. Isn't it.
- [35:35]
C
Good, Mike?
- [35:35]
A
That was good. I mean, seriously, what the Eagles do. Bradbury said, I held.
- [35:44]
C
Him. I. I was hoping they wouldn't see it. Like, that's so great.
- [35:47]
A
Yeah, well, that's what they all do. I mean, right. You. But he grabbed. He admit it. Sirianni said we had a lot of chances to win. The refs make their calls. We didn't lose the game because of the call. All the players. My AATA was like, they asked him about the field. He's like, yeah, but the Chiefs were playing on the same field because that's a terrible field. Yeah. Or you could be like the 49ers who. I still think they believe they're going to get rings somewhere because they only lost 317 and Brock Purdy was hurt 40. Whiners. Seriously, it's a. It's a embarrassment to that franchise. Never lose like that. If you're going to lose, own it. Own it.
- [36:25]
B
Own it.
- [36:26]
A
Own it.
- [36:26]
B
Pause. Own it.
- [36:27]
A
Damn right. Fly, Eagles, fly. There we go. Oh, and by the way, my granddaughter finally sat in her Eagles chair.
- [36:35]
B
Yay.
- [36:36]
A
A year old. I got her an Eagles chair. She cried like crazy. And then the day after the game, she's like, I'm in. Sat in the Eagles chair. She's ready for next year.
- [36:45]
C
She's already learning the pain of being.
- [36:47]
A
An Eagle one year in.
- [36:50]
B
Oh, my gosh. It's amazing. All right, all right. Well, please comment below what you think think, which players you think the Bills, free agent wise, bring back. And please be sure to subscribe as well. For Mike and Dan, I am Jenna. We'll catch you next time here on Buffalo Plus.