Episode Overview

Title: Buffalo Bills are a Bad team: Is this rock bottom? 10 Takeaways from loss to Broncos
Date: November 14, 2023
Hosts: Mike Catalana, Jenna Cottrell, Dan Fates

This episode of the Buffalo Plus podcast is a raw and unfiltered reaction to the Buffalo Bills’ dispiriting loss to the Denver Broncos, dropping the Bills to a 5-5 record. The hosts unpack whether the Bills have hit rock bottom, why Josh Allen and the offense look broken, the mounting pressure on the coaching staff, and the ramifications for the season ahead. The team gives 10 hard-hitting takeaways, candidly discussing the disconnect in the locker room, the ongoing identity crisis, and what changes (if any) could possibly stem the slide.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Loss to the Broncos is a Low Point for the Franchise

• Opening Reaction:
  • The Bills lost at home to a Broncos team that “gave up 70” earlier in the season.
  • "Ugly, gross, abysmal, drained, reeling... The Bills didn't deserve to win this game." – Jenna Cottrell (00:53)
  • "They're five and five. They're lucky to be five and five... This team is not very good." – Mike Catalana (01:09)

2. The Offense is Unrecognizable and Josh Allen Looks Broken

• Allen’s Decline:

  • Four turnovers (three from Allen) highlight his crisis of confidence.
  • "He looks broken. He looks like he has no confidence. I don't have any confidence in him right now." – Mike Catalana (02:36)
  • The offense “used to be a Ferrari, right? ... He's like a beat up Honda Accord that ... gets you to your destination, but it's clunky when it gets there." – Dan Fates (05:00)

• Miscommunication Abounds:

  • Persistent issues with option routes and timing, even with veteran receivers like Gabe Davis.
  • "Josh gets up to the line and... It is deer in headlights and nobody knows what they're doing." – Dan Fates (05:59)

3. Coaching, Confidence, and Culture in Crisis

• Ken Dorsey's Future:

  • Multiple calls for offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey’s job but recognition that it’s not only his fault.
  • "It's a short week... but right now, the offense is broken, and it's not all on Ken Dorsey." – Mike Catalana (09:21)
  • Sean McDermott under pressure: "That rope's going to be short for everybody." – Mike Catalana (10:21)

• Culture and Leadership:

  • Team has lost its former swagger; Allen and teammates visibly frustrated on the field and in the locker room.

4. Moments of Frustration – Audible and Visible

• Allen only showed visible energy after the touchdown to Dalton Kincaid and the two-point conversion, but both celebrations were laced with frustration rather than joy.

  • "There was no happy celebration... it was letting out this, this frustration is what it felt like. This is a frustrated offense that is continuing to run their head into the wall and then they get up and run their head into the wall again." – Dan Fates (06:31)

• Jenna’s dad’s quote about self-inflicted disaster becomes a possible title for the pod:

  • "How many times are you gonna get hit in the face with a sack of shit until you start to smell something?" – Jenna Cottrell (07:08)

5. Dramatic Contrast to the Past – Lost Identity

• "This used to be a high powered, fast-paced offense. The Broncos offense stinks... but at least they knew who they were... Josh gets up to the line... it is deer in headlights." – Dan Fates (05:17, 05:59)
• "They have taken an elite quarterback and turned him into a guy who doesn't appear to have confidence in his own game..." – Mike Catalana (03:26)
• "You've turned Josh Allen into just a guy, a jag." – Jenna Cottrell (07:52)

6. The Defense Deserved Better

• Defense played well given the constant bad field position and multiple turnovers:
  • "Thought the defense fought hard and played well... The defense deserved better than they got in this game." – Mike Catalana (14:45, 15:21)
  • “They were bailing water of a sinking ship the entire game and they ran out of gas.” – Dan Fates (14:13)

7. Special Teams Collapse at the Worst Moment

• Lost the game on “12 men on the field” after a missed field goal, erasing any chance at a last-second win.
  • "I mean, we could be talking about all this nonsense and they're [otherwise] 6-4. They lost the game with 12 men on the field..." – Mike Catalana (16:25)
  • “Sean McDermott should be embarrassed. His whole team should be embarrassed. The whole organization, Smiley, the special teams coach. It's on everybody. You lost a game with all your problems because you had an extra man." – Mike Catalana (17:53)

8. Run Game Shows Life—But That’s Not Enough

• The running backs (especially Latavius Murray) ran harder than the passing game was effective, but that's cold comfort.
  • “Their run game was better than their passing game. They outrushed... They ran for more than they threw for more.” – Mike Catalana (18:49)

9. Locker Room: Frustration, Accountability, and Resignation

• The vibe postgame is dejection and exasperation.
  • "Dejected and drained Josh Allen, no question... he was more annoyed, I would say, at the questions that he had to get." – Jenna Cottrell (20:33)
  • "What was the locker room like? Deion was upset... I heard emotion in Deion's voice when he was talking about what was going on." – Mike Catalana (21:32)
• Another players-only meeting is referenced, but the problems persist.

10. The Bills Keep Beating Themselves

• “The Bills, their identity is shooting themselves in the foot.” – Jenna Cottrell (22:18)
• “They said, we're gonna have a team meeting, that we are costing ourselves the games. And then they held their own beer and... turned it over four times. This just stinks.” – Mike Catalana (22:25)
• Seven games left, but the hosts are deeply pessimistic about playoff prospects given the remaining schedule.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Josh Allen as broken QB:
  • "He looks broken. He looks like he has no confidence. I don't have any confidence in him right now." – Mike Catalana (02:36)
• Offensive identity crisis:
  • "This used to be a high powered, fast paced offense. This is now... a beat up Honda Accord..." – Dan Fates (05:00)
• Frustration with culture and coaching:
  • "Whatever they have done with Josh Allen, they have taken elite quarterback and turned him into a guy who doesn't appear to have confidence..." – Mike Catalana (03:26)
• Self-inflicted wounds as the Bills’ identity:
  • “The Bills, their identity is shooting themselves in the foot.” – Jenna Cottrell (22:18)
• Special teams disaster:
  • "You lost a game with all your problems because you had an extra man. Maybe they should try an extra man on offense." – Mike Catalana (17:53)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |------------|--------------------------------------------------------| | 00:53 | Opening: Bills lose to Broncos, “rock bottom” talk | | 01:09 | Mike Catalana: “This team is not very good.” | | 02:25 | Audit of Josh Allen’s confidence & turnovers | | 05:00 | Dan Fates: Offense used to be a Ferrari, now a ‘Honda’ | | 06:31 | Josh Allen’s post-TD frustration, team vibe | | 07:08 | Jenna’s “sack of shit” analogy | | 09:21 | Calls for OC Ken Dorsey’s job, but team-wide blame | | 12:24 | Discussion: Team’s inability to win with ‘C game’ | | 14:45 | Defense efforts praised; offense dragging them down | | 16:25 | Special teams: 12 men on the field disaster | | 20:33 | Locker room mood: frustration, accountability | | 22:18 | The Bills’ new ‘identity’: beating themselves | | 23:32 | The bigger picture: AFC wide open, but Bills adrift |

Final Thoughts

This episode offers an honest, sometimes harsh, but always insightful look at the 2023 Buffalo Bills’ collapse. With palpable frustration, all three hosts dissect where things have gone wrong—from Josh Allen’s decline to coaching decisions and critical errors on special teams. Though the defense and run game had moments of hope, the team’s identity now centers around self-inflicted wounds. With a daunting stretch ahead, the panel is concerned the Bills season—and potentially their window for contention—is slipping away fast. As Mike Catalana wryly notes, “You have too good of a quarterback to play like they’re playing, but I don’t know if they have too good of a team.”