Buffalo Plus Podcast — "Our Buffalo Bills 'SEASON SUPERLATIVES' and Super Bowl HOT TAKES"
Date: February 13, 2024
Hosts: Mike Catalana, Jenna Cottrell, Dan Fetes
Overview
In this off-season episode, the Buffalo Plus team takes a comprehensive look back at the Buffalo Bills’ 2023 season, handing out "season superlatives" and breaking down their biggest disappointments, biggest surprises, and concerns moving forward. The group also shares hot takes about the Super Bowl, contextualizing the Bills’ place among the AFC elite and speculating on roster and coaching changes ahead. With their usual humor and insider nuance, Mike, Jenna, and Dan offer both catharsis and insight for Bills fans processing a frustrating end to another promising year.
Main Discussion Points & Insights
Super Bowl Fallout: Lessons for the Bills
- Chiefs’ Inevitable Greatness & Frustration for the AFC
- The team opens by pondering what the Chiefs’ enduring success means for the Bills and their fans.
- Mike: “They have company in frustration with the Chiefs, … Niners, … Bengals … Eagles. … Where you think you got them, but you don’t. Right?” (01:08)
- Dan: “That team this year was a defensive team with a great quarterback who used his energy when he needed to. … Mahomes is just in the end of game circumstances. … So good.” (01:46)
- The “Inevitable" Chiefs
- The pod compares the Chiefs' clutch wins to prior playoff losses, emphasizing how many teams now share the Bills' pain.
- Jenna: “Misery loves company. A lot of other teams are falling into that category as well. It’s annoying that it’s always Kansas City, but there's reason they’re in rarefied air.” (04:28)
- Perspective on Coaching
- Discussion on not over-blaming McDermott, with Sean McDermott jokingly faulted for “picking a team in the AFC.” (04:51, 00:00)
- The hosts note even top coaches like Andy Reid made mistakes, and that Kyle Shanahan is a brilliant play-caller but struggles with game management and situational awareness.
- Mike: “Shanahan is a brilliant play-caller … Not a very good game coach. … How embarrassing is it that his players said they didn’t even really go over the overtime rules and they didn’t know them?” (06:28)
Bills Season Superlatives
Non-Josh Allen MVP
- Dan: Terrel Bernard
- "Such a cornerstone of that defense… Especially when the offense wasn’t very good… probably the most valuable player on that defense that needed to be good." (10:51)
- Mike: Taron Johnson
- “That guy is so good at his job... I think he’s going to be the new Poyer or Hyde in terms of a different type of leader on that defense.” (12:20)
- Jenna: (after highlighting Bernard and O-line)
- “Josh Allen was sacked the least amount this year in the NFL… You may not get that again." (14:05)
- Jenna’s pick: Sean McDermott as Defensive Coordinator
- “I was very surprised as well with what he did as defensive coordinator this season ... impressed by his ability to call the defense, the way the defense was able to adapt throughout the season.” (14:29)
Most Disappointing Player
- Dan: Gabe Davis
- “I think at times he’s held this team back for a few years. … I just never thought he was ready to be that number two guy. … The moves that they have not made because of Gabe I think have been disappointing.” (15:39)
- Mike: Von Miller
- “He was bad on the field, did nothing … the off the field thing, whether there’s charges or not, it certainly was. He put himself in a terrible spot…” (17:10)
- Jenna: Tyler Bass
- “Recency bias maybe … but he used to be such a safety blanket for this team. … At the December, January when you need a guy to be there, he wasn’t.” (18:57)
Biggest Surprise
- Mike: Tyrel Dodson
- “My expectations were this guy's a special teams player ... then I thought he was a real contributor when they desperately needed someone.” (20:13)
- Jenna: Khalil Shakir
- “Some of the catches he made, some of the touchdowns … for the Bills he is a quality option at 3. … He made some big time plays and big time moments…” (21:41)
- Dan: Spencer Brown & the Offensive Line
- “Throw a dart at the offensive line … Spencer Brown … I was not expecting for him to be as good as he was. … Spencer Brown balled out this year. I was very surprised.” (22:56)
Most Encouraging Player Moving Forward
- Mike: Christian Benford
- “‘I like him as a player. I think if he can be on that other side … they need Benford to be pretty good. And then at some point you need to get younger players in there, too.’” (24:34)
- Jenna: Osiris Torrence
- “You forget he’s a rookie … he was seamless … definitely encouraging considering they've had issues keeping guys in and out of the lineup.” (27:02)
- Dan: Joe Brady (Offensive Coordinator)
- “I’m very encouraged about Joe Brady ... I really didn’t like Dorsey and I was right. … You can call great plays, but can you call a great game? ... I saw Brady at times be really good at adjusting on the fly.” (28:05, 29:02)
Biggest Concern
- Mike: Defensive Line Depth & Free Agents
- “They have a lot of empty spaces there. Who’s coming back? … I thought the D line let them down again. Biggest moments." (31:35)
- Dan: Bobby Babich as Defensive Play-Caller (or McDermott ceding it)
- “I'm always worrisome a little bit of first time play callers … What are they going to allow Babbich to do?” (32:32)
- Jenna: Offensive Weapons
- “I'm concerned about the weapons that will be around Josh Allen next season and what will be done to upgrade where they're at. … You need more and more answers to the questions that [Chiefs DC] Steve Spagnola is going to present to you because you’re going to see him again.” (33:30, 34:24)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Dan (on AFC competition): “The worst coaching decision that Sean McDermott has ever made was picking a team in the AFC.” (00:00)
- Mike (on Chiefs): “Mahomes is just in the end of game circumstances. He’s just so good.” (01:46)
- Jenna (on perspective): “Misery loves company. ... There’s reason they’re in rarefied air.” (04:28)
- Dan (on Bernard): “He was the most valuable player on that defense that needed to be good at times when the offense wasn't.” (10:51)
- Mike (on Taron Johnson): “That guy is so good at his job ... I think he's going to be the new Poyer or Hyde.” (12:20)
- Jenna (on Tyler Bass): "But you know, at the December, January when you need a guy to be there, he wasn't." (19:53)
- Dan (on O-line surprise): “Throw a dart at the offensive line … Spencer Brown balled out this year. I was very surprised.” (22:56)
- Jenna (on Joe Brady): "So you trust him with the keys to the Ferrari?" (29:00)
- Mike (on D-line): “I would say my biggest concern is the revamping of the D line. They have a lot of empty spaces there… the D line let them down again…” (31:35)
- Jenna (on AFC & Chiefs): “My biggest concern overall is that they play in the AFC because the inevitable that is Mahomes and company.” (33:30)
- Dan (on weapons): "I want my fourth wide receiver to be able to make plays. ... you need more and more answers to the questions that Steve Spagnola is going to present to you because you’re going to see him again." (34:24)
Important Timestamps
- 00:00: “The worst coaching decision…” (Dan)
- 01:08: Mike on how many teams now feel the Bills’ pain re: the Chiefs
- 04:28: Jenna: “Misery loves company…”
- 10:35-15:33: MVP picks (Bernard, Johnson, McDermott)
- 15:36-19:45: Most Disappointing (Davis, Miller, Bass)
- 20:10-24:13: Biggest Surprise (Dodson, Shakir, O-line/Brown)
- 24:22-30:31: Most Encouraging going forward (Benford, Torrence, Joe Brady)
- 31:33-35:45: Biggest Concern moving forward (D-line, Babich, weapons around Allen)
Tone & Style
The show carries a conversational and irreverent, yet thoughtful, WNY sports vibe. Honest, sometimes teasing dialogue and banter between the hosts balances frank analysis with self-deprecating humor (“victory laps”, “Princess over here…”), offering fans solidarity and therapy after another playoff heartbreak, but also hope and cautious optimism for 2024.
This summary captures the key analysis and the Buffalo Plus crew’s characteristic humor, insight, and banter—an ideal listen recap for any Bills fan looking to process the season and look ahead.