He is Human.

It is a sunny Sunday morning, I have my coffee after a crappy night’s sleep after getting my heart ripped out by my team.  We made enough mistakes to lose and still had a chance to win.  Let me rip this band-aid off now; Josh Allen lost us the game.  This is the first time in a few seasons I can say that, certainly the first time in the playoffs.  Josh made mistakes, and missed opportunities to make difference-making plays.  He is human.  The other team did not beat the Bills.  We beat ourselves.  

There will be questions about the refs.  That happens in every game.  For a large portion of the game, the referees let the players play and that is great.  The game is determined by the play of the players and not the yellow flag, the way it is supposed to be. 

The one thing that needs to happen is the officiating has to be CONSISTENT through the whole game and into the overtime.  Big question in the room: What is a catch in the NFL?  The Brandon Cooks play and “interception” will be debated for years and decades.  McDermott was right in his press conference that the play had to be looked at and not passed over due to time restraints.

Josh Allen is the best football player on the planet. 

Those people who disagree with me, you are wrong.  He is the modern quarterback to whom every quarterback in the league and coming into the league is compared.  He is the god Atlas.  By that I mean that he carries a football team and by extension a city, Western New York, and a world-wide fanbase on his shoulders. 

For those who do not believe me, look at the mood of Western New York and see how much his impact influences that on the day after game day.  There is not a player in this sport, present or past, that has that much weight on his back.  Not Brady, not Manning, not Mahomes or Burrow, just Josh. 

At this moment, he is more physically hurt than we as a fanbase will ever know.  Allen’s list of injuries just this season are foot, knee, and hand.  Yet in every interview Josh will say he is feeling good.  He is a warrior, but this season beat the crap out of him, physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

Last night, the world saw at his end of the game presser that he was drained.  Please tell me which team would turn the ball over a total of FIVE times and still have a chance to win in this day and age of football.  For those who would say Mahomes, please stop.  When a team is playing against the Chiefs and the refs it is tough. 

The game in Denver was one Josh will not forget.  The cliche “You will learn more from a loss than a win” shows everyone that even Atlas can have a bad day.  The thing is that Allen’s bad day means he kept the other team in the game.  Josh Freaking Allen is the best.  

To everyone who is calling for McDermott, Beane, Brady and Babich’s head to be on the chopping block, stop.  There is blame for all of them, but does it demand wholesale changes? I do not see it.  McDermott, the head coach and the defensive guy, will be addressed separately. 

The head coach still has the attention of the players in the locker room.  He still has a hard time getting challenges right.  McDermott’s untimely timeouts drive many people, including myself, up a wall.  He allows players to be themselves and by extension of that be the best versions of themselves (I know it is a Sean quote).  This locker room follows McDermott and one of his biggest fans is Josh. Therefore, McDermott is not going anywhere.

Looking at the defense, McDermott and Babich will be lumped together.  They did not pressure Bo Nix to move him off his spots.  The run defense is still porous.  Injuries happen. Depth is great until you have to use it.  Two plays showed this.  Darnell Savage comes in for Cam Lewis, deep pass touchdown.  Tre White goes out and Dane Jackson comes in, perfect pass on him and touchdown. 

As I look at the injuries on defense, the list is long.  Oliver for over ¾ of the season, Hoecht, Hairston, Strong, Rapp, Poyer, Sanders for 6 weeks, Hamlin, and Bernard, to name most of them.  Injuries are not excuses, but surely one of the causes.  This defense was held together for weeks with super glue and duct tape. 

Towards the end of the season, the young players who were drafted over the last couple seasons made plays.  The defense (when healthy) is good.  There has to be changes in the players in the system.  The defense as a whole did not make enough difference-making plays.  That needs to change for next season.  The scheme is solid and the pieces in the scheme need to be better.

Joe Brady is one of the most hated/loved/praised/criticized offensive coordinators.  Against the Broncos, he called a great game.  Execution did not happen.  There has been times this season Brady has been predictable.  Running on first down to 2-3 yards and a cloud of dust and having to pass on 2nd and 3rd down.  He does not have many NFL-level wide receivers.  Shakir is a stud but that is about it. 

The injury bug to the wide receivers we do/did have was horrible.  When you lose 3 wide receivers in 9 days – Palmer, Davis and Shavers it makes you try to make chicken soup out of chicken crap.  The offense against the Broncos was stopped by their errors.  The team did not punt against Denver. 

Brady called a game that worked and the plays were just not made.  The Bills have a great offensive line and Josh helps with that.  The running game is fantastic.  There were games where it was held in check.  James Cook is a key part of our offense and Brady made that happen. 

There have been numerous people, including me, that have called for Brady to be gone and bring a new OC in.  At this moment I do not feel this way. The best quarterbacks in the league were “married” to an OC who brings out the best in them.  Brady needs to be there for Josh just as Josh needs to execute the plays for Brady.  Over the season, Brady and the offense ran into defenses that stopped them.  It freaking happens.  There are teams in this league against whom this team does not match up.  Brady should be back and more creative than ever for next season. 

Finally, Brandon Beane will be scrutinized.  This team was put together by Beane as the architect.  He has failed in certain areas and made great choices in others.  Beane failed the wide receiver room.  Keon Coleman is a bust.  Not signing Mac Hollins came back to haunt us.  Shakir is the only reliable wide receiver for Josh.  Cooks, Hardman, Shavers, Samuel, and Palmer are all WR3 at best at these stages of their careers.  Gabe Davis came back to us knowing he was not a WR1 or even WR2.  Cooks, Davis, and Shavers should be signed back and everyone else needs to go. 

The failed trade for Waddle looms large for Beane and his grip on draft picks.  We, Bills Mafia, know that hitting on draft picks will sustain this franchise and their ability to be competitive.  It is time to pivot and obtain proven YOUNG talent and trade or sign them as free agents. 

On the offensive side of the ball, we need wide receivers who can separate.  Wide receivers who cannot separate – Samuel, Coleman, Hardman – can all go.  On defense, we need depth and players under 30 who can make game changing plays. 

There is a reason Joey Bosa could be had for only $10 million.  He is not a finisher.  DaQuan Jones and Larry Ogunjobi showed their age.  There is talent to be picked up and it would make a big difference on this defense.  There has to be a change and a push to obtain more proven talent on this team. 

Beane has to pull a Frozen and “let it go” with some of his draft picks this offseason.  Beane is on the warmest seat in the offices at One Bills Drive.   

This loss to the Broncos was on Josh Allen and when you saw him on the podium, he knew it.  The tears showed he is human.  He can make mistakes and have a bad game.  The national media will crush him for this game.  The lowlights will be shown over and over and over again.  Western New York and Bills Mafia knows that the Super Bowl window is never closed when Josh Allen is under center. 

God Bless and Go Bills!!!

Bradford Miller

Editor’s babble: Bradford Miller is a member of a chat group called “Dean’s List”. We are grateful for having Bradford share his opinion about the playoff game that was and where we go from here. Go Bills!