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Ep. 26 - Put a Bow On It
48 Plays1 year ago
Commiserate with the pals after the devastating loss to the Kansas City Chiefs this past week.
3 buds. 2 teams. 1 city - The "Let's Go Buffalo" Podcast. Your new favorite podcast for all things Sabres and Bills. Our mission is to be your guide through the ups and the downs of being a Buffalo Sports fan. We are not members of the media nor are we experts - we’re just 3 friends who love our hometown teams and want to bring you along for the ride. This podcast will be for both veteran and newly ordained fans. We’ll have in depth conversation and debate with a few “newbie” questions sprinkled in to keep everyone afloat.
#bills #billsmafia #buffalo #buffalony #buffalove
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Transcript
Introduction and Social Media Outreach
00:00:09
Speaker
You're listening to the Let's Go Buffalo podcast. Your new favorite podcast for everything bills and saviors.
00:00:24
Speaker
What is going on everybody? You are listening to the Let's Go Buffalo podcast, your favorite podcast for all things bills and savers. It might not be your favorite because as far as the bills go this week, but we're going to plow through with episode 26 coming at you. Quick reminder to everybody, go follow us on our social media accounts. It really makes a difference. It's at Let's Go Buff Pod on Instagram X and YouTube now.
00:00:51
Speaker
and as we try to age backwards into social media relevancy, TikTok's coming soon.
Setting the Tone with Tom and Jake
00:00:58
Speaker
Let's say hey to the, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, Tom. We can't say hey to you without opening a beer first. Let's crack something here, yeah, shall we? Get ready, three, two, one.
00:01:12
Speaker
Oh, Tom, what are you what are you sipping on this evening? And how the hell are you? I'm good, but I am good. I needed a feel good beer for this conversation. So I found one of the tastiest beers I could, a main beer wolf's neck. I got to find my camera. There it is. Just so good. And I just needed one that was just going to sit right and be fun to drink on this unfun conversation. That's a good idea, pal. I went I went a different direction.
00:01:40
Speaker
I'm in a different direction. I got from three heads brewing. I have a sour ale, which matches the mood, brewed with cranberries and New York state grapes. So I'm getting ready to get real bitter and real sour. You've always been a sour person, Jake. You've always... That's true. I've been told that before. Sour puss, for sure.
Bills Game Memories and Emotional Fandom
00:02:04
Speaker
Nah, man, I'm good.
00:02:06
Speaker
For those listening, Jake and I got to experience this fun game together. So it's not been long since I've seen Jake, which is always good. He and his lovely wife came up and we hung out for the day and got to watch the game. And it's always, I don't know, it's always different watching the game with a fellow, A, like best friend and B fan. It's always different. It's fun. So it was good time.
00:02:27
Speaker
It was, it was a blast man. Yeah. It's kind of how it goes, right? You don't always win them and man, they sometimes they freaking suck, but it's still, that's part of why we like sports is because it's, it's, it's dramatic. It's got ups, it's got downs and you get to do it, you know, experience it with other people. And like, that's the point, you know, so that was good. That was fun. That was, that was good. The rest of the week has just been like another freaking gut punch. Just us.
00:02:53
Speaker
as as Buffalo fans sitting here and just like shock. But it's all good. It's how it goes. Right. That's that's why you watch. Yeah, absolutely. It's the camaraderie is fun. And the roller coaster is why you watch if if it was always a good result, it wouldn't be fun. Right. Like I just wish this roller coaster would stop ending us like with us as crash test. I'll be dummies like in a pile of like smoking debris at the end. You know, it would be nice.
00:03:19
Speaker
Like whoever's up there controlling rollercoaster tycoon is deleting the end of the track and sending us flying. You know what I mean? Dude, that's how it feels every week. Every season, I mean. Yes, it does.
00:03:35
Speaker
heartbreaking. This felt so much worse than last year. Last year sucked losing to the Bengals. It wasn't a good game the Bills played. This one was worse. I thought they played a good game overall and it was against the Chiefs who have knocked them out of the playoffs three out of the last four years. That made it so much worse.
00:03:55
Speaker
Yeah, dude, I don't know.
Reflecting on the Bills' Season and Positives
00:03:57
Speaker
I've been like kind of running my head through all the different situations. I have ridden the roller coaster all like since Sunday night of from holy shit, this sucks. This is terrible. Why us? I asked that question a lot. Why us? And I also got to the point of like, you know what, like,
00:04:15
Speaker
feel good. I've also, again, I want to talk about this more later, but like of man, we have a team that is competing in the playoffs multiple years in a row, run the division multiple years in a row. And like, that's important too. So I've like, I've been at the highs and I've been in the lows and I don't know where I'm at right now. Um, kind of like in the middle somewhere, I suppose, but I don't fucking know, bro. It just goes minute by minute. Yeah, it does. So
00:04:41
Speaker
I totally agree with you, man. Like there are there are positives to it. It sucks. It hurts. It's no fun. It's like like waking up on Monday morning was like off that sucked last night, but.
00:04:52
Speaker
Still, yeah, there's a lot of positives, like being able to cheer for a team that had the aspirations that they did is still a privilege, no matter what the results are. If you had told us week 12, however many weeks ago that is, right? That was, we were 18 weeks in the league and we're in second playoff game. So eight weeks ago, exactly two months ago, you told us that we were going to be competing in the divisional rounds and playing a game.
00:05:18
Speaker
I'd probably take that, right? Like if you were told past Tom that his team could be in the playoffs and be playing there and be six and six at week 12, playing kind of how poopy as the bills were, like, I think I'd take that. I think I'd say yes to that, you know, but yeah.
00:05:34
Speaker
as many ups and downs as there was in the game. Even more so during the course of the season. There was a couple weeks on this podcast where the pessimistic side came out and we were like, this team's done. They're not going anywhere this year. I'm not trying to call us out, but it's what happened. Who else is going to call us out but us?
00:05:57
Speaker
plenty of people, I'm sure. But yeah, right. And and I agree with you, though, for me, it's I don't I don't know which was worse. I mean, we've had some heartbreaking losses the past few years. We had this year freaking losses losing to the Chiefs last year to the Bengals, then 13 seconds. And then before that was the AFC Championship game where we kind of got outplayed. Excuse me. I don't know what is worse. But man, this didn't feel good. I hate that it's the Chiefs again.
00:06:24
Speaker
just honestly, anybody else, any, anybody else, like, but I don't know, even the Patriots. No, don't fight to bring that. I don't know. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. But like, yeah, it just and it does feel like, man, like it just feels like we keep getting batted down into the fact that we brought them to Orchard Park and
00:06:48
Speaker
our bills couldn't get it done. It sucks. It's a gut wrenching moment. It hits you in the stomach. It sits you down. It humbles you.
Playoff Performance Analysis
00:06:57
Speaker
And I don't know. It did feel like, man, this could be a run, right? This could be special, especially coming out. We were the hottest team in the league, won the most games in a row, going into this game. And they just couldn't do it.
00:07:09
Speaker
Yeah, I still think 13 seconds was worse for me at least. Yeah, probably. That one was a brutal one. I don't know. I watched that game out at a bar in public. So I don't know if that made it worse where there's the cat calls and things. Not that there was many. I feel like most people there were Bills fans. But still, I think that made it worse that there was just how close it was and how back and forth it was. Whereas this one, you could kind of
00:07:38
Speaker
You could kind of feel this one coming. I don't know about you, but it was kind of a...
00:07:44
Speaker
a slow burn towards the heartbreak rather than all of a sudden immediately and over time, your heart stops, right? True, that's a good point. Yeah, I think I had a few minutes to kind of digest what was happening and they're lining up for the field goal. They flash the graphic saying Tyler Bass is nine for nine in the post season or some stat like that. And at that moment I was like, oh, he's screwed. There's no way the broadcasters put that kind of stat up and then he like follows through on that.
00:08:13
Speaker
I mean, yeah, it's we will get into some reasons why in a minute here. But I don't even think the game was Tyler Bass's fault. Like it's not like he lost them the game, right? Like, no, it can't come down to that. It can't. It's a contributing factor. It's as he's not absolved of his sins. But it's it's not the reason you're 100 percent right. It can't be right. And there's there was a ton of other opportunities for the offense to go out and score and put seven on the board.
00:08:42
Speaker
And it absolutely, yeah, it should not have come down to just Tyler Bass. But you also got to hope that you're, you know, signs to a second contract kicker can can go and, you know, put it through the pipes from 44 yards when you need it. But I don't I don't know, bro. Well, let's before we go too deep down into the sorrow pit here, RIP the pit. Also, can we have a moment of silence here? Cheers. Here. Cheers, buddy. Clink. Cheers to the pit.
00:09:12
Speaker
Cheers to the pit. I don't know if you saw the stat that somebody had fallen or rumored that somebody had fallen in the pit every week during their stretch of wins to end the season.
00:09:24
Speaker
Did that continue during during the Chiefs game? Like, was that the reason why? I don't blame the pit. I don't know. I don't know. I think I think I did see some there was like some Twitter pictures of helicopters over the pits. There was some Twitter pictures of a man in a bright yellow emergency services jacket, like looking over the pit. So I don't know if he was going to, you know, scoop some poor schmuck who was an idiot and got into the pit. I don't know. But
00:09:54
Speaker
Yeah, I don't I don't freaking know. Anyway, so before we go there, what was what was some of the fun parts of this game? Because there was it was a game, right? It was it looked good for a while. It looked like the bills were going to be able to stay in this and honestly, maybe even put it away. Start in that first half. Yeah. Yeah.
Josh Allen's Impactful Plays
00:10:14
Speaker
There was a ton of fun moments.
00:10:17
Speaker
I mean, I really think Josh Allen played phenomenally. He's always fun to watch, but he did not turn the ball over. That's a big one for me.
00:10:30
Speaker
post-season for all those people out there saying that he has a freaking turnover problem. Yeah. And I think perhaps, I mean, it's hindsight, but perhaps were there opportunities where maybe he could, I think he played a little safe because of it. And I mean, I thought Patrick Holmes did too. I think they were both very cognizant of the fact that
00:10:53
Speaker
If you turn them all over more, you're probably going to lose this game. Right. So I think both kind of played into that, particularly with these two teams, you know, like they the bills, I actually didn't realize this. They flashed another stat across the board during this game, saying that the bills had the most takeaways of the entire league, including postseason. They had the most takeaways across the entire league. And I was like, that's let's go. That's awesome.
00:11:14
Speaker
Yeah. And unfortunately, we didn't we had that one. We had the one silly little ball rolling into the into the end zone on the Chiefs attempt to go score. So that kind of that was the was that I don't know if that's considered a turn. I mean, it's a turnover on downs. It's not an interception or a fumble. We actually don't know. I think about that. I don't know how that qualifies.
00:11:34
Speaker
That's a good question. Yeah, I'm not sure if that would contribute to that stat or not, but what a huge what a huge break that was. I mean, that was that would advise the game alone right there. We wouldn't be talking about either mass at all if that's correct. A touchdown. Yeah, correct, correct. That would have been yeah.
00:11:50
Speaker
Jordan Poirier came in clutch and, you know, knocked the ball out just barely before the end zone there. And that was sweet. Staying on the Josh Allen thread, like seeing him make that insane third and long touchdown throw to Khalil Shakir. I don't I mean, that's a to me, that's a top five Josh Allen throw of all time.
00:12:14
Speaker
He put it across his body, running from defenders to a scrambling clear Shakir in the front left corner of the end zone, just outside the pylon where only clear Shakir could have gotten that.
00:12:30
Speaker
the defender had not a prayer to go get that ball. And that's not saying that the defender was in a bad position. They were on clear Shakir in good position to defend a normally throw ball, but Josh Allen did not throw a normally throw ball. He threw a dart that was insane. Like just, it was, yeah. So cool. That was a crazy throw electric, but
00:12:56
Speaker
So where do you think things started to go
Defensive Challenges Against the Chiefs
00:12:58
Speaker
wrong? And I'm going somewhere with this. And I think it's around the defense. And I don't want people to jump on me and say that I'm blaming the defense. But given what's happened to them throughout the year and even last week in the postseason, can you ask them to do more? I mean,
00:13:18
Speaker
Yeah, so I can't ask the secondary to do more, but I sure can ask that front four to do more. That D-line had almost no effect on Patrick Mahomes, almost none whatsoever. And unfortunately, it's been like this repeated pattern over almost all of these playoff losses the last couple of years. The D-line just disappears.
00:13:42
Speaker
Just no effect on this game where we have invested money. We've invested draft picks for these players to come in and make an impact. I, I don't know what to say, but like at Oliver, he didn't make an impact. Daquan Jones. He didn't make an impact. Von Miller. He didn't make an impact. He had one maybe kind of good play.
00:14:06
Speaker
Leonard Floyd, where the heck were you bro? Yeah. It seemed like they did have an impact last week. Is that fair to say? Like what happened week to week? It's just opponent opponent. It's a really, probably the best in league inner three for the chiefs of their guard center guard combination is just unreal. Um, and we had their way with the interior bills D line.
00:14:31
Speaker
And then Patrick Mahomes ability to get the ball out when he needs to and scramble away from pressure when he needs to. I feel like they were this close from making big plays a few times. And then Patrick Mahomes made him pay. Not even just like, oh, he got the ball out and they got a couple yards. They got significant plays off of these kind of broken down in the backfield scrambles that Patrick Mahomes was running from.
00:14:56
Speaker
And they just didn't get home. Excuse me. I don't know.
00:15:03
Speaker
this is where you need you, we need you here. I don't care that it's the, you know, Patrick Mahomes, probably the best quarterback to be playing right now. And I say that, and I would never trade Josh Allen in the world, but I think you can fairly say that Patrick Mahomes is the best to play right now. Josh Allen can be and is on a route, but I would never trade him for the world. He's my quarterback and I never want him to leave Buffalo, but I think we can say that.
00:15:30
Speaker
It's just like you gotta, you gotta go make it. This is the make or break time, especially knowing what you have in the back seven. I do think the, the weaknesses in the back seven. So the second string linebackers, third string off the street string linebackers that we were playing and our beat up secondary aging players and at safety, like.
00:15:54
Speaker
their ability to not give coverage sacks, right? So there's like D-line sacks where a D-line player makes a great sack. And then there's coverage sacks where the back seven can somehow take away all answers for the quarterback. And he has nothing left to do except either throw it away or just take a hit to the face. The back seven wasn't helping, right? So I understand that they weren't there to help the D-line. But in that case, then go take over the game, man. Like get there.
00:16:25
Speaker
They had their hands full with with with the receiving core. Like they just didn't have an answer for Travis Kelsey. He scored two touchdowns and just just just looked like he was having his way when he made a big play. And he hasn't been doing that. That's the infuriating part. He has not been doing that. You as a Travis Kelsey fantasy football owner could certainly vouch for that. He did freaking almost nothing. I mean, he was fine. He was. But he was not the normal Travis Kelsey. And of course, he goes out and plays out of his mind.
00:16:52
Speaker
This was his first multi-touchdown game this year. Post-season and regular season. Awesome. Yeah, sweet. Fantastic. Yeah, just didn't didn't have an answer for him. I mean, he's incredible, but it's you know, it's what else in the playoffs. Doesn't matter who you're playing. You got to step up and find a way to beat him. Yes, you have to. And we just can't. We can't. And that's the.
00:17:19
Speaker
Man, I don't know. I don't know. So the moment that I think that we completely started to kind of like, the thread started to pull and just things came unraveled was the fake punt. Oh, God. I know you're very opinionated about this. So I'm going to let you go first and then I have some thoughts after. So what do you think of that fake punt there, Jake?
00:17:44
Speaker
I don't think this is the reason they did it, but I think they were trying to make too much of a storyline of Demar Hamlin coming back and trying for that fake pun.
00:17:55
Speaker
First of all, it was four and five, I think. I think they had five yards to go. That's far. That's a good amount of space that you got to cover before you get to the first down. And it didn't look convincing to me. There was a fake punt that Detroit did, and I know that they're good at this kind of play.
00:18:16
Speaker
They pulled off a fake punt maybe in the first round of the playoffs or the final week of the season, something like that, where I was like, holy shit, I didn't see that coming at all. When the Bills lined up, I think one of us said to each other when we were watching the game, I think they're going to fake punt here. What are they doing? And then they did. And they just ran into a wall of Kansas City players. I just didn't get it and agree with the decision.
00:18:44
Speaker
I mean, they were having trouble stopping the Kansas City offense. I understand that. But you give yourself a hell of a lot better chance to stop that offense when you start them on their.
00:18:58
Speaker
35, 30 yard line rather than your own 30 yard line. It baffled me. I do not understand why that was the spot they chose to do a fake punt. I'm just going to keep sputtering. What did you think? Did you disagree? Did you like it? Did you see anything different?
00:19:17
Speaker
I have a couple of different ideas here. My first idea is that I don't in the where we were in the game, you're right. We have not been able to stop that that Chiefs offense. We were the defense was sputtering. So like I like the idea of going for it. Now, I can understand the the argument saying that instead of fake punning, why didn't you put the ball into your unicorn of a quarterback's hands and let him go for it?
00:19:47
Speaker
However, I don't think it was a planned thing. Oh, interesting. It was reported. I mean, we saw on field, Tony Romo even called out saying the Chiefs have 10 men on the field. I am fairly certain that most special teams units have some kind of rules where if something happens, it gets checked in. Kind of like Josh Allen will check into a run or check into a pass that a special teams unit can check into a fake play.
00:20:16
Speaker
if they have the man advantage. I think they knew that there was 10 people on the field. DeMar Hamlin checked in, so he's the guy kind of not in that front formation on the ball, hands in the ground. He's kind of in the back protecting the punter. I think he has the ability to check into it and they saw they had the numbers advantage and went for it.
00:20:37
Speaker
I don't, I don't know this. I think, I don't think we will. I don't think that I'll ever come out saying, yep, this was the decision. And that's like, I don't think that's going to come out unless maybe sometimes, I mean, if Demargas talked to the media, maybe he'll be asked to come up. But so I don't know if it was, if it was, if that's what happens, I understand. And God, how could it be? I mean, this is one of those plays where like, if, if it works,
00:21:03
Speaker
freaking genius. That's amazing. But if the hell was it done, like what happens? We're like, what are you doing? And they feel like idiots and we feel like we lost the game, right? Yeah. Yeah. The context matters for sure. Context matters. And then also, you know, Monday quarterbacking matters too, where like we can look back and say, well, that was a freaking dumb decision. But if it worked, we'd be like, holy, we'd be talking here
00:21:26
Speaker
My god, they did their first fake punt in left freaking go right with that That's the conversation we'd be having so I think that needs to be part of the equation here. So yeah, I don't know I get that but let's say all that's true though. DeMar Hamlin still and I like I Understand that there's a scheme that you have that you follow however He grabbed that ball and he ran into a wall of people like like swing out a little bit homie if there's if there's if there truly is a man advantage Why not?
00:21:57
Speaker
try to exploit an area of the field where those 10 bodies are not. That was baffling to me, too. And again, I'm not an NFL player. I would fail and crack under pressure, of course. But he just ran into 10 Chiefs bodies. Like, yeah. Yeah. Disguise it a little bit more to do something else to get around that threat in the middle of the field there. Yeah, I agree. So I don't know. So I agree. I don't think we're ever really going to know, but
00:22:27
Speaker
Yeah, that was the, excuse me, that was the point for me. That was the point for me. I was like, yeah, this is spiraling down the toilet. Yeah. Yeah. That was, that was a turning point for sure. Uh, that, that let a lot of wind out of the sails.
00:22:41
Speaker
Um, yeah, sure did. Um, I think, um, a positive kind of pulling back there.
Running Game and Receiver Evaluations
00:22:46
Speaker
I want to just, sorry folks, we're not really going to be entirely organized. This is going to be kind of just a stream of consciousness, just us coming in and having some therapy moments here. Um, I thought the plan at the beginning of the game to run the ball was amazing. I, I texted you and I texted the other bills chat we have, like it,
00:23:02
Speaker
The bills win. If my top thing on that was we run more than we pass and holy cow. They did it right. We had, I think there was one of our touchdown drives. We saw the stack go by that the last 49 yards of that, that touchdown drive was entirely run place entirely from midfield to the end zone, entirely run place.
00:23:22
Speaker
Holy cow, they had the Chiefs number in the first half. I think the scheme was working, the Chiefs could not keep up with the physicality that the bills O-line was bringing. I don't know what technically the Chiefs did in the second half. They clearly adjusted.
00:23:39
Speaker
They clearly adjusted and they did some things to take that away. I think it's a combination of some run blitzes, which is for those who don't know is a blitz, but it designed instead of to get to the quarterback, knowing that this is a run situation that they're trying to get into the backfield to take out the run.
00:23:57
Speaker
a good adjustment considering how much the bills were running all over them in the first half. But then I wish that we could freaking adjust. I don't know. This is one of my problems with this coaching staff. And I don't know where I stand on everybody yet, but I feel like oftentimes we just get out adjusted.
00:24:14
Speaker
And other teams, we have a great starting plan, awesome. And then other teams make tweaks, make adjustments, and react to us. And then we get stifled. And we get like, oh, I guess that's what they're going to do to us. And I don't know. I haven't really gone back and watched this game again. I will. I haven't.
00:24:33
Speaker
had the hard to do it yet, but, um, like something changed in the second half. I'm not sure what it was, but whatever it was, it didn't work. But man, the running game was working. James cook was out in space. Josh Allen was great. Ty Johnson could rip off a bunch of big runs. Like it was working. Yeah. Diggs got in on a runner too as well. Yep. Oh,
00:24:55
Speaker
bring up that guy, huh? Yeah, let's talk about him, dude. And I know, I know the guy he's been a leader this year. He has, he started off hot early in the season, had more than a hundred yards and like five out of six games to start the season and then kind of got quiet. Yeah. And I understand that he's still been an integral part that teams are trying to scheme him out of games and it's been working. Other players have been needed to step up, but
00:25:22
Speaker
I, I, the guy had like four catches for 40 something yards. I like, this is, we needed you dude. Josh Allen hit him in the hands on a 65 yard bomb. Yeah, dude. He was getting covered, but still he's, he's our number one wide receiver. He's supposed to be one of the best in the NFL. He's got to bring that catch in.
00:25:44
Speaker
That's that's another that was another turning point. There's a lot of turning points that that should have been made. I know I know I was in it was in his hands. You got to come down with it. And I don't know. I hope we don't get this offseason kind of hoopla with with Stefan Diggs again this year like we did last year. The guy was clearly upset after the Bengals lost last year and had some things to say. And I kind of understood it then. Right. It's frustrating that we keep getting to this spot in the playoffs and just stall out. Nothing happens.
00:26:13
Speaker
Yeah. I better not hear any peep from him from this year, because it's not that we lost because of Stephon Diggs, but we sure didn't win because of him. And if he's going to be, if he wants to be amongst these elite alpha number one wide receivers, you got to come down with that catch, man. Like that's, that's a game changing catch. That catch happens. We're at the 25 yard line and
00:26:38
Speaker
We maybe go score. And I know that in that drive, we eventually did score. That was not a game stalling. Like they did not, they eventually got past that, got points. However.
00:26:49
Speaker
I don't know. I don't know. I think that could, the momentum's a thing. Momentum is real. And I think that would have put some swagger back in the bills, right? And probably back in Stephon Diggs, he'd be, you know, he'd be feeling himself at that point. Josh Allen will be feeling himself. And those two are feeling good. Like that's dangerous. And I don't know. I just, I needed
00:27:12
Speaker
You only had three catches on the day. I'm sorry to interrupt you. You only had three catches on the day. That's not enough from, you know, number one ride receiver. Like I know they have a really good number one cornerback, but still you need more than three catches from your number one offensive threat.
00:27:25
Speaker
If it's good on good, right? It's a great wide receiver. Step on digs against the Jerry's need a great cornerback. Good on good, I understand. But it's got to be a back and forth if you want to. It wasn't. It wasn't a back and forth. And I'm frustrated with that. I think he could have had an opportunity to come in and put his stamp on this game and be like, you know what? I all those pictures we see of digs, you know, from two years ago, watching the the AFC championship game, whatever, you know, OK, like.
00:27:56
Speaker
then freaking do something about it. I don't know. Yeah. So I don't know. You've got a fun little stat. Well, it's not so fun, but a stat about Stefan Diggs in the last last 10 games or so. I want to read it up. I'm happy to. Sure. I'll read the first. Set me up and then I've got some thoughts here. So Stefan Diggs and Khalil Shakir, two wide receivers on this bill's team.
00:28:21
Speaker
Different abilities or different roles on the team as we all know. So in the last 10 games Shakir has actually out. Performed Stefan Diggs in receiving yards Shakir has 462 Stefan Diggs as 422. Now.
00:28:39
Speaker
The more troubling stat is the number of targets that each took to get there. Shakir had 37. Stefan Diggs was targeted 80 times. So Stefan Diggs is getting those targets that supposedly was a big sticking point with him last year. He wanted the targets. He's getting the targets. He's got to haul them in.
00:29:00
Speaker
You know, I do something with them into something with them. Take. Yeah, we there was multiple across the entire season, multiple big bomb shots to digs down the field. I don't know if he came in on any of them. I don't know if he came down with any of them. Not a lot. Yeah, not a lot of this. I mean, I don't know per per target per target. He's averaging five point three yards.
00:29:25
Speaker
That's not good in those, in those 80 targets. Is that, did he just do that quick math? I did. Yeah. Yeah. I'll look at you little, little accountant over there. I, um, yeah, I agree. And I just, I don't think he's done. I don't think he's washed up, but, and I think he's still, I think he's still an alpha. I do. I, in my soul, in, in my, my belief of this team, I think that digs is still has it in him has a year or two left of being an elite player in this league, but man.
00:29:56
Speaker
We needed him. We had him and we didn't get it. And that's disappointing to me. Those three catches that he did have, I am not looking at the place that right now, but I feel like in my heart, they were some screens, they were some like short.
00:30:12
Speaker
kind of give me receptions for somebody of his skill. Like he didn't, I can't remember a play where he outright went and beat Sneed to a ball and like, no, this is my ball. I'm catching it and I'm getting the first down or something like that. Yeah. Yeah. Stuff, man. So, I mean, you just said it, he has a role on this team.
00:30:33
Speaker
going forward for you. Yeah. Oh, a hundred percent. A hundred percent because he is a leader of this team. He is a leader amongst men. He is a still a number one alpha wide receiver.
00:30:46
Speaker
Also, we owe him over $30 million next year. So there's no shots in the heck. Anybody out there, if you're watching the national media, you're hearing anybody talk about, oh, Diggs is going to get out. No, he's not. He is not. He is on this team at least till next year. And I should look at the, I haven't looked at the contract yet. We'll do a little bit of some contract looked and stuff in this podcast coming up in the next few weeks. But
00:31:10
Speaker
There's absolutely no way in, in this God green earth that we, he is leaving this team. There's not a shot.
00:31:21
Speaker
Fair enough, man. Yeah, I hear you. I'm happy about that. I hope I like Stefan Diggs as a person and a player. Like, I hope he's here. Yeah. So, I mean, this is kind of getting off topic, but we're just, we're not really on topic today. Brandon Bean and Shobha Durman had some kind of end of year post-season or end of year interviews today. And we heard from both of them saying that a big focus this offseason is getting another offensive target to go opposite of Diggs.
00:31:50
Speaker
And man, I freaking hope so. I hope that's a number one or round one or round two pick. I hope it's maybe a free agent. I don't think it's going to be a free agent just because I just don't think that the bills are operating with that kind of cap space. But I hope that's what it is, right? Keep Diggs as number one. Diggs is absolutely still a number one alpha wide receiver. He is. And if anybody who says he's not is just not watching the game.
00:32:15
Speaker
Um, he has disappointed this year, but he's just, he has not lost it. He has not lost it. And that's a hill. I'm going to die on this off season. Um, and I'm happy to, to, to refute that on this podcast, but, um, he is, he is, but if we can go get him some help, we have Kincaid who's going to be amazing. We have Shakir who's going to be amazing. Let's get another wide receiver and then we can start talking.
00:32:42
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, look, Josh Allen was great when he had Diggs, Beasley, John Brown, like he had veteran established good receivers around him. And I'm not saying that Diggs and Davis aren't good, but I think another high-end receiver would help him tremendously to spread out the targets and let Diggs go up against easier corners and let Kade have a little bit more room.
00:33:12
Speaker
I really hope that we have, we go out and get a nice high-end wide receiver target this year. So I totally
Player Futures and Contributions
00:33:18
Speaker
agree. I think, and I think this game was a proof that we missed Gabe Davis. I mean, people love the shit out on this year. I think we missed him. I think Trent Sherfield did not fill those shoes.
00:33:28
Speaker
Yeah, Trencher field was another hugest appointment in this game. Um, the guy had multiple targets. He made a couple of good plays. He did. I'm not saying he was a complete dud, but man, he had at least two, like pretty big play targets where the ball was in place. Josh, it was not a Josh Allen problem. It was a Trencher field problem. And he just did not come down with that ball.
00:33:50
Speaker
man, like you got to come down with one of them. I think, I mean, people can shit on Gabe. I think he comes down at least with at least one of those balls. I think he does. And I think this is where the Chiefs can be had is in there. They're defending number two wide receivers. Number one wide receivers. They almost always lock up. Number two.
00:34:08
Speaker
They're vulnerable. They're like, I don't know, bottom, bottom half of the league and defending the number two wide receiver. And this is kind of why Gabe sometimes goes off against the Chiefs. Cause that's been true for a while and we missed him. And man, I was, I was very disappointed. He wasn't going to be able to suit up for this game. Um, sounds like he was looking to be ready for the following week if the bills were to advance. Um, but man, it would have been real nice if he was ready for this game. Yeah. Noticable missing player there for sure.
00:34:39
Speaker
Yeah. So let's talk about a few players who maybe that may have been their last game as a bill. You want to I know it's sad. No, but this is I want to give some goodbyes. We did not official goodbyes because we don't actually know yet, but it could be possible goodbyes. This could be the last time. Well, this more than likely is the last time that we saw Michael Hyde and Jordan player Jordan Poyer, excuse me, play together as the build safety duo.
00:35:08
Speaker
And that is how long have they been the tandem back there? I think seven years, bro. They came in with Sean McDermott. They came in.
00:35:17
Speaker
and were not known as lockdown safeties. They were not top safeties in the league at the time. They were coached up, they developed, they worked their asses off in Buffalo to become, in my mind, the best safety duo that the Bills have ever seen. And in my mind, the league has ever seen. At their prime, when they were both playing out of their minds, they were some of the best to do it.
00:35:42
Speaker
And Jordan Poyer is in contract, has a contract. I don't know how English works. Has a contract for next year. So he has an option to probably be on this team. And I hope he does. He played. He had some ups and downs this year. He's definitely slowing down. He is not the same Jordan Poyer from two or three years ago. But I would like to see him stay, especially because he's on contract. And we're going to need the safety help. Micahide is not. Micahide is going to be a free agent going into the offseason.
00:36:12
Speaker
Um, I don't know if the bills are going to resign him. I don't know if he'll want to resign. I don't know. Maybe he's going to retire, right? The guy has had a long history of neck issues of like very scary neck issues. So there's a possibility that this could be it for Micah high. So I just want to say a huge thank you to Micah, man. You've been so fun to watch play. You played out of your minds. You have, you are the maker of one of my favorite bills plays ever.
00:36:38
Speaker
the insane interception in against the Patriots game and the blowout perfect game just The guy is and he's been he's a stand-up dude. He clearly is a guy who's Who feels good about being a Buffalo bill playing in Buffalo and represents the team well, and thank you Thank You, Micah, we appreciate you and hope you the best And maybe I'm wrong and I hope I am but if not, then thank you Micah
00:37:07
Speaker
Time will tell. Time will tell. Couple others, though, on the defensive side of the ball. Probably Dane Jackson, AJ F. Vanessa. Could we think about those two? They're both going to be free agents going in. So going into the offseason here, there's definitely a possibility that we don't resign both or either, right? Like AJ F. Vanessa had a great, great year. He got a bunch of sacks and that sack production is what pays. He did in an exit interview talk about wanting to be in Buffalo and hopes it happens.
00:37:36
Speaker
Man, if the guy is... He's going to get... Somebody's going to wave a big bag of money in your face. Go get it, dude. This is your opportunity to go get life-changing money. I hope he gets it. My gut reaction right now is if we can get him for the right price, I'd be down to have AJ on the team again.
00:37:52
Speaker
Um, we cannot pay up just because we literally can't. Um, and I don't think we should. However, um, if we can get them for a good price, like I'm in, um, in Dane, Dane is a guy, right? He was a lower fifth, sixth, seventh round draft pick. I can't remember exactly. And he's come out and played really well. He's been a starter for this team occasionally over the years. He's whenever, almost every time he comes in, he's, he's done his job and plays really well. And.
00:38:18
Speaker
He defines that process that Sean McDermott loves. Excuse me, I'm gonna burp again.
00:38:25
Speaker
And just so excited about Dane Jackson. So yeah, I don't know. It could very well be a possibility that this is both AJ's and Dane's last time suiting up as a belt. So thank you, boys. We appreciate you, all the development and the heart and soul that you've given this team. And who knows? I'd love to see them back for the right price. And we'll talk more about that as we go. But yeah, just sad, right? This time of year is just like, who knows? These are the players who you
00:38:52
Speaker
who start to really attach yourself to and, right. And like you believe in and you feel good about and it's, and that's awesome. And then it's also very sad when it's like, okay, this, this particular squad, this 53 man roster will never be again together again. They'll never, there's no way that this a hundred percent is going to be back. So that's just always very disappointing.
00:39:17
Speaker
Yeah. Dane Jackson, a seventh round pick, 238 players went before him. So, man, play your freaking butt off, dude. Right. Like make yourself a useful member of a team who have started games and to do that as a seventh round draft pick and come in in a very good defense. This Bill's defense is not like it's been, you know, bottom of the barrel. It's been a very good defense for multiple years and he's been part of it. So that's a big deal for sure, dude.
00:39:44
Speaker
by offensive side of the ball, a lot of continuity on the offensive line.
Offensive Line Consistency
00:39:49
Speaker
And which is amazing. I want to talk about that in a couple of weeks, but holy shit. If you told, I mean, we had a couple podcasts at the beginning over the off season, right? Before the season started to roll. But if you told me that we would end this season saying our O-line was one of the strengths of the team, I would have thought you were insane.
00:40:08
Speaker
I thought that this offensive line had some weaknesses, some chinks in the armor was going to be had. So the fact that they played their butts off all year and we're healthy, like, let's go. And all five are back next year, all five.
00:40:21
Speaker
Yeah. All under contract, under contract, under contract. So not necessarily back, but under contract. So more than likely back. But the health too is huge. Like, like that's a position that gets banged up a lot. They started every game. Sure. They didn't play every minute, but it was in garbage time when the game was decided. Right. So just, just huge props to them.
00:40:41
Speaker
Saipo, Osiris, Torrance played every snap, every single snap, which is insane, insane, especially as a rookie. Like, let's go, buddy. I wonder what the rate of players that actually do that is as an offensive lineman and a rookie. You know, that will be a fun set to look up, but I'm sure it's not many.
00:41:00
Speaker
But on the theme of a last game for the player, the notable one on offense is, is Gabe Davis. He's a free agent. I've saw some quotes that he's, he's probably going to go check out free agency. He's, you know, the doors, the door's not closed. There you go. Yeah, Tom, this is a two beer podcast. This is a two beer podcast. Yeah, this is a, yeah, this is your second, when your second spirit beer is a double IPA, you know, you need some help. Yes, yes, sir. Yes, sir. We'll, we'll, we'll link a phone numbers in the comments for people.
00:41:29
Speaker
Um, no, but, but gave Davis rumor to be going to free agency probably will. I don't think we have the, uh, the cap space or the desire to spend that cap space if we had it, uh, on Gabe Davis. So.
00:41:45
Speaker
Well, I mean, I'm not sure. He did say in an interview that he thinks that he's going to go to free agency and he wants to hit free agency, but he'd love to be back in Buffalo if it worked out for both sides. And I believe him, right? I think he does enjoy being in Buffalo. I think he likes it here. I think
00:42:04
Speaker
that he has developed here and done really well. I think he embodies a lot of what this team believes and stands for. I just think that somebody's going to go pay him. I think somebody's going to pay him a ton of money. And again, just like I said about Eponessa, like, man, go get your bag. Go do it. And if you are a standout player consistently,
00:42:26
Speaker
and would fit the receiving role of a wide receiver too and get paid like that. I think you should stay in Buffalo and get paid that. I just think his importance is not always in the receiving game. He has an incredible importance in other aspects of the offense, but I don't think it's always going to be in the receiving game. So I'm not ready to pay him the monster money. But if it works out that both sides can figure out how you stay in Buffalo for the right price, I'd be in.
00:42:54
Speaker
But yeah, man, the guy has had some of the biggest moments in Bill's history, right? Set in playoff records, NFL playoff records, not even Bill's playoff records. Like the guys had some moments here in Buffalo. So thank you, Gabe. There is, and this is kind of my next point of talking. And there's been some, some, some stuff going on social media talking, you know, where fans are heckling Gabe on, on field and taking, you know, going after poor Tyler Bass.
Fan Behavior and Positivity Initiatives
00:43:21
Speaker
Like I want to say to both Gabe and Tyler,
00:43:24
Speaker
here from the Let's Go Buffalo podcast. We love you both. We appreciate you both. Those fans do not speak for Bill's Mafia. The Let's Go Buffalo podcast, and to be honest, all of Bill's Mafia does not stand for that kind of behavior. And I'm sorry that that happens. If you can't control your emotions and realize that we are talking about a game,
00:43:46
Speaker
I, you're barely human to me. I don't understand how people can, you don't deserve any attention from anybody or happiness or love or anything else. None of that. Yeah. There's been, so for people who maybe not know, there's been just some crazy videos of fans from standing on the sidelines at the game. Hecklin poor Gabe Davis, who was on the field, but just clearly, you know, not suited up.
00:44:08
Speaker
Declanum saying some pretty awful things to him and he spoke back and you know what I don't blame the guy But like that's just disgusting. That is ugly. That is evil and and not condoned whatsoever and poor Tyler Bass had to like Disengage they had to like shut down his social medias because he was getting messages death threats. Yeah, not messages death threats like that's that's that's insane units that is a hundred percent not appropriate and Just just evil
00:44:39
Speaker
There is. Yeah. Yeah. You wanted to do, you have the info for is for Tyler Bass's charity. People have gone, gone. So I want you to, I'm going to set you up here in a second, but Tyler Bass has, has, has, has been public about supporting a specific charity. And people have like donated over a hundred thousand dollars. So Buffalo, Bill's Mafia has done what Bill's Mafia does. And I love that.
00:45:01
Speaker
Cause man, the guy, the kid's still a kid, right? And he's been great to Buffalo. He was, did not, did not have the best end of the season and you know, and maybe not the best of games here against the chiefs, but he doesn't deserve any of that. So, so Jake, what's the, what's the information for that charity that people could maybe go find?
00:45:19
Speaker
It's Chiefs fans too, it's not just Bills fans, so credit where it's due. We're talking about a game and you can hate the other team, but it stops when it's off the field, right? And so it's awesome to see people from both fan bases, like Buffalo Stone and other situations for other players that don't necessarily play for the Bills.
00:45:35
Speaker
People have been donated to a charity the Tyler Bass really supports. It's called the Ten Lives Club. It's a charity devoted to rescuing cats and giving cats a second chance, hence the Ten Lives, not nine. I like that. If you like feline friends and you want to throw them a donation, I'll put a link somewhere. But yeah, just to give a little bit of a positive spin to
00:46:02
Speaker
what was a heartbreaking game and a situation where no human deserves to be given death threats over something. So we just wanted to call that out and just quick plug on that. Yeah. The Let's Go Buffalo podcast loves you, boys. Gabe Davis and Tyler Bass, we love you and we appreciate you and do not condone any of that behavior. So, man, wow. What a...
00:46:28
Speaker
I mean, I think we're still going to be psychologically recovering from this game for a while. But I think this was helpful for me. And I hope maybe for you, bro. Yeah, dude. Nice way to put a bow in it a little bit.
00:46:40
Speaker
look unpack the game a little bit. And just so anybody listening knows, this was a nice way to kind of recap the last game, recap the end of the playoffs for the
Season Reflection and Future Prospects
00:46:49
Speaker
bills. Next week, get ready for the autopsy. We're going to dive into the bill season at large and scalpel, scalpel, scalpel, please. Yeah, we're, we're, we're slicing and dicing next week. So come on back and listen to our thoughts on the season as a whole.
00:47:05
Speaker
We've had a really fun and honestly, this this podcast had made this season really special for me. And I hope I want to say this to both you and Nigel. I know Nigel will listen in. He's not on tonight, but he'll be listening. I it's been really fun to do a podcast and publicly talk about our opinions about this podcast, about this team that we love so much and the Sabres as well. And I know it doesn't matter how many people's as you know, as sorry, I do love both teams. Sorry. I realize
00:47:38
Speaker
Well, all right, so I'm gonna restart both teams the Sabres and the Bills that we all love it's been very fun to talk about them and have like a public forum for us to kind of Express our and spout our opinions into the the ether here So that's been cool and just been really special. So we did a whole season right? That's pretty cool. So Unfortunately didn't end how we wanted it to didn't end with the grand hurrah in the
00:48:03
Speaker
the celebration but that doesn't mean it's not it wasn't worth it so um appreciate you boys and i love it yeah it's part of the ride man love love being here with you and i think i think one one last note before we put a bow on the bills uh isn't this so much better than the drought years like i don't care about people today like it hurts it's it's not fun it's not fun to be in this situation a day or two after a loss but
00:48:29
Speaker
Man, being able to cheer for a team in the dance and finish the year like they did is a privilege. I don't care what people say. It is so much better than the drought. This team is more exciting to watch, more fun to watch, and just all around a better experience despite having heartbreaking losses. I checked with the league. Actually, I sent an email to the league, Tom. I don't know if you knew this. They award one trophy every year.
00:48:55
Speaker
Losing losing without a trophy is not does not mean a failed season does not absolutely not. No, man. And this is the fun part, right? We get to talk about sports and follow a team that is exciting, has one of the most exciting players to ever play the game leading the team. And and we got the the lucky chance to talk about it. So, yeah, I agree. It is. Yeah. Anybody out there is saying, oh, man, the drought years were better, like, you know, within this heartbreak. They don't know what they're talking about.
00:49:23
Speaker
This is the point of it, right? This is the point that you find a team that you can connect with and feel good about for whatever reason. It could be, you know, what you grew up with, where you're from, where just maybe you're new to bills mafia and you just decided that you wanted to, this is a team that you feel like you can connect with. Like that's the point is they're in, they're playing a sport and they're, they're having fun. And we're, we're have the ups, we have the downs and yet only one team, like you said, the only reward, only, only one Lombardi gets passed out every year, not, not 32. So
00:49:53
Speaker
Dude, if you're out there saying that the draggers are better, go walk into Lake Erie and keep walking. Yeah, come down as Lake Effect snow eventually, would you? Hope everybody in Western New York is safe right now. I know I realize that the snow has been insane. Anybody who says that Lake Effect snow is not like the craziest snow to ever be experienced just doesn't know what they're talking about.
00:50:15
Speaker
That's nuts, man. Yeah. So I'd going forward here, I'm going to tell you right now, let's go freaking Lions. I am a huge Lions fan for the rest of this playoff run. I would love, that's another just fan base who's kind of been through the ringer and just in a team that I just feel really good about. They're fun to root for.
00:50:34
Speaker
Um, uh, anybody but the chiefs, honestly, that's also go Ravens, you know, like send the chiefs home. I cannot, I cannot take another week of the national media talking or in anybody talking about the chiefs, send them home and bear some and, uh, do what we couldn't do.
00:50:51
Speaker
Oh my God. I can't, I can't handle Taylor Swift being at the Superbowl either. I just, I would crumble. I'm so sick of that shit. And I don't dislike Taylor Swift in public. I'm going to say this. I don't dislike Taylor Swift, right? Let's get that. Let's get that straight. I don't love her.
00:51:09
Speaker
Yeah, what I'm sick of hearing about her in the same breath as Travis Kelsey and football. Like, like, get get get rid of it. Get rid of it. Fucking I just I'm just sick of we had Jake and I when we were watching this game together, we had to mute the commercials because it was we went from watching Patrick Holmes and Travis Kelsey play a game and then also watch them try and act in a commercial. Like, what are we what are we doing? Like, I couldn't do it. I just I couldn't do it. So insult to the injury. Oh, yep.
00:51:39
Speaker
So before we get out of here. Yeah. Yeah. Well, what's going on in Sabers world here, Jake?
Sabres' Performance and Outlook
00:51:45
Speaker
Yeah, let's we wanted to do a little check in because the all star break is coming up here. The all star break kicks off end of January for the first couple of days in February. So before that happens, the Sabers have a West Coast road trip. So a little Sabers after dark, you can catch their games around 10, 10 p.m. this week. They're on the road.
00:52:07
Speaker
playing in Anaheim, LA, and San Jose on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday, respectively, to put a bow on their season pre-All Star break. Will they stay in California for that whole stint, you think? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. They won't travel. They won't fly back. I feel like that'd be awful. No. I think that'd be too much. They'll stay. They'll practice out there and just kind of take that road trip as a chunk. Gotcha. OK.
00:52:36
Speaker
But since the last pod, since last we spoke, they had a really nice winning in Chicago. Three nothing. Another another shutout for UPL back to back and then lost to Tampa at home to close out their home stand. So we've said it before, but inconsistencies, gang. Look, I mean, again, they're they're 20, 22 and four. Not a great record. Forty four points right now.
00:53:02
Speaker
They're not, they're not dead yet, right? Like there's still a sliver of hope. We're not dead yet. And like at this point in the year with the bills out now, I, I, I always watch a lot of savers games, but I'll definitely try to continue to watch. Um, this is a stretch of winnable games, man. Like out on the West coast, I know they're on the road. Um, I know they're playing.
00:53:29
Speaker
I was about to say some teams that are good. They're playing one team that has the potential to be good and make some noise, but they're playing Anaheim, LA, and San Jose. All of those teams have really struggled lately. In their past 10 games, each team respectively is 2-7-1, 2-4-4, and 3-6-1. Those are awful records, awful records.
00:53:51
Speaker
So the doors open there. LA is the team that I would consider to be the biggest threat. I think they're a great team. They play a really tough to beat style. I think especially for Buffalo. Also, LA is a bad team at home. They've struggled on home ice this year. And the Sabres have
00:54:14
Speaker
last year and this year have been a pretty good road team. So the recipe is all there for them to have a successful road trip. And at this point in the season with where they are, when I say successful road trip, I mean, three and oh, it's gotta be right. It's gotta be that's the doors open, right? The door is open.
00:54:32
Speaker
Collect six points on the road before the all-star break. Maybe you do that and another team or two fails a little bit. Maybe you climb back within. Climb the ladder a little bit. Four, five, six points. Play with your heart a little bit.
00:54:47
Speaker
This is dude, this is the time we've talked about this. This is the time of year where they're going to start. They're going to start playing real well. And we're going to start getting a little bit like, oh, man, if only they did this earlier in the year and start getting excited about it. Yeah, it's way too cynical for my own good. But I'm willing to be dragged back in if they if they allow me. You are always willing. Yeah, I love that. So we'll
Listener Gratitude and Engagement Encouragement
00:55:10
Speaker
see, man. We'll see. We'll find out.
00:55:13
Speaker
But yeah, let's, let's get out of here, man. Take us home. All right, buddy. Well, Hey, here's to a great bill season ending, not how we wanted editing heartbreak, but that's kind of, you know, you can kind of set your clock at that on that, but this point, but
00:55:26
Speaker
What can you do? All right, buddy. Thank you all so, so much from the bottom of our hearts for spending some time with us for not only today, but all season. We really appreciate that. We are not dead. We are not dead yet, just like the Sabres. We'll be around. We are going to be all off season every week, so please tune in and hang out with us. We're going to be
00:55:47
Speaker
continuing to develop our game as our favorite teams are too. So it would mean a lot to us if you could please share this episode. Give us a like, give us a follow on Instagram, on X, and this fresh new YouTube channel that we have started. Look out for us on TikTok as well. We will be flying around the TikTok and doing all sorts of cool things. So all three of those, or excuse me, all four of those are at Let's Go Buffalo Pod.
00:56:16
Speaker
And yeah, let's go buff pod. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Tom can't read and I just want autopilot. So I just talk way too much. Um, so yeah. Um, thank you all so, so much. That's my pal Jake. My name is Tom and you're listening to the let's go Buffalo podcast. We're sending you love wherever you are. Go bills, go savers. Let's go Buffalo.