Back to Base Camp: Access our FULL analysis of the Buffalo Bills inside...
It's the best time of year for us here at Go Long. Expect many longform stories through the offseason.
If you’re reading this, you obviously know that there’s no such thing as an “offseason” in the NFL. This league has masterfully figured out a way to stay firmly in the headlines 24/7/365, treating the NBA and NHL like highway debris. (Although, I must admit: Cannot wait to devour wings at Nine-Eleven Tavern in South Buffalo tonight for USA-Canada. Let’s all blare “Free Bird” at max volume.)
There’s still fresh fingerprints all over the Vince Lombardi Trophy by the time the conversation shifts to the NFL Combine and Free Agency.
And for our purposes at Go Long? This is a phenomenal time of year because this is the perfect opportunity to chip away at bigger stories worth your valuable time — a blend of palace-intrigue deep dives on teams and lengthy player profiles. We exist purely to bring you pro football in its realest, rawest form. Trust that your investment will always be put to good use.
Since arriving back home from Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, I’ve started to plant some seeds on features subscribers can access over the coming months.
Also, once again, we’ll welcome back Hall of Fame scribe Bob McGinn for full 2025 NFL Draft coverage.
To kick things off, live at the site right now, is a primer on the Buffalo Bills:
WHAT NOW? An extensive look at the Buffalo Bills' 2024 finish & 2025 offseason
ORCHARD PARK, NY — Marathon press conferences to wrap up the football season in Western New York typically sound the same. Year after year, the men running the Buffalo Bills promise to keep banging at that Super Bowl door. One chief argument, however, is starting to ring hollow. Exactly as he did at the end of the 2023 season, Sean McDermott brought up his old boss at the end of this heartbreaking 2024 season.
Living here in Western New York, this is obviously a team we’ve been tracking closely since our “McDermott Problem” series. Back inside One Bills Drive, we’ve since brought you various profiles (Ray Davis, Damar Hamlin, Ty Johnson, Rasul Douglas), deep dives (“Drive a Dagger In,” “Smash the Window”), 1 on 1’s with the two men in charge (Beane & McDermott) and columns (“Missing Rings,” “The day the Buffalo Bills could've drafted Patrick Mahomes”)
The 2024 season was chock-full of exhilarating highs. Josh Allen won the MVP award and the Bills reached the AFC Championship Game.
Yet, once again, Buffalo’s season ended with a crushing loss to the Kansas City Chiefs..
After sitting in on the season-ending pressers for general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott, we took some time to explore where this team goes from here. The entire 7K+ word piece is accessible to paid members, so thank you for subscribing and sharing the word on everything Go Long.
Inside “WHAT NOW?” we examine, the following…
On the ‘dangerous mindset’
Beane does he want the Bills obsessing over one team: the Chiefs.
Nor does not want the Bills obsessing over the idea that they’re “one player away.”
“That’s a dangerous mindset to get into. I learned that when I was a younger person in this league and you see it in teams: ‘I'm going to chase this player, I’m going to chase this position.’ You’re never one player away. This team had championship ability. I do believe that. Sometimes you leave the season and you say, ‘Man, I don’t know if we gave ourselves a chance.’ But ultimately, it’s down to a few plays. … One to two plays can change the outcome of a game, which ultimately changes the outcome of a season and we wouldn’t be sitting here.”
What should the Bills do to finally… maybe… once and for all… get past the Chiefs?
The Bills need a game-wrecker on defense. (So it’s time to get creative.)
A-level talent is a must on defense. Chris Jones supplies this reality check every January but, as Beane correctly notes, teams aren’t in a rush to give away Chris Jones-like talents each spring.
If Buffalo doesn’t package a slew of draft picks together to go big-game hunting for Myles Garrett, what’s the answer? It’s staring right there at the Bills in the face. After all, Jones was a second-round pick for a reason.
Football is a violent game played by violent people.
The Bills — and all teams, honestly — should take a look at what the Philadelphia Eagles did to Mahomes in NOLA and attack the NFL Draft accordingly. Beane calls this roster the ultimate “chemical experiment.” All coaches would love it if the redblooded edge rusher who runs 4.4, benches 225 pounds 35 times and drills quarterbacks with authority also happens to be Mr. Rogers off the field. Try searching for unicorns too long and you’ll get lost in the woods.
It’s time to add an explosive element to that experiment, to take a chance in the draft.
The Chiefs and Eagles both have never been afraid of the “character risk.” All angles are analyzed.
McDermott protects his defense.
Multiple times, the Bills head coach gently steered attention toward the offense.
His first answer, he noted that the offense had a chance to win the game late against the Chiefs. Which is technically true. But such rhetoric misses the plot. It’s also true that Buffalo’s defense was an abomination — again — against the Chiefs. In four playoff losses to KC and one to Cincinnati, the Bills have allowed points on 31 of 40 non-kneeldown drives with a TD rate of 55 percent. The Chiefs are averaging 34.75 points per game and their 32-point total in the latest playoff was their highest in 36 games.
Damning stuff from a defensive head coach.
Especially considering what Vic Fangio did the next game.
Changes to McDermott were real.
On the bright side? McDermott absolutely evolved this past season.
Where players and coaches past saw a “tight” coach, “a robot”—especially ahead of playoff games — McDermott has clearly been able to let go, let his players lead and embrace a “winner’s mindset.” Instead of wondering when everything’s bound to go wrong, these remade Bills have gradually changed their psychological wiring. They imagine what can go right. On this front, McDermott deserves credit. We explore in full.
Dalton Kincaid & Keon Coleman.
After years of hearing Packers GM Ted Thompson say absolutely nothing at press conference, holy, was it refreshing to hear what Beane said about both of his top picks from the ‘23 and ‘24 drafts.
Granted, he had complimentary things to say on both.
But the message was clear: He wants Coleman to toughen up and Kincaid to add strength. More than any transaction, the Bills are relying on these two players taking substantial leaps. In Kincaid’s case, there’s hope in a Hall of Famer. Tony Gonzalez suffered a Year 2 from hell himself before then changing the position forever.
Considering the Chiefs scored Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy in these same drafts, it’s imperative that both players ascend.
Everyone eats, etc., etc. Josh Allen still needs a go-to guy on third and 8 with a game on the line.
Splendid as the mid-round picks have been, this Bills front office must hit on its first-round picks to win a championship.
Josh Allen should command a (substantial) raise
He’s the 14th-highest paid quarterback in the NFL.
He’s also the reason everyone else gets raises and promotions. Restructuring his deal could give the Bills some short-term cap relief.
Pay James Cook.
Seriously.
It’s money well spent.
His value is obvious. Contenders should pay up for elite running backs, and Cook still has prime years ahead. As Allen said, the 25-year-old played “like a man possessed the entire year.” Inside, we make the argument.
Subscribers can access “WHAT NOW?” in full.
In the coming weeks, be on the lookout for deeper looks at one other AFC title contender and one NFC contender.
Thank you for supporting our independent journalism at Go Long.
Miss a Friday Feature this past season?
Be sure to surf through the archives right here.
Also, we sit down with a Super Bowl legend: Trey Burton of “Philly Special” fame.
Podcast:
Words:
Shawn McDermott is the head coach of the Buffalo Bills. He’s not the defensive coordinator. As the head coach, he should get blame or praise for how his team performs on the scoreboard, on special teams, on offense and defense. If some writers wish to lay blame at McDermott’s feet because of how his defense played during the regular season and the playoffs, he should get equal amounts of praise for overseeing the magnificent Bills offense this past season. A few days ago, Tyler, you had a podcast with your friend Monos. It was an excellent listen during that day’s morning walk. The Bills have not done well in their draft selections in the first or second round. The general manager, scouting department and yes, McDermott, have to be better at picking players who will develop into quality starters in the first two rounds of the draft. Monos’ phrasing was that the Bills needed to “tighten up” their performance in the first two rounds of the draft. That’s good advice.
Devil's advocate time....
What would happen if we didn't pay Josh more money?