Lots of off-season talk with the Bills having been eliminated from the playoffs
The Buffalo Bills have been eliminated from the 2018 playoff race with their loss to the New York Jets and with the change, the questions in this week’s episode turn squarely to the 2019 off-season and the future—all except for one.
This week on Buffalo Rumblings Q&A, we tackle questions on the long-term effects of Josh Allen’s scrambling and running, why the Bills didn’t trade LeSean McCoy, and how they’re going to address so many problem areas on the offensive line and receiving corps in the 2019 NFL Draft.
If you want your question on air, you can leave a voicemail at 716-508-0405 or record your question on your phone and email us at BuffaloRumblings@SBNation.com. You can also reach us on Twitter @RumblingsQandA or leave a comment below this article.
Question I’m Getting A Lot
“Why haven’t they fired Danny Crossman?”
This week’s lead question has to do with special teams coach Danny Crossman and his future with the team. Crossman was originally hired in 2013 when Doug Marrone was hired. He remained on the staff when Rex Ryan took over as head coach and survived Rex to Sean McDermott’s tenure. I have no idea why he’s survived so many coaching changes. In fact, I have no idea why he was hired in the first place. In 2012, Crossman’s units were bad for the Detroit Lions and he was fired.
I think they’ll fire Crossman at the end of the season and right now they just don’t want to upset the apple cart with a mid-season move while they are out of the playoff race. Last year, they didn’t replace Rick Dennison as offensive coordinator even though it was clear he was holding the team back. They didn’t waste much time after the season, though. They should follow the same model this year.
Crossman’s cycled through three punters during the regular season and had a fourth in training camp and the preseason. None have been very effective and in the last few weeks, may have been the clandestine reason behind errant field goal and extra point attempts. But that’s not the biggest concern.
Against the New York Jets, the kickoff unit allowed two long returns into Bills territory after Buffalo scored. The Jets were able to capitalize with scores of their own. Instead of knocking out a team that gave up the last time these two squads faced off, the special teams allowed New York to hang around early. Couple that with a blocked field goal attempt and missed opportunities in the kicking game, and they were a main reason for the loss to New York.
The week before, Bills special teams directly led to a Miami Dolphins touchdown on a muffed punt and missed an extra point and field goal. Was it the holder on those attempts that caused them to miss, or one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history?
Penalties abound on special teams and even though Buffalo kept a relatively high number of special teams-only players on the roster, the situation hasn’t improved. It’s time to replace Crossman and start from scratch this off-season.
The rest of the episode features questions on Josh Allen’s development through the lens of his running ability, whether Brandon Beane will trade down from the top of the 2019 NFL Draft to nab more picks, why they didn’t trade LeSean McCoy, and how they’re going to overhaul the offensive line. We also answer the question: “Do you think this is the start of another playoff drought?”
You’ll have to listen to the podcast for answers to those questions, but here are the articles I cited in the podcast:
- Josh Allen breaks Michael Vick’s quarterback rushing mark
- Is Josh Allen too quick to abandon the pocket?
- Wide receiver prospects on Days 2 & 3 of the 2019 NFL Draft
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