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Five Changes Bills Must Make During the Bye Week · Alex Brasky: Unfiltered

• 0:23
  SPEAKER_01: Hello, everybody, and welcome back by Popular Demand.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_01: This is Alex Brasky Unfiltered, your first stop for raw honest takes on the Buffalo Bills and more.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_01: Please like, share, rate, and subscribe to the podcast, and also leave a comment on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_01: All right, Bills win 33 to 30 over the Raiders.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_01: We're here to reflect on the win and look ahead to what's next for Buffalo as they move into their bye week and come out of the bye week with a matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_01: But first, we discuss the news of the day.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_01: Sam Franklin Jr., the Bills special teams ace, becoming the second Bills player to be suspended for spitting at a Raiders player this past Sunday.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_01: Franklin Jr.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_01: did it in the final two minutes against the Raiders on an extra point attempt from Las Vegas.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_01: And Franklin Jr.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_01: joins CJ Gardner Johnson, the Bills safety, who was also suspended for one game for spitting at tight end Brock Bowers.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_01: He was ejected from the contest and will now serve that one game suspension when the Bills take the field against the Ravens.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_01: While Franklin Jr.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_01: is appealing his suspension and vehemently denies all charges.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_01: Now, it obviously has to work itself out and go through the appeals process.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_01: And the video that's been released on the all 22 and even the broadcast angle does is not show much when it comes to the incident involving Franklin Jr.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_01: So we do have to kind of wait for that to play out, see if the punishment goes through or if Franklin Jr.'s appeal is successful.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_01: But with that being said, this is Joe Brady's legacy as head coach playing out in real time.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_01: He started phenomenally in terms of the team's overall record.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_01: Five and one.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_01: They've gotten through the early portion of their schedule with that favorable mark.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_01: But with CJ Gardner Johnson's antics continuing to ramp up, and now Franklin Jr., a captain on special teams, joining the embattled safety in doing these heinous acts.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_01: It just shows the fun uncle aspect of Joe Brady's coaching mentality is not paying off for this team in the early going.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_01: One of the most penalized teams in the NFL, and then doing boneheaded and flat-out disgusting things like spitting on an opponent during the Raiders game.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_01: Just not a great look for the head coach.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_01: We all remember Alec Anderson this summer coming out and saying that Joe Brady is basically the substitute teacher in high school that everyone likes to take advantage of.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_01: The uncle who comes over and babysits his brother or sister's kids and lets them get away with whatever they damn well please.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_01: And while I wouldn't say there's been a million examples of this team just running rampant and disrespecting their head coach in a public forum, spinning on an opponent is not only disrespecting your opponent and really disrespecting yourself, it's also disrespecting the authority of the head coach, in this case, Joe Brady, who does not seem to have his team reined in the way that Sean McDermott did.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_01: In nine years with Sean McDermott as head coach, the Bills had one suspension due to an unsportsmanlike penalty that came to Bobby Hart, the former offensive lineman who many enjoyed making fun of over the years.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_01: Came in 2022.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_01: And now, six games in to Brady's head coaching career, already two players have been suspended for unsportsmanlike acts.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_01: So it's it's just not a good reflection of, like I said, Brady's authority and the control he has over this locker room.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_01: It does seem like a lot of these guys feel like they can get away with murder, namely CJ Gardner Johnson, who Franklin Jr.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_01: seems to be following in the footsteps of now.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_01: And that's certainly not a good sign when one of the leaders of the team, a captain on special teams, is spitting on an opponent during an extra point with the game still hanging in the balance.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_01: It could really cost your team, and and it's really thrown Joe Brady back into the fire on social media this afternoon.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_01: And while I'm certainly worried with Joe Brady and how much control he has over this locker room and Franklin Jr.'s act is concerning in and of itself, the true issue here is CJ Gardner Johnson.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_01: His performance has been lacking on the field, six missed tackles, according to pro football reference this year.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_01: I believe that leads the team, or it's somewhere near the top of the Bills team leaders, and obviously not in a good way for CJ Gardner Johnson.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_01: And now starting to act out the way that we've seen him in his previous stops along his NFL career.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_01: So, in my opinion, you have to cut bait with CJ Gardner Johnson.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_01: He's not offering you anything on the field.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_01: The juice is not worth the squeeze when it comes to his personality and how that's starting to play out.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_01: And now with Franklin Jr., like I said, starting to follow his teammate, if it is indeed proven that he spit on the Raiders offensive lineman, who did appear to take a swipe toward the groin area.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_01: Now, when you see the play with Franklin Jr., it doesn't seem like the Raiders player is intentionally trying to hit him in the nuts.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_01: It just seems like he's trying to stop him from rushing the kicker.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_01: But at the same time, I could see why Franklin Jr.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_01: would get frustrated with that.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_01: Now, if his frustration was limited to getting in the face of the Raiders player, that's fine.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_01: But if he spat at the Raiders player, that's another thing.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_01: You have to also remember that this came after the CJ Gardner-Johnson uh incident.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_01: So maybe the Raiders players already had that in their mind and were looking for that and trying to call that out to the officials.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_01: And maybe the officials had that in their mind upon review of the circumstance, suspended.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_01: Well, the league hands out the suspension.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_01: But you get my point here with Sam Franklin Jr.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_01: Moving back to CJ Gardner Johnson, it's just time for the team to move on from him.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_01: I I did obviously say earlier in the season that I was starting to come around on CJ Gardner Johnson.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_01: I said during training camp it was only going to be a matter of time before something like this spitting incident happened.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_01: I started to walk things back as the regular season began because he was a good soldier after the live stream in the locker room incident during training camp and his interception against the Chargers.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_01: So was starting to make an impact in that way.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_01: But you lose all good faith that you have when you do something like this and you continue to miss tackles as he did on Sunday against Las Vegas.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_01: So I think it's an addition by subtraction at this point.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_01: While I don't think that Damar Hamlin is a starting caliber safety in the NFL, he might be as good or better than what CJ Gardner Johnson has given you, at least for what the Bills need in this defense, a reliable player on the back end.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_01: This doesn't mean that Damar Hamlin doesn't deserve some of the criticism he's gotten for his level of play.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_01: And I do not think that he should be considered the long-term answer at starting safety.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_01: I think if the Bills have to shift there for the time being, fine, but you should also try to pursue one via the trademark, and we'll get to that later.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_01: But as I said, Damar Hamlin might not be worse, could be better than what CJ Gardner Johnson is offered.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_01: I believe that that's who we'll see replace Gardner Johnson once he's suspended.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_01: Is Damar Hamlin in the starting lineup?
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_01: We'll see if that is indeed for an extended time.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_01: But Joe Brady's got his work cut out for him as the penalties continue to be an issue and now one sportsman-like situations starting to crop up as well.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_01: He's got a lot of questions to answer already to start the season, and those questions will only continue if situations like this continue to arise.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_01: So, really what Brady needs to do, he needs to get Josh Allen and those other leaders in that locker room together, Dawson Knox, some of the other captains, and really start to get a hold of things a little bit uh more securely than he has with this loose mentality that he's he's instilled within the locker room.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_01: So uh Brady, some changes to make and also some changes to make on defense.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_01: Jim Leonard has been a flat-out disaster in his first year as defensive coordinator for the Bills.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_01: And the real question for Jim Leonard here is how can he fix the Bills' secondary issues?
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_01: They insert Davis and Igbenosen into the starting lineup the last two weeks.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_01: And I think he's obviously played better than Maxwell Harrison, but still some ups and downs for him, some rookie inconsistencies that you're going to have to work through throughout the course of the season, some growing pains there.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_01: And then you look at Christian Benford, who had a good game in this one against Brock Bowers.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_01: And while Bowers is close to uh as close to a wide receiver as any tight end in the league, he's still not a number one caliber wide receiver.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_01: So I'd like to see Benford do what he did against Brock Bowers, limiting him in this game and doing a nice job in coverage.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_01: I'd like to see Benford do that against a number one wide receiver on a different team.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_01: Until he does that, I'm not sure I'm so comfortable in him returning to form as that lockdown corner that he's been in the past.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_01: So the secondary is a significant problem.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_01: The youngster IGB that's still trying to work his way back into the swing of things, Christian Benford.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_01: And then you bring in a veteran, Tradavius White, who's back for his umpteenth stint with the Buffalo Bills.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_01: You have to get him acclimated and in shape throughout the bye week and maybe a week or two after the bye.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_01: But I think you have to consider inserting him into the starting lineup, at least activating and elevating him to the active roster.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_01: White had a phenomenal season a year ago.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_01: I've I've beat the dead horse enough on this podcast.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_01: And the Bills have not transitioned to zone coverage like we all thought they would.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_01: So zone coverage is Trey White's strength.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_01: And with the Bills not transitioning to that man coverage, White could be a fit for this defense under Jim Leonard in his first year.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_01: And they really haven't been all that aggressive using uh defensive back blitzes or anything like that.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_01: So I think you could find a role for White on this defense, whether it be in the starting lineup, whether it be as a rotational player, as you've seen the Bills rotate at cornerback and other positions on the defensive side of the ball, namely linebacker.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_01: So I think you have to consider getting White out there sooner rather than later.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_01: Excuse me.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_01: And then another thing I brought up on X this week, you might want to consider testing the waters with White at the safety position, with CJ Gardner Johnson suspended, him falling out of favor in terms of his performance.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_01: Why not give White a chance at safety, at least on a part-time basis?
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_01: He's not the greatest tackler, he's not a physical player, but still has those coverage skills and somebody who you might be able to rely on on the back end, who won't get beat over the top, who will be able to be a safety valve at the back end, at least able to slow down ball carriers and wait for help.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_01: So I think there was talk of White potentially being tested at safety last year, and with the Bill's safety issues continuing into this year, there might be an opening to maybe test him out at the very least in the back end of this Bills defense.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_01: Other solutions I'll come up with later in the show, including uh some trades that are being floated out there by Bill's Mafia and the like.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_01: So uh be sure to stay tuned for that.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_01: But I just don't see this secondary really getting much better this season with the personnel as it is.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_01: I think Tradavius White may be able to offer an upgrade over one of those players that I previously mentioned.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_01: You could see Igbo start to improve a little bit more rapidly.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_01: Now he's being given starter snaps.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_01: Christian Benford, if he's able to take the momentum he gained against Brock Bowers and carry that forward.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_01: But I don't see it as it stands right now.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_01: And an even more concerning aspect of the Bills defense over the past few weeks is the pass rush is on the decline.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_01: With Greg Rousseau starting the first few weeks with six sacks, he's been, I don't want to say invisible, but relatively invisible on the stat sheet.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_01: And Deion Walker has drawn all this praise for manhandling defensive linemen up front.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_01: It has not turned into sacks pressures or anything like that.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_01: 26th in the NFL and sack rate are the Bills, 4.2%.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_01: 30th in quarterback pressure rate, 30%.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_01: Bradley Chubb is not making the level of impact that I'm sure Brandon Bean wanted and all of Bill's Mafia wanted as well.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_01: I thought he came on a little bit during that Chargers game, I believe it was, but if you look at his season in totality, Chubb has just not been what the Bills were hoping for at the edge rusher position.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_01: And I'll bring up his stats here.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_01: He just has not made an impact for the Bills.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_01: One and a half sacks, five tackles, uh solo tackles, I believe that is, for Bradley Chubbs.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_01: So uh just just not cutting it is Chubb.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_01: And I think while Rousseau and Walker's impact has waned in recent weeks, Chubbs really hasn't been there throughout the season.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_01: So with Walker getting double teamed, excuse me, and with Rousseau maybe going through another one of those stretches where we see him disappear in the sack department, as we've seen from him throughout his career, Bradley Chubb needs to pick up the slack for this Bills pass rush.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_01: And another potential boost that it could see is you saw TJ Parker play a few more snaps this week, and I thought he was impressive.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_01: I think he's been relatively impressive the last few weeks.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_01: We haven't seen or heard much from him, but I think that's been due to his limited playtime.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_01: If he starts to get a little bit more snaps, I think he could start to see some more from TJ Parker in this defense.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_01: And I mentioned the linebackers earlier.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_01: They're still playing subpar.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_01: Dorian Williams with an interception in this game, a good sign, the first of his career, but there's still issues that remain with him and Terrell Bernard in coverage and in run support.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_01: And while we were all high on Caleb Elarms or this summer while he was in short, since the Pads came on during training camp, he has looked out of place and he is not ready for anywhere near a starting role in this defense.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_01: And again, I'll discuss another potential fix for the linebacking crew later on in the show.
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_01: All right, but we're about midway through.
• 15:54
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• 15:55
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• 16:09
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• 16:14
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• 16:22
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• 16:25
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• 16:30
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• 16:36
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• 16:43
  SPEAKER_01: All right, but let's flip over to the offensive side of the ball.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_01: James Cook, a very impressive game in this one, fixes his fumbling issue, at least for the short term.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_01: The Bills do not turn the ball over in this one.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_01: Cook carrying the ball high and tight in this one.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_01: You could see the adjustment that he made against the Raiders, carrying it with two hands, JJ Watt mentioning it on the broadcast.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_01: And I don't know if I want to see Cook do that all the time.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_01: That could really take away from his game-breaking ability.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_01: But when he's coming into contact and there's players starting to swarm him, those are times when the peanut punches start to happen.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's a perfect time for Cook to really get things on lock and have two hands on the ball and deny defenders any chance of pounding that ball out.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_01: But I'd still like to see him run free.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_01: I don't want to see him completely confined, but at the same time, he cannot continue to fumble as we've seen him dating back to last season.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_01: So a great sign for James Cook.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_01: Now the question is, are the concerns behind him?
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not sure yet.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_01: I think he's got to prove that for the long haul.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_01: It's good to know that he's actively working to fix it, but he he's got to fix it for games at a time for me to really be confident.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_01: Might have to fix it for the remainder of the season for me to be confident that he's put that in his past.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_01: 22 carries, 95 yards, and a touchdown for Cook in this game, and a good receiving game for him as well.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_01: Three catches, 58 yards for Cook.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_01: 153 yards on the day for James Cook.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_01: All right, now Josh Allen, an MVP caliber day.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_01: Again, I am starting to sound like a broken record.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_01: His turnovers and questionable decision making have certainly been concerning at times this season, but he just continues to do whatever is needed to win games.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_01: He ran the ball versus the Rams when it was needed.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_01: And in this game against the Raiders, he did his damage through the air.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_01: 23 of 33 passing, 255 yards, two touchdowns.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_01: Keon Coleman, the flip throw to him for the touchdown was just a prime example of the Josh Allen experience.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_01: And his off-scripted ability is something that I've always admired.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_01: And obviously it's what makes him the special player that he is, but he has gotten himself into trouble with just taking too many chances deep down the field.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_01: I think you have to be more calculated with those opportunities as he was with that flip to Keon Coleman.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_01: And one of the most impressive aspects of Allen's performance this year is he's making things work without DJ Moore available.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_01: The Bills are averaging 32.8 points per game.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_01: That's the best in the NFL.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_01: And they need more to reach their full efficacy, but it's a great sign that Josh Allen and company are able to move the ball and score points without DJ Moore at their disposal.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_01: And another big reason outside of Josh Allen, that the Bills' offense has remained one of the most elite in the league.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_01: Keon Coleman, his resurgence and really silencing of the doubters has been incredibly impressive.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_01: I've mentioned it, I believe, before, but it really reached its greatest peak here against the Raiders, stepping up big time with DJ Moore out.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_01: Four catches, 59 yards, and a touchdown.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_01: Joshua Palmer, a disgusting drop in this game.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_01: I think you're going to see him traded before the trade deadline.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_01: And the Bills should just go out and get whatever they can for him.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_01: A bag of balls, a depth defensive player, a special teams player.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_01: Get Joshua Palmer out of here.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_01: He started the season well with a couple of touchdowns, but that's it.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_01: All she's written from Joshua Palmer this season and the drops starting to add up.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_01: I did think that one against the Rams, I think it was, was a little bit unfair.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_01: It was an underthrow.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_01: But when you drop this one against the Raiders, it makes me question should he have caught that ball against the Rams?
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_01: And also in the wide receiver department, Skylar Bell is still showing signs of being a rookie and a legal shift in this game.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_01: So Keon Coleman's impact on the Bills passing game has been invaluable this season.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_01: And I owe him an apology.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_01: Hand up.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_01: I'm sorry, Keon.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_01: I doubted you.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm not sorry for the criticism that I thrust his way after a poor season last year, but I do apologize for discounting his ability to rebound and put the pass behind him and come out the other side with really what's been probably the most important season for a Bills offensive player this year.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know where the passing game would be without him.
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_01: Uh pretty good game for Khalil Shakir in this one.
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_01: Four catches, just 34 yards.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_01: He also had the touchdown, but Keon Coleman, 19 receptions, 283 yards, three touchdowns on the season.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_01: The Bills have needed every single one of them.
• 21:45
  SPEAKER_01: It was also good to see Dalton Kincaid more involved in this game.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_01: Seven catches, 38 yards.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_01: It was more receptions than he had had in the previous three weeks.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_01: He's been dealing with a rib injury the past few days after he dealt with it.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: Midway through this game and miss some time during the game, but he's been fairly healthy this season.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_01: And it's a good sign that he's not dealing with a knee injury as he has the past few years.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_01: So got to get those ribs right during the bi-week he return in this game after he went for X-rays.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_01: So it does appear that he came away unscathed in terms of a significant rib injury in this one.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_01: And I mentioned Moore having to get back for the Bills offense to reach its full efficacy.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_01: Dalton Kincaid needs to continue to get somewhere close to his seven receptions as he had in this game.
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_01: Eight targets for him, those seven catches.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_01: He needs to be a fixture in this offense if the Bills want to be at their best.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_01: Come playoff time.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_01: Now, shifting to the special team, shout out Jeff Rogers, first year special teams coordinator for the Bills.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_01: He's been leading the Bills most consistent unit between the special teams offense and defense.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_01: You look at the return game.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_01: Ray Davis and Greg Dortch continue to shine.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_01: Davis leads the NFL on kick return average, a 31-yard average.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_01: Two straight games with a 40-plus yard return on the team's opening, the other team's opening kickoff.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_01: He's the first to do that since 2010.
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_01: Tyler Bass is disproving his doubters, much like Keon Coleman.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_01: So hand up.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_01: I apologize to Tyler Bass.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_01: I didn't think he had any chance in hell of coming back with a good season this year.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_01: He's 13 of 13 on his field goals.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_01: He has missed two extra points, but you have to give Bass a hell of a lot of credit for his perfection on those field goal attempts.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_01: And his field goals have been big.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_01: They've helped win the Bills game.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_01: So credit to Tyler Bass.
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_01: And also credit to the rookie punter Tommy Doman Jr., performing exceptionally well.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_01: Leads the NFL in net punt average, 46 yards, net yards, I should say, per punt.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_01: So Tommy Doman Jr., Tyler Bass and the return game, all phenomenal.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_01: And then you look at Greg Rousseau's blocked field goal against the Los Angeles Rams.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_01: So uh Jeff Rogers pushing all the right buttons.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_01: He's been very, very impressive leading this unit.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_01: And finally, on this game, I have a little bit of criticism for Joe Brady in his game management and situational management.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_01: It's not been great the past couple of weeks.
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_01: He started the game using two timeouts on the opening drive.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_01: The Bills had zero urgency.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_01: It looked like they were playing beach football after spending the week out west, enjoying some of the sunshine between the Rams and Raiders games.
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_01: And you can't do that as a head coach.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_01: That's a scripted drive as an offensive play caller, and you're using two timeouts because your guys don't know what the hell's going on.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_01: And that falls at the feet of the head coach.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_01: And then you look late in the game with the time winding down.
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_01: He passes on second down, trying to put the foot on the neck of the Raiders.
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_01: Enough's enough.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_01: Stop going against against conventional wisdom.
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_01: He did it to begin the year, taking the ball when the Bills would win the toss, and now trying to pass on second down when he's trying to waste the clock.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_01: Clock management is key, and you cannot continue to put that in jeopardy, or it's going to come back to bite you in the ass if you're Joe Brady.
• 25:13
  SPEAKER_01: And I've liked a lot what I've seen from Joe Brady.
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_01: But with the CJ Gardner Johnson, Sam Frank Franklin Jr.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_01: incident incidents, I should say, and his clock management concerns, there are some worries starting to brew within me, once again, about Joe Brady.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_01: And it really comes down to the fun uncle stuff.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_01: I just think that the aggressiveness and really letting it rip is a great mindset to have for this team, especially coming from Sean McDermott, more of a conservative coach, but you can't let it fly off the handle.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_01: And that's what Joe Brady has done at times, I think, both with his game management and his management of the locker room.
• 25:55
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_01: Now, let's get to the next portion of this podcast before we get out of here in just a few minutes.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_01: Five changes I'd like to see the Bills make during the bye week.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_01: The first one, trade for a safety.
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_01: Two names that have been floated out there, Derwin James and Buda Baker.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_01: I'd like either one.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_01: I floated Buda Baker last year, and Derwin James with the Chargers performing as poorly as they are this year.
• 26:21
  SPEAKER_01: I wouldn't mind either player.
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_01: Derwin James, an extremely physical safety.
• 26:27
  SPEAKER_01: So somebody who could come in and really give you a boost from what you've seen from CJ Gardner Johnson.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_01: And then Baker, let's look at his stats over the past however many years.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_01: Let's just look at this season, actually.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_01: Three and a half sacks for Buda Baker, 24 tackles for the Arizona Cardinals.
• 26:47
  SPEAKER_01: He also has one interception.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_01: He was a trade candidate last year.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_01: So Buda Baker could be a candidate once again this year.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_01: And also another note at the safety position.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_01: I mentioned Trey White maybe being tested there, at least on passing downs.
• 27:06
  SPEAKER_01: He could also start playing Jalen Kilgore a little bit more back there.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_01: He did have the busted coverage that allowed Trey Tucker to come away with that deep touchdown reception in that game against the Raiders, but he also had some good plays in this game, a critical pass breakup.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_01: And then you have Jordan Hancock coming off the IR, I believe, after the bye week.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_01: So those are two players that could also factor into the safety conversation as well.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_01: I just think you have to go all out to move on from CJ Gardner Johnson.
• 27:36
  SPEAKER_01: Do whatever it takes.
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_01: Damar Hamlin, Hancock, Kilgore, or an outside name like Derwin James or Buda Baker.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_01: At the linebacker position, sign Shaq Thompson to the active roster.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_01: What the hell are you waiting for?
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_01: Caleb Elarms or is not ready.
• 27:54
  SPEAKER_01: Terrell Bernard and Dorian Williams, even though he had the interception, have not looked great this season.
• 28:00
  SPEAKER_01: Shaq Thompson waiting in the wings, has that veteran experience, was one of your best linebackers.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_01: Could have been your best linebacker a season ago.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_01: Sign Shaq Thompson to the active roster.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_01: And then also Matt Milano's still floating out there.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_01: I don't think it's the best option, but it's another option nonetheless.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_01: And another option to fix this defense and secondary, particularly, the Bills need to blitz more.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_01: It could up the pass rush and prove the pass coverage by working hand in hand.
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_01: The Bills are 19th in blitz rate this year at 29.3%.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_01: They're using man coverage just 17% of the time.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_01: I think they should use that a little bit more on defense as well.
• 28:43
  SPEAKER_01: That's 17th in the NFL per uh sharp football analysis.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_01: That's 17% man coverage, 29.3% blitz rate, 19th and 17th.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_01: So middle of the pack in both, I think you could upgrade both of those stats and really become the more aggressive defense that Jim Leonard said he was going to be coming in with that attack style mentality.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_01: And speaking of Jim Leonard, move him to the coach's booth.
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_01: This is another change that I'd like to see made.
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_01: At least give it a try.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_01: It's been six games on the sidelines.
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_01: The results are not there.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_01: You have an entire bye week to troubleshoot it.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_01: Move up to the booth and see if that leads to any spark coming out in week eight.
• 29:29
  SPEAKER_01: A lot of other coaches call the game from upstairs, and if they're struggling upstairs, they go down to the field.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_01: So flip that on its head.
• 29:36
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, make a change if you're Jim Leonard, get the bird's eye view, and leave no stone unturned as you try to turn around this team's defensive effort.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_01: And then offensively, Joe Brady.
• 29:47
  SPEAKER_01: Throw to the running backs more and more consistently on offense.
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_01: Stop using Dawson Knox so much.
• 29:53
  SPEAKER_01: Jackson Haw's four penalties the last two weeks.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_01: He's got to be in the doghouse by now.
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_01: Throw to the running backs.
• 30:00
  SPEAKER_01: Ty Johnson is healthy.
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_01: He's one of your most underrated offensive players.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_01: And then James Cook in this game, showing he can be a value in the passing game as well.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_01: So use those running backs to supplement the lack of wide receiver talent that remains on this roster.
• 30:17
  SPEAKER_01: Ty Johnson, James Cook need more work in the passing game.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_01: Now, quick look ahead to the Ravens out of the bye week.
• 30:28
  SPEAKER_01: This is a Ravens team that's been without Lamar Jackson the past two weeks, but I expect he'll be back against the Bills in week eight.
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_01: So that'll surely be a tough test for the Bills.
• 30:39
  SPEAKER_01: And this is a team, the Ravens, that does have a new coach and Jesse Minter, the defensive-minded head coach.
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_01: So the Bills' offense will have a tough test to contend with in this one.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_01: And then the Bills' defense, obviously, with Lamar Jackson and company.
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_01: So it was a thriller last year in week one, expecting more of the same in week eight against the Baltimore Ravens.
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_01: And then after that game, you have the Minnesota Vikings, which it's kind of the polar opposite team than the Bills, right?
• 31:08
  SPEAKER_01: They have such a phenomenal defense, can't really move the ball on offense.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_01: They do have Justin Jefferson at the wide receiver position, but don't have much to speak of at running back.
• 31:16
  SPEAKER_01: Kyler Murray isn't the best quarterback.
• 31:18
  SPEAKER_01: So it'll be interesting to see if the Vikings can move the ball on the Bills in week nine.
• 31:23
  SPEAKER_01: And that could be a real measuring stick in terms of how bad the Bills' defense truly is.
• 31:31
  SPEAKER_01: And then after those two games, you have a respite with the Jets and Dolphins.
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_01: I expect the Bills to walk through those two matchups.
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_01: And then a stretch that will define the Bills season.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_01: Weeks 12 through 16.
• 31:43
  SPEAKER_01: Chiefs, Patriots, Packers, Bears, Broncos.
• 31:46
  SPEAKER_01: Bills have to come out two and three at worst.
• 31:50
  SPEAKER_01: If they're three and two, four and one, I think they will have a great chance at the number one seed at season's end.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_01: All right, that's going to do it for tonight's show.
• 32:01
  SPEAKER_01: Be sure to follow along throughout the rest of the season for breaking news, weekly podcasts, and much, much more coverage coming on Alex Brasky Unfiltered, both on YouTube and Substack, where I'll be posting takeaways and more bills coverage moving forward.
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_01: Also, please give a like, share, rate, and subscription to the podcast on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, and other podcast platforms, and subscribe to the Substack page, Alex BraskyUnfiltered.
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_01: Also, rate the podcast, leave a comment, question.
• 32:30
  SPEAKER_01: Also, spread the news to your friends and family.
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_01: But that's going to do it for tonight's show.
• 32:36
  SPEAKER_01: I appreciate everybody tuning in.
• 32:38
  SPEAKER_01: Have a great night, and above all else, stay true.