Talking Buffalo – Details, episodes & analysis

On this episode of Talking Buffalo, Patrick Moran is joined by Joe From Queens for plenty of (often heated) reaction on the heels of the Buffalo Bills losing to the Houston Texans on a last second 59-yard field goal, an ending marred by bad coaching. The Bills were on the road in a tough environment facing a very good Houston team. They fell behind early and appeared on the verge of being run out of the Stadium at halftime. Buffalo showed resiliency, especially on defense and battled back to tie the game in the final minutes. They fell apart in the end, largely because of some absurdly coaching decisions by Sean McDermott, first with time outs and then on play calls in the final minute. The guys have plenty to say about that and a coaching staff that looked the part the first three weeks but have definitely been exposed as flawed over the last two. They also have plenty to say about Josh Allen, who had one of if not his worst games as pro, certainly the worst he's looked throwing the football in at least a few years. He was bad and wasn't helped but by a wide receiver group that gave him no help and often looked pathetic in doing so. It certainly feels if the Bills are serious about trying to win the AFC this year and get to the Super Bowl, they need to trade for a quality wide receiver because that player is not currently on this roster. The guys discuss a defense that had some issues early but stepped up and gave the Bills a chance to win this game, a pretty valiant effort with Ed Oliver, Taron Johnson and Taylor Rapp. They go over some bright spots, look ahead to what now kinda feels like a must-win game in New Jersey next week, hit on the Sabres crappy start to their season and much more. ♦♦♦♦♦ Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast  Substack: Patrick Moran’s Substack Twitter:  @PatrickMoranTB Facebook: Talking Buffalo Podcast  YouTube: Talking Buffalo Podcast YouTube Channel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of Talking Buffalo, Patrick Moran has a full preview of the Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans showdown, including keys to the game for Buffalo alongside a handful of bold predictions for Sunday. After being handled thoroughly in Baltimore this past week, Sunday is a big bounce back opportunity in Houston against a very talented Texans team that's 3-1 so far this season. Of course, this game is attracting a lot of national attention and not just because both teams are good. Former Bills star Stefon Diggs is with Houston and playing well. Patrick talks about him and takes exception to a large national narrative right now that this is a "revenge game" for Diggs and Houston. Patrick spends time talking Bills with some big picture perspective, brushing off the stink from the performance in Baltimore to point out several things going right for the team over the first month of the season as well as the latest injury news and who could be in or out for Buffalo on Sunday. From there's it's about keys to the game and Patrick highlights being more committed to using James Cook in the running game than they did last week and conversely taking advantage of a suspect Houston interior offensive lineman with a pair of Bills defenders down the middle who've largely underachieved so far this season. The episode is wrapped with a handful of bold predictions, including forecasting a long touchdown for a guy who's been a complete non-factor through four games and the opportunity for AJ Epenesa to leave a big footprint on that game. That plus a final score prediction and much more. ♦♦♦♦♦ Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast  Substack: Patrick Moran’s Substack Twitter:  @PatrickMoranTB Facebook: Talking Buffalo Podcast  YouTube: Talking Buffalo Podcast YouTube Channel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of Talking Buffalo, Patrick Moran is joined by SB Nation's Matt Warren to discuss several Buffalo Bills and NFL topics, including what Buffalo sample size metrics so far this season feel the most sustainable. The Bills have begun the season with wins over Arizona and divisional rival Miami and have looked good doing it. However, how much of their early sample size is sustainable? Patrick gives Matt several scenarios and asks him to score them on a sustainability level from 1-10, including Von Miller on pace for double digit sacks, Josh Allen having fewer than 10 interceptions, James Cook having over 1,250 yards rushing and no pass catcher finishing the season with 75 catches or 850 receiving yards. It's a fun exercise with a few surprising answers. Matt also has thoughts on who he's most and least impressed with around the NFL through the first two weeks as well as what's most surprised by. That and much more. You can follow Matt on Twitter @MattRichWarren and be sure to check out Buffalo Rumblings for your (really good) daily Bills content. ♦♦♦♦♦ Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast  Substack: Patrick Moran’s Substack Twitter:  @PatrickMoranTB Facebook: Talking Buffalo Podcast  YouTube: Talking Buffalo Podcast YouTube Channel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of Talking Buffalo, Patrick Moran is joined by friend and recurring guest Anthony Marino for a discussion focused on how the Buffalo Bills defense could end up being even better than it was last season, a 2023 campaign that saw them finish fourth-best in points allowed and ninth in yards. The Bills defense, especially statistically was pretty damn good last year. It's a continuation that's seen them in the top five in fewest points allowed four the five past years. But last year's defense wasn't without cracks and the guys talk about some of those issues, including the unit's failure to close out games with a (very) late lead three times, some awful injury luck and a penchant for imploding in games the team didn't win. They spend a good chunk of this show explaining some factors that could lead to the defense being better this season, even if not statistically. Among those reasons are getting Matt Milano back, a solid influx of youth and athleticism at all three levels of the defense, improved depth at defensive tackle, Von Miller coming into camp 100% healthy again and just the belief that they'll have better luck with team crippling injuries. They also do their "Finish the Sentence" segment, talk about the recent surge of Talking Buffalo and much more. Be sure to follow Anthony on Twitter @AnthMarino  ♦♦♦♦♦ Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast  Substack: Patrick Moran’s Substack Twitter:  @PatMoranTweets. Facebook: Talking Buffalo Podcast  YouTube: Talking Buffalo Podcast YouTube Channel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of Talking Buffalo, Patrick Moran is joined by frenemy and recurring guest Joe From Queens for a chat about some noticeable trends from a Joe Brady coordinated offense for the Buffalo Bills going into the 2024 season in addition to thoughts on John Murphy retiring and some Bills schedule predictions. The Bills seemed to have more success last season after Sean McDermott fired Ken Dorsey as offensive coordinator following the Denver loss in Week 10 and replacing him with Brady. The Bills record was certainly better from that point on, but was the offense really more efficient? Patrick looked into some statistics and found trends the guys talk about, including a big change in time of possession, the needing to continuing to move towards running the football more, no singular lion's share of passing targets and significant upticks for two weapons. They also talk about a few things that were perceived as big changes but really werent---such as Josh Allen's turnovers and rushing attempts/yards. Also, John Murphy is retiring from being the radio voice of the Buffalo Bills after 35 years, including the past 19 as the team's play-by-play guy. Murphy suffered a stroke in early 2023 and talking remains too difficult for him to continue the job. The guys talk about his career, one that spans in Buffalo for well over three decades and how they felt about him as an on-air talent. They also each make three predictions for the Bills 2024 schedule in advance of it being officially released on Wednesday night and much more. Follow Joe on Twitter @BuffaloWins. ♦♦♦♦♦ Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast  Substack: Patrick Moran’s Substack Twitter:  @PatMoranTweets. Facebook: Talking Buffalo Podcast  YouTube: Talking Buffalo Podcast YouTube Channel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of Talking Buffalo, Patrick Moran is talking Buffalo Bills and plenty more with Bills beat reporter and popular podcast host Matt Parrino in a conversation recorded live from Casey's Black Rock in Buffalo. From the time the Bills lost in heartbreaking fashion to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC divisional playoff round through last month's NFL draft and up til now, it's been an eventful offseason for the Bills--one of change. Matt helps Patrick navigate through it all, highlighting what he thinks the front office has gotten right and a few opportunities missed. Would Matt pull the trigger on trading Stefon Diggs right now were he Brandon Beane if he knew how the position would be handled since dealing away Buffalo's top receiver over the past four years. Patrick also asks Matt if he thinks the Bills made a mistake releasing Mitch Morse instead of redoing his contract, how he feels about the Bills 2024 draft haul now that he's had some time to reflect, what direction the Bills offense may be headed in and his reaction to people's overreactions on the Chase Claypool signing. That plus some talk of Buffalo summer, wings and much more. A huge thank you to Casey's Black Rock for their hospitality and having us do the show there. They truly are not just one of the most underrated spots in town for killer wings, but a great place to relax and have a drink with some awesome decor and vibes throughout the bar---even if it's a Kansas City Chiefs backer bar! You can follow Matt on Twitter @MattParrino and of course be sure to check out his work at NYup.com as well as subscribe to the Shout Buffalo Football Podcast. ♦♦♦♦♦ Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast  Substack: Patrick Moran’s Substack Twitter:  @PatMoranTweets. Facebook: Talking Buffalo Podcast  YouTube: Talking Buffalo Podcast YouTube Channel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of Talking Buffalo, Patrick Moran is joined in studio by longtime friend and recurring guest Tone Pucks to discuss a potentially effective Bills free agent singing flying under the radar, two potential breakout candidates this season for the Bills in addition to plenty of Buffalo Sabres talk. Chase Claypool was the noticeable name that signed with the Bills late last week, a move that Tone calls out Patrick for his negative overreaction, but the addition of Dawuane Smoot mostly slid the cracks and/or was quickly dismissed by many as non-relevant news. Tone advises that shouldn't be the case, pointing out the structure of his contract shows it's highly likely Smoot's going to be part of this roster and defensive end rotation. The guys talk about that very possibly be a good thing considering Smoot had four consecutive seasons of at least six sacks before being slowed down last year in recovering from a torn achilles. Can Smoot be this year's version of Leonard Floyd? After the Smoot section Patrick gets into two incoming second-year players he may be higher than most; wide receiver Justin Shorter and linebacker Dorian Williams. In the case of Shorter, Brandon Beane's excellent day three draft record is pointed out as well Shorter never getting going last year after a hamstring injury. Williams was a different story---we saw his athleticism immediately but it was apparent that mental gaffes on assignments led him to Sean McDermott's dog house, so much so that he mostly watched from the sidelines as AJ Klein got helplessly torched by Travis Kelce in the playoffs. Patrick feels confident that if Williams grows on the mental side of things in year two that he could carve himself out a significant role in this defense and on this roster, even if not as a starter. They also talk about what the Sabres may do with UPL's next contract, even more Jeff Skinner talk, Tone snubs Patrick's birthday and much more. Follow Tone Pucks on Twitter @TonePucksRedux ♦♦♦♦♦ Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast  Substack: Patrick Moran’s Substack Twitter:  @PatMoranTweets. Facebook: Talking Buffalo Podcast  YouTube: Talking Buffalo Podcast YouTube Channel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Talking Buffalo, it's another edition of The Podbag---the episode where the audience controls the narrative and Patrick Moran is answering questions and reading takes sent it from listeners and viewers of the show, mostly focused around the ongoing Buffalo Bills offseason. The Bills lost a ton of veteran players and leaders this offseason, particularly Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, Tre White, Mitch Morse and Stefon Diggs. This coupled with their inability to get past the AFC divisional round the past three years has created a strong national perception, at least among media and fans that Buffalo's Super Bowl window is closing if not closed for this regime. As one fan of the show points out, it's a load of crap and uses multiple examples of great quarterbacks winning Super Bowl far older than Josh Allen currently is. Patrick talks about agreeing that the Bills window to win a championship with this core is still very much doable but does admit that it won't get any seemingly easier than it was the past handful of seasons, when Buffalo put themselves in great position to get it done. There's several other interesting submissions this week, including a more predominant running game on the way, someone locked in on the development of second-year linebacker Dorian Williams, Sean McDermott's storied history of developing linebackers and Diggs' attitude being gone a positive for the Bills. There's also someone extremely happy that Lindy Ruff is here to coach the Sabres and plenty more. ♦♦♦♦♦ Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast  Substack: Patrick Moran’s Substack Twitter:  @PatMoranTweets. Facebook: Talking Buffalo Podcast  YouTube: Talking Buffalo Podcast YouTube Channel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of Talking Buffalo, Patrick Moran is really starting to wonder if the Buffalo Bills are having a crisis of identity with their offense based on recent decisions and it's up to friend and recurring guest Anthony Marino to convince him it's not headed toward a downward spiral. it's been well documented in conversation, data and film study that Bills quarterback Josh Allen has enjoyed the majority of his success working the passing game with smaller receivers who excel at separation and getting open quickly as opposed to bigger, physical lumbering receivers who excel more in traffic and catching contested balls. General manager Brandon Beane talked about this just a week or so before the NFL draft, yet the Bills appear to be getting away from what their standard of receiver has been, first drafting Keon Coleman in the second round and then signing free agent wide receiver Chase Claypool last Friday. Patrick absolutely hates the Claypool signing and immediately overreacted on social media when it happened, something Anthony immediately called him out on. At any rate, the guys have a pretty detailed discussion over what they think this Bills offense is trying to be. Does factors like drafting a big guy like Keon Coleman over a Stefon Diggs/Khalil Shakir type like Ladd McConkey, and cutting Mitch Morse to move a much bigger Connor McGovern over to center, or drafting bowling ball style running back Ray Davis in the fourth round symbolize that Sean McDermott is looking for the Bills to be more physical and methodical with their offense as opposed to speedy and explosive? It certainly feels that way. Also, there's no use crying over spilled milk but do the guys think the team is going to rue trading Diggs instead of finding a way to make things work for one more year and does the departure of Diggs and not doing anything of note other than a draft to replace him put a lot of instant pressure on Coleman? What about the notion that Sean McDermott doesn't care about the offense as much as the defense, despite the fact the Bills have now drafted a pass catcher with their first pick in the past two drafts. That plus their "Finish the Sentence" segment and a whole lot more . Be sure to follow Anthony on Twitter @AnthMarino  ♦♦♦♦♦ Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast  Substack: Patrick Moran’s Substack Twitter:  @PatMoranTweets. Facebook: Talking Buffalo Podcast  YouTube: Talking Buffalo Podcast YouTube Channel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of Talking Buffalo, Patrick Moran is joined by frenemy and recurring guest Joe From Queens for a conversation on a handful of topics, highlighted by the Buffalo Bills wide receiver room and where it stands compared to its peers around the league. Patrick went through each team around the look and took a look at the top four wide receivers on each of their depth charts. In the end he created a power ranking for all 32 teams in addition to putting them in six separate tiers---as the difference between being ranked 13th to 20th feels a lot more distant than it actually is. In compiling the list he took into account their current talent, projected talent going forward and what teams he'd be willing to trade the Buffalo wide receiver room for. Patrick's assessment concludes that the Bills top four of Curtis Samuel, Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman and Mack Hollins slides into the fifth of six tiers and more specifically ranks just 25th out of 32 teams. The guys have a conversation about the Bills group, where they slot in on the chart and how much more could they realistically rise in the reasonably near future. Also, Tim Graham of The Athletic recently posted a fascinating story about the Pegula's, including the revelation that Kim Pegula is now legally incapacitated with Terry as the guardian in addition to Terry's daughter Laura playing a much more prominent role in the the Bills and Buffalo Sabres organization than almost anyone knew about. Tim followed it up with several interesting viewpoints on his Tim Graham and Friends podcast and the guys have several thoughts on this story that's starting to have the feel of a HBO drama. That plus Joe wants to know if Bills fans are going to obsess more over what Stefon Diggs does in Houston or Xavier Worthy does with Kansas City, Patrick absolutely can't stand the Bills Chase Claypool signing and much more. Follow Joe on Twitter @BuffaloWins. ♦♦♦♦♦ Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast  Substack: Patrick Moran’s Substack Twitter:  @PatMoranTweets. Facebook: Talking Buffalo Podcast  YouTube: Talking Buffalo Podcast YouTube Channel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices