BILLIEVE

The Buffalo Bills look for their second straight win in primetime when they host the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday Night Football. To get you ready for the game, on this week's episode of the Billieve podcast, we're joined by Gus Logue, the site manager and contributor at Big Cat Country, the SB Nation website dedicated to covering the Jacksonville Jaguars. This will be Jacksonville’s first trip to Orchard Park since the 2018 season, a game the Bills won 24-21.  We discuss why the Jaguars have been a particularly prickly thorn in the side of the Bills since Sean McDermott became head coach in 2017, as Jacksonville has beaten Buffalo in three of the four matchups. We explore what the Jaguars have been able to do historically to take Josh Allen out of his game. We also examine the journey Trevor Lawrence, who is in his fourth year as Jacksonville's QB, has taken since being drafted No. 1 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, and Logue shares why Lawrence's development has been somewhat stunted compared to the lofty expectations that came when the Jaguars drafted him. Especially this year, when Jacksonville has talented playmakers like WRs Brian Thomas Jr., Christian Kirk and former Bill Gabe Davis to go with TE Evan Engram and RB Travis Etienne Jr. Logue analyzes the reasons behind Jacksonville's slow start on offense and why the Jaguars' offensive line might have its hands full going up against DEs Greg Rousseau and Von Miller and DTs Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones. Logue also reveals what kind of defense Jacksonville might scheme up to try and contain Josh Allen, James Cook, Dalton Kincaid, Khalil Shakir and Buffalo's offense, and explores how the Jaguars have assembled a stout run defense that can also generate pressure on the quarterback. We close by offering up score predictions as the Bills look to win their fourth straight home game in the series with the Jaguars. Get involved with our show on Twitter (@JohnBoccacino) and be sure to follow the Rumblings Network and Buffalo Rumblings on Twitter, too. The new Rumblings Cast boasts a talented lineup, including Billieve, The Bruce Exclusive, In The Trenches, The Chop Up, The Code of Conduct, Leading the Charge, and Jamie D & Big Newt. We’re also thrilled to announce new shows like Unplugged with Sara Larson and The Crew, a show where your favorite Bills content creators will come together to discuss all things Buffalo Bills.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Buffalo Bills begin their quest to win the Super Bowl Sunday afternoon when they host the Arizona Cardinals in their 2024 NFL opener. To get you ready for the game, on this week's episode of the Billieve podcast, we're joined by Seth Cox, managing editor of Revenge of the Birds, the SB Nation website dedicated to covering the Arizona Cardinals. This is the first time Arizona has come to Buffalo since the 2016 season, and on the surface, this appears to be a matchup of teams on opposite ends of the NFL's power rankings. The Bills are searching for their fifth consecutive AFC East title, while the Cardinals suffered through a 4-13 campaign last year. But the Cardinals will not be a pushover. Cox offers up his thoughts on the expectations for the Cardinals this year, including how QB Kyler Murray is reverting into a dangerous dual-threat capable of leading a potent offense. Cox shares how he thinks the Cardinals will utilize talented rookie WR Marvin Harrison Jr.,; why RBs James Conner and Trey Benson give Arizona a formidable ground game; how the Cardinals are the league's most effective team when utilizing 13 personnel (three tight ends) and why TE Trey McBride is going to be a difficult matchup for the Bills to contain. Defensively, the Cardinals were among the worst in the NFL last year, and the prognosis doesn't look much better this year. We explore how QB Josh Allen, RB James Cook, TE Dalton Kincaid, and WRs Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman and Curtis Samuel should be able to take advantage of their matchups as Allen and the offense appear poised for a big day. We close by offering up score predictions as the Bills look to win their third straight home opener and hold off a Cardinals team that is potent on offense and porous on defense. Get involved with our show on Twitter (@JohnBoccacino) and be sure to follow the Rumblings Network and Buffalo Rumblings on Twitter, too. The new Rumblings Cast boasts a talented lineup, including Billieve, The Bruce Exclusive, In The Trenches, The Chop Up, The Code of Conduct, Leading the Charge, and Jamie D & Big Newt. We’re also thrilled to announce new shows like Unplugged with Sara Larson and The Crew, a show where your favorite Bills content creators will come together to discuss all things Buffalo Bills.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nationally, many NFL pundits expect Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills to take a step backward in 2024 after losing a lot of veteran talent in the offseason, but this week on the Billieve podcast, we do a deep dive on why the analytics say the Bills are once again expected to contend in the AFC. Aaron Schatz is the Chief Analytics Officer for FTN Fantasy and an ESPN+ NFL analyst. Schatz created DVOA (or Defense-adjusted Value Over Average), which calculates a team’s success based on the down-and-distance of each play during the season, then calculates how much more or less successful each team is compared to the league average. Schatz has been an expert in analyzing the data of NFL games for more than 20 years, and he says that despite the offseason departures, the Bills will once again have one of the most potent offenses in the league, led by Josh Allen, who Schatz ranks as the second-best QB in the NFL behind only Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs. Schatz discusses the outlook for Buffalo this year, including how his analytics say the Bills are projected to have the fourth-ranked offense, 10th-ranked defense, and fourth-ranked special teams play. Schatz also explains what the DVOA metrics say about the Bills, defends Allen from the critics who claim he turns the ball over too much, and explores how the injury to LB Matt Milano will impact the defense. He then offers up his expectations and predictions for how the Bills will fare this year while offering up a few players who will exceed expectations and who could be in line for a letdown this year. Get involved with our show on Twitter (@JohnBoccacino) and be sure to follow the Rumblings Network and Buffalo Rumblings on Twitter, too. The new Rumblings Cast boasts a talented lineup, including Billieve, The Bruce Exclusive, In The Trenches, The Chop Up, The Code of Conduct, Leading the Charge, and Jamie D & Big Newt. We’re also thrilled to announce new shows like Unplugged with Sara Larson and The Crew, a show where your favorite Bills content creators will come together to discuss all things Buffalo Bills.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Buffalo Bills concluded the preseason with a 31-26 loss to the Carolina Panthers in a game that served as the last opportunity for players to state their case for earning a spot on the Bills' 53-man roster. This week on the Billieve podcast, we’re going to discuss some of the difficult decisions GM Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott must make to trim Buffalo’s roster down to 53 players by Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline. We break down who makes the roster at each position, offering up insights and analysis and providing a few surprise names to make the roster and a few surprise veteran cuts. Among the topics discussed: what do the Bills do about the backup QB position? Will LB "Buffalo Joe" Andreessen earn a spot? Did Frank Gore Jr. do enough to cement his place on the roster? Who will emerge as the backup offensive linemen? How many linebackers and wide receivers will make the team? Which released players will find their way back to the practice squad? Get involved with our show on Twitter (@JohnBoccacino) and be sure to follow the Rumblings Network and Buffalo Rumblings on Twitter, too. The new Rumblings Cast boasts a talented lineup, including Billieve, The Bruce Exclusive, In The Trenches, The Chop Up, The Code of Conduct, Leading the Charge, and Jamie D & Big Newt. We’re also thrilled to announce new shows like Unplugged with Sara Larson and The Crew, a show where your favorite Bills content creators will come together to discuss all things Buffalo Bills.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following a dismal Week 1 preseason performance that head coach Sean McDermott described as not up to the team’s standards, the Buffalo Bills defense throttled the Pittsburgh Steelers during a 9-3 win Saturday night.  This week on the Billieve Podcast, we discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly from Buffalo's first win of the preseason. We highlight outstanding performances from defensive end Greg Rousseau and linebacker Joe Andreessen, credit the defense for starting strong and finishing off the Steelers, and praise the offensive line and running backs James Cook, Ray Davis, and Frank Gore Jr. for accumulating 167 rushing yards (4.9 yards/carry). We also discuss which Bills improved their stock—Andreessen, Davis, CBs Daequan Hardy and Ja'Marcus Ingram, and DB Cam Lewis—and which players didn’t help their chances at making the roster—WRs K.J. Hamler and Tyrell Shavers, and OLs Will Collins and La'El Collins. We also explore whether the team should address their backup QB situation following a sub-par outing from Mitch Trubisky. Get involved with our show on Twitter (@JohnBoccacino) and be sure to follow the Rumblings Network and Buffalo Rumblings on Twitter, too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Buffalo Bills are set to open the preseason portion of the 2024 NFL season, but the Bills aren't the only ones returning to action. The Billieve podcast is back and better than ever! We're ready to bring Bills Mafia the latest news, analysis, thoughts, observations and game predictions from our beloved Buffalo Bills with longtime host John Boccacino. Join us each week as we break down the key players and matchups to watch. Episodes will drop Saturday night/Sunday morning! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices