DrPJax

Exactly , I made. Post about this issue in another thread. Heat illness can and has caused football player deaths numerous times over the years. They are so concerned over Tua and the concussion protocol, yet lives were placed at risk in those conditions yesterday. The product on the field was impacted negatively and I think we will see some with lingering effects. Theee is no excuse for not changing no time of that game until later knowing on field+temps were researching 120 degrees reportedly. This is a bad look for the NFL , and as they set trends and are watched by high schools etc, playing that game as if players just have to suck it up and play as some sign of toughness is outdated and wrong. Glad to hear you are recovering ! Best wishes !

Great post and points. I think after watching yesterday the NFL needs to think about moving games to a later time when this type of extreme heat is involved. There is no way to prevent heat illness without time over days to acclimate beforehand. They are actually fortunate no one was hospitalized or worse. Every year we lecture about heat illness / exhaustion/ stroke etc and still you see reports o young athletes dying from situations like this ; thankfully it’s much less common as staffs are more aware of early warning signs and treatments. The NFL is better than what happened yesterday , and while the NFLPA is so worried about Tua and the concussion protocol, they exposed two rosters to severe heat and injury risk for no reason. When temps are above 100 degrees on the field, why not rotate to a 4 pm start time? It makes no sense to play that game at the worst time / hottest part of the day and the product was affected while also sending a message that disregards all known health science regarding prevention of heat illness and it’s risks of severe consequences. Plus it will continue to have lingering effects as it is hard to recover from and increases risk on subsequent exposure. Just a bad look and the evidence is all the injuries and players still having issues. it’s not the old days where players are just expected to suck it up and just play. We know the risks , and that was a dangerous playing condition yesterday. They delay for lightning which is a much lower risk than heat illness is given those conditions, so a delay is a simple solution. Let’s see if the NFLPA /NFL look at this for future games. No one benefits watching a product like yesterdays game. Jmo. 😊

Usually you have great write ups and I appreciate them. This one seems a Little angry given the situation.😀. The Bills have been injury free for years , it’s finally averaging out this year. . We will really miss hyde but at least we should hopefully get most guys back when you want to peak late in the season. Just wanted to address the medical stuff a little since you addressed safety. Tua could certainly clear a standardized , computer based concussion protocol. It has to be administered and cleared by an INDEPENDENT neurologist for him to return. That’s the rule , so team docs can’t clear him. Florio also explains this tonight on NBC. IT USED TO be just the team doc asking questions of orientation and memory and they asked the same questions all the time so players got around the test by memorizing the answers. That’s not the case now. I suppose the fins could have cheated and bypassed an independent doc clearing him , but that’s not supposed to happen. So I have no issue medically if protocol was followed and he passed. He looked great on third and 22! If they bypassed the protocol that’s on the fins and not the NFL. I don’t think you appreciate the extreme heat and heat associated illness we were seeing today. We ran 90 offensive plays. While in a way that’s good , it also was inefficient in that heat. John Fina has said a ten play drive is an absolute killer and that why he,advises playing in the preseason so guys get a taste of that exhaustion. We had many longer drives than that so the heat was taking a heavy toll. That’s why so many lineman got sick and were replaced. Its why Diggs could never recover. I don’t care how much you hydrate before the game , there is no way to prevent heat associated illness in this situation. The only prevention for heat illness is hydration , cooling , and acclimating over several DAYS to that type of heat. Our bodies can not adapt that quickly and just showing up a day before won’t work. That’s why the fins had fewer issues as they have been acclimating physiologically over weeks and they still struggled despite limited possessions. Once you start having symptoms like cramping , you are way behind and it just progresses and it showed on the field. That’s why the line was getting no push as you mentioned. They were battling heat illness symptoms like lethargy , nausea , mental slowness in processing , cramps and then it can get worse if not treated correctly. Bates’ looked very Ill to me. The only effective treatment is cooling , fluids and you have to get out of the heat. Wicking material is a huge help but I didn’t see guys changing jerseys and I would think the NFL uses the best materials but I haven’t researched that. This is just as a bad or worse than playing In the blizzard conditions. So running 90 plays actually worked against us and long drives in this heat were counter productive. It’s obvious as we still lost with the fins running only 39 plays , but they were more efficient and effective. Josh did make some unusual errors, as did many offensive players. He had no time and Morse being out was huge. They are relying too much on Josh and the lack of a running game can’t keep being ignored. It’s killing us in short yardage and red zone in close games , but obviously not an issue in blowout wins. Josh touches the ball on every play , so 90 plays in that heat was bound to cause some issues later in the game. You start to lose concentration or have motor issues and you aren’t aware of it as others may notice your performance dropping before you do , it can be subtle and is insidious. . Guys were looking very sluggish on those last two drives and Diggs was having to sit and Gabe looked fatigued with no separation and had an unusual drop. It’s even possible Josh was showing effects with that missed mckenzie pass as his throwing mechanics were off and that’s not like him the past year. He has been very accurate so either the pressure or physiology affected him. All I would say is you have to temper expectations in this type of climate coupled with all the prior and game time injuries ( Bedford , Kumerow and more ). It’s hard to be too upset with a two point loss while playing with so many guys who never get many reps. This was really an extreme situation similar to the New England first game last year. I can understand making mistakes normally not seen. This may carry over to the Ravens game as heat illness is slow to recover from and happens more easily on subsequent exposure. Going to be a tough stretch. I agree it’s hard to accept Bass missing a gimme. He certainly had no heat issues or excuses. The mistakes snowballed. . I thought crowder was good , made no errors , and made good decisions. They got lucky with a fantastic punt after the butt punt ! At least we had no blocking in the back etc penalties. My issues are the persistent running game failures; playing a soft d on 3 rd and 22 ( other teams dcs pressure the qb so long routes can’t develop yet Frazier choses to rush 3); rotating the backs so much that none really ever gets in any groove and you end up with 3 mediocre guys and finally quit doing shotgun snaps inside the 5 ! This is a throw away type result as no other game today was played in anything close to these conditions and it had a definite impact on performance and outcome. Just some thoughts as i feel your pain and my main concern is the injury issue is uncontrollable. We can’t expect great results playing backups to backups in the defensive backfield. Our RT situation also looks concerning. Hope you have a better week, and hope we get some healthy guys back.

Haha! Seems a little mild in comparison. Wouldn’t exactly call that a tantrum, he is not the Karen type ! I really like mcds personality as the face of the Bills. Temperament is always professional yet caring, and he gets it’s not just about football. . The players know tho if you make mistakes , you sit , and he’s been consistent. Levy will always be my favorite Bills coach, but I hope Mcd has a future and tenure like Tomlin has had. He is a perfect fit for the Bills and the community.

Good points , but you are cherry picking a little. Motor avg under 2 yards a carry. He was good in catching passes but his yac is not very good. Moss had two good plays over three games basically. Cook has potential , as a receiver, and his run game is yet to be determined. I don’t blame the backs. It’s three years now without an effective run game you can DEPEND ON in the red zone and short yardage situations. It results in all the pressure being on Josh and in the red zone the passing windows tighten and in critical , one posession games , other than the KC game, it has resulted in game losing mistakes. Until the Bills stop the rb by committee thing with guys getting less than 10 touches a game , I think we will keep seeing losses in one possession games. Even analysts like Jason Garrett said today the Bills are relying too much on Josh ; 90 offensive plays and losing is unheard of. When will this staff learn they need to do more to help these backs succeed? I agree with you that they prob have enough raw talent to be ok , but right now there is no possible way you can honestly say you can depend on this run game in critical situations. That also affects the passing game as it hurts play action. If you have to depend on blowouts to win , it’s unlikely you will win a Lombardi because most games in the NFL are not blowouts. .

I actually loved it. For once you see how much a guys job means to him and his passion for it. Would you rather see this genuine display or keep seeing pressers by Belicheck or even Mcd , that are the same bottled non informative crap every week ? 😀. It’s an emotional sport and it’s great to see a new young talent developing on our staff right before our eyes. I’m sure he will be fined and won’t do it again , but it was genuine today and he called 90 , yep 90 offensive plays ( compared to 39 for the fish ) and if they were executed as they should have been , we probably blow that game wide open. 😀. Looks great for our future.

Yep , reminiscent of Daboll. Bills have a short yardage problem and that goes hand in hand with being unable to run the ball with the running back by committee situation. The frustrating part is we have seen this over 2-3 years now and you would think they might have some solutions by now. Always losing one possession games is a disturbing fact. Josh is a true super star , yet with the game on the line in a final drive situation , other than the KC game he has shown a tendency to make a critical mistake and so far that’s the only area his vast improvement seems lagging. ( Tenn game slips, Houston playoff game crazy lateral and failed 4 th down conversion, todays pass into the ground missing mckenzie ) Too much is being placed on Josh in the red zone. I do realize all the flubs by the o before , two botched fg situations , dropped td pass, dropped pick 6 etc. The bottom line tho is you needed a final successful td drive to win and despite dominating TOP , yardage , etc, we failed in the red zone once again. These games can cost you playoff home field advantage and it feels like we gave one away today. I really believe the issue is they keep ignoring the failed run game. If you could run with any success , all that pressure on Josh in the red zone is alleviated. Widows are too tight inside the 10, 5 yard lines to keep relying on passing rather than some power runs. Fix that run game and I bet we start winning those close games. Hey without his heroics all game , we had no chance. I just wonder why he / the team struggles so much in short yardage and keep making execution errors at the most critical point in one possession games. Brady , nowhere near the athlete Josh is , was great with the qb sneak , and great on that game winning drive situation. Hopefully they figure this last little piece of the puzzle out as that’s the last step to a title. Maybe it’s just they need more focus in practice for that situation or maybe dorsey needs to get a little further away from the prior Daboll playbook. Try searching out a run game guru to bring in as a consultant because it’s years of having no run game outside of Josh. He can’t keep that up without risk of injury. Hope they learn , but we keep saying this. Love the team tho, great effort today.

There might be some very good news as the physical therapist (;banged up bills YouTube, cover 1 guy) posted he may only have a cervical herniated disc. He reported however it occurred when Hyde hit woods in the first game. Yet hyde didn’t go to the hospital until after the Titans game , so I’m not sure how you could be certain he sustained the injury in Rams game without having a mri done at that time. Something with the timeline or info coming out is a little weird. But this could really be a much better prognosis than I was thinking when they said he was def out until “ next year”.. when a disc herniates it can go forward ( toward the cord ) , to the side where nerves supply the arm exit the cord ( less dangerous or severe) or a combination of both ways. It can fragment as opposed to bulging so that has less of a chance to resolve without intervention. Still, if the cord isn’t being compressed, you usually have time if not in unbearable pain to wait and see what happens when the swelling from the initial herniation goes down. Going to surgery quickly is obviously a more aggressive treatment option., but if it’s just one disc , it might speed up things in the short term. Hyde may have wanted to go that route rather than the more conservative waiting period. I was concerned they were being so aggressive about surgery because they might have seen something more serious on the mri , like narrowing of the spinal canal or spinal stenosis, which is more urgent and progressive, and you have little choice about surgery. If the canal is not narrowed , Hyde actually has a much better chance to return , maybe even this year. That’s good news and first time I saw any definitive diagnosis stated ( not sure how the therapist got the mri info tho?). So if true and it’s just a single herniation , that’s really good for Hyde! The neurosurgeons I have talked too tell me they do that particular surgery so often it’s a simple , routine deal for them ( amazing professionals yet honestly they do make their living doing surgery and not by observing , just being open about it 😊). I’m not a pro athlete , so If it was me as a professional scalpel fearing chicken, I would have opted to wait it out some as there is no risk free surgery, but these athletes are fearless and driven to return to play. IF TRUE, this is the best case scenario for Hyde to possibly even get back sooner than next year, but more importantly, this could be great prognostic news for Hyde long term and my thoughts/ prayers go out to him for an uncomplicated recovery! Icing on the cake would be a Bills win today! Go Bills! 😀

Oliver is out as well.

Just got a flash from espn on my iPad that Poyer is also def out for tomorrow. What a bad time to be missing both starting safeties. Fins will be testing the inexperience def backfield for sure. I think the fins will have lots of confidence now and imo this will prob be a closer, higher scoring situation. Josh needs a mistake free game So pressure will be amped up. I think it’s a big ask to have your entire def backfield , plus our two best DT rushers gone for the game. Phillips may be gone a lot longer than they are admitting as it looked like his hammy could have torn watching him collapse. Will see , but worse case scenario playing a team in division, just gaining confidence , and playing down there with proven speed who has torched even our starters before. Injuries are piling up and to think you won’t notice half your starting d out is unrealistic. Still think we can win because of Josh , but if we have turnovers, it’s certainly possible to drop one here. Big emotional test for Mcd and team as well missing so many guys. This is a very unusual amount of injuries if you also consider Gabe not being 100%; I don’t recall a similar situation for us recently or maybe ever.

Lol. I said I have no feeling in my arms or hands , still have motor function and still walking thx to the surgery, but the surgery didn’t relieve my presenting symptoms and ended my career seeing patients. But hey , I’m 65, so it could be worse. I just added my own experience to show it’s possible Hyde might be done with football. Sorry it was long, had read lots of speculation on here and just thought I could add some insight having been thru a possible similar diagnosis, and unfortunately it’s not as simple as just have surgery and returning to play. 😊

While disc herniation is possibly involved , by way of chronic degeneration , the history and this incident doesn’t fit with that as the main issue. Usually an acute herniated disc is very painful and would have probably been causing issues even before the last game. There are no reports of this type of symptoms. Plus with an acute herniation , there are things you can do to help alleviate symptoms such as time , steroids , blocks , that could have perhaps not ended his whole season. The most likely situation ( and I am speaking about this both as a doc having seen patients with this and unfortunately experienced it myself which failed to improve after surgery and subsequently forced my retirement as I am left with no feeling in either arm or hands) is SPINAL STENOSIS in his neck ( cervical cord impingement). This is why an otherwise common or minor hit caused unusual NEURO symptoms for him prompting his hospital visit after the game. The cord sits in a Canal , surrounded by vertebral bodies with discs in between those vertebrae. With time ( and also things like chronic trauma such as football impacts , and genetic predisposition) the discs deteriorate and this triggers the body to lay down bone spurs around the area. Eventually the canal the cord sits in gets so narrow that the cord is impinged on and certain positions or movements ( Like hyperextending the neck on a tackle ) press on the cord and it places you in danger of permanent cord damage or even severing the cord. Depending on the level or how high the entrapment is , you become at increasing risk of motor loss , sensory loss, and of course , even paralysis like para or quadriplegia. The big key is YOU GET NO WARNING MOST OF THE TIME , AND THE NARROWING FINALLY REACHES A CRITICAL LEVEL , you start getting ongoing symptoms and you can experience neuro deficits with even mild movements that further pinch the cervical cord. Any hit could put him at risk of permanent paralysis or worse. It is diagnosed on MRI , and I would bet he was told the stenosis was severe enough that they told him he was at risk of paralysis if he was hit and his cord could be permanently damaged. So , it suddenly becomes a life and death , life quality issue , without much if any history of prior warning symptoms. Eric Wood retired because of this risk. The only solution is surgery , most commonly called an ACDF ( anterior cervical decompression and fixation), as the stenosis only worsens with time ( as opposed to a herniated disc which improves over time as swelling goes down ). The surgery involves going in from the front of the neck , removing bone spurs and deteriorated discs , placing cages to replace the discs which are usually filled with cadaver bone that grows and fuses in place over months to stabilize the space around the cord and limit neck movement , and they also place some stabilizing plates with screws as well. ( I had 4 levels done with 5 herniated discs , had no warning except two weeks before being diagnosed my arms went numb and I was in denial thinking I might be having carpal tunnel , no trauma , just chronic disc deterioration). It is a fairly uncomfortable surgery , requires quite a bit of time to heal as the bone grafts have to fuse, and there is no way you could play any contact sports until the neurosurgeon approves and they are certain there is adequate space around the cervical spinal cord. Even with surgery , there is no promise you could return to sports ( depends on how severe the condition, narrowing is and surgery result ) as it’s mostly about being sure you don’t become a quad or paraplegic in the future as you continue to age. If he’s lucky and it’s just 1 or 2 levels , he might have a chance to play next year, but that’s if things go perfectly. Time will tell of course. This is just for educational purposes about this condition as I have not seen his mri or heard results posted yet. But his sudden symptoms, what I saw during the game, his need for the hospital visit , desire to get second opinions, all probably stems from being told he has stenosis on mri placing his cord at risk, and he shouldn’t play without surgery and indeed, it could be life or career threatening if he doesn’t undergo corrective procedures. I suspected this would happen when he was a dnp at practice and he was seeking second opinions. It just fits with all we have seen , and the history and prognosis involving spinal stenosis. I really feel for him , as he was playing at a high level , but if the canal is so narrowed that a light hit caused symptoms, he was at risk of paralysis with a bad hit or even just worsening over time. It is a mechanical problem. It’s like pinching a garden hose cutting the flow of water, except here if the cord is pinched it can’t send signals below the level of stenosis and results in weakness, numbness or paralysis. I wish him nothing but the best as he is one of my favorite Bills on this team. I suspect he will undergo surgery sometime soon and we will probably hear about that. It’s not emergent surgery unless he suddenly deteriorated, but it’s the only mechanical fix ( there are a few procedures to chose from however). Please don’t attack me for just posting my OPINION based on observing his situation and also in knowing the history of this condition. It’s an educated guess without the mri , but it fits , and it explains why he needs to be on IR ( as opposed to a simple acute herniated disc). It’s a big blow for the team but his future is at risk. I hope he returns, but it also wouldn’t surprise me if he ends up retiring ( hard to accept that being thrown at you out of nowhere ). He is a class act and will be missed this year. You can’t replace his experience! 😊

Why should he “:be out” and what does that mean? Isn’t this an opinion board or are only the things you say or deem to be facts? Let’s just silence everyone with a diff opinion , why ever listen or try to learn or see a diff point of view, you are too smart for that right!? 😀. I love people who can say whatever they want but another’s opinion was “ embarrassing “. Closed mindedness is embarrassing and education usually can help. The only real judgement comes when edmunds is resigned or not; so far they have found new contracts for true stars like Josh and Milano and Von. Edmunds got the 5 th year offer so that tells me the real decision makers , Beane and Mcd , needed to see more. Pretty amazing for the big star LB you must think he is. It’s his 5 th year , about time he shows something. Give me the LB of the Cowboys from penn state as an example of a true impact LB , or look no further than Milano. Still , this is a message , opinion based forum , open up your mind a little as words on a screen can’t hurt you. Lol. 🍸

Kliff won’t be going. They said on the broadcast they just extended his contract for a few years ( I forget the exact number but the gyms contract was also extended to add continuity). This went along with the new contract for Murray as well, so they have a core group. Again m just repeating what broadcasters said during the chiefs thrashing them. ( btw KC’s offense looked amazing, better than ours w no turnovers and they had two new receivers replacing Hill andnew tight ends and at least two prominently used backs. 5 td pas / 360 yds passing ,44 points, seriously they looked more varied and unpredictable than with Hill. Kelce also had over 100 yds! They are dangerous ) Jerry was pretty upset about the o producing 3 points and they looked horrible on offense. They lack experienced, productive receivers. Without Dax they are toast , so firing their coach now makes little sense. Who would take that job with no NFL starting caliber QB ; I would expect them to let it play out coaching wise ( can’t really fire a gm can they , as they, the Johnson clan, approved this roster going in ) but they have to try.to bring in a QB I would think at a minimum for emergency backup , unless some prominent name is out there I don’t remember right now. After the 49 ers loss to the bears and Lances terrible performance, I doubt they trade Jimmy right now.. JMHO, but that’s what I heard discussed yesterday.

Great point Yolo , wonder which season we will see cook again!? Lol! You would have thought someone like his position coach or his brother would have clued him in , sent him a registered letter or whatever ( candy gram?) that if you put the ball on the ground there is a doghouse with chains you may never escape! Devin seemed to be doing ok so why switch those touches to moss seems to be a reach. Dorsey called a pretty flawless game in his first real action!, but those numbers on moss are a little concerning. What are your thoughts on the inactive players, any reason to change things as crowder / McKenzie look competent, yet I don’t get having Lawson inactive and I’m not sure he will remain happy with that as an ongoing role? I think cook will be worked with during this time before Tennessee, but I coikd see Lawson asking for a trade with many more inactive situations What do you think ?

This schedule on paper is Brutal. 5-2 would be very acceptable, 4-3 will remind me of last year as people remember Kc , but we almost didn’t get there. Not likely to blow these teams out so thise one possession games will be critical; can’t go 0-6 like last year. This is going to be fun but stressful at the same time. In the end tho , it’s. Entertainment and at least in my county in fl. , a certain plague is at the lowest levels since beginning so real life is even looking fresh. Feels weird starting on a Thursday night tho, surreal after such a long offseason after ending by coin flip. Have fun watching tonight ! ( side note, so weird / sad seeing Great Britain mourning tonight with all the craziness of worshipping a mortal who was born by chance into her position. I mention this because my own mom is 96 , born the same year and has witnessed all this history. My mom, knock on wood, still drives and lives alone when not staying with me in Florida. My aunt is 100 and still does her own yard work! I didn’t inherit those genes, but it’s amazing having family that experienced wars, landing on the moon, color tv, and now the internet with computers and YouTube! Love my mom, wields the authority like a queen , and I’m blessed she is still here after losing my father to lymphoma in 2002. With all the pc in the world and cancel culture it’s amazing watching all going on today in England. . The jags never draw like that so the monarchs still outdraw the shield! ) 😊

We have had so many free agents, so many promises ( I am 65, just forced to retire from 40 + years in medicine after 5 discs collapsed in.my neck while at work, trapped my spinal cord and then surgery failed to return feeling and fine motor use in my hands/ arms, so this has been a tough period as my health rapidly changed to a point that for the first time, I am not sure how many seasons are left to be a Bills fan ) , so many guys that were enticed with money to come to B Lo , and they all fell short in one way or another. They certainly all failed to deliver a championship. None of those big names really felt like a genuine part of the same mentality of the 4 SB team fraternity or part of the finest time in Bills history. Plus they were surrounded by less overall team talent as the Cap came in to effect and Black Monday happened with Thurman, Bruce, , Andre all gone and Jimbo had also hung up his cleats. That same championship feeling and product left for close to 30 years , as 94 was the last SB appearance. Then a 2 x SB champion gets 120 mil to come here and at first glance , it looked like just another guy cashing out before he retired to polish his rings earned in two other cities and franchises. But something unusual happened even he didn’t expect. He embraced the community, he embraced the past along with its near misses , he embraced the new team led by the new superstar and process driven coach. He got the money but this time it felt that meant less than being that final piece to the championship puzzle that would bring together Bills mafia from different generations and from many places around the world. That video looks like he gets it ; wide right , Music city miracle, and finally , 13 seconds that lasted an entire off season. Truly the most painful moments being a Bill or Bills fan! I know it sounds cliche, and even a little corny, yet this team has shown staying power , It has a core group reminiscent of those 90’s teams and Von looks like he feels at home and Understands the bigger picture and that cane thru in this video! it starts tonight and will be a long , hopefully memorable ride , and selfishly I hope they finally put all those other endings in a chest , lock it , and throw away the key so Bills fans can stop looking back and have great memories ahead to begin creating. That is a cool video and this feels like the superstars really do fit in with the community and are a part of the mafia. I hope it ends with a win this time and hope we are all around to enjoy every moment because this really might be the first time we remember with joy, “ I was ( insert location) when we had the confetti falling in Buffalo! Thx for posting the video, prayers to all those fighting health issues or those like Dawson still grieving the loss of someone close ,,,,,,,enjoy these moments and Go Bills!

Been there w you since ‘63, was live at SB 27/28 , and remember where I was for all of the above. We know what it’s like to love them , experience the penultimate highs, and the ultimate lows ( wide right, MSM, 13 sec are my most painful) and this team looks like the most talented with the exception of Bruce. I just need to see them win the Lombardi , so I can pass my last years remembering where I was when we won it all, erasing all those other memories ( like watching beebe at the goalline knocking the ball from Letts hands as my seats were along that goalline and walking out to the bus to the hotel after giving up 52 points), and live in peace! Lol! I hope this is the year , and it starts tonight. Have to admit I’m a little nervous , mostly for Mcd and Frazier to not be outcoached ( which has been all too common in close games) and those cbs who are sticking out as targets! Let’s hope it’s not like last year. Good luck , will be thinking of you , knowing what the years have been like. Just once we need the year to end well and we walk away happy fir days, not thinking over and over what could have been. Enjoy the night and each moment because the seasons go so fast. Knock on wood, fingers crossed , let’s start things out right ! Best wishes , RpMD 👍🍸

I think you’re right on target. I hate the idea of ignoring Pouer this year ; he has actually earned at least a 2 year extension, moreso with green sidelined and they need great safety play with those cbs. Edmunds tho has to realize he is pro playin to earn his bag from a different team next year. He can play hard for the ring , but with each signing , he has to see the reality that they signed Milano, and added two ne LBs to the squad this year. I think he has to play above prior years production if they expect to bring home the Lombardi. So many apologists keep calling people haters if they critique edmunds at all, but with that standard , Beane and Mcd must Be haters then as after 4 seasons they still haven’t seen enough to commit to more, and so they ( fan boys) can throw out names and say we are not real fans or we don’t understand the nuances edmunds brings and is asked to do! They will,talk aboit all the passes not thrown in his area. Yet in the end , did he make enough splash plays to finally live up to his supposed pro bowl status , did he finally have ints / PBU’s , / TFL’s , and sacks ? Or is it more soft and missed tackles after 5-8 yard gains, did he force fumbles with hard hits or slow up prior to makimg contact, did the d get off the field on third and long or,did we see 10-12 play time consuming drives ? This is a huge hyped year unlike any I remember ( and I was around for the 4 SB run and live at the last two ) and those teams were never hyped like this. I think this is their best shot ( despite the murderers row opening schedule. ), and the D under Frazier has to finally get sacks and be disruptive against Stafford, Tannehill, maholmes, Rodgers to make a few. Then the final say is Beanes, and the question will be definitively answered. I hope they run this team back because they want to be remembered like the boys winning back to back after a great year, and I hope edmunds deserves that chance. Early signs tho look like he will be depositing his bag in another city, and there’s no hate driving that.

You going to be the person telling the 6’5”: guy he can’t be a captain!? Lol ! What’s his responsibility as a captain, doesn’t Josh call the coin flips ? 1/3 of the starting D are captains while Tre is on pup and the rest are either new team members or rookies, so being a C on the D is a surprise if you are skipped for your position group! 😀 JK , yet he is the passive type compared to the other captains, except for his position group ( Milano is quiet/ humble , Bernard a rookie ) and the only reality check is he still hasn’t gotten any commitment or new contract assuring this isn’t his last year as a Bill. The players can speak all they want , but I bet he would rather have Beanes endorsement over just wearing a “ C”. That’s not being a hater ( every Tre supporter does that as opposed to just discussing his stats, easier to name call than just be fact based) as I think he seems to be a great person. Would love to see the “c” equate to PBU’s , a coupe of ints, and him actually running thru tackles ( rather than slowing down before he hits someone ;;sorry but the rookie from Clemson plays more violently on contact; watch the series Tre played against the Broncos ,,,,maybe he didn’t want to get hurt in a preseason game ?). He has lots of supporters, even the cover1 guys are predicting he will have a huge year with the revamped line in front of him , so it’s not “ hate” expecting him to make more splash plays like tfl’s and to create some hits that cause fumbles as opposed to how all we hear is how he affects passing lanes ( btw, how many W’s does wearing a C get you?) He needs to be better than he has been if they want the Lombardi and he wants to be back imho, and I hope that happens. Meanwhile , Bennett, Talley, Conlan, Spikes , Speilman, paup, bailey , and even Ray Bennett ( who wrote Darby the Dinosaur) and Mike Stratton ( hit heard round the world) have all contributed more to the Bills legacy than Edmunds in his first 4 years! Being a “C” is a popularity Check”; while having the C and being a super star like Allen and Miller is the reality check resulting in TEAM wins that I will “ listen up “ to ! The “ players speaking “ also results in the popularity of being elected to the pro bowl , and we all know how many of us listen to that charade as players have been elected to it while only playing partial years being injured. I will ultimately listen to Beane! Lol! This is a team sport with the Lombardi bring the goal, so other than shaking hands at midfield and calling the coin flip , who really cares who is a Captain; I would love to hear How important that is to Josh! Pretty sure he would say it’s a nice gesture but he is the first to talk about team accomplishments! Don’t insult people by calling them haters and telling them to “ listen up” , it’s stuff you might hear in high school. 😉🤣

It’s not really a high bar like when the Season was 14-16 games per year. I agree with you. With new running scheme under Kromer and Daboll being gone with his obsession over passing , plus we should be running games out more, 1000 yards is actually a a fairly avg accomplishment. It is just not such a landmark any longer. In fact if we don’t have one 1000 yd runner it’s a sign our o may not be playing from in front or running in the red zone etc like Mcd was asking for last year. Also could happen if they keep sticking to rotating too much and not defined roles and could also happen as we face more passing teams / better qbs this year a s have to play catch up. Basically , if it doesn’t happen it’s more Likely the season is not going the dominant route we are expecting from a w/L and could be from the d not getting off the field as we play from behind. I think Dorsey runs more and is less ego driven/ less cutesy in run situations than Daboll and it would be unexpected if they fail again. to have a 1000 yd back. I think Mcd gets more balance and dictates to Dorsey more than he felt he could with Daboll. Also see more prolonged drives and less punting this year. Side note, this debacle with ariza,Tre being placed on pup with no vet cbs, the disappointment with Howard , knox losing his brother, the o line issues with hart still on the squad ( Fina stated he didn’t see Hart making the team because of technique issues) , needing new holder , etc are a ton of issues for a supposed SB fav right out of the gate w a tough schedule. Somewhat reminds me of the early struggles / inconsistency seen last year with the home open loss, juggling o line, and that could be enough to lose home filed advantage in playoffs once again. ( Josh 0-3 in playoff road games). Will any of the mess of the last preseason game linger emotionally as they were so high off Denver game and the fell flat with Jobs on the line ? For such a talented roster , seems like a lot of coaching issues lingering that we shouldn’t be seeing in the 6 th year of a regime. Can’t just flip a switch and perception is mixed about how prepared they are for LA. Mcd has come up short in critical ,times (13 sec) , pressure is building for him to reach expectations. More questions than I expected for opening day! Just some thoughts.

Testing for CURRENT Sti’s is culture based ( urine antigen testing or less common urethral swab). It’s done in the face of current symptoms. ( discharge , painful urination , frequency etc) and would unlikely ever be a mass screening issue at a combine ( cost , false negatives if person urinated before test or just had IC the night before). Testing for chlamydia is urine or urethra swab and only done with symptoms. Many cases are subclinical after some initial minor ( very scant urethral discharge that then fades) so mass routine screening is not common in my experience ( have never worked for the NFL , but I did testing IN URGENT CARE with symptoms or history of possible exposure or concurrent disease such as if someone had GC goin on ). Blood testing for HIV , hepatitis , Syphilis ( esp the first two that THEORETICALLY can be blood or body fluid transmitted in a contact sport , tho unlikely, ) are easy to draw but remember they are just a snapshot of just that moment in time, and things like risk could change post combine as a practical matter. If someone has more risk factors ( Iv drug use or history of men having sex with men ) it’s possible they are screened to assess need for ongoing therapy or need for vaccination etc. I would guess against there being a mass NFL screening protocol but things might be done according to individual risk factors after a proper medical history and physical are done by team Drs. So ariza might be screened / tested if he was currently complaining of symptoms while there or admitted a possible exposure and a urine would easily show things. Chlamydia is detected with urine testing ( some may still do urethral swabbing but most now just rely on a urine specimen) and even easily treated pending results if he had symptoms. He could also be tested if he was informed by a partner that they tested positive. I still think that would be private, outside of the nfl and prob happened within a few days of unprotected exposure ( eg after having unprotected ic with a girl he may have developed a minor discharge , went to at an urgent care / clinic on campus. He probably was positive And was treated and called the partner to let them know he was positive and that partner would have to be assumed to be the source of his infection also requiring treatment. Sounds like he did the responsible thing in following up and I would think this all took place outside of the NFL initial evaluations so no red flags would be raised unless he chose to divulge his entire past health history. Just speculation based on my experience working in urgent care and just imagine the NFL only does basic screening as in a basic history / physical for screening healthy, asymptomatic players at the combine. They might then ramp up with more specific testing if someone is found to have findings or abnormalities on the basic screens ( they prob all get basic urinalysis done , I would even think they get basic drug screening as almost all companies do that now pre hiring based on my experience with work comp pre employment screening physicals ). I would find it hard to believe ariza went into the combine without all this being already resolved and if he had chlaymidia prior I am sure he would have already been treated. Why would anyone go into a job interview situation with untreated symptoms and then have to explain that, esp since it’s easily treated and relatively common and minor thing? Importantly tho to your point, There is no routine blood test done for screening for that ( chlamydia) , and the only reason to do blood tests specifically would be for screening for HIV, hepatitis , syphilis if he reported past history of sti, or they had records showing abnormal blood chemistries and they insisted on ruling out risk of concurrent/ other infection also being transmitted along with chlamydia. This Prob varies according to team specific requirements after their medical team reviews the medical history, and I highly doubt the NFL WOULD DO MASS STI screening in asymptomatic athletes. If they do some screen because of the CONTACT nature OF THE GAME, it would be for HIV, hepatitis , possibly syphilis which are all blood borne pathogens and there is NO routine blood testing for chlamydia or GC which are urine based tests now and usually only looked for with symptoms or post known exposure ( at least that’s how the real work world works in my experience having done hundreds of preemployment physicals for companies. I have never seen a company request STI screening as a routine for employment so NO RED FLAGS would be showing up in all likelihood. if someone here works with the NFL , please feel free to correct me ) Every other condition that can affect risk / performance is screened for , like heart health , diabetes, BMI, , hearing, vision , orthopedic ability to do jobs like driving a truck or sport related performance issues( like surgeries or prior things like acl tears etc). . Hope that helps a little.

No , I said if they used the words “ we are doing the CLASSY “ thing as their only reason, I would lose faith and repeat for them, and if that was their reason to cut a struggling in crisis young man , I would not follow them just like if they had signed Watson. “ Being “ classy” has nothing to do with their move. It is based on culture fir the organization,. Not some flashy word ; plus as more info came out it looks like the police possibly withheld vital info , perhaps even from the university as it is looking more like criminal charges may now be in the works. All I was stating was be thorough, complete the investigation, and they took 48 hours to do so. It was obvious it was going to drag on more. Show me where they used being “ classy “ in their decision. Don’t try to twist my words. I also expressed that if evidence was proven true , I wanted him off the team. But if the FO flippantly said this was a classy move , like you said , that is the epitome of mass hysteria, unprofessional management and just being simplistic minded. There is no class involved here. It’s business related , it’s a personal tragedy for a young man and the victim and it’s for the culture presently established and for the future culture for the team to be consistent and move ahead. Classy is doing something to sit in with a trend or a style of dress is “ classy”, not deciding with little analysis on a young man’s future. This was after gathering all possible info. and not indicative of some jerk reactions. Beane and Mcd both still spoke respectfully about him as he faces challenges ahead. Go read all of my posts , not take things out of context. It also came out they have been struggling with getting more info since July. Fans may use things like “class” act; there is no class system in business. It’s professional behavior to protect investments and goal oriented. It is Not about being perceived as “ classy “ as that term has no monetary or legal value. Again , show me where Beane or Mcd said they released ariza because it was the “ classy “ thing to do ! That’s your way of attempting to say “ I was right “ and that has no place in corporate decision making. They don’t draft or keep or release a player because it’s “ classy”! It’s a business and also a moral based decision. Parts of This same fan base is so “classy “ they have begged for sociopaths like Antonio brown to be on the squad.while I have consistently opposed such destructive actions for short term gain ! It’s not about bring an “ act” as that implies being less than truthful. It’s about being a professional organization with a mission statement and being sustainable! This is a multibillion $ company and they have the resources and TIME to do things according to their mission and not making judgements based on fans calling for being “ classy “ on a moments notice! That’s how I have seen great companies succeed. Once more evidence ( their words ) was coming out and things are looking more like criminal filings will happen, they made a mature decision decisively and I was always good with that. Hey , they knew about the civil action POSSIBILITY , and still only acted after it became reality and not theoretically possible. They were visibly shaken , and took no pleasure or joy in doing this and I’m sure they didn’t feel “ classy “ making that hard decision. I respect that , but not someone twisting my words as some attempt as a got ya moment! No one wins in these tragic human behavior examples and real lives , families are suffering. Think about that rather than trying to gloat and you might grow as a person. Nice try , but it’s a shallow trait and no one wins, not even you. That’s the reality and has nothing to do with “ being classy”. 😉 I will remain a Bills fan just as I have since’ 63, and it’s obvious they did the hard thing to do and they did it with much thought and as much investigation as they reasonably could while facing a press corp trying for click bait and being critical that it somehow should have been easier and more immediate. Where was this great holier than thou press contingent when Ariza was drafted if they are so infallible? Being in medicine for 40 plus years I have been honored to be allowed to experience loss, death of close friends/ patents, DV, child and sexual abuse, addiction , depression and suicide, aging and cancer and most of life’s hardest moments in the company of my cherished patients. None of life’s great challenges reaches resolution because it was the “ classy” solution responsible. That is not real hunan emotion.or how tragic things resolve. Just my humble opinion., and I don’t apologize for my experiences as I have empathy for both victim and Ariza just beginning their life’s journey. Best wishes.