wjag

I almost wish Kyle Brandt would cool down his Bills hype. The show needs to represent the whole NFL. It strikes me as too much Bills homer-ism now. It would be one thing if he was a Buffalo-area native, but I would imagine for NFL around the league, it's over the top.

I wonder if he sent a Thank You card to Carolina.

Or should it be Tua fish tacos being southern Florida and all..

It's the NFL and hope springs eternal for every franchise. I have no issue with the hype being shared. If the shoes were reversed, TBD would be sky high with hope and expectations. The cool thing is, they get to play the game. It will be settled on the field. And then just like that, it will be on to the next game. They don't call it over reaction Monday for nothing. The thing I was musing about yesterday was the sheer depth of content available these days. With the advent of YouTube, AWS, message boards, etc., you can spend as much time as you want reading and listening. We are a long way from the 90s dearth of coverage/opinions where the only real content was the evening SportsCenter segment and the Buffalo News Sunday and Monday papers. I can remember reading everything on Monday if they won and nothing is they lost. Now it's all internet content, but the same rules apply. Watch everything I can if they win and internet hibernate if they lose.

Now that right there is a meaningful stat. Helps to play ahead.

Same here. That was my youth. Never beating the Dolphins was a real stigma back then. I was there when the goal posts came down under Chuck Knox. The jubilation in the stands was real. I never ever want to see another Dolphins win over Buffalo. The hate runs deep. 0-20 leaves a mark. Perhaps when Josh's record is 20-1, I'll relent a bit. Perhaps not.

I'm coming around to the idea that Josh can now run the show. I would imagine Dorsey will get some looks. It would also not surprise me if teams around the league understand this oldie but goodie reference:

I love how Maine, Vermont and Northern New Hampshire are getting the Bills and not Patriots. Buffalo fever seeping its way into New England.. Bahahaha

This is a fascinating start to the NFL season. I don't think you could script a more challenging start. Each of the first seven that get played stresses a different style of the defense 1. Rams -- On Road with all the world watching. Cupp and the emotional hangovers of the superbowl won and one not attained. 2. Titans -- MNF. Run defense with one of the best smash mouth type teams 3. Fins -- On Road with likely the two most challenging WRs to cover 4. Baltimore -- On Road against a run heavy RPO team and a QB that can throw or run 80 yards. 5. Steelers -- Home against a defense first team. Pass rush diminished without Watt, but still dangerous 6 Chiefs -- On Road, again 4th time in 6 games, national window. Scene of the crime and the devil himself (the game everyone will be hyping. Hell we will probably finally get Romo) 7. GB -- SNF. Home after bye and a 4 time MVP high on life. Come out of this gauntlet with a 5-2, 6-1 record and the rest of the season looks so much easier. This team will have been tested like few others and it will just be Halloween.

So now we have confirmation that Phillips has a hamstring.

Didn't they lose a starting guard to IR? Yeah I thought of that imbalance. Nothing you can do about it. It might have leveled up the yards and leveled down the QBR and completion percentage. Best leave sleeping dogs lie.

I get that. But that doesn't mean he can't grow into the job. Take that same poll of Josh Allen on draft night. Not sure what the tally would be, but he clearly was not viewed in the same light as others. I admit I have been guilty of Alabama QB bias. I have stated on this board that they aren't as strong as other programs because they get to play with the cream of the crop. A stat I heard today was Alabama QBs starting in the NFL are 5-1 this year. And the one loss was because Mac played Tua. Josh got in to the right system and had a team built around him. I don't know if Tua will or will not flourish. But it seems to me Miami is following the Beane blueprint and building around the guy. The coach is early in his career, but it does seem like Miami and Tua are pointing up. Having said all of this, I sincerely hope the Bills curb stomp them on Sunday.

Giving the guy credit is an anathema to many on this board and theirs apparently. I went and compared the passing charts of Josh and Tua in weeks 1 and 2. They look pretty darn similar. Josh was completing the bulk of his passes in the 5-15 yards range. Tua as well. And then I looked at Mahomes. Same thing. If Tua wasn't being discussed it would be said that Josh is playing with patience and taking what the defense is giving him, ala Brady. But somehow on this board Tua playing very much the same type of game is mocked for throwing under the coverage. Looking at the passes Tua threw in the 4th Qtr against Baltimore showed he can throw downfield with touch and distance. The one TD was a 50+ air yard bomb on target. It matters not that there were blown coverages in Baltimore. Tua saw it, his receivers made it so and he put the ball on target 4 times. If Josh did that we would be celebrating. Tua clearly has the arm strength to throw it 50 yards. In this NFL, that's all you need. Is his arm as strong as others? Probably not. It's arm and decision making and location that matter. No one judges how pretty a TD pass is. It's a TD pass. Overthrown, underthrown, tipped, great one-handed catch, miraculous toe tap. Matters not. A TD is a TD. The great thing about this week is with all the huffing and puffing from both fan bases aside, they get to play H2H. We will know if the passing stats below will hold up. Interesting Passing Stats: Pretty darn even TDs: Josh-7, Tua-7 Ints: Josh-2, Tua-2 Yards: Josh-614, Tua-739 Rating: Josh-123.7, Tua-116.5 Comp%: Josh-75.4%, Tua-71.1%

I saw an interview with Josh where he was asked why he seems faster in games than he showed at the combine. His answer: My paraphrase: 'No one is chasing me at the combine.' Adrenaline is a powerful stimulus.

Have Josh Allen play against Josh Allen. Worked well last year.

Ask this question again at 4p on Sunday. This Miami game will be a good litmus test.

I had no idea they lost in that fashion. That is 100000% on the OC not to put them in the victory formation. gawd...

Hearing day-2-day for everyone is pretty shocking actually. I guess we still don't know if Phillips pulled his hamstring..

Biggest difference in SE FL though is the ree-dic-u-lous hum-dit-ity. Early forecast is 50% chance of rain.

Pat McAfee is on the list...

Rumor has it Tony doesn't like broadcasting in the heat. It's a rumor, because I started it.

I've been thinking a lot about the Ravens collapse, part with glee, part with amusement, and part with astonishment. Harbaugh coached teams don't do this or at least they didn't. A thought. Last year their entire secondary was on IR. They had replacement players all over the field. Cincy smoked them twice, but the remainder of the games they played competitively, just significantly undermanned. What happens? John Harbaugh needs a scalp so he goes after DC Wink Martindale. Wink ends up in Buffalo East. All of a sudden Buffalo East is playing defense again and Baltimore gets smoked on defense. Coincidence?

I really think this is the key to this game. Can Bills rush four and flood the secondary with 7. This is a 2-high safety look for 100% of the snaps that Hill is on the field. I think one thing Hill has proven is he makes QBs better. He can take a slant to the house (as we have seen in AFCCG. So can the Bills get home with 4? Elam and Benford and Lewis and Johnson and Poyer and Hyde and Milano are going to have their hands full. Should be a good test for both teams.

The oft-repeated and emphasized phrase today is "not seriously injured", which has led some to think he could play. Make no mistake he is/was "INJURED". You don't take a hit like that and not be injured. Heck he almost had his head taken off. The Bills have demonstrated repeatedly that they don't play injured players. Remember last year with Milano and KC? Big game, essential player, and nope he didn't play. Dane is out weeks in my opinion. The only question in my mind is what does weeks mean? 2, 3, 4 ...? One could eye that Green Bay game and think that is realistic for his return to play.