Alphadawg7

Not gonna lie...after the Miami game I felt like we would be heading into this Cincy game not only favorites, but as the much better team. Today, I don't feel confident in this game. Can we win, sure...just not heading in with the same confidence I had heading into the Miami game for example. Since our injuries, our defense is a shell of itself and Bengals offense is starting to click again who just had a lot of success against a better Niners defense. For us to win this game, Allen and the offense need to be on point and just outscore them. The issue is, the offense has not looked great since the Miami game either. Against Jags we put up 20, Giants we managed only 14 points, then put up just 25 on Pats and then 24 against the Bucs. We have not broken 25 since Miami game and only done so in 3 of our 8 games this season. We won't beat the Bengals putting up 20-25 points this week. So I really hope Dorsey looks at what worked in the first half against the Bucs and builds on that because we need to be at our best to win this game. And make no mistake about it, this Bengals game is close to a playoff game given the crowded field in the AFC right now. If we lose this game, we will have 4 losses, all in the AFC and the division will be difficult to win and the Wildcard race will be very crowded with us being behind on tie breakers. So I just pray Dorsey gets rid of the stupid stuff (like idiotic shotgun runs on the goal line) and focuses on the things that were really working, especially the things we did to get Shakir and Kincaid going as that opened up the whole offense. And they better keep the foot on the gas the whole time, letting up in the 2nd half allowed the lowly Bucs offense to get back into the game late with a shot to win on the final play.

There were a number of people who picked them for the SB in the NFC prior to the season beginning...I was NOT one of them, but the NFC right now feels a lot more wide open than it did to start the season. Niners have lost 3 straight, Eagles have a great record but look more beatable than once believed, Det just got destroyed last week by the Ravens, and Dallas is well still Dallas. So I don't blame Seattle for making this move.

I like the move personally, better than using assets to trade for a RB. I don't know if we are going to make any trades, but if we do, I hope it is for some help for the defense because it went from probably the best unit in the NFL before the injuries to literally bottom third. And with our offense struggling with consistency and closing out drives for points, we can't have a defense that lets the Mac Jones, Tyrod Taylors, and Baker Mayfields of the world drive end of the games for shots at winning (which if we are being honest, we got lucky to not lose all 3). More importantly, we need to get Cook more touches not less, so signing a guy off the street vs trading for someone keeps that option open and doesn't feel like they need to force feed the newly acquired RB more than necessary. I still think Cook should be getting 18+ touches EVERY game between rushing and receiving, and I don't see Fournette as a threat to that and more of a guy who can hopefully do more with the touches being given currently to Murray. And if something was to happen to Cook, then Fournette feels a lot more like a guy who can lead the backfield than Murray could at this stage of his career.

10% drop rate on 20 targets is not a real drop rate though. That’s like saying Cook has a 10% fumble rate after 10 Carrie’s because he fumbled his first snap. That number will never hold up that high. And it was him as a rookie with limited playing time. And your comments about college are incorrect as well. He had very good hands in college, and you can read any of his draft profiles to see that as well. I was high on him coming into the draft cuz I loved him in college. He was projected to go as early as the 2nd round, his size and frame were his biggest concern coming into the draft, not his hands. I’ve even linked a couple below if you want learn more about Shakir. There is a reason he was seen as one of the biggest steaks of the draft when Bills got him and it’s why Beane heard from a bunch of GMs they were not happy we got him. So again, this notion he doesn’t have great hands is not fair to him based on his first 20 targets, and the claims he didn’t have good hands in college are not accurate either. And now he has no drops this year and that cuts that “10%” in half already and we aren’t even halfway through the season yet. All good, not like I think you have an agenda or something, just like to point out when I see people posting similar things that it’s really not a fair characterization of him and people should be more optimistic about him. https://www.si.com/nfl/draft/news/khalilshakir https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/10021509-khalil-shakir-nfl-draft-2022-scouting-report-for-boise-state-wr.amp.html

No disrespect at all here, but this is the stuff that makes no sense to me. On what grounds can you definitively say Shakir is “far” from having great hands? The thing I hear the most is the catch over turned in the playoffs last year that was more difficult than multiple drops Diggs has had this year. The sample size is too small to decide anything about Shakir’s hands but people still keep selling this narrative. I mean Shakir and Kincaid have been the most reliable pass catchers on the team in 2023 so far. To be clear and fair, it’s also equally too early to say he has great hands because again the sample size is too small. But the kid has been great when called upon this year in his second season and has also been a good blocker too. I’ve been beating the drum for this kid since he was drafted, all offseason and throughout the season to be more involved. And he’s done nothing but produce when given those chances here in year 2 but still see so many people with this narrative that so far is not accurate about his hands being unreliable.

Preseason guess: Bills vs Niners Personal Want: Bills vs Niners (wife is a Niners fan, would be epic here haha) Current guess: Niners vs KC

All good on the disagree, but I don’t think we actually do disagree. I was saying he won’t have a shot unless we tear through this tough schedule. I’m saying today, he really has no shot of the vote because of the narrative, not because he isn’t deserving. Bills and Allen are going to have to win the division and come out and win these tough games against Mahomes, Hurts, Tua, etc for him to have a legit shot at getting the votes. Most important games are going to be Mahomes and Burrow because they have been the last two teams to knock Bills and Allen out of playoffs, so those are the ones where he can really start to shift the narrative on himself.

I don’t disagree with that, not saying he can’t win it, saying he has to do more to win it to overcome Mahomes because of the narrative. Which is why I said if we tear through the schedule he could still win it, but it will take that for him to have a legit shot to win it. He won’t win it if we don’t win our division, not over Mahomes.

Yet they did it to Allen last year when he had a hurt throwing elbow. Allen does and has always taken more harsher criticism than other QBs. With Allen it feels more like a game of proving he is good or not good rather than fair evaluation on his play. Allen is basically being asked to prove them wrong every week where other guys can have down or bad weeks and no one bats an eye about it. It’s just an “off” game or other excuses applied. With Allen it’s more “see we told you he sucks” type coverage.

Post of the season 😂👏

Im normally a glass half full guy, but this just furthers my concerns. Because that is the conundrum, we are barely beating or losing to the only weak teams remaining on our schedule outside Denver and Pats again (who we already lost to). We should have won all 4 games by double digits, yet we still lost 2 and then barley held on and got lucky on last play of both wins.

2 things blow my mind about this team...can we return a punt without a penalty and can we defend a freaking hail mary? If we are honest with ourselves, a case can be made we should be 0-4 in our last 4 games during our weakest part of our schedule if not for some luck on the final play of the Giants and Bucs game. It is crazy how we put ourselves in these situations, especially in a game we should have won with a blowout but shot ourselves so many times in the foot this game that we allowed this hail mary attempt to even happen in the first place.

I know this thread is dedicated to the MVP race, but the reality of the situation is Josh Allen isn't really in it right now. Technically he is, but not really. With embarrassing losses to both Zack Wilson and Mac Jones, and a near loss where we only scored 14 points against a 1 win Giants team starting a QB who hasn't played meaningful football in years is going to leave a long bad taste in the mouths of the voters. Add in now the narrative even after this win is that we only won because Godwin didn't see the hail mary (and there is some truth to that) and you have got a team that is 2-2 in the last 4 during the easiest part of its schedule, and both wins a case can be made more that the other team lost it more than we won it and we got lucky. Whether or not that is true or fair doesn't matter, that is the narrative. So right now, Allen and the Bills are probably going to have to win out or lose no more than 1 more game and definitely at least win the division for Allen to have any real consideration. He will have to do a lot more than Mahomes to overcome him, who is the definitive leader for MVP right now. And that is the issue with Allen...while everyone always is willing to acknowledge him as a major MVP candidate, he also is someone the media and everyone seem to hold to a higher standard of near perfection or they tear him down. He is grossly outplaying Burrow right now and yet Burrow doesn't get nearly the same criticism to the level Allen does for example. It will be tough for Allen to win an MVP unless he really definitively beats everyone else out because he is not going to get the votes in a close race. And the thing working in Josh's favor to help him do that is also working against him and this team...and that is the toughness of our remaining schedule which is rough and the defensive injuries. Given the difficulty of the remaining games and the added difficulty with our defensive injuries, if Allen and Bills run the table or lose maybe just 1 close game and still win the division, then that could help propel Josh back into legit consideration. But that won't be easy as we have seen against lesser competition already.

Kurt Warner talked about the Receivers route issues in the Jets game too on 2 of Allens interceptions.

True, but Woolen came from a small school, harder to tell where they will go. So you’re right, he could have gone anywhere, but he was more likely going late first to early 2nd based was all I was saying. He wasn’t a teach based on expected draft slot. Easy to call it that now, but on draft night he wasn’t considered a reach is my only point.

Fitz even talked about how poor of a play call that was during halftime

lol cool

The run out of shotgun on the goal line almost cost us the game. It took 7 points off the board in a game we almost lost on the final play of the game. It’s unbelievable he tried the same horrid play in the same situation again this week that didn’t work last time. It’s these dumb decisions that make it hard to have faith in him over the season and against tougher opponents. I mean what happens when Knox is back? Will he revert back or are we going to see less 12 personnel and keep guys like Shakir more involved? I hope this game shows him the blue print of what makes the offense flow better and he builds on it.

Yeah, it’s what a lot of us wanted to see but you have to wonder what happens when Knox comes back. You just can’t take Shakir out of the mix, it opened so much more for the offense and even Davis. But Dorsey is allergic to doing things that make sense at times, so who knows what he does.

I literally can not believe he again on 3rd and the goal line ran it out of shotgun with Murray and lost yards. Like how does he justify this??? And this time he didn’t get bailed out with a 4th down TD. And it almost cost us the game. And it’s dumb things like this that over shadow other positive adjustments, although I have to wonder that if Knox was not hurt would we have seen these other changes still?

Not sure why you’re getting negative reactions, he’s not close to being what he was yet. Doesn’t mean he won’t get there, but he’s just not there yet. He should still get reps though as we need to get him the opportunity to work all the way back as much as he can. But I think AJE and Groot both should get starter level playing time until he does.

Initially I thought the receiver rounded his route and angled to the sideline, but watching it again I can see the subtle change of direction by the receiver from the under throw when Allen let’s go if the ball. Although I still don’t think it was a good route by the receiver out of the break IMHO (think it was Kincaid), but I see where Allen under threw it now.

It cracks me up how obsessed you are with me and that I live so rent free in your head. It’s one of my fave things around here right now, especially when I see the desperate attempts to force false narratives lmao I look forward to the next one 😘

The fact you have to ask that tells me you either didn’t watch the game or just are going out of your way for what ever reason to challenge or disagree with me no matter the comment as usual lol No one in their right mind would have watched Dorsey once again on the goal line on 3rd down call a run out of the shotgun instead of a QB sneak and think he didn’t blow points. Once again we lost yards and had to go for it on fourth down. And this time we didn’t convert and came away with 0 points. The fact he did this again after not learning his lesson last time is unreal. Even the Bucs Coach knew they should have run the ball with Allen there and didn’t.

Bills have left too many points on the field because of how stupid Dorsey has been with play calling at times. While he’s finally doing the obvious elsewhere, he still is blowing points with bad decisions.