Hapless Bills Fan

You know, I can’t rule that out. There have been many QBs who didn’t look all that & a bag of chips their rookie year but improved. I think we’re all a bit over reactive on Mac Jones because of all the over-the-top praise he got during their win streak

Curious about those rumors cuz I haven’t read Morse hasn’t had a concussion this season (yet) has he? He’s previously been pretty emphatic about he’s going to be fine because he “does things right” as far as concussion protocol

I can’t speak to your thread, but I’ve been beating that drum since Josh was drafted. If you search, you’ll find posts where I facetiously suggest that Singletary be equipped with a 6’ orange fiberglass pole topped by an orange pennant (in the manner of a Syracuse or Utica fire-hydrant) to help Josh find him, and where I comment that in the AFCCG he and other short options had enough green around them to plant a Christmas tree farm. Part of it is those check downs have historically been throws Josh has struggled with.

I hope your little birdy is one of those dipsy dunkers and is drunk We need a normal week

I think that when Josh’s total offensive contributions are considered, he is more than a top 5 QB (rushing yards and rush TDs) I agree with you that Josh does need to take a step as far as “taking what he’s given”

Interesting! What are your sort criteria?

So what would your ranking of the top 7 be?

He has most certainly matured and become a leader for the Bills. I do tend to wonder if the same “Crazy” which let Hughes physically dominate, led him to be hot-headed and if in dialing back to “leader” and “contained” he also dialed back the over-the-top physical effort that made him a sack-master. Or it could just be “Father Time”

Possibly But the Kitchens experiment, wasn’t that on Baker?

I can get that as a point. The fact that Mayfield has more INTs and fewer TDs than either of them may have something to do with the lack of investment as well - both Jackson and Allen have produced a better ROI. And face it, Mayfield played a role in getting Hue Jackson fired and replaced by a guy who was way over his head in Kitchens. So if he’s playing for a regime that didn’t draft him, and has had 3 OCs in 4 years, that’s partly on him?

I think it’s probably true that Nix was interested in Wilson from comments he made at the time and afterwards. He just didn’t expect him to go in the 3rd round. He was willing to take a flier on him in the 4th. After the draft he said stuff to the effect of, if you want to draft a QB you better draft him the round before you have him, or someone else will”

Right. I was curious enough to look at Mary Kay Cabot’s twitter and saw a link to a podcast discussion Cabot’s article and Mayfield’s response. Cabot is very clear that in addition to pressers what Mayfield has said to national reporters including Kurt Warner and Drew Brees, she had hours of conversations with multiple people. She did say the “may ask for a trade” was possibly what upset Baker, but she explained the dots she’s connecting - if he goes into his 5th year without a contract, that’s probably it, so wouldn’t it be better to move on? The podcast in general was pretty clear that they felt “no facts no sources” was unjustified (and I would say the story backs that up) They talked about how Baker just hasn’t built a personal relationship with most of the local media - said he has a good relationship with Jake Trotter who covered him at Oklahoma - and is not the kind of guy who would call up a reporter and say “hey, I really feel you’re putting words in my mouth with the speculation I would ask for a trade, that’s so not cool” and they could work it out (the “chip on his shoulder” thing and the ease of going on social media and having hundreds of thousands of people agree with him.) Anyway, it’s clearly different than when Chris Collinsworth asked Beane after last season, whether he felt Josh Allen’s strong ties to the Buffalo community were a problem for him as far as being pressured into an extension, and how did he see believing enough to extend Josh after (CC said) one good season vs. other QB who perhaps got extended too early (Wentz was mentioned). Beane basically shut him down - kind of chuckled and said “I do believe in Josh Allen” and that they were working on FA then would work on draft signings then would work on extensions, but also said he didn’t feel pressure to get it done this year if the two sides were too far apart. I totally get the “everything in its place and time” but Stefanski could have thrown Baker a bone and said something about “Baker’s incredibly tough, he’s played hard for us through a lot of adversity, we expect to see him back to his 2020 level once he rehabs from the injury, but any performance assessment is going to wait for the offseason right now we’re getting ready for the Bengals”

But if the game is going to be windy, then isn’t part of a truly efficient practice, to experience the wind and how Josh has to throw the ball to cut through it, thus what the receivers have to be prepared to catch? It’s gonna feel like a rock and it’s going to be launched at them on a literal frozen rope.

I dunno, here’s the transcript of his presser Here’s the key quote which I admit sounds less finger-pointy at Baker than the excerpt: Here’s the transcript of his whole post-game presser. I have to say if it was Daboll or McDermott saying things like that about Allen, I would interpret it as “not completely sold” and “not enthusiastic”. It just seems like there are things he could honestly say that would be positive and complimentary to Baker that he’s not saying. Stuff fellow players have said about his toughness and his willingness to play through the injury and give his all for the team etc etc.

Wouldn’t that be implicating the OC? In any event, the coaching staff, which ultimately is the HC responsibility Anyway, so Baker said the blocking schemes should have been different to help with Watt during the Pittsburgh game, and Stefanski said sometimes Watt did have help, and other times the ball was supposed to get out quickly before Watt got there and didn’t, which points the finger at Baker. Meanwhile did Baker say anything about “I have to do a better job at finding the quick passes and getting the ball out”? I’m gathering not. Yeah, that doesn’t sound like Love Peace and Harmony in Berea. Maybe Cabot is on to something.

I’ll say that I don’t follow the Cleveland new media, but I don’t think that’s a good characterization. Sullivan for years was an “opinion column” man, and during the Bills drought slid into a schtick of knee-jerk negativity about everything. EVERYTHING, even the mini-bagels in the press box. Cabot to my understanding is a legitimate sports reporter. Sure, she may try to slant things in a controversial way to generate clicks, just as Joe B does, but I don’t think she typically has a rep for making stuff up - and the article Mayfield is calling out seems built around actual quotes from pressers plus unnamed “sources”.

I actually think Byron Leftwich would probably make a good HC.

But it’s Friday, and they’re Indoors, so…..

Better that, then embedding a 29 page Edmunds argument in the game week thread

Thought Rodgers came back to play for GB this season on the understanding he’d be free next year Does Lamar have an agent now?

Ha. Brett Kollman did a piece on this called “Damn, Daniel” asking the question: “Is Daniel Jones actually a good QB?” This was last year but I think the question still remains.

I mean, it’s a fair point that most sportswriters do this. For example Joe Buscaglia was all “Bills done with Phillips, going to be traded” when he was a “healthy scratch” for a couple of games last season, then by the end of the season it was clear that was not the case. Ditto Bills were said by (I think) Joe B, maybe also Sal C, to be all done with Morse when he was a “healthy scratch” for a game (or was it 2?) last season, now the coaches are all about “playing his best football this season”. But it’s one thing to say a reporter is writing in an attention- or click-grabbing way, and another to claim they have no sources and are essentially just making stuff up. Which it doesn’t seem quite fair. ?? Watson ?Wilson? ?Rodgers? Trubisky maybe Bridgewater and of course, Draft.

I understand there is a trade-off between risking injuries in practice during slippery, cold conditions/being hampered in installing the game plan and practicing vs. getting used to the “feel” of the ball and of the field in bad weather But part of me wonders if a reason Josh’s receivers seem to struggle to hang on in the wind and cold is that they don’t get enough experience with it in practice.

So what did Baker say after the Steelers game that is being interpreted as “on the outs” with Stefanski? I would have to say Josh Allen did a good bit of carrying last week. He did throw 3 picks, but he also rushed for 81 yds and 2 TDs. That’s literally carrying….

Have to psyche themselves up somehow