All_Pro_Bills

I think the Bills best option would be to go a lot with 2 WR, 2 TE, 1 RB formations. If the D goes "heavy" use the TE's against LB's in the passing game. If they go nickel or dime in coverage then run the ball a lot.

Absent a missed FG aided by Arians taking a delay of game penalty because his kicker is better from farther away (really!) the conversation would be different. But the Giants came out with a win and the play of Jones was the highlight. But now the weight of expectations and a weeks worth of game film might start to factor in here. Declaring him the new star franchise QB after one game is a little premature. But what else do NYC football writers have to report on given the sad state of the two local teams?

That's what I'm thinking too. While I have no evidence I suspect he's taking some HGH or some other performance enhancer, that is undetectable by current NFL drug tests as it keeps measurable bio-markers inside normal ranges. I don't care how many cale salads you eat or yoga classes you take. If there's some proven "healthy lifestyle" option available then why haven't other QB's or position players adopted it? Heck, why can't we all benefit from it? I'd love to feel 15 years younger. So exactly what is he doing? Is it purely genetics? I doubt it.

And from observation I believe the 2% more are called in the 4th quarter when the outcome of the game is no longer in doubt.

His theatrics, such as those strange hats, make me wonder if his head is in the game 24x7 and if he sees himself more as an entertainer than a professional QB committed to bringing his best every Sunday. My advice, drop all the nonsense and get to work or give it up.

Most likely Brown will keep his mouth shut, cut back on his social media activity, be a model citizen, and have a productive season. Probably not 100+ catches but good enough for some other team to offer him a big contract in free agency and get the Patriots a compensatory 3rd round pick for their troubles.

This guy Anderson may believe that Murray is ahead of Allen and a "generational talent" but he should recognize that his book of work to date has been a couple poor pre-season performances along with playing in a major college program in a QB friendly system surrounded by outstanding talent as almost every position on the offense. While Allen QB'd a poor Wyoming team supported by not a lot of talent and a less than perfect environment for grooming and developing a QB. So yeah, Murray looked like a world beater on the highlight reel and on Saturday's. Being prepared to assume a pro career in baseball parlance Murray started his pro career on third base and Allen started his at the plate facing a 1-2 count. When Allen returned from injury last season he played decent football, certainly there was room for improvement. And there obviously still is but by any measure I "see" improvement in his game based on work to date in the pre-season. Having a better supporting cast and a year of experience at the pro level helps. Maybe Murray improves and becomes a great QB and he starts to get the support from his teammates on offense that every QB needs to be successful. If he does great for the Cardinals and for him. As a Bills fan I won't be paying too much attention to Murray or the Cardinals once the season starts.

Foster is playing on a rookie free agent contract that pays him $750K. Even for a 3rd or 4th WR that's an inexpensive depth player. He came on strong ending the season, showed good chemistry with Allen, and looks to have a lot more upside. From a roster management perspective and given a 16 game schedule where injuries and circumstances can change things quickly trading him makes zero sense. Even less sense than the argument for trading him made by the blogger. And when did it become a problem that the Bills have too many 'good' WR's?

Next time Cowboys or Patriots fans, the top two on the list, rally around some cause or individual and donate their time and hard-earned money to some local or out of market charity or person in need of help I'll give them high marks for 'social equity'. But right now Bills fans are #1. What fan base reaches out and helps like this one?

The city of Boston's Championship drought extends to 4 months! I feel so sorry for the fans. ?

The thing is Schatz and other analytics guys don't have an opinion, just an interpretation of the data. If the data changes, they change their assessment. Conveniently they are never wrong, and also never right. Sure Allen's 'numbers' might not indicate he is primed for success. But the context in which those numbers were produced needs to be considered. If you believe, as the Bills leadership does, in the 'potential' of Allen and improve the context such as fewer dropped passes and less pressure from the defense then the data may reveal improvement. Or it may not. At this point I'm willing to trust the judgment of our GM and HC over some data gathers with a couple spreadsheets.

I expect to see a lot more formation flexibility and personnel package options in the play calling. Along with this I think utilizing the pick up's in the draft and free agency will create a lot of uncertainty for the defense in pre-snap recognition of whether the Bills offense is going to run or pass out of those formations. Should open things up. For a long time the Bills offense has been very predictable and that changing is going to be a big thing.

"Also, it's not always advisable to spend a pick on a punter, but we'll give New England the benefit of the doubt with the Bailey selection." The thing is there is a grading bias in favor of the Patriots and a couple other teams. And that bias may be justified based on the fact that these team has been successful based on wins and losses along with championships. You've been successful in the past the expectation is that will continue. That might or might not be true. In reality it's a just an opinion based on the graders preconceived opinions about specific players and how they ranked them. Your draft aligns with their thinking you get an 'A'. You deviate, your grade drops. Draft grading is like a college course were the professor wants you to answer the questions by telling him what he told you the right answer is vs. telling him what you think the right answer is.

I'm very optimistic about the teams prospects for the coming season. Management addressed the team's biggest weakness along the offensive line in free agency and the draft. Getting what looks like a starting RT in Ford, the best center available in Morse along with several other OL veterans that are a huge upgrades from last years group. Instead of talking about issues with the line there are discussion threads about competition for the starting spots among several good options. I like the TE's in the draft and Kroft and WR's Brown and Beasley as it will enable a lot of different formations, 2 TE, 3/4/5 WR's that can create mismatches in both the running and passing game that they didn't have the personnel to pull off last season. On defense other than Kyle retiring they got stronger with Oliver and some pickups in the secondary. There's definite improvement but on the other side of it every other team can make the same argument. I see a team that will compete week in , week out and don't expect we'll be on the short end of any blowouts this year.

My reason's are a bit more selfish. I'd just like to see the 2 games a year the Bills/Jets play to be highly competitive and meaningful to watch. And the outcome of their late season games more than an exercise in calculating the odds for a better draft spot. If it makes the Patriots season a little harder and eventually eliminates their automatic playoff berth and division title all the better.

And traded a 5th for Bennett to the Eagles. The Patriots are experts at playing the compensatory pick system and roster management in general. Other teams sign their free agents for big money and they replace them with late round pick trades or tender offers to other team's low round picks or former college free agents. The formula gives them extra picks every year. Everybody is an interchangeable part except for Brady and a few core players. It's a cold and soulless management system but it works.

I tend to believe the Patriots will push the boundaries of ethical behavior and NFL rules to get any edge possible but in the end it doesn't seem to matter how you won but rather if you won that counts. McVay lost because his QB was ineffective and tentative while for some incomprehensible reason (and an explanation which didn't make any sense to me) he decided on a strategy to leave his best offensive weapon on the sidelines most of the game. Gurley had a total of 11 touches, 10 rushes and 1 catch. Maybe Belichick played Jedi mind tricks on McVay suggesting "do not play Todd Gurley"?

Time and place for that is the idea. After the game, yes. Before the game, no. Shake hands, say good luck, walk away.

I'd take it a step further but rather than adjust I expect someone labeled a 'genius' would have anticipated what the Patriots would game plan on defense and have been prepared to show some different looks at the beginning of the game to get Belichik guessing. But they played right into his hands and showed him exactly what he planned for during the 2-week break From my perspective, watching the Bills play NE twice a year, nothing the Pats showed was a surprise so I am baffled why McVay had no answers for any of it.

I didn't find the game to be that entertaining but it provided a reminder that defense is still an important phase to the game. The game did answer the question I was interested in and that was whether or not McVay is the offensive genius he's been hyped to be. Right now that looks like a work in progress after his team mustered a total 3 points in the biggest stage in sports. The old defensive genius took him to the woodshed in this one.

Exploiting the compensatory pick rules is worth mentioning along with drafting well and successfully navigating free agency plus getting good players in trades for what has been peanuts. Year after year the Patriots seem to get multiple compensatory picks for losing players to free agency. Teams like the Bills seem to get none. I thought of this when the Bills waived Benjamin prior to season's end. Waiving him sent a message but simply deactivating him on game day and swallowing a couple game checks would have resulted in his contract expiring and the loss of a 1st round type player against the compensation system. Now the Bills get no credit under the system.

The Super Bowl has become one big media event. An opportunity for heavyweight corporate sponsors to entertain some high-worth clients, the networks to jack up advertising rates with companies demonstrating just how clever they and their ad agencies are with commercial spots (probably full of virtue signaling this year), and the league showcasing the latest taxpayer sponsored palace This year MB stadium in Atlanta. The importance of the actual game is diminished. I've missed the big game a few times in recent years but I'm going to watch on Sunday. The main thing I'm interested in is to see if McVay is really the genius that everybody is making him out to be. Can he do something few have done? Which is outsmart and out-plan Belichik.

My point is simple. You get bad calls every week that might cost a team the game. Sometimes they lose, sometimes they find a way to win. The Saints didn't find a way to win. There were three series after the Saints FG in regulation. 2 by the Rams and 1 by the Saints. The Rams came out on top in all 3. In spite of the obvious PI that wasn't called the Saints had the opportunity to win the game but failed on all 3 series on both offense (once) and defense (twice). At the end they just got outplayed.

If they wanted to run clock they could have called running plays and forced the Rams to use their two remaining time outs and run the clock under 1 minute. Their defense could have stopped the Rams in regulation. They didn't. Their HOF QB should not have made a terrible decision to throw up that interception in OT. But he did. Cost them the game? OK, people can think it if they want. I think its an excuse we hear from losers every Monday.

They need to quit whining and get over it. That call did not cost them the game. It was absolutely PI and the ref's blew it but it didn't cost them the game. It wasn't the last play of the game. It was a factor but it did not directly cost them the game. It resulted in a FG and a 3 point lead with 1:40 left. They couldn't stop the Rams from tying the game, it went to OT, they won the coin toss, and Brees showed poor judgment and tossed a pick in OT. The Rams executed a short drive and a long FG won it in OT. Game over..