thurst44

How did we lose against TB in "embarrassing fashion"? We came back from a 17-point deficit, on the road, against a team with a long streak of winning at home who also happen to be the defending Super Bowl champions who returned all 22 of their starters, and would have won if the refs did not miss a blatant PI that happened right in front of them. Frustrating loss? Sure. Disappointing? Maybe, as it would have been nice to go into OT, guns blazing and finished it off. Bad timing? Definitely. Embarrassing? Hardly.

Teams' spark can come from the strangest places and it's better to pull off a game like this previous one than to lose it. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't something that pulls them together. Perhaps the Bills just have a day on Sunday where everything comes together, or the Patriots are simply not as good as the stretch where they were rolling, and the Bills turn out to be as talented as they looked during their early run. All that said, why did you feel the need to spit on original poster's cheerios for the crime of having faith in the team you both purport to follow?

Funny how the defense is precipitously worse when he does not play or is playing with a serious injury. We have the number one defense (and it's been a top 3 D all the time he is healthy), but, yes, let's run its captain out of town b/c stats. If Cleveland wins, it's probably because the Raiders are really that bad and in that much of a spiral that they could even lose against Fresno State at this point, but who knows. It's a game that epitomizes the mess that the 2021 season has been.

How was Epenesa not BPA--perhaps by your evaluation, but he was a first rounder in most mocks and we got him late in the 2nd round. He could not be more the definition of BPA. He was also a need, but those things aren't mutually exclusive. Ford is easy to say in retrospect. Beane and McDermott seemed to think he was the BPA at the time and he was not considered a reach at the time.

Agreed, although there's an argument that they have been THAT defense in the first half--more of the question is can they keep up the pace (or the caliber of the competition). They are the top yardage and pts defense by a wide margin (about 11 ypg and 2 ppg behind the 2000 Ravens after 8 games), are on pace to match the 2000 Ravens for TDs and sacks. Ravens forced and recovered an almost incomprehensible number of fumbles that season. We are actually third in fumble recoveries per game this year, yet we are on pace to have less than half of what the Ravens did that season.

We do have the number one passing defense in the NFL and only Carolina is remotely close, so we must be doing something right. I get it was a bad game, but it certainly wasn't the defense that put us in that situation. 9 pts and 213 yards against any team is doing its job. Only possible argument is that the penalties changed the tenor of the game.

I get it to a point, but it was at a level of relentless that was beyond normal. And I've seen similar things happen with other fanbases and they didn't act quite as extreme. Also, they were like that last year after getting a 16-day break due to flouting league safety measures. Also, it's hard to wholly respect a fanbase who are in a huge city and get outnumbered in their own stadium. If we want to pick at things, it's more to say the toxic element of each team's fanbase is toxic in a different way. Honestly, my interaction with Chiefs fans have mostly been positive: knowledgable fans, respectful, grounded. What's happening above is probably symptomatic of some fans of almost all fanbases when a team is regularly dominant for over, say, 5 years--expectations become a bit ridiculous.

I agree to a point, but to paraphrase Tolstoy: each toxic fanbase is toxic in its own way. Pats fans have a different style of toxicity than Chefs fans who have a different style than Ravens fans. For example, I've never seen fans who seem to need to hunt down opposing fans after a win and rub it in their face quite like Titans fans.

Honest question: what's the logic of giving the penalized team 1st & 5? That feels like a reward. There may be something obvious I'm missing, but with the new set of downs, shouldn't they have further to go to make a 1st down. I get that they got the first down before the penalty, but why the "5"? I'd get 1st & 10 or 1st & 15 (at spot of foul, it's first down so 1st & 10 at that point and ref pushes back 5), but 1st & 5 makes no sense to me.

Never mind that Singletary has had as many or more ypc every season than Mack did in his 1000 yard season (when he was running behind one of the best offensive lines ever assembled). But grass, greener, etc.

It's certainly a far cry from the Torrell Troupes and John McCargos....

Well, most non-PFF experts disagree with you, as do his fellow players and coaching (yes, there are a few who agree with you) and at 23, he's been the leader of a defense that has been among the top in the league (except oddly enough when he is injured) for over 3 years. I'd call that a hit in the draft, but you're entitled to your opinion.

So, you're saying that Edmunds is not even a "good" player? That says all I need to know.

Anyone who is a fan of anything after Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys is a country poser and a sellout!

They did and for once gave him a truly high grade (94.1).

Let's not stop there: the Cardinals spun out to the tune of 2-5 after the Hail Murray play, missing the playoffs entirely! (ok, that one DID wear off)...

Well, at least it hasn't cost us a game... oh... oh wait!

I said "not that far off" for Pitt and gave specific parameters (ifs). I do not think they are top 50 all-time. I'm just saying it's not a ludicrous notion that it could be. They have an insane amount of talent on defense and if it all. My opinon on the Dolphins D was pretty clear, but to be clearer, they are arguably not even top 10 this year. However, they were among the tops yardage-wise last year (pretty sure they were one when we laid a 56-spot on them).

Well, they would pretty much have to in order to be a top 50 all-time defense. Based on the first two games, I'd argue our D could be dominant... a far cry from top 50 ;).

He might not be that far off with Pittsburgh, but it's a long shot based on Highsmith and players in the secondary beyond Fitzpatrick coming into their own. Dolphins D is a solid D for this year, but poster seems to be basing it on one element, its secondary and arguably they don't even have the best that in the league.

That he was excellent last year means SOMETHING this year as it means that he has played well with this group in the past and may revert to form. I'm not saying I entirely disagree as he's been the weakest part of the line from my (admittedly amateur) vantage too, but I'd contend it's too soon, partially b/c of reasons in the post you are responding to, but... While Spencer Brown is likely not ready at this point (although he has looked ahead of schedule in a very small sample), it is much more likely he is indeed being groomed as Williams' replacement at RT to be a bookend with Dawkins for years. Dawkins looked much better this week and he's signed through 2024. Dawkins is just 27 and most experts opine he's an above-average LT. It's much more likely Brown is there to eventually replace the older tackle with the shorter contract.

I'd argue it takes a little more nuance to understand that other teams also have a lot of these flaws and "sloppy moments" too as have many teams that have won the Super Bowl. Only one out of 32 teams can win the Super Bowl. Sometimes you have to enjoy the wins when they come. I'll admit, after 40 years of watching this team, I don't get some people's attitude of being miserable after a 35-0 win. I don't get multiple fans wishing we could cut the defensive captain after two defensive clinics where we allowed the second fewest yards in the NFL b/c he left early with cramps. It doesn't make me any less of a fan. Nor do I think that you are any less of a fan. I don't think even the OP was saying all negative fans are not fans or bandwagon fans. He (or she) was just exhausted by trying to enjoy the game and figuring fellow fans would be excited. Negativity can be exhausting. I'll admit that I don't get the negative ("realist") fan mentality, to not be able to enjoy a win. However, that is your right. But what "we're seeing" is just as valuable as "what you're seeing." I saw Epenesa, Rousseau, Singletary, Moss (save one fumble), White, Wallace, Hyde, Poyer, Oliver, Edmunds (when in), Milano, Taron Johnson and others making great plays. I see that there is positive in that the defense is playing elite, and the run game looks better (currently 6th in league), so if Josh Allen gets back to being 2020 Josh Allen (which seems likely), this team could be something special. They might turn out not to be. But I'm definitely going to enjoy a 35-0 win.

I mean, really! How is anyone's first thought after a 35-0 win to come on the fansite to come at the team's defensive captain?!?!?!?! And some of the best counterpoints here have had "well, he's not a top 5 mlb" or "we can get out of his contract" equivocation. You know who does think he's a top 5 mlb? His peers. Also, many coaches who voted in a recent survey. So, maybe, maybe not, but this seems a very strange subject to come to after a game where the defense (that he leads... captain is not just an honorary title) dominated. Oh, by the way... Darius Leonard's team? 0-2, and we knocked them out of the playoffs last year. I'm not arguing Edmunds is better--at this point in their career, that would be foolish. Just making the point that maybe as fans we should be a little less ridiculous. If you are going to be miserable after a 35-0 win on the road, what is your fandom doing for you or to you? Should we have dropped Josh Allen or not signed him b/c he's "not Pat Mahomes" at this juncture?

I'm not "legitamitely concerned" about Allen b/c he has proven he's a great QB in the league so I'll grant him a slow start.

Personally, at 4:30, I will be reading this site feverishly or closing it for 7 days.