Sisyphean Bills

Got a Lovely corner. What more do you want? #wrongXavier

At least we got the English rugby guy.

Team loss. The offense was dominant on the ground much of the game, which was without question the right game plan. But then our passing game caught Chiefs-itis and couldn't catch the ball when the Chiefs put 9 in the box. We had 0 big plays. Just couldn't execute a full 60. Couldn't score enough. The defense was decimated. Just not enough talent left with all the injuries. Holding Mahomes to 27 was actually a heroic effort considering. Special teams is obvious. Blown field goal to tie it. Blown fake punt that was a nearly fatal error. I'd like to blame the coaches for this one, but the game plan was good. They made adjustments. They kept us in a game against a great team led by possibly the greatest playoff QB of all time. This one is on the players and the execution.

Well, the change of pace micro-back was the game plan apparently. Raw speed is great ... in space ... which he didn't really have, because Murray only came in at the end of the game. 😬

Yes. But rarely. He has crazy speed, but has all the shifty moves of a cinder block. Throw in that he rarely breaks an arm tackle, and I'm hoping there is a plan B.

Most importantly the Titans don't get anything. 😆

Looking at some mocks and they seem to think we're taking another DL this year. Weird. I wonder why they'd assume that? 😬

Yet, fewer downs means RBs are not as great of a factor on offense in the CFL ... unless they can catch passes. 18 NFL backs had more carries last year than the top workhorse of the CFL (equal 17 game comparison).

Saw Russ Brandon being interviewed about the XFL. Makes one wonder if the XFL can make it. 😎 (Side note: This seemed like a good thread since Brandon's inability to put competitive teams on the field helped Brady's career in a small way. 😁)

No love for Josh Johnson? 😃

Average points hovered around 18 to 21 per game for 70 years or so. The last 13 years it's over 22 with only 2 outliers. This year and 2017. Investing most of your resources on defense when the rules and game continue to evolve to favor scoring and offense seems like focusing on the anachronistic. And let's not even get started in how those resources are spent or schemed... 🙂

Let me add some context. I was here for the "glory years" of the early 90s. We had an awesome team. It was built to beat Dan Marino. It was improved and it beat Boomer Esiason. It stood up to and beat Elway and the Broncos. The AFC was loaded with Hall of Fame QBs and innovative offenses, and we beat them all to 4 straight Super Bowls. But we were NOT built to beat anybody in the NFC East. 4 straight trips and the beat downs in the Super Bowl got worse and worse. The NFC East was just flat out bigger, stronger, and meaner than any team in the AFC. We failed to hoist a Lombardi because we failed to see who it was we had to beat to win it all. The Bengals went to the Super Bowl last year and I think they were written off as a sort of fluke. It was the Bills and Chiefs as the favorites this year. We're built in much the same way (not surprising given the coaching tree), and when we play it's an exciting edge-of-your-seat experience. Meanwhile, somewhat under the radar, the Bengals have gotten really, really good. Their identity is to beat down the bullies in their division. That makes them a very, very tough out for us. If our destiny is not to completely waste this era with Josh Allen in futility, we're going to have to figure out how to beat the new bullies that stand in the way. Quickly.

I dunno. It's hard to feel like any RB is a "must" in today's NFL. There's plenty of evidence that after a handful of productive seasons, the best move is to trade the one you have in and drive a new one off the draft lot.

Bengals. Lessen the confusion about who's the lead dog out front.

This reminds me a bit of the Seahawks the last few years. They let Russell Wilson run for his life and platoons of RBs get carted off the field behind an abysmal OL for several years. Then they trade away Wilson and his contract and immediately invest in ... the OL. 🙃