starrymessenger

Allen has always had more than enuf physical ability and intangibles to qualify as a franchise guy. The question has always been only about (relative) consistency. Now that he is refining the mental part of his game and has a better supporting cast the offence is opening up. Each player is unique but to me the obvious comparisons have always been Cam and Big Ben (with some JK attitude throw in). If Allen's passing game continues to develop and improve his ceiling is higher than Cam's has been, because he will be a better passer. It would also be higher than Ben's because Allen is a better runner. I think that's pretty good company. Nobody can predict the future but in looking at Allen's ceiling you can at least see the outlines of a HOF type guy.

There are a few top shelf younger QBs who have recently entered the league - Mahomes, Watson, Jackson - with Allen now featuring prominently amongst them. All of these guys are unique (and generally excellent each in their own way) but the thing that has always stood out to me about Allen is his physical (albeit sometimes sporadic) dominance of the entire playing field, whether taking on DL or LBs or reaching spots with his arm in the passing game that mere mortals can only dream of doing. When he did it at Wyoming I chalked it up to the difference between studs and guys who were simply not cut out to be professional players. What amazed me was to see that same physical dominance at the next and highest level. Things bode well for his and the Bill's future because what we are beginning to see is what happens when you add increasing refinement to his extraordinary physical attributes. It's pretty clear that his ceiling is still to be defined. He will likely continue to get better. The sky remains the limit. I thought a poster on another team's board nailed it when he said watching Allen was like seeing Varsity playing Frosh. And we're talking NFL defences. The guy has always been pretty amazing but we are seeing it now with greater consistency.

As was the OPI. He played it well and it should have added to his stats. So he is capable of contributing. The officiating was brutal today.

Josh misses too many throws he should make. That's the main reason we don't put teams away. He needs to get better.

I think he did have issues in college and as a rookie with the short passing game. Last two years he has shown that he really can make tough, accurate touch passes not just throw lasers. So, unlike Losman, at least we know that he can do it. Thats pretty much whenever his mechanics are good. When he doesn't set his feet right, especially when on the run, theres no telling where that ball is going.

Some young QBs boom, most bust. Allen booms and busts all in the same game. If he doesn't fumble twice, hits an open Knox in the corner of the end zone and John Brown I'm pretty sure we 50 burger the Jets. That would be a truer reflection of the performance gap separating the two teams yesterday than the final score. Allen's physical ability is such that he can be a dominating presence. After Cashman went out yesterday he Jets lost the guy who was supposed to spy Allen. And of course running the ball Allen is a load. But I don't think he should be our #1 RB. If Daboll keeps running him like he did yesterday I fear it's only a matter of time before he gets injured. He runs with reckless abandon. If he goes down for any length of time the season is almost certainly over. As a player in development for playing the most demanding position maybe the Bills don't see him as yet ready to take full control and and make the best use of the talent that now surrounds him. IMO that needs to change as the season progresses if the Bills are to maximize their chances for success. Few of their opponents will be as pathetic as the Gase led Jets. Theirs is the 10th most difficult strength of schedule. On the other hand Cam is somehow still getting it done with his legs so who knows.

Jets a bad team getting blown off the field. They should fire Gase today. Adams killing it in Seatle

True but it's apparant that the Jests still haven't found a pass rush.

I have a hard time seeing how the chemistry would work with both Josh's on the Bills given the draft history. And I have no feel for whether Rosen could be comfortable assuming at best a back up role with the Bills. I tend to think that Allen as the ensconced starter and team leader would have a big enuf personality to handle it. Not sure that Rosen could deal with it and be productive but who knows. Given McD's emphasis on having wholesome lockerroom with everybody properly focussed on team first (rather than personal) agendas I doubt Beane would pick him up off the scrap heap. However, In terms of raw physical ability for playing the all important position there can be little doubt that Rosen is way better than any QB not named Allen on the Bills. And he's only 23 years old. And he's been in lousy offences not well designed to develop the skills that he does possess. With Rosen the question for any team that might be interested is whether he just lacks the mental ability to process at the NFL level, to make good pre and post snap adjustments to the play calls based on what opposing defences are presenting. If he can learn to do that in an O conducive to his skillset he has a future, quite possibly a good one. If this represents a congenital failure that cannot be corrected then he really has no future in the league. Processing speed, or more specifically the lack thereof, has been the bane of many good college QBs, and there will be many more. After stints with two teams and the fact that no one was willing to trade for him, it would seem that the prevailing league opinion is that he's a bust. If Daboll thinks he can develop the guy however, I could see little reason, absent the chemistry issue, for not favouring him over Fromm and Webb. I have to wonder whether the Pats might be interested.

Gunner was right. I think I knew but somehow managed to forget that Lamar has had problems throwing outside the numbers. Meanwhile hitting his TEs over the middle has been bread and butter. Needless to say this has been analysed in detail. Again I don't remember the comments (it's offseason I guess) as to the reasons for it. Lamar certainly has the arm to throw downfield but I'm not sure about zip on power throws.

I may have misread my source (I will check) but if you are right then my point is more relevant since the short outside is what you give up in Cover 3.

Not sure Lamar/Roman can dominate a good, well coached Cover 3. Lamar is a pretty good short ball passer, especially to the flats and away from the middle of the field, but they are still heavily run dependant so if you can shut it down or limit it substantially (as the Bills were able to do) Lamar winds up with a lot more on his plate and can struggle. To me Lamar, great as he is in the Ravens O, is still more of a "system" QB than PM (until he proves otherwise).

Hows the weather in Miami today?

What actually happened in Rome, and it's relevant to current developments in the US, is that what came to be the executive branch eventually destroyed the Roman Republic and the essentially democratic framework of principles upon which it was founded (but only after a very bloody civil war). The executive was represented by autocratic strongmen, beginning with Sulla through Julius Caesar and culminating in Caesar Augustus. As the undisputed world superpower, the US is the third Rome (first there is the original, then there was the British Empire, and now this).

Look, we can all have what we want. It's been suggested that we set up two leagues, one where players are allowed to have opinions and another where they understand that they are only dancing ponies whose only purpose is to entertain us and above all not challenge our world views.

Saying that the Commish's statement is too little too late (for a number of reasons) is true IMO but somewhat misses the mark. On the strong balance of probabilities the point is that it is devoid of content, in other words, is insincere. RG is nothing but the agent of the owners, who, like them or leave them, are not stupid people They know the way the wind is blowing at this moment. So they are not so much people of principle than weathervanes. They are businessmen whose interest is the value of the brand in which they are so heavily invested. So, as far as I'm concerned, they are all "unforgiven". Fromm on the other hand was maybe just being a dumb punk kid. If his apology is sincere I would let him be. If it's good enuf for Leslie Frazier and his teammates it's good enuf for me. The quality of mercy is not strained.

As KJ has previously noted, Brees did much, perhaps more than any other individual, to bring the great city of New Orleans back from the brink. That much I think I know. That's what is in the public domaine. Now KJ says there are skeletons in his closet, without specifying what they are. If that's true and if I knew what those things were about maybe I would change my opinion of him as a person. Just for the record, I don't think peaceful protest is an insult to the flag or the military and I always thought Kaep was a principled guy ( just not a starting calibre QB). Whats going on now is not just about race, though race is the powerful catalyst. Stay tuned. There's something happening here.

Drew Brees is obviously a good man and a great player. I think he did well to clarify his remarks. JMO.

Diggs is a known commodity. Everybody knows who he is and what he is capable of doing. There are no question marks. Josh has made encouraging strides but remains a work in progress. And there is at least one unanswered question IMO. Allen has absolutely everything you could want in a QB in terms of physical ability and intangibles. So much so that all things considered IMO he is already a confirmed starting calibre QB who with the right supporting cast can take you a long way. Maybe all the way. The question is processing speed (not to be confused with football IQ - Josh is a very smart guy). The ability to process is the secret sauce. If he can do that consistently he is elite. Time will tell. I think he's got a good shot.

I'm more concerned about McD transitioning from DC to HC than I am about JA developing into a NFL calibre passer. If McD continues to play not to lose it may not matter what Allen can do. With what he had to work with Jauron had little wiggle room. Bills now have plenty enough talent on O make some noise. It's not just up to Allen to make productive use of those tools.

True, he is inconsistent (a function of a sandlot background, a crooked path to the NFL and of having a lot to learn), but the selection of "great things" he does at times are literally all the things that you want a QB to be able to do. Not a one or two trick phoney. He can and has made all the throws. As a runner he's a load. I can't say he's sure to break out this year but I expect noticeable improvement again.

If Allen, and the team around him, were another NFL franchise and I saw as many of his snaps as I have, I'd have the same (high) opinion of him as I do now. Maybe I'm not a good analyst, but I'm not a homer.

What "people see nationwide" is a notorious lagging indicator. I trust my eyes and I like what I see.

Well I disagree with DO. If I had to pick my starter from amongst the four I would go with Allen followed by SD. JMO but I think Allen is actually a clear cut above the competition and my expectation is that he will put that debate to rest once and for all this year. All things considered I'm entirely satisfied with his development so far and I think he is being brought along properly by the Bills. I see good progression from his rookie to sophomore years and we will see more and better IMO this year. Basically he is capable of doing everything you could possibly want your QB to do and at the highest level. When his rookie deal is done he will break the bank.