hondo in seattle

I voted keep. But, ladies and gentlemen, we're just casual fans. What do we really know? Before making a keep-or-can decision like this, I'd like to see the guy in action. How does he handle himself with the coordinators and position coaches? What kind of weekly routines has he set up to prepare the team? How does he talk to players? Formulate game plans? Etc? The Raiders did well during his tenure because of him? Or despite him? Are the coordinators really running the show and he's just a figurehead? Without more information, our opinions don't mean squat.

Screw Viagra. You don't need a chemical solution. You need a mental one. Don't whine about the bad conditions. Revel in them.

Uncertain QB situation. Uncertain coaching situation. Not a good combo if you're a fan.

I do think the Bills win this one. But after watching the Jags beat us, I realized that - on a bad day - the Bills can lose to anyone. If we lose to the Pats it will be because (1) Allen has a bad day, and (2) our run defense doesn't get it done. And that's why the weather worries me. It may contribute to #1. Then again, Allen may lay another 300+ yards on the Pats in an easy win. Don't know. Can't know until I see it. This team is too unpredictable.

I thought the same. Allen isn't the same QB he was in 2018 and 2019. If you throw those out, the sample size is even smaller and statistically meaningless. And, yet, I must confess that I do wonder if Allen has problems with weather. He did say the other day that he has 'poor circulation.' My biggest worry. I think one way or the other - with his arms or legs - Josh will play well enough to move the team down the field, even against the Pats good D. But our Run Defense needs to show up. If it doesn't, it'll be close game that can go either way.

That's interesting - not something I would have predicted. Why?

The Pats are looking for reasons for hope because they're not confident about Saturday. I talked to a friend who's a die-hard Pats fan. He's not feeling good at all. His evaluation: both teams have good defenses but Buffalo has home-field advantage and, by-far, the better QB. Stats are nice and Mac has a good completion percentage - but Allen makes far more game-changing plays. And he makes those plays with both his arm and his legs.

To be clear, the chart is NOT my creation. It comes from an article titled, "Should Josh Allen's stats in cold weather give Patriots fans hope?" www.nbcsports.com/boston/patriots/do-josh-allens-cold-weather-stats-hint-patriots-edge-vs-bills I think the article asks a fair question. Josh does seem to struggle in cold weather games. But it's also true that some of those games were also windy. You'd have to guess the wind effects Josh more than the cold. And Saturday isn't supposed to be particularly windy. But, still, as a passing team wouldn't we all prefer to see sunshine, blue skies, and limp flags? Or alternatively, a domed roof above our QB's head?

If the Steelers can beat the Bills, they can beat the Chiefs. It's just not very likely.

This gives Pats fans hope...

Bojo was significantly better than Haack in both punt average and net average. But his inability to learn how to be a good holder is puzzling. It's going to hurt/kill his career.

The Titans are the team I fear the most.

I like the idea of having a nickname. These guys finished the year as the #1 D. They earned it. And a nickname can help create a sense of identity. Besides, football is a game. Games are supposed to be fun and nicknames are fun. Of the suggestions so far, I like "Cold Front" and "The Blizzard" the best.

If I were a NFL HC, I'd read up on Game Theory, build up a good analytics department, and get smart on all this stuff. And then follow my more informed gut when making big calls.

Thanks for posting. For me that's "new news." Makes me appreciate Feliciano more but also makes me wonder about Morse.

I think analytics are great. But analytics themselves are a bit of a fancy heuristic. Analytics are an attempt to take something infinitely complex and boil it down to simple numbers. And you can't do that. You can't quantify everything. For example, not all 4th and 1s are equal. Maybe the right guard has a sore hammy. Maybe your OL really needs a confidence builder. Maybe that part of the field is slippery. Show me a 4th and 1 chart that accounts for all the human, situational, and environmental variables? There isn't one. So the coach needs to make the final decision. Analytics can help him make a better decision but shouldn't make the decision for him.

Allen is an interesting runner. He doesn't cut on a dime. He doesn't look athletic. He doesn't look like a RB when he runs as do some other running QBs. When he lumbers down the field, he doesn't look fast - until you see how difficult it is for defenders to catch up. Besides being deceptively fast, he picks his angles well and regularly breaks arm tackles. I love when he successfully stiff-arms guys in a way few QBs can. As a runner, Josh doesn't remind me of anyone.

Sadly, your bad idea has come to fruition, Gugs.

I first became a football fan in 1969. I'm not sure what spurred my interest since, in those days, no one in my family followed football. And back then, Maynard was an all-star. I remember him fondly as both a player and as an announcer. RIP

Third round draft picks don't often become difference-making players. Frazier has been a difference making coach. It's hard to know how much was him - and how much was McD - but the two of them transformed a mediocre defense into the best defense in the league. One of the reasons free agents now want to come here is Frazier. Forget the draft picks, I want Leslie. But if he does get a HC gig, I wish him well.

Greg Williams, Mike Mularkey, Dick Jauron, Perry Fewell, Chan Gailey, Doug Marrone, and Anthony Lynn combined for zero playoff appearances. McD got us into the playoffs 4 or 5 years. The one year he didn't we had a talentless roster with the lowest "active cap spending" in the league. Clearly, the McDermott Era should end. The evidence is overwhelming.

This to me is interesting. Josh is certainly erratic some days. Often those are bad weather days, but not always. Other times nervousness/anxiousness/mood seems to be part of it. It's hard to know when Allen will be hot or not. It wouldn't surprise me if he threw for more than 400 against the Pats, or less than 200. In either scenario, we'll win.

I'm proud of the Bills this year but I never considered to compare them with the great Patriot teams.

#1 point differential in the league. #1 yardage differential in the league. Generally speaking, I'm not worried about our coaches. They've been successful. I do worry about matchups. The Pats D is a good. They may slow down our offense. If they do, it'll allow them to stick with a run-heavy offense. We haven't been great against the run this year. Their best hope to succeed is to balanced/run-heavy attack.