hondo in seattle

It's such a crappy thing to do I wonder if Kraft offered McDaniels both (1) more money than Indy, and (2) BB's job after his retirement. It wouldn't make McDaniel's decision any less unprofessional but such an offer would make his actions understandable. Especially when you weigh in the family considerations.

You could pen a similar chronology for Brian Draboll who was terrible in his prior 3 stints as an OC. The thing you wonder about with both of these guys is how much they learned since their past failures. Belichick doesn't keep getting the Pats to the Super Bowl because he's an idiot. He's a smart talent evaluator and thinks highly of McDaniels. There might be something there.

Reminds me of the movie Pink Flamingos - which I regret ever seeing - where the lead character (Divine) eats poo at the end in an unedited shot. Supposedly the dog was fed steak for three days to make the excrement more palatable.

Maybe the hometown connection? Maybe he didn't have firm intel on McDaniels departure and his possible opportunity in NE? Maybe he didn't want to be the OC who oversaw Brady's declining years?

My dignity is more important than a Bills SB. So eating poo is out. But I'd eat almost anything else: a box of ghost peppers, a plate of tacos de sesos and tacos de lenguas, a dozen balut, an entire durian, a bowl of Oaxacan grasshoppers with chili and lime, spicy Chinese duck heads, Civet coffee... whatever.

I'm not sure how much #2 and #5 helped. Brady through for over 500 yards with a passer rating north of 100. #1 was Philly's key to success and understanding #3 & #4 helped them make good calls.

I wouldn't judge too much based on one game. This SB wasn't representative of the 2017 season as a whole. Philly had to pass a lot because their D couldn't stop Brady. If their D was better, of if Brady had a bad game, the run/pass mix would have been different. Then again, it's a cliche to say today's NFL is a passing league. It's no secret that rule changes - and scheme evolution - over the years have made aerial attacks the main method of earning both yards and points. I don't think there are many take aways from the game - other than maybe we should have gotten Nick Foles when we had the chance.

I said I wasn't going to watch because I have other interests and priorities in life. Also, I live in a forest without cable TV and I thought I would have to pay extra to stream the SB. When I found out I didn't, I watched hours of pregame as well as the game itself. And I'm glad I did. That was a fun game - lots of offense and a satisfying finish.

So how do you feel about Marv Levy? I guess he should have never been inducted into the Hall. Those four SBs show him as he really is: a loser. Seriously, you can't judge a coach's career and skill-set entirely by one game (or, in Marv's case, four). You have to look at the entire body of work. But, yeah, the Pats defense looked terrible yesterday. I'm not sure what the game plan was but it sure didn't work.

I think it's funny that people counted Nick Foles out in recent years because, supposedly, his brilliant 2013 season was all about Chip Kelly. Yet many of Foles detractors love Montana. Montana was just as much a product of Bill Walsh as Foles was a product of Kelly. Chip didn't throw the ball back in '13! But I digress - this thread is about Brady vs. Montana. Football is a team sport so I don't care about SB winning percentage as much as I care about the entire body of work. Brady passed for 500+ yards yesterday with 3 TDs and a passer rating of 115. What more can you ask? It wasn't his fault the Pats defense was shredded. I saw Montana play many times... IMHO, Brady is better. His mastery over an extended number of years is simply amazing. But if Montana played today, Brady would still be considered his better by most observers. Why is the 80s the yardstick?

It doesn't matter what Pegs or the fan base sees. What matters is what Beane and McD see. And I'm sure they see what's happening around the league in greater detail and clarity than you or I. The question is how effectively they'll make their decisions. I'm sure, btw, that McD would love a QB who puts up more than 1.3 TDs per game. When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.

I love this lady! Her other songs are great, too.

That was really weird.

The Super Bowl is coming up and Sully expects the national media to care about the concussion suffered by a Bills player?

There's a saying in India, "When a pickpocket walks down the street, all he sees are pockets." I think we notice the missed Pats calls more because (1) we're looking for ref favoritism because we don't like the Pats, and (2) they stand out more when we notice the Pats don't have a lot of calls go against them.

We all know NE earned their moniker, "The Cheatriots." But I've never believed the speculation that the refs are fixing games for New England. This article explains that the Patriots work harder than any other team at avoiding penalties. Interesting read I think... https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2018/2/1/16958718/super-bowl-new-england-patriots-bill-belichick-rules-penalties-study

Analytics can come into play when making draft decisions as well. Here's an interesting PFT article on PFT on how both Philly and NE are big on analytics... http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/02/01/eagles-patriots-both-relied-on-analytics-to-help-them-reach-the-super-bowl/ "So while it’s easy to scoff at analytics as the approach that got the Browns to 0-16, an honest assessment of analytics would acknowledge that some teams use them successfully. Including both teams in the Super Bowl."

My fear is similar - if a little more vague. My fear is we package our two first rounders (and maybe more) to get a QB that turns out to be the wrong guy.

You play the role of a pundit. But say pundits are always wrong.

My thoughts... I don't hate Castillo. I do want him gone simply because the line wasn't as effective in 2017 as in 2016. If Castillo is primarily a zone blocking guru, then I want him gone because zone blocking schemes didn't serve us well this year. Replacing him could signify a change in emphasis. I don't blame Castillo entirely though - the OC decides play designs and blocking schemes.

I agree entirely. I remember watching him play and listening to people speculate about him getting into the HOF. But I never saw him as a HOFer. He was a high profile player because he played on good teams with good coaches who got into the playoffs. And he was indeed a very good player. But he wasn't great IMHO.

Thanks for posting, CB. That was an awesome read.

I haven't been excited for a Super Bowl since the last time the Bills played in one. Some years, I don't watch Super Bowls. Once the Bills season is over, I'm ready to move on to other interests.

How do you know it's a douche move when you don't know why it was done? Maybe there's a video of him snorting cocaine. Maybe he developed a drinking problem. Maybe he showed up late for multiple practices and meetings. Maybe he didn't get along with Frazier - it was so bad one of them had to go. Maybe a million other things. We just don't know.

Because NFL teams don't need good centers?