mjt328

I hate when fans/media criticize calls like this... but only when they have the benefit of 20/20 hindsight. How many of these critics were screaming how "bad" the 4th Down decision was BEFORE they missed it? Probably very few. Mike Tomlin played it safe last night with a 4th Down punt. That play ended up killing Pittsburgh's momentum, and ultimately allowed Cleveland to ice the game. Now he's getting roasted for it. But the same people would have blasted Tomlin if he went for it and failed to convert.

The Colts had a better gameplan, and outplayed us for the majority of 4 quarters. But they also made some key mistakes, at very key moments. Phillip Rivers missed very few passes on Saturday. But one was on 4th and Goal. The other was on 3rd Down, just before the missed field goal. They also had very few penalties. But one was on 4th Down, a few plays before the Bills put the ball in the endzone. I don't like using the term "lucky" because the Bills made lots of plays on offense, and capitalized on all of the Colts' errors. But make no mistake. The Bills were very fortunate to escape Sunday with a victory. They were dominated at the line of scrimmage. They weren't sharp in the passing game for most of the 1st Half. They were baited into playing Frank Reich's game, instead of what led them to 13 regular season wins. I can't imagine a team being less than 100% focused in the playoffs. But hopefully the Bills come to play on Saturday. The Ravens have a very similar team to the Colts, and we need to employ a similar strategy to win. Another week of getting dominated at the line of scrimmage, failing to cover Tight Ends, or wasting drives running the ball 3 times in a row into a brick wall, and I don't think we escape with another victory.

Most people believe the Chiefs are the best team in football, outside of Bills/Packers fans and media personalities trying to get attention. They are not being overlooked. Being one of the few teams that: a) Wrapped up their division and #1 seed many weeks ago b) Sat their starters Week 17, and c) Got a first round bye ... there simply hasn't been much to discuss regarding the Chiefs recently. Personally, I do think the Chiefs are the NFL's best team. But I also think they are quite a bit overrated, and very beatable. There are some who act like Kansas City is already a dynasty, with only one Super Bowl trophy under their belts.

On Saturday, I feel like the Bills fell into Frank Reich's trap, and the Colts forced us to play their game instead of ours. Our big advantage over the Colts was the explosive passing game vs. their below-average secondary. No way I could see them matching up well against Josh Allen and our receivers. At the same time, the Colts advantage was along the offensive/defensive lines and controlling the line of scrimmage. The key to the Wild Card game was always going to be whether the Bills could build an early lead, and force the Colts into a heavy passing attack. The longer the game was close, the better it would be for Indianapolis. We never pulled ahead by a decent margin (24-10) until the early 4th Quarter, and then our defense immediately broke down and let them right back into the game. Over this week, our coaching staff needs to determine WHY this happened. Was it the poor field position? Was it the injuries to our receivers? Did our gameplan focus too much on the run game? Did we just fail to execute? Not to say that our offense played poorly. But why did it take so long for things to start clicking? Because the Ravens present a very similar situation. The path to victory is by getting up early, and forcing them into a pass-heavy approach. If they keep this game in the 10-point or less range, it plays to their strengths.

I would be extremely concerned if Stefon Diggs does not play. I think we would be OK without Cole Beasley. However, reports are that both guys practiced yesterday. And Diggs has stated that he 100% will play on Saturday.

The Super Bowl 25 strategy is commonly used when teams are facing offensive powerhouses. It's nothing special or unique. It was actually our strategy back when we played the Chiefs earlier this year. There were two key reasons that gameplan worked for the Giants 30 years ago: 1. The juggernaut Bills passing offense came out ridiculously flat, and played pretty bad for most of the day. 2. The Bills defense continually failed to make tackles on key 3rd downs, constantly letting New York extend drives. Jim Kelly barely cracked 200 yards passing in that game, with zero touchdown passes. We had 12 points at halftime. The week before (in the AFC Championship), we had 41 points at halftime. If our offense (which had 4 eventual Hall of Famers on it), had shown even the slightest signs of life in that game, we could have forced the Giants to abandon the run and rely on the arm of Jeff Hostetler. As it stood, the only thing working for us was Thurman Thomas and we got into a ground battle that didn't favor us in the slightest. The Colts have a good team everywhere. Except in the secondary, where they are below-average and have multiple injuries. This is where the Bills have a major advantage, regardless of Frank Reich's strategy. If Josh Allen and the passing offense come out and play well, the Colts are going to be in big trouble. If they come out and look like Weeks 5-8, then it's very likely this game is tight in the late 4th Quarter.

Setting aside my personal feelings as a Bills fan.... Patrick Mahomes has been playing at this level for 3 full seasons now. He has one MVP under his belt, and will get serious consideration this year. He has also proven himself in the playoffs, leading the Chiefs to a Super Bowl in only his second season. Josh Allen has been playing at an elite level for 1 season, and has never won a playoff game.

Our biggest advantage in this game will be Josh Allen and the passing offense, going against the Colts below-average secondary. The strength of the Colts D is against the run, with their best players (Darius Leonard and Deforest Buckner) right up the middle. Unfortunately for them, we run less than any team in the NFL. The Bills should be able to focus their blocking efforts on Buckner, avoid Leonard and attack the corners. Allen has put up huge numbers recently against much better groups. On the other side, the Colts do have a very-underrated and balanced offense. Their biggest names (Quentin Nelson and Ryan Kelly) are on the line, so they don't exactly have a reputation for being explosive. But they were Top 10 in most categories this year, don't allow many sacks and don't turn the ball over much. Phillip Rivers is still a good QB. Jonathan Taylor can be dangerous. This is a group that can put up 25-30 on pretty much anyone. The key will be for Buffalo to get an early lead, and put themselves on pace for at least 35 points. The Colts don't want to get in a shootout. They want to keep the score close in the 25 point range and hope for a couple turnovers, so they can maintain balance on offense and not force Rivers to push the ball downfield. The good news is, our offense has been very hot over the last month plus, and should be extra hyped for the playoffs (with fans in the stands for the first time all year). As long as we don't come out of the gates flat or make some stupid turnovers, I see us winning this one pretty soundly.

This may be true. But at the end of the day, the Bills may end up getting lucky with their playoff opponents. Outside of us, the Ravens were probably the hottest AFC team going into the postseason. And many believe the Titans were the toughest matchup (outside of Kansas City of course). Meanwhile the Steelers seemed to be running out of gas as the season wore on. Now if the Bills beat the Colts (definitely) and the Steelers beat the COVID-stricken Browns (looking more likely each day) -- then the three teams we didn't want to play will knock each other off, and we don't get any of them until the AFC Championship.

The Bills pretty much treated the second half like a preseason game. Our guys who were playing in the 3rd-4th quarter have spent most of the season on the bench, and this was their first chance to prove themselves in real game action. An UDFA like Antonio Williams viewed this game as his audition for a roster spot next year. Matt Barkley wants to stay our backup another year, with Jake Fromm and Davis Webb at his heels. Sorry if the Dolphins couldn't stop them, but this hardly qualifies as running up the score.

Can't blame the Dolphins. They spent the #5 overall pick on Tua, and it's way too early to give up on that kind of investment. At the same time, the NFL seems to go through stages. And we seem to be entering a stage where QBs like Tua (a.k.a. game-managers with good accuracy but average arm strength) are being outgunned by the mega athletes who can avoid the rush and make throws all over the field. Arguably the best three QBs in the league this year were Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. At the same time, the Chiefs, Packers and Bills were arguably the best three teams in the NFL, and at this time probably the biggest Super Bowl favorites. Russell Wilson was not far behind those guys. And if the Texans had been better as a team, Deshaun Watson probably would be in MVP talks as well.

The Bills number one focus this offseason will be getting Josh Allen his long-term contract. After that, deciding which Free Agents are the most important, and trying to replace the rest with cheaper options. We've got a pretty lengthy list of guys to re-sign, including Matt Milano, Jon Feliciano and Daryl Williams. Not to mention deciding on Tremaine Edmunds and his 5th Year Option. Brandon Beane needs to decide which positions/players are the most important to our long-term success. I don't get the impression that he values RB or TE high on that list, and is probably comfortable rolling with mid-round guys like Singletary/Moss/Knox.

The "experts" in the media don't have time to watch all 32 teams for 16 games. They have time to watch a few games per week, then analyze highlights and box scores on the rest. To be completely honest, Josh Allen's first two years were pretty bad statistically, at least from a passing perspective. His completion percentage was at the bottom in 2018 and 2019, and the Bills didn't really throw enough for him to rack up much yardage. Yes, he was pretty good at scoring in the Red Zone, and had some decent touchdown numbers. But much of that was done with his legs (which only gets respect if you are Lamar Jackson). People talk about the "eye test" when evaluating players, and Allen was one that certainly fell into that category during his first two seasons. Bills fans saw something in Allen that others did not, simply because they watched him play football every week. What he was doing - and what he was capable of - it just didn't always translate to the stat sheet. In the offseason, lots of Bills fans were talking up Allen as a breakout star in 2020, while everyone else around the league was expecting him to bust. It's the same reason that Bills fans were happy to dump EJ Manuel after less than 2 seasons under center, and why reporters in the media felt we never gave Tyrod Taylor a fair shot at keeping the starting job. Unlike them, we watched those guys play every Sunday and realized they didn't have it.

I'm happy for Brian Daboll that he is getting consideration. But at the same time, I shake my head every year (on Black Monday) when teams start their interviews and cycle through the latest "hot names" on the coaching list... In other words, the offensive/defensive coordinators who just happened to have success in 2020. No offense to Daboll, because he's done a great job for us THIS year. And for the sake of continuity, I would love for him to stay in Buffalo. However, the guy has been a coach in the NFL for almost 20 years, and got his first stint as an offensive coordinator back in 2009. Why is he just getting recognition now? If we are being honest, very few people knew who Daboll even was until this season. And that just happened to be after the Bills front office overloaded the offense with ridiculous levels of talent and Josh Allen suddenly started playing at an MVP level. Remember when Seattle's offense was really good (before Marshawn Lynch retired), and Darrell Bevell was one of the big names around the league? How about Adam Gase when Denver had Peyton Manning? I seem to recall Anthony Lynn doing a pretty good job at OC here too. Teams are going to expect Daboll to just come in, and magically develop their young QB into the next Josh Allen. Good luck. Instead, they should be looking for a great leader, who can work seamlessly with their GM.

I agree the NFL plays favorites, and it does factor into things like awards. But I also think the Bills are starting to gain some popularity amongst the general fanbase, which will gain them traction in that area. It's not all about big markets. We have a tremendous, high-scoring offense with some likable young players.

It will be interesting to see. - The Jaguars are almost 100% likely to take Trevor Lawrence at #1, and I would not expect them to trade out. - The Jets will certainly look hard at taking a QB, but Sam Darnold has shown some promise. Unless the new staff is completely sold on Justin Fields or Zach Wilson, it's possible they try to give Darnold one more chance and surround him with some weapons. They are possible to take a QB, possible to take something else, and possible to trade down. - I don't expect the Dolphins to replace Tua this soon. This regime thought highly enough to draft him #5 overall, and he's got a winning record under center as a rookie. But don't be surprised if they trade out. If the Jets/Dolphins decide to stick with what they've got, there are all kinds of possibilities for trading into the Top 3. The Panthers are a big possibility sitting at #8. But don't rule out the Falcons or the Lions, who may be ready to move on from Matt Ryan/Matthew Stafford. If any of the top quarterbacks drop, you could also see the 49ers or Patriots sneak into the Top 10.

Boo hoo. The 6-10 Giants didn't get the help they needed to make the playoffs. 🙄

About a week ago, there were some articles floating around that Sean McDermott had the second-best odds for winning 2020 Coach of the Year... just behind Miami's Brian Flores. But a lot can change in a week. And I think it would be tough for voters to pick COY from a Dolphins team that failed to make the playoffs. Especially after getting destroyed in Week 17, needing a win to get into the postseason.

Right now, the Bills are the hottest team in the NFL. By a pretty good margin. Early in the season, they were scraping out wins. Now they are destroying and embarrassing every opponent they face. Over the last month, they have been the #1 offense in the NFL, combined with a Top 10 defense and great special teams. So the question is, how long can they realistically keep that up? Because if they can roll like this for another 4 games, they will likely be hosting the Lombardi trophy.

Were our players "rusty" after the bye week? Nope. In fact, I would argue the offense has been rolling since Week 9 (after Josh Allen removed the shoulder harness) and the defense has gotten back on track since taking that week off. The players will be practicing together all week, and we are really only talking about 6-7 extra days of rest time. I can't see them suddenly losing their edge in that small amount of time. Historically, I think the teams who occasionally fall in that trap are those who take Week 17 off AND have the extra bye for the playoffs. It may be something to watch with Kansas City, who hasn't been playing it's best to start with. My guess is that Sean McDermott is going to play his starters, hope to get an early lead, and then possibly start removing key guys as the game moves along. Much of that may depend on how we are playing, and what the score looks like with Pittsburgh/Cleveland.

Success can happen many different ways in the NFL. There are currently three teams averaging over 30 points per game. Green Bay, Kansas City and Tennessee. One is well-balanced. One is pass-heavy. One is run-heavy. All are very tough to stop. Yes, the rules certainly now favor the passing game. But everyone is playing the same rules, and it evens out on both sides. Historically speaking, the playoffs also tend to have some bad weather games. Wind. Rain. Snow. The AFC could easily see bad weather in any of their matchups, outside of Miami or Indianapolis.

Not excited to hear this. Kenny Stills is a good player. But he's been sitting on the open market for over a month now. With COVID precautions, I'm not sure he could even be available to play for us in Week 17. The timing tells me they are at least worried about Cole Beasley being available for the playoffs.

Oh yes. There were definitely other potential reasons, all of which were discussed thoroughly Weeks 5-8. John Brown being hobbled and then out. The lack of running game. Defenses playing deeper coverage and forcing the passing game to be more patient. Some were even saying Josh Allen's early success was just a mirage. But Brown hasn't played since Week 10, and the offense is still putting up huge numbers. The running game has still been spotty, and seems more complimentary than something opponents really need to worry about. Defenses are now getting picked apart, regardless of how they play us. All of this tells me that something else was behind the offensive drop in play. It can't be a coincidence that Allen's worst 4 games all happened with the shoulder brace. The moment he took it off, we dropped 44 on the Seahawks.

Brian Flores has referred to Ryan Fitzpatrick as his "relief pitcher." He's not playing by the normal coaching rules, and is not concerned with hurting his starter's confidence by benching him. If Tua is playing poorly with the playoffs on the line, there is absolutely no doubt that Fitz will be replacing him. The Dolphins are a good team, and they will be desperate. This is also a division matchup. I could see this being a close game with our starters playing the entire way. If we play Matt Barkley and our backups the majority of the game, points are going to be tough to come by. I really don't think the Bills will emerge with a victory in that scenario. Sean McDermott and the coaching staff simply need to decide what is more important: - Going into the playoffs with an extra bye week, and removing the risk of losing a key player to injury. - Going into the playoffs with continued momentum and a 6 game winning streak. - Homefield advantage in the event we play the Steelers again. - The chance someone else knocks off the Chiefs and we avoid playing them altogether. Personally, I would lean towards playing the backups and going into the postseason as healthy as possible. I don't think we lose any momentum by sitting our top guys for a single game. That seems to happen when teams rest starters in Week 17 AND get a first round bye. Not to mention, coming out flat against the Dolphins would pose a bigger risk of losing our edge going into the playoffs. Considering that Cleveland is in the same position as Miami, I also find it unlikely that Pittsburgh wins with Mason Rudolph under center. So we could end up with the #2 seed regardless of what happens. Finally, I don't think anyone is anyone knocking off the Chiefs in the Divisional Round. Anything else is probably wishful thinking. The road to the Super Bowl goes through Arrowhead.

What competent QB do you believe they can get? They will likely be picking too late to get a top QB prospect. And even if they get one, rookies don't generally win many games. The only starters set to be free agents are Dak Prescott (Cowboys are not letting him go), Philip Rivers (may retire, may stay on the Colts), and Mitchell Trubisky (still not buying a turnaround). Maybe Ryan Fitzpatrick? Trade options are not going to be cheap. They could maybe go for someone like Carson Wentz, but then they have no cap space to surround him with anything resembling offensive weapons.