Rocky Landing

The call on the field was "personal foul, unnecessary roughness." Mac & Cheese's explanation after the game was, "I think obviously, there’s a little bit of a pile there, and then the ball squirted out actually into another pile. I went over there and tried to grab the ball to save the game. So at the end of the day, you’ve got to take your chance and try to get the ball, got to compete for the ball because it’s a live ball until somebody holds it up in the air. You’ve got to go get it, and that’s what I tried to do.” Which doesn't answer to a personal foul, unnecessary roughness call at all. Is M&C claiming that the ref misspoke, or got the wrong call? Three flags came out, and they conferred briefly before the announcement. Did all three get the call wrong? Or did M&C do something else that he's not copping to during a post-game presser? M&C hasn't exactly been forthright during his pressers. He says all the right things (at least he's well coached in that regard), but his words don't align with his actions on the field.

And I'd love to know what he did in that pile after the fumble, and after the whistle was blown, to get that unnecessary roughness penalty. I watched that play a couple times to try to figure out what he did. Essentially, he's outside on the periphery, and then after the whistle blows, you see him reach into the pile and then you can't see him. Then three flags all go flying at once. They never talk about what he did, and the announcers just ignore it. But it cost them 15 yards, and was egregious enough that all three officials saw it immediately. Mac & Cheese is a punk.

Please, talk about Allen's "huge passing issues." I'm dying to know...

We had a great game running the ball, to be sure. But IMO-- No, we are not better at running the ball without Morse.

My observations on this game: We still don’t have a power back, but that being said— Motor, Cook, and Hines are a pretty good one, two, three punch. (Great spin move by Hines for a first down!) Speaking of Hines— he’s the best P/KR we’ve had since Andre Roberts, but he ain’t no Andre Roberts… This O-line without Morse is troubling, especially with Cincy coming up. Tre White is getting a little better every week, but he’s not there yet. After this game, I feel like he will be. In the first half, I found myself screaming, “when the hell did we get so bad at stopping the run…!” Especially after last week’s defensive performance. But, after the first half, Frazier made adjustments, and righted the ship. That’s good. Also in the first half, was Kingsley Jonathon our best D-linesman in stopping the run? Speaking of Frazier, for as long as he’s been in Buffalo, I feel like his defenses always have a slow start. It’s bothersome, but I no longer get stressed out when they give up a score in the first series. Drops less of an issue this game than in the last few. That’s good. Peterman!!! It’s not a Peterman game without an interception. He’s collecting them like stamps.

I can sell you a bootleg copy for $50, or three for $120.

It's been remarkable how far the press has been willing to bend themselves to paint over Mac & Cheese's tantrums. But looking beyond the apologists in the media, it's astonishing to me the relationship that's been built between this second-year quarterback, and the Patriots* coaching staff. And I believe it started in Mac's first training camp, building upon his already inflated ego. I will always believe that the "quarterback competition" (quotations necessary) between Mac & Cheese, and Cam Newton was a ruse at Newton's expense-- run a phony QB competition, and convince Mac & Cheese that he "won" his position over an MVP QB. But, as convinced M&C is of his own hype, I think this presser from Belichick* illustrates just how poisoned the relationship between QB and coaching staff really is in New England. And, honestly, can anyone remember a below-average, second-year quarterback screaming and swearing at his OC on the sideline? Or at his own veteran teammates? I keep reading this narrative about how M&C's teammates all love, and support him, but one really has to wonder. Amazing how dysfunctional the NE Patriots* have become.

It's towards the end of his press conference below at the 3:30 mark. Pretty incredible: Reporter: "Bill, [sic] the final play, situationally, how do you weigh what was called, as opposed to taking a shot at the end zone?" Belichick*: "(long pause)... taking a shot at the end zone?" Reporter: "Yeah, like a Hail Mary, 55 yard.." Belichick: "(interrupting) Couldn't throw it that far... yeah, couldn't throw it that far." https://www.patriots.com/video/bill-belichick-12-18-we-made-too-many-mistakes-and-had-too-many-bad-plays-and-it

So glad I stuck it out to watch the end of that miserable Patriots* game. They lost in the most bone-headed fashion ever. A backwards pick-six with Mac & Cheese getting stiff-armed to the ground. A brilliant end to a stupid game.

Is it because one of the refs got pegged with a snowball?

But it was 36-36 to go into OT, which was the conversation.

Holy cow!

36, but who's counting...

So, I wonder how wearing scuba gear will affect the Dolphins' performance? Serious question, I guess...

In my perfect world, The Bills get the first round bye, both the Jets and Dolphins make the playoffs, and lose in the wildcard round, and the Patriots* sit at the local bah crying into their Sam Adams.

I would think if he walked by TSA with this "look of a demon," they would have at least given him a pat-down.

Interesting stat I read about Groot when he was drafted: Had he been drafted into the NBA, instead of the NFL, he would have the largest hands in the NBA-- and probably the strongest. If you watch his limited college highlight reel, a lot of his sacks were done from arm's length where he got a hold of the QB's jersey. We're talking some long, strong arms on Rousseau. He also has exceptional ball skills. In his rookie season (game four, or five, I think?) he intercepted a Mahomes pass from about five yards away. Elite level play.

Aww, dang... now the Fish are going to be prepared if the weather is a little bit chilly...

I'm really the same sort of fan-- I like to root for players that I also respect (which, at the moment, makes being a Bills fan spectacular!). But, for what it's worth, I think he felt a certain amount of betrayal from a lot of football fans himself. And while I didn't agree with a lot of what he said, or how he handled all of the controversy, I don't hold anything against him. He's a great player, and a great teammate. He fits into the Bills culture, and that's good enough for me. I don't mind that he's eccentric. EDIT: Also, I'm kinda hoping that OBJ gets signed by the Patriots*. If they did, they'd over-pay for him, he won't be the same player he was, and the spectacle of him, and Mac & Cheese screaming at each other on the sideline would be epic.

Phins’ quarterback Tagovailoa Has never seen snow, don’tcha know-a His fans will chant, “Tua!" His face will be blue-a And he’ll freeze when the Buffalo winds blow-a

We can beat any team in the league.

This should be a cautionary tale for Josh Allen. At 250 lbs, is knees are going to take a helluva lot more pounding than pip-squeak Kyler Murray.

Wow. Easy and Smoke, back together. I don't even know what to think about this. Does he still have it in the tank? What kind of shape is he in?

Him and Tre White can carpool.

I'm not talking about how badly they suck. I'm talking about how dysfunctional they are as a team. All of those "Belichikian" concepts of "Next man up..." "do your job..." etc. are lost in NE.