Kirby Jackson

The Bills didn’t. They played well off rest. That’s a fact. The Bills are 5-0 off a bye since 2015 (best win percentage in the NFL).

Yep, it is a HUGE difference!!! If you get hurt in a meaningful game so be it. It’s the 4th preseason game argument!! You have nothing to gain getting hurt then. If you get hurt when it matters, it happens. If you get hurt when it doesn’t matter it’s a TERRIBLE decision. I’m sorry but if you can’t see the difference between the importance of this game and the game the following week we should stop talking. This is a RIDICULOUS argument. It’s kind of beyond ridiculous. If you want guys to play, we disagree. If you think getting hurt in a game that means nothing and getting hurt in a playoff game are the same thing we VEHEMENTLY disagree.

Then why bring up the “you could get hit by a bus argument?” We both agree that guys are more likely to get hurt playing in an NFL game. You just said that. I’m saying “I’d rather see Josh Allen stand on the sidelines and not get hurt.” You are saying “I want him to play even though he is more likely to get hurt.” Again, the “game experience” argument is BS. We have won after every loss this year so we bounce back fine. We scored 31 points out of the bye, 2nd highest of the year. Maybe rest is the key to being sharp? There is nothing to support rest not helping.

Let me ask one more question on that. Which of these scenarios do you prefer? - A) Bills beat the Jets 35-0 and outgain them 5-1. Josh Allen suffers a high ankle sprain and won’t play for 4 to 6 weeks. - B) Bills get beat 35-0 and are outgained 5-1. They enter the following week with the same health as this week

I’m sorry, but that’s a ridiculous argument. Let me ask the question a different way. Do you agree that playing in an NFL football game increases the chance of sustaining an injury?

Here are some stars that have missed games this year because of injury: Dalvin Cook, Chris Carson, Drew Brees, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Julio Jones, JJ Watt, Pat Peterson, Patrick Mahomes, and Alvin Kamara. I could name dozens more but won’t. Every single one of those guys was injured WHILE playing NFL football. If you don’t think that injuries happen in NFL games I don’t know what to tell you. Sticking your fingers in your ears yelling “la la la la la la la la” doesn’t change the risk of playing this game at this level. They have ZERO to gain!!!!! This isn’t complicated. All that can happen is bad stuff. If they win 52-0 and look like a machine what advantages do they get in their championship pursuit? They scored 31 points off their bye. The Bills are 4-0 off of a loss coming into this week. I’m not sure how one can reasonably make the “contagious” argument? It isn’t real.

In this case it absolutely, 100% is the same. If it was the difference in the 5 seed or 6 seed then no. If the division was still at stake, of course not. If the Bills win 52-0 or lose 52-0 they are in the exact same spot.

1 quarter will be 16 plays based on the average Bills game. I don’t want any of those important players exposed to 16 chances for injuries. This holds especially true playing against a real NFL defense instead of the vanilla pro bowl defense of preseason game 4. 1 injury and it’s a nightmare. 2 scoring drives and it’s meaningless. Again, our 2nd best offensive output of the season was off of a bye week. I guess I can keep saying it over and over but no one will ever convince me that this is a good idea. You can stick your hand near a fire and not get burned. You can stick your hand near a fire and get burned. The outcome doesn’t make it a good decision to stick your hand near the fire.

Then why does every team sit their guys in preseason game 4? Why is the best team in football sitting all of their guys? So 16 plays based on the Bills average offensive plays?

If the reward is a couple of TD drives in a game that means zero it isn’t a reward. It’s risk. The reward is being locked into a playoff spot and not exposing your players to injury. That’s what we’ve earned.

I believe health is WAY, WAY, WAY more important than a couple of plays in a meaningless game. Maybe we are just so new to winning that we don’t get it but one injury, even to a guy like Milano or Dawkins and it is an ABSOLUTELY awful decision. It is one that will be questioned for decades. You have nothing to gain and everything to lose. Also, our second highest scoring output of the season game off of the bye week. Why is it not okay to believe that resting the aches and pains will make us better than another week in the grind? There is no evidence to support that they will be better by playing. The only definite is that we are increasing the chance of injury. All risk, no reward

Come on, you don’t believe that?!? We’re you irate when he sat out the end of the preseason because of the routine of the regular season?

Honestly, that’s in the back of my head (but at least he was playing for something).

They don’t happen if guys aren’t on the field... If there is a 5% chance of an injury (which is a super-conservative estimate) it’s 5% more than they need to take. That’s the point. Ha ha, Merry Christmas ya filthy animal

He’s a runaway MVP. We should give him the respect that he deserves. He should be 1 and it shouldn’t be close.

I feel like a lot of people are giving McDermott the benefit of the doubt because he’s done a great job. Doing a great job and being perfect aren’t the same thing. There is no logic in this decision. Harbaugh has done a great job too and is resting his guys. Being locked into a playoff spot is a reward for a great year. Take advantage of that by making sure you’re healthy in the playoffs. Don’t risk it.

I think this is fair. The problem is that you are drafting guys on what they will/can be not what they are today. That’s why Josh went in the top 10. 2 years in there is no reason to believe that the future of Baker or Darnold is brighter than that of Josh. Talent evaluators would absolutely roll the dice on the upside of Josh at this point before more established players.

The Bills scored 31 points off of their bye week. The whole “rhythm” thing is overrated. That’s why no NFL team plays their starters in the 4th preseason game. Health is WAY more important than rhythm.

I guess my point is that not playing basically means the chances of injury are zero. Every play that they play we are increasing the chance of injury. If the key guys play 2 drives (as an example) we are subjecting our 22 starters to a dozen plays each (or something like that). I just don’t see any benefit to Josh or Singletary or Brown or Edmunds or Tre or whomever important taking NFL contact a dozen times. If 1 guy gets hurt it’s an AWFUL decision. If every guy is healthy it doesn’t help anything. It’s not like you get to start with a 7 point lead in the playoffs if you play your starters the week before. If a key guy gets injured we basically can eliminate ourselves from the playoffs. If Josh goes down we are out of the playoffs. There just isn’t a benefit to that risk. If the Bills were competing for the division or even a higher seed it makes sense. It’s worth the risk. Baltimore has it figured out.

If they go down in a playoff game so be it. If they go down in the 1st game of the season so be it. If they go down in the 4th preseason game it’s foolish. This is the 4th preseason game. Nothing that happens this week alters anything in the teams future. If it had ANY impact I could see it. It is totally meaningless. The goal is to win in the playoffs. There is no reason to risk lessening your chance of that happening.

This is wrong but I’m not surprised from the website that believes Duck Hodges is the better player.

It just feels to me like the juice isn’t worth the squeeze. There are a bunch of guys that absolutely wouldn’t play for me: Josh, Tre, Dawkins, Motor, Morse, Edmunds, Milano, Brown and Beasley. Those guys just don’t have the depth behind them to risk it.

I don’t like it personally. There is NO upside imo. What do you guys think?

Led the league in points by a lot, lost in the semi-finals by .64 and then outscored both finals teams by 50. I finished right around .500 in my other 3 leagues (combination of injuries and bad drafting). I hate fantasy football!!

The year they started EJ in week 17