BarleyNY

Thanks for posting. It's always nice to hear from someone with experience and insight.

These two sum it up nicely.

I don't think the Patriots are intentionally injuring linemen. Honestly, do you think it'd have been Jon Miller they went after if they were? I have had a theory of my own for a few seasons though - and it might explain this. It's that some teams have have very high HGH (or possibly other PED) use, probably due to it being institutionalized at some level - coach, GM, owner. I first noticed something was going on with the Steelers. For several seasons I noticed a common theme in how their offensive lines were portrayed in the media. There was a lot of talk about how they "grew", "came together" or "were developed by the coaches" over the course of each season. There was really only one problem with that - they were largely the same players. How would development not carry over from season to season? Why would an OL improve over the course of one season, but then fall back to below average at the beginning of the next? Then repeat? HGH use would sure explain it. It - and other PEDs - are not just used to bulk up or gain strength, they're used to speed recovery. A slightly below average player might get handled easily by an above average player early in the season, but toward the end of the season if that above average player is worn down and the below average one has recovered due to HGH use it might be a much different story. But that is thin by itself. What else did I see or hear besides overachieving linemen? History for starters. In the 70s the Steelers pioneered steroid use - before it was illegal - and rode that in part to 4 Super Bowls. That was a long time ago, however. Anything more recent? The team doctor up until several years ago was nicknamed "The HGH Doctor" due to his public advocacy of its use and the use of other PEDs. Jason Worlids unexpectedly retired as he reached free agency. He rose from obscurity to become an excellent pass rusher and after his rookie deal and a one year franchise tag simply retired. The rumors? Positive HGH tests were going to result in suspension and drastically increased frequency for long term testing. Or he could quietly retire. I could continue on the Steelers, but I'll move on and touch on some other teams. Seattle was rumored to have a slew of positive HGH tests coming into their Super Bowl winning season. Richard Seymour got off on a technicality. That defensive line looked an awful lot like the Steelers offensive line too. And they got better over the course of the season. Add in a coach in Pete Carol who is clearly comfortable cheating - and had to leave college (USC) for that - and I'm very suspicious. San Francisco is another. Patrick Willis is rumored to have retired for the same reasons as Worlids. And that brings me to another event - increased HGH testing. The NFL ramped up testing somewhat, but they wouldn't have wanted a PR mess. The answer was to slap a lot of wrists and allow some of the worst offending players to retire quietly. Those retirements were oddly staggered as well. So what about the Pats? Belichick is absolutely a coach who would do something like this. The OL and DL profiles fit. They certainly get a lot out of guys you wouldn't expect them to get a lot out of and they certainly shine brighter by the end the season - although they often look pretty good early on too. Incidentally I use the lines as a litmus test because it's the easiest for me to notice. What I haven't seen are suspensions or apparent retirements due to positive tests. Would it surprised me? Not at all. Are they encouraging HGH (or other PED) use? I'm not sure, but probably. There's not quite as much evidence as with some other teams though - teams they often meet in the playoffs I'd add. I don't know where the HGH mess is headed or exactly what recent turns it took due to the increased testing, but it's just one more thing about the NFL that is wearing on me. (Wow, sorry for the book. Didn't intend for this to be so long.)

I agree. I can't blame a coach for sticking with his starting QB in that situation.

Not this season. Miami is only on the hook for the prorated portion of his $1.5M salary for this season. The huge risk concerns his $7.75M option for next season which is guaranteed for injury. If he's injured this season and can't pass a physical by the first day of next season then Miami is on the hook for that. This was an incredibly stupid move by them.

No, he's not. He fits in perfectly with those two. All three are a joke.

That sums it up nicely. At some point you have to move on from situations like this. And "you" in this case means the Browns.

I just saw it on ESPN too. Yes, he'd have been tackled. And the ball wasn't quite to the receiver when the whistle blew. The rules state that the down is replayed. If I was a Pats fan and that play had been called correctly I'd have been pissed though. Especially considering where Rex was standing. I thought he was between the ref and Brady, but he was between the ref and receiver.

I honestly remember thinking that the Bills caught a break on that play. Does anyone have a video of it that they can post?

I agree on all counts. Expect other teams to try to keep him in the pocket when they know he has to throw. Taylor is going to have to improve that aspect of his game.

Actually it's only $1M in dead money, which would be applied next season if he's cut anytime before next season or if the Bills decline to pay his roster bonus in the offseason. If that bonus is due before he can earn his offseason w/o bonus of $50k then I expect that's the route they'll go. If not, then I expect him to be cut before he can earn it. The overall cap savings for him being let go over the offseason would be $3.9M. I expect that the Bill will need that cap space more than him. I don't see them cutting him this season, but he makes a little less than $200k a game. They'd save that in addition. http://overthecap.com/player/leodis-mckelvin/1736/

Rex was on the white line literally between the ref and Brady who had the ball. My wife's comment was "He's pulling a Tomlin!" I love her.

JFC, give the EJ crap a rest. Taylor's getting roasted for it right now - and deservedly so.

I agree that the game plan was excellent. It wasn't executed as well as it should have been, particularly by Taylor. McKelvin's fumbles were back breakers as well. If they both execute, then the Bills likely would have won. But I do blame the coaches for several things including a lack of discipline at times. 10 men on the field, confusion at the end of the game, sending McKelvin out to continue to return kicks after two turnovers, kicking on 4th and 2 at midfield late in the game, etc. While I certainly don't pin this loss on the coaches, there are definitely places where they can improve.

I'm not sure how anyone pins this on Roman's play calling. He called a very good game IMO. Certainly good enough to win this one. This game was on McKelvin's turnovers, Taylor's inability to throw well on several deep passes - including two would-be TDs had he not floated those balls - and the coaches who are ultimately to blame for the disarray the various squads were in at critical times. HTF do the coaches let McKelvin continue to return kicks after two turnovers? After the second one, every mistake he made was on the coaches who sent him back out there. Ridiculous. I'll give the coaches credit for making the best out of Taylor, but a quality QB wins this game and that's not on them. To win against the best teams you have to have a QB who can contribute a lot more than Taylor can now. We can debate about where his development can eventually lead, but he sure is not where we need him to be right now. If I'm Whaley I'm looking to improve the position in the offseason and let Taylor compete with whomever I can bring in. Maybe it'll come with time together and in the system, but the preparation of the two teams was very far apart last night. The Bills did not kill themselves with penalties, but they repeatedly looked disorganized. That's on the coaches. The Patriots never lost their composure and always seemed to know exactly what to do. Hell, Brady even knew the rule that stated the ball would be placed at the spot of the catch on the inadvertent whistle play. He started walking up the field mid explanation. That disparity was frustrating to watch.

No one is going to claim him with that option looming. He'll clear waivers, then see what the market bears. Wouldn't blame the Bills if they kicked the tires.

I only watched the first season, but I saw a blurb about this. Why do I think she is going to un-die at some point? I hate when shows/movies/books do that.

A tough 4 game stretch for the Stillers, but they are coming off a bye at a good time and they end with two easy games against a crippled Baltimore team and a Cleveland team that'll be looking to stay healthy for a relaxing offseason. If they can split the next 4 they are looking at 10-6 and a wildcard spot.

If they're going to have comp picks - and would seem they are - then simplify things and make them tradeable just like any other picks. It's probably better for the players overall. The main problem I've had with comp picks is that they typically give extra low round picks to teams that already draft well, even if they lost some talent to get the extra pick(s). The net result is often to add extra developmental players to a team without much room for them. Making comp picks tradeable might help alleviate this in some small, marginal way. I'd rather that they didn't exist at all, but I don't have any problem making them tradeable if they do.

Any word on how the colorblind folk are doing on this one?

Those are all fair points. I like what they're trying to do, but their execution is terrible.

Not in this case, but they absolutely are in other ways. The rule changes and consequent number of defensive PI and holding penalties are definitely hurting the game. Then there's the talk of the league looking to add more teams, add more regular season games and allow more teams to make the playoffs. Individually those are bad ideas, but collectively they would would really damage the product even if they'd add revenue in the short term.

Growing a business isn't greedy, but over growing it to its detriment is. The NFL hasn't gotten to that point yet, but lately I think it's been flirting with going too far.

I was talking about the agent for Cousins, not TT. As is yours. Just different appetites for risk in this case. Here's hoping your path is the smart one.

So sorry for your loss, Doug. Condolences to the whole Flutie family.