PolishDave

I get what you mean. It has always been a bad idea to increase the stress level of a person who is already not performing well under stress. It is a bad idea and a sign of bad coaching. Always has been - always will be. Humans haven't changed. It might be effective if you are punishing a player for lack of effort (like a guy taking plays off or being afraid to make a tackle). But if the effort is there and the player is not executing, increasing his stress will likely result in even worse performance. It is the wrong approach in my opinion and shows lack of emotional control. I expect the yelling approach would be even more counterproductive for a position like quarterback. And for a coaching staff promoting the ways of stoicism, it is about as anti-stoic as you can get. Dabol is no stoic.

I listen to WGR on game days during the drive to the stadium (early AM) and usually the post game show. I don't think either are particularly insightful, but it is Bills talk on game day so I am interested. As far as the television shows go, people on this board should realize that those shows aren't directed towards you. I am guessing most of the people on this board are above average in football knowledge and are more interested in the detailed X's and O's of what is likely to happen pre-game or what did happen post game. Most people here want to know what nuances will make the difference in a game or what did make the difference in a game. Those talk shows before, during and after the games on television are more fodder for showing commercials. They are intended for a casual fan who doesn't know much about the game. They are not intended for you (us). There are way more casual fans to show ads to than there are people like us. We are on the fringe of their target audience not the center. Interesting take and could very well be true. ?

Yeah. I remember a game - not so many years ago - where there the stadium lost power due to a mylar balloon causing a short between power lines near a transformer outside the stadium. Not sure if it was the game you are talking about or not. But it was interesting watching the game with no sound other than the people around you. You had to pay close attention to see what was going on. You had to watch the refs hand signals to know what the penalties were. And you had to guess how much time was left on the clock because nobody but the refs had any idea as far as I could tell.

I think they should be using a lot more technology to make clear decisions instead of relying on a ref's opinion. They could have sensors in uniforms and gloves and jerseys that easily detect when contact is made and where it is made - and also the amount of force made during that contact. An algorithm could then instantly determine if there was legit interference. You could allow for light contact that is within .5 seconds of the ball arriving to the receiver and also allow contact that is below a minimal level of force. This would allow the game to proceed at full pace only being interrupted when a call is legit. Every single player would then be subject to the same algorithm every game instead of worrying about biased referees. They could also place sensors inside the footballs and on the fields to determine exact spots instead of making it a guessing game. This technology is already available and could be implemented. The costs would be substantial, but affordable in the grand scheme of this multi-billion dollar sport.

I literally turned the TV off right after they announced he was going to be coming on next. Dude is a dick. Hope he gets what's coming to him someday. If he hung around Kaisertown he would.

Agreed. In fact, not only did I not see any disrespect in that article, I felt a sense of pride while reading it. All I saw was a writer giving props to the Bills fan base for supporting the team - asking how Nashville could get their fans to be more like we are. I will take that as a strong compliment. The Titan player said that the fans know the Titans will break their heart. That is why they don't want to come to the games. Aside from Cleveland and the Bills, what modern era NFL fan base knows what it is like to endure so many losing seasons and heartbreaks. Yet the Bills fans keep buying tickets and remain loyal. That says a lot about how much WNY'ers and expats care about their football team. Go Bills!

There probably isn't a kid on either team who could handle the heat on Josh's passes. He would be knocking those kids down with the ball and the ball would be doinking off their helmets. But yes, that would be hilarious to watch.

lol. You chose to use Gore as a measuring stick. Not me. During the time they have been in the league together - Gore has been better at ball security than Yeldon. If you think that doesn't matter then okay it doesn't matter to you. I think it matters to the coaches who want the best player now or at least a player then are confident will execute better. If they didn't pay more attention to recent production then Kelvin Benjamin would still be in a Bills uniform. But pointing out that ball security was an issue for both of them at some point in their career does not bolster whatever point you thought you were making about Yeldon being some great trustworthy ball carrier. Yeldon's career has shown that he historically fumbles too much and when he does (because of bad luck or whatever reason) it is often times at a costly point in the game. He is the type of player that costs you more in mistakes than he makes up for in production. And it appears the NFL has already seen his ceiling. It is okay that you think he is a great player who needs more playing time. For whatever reason you are enamored with the guy. I just disagree. I don't trust him with the ball. I don't think the coaches should trust him with it either. I wish the Bills had a better backup. I'll leave it at that.

Exactly what I was thinking. I want to see the Bills offensive and defensive lines dominate. If they do, we run the ball very well and stop Miami from scoring. I want to see a mistake free game from Buffalo. If that happens, Buffalo's superior player talent and coaching will result in a confident win. If the offense still isn't clicking for some reason and makes enough mistakes the Bills could end up losing this embarrassingly or have it be another close nail biter. It is a division game after all. I don't see the Bills losing this one at home though. Maybe when they play in Miami. Not here though. I think the Bills defense will have their way with the Miami quarterback. Turnovers will favor the Bills this game.

That thought didn't cross my mind in this game, but I get what you mean. At times I have thought McDermott was being too conservative and other times too aggressive. I would rather beat a team as soon as possible rather than allow them to hang on till the last drive in the fourth quarter ala Dick Jauron. But you are going to get flak for that opinion because the Bills have been winning. Most fans forgive and overlook all the shortcomings as long as the score ends up in your favor - even if you could have done a better job. If this team is ever going to become truly dominant (which I hope is the goal) then they will have to keep their foot on the gas when the opportunity is there and things are going their way. New England is very good at doing that. I believe that mentality has helped them achieve the greatness they have during the Brady/Belichick era. The Bills are winning, but there is a hell of a lot of room for improvement in coaching. I think McDermott has room for improvement in his end of quarter decision making as well as other situations. The Bills have left opportunities on the field by choice a number of times. They have gotten away with it this year for the most part. That won't always be the case, especially in close games decided by one score. Part of McDermott's process should be to improve in those situations too - even if the team is winning games. The goal should be to become dominant and run your opponents over like a bulldozer on offense and defense all game long. After all, isn't that what the process is about? Every player/coach/staff member being sharp mentally, making the best decision and executing as perfectly as possible on each and every play - because the end result is ultimately out of your control? Just execute the next play to perfection if you can. That is what the process is about. I am certainly happy with the wins and give the coach the credit he is owed for his part in achieving them. That doesn't mean he has no room for improvement. He definitely does have room and is hopefully practicing what he preaches. I think he probably is. Although I wonder if anyone holds him accountable for it when they win a game. I doubt many people in the organization (including owners) criticize much as long as the Bills win. It would be a good question for reporters to hit Beane and McDermott with.

Yeldon was a fumbler in college too if I recall correctly - especially in key situations where it was more costly. I'm guessing he would have had more carries in his NFL career if he didn't. Since Yeldon has been in the NFL, he has fumbled 6 times on 475 carries. In the same time Gore has fumbled 10 times on 1,015 carries. So yes, Gore has had more fumbles, but it is because he has had a lot more carries over the same time. And using Gore as a measuring stick is not a great idea. My understanding (maybe I am wrong) is that a running back with good ball security is supposed to fumble less than once out of every 100-125 rushes. Gore has been around average at best. Yeldon is below average in ball security. So maybe saying Yeldon is a "huge liability" is the wrong wording. But he is a liability and proved it with his costly fumble in the biggest game the Bills played yet this season. In my opinion, he is not good enough and should not even be on this team. He is more risk than reward. just my opinion.

Agreed. This offense should improve over the course of the season assuming players don't get injured. You can see Allen hitting guys over the middle with timing and consistency. It is a very, very good sign. I think Daboll is doing a good job based on the amount of open receivers I have seen. Josh will get better at finding them as he gains confidence and becomes more comfortable in this offense. The arrow is pointed in the right direction. I think the offensive line still is still a long way from being where it needs to be for this team to be dominant. The line is not opening holes in the run game as consistently as it needs to be. If this line was dominant, the Bills would be a true contender right now - even with just average play from Allen. It is an exciting time to be a Bills fan. There is reason for optimism.

Yeldon is not the answer. He is a proven fumbler which is why I believe he isn't getting more action. He was a fumbler before he came here and he fumbled at a crucial moment in the Patriots game costing the Bills dearly. I believe that is why he isn't getting more time. I expected them to cut him immediately after the Patriots game as he is a huge liability when he touches the ball. He has talent to make plays, but he is too unreliable with ball control. Once Singletary is healthy, Yeldon will rarely touch the ball again - if he even touches it again - JMHO.

I thought Jordan Phillips had his best game yet. I also thought Shaq Lawson had a great game even though we didn't hear his name called much. I saw him triple teamed at one time. In fact, I think the Titans paid more attention to Shaq than Phillips and that allowed Phillips to excel in this game. Phillips was overpowering his opponent constantly when he only had one blocker. Dude was a bulldozer.

Met and talked to a bunch of Titan fans. Every single one I met was classy - even amongst being overrun by Bills fans. One guy in particular, who was there with his 12-13 year old son, commented that people in general around there are welcoming to out of town folk. He said that is the way it is in the south. Most people are nice. Based on my experience, it seemed he spoke the truth. I can definitely see why people want to live there. There are construction cranes everywhere. Looks like the place is booming for business. I counted a dozen large construction cranes in view when walking a couple blocks from the hotel to a restaurant. I have never seen that many cranes in Buffalo or Rochester. I mentioned it to another guy who was there. He claimed there were way more cranes there than that. Fun city. Decent people. Great weather. Great entertainment. Good food. Low property taxes. Lots of work. They have much to be thankful for. Tennessee just bumped up a notch on my list of potential places to retire or perhaps relocate before retiring.

We tailgated in parking lot adjacent to the stadium property just like we do in Buffalo. Tailgating was close to the same for us. Downside was we walked there from our hotel room in the morning and it was a long ass walk. Saw lots of Bills tailgating both on and off stadium property. Saw a little Titan fan tailgating but nothing like it is in Orchard Park. I admit it was nice being able to walk to the nicer bars on the Broadway strip after the game and walk back to the hotel afterward. So glad to have experienced that many Bills fans at an away game. Has to be a record. It was unbelievable.

Good take. Mayfield does not look good under pressure - at least not the games I have watched him in - including last night. Most quarterbacks aren't great under pressure. Allen spent a lot of his time in college under pressure and has a lot more experience in those situations. I think that experience helps him in the pros. Both guys have the potential to be outstanding quarterbacks if given enough time to develop behind good offensive lines. If either one is stuck behind a rotten offensive line or stuck with an offensive coordinator who sucks, then I think either has the potential to end up as a backup. Fortunately for us, it appears the Bills have found a decent up and coming offensive coordinator and also upgraded player talent on the offensive line. If they upgrade the talent on the offensive line by the same amount next year without regressing elsewhere, this team could finally become dominant.

True story. Had an old woman go into cardiac arrest in front of me on a job site while nobody else was around. I hesitated to give her CPR because I was honestly afraid of getting sued. She was a small older woman. I felt it was very likely I could hurt her if I gave her chest compressions. Upon calling 911, the 911 operator insisted I give her CPR. The 911 operator's insistence on it swayed my decision to do it instead of standing there paralyzed in fear of potentially getting sued. I gave her CPR as I had been taught back in high school health class many years ago. She survived. The paramedics insisted she would not have otherwise. There must have been many similar situations where someone was not helped because a bystander feared a lawsuit. I understand there is a need for personal injury attorneys in certain situations. But, the ambulance chasers you see run commercials on tv claiming to collect millions of dollars for clients ought to be given a good pair of cement shoes and chucked off the grand island bridge. They lower the quality of life for every decent person in the community.

Chalk it up to Allen spending too much time around Tyree Jackson. The suckitude is starting to rub off on him.

You used to be able to bring a keg of beer into the stadium and full liters of whiskey. Things are way lamer than they used to be. No social media back then. People just did it. To find out that it happened you had to know someone who did it or saw it. Otherwise nobody knew. Now, everyone sticks their nose in everyone else's business. The partying antics of today are way, lamer than they used to be. Doing shots out of a chic's butcrack? Who cares if he likes the taste of it - knock yourself out. Some dude lights himself on fire. No big deal. Don't care. It is only a big deal because of people thinking their opinion of everything matters and people sticking their nose where it doesn't belong.

Agreed. And based on their moves albeit just the last couple years, there is no evidence to suggest they place premium value on offensive linemen. Seems their opinion of them is closer to the mindset that they are "a dime a dozen". And perhaps it is more about the coaching and player fit more so than individual player talent. You might think so based on the production that Greg Roman was able to squeeze out of his offensive line while he was here. All I know is that regardless of how much talent Josh Allen has or any of the other offensive weapons, if the offensive line sucks, the offense will suck. Shady (who is generally accepted as being an above average runner) failed behind last year's line. And Allen spent too much time running from linemen instead of picking apart secondaries from the pocket.

1) They will dry them out and sell them as mementos. Necklaces perhaps. 2) Sell them in concessions to opposing teams fans as "Buffalo meat" 3) Buffalo chip throwing tailgate competitions

I would be amazed if that was their reasoning. I think it is more that they simply don't value the positions as highly as other staffs do. As was the case with Sammy Watkins and Bob Woods. They don't want to spend money in either of those two positions with the exception of Center perhaps because of the importance of Center-QB relationship.

I hope you are right. It is possible they make a step forward with the guys they have brought in. A lot of it also matters on the coaching and play calling as was evidenced when the Bills run game went from being dominant to being dominated. And it matters how each of the guys gels with the guys next to him. If the Bills solve that situation, this offense will get very good very quickly even with the receiving talent it currently has. IMHO

Agree to some extent. If you have a QB who executes a fast paced attack well (like Brady does to perfection) you negate a lot of pass rush. That is the exception, not the norm though. We don't have that type of QB. We have a guy who wants to hold the ball the extra 2 seconds and throw deeper. It is beneficial if you have a QB who can make pass rushers miss so that he buys more time for a big play to develop. But, you don't design an offense based on making your QB do that constantly because expecting him to do that every game is a recipe for failure. (Even with a guy like Josh Allen) He should only be doing that a couple times a game if need be. If you build a dominant offensive line, you can run the ball when you need to (no matter whose name is on the RB's jersey) and buy your QB a clean pocket and the extra second or two to in order for him to execute the play as it was designed instead of being forced to improvise and throw under constant duress. Year after year the teams playing for conference championship titles and a trip to the Superbowl are the teams with above average or outright dominant offensive lines.