Sammy Watkins' Rib

T Richmond Webb I’ve never heard of this guy. I’m not the most tuned into o-line play around the league but I have at least recall the names of the other o-linemen listed. I have to think my not knowing who this guy is doesn’t speak well for his chances. Neither did Jerome Bettis. But like Bettis he will probably get in because he was a Steeler.

It better. Bills had a ton of turnover this year on both sides of the ball. It’s why there were so many preseason predictions that the Bills would finish behind both the Jets and Dolphins in the division. To smash expectations like that would be a heck of a coaching job.

His ypc totals in the three games prior were still really bad though. 9, 8 and 7 ypc. He had volume but he wasn’t making big gains.

Has me thinking of his greatest runs. Way up there near the top for me is his 4th and 2 run against the Patriots to close out that game and secure the division lead. I’m still not quite sure how he wasn’t taken down for a loss on the play. By the time Allen hangs them up he will have a 10 - 15 minute HOF highlight real of just running plays.

Looked like a sign of respect to me.

Like Mahomes in 2018? He and the Chiefs seemed to recover just fine. Also you can do both in the same year you know. Mahomes showed that as well. Nonsense or not, that voted on nonsense ends up being part of players legacies. Even more so as time goes on. Those who never watched the player will just look and see the accolades and stats.

We can all sleep at night now!

Four straight seasons of accomplishments that nobody else achieved is not a handful of seasons. The most TD’s all time in first seven years isn’t a handful of seasons. You tried to equate Lucks shorter and less prolific career with Allen’s longer and more prolific career. They are not comparable. Allen beats Luck out in both categories which is why he is already a lock for the HOF. Luck would probably be a HOF’er if he played just two more full seasons. I do think he could have gotten in with a shorter than normal career for a HOFer but ultimately his career was a bit too short. Allen doesn’t need the extra two seasons because he’s been that much better when he does play. Allen has widely been considered a top 3 QB in the league for the last 4 years which does mean something. I’m not certain Luck was ever widely considered a top 3 QB in the league at any point in his career when his peers were Peyton, Rodgers, Brady, Big Ben and Mahomes through different parts of his career.

Luck and Allen are not even comparable. Lucks career was much shorter than even Allen's. Luck was in the league for 7 full years and yet only started 86 games. Allen hasn't yet been in the league for 7 full years and yet if he didn't play another down he already has 103 games started. A full extra season since Luck missed an entire season due to injury. Luck started 86 games. Allen has already started 103. Allen has 242 career TD's to lucks 185 career TD's. Luck was no slouch when it came to TD's but Allen still has him beat at 2.35 TD's per game to lucks 2.15 TD's per game. Allen has a greater average over a larger sample size which is harder to achieve. Also, playoff performance: Luck: 4-4 record, 12 TD passes to 13 INT's, 73.4 career post season passer rating is notably worse than his 89.5 career regular season rating. Luck was not a post season performer. Allen: 5-5 record, 21 TD passes to 4 INT's, career 100.0 post season passer rating to Allen's 92.9 career regular season rating. Allen steps his game up in the postseason. Allen is the only player in NFL history with four straight seasons of 40+ total TD's. Allen and Drew Brees are the only two players in NFL history with 3 such consecutive seasons. He has the most total TD's for any player in their first seven seasons and counting. He has plenty of stats in his favor that make him a HOF lock already.

There isn't a world in which Allen doesn't play another down and isn't a lock for the HOF either. That is how good Allen has been even without the hardware. Truly amazing.

What's your take on Rodgers, Mikie? Well run organization, strong home field advantage and Rodgers was undoubtably one of the best if not the best QB in the league for most of his tenure in Green Bay by evidence of 4 league MVP's. Yet only one ring and even worse only one conference title.

Yep those two runs were / are mostly unprecedented. The Patriots run was 19 consecutive years. Winning 18 out of 19 division titles. And shockingly they had an 8 year title drought but they were still dominant all 8 of those years and in fact 2007 was probably their best team ever and they didn't even win it all. Brady basically had three HOF careers. One with three titles early as young QB, one that spanned 8 years in his prime and no titles won and the final one being one that started at the age of 37 and saw him one four titles during that time. The Patriots played in 8 straight AFC title games from 2011 to 2018 that saw them play in 5 super bowls and win 3 of them during those 8 years. The Chiefs have won 8 straight AFC West titles, Patriots longest streak during their 19 year run was 11 (likely would have been a 19 year streak if Brady doesn't go down in 2008). The Chiefs have played in six consecutive AFC titles games and counting and are on track to make that seven. Patriots longest streak was 8 so they are close to their heals if they achieve it again this year. It does feel like the competition in the AFC is heating up. Ravens are arguably the best team on paper this year and possibly have the back to back MVP. Allen is still Allen and the Bills are dominate as usual as a league leader in point differential as we have become accustomed too. Even the Steelers are becoming intriguing again. To me Tomlin and McDermott are very similar coaches. And true team leaders. If the Steelers finally have a QB again that is competent they could be a treat to anyone.

What's strange is that the NFC hasn't come close to having a dynasty despite 4 time league MVP Aaron Rodgers playing there for 15 seasons and having multiple first round byes including the overall 1 seed. One Super Bowl appearance for the Packers and Rodgers is one of the biggest failures in sports. The NFC did not have consistent dominant QB's outside of Rodgers. The conference was ripe for the Packers to at least have a 90's Bills type dynasty of domination in the conference. The NFC has had a string of very good teams that have been close to a dynasty, most notably the Seahawks lead by the Legion of Boom and a young Russell Wilson and the 49ers with Shanahan and John Lynch seemingly able to to hit on pick after pick and plug and play players without missing a beat. The inability of Rodgers and the Packers (generally considered a well run organization with a home field advantage) to dominate their own conference still suggests dynasty's are hard to come by. It could simply be coincidence that we are seeing two back to back in the AFC. As great as Mahomes is as an individual player, and he is fantastic, KC has had an embarrassment of riches on that team since 2018. And exactly when the offense starts to age and lose key pieces, Chris Jones turns into the leagues best defensive player the defense becomes dominant and Butker takes over the mantle of leagues best kicker. All of the forementioned is a great achievement for the Chiefs front office and organization but would you want to bet on those things all happening again for another team after the current Chiefs dynasty finishes? I guess KC is what the current 49ers team and the 2012 - 2016 Seahawks teams would have been if they had the best QB in the league instead of just a top 5 - 10 QB.

Agreed. Future wall of fame candidate. Speaking of which, who are the likely recent players that could end up on the wall of fame at the new stadium? Kyle Williams feels like a lock. I would vote for Fred Jackson too.

Over the age of 35? Dudes last year was in 1992, 32 years ago. Very impressive if a kid under the age of 10 can actually form an opinion of a LT.

The week one Arizona win looks better and better as the season goes on. Most overlooked that as nothing at then time. Bills played sloppy in the first half and basically dominated a good team in the second half to comeback and pull away.

that would require a disastrous 3–4 finish to the season.

correct. but what they did with that rule is they actually made it tougher to score a touchdown for a runner by fear of losing control just prior to the goal line. So if anything, the league would make it tougher to score touchdown by catch versus completing process of catch anywhere else on the field. The fumble/touchback rule is one that’s been hotly debated for years now, but the league and competition committee has refused to change it. They like the fact that protection of the ball at the line is of upmost importance. my original reply to this post I thought you were talking about the touchback rule. Sorry I didn’t read your whole post before I replied. so obviously, the goal line ends the play once that tip of the nose of the ball touches the white of the goal line plain it’s a touchdown that’s why the fumble afterwards is moot.

You were not really clear on that point. But now that you are, how would that pass the rules committee? You want the rule changed to to not having to completely catch the ball (by current rules) if you are in the end zone. But leave the same catch requirements by current rules in the field of play outside of the end zone. I don’t see that passing the rules committee. They are not going to make it easier to catch a ball in the end zone vs anywhere else on the field.

Replay assists just put to use. It's good but they need to also give the coaches an option still to initiate replay assist. Because sometimes for some reason it seems the replay assist guy is taking a potty break.

What does that have to do with anything? We obviously are not seeing eye to eye here. If a receiver completes a catch and crosses the plane of the goal line it will rightly be ruled a TD regardless if they fumble afterwards. The play below if probably the most famous example of the process of the catch not being completed at the goal line. What is important to note here is that the goal line is irrelevant. This would have been an incomplete pass even if it was caught at midfield or on the sideline. If Jesse James were to have been ruled as completing the catch before extending for the goal line then it would have been a TD once the nose of the ball touches the plane of the goal line.

I just went back and watched it. Refs messed that one up. Really should have been an encroachment penalty on the Jets. It looked like that was why they were originally blowing the play dead but no flag was ever thrown. Should have been 1st and 5 Cardinals after that play. A runner is a runner. Completely different scenario. You absolutely have to complete the process of the catch; one of which is surviving the ground. That holds true whether the process is completed on the sideline, middle of the field or in the endzone.

Can you link an example? I'm still thinking what you are describing is a receiver who is deemed to never have possession. Once the receiver has possession they technically become a runner and any crossing of the goal line should be deemed a TD. Not having possession could be for several reasons, lack of two feet in bounds, no time aspect, ball bobbling or ball coming out when the receiver goes to the ground.

Back seat? Thurman can't even ride shot gun? He has to be back there with Juice?

I think I am finally okay with that. McDermott has this job as long as he wants. I love what he has been able to do with the safeties. Rapp is legitimately good. Hamlin is actually serviceable which is crazy to be saying given his limitations. The hit piece that was written last year and then being dropped when the author for sure probably thought the Bills would not only lose the division but likely miss the playoffs all together, only to have the Bills rally as a team and win the division, that also stands out as a case to keep McDermott. And we have to remember the grass in not always greener on the other side. Bills have built a real culture here.