SoMAn

They're supposed to be professionals. What next? A pep rally led by Billy Buffalo on Friday night?

What's sometimes forgotten is that the discontent didn't just spring up mid-season last year when he wasn't getting the targets; he was a no-show at OTAs in the spring, and there was obviously a problem that had to be worked out to get him to participate. Whatever the issue was, it started (at the least) sometime following the 2022 season. Was there ongoing friction between Josh and Diggs? We all saw the in-your-face sideline moment in which Diggs was giving it to Josh. Josh is the face of the franchise. Big mistake on Diggs' part to put that on public display. If Diggs was so displeased with Josh's performance, maybe he should take a good look in the mirror because he sure had his share of untimely drops as the season went on last year. It's a shame things went as they did. Steph was great with the fans, especially the kids. His competitive spirit is commendable, but the 'me first' mentality is a cancer on a team sport. I wish him well when not facing the Bills.

Clever. Care to explain to the Gen Z readers?

Maybe they know that in the age of Youtube, team websites loaded with video content, NFL app, etc., most fans have instant access to any and all team highlights. Nobody relies anymore on ESPN, GMFB, or Saturday afternoon Bills' Highlights with Rick Azar. There's no real reason for any of them to show a lot of highlights unless it helps to illustrate one of their talking points or supports the daily narrative.

It's a little weird seeing # 32 out there now, and will look even stranger if that number is out there at some point with the red standing buffalo throwback helmet logo. When you saw 'Metcalf' did you conjure up the St Louis Cardinals? 🙂 Yes, we become out parents. I can't tell you long my father continued referring to the Patriots as 'the Boston Patriots', long after 1970.

I had similar expectations. After a complete overhaul of the defense and losing their top 2 WRs, I thought the Bills would be an 8 or possible 9 win team with a little luck and miss the playoffs with the fins or maybe the Jets taking the division. I'm happy to say that with 5 wins in the bank and 10 games left to play, it would take a complete meltdown not to exceed 9 wins and the division title. Just have to keep Josh healthy and it should be a very doable achievement.

I’ll have that ‘once every 8 years’ opportunity next year when the Bills come to Atlanta- if they don’t make it one of the international games (which would really piss me off). In 2017 the Bills were here for Mercedes Benz Stadium’s inaugural season. It was McDermott’s first year, Tyrod was the QB, and the Falcons were coming off a Super Bowl appearance. I didn’t spring for the pricey tickets, assuming the Bills would get stomped. Best laid plans or Murphy’s law, but the Bills took care of business and kicked their arses and I regretted not going. I’ll be there next year, god willing.

You may be right, but I'm always suspicious of those people with accusations that only come out after there's some incentive, usually involving the prospect of getting paid. In this case, the guy signs an NFL contract with a bonus (I presume) and lo and behold, here comes the alleged assault. Was there a police report filed immediately following the alleged incident? If so, how were the Bills not aware of the accusation, or did they already have enough information to dismiss the validity? If the accusation has any merit, why on earth is Araiza playing at all when meanwhile, future HOF'er Von Miller is serving a 4 week suspension for a domestic incident for which both he and his girlfriend deny he hit her? In spite of the couple's denial, I believe it's likely there was some physicality that Von should answer for. If the accusation was completely frivolous, Araiza should have filed a civil suit against the accuser after losing out on more than a million dollars from playing football. If he hasn't done that, he may well have been involved in an assault, in which case he shouldn't be in the NFL. /

Meanwhile, the punter with the highest net average in the NFL is former Bills’ draft choice Matt Araiza of the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. Who, by the way is a halfway decent backup kicker if pressed into emergency action. Thanks a lot lying sexual assault accuser from college.

That ship has sailed. I sensed there was some animosity between him and McDermott.

Bass

Yeah, this boomer liked the vintage look too, but always hated the multi-use circular stadiums when the NFL teams had to play over baseball diamond infields in Sept and October.

I think the comments regarding broadcasts are hitting the target. The production has gotten better in some ways, but maybe a bit over the top with some of the graphics and animation. May be too much sparkle for football. Also, the commentating crews are weak compared to the broadcasters of yesteryear, many of whom were groomed on radio and had the kind of commanding voices that could make mundane trivia interesting to the listener. Where are the Curt Gowdys, Merlin Olsens, Howard Cosells, Charlie Jones, Dick Enberg, Don Criquis, John Maddens, etc. of days gone by? They were storytellers rather than monotone narrators. For me, the game itself is as good as ever, as long as the zebras haven't hijacked the action as they did this past Monday. The TV viewing is not as compelling. Is it because I'm older and don't get as amped up for things like watching a game? Maybe. But, I still think in spite of superior TV picture, angles, replays, the TV experience doesn't seem as exciting as it used to be, largely because of the boring broadcast teams.

Smarties

I wasn't pointing a finger at you specifically. Just chiming in on the original thread, primarily the part about the Bill Cosby tactic drugging (with another man!) that Diggs is being accused of. It sounds like the sort of thing that's been used in celebrity circles to extort money from public figures. I have no idea what happened with Diggs (if anything), and really don't care. Just glad the apparent cancer is no longer part of the Bills.

The key word is 'ACCUSED'. Sadly, we seem to be in a culture fueled by social media that has made honest Americans forget all about our laws and a justice system based on 'innocent until proven guilty'. Because of this 'jump to conclusions' mentality, there are bad actors who use it to create false narratives against their adversaries, knowing their shallow audience will never look further than the salacious headlines. We had a young punter who appeared to have been falsely accused of sexual assault. Though it was never proven, the accusations were enough to derail his career, at least temporarily. These allegations about Diggs may prove to be true, but for anyone with limited or zero knowledge of the supposed event to pass judgement, they should take a step back and keep quiet until they're better informed.

bust

Clarification please-I've been under the impression the Bills were still on the hook for a big chunk of Diggs' contract in 2025. Am I mistaken? Hoping the Bills will have more room to maneuver in free agency and securing valued roster veterans with an improved budget next year. Combined with multiple picks in 2025, further development of first and second year players, they may poised to be 'the team to beat' when they move into their new digs in 2026.

It's not at all practical to entertain the idea of cutting Bass. As previously stated, there's nobody out there on the street as good or better. So, how on earth would it make sense to sign a less competent kicker and incur additional cost? It doesn't. The real issue that I haven't seen anyone address so far, is what is the cause of the drop off from Bass-O-Matic to a guy with whom we have no confidence he can nail a kick past 40 yards, in a league in which 50+ has become a gimme for a lot of kickers. What changed and is it fixable? Mental, physical, or both? That's where I'd be focusing my attention; try to fix what's broken rather than throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Agree, and in the end it may be a plus. It didn't contribute to a loss in that game, and the learning experience may benefit them in the future.

Jets superfan definition: World class A-hole. My impression of him is that he thinks is far more important than he really is. If I were a season ticket holder sitting near him, I'd have to exercise self-discipline to restrain my opinions and fists.

Forgive me for repeating this, but it's a stat I was amazed (and happy) to learn recently; In 54 seasons since the NFL-AFL merger, the Jets have won the division title twice. TWICE! The fewest number of titles for all NFL teams since 1970. Along with that they've appeared in a grand total of 4 AFC Championships games, losing all 4, so no Super Bowl appearances since the merger. It's understandable how a Jet fan could label that as the best day in a decade. Pretty much one of the better days in 5 decades. It's not too late to join the mafia. 🙂 Edit: side note...I really despise that Fireman Ed douche bag at Jets games who thinks everyone in Met Life is there to see him. My next birthday wish will involve him.

I doubt another 'name' receiver would fit into the 2024 budget. Bean and the Bills are building for long-term success, so it's unlikely they're going to be looking at more aging WRs or one year rentals in hopes of getting to the show. They've already lost head to head matchups with the Texans and Ravens - 2 teams that will probably be seeded higher come playoff time. If the Bills don't have a complete collapse, they should coast to a division title and playoff berth. But I don't see them as serious super bowl contenders. That said, hope they hold on to the rest of their 2025 draft picks (or parlay some into higher picks) and continue building for the future with their star QB anchoring the team.

I believe it was prior to the broadcast (or was it somewhere else?) that the commentator mentioned that this officiating crew called the most penalties. I understand that it's their job to cite penalties, but sometimes they're just a bit over-zealous. There was a flag thrown on one of the TDs that was nowhere near the run, and I believe the runner was already crossing or into the endzone when the infraction occurred. The play was effectively over, yet here comes the laundry. Why? To slow the game down even more? Over officiating, particularly on a late prime time game is almost guaranteed to send half the audience to bed before the 4th quarter. If it hadn't been the Bills, I sure wouldn't have stayed up to watch. I hope the NFL reviews this and looks for ways to keep games from becoming boring snooze fests. It should be about the game, not the zebras.

I know almost nothing about the cap as it doesn't much interest me, but I want to throw this in there....using the Von Miller example of saving 8.5 million, correct me if I'm wrong, but that doesn't account for whatever roster spot is used to fill that void, correct? So, in effect, if they replace him with a player making something close to 8.5, there's really no saving at all. The only benefit that I see is that the replacement would have to contribute more to wins than Miller, otherwise it's not a plus.