Logic

I think that the idea of an NFL head coach knowingly holding stuff they think will work back from an opponent "just in case" they meet them in the playoffs, is nonsense. It's fallacy. I don't think it happens. There are too few games in an NFL season, and they're all too important to potential playoff seeding, and everyone works too hard (from coaches to players) to knowingly hold anything back that would help you win a regular season game. Now maybe when you play a divisional opponent two times within a few weeks, a team you see often, you hold a little bit back in the first meeting to use in the second meeting. But an opponent you only see once in a given year, and as early in the season as we played the Ravens, no less? Absolutely not. I just don't buy it. I don't think the Chiefs did it against the Bills. I don't think the Bills did it against the Ravens. In both cases, I think one team just outplayed and outcoached the other. It happens. It's the NFL. I don't buy into all the 4D Chess.

McDermott's comments about "being smart" when Milano returns and "staying in rhythm" leads me to believe that they won't rush him into the lineup, and that they value the continuity and flow they have on defense right now. As others have mentioned, it's a good problem to have. One of the silver linings and blessings when starters miss time due to injury is that sometimes it allows the depth behind them a chance to develop on the field and get much needed reps. That's been the case with Dorian Williams. Milano is a leader and a playmaker and has a big dead cap hit if cut this offseason, so I expect him to be a Bill in 2025. Beyond that, though, I'm not so sure.

Outstanding. Thanks for this!

You're probably right. I'm an animal lover, so I certainly wouldn't hit just ANY horse. He'd have to really have it comin', ya know?

I disagree that usage and quarterback play are the factors primarily to blame for Samuel's lack of production so far this season -- at least not in a vacuum -- which is what this post makes it sound like. Between the way Samuel looked to the naked eye throughout much of the year and McDermott's post-game comments about Samuel needing to get his confidence back and remember that he's a good football player, I believe something more has been going on. My guess would be that Samuel's lingering turf toe hasn't allowed him to fully be himself, which has gotten into his head, and has also changed the way Brady uses him and the degree to which he is relied upon in this offense. While I agree that it will be incumbent upon the offensive coordinator to continue to find meaningful ways to get Samuel involved, and incumbent upon the quarterback to trust Samuel and to look for him in big moments, I ALSO think that both of those things will have a better chance of happening if whatever has ailed Samuel (be it physical, mental, or both) is behind him. So...yes I think it's coaching and quarterbacking, but I also don't think Samuel himself should be absolved of responsibility for his lack of production this year.

I have to admit that after the Bills had a good O-line last year, I was pretty irritated at Beane for trying to "fix what wasn't broke" by letting Mitch Morse go and moving McGovern to center. Lo and behold, that was the right decision. Our O-line is even BETTER this year, particularly in the run game, and I think moving from Morse (a finesse center) to McGovern (more of a classic mauler) is a big reason why. For not the first and certainly not the last time, Beane was right and I was wrong. Additionally: Aaron Kromer. Oh my GOSH that dude has made a difference! Sure, he's not to be trusted with beach chairs, but the man can coach the hell out of an offensive line!

Bail money to get me out of jail after I drunkenly punch a police horse during the Bills' Super Bowl parade.

Thanks for this. I'm not surprised to learn that he's a dynamite person. I'd sill rather see the pretty pop star than him if given the choice

As long as Gabe is what he always should've remained here -- a WR4/5 who is not counted on to be anything more than that -- then sure, I'd be fine with a reunion on a cheap deal. Honestly, half the miscommunications/INTs that happened between him and Josh were on option routes, which Brady seems to have mostly 86'd from the playbook. Not sure if there will be room for him on the roster with Shoeless Mack Hollins in town though.

Respectfully, as long as Patrick Mahomes it the quarterback and Andy Reid is the head coach, I don't expect the Chiefs to ever be "exposed" or to be anything other than championship contenders. The Chiefs -- who, mind you, are likely to have Hollywood Brown and Isiah Pacheco back in the playoffs -- were one 4th and 2 stop away from having a short field to drive for a game winning field goal attempt. I don't particularly think the Bills exposed anything yesterday. I think their all-world QB just made an all-world play, and had he not done so, the Bills might be 8-3 this morning.

I'm just curious what she has said or done at any point that makes you feel she is "entitled" or has a "schtick".

What you say is correct. To add to it: I can't ever remember the Bills bottling up Travis Kelce so effectively. People can say "well this isn't the Kelce of old", but he had 32 (!) receptions for 254 yards and 2 TDs over the three games preceding this one. Didn't let Hopkins affect the game, either. The front seven was the difference in this game for me. The D-line kept Mahomes hemmed in and made him uncomfortable, and the linebackers limited the middle-of-field stuff and shut down #87. Babich and Brady both looking like future head coaches at the moment.

We all heard the breathless training camp reports about how big a part of the offense Curtis Samuel looked like he was going to be. We all watched through the first 9 weeks as he was a total afterthought. Last week, and then even more so last night, Curtis Samuel made plays. Both his usage and his productivity vastly improved. He ran legitimate wide receiver routes and made legitimate plays in the passing game. So what's the deal? Did his turf toe injury just finally heal up? Did the OC just finally start using him more intelligently? Were the Bills just FORCED to use him because of injuries to other receivers? A combination of these things? Whatever the case may be, if this new and more productive and versatile Curtis Samuel is here to stay, it will mean great things going forward. Cooper, Coleman, Shakir, Samuel, Hollins could actually wind up being a very strong, versatile, and deep WR corps over the stretch run of the season into the playoffs. Here's hoping Samuel has "arrived" on this offense and this isn't just a short term mirage.

So, since I'm the one that started this thread (and, before that, wanted the Bills to draft Worthy): Worthy showed up as more than a gadget guy yesterday. Clearly. Had he kept his toe inbounds on that play, who knows how the rest of the game would've played out. He has shown signs of being able to develop into a legitimate, playmaking wide receiver in the NFL. He has also shown that his diminutive frame can hinder his ability to be consistently productive. So far, if you can get into his grill at the snap and get physical, it's game over for him. But, to be fair, if you try and FAIL to get into his grill at the snap, he can smoke you and create 5 yards of separation in an instant. None of us Bills fans would consider it very fair if people were to judge Keon Coleman halfway through his rookie season, so I'll extend the same courtesy to Worthy. He's developing. He's making some plays. I'm happy with our guy so far, and I'm betting the Chiefs are happy with theirs.

Absolutely. In the games she's actually attended this year, they really haven't shown her much. I'd be shocked if it's more than a collective 25 seconds in the entire broadcast. As you said...beats the hell out of Fireman Ed, Bills Elvis, or the 14th extreme-closeup of Andy Reid's snotty walrus mustache.

Was fascinating to watch the replay of Josh's 4th and 2 run. Bills ran mesh, but Chiefs had the perfect zone playcall on and everyone was covered perfectly. Had Josh Allen not put on the cap and made that play, it would've been Chiefs ball with a short field to get into game winning field goal range. Interestingly, the Chiefs had no spy on Josh on that play. I wonder if Josh repeatedly patiently taking what the defense gave him most of the game caused them to eschew a spy there, or if it was the run threat needing only 2 yards or what. Brady vs Spags and Babich vs Reid was fascinating all night. To see it culminate in Spags having ALMOST the perfect playcall on that 4th and 2 -- save for the lack of spy -- and then see Josh Allen capitalize and win the game for the Bills...Awesome stuff.

It never ceases to amaze me that people get so worked up about Taylor Swift. Grown men working themselves into an absolute lather over the fact that a TV broadcast occasionally shows a pop star in a luxury box. What does she do to upset people so much? Sit in a chair and watch her boyfriend play football? Get excited after big plays? Smile? She is literally just a human person who is watching a football game. I cannot for the life of me understand how her presence triggers so many men. For the "well we just see too much of her! They're forcing her down our throats!" crowd: Does her being shown for (at most) a collective 80 seconds of a 3.5 hour broadcast really bother you that much? Does it bother you more or less than seeing the same Applebee's and Draftkings commercials 79 times per game? Does it bother you more or less than all the camo and flyovers and "salute to service" stuff? Does the presence of a pop star at the game really sully the sacred football viewing space so much that it warrants such irritation and hatred from people? Just feels like very thinly veiled misogyny to me. Men who are infuriated by the sight of a happy, successful, rich woman enjoying herself. God forbid! Bunch of snowflakes. Quit being 10-ply Charmin soft and give yer balls a tug.

Most weeks I have a bunch of game balls to give out. McDermott deserves one, Brady deserves one, the defensive line as a unit deserves one. But -- echoing what I just said in the post-game thread -- this week I just wanna give out one game ball: #17. Josh Allen. I've begun to run out of superlatives for the guy. He makes the miraculous seem commonplace. He makes the incredible seem routine. 1 of 1. Best football player on the planet. I'm so thankful he's a Buffalo Bill.

Most weeks I write various bullet points about various players and coaches. I could do that this week. I could talk about how effectively the defensive line hemmed in Mahomes, how good the linebacker play was, how Knox and Samuel stepped up, how resilient the team was, etc, etc... But I think this week I'll just say: Joshua Patrick Allen. I am so glad that the best football player on planet earth is a Buffalo Bill. It is an absolute pleasure to get to watch his entire career unfold, and I doubt we'll ever see another player like him. Enjoy him, Bills fans. 1 of 1.

I dunno. Many Bills fans are violent and somewhat mentally unstable Italian-Americans who consider each other "family". If the shoe fits...

First let me say: As much as I would love to see Tyson knock that Youtube twerp's face clean off his head, I fear this won't be much of a contest. Tyson is nearly 60. I question whether this is even a legitimate fight or if Tyson is getting paid a hefty sum to take a dive. More importantly, I implore everyone to watch Tyson being interviewed by a child yesterday and being lobbed a simple softball question, and apparently not giving one single solitary ***** that it's a literal child he's responding to. 🤣🤣🤣

...just kidding. Good post. Thanks. I'm honestly pretty laid back about this game, considering how big many consider it to be and considering the opponent. We've beaten them three times in the regular season, and it just never means much in the postseason. So if we win the game, I won't get too high about it. On the flipside, if we lose, so be it. The real test will come in the playoffs. Everything between here and the playoffs is about getting the best seed we can, staying as healthy as possible, and ironing out any kinks. The first season is going well and I'm enjoying it, but the second season is the important one. Fans know it, players know it. Would love to see a win this weekend, but either way, it's still about the playoffs. I understand what you're saying about history and precedent, but it's hard for me to put much stock in either. Maybe it's just me.

I was too young to see guys like Munoz and Boselli other than in highlight clips. The guys that set the gold standard at LT when I came up watching football were Walter Jones, Jonathan Ogden, and Joe Thomas. Of those, my pick would be Walter Jones. He just seemed unbeatable to me. He seemed like the perfect left tackle. Strength, agility, consistency. You couldn't beat Walter Jones. It was like he was built in a lab to play left tackle.

Never has there been a more perfect match than Barstool Sports and Jon Gruden. Gruden is a good illustration of how nobody is all good or all bad. Most people and most things are shades of grey. On the one hand, there's the sexually inappropriate workplace/e-mail stuff, the claims that he's disingenuous, can be "nasty", is an arrogant egomaniac, etc. On the other hand, I always enjoyed his work as a color commentator, and I enjoy his breakdowns online since he came back into the public eye. I think he's a knowledgeable, entertaining, unique personality with an obvious passion for pro football, and I think his presence adds to the league rather than subtracts from it. Personally, I'd love to sit down and talk football with him over a few beers. Glad to see him back. I think Gruden, Orlovsky, Belichick, and Baldinger (who all formerly played or coached in the league, you'll notice) add invaluable insight into the game, and I'm thankful for their content contributions. Give me detailed play and scheme breakdowns over talking heads shouting over each other any day.

Yeah I'm currently on the west coast, so western Canada has been a consideration for me at times. The thing that has stopped me from more seriously investigating it as a possibility is the cost. I learned recently that Vancouver is the 3rd most expensive city in North America! I knew it was expensive, but not quite THAT expensive. That's wild. Have always wanted to visit Banff and spend some time in Calgary. Even if I don't move there, I damned sure plan to drive up there in the next couple years.