Logic

Disagree. I've watched Andy Dalton's game winning touchdown throw about a billion times now. That play was NOT luck. It was perfect execution by both Dalton and Boyd. Anyone who thinks that our making the playoffs was JUST luck is silly. What put the Bills in position to be the beneficiaries of that luck? Winning crucial games at crucial times. Had they not beat the Chiefs, the Colts, the Dolphins twice, the Broncos...had ANY ONE OF THOSE GAMES gone down in the loss column, the Bills would not have made the playoffs. The Bills put themselves into position to have luck matter. That's not luck.

Kyle Williams' TD run against the Dolphins instantly had me choked up and shedding a few tears. How could you not? After the fact, watching all the celebration videos -- with the video of Kyle's facial expressions as Boyd is scoring for the Bengals topping the list -- got the tears flowing again. Lastly, the "end of the drought" video that the Bills put together was the capper. Everything about the end of the drought and what it meant to Kyle and the team and the fans will be lodged in my memories forever. My favorite moments of Bills fandom (I was too young to properly remember the "glory years").

I predict this thread will reach...oh....19 pages. And you can bet it will all be well-reasoned, thoughtful analysis, too!

Tone deaf response from the NFL. Between this and their persistent obsession with eliminating any sort of violence whatsoever from the game, they'll be lucky to continue to be America's chosen sport. I concur that the NBA is in the process of bypassing the NFL as we speak.

Tremaine Edmunds will be the starting MIKE and I think they like Milano continuing as the WILL. I think the staff is high on Matt Milano and not eager to send him to the bench. The biggest hole in our defense, therefore, is at SAM, where only Lorenzo Alexander currently resides.

Agree to disagree on this one.

While I would love it if the Bills signed Kendricks, I do not believe they will do so for the simple reason that they don't value a two-down SAM linebacker very highly. I expect he will get higher offers elsewhere or, at the very least, a better opportunity. Here, he'd play in the base defense only, and would come off the field on third downs. We shall see.

I remember how excited I was for Steve Fairchild's offense in Buffalo. Lee Evans and Peerless Price on the outside with Andre Davis and Roscoe Parrish in the slot. JP Losman quarterback us to the "Greatest Show on Turf 2.0". Yeah..... Yeah.

Thanks for the read as always, Shaw. I am amazed -- not taken aback, not slightly surprised -- but absolutely AMAZED, shocked, gobsmacked, delighted...that the Bills are where they are today, considering where they were at the end of Rex and Whaley's tenures. You're absolutely right, they haven't won anything of note yet. But just from a pure organizational standpoint, is there one single Bills fan, football fan, or analyst on the planet who would dispute that they are in a much better, more stable, more constructive place? A top notch front office fronted by an intelligent, well prepared, thoughtful, and ready general manager. Multiple guys under him who are also high quality (Schoen, Gaine -- who has since left, Dan Morgan now, and on it goes). The coaches? A heck of a staff, headed by McDermott but just as importantly also featuring quality coaches like Leslie Frazier, Bob Babich, Rob Boras, Terry Robiskie. Not only do they stress the importance of fundamentals and scheme execution, they also stress the importance of chemistry and culture. They have definite calculated purpose. And those are the biggest buzz words that define this era of Bills football. Chemistry, culture, calculated purpose. It is incredibly refreshing to see. It all sounds like obvious stuff, but to Bills fans who have been stuck in a 20 year dysfunctional cluster!@#$ of historic proportions, it suddenly feels like getting fresh air and light after suffocating in the dark. It all goes back to the Pegulas. They not only saved (both) Buffalo sports teams and continue to play a vital role in revitalizing the community, they also now have provided the most legitimate reasons for Bills-related optimism since Marv Levy was head coach. Thanks again to you for writing, and thanks to the Pegulas for...well....just about everything.

I'm not gonna play the "let's say" hypothetical game all day long. Each case is different. In this specific case, I feel Beane made the right decision. I'll be happy to evaluate the next thing that comes along when it actually comes along.

Viewing it ONLY as an "age cutoff" thing is over simplifying it. But if a player is 34 AND becoming a headcase? I'm okay with it. Oh, and I'm not going to do backflips to make sure he doesn't become a Patriot. I don't care. They've whooped us twice a year for 17 years now. Let's suppose they sign Incognito (which I doubt they will), what does that mean? They win 13 games instead of 12? The Bills shouldn't make personnel decisions based on fear of the Patriots.

That depends. In your hypothetical, Is Jerry Hughes 34 years old with a history of mental instability and recent displays of erratic behavior that threaten to bring unneeded drama to a developing locker room? And did I miss where Incognito signed with the Patriots?

After not letting Boldin out of his contract last year, Beane not letting Richie out of HIS contract this year would have been a bad look for the Bills.

I can't see how this is so hard for people to understand. Beane and McDermott value chemistry and culture above all else. They have shown that they will not hesitate to get rid of ANYONE who they don't think will positively contribute to the chemistry and culture of the locker room. Richie Incognito, with his erratic behavior, sudden instability, and the drama that his "I'm retired, no I'm not, I want my release, can I come back?" routine was creating, became a threat to the chemistry and culture that Beane and McDermott wanted to build. They thus decided that the best move was to get rid of him, even if it meant "giving him what he wants" and losing some bonus money. People thinking we were going to get a trade asset in return for a 34-year-old guard who has recently displayed erratic behavior are dreaming. I believe that Beane assessed that the tiny silver of potential of getting a 2019 7th round pick in exchange for this guy was not worth the headaches he was beginning to create. As to the notion of holding on to Incognito's rights so that his only options are retire or play for the Bills. Why? It was one thing with Boldin, who agreed to play for the Bills, then 10 days into camp retired, then asked if he could be let out of his contract. Beane felt burned by Boldin's failure to honor his commitment and reacted accordingly. With Richie, he had three good years with the Bills and was a key part of their playoff season. Why hold him hostage? Especially given the aforementioned headaches he is creating. Sometimes, addition by subtraction is necessary to maintain intangible qualities like chemistry and culture. I believe this is one of those cases.

It's kind of amazing to me the amount of people who already "know" -- without a shadow of a doubt -- that Peterman will never amount to anything in the NFL. As if being put in too early in his career against an elite pass defense on the road was his fault. It's as if people don't believe players ever improve. They just stay at the same talent level that they display in their first start, I guess? Are people aware that Peyton Manning threw 3 interceptions in his first start? Or that he had more interceptions than touchdowns in his rookie year? How about Hall of Famer Troy Aikman? Just 9 TDs to 18 INTs in his first year as starter. What would you people have said about those two after their first years? It's also amazing how certain people are that Peterman won't win the QB competition this Summer. Why is that so hard to believe? He has a year head start on Josh Allen in terms of learning the pro game. His physical talent level is about equal to that of AJ McCarron. All three guys are starting fresh with a brand new playbook. I find it hard to place realistic odds on who will win this competition, but I don't think Peterman winning it is outlandish whatsoever.

I agree with Burple. Peterman is the surprise of camp and wins the job outright. Just as his first college start was a disaster and he came back to become a good player for Pitt, so too will he come back from his disastrous first NFL start and become a quality NFL quarterback. So it is written, so it shall be.

Going to see Paul Simon tonight. Dead and Company x2 (The Gorge and Autzen Stadium) Pearl Jam x 2 (both at Safeco Field in Seattle) Pondering going to see shows by Leon Bridges, Father John Misty, The Roots, and Jackson Browne.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Nothing funnier than a good, tasteful prison rape joke!

Don't worry everyone, this is just the usual PPP battle tactic. Stall and obfiscate by demanding that your opposition explain something that you yourself aren't willing to. Same old Boyst. But really, if you're going to get all butthurt and political about it, you should probably move it to that silly thread you created in the PPP the last time you got butthurt.

Everything is so compressed down there. I think the difference for Allen is that his arm strength and his confidence in said arm allow him to zing it into tight windows at high velocity in ways that other QBs simply cannot. Let's hope this carries over to the pros.

Shouldn't this be re-directed to the "re-directed political bull ****" section of PPP?

Here's how I see it: Thurman forgets his suit jacket on the way to the podium. Kenneth Davis has to start the speech. Jim Kelly, Marv Levy, Bruce Smith, Darryl Talley, Andre Reed, and Steve Tasker all miss the speech due to partying too hard the week leading up to it. a sold out crowd of table jumping rowdy Bills Mafia. (I'm with you on this one) Josh Allen has a Peterman-esque meltdown on Monday Night Football, throwing 3 INTs, completing 52% of his passes, and his pants fall down for some reason. Tom Brady sacked by Kyle Williams and leaves the game with concussion protocol. (Again, I'm with you here) Bills fall to 3rd place behind the Pats and Darnold-led Jets, where they remain for the rest of the season. That's what MY crystal ball is telling me!

Wow. You already know this after one season? I see the armchair scouts are out in full force for Mr Jones. I agree that he'll never be more than a 3rd option a best. But a "soft clown"? I'd like to see YOU play a full season with a torn labrum! Sheesh!

It's funny you mention that. My understanding is that the only tryout player they signed from a week ago was FB Zach Olstead, who is more of an H-Back. I wonder if Daboll is thinking the same thing you are!