Logic

I have no doubt that that thread is full of delusional posts and laughable homer takes, but... You could not pay me any amount of money to intentionally spend even a second of time on Chiefs Planet. Truly the most toxic and miserable hellscape on earth.

Yes.

This is a WGR call in message board form.

Dear Little Baby Jesus (or LBJ for short) Please, tiny savior, let the national media start talking about how this will be an easy win for the Chiefs. How the Bills defense is too small, the offense isn't talented enough, and Mahomes just has Josh's number. Please, sweet little king of kings in your humble manger crib, playing with a plastic toy key set and surrounded by matted donkeys...I need the media to loudly and repeatedly doubt the Bills all week long, starting tomorrow. Thank you tiny lord. Amen.

Underrated big moment of the game: Bills defense stiffening and stopping the Ravens on three straight plays after allowing the deep post completion to the one yard line in the second quarter. Holding the Ravens to 10 instead of allowing them to tie it up at 14, going into the half with a double digit lead rather than tied or only up by 7... Absolutely HUGE moment in the game. The more I reflect on it this morning, the more I reach the conclusion: The Bills defense won them this game.

When you get to the playoffs, most offenses you face are going to be very good. When you're going against Lamar Jackson and Pat Mahomes and Joe Burrow, opposing offenses are GOING to move the ball against you. Limit points and get some takeaways, and you give a Josh Allen led offense a great chance to win. Do turnovers tend to regress to the mean? Yes. Is solely relying on turnovers a sustainable defensive model? No. Try to limit the opponents to 3s instead of 7s and take the ball away when you can. That's it.

I think opposing defenses are rightly recognizing that the Bills' best pass catchers reside in the middle of the field. Shakir, Kincaid, Knox. As such, they tend to focus most of their attention on shutting down those players, and the Bills -- at this moment -- largely don't have the horses on the outside to make defenses want to play any other way. In order for things to open up for the tight ends and even increase opportunities for Shakir, the Bills need to improve their outside receiver position in the offseason. Maybe Cooper gets more fully integrated in the offense, maybe Coleman takes second year strides, or maybe they draft a guy or sign one in free agency. Until the Bills improve at outside WR, we can likely continue to expect opposing defenses to focus on taking away the TEs and Shakir.

My replies in bold. I had issues with some of the second half play-calling, and it was not my favorite Joe Brady game. I wanted more aggression in the second half. But I also think you're overstating it, and completely absolving Josh Allen of blame -- both for his checks/audibles and some plays that he himself missed. Lastly, the Ravens since week 11 are #1 in almost every defensive metric. They are a GOOD defense. And at the end of the day, the Bills scored 27 points against them. Yes, the Bills defense gave them short fields. Still. 27 points. And yet you're bagging on Joe Brady for the TE screen in a post above, when it seems "very clear and obvious" that Josh audibled to it.

Taron Johnson is one of the three best nickel defenders in the entire NFL. To say that I politely disagree with your take would be....well...it would be incorrect. I very forcefully and non-politely disagree with your take. I glare in your general direction. Good day.

I am of the belief that it is incredibly difficult for the average fan to reasonably judge an offensive gameplan in the NFL for the reasons you state. We, as fans, don't know the following: - what the called play was - whether or not the QB checked to a different play - what the defense did or didn't show vs the original call to warrant a check - whether that check was the right decision - whether the protections were set correctly, which hugely impacts the play success - whether the OL and skill players executed the play call the way it was supposed to be executed or committed an error - what the defense did to confuse or outscheme the offensive playcall So we can all sit here from the comfort of our armchairs, without most of that information (maybe the really sharp viewers know the answer to SOME of those questions, SOME of the time, but most don't) and say "Brady called a bad game" or "what was up with those playcalls?". But the reality is that there are simply so many variables that fans are not privy to. Using last night as an example, I think most of us were frustrated at how conservative the Bills seemed to be in the third quarter, how much they ran the ball on 1st down, how little they trusted Allen to make plays in the passing game, etc. But how do we know Josh wasn't checking to run plays based on looks the defense gave him? How do we know that Josh wasn't surveying the defense presented, deciding that a run play was the "right" call vs that defense, and then the offensive players just got out-executed by the defensive players? I'll admit that the playcalling in the third quarter (and part of the fourth) vexed me at times. But I never forget two things: One, I'm missing a ton of information (as stated above), and two, the other guys get paid, too. It's not as simple as many want to make it out to be.

Amidst the jubilation of the victory, the celebration beers, and all the smack talking I was doing to Ravens fans on Twitter, I didn't post here last night. My thoughts: - Peter Schrager said it best this morning: For once, the catastrophic failure in a key moment happened to the OTHER team. For once, a "name game" happened to the OTHER team. The Mark Andrews Game. For once, it was the OTHER team that had untimely drops, turnovers, and errors that ultimately cost them the game. That, more than almost anything else, feels like the lasting takeaway to me. I haven't seen it often. Maybe never. Hell of a time for a first. - The Broncos and Ravens both boasted elite rushing defenses heading into their matchups with Buffalo. The Bills gave BOTH of these run defenses their worst performance of their season, and did it in the PLAYOFFS. - I just honestly never imagined a day where the Bills defense and running game would lead the way to victory in a playoff game, while Josh Allen mostly looked like Clark Kent. Does anyone honestly think the Bills would've won last night's game with the rushing offense of years past? No way. If anyone's looking for a reason why this Bills team is different than Bills teams past under Josh Allen, it's the run game. It's the ability to lean on something OTHER than Superman Josh. - I think the Bills defense needed every single one of the players it had at its disposal last night. If any of Milano, Bernard, Johnson, Benford, whomever...wasn't out there on that field last night, I'm not sure they win. Defensive health, along with the run game, are the big, glaring differences this year. - Josh did what he needed to do, when he needed to do it. Not one of his best games ever statistically, but it doesn't matter. He played well. His clean game with no turnovers -- while Lamar committed two -- is a big reason for the Bills victory. - Speaking of Lamar: I must be taking crazy pills this morning, seeing so many people (particularly on social media) say that the loss isn't on Lamar, that he played well, etc. Newsflash: You commit two turnovers in a playoff game, and you're losing much more often than you're winning. One of his two turnovers led to 7 Bills points, in a game the Bills won by 2. So miss me with the "it's not on Lamar" stuff. It's not ALL on Lamar, but he ABSOLUTELY shoulders some blame. Anyone wanna guess how the media would be treating Josh Allen this morning if HE had committed two turnovers and lost? Exactly. - I know we all had the same feeling as that 4th quarter was winding down: The opposing team needed 8 points to tie it up, and all that stood between them and doing so was a Sean McDermott defense in the playoffs. We've all seen this movie before, and it doesn't end well. And if it had gotten to overtime? Well, that movie usually doesn't end will for the McDermott Bills, either. But to reiterate my first point: For once, the fates smiled upon the BILLS rather than the other team. The rarest of the rare. Call it what you want. Call it the Bills "escaping" with a win -- they did. Call it the Bills doing ENOUGH to win -- they did. Call it the fickle football gods, just for once, casting good fortune upon the Bills -- they did. Whatever you choose to call it, the outcome is the same: The Buffalo Bills are headed to the AFC Championship Game. GO BILLS!!!

With all due respect to his contributions to the Bills over the years, I would quite like for someone to hire away Terrence Grey to their front office this offseason. I'm sure he's a lovely and highly skilled lad, but two 3rd round picks would be pretty, pretty, pretttttttttty good!

What kinda b1tch ass name is "Zay Flowers" any way? Ravens should lose just for rostering a guy named after pretty smelling little garden plants. go bills

If I would've told you in August that sixth o-lineman Alec Anderson being a full participant going into the divisional round would bring about a huge sigh of relief from Bills fans...you'd have told me I was high on crack. And yet, here we are. Based on the success and frequency of the Bills' 6 OL package, Anderson is arguably as important a weapon to his offense as almost any skill player. Wild.

Sean McDermott: an objectively very good football coach. In order to be considered a GREAT football coach, we all know he needs to win a championship. But no matter how you want to look at it, be it win % amongst Bills coaches, win % amongst his peers or historically, consistency of divisional success, consistency of playoff entry...McDermott ranks very favorably. Again, the one area where he is not yet GREAT is playoff win % and championship wins. If he checks off those boxes and continues to win as consistently as he does, it is not a stretch to say that he could be considered an all-time GREAT NFL head coach. Congrats, coach McDermott.

Crosby has stated (recently) that he thought the Bills were going to draft him. I also remember talk that the Bills had spent a bunch of time on him pre-draft that year and really liked him. The Bills draft visit researchers at the time had him on the short list of guys to keep on eye on, based on the Bills interest in him. The Bills closest pick to Crosby was Dawson Knox, who they selected in the 3rd round. Crosby went in the 4th, and the Bills didn't have another pick until well after Crosby was gone. It's fun to imagine an alternate timeline where the Bills had drafted Crosby, but I think the only way it realistically could've happened is if they had taken him instead of Dawson Knox.

I was, until this thread, completely unaware of you as a poster. Respectfully, I'd like to go back to that blissful ignorance.

https://www.theringer.com/2025/01/17/nfl/baltimore-ravens-buffalo-bills-matchup-preview-divisional-round I thought this was a reasonably enjoyable article from the Ringer this morning. "The ball-knower's guide to Bills vs Ravens". It points out some of the ways in which Baltimore's strengths are bad news for the Bills. Specifically, the Marlon Humphrey/Kyle Hamilton combo usually capably limits slot receivers and TEs, Baltimore is good 1st in the league defensively against jumbo formations, Baltimore's 12 and 21 personnel packages may pose (and have posed) difficult challenges for the Bills defense, and Baltimore's key passing concepts are good (and offer diverse options) against teams that play heavy zone coverage. On the other hand, the writer (who ultimately picks Baltimore to win) completely fails to mention that Shakir, Bernard, Milano, and Johnson all missed the first matchup, or that the Bills have since added Amari Cooper. Those all seem like very important things to mention in a "ball-knower's guide". Other than those omissions, I thought it was a nice little writeup.

It's confirmed: The year the NFL takes the first round bye away from the one-seed, the Bills will immediately begin perennially winning the one-seed.

I think the weather WILL play a part in this game. For those saying "Baltimore plays in cold weather, too". Well, yeah...but not like this. The coldest temperature Lamar Jackson has ever played in is 27 degrees. It's supposed to be 8 degrees at kickoff on Sunday. There is a world of difference between 27 degrees and 8 degrees. Lamar also said he won't be wearing gloves on Sunday. I realize they have giant industrial heaters on the sideline, but...fingers in 8 degree weather get cold regardless. They can tingle and lose feeling. I don't see how that wouldn't at least POTENTIALLY alter throwing ability to some degree. Aside from all that, Harbaugh has the team practicing indoors this week. He said he'll make it as cold as he can in there, but he refuses to have the team practice outside right now because he says the practice field is frozen. I respect the perspective of those who say the weather won't matter, and I respectfully disagree.

Agreed. I also think that Wild Card Weekend is now usually a watered down affair. The 2 vs 7 game is rarely competitive. The NFL needlessly punishes the 2nd best team in the conference for the sake of an added game's worth of television revenue. It prioritizes profit over the quality of the on-field product and fairness to the 2-seed team. I wish they'd do away with the 7 seed format, but I know they won't. Money rules all.

Of course. I get that the 1 seed always faces the lowest remaining seed, but it would be nice if the Chiefs had to face at least a LITTLE bit of a challenge this weekend. Oh well.

My favorites were Josh chopping down a live tree with the blade cover still on (legendary stuff, that), and his secretly having his own deck of Monopoly Deal cards so that he could pack his hand with the most powerful cards. Like...who DOES that? Josh, apparently.

I liked this article. It's behind a paywall, but I'll post some of the quotes. There's a bunch, but here's a sampling. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6064535/2025/01/16/josh-allen-stories-college-football-wyoming-bills/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=twhq&source=twitterhq The best stories from Josh Allen’s college days: ‘People follow him. He’s very authentic’ If you know one story about Josh Allen’s college recruitment, it’s that he did not receive a single Division I scholarship offer. Overlooked at Firebaugh High in California’s Central Valley, Allen instead attended Reedley, a nearby community college, where he drafted a short email with a link to a highlight video and blasted it out to more than 1,000 college coaches. Baked into that story is a larger idea: Allen believed in himself at a time when nobody else did. His confidence and force of personality led him to the University of Wyoming, where he developed from a raw gunslinger into a top-10 pick and future franchise quarterback. Ten years later, he’s a co-favorite to win his first NFL MVP award. Allen’s talent is undeniable, but it’s only part of the reason he’s successful. To understand how he became one of the NFL’s most authentic leaders, The Athletic called his childhood friends, college teammates and coaches. For three seasons in Laramie, Wyo., Allen heaved 75-yard bombs in practice, lived off Applebee’s and charmed teammates with his leadership style, a goofy sincerity and plenty of drinking games. “His personality goes a long way as far as being a leader, ” said Tanner Gentry, a teammate of Allen in Wyoming and with the Bills. “It radiates throughout the whole team.” The stories of Allen’s college days are legendary, informative and completely college. And according to close friends and former teammates, they help explain the essence of Josh Allen, the player, teammate and leader. Craig Bohl, former Wyoming head coach: People follow him. He’s very authentic. Cooper Rothe, former Wyoming kicker: We always used to describe him as a big little kid. Vander Waal: Our lockers were right next to each other. He pulled a Nerf gun out of his locker. I’m like: “What are you doing?” He’s like: “Dude, we’re about to have a Nerf gun fight in the locker room.” Espinoza: He’ll take your watch off. He’ll shake your hand and be looking you dead in your eyes and just take your watch. Rothe: My freshman year, I’m a kicker. We’re standing on the sidelines during a team scrimmage. Sure enough, the ball ends up on the sideline. I’m holding the ball, usually the equipment managers are quick to come grab it, but I see Josh calling my name: “Cooper, Cooper, throw me the ball, let’s go.” I’m supposed to give it to the equipment manager, which is the right move, but Josh is the team captain. I don’t want to be the guy to say no to Josh. So I make eye contact with him, throw probably the best ball of my life, perfect spiral. As I release the ball, I see him look away on purpose. Best ball of my life. Going right at his head. He has his helmet on. It hits him. He flails his arm, throws his head back … “Cooper, what the hell, man?” Cameron Coffman, former Wyoming quarterback: Leadership essentially comes down to influence, and whether you’re an NFL quarterback or a 10-year-old kid on the playground at school, there are certainly people that other people are attracted to, that they’ll follow. And from the beginning, he had that characteristic. Gentry: Fourth of July trip. My grandparents own a cabin in Red Feather Lakes, Colorado. We had a big crew there and it’s out in the middle of nowhere so we’re playing drinking games. It was an unreal trip. About a week and a half later, my grandma texted me that one of the trees was chopped down and the cover for the axe was still on it right by the tree. I sent it to the group and was like: “Who chopped this tree down?” And Josh was like: “That was me.” I was like: “Dude, you left the cover on.” And he goes: “Oh, that’s why it was so hard to chop it down.” Price: He’s probably the best competitor I’ve ever been around in my entire life. Hall: He always had that Kobe mentality: “I’m the best, and I’m gonna prove it today.” Pilapil: We would play Monopoly Deal and he would blatantly cheat. He went and bought another pack of Monopoly Deal cards so that he could pack his hand with the high-powered cards. Gentry: He doesn’t have an off switch. He’ll do anything it takes to win. Price: He’s always had that confidence and belief in himself, even when everyone else around him doubted. Gentry: When he was named the starter, he told me: “Dude, if I’m rolling out, don’t come back to the ball. I don’t want to throw a 10-yard or 15-yard completion. You run to the end zone and I’ll throw it up and we’ll have a chance.” Bohl: It was a cold blustery spring day, so I was standing back and we called a traditional bootleg. The rules on the bootleg were: If the fullback is open in the flat, take it. Just take the profit. If he’s not open, check the tight end. If he’s open, take that. And the third option is to run. Well, on this particular play, the fullback was open. Josh didn’t take it. The tight end was open. He didn’t take it. Instead he threw a ROPE on a backside post against a 60 mile per hour wind 60-some yards down the field. A touchdown. He was happy, much to my displeasure because he didn’t follow the rules. I said: “Josh, the rules are you throw it to the fullback if the fullback is open.” He looked at me and goes: “No, Coach, Favre says touchdowns first.” Bohl: Needless to say, there’s a cowboy in him. I think that probably captures everything about him that’s really special. Espinoza: He is just the most confident and sure-about-himself person in the world. Gentry: The mindset piece of it, he definitely believes he’s the best in the world. But you’ll never hear him talking about how good he is.