Rochesterfan

Good Lord - you guys are just insane with this garbage. He is just a fill in for Mike Love while out on COVID. He won’t even be here in 2 weeks and people are complaining about him versus Carlos Dunlop. 🙄

It was started this year - lots of discussion in the off-season. It is supposed to be only for very obvious issues - if there is something close, but not obvious on quick review and the coach wants to challenge- that is available. The issue is the coaches do not know if the review team has looked at it - so there have been multiple close plays where the coach has even pulled the challenge flag before being told that the guys looked and basically you are not going to win. Coaches also wait now to challenge to see if it will be reviewed and the refs have slowed down teams - if they are signaled that it is being looked at to prevent the up tempo snap from preventing the review. They need to do some fine tuning and do a better job communicating, but they have the right idea - they just need to keep moving it forward.

Yes - the Bills did some “fun” games where they have guys do them for fun. We saw them before practice in the past do this. He had 2 or 3 guys that he knew could kick just practice a bit for emergencies. Guys he knew would be active. Just like he has Hyde ready for return duty if needed and McKenzie ready for CB duty if needed. This would not have happened the same way here - that is for sure. He would have a back-up holder ready and the punter to kick and a backup ready in case.

Notice when the win streak starts. The Dolphins get a bunch of mediocre teams right after the trade deadline passes and suddenly they get hot. The Owner, GM, and coach are all to blame for this season - as they handled the potential Houston QB trade so poorly and once that was taken off the table- stability took over and they started winning. Horrible job by that team. No leadership from the HC.

Dumbest post ever. Yes after this game the Bills are going to fire the HC they just gave a 6 year extension to and eat 5 years of contract. Why are we constantly punished with these posts. Over and over stupidity. 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮

Not a good guy and no longer a great player. My guess is he signs a deal in TB or KC and barely sees the field.

I think that weather as an experience is so over rated that the NFL has chosen to not play the most important game in an place that weather is a factor. Last night was not a good game. There was very little to watch and enjoy as basically it was reduced to 2 teams trying to run the ball and 1 team actually trying to make plays when the wind was behind them. If weather was truly an important part of football as some suggest - then the Super Bowl would move around through high population Northern cities like Chicago, NY, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, but it doesn’t. The NFL recognizes for the best experience and the best game the Super Bowl should be played in the best conditions to provide the best experience for fans and players. Therefore places like SD and Jacksonville get Super Bowls and even Minnesota and Detroit in cold weather cities over NY and Chicago.

This is stupid. 95% of the games are played either indoors or in good weather. Weather is so important that all but 1 Super Bowl has been played in great weather stadiums or domes.

Some people do like to watch a snow game, but it doesn’t drive any ratings because the TV market is set well before the game starts. Within the market the snow games have not really been shown to increase viewership in any data sets I have seen and it does tend to decrease the attendance as travel to and from the game is impacted. I personally prefer to sit in snow versus other precipitation (rain/sleet/etc), but at this stage of my life - I prefer something we have not seen this year at home - sunny, warm, dry, and nearly no wind.

Baker is an issue - he has had the same HC and OC last year and this year and he struggled early last year and then when OBJ went down and they basically went full run attack, 3TE, and complete a few passes - he looked good. Baker is not close to Top 5 - he is much closer to bottom 5 in the NFL and right now is easily the worst starting QB in that division. That has not worked well this year and with his injuries - Baker is a huge problem - and to prove that point a second player’s parent has come out and questioned what Baker can do. Even if under the guise of injury - that is a bad look. TE to me is interesting - they have 3 capable guys that they are paying huge money to, but Hooper has to be looked at as a huge disappointment for the contract, Njoku has basically become the deep threat, but is super inconsistent, Bryant when healthy might be the best, but basically that group has become a blocking trio to make the run game go. They are the focal point of a subpar offense. WR is a disaster, but I don’t think it matters - The offensive game plan is a ton of 13 personnel with 1 WR and when needed supplemented with 2 TEs and 2 WRs. They don’t open an offense up - so it is hard to get any WRs in a rhythm. The entire team is underperforming as shown by the threads before the season where many on this board thought they and the Ravens would battle for the #1 seed. A lot of that is people completely mis-understanding the talent level on that team.

As you said - there is a different mindset inside the 15, but the same gets said for the odd start outside the 35. It is like the change once a team gets their first - first down on a drive. Don’t just look at the negative side - with your example there is a positive side also. Both should be considered.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwj-m-XZqcD0AhX2QzABHe6GD5AQFnoECAIQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fthecommutesports.com%2F2020%2F10%2F27%2Fnfl-starting-field-position%2F&usg=AOvVaw1BOEs8WNFlTbcAOnIuT1x_ There is room for you both to be right. This study from last year suggests the Bills are one of the best teams at returns of both Kickoffs and Punts and this years data fall right in line as one again they are near the top in both kick returns yards average and punt return yard average. They suggest the Bills should be returning every kick when given a chance, but that was with Roberts when he was safe. There is also truth in that both Stevenson and McKenzie have shown difficulty with returns and taking the safe start at the 25 on kickoffs would actually be best. The difference is minor, but early in the season the energy from a big kick got the Bills some early momentum and at times later the mistakes have worked to kill momentum- so it is a mixed bag. What I find interesting is Stevenson to me seems very comfortable with Kick-off return duties, but less comfortable with punt returns (although explosive- he seems much less comfortable making the catch). McKenzie is the opposite- he seems much more comfortable in the punt return role, but seems very uncomfortable fielding kick-offs. A combination would be best, but you cannot justify the needed position. So at this very moment - I have no issue with the deciding to return a kickoff or not - the average difference is not worthy of the discussion. The pluses and minuses of touchbacks versus returns has played out in multiple games - some good - some bad. Just let it go - either way - it is what it is and plays out.

I totally agree - the Bills have been real good at stopping teams short of the 25 with the high, short kickoffs. McKenzie - I have mixed feelings. He has had some real nice kickoff returns at times, but he has struggled with a consistent approach. He has also put a few balls on the ground. Punt returns - I thought he looked more comfortable, but even there he struggles to just get to the ball on each kick. I agree Stevenson does not look really any better - I am not sure what the true benefits of him over McKenzie would be. He may be here longer, but I don’t see kick returner as a long term role for Stevenson as he seems uncomfortable. He also can’t fill McKenzie’s gadget role - he seems more of an outside receiver. Overall - I think it is sending a message and we will see who responds and who takes control of the position as we move forward once we get through the COVID and injuries.

I disagree totally. They only showed a small part, but when Josh was in the pocket and looking to screen to the left - the O-Line were already at the 1 yard downfield. Josh then scrambled forward and then threw the ball downfield to Knox and by that time I think they were 3+ yards downfield because the plays timing was messed up. It looked like a perfectly reasonable call to me.

That works if you have guys that can move out to protect, but if the WR/TE chips down it slows down their route. If the guards struggle to pull for the roll out - it leaves lots of room to attack the gaps and get pressure on Josh - closer to the sideline.

For years and years - every study shows the same thing - Buffalo is top 1 or 2 for wind during NFL games and has one of the most difficult stadiums to kick and thrown in because of how that wind comes across the stadium and swirls. Buffalo is the snowiest NFL stadium for games and is near the top in rain and precipitation for all venues. Small amounts of snow are not a big deal, but rain and heavy snow has major impacts - especially when combined with the wind. Buffalo is one of the coldest cities - although GB is and can be colder - it doesn’t combine all of the other weather the way Buffalo does. Buffalo is by far the worst NFL city for weather and we have a chance to fix that any of multiple ways. A new OP stadium built with better wind and weather blocking and built at a proper angle and not dug down - will all help with the wind, but does little for the rain and snow and temperatures. A covered stadium fixes all 3 issues. A downtown stadium likely also helps as there is less wind and the stadium design can help, there is significantly less snow and the temperature is warmer closer to the water. There are so many good options to adjust this, but most likely we will stay status Quo and remain a place no one can play at their peak level.

Correct, but you are very limited as you have almost no athleticism at the guard position. Typically with roll outs - you are pulling guards or centers to slide over and create a new pocket toward the outside. Currently the Bills are facing a contain DE and DTs that are beating your RG - which is where you want to move the pocket. Your Center and LT have some athletic ability, but your guards are big bodies that take up space. Rolling to the right with the current line just adds to the pressure. You are literally moving Josh right into the pressure spots on the DLine. With Spencer Brown at RT and Williams at RG - you now have the athletic makeup to move the line, but the improved guard play so that you don’t need to. I think as a rare 1 off it works, but based upon your OP - I think you are inviting trouble. The current line is weakened and can’t really perform what you are asking, the regular line doesn’t need to. So you would be trying to create a whole new offense that actually plays into what the defense is doing and only doing it for the limited time that Brown is out - seems like a huge stretch of something for an offense to work on. They are better off working on ways to help Ford out that can be when he is replaced by the next game.

I think mostly because teams are not rushing with their DEs - they are having them go up field to contain JA in the pocket. Therefore many times you would roll Josh right into an oncoming DE. Rollouts work best if the tackle can hook a DE giving space, but the times they have move Josh out - he is forced directly into guys not rushing, but playing contain. - Similar to how the Bills have played Lamar. Pass Rush from the outside to contain get pressure from the middle. Defenses have even gotten particular in allowing space for Josh to escape, but mostly to his left because they can control better where he throws when he is moving that way. If you watch the game there are times he tries to roll out and the DE or OLB is waiting for him and forces him backwards and away from the LOS. It has moved Josh into areas where he is unprotected and he has rushed throws or made plays where he didn’t get the ball back to the LOS and got flagged for intentional grounding. Your idea sounds great in theory, but is easily thwarted by a DE playing contain - which brings Josh right into the pass rush. Also as we have seen - anytime the QB or RB is moving side to side and the DL disengages to pursue - that is when the majority of holding calls occur. They see the player move and then call the hands outside the frame. Those would be the first two reasons - I am sure their are more. It works on occasion, but as a long term attack plan - I think it opens up issues.

It shows just how bad of a post/thread you have when a different Troll is the only one supporting you. Sometimes the threads and posters just make you 🤢🤢🤮.

Can it be nominated also for the dumbest, longest, and most pointless run on sentence of all time. It could be a 3 time winner. What a post!

Just shift the focus of the OP post. Instead of 4 guys competing for the All-Time Bill’s team - which is just a bit early on any of these players. Drop it down a few notches. Those 4 players are all striving toward Wall of Fame status. Something that is given for both team play and individual play - along with being fan favorites. Most WOF’ers are all time greats, but you have guys like Phil Hansen, Joe Ferguson, and maybe Fred Smerlas up there that are good players during their time, but none are all time greats for long periods with the Bills. Some had personality, some had longevity, and some were just the best player during a bad period of time. I think with a few more good years several of these guys could be eventual WOF guys - even without being all time greats and some like Allen, White, and Bass might make cases as All Time Bills team stars.

I just think this is wrong. After the top couple of guys that are mostly 2nd round picks - the next 20+ backs all have between 500-600 yards and are all interchangeable. There are 1st round guys to UDFAs in that group with lots of guys picked 3rd round and later. Take a guy like Taylor and put him on the Bills - it might make a difference it might not as our line is not as good at run blocking as Indy. What I do know is I would not waste a 1st round pick on that position. If I moved back into mid second maybe. After the top couple where 4 of the 5 are on run first teams - every other running back looks pretty much the same - small differences in style. Rather keep trying different 3rd-6th round backs and use higher picks on premium positions.

Your quote stated he would not be retained after this year. He is already on a guaranteed contract for next year - so it seems highly unlikely that they won’t retain him after this year. He has not signed a long term contract, but they liked him enough to pick up a big option.

You know he is already on a guaranteed contract for next year right.

I agree 31 carries is small, but if you review - he was the first RB signed after the injuries to the PS - Days before Murray and Freeman as veterans and Williams. Yet as RB injuries mounted - the others were called up first - even with less experience in the system - there must be a reason. Murray, Freeman, and Williams all have outproduced him and Freeman has looked significantly better the last 3 games. I think Bell is a victim of numbers as he has not produced and guys are getting healthy.