Straight Hucklebuck

Watching Baker Mayfield, he can't do anything off-script. If he is forced to moved at all, his ability to make plays falls off the table. Browns aren't winning a Super Bowl with him as their QB.

They've tried. Started right away flipping him back and forth from Tackle to Guard. Sticking with him and his injuries. Putting him in the starting lineup.

Allen is still having to dance to avoid pass-rushers breaking through the line.

What I think is starting to become apparent with the Chiefs is they have not drafted well the past few seasons. Which makes me even more amazed that Hill-Kelce-Mahomes is still the unstoppable backbone of this team. Hardman has not really been incorporated in this offense, it’s still basically those 2 pass catchers, with the random big game from Pringle or Robinson. My lasting memory of the AFC Championship game was the Bills playing 10-15 yards off of Hill and watching him eat that cushion in less than 2 seconds, or Kelce running wide open. How the Bills try to lock down those two seems to mystery of the Chiefs. But you’re right to point to the defense, because the other half of that AFC Championship game was Allen looked rattled and the Bills WRs being abused and getting no separation. Knox has emerged this season, and Sanders is faster and better than Brown. Also, the Bills have worked on their run game and show some willingness now to stick with it. Outside of the obvious Allen playmaking, the Bills Offensive Line is susceptible to a horrible outing. They have to play their butts off next Sunday.

Yeah I think they are. It’s hard to get Murray on the ground.

They need to go back to their previous logo and the all black uniforms. Anything is better than that fade helmet with the tan.

Lawrence seems to move around a lot in the pocket before he throws, but you’re seeing the arm strength.

Yeah, and as bad as the Jags are, the Jets are right with them because they can't score at all. They've score 20 points in 3 games.

Well, I think it should still be taken as a case by case basis. But since Alabama's rebirth as a National power, outside of Hurts, it does feel like many of their Quarterbacks were geared towards a tried and true approach, namely, game managers who are paired with an elite defense. Brody Croyle, John Parker Wilson, then the Saban era starts and its more of the same - Greg McElroy and AJ McCarron, Jake Coker same stiff QB, no real NFL ability. Now we see Tua is too small for the Pro Game, lacks any physical tools, and Mac Jones so far has been a dump-off, captain-checkdown artist in New England and he can't run at all either. But Alabama is far and away the recruiting champion, so they might get a true Justin Herbert/Trevor Lawrence/Kyler Murray level athlete someday. And Saban acknowledged that today's game is about offense. You're not going to hold teams down to 17 points anymore.

Thanks for the topic. Mike and Mike was always a backup option on morning radio for me. Essentially, they were a recap show if you didn't stay up and watch the night before. It's part of the reason I gravitated towards Colin Cowherd. Because he doesn't spend much time breaking down individual games. He focuses more on team building and league trends. I also listened to some of Lebatard when he was on ESPN because the show brought some originality, but usually the show featured too much Stugotz. Mike Golic was the reasonable, Midwest guy. Greenberg was the guy that never played sports, nerdy, dramatic. He was never my favorite listen, because he didn't have any theories as to why things unfolded the way the did, or predictions for the future. Same with Tre Wingo, I was happy to see him get booted from the show. Like Van Pelt, nothing interesting to say. Now ESPN has nobody in their lineup that I want to listen to. I don't need another dose of Greenberg in the afternoon, or Max Kellerman. Keyshawn is loud, Jason Williams was a bust, and we all know Stephen A. They're thin, and have been in decline for awhile. Fox Sports has finally come to a point where they aren't as dependent on Jim Rome wannabees. Guys like JT the Brick, Ben Maller, Tom Looney, all of those guys still think it's the Smack Off. Dan Patrick is a snooze fest, his show is repetitive and geared towards 60 year olds. Clay Travis was borderline ok, if you could stomach his self-congratulations every day and hatred of LeBron James. So on radio, nationally, really the only show I listen to is Colin Cowherd. I don't mind clips from the Odd Couple with Broussard and Parker. Pregame, I don't watch until the ball is kicked off. All of that stuff is noise. Old players stuck in the past, overrating how good they were, a lot of useless clichés, and everything is geared towards glamour stories. Can Brady win an 8th? Dak/Cowboys. Aaron Rodgers drama. LA is alive again with the Rams and Chargers. Can Mahomes become the GOAT (always obsessed with that acronym)? Constant ranking. I generally listen to more local and can't say I learn any more or less from them, than the national guys.

He should have had another TD rushing last week in Miami.

Wilson has no elite weapons, a bad offensive line, a rookie Head Coach, no run game. It’s not going to look good. Remember Allen’s game against Green Bay. He may prove to be too erratic, but the Jets haven’t been able to flip their skill position players in one off-season. Fields took 8 sacks today.

Bills 22 WFT 16 i don’t think we see much different from this offense. Similar to the home opener, kind of a slog.

It’s time for the fans in New England to suffer in QB purgatory for a long time. Have a team that’s 7-10, 8-9, 9-8 year after year.

Well I just don’t want to fall back into the mental loops we used to be in, making endless excuses for our Bills QB, and in general, starting to lower the bar and try to explain away and rationalize average play. In general, we like Allen so the natural instinct is going to defend. You’re going to start seeing the “is Josh playing hurt” threads start popping up, deflecting blame to the OLine and WRs. That’s what I mean by Trent Edwards. Where things have to be perfect in order to win. He’s a $250M QB now. So the bar is going to be 30 TDs and 4,000 yards. The days of 170 yards and 1 TD, 1 Int and “tipping our cap” to the opposing defense isn’t going to go far.

The way Allen is talking and how we are having to react to it is like how we used to talk about Trent Edwards, or other backup level Quarterbacks. It’s coming from a good place, he cares a lot. But none of this makes me feel good, this is Year 4 and he’s getting so hyped up he’s sick before games and gets deflated if things don’t go well. Strange.

1990's uniforms. This 2002-2003 detour has gone on long enough. And get the red end zones back.

So nothing to see here, he’ll get to upper echelon QB again?

Greg Cosell on Allen 9/23 at 1:00 PM from The Herd: "Inconsistent ball placement" "Missed too many throws that were there, some were routing layups" "Throwing too hard" "Throw on deep throw too flat" "No trajectory to those throws, no margin for error" "Last year this was not an issue" "Tape shows struggling with accuracy and missing too many throws" He's only been at NFL Films for 40 years.

Well, they watch every snap and grade every player, in every single game. So, its one measure. For instance, Herbert only has 2 TDs and 3 Interceptions on the year. On the surface Allen has better production. But you've watched Herbert laser footballs this season out of the pocket. Hence the grade is higher.

Not right now. He's a checkdown artist, and as much as New England spent in the offseason, they don't have tons of vertical speed. Now, Brady improved his arm strength over the years, so Mac Jones may be able to do that.

By the way, my post referenced stats from NFL Next Gen.

I watched the entire game and Allen was not impressive. Allen made the play at the goal line, made the Knox throw. The best drive was the first drive of the 3rd Quarter. Two quick throws to Diggs and Beasley. But, balls were fluttering, balls were late, balls were low. The fact that All-22's are coming out and saying this, not a surprise. The fact that PFF has him graded at 62.3 is not a surprise. The numbers are all down this year. You're right. This is WGR about the run game. Jeremy can use his worn golf-analogies every show, but you're not allowed to say that a run game could help the team. Not allowed, unless your Adam Benigni, Paul Hamilton, Sal Cappacio, Doug Farrar then we'll let you talk because you're a guest on the show.

You absolutely nailed it on this post. Without Bulldog, and Sneaky Joe in, yesterday's show nosedived right off the bat into a talk about Fantasy Football trade etiquette, with a betting-line story not far behind. And you're 100% right about the love-fest with Lamar Jackson.

Last year against the Broncos on the Kumerow TD throw, Allen doesn't hesitate, he drives the ball down the middle of the field, and Simmons said he just knew that he was going to make a play on that ball. Safety is there, he just blows it by them. Allen is missing throws.