Richard Noggin

Mahomes is dropping his elbow on a bunch of throws, causing the ball to sail or otherwise hang up off-target. He might also be flying open (lead shoulder/hip) and throwing flat-footed and/or off balance. His elusiveness has been bailing him out. And for sure he's still hitting the occasional dime. But he isn't consistently very good so far in 2024. Which opens the door for one Josh Allen, who is operating at peak efficiency, to be the best QB in the NFL through the first three weeks. No more. No less. Just where it's at RIGHT NOW. TONIGHT.

Absolutely wild to say this about the LB position when the injured tandem (Milano and Bernard) might both be all-pro candidates if they could ever be consistently available together. And the 3rd member of their 2nd level all-pro starting defense is also out. And still, the current Bills defensive performances lend circumstantial credence to your claims that the 2nd and 3rd level guys up the middle don't matter as much as the EDGE and boundary guys outside.

Got to ECC parking lot at 2 PM before it even technically opened for Bills fans. Tailgated with 72 yr old mother for 4 hours and then took part in vigorous lower bowl (137 row 28, so up kinda high in lower bowl at roughly minus-2 yard line, to the left (scoreboard side) of Bills sideline) fanaticism throughout game. Bills fans brought their B+/A- game tonight. Not a bad showing at all. So I'd say we helped, not that the team quite needed it.

We have a few of him already on the roster, though, don't we? I honestly couldn't quickly find out if he's an MLB or WLB, officially. His tackle numbers suggest MLB. His alignment on the first video above says WLB (I think). Seems like the Bills cup already overfloweth with small school, mid-to-late round/undrafted LBs. We've already drafted this guy plus guys like him but with much more impressive measurables. Bernard, Williams, Spector, Olofoshia (sp?) and Andreesen come to mind. Not to mention Milano (although he's likely not long for this org). But then again, bring him in!

They seem damned determined to be a nickel defense. Not that injuries are allowing any flexibility, given the current decimation of our 2nd level starters.

The early season trend seems to be that defenses are generally being more stubborn in sticking with the split safety/nickel coverages and alignments, preferring death by a thousand cuts, rather than going out in a blaze of glory. Keeps the game within striking distance, goes the thinking?

It's intriguing to consider, briefly, that the Bills are possibly at the forefront of where the league is finding itself this season, offensively. Feels unlikely, and yet... We don't have much of a sample size to go on, yet, but it sure does seem like NFL DCs have been stubbornly insistent on aligning in 2-deep safety looks pre-snap, even when getting hurt by the run. Tons of post-snap coverage wrinkles and rotations and disguise, but when defenses consistently keep their safeties aligned deep and keep an extra DB on the field most of the time and the LBs are a little lighter...there is room to lean on them with the run game. Brady seems devoted to McD's vision of at least being able to succeed against that style of defense (while the Bills are also dedicated to sticking with that same D design themselves). Were 2020 and 2021 the last years when defenses really relied heavily on 2-deep safety alignments? Back then it was to combat the proliferation of explosive, spread and downfield passing attacks. Now, the pendulum might be swinging back again...

You know what? You're right. Our offense is NOT as innovative as the Dolphins', who we just held to 10 points on the road. Their offense has SO MANY MORE MOVING PARTS and MOTIONS and WAYS TO COVER UP FUNDAMENTAL FLAWS than ours does. They rack up yards (and often points) by putting 2nd level defenders in conflict against supremely fast weapons. Between the 20s the Dolphins are SCARY. And yet, here we are.

Haven't the Bills had relative success against Hill and Waddle, compared to the rest of the league, for several years now?

Super fair counter here. Total breakdown on my part with respect to who gets attributed the moxy in that game. We miss SO MUCH detail and context in the stadium. A million pardons, if you please.

That first guy on the Barstool feed needs to have his phone confiscated. How does one come back from that kind of performative cuckolding?

Just got extended through like 2028 I think. With the way Skylar Thompson has generally looked (not bad until tonight), I'd argue McDaniel can run a successful offense even without the questionable talents of Tua. Thompson gave the Bills all they could handle at home in the playoffs. Something was way off tonight for them. Was it facing a Bills defense who FULLY understands how to "contain" them? Or was it facing a Bills defense who fully understands how to "contain" and frustrate Tua, specifically? (Separately, I'm still not seeing the relentless "arms up" postures I need to see from our condor EDGE guys as they rush and contain, tbh.) Rousseau and Epenesa need to be practicing pass rush moves with their arms up and out like basketball players defending an inbound play. Those dudes are a million feet long. They can disrupt tremendously without winning pass rush reps cleanly.

The Bills end AFC East QB careers, folks. Tua twice now. ARod last season. We effing end dudes. Kind of old school.

Not intentionally. Just saying that I saw him attack downhill on the first play successfully, and from there the defense was just VERY effective. I will admit I did not continue to focus on Spector after being excited about that first snap. I was having fun with friends. But how bad could the MLB have been if such an explosive offense was held to almost NOTHING for so long? Was it the 1st and 3rd levels of the defense who really stepped up instead?

They motioned two separate guys to properly diagnose and then align that play. Allen double-thumbs-upped his guys after the first motion. It was a perfect call.

To my point of sharing the RAS, in response to a silly attack on Spector's athleticism, he's a fluid athlete at the position. No doubt. Was he a half step late most of tonight? His very first snap was an awesome downhill run fit and tackle. Past that, did he struggle? And if so, how could a defense have an MLB consistently a "half step late" but not give up points to one of the league's most productive offenses? I don't ask this as a gotcha. I ask as a genuine inquiry into whether McD and Babich maybe DO understand how to coach the 2nd and 3rd levels of a defense.

That first TD call was PERFECT. They ran on 3rd down, knowing that 4th down was live. So I was frustrated with the 3rd down run that got stuffed, thinking they'd just kick the FG, but then VERY pleased with the 4th down pass to the RB that took advantage of the defense's leverage.

So the defense gave up like ZERO points under Spector's watch, but he was somehow "brutal calling the D?" According to what? Isn't Baylon Spector an elite athletic prospect at the LB position? Size seems to be his only issue...more than a year ago. Meaning he's probably closed that gap with weight and strength. Soooo...how about his ability to run with NFL skill players?

They will have insight into some foundational concepts and certain ways fundamental techniques are coached, but with Babich calling the plays now and a new DBs coach brought in, this week's defensive gameplan, tendencies, and wrinkles, will deviate a bit from when those guys were here. I'm sure/I sure hope most of the pre-snap defensive checks and verbiage will have changed for this week/season, which can be the most damaging kind of intel to leak (remember what the Patriots GOT CAUGHT doing with spygate). The rest can be ascertained by outsiders with smart and exhaustive film study.

So why does it matter at all how Von Miller performed IN COMPARISON TO A PARTICULAR SEGMENT OF NEGATIVE EXPECTATIONS? What matters is how he performed. I don't really care about the tribal bit about haters vs supporters. I care that this older and recently-injured, but talented and well-paid player flashed in some meaningful ways. He has previously shown an ability to help close out games, and the rep that is bizarrely being downplayed on one side of the "debate" was clearly a high quality snap for Miller. His bull rush was impressive, and in large part led to his sack. Which helped to close out the game. Which is good for the Bills.

Love the honest self-reflection. I try to keep it fun at the stadium. I'm a loud one on defense. First half was challenging, but whining and complaining in public is grating and immature. I got quieter for a bit, no doubt. But my section (127) kept bringing the energy and we ultimately had a good time.

The NBA legend? He might have been able to shine at WR in the NFL...

It's fair to question the re-signing IF it's at the AAV and guaranteed numbers most are fearing. Brown has not put consistent tape out there minus one season. Granted, that one season was last year, and he's ostensibly healthy now and thriving. A physical SPECIMEN at RT entering his prime (best case). Some trouble with smallish speed rushers, sure. But the trend line for Brown is definitely up and to the right. I tend to trust the O-Line moves made under a well-established and thriving Beach Chairs regime. Kromer is good at what he does, and I get the sense he is being listened to by the Bills brass. Let's hope his plan for LG and OC works out as well as the plan has at the other 3 positions.

Agree insofar as the Highmark vibes were a little more impatient and grumbly the past two seasons, especially post-Halloween GB game in 2022, which they won despite a BAD 2nd half. Allen might have stumbled through a head injury in that one (and some major off-field distractions). They lost at the Jets the next week, and then suffered an especially CRUSHING home loss to the Vikings, which had a similar vibe to that prior Packers game with an embarrassingly loud contingent of opposing fans present. Season ticket holders were able to turn profits for those NFC North games, with little effort to keep the seats local. Very disappointing trend that continued in 2023. The stadium vibe is much less fun recently. More disengaged and/or unhelpful. More dummies yelling "Come on, Josh!" and "Let's go, Josh!" while the Bills offense is lined up pre-snap (so dumb), and fewer stalwarts making noise while the Bills defense is looking for a stop. That Pittsburgh playoff game had way too many stupid yellow towels helicoptering in the stands. I recall a Bills fan vehemently defending his Pitt fan buddy who everyone hated for hitting nearby fans in the heads with his yellow rag which he swung too hard for being such a short dude. Like he just kept whipping it around and whacking people. Home field advantage evaporated against any teams that travel well. The drought at least was a drunken party that nobody took too seriously.