TigerJ

It could have been Ford/McDole, but McDole played defense. He did end up in Washington though. Hopefully, I confused somebody with this.

My only question is, how long will it take for the league front office machine to grind out a suspension. Does it take until next season?

In theory, home field noise benefits the home team defense as the crowd turns it up when the enemy team has the ball. In the new COVID era, noise will be limited to 70-75 decibels. I presume that means total noise including both piped in noise and any crowd generated noise in stadiums where crowds are allowed. 70 decibels is pretty loud, but noise generated by a sell out crowd is a lot higher. I don't think anybody will find the noise to be disruptive. I don't really understand how a lack of noise can benefit any defense.

Of course, Josh Norman will be on IR for a minimum of 3 weeks. Buffalo will need to have Cam Lewis, or somebody new active for the next two games after the Jets. So . . .Can the Bills keep Cam on the roster for the next three games,, if need be, and then send him back down? If not, they would have a bit of a conundrum.

When the is a full stadium, the decibel level rises far higher than 70-75. Teams would have any trouble with the piped in noise. We'll have to wait an see if Belichick finds a loophole. I think the Patriots must have a guy on salary whose job is to look for ways to circumvent the rules.

You're right, of course. I confess to getting a little irritated at posters who start threads with proclamations that in reality are opinions masquerading as facts, but then, that is only my opinion as well.

I don't really have a guess. I do expect that whatever combination they use, they will be competent, and maybe pretty good. Winters, Williams and Nsekhe are all solid players, and I expect Ford will have taken a pretty big leap forward.

I enjoy any win. It's hard to pick out a favorite. Worst experience is easy. It was the first Bills game I ever attended. I think it was 1983. In any case, it was a Monday nighter versus the NY Jets. The Bills were BAD. After a bad first half, the crowd turned ugly in the second half. Numerous fights broke out among drunken fans. Full cups of beer were hurled through the air showering most fans by the time the game was over. The smell of beer hung heavily in the air. There were multiple arrests and fans who were tossed from the game.

You'd think so, but a wet field favors receivers over defensive backs. Good gloves can reduce the problem of a slippery ball, and a strong armed QB who puts a lot of spin on the ball, like Josh Allen, can throw a ball that cuts through the wind.

The Texans looked like they needed preseason. Generally speaking the more significant the changes a team makes during the off season, the more benefit they derive from a preseason, specifically; losing big time players, (like Deandre Hopkins) changing coordinators, (I think the Texans changed their defensive coordinator) and of course changing a head coach. Theoretically, Buffalo will be hurt less by the lack of a preseason than the New York Jets, who lost an all world safety, and changed out their entire offensive line, but in another year the shoe could be on the other foot.

I'm with the consensus here. Sometimes unions deserve huge amounts of credit for standing up for those they represent. On the other hand, sometimes they seem arbitrary and self serving. At the very least, this sounds pretty arbitrary.

He may be on your personal hot seat, but, sorry, you don't matter. At this point I think the Bills are pretty confident that the offense is going to be more productive than last year, probably significantly. Sean McDermott obviously wants an uptick in production, and eventually a disappointing output from the offense would force his hand on making a change, but it would take a while as the whole organization seems to value stability too. They will have to be sure Daboll is not the answer before they cut bait.

Different players had different motives for opting out. I doubt any regret it yet, but some may eventually. On the other hand, I heard the story yesterday of a player from Canada (I didn't catch the name) who is also a medical professional. He opted out, not out of fear of COVID-19 but out of a desire to stay in Canada and work alongside those who are treating COVID patients. I doubt he'll regret it in any case. Those who might eventually regret it the most are those who are less than stars in the game and may be a bit older. There is always a chance their team might discover a replacement who is better and cheaper. Star Lotulelei is in that category. Vernon Butler is his replacement. Butler may or may not be an upgrade, but he has more physical gifts (bigger, stronger, more athletic). If Butler plays to his potential, the Bills might be inclined to part with Lotulelei. Lotulelei may be less able to command as much compensation in his next contract than he received from the Bills. He'll be 31 next year and has never garnered much notice through his stats.

For a giant, he's an athletic freak, but he hasn't played an NFL game yet, and both Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison are pretty crafty veterans. Becton does not have a veteran's technique as he relied on his athleticism and size advantage in his college career.

Chris Hogan will match up with Levi Wallace at least some of the time. No, I didn't look it up.

The biggest difference between the offenses of the Chiefs and the Bills is the fact that the Chiefs have proven high level producers at several spots where Buffalo has developing players or payers that have some level of question about their ultimate ceilings. Knox, as a tight end, possesses a high level all around skill set, but he's no where near the proven commodity that Kelce is. Of course the biggest single difference is at QB. Allen, as we all know, possesses high level arm talent and athleticism, but he has had that inconsistency in his game where he misses throws he ought to make, and of course last year his deep ball accuracy was gone. Mahomes has the arm strength and athleticism, but he makes far fewer mistakes and bad throws. Obviously, the biggest key for improvement in the entire offense is Josh Allen elevating his game.

Next thing you know, he'll be blaming Buffalo for those crazy eyes of his.

Taylor would have been primarily a one tech. Zimmer is a 3 tech. If anything, Chris Slayton was signed to the PS replacing the departed Vincent Taylor.

The trademark of a Gregg Williams defense. Gregg Williams and Henry Anderson were made for each other.

Cousins doesn't have an elite skill set. What he does have is multiple 4,000 + yard seasons passing the ball. That tends to get people's attention.

I think COVID-19 is the main reason he's on the 53 man roster instead of the PS. So at least he's collecting and NFL paycheck. Granted it's a paycheck for a rookie drafted fairly late, but it's better than a practice squad player gets, and he gets to sit around and play video games. They probably have him participate in meetings via zoom though.

Obviously, Buffalo has the opportunity to get Gase started toward his inevitable demise. Let's make it good, Team!

Vernon Butler may be slightly less consistent as run defender than the underrated Start Lotulelei. Oliver should be even better as an all around under tackle in his "sophomore "season. He's good against the run and disruptive in the passing game. Quinton Jefferson and Horrible Harry are better than the guys they are replacing. As has been stated, Jordan Phillips, though disruptive in passing defense, was undisciplined and a liability in run defense. Barring the injury bug, the interior of the defensive line should be fine, and the practice squad has a couple serviceable guys to boot.

Well, he could probably give them a heads up on a good place for wings.

If the Bills can fit him on the roster, he's cheap depth for the interior line. He has played games at center and both guard spots. He lacks good agility, and will never be a threat to earn a starting spot. I don't know if he would want to be on a practice squad after a few years as a salaried player, but if he accepts that role it would be well worth signing him.