Kelly the Dog

I know that PFF is often a little goofy with numbers but they surprisingly have him the fifth rated edge rusher in the league, alongside most of the top guys like Von Miller and Cameron Wake, etc.

That was sweet. Although the LB Davonte David, who is good, seemed disinterested in taking on the block or getting to the ballcarrier on such a big play. Rather weak effort by David, but Thomas did everything he needed to do and more.

I would but would never be able to unscramble the answer.

It was one of the 2-3 biggest plays of the game. The play that put the Bucs up 27-20. Everyone I watched it with thought for sure it must be OB but the replay showed the perfect ball and catch and foot drag.

I know this will likely turn into a semantic argument, but it is interesting to me nonetheless. A lot of football observers, including myself, are pretty convinced that if an elite WR runs a relatively short, quick, great out route to the sidelines, and the quarterback throws a quick dart pass right on the money, that it's virtually impossible to stop. No matter who is in coverage. That, to me, is what happened on the Winston to Evans TD against Tre White late in the game. Tre actually had excellent coverage. The Bucs just executed the play perfectly. I suppose one could argue that if the DB ignores his responsibilities and just guesses it's going to be that route and immediately jumps it on a wild hunch he could break it up. But that's not smart or reasonable, and would likely get you benched if you tried it three times because you would be wrong two or three times. So I wouldn't call Tre White being "burnt" on that TD pass. Burnt implies that he made a bad play or misjudgment somehow, and could have or should have been able to make a play if he didn't. What do you guys think? Was he burnt? Was he just beaten? Was it something he realistically couldn't have prevented because it was a perfect pass and catch and ball placement and feet placement by JW and Evans? I personally don't think he was burnt at all. I'm not sure I would even say "beaten." He did give up the play and the TD so it's not like he made a play let alone a good play. he did have excellent coverage but they scored on him.

Or just thrown it over Matthews' head. That was a pitiful call and decision and pass.

Hope he doesn't have alligator arms.

The throw was perfect. Jones stopped running for no reason at about the five, then continued on and had to dive. If he just keeps running it hits him in perfect stride.

Nice write-up, as usual, Shaw. It's pretty remarkable that with Winston on fire all game, all of those weapons making plays, our nobodies (excluding Shady) kept pace with them, and matched the production.

He almost literally set his ass on fire. Global Warming.

One might say from that story that the lawyers were trying to kill tailgating. These people know what they are doing. The Bills and the league are not responsible. They are not putting these fans in danger the fans are putting the fans in danger.

No question. No one wants to hear this but he's literally the worst starting WR in the league. It's not even close. And it's not like he's producing but we have to put up with some drops. He's literally the worst. Out of, say, 64. I do think he will snap out of it soon. I do think we should still throw to him. I do think he is a big talent. And it's all a mind game he will soon get out of. That is not guaranteed of course. But I truly believe it is nerves way more than talent. And as soon as the nerves don't spook him like they are now he will be fine. He's actually open a lot. That's usually a much bigger problem for a #2 WR. He'll be fine but we don't know if it's game 7 or 10 or 12 or 15. And the longer it takes the worse we are. Deonte is a much more reliable guy now.

I really think this is the crux of the argument and unless we get to the AFC championship or Super Bowl it will always exist. It's not a simple argument or answer but it is a simple difference, at least to me. And these are of course in very general and generic terms. People that don't think Tyrod is good, or "a franchise quarterback" that everyone agrees all teams want and need, or that you "can win with him" will invariably compare him to other good QBs that have won. That's a legitimate stance. And it's also something he won't normally look well in. Although, even looking at it that way he is rated higher than people give him credit for. And he has a crappy line, no real WR and one TE who is hurt. But that doesn't seem to matter. But again, it's a legitimate argument that he is not a great pocket passer, he is not as accurate as most if not all franchise quarterbacks (which is true), he holds the ball too long (which is true), he doesn't risk "throwing guys open" which a lot of great quarterbacks do. All of that is true. But it's comparing him on an unfair level. The guys these people want can't do the things he does. Routine completions by Tyrod when he avoids the rush are sacks against the guys Tyrod detractors like. He very rarely turns the ball over. Teams are 3-34 this year with three or more turnovers. Jamies Winston, whom everyone seems to want and compare and is very, very good, had two himself and three as a team. We don't seem to value not turning the ball over. Tyrod could have 300 yard games and 2-3 TDs games but they would come with a price. Like a lot of turnovers. Look at our sklll players. It's insane.

Zay and his yips are a different animal though. What you're describing is true for a lot of rookies and young guys but that is not what is happening here. It's not as though he is not producing because the NFL game is different or more complex or he is having trouble getting off the line or finding seams or getting open. He's doing all of those. In fact, even though he's literally the worst producing WR stats wise ( he's not close to the worst receiver), He is not given any credit he really deserves for getting open, running routes, getting off the line, etc. To be fair to him, the real hard part of being an NFL rookie WR taken in the second round he is excelling in. Most guys wouldn't be open as much as he has been. He just has a huge mental problem right now. It's Steve Sax like. He is not catching simple passes. And it's six games now. Badol is right. Some guys like Josh Reed never get over it. It seems strange but it's true. I believe he will be fine but it's not a guarantee. The good part about it is we know he has good hands. That's his best attribute. So it's very possible that as soon as he gets out of this slump it will be behind him. But again that is not a guarantee. You would think three or four games would be enough. But he dropped the first one to him yesterday too. Fans don't often realize how much confidence is a very fickle thing in a pro athlete's head.

I'm a believer that no team in any sport any year any time wins without a couple star players. That's why I was against the Watkins trade. I thought and still think he will be a star player. That's debatable for sure but let's not argue that here. Right now we have one star player, Shady. Star players make game changing plays at opportune times because they are stars. There is something about them that makes them different. There are only let's say 60 of them at any one time in the league. Some teams have 3-4 and some 0-1. After six games it's possible that Tre White will be a star. It's surely not a given. But what he did in this game is what star players do. He has made a bunch of great plays in his six game career. His return of a fumble in the Falcon game was a star player play because not everyone would have picked the ball up like that. He actually practices that every day. He grabs obvious incomplete passes in practice during the week, scoops them up and runs them all the way back to the endzone just to make that his mindset. Players have spoken about it. It's one of those I don't know how it works but it's true things. In hockey, the puck gravitates to star players

He was also a backup on the Ravens for 2-3 years when Tyrod was backup.

Right. That's a different rule but on the same kind of play. That comes from the Raiders' Dave Casper play when there was no time left and he just kept fumbling it forward 10-20 yards until it got into the end zone to recover it. So they rightfully made that illegal.

It's not even that "advanced" means fumbled forward. I didn't mean to imply that. It's only that if the ball is fumbled forward only the guy that fumbled it can pick it up and advance it forward.

You know who averages the same yards per attempt as Derek Carr? Tyrod. Both at 7.0

I think that advanced means fumbled forward.

Pro days are run by the schools. They are not to be trusted. Even if scouts from teams had their own stopwatches, which they do, those are not the numbers that are made public. He didn't run a 4.2. There isn't any way team would be cutting him the way they do if he is the fastest player in the league and can catch and run routes. Goodwin ran 4.27 which was fifth best ever.

Exactly. When teams have great seasons they spread stuff like that out. A lot of it is luck. But you have to be pretty good to make your own luck. It's a tribute to the players and the coaches and the management that with middle of the road talent we are playing above average football. The offense bailed the defense out for the win today. The special teams (Hauschka) bailed the offense out for a win a couple games ago. We actually deserve to be 4-2 the way all three teams are playing and making plays and not making a ton of mistakes. But there was no way the defense was going to go the whole season giving up 1-2 TD passes every five games. I'm a Tyrod fan. I don't think he is great or a franchise QB. But I think the way we play we can do what we have been doing with him and a good part of it are his talents and his protecting the ball. We scored 30 points with one real NFL player at a skill position (I'm not counting Matthews with one hand).

He's fast but probably more like 4.4. He ran 4.31 at pro day not combine. He does look like an NFL receiver though. Runs decent routes. Has hands. Gets open. Catches the ball. Who knew?

While that is true the only way it works is if you don't blow assignments and it happens. Teams, good teams, blow assignments all the time. If you play a game where you can't afford to blow an assignment you are going to lose more than win. We didn't give up more than 1-2 passing TDs in five games. No one in their right mind would actually that would continue throughout the season.

While that is true the only other option is Andre Holmes. Tate and Kaelin Clay are not real NFL every down receivers either. It would be at most a weak bandaid. The only way to really eliminate it with the players we have is to keep throwing to Zay and hope he snaps out of it. Thompson is an NFL receiver. He is one of two we really have right now, and one of them has one hand.