Beck Water

You still can't have it both ways. If the Bills were "soft" and weak on both sides of the line and Allen is an inconsistent QB who makes bone headed plays for whom the play at the end of the 2021 season was a total fluke not to be repeated in 3 years before and since, then it's not an indictment of McDermott to not succeed with that, and calling for his head at that point just makes him a scapegoat. If the lines and the QB were consistently good enough to win, then you can point the finger at McDermott as the problem. Either or, Not Both. Don't come in here now like you've thought McDermott was the Bills only problem for the last 3 years and firing him would be curative for an otherwise Championship roster.

So what did Josh get the guys? No word yet.

https://www.buffalobills.com/team/injury-report/ Bosa has apparently had his practice window open to return from IR, but has a game status "out". Keenan Allen out as expected. Surprised by DaQuan Jones listed as "questionable" despite limited participation in today's practice. My guess would be today went well for Jones after practicing yesterday, and they think he's very close if not there - so they went ahead and put Phillips on IR to make room for him. 4 games on IR for Phillips. So he isn't eligible to play in the WC round. Per Sal C.

Why would they activate Elam from IR to take Phillips spot? Wouldn't it make more sense to activate DaQuan Jones, since they went so far as to list him as "questionable"? Slightly related question: Does anyone know the deadlines for practice squad elevation and for declaring inactives, for a Saturday nite game? Thanks. I'm thinking they'll elevate Eli Ankou and possibly Fournette.

I can empathize with PTSD. I have a good case of BBFS (battered Bills fan syndrome) myself.

I'm hedging on my viewpoint of McDermott, which is nothing new. I've said it before, I have my receipts. I acknowledge that sometimes the Bills line play has been soft. That's nothing new - McDermott has commented on lack of physicality in the line play at times. I'm not hedging on you: you are consistently so negative that some do think you're a fan of other teams. Furthermore, you're dunking on McDermott as incapable of winning, while simultaneously trailing a track record of dissing on the Bills players of major position groups and on Josh Allen. Which is it? Either Or, Not Both. If the 2021 Bills were weak on both sides of the lines and have an inconsistent bone-headed playmaker at QB, then it's not McDermott's fault that the Bills got stopped in the division round. Soft teams with inconsistent or boneheaded QB play usually DO get stopped. Ditto if Miami has a much better roster than Buffalo AND McDaniels is a much better coach. How'd they lose to us earlier this season then? You "stand by everything you said" is inconsistent with "I admit I was wrong when I'm wrong". You were wrong about one playoff win then we lose in 2020. We went to the AFCCG that year. You were wrong in predicting a "changing of the guard" with a Miami victory due to their "much better roster" earlier this season. etc.

I don't think it's the critical or 'overly critical to a flaw' part, though I applaud the self-awareness to acknowledge that last. Kudos for that, I do respect it. I think it's more the quick trigger on predicting success for the Pats and the Fins and sometimes other teams that has some saying I'm just pointing out how some see it. Clearly I'm not the only one.

No one is saying that Josh had no rational reason behind why he might have missed the throw. But this sub-thread started when someone tagged McKenzie as at fault for missing that catch. The point was, whatever valid reasons Josh might have for missing that throw, the miss was on Josh.

Some look at your posting track record and believe you are actually either a NE or a Dolphins fan.

The thing is, judging from your body of work as a poster here, you would think McDermott can't get it done come playoff time even if he *could* You're the Bulletin Board posting embodiment of a Type II error** You have a 3 year record here of having all sorts of reasons (besides McDermott) why the Bills were going to lose. 2020: "I see one playoff win and then we lose. Is this considered a successful season? " and: "The same logic can be applied to the Rams game and to some extent the New England game. Those were 2 games we should have lost. Refs bad PI call. Horrific fumble by Newton. Perhaps add in the raider game as well." 2021: "What do you expect from a New England based reporter? The Bills weaknesses are on both sides of the lines. They got manhandled on the lines vs Pitt, Tenn, Colts, and Jags. The "soft" label isn't a unfair statement. We will see if the Bills can she'd this label and beat the Pats. " 2022: "Miami has a much better roster than Buffalo. They have weapons galore on offense and a innovation modern day coach. The Bills aren't cruising past them for the division. It will be a dog fight likely to the end. The Bills have proven that can't beat KC or Cincinnati in the playoffs. This year is likely the same outcome. Both teams have tested and proven playoff winners. Mahomes and Burrow are clearly better than Allen come playoff time. Allen is not the Allen of 13 seconds in KC. That year and that game was an outliner. We haven't seen that version of Allen in 3 years and likely never will. We fans have to stop thinking that's the version of Allen we will get! Instead, we will get an inconsistent Allen. One who will make spectacular plays and bone head plays." and: (prior to the Dolphins game):"Bills are chasing the Dolphins early in the season. Could this be the changing of the guard with a Miami win?" and: (October 31) "AFC - Cinci. Burrow is elite. Big time weapons. Experienced team. NFC - Philly. They are just too good. Biggest surprises Bills miss the playoffs. Dolphins play in the AFC championship game." ---------------that's just a 5 minute sample without looking too hard. I know there was "better" stuff to be found.--------------- My points: 1) You can't have it both ways. If the Bills have had 13-3, 11-6, 13-3 records the last 3 years while having an inconsistent bonehead QB (whose 13 second game was an outlier) and while being weak on both sides of the lines and soft, then they must have a damned good coach to compensate. And if all that's true (and there's some truth to it), maybe the problem isn't the coach. 2) After a sufficient number of false negative opinions, it becomes clear that someone's negative views are relatively meaningless. You were predicting doom and gloom and playoff losses or early exits back in 2020 (AFCCG year), way before McDermott had any track record to support "McD can't get it done come playoff time". You may be right; you may be wrong, but you've been wrong enough that it's "eh". I'm not saying the Bills will go deep in the playoffs this year. The injuries run deep on defense, I think we lack enough skill position talent on offense, and I'm not sure about Brady yet. It's also possible that the negative take on McDermott is correct. I'm just saying that based on your track record here, your belief that McDermott can't get it done come playoff time should not be taken as evidence either way. **since I was asked: statistically, a Type II error is a false negative conclusion.

McDermott said he would practice today.

Fair point there. They'll have their chance the next couple weeks.

If the Colts cut them, they can sign with any team or any team's practice squad. The Falcons, Raiders, or Texans could sign them and pick their brains (and probably would). Being suspended is a harsher punishment - not only are they not getting paid their salary and pro-rated signing bonus (which isn't much savings for team, but a significant loss for both players who are near-vet-minimum guys), but they are unable to seek employment elsewhere. I don't know, but I suspect (given the general Ways of the NFL) that there may also be an element of making an example out of guys they can afford to lose. Going thermonuclear on two near-bottom-of-the-roster guys who are fundamentally, special teamers "sends a message" to any more significant contributors who might have been edging the same way (whatever it was) that they better toe the line. I may have missed something, but I think they can still come back for the playoffs if the Colts decide they want to. I think the Colts have a very good shot at the playoffs - Atlanta and the Raiders look very beatable for them, and they already beat Houston, in Houston, earlier this season. For the Jags, they have to play the Bucs in Tampa (who are "feeling themselves" after thumping GB), they ought to beat the Panthers but then the Titans who aren't doing so well but Vrabel would love to play spoiler. It could come down to the final week for all 3 8-6 teams.

Actually I'll take this a step further. Phillips NOT making huge plays in the backfield has been a sign of improved play *within the Bills scheme*. Phillips weakness as a DT has always been "chasing stats" at the expense of maintaining gap integrity and run defense. When you see a guy like Tre Edmunds giving Phillips an earful on the field after giving up a big run play, you KNOW he ain't doing it right (which I saw at least twice last season). This season, to my admittedly inexpert eye, Phillips has done a much better job at "minding the store" and playing within the scheme. I don't think Miami is a fraud. You'd have to state your case for that to persuade me. But I do agree with the others who say that if the Bills can't beat the Herbert and Keenan Allen and Bosa-less Chargers, even going on the road on a short week while the Chargers have extra rest, we don't deserve playoffs.

I'm pretty sure that the plan was to run to some extent. As someone pointed out, the Cowboys defense relies on their intense DL and excellent secondary. Their LB are only "OK". I'm not a college football follower, but my understanding is that Parsons in college was originally noted as a "force" as a run-defending off-ball LB who developed into an unstoppable pass-rusher with Dallas. So independent of Parsons sucking wind, I think the Bills looked at the Dallas defense - something like #4 against the pass but #20 in rush YPC - then looked at NT Johnathan Hankins being out for the game - and said "we're gonna have a good try to run on these guys". Weakness: run D Strength: Pass rush and secondary, take-aways. Sounds like a plan!!! I don't think that the Bills intended to run as much as they did, but Brady is apparently willing to be opportunistic and say "we're gonna do this until you prove you can stop it". And I'm pretty sure the Bills quickly honed in on Parson's condition as something they could exploit in their specific choice of plays.

I doubt you see single-digit snaps out of Poona. Suck or not, he's gonna be out there. It's not just being out DaQuan, it's being out Phillips and also AJE. In the past when they've been down at the DT position they've rolled Rousseau inside on some snaps and put Oliver at 1T. Can't do that while missing AJE and maybe Floyd hampered. So what I think we'll see is some Settle at 3TDT and Ford getting what he got in the previous games he played, which is 25-45%, Linval Joseph getting the 40%-ish he got against Dallas and earlier in the season, and Settle getting 40% split between 1T and 3T. Minor point: Joseph has never played for New England. He was "on the couch" until we signed him mid-season. Last season he played with Philly, but the two previous years he played for the Chargers! So he may have some insight into their defensive scheme etc. especially since Giff Smith was his position coach under Anthony Lynn and stayed when Staley took over.

Sorry, it's crass to follow my own post, but I got a belly laugh at the big ol' "Disagree" an individual slapped on this post. It's a fact that the Bills won several games with Josh Allen being pedestrian in 2020. Bills 24 NWE 21: 38 rush attempts for 190 yds (of which Allen had 23). 11 for 18 on the pass attempts. Bills 27 Chargers 17: 30 rush attempts for 172 yds (of which Allen had 32). 24 pass attempts and Allen threw a pick and lost a fumble. One can argue that we've never seen the Bills OL set out to just plow the defenders downfield before, but that wasn't Simms point. It's also a fact that Simms often just opinionates and doesn't make any attempt to illustrate what he says with screen shots or diagrams It's a third fact that Simms was an NFL QB and a Patriots assistant coach. You don't get there without knowing ball. So I'm not sure what's to disagree with here.

Speaking for myself, I'm looking up what Poona Ford did in previous games and trying to persuade myself that "it's not so bad, it's not so bad" He played the largest # of snaps in the loss to NWE (45%)

Well...there is the point that the Bills seem on-track to be playing a backup DLman and perhaps without Floyd or with him hampered Then, possibly having Cook less than 100% due to illness and cross-country travel I see it in pretty simple terms not too dissimilar to what the chap upthread said. Either the Bills go in there determined to play solid December football and take care of business, or they don't deserve to go to the playoffs.

Joe Marino show with his Chargers peer. I know a lot of folks here like Joe. He points out that the Bills are at double disadvantage, short week and cross-country travel Also believes in the "interim coach bump"

Didn't see this on a quick glance, apologies if dupe Simms memory is off, as back in 2020 the Bills did win several games with Josh Allen being pedestrian and by leaning on the run. But his overall point (the drum he's been beating, to win the Bills must be more than the Josh Allen Air Show) stands. He puts up some nice screen shots of some of the Bills runs vs. the Cowboys. A more X's and O's based assessment than usual by Simms, reminding us that he was an NFL QB and a Patriots assistant coach and he does know ball.

I agree that cold rain is miserable, but the big misery is if you have to be standing around in it. The players have warm capes and heated benches between downs and I believe the trainers hand out chicken soup. So they'll stay warm while they're on the field, and then get a chance to get warm off the field. So even though I'm 100% with you on preferring colder but sunny or snowy, I don't think it made anyone sick. Getting some of the Cowboy plague-carriers norovirus laden spit on him during some of those "Snowplow" collectives more likely.

Saw on one of those Facebook reels 1 can diced tomatoes 1 can plain canned pumpkin Blend or process until smooth I used this as a sauce in a pot pie - fried up some peppers, garlic, onions, cherry tomatoes, diced summer squash, tossed in the sauce blend along with some spices, cooked until it thickened a bit, added diced hardboiled egg and a couple packets of salmon. Topped with biscuits and into the oven Yum Almost everything comes from some culinary tradition, anyone heard of this sauce? Wondering what its culinary roots might be Anyway, not the same flavor as a cream sauce, but simple and tasty Edit: if anyone is interested in trying the recipe, the spice blend I used was Vom Fass FassZination Kurbis Gewurz, which is German pumpkin spice. It's very different than American Pumpkin Spice mix. Ingredients are Black Pepper, Turmeric, Coconut powder (not sweetened), coriander, cumin, cardamom, paprika, salt, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, garlic, and sugar. I wasn't shy, I tossed in a couple of tablespoons. Curry powder plus black pepper and paprika or Garam Masala might be ~ similar.

Wasn't a rumor. There were apparently 10 players dealing with a "stomach bug" (which usually means norovirus) on Sunday. https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10101516-cowboys-rumors-stephon-gilmore-brandin-cooks-among-10-players-dealing-with-illness

I thought that latter was believed to have kept one guy on the Bills roster 2 years