Beck Water

I think we all understand that. And it's a tragedy. But the point is - when did they need assistance and die without it? Logically, if people became stuck in the snow or went out on the streets seeking shelter because of lack of heat, and weren't helped on Friday or Saturday .......the Bills flying into an open airport in Rochester after noon on Sunday and being allowed to bus through plowed streets to the stadium and drive home on Sunday afternoon, did not divert help from those people. It's not like people were dying in their cars on the streets of Buffalo while snowplows were leading a flotilla of Bills busses down the closed Thruway.

Well, it's been a few decades since I lived in WNY, but didn't use to be true that the airport got hit about the hardest. Used to always be Southtowns, closer to the lake. Sounds like this stormy was an equal opportunity mess though.

Yes, but that doesn't change my point. Buffalo has really bad winters - occasionally. It's not as though there are storms like this every year.

Good question. He was injured in the 1Q vs the Pats. Bengals did complete a drive into the 2Q for a FG and a TD drive in the 2Q, but were held scoreless all 2nd half. Had ~2 sacks and 2 INTs in that time. Didn't watch the game, no idea if the backup RT played a role in that. Pretty sure the guy who came in for him (and in a previous game vs. Atlanta, Hakeem Adeniji, played Guard for the Bengals last season. "for all we know" seems a little sketch. Can you tell us why you think the Bills might match up well against the Bengals?

quick follow up: Morris WAS being QB friendly, looking at Josh. On GMFB, Jason McCourtey says "no one else was open", but that's clearly bull####. Diggs is bracketed, Morris is open underneath with a good bit of space, Cook releases from his chip and is open with tons of green. Davis may or may not be open when he finishes his route, since Josh has thrown by then hard to tell.

It truly was. At the point Josh threw it, it was clear the CB was dropping into coverage (see little moving circles thing I put up somewhere else. No one had picked up Morris, the guy who could cover Cook was acting like he was glued to the turf, and Gabe Davis was lonely on the L sideline. It's like a Bad Example in a book on "How to Read an NFL Defense" post-snap. I suppose if Kurt Warner were to break it down, we'd have people explaining that Warner doesn't realize that the Bills aren't a timing offense so Allen couldn't throw to one of the other apparent options. I believe I said we turn on Allen, Coaches, and select "scapegoat" players. It's actually fair game (IMHO) to criticize Dorsey if one is going to criticize, because he IS the OC to a defensive-minded HC so the "Buck Stops There" with the offense. But we scapegoat selected players, like people handing out hate-o-grams to Isaiah McKenzie in this thread - who is not to blame for Allen's decision to throw to him when double covered - or people hating on Dane Jackson or Damar Hamlin, when it's not clear they're the ones responsible for the coverage lapse leading to a deep completion.

I don't think it's "bored...EFF IT". I think Josh has always had the "Bret Favre said Touchdowns First, Coach!" mindset. If he sees a shot for a TD, he will take it. I think the Bills O also has been "going to the well once too often" with that particular play where Josh targeted McKenzie near the goal line. IIRC they used this twice in a recent game - pretty sure it was against Detroit. Josh had one TD to McKenzie on it, and threw to someone else (Diggs?) on a play where he arguably McKenzie was open and he could have thrown to him. I put this up elsewhere I think the idea is if the LB #45 is carried deeper by McKenzie, it leaves Diggs open or 1:1 with LB #53. If he stays shallow and brackets Diggs, then McKenzie is (in theory) running a footrace with the safety, and he's gonna win. Morris is supposed to attract the attention of someone (CB #6 or #9?) but they fundamentally ignore him. Eberflaus was a very very good DC. I think something pre-snap or just after the snap (maybe where Diggs and McKenzie cross?) triggers pattern recognition in the Bears D (there's that damned TD play to that fast smurf!) and CB #6 just SPRINTS for the goal line and McKenzie like his jock is on fire and running will put it out. The result is that at the point where Josh releases the ball, #6 is almost parallel to McK and it's clear he has McKenzie on his mind since there's no one else he could plausibly be covering. I think McKenzie has the safety beat by half a step and has a decent chance at a reception 1:1, but #6 is undercutting him making it very very good double coverage. This is just before the ball is released. Diggs is bracketed, which makes that a dangerous throw in this wind. Assuming they're being QB friendly and looking at Josh, Morris looks like a safe throw and can plausibly get at least half the 2nd and 19. Davis is all by himself on the sideline, and could come close to the 1st down. Cook is releasing from his chip, and will shortly become a checkdown option with a ridiculous amount of green around him. I think McKenzie should drop off Josh's menu as an option the minute Morris takes no one with him and the CB starts dropping deep. Yeah, McKenzie is fast, but he's also being asked to cover a lot more ground than Gordon, whom the Bears regarded as playing a lot faster than his 4.57 40-time Anyway, the bottom line is Allen had options underneath, including options with no defender anywhere nearby. I think it shows how analysis of the QB's tendencies (and the QB ignoring analysis of his tendencies) can influence the defense. Allen seems to be behind the "Chess Match". This is the play from the moving circles diagram Getzenberg posted, as best as I can get it just before Josh throws:

He really needed to be fined for kicking Jaquan Brisker IN the balls Brisker picked him a few plays later But yeah, especially when he's at the bottom of a pile, "Stuff" can happen.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/report-mac-jones-facing-potential-discipline-for-low-hit-on-eli-apple-during-patriots-loss-to-bengals/ar-AA15GdE6 They really need to do something IMO because even though everyone has seen this BS, he's not regarded as a "repeat offender" because he's not been previously fined. So .....Fine him, NFL, please. It's all on film. The time for benefit of doubt is past.

I mean, I can understand the logic of it. -Hackett was the OC for the top-10 Packers offense the last 2 seasons. -Wilson has been a perennial pro-bowl QB with a passer rating >100 and great TD/INT last 4 years -Broncs had a potential 2 >1000 yd receiver combination in Jeudy and Sutton - Jeudy hasn't been all that they hoped, but felt to be more on the limitations of Lock throwing to him. -Top defense It just shows the truth of the saying you can have a great team on paper, but football is played on grass and turf.

Culley w/ Texans Wilks in AZ

LOL. I know opinions on this board vary, but I trend towards crediting some of the film breakdowns pointing out that Wilson has had options, he's just running off-script (or writing his own script) and there actually are open receivers and plays to be had. I don't think we're going to see a change under the same OC (the Packers former TE coach). But, an OC who can either design a system to work with whatever Wilson has left, OR, who can get Wilson to buy-in and work within the offense he designs, could look much more successful with Wilson.

Two Words: Aaron Rodgers.

Denver: "We have parted ways with Nathaniel Hackett" NFL fans: "What Took You So Long?"

That would be great if so (IMO). I think Mike White is pretty much a Ryan Fitzpatrick type player - tough as nails, good head, can put together a string of games where he makes you think "oh yeah, this kid's Got It". But ultimately, his head will start writing checks his arm talent can't cash.

I believe Saleh is a good coach, especially a defensive coach. The Jets have a promising RB in Breece Hall and a very good looking young WR in Garrett Wilson. Elijah Moore might have something if they curry and water him properly. Corey Davis and Tyler Conklin can play. I don't know about Mike LaFleur as their OC. In theory, he has a good pedigree, but TBD if he's a good OC or not. I do think his idea of an offense rests heavily on their OL, and it's just bad luck that Mekhi Becton and 2 other OLmen (I think) have spent much of the season on IR. The Shanahan-tree systems are usually felt to be QB friendly. Frankly, in terms of a good head coach, a good offensive system, and good pieces, it's probably not a bad situation to walk into.

What I keep seeing in my mind's eye, is the day-and-night difference between the OL play when Wilson was under center, vs. that CFL dude - Streveler. The OL was literally getting pushed back into Wilson's lap on every snap when he was behind center. Streveler came in, and part of it was he got the ball out quickly and ran himself so the Jags adjusted how they were defending - but there were snaps when he had time back there. It just highlights to me how much of the game in the trenches is actually mental. The OL has to believe that if they strain every sinew and use every last gasp of muscle they have, the QB behind them will do Good Things.

To be fair though: the negative point differential is more about the quality of the defense, than the quality of the offense, right? The Dolphins still have a top-10 (currently #9) offense for points scored Their defense is #27 for points given up.

I think the answer to that is no one expected the storm to be quite as fierce as it was at the airport. In hindsight, it would have been a good idea, but the airport actually usually doesn't get that much snow! There is a single covered lot at the airport https://parking.buffaloairport.com/parking-information-reserved-covered-parking/ It has a shuttle, but worth noting that the shuttle goes to the main airport terminal, so a different ride service would have had to be provided. Also worth noting that with the airport officially closed, no guarantee that the exit to that garage would have been open and navigable when it was time for the Bills to leave. So now you don't have to shovel out cars, but you do have to find someone who can get there to unlock and raise the exit gate and to plow out the exit ramp and the road from the garage to the main drag. I'm sure in hindsight, it would have made sense to ask the players to park at the stadium where the Bills own crack grounds crew and snow removal equipment could have cleaned them out, then bus them to the airport. But hindsight is always 20/20. With all the scurrying to communicate and get the players to the airport to head out a day early, as well as change hotel reservations and get all the equipment to Detroit and home - it's not a surprise optimal parking strategy for players wasn't high on the list. And again - the airport usually doesn't get that much snow, the fiercest snow is usually the snow belt, Orchard Park, Angola etc. I mean....this is being compared to the Blizzard of 1977. That was 45 years ago. Can UFAs really not understand that this is like a generational storm?

Thank you for pointing this out. Yeah, as we finger-point at the Dolphins forums for turning on Tua after a bad game, let's not forget about the 3 fingers, led by the middle finger, pointing back at our own forum. We lost 2 games, Josh Allen had 3 straight games where he threw 2 picks each game, and there was a lot of "melt down" here. Not just at Josh, but at our coaches and select "scapegoat" players. Even after a win - amazes me how "everyone is a QB mechanics coach" based on what they see on TV film in real time.

Tua just needed a hug

Any crew the team might have wanted to hired could well have been unable to get out or unable to travel - the team tried to hire snowplows to clear the player's driveways for travel to Detroit and the plows couldn't get out. But according to this video from Coach Dorsey's wife, there were apparently teams of volunteers who turned out to help shovel

This deserves a Bump. Everyone assuming the Bills violated the closure of the NYS Thruway. No, they came down main roads, that were open. Yes, they did violate driving bans in Erie County, but those normally don't apply to "Essential Workers". I have no problem with considering getting the Bills home as "essential travel" especially if they had guidance on what roads were open and what to avoid. I know this goes without saying for most, but the thing that physically closes the roads is often the physical conditions - the driving ban exists because the roads are in such bad shape that cars are getting stuck just from folks trying to get home from work, then that makes plowing more difficult. Witness this pic looking N on Transit from Sheridan road: The plow obviously needed to be creative already, and one more guy who gets stuck in the only open lane, and EMS is screwed on response. Anyway, point is, being a dick about getting the Bills home on Sunday afternoon after the storm isn't going to do a Thing to help people who couldn't get an ambulance or a rescue from their stuck car during the thick of it on Fri or Sat. It's tragic, but me ripping my clothes and smearing ashes on my face Sunday night doesn't get you heat or a ride home on Saturday morning.

I see there's a thread about betting odds, I'm never sure if those threads are intended to be Game Week threads or just talk about betting. 🤷‍♂️ If the former, I assume this will just fall down the board into oblivion or get merged. This am driving bans https://www.wkbw.com/news/local-news/driving-ban-to-be-lifted-for-parts-of-erie-county-at-7-a-m Time to overcome more adversity:

My Big Question: to what extent will the severely abnormal conditions still in effect in Buffalo impact game preparation? For a normal game week here's the routine as I understand it: Game Day - 7 (usually Sunday) is the previous game. Players get post-game injury evaluation and treatment. Many players watch game film on the flight home. Game Day - 6 (usually Monday) is film review of the previous game, corrections, more injury evaluation/treatment, recovery activities such as stretching, ROM, light cardio Game Day - 5 (usually Tuesday) is day off, but most players come in for treatment and recovery activities such as a light lift or cardio. Others do acupuncture, massage, IV, hypobaric at home. Game Day - 4 (usually Wednesday) is Practice 1 and game plan install Game Day -3 Iusually Thursday) is Practice 2 Game Day -2 (usually Friday) is Practice 3 and final injury report/game designations of injured players Game Day -1 (usually Saturday) is a walk-through practice and travel So for the Bills, today is Game Day -7, when they would normally only watch film on their own and do injury e v a l/treatment. But it's also 2 days after the game, prime time to have treatment to control and reduce swelling. With the prolonged travel home, have the players been able to get evaluation and tests on their injuries, and initial treatment while in Chicago or traveling? Now that they're home, ditto - Parts of the travel ban have been lifted, but some players do live in the City of Buffalo. Are they staying with friends on the team who live close to the facility? If they're home, will they be able to get to the facility? Obviously, it's going to take a while for Erie County to get back to normal. Will the preparation week be impacted, and how severely?