Cray51

You continue to say "Decent QB". Why do you consider a healthy Stafford with Nacua and Kupp a "Decent QB"? You are talking about a top 5 offensive unit who are 6-2 in their last 8 weeks as guys are getting healthy. As I wrote in another thread, over the past 4 years this team has allowed 35 points or more only 5 times, and 4 were to top level offenses.

If you pose the question, provide the examples... I could waste a lot of time asking broad questions to others to deflect the truth. OP provided video of the specific play where a false start should have been called (this isn't the OT jumping back early, this is him legit rocking back, then forward, then launching back early). Since you asked the question, feel free to provide the examples of Dion doing the same thing (rock back, rock forward, launch back prior to snap).

Bengals hole is simply too deep. They don’t play any defense. Cowboys just put up 20 on them with cooper rush at the helm. they will lose 1-2 games against Steelers broncos browns and will finish 7-10/8-9 With the 7 seed right now at 8-5, there is zero chance they make the playoffs

Cincy is working really hard to a 7-10 finish

A blocked punt recovered but not advanced past the initial first down line should be a turnover on downs

I think that's a bit of a generous criticism. McD struggles to stop the ELITE offenses. Teams who have scored more than 35 points against the Bills in the last 4 years: 2024: Rams - Elite WRs and Top 7 QB in the league (all healthy too) Ravens - Elite RB and Top 5 QB 2023: Eagles - Elite O-Line and WR Weapons and a Good QB (Hurts has regressed under his new system but last year he was pretty dang solid) 2022: None 2021: KC - Divisional Game, need I say more Colts - Most damning team on this list, they had Taylor running mad that game So in the last 4 years, they have had 5 teams score 35 or more against them in a game. The list is comprised of 4 of the top 10 QBs in the game, and 8-10 All Pros at other positions on the offensive side of the ball. McD wins games he should win. He does OK stopping elite teams. Shocker, elite teams are good and win games. Combined record of the teams that have put 35 or more on us in the years that they did (taking 2024 to date): 39-19

Similar to Coleman, there were questions about speed and separation. But when you catch EVERYTHING thrown at you........ speed isn't quite as important

The Rams did exactly what the needed to do yesterday. They moved the pocket to buy time, they created plenty of screens/motions to get the ball out quickly. They layered routes on one side of the zone to give Stafford time to open pockets. You still need a QB that has to be able to execute the plan, but Stafford did, and Nacua (and Kupp) made some absolute A+ catches when needed (Nacua had 2 AWESOME 3rd down catches + Kupp made that TD grab where Douglas knocked the ball out and Kupp pinned it to still make the grab)

Benford blanketed Nacua a few times, and Nacua simply made A+ catches to beat it. He is such a talent, I didn't give him the credit after his rookie year. He is 100% a star receiver in the league. This defense is built on all three levels working as one. D-line needs to get pressure and maintain integrity, LBs need to cover lower zones and spy QB if integrity is broken, and DBs need to sit in their zones and squeeze windows to force tight throws. None of the levels worked yesterday. D-line didnt get pressure, LBs were moved off their zones by Stafford (who did an AMAZING job yesterday. That was Super Bowl winning Stafford yesterday), and DBs didnt tighten coverage downfield to force tight throws. Lots of breakdowns - need to improve

Babich called a poor game and the team didnt execute. Against the Chiefs Babich implemented plenty of man coverage and it helped. Tonight, he played wayyy too much off man zone, allowing the screen and jet sweep game to work, and then sat back in zone on 3rd down and let Stafford pick them apart. People can say McD's scheme, Babich is a puppet blah blah. Babich called a bad game. He is responsible for the playcalling on D.

Allen helped his MVP chances 100%.

Leaders dont blame during the ride. He knows if he blames anyone publicly it hurts their morale going into the playoffs.

Fans are already piling on McD for his end of game decisions (accepting the penalty with 5 minutes left and the TO after the sneak). I think there is fair criticism to both plays, however those two decisions are NOT why we lost the game. Defense today: 11-15 on third down conversions (was 11-12 with about 5 minutes left in the game 1-1 on fourth down 0 sacks 38:30 time of possession for the Rams 457 total yards allowed The game wasn't lost in the last 5 minutes, it was the poor playcalling by Babich and execution in the first 55 that really hurt us.

I was wondering the same thing. I believe they are allowed to engage the block prior to the catch IF the ball doesnt get thrown past the line of scrimmage. Hopefully someone can help us confirm

Babich blew the game way more than McD did. He will be the scapegoat to terrible defensive playcalling in the first three quarters

End of game mistakes (penalty being accepted, TO after the sneak) pale in comparison to the struggles on third down. We were WORKED on third down all game. Rams were 11-12 on 3rd at one point. Nacua and Kupp made some superstar plays, and stafford threw well all night. I dont think any team in the AFC has that type of firepower. Allen played out of his mind - he is the MVP barring a disaster. His stats just exploded due to this game. All in all, defense needs to squeeze down on that type of poor play on third down, and Allen needs to continue to use that level headed play he showed today. This game showed me Allen absolutely has the right mentality this year.

Breece is primed for a big deal on a team with a rookie QB contract at the end of next year - Giants/Denver/Raiders/etc.

The Rams have good weapons on offense but their line leaves a lot to be desired. I also think their defense simply isn't that good. We should be able to put up 30 points on them and then it comes down to the defense doing what they have been - holding to field goals. Agree with your prediction - 31-20 is my guess

To me, there are three levels to look at the play. 1) Did he come into the game with a "plan" to injure Lawrence. I think it's farfetched 2) Did he see Lawrence coming in a one on one situation and launch at a low angle with intent to lay the lumber on the QB - I think this is the most likely situation 3) Did he react to a late slide from Lawrence and even with taking the necessary precaution to hit legally unfortunately made contact - I dont think he did It may not have been a "planned exercise", but it's telling when the LB did all of the wrong things in the moment. He changed angle of his trajectory, led with the forearm, and even if the time to react was minimal, he simply didn't make any adjustment to Lawrence. At the point of Lawrence initiating a slide, he was 3.5/4 yards from the LB. The LB's feet are planted flat and squared to Lawrence. In reaction to Lawrence's slide, he lowers forearm first and lunges forward. If he expects Trevor to run through contact, he is targeting the knees. If he is expecting a slide, he is targeting the head. Both relatively scummy to be honest. At the end of the day, his apology wasn't really an apology. It was a reaction to the negative publicity. To your point, if this play happens in the 80s, its a hard hit and the world moves on - which also means he isn't apologizing at all. So when we see him apologizing (even though it seemed thin at best), it's indication that he made a bad play. Hence the game of football as moved past the 80s and into the current way we play now. The form of the game where the defense isn't allowed to launch at the hed of a QB after they have given themselves up. And he simply didn't do that. I think it was an incredibly dirty play - I'd suspend him 1-2 games (Houston is on a bye this week, I'd probably give him a game so he is out week 15). It's a play I dont want to see happen to more QBs, this is your chance to set the standard and help reduce the chances of it happening again.

Simple fix - penalties that are the initial action leading to ejection (even if other players are ejected after) are automatically awarded. Then fouls after that offset as needed

I did completely forget about safety, I think I tend to lump them into the secondary as a whole

The only arguably worse position group on the team is DT, and that’s a stretch

I can’t wait for the stadium to erupt when he makes a tackle tomorrow - calling it now

That immediate post draft interview with Suzie Kulber where she asks about the tweets and if he needs to address it with his team, I loved when he said "I dont need to but I probably will. I'm ready to work". At 22 he had such a controlling leadership demeanor. No wonder Sean/Beane (guys who value leadership and maturity) loved him.

It's why I think the Bills/Chiefs divisional game is the greatest game ever. It had that "every drive matters" back and forth for the first 3 quarters, and then in Q4 it was the ascension of the two best players on the planet - Allen and Mahomes. Dialed in, flawless play.