BigAl2526

I agree it was a mistake for the Patriots to sign Newton, but I don't know that they ever figured that he was going to be anything more than a stopgap. Having Newton was not the reason they lacked a credible QB. There just weren't any credible guys available at a price the Patriots felt they could afford.

I agree. KC is different in many ways from the team that Buffalo beat handily. I also think Buffalo is a better team than it was earlier in the season. At that point, they played some great games, but struggled running the ball. I think they were a more fragile team then. They have toughened up, found some consistency on the offensive line, figured out how to have a running game and adapted to the loss of Tre White. Chris Jones will be a handful, but Buffalo is far better equipped to cope with him now than they were 6 weeks ago. Pat Mahomes is always a threat to have an explosive game. Buffalo and Sean McDermott are getting to know him fairly well though. I'm not sure that he has as many dangerous weapons as he had previous to this season. Of course, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce are more than a handful.

The biggest factor in that choice is location. If it's Cinci, it's a home game. Otherwise, I don't know that one opponent is that advantageous over the other. If Tennessee still had Derrick Henry, I'd be really wary of Tennessee, but Joe Mixon is at least as tough a running back to defend as D'Onta Foreman. I think Tennessee has a somewhat better defense, but it's not a huge factor. On the other hand, I think Joe Burrow is potentially a more dangerous QB than Ryan Tannehill and the Cincinnati offense is more explosive. Either way, Buffalo is a solid team. If they can handle KC's explosiveness, the defense can handle Cincinnati's, and they look like they are finally developing some toughness against the run. Offensively, I think Buffalo has exorcised their demons from earlier in the year. If the Patriots game is any indication of who and what the Bills are now, it's the other team that should be more worried, no matter who the opponent is.

Lamar has a one of a kind skill set, and Baltimore has built their offensive scheme around it. It would take a complete philosophical change for Baltimore to go in a different direction and cut bait with Lamar.

Weather forecast for KC next Sunday: Daytime high in low 40s under partly cloudy skies. Winds 10 to 15 mph. I don't know that there's been a prediction of game time temps, but I would guess it will start in the mid to upper 30s and end up close to freezing. Balmy compared to what the Bills just dealt with.

Obada, despite his size is said to be a liability in run defense.

I think there are still plays where Singletary's lack of speed and size hurt him, but Daboll is doing a pretty good job of using him in ways to minimize his liabilities. That said, I still wouldn't mind an upgrade eventually.

McDermott was always hesitant to make Bates a starter because of his versatility. I'm glad he finally gave in to the philosophy of playing the 5 best guys. The off season is going to be interesting for the offensive line. Buffalo could decide to keep the same 5 starters. If they don't, Morse would seem to be the guy who could lose his spot to a younger cheaper replacement (a draft pick?). Otherwise, they still will need to address depth. Doyle may be ready to play a legit swing tackle role. Bottger is still going to be gimpy from his injury and he seems not to have a very high ceiling anyway. Feliciano is also limited in his ability, and I don't know that Buffalo is happy with Cody Ford at this point. I could see the Bills bringing in at least a couple new guys for the interior of the line, guys who could legitimately compete.

Buffalo is a much better team with a much better QB. The Patriots will likely rebuild at least to some extent, but there aren't enough QBs the caliber of Josh Allen to go around. There are maybe three in the league right now. Besides Josh, there's Pat Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers, and Rodgers is only a few years from retirement. I'd have put Tom Brady in that category a few years ago, but I think his skill set (which is somewhat different from Josh's) has waned. He's still very good, but he wouldn't make New England better than the Bills at this point. Maybe Hebert of the Chargers and one or two others will come close. The odds are overwhelming that Bill Belichick is never going to find a QB to match Josh Allen's stature among the elite of the league. Yeah, I know the league hasn't quite put Josh Allen in that top three tier yet, but I think it might happen next season.

No. I think Daboll knows what he's doing even if I don't agree with every play call. He's done a masterful job of introducing a massive playbook and complex scheme to his offensive players and getting them to play it more competently and with fewer mistakes than offensive coordinators for over 20 previous years. Continuity is good. On the other hand, I think Buffalo probably has a competent replacement in house, so it wouldn't be a disaster if he left.

Is there something in the NFL rules that say Buffalo has to play KC every year, and they have to do it in Kansas City?

Yeah, I think their mods deleted that thread and started their own. The new "official" one seemed pretty lame. There was one Patriot fan predicting a Bills win though.

I'm always concerned about things that can go wrong in upcoming games, including Dabol's play calling and Joh Allen's handling of cold weather and wintry conditions. I'm hoping that some of what happened in the Jets game amounted to Dabol experimenting with some things and giving their next opponent (which only later turned out to be New England) more things to worry about and prepare for. I do think all the coaches will up their game for the playoffs, but then so will Belichick and every other team Buffalo might have a chance to face.

It's possible he's gone after the season. It's been a case of diminishing returns. The Bills have to decide how much he's worth, and Hughes has to decide what he'll accept in a contract. It might be tough for Hughes and the Bills to find common ground. I'd be happy to have him in a reduced role at a decent price though. I think he's a good locker room guy and team mate.

LOL Jags' owner must love dysfunction.

Ryan Bates is not the most massive offensive lineman and might not be a great fit in a power blocking scheme, but he's easily the most athletic interior lineman the Bills have, and far better fit in a gap scheme system than Feliciano or Ford.

Well, I have my doubts that Buffalo has what it needs at cornerback with Tre White hurt to make it all the way through the playoffs. I think Breeland might be a prudent signing at this point.

I takes a long time to disabuse someone, who feels entitled, of that mindset.

Of course, we know Bates is the most versatile backup offensive lineman Buffalo has. However, I suspect Buffalo would regard using him at tackle as a last resort. Practically speaking he's an interior lineman who could move outside in case of disaster, a disaster that likely is never happening, especially if Tommy Doyle develops as a decent backup as a swing tackle. As has been noted, Feliciano can play center. I think all the guards (Feliciano, Williams, Ford and of course Bates) can play either side of the center if need be. I didn't mention Boettger since he's out the rest of the year. The bottom line is I don't think Bates' vaunted versatility is so precious that Buffalo can't use him to start over another interior offensive lineman if Bates is better. Buffalo should start their 5 best offensive linemen, even if one of them is Bates.

It's a good thing when Buffalo can limit Matt Haack's opportunities to punt, and give him a few opportunities to hold for Tyler Bass field goal attempts.

He may be able to play early next season, but he will have problems being effective for virtually the entire season. Best case scenario: the Bills won't need him and can carry him on the practice squad for the whole season.

The Bills have now won two straight and have a good chance to close out the season with two more wins. That said there are some teams that scare me in the playoffs, particularly with the bills' issues at cornerback and in run defense. Kansas City has gotten on track and I don't see how the Bills are going to stop Mahomes from passing for 350 yards with Tre White on the shelf. KC also has a defensive line that is healthy and talented. I think Indianapolis would cause problems again for Buffalo as I don't think Buffalo has an answer for Jonathon Tayor. I admit, however, that I did not see Buffalo's easy victory over New England in Foxborough in the cards either.

The defense had lots of problems. The problems in the secondary (cornerbacks) were somewhat masked by New England's shortage of quality receivers. The New England running backs were consistently able to bounce outside because Buffalo failed to have contain ono the edges. Those were a couple of the issues Buffalo's defense had.

Yeah, Judon did enough unsportsmanlike stuff to get himself kicked out of the game and maybe warrant a fine, but we know that's not going to happen.

Agreed. Josh Allen played a great game yesterday, but he was not perfect. But then Tom Brady on the best game of his career was not perfect, even if the stat sheet might look that way. Nobody is perfect.